By the URSS

The United Rebel Sprint Series capped off an amazing racing season as racers from four states converged at the annual URSS Awards Banquet, which took place this year in WaKeeney. Racers where there to celebrate the past season's accomplishments and to hand out more than $22,000 in points monies and contingencies. This yea,r the URSS points fund was distributed to the top 20 teams, with the 2009 champion taking home a $2,000 check and the 20th-place finisher took home $500 in points money.

URSS founder Rick Salem thanked the 2009 sponsors of the United Rebel Sprint Series for their support and their dedication to the series. 2009 sponsors include Myers Engine Service, Hoosier Racing Tires, XXX Racing Products, World Products, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Safety Solutions, Rocket Headers, Saldana Racing Products, Belleville Motorsports, Radcliffe Truck Sales, the Fuel Guys, Stellar Auto Sales and TAZ Fireworks.

The URSS welcomed Lorne Benish of Jetmore Motorplex to speak to the drivers about the upcoming 2010 season at the 3/8-mile high bank. The motorplex will host 10 to 12 nights of racing in 2010, with Lorne Benish as manager of the track. The 2010 schedule will be released soon.

Another guest speaker was Greg Thyfault, a URSS driver who was injured at Wakeeney Speedway in May. Thyfault wanted to thank the entire URSS series for their support in his recovery. He is grateful for the help of the Sseries drivers, fans, sponsors and tracks for their untiring efforts in fundraising, the donation of the laptop computer and the many cards, letters, e-mails and phone calls during his stay at Denver and after his return to Kansas.

Several thank yous were handed out to those who are integral to the success of the URSS Series.

Craig Myers of Myers Engine Service for his support and his dedication to the URSS Series. Myers Engine Service supplies teams with state of the art power plants, and his crew works tirelessly throughout the year to keep racers on the track every week.

Brenda Ploussard, techman extraordinaire Bob Ream, Renee Lambert, series announcer Mike Wilson and Web master Terry Pfeifer were acknowledged for their tireless efforts to keep the URSS growing each year and for their efforts to give the fans, sponsors, owners and racers the best platform to race and put on the best sprint car shows in the region each night the series pulls through the pit gates.

The top 20 points finishers were acknowledged for their performance during the 2009 racing season:

1st - CJ Johnson - Quinters

2nd - Ray Seemann - Jetmore

3rd - Jon Johnson - Utica

4th - Ken Lutters - Ransom

5th - Smokey Fairbank - Ransom

6th - Reed Bernbeck - Ransom

7th - Jeff Radcliffe - Hill Citys

8th - Michael Williams - Park

9th - Keefe Hemel - Dodge City

10th - Blake Bogenhagen - Cheyenne Wells, Colo.

11th - Willie Wynn - WaKeeney

12th - Bill Hays - Edison, Neb.

13th - Brian Herbert - Dodge City

14th - Darren Bowman - Kinsley

15th - Josh Fairbank - Goddard

16th - Chad Salem - Oberlin

17th - Cody Salem - St. Joseph, Mo.

18th - Corey Lutters - Kansas City, Kan.

19th - Shawn Radcliffe - Hill City

20th - Tim Perkins - Parker, Colo.

2009 Rookie of the Year - Blake Bogenhagen - Cheyenne Wells, Colo.

2009 Hard Core, Full Bore Award - Michael Williams - Par

2009 Sportsmanship Award - Reed Bernbeck - Ransom

The 2010 URSS Schedule will be released soon and will feature a Colorado Region with the addition of the new Colorado Motorsports Park as the cornerstone of the region.

The URSS Series will be returning to several tracks and a couple of new tracks in the upcoming 2010 season.

For more information, visit www.unitedrebelsprintseries.com or contact Rick Salem at (785) 475-7010 or at rksalem@eaglecom.net.