After 14 tries, Hughes takes his first USMTS trophy out of Winston


WINSTON, Mo. (July 16) -- Jason Hughes nailed down his tenth USMTS Casey's Cup victory Saturday night in the 8th Annual Seeburg Mufflers Missouri Meltdown at the I-35 Speedway.

Although Hughes led all 42 laps of the race, he was never more than a few car lengths ahead of his closest pursuer.

"I was having a little trouble in lapped traffic, but it got kind of fun there trying to get by the lapped cars too before that caution," Hughes said. "Then I saw somebody dive in on me on that last restart, but I knew if I hit that top and stayed there they probably couldn't clear me."

Jesse Sobbing, who stated on the pole next to Hughes, battled inside the top five throughout the race and came on strong late in the race.

Following the third caution of the race with seven laps to go, Sobbing muscled his way past Cade Dillard for second and set his sights on Hughes.

And although he got within a car length or two, Hughes was unwilling to give Sobbing the mistake he needed him to make.

Oddly enough for Hughes, it was the defending USMTS national champ's career-first win at the I-35 Speedway after 14 previous starts and padded his bank account to the tune of $3,000 for the effort.

Dillard, who held down the second spot and challenged Hughes consistently for a majority of the laps, settled for third at the finish line with Matt Dotson and Rodney Sanders completing the top five.

Stormy Scott, Tanner Mullens, Dereck Ramirez, Johnny Scott and Masen Big Eagle filled out the rest of the top ten finishes.

This Monday, July 18, the tireless USMTS titans return to the Iowa State Fair Speedway in Des Moines, Iowa, for some unfinished business from last month.

Rained out June 14 after heat races were completed, all that's left to do is run the main event. Ryan Mikkelson, Jesse Sobbing, Ricky Thornton Jr., Cade Dillard, Todd Shute, Daniel Hilsabeck, Kevin Stoa and Jason Hughes will fill the first four rows of the feature race.

Twenty-three drivers were on hand last time, and new drivers not already locked in can show up and start behind the drivers already qualified for the feature race by paying the entry fee of $125. Up to 28 cars will be able start the $3,000-to-win, $250-to-start feature race.

Stock Cars, Trucks and Hobby Stocks will also be racing (track rules apply). Hot laps start at 6:00 with racing at 6:30.

The Iowa State Fair Speedway is a semi-banked half-mile dirt oval located on the east side of Des Moines at 30th St. and University Ave. For more information, call (515) 802-0408 or check out www.iowastatefairspeedway.com online.

On Tuesday, July 19, the series returns to the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, for the 11th Annual USMTS Summer Classic, and the final event in the MSD Central Region will take place on Friday and Saturday, July 22-23, during the 6th Annual Silver Dollar Nationals at the I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb.

The Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minn., hosts the USMTS on Friday, July 29, and the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., will be the site of the final points race in the RealTruck.com Northern Region on Saturday, July 30,

The top 15 in final points-and any others with perfect attendance-in each of the regions will punch their ticket to the Hunt for the USMTS Casey's Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental, which begins Thursday, Aug. 4, at the Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo.

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 - MSD Central Region presented by Day Motor Sports
8th Annual Seeburg Mufflers Missouri Meltdown
I-35 Speedway, Winston, Mo.
Saturday, July 16, 2016

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed and money won. The top 12 drivers in passing points accumulated in the heat races were locked into the "A" Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.

MSD HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (5) 88d Matt Dotson, Hallsville, Mo.
2. (2) 29 Dennis Elliott, Mt. Ayr, Iowa.
3. (6) 99t Eric Turner, Hermitage, Mo.
4. (8) 78 Derrick Hicks, Ravenwood, Mo.
5. (3) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
6. (4) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
7. (9) 15 Ed Noll, Excelsior Springs, Mo.
8. (1) 98 Austin Johnson, Kansas City, Mo.
9. (7) 31 David Coates, Bethany, Mo.

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (1) 6 Brock Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill.
2. (3) 00 Masen Big Eagle, Manor, Sask., Canada.
3. (2) 2 Ryan Schaffer, Corning, Iowa.
4. (6) 17 Lucas Conley, Spring Hill, Kan.
5. (7) 22h Clay Hale, Cameron, Mo.
6. (8) 37 Mike Jergens (R), Plover, Iowa.
7. (9) R21 Danan Knott, Coffey, Mo.
8. (4) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan.
9. (5) 4 Cody Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill.

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
2. (5) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
3. (8) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
4. (3) 97 Houston Johnson, Kansas City, Mo.
5. (2) 70 Jesse Dennis, Prescott, Iowa.
6. (7) 69n Cory Wray, Jamesport, Mo.
7. (6) 2h John Hanson, Stewartsville, Mo.
8. (4) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.

ALPINESTARS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (2) 99 Jesse Sobbing, Malvern, Iowa.
2. (4) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
3. (6) 69 Zach Sanders, Kearney, Mo.
4. (8) 2s Stormy Scott, Arroyo Hondo, N.M.
5. (1) N81 Mike Densberger (R), Lincoln, Neb.
6. (7) 99 Jett Big Eagle (R), Manor, Sask., Canada.
7. (5) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa.
8. (3) 01 Joey Galloway, Emo, Ont., Canada.

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (1) 2s Stormy Scott, Arroyo Hondo, N.M.
2. (2) 17 Lucas Conley, Spring Hill, Kan.
3. (4) 70 Jesse Dennis, Prescott, Iowa.
4. (10) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
5. (5) 37 Mike Jergens (R), Plover, Iowa.
6. (6) 99 Jett Big Eagle (R), Manor, Sask., Canada.
7. (3) 22h Clay Hale, Cameron, Mo., Jet/GMPP, $75.
8. (9) 98 Austin Johnson, Kansas City, Mo., BillsBuilt/Yancy's, $75.
9. (11) 31 David Coates, Bethany, Mo., Victory/GMPP, $75.
10. (7) 15 Ed Noll, Excelsior Springs, Mo., /, $75.
11. (8) 2h John Hanson, Stewartsville, Mo., GRT/Hanson, $75.

