Sanders rockets to USMTS win at Route 66 Motor Speedway

[rebelracewriter]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Saturday, May 1, 2010

 

Standing-room-only crowd sees Sanders rocket to USMTS win at Route 66 Motor Speedway

 

AMARILLO, Texas (May 1) – The USMTS Castle Rock Recruiting Southern Series made its maiden voyage to the Route 66 Motor Speedway in Amarillo, Texas, Saturday night with a crowd of nearly 3,000 spectators on hand to witness the mud-slinging Modifieds tackle the 3/8-mile high-banked oval.

 

One week earlier, Rodney Sanders used the weekend off from USMTS competition to dial-in his machine at his hometown track. He won his heat race from the last starting position and led every lap of the feature race.

 

Sanders returned again this weekend to take on the best of the best in dirt Modified racing in the inaugural “Amarillo Ambush presented by RaceDayPrints.com” at the closest venue on the schedule to his residence 36 miles away in Happy, Texas.

 

Although not a brief thirty-minute drive, the Route 66 Motor Speedway is also the closest racetrack on the USMTS Castle Rock Recruiting Southern Series campaign trail for Bumper Jones of Las Cruces, N.M. Jones jumped out from his second row starting spot to take the lead on the first lap in Saturday night’s 40-lap WIX Filters “A” Main.

 

While Jones extended his lead to nearly a full straight-away, Sanders was clawing his way to the front with points leader Jason Hughes and Marshalltown, Iowa’s Ryan Gustin following him around the top side of the racing surface.

 

A mid-race caution wiped out Jones’ advantage, and Sanders was able to steal the top spot away on lap 28. Jones fought back to regain the lead the next time around, but Sanders but his mount back in front on lap 30 and paced the final ten laps to score the victory to the delight of the standing-room-only audience.

 

The win was his second career USMTS triumph and worth $2,000 to the 20-year-old.

 

Jones hung on for a career-best runner-up paycheck while Hughes finished third after starting 16th and picked up his second straight PBM Performance Products Hard Charger Award. Gustin took fourth and outside front row starter Alan Sharpensteen of Amarillo rounded out the top five finishers at the finish line.

 

Scott Green, Kelly Shryock, Tommy Weder Jr., Melvin Pilcher and Jon Tesch wound up sixth through tenth, respectively.

 

Packing a load of passing points for the second night in a row, Hughes extended his advantage in the USMTS Castle Rock Recruiting Southern Series standings to 146 points (765 to 619) over Shryock. Morgan Bagley dropped to third with 616 markers, followed by Jones (607), Sanders (593), Randy Timms (574), Green (569), Dereck Ramirez (543), Steve Holzkamper (506) and John O Whittington (464).

 

Tomorrow (Sunday, May 2) will find the USMTS touring titans invading the Lubbock Motor Speedway for the third first-time-ever event of the weekend. The track is known for its three- and sometimes four-wide battles on the speedy bullring near Lubbock, Texas.

 

Pit gates open at 1 p.m., grandstands open at 2, hot laps are at 3:30 and the first heat race gets the green flag at 4 p.m. A full program of Sport Mods, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks and Enduros are also on Sunday’s menu.

 

The Lubbock Motor Speedway is a 1/3-mile high-banked clay oval located south of Lubbock on I-27 to 114th St., then 1.5 miles east on CR 7300. For more information, call 806-438-1642 (office) or 806-748-0750 (track) or check them out at www.lubbockmotorspeedway.com online.

 

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also follow the USMTS on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

 

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OFFICIAL RESULTS

USMTS Castle Rock Recruiting Southern Series

Inaugural Amarillo Ambush presented by RaceDayPrints.com

Route 66 Motor Speedway, Amarillo, Texas

Saturday, May 1, 2010

 

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed, reason out (if any) and money won. The top 14 drivers in passing points accumulated in the heat races are locked into the WIX Filters “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.

 

ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):

1. (5) 111 Bumper Jones, Mesilla Park, N.M.

2. (2) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa

3. (1) 5j John Schwab, Liberal, Kan.

4. (3) 1st Johnny Scott ®, Las Cruces, N.M.

