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Scott Broty Picks Up Second UMSS Win at SCVR

Scott Broty Rides The St. Croix Cushion To Second UMSS Win
St. Croix Falls, WI
By: Greg Parent UMSS Media Director

The third and final appearance of the season for the Upper Midwest Sprintcar Series (UMSS) at the St. Croix Valley Raceway on Saturday September 17 turned out to be a much better evening and end result for Prior Lake, Minnesota sprint car driver Scott Broty. After getting upside down during the August "Thunder in the Valley" program, Broty returned with a different car and found himself in victory lane following his second UMSS win of the season. A dramatic turn of events fourteen laps into the feature race would see the top two cars unable to continue following a caution. Broty, who had been running a close third at the time, took command of the lead and went on to score the $1,000 win on his wedding anniversary night.

When asked to comment on his chances before racing action got underway for the evening, Broty replied, "If it's heavy out there tonight, my car is going to like it. I'll have a good chance to run up front." Commenting after his second win of the season, Broty recalled his pre-race conversation with a smile. "Ron Bernhagen does a great job at preparing the racing surface on this track. Both my car and myself as a driver like it when it's heavy and there is a cushion to lean on. It feels good to pick up my second win of the season. See you at Ogilvie." Broty currently sits fourth in the championship point standings.

After the usual double round of qualifying races utilized by the UMSS had concluded, a couple of young guns found themselves on the front row for the 20 lap feature race. Rookie Kevin Bradwell and 2010 UMSS Rookie of the Year Jared Goerges brought the field to the green. Goerges immediately raced to the early lead, flying high up on the cushion. Another young driver in his sophomore season in the sprints, Andy Jones, followed Goerges in second at the conclusion of the opening lap. As the laps quickly clicked off under green on the fast 1/4 mile dirt oval, Goerges and Jones approached traffic seven laps into the race. At the halfway mark, it was Goerges, Jones, Broty, birthday boy Brad Barickman and Cody Hahn in the top five.

A spirited battle for the top spot on lap fourteen saw Goerges and Jones swap the lead in turns three and four while lapping Tom Nicholl. Jones briefly had the lead, but Goerges regained it before they completed the lap. The next lap would prove to be dramatic. As Jones dove low in turn three and slid up alongside Goerges in turn four, Goerges' sprinter hopped the cushion and nosed into the turn four wall. As the caution flew and the cars slowed, Jones suddenly stalled in turn three with an engine failure. Both of the leaders were out of the race, and Scott Broty inherited first place as scoring reverted back to the last fully completed lap. After a quick six lap dash to the checkers when the green replaced the yellow, Scott Broty earned his first St. Croix Valley Raceway feature victory. Brad Barickman stayed close and made a bid for the lead following the restart, but the talented Richfield racer had to settle for second. Defending UMSS Champion Cody Hahn rode home in third ahead of Joseph Kouba in fourth. In his first-ever sprint car race, Chad Cummings from Menomonie drove the TW Motorsports sprinter to an impressive fifth place finish. Cummings has many years of experience racing modifieds and late models, but it was his first race in a sprint car after practicing in the car a few weeks ago. Cummings certainly turned some heads with his driving abilities.

Current UMSS point leader Jerry Richert, Jr. was unable to start the main event. Richert crashed hard into the turn one concrete wall in his challenge race while attempting to pass Cummings for the lead. Although he did not flip over, Richert's car sustained too much damage and was done for the night. Richert was able to maintain his point lead though. In the GRP Motorsports/BP Trading Company race for the rookie title, Anna Kouba was not able to race due to a concussion she had sustained the previous week in a soccer game. With a ninth place finish in the feature, Chad Patterson was able to improve his point total and is now tied with Anna Kouba for the top spot in the rookie standings. By virtue of his sixth place finish, Kevin Bradwell also gained ground on the top two rookies. Cody Hahn earned yet another $100 GRP Past Champion Bonus for his third place effort. Hahn had earlier won his Ultimate sprint heat and had also topped the first challenge race. Broty won the other heat race while Cummings wowed many veteran sprint car on-lookers with his win in the second challenge race. Cummings is planning on racing with the UMSS again at Ogilvie.

The UMSS will take a weekend off before making their third appearance of the season at the Ogilvie Raceway for the final night of the Big "O" Fall Showdown on Saturday October 1. Tony Norem is the defending race winner for the Fall Showdown. Brooke Tatnell and Andy Jones picked up UMSS wins earlier this season at Ogilvie. The October 1st show will pay $1,000 to win courtesy of some help from GRP Motorsports. Racers and fans can follow the UMSS championship and rookie point battles by checking the UMSS website at www.umsprints.com or visiting them on Facebook. Weather permitting, there are just three UMSS races left in the 2011 season.

UMSS Race Results - St. Croix Valley Raceway September 17, 2011 (Race #17):
Alpha Apparel & Promotions Ultimate Sprint Race #1 (7 laps): Cody Hahn, Brad Barickman, Joe Kouba, Chad Cummings, Tom Nicholl, Chad Patterson, David Craft DNS.
Meeks Video Ultimate Sprint Race #2 (6 laps): Scott Broty, Andy Jones, Jerry Richert Jr, Joseph Kouba, Jared Goerges, Kevin Bradwell.
Driverwebsites.com Challenge Race #1 (8 laps): Hahn, Joseph Kouba, Jones, Bradwell, Nicholl, Joe Kouba, Craft.
Mastell Brothers Trailer Service Challenge Race #2 (8 laps): Cummings, Barickman, Broty, Goerges, Patterson, Richert DNF.
GRP Motorsports A Main (20 laps): Broty, Barickman, Hahn, Joseph Kouba, Cummings, Bradwell, Craft, Nicholl, Patterson, Jones DNF, Goerges DNF, Joe Kouba DNF, Richert DNS.
Lap Leaders: Goerges 1-14, Broty 15-20.
Cautions: (1)

Footnote: A recheck of the scoring on the lap 14 caution revealed that Kevin Bradwell was NOT a lapped car while the three cars behind him were. Kevin finished in sixth place in the final rundown.

Victory Lane Photo courtesy of Russ Cramblit at Full Tilt Photos.

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