BELLEVILLE, Kan. — Zach Blurton kicked off the third annual Belleville 305 Sprint Car Nationals by wiring the field in Friday night’s 20-lap preliminary feature to take the $2,500 winner’s share atop the quarter-mile Belleville High Banks clay oval.
Blurton gunned into the lead from the third starting position in the opening pair of corners and then paced the field throughout aboard the J&K Trucking No. 11 Maxim Sprint Car.
After charging past front row starters Jed Werner and J.D. Johnson at the outset, the Quinter racer weathered just one caution after two circuits for Ty Williams, who suffered race-ending damage after getting a piece of the turns one and two retaining fence.
Blurton sailed on the high side throughout, lapping up to 13th and took the checkered flag with four lapped cars separating himself from runner-up Johnson. It was Blurton’s best Belleville 305 Nationals showing since placing sixth in the Saturday portion of the Inaugural event in 2018.
Johnson, the current United Rebel Sprint Series points leader, survived a perilous turn two encounter to post runner-up honors with Stu Snyder filling out the podium in third.
Jed Werner crossed the stripe fourth with Jeremy Huish rounding out the top five.
The finish:
Feature (20 Laps): 1. 11-Zach Blurton (3), 2. 98-J.D. Johnson (2), 3. 5-Stu Snyder (4), 4. 50-Jed Werner (1), 5. 88J-Jeremy Huish (8), 6. 5x-Jason Martin (7), 7. 0-Steven Richardson (5), 8. 47-Cody Ledger (15), 9. 91-Jeff Stasa (12), 10. 911x-Matt Covington (20), 11. 27b-Jake Martens (18), 12. 45x-Kyler Johnson (11), 13. 82c-Christian Kinnison (19) 14. 12-Tyler Drueke (17), 15. 95-Buddy Tubbs (22), 16. 95T-Trevor Grossenbacher (24), 17. 10-Jordan Knight (16), 18. 72-Ray Seemann (9), 19. 17x-Taylor Velasquez (21), 20. 43-Adam Trimble (23), 21. 9-John Webster (14), 22. 53-Jack Dover (10), 23. 7-Toby Chapman (13), 24. 911-Ty Williams (6).