Mason City’s USMTS Mod Mania main event to Mullens

[NickHolt]

Mason City’s USMTS Mod Mania main event to Mullens

MASON CITY, Iowa (July 18)—Tanner Mullens capped off a heart-stopping four nights of action for the Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s with a victory Sunday evening at the Mason City Motor Speedway.

Tyler Rinken photo

Iowa’s reshaped and reborn action track lived up to its name with a wild main event that saw Mullens lead 39 of the 40 circuits but never was allowed to take a breath as several challengers forced the 28-year-old from Wichita, Kansas, to maintain his focus the entire distance.

After garnering the Sybesma Graphics Pole Award, Mullens first had to shake fellow front-row starter Jake O’Neil but a miscue exiting the first corner saw O’Neil bobble and plummet to ninth place by the time the field completed the opening lap.

Then, third-starting Rodney Sanders applied pressure to Mullens for a few laps before a hard-charging Brooks Strength flew around the outside to claim the lead at the end of the fifth lap.

Mullens kept the lead change brief as he muscled past Strength in the following turn to regain the top spot.

Strength and Sanders both took shots at Mullens, and although the hairy high side of the former I-35 Speedway was the most preferred line, drivers were able to utilize every inch of the racing surface.

By the halfway point of the race, O’Neil had rebounded to become a factor at the front of the field and was fourth behind Mullens, Strength and Sanders when the race’s first caution occurred with 17 laps in the books.

The yellow flag waved for the third and final time with just three laps to go with Sanders choosing the inside lane for the double-file restart behind the leader.

That left third-running O’Neil with the outside groove which he used to snag second away from the four-time and defending USMTS national champ.

He could not, however, make a run at Mullens who crossed beneath the checkered flag with just under a one-second advantage to improve his yearly earnings by $5,000.

Sanders held on for third while Lucas Schott rebounded from a lap-18 pit stop to garner the fourth spot. He also took home the FK Rod Ends Hard Charger Award for advancing nine positions from his original 13th starting spot.

Tenth-starting Dan Ebert finished fifth while Dereck Ramirez, Dustin Sorensen, Chase Rudolf, Jason Hughes and Landon Atkinson rounded out the top ten.

With his second win of the season, Mullens brought his USMTS career wins total to six and joined Ryan Gustin as the only two-time USMTS feature race winner in Mason City.

After gaining the top spot in the championship standings on Friday and then surrendering his lead to Dereck Ramirez on Saturday, O'Neil was able to regain the top spot over Ramirez with a ten-points cushion (1605 to 1595).

Sanders is third with 1568 markers, followed by Mullens (1518), Schott (1436), Tyler Wolff (1421), Terry Phillips (1368), Ebert (1366), Sorensen (1358) and Hughes (1288).

Three for 30 kicks off second half of season: The Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s returns to action in August with a trio of blockbuster events paying $10,000 to win each night.

The second half of the 2021 campaign kicks off Thursday, August 5, at the 81 Speedway in Park City, Kan., for the 10th Annual USMTS Sunflower State Showdown.

From there, the series invades the Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kan., for the 15th Annual USMTS Summer Fling on Friday, August 6.

The Best of the Best conclude their 72-hour battle on Saturday, August 7, with the 12th Annual USMTS Slick Mist Show-Me Shootout presented by Foley Equipment at the state-of-the-art Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo.

Taking dirt to a new level: The 2021 campaign for the Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s features 36 nights of racing with the winners of those main events set to take home over $300,000 in earnings from more than $1 million in prize money earmarked for those shows.

Twenty-six of the 36 race nights will pay at least $10,000 to win while the other 10 carry a $5,000 top prize. And if that weren’t enough, more than $230,000 is committed to the top ten finishers in the 2021 points standings with a record $70,000 reserved for the 2021 USMTS National Champion.

Visit usmts.com for schedules, points, photos, souvenirs, videos and more. Follow our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Click here to get USMTS news delivered to your inbox.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s
2nd Annual Christie Door Company Mod Mania
Mason City Motor Speedway, Mason City, Iowa
Sunday, July 18, 2021

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, laps completed and money won. The top 12 in heat race passing points advance to the Casey’s “A” Main.

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (2) 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz.
2. (3) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
3. (4) 20JR Chase Rudolf (R), Norwalk, Iowa.
4. (6) 87 Darron Fuqua, Mayetta, Kan.
5. (5) 24 Aaron Benson (R), Clear Lake, Iowa.
6. (7) 0A Jamie Anderson (R), Mason City, Iowa.
7. (1) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (3) 19 Dustin Sorensen, Rochester, Minn.
2. (1) 4W Tyler Wolff, Fayetteville, Ark.
3. (5) 4R Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
4. (2) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
5. (4) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
6. (6) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
7. (7) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
2. (3) 7II Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa.
3. (4) 60 Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minn.
4. (5) 65X Carlos Ahumada Jr., El Paso, Texas.
5. (2) 1M Curt Myers, Cameron, Wis.
6. (6) 19SB Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif.
7. (7) 2G Brandon Givens (R), Wichita, Kan.

