By TERRY PFEIFER

Special to The Hays Daily News

As the 2008 United Rebel Sprint Series Season winds down and the Points battles heat up, the racing action on the track will become hotter than ever. The Points Chases in the Eastern, Northern and Southern Regions are extremely close and this weekends racing action could be crucial in deciding the Regional Championships.

The racing action kicks off with dual Region shows at RPM Speedway in Hays Kansas Friday night and Saturday and Sunday nights at Elmwood Park Speedway in Norton as the Northern and Eastern Regions converge to do battle. Both Regions feature tight Points Battles and this weekend action will promise to be hot and heavy as racers jockey for position in their respective Regions.

The Northern Region points battle has heated up in recent weeks as the "Kansas Tornado" Jon Johnson holds a 52-point lead over Smokey Fairbank. The battle for the third and fourth spots is even closer as Ken Lutters holds a 21-point lead over Darren Berry. The battle for the all-important tenth spot is close with Cody Salem, Ray Seemann and Jeff Radcliffe within 81-points of each other coming into this weekend.

The Eastern Region Points chase is a barnburner as Cody Salem holds a slim 9 point lead over Corey Lutters, and positions three through seven are separated by only 101 points. The races at Hays and the double header at Elmwood Park Speedway at Norton Saturday and Sunday will undoubtedly change the landscape of the Points Battle in both Regions after the last checkered flag falls Sunday Night.

The Southern Region will converge on Dodge City Raceway Park for a double header on Saturday and Sunday. Veteran Dodge City Racer Brian Herbert holds the top spot in the Points, but is being hounded by two of the Young Guns of the URSS Series. Taylor Milton and Taylor Velasquez trail Herbert by 100 and 130 points respectively and are both hot on his heels as the season winds down. One of the hottest battles in the Southern Region is for positions nine through eleven as Ty Williams, Darren Bowman and Kris Moore are separated by a mere 56 points as the season winds down.

Regardless of which event you choose to attend this weekend, you are guaranteed to see some of the closest and most action packed Sprint Car racing in the region. Drivers will be battling tooth and nail for that extra spot to gain every point possible each night.

For more information on the United Rebel Sprint Series you can visit the Series Website at www.unitedrebelsprintseries.com or contact Rick Salem at 785-475-7010 or by e-mail at rksalem@eaglecom.net.