Rubbin’s racin’

You always hear about success stories.

You know, the ones where a business starts out as a grassroots project and then, through the years, blossoms into something special — something really big.

The type of project that springs eternal life into something old and makes it new again. The type of project that makes you get your hands dirty to realize all the hard work that goes into making something a success.

And along the way, well, you just might get a little dirt in your teeth.

If you like dirt-track racing, that dirt in your teeth isn’t a bad thing. In fact, you might be covered in dirt by the time the night is over.

But, you’ll have one of those smiling faces those stupid Orbit gum commercials can’t match. It’s just part of dirt-track racing that’s great.

And it’s a reason why I’m excited about what Oberlin native Rick Salem has going for the area — and the state.

With some sprint car buffs and legends, Salem has handcrafted a series that has brought the winged warriors back to the forefront in western Kansas. The series is one of the fastest growing — and affordable — in the Midwest.

The URSS is in its fourth season of operation, and it’s become of full-time job for Salem — who only jokes he wishes it paid a little better.

I can understand his point, and I don’t blame him, either. I’m sure organizing a sprint car series and all the other maintenance that comes along with it — you know, all the behind the scenes work that no one ever sees — can take a toll on a promoter.

It’s a job I wouldn’t be good at, or probably wouldn’t have the patience and definitely the energy for.

Somehow, Salem does. He worries about drivers’ safety, keeps things running smoothly and puts up with pesky other promoters who try to bring the series down.

But somehow, Salem and the URSS is surviving — and thriving.

Sprint cars are becoming a staple once again in western Kansas, and it’s because of the hard work Salem and the drivers are putting in. I have yet to see a bad URSS show in its four years of existence, and I don’t think I will for as long as the series lasts — which hopefully will be for a long time.

Another series promoter saw the success the URSS was having and tried to start up one of its own this summer. It lasted two races before the promoter pulled the plug for the year. And it came just a week after he told me the series hadn’t folded, despite rumors swirling around racing circles. Now, he’s trying to figure out what to tweak for next year — if there is a next year.

Much of that is due to the stronghold and camaraderie the URSS has built itself on. Perhaps imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, or something to that matter.

I’m sure there are a few things drivers and Salem would like to see done differently, but for now, the URSS is a success. About the only thing missing is one of those large, corporate sponsors plugging in endless amounts of money — but hopefully that will come one day.

The series is starting to grab more national headlines, too. One magazine has featured an article about the sprint cars and a stay-in-school program. Another magazine, according to Salem, will be in Hays this weekend for the races.

This Saturday and Sunday, RPM Speedway — one of the finest tracks in the Midwest — is hosting the URSS for the second annual Wheatshocker Rebel Nationals. The series has helped the track and the area make a name for itself, and it’s packed fans in the stands each time the sprints are in town.

It’s a perfect opportunity to see a success story right before your own eyes and not on a television screen. It’s a perfect grassroots success story if there ever was one — and it’s happening right here in northwest Kansas.

And, it’s a great opportunity for you to get a little dirt in your teeth, too.

Nick Schwien is chief copy editor at The Hays Daily News.

nschwien@dailynews.net

OK, so the weather was a bit cool again, but not as bad as last week. But the action on the track was just about as good as it could get.
The URSS 305 sprint cars put on one heck of a show Friday night at RPM Speedway in Hays, with Quinter’s C.J. Johnson taking the win. But he was pushed pretty hard by Jason Martin, Barry Crane and Brian Herbert.
And if Taylor Milton would have started higher up, things really might have been interesting. The teenager put on a driving clinic in his B-main and again in the feature to eventually finish fifth. His car was fast, and his driving was crisp — and fearless. It was fun watching him race.
The other three classes Friday also had great battles. Travis Sherfick held on for the win in the stock class; B.J. Dauer used a late charge to win the hobby stock; and Jerry Phillips won the modified race with late heroics.
Each of the four classes put on one heck of a show for the packed grandstands. It was awesome to see so many people attend the local races Friday.
I have some video of the sprint car heat races Friday night that I will try to get posted Monday when I get back into work. Hopefully it won’t look like a bunch of ants racing around the track. If so, there just might be some footage of Kirby Hagans wild ride.
— Nick Schwien

After watching last Friday’s season-opener at RPM Speedway in Hays, the racing action was just as intense as it was at the end of last season. So, despite the windy and chilly conditions, things were heating up on the track. Congratulations to the winners of the four classes, and good luck to everyone this weekend.Also, don’t forget that Friday night’s 7:30 p.m. races feature the 305 sprint cars of the United Rebel Sprint Series.  It will be the first points race this season, and look for things to get heated. Brian Herbert is the defending champ, but look for Jon Johnson, C.J. Johnson, Ty Williams and a host of others to battle it out for the win  — and a quick jump on the pack for the rest of the season. Barring Mother Nature’s presence, it should be a good night of racing action at RPM. Can’t wait for it to get here.— Nick Schwien 

Well, the season-opener is just a few days away at RPM Speedway, and it should be a great night of racing action. I’m sure everyone, including myself, is ready to get out to the track and see what everyone has been doing in the offseason. Should be a great night weather-wise, so show up and get ready for the 7:30 p.m. green flag to drop.•  On a separate note, HDNew.net/racing/ is teaming up with the World of Outlaws, Dodge City Raceway Park, Thomas County Speedway and the NCRA to provide even more dirt-track racing action in print and online editions. If there’s any more tracks or racing info you’d like us to carry, drop me an e-mail or reply below and I’ll see what we can do. It’s just another way the HDN is tailoring its racing coverage to the readers.— Nick Schwien 

