Lonnie Wheatley, DODGE CITY, Kan. (April 6, 2019) – Luke Cranston opened the 2019 season at Dodge City Raceway Park by racing to victory lane in the 25-lap Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Car vs. POWRi United Rebel Sprint Series presented by Mel Hambelton Racing feature event atop the 3/8-mile clay oval.
In the 25-lap DCRP Sprint Car vs. URSS feature, Ness City native Cranston gridded the feature inside the third row as Brian Herbert and Koby Walters led the way to the green flag but it was fourth-starter Ty Williams battling into the early lead.
Vying for his third DCRP opening night win in the last five years, Williams paced the opening eight rounds before looping it in turn three to hand the lead over to Walters with Cranston on his tailtank.
Walters kept Cranston at bay for ten rounds before Cranston finally found the opening he was looking for in traffic and battled into eh lead on the 19th circuit. Cranston led the rest of the way, taking the checkered flag ahead of Walters with two-time track champion Taylor Velasquez racing to the third-place podium finish.
Herbert crossed the stripe fourth with Jake Martens rounding out the top five. Andy Shouse was sixth with defending track champion Steven Richardson, Jeremy Huish, Jed Werner and Tyler Knight completing the top ten.
The feature event was slowed by one red flag when Jordan Knight went for a hard ride on the fronstretch. Knight walked away from the incident.
Tyler Knight, Williams, Huish and Walters topped heat race action for the 28-car Sprint Car field with Richardson winning the “B” Main. Kade Hagans took top honors in the Keizer Wheels Hard Charger award moving up 7 spots.
Precise Racing Products DCRP Sprint Cars vs. POWRi United Rebel Sprint Series (URSS) Presented by Mel Hambelton Racing
Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 11k-Tyler Knight, 2. 48-Jake Martens, 3. 95-Buddy Tubbs, 4. 0-Steven Richardson, 5. 28-Tracey Hill, 6. 72-Ray Seemann, 7. 2J-Zach Blurton.
Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 911-Ty Williams, 2. 21x-Taylor Velasquez, 3. 49-Kris Moore, 4. 55b-Brandon Anderson, 5. 33k-Aaron Ploussard, 6. 34c-Cale Cozad, 7. 29-Dalton Webb.
Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 88J-Jeremy Huish, 2. 97-Brian Herbert, 3. 50-Jed Werner, 4. 10-Jordan Knight, 5. 17x-Kade Hagans, 6. 18-Brandon Sprott, 7. 5-Kirby Kyles.
Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 33-Koby Walters, 2. 49x-Luke Cranston, 3. 27-Andy Shouse, 4. 17-Todd Plemons, 5. 45x-Kyler Johnson, 6. 17s-Chad Salem, 7. 51r-Ross Essenburg.
“B” Main (12 Laps): 1. 0-Steven Richardson, 2. 95-Buddy Tubbs, 3. 50-Jed Werner, 4. 45x-Kyler Johnson, 5. 72-Ray Seemann, 6. 2J-Zach Blurton, 7. 33k-Aaron Ploussard, 8. 17x-Kade Hagans, 9. 34c-Cale Cozad, 10. 29-Dalton Webb, 11. 51r-Ross Essenburg, 12. 5-Kirby Kyles, 13. 17s-Chad Salem, 14. 28-Tracey Hill, 15. 49-Kris Moore (DNS), 16. 18-Brandon Sprott (DNS).
“A” Main (25 Laps): 1. 49x-Luke Cranston, 2. 33-Koby Walters, 3. 21x-Taylor Velasquez, 4. 97-Brian Herbert, 5. 48-Jake Martens, 6. 27-Andy Shouse, 7. 0-Steven Richardson, 8. 88J-Jeremy Huish, 9. 50-Jed Werner, 10. 11k-Tyler Knight, 11. 55b-Brandon Anderson, 12. 2J-Zach Blurton, 13. 17x-Kade Hagans, 14. 911-Ty Williams, 15. 45x-Kyler Johnson, 16. 33k-Aaron Ploussard, 17. 10-Jordan Knight, 18. 95-Buddy Tubbs, 19. 17-Todd Plemons, 20. 72-Ray Seemann.
Lap Leaders: Ty Williams 1-8, Koby Walters 8-18, Luke Cranston 19-25.