By the URSS

OBERLIN, KS -- The travel won't be as long on the road. But it might be more difficult on the track for John Webster. Webster will get a chance to compete in his home state of Nebraska this weekend as the United Rebel Sprint Series makes a pair of stops in the Cornhusker state. On Saturday, the Rebels will take to the 3/8-mile dirt oval of Lincoln County Speedway in North Platte, Neb. On Sunday, the URSS drivers will try to tame the 3/8-mile track at Dawson County Raceway in Lexington, Neb. Both nights are for Kansas and Colorado region points.

"It's kind of nice not to have to go too far," Webster said. Webster has competed sparingly in his first season with the URSS. This weekend, though, he'll get a chance to race in two of the three races in his home state in the series this year. "This is my first year basically driving a sprint car," he said. "I ran 600 (sprints) a lot, so there's a lot of learning going on."

Webster made the trek to the Belleville High Banks last week, finishing 15th on the monstrous half-mile track. "I loved it," he said. "My first time on that track was in June."

The only other appearance this year in Nebraska for the Rebels came May 22 -- the fourth race of the URSS season. Quinter's C.J. Johnson won that night at Dawson County Raceway. Dodge City's Brian Herbert won at Lexington during the 2010 season, and Herbert enters the weekend leading the national points race in the URSS. He has 3,160 points in 23 races, while Jetmore's Zach Blurton is second with 2,840 points in 22 races. Jetmore's Ray Seemann is third with 2,816 points in 20 races, and Josh Fairbank is fourth with 2,738 points in 20 races.

Seemann leads the Kansas Region with 2,428 points, followed by Herbert (2,420), Fairbank (2,384) and Blurton (2,258).

Patrick Bourke leads the Colorado Region with 858 points, with Adam Trimble and Blake Smith Jr. close behind. Both have 846 points. Bob Sheaffer is fourth with 800 points.

Saturday's races in North Platte will be only the second time in series history the Rebels have competed at Lincoln County Speedway. Mike Woodruff won the first race there Sept. 20, 2008.

"It will be interesting," Webster said about the track. "It depends on what the track is like. There's a lot of sand base to it. Drivers will have to be prepared for the track to rubber off or not. It's a finesse track."

The URSS has competed nine times at Dawson County Speedway, and seven different drivers have won there.

"If it gets tacky ... you can have your car set up to run the top and go with it," Webster said.

Only 12 races remain for the URSS drivers entering the weekend, depending on weather and other factors.

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For more information about the United Rebel Sprint Series, contact Rick Salem at (785) 475-7010 or email rksalem@eaglecom.net, or visit the URSS online at www.unitedrebelsprintseries.com.