From URSS
Twenty four teams from Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado made the trek to the Colorado Motor Sports Park for the 1st Annual Ernie DeCroce Memorial. It was the only Colorado Region stop on the 2016 Myers Racing Engines URSS National points’ schedule. The Rebels did not disappoint the gathered crowd as they were treated to some competitive racing when the checkered flag fell it was Quinter Kansas’s Zach Blurton picking up his second National Point win of the 2016 campaign.
Greeley Colorado’s Austin Mclean led the field to the green flag and quickly jumped out to the lead with Jed Werner, Chris Schramek, Justin Medlock and Zach Blurton rounding out the top five at the end of lap one. Blurton soon was one the trail of Schramek and Medlock and used the high side to rocket up to the third spot on lap three.
Back in the pack, Plains Kansas‘s Luke Cranston had started his run through the field and made his way up to the nerf bar of sixth running Patrick Bourke by lap three and starting looking for his way around Gypsum Colorado driver. Cranston made the pass stick on lap six and set his sights on fifth place Medlock. Lap seven saw the first caution flag wave as Tammie Jo Christie came to a stop in turn three.
On the restart Mclean once again jumped out to the lead with Blurton taking over the runner-up spot with Werner Schramek and Cranston rounding out the top five. Cranston made quick work of Schramek to take the fourth spot away on lap nine. Up front Blurton was starting to reel in Mclean as lapped traffic started to come into play. Eleventh place and B Feature winner Darren Berry had been steadily advancing through the field and had made his way to the eighth spot. Berry continued to weave his way past traffic and had made up to the sixth spot by lap sixteen.
Up front, Blurton had caught Mclean as the pair battled for the top spot for multiple laps when Blurton used the high side to take the point on lap seventeen. Soon Mclean would be pressured for the runner-up spot by Werner with Cranston hot on his tail tank. Werner made the pass on lap nineteen which immediately put Mclean into a battle with Cranston. Cranston took the position away relegating him to the fourth position. The red flag flew on lap twenty when Cris Muhler came into contact with and infield tire and got upside down to end his night. Cris escaped unharmed but was done for the evening.
On the restart Blurton once jumped out to the lead with Werner, Cranston, Mclean and Bourke comprising the top five. Behind them Berry had made his way sixth spot bringing Brian Herbert along with him. Herbert had been steadily working his way through the field from his thirteenth staring spot. With eight laps to go Blurton still held the point comfortably as back in the pack Mclean was being pressured by Bourke for the fourth position with Bourke claiming the spot on lap twenty five.
As the remaining laps dwindled down lapped traffic once again would play a role in the outcome. Whoever could weave their way cleanly through it would prevail. The slower cars didn’t prove to be a problem for Blurton as he wove his wave to the white flag a couple of lapped cars cushion between his challengers. When the checkers fell it was Zach Blurton taking his third feature win of the 2016 season with Jed Werner Luke Cranston, Patrick Bourke and Austin Mclean rounding out the top five.
The Keizer Aluminum Wheels Hard Charger Award goes to Luke Cranston, moving up 6 spots to finish 3rd. Heat Race winners – Cris Muhler, Jed Werner and Patrick Bourke
CMSP Feature 7/30
1 Zach Blurton
2 Jed Werner
3 Luke Cranston
4 Patrick Bourke
5 Austin McLean
6 Darren Berry
7 Brian Herbert
8 Bob Schaeffer
9 Mark Walinder
10 Scott Rhoades
11 Justin Medlock
12 John Webster
13 Scott Cochran
14 Keven Schramek
15 Chris Crowder
16 Cris Muhler
17 Nic Sutton
18 Tara Jo Christie DNF
19 Jaime Trengove DNF
20 Brad Wasson DNF
B Feature
1 Darren Berry
2 Bob Schaeffer
3 Brian Herbert
4 Scott Cochran
5 John Webster
6 Scott Rhoades
7 Chris Crowder
8 Brad Wasson
9 Jaime Trengove
10 Tara Jo Christie
11 Ian Christie
12 Clint Schubert DNS
13 Brian Hardman DNS
14 Coby Pearce DNS