Tillison cashes in with first USMTS win in Halloween Havoc finale

[NickHolt]

Tillison cashes in with first USMTS win in Halloween Havoc finale

ARDMORE, Okla.-Thomas Tillison Jr. of Wellston, Okla., picked up his first United States Modified Touring Series feature win Saturday night at the Southern Oklahoma Speedway's inaugural Halloween Havoc.

 

Don Cook photo

 

"Wow, this is just incredible. I'm speechless," the elated winner said in victory lane. "This is pretty much my home track, and to get such a big win against this caliber of drivers here is amazing. We've wanted one of these USMTS checks for a long time and it feels good to finally get to hang one of these up at home."

 

On the third and final night of the three-day event, Tillison took home 4,000 hard-earned dollars for his efforts after he held off Stormy Scott for most of the race, including a last-corner charge that ended with Tillison winning by the length of his hood.

 

"I was just trying to not screw up," Tillison added. "Stormy showed me his bumper, his nose, his fenders about every lap. I couldn't believe how long the race seemed to last. I was just trying to conserve my tires early on, but I could feel them going away in the end. The car was really skating around up there during the last four or five laps but it held together just long enough I guess."

 

Tillison started on the pole in the 24-car, 50-lap contest. He took the lead at the drop of the green flag and never gave it up.

 

Thursday night's feature winner, Scott, pressured took just three laps to charge from his seventh starting spot to second, and then gave Tillison everything he had on several occasions, running about a car-length behind the leader for most of the race.

 

Despite getting next to Tillison no less than a dozen times and a pair of daring slide jobs during the race, Scott drove a clean race but wound up less than a half-second short at the checkered flag and settled for the runner-up paycheck.

 

Thomas Tillison Jr. (outside) held off the last-lap, last-corner charge of Stormy Scott to take the win. Debra Hix photo.

 

Clyde Dunn Jr., who followed in Scott's tire tracks for most of the race, wound up third with Jason Hughes fourth and Triston Dycus fifth.

 

Terry Phillips, Friday night's winner Rodney Sanders, Jake Gallardo, 15th-starting Jeremy Payne and Sean Jones rounded out the top 10.

 

The Best of the Best in dirt modified racing now turn their attention to the Ark-La-Tex Speedway in Vivian, La., where the USMTS will wrap up the 2014 campaign next Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6-8, with the 8th Annual USMTS Winter Nationals.

 

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 or check out our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv.

 

OFFICIAL RESULTS

United States Modified Touring Series - Inaugural Halloween Havoc - Night 3 of 3 - Southern Oklahoma Speedway, Ardmore, Okla.
Saturday, November 1, 2014

 

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.

 

C&R RACING HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (8) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (2) 88xxx Clyde Dunn Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas.
3. (1) 44 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
4. (6) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
5. (4) 12B Johnny Bone Jr., Pea Ridge, Ark.
6. (5) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
7. (3) B23 Michael Grubbs, Garland, Texas.
8. (7) 25D Donnie Shipp, Princeton, Texas.
9. (9) 21D Ed Dunn, Chattanooga, Okla.

 

JRi SHOCKS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (5) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
2. (4) 21 John Allen, Chanute, Kan.
3. (1) 68 Brandon Watson, Denison, Texas.
4. (7) 7D Austin Theiss, Hockley, Texas.
5. (2) 11x Wesley Veal, Princeton, Texas.
6. (6) 5x Danny Veal, Princeton, Texas.
7. (8) 55H Buddy Honaker, Davis, Okla.
8. (9) 41M Steve McMackin, Greenville, Texas.
9. (3) 51x Danny Florence, McKinney, Texas.

 

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 24 Sean Jones, Mansfield, Texas.
2. (2) 5T Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla.
3. (4) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
4. (7) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
5. (8) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
6. (3) 3 Daniel Tarkington, Checotah, Okla.
7. (5) 87 John Webb, Pauls Valley, Okla.
8. (6) 75 Alan Sharpensteen, Amarillo, Texas.
9. (9) 123 Logan Robertson, Shamrock, Texas.

 

PBM PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (2) 85 Thomas Tillison Jr., Wellston, Okla.
2. (1) J17 Jake Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M.
3. (4) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
4. (5) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
5. (3) 18s Cody Smith, Kaufman, Texas.
6. (7) G17 Fito Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M.
7. (8) 33 Thomas Nunley, Marlow, Okla.
8. (6) 21 Austin Bonner, Elk City, Okla.
9. (9) 85L Mickey Lassiter, Piedmont, Okla.

 

DAY MOTOR SPORTS HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):
1. (2) 14t Triston Dycus, Waxahachie, Texas.
2. (3) J17 Chase Allen, Midlothian, Texas.
3. (5) 56 Troy Taylor, Midlothian, Texas.
4. (4) 89 Jeremy Gossett, Amarillo, Texas.
5. (6) 87 Justin McCoy, Ovilla, Texas.
6. (8) 12T Tyler Townsend, Longview, Texas.
7. (7) 31 Neal DeBord, Amarillo, Texas.
8. (1) 82 Jimmy Williams, Dennison, Texas.
9. (9) 0 Bob Lane, Andover, Kan.

