By TERRY PFEIFER

URSS The second day of the Wakeeney Speedway "Memorial Challenge" started out just like the day before with overcast skies and brief light showers during the afternoon. But Mother Nature had other plans, just as the A Feature was to begin the skies opened up and washed away any chances of bringing the URSS weekend to a close. Track Officials and URSS Promoter Rick Salem were forced to postpone the event until the next appearance of the URSS Sprint Cars on Monday, July 27th as part of the Trego County Fair. Fans will get to see the make up feature as well as another full race program that night.

Before the rains came, two last chance qualifiers were held that featured a lot of the heavy hitters of the URSS in the starting grids. In the first race, 2007 Champion Smokey Fairbank used his outside pole starting position to jump out to the early lead as Reed Bernbeck gave chase. Bernbeck took over the top spot on lap two with Fairbank in his tire tracks. The pair battled until Fairbank took the position back on lap four.

Jeff Radcliffe made his way to the third position with Mike Spear and Lance Davis hot on his heels as the laps wore down, Radcliffe made the pass for second on lap eight and set his sights on the leader. Blake Bogenhagen quietly made his way to the fifth spot and pressured Davis for the fourth position with Bogenhagen taking the spot on lap nine. Radcliffe continued to dog Fairbank until the final lap as he made the pass for the lead to pick up the victory with Fairbank, Bernbeck, Bogenhagen and Davis rounding out the top five.

In the second last chance qualifier, URSS Regulars Ray Seemann, CJ Johnson and Brian Herbert made up the first three starting spots for the race. CJ Johnson jumped out to the early lead with Seemann and Herbert in his tracks. Johnson's lead was short lived as Seemann took the spot away on lap two with Herbert running a close third. Tyler Kraus and Bill Hays were duking it out for the fourth and fifth spots as the leaders pulled away.

Seemann held the lead as Johnson was trying different lines to take the position, Johnson finally found the sweet spot as he passed Seemann for the lead on lap eight. Back in the pack, Tim Perkins made his way to challenge Bill Hays for the final transfer spot. The pair battled for several laps with Perkins making the pass stick on lap eight, Perkins then set his sights on fourth running Kraus but time ran out.

When the checkers fell it was Johnson taking the win with Seemann, Herbert, Tyler Kraus and Tim Perkins grabbing the final transfer position.

B Main #1 - Top Five Transfer

1-Jeff Radcliffe (21R), 2- Smokey Fairbank (2), 3-Reed Bernbeck (C3), 4-Blake Bogenhagen (27B), 5-Lance Davis (9D), 6-Van Kuhn (K3), 7-Mike Spear (54), Travis Decker (84T) DNF, Chuck Lutters (55) DNS

B Main #2 - Top Five Transfer

1-CJ Johnson (45X), 2-Ray Seemann (72), 3-Brian Herbert (97), 4-Tyler Kraus (12), 5-Tim Perkins (99), 6-Bill Hays, (2h), 7-Chad Salem (17), 8-Cody Keiswetter (38), 9-Shawn Radcliffe (3)

Heat #1: 1-Darren Bowman (9B), 2-Justin Schwien (76J), 3-Ken Lutters (79), 4-Keefe Hemel (11), 5-Jeff Radcliffe (21R), 6-Bill Hays (2H), 7-Chuck Lutters (55) DNF, Randy Bantam (5R) DNS

Heat #2: 1- Jon Johnson (86), 2-Reed Bernbeck (C3), 3-Taylor Milton (91X), 5-Ray Seemann (72), 5-Brian Herbert (97), 6-Travis Decker (84T), 7-Chad Salem (17), Greg Thyfault (27G) DNS

Heat #3: 1-Patrick Bourke, 2-CJ Johnson (45X), 3-Mike Spear (54), 4-Smokey Fairbank (2), 5-Tim Perkins (99), 6-Tyler Kraus (12), 7-Van Kuhn (K3), 8-Cody Keiswetter (38)

Heat #4: 1-Willie Wynn (36W), 2- Lance Davis (9D), 3-Howard Van Dyke (74), 4-Michael Williams (77W), 5-Blake Bogenhagen (27B), 6-Shawn Radcliffe (3), 7-Cody Keiswetter (38) DNF, Jake Martens (0T) DNS