Dillard thrills Shady Oaks Speedway spectators

GOLIAD, Texas (Feb. 18) -- The Shady Oaks Speedway saved the best for last with a barnburner 40-lap main event Saturday to close the curtain on the second of five Summit Racing USMTS Winter Speedweeks tripleheader weekends.

Several drivers took their shots, but in the end it was Cade Dillard of Robeline, La., claiming his first win of the season and 11th of his USMTS career.

Johnny Scott was the Sybesma Graphics Pole Award winner and led the first lap-his third time at the front of the pack in the season's first six races-but Travis Saurer gained the top spot the next time around the 3/8-mile dirt oval.

Scott got it back two laps later, but Saurer was back in front again to lead lap 5 and Dillard followed into second on lap 8 after a hearty three-way battle at the front of the field.

Meanwhile, Ryan Gustin was closing in on the leaders and Rodney Sanders, who started 13th, was also narrowing the gap by using the low line around the racing surface.

Saurer held serve for the next 17 laps but after a couple of side-by-side laps with Dillard, relinquished control to 'The Thriller.'

Dillard remained out front but Gustin and Sanders were both in hot pursuit and closing the gap before the race's first caution waved on lap 29.

After another brief caution one lap later, Dillard led the field back to the green flag and then proceeded to pull away over the final ten laps to secure the $4,000 top prize.

Gustin held off Sanders to claim the runner-up spot, Zack VanderBeek moved up three spots to finish fourth and Scott beat Thornton to the flagstand by a bumper to get fifth-place money.

Friday night's winner, Jason Hughes, was seventh, Saurer finished eighth, Chris Brown nabbed the ninth position and Joe Duvall rounded out the top 10 finishers.

The series treks into Mississippi for the first time next weekend, beginning at the Jackson Motor Speedway in Byram on Friday, Feb. 24, followed by the Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian on Saturday, Feb. 25, and Greenville Speedway on Sunday, Feb. 26.

Each show pays $3,000 to the main event winner.

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 - Summit Racing Southern Region presented by Production Jars
Shady Oaks Speedway, Goliad, Texas
Saturday, Feb. 18, 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. (1) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
2. (3) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
3. (8) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
4. (5) 4w Tyler Wolff (R), Fayetteville, Ark.
5. (6) 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas.
6. (7) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
7. (2) 4 Billy Vogel (R), West Fargo, N.D.
8. (4) 137 William Pittaway (R), Corpus Christi, Texas.

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (5) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
2. (7) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
3. (2) 9 Kevin Rutherford (R), Flower Mound, Texas.
4. (3) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
5. (6) 34 Mickey Lassiter (R), Piedmont, Okla.
6. (8) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
7. (4) 717 George Egbert IV, Salado, Texas.
8. (1) A1 Phil Dixon, Crosby, Texas.

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 78 Trevor Egbert, Salado, Texas.
2. (2) 20rt Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.
3. (6) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
4. (3) 89c Steve Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas.
5. (4) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan.
6. (7) 7b Tim Boudreaux, Cleveland, Texas.
7. (5) 29 Jamie Campbell, Adkins, Texas.

THE JOIE OF SEATING HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (1) 21 Chris Brown, Spring, Texas.
2. (5) 1s Travis Saurer (R), Elizabeth, Minn.
3. (7) 23 Logan Robertson (R), Shamrock, Texas.
4. (6) 91 R.C. Whitwell (R), Tucson, Ariz.
5. (2) 12 Cody Leonard (R), Sinton, Texas.
6. (3) 4m Bobby Malchus, Red Oak, Texas.
7. (4) 141 Rob Sanderson, San Antonio, Texas.

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #1 (10 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (5) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
2. (2) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3. (1) 91 R.C. Whitwell (R), Tucson, Ariz.
4. (3) 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas.
5. (7) 4 Billy Vogel (R), West Fargo, N.D.
6. (4) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan., LG2/Speedway, $100.
7. (8) 29 Jamie Campbell, Adkins, Texas., DirtWorks/Mission, $80.
8. (6) 7b Tim Boudreaux, Cleveland, Texas., IRP/WestSide, $80.
9. (9) 137 William Pittaway (R), Corpus Christi, Texas.

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #2 (10 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (1) 4w Tyler Wolff (R), Fayetteville, Ark.
2. (5) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
3. (2) 89c Steve Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas.
4. (3) 34 Mickey Lassiter (R), Piedmont, Okla.
5. (7) 717 George Egbert IV, Salado, Texas.
6. (9) A1 Phil Dixon, Crosby, Texas., Elite/Durham, $100.
7. (4) 12 Cody Leonard (R), Sinton, Texas., Harris/Wells, $100.
8. (6) 4m Bobby Malchus, Red Oak, Texas.
9. (8) 141 Rob Sanderson, San Antonio, Texas., DirtWorks/Cotton's, $80.