MSD PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (2) 444 Brooks Strength (R), Raymond, Miss.
2. (3) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
3. (1) 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
4. (4) 18A Landon Atkinson, Little Falls, Minn.
5. (5) 85 Jayson Good (R), Watertown, S.D.
6. (8) 8C Chris Clark, Jackson, Wyo.
7. (7) 45 Levi Nielsen, Mason City, Iowa.
8. (6) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (10 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (3) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
2. (1) 87 Darron Fuqua, Mayetta, Kan.
3. (7) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
4. (2) 65X Carlos Ahumada Jr., El Paso, Texas.
5. (9) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan.
6. (6) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
7. (4) 24 Aaron Benson (R), Clear Lake, Iowa, Skyrocket/Stoen, $100.
DNS – 8C Chris Clark, Jackson, Wyo., Hughes/Cornett, $110.
DNS – 45 Levi Nielsen, Mason City, Iowa, MBCustoms/KSE, $100.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (10 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (1) 18A Landon Atkinson, Little Falls, Minn.
2. (2) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
3. (3) 1M Curt Myers, Cameron, Wis.
4. (6) 19SB Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif.
5. (8) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
6. (4) 85 Jayson Good (R), Watertown, S.D.
7. (7) 2G Brandon Givens (R), Wichita, Kan.
8. (5) 0A Jamie Anderson (R), Mason City, Iowa, $100.

CASEY’S “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (1) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan., Mullens/Mullens, 40, $5000.
2. (2) 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz., LG2/Cornett, 40, $3000.
3. (3) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, MBCustoms/Hatfield, 40, $2000.
4. (13) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn., MBCustoms/Stoen, 40, $1500.
5. (10) 60 Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minn., Lethal/Ebert, 40, $1000.
6. (11) 4R Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/Cornett, 40, $900.
7. (4) 19 Dustin Sorensen, Rochester, Minn., MBCustoms/Action, 40, $800.
8. (9) 20JR Chase Rudolf (R), Norwalk, Iowa, Rage/KSE, 40, $750.
9. (5) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $700.
10. (14) 18A Landon Atkinson, Little Falls, Minn., Lethal/Sower, 40, $675.
11. (17) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn., SSR/KSE, 40, $650.
12. (7) 444 Brooks Strength (R), Raymond, Miss., MBCustoms/Stoen, 40, $625.
13. (6) 7II Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa, Rage/Chevrolet, 40, $600.
14. (23) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn., VanderBuilt/KSE, 40, $575.
15. (19) 65X Carlos Ahumada Jr., El Paso, Texas, Hughes/BMS, 40, $550.
16. (12) 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, VanderBuilt/Stoen, 40, $540.
17. (22) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Durham, 40, $530.
18. (25) 2G Brandon Givens (R), Wichita, Kan., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $135.
19. (21) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $520.
20. (8) 4W Tyler Wolff, Fayetteville, Ark., MBCustoms/ECE, 40, $515.
21. (18) 1M Curt Myers, Cameron, Wis., Rage/Sput's, 40, $510.
22. (16) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn., MBCustoms/Stoen, 37, $505.
23. (24) 85 Jayson Good (R), Watertown, S.D., MBCustoms/Tim's, 28, $500.
24. (15) 87 Darron Fuqua, Mayetta, Kan., MBCustoms/Driskell, 27, $500.
25. (20) 19SB Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif., MRT/Yeoman, 17, $500.

(R) = Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year contender

Lap Leaders: Mullens 1-4, Strength 5, Mullens 6-40.
Total Laps Led: Mullens 39, Strength 1.
Margin of Victory: 0.980 seconds.
Time of Race: 19 minutes, 32.557 seconds (3 cautions).
Provisional Starters: Bleess, Good.
Emergency Provisional: Givens.
FK Rod Ends Hard Charger: Schott (started 13th, finished 4th).
Entries: 29.
Next Race: Thursday, Aug. 5, 81 Speedway, Park City, Kan.
Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s Points: O'Neil 1605, Ramirez 1595, Sanders 1568, Mullens 1518, Schott 1436, Wolff 1421, Phillips 1368, Ebert 1366, Sorensen 1358, Hughes 1288.
Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year Points: Strength 946, Jesse Glenz 877, Good 743, Lucas Lee 713, Givens 691.
Miller Welders USMTS Manufacturers Championship Points: MBCustoms 164, Hughes 146, LG2 143, Mullens 117, Lethal 115.
Compstar USMTS Engine Builder of the Year Points: Cornett 158, Hatfield 121, Stoen 120, Mullens 102, Mullins 84.

Contingency Awards:
American Racer – Phillips.
Beyea Custom Headers – Schott.
BigDeal Car Care – Mullens, Schott.
Bryke Racing – Ahumada.
BSB Manufacturing – Myers.
Champ Pans – Ebert.
Deatherage Opticians – Bleess.
Edelbrock – Mullens.
Eibach – Schott.
Fast Shafts – Sorensen.
FK Rod Ends – Schott.
Hooker Harness – Strength.
Integra Racing Shocks & Springs – Davis.
Jerovetz Motorsports Racing Parts – Givens.
K1 RaceGear by Ryan Bowers Motorsports – Benson.
Keyser Manufacturing – Atkinson.
KS Engineering – Williamson.
KSE Racing Products – Hughes.
Maxima Racing Oils – Mullens.
Penske Racing Shocks – Hejna.
PEM Racing Gears & Drivetrain – Wolff.
QA1 – Schott.
Race Ranch – Tanner Lamb (Mullens).
RacerWebsite.com – Nielsen.
Simpson Performance Products – O’Neil.
Summit Racing Equipment – Ahumada, Angst, Atkinson, Davis.
Super Clean – Mullens.
Swift Springs – Mullens, Rudolf.
Sybesma Graphics – Mullens.
Tire Demon – Anderson.
VP Racing Fuels – Mullens.
Wehrs Machine & Racing Products – Nielsen.
Wilwood Disc Brakes – Sorensen.