The drivers, crewmembers, track operators, sponsors and their families were honored at the annual USMTS awards banquet Friday night in the Star Pavilion at the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City.

Headlining the night was Johnny Scott who captured both the 2018 USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship and Summit USMTS Southern Series titles.

The 20th anniversary season for the United States Modified Touring Series featured a points fund of more than $160,000 highlighted by a record top prize of $50,000 for Scott. In all, more than $1.25 million was doled out to USMTS competitors throughout the course of the 2018 campaign between event purses and points funds.

The USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship, which initially included 43 points races at 37 of America’s most popular dirt ovals, wound up with 37 nights of racing and determined the points tally with several non-points crown jewel events on the calendar as well.

With events in Arkansas, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, the Summit Racing Equipment USMTS Southern Series also had its own lucrative points fund and crowned a champion at season’s end after 14 points races.

By November 3, both titles and all the bragging rights went home to Las Cruces, N.M., with Johnny Scott who recently turned 29 years old in December. He’s just the seventh driver in 20 seasons to capture dirt modified racing’s most elusive title and while the weather in 2018 was unpredictable, the performance of Scott was not. He secured his first title with a 13 wins and a dominating run that left his competition scratching their collective heads.

While leading 482 feature race laps in 2018, Scott also helped VanderBuilt Race Cars claim the USMTS Manufacturers Championship and the USMTS Engine Builder of the Year Award for Durham Racing Engines. He was also the most proficient in the FK Rod Ends Hard Charger Award, passing 173 cars in main events during the 2018 season and added the season-long Eibach Spring Forward Award to his list of accomplishments.

Special awards doled out at Friday’s gala included Jake O’Neil who earned the Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year Award. Former Rookie of the Year Award winners include R.C. Whitwell (2017), Ricky Thornton Jr. (2016), Jesse Sobbing (2015), Cade Dillard (2014), Trevor Hunt (2013), Stormy Scott (2012), Jason Grimes (2011), Johnny Scott (2010) Grant Junghans (2009), Brandon Kenny (2008), Scott Green (2007), Jay Poidinger (2006), Brad McEwan (2005), Zack VanderBeek (2004), Corey Dripps (2003), Justin Boney (2002), Jason Hughes (2001) and Kevin Peters (2000).

Chris Clark garnered the USMTS Sportsman of the Year Award for a second time and Johnny Scott’s crew chief, Levi DiMartino, took home the Crew Chief of the Year Award. The Most Improved Driver Award went back to Kansas with Adam Kates.

Johnny Scott (left) and Stormy Scott (right) pose with their two-year-old younger brother, Waylon, and Johnny's hardware for winning the 2018 USMTS National Championship.

Scott pocketed more than $150,000 during the 2018 campaign, including event purses and points funds. Meanwhile, his older twin brother Stormy Scott also had an impressive showing with his second runner-up finish in as many seasons.

Two-time USMTS National Champion Rodney Sanders wound up third while also claiming two crown jewels during the year. He pocketed $40,000 for winning the Masters main event at the Cedar Lake Speedway in June and claimed the final night of the 20th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree at the Deer Creek Speedway in September.

Zack VanderBeek picked up five wins en route to a fourth-place finish in the standings while Jake O’Neil, who led the national points early on, wound up fifth. Terry Phillips, Dereck Ramirez, Lucas Schott, Adam Kates and Joe Duvall completed the top 10 while Chris Clark, Jake Timm, Lance Mari, R.C. Whitwell and Ryan Gustin were 11th through 15th and also received points fund money.

After 20 seasons of USMTS competition, Kelly Shryock tops the charts in both championship rings and career wins. Shryock has 182 feature victories with Jason Hughes sitting second with 155 wins. Gustin is third with 94, Sanders is fourth with 86 and Stormy Scott is fifth with 48 career triumphs. Sixth through tenth on the all-time wins list are VanderBeek (47), Johnny Scott (45), Tommy Myer (42), Jon Tesch (36) and Jason Krohn (33). Overall, 127 different drivers have visited victory lane.

FINAL 2018 STANDINGS & STATISTICS

Casey’s General Stores USMTS National Championship powered by Summit:
1. 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 3318 pts. (13 wins)
2. 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 3096 (5 wins)
3. 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy Texas ... 3053 (4 wins)
4. 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa ... 2907 (5 wins)
5. 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz. ... 2902 (3 wins)
6. 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo. ... 2869 (1 win)
7. 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla. ... 2865
8. 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn. ... 2823 (4 wins)
9. 23 Adam Kates, Tonganoxie, Kan. ... 2211
10. 91 Joe Duvall, Justice, Okla. ... 1925
11. 8c Chris Clark, Jackson, Wyo. ... 1880
12. 49jr Jake Timm, Winona, Minn. ... 1455
13. 19sb Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif. ... 1212
14. 96t R.C. Whitwell 1187, Tucson, Ariz. ... 1187
15. 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa ... 1186
Other winners:
19 Dustin Sorensen, Rochester, Minn. (1 win)
8 Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, N.C. (1 win)

