Johnson Snatches Another Win At URSS Oberlin Speedway Finale

OBERLIN, KS. (Sept. 3, 2006) -  The final appearance at Oberlin Speedway for the United Rebel Sprint Series 305 Sprint Cars saw 17 drivers check in for some great racing action Sunday night. Following on the footsteps of Justin Schwien’s first URSS Feature Win Saturday night at Norton, hopes where high for yet another first time winner Sunday Night. Joining the Rebel Series for Sundays show was Rick Salem, driving the Larry Radcliffe owned number 8 after a 10-year absence from the drivers seat. Also returning to racing action this weekend was the 84T of Travis Decker, who put together a new ride after destroying his car in a wild tumble at the Goodland Kansas race on August 19th.

McCook Nebraska’s Darren Berry led the field to the green flag of the 20 Lap A-Main and by the end of the first lap outside pole-sitter Tim Perkins from Parker Co. assumed the lead. Fifth starting Smokey Fairbank saw an opening at the drop of the green and dove to the bottom and drove into the second spot. Fairbank from Ransom, Ks. chased Perkins for the top spot until lap seven when he took the spot away. Ninth place starter Jon Johnson from Utica, Ks. and Saturday night winner Justin Schwien fought their way to the third and fourth spots respectively by lap seven with Johnson taking the second spot from Perkins on lap eight. Perkins and Schwien battled for the third spot laps eight through eleven before Schwien captured the spot for good on the twelfth lap. North Platte, Ne. veteran Tommy Williams, who started fifteen at the drop of the green, weaved his way through the field to the sixth spot by lap eight closely following fifth running Bill Hays from Elwood, Ne running only his second night in a sprint car. Fairbank was steadily pulling away in the lead until encountering lap traffic. Fairbank continued using the low line to work his way through traffic until the two to go sign was given, when the “Kansas Tornado” who had been quietly working his way through the lap traffic finally got within striking distance. Fairbank said “He could hear the thunder coming” as Johnson used a lapped car as a pick and went around Fairbank on the high side to take the lead and relegating Smokey to the runner up spot with Schwien, Perkins and Dodge City ’s Nick King rounding out the top five.

Heat race winners were Rick Salem, Justin Schwien and Smokey Fairbank, with Larry Radcliffe picking up the B-Main win.

Heat One: 1-Salem 2-Johnson 3-Perkins 4-Hays 5-Decker 6-Radcliffe

Heat Two: 1-Schwien 2-King 3-Smith 4-Boyd 5-Williams 6-Field (DNS)

Heat Three: 1-Fairbank 2-M. Bantam 3-Berry 4-R. Bantam 5-Roth (DNS)

B-Main: 1- Radcliffe 2-Decker 3-B. Boyd 4- R. Bantam 5-Williams (DNF)
6-Roth(DNS)

A Main:
1- Jon Johnson 86
2- Smokey Fairbank 2
3- Justin Schwien 76J
4- Tim Perkins 99
5- Nick King 00
6- Bill Hays 33
7- Tommy Williams 29T
8- Darren Berry 44
9- Rick Salem 8
10- Travis Decker 84T
11- Mark Bantam 82
12- Billy Smith 13
13- Brooke Boyd 3B
14- Randy Bantam 5R
15- Larry Radcliffe 7R
Kyle Fields 72 (DNS)
Doug Roth 24R (DNS)