The Following is a press release from the United States Modified Touring Series:
Terry Phillips became the first repeat winner of the 2021 campaign for the Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s with a stout performance on opening night of the inaugural USMTS Spring Challenge powered by MSD at the Karl Chevrolet Hamilton County Speedway.
Johnny Scott started on the pole for the 35-lap main event but it was his fellow Las Cruces, New Mexico, native securing the top spot at the end of the opening lap. Phillips, who started behind Gallardo in fourth, fought for real estate with Scott and Jake O’Neil for the next 10 laps before securing second place.
Phillips chased Gallardo for the next six laps before finally discovering a way around the 2015 USRA Modified national champion and stealing the lead with 17 laps in the books.
“He was going in so hard I was having to go in hard to keep up,” Phillips said about chasing Gallardo through the corners. “I kept diving and finally he pushed pretty bad and I watched him and watched him and thought he was clear. He kept almost messing up and he finally he kind of messed up—his car got tight it looked like—and then after that I just tried to hit my lines.
Gallardo’s chance at capturing the win ended four laps later when he suffered a flat right rear tire. After the caution period, Phillips was able to briefly drive away from the field while Scott and O’Neil traded blows for second.
O’Neil closed the gap to a car length by the time the checkered flag waved but Phillips held him off and crossed the finish line first to collect the $5,000 winner’s share of the prize money. It was the 35th career USMTS triumph for the Wrisco points leader.
Dan Ebert climbed from ninth on the grid to a third-place finish behind runner-up O’Neil. Scott held on for fourth and Jason Hughes finished fifth. Lucas Schott, Tanner Mullens, Tyler Wolff, Dereck Ramirez, Woodward and Lance Mari rounded out the top 10.
One of the richest events in the history of the 110-year-old facility, the USMTS Spring Challenge powered by MSD continues Saturday with a $10,000 top prize up for grabs for the main event winner.
Medieval USRA Stock Cars, USRA B-Mods and Mensink Racing Products USRA Hobby Stocks will also be in action again. The pits open at 4 p.m., grandstands open at 5 and qualifying gets underway at 7 p.m.
General admission tickets are $25 for adults (17-61) or $20 for seniors (62+) and juniors (12-16). Kids ages 11 and under get in for free. Pit passes are $40 or $30 for kids ages 6-10. Children under 6 are admitted for free in the pits.
About the Karl Chevrolet Hamilton County Speedway: Opening in July 1910, the Hamilton County Speedway is the oldest speedway in the state of Iowa. In 1938, work began on the current location at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds. The semi-banked half-mile dirt track was completed in the spring of 1939, and the first races were held on the track in September of that year.
One of the many new improvements to the facility is a new 170-foot-long infield catwalk along the front-stretch. New lights and much more are already finished, underway or in the planning stages.
The Hamilton County Speedway is located off US 20 at exit 140, then 1.2 miles north, then 0.5 mile east on Bank St., then 0.4 mile south on Bluff St. to the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in Webster City, Iowa. The physical address is 1200 Bluff St, Webster City, IA 50595.
The AmericInn by Wyndham is the Official Host Hotel of the Hamilton County Speedway. Located just off the exit from Highway 20 at 411 Closz Drive, check them out online at AmercInn.com or call (515) 337-2611 to book your stay.
For more information, call (515) 832-6000 or check out HamiltonCoSpeedway.com. You can also follow us through social media on Facebook and Twitter.
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.
As 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.
CASEY’S “A” MAIN (35 laps):
1. (4) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
2. (3) 0 Jake O’Neil, Tucson, Ariz.
3. (9) 60 Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minn.
4. (1) 1ST Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
5. (5) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
6. (14) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
7. (13) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
8. (6) 4W Tyler Wolff, Fayetteville, Ark.
9. (7) 4R Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
10. (17) 19SB Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif.
11. (19) 19 Dustin Sorensen, Rochester, Minn.
12. (18) 89X Jesse Glenz, Cadott, Wis.
13. (15) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas
14. (11) 444 Brooks Strength, Raymond, Miss.
15. (22) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
16. (21) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan.
17. (23) 65X Carlos Ahumada Jr., El Paso, Texas
18. (2) J17 Jake Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M.
19. (12) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
20. (20) 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa
21. (16) 1M Curt Myers, Cameron, Wis.
22. (25) 6 Casey Skyberg, Rapid City, S.D.
23. (10) 77 Jeff Aikey, Cedar Falls, Iowa
24. (8) 87 Darron Fuqua, Mayetta, Kan.
25. (24) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
