Hughes hunting USMTS title, takes Fairmont feature

[NickHolt]

Hughes hunting USMTS title, takes Fairmont feature

 

FAIRMONT, Minn. (Sept. 1) -- Jason Hughes took a big step toward defending his USMTS crown Thursday with a victory at the Fairmont Raceway in Round 13 of the Hunt for the USMTS Casey's Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental.

 

The defending USMTS national champ from Watts, Okla., trailed Josh Angst for the first lap around the Martin County Fairgrounds half-mile oval, but took control on the second lap and then survived a late-race caution to secure his third win in The Hunt.

 

His 146th career United States Modified Touring Series triumph was worth $3,000.

 

The race's second caution waved with two laps to go and gave his pursuers a glimmer of hope.

 

Ricky Thornton Jr., who chased Hughes for most of the race, gave up the second spot on the final circuit to Jesse Sobbing who finished in the runner-up position for the third straight race while Thornton settled for third and his fifth consecutive top-five finish.

 

Cade Dillard was fourth and Angst held on for fifth while the remainder of the top 10 was filled by Zack VanderBeek, Ryan Ruter, Rodney Sanders, Dereck Ramirez and Johnny Scott.

 

In the USMTS Casey's Cup points battle, Hughes extended his advantage over Dillard to 48 points (1764 to 1716). Sobbing is close behind with 1693 markers, followed by Sanders (1667), VanderBeek (1622), Johnny Scott (1505), Joe Duvall (1423), Ramirez (1382), Brock Bauman (1325) and Stormy Scott (1317).

 

In the battle to become the Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year, the points standings are tight with Mike Jergens taking over the top spot for the first time this season after Thursday's show.

 

His lead is just three points (1519 to 1516) over Brock Bauman and Thornton is just another six points back with 1510 points while Cody Bauman is fourth with 1499 points.

 

Friday, Sept. 2, finds the USMTS touring titans at the Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minn., with Out-Pace USRA B-Mods, Midwest Mods and Street Stocks completing the four-division card.

 

Earlier this summer, Lucas Schott picked up his second career USMTS victory when leader Zack VanderBeek blew a right rear tire with two laps to go.

 

Former track champion Brandon Davis is a three-time winner in USMTS competition here while Jason Hughes, Tommy Myer and Jon Tesch have each won twice. Other past winners include Kelly Shryock, Ryan Gustin, Rodney Sanders, Joey Jensen, Mike Sorensen, Jason Krohn, Tim Donlinger, Doug Hillson and Mike Chasteen, who captured the first event here on June 28, 2001.

 

Gates open at 5 p.m. and hot laps begin at 6:30 with racing to follow. General admission spectator tickets are $18 and kids ages 12 and under get in for free. Pit passes are $35. Race fans can find commemorative coupons good for $2 off adult tickets at Casey's General Stores locations in Austin and Blooming Prairie.

 

Mike Jergens and his Snickers USMTS Modified will be on hand for a meet 'n' greet with fans at the Casey's General Store located at 1702 12th St. SW in Austin (about 8 miles from the track) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday. To find the Casey's General Store nearest you, visit www.caseys.com.

 

The Chateau Raceway is located 5.0 miles north of Austin on US 218 to the Lansing Exit, then 1.3 miles east on CR 2, then 0.4 mile south on CR 25, then 0.3 mile east. For more information, call (507) 272-8906 or (507) 440-3680 and visit www.chateauraceway.net online.

 

On Saturday, the Hunt for the USMTS Casey's Cup invades the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., for the 11th Annual Barclay Landscaping Labor Day Dual, and the four-night Labor Day Weekend swing wraps up on Sunday at the Cresco Speedway in Cresco, Iowa, for the 13th Annual USMTS Cresco Bowl and the next-to-last event in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey's Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental.

 

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.

 

OFFICIAL RESULTS

The Hunt for the USMTS Casey's Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental - Event #13 of 17 - Fairmont Raceway, Fairmont, Minn. - 9th Annual KEVKO Summer Spectacular presented by State Bank of Fairmont and Bill & Sandy Johnson - Thursday, Sept. 1, 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. (2) 555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa.
2. (4) 99 Jett Big Eagle ®, Manor, Sask., Canada.
3. (8) 99 Jesse Sobbing, Malvern, Iowa.
4. (6) 5 Brandon Beckendorf, Danube, Minn.
5. (7) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
6. (3) 00 Masen Big Eagle, Manor, Sask., Canada.
7. (9) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
8. (5) 23 Adam Kates ®, Tonganoxie, Kan.
9. (1) 57 Duke Erickson, Sioux Falls, S.D.

 

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (1) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
2. (5) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
3. (7) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
4. (2) 15* Ryan Mikkelson ®, Jamestown, N.D.
5. (6) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
6. (4) 27 Don Gerritsen Jr., Rock Rapids, Iowa.
7. (8) 37 Mike Jergens ®, Plover, Iowa.
8. (3) 00 Mark Gartner, Mapleton, Minn.

 

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
2. (6) 1s Ricky Thornton Jr. ®, Chandler, Ariz.
3. (4) 4 Cody Bauman ®, Eureka, Ill.
4. (7) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
5. (5) 81 Mike Densberger ®, Lincoln, Neb.
6. (3) 6 Brock Bauman ®, Eureka, Ill.
7. (2) 1g Pat Graham, Ankeny, Iowa.
8. (8) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa.