5. (6) 99n Matt Newkirk ®, Amarillo, Texas

6. (4) 186 Jeremy Gossett ®, Amarillo, Texas

7. (8) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa

8. (7) 23 Kerry Davis, Castle Rock, Colo.

9. (9) 28 Randy Reeser, Texico, N.M.

 

NEW VISION GRAPHICS RACE #2 (8 laps):

1. (2) 9 Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La.

2. (9) 25 Scott Green, Derby, Kan.

3. (5) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.

4. (8) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla.

5. (6) 9 Jimmy Ray ®, Las Cruces, N.M.

6. (3) 707 P.J. Egbert ®, Copperas Cove, Texas

7. (1) 45 Logan Cabbell, Quail, Texas

8. (7) 69 Randy Heston ®, Stinnett, Texas

9. (4) 2s Stormy Scott ®, Las Cruces, N.M.

 

HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):

1. (3) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa

2. (5) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.

3. (4) 12 Jason Hughes, Westville, Okla.

4. (9) 5r Morgan Bagley, Longview, Texas

5. (2) 58 Nathan Bichsel ®, Amarillo, Texas

6. (1) 87 John Webb ®, Pauls Valley, Okla.

7. (7) 98 Zach Gossett, Amarillo, Texas

8. (6) 7x Rory Jordan ®, Victoria, Texas

9. (8) 21 Derek Scott, Canyon, Texas

 

EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):

1. (4) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas

2. (9) 75 Alan Sharpensteen, Amarillo, Texas

3. (5) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D.

4. (2) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.

5. (7) 89 Steven Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas

6. (6) 51 Tracy Denby Jr. ®, Vidor, Texas

7. (3) 2x Gene Weaver, Amarillo, Texas

8. (8) 17 Conner Pullen, Amarillo, Texas

9. (1) 2 Jerry Standifer ®, Howe, Okla.

 

HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):

1. (3) 47 Melvin Pilcher ®, Springdale, Ark.

2. (6) 02 Tommy Weder Jr., Woodward, Okla.

3. (5) 5 Steve Holzkamper, Gentry, Ark.

4. (4) 10 Dee Gossett, Amarillo, Texas

5. (1) 26 Allen Chickering ®, Okarche, Okla.

6. (8) 71 Philip Houston ®, Odessa, Texas

7. (2) 20 Troy Seidl ®, Magnolia, Texas

8. (7) 10 Travis Tucker ®, Whitehouse, Texas

 

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 6 advance):

1. (1) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla.

2. (9) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa

3. (4) 89 Steven Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas

4. (7) 186 Jeremy Gossett ®, Amarillo, Texas

5. (2) 5j John Schwab, Liberal, Kan.

6. (3) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.

7. (13) 17 Conner Pullen, Amarillo, Texas

8. (10) 98 Zach Gossett, Amarillo, Texas

9. (12) 69 Randy Heston ®, Stinnett, Texas

10. (15) 21 Derek Scott, Canyon, Texas

11. (11) 20 Troy Seidl ®, Magnolia, Texas

12. (14) 28 Randy Reeser, Texico, N.M.

13. (5) 9 Jimmy Ray ®, Las Cruces, N.M.

14. (8) 87 John Webb ®, Pauls Valley, Okla.

15. (6) 26 Allen Chickering ®, Okarche, Okla.

 

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 6 advance):

1. (1) 12 Jason Hughes, Westville, Okla.

2. (3) 10 Dee Gossett, Amarillo, Texas

3. (2) 1st Johnny Scott ®, Las Cruces, N.M.

4. (6) 71 Philip Houston ®, Odessa, Texas

5. (14) 2s Stormy Scott ®, Las Cruces, N.M.

6. (5) 58 Nathan Bichsel ®, Amarillo, Texas

7. (10) 2x Gene Weaver, Amarillo, Texas

8. (7) 707 P.J. Egbert ®, Copperas Cove, Texas

9. (13) 10 Travis Tucker ®, Whitehouse, Texas

10. (12) 7x Rory Jordan ®, Victoria, Texas

11. (4) 99n Matt Newkirk ®, Amarillo, Texas

12. (11) 23 Kerry Davis, Castle Rock, Colo.

13. (15) 2 Jerry Standifer ®, Howe, Okla.

