Ricky Thornton Jr. collected his second USMTS Casey’s Cup MSD Central Region win of the weekend Saturday night at the I-35 Speedway for the 9th Annual USMTS Missouri Meltdown.
It was also the third straight weekend that Stormy Scott led at least one lap in the main event, and he paced the first ten laps around the 3/8-mile clay oval before giving way to Cade Dillard in lapped traffic.
Scott fought back two laps later but minor contact with Dillard at the bottom of turn four was enough to send Scott spinning and bringing out the race’s first yellow flag.
Dillard resumed his quick pace after the restart while Thornton, Sybesma Graphics Pole Award winner Tyler Wolff, Johnny Scott and Dereck Ramirez were in hot pursuit.
Thick lapped traffic was in play again by lap 20 and Dillard was forced to move from the top to the bottom of the racing surface which opened up the high line for Thornton to challenge for the lead.
With 25 laps in the books, Thornton blasted around the outside of Dillard to lead lap 26.
The third and final caution waved with five circuits remaining in the 40-lapper, and Johnny Scott used the opportunity to sneak by Dillard for second place, but was unable to track down Thornton.
While Thornton pocketed his second $3,000 paycheck in three days, his runner-up finish Friday night brought his weekend rake to $7,700. It was the sixth career USMTS win for the 2016 Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year.
Johnny Scott fended off Dillard for second, Stormy Scott rallied from the rear of the field to fourth place in 25 laps and Ramirez rounded out the top five.
Zack VanderBeek earned his first KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award of the 2017 campaign by climbing from 21st on the starting grid to sixth at the finish line.
Veteran Terry Phillips was seventh, Wolff bested his new teammate, R.C. Whitwell, for eighth and Joe Duvall passed 13 cars en route to a tenth-place finish.
Next up for the United States Modified Touring Series are the final seven events for the Summit Racing Southern Region presented by Production Jars.
The Southern Oklahoma Speedway in Ardmore, Okla., hosts the USMTS on Thursday, May 4, and the seventh race of the swing happens just nine days later at the Lonestar Speedway in Kilgore, Texas, on Saturday, May 13,
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 at www.facebook.com/usmts, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usmts and Instagram at www.instagram.com/usmts or subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv. Keep up to speed with everything USMTS by joining our email list at www.usmts.com/subscribe.
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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
USMTS Casey’s Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental – MSD Central Region presented by Summit Racing Equipment
9th Annual USMTS Missouri Meltdown
I-35 Speedway, Winston, Mo.
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed and money won.
SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (2) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (1) 4w Tyler Wolff (R), Fayetteville, Ark.
3. (4) 29 Dennis Elliott, Mt. Ayr, Iowa.
4. (8) 96 R.C. Whitwell (R), Tucson, Ariz.
5. (5) 5k Kyle Prauner (R), Norfolk, Neb.
6. (3) 2h John Hanson, Stewartsville, Mo.
7. (7) 34 Mark Schafman, Edwardsville, Kan.
8. (6) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (7) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
2. (6) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3. (2) 7 Shayne Bailey (R), Lathrop, Mo.
4. (4) 69n Cory Wray, Jamesport, Mo.
5. (8) 98 Austin Johnson, Kansas City, Mo.
6. (3) 81 Mike Densberger, Lincoln, Neb.
7. (1) 55d Isaac Dotson, Trimble, Mo.
8. (5) 11 Darren Shaw, Lawson, Mo.
EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (2) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (6) 1g Pat Graham, Ankeny, Iowa.
3. (1) 17x Nic Hanes, Trenton, Mo.
4. (5) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan.
5. (3) 8c Chris Clark (R), Jackson, Wyo.
6. (7) 97x Houston Johnson, Kansas City, Mo.
7. (4) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
THE JOIE OF SEATING HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (1) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
2. (6) 20rt Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.
3. (4) 69 Zach Sanders, Kearney, Mo.
4. (2) 78 Derrick Hicks, Ravenwood, Mo.
5. (3) 3f Cole Ferguson (R), Dexter, Iowa.
6. (5) 53 Ronnie Woods, Mexico, Mo.
7. (7) 92p Jim Peeler, Trimble, Mo.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (10 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (3) 78 Derrick Hicks, Ravenwood, Mo.
2. (1) 17x Nic Hanes, Trenton, Mo.
3. (5) 97x Houston Johnson, Kansas City, Mo.
4. (6) 81 Mike Densberger, Lincoln, Neb.
5. (9) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
6. (7) 34 Mark Schafman, Edwardsville, Kan., GRT/Burlington, $75.
7. (4) 8c Chris Clark (R), Jackson, Wyo.
8. (2) 98 Austin Johnson, Kansas City, Mo., GRT/FastLane, $75.
9. (8) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (10 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (2) 69n Cory Wray, Jamesport, Mo.
2. (3) 5k Kyle Prauner (R), Norfolk, Neb.
3. (9) 11 Darren Shaw, Lawson, Mo.
4. (1) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan.
5. (5) 2h John Hanson, Stewartsville, Mo.
6. (7) 55d Isaac Dotson, Trimble, Mo., GRT/GMPP, $75.
7. (6) 53 Ronnie Woods, Mexico, Mo., BMS/Creason, $75.
8. (8) 92p Jim Peeler, Trimble, Mo., Shocker/KSE, $75.
9. (4) 3f Cole Ferguson (R), Dexter, Iowa, DirtHustler/Mullins, $90.
CASEY’S GENERAL STORES "A" MAIN (40 laps):
1. (6) 20rt Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $3000.
2. (7) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., GRT/Durham, 40, $1700.
3. (3) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La., MBCustom/ASI, 40, $1200.
