SALINA, Okla. (April 21) – A crowd of more than 3,000 hungry race fans greeted the USMTS Modifieds Saturday as they made their first visit to the Salina Highbanks Speedway since 2004.

With 41 drivers on hand, they did not disappoint the packed house as veteran Terry Phillips and defending USMTS National Champion Ryan Gustin fought it out for 30 laps before Phillips emerged with his second win of the 2012 campaign.

Gustin drew the pole position for the start of the main event, but it was Phillips who took control at the drop of the green flag. With drivers being able to race high and low, ongoing battles for position went on throughout the field while the front row starters stole the race for the checkers.

Phillips led the first 15 laps before Gustin edged ahead to be scored the leader on lap 16. Phillips bounced back to regain control the next time around and passed the flagstand as the leader for the next 11 circuits.

With three laps to go, the relentless Gustin again wrestled the top spot away but Phillips powered back to the front and led the final two laps to pick up the winner’s trophy and the $2,000 top prize.

USMTS Casey’s Cup Series points leader Rodney Sanders finished third and notched his sixth top-5 finish of the season as he held off Jason Hughes and 12th-starting Randy Timms. Kenny Wallace took sixth, Stormy Scott was seventh and Jeremy Payne recorded an eighth-place finish.

Bryan Rowland and Johnny Scott sliced through the pack like a hot knife through butter, finishing ninth and tenth after starting 23rd and 24th, respectively. It was the second straight night that Rowland earned the Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger Award.

Justin Rexwinkle earned the Pole Award with most passing points during the four heat races, but fell out of the feature race just six laps in. He was awarded the Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award.

Sanders continues to lead the USMTS Casey’s Cup Series points with Gustin, Stormy Scott, Hughes and Phillips filling out the rest of the top five.

On Sunday, the 7th Annual Race Brothers Farm & Home Supply Missouri Nationals will mark the 13th appearance of the USMTS Modifieds at Randy Mooneyham’s Monett Speedway.

Gustin is a two-time winner at the ‘Grand Ol’ Lady’ including two of the last three stops at the 3/8-mile red clay oval. Hughes and Phillips have also captured two wins at Monett. Other former winners include Kelly Shryock, defending USRA Modified track champion Johnny Bone Jr., George White and Mark Noble.

In addition to the USMTS Modifieds, fans will see USRA B-Mods, Pure Stocks and Legends Cars in action too. The pit gate opens at 4 p.m., grandstand gates open at 5, hot laps begin at 6:30 and the first green flag will be unfurled at 7 p.m.

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 and follow us on Twitter.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
USMTS Casey’s Cup Series
Salina Highbanks Speedway, Salina, Okla.
Saturday, April 21, 2012

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed, reason out (if any) and money won. The top 14 drivers in passing points accumulated in the heat races are locked into the “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.

HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (4) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
2. (10) 23 Justin Rexwinkle, South Coffeyville, Okla.
3. (7) 52 Chad Davis, Tulsa, Okla.
4. (2) 29 Scott Haseman (R), Fayetteville, Ark.
5. (6) 5* Casey Penn (R), Shreveport, La.
6. (5) 12 Johnny Bone Jr., Pea Ridge, Ark.
7. (1) 16 Colt Goodman (R), Chandler, Okla.
8. (11) 74 Robert Janes (R), Springdale, Ark.
9. (3) 1 Mike Wroblewski (R), Muskogee, Okla.
10. (8) 21t Grady Smith (R), Oakhurst, Okla.
11. (9) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.

HOOKER HARNESS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (3) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
2. (6) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3. (10) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
4. (4) 85 Thomas Tillison Jr. (R), Wellston, Okla.
5. (7) 4m Bobby Malchus, Red Oak, Texas.
6. (8) 9 Ken Schrader, Concord, N.C.
7. (9) 11 Chris Theodore (R), Coweta, Okla.
8. (5) 2g Patrick Goodnight (R), Braggs, Okla.
9. (1) 38 Jeremy Ross, Locust Grove, Okla.
10. (2) 4 Shannon Scott (R), Henryetta, Okla.

EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (4) 36 Kenny Wallace, Concord, N.C.
2. (6) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
3. (1) 98 John Allen, Chanute, Kan.
4. (2) 91 Joe Duvall, Chelsea, Okla.
5. (5) 86j Travis Johnson (R), Enid, Okla.
6. (3) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck (R), Waukee, Iowa.
7. (7) 33 Al Purkey (R), Coffeyville, Kan.
8. (8) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
9. (9) 5j John Schwab, Liberal, Kan.
10. (10) 47 Melvin Pilcher, Springdale, Ark.

PBM PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (2) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo.
2. (1) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
3. (3) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla.
4. (6) 2s Stormy Scott (R), Stewartsville, Mo.
5. (9) 26 Brian Williams, Fayetteville, Ark.
6. (7) 38 Jaren Frailey (R), Chouteau, Okla.
7. (5) 3 Danny Womack, Muskogee, Okla.
8. (8) 7h Brett Hansen (R), Fort Gibson, Okla.
9. (10) 11n Gene Nicholas (R), Lowell, Ark.
10. (4) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (10 laps, top 6 advance):
1. (4) 9 Ken Schrader, Concord, N.C.
2. (5) 12 Johnny Bone Jr., Pea Ridge, Ark.
3. (2) 91 Joe Duvall, Chelsea, Okla.
4. (3) 5* Casey Penn (R), Shreveport, La.
5. (9) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
6. (14) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.
7. (8) 3 Danny Womack, Muskogee, Okla., Bone/BMS, $75.
8. (13) 47 Melvin Pilcher, Springdale, Ark., TRE/BMS, $75.
9. (7) 16 Colt Goodman (R), Chandler, Okla., Kraft/, $75.
10. (12) 21t Grady Smith (R), Oakhurst, Okla., Shaw/Smith, $75.
11. (10) 11n Gene Nicholas (R), Lowell, Ark., Lighting/Kelly, $75.
12. (6) 11 Chris Theodore (R), Coweta, Okla., Boyd/STK, $90.
13. (1) 29 Scott Haseman (R), Fayetteville, Ark., Hughes/Kelly, $75.
14. (11) 38 Jeremy Ross, Locust Grove, Okla., PCD/Wars, $90.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (10 laps, top 6 advance):
1. (1) 85 Thomas Tillison Jr. (R), Wellston, Okla.
2. (2) 4m Bobby Malchus, Red Oak, Texas.
3. (7) 33 Al Purkey (R), Coffeyville, Kan.
4. (3) 86j Travis Johnson (R), Enid, Okla.
5. (13) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
6. (5) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck (R), Waukee, Iowa.
7. (11) 5j John Schwab, Liberal, Kan.
8. (9) 7h Brett Hansen (R), Fort Gibson, Okla., Hoffman/Shinook, $75.
9. (12) 4 Shannon Scott (R), Henryetta, Okla.
10. (10) 1 Mike Wroblewski (R), Muskogee, Okla., Hoffman/, $75.
11. (6) 74 Robert Janes (R), Springdale, Ark., TRE/Dickens, $75.
12. (4) 38 Jaren Frailey (R), Chouteau, Okla., /, $75.
13. (8) 2g Patrick Goodnight (R), Braggs, Okla., TRE/Mullins, $75

