Tabor Memorial To Brooke Tatnell At St. Croix Valley Raceway
St. Croix Falls, WI
By: Greg Parent UMSS Media Director (5-25-12)
After several attempts during the past month to complete a race program, the Upper Midwest Sprintcar Series (UMSS) was finally able to get their second show of the season in the books on Friday night May 25 at the St. Croix Valley Raceway. Veteran racer Brooke Tatnell drew upon his experience to navigate a heavy track due to recent rains to record his second UMSS win of the season in the 1st Annual Davey Tabor Memorial. Tatnell drove by early leader Sye Anderson on lap four and pulled away for the $1,034 victory. Commenting after the race Tatnell stated, "I like heavy tracks that are a bit rough. Turns one and two were pretty good, but you had to make sure you picked the right line through turns three and four. It's an honor to win the first Tabor Memorial." A field of 18 UMSS winged sprint cars were on hand for their first of four appearances at the St. Croix Valley Raceway this season.
With some light rain on the radar west of the track and a heavy racing surface, the UMSS decided to forgo their usual double round of qualifying races in order to make sure the program did not fall victim to the weather. As it turned out, the weather cooperated and all events were able to be completed. Ultimate Sprint Heat race wins went to Andy Jones, Tatnell and Jerry Richert, Jr. With Jones the high point earner following the heats, Andy redrew a six for the feature race invert. This put Kurt Davis and Sye Anderson on the front row of the scheduled 25 lap Davey Tabor Memorial feature race presented by GRP Motorsports. Jones was racing with a heavy heart, as friend and crew member Ron Fleischer had passed away earlier in the week following a short battle with cancer. Jones is dedicating the remainder of his season in memory of Ron Fleischer.
The feature race had some problems in the early going, as two reds and two yellows waved in the first four laps. The distance was reduced to 20 laps following the final red, and the race then went sixteen laps nonstop to the finish. Anderson grabbed the early lead on the opening lap, but the yellow blinked on when Andy Jones slowed on lap two. A safety call by track officials to check Jones' car kept the running order intact and the race was under green again. Tatnell moved by Davis on lap two for second. The first red flew on lap three when 2010 UMSS Champion Cody Hahn hooked a rut in turn four and tipped over. Hahn was okay, but his car was done for the night.
With Anderson still in front of Tatnell, rookie driver James Broty brushed the wall on the restart and exited the track in turn one. Broty remained upright, but his sprinter had a flat tire and bent rim sending him to the pits. Tatnell took command on lap four when the race returned to green flag action. The final stoppage came on lap five when Austin Johnson flipped in turn three and ended up on top of the concrete wall nosed into the catch fence. Johnson was okay, but his car was badly bent and out of action. During the red flag, Andy Jones dropped out of the race while running fifth with a broken rocker arm in his engine. On the restart, Tatnell pulled away from the field during the remaining sixteen lap sprint to the checkers.
A late race pass in lapped traffic netted defending UMSS Champion Jerry Richert, Jr. the runner-up position. When Margaret Tabor's #34TW sprinter was unable to start the feature race on account of engine woes, Richert donned the 34TW top wing in honor and memory of Davey Tabor for the feature race. Sye Anderson turned in a strong effort to finish third, racing on this Memorial Day Weekend in memory of Raleigh Sandberg. Chris Graf had a tremendous charge forward from his 11th starting position to ride home in fourth. Rounding out the top five was eastern Wisconsin MSA driver Kurt Davis. Davis was making his UMSS debut, but he did have one night in at St. Croix Valley several years ago. Completing the top ten finishers were Tony Kaus, 2010 UMSS Rookie of the Year Jared Goerges, Rob Caho Jr, Scott Broty, and 2011 UMSS Co-rookie of the Year Anna Kouba.
In addition to the added first place money by GRP Motorsports, the Tabor family added extra money to all remaining finishing positions in the feature race. The Tabor Memorial will become an annual event each season at the St. Croix Valley Raceway on the Friday leading into the Memorial Day holiday weekend. It was an entertaining evening of racing with different types of drama playing out at various times during the program. A nice tribute for Davey Tabor, written by his wife Margaret, was read by Greg Parent during the intermission. As the 2012 season continues, racers and fans can follow the UMSS on their website at www.umsprints.com or become a friend of the UMSS Facebook page.
UMSS Race Results - St. Croix Valley Raceway May 25, 2012 (Race #2) 1st Annual Davey Tabor Memorial:
Alpha Apparel & Promotions Ultimate Sprint Race #1 (6 laps): Andy Jones, Cody Hahn, Austin Johnson, Chris Graf, James Broty, Tori Knutson.
Meeks Video Ultimate Sprint Race #2 (6 laps): Brooke Tatnell, Sye Anderson, Jared Goerges, Chad Patterson, Anna Kouba, Johnny Parsons III DNS.
Mastell Brothers Trailer Service Ultimate Sprint Race #3 (6 laps): Jerry Richert Jr, Kurt Davis, Scott Broty, Tony Kaus, Rob Caho Jr, Ronnie Erickson DNF.
GRP Motorsports Davey Tabor Memorial A Main (20 laps): Tatnell, Richert, Anderson, Graf, Davis, Kaus, Goerges, Caho, Scott Broty, Kouba, Knutson, Patterson, Jones DNF, Johnson DNF, James Broty DNF, Hahn DNF, Erickson DNS, Parsons DNS.
Lap Leaders: Anderson 1-3, Tatnell 4-20.
Cautions: (4)
Victory Lane Photo courtesy of Stan Meissner at Minnesota Dirt Track Racing. 
