By Mike Wilson

CJ Johnson Grabs the Win at URSS Colorado Motorsports Park Debut

CJ Johnson nabbed his fifteenth victory of the year by topping the field of Sunday’s main event at Byers, Colorado in the United Rebel Sprint Series debut at the Colorado Motorsports Park. Johnson wrestled the lead away from Reed Bernbeck during the waning moments of the twenty-lap showdown, notching his twenty-ninth career URSS Feature win.

Michael Williams led the field to the green flag for the twenty-lap shootout on the clay but it would be Bernbeck blasting to the front from his outside row one starting position to grab the lead and the early advantage. Williams, Ian Christie, Jon Johnson, Mike Parker, and Tim Perkins would settle in behind Bernbeck.

With Bernbeck and Williams battling it out for the top position, CJ Johnson, Ray Seemann, and Patrick Bourke would start to reel in the front pack, carving up the Colorado Motorsports Park in the process. Only inches apart, the duo would battle for position with Johnson rocketing into the top five on the seventh circuit.

At the halfway mark, Bernbeck would hold serve with Williams, Jon Johnson, CJ Johnson, Perkins, and Christie in tow. Perkins and Christie would be shuffled as Bourke set his sights on the top five.

As the leaders hit the lapped markers, Williams would see pressure from the duo of Johnson and Johnson as the battle for the second position heated up. It would be CJ Johnson, hammering the high line to the second slot on the eleventh circuit with Jon Johnson making pass stick on lap thirteen.

With laps winding away, Bernbeck would continue to set a frantic pace but lapped traffic would prove to be the deciding factor. Johnson would use a lapped car as a pick to sling shot around the outside of the marker and Bernbeck in turns one and two, with Jon Johnson, Bourke, and Williams checking the top five.

Just when it looked like the 2009 point leader had it in the bag; the caution would fly for Mike Anderson, dead in the water in turn two. A three lap shootout would determine the twenty lapper and it would be CJ Johnson bringing the field back to the green with Bernbeck, Jon Johnson, Bourke, and Williams the top five.

Bernbeck would get a healthy dose of “The Kansas Tornado” and Bourke as the trio battled for the runner up position.

As the checkered flag flew it would be “The Natural” CJ Johnson checking into victory lane for the fifteenth time in 2009. Bernbeck would wear the runner up shoe, with Bourke taking the high road to third. Jon Johnson would drop to fourth as “The Rain Man” Ray Seemann used last lap heroics to crack the top five.

CJ Johnson picked up the Keizer Aluminum Wheels “Hard Charger Award” surging from his tenth starting spot to take the win.

Heat race winners were #1-CJ Johnson, #2-Jon Johnson, #3-Ray Seemann, #4-Michael Williams

A-Main: 1-CJ Johnson (45X), 2-Reed Bernbeck (C3), 3-Patrick Bourke (27), 4-Jon Johnson (86), 5-Ray Seemann (72), 6-Michael Williams (77W), 7-Tim Perkins (99), 8-Ian Christie (17C), 9-Ken Lutters (79), 10-Blake Bogenhagen (27B), 11-Chad Salem (17), 12-Mike Anderson (5A), 13-Dennis Bellanti (16), 14-Mike Parker (140), 15-Judd Sheaffer (56), 16-Levi Wisecup (21), 17-Sam Wisecup (8B)