Sanders celebrates 70th USMTS win at Dodge County Speedway

KASSON, Minn. (July 14) -- Rodney Sanders dominated Thursday's feature race as the United States Modified Touring Series returned to the Dodge County Speedway for the first time in nearly four years.

With polesitter Josh Angst unable to take the green flag due to an oil pan problem that occurred when he pulled onto the track, Johnny Scott was able to snag the lead for the first lap, but the next 41 times around the 3/8-mile dirt oval belonged to Sanders.

On a hammer-down fast race track brought on by rain that delayed the second half of the night's program by more than an hour, Sanders blasted to a nearly six-second lead over Darwin Karau before the race's first yellow flag waved on lap 25 when the race for third turned into a melee that collected Scott, Joey Galloway and Jesse Sobbing.

Karau lost the handle a few laps later to bring out the race's second and final caution, but the restarts were no help to Sanders' chasers as he cruised to the checkered flag for his first win in Kasson.

"We threw the kitchen sink at this thing this week and thought it would either be really good or really bad," Sanders said. "Luckily it was really good.

"This new Hatfield motor ran really well tonight too, especially as fast as the track was."

Winning the 32nd USMTS event held at the track was worth $3,100 to Sanders, including $100 and a beautiful trophy from the Clayton Bishop family.

It was the 70th career USMTS triumph for the 26-year-old two-time USMTS national champ from Happy, Texas-and his second this season in the RealTruck.com Northern Region presented by Day Motor Sports.

A pair of former USRA Modified national champions filled the next two finishing positions with seventh-starting Jason Cummins collecting the runner-up paycheck ahead of Brandon Davis.

Cade Dillard, who started 13th and climbed as high as second during the race, held on for a fourth-place finish while defending USMTS national champ and current points leader Jason Hughes put on a display for the fans by racing from 25th on the grid to fifth.

Jacob Bleess was sixth, Les Duellman advanced a dozen spots to seventh, Cody Bauman was eighth, Cory Crapser claimed the ninth spot and Canadian Masen Big Eagle rounded out the top ten.

Friday will find the mud-chucking machines of the USMTS Casey's Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental at the Fayette County Speedway in West Union, Iowa, for the 4th Annual Pink Out/Cancer Awareness Night in the RealTruck.com Northern Region.

The show will be "kickin' cancer's butt, one lap at a time" featuring the Karsyn's Krusaders grill car and more. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to show your support for cancer research and survivors.

Gates open at 4:00 with hot laps at 7:00 and racing at 7:30. Tickets are $18 and pit passes are $30. Holley USRA Stock Cars, Out-Pace USRA B-Mods, USRA Hobby Stocks and Flyers will also be in competition.

The Fayette County Speedway is a semi-banked 3/8-mile clay oval located 0.9 mile south of US 18 on SR 150, then 0.1 mile east on SR 56 (Vine St.). For more information, call (563) 422-5202 or (563) 422-5286 or visit www.fayettecountyspeedway.net online.

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.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
USMTS Casey's Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental - RealTruck.com Northern Region presented by Day Motor Sports
12th Annual Stars & Stripes Shootout
Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, Minn.
Thursday, July 14, 2016

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed and money won. All drivers advanced to the "A" Main with the top eight redrawing for starting positions 1-8.

MSD HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (3) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (8) 99 Jesse Sobbing, Malvern, Iowa.
3. (2) 6 Brock Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill.
4. (7) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
5. (9) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
6. (5) 07 Cory Crapser, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
7. (1) 23b Brett Bumgardner (R), Hawkeye, Iowa.
8. (4) 00 Masen Big Eagle, Manor, Sask., Canada.
9. (6) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (2) 23k Darwin Karau, Kasson, Minn.
2. (5) 01 Joey Galloway, Manor, Emo, Ont., Canada.
3. (6) 71 Jason Cummins, New Richland, Minn.
4. (8) 50iii Brandon Davis, Medford, Minn.
5. (1) 29h Joe Horgdal, Kasson, Minn.
6. (7) 14w Clayton Wagamon, Blaine, Minn.
7. (3) 19 Dustin Sorensen (R), Rochester, Minn.
8. (4) 99 Jett Big Eagle (R), Manor, Sask., Canada.
9. (9) 4a Joel Alberts, Kasson, Minn.

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
2. (5) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, TX.
3. (2) 21 Jacob Bleess (R), Chatfield, Minn.
4. (6) N81 Mike Densberger (R), Lincoln, Neb.
5. (7) 89 Jesse Glenz, Cadott, Wis.
6. (3) 4 Cody Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill.
7. (8) 0 Les Duellman, Winona, Minn.
8. (4) 2s Stormy Scott, Arroyo Hondo, N.M.

