If you would have read the weather forecasts a day earlier you would have thought that the scheduled season opener for the UMRA TQ Midgets at the Brownstown Speedway would never take place. However, Mother Nature must be a racing fan as things turned around drastically on Saturday to allow the track on the grounds of the Jackson County Fairgrounds to be ready, willing, and able for exciting competition to happen. Twenty cars took on the mission of conquering the Brownstown Speedway with Tim Lynch, Brent Turner, and Oogie Goff taking the three eight-lap heat races.
When the time came for the 20-lap feature it was two-time UMRA Champion and defending race winner at Brownstown Ron Combs and Tad Cheek who sat on the front row. Terry Goff had a daring three wide move which vaulted him from third to first in turn one was negated by Scot Quintel coming to a stop on the backstretch and Trent Henderson spinning in turn three. After an aborted second attempt at a start, bad luck would befall Combs as his car would suffer mechanical trouble that would knock him out of the race. Terry Goff would move up to the pole position and get the jump into turn one on the start. After a few laps in front Terry would be passed by his Goff Racing teammate and 2008 UMRA Rookie of the Year Brent Turner. In a race that went green from start to finish after it finally began, Turner made things look relatively easy as he worked through traffic and cruised to the first checkered flag of 2009 by over a straightaway. Oogie Goff emerged from an exciting four car battle to finish third while Tim Lynch took fourth and Zach Cougill rounded out the top five.
The Brownstown opener proved that the season could be an extremely competitive one that will almost certainly come down to the final round in September at the Mount Lawn Speedway in New Castle. Round two of the twenty race 2009 UMRA schedule will be May 16 at the Decatur County Fairgrounds in Greensburg.

Brownstown 5/2/09
Heat Race Winners: Tim Lynch, Brent Turner, Oogie Goff
Feature (20 laps): 1. Brent Turner 2. Terry Goff 3. Oogie Goff 4. Tim Lynch 5. Zach Cougill 6. Jason Vest 7. Michael Koontz 8. Bobby Walton 9. Tad Cheek 10. Ron Hamm 11. Trent Henderson 12. Brandon Gray 13. John Shewbrooks 14. Jeremy Rainwater 15. Doug Roland 16. Travis Stickels 17. Ron Combs 18. Kevin Alford 19. Robbie Roland 20. Scot Quintel

Congrats Boomer!