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Andy Jones in First Sprint Win!

Andy Jones Races To First Career Sprint Car Feature win at Chateau Raceway
Lansing, MN
By: Greg Parent, UMSS Media Director

Friday the 13th can be an unlucky day for some, but on Friday night May 13 at the Chateau Raceway for young Andy Jones from Princeton, it proved to be a fortunate and memorable evening of Upper Midwest Sprintcar Series (UMSS) racing action. Race fans know that on any given night, they can witness history being made. Such was the case for those hearty fans who braved the cool and windy conditions to watch modified and sprint car racer Andy Jones, making just his tenth career sprint car start in his second season, race to a thrilling feature victory over a strong field of 20 cars to earn the $1,000 top prize. Commenting after his initial sprint car feature triumph, a jubilant Andy Jones stated "This is awesome! To win in only my tenth start against a strong field like this is really cool. It was a blast to win a Challenge race last week, and now to get my first feature win is sweet. Thanks to my car owners, my sponsors and my crew." Jones passed early leader and 2010 UMSS Champion Cody Hahn on lap five and held off Chris Graf and Jerry Richert, Jr. for the win.

With the usual double round of UMSS qualifying races in the books, high point driver Brad Barickman drew the #6 pill for the feature invert. A couple of young guns, Cody Hahn and Andy Jones, found themselves on the front row for the 20 lap UMSS feature event. On the initial start, Jesse Smith got upside down off of turn two and the race was under the red flag immediately. Smith was okay but out of the race. When the race went green on the second attempt, Cody Hahn bolted into the lead with Jones, fifth starter Graf, and fourth starter Richert in close pursuit. Just five laps into the race, the leaders caught up to lapped traffic on the 1/3 mile semi-banked oval. Jones got around Hahn for the lead and shortly thereafter Richert, who had slipped under Graf for third on lap two, moved by Hahn for second. The caution blinked on for a spin in turn two by rookie driver Mark Yetter with six laps scored. On the restart, third place runner Cody Hahn slipped off turn two and stalled to bring out a quick yellow and a trip to the tail end of the field.

A swift two laps after the green replaced the yellow saw Graf move to second ahead of Richert with Brad Barickman and Billy Johnson in the top five. Johnson moved to fourth a lap later and with nine laps in the yellow waved again for a spin in turn two by 2010 UMSS Rookie of the Year Jared Goerges. At the halfway mark, under the green once again, it was Jones, Graf, Johnson, Richert and Alan Gilbertson occupying the first five spots. Another caution after twelve laps when the cars of Danny Lee and John Franzen got turned around in turn two had Jones still leading over Graf, Richert, Gilbertson and Scott Broty. Billy Johnson had slipped back several spots with an off-track excursion in turns one and two. The final caution of the race flew for a Danny Lee spin with fourteen laps completed. The top four remained the same, but Barickman had moved past Broty for fifth.

During the final six lap green flag sprint to the checkers, Jones made the right decision to move down one lane off the cushion and was able to hold off Graf and Richert. Gilbertson beat Barickman by a nose for fourth. Rounding out the top ten finishers were Jimmy Kouba, Broty, Hahn, Johnny Parsons III, and Goerges. Andy Jones earned an extra $200 feature winner bonus from GRP Motorsports, an additional $100 Retro Rookie bonus from GRP, and a free rear Hoosier racing tire. Jimmy Kouba took home the $100 GRP Hardcharger Award, advancing six positions from his 12th starting spot. Cody Hahn, by virtue of a top ten finish, earned the $100 GRP Past Champions bonus.

In the battle for the 2011 GRP Motorsports/BP Trading Company Rookie of the Year Award, Chad Patterson bested Charly Cropp and Mark Yetter. Patterson finished fourteenth while Yetter and Cropp failed to finish the feature race. Drivers from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Wyoming comprised a solid 20 car field with all 20 cars able to take the green flag for the main event.

The Alpha Apparel & Promotions Ultimate Sprint Race #1 saw Cody Hahn lead all the way for the win over Andy Jones. Chris Graf held off Jerry Richert, Jr. and Brad Barickman in the M&M Video Productions second Ultimate Sprint Race. Billy Johnson bested Alan Gilbertson for the top spot in the BP Trading Company third Ultimate Sprint Race.

In the Driverwebsites.com Challenge Race #1, Richert passed Broty just after the halfway mark to record the win. The Mastell Brothers Trailer Service Challenge Race #2 saw Barickman duck under leader Richard Smith on lap seven enroute to victory over Jones and Graf.

Racing action for the UMSS winged sprint cars takes a weekend off before returning on the Memorial Day weekend for a scheduled double-header. It is uncertain if the Kopellah Speedway track will be ready in time for racing on Friday May 27, so please stay tuned for further information should that race have to be moved back a few weeks. The UMSS will make their second-ever appearance on Saturday night May 28 at the Rice Lake Speedway. Last August, Brandon Allen recorded his first UMSS victory at Rice Lake in the first-ever UMSS show at the track. Keep updated on all the latest UMSS news on our website at www.umsprints.com, or check out the UMSS on their Facebook page. The free UMSS Report newsletter is also available at each event.

UMSS Race Results - Chateau Raceway May 13, 2011 (Race #2):
Alpha Apparel & Promotions Ultimate Sprint Race #1 (7 laps): Cody Hahn, Andy Jones, Danny Lee, Jesse Smith, Charly Cropp, Chad Patterson, Mark Yetter DNF.

M&M Video Productions Ultimate Sprint Race #2 (7 laps): Chris Graf, Jerry Richert Jr, Brad Barickman, Scott Broty, John Franzen, Jimmy Kouba DNF, Sye Anderson DNS.

BP Trading Company Ultimate Sprint Race #3 (6 laps): Billy Johnson, Alan Gilbertson, Johnny Parsons III, Richard Smith, Jared Goerges, Greg Valentine.

Driverwebsites.com Challenge Race #1 (10 laps): Richert, Broty, Johnson, Hahn, Lee, Parsons, Goerges DNF, Yetter DNF, Cropp DNS, Anderson DNS.

Mastell Brothers Trailer Service Challenge Race #2 (10 laps): Barickman, Jones, Graf, Gilbertson, R Smith, Kouba, J Smith, Franzen, Patterson, Valentine DNF.

GRP Motorsports A Main (20 laps): Jones, Graf, Richert, Gilbertson, Barickman, Kouba, Broty, Hahn, Parsons, Goerges, Johnson, Franzen, R Smith, Patterson, Lee DNF, Cropp DNF, Yetter DNF, Anderson DNF, Valentine DNF, J Smith DNF.

Lap Leaders: Hahn 1-4, Jones 5-20
Cautions: (1) red, (5) yellows

Victory Lane photo courtesy of Track Rat Photos.

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