14. (9) 45 Logan Cabbell, Quail, Texas

15. (8) 51 Tracy Denby Jr. ®, Vidor, Texas

 

WIX FILTERS “A” MAIN (40 laps):

1. (8) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, Hughes/ASI, 40, $2000.

2. (3) 111 Bumper Jones, Mesilla Park, N.M., TRE/ASI, 40, $1500.

3. (16) 12 Jason Hughes, Westville, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $1000.

4. (10) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $800.

5. (2) 75 Alan Sharpensteen, Amarillo, Texas, SRP/Tim’s, 40, $700.

6. (5) 25 Scott Green, Derby, Kan., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $600.

7. (7) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ProPower, 40, $500.

8. (4) 02 Tommy Weder Jr., Woodward, Okla., Hughes/Clements, 40, $450.

9. (1) 47 Melvin Pilcher ®, Springdale, Ark., TRE/Ora’s, 40, $400.

10. (13) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D., Ramirez/Sput’s, 40, $350.

11. (17) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 40, $325.

12. (19) 89 Steven Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas, Hughes/Rowland, 40, $300.

13. (18) 10 Dee Gossett, Amarillo, Texas, GRT/Carroll’s, 40, $200.

14. (12) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Ramirez/Sput’s, 40, $300.

15. (14) 5 Steve Holzkamper, Gentry, Ark., TRE/Shinook, 40, $300.

16. (6) 9 Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La., Hughes/Wall2Wall, 40, $250.

17. (15) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $300.

18. (11) 5r Morgan Bagley, Longview, Texas, Shaw/Rowland, 40, $300.

19. (22) 71 Philip Houston ®, Odessa, Texas, BillsBuilt/WCH, 40, $250.

20. (25) 17 Conner Pullen, Amarillo, Texas, Taylor/Carroll’s, 40, $60.

21. (23) 5j John Schwab, Liberal, Kan., Ramirez/Klein, 35, mechanical, $250.

22. (20) 1st Johnny Scott ®, Las Cruces, N.M., Hughes/Mullins, 24, mechanical, $250.

23. (9) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., Hughes/Sput’s, 20, mechanical, $250.

24. (26) 58 Nathan Bichsel ®, Amarillo, Texas, Hughes/PPE, 18, engine, $250.

25. (24) 2s Stormy Scott ®, Las Cruces, N.M., GRT/ASI, 2, front end, $250.

26. (21) 186 Jeremy Gossett ®, Amarillo, Texas, Hoffman/Carroll’s, 1, front end, $250.

27. (DNS) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., Hughes/Sput’s, 0, engine, $250.

 

® = “Just Say Yes” Rookie of the Year contender.

 

WIX Filters Lap Leaders: Jones 1-27, Sanders 28, Jones 29, Sanders 30-40.

Total Laps Led: Jones 28, Sanders 12.

Margin of Victory: 0.526 second.

AFCO Pole Winner: Green.

PBM Performance Products Hard Charger: Hughes (started 16th, finished 3rd).

Next Race: Sunday, May 2, Lubbock Motor Speedway, Lubbock, Texas.

Points Standings: Hughes 765, Shryock 619, Bagley 616, Jones 607, Sanders 593, Timms 574, Green 569, Ramirez 543, Holzkamper 506, John O Whittington 464.

“Just Say Yes” Rookie of the Year Points: Jordan 371, Seidl 360, Denby 349, Standifer 321, Pilcher 316.

COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 72, ASI 47, Sput’s 46, Rowland 46, Hatfield 37.

Chassis Builders Championship Points: Hughes 72, Skyrocket 57, TRE 54, Shaw 50, GRT 45.

 

Contingency Awards:Ai-Racing – Pilcher.

American Racer – Gustin.

Dart Machinery – Whiteaker.

Eibach Springs – Sanders.

Forty9Designs.com – Gustin, Pilcher.

Hooker Harness – D. Gossett.

Isky Racing Cams – Jones.

KSE Racing Products – Sanders.

Marsh Racing Wheels – C. Junghans.

Out-Pace Racing Products – VanderBeek.

PBM Performance Products – Hughes.

Quarter Master – Sanders, Weder.

QuickTime – Shryock.

Real Racing Wheels – C. Junghans, Bichsel.

 

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