Gressel Racing

USMTS weekend wash out puts 2023 season to bed early

Already rained-out once this year, the 7th Annual Grant Junghans Memorial presented by Shop Quik slated for this Friday at the Lakeside Speedway has been cancelled.

The Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt had plans to close out the 2023 campaign on Saturday with the 4th Annual USMTS Modified Spooktacular presented by RacinDirt.com at the 81 Speedway, but that event is also washed out.

“Lakeside has received more than five inches of rain and it's still raining,” said USMTS President Todd Staley, “and with cold weather expected for Friday we are going to cancel the event. Saturday will not be happening either.

“Everything is soaked, the forecast is bone-chilling cold at best and our competitors and fans travel many miles to be a part of USMTS events. We want to save them the heartache, time and money so the only decision we felt was the right one is the one we made.”

Although his title was already clinched, with today’s announcement we can officially announce that Rodney Sanders is the 2023 USMTS national champion. It’s the fifth title for the 34-year-old from Happy, Texas.

Jason Hughes will finish second in the final points. The rest of the top ten spots go to Jim Chisholm, Dereck Ramirez, Tanner Mullens, Jake O'Neil, Dan Ebert, Tyler Wolff, Terry Phillips and Zack VanderBeek.

Auditing of season points is expected to be completed over the next couple of weeks before the final standings become official, but the USMTS staff does not foresee any changes.

For their Silver Anniversary season in 2023, the Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt featured 36 nights of racing at some of America's premier dirt track racing venues. The winners of those events earned nearly $250,000 with nearly $2 million in purses and prize money earned by all competitors.

Banquet set for January 27: The United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) and United States Racing Association (USRA) will host a joint awards banquet on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at Harrah's Kansas City Hotel & Casino to celebrate the 2023 racing season for both organizations.

Harrah's Kansas City offers one of the most exciting hotels and casinos in the heart of America, blending small-town charm with big-city amenities with over 390+ luxurious rooms, a collection of gourmet dining experiences and the area's hottest gaming and entertainment.

Tickets will go on sale November 27. The ceremony will take place in the 9,792-square-foot Nevada Ballroom with capacity for up to 550 guests. Visit Harrahs.com for more information.

Watch every USMTS event online live and on-demand from anywhere on any device with RacinDirt. Download the app at Roku, Amazon Fire, iOS, Apple TV or on Google Play.

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