HUMBOLDT, Kan. -- Rodney Sanders rolled to his first USMTS Casey’s Cup Series win of the season Saturday night, rising to the top of a 70-car field of the nation’s best open-wheel dirt Modified drivers as they invaded the Humboldt Speedway for the second night of the 7th Annual Spring Fling @ The Bullring.
Polesitter Nick Nevins jumped in front at the start of the 40-lap main event and led the first seven laps before Corey Dripps powered around the high side of the 1/3-mile clay oval to grab the top spot.
Mark Dotson entered the picture 14 laps later and challenged Dripps for the lead but the pair made contact that resulted in a caution, a flat tire for Dotson and both drivers tagging the rear of the field.
Defending USMTS National Champion Ryan Gustin inherited the lead for the restart and proceeded to pace the pack through the next 12 laps with Sanders and John Schwab applying the pressure.
With seven laps to go, however, Gustin’s right rear tire went flat and ‘The Reaper’ found himself denied of the winners circle again after losing the lead to Jason Hughes with two laps remaining the night before.
Sanders was there to take the reigns and 22-year-old from Happy, Texas, rolled into victory lane with his first win of the 2012 campaign and pocketed the $2,000 top prize. It was his sixth career USMTS victory and first ever at ‘The Hummer.’
Schwab, who started second, was still there at the end to score his career-best USMTS finish while Johnny Scott climbed from 12th on the starting grid to finish third with Terry Phillips and Terry Schultz rounding out the top 5.
Sixth through tenth, respectively, went to Friday night winner Jason Hughes, Mike Sorensen, Rick Beebe, Jacob Dahle and Jeremy Payne.
While Gustin was awarded the Dominator Hard Luck Award on St. Patrick's Day, Hughes bagged a bonus “Benjamin” by coming from 18th to 6th and earning the Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger Award.
Another pair of USMTS Casey’s Cup Series clashes are in store next weekend at the LA Raceway in La Monte, Mo., on Friday, March 23, and the I-35 Speedway in Winston, Mo., on Saturday, March 24. Both events will also have the Iron Man Challenge featuring USRA Stock Cars and B-Mods on the racing card.
The USMTS Modifieds return to the Humboldt Speedway in less than two weeks as the track will host the $15,000-to-win King of America II Modified Nationals, March 28-31.
In all, Modified March Madness will see nearly $200,000 in cash being doled out during the month.
To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
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OFFICIAL RESULTS
USMTS Casey’s Cup Series
7th Annual Spring
Fling @ The Bullring – Night 2 of 2
Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt,
Kan.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed, reason out (if any) and money won. The top 14 drivers in passing points accumulated in the heat races are locked into the “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.
HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (2) 02 Jacob Dahle, Omaha,
Neb.
2. (3) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan.
3. (8) 107 Shad Badder (R), Oak
Grove, Mo.
4. (4) 40 Jessy Willard (R), Pleasanton, Kan.
5. (9) 22d Daniel
Hilsabeck (R), Waukee, Iowa.
6. (7) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
7.
(5) 25 Ron Keith (R), Shawnee, Kan.
8. (1) 23 Justin Rexwinkle, South
Coffeyville, Okla.
9. (6) 11s Scotty Bough (R), Nevada, Mo.
HOOKER HARNESS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (2) 31 Corey
Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa.
2. (6) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
3. (1)
3d Tim Donlinger, Rochester, Minn.
4. (4) 555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha,
Iowa.
5. (8) 77 Steven Bowers Jr., Topeka, Kan.
6. (9) 3d Dan Daniels,
Humboldt, Kan.
7. (7) 51 Tim Thomas, West Fargo, N.D.
8. (3) 17 Garry
Oskerson, Fairmont, Minn.
9. (5) 112 Dairan Hendrix (R), Joplin, Mo.
EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 20 Rodney
Sanders, Happy, Texas.
2. (4) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
3. (2) 37
Scott Ward, Watertown, S.D.
4. (6) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
5. (7) 4r
Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
6. (3) 39 Luke Driskell (R), Stilwell,
Kan.
7. (9) 60 William Gould, Calera, Okla.
8. (8) 44 Jared Rogers (R),
Berryton, Kan.
9. (5) 66x Dustin Campbell (R), Nevada, Mo.
PBM PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (1) 22
Nick Nevins (R), Lisbon, Iowa.
2. (5) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield,
Mo.
3. (4) 96 Doug Herrick (R), West Concord, Minn.
4. (8) 77 Mike
Wedelstadt, New London, Wis.
5. (2) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock,
Colo.
6. (7) 12b Johnny Bone Jr., Pea Ridge, Ark.
7. (3) 28 Bryan Rigsby
(R), Topeka, Kan.
8. (9) 5c Johnny Fennewald, Appleton City, Mo.
9. (6) 13
Ryan Engels (R), Arlington, S.D.
HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):
1. (4) 5j John Schwab, Liberal,
Kan.
2. (2) 98 John Allen, Chanute, Kan.
3. (1) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile,
Iowa.
4. (5) 9d Scott Daniels, Humboldt, Kan.
5. (6) 15r Jamie Ragland,
Lebanon, Mo.
6. (8) 85 Thomas Tillison Jr. (R), Wellston, Okla.
7. (7) 7
Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa.
8. (9) 6 Nick Herrick (R), West Concord,
Minn.
9. (3) 7x Chris Dawson, Lubbock, Texas.
HEAT RACE #6 (8 laps):
1. (3) 85d Mark Dotson, Cameron,
Mo.
2. (4) 73 Mickey Burrell, Fair Grove, Mo.
3. (1) 66t Tyler Schmidt
(R), Easton, Kan.
4. (5) 3b Chris Brown, Spring, Texas.
5. (6) 26 Dan
Fetters, Montour, Iowa.
6. (8) 29d Brad Dierks (R), Clarence, Iowa.
7. (2)
5 Buddy Thompson (R), Oak Grove, Mo.
8. (7) 3 Derrek Wilson (R), Chanute,
Kan.
9. (9) 147 Brent Fielder (R), Abilene, Kan.
HEAT RACE #7 (8 laps):
1. (1) 19 Mike Sorensen,
Rochester, Minn.
2. (3) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
3. (2) 111 Bumper
Jones, Mesilla Park, N.M.
4. (8) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
5. (6)
02 Tanner Mullens (R), Wichita, Kan.
6. (7) 110 Brian Ruhlman, Clarklake,
Mich.
7. (5) 63 Lucas Conley, Spring Hill, Kan.
8. (4) 33 Stephen
Muilenburg, Sparta, Mo.
HEAT RACE #8 (8 laps):
1. (1) 90 Terry Schultz, Sedalia,
Mo.
2. (3) 2s Stormy Scott (R), Las Cruces, N.M.
3. (2) 16 Austin Siebert,
Grandview, Mo.
4. (4) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
5. (6) 33z Zack
VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
6. (8) 5* Casey Penn (R), Shreveport, La.
7.
(7) 29s Robbie Simmons (R), Wichita, Kan.
8. (5) 96 Jim Johnson (R), Derby,
Kan.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 4
advance):
1. (1) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
2. (5) 12 Jason
Hughes, Watts, Okla.
3. (6) 3b Chris Brown, Spring, Texas.
4. (7) 555 Ryan
Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa.
5. (4) 66t Tyler Schmidt (R), Easton, Kan.,
Hughes/Sput’s, $75.
6. (9) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
7. (10)
85 Thomas Tillison Jr. (R), Wellston, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, $90.
8. (3) 3d
Tim Donlinger, Rochester, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s, $75.
9. (8) 15r Jamie
Ragland, Lebanon, Mo., Allen/Richmont, $90.
10. (11) 69 Lucas Schott,
Chatfield, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, $90.
11. (12) 39 Luke Driskell (R),
Stilwell, Kan., GRT/Driskell, $90.
12. (13) 51 Tim Thomas, West Fargo, N.D.,
Hughes/G-Force, $75.
13. (2) 77 Mike Wedelstadt, New London, Wis.,
Sidebiter/Yeoman, $90.
14. (14) 5 Buddy Thompson (R), Oak Grove, Mo.,
GRT/Thompson, $75.
15. (17) 33 Steve Muilenburg, Sparta, Mo., TRE/,
$75.
16. (19) 7x Chris Dawson, Lubbock, Texas, Shaw/ASI, $90.
17. (16) 17
Garry Oskerson, Fairmont, Minn., /, $75.
18. (15) 5c Johnny Fennewald,
Appleton City, Mo., GRT/Hatfield, $90.
19. (18) 112 Dairan Hendrix (R),
Joplin, Mo., TRE/Yeoman, $75.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 4
advance):
1. (2) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
2. (1) 2s
Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
3. (4) 111 Bumper Jones, Mesilla Park,
N.M.
4. (7) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
5. (11) 12b Johnny Bone
Jr., Pea Ridge, Ark., TRE/Homegrown, $90.
6. (3) 37 Scott Ward, Watertown,
S.D., Skyrocket/C&C, $75.
7. (10) 29d Brad Dierks (R), Clarence, Iowa,
Shaw/Sperry, $90.
8. (12) 60 William Gould, Calera, Okla., Shaw/BMS,
$90.
9. (6) 77 Steven Bowers Jr., Topeka, Kan., SB/B&M, $75.
10. (13)
28 Bryan Rigsby (R), Topeka, Kan., Mach1/, $75.
11. (8) 26 Dan Fetters,
Montour, Iowa, Sidebiter/KSE, $90.
12. (15) 6 Nick Herrick (R), West Concord,
Minn., Ramirez/Sput’s, $90.
