6/28/2013
Bradwell Back In Victory Lane At SCVR
Bradwell Back In Victory Lane At St. Croix Valley Raceway
St. Croix Falls, WI
Starting his third season behind the wheel of a traditional sprint car has been a tough go for 2011 series champion Kevin Bradwell. Bradwell has been upside down and suffered mechanical failure in the early part of the season, but on Friday night June 28 he put himself back in a familiar place, Victory Lane at the St. Croix Valley Raceway. A series record 16 non-winged sprints signed into the pits on the opening night of the 2nd Annual Open Wheel Nationals. The evening was plagued with rain delays and ran past the track curfew; however, the UMSS Traditional Sprint Car Series feature was completed before the rains returned.
When high point driver after the heat races Rob Caho, Jr. redrew the #4 pill for the feature race invert, Bradwell found himself on the front row of the 15 lap main event outside of Cam Schafer. As the green flag flew, Bradwell, known as The Rocket Man, blasted off into the lead and never looked back. A couple of cautions in the first two laps slowed the pace, but the race then ran 13 laps nonstop to the checkers. The track was fast and heavy from the persistent light rain showers, much to Bradwell's liking. For Bradwell, it was his 10th career TSCS feature win. Cam Schafer finished second ahead of Katrina Sautbine, Jeff Pellersels and Lucas Milz. Rounding out the top ten were Jack Clark, rookie Jake Hendrickson, Caho, and another pair of rookies, Brian VanMeveren and Mike Mueller.
Heat races were won by Johnny Parsons III and Caho. Rookie driver Jake Kouba made his season debut in the Hay Barber Racing #2K sprinter. Ryan Olson, Denny Stordahl, and Tommy Kamrath were unable to start the feature race. The traditional sprints returned to the track for the second night of the Open Wheel Nationals on Saturday (see separate race report for details).
UMSS TSCS Race Results - St. Croix Valley Raceway June 28, 2013 (Race #7)
2nd Annual Open Wheel Nationals
Mora Motorworks Heat #1 (10 laps): 12 Johnny Parsons III, Owatonna MN; 54 Cam Schafer, Glenwood MN; 9 Katrina Sautbine, Superior WI; 1 Jeff Pellersels, Woodbury MN; 2K Jake Kouba, Byron MN; 2 Tom Porter, Blaine MN; 21 Ryan Olson, Strum WI; 51 Tom Kamrath, Houlton WI DNS.
Mora Motorworks Heat #2 (10 laps): 78 Rob Caho Jr, Wyoming MN; 24 Brian VanMeveren, St. Paul MN; 95 Kevin Bradwell, Luck WI; 87 Mike Mueller, Stacy MN; 60 Lucas Milz, Cambridge MN; 41s Jack Clark, Knapp WI; 46 Jake Hendrickson, Amery WI; 34 Denny Stordahl, Milltown WI DNF.
GRP Motorsports A Main (15 laps): Bradwell, Schafer, Sautbine, Pellersels, Milz, Clark, Hendrickson, Caho, VanMeveren, Mueller, Porter, Kouba, Parsons, DNS: Olson, Stordahl, Kamrath.
Lap Leader: Bradwell 1-15.
Cautions: (2)
Victory Lane Photo courtesy of Vince Peterson at Track Rat Photos.
Article Credit: Greg Parent, UMSS Media Director
