From Greg Parent
MENOMONIE, Wisc. — (July 22, 2016) — Racing for the second time-ever at the Red Cedar Speedway, the UMSS Traditional sprint cars put on an outstanding race for the top spot in what turned out to be a 25 lap nonstop run to the checkers on Friday night July 22 in their feature race. Jimmy Kouba led all but one lap, but current TSCS point leader Rick Kobs stayed close throughout most of the race, actually grabbed the lead on lap 22 only to see Kouba charge back and retake the top spot by a matter of inches on lap 23, and then go on to win for the third time this season. Kobs was looking for his second win at Red Cedar in a Traditional sprint car, having won last year when the popular non-winged division raced at the Dunn County Fair on a Thursday night in July. Jimmy Kouba was not to be denied on this night though. Kouba commented on the race and his battle with Kobs during his post-race winner interview with Loren Miller in Rock Auto Victory Lane. Kouba picked up $500 for the victory thanks to some sponsorship help from GRP Motorsports.
It was also the first night of a planned two night challenge between the Wisconsin WingLESS Sprint Series (WWSS) and the UMSS Traditional sprints. Four non-winged sprints made the long tow up on a very hot summer day/evening. The WWSS sprints primarily race each Saturday night at Wilmot Speedway. On hand were Doug Schenck, Craig Campton, Jeremy Hunt and George Gaertner, Jr. Last Saturday (July 16), Jimmy Kouba won for the first time down on their home track, as the both Jimmy and Jake have traveled to Wilmot several times this season already. Tonight would mark two wins in a row for Jimmy Kouba in his last two nights of racing. Commenting in the pits after the races, Jimmy said, “I saw Kobs next to me a few times during the race, then we came up on that lapped car running in my line, and before I knew it Kobs had snuck past me. I got up on the wheel and drove back by him the next lap. That was a fun race!” Jake Kouba also joined the battle for the lead in the closing laps but settled for third behind Kobs at the checkers.
James Giossi had a strong run, but was hampered by a motor which broke a valve about eight laps into the race and was down a cylinder. Giossi rode home in fourth ahead of Anna Hippe. Local favorite Blake Anderson finished sixth ahead of Jeremy Kerzman who started 14th. 2011 TSCS Champion Kevin Bradwell turned in one of his better runs recently for eighth. Rookie Ty Sampair finished ninth. Earning the $100 GRP Motorsports Hard Charger award was Scott Brandt, coming from 19th to round out the top ten. Brandt broke a power steering pump in hot laps and missed his heat race. Borrowing a spare pump from Mike Mueller, Brandt moved up nine spots in the feature. All 20 cars on hand started the feature, and ALL 20 cars finished the green flag-to-checkers run. Sixteen cars finished on the lead lap. The highest finishing WWSS sprint was Doug Schenck in fourteenth. Schenck had a solid run in his heat race and found himself in the top four redraw where he ended up with an outside front row starting spot. Jimmy Kouba drew the pole with Kobs and Giossi in row two. Heat races were by Giossi, Jimmy Kouba and Kobs. The only two caution flags of the evening came in the heat races for a couple of spins.
The second night of the two race challenge series between the WWSS and TSCS sprints scheduled for the Eagle Valley Speedway fell victim to stormy weather and was rained out. It would have been the first-ever appearance for the UMSS Traditional sprints at Eagle Valley, and many teams were looking forward to racing at a new track and watching the IRA 410 Outlaw sprints as well. The weather did not allow that to happen. Hopefully the Traditional sprints can make it over to Eagle Valley next season.
The next race for the Traditional sprints will see them return to the Cedar Lake Speedway for their tenth appearance of the season next Saturday night July 30. Rick Kobs has won five out of the nine shows at CLS so far. Jeremy Kerzman has three CLS wins while Jimmy Kouba has one win this season at the track where he earned a track championship at back in 1997 in the WISSOTA 360 winged sprints. Following the scheduled Cedar Lake race on July 30, the Traditional sprints will take a planned two week break from racing before returning to action at the Grand Rapids Speedway for a non-points show on Thursday night August 18 prior to a double header weekend at Princeton and Ogilvie the next two nights. The Princeton show will feature all three UMSS divisions while the Ogilvie race will also have the UMSS winged sprints on the program. There is plenty of racing action remaining, as the series works its way through the second half of the season! Check out the schedule, results, points and other news for the Traditional Sprint Car Series on our website at www.umsprints.com by clicking on the blue logo or follow us on Facebook.
UMSS TSCS Race Results – Red Cedar Speedway July 22, 2016 (Race #15)
GRP Motorsports A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 2K-Jimmy Kouba[1]; 2. 81-Rick Kobs[3]; 3. 6-Jake Kouba[5]; 4. 11-James Giossi[4]; 5. 16-Anna Hippe[8]; 6. 12X-Blake Anderson[9]; 7. 3K-Jeremy Kerzman[14]; 8. 95-Kevin Bradwell[6]; 9. N1-Ty Sampair[10]; 10. 7B-Scott Brandt[19]; 11. 55-Joseph Kouba[11]; 12. 99-Bryan Roach[17]; 13. 48-Neal Matuska[7]; 14. 71S-Doug Schenck[2]; 15. 87-Mike Mueller[12]; 16. 7S-Craig Campton[13]; 17. 29-Hunter Custer[16]; 18. 32-Jeremy Hunt[18]; 19. 89-George Gaertner Jr[15]; 20. 00-Kyle Finnegan[20]
Lap Leaders: Jimmy Kouba 1-21, Kobs 22, Jimmy Kouba 23-25. No cautions! All cars finished. Outstanding race! GRP Motorsports Hard Charger Award: Scott Brandt +9
Track Rat Photos Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 11-James Giossi[4]; 2. 71S-Doug Schenck[6]; 3. 48-Neal Matuska[2]; 4. 87-Mike Mueller[1]; 5. 29-Hunter Custer[3]; 6. 89-George Gaertner Jr[7]; 7. 32-Jeremy Hunt[5]
Lap Leaders: Matuska 1-4, Giossi 5-10. Cautions: (1) yellow for 32 spin turn 1 four laps in.
Meeks Video Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 2K-Jimmy Kouba[3]; 2. 95-Kevin Bradwell[2]; 3. N1-Ty Sampair[1]; 4. 55-Joseph Kouba[4]; 5. 7S-Craig Campton[5]; 6. 00-Kyle Finnegan[6]; (DNS) 7B-Scott Brandt
Lap Leaders: Sampair 1, Jimmy Kouba 2-10. No cautions. 7B scratched for heat with power steering pump failure. Ready for feature.
Hoosier Racing Tire Heat 3 (10 Laps): 1. 81-Rick Kobs[1]; 2. 6-Jake Kouba[3]; 3. 16-Anna Hippe[2]; 4. 12X-Blake Anderson[5]; 5. 3K-Jeremy Kerzman[4]; 6. 99-Bryan Roach[6]
Lap Leader: Kobs 1-10. Cautions: (1) yellow for 99 spin turn 2 five laps in.