Lansing, MN
By: Greg Parent UMSS Media Director (6-22-12)
Brooke Tatnell was back in the #86AU sprint car on Friday night June 22 at the Chateau Raceway which also meant he was back to his winning ways in Upper Midwest Sprintcar Series (UMSS) action. Tatnell, who is leasing the car from his good friend and fellow Aussie David Craft, has been nearly unbeatable when he makes an appearance with the UMSS in that car. With an engine leased from Goerges Racing under the hood, Tatnell found himself in a thrilling battle for the top spot following a lap six restart. Two laps later, Tatnell drove from third to first and went on to score his third UMSS win of the season on a fantastic evening for racing.
With the usual double round of UMSS qualifying races in the books, top point driver Jason Tostenson redrew the #4 pill for the feature race invert. This put 2011 UMSS Champion Jerry Richert, Jr. on the pole flanked by Scott Broty along with 2010 UMSS Rookie of the Year Jared Goerges and Tostenson in row two. Broty immediately blasted into the lead at the drop of the green, piloting the potent Olson Motorsports #34 sprinter. Richert held the second spot for the first three laps before Tostenson drove by. Tostenson, racing for a new team this season based out of St. Cloud, was making his third start of the season in the R & D Motorsports #36 sprinter. Six laps into the race the first of three cautions blinked on for a spin. What took place in the next few laps was amazing. A terrific battle ensued for the top three positions between Broty, Tostenson and Tatnell who had worked his way up to third from his seventh starting position.
With the leaders slicing, dicing and trading slide jobs back and forth, Tatnell drove by both Broty and Tostenson on lap eight. Broty held the runner-up spot through lap 13 when the race was slowed for the second time. On the restart, Tostenson got by Broty for second. One final caution with 16 laps scored put Tostenson right behind Tatnell on the restart. Tatnell was too strong and drove to the victory. Tostenson turned in his best finish so far in second followed by Scott Broty in third. Broty’s finish allowed him to take over the current UMSS point lead. Austin Johnson returned from a crash about a month ago to run a very solid fourth place. Johnson’s familiar blue #81 sprinter was strong on longer green flag runs. Jerry Richert, Jr. rounded out the top five. Chris Graf charged from the back of the pack to finish sixth while Chad Patterson, Anna Kouba, Sye Anderson, and Jennifer Eriksen completed the top ten. Eriksen was making her second start of the season after making repairs following her Elko crash back in April.
Tatnell thanked his crew for giving him a strong car and also thanked Chateau Raceway for hosting the UMSS while being interviewed in Victory Lane by track announcer Todd Narveson. “This was a fun little track to race on,” stated the popular Aussie who makes his US home in Forest Lake. “Hopefully we made some new sprint car fans tonight here at Chateau. There were some exciting laps and plenty of action after that first restart,” continued Tatnell. With his win, Tatnell surpassed his brother-in-law Jerry Richert, Jr. as the career feature win leader in the UMSS. Richert will be looking to even things up again when the UMSS races next Friday night at the St. Croix Valley Raceway.
Heat races were won by Sye Anderson, Scott Broty and Jason Tostenson. Tostenson topped the first Challenge Race while Jared Goerges came home the victor in the second Challenge Race. Last year’s winner at Chateau, Andy Jones, was unable to be on hand. Jones’ grandfather is seriously ill, and he was at the hospital along with other family members. The Mastell Racing #73 is hoping to return to action next Friday night.
Rookie racer James Broty got upside down after contact with the turn four wall during heat race action. Broty had led the first four laps before Tostenson slid by underneath him. Brodie McKeown was making his first UMSS start of the season, but his team chased mechanical gremlins all night long.
Up next for the UMSS is the prestigious 20th Annual Kouba Memorial on Friday night June 29 at the St. Croix Valley Raceway. The Kouba Memorial is part of the 1st Annual Open Wheel Nationals, as the UMSS sprints will be racing for $2,000 to win and $270 to start. This should prove to be a tremendous night of open wheel action on the 1/4 mile dirt oval with the winged sprints, non-winged sprints, and two classes of modifieds on the program. Please check out the UMSS website at www.umsprints.com or the UMSS Facebook page for the latest news and information.
UMSS Race Results – Chateau Raceway June 22, 2012 (Race #6):
Alpha Apparel & Promotions Ultimate Sprint Race #1 (6 laps): Sye Anderson 37, Jennifer Eriksen 10x, Tony Kaus 3TK, Brodie McKeown 20 DNF, Chris Graf 20G DNS.
Meeks Video Ultimate Sprint Race #2 (6 laps): Scott Broty 34, Chad Patterson 15, Jerry Richert, jr. 63, Johnny Parsons III 12, Brooke Tatnell 86au.
Driverwebsites.com Ultimate Sprint Race #3 (6 laps): Jason Tostenson 36, Jared Goerges 9, Austin Johnson 81, Anna Kouba 5, James Broty 33 DNF.
North Country Builders Challenge Race #1 (8 laps): Tostenson, Johnson, Tatnell, Patterson, Anderson, Parsons, Kaus DNF, James Broty DNS.
Mastell Brothers Trailer Service Challenge Race #2 (8 laps): Goerges, Richert, Graf, Scott Broty, Eriksen, Kouba, McKeown DNF.
GRP Motorsports/KOWZ Radio A Main (20 laps): Tatnell, Tostenson, Scott Broty, Johnson, Richert, Graf, Patterson, Kouba, Anderson, Eriksen, Goerges, Kaus DNF, Parsons DNF, McKeown DNF, James Broty DNS.
Lap Leaders: Scott Broty 1-7, Tatnell 8-20.
Cautions: (3)