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The fourth race of the 2010 race season at Kopellah Speedway was a record breaker for the UMSS Sprint cars. In the second year for the young series, an all time high twenty four cars checked in the back gate for the second race of the season for the winged car race series. In addition to UMSS Sprint cars, a full slate of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racers were on hand to witness a bevy of repeat winners and clean feature wins.

For the second week in a row, Luck, WI hotshoe Kevin Bradwell threatened the ultra-rare double clean sweep. After a caution filled feature, which included a very hard crash between Nick Axelsen and Jon Wigchers, the race came down to a green-white-checkered two lap shoot out for the win. Teammates Doug Fick and Kevin Bradwell were first and second to the final green flag. Bradwell got the better jump and the duo were side by side going into turn one. Bradwell then powered to the point heading down the back stretch, completed the last lap out front, and collected his second clean sweep feature win in as many weeks. Behind Fick, Ron Jablonske, Ben Kaphing and Chris Rick rounded out the top five. As a result of the accident, both Axelsen and Wigchers were evaluated by medical personnel, and thankfully both were discharged with only minor injuries.

When the Pure Stocks took to the track for their main event, Bradwell sat in the catbird's seat on the pole along side of opening night feature winner Dusty Brown. With only a few laps in, Bradwell's hope for history appeared dashed as he cut a right front tire and headed to the work area under caution. Back under green, Brown maintained his hold on the lead with Krysta Swearingen in tow. Just a few laps after the restart, the repaired Bradwell machine had worked back up to third and was once again a factor for the win. Brown had the field covered and parked his car in Victory Lane for the second time this season. Bradwell edged by Swearingen in the final turn for second, with Tyler English and Steve Baker making up the rest of the top five.

In the Street Stock division, it was the second clean sweep of the night, this one for Chanda Fjorden Nord. The reigning division champion started on the outside of the front row and was able to stretch her lead ever so slightly each lap. Division runner-up Sam Fankhauser chased Fjorden Nord in vain while simultaneously fighting off the advances of Josh Amans. Through a few cautions, the top three in the running order remained unchanged, and Fjorden Nord picked up her third consecutive feature win at Kopellah, and sixth overall this season. The rest of the top five were Fankhauser, Amans, Marcus Simonson and Behn Mensen.

The Midwest Modifieds provided the most excitement and the most frayed nerves of the night. Dan Wheeler quickly shot from the pole to a sizable lead. Meanwhile, Jason Miller, who started eighteenth on the grid, amazingly took just 5 laps to slice his way up to second place. By that time, Wheeler had built up a very large advantage over the rest of the field. Then, good fortune (for Miller) brought a caution flag over the field and Miller was able to restart directly behind Wheeler, who came into the night a single point ahead of Miller in the championship points standings. For the remaining ten laps, Miller would try every imaginable strategy to pass Wheeler and secure the win. In the waning laps, Miller repeatedly attempted several slide jobs to steal away the top spot, but each time came up just a whisker shy of finding the necessary speed to seal the deal. In a fine show of sportsmanship, Miller occasionally had to ease up on his ride just a bit to avoid contact with his friend and compatriot, keeping the race green and clean. In a nail-biter, it was Wheeler first across the stripe followed closely by Miller, Josh Bazey, Mike Mueller and Mike Haseltine. The victory was the second consecutive for Wheeler, and the third clean sweep of the night.

In a caution-filled race that saw three different leaders, Brad Barickman took advantage of Joseph Kouba's misfortune to earn his first UMSS win of the young season and his third Kopellah Speedway win in his racing career. Kouba had taken the lead on the 11th lap of the scheduled 20 lap feature race and appeared headed for victory. Following a lap 13 restart, Kouba lost the left rear tire on his sprinter. With the race at the time limit, Barickman once again found himself leading and dashed to a quick green-white-checker victory. Stated a happy Barickman, "we might have been a second place car tonight, but I was going to give it all I had to regain the lead during the final few laps. I knew I needed to get back up top where I had been most of the race. Tough break for Joseph, but our car was also pretty good."

Sye Anderson and Joseph Kouba brought the field to the green for the scheduled 20 lap feature. Anderson, who was minus a nose wing from the Mike Luks Challenge race accident, led the first two laps before Barickman blew by. The race was under caution for the first time with three laps in when rookie Jared Georges spun in turn two. Barickman continued to lead Anderson for the next four circuits when the race went green with Brandon Allen, Joseph Kouba and Johnny Parsons III occupying the top five spots. Following a Kevin Nickel spin with seven laps in, Anderson saw his right rear tire begin losing air under the caution. The race was quickly under another caution on the restart when Dave Becker spun. With the tire nearly flat, Anderson dropped out of the race moving Leigh Thomas into the top five.

One lap later, Jennifer Eriksen stalled in turn one with a right rear tire flat. Defending UMSS champion Leigh Thomas caught a bit of a break, as he had just spun sideways in turn two at the same time Eriksen stopped. Eriksen's crew changed the tire, and she tagged the tail for the restart. Barickman meanwhile continued to show the way up front followed by Allen, Kouba, Parsons and Cody Hahn. Kouba moved to second on lap 10 and closed in on the leader. On the next lap, Kouba raced under Barickman and took the lead. A second spin by Dave Becker with 12 laps in bunched up the field again. One lap later, Kevin Nickel looped his car for the second time. With the race nearing the time limit, one last attempt to go the full distance was indicated. Barickman blasted around Kouba in turns one and two on the restart, as Kouba's car appeared to be having a problem. Indeed it was a problem, as the left rear tire flew off the car on the front stretch the next time by. Kouba's fine run ended on the back of the wrecker. With the allotted time limit used up, it would be a two lap dash to the checkers.

Brad Barickman went on to record the feature win over Johnny Parsons III, Brandon Allen, Leigh Thomas and Jesse Smith. Rounding out the top ten finishers were Jack Zweber, Jennifer Eriksen, and UMSS rookies Anna Kouba, Blake Anderson and Andy Jones. Cody Hahn was running in fourth on the final lap when his left front locked up in turn four and he spun. Several cars darted to avoid him, causing a few positions to change at the finish line. Five of the six UMSS GRP Motorsports/BP Trading Company rookie contenders on hand made the feature race, and all five were able to finish. The other rookie driver on hand, Mark Yetter, experienced some mechanical issues following hot laps and was scratched for the evening. The UMSS wishes to thank all drivers and fans, as six IMCA Arlington cars helped support the event on the eve of the first IMCA vs UMSS Challenge at the Arlington Raceway on May 29

In order to make up for an early season rain out, the UMSS sprint cars return to Kopellah Speedway this Friday, June 4 to compete along with the four regular NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions. More information and directions to the track can be found at the track's website, www.kopellahspeedway.net.

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