8/25/2016
Ryan Bowers Captures KRA Speedway UMSS Victory
OFTEN TIMES IN RACING THE MISFORTUNE OF ONE DRIVER PROVES TO BE GOOD FORTUNE FOR ANOTHER. SUCH WAS THE CASE AT THE KRA SPEEDWAY ON THURSDAY EVENING AUGUST 25 DURING THE SECOND NIGHT OF THE UMSS MIDWEST POWER EQUIPMENT SERIES RACE. RYAN BOWERS OF HAM LAKE HAD LED THE FIRST COUPLE OF LAPS BEFORE ALL-TIME SERIES LEADING FEATURE WINNER BROOKE TATNELL TOOK CONTROL UP FRONT. TATNELL LED THE NEXT TEN LAPS, BUT LAP 13 PROVED TO BE UNLUCKY FOR THE TALENTED AUSSIE AS HE ATTEMPTED TO PUT REED ALLEX A LAP DOWN. CONTACT IN TURN THREE RESULTED IN TATNELL SPINNING AND RESTARTING AT THE TAIL OF THE FIELD. THIS HANDED THE LEAD BACK TO BOWERS WITH CHRIS GRAF, FRESH OFF AN EXCITING PRINCETON WIN THE PREVIOUS FRIDAY NIGHT, CLOSE BEHIND. BOWERS WAS ABLE TO LEAD THE REMAINING 13 LAPS EN ROUTE TO A $2,000 PAYDAY AND CELEBRATED HIS WIN IN ROCK AUTO VICTORY LANE WITH HIS USUAL “WING WAVE” FROM ATOP HIS MASTELL BROTHERS RACING SPRINTER.
ALTHOUGH THE CAR COUNT WAS A BIT SHORT AT (12), THE TALENT IN THE FIELD WAS VERY STRONG. FOUR PREVIOUS UMSS CHAMPIONS, THREE FORMER ROOKIE OF THE YEAR DRIVERS, THE CAREER LEADING UMSS FEATURE WINNER AND A STRONG COMPETITOR FROM JACKSON HELPED MAKE UP FOR QUALITY IN WHAT LACKED IN QUANTITY. THE UMSS RAN THEIR TYPICAL DOUBLE ROUND OF QUALIFYING RACES WITH HEAT WINS GOING TO 2013 UMSS CHAMPION CHRIS GRAF AND BROOKE TATNELL. THE CHALLENGE RACES WERE WON BY THREE-TIME UMSS CHAMPION JERRY RICHERT, JR. AND DEFENDING CHAMPION BOWERS. BOWERS AND TATNELL DREW THE FRONT ROW FOR THE 25 LAP MAIN EVENT.
AT THE DROP OF FLAGMAN CHRIS STEPAN’S GREEN, BOWERS EDGED IN FRONT OF TATNELL TO LEAD THE OPENING TWO LAPS. TATNELL MADE A STRONG MOVE ENTERING TURN ONE ON LAP 3 AND DROVE UNDER BOWERS FOR THE TOP SPOT. TATNELL LED THE NEXT TEN LAPS BEFORE HIS MISFORTUNE ON LAP 13. WITH TATNELL RESTARTING NEAR THE TAIL OF THE FIELD, HE QUICKLY PASSED SEVERAL CARS WITH BOWERS NOW BACK IN THE LEAD. GRAF REMAINED A SHORT DISTANCE BEHIND BOWERS THROUGHOUT THE REMAINING 13 LAP GREEN FLAG RUN TO THE CHECKERS. A STRONG PERFORMANCE FROM JAMEY OGSTON SAW THE YOUNG DRIVER RIDE HOME IN THIRD. RICHERT WAS ABLE TO KEEP HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW TATNELL BEHIND HIM IN THE BATTLE FOR FOURTH AND FIFTH. CASTLETON, NORTH DAKOTA DRIVER DAVE GLENNON FINISHED SIXTH AHEAD OF JACKSON STANDOUT SKYLAR PROCHASKA, 2009 UMSS CHAMPION LEIGH THOMAS, REED ALLEX AND DEAN BROWN. JAKE LEMPELIUS FINISHED 11TH WHILE TONY NOREM WAS THE ONLY DNF, DROPPING OUT ON THE RESTART FOLLOWING THE LONE CAUTION FOR TATNELL.
