Champions to be crowned in USMTS finale at 81 Speedway

The Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt will put the wraps on the 2022 racing season with the 3rd Annual USMTS Modified Spooktacular at the 81 Speedway in Park City, Kan.

Just one points title has yet to be decided. The crowning of the 2022 USMTS National Champion becomes official after the checkered flag waves and the path to the title is simple math: 81+19=100 (thousand dollars).

No title is more sought after in dirt Modified racing than that of USMTS National Champion. In fact, only eight drivers have done so.

Make that nine as 21-year-old Dustin Sorensen will—barring an act of God or nuclear war—become the youngest champion since Ryan Gustin in 2011.

This year’s champ will earn the richest paycheck in series history as $100,000 is going back to Rochester, Minnesota, along with the first Leon Ramirez Trophy which will be awarded to every champion from now until the USMTS ceases to exist.

Affectionately called “The Leon,” the trophy is a homage to Leon Ramirez, who passed away February 19 after a long, hard-fought battle with cancer.

Other spots among the top 10 in national points are still up for grabs. Tanner Mullens sits second, but with a really bad night he could be overhauled by a victorious Phillips, who is also in the crosshairs of Dereck Ramirez, who could climb to third in the final standings but is too far back to take second away from Mullens.

Rodney Sanders will wind up fifth, Zack VanderBeek is solidly in sixth and Dan Ebert clings to the seventh spot with four-time USMTS National Champion Jason Hughes in eighth and within striking distance of Ebert.

Darron Fuqua is practically a shoo-in to finish the season ninth in points while the tightest contest is for the final spot in the top 10 where Jacob Bleess leads Cayden Carter by just 12 points.

Carter will earn $10,000 as the USMTS Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year for 2022. Kyle Brown is a distant second but Shane DeVolder is just 18 points back in third. Dylan Thornton will wind up fourth and fifth will be Colton Horner.

A few other titles will be made official tonight too.

MB Customs Race Cars has already clinched the Miller USMTS Manufacturers Championship and this year’s Compstar/JE Pistons USMTS Engine Builder of the Year Award belongs to Kentucky-based Cornett Racing Engines.

Meanwhile, the season-long FK Rod Ends Hard Charger of the Year Award is up for grabs. Mullens leads Sorensen by 10 points heading into Saturday’s finale while Dereck Ramirez, Rodney Sanders and Jason Hughes complete the top five.

Saturday in Park City: The 3rd Annual USMTS Modified Spooktacular at the 81 Speedway in Park City, Kan., wraps up the season on Saturday with the crowning of the 2022 USMTS National Champion after the checkered flag waves.

The USMTS feature winner will pocket no less than $10,030.

Past USMTS winners include Rodney Sanders, who has a series-best six triumphs here and Ryan Gustin is a three-time winner. Jason Hughes, Jake O'Neil, Jeremy Payne and Terry Phillips have two trophies. Stormy Scott, Cade Dillard, Jon Mitchell, Johnny Scott, Zack VanderBeek, Jacob Bleess and Cole Traugott have enjoyed one trip to victory lane.

Trick-or-treating for the kids will happen from 2-3 p.m. with a free Halloween Walk through the pits. Racers and encouraged to brings treats for the kids and maybe a surprise or two.

After the pits are cleared, they will reopen and the grandstand gates will swing open at 3:30. Hot laps begin at 5:15 and racing gets underway at 6.

BSB Manufacturing USRA B-Mods are also on the card at the 3/8-mile semi-banked dirt oval located at 7700 N Broadway, Park City, KS 67219—just north of Wichita on I-135 to exit 16, then 0.7 mile west on 77th St. to N. Broadway.

For more information, check out 81speedway.com and follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Beyea Headers, Chevrolet Performance, Compstar, Fast Shafts, FK Rod Ends, Intercomp, K1 RaceGear by Ryan Bowers Motorsports, KS Engineering, KSE Racing Products, Malvern Bank, Mesilla Valley Transportation, MSD Performance, Nitroquest Media, PEM Racing Gears & Drivetrain, RacinDirt, Summit Racing Equipment, Super Clean, VP Racing Fuels, Wrisco Industries.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: ARMI Contractors, Boubin Tire & Automotive, Brodix Cylinder Heads, DAY Motorsports, Hacienda Mechanical, Mel Hambelton Racing, Midwest Wrap Co., Miller Welders, PBM Performance Products, Rancho Milagro Racing, RHRSwag.com, S&S Fishing & Rental, Salty's BBQ & Catering, YouDirt.com.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, BigDeal Car Care, Bryke Racing, BSB Manufacturing, Champ Pans, Deatherage Opticians, Edelbrock, Hooker Harness, Integra Racing Shocks and Springs, JE Pistons, Keyser Manufacturing, Penske Racing Shocks, Performance Bodies & Parts, QA1, RacerWebsite.com, Real Racing Wheels, Simpson Performance Products, Swift Springs, Sybesma Graphics, Tire Demon, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood Racing.

USMTS RACETRACKS: 81 Speedway, Belleville High Banks, Casino Speedway, Cedar Lake Speedway, Chateau Speedway, Dallas County Speedway, Deer Creek Speedway, Fayette County Speedway, Humboldt Speedway, I-70 Speedway, Lakeside Speedway, Lucas Oil Speedway, Mason City Motor Speedway, Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Ogilvie Raceway, Red Dirt Raceway, Rocket Raceway Park, Tri-State Speedway, Winneshiek Raceway.