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (5) 69n Cory Wray, Jamesport, Mo.
2. (6) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3. (1) 2 Ryan Schaffer, Corning, Iowa.
4. (2) 97 Houston Johnson, Kansas City, Mo.
5. (3) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
6. (4) N81 Mike Densberger (R), Lincoln, Neb., Jet/Speedway, $90.
7. (9) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan., LG2/Speedway, $90.
8. (7) R21 Danan Knott, Coffey, Mo., IROC/Knott, $75.
9. (8) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa.
10. (10) 01 Joey Galloway, Emo, Ont., Canada, GRT/ProPower, $90.
11. (11) 4 Cody Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill., GRT/Mullins, $90.

CASEY'S GENERAL STORES "A" MAIN (42 laps):
1. (2) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 42, $3000.
2. (1) 99 Jesse Sobbing, Malvern, Iowa, Harris/GMPP, 42, $1700.
3. (4) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La., MBCustom/ASI, 42, $1200.
4. (6) 88d Matt Dotson, Hallsville, Mo., Rage/ProPower, 42, $1000.
5. (5) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, MBCustom/Hatfield, 42, $900.
6. (13) 2s Stormy Scott, Arroyo Hondo, N.M., Lethal/Mullins, 42, $800.
7. (7) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan., Mullens/Mullens, 42, $700.
8. (16) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., LG2/Cornett, 42, $650.
9. (19) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Lethal/Durham, 42, $600.
10. (3) 00 Masen Big Eagle, Manor, Sask., Canada, GRT/Tim's, 42, $550.
11. (11) 29 Dennis Elliott, Mt. Ayr, Iowa, GRT/Elliott, 42, $400.
12. (10) 69 Zach Sanders, Kearney, Mo., GRT/Burlington, 42, $375.
13. (21) 37 Mike Jergens (R), Plover, Iowa, Harris/KSE, 42, $425.
14. (12) 78 Derrick Hicks, Ravenwood, Mo., Shaw/Wyman, 42, $325.
15. (22) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla., MBCustom/BMS, 42, $400.
16. (23) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa, Hilsabeck/Mullins, 42, $400.
17. (20) 97 Houston Johnson, Kansas City, Mo., Hughes/Yancy's, 42, $250.
18. (8) 6 Brock Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill., GRT/Mullins, 42, $300.
19. (24) 99 Jett Big Eagle (R), Manor, Sask., Canada, MBCustom/ProPower, 42, $300.
20. (15) 17 Lucas Conley, Spring Hill, Kan., Cheata/Heeter, 42, $300.
21. (17) 70 Jesse Dennis, Prescott, Iowa, Skyrocket/Midstate, 35, $250.
22. (9) 99t Eric Turner, Hermitage, Mo., GRT/Morton, 17, $250.
23. (18) 2 Ryan Schaffer, Corning, Iowa, LG2/Mullins, 16, $250.
24. (14) 69n Cory Wray, Jamesport, Mo., BMS/Cameron, 3, $250.

(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.

Lap Leader: Hughes 1-42.
Total Laps Led: Hughes 42.
Margin of Victory: 0.879 second.
Time of Race: 26 minutes, 47.18 seconds (3 cautions).
Provisional Starters: Hilsabeck, J. Big Eagle.
Sybesma Graphics Pole Award: Dotson.
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger: J. Scott (started 19th, finished 9th).
Entries: 34.
Next Race: Monday, July 18, Iowa State Fair Speedway, Des Moines, Iowa.
MSD Central Region Points: Hughes 880, Sobbing 856, Dillard 826, Ramirez 788, Hilsabeck 671, Jergens 659, Duvall 611, J. Scott 603, R. Sanders 601, Mullens 574.
Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year Points: B. Bauman 1359, C. Bauman 1322, J. Big Eagle 1099, Tyler Wolff 1092, Jergens 857.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 296, Geddes 203, Durham 198, Sput's 190, ASI 186.
Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 296, MBCustoms 282, LG2 231, Harris 201, GRT 189.

Contingency Awards:
Allstar Performance - Ramirez.
American Racer - Sobbing.
Bell Helmets - H. Johnson.
Beyea Custom Headers - R. Sanders.
BSB Manufacturing - Dennis.
Day Motor Sports - Schafer, Wray.
Deatherage Opticians - Conley.
Edelbrock - Dillard.
Eibach Springs - Z. Sanders.
Fast Shafts - B. Bauman.
FK Rod Ends - Duvall.
Forty9Designs.com - Hicks, J. Big Eagle.
Fuel Safe - S. Scott.
GRT Race Cars - Hanson.
Hooker Harness - Jergens.
Integra Shocks & Springs - B. Bauman.
Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service - Hilsabeck.
Kevko Oil Pans & Components - J. Scott.
Keyser Manufacturing - M. Big Eagle.
KSE Racing Products - J. Scott.
Midwest Sheet Metal - Turner.
MSD - Dotson, Hughes.
Out-Pace Racing Products - Hilsabeck.
PBM Performance Products - Dillard.
QA1 - B. Bauman.
Real Racing Wheels - all non-qualifiers.
Sybesma Graphics - Dotson.
VP Racing Fuels - Hughes.
Wehrs Machine & Racing Products - Elliott.
Wilwood Engineering - Mullens.

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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.