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Tuesday, August 7, 2012

URSS Sprints @ Belleville Friday 8-3-2012

  I was pretty jazzed to see the URSS guys run. Every time they've been to the High Banks, they have put on a good show. These guys are so good they can even run in the dark! Also, this is the only class I can think of that has almost no engine failures here. A couple of years ago, I only knew a few of them, but I've gotten to know many of them since and they are a bunch of down to Earth guys who just love to race.
  Going into Friday's show, Luke Cranston was on a roll, having won three features in a row at Belleville. It wasn't going to be easy to keep the string going with guys like Brian Herbert, Ray Seeman, and Adam Trimble gunning for him. Overlooked by some because of his youth, those of us who know Topeka's Wyatt Burks from his mini sprint days knew he would be a factor too.
  The evening was marred by one of the most violent crashes I've seen here in a long time. Mike Saathoff hit the rail exiting turn two resulting in a series of nasty flips. Fortunately, he was relatively unhurt after the ride, but he will feel it for a while.
  You can read a recap of the race on the URSS site here..
http://www.unitedrebelsprintseries.com/2012/results/8_3.html
 
  I need to tell Rick Salem a huge THANK YOU for a great show and all his help!
Luke Cranston

Wyatt Burks

Mike Saathoff

Saathoff & Mike Peters

Brian Hardman (16) & Brian Herbert

Herbert & Adam Trimble

Trimble & Hardman


Hurricane Howard Van Dyke (74) and Ray Seeman

Lance Davis (9) and Keefe Hemel.

Mike Spear (54) and Davis


Judd Sheaffer (56) and Mike Saathoff in one of the last shots of this car in one piece.

John Webster (9) and Sheaffer

The lap before this, Saathoff got really high so I was watching him as he came out of two. I was still caught by surprise by the suddenness of the car's snap turn into the guard rail.

As you can see, that was no glancing blow. He hit the rail a ton!



Those pieces came off the car a lot faster than they went on.

The left front is still hanging in there here.



So much for the tire.



There goes the hood.





Miraculously, Saathoff received no major injuries from this. Rescue crews were on hand in seconds, and he was able to walk to the ambulance.

The car wasn't as lucky.

Lining up for the feature.

Adam Trimble & Zach Blurton (2)

Lance Davis (9), Reed Bernbeck (74), and Keefe Hemel.





John Webster and Jake Bubak (9X)
Watching these guys was a real treat. Luke Cranston ran right up against the rail for several laps to get around leader Judd Sheaffer.
This shows how much Cranston gained in one lap.

Finally alone out in front.

The last time URSS ran at Belleville, Brian Herbert was chasing Cranston but ran out of laps. Here he comes again.

Next, it was Adam Trimble to take a spot away from Sheaffer.


Davis & Van Dyke had a good battle going too.


Friday's Hard Charger was Wyatt Burks who moved from 10th to 2nd in his first time on the High Banks.


Burks methodically picked off car after car.



Luke with Witney Sorell and his dad after the race.

Four in a row!

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