EL PASO, Texas—Austin Arneson was in control from start to finish in Thursday’s USMTS main event at the El Paso Speedway Park as he dominated the opening night of the 2nd Annual “Ice Breaker” presented by El Luchador.
Arneson, from Fargo, N.D., actually “broke the ice” one week ago when he captured his career-first United States Modified Touring Series feature win at the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas.
“I knew I was good in (turns) one and two, but three and four were like ice skating over there,” Arneson said. “Hats off to the guys. I don’t think anybody thought they were going to get the track ran in tonight but was good, it was a good race, got our second win with these guys. Things are going good.”
A yellow flag on the fourth lap and a red flag on lap 16 slowed the action during the first half of the 30-lapper, but Arneson was up to the challenge on each restart with Cade Dillard of Robeline, La., following USMTS rookie from beginning to end.
The race’s first caution waved when defending USMTS National Champion Rodney Sanders came to a stop in turn 2. The red flag occurred when Terry Phillips collided with a spinning lapped car while chasing Dillard for the second spot.
Action continues Friday with a $3,000-to-win main event on tap for the USMTS drivers. Spectator gates open at 5 p.m. with racing at 7. Grandstand admission is $12 Friday while kids ages 10 and under get in for free. Pit passes are $40.
The tripleheader weekend wraps up on Saturday with a $4,000 top prize up for grabs.
Limited X-Mods, Mini-Sprints and Casa Nissan Legends Cars will also be in action again both nights.
For those race fans unable to attend the 2nd Annual USMTS “Ice Breaker” presented by El Luchador, all three nights will be carried live online via pay-per-view. Visitwww.SpeedShift.tv for ordering information.
The El Paso Speedway Park is a 3/8-mile semi-banked clay oval located 6.0 miles east of FM 375 on US 62, then 0.5 mile north on Krag St., then east on Tangerine Ave. For more information call 915-791-8749 or visit www.epspeedwaypark.com online. You can also find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ElPasoSpeedwayPark or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ElPasoSpeedway.
To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.comonline or call 515-832-7944. You can also like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/usmts, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usmts or subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv.
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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
USMTS Casey’s Cup Series powered by S&S Fishing & Rental – MVT Gulf Coast Border Region presented by Day Motor Sports
2nd Annual “Ice Breaker” presented by El Luchador
El Paso Speedway Park, El Paso, Texas
Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015
Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed and money won. The top 16 drivers in passing points accumulated in the heat races were locked into the “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.
MSD HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (2) 28 Tom Georges, El Paso, Texas.
2. (5) 99 Jesse Sobbing (R), Glenwood, Iowa.
3. (6) 10 Austin Arneson (R), Fargo, N.D.
4. (7) 9 Jimmy Ray, Las Cruces, N.M.
5. (3) 07 Donavon Flores (R), Las Cruces, N.M.
6. (8) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
7. (10) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
8. (4) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
9. (9) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
10. (1) 131 Royal Jones, Las Cruces, N.M.
HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (4) G17 Fito Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (2) 23k Ben Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan.
3. (6) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
4. (3) 2 Casey Arneson (R), Fargo, N.D.
5. (7) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
6. (9) 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas.
7. (5) 1* Adam Penn, Shreveport, La.
8. (8) 38 Ronnie Gould III (R), Seminole, Okla.
9. (1) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
10. (10) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 44 Christy Georges-Barnett, El Paso, Texas.
2. (5) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
3. (8) 2x Gene Weaver (R), Amarillo, Texas.
4. (7) J17 Jake Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M.
5. (2) 49 Duane Murphy, El Paso, Texas.
6. (4) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
7. (10) 7d Austin Theiss (R), Hockley, Texas.
8. (3) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa.
9. (9) 85 Austin Adams (R), El Paso, Texas.
10. (6) 19 Donavon Ooley, El Paso, Texas.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 6 advance):
1. (2) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
2. (4) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
3. (6) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
4. (1) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
5. (3) 7d Austin Theiss (R), Hockley, Texas.
6. (8) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa.
7. (5) 1* Adam Penn, Shreveport, La.
8. (9) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
9. (10) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
10. (11) 85 Austin Adams (R), El Paso, Texas, Shaw/ARE, $80.
11. (7) 38 Ronnie Gould III (R), Seminole, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, $80.
12. (14) 19 Donavon Ooley, El Paso, Texas, AOS/, $60.
13. (12) 131 Royal Jones, Las Cruces, N.M., GRT/Klein, $80.
14. (13) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn., MBCustom/Sput’s, $80.
MESILLA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION “A” MAIN (30 laps):
1. (1) 10 Austin Arneson (R), Fargo, N.D., GRT/Durham, 30, $2000.
2. (2) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La., LG2/Geddes, 30, $1500.
3. (13) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., LG2/Cornett, 30, $1000.
4. (11) J17 Jake Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M., LG2/AOS, 30, $800.
5. (9) 23k Ben Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan., Harris/Mullins, 30, $700.
6. (7) G17 Fito Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M., GRC/AOS, 30, $600.
