Brian Herbert Squeaks Out URSS Win at the Bullring Nationals

The United Rebel Sprint Series wheeled into the 100^th Annual Rush County Fair to fight it out for the Crown at the Bullring Nationals. The tight ¼ mile oval has produced some of the most exciting racing moments when the Rebels battle it out. This year there was some added incentive as the Rush County Fair Board and several local sponsors offered up drivers a $100 bonus for each lap lead during the 25-lap Feature.

Kansas City Kansas’s Corey Lutters lead the twenty-one car field to the green and jumped out to the lead with Jeff Radcliffe, Brian Herbert, Kirby Hagans and Raymond Seemann rounding out the top five at the end of lap one. The caution would soon fly for a spin in turn one. On the restart Lutters once jumped out to the lead, but as the field flew down the front stretch, second place Kansas Points runner Raymond Seemann would suffer a driveline failure and pull his mount into the infield.

The caution flag would again wave for another spin, on the restart Lutters once again jumped out to the lead but back in the pack Craig Jecha took to the high side to avoid a spinning car and took a wild ride off of turn one with his car flipping to bring out the red flag. Jecha was okay after the incident but his night was cut short.

On the restart, Lutters once again jumped out to the lead with Radcliffe, Herbert, Hagans and Smokey Fairbanks rounding out the top five. Lap five saw Fairbank make the pass to take over the fourth spot from Hagans as current point leader Ty Williams made his way up to pressure Hagans for the fifth position. Soon Zach Blurton and Josh Fairbank would join Williams and Hagans to make it a four-car battle for the fifth spot.

Back in the pack, Jeff Crook was steadily making his way to the front from his twentieth starting spot to challenge Howard Van Dyke for the tenth position. Crook took the spot on lap eleven and immediately pressure Darren Bowman for the ninth spot. Up front Corey Lutters was entering lapped traffic but holding his advantage over second place Jeff Radcliffe who had Brian Herbert all over his back bumper. The pair worked their way through traffic to stay within striking distance of the leader.

Zach Blurton and Ty Williams were turning up the heat fifth place Josh Fairbank who had claimed the spot on lap fourteen. The trio were using traffic to try to gain positions as the laps ticked by and on lap eighteen Williams made his move to grab the fifth leaving Josh Fairbank and Zach Blurton to vie for the sixth spot.

Up front Lutters continued to click of the laps but behind the battle for the runner up spot was fierce. Herbert had caught Radcliffe and was looking for the opening he needed to grab the spot. Herbert made the pass on lap and quickly set his sights on Lutters who was about to encounter heavy lapped traffic. As the white flag was being displayed Herbert had closed the gap on Lutters and as the pair entered turns one and two, Herbert used a lapped car as a pick to rocket down the backstretch in the lead. Herbert maintained the position as the checkered flag fell with Corey Lutters, Jeff Radcliffe, Ty Williams and Smokey Fairbank rounded out the top five.

The Keizer Aluminum Wheels “Hard Charger Award” went to Garden City Kansas racer Jeff Crook who raced his way form his twentieth starting spot to finish in the tenth position. 

Heat Race winners were: #1-Jeff Radcliffe, #2-Kirby Hagans, #3-Corey Lutters, #4-Brian Herbert

A-Main: 1-Brian Herbert (97), 2-Corey Lutters (07), 3-Jeff Radcliffe (21R), 4-Ty Williams (1), 5-Smokey Fairbank (2), 6-Zach Blurton (2J), 7-Josh Fairbank (51), 8-Darrren Bowman (9B), 9-Kirby Hagans (4), 10-Jeff Crook (52), 11-Reed Bernbeck (C3), 12-Kory Lira (18), 13-Jordan Weaver (92), 14-Howard Van Dyke (74), 15-Jerry Caldwell (80), 16-Keefe Hemel (11), 17-Mike Spear (54), 18-Ken Lutters (74), 19-Craig Jecha (17X), 20-Raymond Seemann (72), 21- Jared Kern (007K)

Lap Leaders – 1-24 Corey Lutters, 25 Brian Herbert