THE UMSS SPRINTS VENTURE SOUTH TO THE JACKSON MOTORPLEX FOR A SHOW-POINT ONLY EVENT IN ORDER TO SEE IF THEY CAN FAIR ANY BETTER THAN WHEN THEY MADE THEIR INITIAL APPEARANCE AT JACKSON BACK IN JULY. ON THAT NIGHT, CHRIS GRAF WAS THE TOP UMSS COMPETITOR IN 13TH. BOTH BOWERS AND GRAF ARE RIDING SOME MOMENTUM IN RECENT RACES, SO WE SHALL SEE IF THAT CAN TRANSLATE INTO IMPROVED PERFORMANCES AT JACKSON AGAINST WHAT IS ALWAYS SOME VERY STIFF COMPETITION AT THE BIG ½ MILE OVAL. FOLLOWING JACKSON, THE UMSS SPRINTS VENTURE NORTH AND SLIGHTLY WEST ON SATURDAY AUGUST 27 FOR THEIR INAUGURAL APPEARANCE AT THE MADISON SPEEDWAY. THE MADISON SHOW WILL BE THE THIRD RACE IN THE MIDWEST POWER SERIES, AS BOTH GRAF AND BOWERS NOW HAVE ONE WIN EACH. GRAF IS THE DEFENDING MIDWEST POWER SERIES CHAMPION, HAVING TOPPED THE FIVE RACE SERIES LAST SEASON WHICH PAYS $1,000 AT THE FINAL EVENT (RICHERT MEMORIAL) TO THE TOP POINT DRIVER. SEVERAL DRIVERS WILL ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO “ROLL THE DICE” FOR A CHANCE TO WIN $100,000.
UMSS RACE RESULTS – KRA SPEEDWAY, AUGUST 25, 2016 (RACE #9):
Midwest Power Equip & GRP Motorsports A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 199-Ryan Bowers[1]; 2. 20G-Chris Graf[3]; 3. 03-Jamey Ogston[6]; 4. 63-Jerry Richert Jr[4]; . 14-Brooke Tatnell[2]; 6. 5G-Dave Glennon[5]; 7. 35-Skyler Prochaska[7]; . 29-Leigh Thomas[8]; 9. 91A-Reed Allex[11]; 10. 1D-Dean Brown[9]; 11. 52-Jake Lempelius[12]; 12. (DNF) 22-Tony Norem[10].
Lap Leaders: Bowers 1-2, Tatnell 3-12, Bowers 13-25. Cautions: (1) yellow with 12 laps scored for 14 spin turn 3 after contact with 91A.
Hoosier Racing Tire Challenge Race 1 (8 Laps): 1. 63-Jerry Richert Jr[2]; 2. 29-Leigh Thomas[1]; 3. 5G-Dave Glennon[4]; 4. 20G-Chris Graf[5]; 5. 1D-Dean Brown[3]; 6. 52-Jake Lempelius[6].
Lap Leader: Richert 1-8. No cautions.
My Race Pass Challenge Race 2 (8 Laps): 1. 199-Ryan Bowers[3]; 2. 35-Skyler Prochaska[1]; 3. 14-Brooke Tatnell[5]; 4. 03-Jamey Ogston[4]; 5. 22-Tony Norem[2]; 6. 91A-Reed Allex[6].
Lap Leaders: Prochaska 1-3, Bowers 4-10 No cautions.
Track Rat Photos Heat 1 (6 Laps): 1. 20G-Chris Graf[1]; 2. 03-Jamey Ogston[2]; 3. 1D-Dean Brown[3]; 4. 22-Tony Norem[4]; 5. 29-Leigh Thomas[5]; 6. 91A-Reed Allex[6].
Lap Leader: Graf 1-6. No cautions.
Meeks Video Heat 2 (6 Laps): 1. 14-Brooke Tatnell[2]; 2. 5G-Dave Glennon[1]; 3. 199-Ryan Bowers[4]; 4. 63-Jerry Richert Jr[3]; 5. 35-Skyler Prochaska[6]; 6. 52-Jake Lempelius[5].
Lap Leader: Tatnell 1-6. No cautions.
Victory Lane Photo Courtesy of Vince Peterson at Track Rat Photos.
Article Credit: Greg Parent, UMSS Media Director