13. (14) 63 Lucas Conley, Spring Hill, Kan.,
Hughes/Conley, $90.
14. (17) 96 Jim Johnson (R), Derby, Kan.,
BillsBuilt/Johnson, $90.
15. (9) 3d Dan Daniels, Humboldt, Kan., TRE/Mullins,
$90.
16. (18) 66x Dustin Campbell (R), Nevada, Mo., Hoffman/GMPP, $75.
17.
(16) 44 Jared Rogers (R), Berryton, Kan., Venom/Miller, $75.
18. (5) 22d
Daniel Hilsabeck (R), Waukee, Iowa, GRT/Mullins, $90.
19. (19) 147 Brent
Fielder (R), Abilene, Kan., Mach1/, $75.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #3 (15 laps, top 4
advance):
1. (3) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
2. (7) 4r Dereck
Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3. (1) 98 John Allen, Chanute, Kan.
4. (5) 9d
Scott Daniels, Humboldt, Kan.
5. (4) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.,
GRT/Mullins, $90.
6. (9) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo., Hughes/Geddes,
$90.
7. (13) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa.
8. (11) 110 Brian Ruhlman,
Clarklake, Mich., Rocket/, $75.
9. (8) 02 Tanner Mullens (R), Wichita, Kan.,
Hughes/BMR, $90.
10. (6) 40 Jessy Willard (R), Pleasanton, Kan., GRT/Willard,
$75.
11. (15) 23 Justin Rexwinkle, South Coffeyville, Okla.,
Shark/Kalvinator, $90.
12. (10) 5* Casey Penn (R), Shreveport, La.
13.
(17) 11s Scotty Bough (R), Nevada, Mo., DirtWorks/Tim’s, $75.
14. (18) 13
Ryan Engels (R), Arlington, S.D., TRE/Ryan, $90.
15. (14) 29s Robbie Simmons
(R), Wichita, Kan., ERC/Simmons, $75.
16. (2) 96 Doug Herrick (R), West
Concord, Minn., Ramirez/Sput’s, $90.
17. (12) 25 Ron Keith (R), Shawnee,
Kan.
18. (16) 3 Derrek Wilson (R), Chanute, Kan., /, $75
“A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (8) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy,
Texas, Hughes/Geddes, 40, $2000.
2. (2) 5j John Schwab, Liberal, Kan.,
Ramirez/Cline, 40, $1500.
3. (12) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.,
Hughes/ProPower, 40, $1000.
4. (7) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.,
GRT/Hatfield, 40, $900.
5. (10) 90 Terry Schultz, Sedalia, Mo., GRT/Mullins,
40, $800.
6. (18) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 40,
$800.
7. (9) 19 Mike Sorensen, Rochester, Minn., Hughes/Action, 40,
$650.
8. (14) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan., GRT/Mullins, 40, $600.
9. (3)
02 Jacob Dahle, Omaha, Neb., Hughes/Sput’s, 40, $550.
10. (16) 186 Jeremy
Payne, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Hatfield, 40, $500.
11. (17) 3 Kelly Shryock,
Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ProPower, 40, $450.
12. (20) 4r Dereck Ramirez,
Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 40, $425.
13. (19) 2s Stormy Scott (R), Las
Cruces, N.M., GRT/Yeoman, 40, $400.
14. (1) 22 Nick Nevins (R), Lisbon, Iowa,
Shaw/Sperry, 40, $375.
15. (11) 107 Shad Badder (R), Oak Grove, Mo.,
GRT/Kuntz, 40, $250.
16. (13) 73 Mickey Burrell, Fair Grove, Mo., TRE/Ruble,
40, $300.
17. (21) 3b Chris Brown, Spring, Texas, Skyrocket/ProPower, 40,
$300.
18. (6) 85d Mark Dotson, Cameron, Mo., GRT/KSE, 40, $300.
19. (24)
555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa, Sidebiter/Sput’s, 40, $300.
20. (28) 5* Casey
Penn (R), Shreveport, La., Hughes/Geddes, 40, $90.
21. (29) 25 Ron Keith (R),
Shawnee, Kan., GRT/Mullins, 40, $90.
22. (23) 98 John Allen, Chanute, Kan.,
Hughes/Mullins, 34, flat tire, $300.
23. (5) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown,
Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 33, flat tire, $300.
24. (22) 111 Bumper Jones, Mesilla
Park, N.M., SRP/Sput’s, 33, retired, $300.
25. (25) 20r Bryan Rowland,
Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 33, mechanical, $300.
26. (4) 31 Corey
Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa, BC/Mullins, 21, mechanical, $300.
27. (15) 7k Jason
Krohn, Slayton, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, 21, retired, $300.
28. (27) 33z Zack
VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 19, retired, $90.
29. (26) 9d
Scott Daniels, Humboldt, Kan., TRE/Jack’s, 19, mechanical, $300.
DNS - 7 Al
Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa, BC/JRM, 0, did not start, $90.