SUMMIT RACING "A" MAIN (40 laps):
1. (3) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La., MBCustom/ASI, 40, $4000.
2. (6) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $2200.
3. (13) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, MBCustom/Hatfield, 40, $1500.
4. (7) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, VanderBuilt/Sput's, 40, $1000.
5. (1) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., GRT/Durham, 40, $800.
6. (11) 20rt Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $700.
7. (16) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $600.
8. (2) 1s Travis Saurer (R), Elizabeth, Minn., MBCustom/GMPP, 40, $550.
9. (8) 21 Chris Brown, Spring, Texas, MBCustom/Durham, 40, $500.
10. (9) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla., MBCustom/Hatfield, 40, $450.
11. (15) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., LG2/Cornett, 40, $400.
12. (17) 91 R.C. Whitwell (R), Tucson, Ariz., GRT/GMPP, 40, $400.
13. (20) 34 Mickey Lassiter (R), Piedmont, Okla., Hughes/Sput's, 40, $350.
14. (4) 78 Trevor Egbert, Salado, Texas, GRT/Mullins, 40, $325.
15. (22) 717 George Egbert IV, Salado, Texas, Rocket/Mullins, 40, $300.
16. (14) 4w Tyler Wolff (R), Fayetteville, Ark., MBCustom/Hatfield, 40, $300.
17. (12) 9 Kevin Rutherford (R), Flower Mound, Texas, MBCustom/Mullins, 40, $300.
18. (21) 4 Billy Vogel (R), West Fargo, N.D., LG2/Durham, 40, $300.
19. (24) 4m Bobby Malchus, Red Oak, Texas, Rocket/Wells, 40, $300.
20. (23) 137 William Pittaway (R), Corpus Christi, Texas, Shaw/Wells, 27, $300.
21. (19) 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas, MBCustom/KPE, 25, $300.
22. (5) 23 Logan Robertson (R), Shamrock, Texas, MBCustom/PPE, 15, $300.
23. (18) 89c Steve Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas, LG2/Durham, 11, $300.
24. (10) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., GRT/Mullins, 0, $400.

(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.

Lap Leaders: J. Scott 1, Saurer 2-3, J. Scott 4, Saurer 5-22, Dillard 23-40.
Total Laps Led: Saurer 20, Dillard 18, J. Scott 2.
Margin of Victory: 2.298 seconds.
Time of Race: 19 minutes, 26.750 seconds (2 cautions).
Provisional Starters: Pittaway, Malchus.
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger: Sanders (started 13th, finished 3rd).
Entries: 30.
Next Race: Friday, Feb. 24, Jackson Motor Speedway, Byram, Miss.
Summit Racing Southern Region Points: Hughes 531, Gustin 513, Dillard 512, Thornton 504, S. Scott 490, Brown 483, J. Scott 475, Saurer 464, Ramirez 446, VanderBeek 439.
Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year Points: Saurer 460, Whitwell 432, Wolff 406, Vogel 363, Lassiter 327.
Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 58, Durham 46, ASI 45, GMPP 38, Hatfield 34.
Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 58, MBCustoms 54, GRT 47, LG2 41, VanderBuilt 35.

Contingency Awards:
Allstar Performance - Saurer.
American Racer - Dixon.
Beyea Custom Headers - Saurer.
BigDeal Car Care - Dillard.
BSB Manufacturing - Houston.
Chix Gear Racewear - VanderBeek.
Day Motor Sports - Whiteaker, S. Scott.
Deatherage Opticians - Rutherford.
Dickson Racing Shocks - G. Egbert.
E3 Spark Plugs - Sanders.
Edelbrock - T. Egbert.
Fast Shafts - Dillard.
Forty9Designs.com - T. Egbert, Malchus.
Fuel Safe Racing Cells - Thornton.
GRT Race Cars - J. Scott.
Hooker Custom Harness - Lassiter.
Integra Shocks & Springs - Vogel.
Keyser Manufacturing - Duvall.
KSE Racing Products - Sanders.
Out-Pace Racing Products - Wolff.
QA1 - T. Egbert.
Real Racing Wheels - all non-qualifiers.
Simpson Performance Products - Gustin.
Sweet Manufacturing - Robertson.
Sybesma Graphics - J. Scott.
Tire Demon - Ramirez.
VP Racing Fuels - Dillard.
Wehrs Machine & Racing Products - Robertson.
Wilwood Engineering - Hughes.

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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, Genesis Racing Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Holley Performance Products, Hooker Custom Harness, Integra Shocks & Springs, 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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Contact Info:
Jeff Nun
Communications Director
United States Modified Touring Series, Inc. (USMTS)
1715 W. 2nd St., P.O. Box 905
Webster City, IA 50595
Tel: 515-297-3835

Email: jeff@usmts.com
Web: www.usmts.com