CLICK HERE FOR MORE MODIFIED PHOTOS FROM THE WILD WEST SHOOTOUT!
By Ryan Neuharth
January 16, 2015, Tucson, Ariz. 2014 USMTS Modified National Champion Rodney Sanders left no doubt about who is currently the best modified driver in the national Friday night at the 2015 Keyser Manufacturing Wild West Shootout. The Wednesday night Late Model feature winner took the lead from Grant Junghans on lap one in his Wichita Tank Line, Swan Energy, Kimrad Transport, MB Custom and never looked back on his way to a dominating feature win.
With Sanders seemingly running in another zip code as he streaked away from the field, the race going on behind him was a dandy. Junghans would hold the second spot with a quick five in the books with Ryan Gustin up to third from fifth, Mike Sterns and eighth starting and two-time winner Jake Gallardo rounding out the top five.
Three drivers who started deep in the field, Fito Gallardo (14th) Ricky Thornton, Jr., (15th) and Brad Dierck (18th from the b-main) were charging toward the front. Fito would run seventh, Diercks eleventh and Thornton twelfth with just five laps complete.
Diercks and Thornton would be up to eighth and ninth respectively on lap ten with Fito chasing down son Jake for fifth. Back up front, Sanders would glued to the cushion and quickly lapping drivers running in the mid-teens.
The top five would remain unchanged as lap fifteen was record with Diercks and Thornton still on the hunt as they both moved past Alex Stanford to move closer to the front. Jake Gallardo would move past Sterns on lap eighteen for fourth as Diercks and Thornton passed-up Fito Gallardo to run sixth and seventh.
With five to run, Sanders was now lapping drivers in the top ten as Gustin began to apply the heat to Junghans for second. Gustin would ultimately wrestle the spot from Junghans on lap twenty-three but could do nothing to track down Sanders over the final two circuits.
Modifieds
USA Raceway
1/16/15
A-Main
1 20s Rodney Sanders Happy, TX
2 19r Ryan Gustin Marshalltown, IA
3 2 Grant Junghans Manhattan, KS
4 j17 Jake Gallardo Las Cruces, NM
5 24s Mike Stearns Hecla, SD
6 29d Brad Diercks Clarence, IA
7 20rt Ricky Thornton Jr Phoenix, AZ
8 g17 Fito Gallardo Las Cruces, NM
9 2j Blake Jegtvig Hawley, MN
10 98 Alex Stanford Chowchilla, CA
11 2X Brady Gerdes Villard, MN
12 22d Dan Hilsabeck Adel, IA
13 10w Ward Imrie Winnipeg, MB
14 14w Clayton Wagamon Blaine, MN
15 131 Royal Jones Las Cruces, NM
16 44 Christy Georges El Paso, TX
17 9 Jimmy Ray Las Cruces, NM
18 42s Dave Mass East Bethel, MN
19 10s Rick Spencer Tucson, AZ
20 9L Vince Lucas Elk City, OK
21 75 Alan Sharpensteen Amarillo, TX
22 51 Joey Moriarty Phoenix, AZ
23 23J Greg Jelvik Tucson, AZ