Woodruff Claims First Night Win in URSS Wingless Fall Challenge

The United Rebel Sprint Series kicked off its “Wingless Fall Challenge Series” Sunday night at the Jetmore Motorplex. The nights racing program, Sponsored by Riverside Chiropractic had its share of thrills and spills and a Grudge Race between the Doctors sponsoring the event. But when it was all said and done, Mike Woodruff claimed his first URSS Feature win.

St. Joseph Missouri driver, Cody Salem with Dodge City’s Kris Moore alongside on the outside pole, led the field to the green. The action didn’t take long to start as the red flag came out on lap two for a turn three incident involving URSS Point Leader Smokey Fairbank and 2006 Champion Jon Johnson as they touched wheels sending Fairbank into a hard tumble that landed him against the outside catch fence. Fairbank was okay but done for the night. On the restart, Kris Moore jumped into the early lead but by the end of lap three Paul Flynn had taken the lead with Moore, Brian Herbert, Salem and Kirby Hagans rounding out the top five.

The race for the fifth spot heated up on lap four as Ray Seemann, Jon Johnson and Mike Woodruff all set their sights on Hagans. The veterans swapped spots back and forth as they all worked their way past a fading Moore and by lap ten it was Hagans, Seemann, and Woodruff going three wide down the backstretch.  As they entered turn three they tangled sending Seemann to the pits with front end damage and a disgruntled Hagans to the rear.

On the restart Flynn continued to hold the lead, with Brian Herbert and Woodruff looking to take away the top spot. Woodruff took the second position from Herbert on lap thirteen and started to put the pressure on Flynn and wrestled the lead from him on lap fifteen. Herbert then had pressure from The “Kansas Tornado” Jon Johnson and Salem for the third spot. Johnson as Salem made several attempts to over take Herbert but as the Checkers flew, it was Woodruff taking his first URSS Feature win with Flynn, Herbert, Johnson and Salem rounding out the top five.

The Weld Racing Wheels “Hard Charger” award went to Mike Woodruff who came from his sixteenth starting spot to pick up the win.

Heat Race winners were Alan Herbert, Ray Seemann and Paul Flynn.

A – Main – 1- Woodruff, 2- Flynn, 3- B. Herbert, 4- Johnson, 5-Salem, 6-Miller, 7- Moore, 8- C. Lutters, 9- Fisher, 10- K. Lutters, 11- Brooke Boyd, 12- Ricke, 13- Bernbeck, 14- Hagans, 15- Seemann, 16- Schwien, 17- A. Herbert, 18- Bart Boyd, 19- S. Fairbank, 20- J. Fairbank, 21- Jon Freeman