Well, Mother Nature wins the opener at RPM Speedway. But the good news is tonight’s scheduled races will be pushed back a week until April 24 — when the season will officially begin, barring any wet weather.So it will be another week of waiting for fans and drivers. But once the green flag drops next Friday, hold on to your seat.Also, those who won tickets through the HDNews.net racing site still can use their tickets for next week. Those who didn’t win, well, keep trying. We’ll be teaming up with RPM all year long for tickets to be given away.  Plus, we’re also working on a few more exciting things for the HDNews.net/racing/ site that will add more content from dirt track racing. Stay tuned for more details, and I’ll let you know how things are progressing.— Nick Schwien 

It’s almost time for the 2009 racing season to kick off in northwest Kansas. Friday night’s races at RPM Speedway in Hays are the season opener for the track, and it should be a good night of racing. Well, that is unless Mother Nature has anything to do with it. Rain is moving into the area as I type this, and there is an 80 percent chance for storms tonight and  some tomorrow. The rain would be nice, but if everyone believed every weather report, then we’d still be digging out from that projected 20-plus-inch snowfall we were supposed to have. But the good news is it’s spring, and that means time for racing and rain. We’ll see which one wins out Friday.— Nick Schwien 

HDNews.net and RPM Speedway are teaming up again to offer free tickets to races in Hays. All you have to do to get registered for tickets to the season opener April 17 at RPM is log onto www.HDNews.net/racing/ to get in the mix. Five winners will be drawn, with one ticket going to five different winners. Winning names will be drawn April 15. Good luck, and remember to register as many times as you want (but only once a day).— Nick Schwien 

He’s a pretty easy-going guy, but Ray Seemann is getting a bit tired of waiting for his next trip to the winner’s circle.
I talked to Seemann following his runner-up finish after the first night of the inaugural Wheatshocker Rebel Nationals in Hays, and he was happy to finish where he did. But he also would have liked to break his winless streak as well.
That streak dates back to July 4, 2007, when he last won at Jetmore Motorplex. The Jetmore driver hopes to win on his home track Friday as the URSS Speedweek kicks off five days of racing.
“I hope so. I’ve had a long dry spell,” he said Tuesday afternoon about winning Friday.
“That would be a good way to start it, wouldn’t it?”
It would be a great way for him to start, and it would be a bit of justice for a guy that’s ran in the top five many nights this year. Seemann plans on running all five nights at Jetmore, La Crosse and Liberal.
My guess is he’ll break that winless streak sometime this weekend, but it won’t be easy. But when he wins, he’ll become the 20th different driver to win a URSS event this weekend — and in the process he’ll set up a chance for the series to put on a race of champions later this year if promoter Rick Salem chooses to do so.
Seemann is do for a win, and I hope he gets it this weekend.
— Nick Schwien

I was finishing up my interview Sunday night with URSS driver Mike Woodruff, and I asked him if he had anything else he’d like to add.
What Woodruff had to say struck a bit of a cord with me, not because I’ve been through such an experience, but because he really, truly meant what he was saying.
Earlier in the night, a few drivers — including Woodruff — made their way into the crowd to help raise money for Willie Wynn’s ill niece. Nearly $1,500 was raised from generous fans at the Wheatshocker Rebel Nationals.
But at the end of a night where Woodruff finished second, he looked me straight in the eye and said how much it meant to him to be a part of helping raise money.
And with tears forming in his eyes, he told about how he was burned in an accident a few years ago and fans helped him through the ordeal, too.
“It was truly heart-felt when I was up there,” he said.
Woodruff is just one of the class acts in the URSS, and that’s part of the reason the series is taking off by leaps and bounds.
But it’s also nice to see people giving something back and working together for a better cause.
Woodruff was trying to hold back tears as we ended the interview.
But it’s obvious he — and many other drivers — aren’t holding back their hearts to the friends and fans of sprint car racing.
— Nick Schwien

OK, so it’s just past the midway point of the week, and I’m still trying to get a good idea of who’s going to win the inaugural Wheatshocker Rebel Nationals this weekend at RPM Speedway.
But the thing that gives me a little consolation is that I’m betting not many drivers or fans known who’s going to come out victorious and claim Sunday night’s $2,000 as well.
The top 10 from Saturday night’s feature automatically qualify for Sunday’s A-main. The best a driver can start Sunday without racing Saturday is 11th — which is going to make some things pretty interesting.
Word has it that C.J. Johnson is going to run the NCRA 360 show at 81 Speedway in Wichita on Saturday night. That’s going to make things difficult for him to win Sunday night in the biggest 305 show in history.
Brian Herbert might be a strong possibility, but he had some bad luck in early June at RPM. It will be interesting to see how he runs this weekend.
And there’s supposed to be a “Tornado” sighting — as in the “Kansas Tornado” Jon Johnson. You never can count out a veteran like him.
Mike Woodruff will be tough, so too will be just about any other driver that graces the dirt in Hays. And I’m sure there’s going to be some drivers doing anything legal they can to grab the money.
Then add in Taylor Milton, one of the youngest guys in the URSS who is one of the best drivers already.
Man, this is going to be some show.
And I still don’t know who’s going to grab the big dough.
— Nick Schwien