By the URSS
LIBERAL, Kan. — Despite having a fast car, things hadn’t worked out for Ray Seemann this season with the United Rebel Sprint Series.
On Saturday night at the Liberal Fairgrounds, Seemann finally got the first win of the season he was in line to get at several races this year.
In the process of Seemann winning the feature event, the Jetmore driver made sure there still wasn’t a repeat winner in the URSS this season.
“I was starting to wonder there for a minute,” Seemann said about winning in 2013.
Seemann had races where he was the fastest car in the field this season. But unfortunately, things never worked out in his favor. The cautions never came after he started deep in the field and he made his way to the front, or it was just bad luck.
“I think we’ve been real fast, just had bad luck,” Seemann said. “At WaKeeney, we were fast but started so far back and never got a caution. At Oberlin, we should have won that. I closed the gap on Luke (Cranston) that night. I felt we had a real good car, but just not the finishes to show it.”
On Saturday, Seemann started outside the second row and tucked in behind Zac Taylor. He got around him after the third lap, only to have a red flag come out — relegating him back to second.
A few laps after the restart, Seemann took the lead and never relinquished it.
“It gets frustrating when you’re fast and you don’t win,” Seemann said. “You can always feel when the car is fast. We’d be first in the heat, then miss it in the feature.”
That wasn’t the case at Liberal. Once Seemann was up front, he distanced himself for the win.
He thought Brian Herbert was closing the gap as he started to maneuver through lap traffic, but Herbert couldn’t get close enough to challenge.
“You always hear footsteps behind you,” Seemann said. “I got through lap traffic better than Herbert did. I had a pretty good lead. I got behind (Darren) Bowman for a while and had a little trouble getting around him. I swear I heard someone right on me.”
Herbert finished second, with Barry Crane in third. Taylor finished fourth, and Cranston was fifth as 17 drivers checked in for the night.
The Keizer Aluminum Racing Wheels Hard-Charger Award went to Bowman, who started 13th and finished seventh.
Feature results
1. Ray Seemann, 2. Brian Herbert, 3. Barry Crane, 4. Zac Taylor, 5. Luke Cranston, 6. Taylor Velasquez, 7. Darren Bowman, 8. Jerry Caldwell, 9. Lance Davis, 10. Steven Richardson, 11. Kris Moore, 12. Koby Walters, 13. Kris Miller, 14. Nick King (DNF), 15. John Jacobs (DNF), 16. Kaden Taylor (DNF), 17. Richie Dewell (DNS).