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Western World Championship and '08 Season Review

USAC Sprint Car driver Bret Mellenberndt out of Sioux Falls, SD finishes out the season this past weekend at Manzanita Speedway with the Western World Championship. It was a two-day show for Mellenberndt at the famed Manzanita Speedway and Bret went there with great expectations as for last February he set quick time. With Sprint Car veteran Rick Ferkel and long time sprint racer Doug Martens on his side, Bret qualified in the top half of the field at 27th out of the 65 others and started the first heat race on the second row. Bret fell back at the start, but raced his way up to the number 6 spot just two spots outside the transfer position. Mellenberndt then had to run the Semi in which the sixth row was where he was to start. Passing 5 cars throughout the Semi, Bret finished 7th and unfortunately missed the transfer into the Preliminary Main Event for the two-day show at Manzanita. The Mellenberndt Team utilized the first night of the weekend as a trial to get the team set up for the final show on Saturday. Taking the points earned from Friday’s event, set Bret to start on the second row of the “C” Main. An unfortunate yellow flag was thrown with only two laps to go and Bret realized the rear tire was going down on the Sioux City Truck & Trailer WolfWeld Chassis. He decided to swing into the work area and change the tire and come back out for the restart at the tail of the field. But, with only two laps to go, Bret ran out of time and did not make the transfer. “Overall the weekend went well, explains Bret, we had a new team going into Manzanita and the car was good pretty much all weekend, but just wasn’t quite good enough.”
“We had a very respectful season this year, mentions Bret, we were more consistent than any other year I’ve raced and we had all the right equipment to win races, but we just weren’t consistent with the team. We struggled finding the right help and putting forth the time needed to conduct a ‘race winning’ program. I can’t wait for next year, I learned a lot this year and we just have to find the right help and stick with each other for the entire season. If we can do that, you will see the Sioux City Truck & Trailer WolfWeld Chassis in victory lane!”

Bret would like to thank all of the fans and supporters that stuck with him in 2008 and would also like to give a special thanks to Doug Martens, Rick Ferkel, Bill Mellenberndt, Sioux City Truck and Trailer, Petersen Motors, Hoosier Racing Tire, Keizer Wheels, Bell Racing, DMI, ATL Fuel Cells, Ultra-Shield, WolfWeld Chassis, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Howe Racing and Driver Websites.

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