Sanders victorious in The Valley as the Hunt for the USMTS Casey's Cup gets off to titanic start


GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. (Aug. 4) -- The Hunt for the USMTS Casey's Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental kicked off Thursday at the Valley Speedway with Rodney Sanders edging Cade Dillard for the win in an epic main event.

One year ago, Sanders came into The Hunt as the points leader but found himself on his roof in his heat race. He bounced back to score a top-five finish in the feature race that night, but came up one spot short of winning his third straight USMTS title and a $100,000 payday.

In Thursday's 42-lap nightcap, Sanders held off Cade Dillard and Jesse Sobbing for the win with Dillard's low side move in the final turn coming up a few feet short at the finish line.

Dillard had an even better shot at taking the lead six laps earlier when he was able to slide up in front of 'The Rocket' in turn four, but Sanders shot back underneath Dillard to regain the spot entering the next turn.

The win was worth $3,000 and the 72nd of Sanders' career.

Sobbing, who briefly edged out Dillard for second midway through the race, settled for third while Jason Hughes fought back from an early-race incident to finish.

Similar to Sanders last year, Hughes came into the night as the points leader and averted disaster early in the feature when Ricky Thornton Jr. lost the handle on his machine and collected Hughes, Ryan Gustin and Masen Big Eagle.

Hughes was forced to restart at the tail of the field but clawed his way past 17 cars to earn a top-five finish and minimize the damage in the points battle.

Stormy Scott completed the top five Thursday night while Terry Phillips, Cody Bauman, Mike Densberger, 23rd-starting Zack VanderBeek and Lance Town rounded out the top 10.

Densberger, who started 19th, earned the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award in his first-ever start in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey's Cup.

With his runner-up finish, Dillard moved into the points lead with Hughes five points back in second. Sobbing is third, Sanders jumped up to fourth and Bauman sits fifth in the standings after the first of 22 championship events.

On Friday, the series rolls into the Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kan., for another $3,000-to-win blockbuster. Gates open at 6 p.m., hot laps are at 7:30 and racing begins at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for youth ages 6-12 and kids 5 and under get in for free. Pit passes are $35.

Race fans can pick up $2-off coupons toward adult grandstand admission at Casey's General Stores locations in Chanute, Fredonia, Iola, Neodesha and Yates Center.

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Cody Bauman and his Sour Patch Kids USMTS Modified will be available for a meet 'n' greet at the Casey's General Store located at 712 E. Madison Ave. in Iola while Mike Jergens and his Snickers-sponsored mount will be at the Casey's at 220 W. Cherry in Chanute during the same time.

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
Hunt for the USMTS Casey's Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental - Event #1 of 22
Valley Speedway, Grain Valley, Mo.
Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed and money won.

MSD HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (1) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
2. (3) 21t Lance Town, Wellsville, Kan.
3. (2) 99 Jett Big Eagle (R), Manor, Sask., Canada.
4. (4) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
5. (5) 17 Mike Striegel (R), Wheatland, Mo.
6. (8) 03 Jason Bodenhamer, Centerview, Mo.
7. (6) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan.
8. (7) 8 Wesley Summers, Wellington, Mo.

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (1) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
2. (2) 99 Jesse Sobbing, Malvern, Iowa.
3. (4) 2s Stormy Scott, Arroyo Hondo, N.M.
4. (3) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa.
5. (6) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
6. (8) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
7. (7) 6 Brock Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill.
8. (5) 37 Mike Jergens (R), Plover, Iowa.

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 20rt Ricky Thornton Jr. (R), Chandler, Ariz.
2. (2) 00 Masen Big Eagle, Manor, Sask., Canada.
3. (8) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.
4. (6) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
5. (3) 81 Mike Densberger (R), Lincoln, Neb.
6. (7) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
7. (4) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
8. (5) 86 Buddy Benedict, Independence, Mo.

ALPINESTARS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (2) 4 Cody Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill.
2. (6) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
3. (4) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
4. (3) 68m Dean Wille, Warrensburg, Mo.
5. (5) 90 Terry Schultz, Sedalia, Mo.
6. (1) 8x Chad Thomsen (R), Louisburg, Kan.
7. (7) 66t Tyler Schmidt, Easton, Kan.

