Lonnie Wheatley, ODESSA, Mo. (September 23, 2021) – Luke Cranston already has the Belleville 305 Nationals crowns to his credit this season.
Now, the Ness City, KS, racer is seeking to add another feather to his cap with this weekend’s United Rebel Sprint Series-sanctioned Fifth Annual Lubbock Wrecker Service 305 Sprint Car Nationals atop the I-70 Motorsports Park clay oval.
He is off to a strong start in that pursuit by racing to victory lane in Thursday night’s 20-lap preliminary main event that kicked off the three-night tilt that culminates with Saturday night’s $3,000-to-win championship finale.
Cranston chased Kyler Johnson for the opening dozen rounds before battling into the lead in traffic and then beat Zach Blurton to the checkered flag with Johnson settling for the show position.
“It was really a blessing to start up front in that one,” Cranston said after the triumph aboard the Myers-powered Southwest Family Farms No. 20 Maxim . “I’m looking forward to the next two nights, hopefully we can keep it out front.”
While Cranston took the opening night win, Blurton escaped as the night’s top point earner to give him an inside track to Saturday’s Dash that will include the top six in point after Friday’s preliminary event.
Johnson gunned into the lead from the pole position and kept Cranston and Bubak at bay. The trio diced for the point at the midway mark as heavy lapped traffic was in play. Cranston and Johnson crossed the stripe on the 12th side-by-side with Cranston completing the race-winning in the next pair of corners.
Blurton followed suit a lap later, making his way past Johnson for second but was unable to mount a charge on Cranston as the checkered flag flew with 0.751-second difference separating the lead duo.
Johnson was third with Ty Williams and Toby Chapman rounding the top five. Jay Rusell rallied from 14th to sixth with Jeremy Huish, Jason Martin, 20th-starter Randy Martin and 17th-starter Jack Potter completing the top ten.
Williams posted the night’s fastest lap of 15.386-seconds in Group Qualifying with Johnson, Chapman and Blurton best in Heat Race action.
The Fifth Annual Lubbock Wrecker Service 305 Sprint Car Nationals at I-70 Motorsports Park resumes with a second night of preliminary action on Friday night leading the way into Saturday’s $3,000-to-win championship finale.
I-70 Motorsports Park – Fifth Annual Lubbock Wrecker Service DCRP 305 Sprint Car Nationals
September 23, 2021 Results:
United Rebel Sprint Series (URSS):
Qualifying Group One: 1. 20-Luke Cranston 15.695, 2. 5x-Jason Martin 15.770, 3. 45x-Kyler Johnson 16.135, 4. 1p-Curtis Evans 16.147, 5. 76-Jay Russell 16.242, 6. 92J-J.R. Topper 16.243, 7. 15-Jack Potter 16.383, 8. 63-Randy Martin 16.477, 9. 38c-Camdin Couch 18.229.
Qualifying Group Two: 1. 911-Ty Williams 15.386, 2. 88J-Jeremy Huish 15.456, 3. 7c-Toby Chapman 15.565, 4. 75-Cash Beeson 15.801, 5. 9-John Webster 15.901, 6. 38-Kevin Frisbie 16.268, 7. 1-Greg Murry 16.319, 8. 91-Steven Russell NT.
Qualifying Group Three: 1. 2J-Zach Blurton 15.597, 2. 45-Monty Ferriera 15.875, 3. 43-Jake Greenwood 16.038, 4. 4-Josh Poe 16.368, 5. 20d-Jacob Dye 16.624, 6. 26b-Matt Fox 16.734, 7. 19-Alfred Galedridge, Jr. 17.045, 8. 36-Chris Couch 17.360.
Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 45x-Kyler Johnson, 2. 5x-Jason Martin, 3. 20-Luke Cranston, 4. 1p-Curtis Evans, 5. 76-Jay Russell, 6. 15-Jack Potter, 7. 63-Randy Martin, 8. 92J-J.R. Topper, 9. 38c-Camdin Couch.
Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 7c-Toby Chapman, 2. 88J-Jeremy Huish, 3. 911-Ty Williams, 4. 9-John Webster, 5. 75-Cash Beeson, 6. 1-Greg Murry, 7. 38-Kevin Frisbie, 8. 91-Steven Russell (DNS).
Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 2J-Zach Blurton, 2. 4-Josh Poe, 3. 45-Monty Ferriera, 4. 43-Jake Greenwood, 5. 26b-Matthew Fox, 6. 20d-Jacob Dye, 7. 19-Alfred Galedridge, Jr., 8. 36-Chris Couch.
“A” Main (20 Laps): 1. 20-Luke Cranston (2), 2. 2J-Zach Blurton (4), 3. 45x-Kyler Johnson (1), 4. 911-Ty Williams (3), 5. 7c-Toby Chapman (5), 6. 76-Jay Russell (14), 7. 88J-Jeremy Huish (6), 8. 5x-Jason Martin (7), 9. 63-Randy Martin (20), 10. 15-Jack Potter (17), 11. 4-Josh Poe (8), 12. 43-Jake Greenwood (11), 13. 20d-Jacob Dye (18), 14. 19-Alfred Galedridge, Jr., (21), 15. 26b-Mattew Fox (15), 16. 1-Greg Murry (16), 17. 38-Kevin Frisbie (19), 18. 45-Monty Ferreira (9), 19. 38c-Camdin Couch (24), 20. 75-Cash Beeson (13), 21. 1p-Curtis Evans (12), 22. 36-Chris Couch (23), 23. 92J-J.R. Topper (22), 24. 9-John Webster (10), 25. 91-Steven Russell (DNS).
Lap Leaders: Kyler Johnson 1-12, Luke Cranston 13-20.
Fifth Annual Lubbock Wrecker Service I-70 305 Sprint Car Nationals Points through Night One (Top 6 in combined points from Thursday and Friday lock into Saturday’s Dash for Cash – Balance to Saturday heats with invert of six in each heat):
| Rank | No. | Name | Qual | Heat | A Main | Total |
| 1 | 2J | Zach Blurton | 20 | 30 | 95 | 145 |
| 2 | 20 | Luke Cranston | 20 | 24 | 100 | 144 |
| 3 | 45x | Kyler Johnson | 16 | 30 | 91 | 137 |
| 4 | 911 | Ty Williams | 20 | 24 | 88 | 132 |
| 5 | 7c | Toby Chapman | 16 | 30 | 85 | 131 |
| 6 | 88J | Jeremy Huish | 18 | 27 | 79 | 124 |
| 7 | 5x | Jason Martin | 18 | 27 | 76 | 121 |
| 8 | 76 | Jay Russell | 12 | 18 | 82 | 112 |
| 9 | 4 | Josh Poe | 14 | 24 | 68 | 106 |
| 10 | 43 | Jake Greenwood | 16 | 21 | 66 | 103 |
| 11 | 45 | Monty Ferreira | 18 | 24 | 54 | 96 |
| 12 | 15 | Jack Potter | 8 | 15 | 70 | 93 |
| 13 | 63 | Randy Martin | 6 | 12 | 73 | 91 |
| 14 | 20d | Jacob Dye | 12 | 15 | 64 | 91 |
| 15 | 26b | Matthew Fox | 10 | 18 | 60 | 88 |
| 16 | 1p | Curtis Evans | 14 | 21 | 48 | 83 |
| 17 | 19 | Alfred Galedridge, Jr. | 8 | 12 | 62 | 82 |
| 18 | 75 | Cash Beeson | 14 | 18 | 50 | 82 |
| 19 | 1 | Greg Murry | 8 | 15 | 58 | 81 |
| 20 | 38 | Kevin Frisbie | 10 | 12 | 56 | 78 |
| 21 | 9 | John Webster | 12 | 21 | 42 | 75 |
| 22 | 92J | J.R. Topper | 10 | 9 | 44 | 63 |
| 23 | 36 | Chris Couch | 6 | 9 | 46 | 61 |
| 24 | 38c | Camdin Couch | 4 | 3 | 52 | 59 |
| 25 | 91 | Steven Russell | 4 | 3 | 40 | 47 |