By John Rittenoure (SNP Photo)
CANEY, Kans. (September 7, 2024) - Saturday nights Ortco, Inc. United Spring League presented by Same Day Auto Repair main event at Caney Valley Speedway was a thriller from start to finish. Especially the finish.
Matt Sherrell passed leader Andrew Deal coming to the white flag then held him off on the final circuit around the Caney quarter-mile oval for a hard-fought victory driving the Paul Johnson 5X.
Sherrell, who just a week earlier drove from 13th to finish a very close second to Tyler Edwards in the ironman 55 at Creek County Speedway, charged from 8th starting position and was in a three car battle for the lead after just six laps.
After Ty Hulsey took the initial lead from the pole defending series champion Johnny Kent wheeled into the top spot after a lap 2 caution and Deal was right behind a lap later. Kent kept the field in check until Deal found his way around him on lap 12. With Deal out front Kent quickly found himself in a battle with Sherrell for second. The two battled wheel-to-wheel and Sherrell managed to grab second on lap 20 only to fall back to third on lap 22. On lap 25 Sherrell again passed Kent and stayed there. Sherrell reeled in Deal as the laps wound down passing him at the end of lap 29. Sherrell then held off Deal on the final circuit.
Deal was just 0.428 seconds behind at the finish with Kent settling for third. Series points leader Tim Kent held on to fourth and Danny Smith came from ninth to finish fifth.
The victory moved Sherrell to third in points behind Tim and Johnny Kent.
Justin Patocka won the Speed Stix Shocks first heat, Jimmy Forrester picked up the Kent Fireworks second heat win, and Johnny Kent topped the Morton Excavating third heat.
United Sprint League
Caney Valley Speedway - Caney, Kansas
September 7, 2024
Ortco Inc A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 5X-Matt Sherrell[8]; 2. 15D-Andrew Deal[5]; 3. 55-Johnny Kent[3]; 4. 79-Tim Kent[10]; 5. 5$-Danny Smith[9]; 6. 5K-Tyler Edwards[6]; 7. 24H-Ty Hulsey[1]; 8. 20H-Noah Harris[11]; 9. 8R-Ryker Pace[12]; 10. 23A-Brett Wilson[13]; 11. 17-Wout Hoffmans[7]; 12. 50-Cody Whitworth[15]; 13. 24C-Craig Carroll[17]; 14. 9$-Kyle Clark[22]; 15. 24R-Kyle Roller[18]; 16. 99J-Cooper Sullivan[19]; 17. 33-Justin Patocka[2]; 18. 97-Kevin Cummings[14]; 19. (DNF) 5B-Brock Cottrell[21]; 20. (DNF) 38-Jimmy Forrester[4]; 21. (DNF) 9-Cooper Cottrell[16]; 22. (DNS) 42-Grady Mercer
Speed Stix Shocks Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 33-Justin Patocka[1]; 2. 5K-Tyler Edwards[8]; 3. 17-Wout Hoffmans[5]; 4. 5$-Danny Smith[7]; 5. 97-Kevin Cummings[6]; 6. (DNF) 42-Grady Mercer[3]; 7. (DNF) 5B-Brock Cottrell[2]; 8. (DNF) 9$-Kyle Clark[4]
Kent Fireworks Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 38-Jimmy Forrester[2]; 2. 15D-Andrew Deal[6]; 3. 79-Tim Kent[4]; 4. 20H-Noah Harris[5]; 5. 8R-Ryker Pace[7]; 6. 24C-Craig Carroll[1]; 7. 99J-Cooper Sullivan[3]
Morton Excavating Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 55-Johnny Kent[2]; 2. 24H-Ty Hulsey[3]; 3. 5X-Matt Sherrell[5]; 4. 50-Cody Whitworth[1]; 5. 23A-Brett Wilson[7]; 6. 9-Cooper Cottrell[6]; 7. 24R-Kyle Roller[4]
Lap Leaders: 1 Ty Hulsey, 2-11 Johnny Kent, 12-28 Andrew Deal, 29-30 Matt Sherrill. ?
Margin of Victory: 0.428.
2024 Feature Winners: 3/30 - Rees Moran - Red Dirt Raceway; 4//13 - Rees Moran - Creek County Speedway; 6/7 - Wout Hoffmans - Tulsa Speedway; 6/8 - Ty Hulsey, Creek County Speedway; 8/3 - Johnny Kent, Creek County Speedway; 9/1 - Tyler Edwards, Creek County Speedway; 9/7 - Matt Sherrell, Caney Valley Speedway.
2024 Top 10: 1. Tim Kent 1011; 2. Johnny Kent 992; 3. Matt Sherrell 934; 4. Brock Cottrell 914; 5. Jimmy Forrester 910; 6. Ty Hulsey 877; 7. Cody Whitworth 866; 8. Justin Patocka, 862; 9. Brett Wilson 857; 10. Noah Harris 810.
About United Sprint League
Owned by Michael Tyre, the USL sanctions 360 two-barrel / 305 non-wing sprint car events throughout Oklahoma and surrounding states with goals of supporting sponsors and providing fans the the opportunity to enjoy the excitement of non-wing sprint car racing.
Website: https://www.myracepass.com/series/1794.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnitedSprintLeague.
About Ortco Inc.
Ortco Inc. manufactures qualify oilfield parts from American made bar and shaped steel on computerized CNC machinery. Products are then Heat Treated, coated for rust prevention, and warehoused for shipments across the globe. Ortco also utilizes high quality investment castings for safety clamps and various tongs.
Website: http://OrtcoInc.com.
United Sprint League Marketing Partners
Ortco, Inc., Same Day Auto Repair, Speed Stix Shocks, D&G Contracting, DFR Discount Tire, Passing Points Podcast, Kent Fireworks, Hoss Media.