CASEY'S GENERAL STORES "A" MAIN (42 laps):
1. (5) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, TX, MBCustom/Hatfield, 42, $3100.
2. (7) 71 Jason Cummins, New Richland, Minn., LG2/Sput's, 42, $1700.
3. (6) 50iii Brandon Davis, Medford, Minn., Tri-Built/KSE, 42, $1200.
4. (13) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La., MBCustom/ASI, 42, $1000.
5. (25) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 42, $900.
6. (11) 21 Jacob Bleess (R), Chatfield, Minn., MBCustom/BK, 42, $800.
7. (19) 0 Les Duellman, Winona, Minn., DirtDueler/Grove, 42, $600.
8. (18) 4 Cody Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill., GRT/Mullins, 42, $650.
9. (17) 07 Cory Crapser, Chippewa Falls, Wis., MBCustom/Tim's, 42, $600.
10. (22) 00 Masen Big Eagle, Manor, Sask., Canada, GRT/Tim's, 42, $550.
11. (8) 99 Jesse Sobbing, Malvern, Iowa, Harris/GMPP, 42, $500.
12. (2) 23k Darwin Karau, Kasson, Minn., Killer/Flyin'J, 42, $375.
13. (23) 99 Jett Big Eagle (R), Manor, Sask., Canada, MBCustom/ProPower, 42, $425.
14. (10) 6 Brock Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill., GRT/Mullins, 42, $400.
15. (21) 19 Dustin Sorensen (R), Rochester, Minn., Hughes/Action, 34, $375.
16. (4) 01 Joey Galloway, Emo, Ont., Canada, GRT/ProPower, 25, $350.
17. (24) 2s Stormy Scott, Arroyo Hondo, N.M., Lethal/Mullins, 25, $325.
18. (3) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Lethal/Durham, 25, $400.
19. (12) N81 Mike Densberger (R), Lincoln, Neb., Jet/Speedway, 25, $300.
20. (26) 4a Joel Alberts, Kasson, Minn., GRT/Action, 23, $300.
21. (20) 23b Brett Bumgardner (R), Hawkeye, Iowa, SSR/Midnight, 19, $300.
22. (9) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, LG2/Sput's, 16, $300.
23. (15) 29h Joe Horgdal, Kasson, Minn., GRT/Action, 5, $250.
24. (14) 89 Jesse Glenz, Cadott, Wis., MBCustom/Sput's, 4, $300
25. (16) 14w Clayton Wagamon, Blaine, Minn., Hughes/Wagamon, 1, $300.
26. (1) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn., MBCustom/Sput's, 0, $300.

(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.

Lap Leaders: J. Scott 1, Sanders 2-42.
Total Laps Led: Sanders 41, J. Scott 1.
Margin of Victory: 3.566 seconds.
Time of Race: 21 minutes, 18.039 seconds (2 cautions).
Provisional Starters: none.
Sybesma Graphics Pole Award: Sobbing.
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger: Hughes (started 25th, finished 5th).
Entries: 26.
Next Race: Friday, July 15, Fayette County Speedway, West Union, Iowa.
RealTruck.com Northern Region Points: Hughes 735, Dillard 687, Bleess 617, J. Scott 616, Sobbing 567, Sanders 516, Dan Ebert 510, Lucas Schott 508, M. Big Eagle 492, C. Bauman 461.
Rookie of the Year Points: B. Bauman 1325, C. Bauman 1322, Tyler Wolff 1092, J. Big Eagle 972, Billy Vogel 813.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 278, Geddes 213, Durham 191, Sput's 180, ASI 169.
Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 278, MBCustoms 273, LG2 216, Harris 186, GRT 181.

Contingency Awards:
Allstar Performance - C. Bauman.
American Racer - Dillard.
Bell Helmets - S. Scott.
Beyea Custom Headers - Hughes.
BSB Manufacturing - Bumgardner.
Day Motor Sports - Horgdal, Glenz.
Deatherage Opticians - Alberts.
Edelbrock - Angst.
Eibach Springs - Karau.
Fast Shafts - Karau.
FK Rod Ends - Sorensen.
Forty9Designs.com - B. Bauman, Densberger.
Fuel Safe - Bleess.
GRT Race Cars - Horgdal.
Hooker Harness - J. Big Eagle.
Integra Shocks & Springs - J. Scott.
Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service - Galloway.
Kevko Oil Pans & Components - Crapser.
Keyser Manufacturing - M. Big Eagle.
KSE Racing Products - Hughes.
Midwest Sheet Metal - Angst.
MSD - J. Scott, Sanders.
Out-Pace Racing Products - Galloway.
PBM Performance Products - Davis.
QA1 - Angst.
Real Racing Wheels - not awarded.
Sybesma Graphics - Sobbing.
VP Racing Fuels - Sanders.
Wehrs Machine & Racing Products - Sobbing.
Wilwood Engineering - Duellman.

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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: Alpinestars, American Racer Racing Tires, Argo Manufacturing, Casey's General Stores, Chix Gear Racewear, COMP Cams, CP-Carrillo, Day Motor Sports, Deatherage Opticians, Fast Shafts, Intercomp, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, Kevko Oil Pans & Components, KSE Racing Products, Leaf Racewear & Safety Equipment, Malvern Trust & Savings Bank, MSD, RacerWebsite.com, RacinDirt.com, RealTruck.com, S&S Fishing & Rental, The Joie of Seating, VP Racing Fuels.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: AMP Energy Drink, Arizona Sport Shirts, ASi Racewear, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Duvall Electric, ElbowsUp.com, Erson Cams, I-29 Trailer Sales, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Oreo, Production Jars, Rivers Edge Scrap Management, Snickers, Sour Patch Kids, YouDirt.com.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Bell Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, BSB Manufacturing, Driven Racing Oil, Edelbrock, Eibach Springs, FK Rod Ends, Forty9 Designs, Fuel Safe Racing Cells, Genesis Racing Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Holley Performance Products, Hooker Custom Harness, Integra Shocks & Springs, Keyser Manufacturing, Midwest Sheet Metal, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, QA1 Precision Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Sybesma Graphics, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood Engineering.

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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