Luke Cranston Wires The Field At Belleville 305 Nationals
Luke Cranston Wires The Field At Belleville 305 Nationals
Luke Cranston led all 30 laps on his way to winning the 305 Sprint Car Nationals at the Belleville High Banks.
BELLEVILLE, KS – After earning the pole position on Saturday night, Luke Cranston put the finishing touches on the United Rebel Sprint Series’ Fourth Annual Belleville 305 Sprint Car Nationals by wiring the field in Sunday’s 30-lapper to take the $7,000 victory atop the ½-mile Belleville High Banks clay oval.
Cranston outgunned Friday preliminary winner Jason Martin for the point at the drop of the green flag and set a blistering pace throughout aboard the Myers-powered Southwest Family Farms No. 20 Maxim to post the emotional win.
“This is big, I’ve been wanting this one so bad,” Cranston said afterward. “This is competition is so tough and it’s fun racing with guys like Jason (Martin). Man, this Myers engine is just so dang fast.”
Martin tried to keep pace but could only watch Cranston slip away into the distance of the laps clicked off in the non-stop affair.
“Somebody splashed some mud up early and we lost a cylinder, we were up to 260 degrees in the first few laps,” – Martin said after the runner-up finish aboard the Myers-powered REZAC Concrete/Trucks Plus/Bybee Electric No. 5x Eagle .
Stu Snyder raced into the runner-up position on the opening lap only to surrender it to Martin soon after and then held third the rest of the way aboard the Myers-powered No. 5 JR1.
While the top three held steady throughout, 11th-starter Jordan Knight ultimately outlasted Kyler Johnson in a spirited battle for fourth with Johnson rounding out the top five.
Tyler Drueke was sixth with Randy Martin, Jeremy Huish, 21st-starter Toby Chapman and Steven Richardson completing the top ten.
Randy Martin, Jason Martin, Jordan Knight and Tyler Drueke won heat races with J.D. Johnson, Drueke, Stu Snyder and Steven Richardson winning the qualifying races on Saturday before rain pushed the finale to Sunday evening.
RESULTS
1. 20-Luke Cranston (1), 2. 5x-Jason Martin (2), 3. 5-Stu Snyder (3), 4. 10-Tyler Knight (11), 5. 45x-Kyler Johnson (7), 6. 12-Tyler Drueke (5), 7. 63-Randy Martin (4), 8. 88J-Jeremy Huish (10), 9. 7c-Toby Chapman (21), 10. 8J-Steven Richardson (6), 11. 911-Ty Williams (13), 12. 98-J.D. Johnson (8), 13. 7-Shane Sundquist (12), 14. 9-John Webster (9), 15. 21x-Taylor Velasquez (19), 16. 23-Brandon Bosma (17), 17. 11k-Tyler Knight (16), 18. 74-Connor Atkinson (24), 19. 65-Richard Wilbee (22), 20. 2d-Dusty Ballenger (18), 21. 2b-Brett Becker (20), 22. 15-Jack Potter (23), 23. 2J-Zach Blurton (12), 24. 50-Jed Werner (21).
-Story & photo by Lonnie Wheatley