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (3) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
2. (1) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
3. (2) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa.
4. (4) 81 Mike Densberger (R), Lincoln, Neb.
5. (5) 03 Jason Bodenhamer, Centerview, Mo.
6. (6) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
7. (9) 8 Wesley Summers, Wellington, Mo., GRT/Hess, $90.
8. (7) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan., LG2/Speedway, $90.
9. (8) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan., Mullens/Mullens, $90.
10. (10) 86 Buddy Benedict, Independence, Mo., Goober/Mullins, $75.

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (1) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
2. (5) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
3. (3) 17 Mike Striegel (R), Wheatland, Mo.
4. (2) 68m Dean Wille, Warrensburg, Mo.
5. (7) 6 Brock Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill.
6. (4) 90 Terry Schultz, Sedalia, Mo., Hughes/Mullins, $75.
7. (6) 8x Chad Thomsen (R), Louisburg, Kan., Shaw/Driskell, $90.
8. (8) 66t Tyler Schmidt, Easton, Kan., Hughes/Sput's, $75.
9. (9) 37 Mike Jergens (R), Plover, Iowa.

CASEY'S GENERAL STORES "A" MAIN (42 laps):
1. (1) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, MBCustom/Hatfield, $3000.
2. (3) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La., MBCustom/ASI, $1700.
3. (4) 99 Jesse Sobbing, Malvern, Iowa, Harris/GMPP, $1200.
4. (13) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, $1000.
5. (10) 2s Stormy Scott, Arroyo Hondo, N.M., Lethal/Mullins, $900.
6. (16) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Durham, $800.
7. (2) 4 Cody Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill., GRT/Mullins, $700.
8. (19) 81 Mike Densberger (R), Lincoln, Neb., Jet/Speedway, $650.
9. (23) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, LG2/Sput's, $600.
10. (5) 21t Lance Town, Wellsville, Kan., Phoenix/Driskell, $550.
11. (14) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla., MBCustom/BMS, $500.
12. (17) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa, Hilsabeck/Mullins, $450.
13. (22) 6 Brock Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill., GRT/Mullins, $425.
14. (18) 17 Mike Striegel (R), Wheatland, Mo., GRT/GMPP, $400.
15. (8) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., LG2/Cornett, $400.
16. (6) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo., MBCustom/Mullins, $350.
17. (12) 99 Jett Big Eagle (R), Manor, Sask., Canada, MBCustom/ProPower, $325.
18. (15) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Lethal/Durham, $400.
19. (21) 03 Jason Bodenhamer, Centerview, Mo., GRT/Sput's, $250.
20. (9) 00 Masen Big Eagle, Manor, Sask., Canada, GRT/Tim's, $300.
21. (24) 37 Mike Jergens (R), Plover, Iowa, Harris/KSE, $300.
22. (20) 68m Dean Wille, Warrensburg, Mo., Shaw/GMPP, $250.
23. (11) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, $300.
24. (7) 20rt Ricky Thornton Jr. (R), Chandler, Ariz., MBCustom/Dakota, $300.

(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.

Lap Leader: Sanders 1-42.
Total Laps Led: Sanders 42.
Margin of Victory: 0.298 second.
Time of Race: 24 minutes, 11.9 seconds (3 cautions, 1 red).
Provisional Starters: VanderBeek, Jergens.
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger: Densberger (started 19th, finished 8th).
Entries: 31.
Next Race: Friday, Aug. 5, Humboldt (Kan.) Speedway.
USMTS Casey's Cup Points: Dillard 682, Hughes 677, Sobbing 674, Sanders 643, C. Bauman 637, B. Bauman 623, Duvall 615, VanderBeek 611, Ramirez 599, Densberger 594, Hilsabeck 594.
Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year Points: B. Bauman 1428, C. Bauman 1417, J. Big Eagle 1319, Tyler Wolff 1092, Jergens 964.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 324, Sput's 218, Durham 215, ASI 213, Geddes 204.
Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 327, MBCustoms 317, LG2 250, Harris 220, GRT 213.