By TERRY PFEIFER

Special to The Hays Daily News

The United Rebel Sprint Series rolled into the I-76 Speedway in Fort Morgan, Colorado for their final appearance of the 2008 Racing Season. Seventeen teams made the pull to the ¼ mile high-banked bullring and the racing action was fast and furious as the Rebels took to the track. When the checkers fell, it was Patrick Bourke taking the hard-fought win over a hard charging Jon Johnson.

Wakeeney Kansas's Willie Wynn led the field to the green flag and grabbed the early lead but it was short lived as Chucks Lutters spun and Randy Washburn collected Lutters as the both flipped to bring out the red flag. On the restart, Wynn once again jumped into the lead with Reed Bernbeck, Ken Lutters, Sid Blanford and Smokey Fairbank rounding out the top five. Darren Berry passed Lutters on lap two for the third spot and brought Jon Johnson along with him to fourth.

Lap four saw Smokey Fairbank take over the fourth spot and set his sights on third running Johnson. Wynn continued to hold the lead but had been pressured by Bernbeck for several laps. Bernbeck pressed Wynn and finally took the top spot on lap seven as Johnson made the pass for the runner up spot sending Wynn back to the third position. Johnson took the point from Bernbeck on lap eight with Wynn holding down third as Ken Lutters and Patrick Bourke battled for the fourth spot with Lutters holding the spot until lap eight when Bourke took the position. Lap nine saw Bourke and Fairbank make the pass on Wynn relegating him to the fifth spot.

Johnson held the point as Bourke slowly starting reeling the leader in as the pair encountered lapped traffic. Johnson held off repeated challenges by Bourke until lap sixteen when he made the pass for the lead. Behind the leaders, Bernbeck and Fairbank were locked in a battle for the third and fourth positions as the pair fought for the position. Bernbeck held his line as Fairbank pressured him for the spot. As the pair dueled each other Tommy Williams had made his way to the pair to join the battle.

Up front Johnson kept the pressure on Bourke as the laps wore down, behind them the battle for the third through fifth spots heating up between Bernbeck, Fairbank and Williams. Coming to the checkers it was Bourke taking the win with Johnson taking the runner up spot, Bernbeck in third and Tommy Williams making the pass on the last lap on Fairbank for the fourth spot.

The Weld Racing Wheels "Hard Charger Award" went to Patrick Bourke who came from his tenth starting spot to pick up the win.

Heat Race winners were Ken Lutters and Sid Blanford.

A-Main: 1-Patrick Bourke (27), 2-Jon Johnson (86), 3-Reed Bernbeck (C3), 4-Tommy Williams (29T), 5-Smokey Fairbank (2), 6-Willie Wynn (36W), 7-Ken Lutters (79), 8-Corey Koberstien (29), 9-Jeremy Lueck (75), 10-Sid Blanford (7), 11-Michael Williams (77W), 12-Tim Perkins (99), 13-Darren Berry (12), 14-Garrett Park (10), 15-Ian Christie (17C), 16-Randy Washburn (0T), 17-Chuck Lutters (55)