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O'Neil sets sail at Longdale for first USMTS win of 2019

After missing most of April while he recovered from medical issues, Jake O'Neil has steadily improved both physically and inside the cockpit of his LG2 chassis by Jimmy Owens.

On Thursday night he returned to USMTS action for the first time since King of America IX in March and brought home a fifth-place finish. Friday night he improved to third and Saturday he made the climb to the top of the mountain in taking the checkers at the Longdale Speedway.

O'Neil started on the outside of the front row for the 35-lap main event, but it was back-to-back Sybesma Graphics Pole Award winner Dereck Ramirez who got the jump at the drop of the green flag with Ryan Gustin and R.C. Whitwell following Ramirez while O'Neil slipped to fourth on the opening lap.

Still looking for his first USMTS victory of the year, Gustin pressured Ramirez for the first eight laps before Whitwell got by to claim the second spot. Whitwell nosed ahead to lead lap 12 but Ramirez powered back to the front one lap later.

O'Neil was eventually able to get around Gustin and Whitwell, and then wrestled the lead away from Ramirez with 27 laps in the books while Gustin coasted to the pit area with mechanical troubles for a second straight night.

For the final eight laps around the half-mile clay oval, O'Neil left no doubt as he pulled away to a six-car-length triumph at the finish line with Ramirez following in the runner-up spot.

Meanwhile, USMTS national points leader Rodney Sanders worked his way to the third spot after starting 20th due to switching to a back-up car after his heat race, which he won. He would have started sixth in the feature race if he had driven the same car he qualified with.

Whitwell held on for fourth ahead of 14th-starting Tyler Wolff who picked up the FK Rod Ends Hard Charger Award. Hunter Marriott, Terry Phillips, Joe Duvall, Mike Striegel and Jon Herring Jr. completed the top 10.

O'Neil's fourth career USMTS win was worth $3,000.

Killer Quintuple kicks off May: After a ten-day break to catch their breath, the tireless USMTS touring titans return to action on May 7 for the first of five straight nights on a journey through the Lone Star State.

The Summit USMTS Southern Series swing begins Tuesday, May 7, at the Superbowl Speedway in Greenville. This is the ninth attempt, but only three times has Mother Nature cooperated with efforts here. The USMTS debuted at the semi-banked clay oval in 2014. Cade Dillard was the winner in the last dry event here in 2016.

From there, the series returns to two tracks for a second time but both under a new name. On Wednesday, May 8, it's a trek to the 82 Speedway in Petty where Philip Houston won the inaugural event in 2015, and then on Thursday, May 9, the reanimated Monarch Motor Speedway in Wichita Falls hosts the return of the USMTS since Rodney Sanders won here that same year.

Friday, May 10, finds the relentless USMTS road warriors back at the West Texas Raceway in Lubbock before wrapping up the power pentathlon with the 10th annual USMTS Amarillo Ambush on Saturday, May 11, at the Route 66 Motor Speedway in Amarillo.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit USMTS.com or call (515) 832-7944. You can also like the USMTS on Facebook, visit us on Instagram, follow us on Twitter, connect with us on LinkedIn and watch us on YouTube. Keep up to speed with everything USMTS and subscribe to the USMTS e-Newsletter.

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