By Rick Salem
DODGE CITY, Kansas (April 25, 2021) – The Drive to Zero POWRi United Rebel Sprint Series Presented by Mel Hambelton Ford Racing kicked off their season atop the 3/8-mile semi-banked clay oval of Dodge City Raceway Park on Saturday. Twenty-one cars were in action for the season opener as Arcadia Oklahoma’s Ty Williams claimed the season opener victory.
Ty Williams and Connor Atkinson set the pace for the 30-lap feature event. The start saw Ty Williams out to the early lead ahead of Atkinson, but not without some heat from Jeremy Huish and Luke Cranston. On lap three, Huish would get past Atkinson, and lap four saw Cranston foregoing Atkinson and Huish to take the second position.
Williams, Cranston, and Huish remained in the top three, while defending United Rebel Sprint Series Champion, Zach Blurton made his march forward from a tenth place starting position. Cranston would pull several slide jobs on Williams only to have Williams cross under and continue to lead. Trouble for Cranston ensued on lap 13, ending his run for the evening. A restart saw Williams, Huish, Blurton, Atkinson, and Herbert sitting within the top-five. They remained in position until lap 21, when Taylor Velasquez crept his way into the fifth position.
A late-race restart on lap 27 saw Williams, Huish, Velasquez, Blurton, and Atkinson in the top-five. Williams again fended off the lead position while battle ensued right behind. The final lap saw a position change as Mike Woodruff got past Atkinson for the fifth position. In the end Ty Williams would claim the season opener victory at Dodge City Raceway Park with the Drive to Zero United Rebel Sprint Series.
Heat race victories went to Conner Atkinson, Brian Herbert, and Tyler Knight. The Keizer Aluminum Wheels hard-charger was awarded to Brandy Jones, who finished 13th after advancing seven positions.
United Rebel Sprint Series
Dodge City Raceway Park – Dodge City, Kansas
April 24, 2021
Heat One (8 laps): 1) Conner Atkinson, 2) Ty Williams 3) Kyler Johnson 4) Jordan Knight, 5) Lance Davis, 6) Kohl Ricke, 7) Brandy Jones
Heat Two (8 laps): 1) Brian Herbert, 2) Luke Cranston, 3) Zach Blurton, 4) Koby Walters, 5) Jon Freeman, 6) Aaron Ploussard, 7) Jeremy Huish
Heat Three (8 laps): 1) Tyler Knight, 2) Taylor Velasquez, 3) Mike Woodruff, 4) Ray Seemann, 5) Chad Salem, 6) Ross Essenburg, 7) Randy Richardson
A-Feature (30 laps): 1) Ty Williams, 2) Jeremy Huish, 3) Taylor Velasquez, 4) Zach Blurton, 5) Mike Woodruff, 6) Connor Atkinson, 7) Jordan Knight, 8) Kyler Johnson, 9) Tyler Knight, 10) Brian Herbert, 11) Ray Seemann, 12) Lance Davis, 13) Brandy Jones, 14) Kohl Ricke, 15) Ross Essenburg, 16) Aaron Ploussard, 17) Chad Salem, 18) Jon Freeman, 19) Luke Cranston, 20) Koby Walters, 21) Randy Richardson