 

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 6 advance):
1. (2) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
2. (1) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
3. (7) 18s Cody Smith, Kaufman, Texas.
4. (8) G17 Fito Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M.
5. (3) 68 Brandon Watson, Denison, Texas.
6. (5) 89 Jeremy Gossett, Amarillo, Texas.
7. (6) 12B Johnny Bone Jr., Pea Ridge, Ark., IROC/Homegrown, $100.
8. (14) 21 Austin Bonner, Elk City, Okla., GRT/JRM, $100.
9. (13) 25D Donnie Shipp, Princeton, Texas, Skyrocket/BMS, $100.
10. (11) B23 Michael Grubbs, Garland, Texas, Skyrocket/Grubbs, $100.
11. (16) 123 Logan Robertson, Shamrock, Texas, Hughes/PPE, $100.
12. (12) 31 Neal DeBord, Amarillo, Texas, /, $100.
13. (9) 5x Danny Veal, Princeton, Texas, /, $100.
14. (4) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La., LG2/105, $100.
15. (10) 55H Buddy Honaker, Davis, Okla., Hughes/Wells, $100.
16. (15) 21D Ed Dunn, Chattanooga, Okla., C&E/C&E, $100.
17. (17) 0 Bob Lane, Andover, Kan., LaneBuilt/Lane, $100.

 

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 6 advance):
1. (3) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
2. (4) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
3. (2) 44 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
4. (7) 12T Tyler Townsend, Longview, Texas.
5. (8) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
6. (13) 75 Alan Sharpensteen, Amarillo, Texas.
7. (6) 11x Wesley Veal, Princeton, Texas, Shaw/Wornhor, $100.
8. (9) 3 Daniel Tarkington, Checotah, Okla., TRE/BMS, $100.
9. (5) 87 Justin McCoy, Ovilla, Texas, Skyrocket/KSP, $100.
10. (11) 87 John Webb, Pauls Valley, Okla., MBCustom/Mullins, $100.
11. (1) 7D Austin Theiss, Hockley, Texas, LG2/Durham, $100.
12. (10) 33 Thomas Nunley, Marlow, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, $100.
13. (15) 51x Danny Florence, McKinney, Texas, /, $100.
14. (14) 82 Jimmy Williams, Dennison, Texas, /, $100.
15. (12) 41M Steve McMackin, Greenville, Texas, DirtWorks/Cotton, $100.
16. (16) 85L Mickey Lassiter, Piedmont, Okla., TRE/, $100.

 

"A" MAIN (50 laps):
1. (1) 85 Thomas Tillison Jr., Wellston, Okla., Hughes/Geddes, 50, $4000.
2. (7) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., LG2/ProPower, 50, $2500.
3. (3) 88xxx Clyde Dunn Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas, MBCustom/Mullins, 50, $1500.
4. (8) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 50, $1000.
5. (2) 14t Triston Dycus, Waxahachie, Texas, GRT/Wells, 50, $900.
6. (13) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Hatfield, 50, $800.
7. (14) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, MBCustom/Geddes, 50, $700.
8. (4) J17 Chase Allen, Midlothian, Texas, CAM/Herring, 50, $600.
9. (15) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Durham, 50, $500.
10. (5) 24 Sean Jones, Mansfield, Texas, LG2/Brooks, 50, $450.
11. (9) 5T Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla., Hughes/Geddes, 50, $425.
12. (6) 21 John Allen, Chanute, Kan., Skyrocket/Sput's, 50, $400.
13. (12) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla., LG2/ProPower, 50, $390.
14. (10) J17 Jake Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M., LG2/AOS, 50, $380.
15. (18) 44 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ASI, 50, $370.
16. (19) G17 Fito Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M., LG2/AOS, 50, $360.
17. (11) 56 Troy Taylor, Midlothian, Texas, TNT/Wells, 50, $350.
18. (22) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla., MBCustom/Mullins, 49, $340.
19. (24) 75 Alan Sharpensteen, Amarillo, Texas, SRP/GMPP, 49, $330.
20. (17) 18s Cody Smith, Kaufman, Texas, CAM/Mullins, 47, $320.
21. (21) 68 Brandon Watson, Denison, Texas, GRT/Wornhor, 26, $315.
22. (23) 89 Jeremy Gossett, Amarillo, Texas, MBCustom/Carrolls, 21, $310.
23. (20) 12T Tyler Townsend, Longview, Texas, Hughes/PTS, 13, $305.
24. (16) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., MBCustom/Sput's, 5, $300.

Lap Leader: Tillison 1-50.
Total Laps Led: Tillison 50.
Margin of Victory: 0.132 second.
Provisional Starters: none.
Sybesma Graphics Pole Award: Scott.

 

Next Race: Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 6-8, Ark-La-Tex Speedway, Vivian, La.

 

Contingency Awards:
American Racer - not awarded.
Beyea Custom Headers - Junghans.
Brass Monkey Racing Products - Duvall.
C&R Racing - Scott.
Edelbrock - Jones.
FK Rod Ends - Shryock.
Forty9Designs.com - J. Gallardo, Sharpensteen.
Fuel Safe - Phillips.
GRT Race Cars - Watson.
Hooker Harness - Rowland.
JRi Shocks - Hughes.
KEVKO Oil Pans & Components - Payne.
Keyser Manufacturing - Jones.
Marsh Racing Wheels - Townsend.
Mesilla Valley Transportation - not awarded.
MSD Ignition - Tillison, Scott.
PBM Performance Products - Tillison.
Power Lift Racing Products - Taylor.
Real Racing Wheels - all non-qualifiers.
Sybesma Graphics - Scott.
VP Racing Fuels - Tillison.