 

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN (10 laps, all advance):
1. (5) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
2. (4) 6 Brock Bauman ®, Eureka, Ill.
3. (1) 81 Mike Densberger ®, Lincoln, Neb.
4. (2) 00 Masen Big Eagle, Manor, Sask., Canada.
5. (6) 37 Mike Jergens ®, Plover, Iowa.
6. (3) 27 Don Gerritsen Jr., Rock Rapids, Iowa.
7. (8) 23 Adam Kates ®, Tonganoxie, Kan.
8. (7) 1g Pat Graham, Ankeny, Iowa.
9. (11) 57 Duke Erickson, Sioux Falls, S.D.
10. (9) 00 Mark Gartner, Mapleton, Minn.
11. (10) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa.

 

CASEY'S GENERAL STORES "A" MAIN (32 laps):
1. (3) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 32, $3000.
2. (8) 99 Jesse Sobbing, Malvern, Iowa, Harris/GMPP, 32, $1700.
3. (4) 1s Ricky Thornton Jr. ®, Chandler, Ariz., MBCustom/GMPP, 32, $1200.
4. (5) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La., MBCustom/ASI, 32, $1000.
5. (1) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn., MBCustom/Sput's, 32, $900.
6. (7) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, LG2/Sput's, 32, $800.
7. (2) 555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa, Sidebiter/Sput's, 32, $600.
8. (15) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, MBCustom/Hatfield, 32, $650.
9. (10) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., LG2/Cornett, 32, $600.
10. (13) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Lethal/Durham, 32, $550.
11. (11) 5 Brandon Beckendorf, Danube, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput's, 32, $400.
12. (9) 4 Cody Bauman ®, Eureka, Ill., GRT/GMPP, 32, $450.
13. (14) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla., MBCustom/Hatfield, 32, $425.
14. (17) 81 Mike Densberger ®, Lincoln, Neb., Jet/Speedway, 32, $400.
15. (19) 37 Mike Jergens ®, Plover, Iowa, Harris/KSE, 32, $375.
16. (25) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa, Hilsabeck/Mullins, 32, $350.
17. (16) 6 Brock Bauman ®, Eureka, Ill., GRT/Mullins, 32, $400.
18. (18) 00 Masen Big Eagle, Manor, Sask., Canada, GRT/Yeoman, 32, $300.
19. (20) 27 Don Gerritsen Jr., Rock Rapids, Iowa, Skyrocket/HarryHeads, 32, $250.
20. (22) 1g Pat Graham, Ankeny, Iowa, Skyrocket/Karl, 31, $250.
21. (21) 23 Adam Kates ®, Tonganoxie, Kan., LG2/Speedway, 31, $300.
22. (23) 57 Duke Erickson, Sioux Falls, S.D., Dominator/Adams, 31, $250.
23. (12) 15* Ryan Mikkelson ®, Jamestown, N.D., GRT/Dakota, 30, $300.
24. (6) 99 Jett Big Eagle ®, Manor, Sask., Canada, MBCustom/Baxter, 30, $300.
25. (24) 00 Mark Gartner, Mapleton, Minn., 9, $250.

® = Rookie of the Year contender.

Lap Leaders: Angst 1, Hughes 2-32.
Total Laps Led: Hughes 31, Angst 1.
Margin of Victory: 0.541 second.
Time of Race: 20 minutes, 32.331 seconds (2 cautions).
Provisional Starters: none.
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger: Hilsabeck (started 24th, finished 16th).
Entries: 25.

 

Next Race: Friday, Sept. 1, Chateau Raceway, Lansing, Minn.

 

USMTS Casey's Cup Points: Hughes 1764, Dillard 1716, Sobbing 1693, Sanders 1667, VanderBeek 1622, J. Scott 1505, Duvall 1423, Ramirez 1382, B. Bauman 1325, Stormy Scott 1317.

 

Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year Points: Jergens 1519, B. Bauman 1516, Thornton 1510, C. Bauman 1499, J. Big Eagle 1400.

 

COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 424, Sput's 298, ASI 297, Durham 292, GMPP 287.

 

Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 428, MBCustoms 420, LG2 339, Harris 312, GRT 279.

 

Contingency Awards:
Allstar Performance - Sanders.
American Racer - Gerritsen.
Bell Helmets - B. Bauman.
Beyea Custom Headers - Angst.
BSB Manufacturing - Kates.
Day Motor Sports - Mikkelson, J. Big Eagle.
Deatherage Opticians - Erickson.
Edelbrock - Dillard.
Eibach Springs - C. Bauman.
Fast Shafts - Angst.
FK Rod Ends - Jergens.
Forty9Designs.com - Densberger, Gerritsen.
Fuel Safe - VanderBeek.
GRT Race Cars - Mikkelson.
Hooker Harness - Duvall.
Integra Shocks & Springs - M. Big Eagle.
Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service - Hilsabeck.
Kevko Oil Pans & Components - Ramirez.
Keyser Manufacturing - Scott.
KSE Racing Products - Hilsabeck.
Midwest Sheet Metal - Graham.
MSD - Ruter, Hughes.
Out-Pace Racing Products - Hilsabeck.
PBM Performance Products - Thornton.
QA1 - Beckendorf.
Real Racing Wheels - not awarded.
Sybesma Graphics - Thornton.
VP Racing Fuels - Hughes.
Wehrs Machine & Racing Products - Beckendorf.
Wilwood Engineering - Ruter.