4/19/2024
URSS-United Rebel Sprint Series
Richardson Snaps Winless Drought, Claims Barn Burner at Enid Speedway
Enid, Oklahoma 4/19/2024 (www.urssracing.com) - The United Rebel Sprint Series presented by RacinDirt.Com made an epic return to Enid Speedway on Friday night, closing out a 9-year reunion for the series.
The night started with 17 drivers checking into the 3/8 mile clay oval. KansasLand Tire Service heat race one started with a wild flip in turns 1 and 2 after Danny Wood and Koby Walters made contact, sending Walters into a wild flip. Koby Walters and the other drivers involved were cleared by local track officials. Once the green flag dropped again, Whit Gastineau wasted no time leaving the field in the dust. With only 7 laps remaining, Gastineau was able to accumulate a 5.2-second lead over the rest of the field.
In the second Heat race, Taylor Velasquez was able to pull away from the field until lap 3, when Conner Thomas lost a right rear tire and ended his race. On the restart Jake Martens charged his nose to the inside of Velasquez for a moment, before Brody Brown lost a torsion bar in turns 3 & 4, causing the car to spin out. Taylor Velasquez would default and be the winner after the 2nd failed green-white-checkered finish.
The field was set for the 25 lap Mel Hambelton Ford Racing Feature, all eyes were on the front runners of Taylor Velasquez and Jake Martens. On the original start, Velasquez and Martens made contact down the back stretch, turning Martens #17x into the outside wall, ultimately ending his night. After multiple restarts, the battle for the top spot would induce for 5 laps until Jeremy Huish spun out of turn 4 and was able to keep his car under power until the track officials threw the caution flag. Huish would then be docked two positions since the caution was not thrown by series officials.
With the field reset, action resumed with 10 laps remaining. On the restart, Velasquez made a move to the inside of Richardson into turn 1 and would end up losing the lead down the back straightaway. With one final attempt for the lead, Velasquez tried to throw in all the chips, causing his car to slip over the berm on the front stretch and scrubbing his .470 margin to the leader of Steven Rivhardson. Richardson would slip away in the final laps ultimately snapping his 2 year drought with the United Rebel Sprint Series. “The car was really good all night, especially the track. The top was a little choppy but once we figured out the entry to the corner it was good. We knew it would lay rubber sooner than later and I'm just happy we nailed the setup” said Richardson.
Steven Richrdson, now a 16-time feature winner with the United Rebel Sprint Series presented by RacinDirt.Com ties him with Patricke Bourke for 8th in the all-time wins list. The series concludes with the Sooner State Showdown at Longdale Speedway in Longdale, Oklahoma April 20th, with racing slated to start at 7:30 PM.
All events will be streamed live on RacingDirt.Com To subscribe to RacingDirt and access to all United Rebel Sprint Series events, archived races and content, click here: https://www.racindirt.tv/
About the series
The URSS has been driven by fair, fun, and competitive racing since its establishment in 2006. Excitement for family and friends from all across the Midwest. The United Rebel Sprint Car Series continues to expand and is always looking to bring in new opportunities. For more inclusive coverage, follow us on Facebook or MyRacePass.
(HAVING MORE FUN THAN THE LAW WILL ALLOW)
Article Credit: Dalton Janousek
Submitted By: Kyler Fetters