Summit USMTS Southern Series powered by Production Jars:
1. 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 1205 pts. (2 wins)
2. 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy Texas ... 1102 (1 win)
3. 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla. ... 1070
4. 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 1032 (3 wins)
5. 91 Joe Duvall, Justice, Okla. ... 963
6. 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa ... 866 (3 wins)
7. 23 Logan Robertson, Shamrock, Texas ... 842
8. 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn. ... 811 (2 wins)
9. 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz. ... 789 (1 win)
10. 24z Zane Ferrell, Hermitage, Ark. ... 732
Other winners:
174 Ethan Dotson, Bakersfield, Calif. (1 win)
75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo. (1 win)

Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year:
1. 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz. ... 2068 pts.
2. 19sb Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif. ... 1253
3. 65 Carlos Ahumada Jr., Canutillo, Texas ... 810
4. 24z Zane Ferrell, Hermitage, Ark. ... 737
5. 5k Kyle Prauner, Norfolk, Neb. ... 672

Jake O'Neil captured the 2018 Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year Award.

USMTS Manufacturers Championship:
1. VanderBuilt Race Cars, New Sharon, Iowa ... 379 pts. (25 wins)
2. MB Customs Race Cars, Menomonie, Wis. ... 352 (10 wins)
3. Hughes Racing Chassis, Colcord, Okla. ... 277
4. GRT Race Cars, Greenbrier, Ark. ... 269 (2 wins)
5. LG2 Race Cars, Newport, Tenn. ... 255 (3 wins)
Other winner:
Longhorn Chassis Trinity, N.C.

USMTS Engine Builder of the Year:
1. Durham Racing Engines, High Point, N.C. ... 327 pts. (14 wins)
2. Mullins Race Engines, Mt. Olive, Ill. ... 274 (5 wins)
3. Cornett Race Engines, Somerset, Ky. ... 260 (3 wins)
4. Hatfield Racing Engines, Joplin, Mo. ... 250 (4 wins)
5. Vic Hill Racing Engines, Mosheim, Tenn. ... 213 (7 wins)
Other winners:
Sput’s Racing Engines, Owatonna, Minn. (4 wins)
Chevrolet Performance, Blanc, Mich. (1 win)
Stoen Racing Engines, Medford, Minn. (1 win)
Action Engineering, Rochester, Minn. (1 win)
Vaseleniuck Engine Development, Denver, N.C. (1 win)

FK Rod Ends Hard Charger Award:
1. 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 173 pts.
2. 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas ... 158
3. 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 138
4. 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz. ... 122
5. 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla. ... 107

Eibach Spring Forward Award:
1. 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 82 pts.
2. 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz. ... 78
3. 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La. ... 75
4. 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 56
5. 20 Rodney Sanders Happy, Texas ... 42

USMTS Lap Leaders:
1. 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 482 laps
2. 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas ... 334
3. 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn. ... 255
4. 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa ... 151
5. 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 108

The 2019 campaign kicks off the 21st season for the USMTS with a three-night excursion through Texas in March with 48 events featuring 62 nights of racing at 39 race tracks in 13 states along the road to the crowning of the next USMTS National Champion during the first weekend of November back in the Lone Star State.

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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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Casey’s General Stores, Chevrolet Performance, CP-Carrillo, Deatherage Opticians, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, FK Rod Ends, Intercomp, Jerovetz Motorsports Racing Parts, K1 RaceGear by Ryan Bowers, KSE Racing Products, Malvern Bank, Mesilla Valley Transportation, MSD, MyRacePass, Nitroquest Media, Pace Performance, PEM Racing Gears & Drivetrain, RacinDirt.com, Snickers, Spike Hardcore Energy, Summit Racing Equipment, VP Racing Fuels, Wrisco Industries.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arizona Sport Shirts, ASi Racewear, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Duvall Electric, ElbowsUp.com, Evolution Powersports, PBM Performance Products, Rancho Milagro Racing, YouDirt.com.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: 905 Ink, AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Beyea Custom Headers, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, BSB Manufacturing, Champ Pans, E3 Spark Plugs, Edelbrock, Forty9 Designs, Genesis Racing Shocks, Hooker Harness, Integra Racing Shocks and Springs, Keyser Manufacturing, Maxima Racing Oils, Out-Pace Racing Products, QA1, RacerWebsite.com, Real Racing Wheels, Simpson Performance Products, Swift Springs, Sybesma Graphics, Wilwood Disc Brakes.