OBERLIN — After a long winter, the United Rebel Sprint Series will kick off its sixth season Sunday, April
17 with a shootout in the Oklahoma panhandle. Beaver County Speedway will host the Rebels in
the season-opener at 6 p.m. “Yes, we’re ready,” said URSS founder Rick Salem. “We’re done with winter;
we’re sick of it.”
The stop at Beaver will be the first of many for the 305 sprint cars, which have grown in popularity in recent
years and have seen great growth in the Midwest — including Colorado. But on all the tracks the 305’s have
competed, they’ve never graced the 3/8-mile dirt oval in Beaver. “It’s a neat looking race track,” Salem said.
“It’s fairly wide, and there’s some bank to it.”
While many drivers have been working long hours in the shop getting their rides ready for the season, the
Oklahoma race will be the first points battle of the season. “I think everyone is chomping at the bit,” Salem said.
One of those drivers is defending champ Ty Williams. Williams won a close points battle to claim the national
title ahead of Brian Herbert, Ray Seemann and Smokey Fairbank in 2010.
Williams, from Liberal, is expecting to compete at Beaver this year, along with several more races on the URSS
circuit. “It’s a very fast track,” Williams said about Beaver. “I can’t wait to get out there. The kind of track I’d say it’s
similar to is Colby’s, without the wall on top.” Williams is tied with Patrick Bourke for fourth all-time in URSS career
wins with 12, including 10 a season ago. Quinter Kansas’s C.J. Johnson has the most URSS wins at 32 — including
a URSS record 16 wins in 2009 — followed by his father, Jon Johnson, at 20 career victories. Brian Herbert has 15.
The Beaver race, followed by another one on Sunday, May 8 at the same track, both will be for Kansas points. The
series once again will crown a national champion, along with Kansas and Colorado region champions. “I think it
will make for a great opening show,” Salem said. “It should be a whale of a race.”
For more information about the United Rebel Sprint Series, contact Rick Salem at (785) 475-7010
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