DODGE CITY, Kan. — Jake Bubak saved the best for last in Friday’s third annual Lubbock Wrecker Service DCRP 305 Sprint Car Nationals 25-lap preliminary feature by racing into the lead with two laps remaining to post his second win in as many nights atop the three-eighths-mile Dodge City Raceway Park clay oval.
After racing from eight to win Thursday’s feature event, this time Bubak rallied from tenth to take the lead away from defending race winner Jake Martens on the 23rd lap. Bubak raced on to the stripe ahead of Steven Shebester with Martens holding on to third.
“We had a great car and I could go anywhere on the track,” Bubak said of the Dubose/Well-powered Coyote Candle Company No. 74b Maxim.
Bubak secured a position in Saturday night’s Triple 8 Trucking Dash for Cash that sets the alignment for the first three rows of the $3,000-to-win 30-lap championship main event with Shebester, Martens, Jason Martin, Brian Herbert and Luke Cranston locking in as well.
While Bubak made it two-for-two in the Sprint Car ranks, fellow Colorado racer Angel Munoz charged to his fourth IMCA Stock Car win of the year.
With Bubak gridding the feature outside the fifth row, pole starter Chris Kelley outgunned fellow front row starter Martens for the point on the initial start only to have it negated for a turn one melee that eliminated Kris Moore, David Luckie, Kyler Johnson and Ray Seemann.
Following another turn one red flag for a wild Kade Hagans ride on the second try to go green, Martens got the better of Kelley when the race got under way with sixth-starter Shebester making his way into second in short order.
With Shebester shadowing Martens, Bubak cracked the top five by the sixth round and then made his way up to third by ninth circuit with a half straightaway between himself and the front duo.
As Bubak chipped away at the advantage, Shebester began challenging Martens for the point at the midway point and raced into the lead on the 15th lap only to have the move negated by a caution for Zach Blurton’s turn-two spin.
With Martens back out front on the restart, Bubak battled past Shebester on the 22nd lap and then raced into the lead the next time around. Bubak breezed to the checkered flag with Shebester taking second away from Martens.
Martens claimed the show position just ahead of Jason Martin, who charged from 15th to capture fourth. Kelley rounded out the top five.
In the 15-lap IMCA Stock Car feature, Angel Munoz battled past Chris Oliver for the point on the ninth round en route to a second consecutive win.
The finish:
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 74b-Jake Bubak (10), 2. 16s-Steven Shebester (6), 3. 48-Jake Martens (2), 4. 5x-Jason Martin (15), 5. 32k-Chris Kelley (1), 6. 55b-Brandon Anderson (8), 7. 97-Brian Herbert (3), 8. 11x-Tony Bruce, Jr. (13), 9. 27-Andy Shouse (4), 10. 98-J.D. Johnson (12), 11. 49x-Luke Cranston (20), 12. 0-Steven Richardson (9), 13. 2b-Brett Becker (7), 14. 911-Ty Williams (16), 15. 2J-Zach Blurton (17), 16. 45-Monty Ferriera, 17. 17x-Kade Hagans (5), 18. 49-Kris Moore (11), 19. 45d-David Luckie (18), 20. 45x-Kyler Johnson (21), 21. 72-Ray Seemann (22), 22. 30-Brandon Hickman (19-DNS).