4. (2) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., GRT/Mullins, 40, $1000.
5. (4) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., LG2/Cornett, 40, $900.
6. (21) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, VanderBuilt/Sput’s, 40, $800.
7. (5) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Durham, 40, $700.
8. (1) 4w Tyler Wolff (R), Fayetteville, Ark., MBCustom/Hatfield, 40, $650.
9. (9) 96 R.C. Whitwell (R), Tucson, Ariz., MBCustom/Hatfield, 40, $600.
10. (23) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla., MBCustom/Hatfield, 40, $550.
11. (10) 29 Dennis Elliott, Mt. Ayr, Iowa, GRT/Elliott, 40, $400.
12. (12) 7 Shayne Bailey (R), Lathrop, Mo., Skyrocket/Cameron, 40, $450.
13. (18) 11 Darren Shaw, Lawson, Mo., Shaw/Cameron, 40, $350.
14. (11) 69 Zach Sanders, Kearney, Mo., GRT/Burlington, 40, $325.
15. (16) 5k Kyle Prauner (R), Norfolk, Neb., Razor/GMPP, 40, $375.
16. (17) 97x Houston Johnson, Kansas City, Mo., GRT/Hanson, 40, $275.
17. (19) 81 Mike Densberger, Lincoln, Neb., Jet/Speedway, 40, $400.
18. (8) 1g Pat Graham, Ankeny, Iowa, Victory/Karl, 40, $300.
19. (13) 78 Derrick Hicks, Ravenwood, Mo., Hughes/Wyman, 40, $250.
20. (24) 8c Chris Clark (R), Jackson, Wyo., GRT/CNC, 40, $300.
21. (22) 2h John Hanson, Stewartsville, Mo., GRT/Hanson, 40, $250.
22. (14) 69n Cory Wray, Jamesport, Mo., BMS/Cameron, 40, $250.
23. (20) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan., LG2/Speedway, 40, $300.
24. (15) 17x Nic Hanes, Trenton, Mo., GRT/Eaton, 40, $250.
(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.
Lap Leaders: S. Scott 1-10, Dillard 11-25, Thornton 26-40.
Total Laps Led: Thornton 15, Dillard 15, S. Scott 10.
Margin of Victory: 1.426 seconds.
Time of Race: 23 minutes, 41.430 seconds (3 cautions).
Provisional Starters: Duvall, Clark.
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger: VanderBeek (started 21st, finished 6th).
Entries: 30.
Next Race: Thursday, May 4, Southern Oklahoma Speedway, Ardmore, Okla..
MSD Central Region Points: Thornton 350, Dillard 336, VanderBeek 321, J. Scott 321, S. Scott 314, Ramirez 301, Duvall 289, Densberger 244, Phillips 235, Wolff 216.
Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year Points: Whitwell 1208, Wolff 1174, Travis Saurer 1075, Billy Vogel 929, Kates 828.
Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 171, Durham 148, ASI 135, Sput’s 120, Hatfield 101.
Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 173, MBCustoms 167, GRT 155, VanderBuilt 121, LG2 121.
Contingency Awards:
Allstar Performance – Wolff.
American Racer – Mike Tanner.
Beyea Custom Headers – Dotson.
BigDeal Car Care – Thornton.
BSB Manufacturing – Hanson.
Casey’s General Stores – Justin Merriman.
Chix Gear Racewear – Woods.
Day Motor Sports – Kates, Hanes.
Deatherage Opticians – Schafman.
Dickson Racing Shocks – Prauner.
E3 Spark Plugs – Dillard.
Edelbrock – J. Scott.
Fast Shafts – Dillard.
Forty9Designs.com – Sanders, Hicks.
Fuel Safe Racing Cells – VanderBeek.
GRT Race Cars – A. Johnson.
Hooker Custom Harness – Shaw.
Integra Shocks & Springs – Graham.
Jerovetz Motorsports Racing Parts – Densberger.
Keyser Manufacturing – Duvall.
KSE Racing Products – VanderBeek.
Out-Pace Racing Products – H. Johnson.
QA1 – Wolff.
Real Racing Wheels – all non-qualifiers.
Simpson Performance Products – S. Scott.
Sweet Manufacturing – Wray.
Sybesma Graphics – Wolff.
Tire Demon – Elliott.
VP Racing Fuels – Thornton.
Wehrs Machine & Racing Products – S. Scott.
Wilwood Engineering – Phillips.
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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Argo Manufacturing, Casey’s General Stores, Chix Gear Racewear, CP-Carrillo, Deatherage Opticians, Fast Shafts, Intercomp, KSE Racing Products, Leaf Racewear & Safety Equipment, Malvern Bank, MSD, Pace Performance, RacerWebsite.com, RacinDirt.com, RacingJunk.com, S&S Fishing & Rental, Summit Racing Equipment, The Joie of Seating, VP Racing Fuels.
USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arizona Sport Shirts, ASi Racewear, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Duvall Electric, ElbowsUp.com, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Oreo, Production Jars, Rancho Milagro Racing, RHRSwag.com, YouDirt.com.
USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: 905 Ink, AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Beyea Custom Headers, BigDeal Car Care, BSB Manufacturing, Day Motor Sports, Dickson Racing Shocks, E3 Spark Plugs, Edelbrock, FK Rod Ends, Forty9 Designs, Fuel Safe, Genesis Racing Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Holley Performance Products, Hooker Custom Harness, Integra Shocks & Springs, Jerovetz Motorsports Racing Parts, Keyser Manufacturing, Out-Pace Racing Products, QA1 Precision Products, Real Racing Wheels, Simpson Performance Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Sybesma Graphics, Tire Demon, Wehrs Machine & Race Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes.
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