“A” MAIN (30 laps):
1. (2) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Hatfield, 30, $2000.
2. (1) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 30, $1500.
3. (3) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, Hughes/Geddes, 30, $1000.
4. (4) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 30, $900.
5. (12) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla., Hughes/Geddes, 30, $800.
6. (5) 36 Kenny Wallace, Concord, N.C., Impressive/Mullins, 30, $600.
7. (13) 2s Stormy Scott (R), Stewartsville, Mo., GRT/Yeoman, 30, $650.
8. (10) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo., GRT/RoushYates, 30, $600.
9. (23) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 30, $650.
10. (24) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Hughes/ProPower, 30, $500.
11. (20) 33 Al Purkey (R), Coffeyville, Kan., Shark/Hatfield, 30, $450.
12. (16) 85 Thomas Tillison Jr. (R), Wellston, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 30, $425.
13. (15) 9 Ken Schrader, Concord, N.C., Impressive/Dickens, 30, $400.
14. (22) 86j Travis Johnson (R), Enid, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 30, $250.
15. (6) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo., Hughes/Geddes, 30, $350.
16. (9) 52 Chad Davis, Tulsa, Okla., RaceCraft/BMS, 30, $250.
17. (26) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck (R), Waukee, Iowa, GRT/Mullins, 30, $300.
18. (21) 5* Casey Penn (R), Shreveport, La., Hughes/Geddes, 30, $300.
19. (27) 5j John Schwab, Liberal, Kan., Ramirez/Cline, 30, $90.
20. (8) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 28, mechanical, $300.
21. (11) 98 John Allen, Chanute, Kan., Hughes/Mullins, 28, mechanical, $300.
22. (25) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo., GRT/Mullins, 24, mechanical, $300.
23. (17) 12 Johnny Bone Jr., Pea Ridge, Ark., TRE/Homegrown, 24, mechanical, $300.
24. (19) 91 Joe Duvall, Chelsea, Okla., Hughes/BMS, 24, mechanical, $300.
25. (18) 4m Bobby Malchus, Red Oak, Texas, Hughes/Wells, 24, mechanical, $300.
26. (14) 26 Brian Williams, Fayetteville, Ark. Hughes/Ora’s, 23, mechanical, $250.
27. (7) 23 Justin Rexwinkle, South Coffeyville, Okla., Shark/Kalvinator, 6, mechanical, $300.
28. (28) 4 Shannon Scott (R), Henryetta, Okla., Hughes/BMS, 3, mechanical, $90.

(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.

Integra Lap Leaders: Phillips 1-15, Gustin 16, Phillips 17-27, Gustin 28, Phillips 29-30.
Total Laps Led: Phillips 28, Gustin 2.
Margin of Victory: 0.179 second.
Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger: Rowland (started 23rd, finished 9th).
Dominator Race Products Hard Luck: Rexwinkle.
Provisional Starters: Schwab, Shannon Scott.
Next Race: Sunday, April 22, Monett Speedway, Monett, Mo.
USMTS Casey’s Cup Series Points: Sanders 63, Gustin 50, Stormy Scott 48, Hughes 42, Phillips 35, J. Scott 34, Payne 27, Ramirez 27, Zack VanderBeek 23, Kelly Shryock 23.
Rookie of the Year Points: Stormy Scott 734, Ron Keith 421, Hilsabeck 308, Penn 304, Jay Marshall 233.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 75, Geddes 70, ProPower 58, Yeoman 57, Sput’s 40.
Tiger Rear Ends Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 86, GRT 79, Skyrocket 59, TRE 38, Impressive 26.

Contingency Awards:
AERO Race Wheels – Shannon Scott.
American Racer – Womack.
Dominator Race Products – Rexwinkle.
Eibach Springs – Wallace.
Forty9Designs.com – Hughes, Rowland.
Hooker Harness – Hughes.
Integra Racing Shocks & Springs – Phillips.
KSE Racing Products – Ramirez.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Rexwinkle.
Nitroquest – Ross, Goodnight.
Mesilla Valley Transportation – Rowland.
PBM Performance Products – B. Davis.
R2C Performance Products – Gustin.
Real Racing Wheels – Schrader, Tillison.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Dominator Race Products, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arbor Masters, Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, Beebe Heating & Air Conditioning, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com, Erson Cams, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Mesilla Valley Transportation, O’Brien Enterprises, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Motorsports, Road Runner Trucking, Ruter Farms, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Integra Racing Shocks & Springs, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Tiger Rear Ends.