6/10/2019
Gustin finds his groove in Greenville
GREENVILLE, Texas--When Ryan Gustin won the USMTS feature Sunday night at the Creek County Speedway, it snapped a winless streak that lasted for more than a year.
He barely had time to let his engine cool down before scoring his next one Tuesday night at the Superbowl Speedway.
Just three of the eight previously scheduled USMTS shows at the 3/8-mile clay oval in Greenville, Texas, escaped Mother Nature's wrath, and this year the competition was unable to evade 'The Reaper.'
From the outside of the front row, Max Eddie Thomas did everything he needed to do in order to make the 20-minute drive from Quinlan to Greenville pay off with a $2,500 check.
He led the first 19 laps before Gustin shot past just before the halfway point.
From there, Gustin held off a late charge by tenth-starting Jake O'Neil, who followed Gustin to the checkered flag 48 hours earlier too.
It was Gustin's 96th career USMTS victory.
USMT national points leader Rodney Sanders came from eighth on the starting grid to claim the third spot with a last-lap pass of Cade Dillard.
Phillips rounded out the top five with Thomas hanging on for a sixth-place paycheck.
Bo Day, Adam Kates, Clyde Dunn Jr. and Hunter Marriott completed the top ten.
82 morrow: On Wednesday, the series heads to the 82 Speedway in Petty, Texas, for the 2nd Annual USMTS Event presented by Simpson Performance Products.
The USMTS visited the former East Texas Speedway on June 25, 2015, with Philip Houston picking up the win.
The track is a wide, sweeping 1/3-mile high-banked dirt oval and the facility holds 3,400 spectators in its elevated grandstands which offer superb viewing from any seat.
The pit gate opens at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and grandstands open at 5. Draw cutoff for competitors is 6:15, the drivers meeting happens at 6:45, hot laps begin at 7 and racing starts at 7:30.
Spectator admission is $20 or $18 for seniors and members of the military. Youth ages 6-11 are $5 and kids 5 and under get in for free. Pit passes are $35 for all ages.
Factory Stocks ($700 to win), Econo Mods ($400 to win) and Limited Mods ($700 to win) join the USMTS Modifieds on the racing card.
The 82 Speedway is located about 15 minutes west of Paris and 25 minutes east of Bonham (1.5 hours northeast of DFW, depending on what part of the Metroplex you're coming from). The track's physical location is 16369 US Hwy 82, Petty, TX 75470. For more information, visit 82speedway.com.
Monarchy Thursday: On Thursday, the 2nd Annual USMTS Event presented by Deatherage Opticians takes place at the Monarch Motor Speedway in Wichita Falls, Texas.
After two weather delays in 2019 already, officials are hoping the third time's the charm for the USMTS return to the former Red River Speedway. Rodney Sanders won the inaugural event here on June 19, 2015.
The track has great food in the concession stand, so come hungry and they'll fix you up (and at family-affordable prices). BYOB to those of age, but no glass containers please.
Thursday's throwdown will pay $2,500 to win with USRA Limited Mods racing for $750 to win thanks to Marsh Towing & Recovery.
Adult (12-64) are $20. Seniors (55+) and military with ID get in for $15. Kids (6-11) are $5 while children under 6 are free. Pit passes are $35.
The pit gate opens at 3 p.m. and grandstands open at 6. Following a drivers meeting at 7:15, hot laps hit the track at 7:30 with the first green flag slated for 8 p.m.
The Monarch Motor Speedway is located 4 miles west of I-44 in Wichita Falls on Hwy 287, then head north 1.2 miles on FM369 (1633 FM 369, N Wichita Falls, TX).
How will the West be won? On Friday, the USMTS invades the West Texas Raceway in Lubbock for the 5th Annual USMTS Event presented by Wrisco. This will be the fifth visit to the facility. Jason Hughes won in 2010 when it was called Lubbock speedway and again in 2017 after it became known as West Texas Raceway. Rodney Sanders won here in 2016 and Lucas Schott was last year's winner.
USRA Modifieds, USRA Limited Mods, USRA Stock Cars and WTR Street Stocks will also be racing. The pit gate opens at 4 p.m., grandstands open at 5:30, hot laps begin at 7:30 and racing gets underway at 8.p.m.
Adult tickets are $15, kids ages 6-12 and members of the military are just $10. A family pass is only $40 and gives two adults and two kids admission to the show. Children under 6 get in for free. Put passes are $30 with kids 5 and under free into the pit area.
The track boasts a full concession stand, cold beer on sale and a great gift shop on site. Cash or credit cards are accepted. Sponsors for this event include Matthews Backhoe, Matney Transportation, Diamond M Storage and Wild West Harley-Davidson.
The West Texas Raceway is a 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval located south of Lubbock on US 87 to FM 1585, then east to Frontage Rd., then 0.3 mile north. For more information, visit westtexasraceway.com.
Amarillo by morning: the five-day swing wraps up Saturday with the 10th Annual USMTS Amarillo Ambush presented by Genesis Racing Shocks at the Route 66 Motor Speedway in Amarillo.
This will be the tenth meeting of the USMTS and the tough regional and local USRA Modified racers in West Texas and New Mexico where past USMTS events have played out in front of standing-room-only crowds.
Hometown favorite Rodney Sanders captured the inaugural event in 2010, added a second trophy to his case in 2015 and a third in last year's stop. Other winners here include Kelly Shryock, Jason Hughes, Randy Timms, Stormy Scott, who won back-to-back races in 2013-2014, and Ryan Gustin.
The Route 66 Motor Speedway is a popular racing destination for drivers and fans in the Texas panhandle. The facility has a seating for 4,000 race fans plus handicapped parking, stadium lighting, full concessions and several luxurious V.I.P. booths.
For race teams, the racing surface at Bill Worthen's speedplant is a generous 75 feet wide in the turns with 20 degrees of banking, and 65 feet wide down the straight-aways with five degrees of banking. The pits have concrete pads available with lighting and water.
Street Stocks, Limited Late Models, Sport Mods and 305 Sprints will also be racing. The pits open at 4 p.m., grandstands gates swing open at 6, hot laps start at 6:30 and racing begins at 7 p.m.
Adult tickets are $15. Seniors and military are $12. Kids ages 12 and under are $5. Sponsors for this event include K3 Towing, Budweiser, Rabern Rentals and Amarillo Auto Supply.
The Route 66 Motor Speedway is a 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval located 1.5 miles south of I-40 at exit 75 on Lakeside Dr. in Amarillo. For more information, check out route66motorspeedway.net.
For those unable to attend any of this week's blockbuster events in person, RacinDirt.com will bring you all five nights of racing action with live coverage of every lap in every division at every track. Visit RacinDirt.com right now to get the dirt on racin'.
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.
Article Credit: Jeff Nunn