7. (4) 2x Gene Weaver (R), Amarillo, Texas, GRT/PPE, 30, $550.
8. (12) 2 Casey Arneson (R), Fargo, N.D., GRT/Durham, 30, $500.
9. (6) 99 Jesse Sobbing (R), Glenwood, Iowa, MBCustom/Sput’s, 30, $450.
10. (14) 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas, MBCustom/PPE, 30, $400.
11. (21) 7d Austin Theiss (R), Hockley, Texas, MBCustom/Mullins, 30, $350.
12. (17) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 30, $400.
13. (19) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., MBCustom/Sput’s, 30, $400.
14. (22) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa, Hilsabeck/Mullins, 30, $275.
15. (20) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla., MBCustom/Mullins, 30, $275.
16. (15) 07 Donavon Flores (R), Las Cruces, N.M., LG2/Dynamic, 30, $275.
17. (24) 1* Adam Penn, Shreveport, La., Hughes/Mullins, 30, $400.
18. (8) 28 Tom Georges, El Paso, Texas, AOS/TNT, 29, $275.
19. (23) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, LG2/Sput’s, 29, $400.
20. (10) 9 Jimmy Ray, Las Cruces, N.M., AOS/AOS, 29, $275.
21. (18) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, MBCustom/Geddes, 26, $275.
22. (3) 44 Christy Georges-Barnett, El Paso, Texas, GRT/Barnett, 18, $275.
23. (5) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Durham, 17, $275.
24. (16) 49 Duane Murphy, El Paso, Texas, GRT/AOS, 16, $275.
25. (25) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Hughes/Mullins, 14, $400.
(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.
Lap Leaders: A. Arneson 1-30.
Total Laps Led: A. Arneson 30.
Margin of Victory: 2.723 seconds.
Provisional Starters: VanderBeek, Penn, Scott (track).
Sybesma Graphics Pole Award: F. Gallardo.
Hard Charger: Ramirez (started 13th, finished 3rd).
Entries: 30.
Next Race: Friday-Saturday, Feb. 27-28, El Paso (Texas) Speedway Park.
MVT Gulf Coast Border Region Points: Hughes 527, Ramirez 506, A. Arneson 495, Houston 465, Sobbing 462, Dillard 447, VanderBeek 419, Junghans 395, J. Gallardo 394, Penn 392.
Rookie of the Year Points: A. Arneson 495, Sobbing 462, Kates 394, C. Arneson 387, Theiss 352.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 52, Cornett 43, Sput’s 41, Durham 41, PPE 36.
Manufacturers Championship Points: GRT 51, LG2 51, Hughes 50, MBCustom 45, Hilsabeck 27.
Contingency Awards:
AERO Race Wheels – Scott.
Allstar Performance – C. Arneson.
American Racer – Scott.
Beyea Custom Headers – Kates.
BSB Manufacturing – Sanders.
Chix Gear Racewear – Ramirez.
Deatherage Opticians – Dillard.
Edelbrock – Georges-Barnett.
Eibach Springs – Hughes.
FK Rod Ends – Duvall.
Forty9Designs.com – Hilsabeck, VanderBeek.
Fuel Safe – F. Gallardo.
GRT Race Cars – Weaver.
Hooker Harness – Junghans.
KEVKO Oil Pans & Components – Sobbing.
Keyser Manufacturing – Houston.
KSE Racing Products – F. Gallardo.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Murphy.
Midwest Sheet Metal – Phillips.
MSD Ignition – Georges, A. Arneson.
PBM Performance Products – A. Arneson.
QA1 – A. Arneson.
R2C Performance Products – Dillard.
Real Racing Wheels – all non-qualifiers.
Sybesma Graphics – F. Gallardo.
Tilton Engineering – J. Gallardo.
VP Racing Fuels – A. Arneson.
Wehrs Machine & Racing Products – Hughes.
Wilwood Disc Brakes – Weaver.
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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Casey’s General Stores, Chix Gear Racewear, COMP Cams, Day Motor Sports, Deatherage Opticians, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Fast Shafts, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, MSD, Nitroquest Media Group, RACEceiver, RacinDirt.com, S&S Fishing & Rental, VP Racing Fuels.
USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arizona Sport Shirts, ASi Racewear, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Double H Bands, Duvall Electric, ElbowsUp.com, Integra Racing Shocks & Springs, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Olympic Fire Protection, Rivers Edge Scrap Management, Schwab’s Tinker Shop, UMotors Motorsports & Marine, Velocita-USA.
USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Bell Racing Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, BSB Manufacturing, CPD Racing Tools, Crane Cams, Driven Racing Oil, Edelbrock, Eibach Springs, FK Rod Ends, Forty9 Designs, Fuel Safe, Genesis Racing Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Holley Performance, Hooker Custom Harness, JRi Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, PBM Performance Products, QA1 Precision Products, Quarter Master, R2C Performance, Real Racing Wheels, Simpson Performance Products, Sybesma Graphics, Tilton Engineering, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes.