Rodney Sanders saw the green flag and then proceeded to pounce on the competition Friday night at the Jackson Motor Speedway, scoring a $3,000 victory.

The two-time USMTS National Champion held a comfortable lead for most of the 30-lap main event, but a caution with two laps remaining gave hard-charging Zack VanderBeek a shot at the leader. Nevertheless, Sanders held on for the win while VanderBeek finished second at the 1/4-mile dirt oval for the second year in a row.

Last year VanderBeek inherited the win after apparent winner Lucas Lee was disqualified during post-race technical inspections. This time around ‘The Z-Man’ wasn’t as lucky and had to settle for a runner-up paycheck behind ‘The Sandman.’

Terry Phillips and Logan Robertson each took turns chasing Sanders with Phillips eventually claiming the third-place finish while Robertson followed Timothy Culp across the finish line in the fifth spot.

Joe Duvall came from the 14th starting position to finish sixth, Lance Walker passed ten cars in his USMTS debut to claim seventh, Zane Ferrell earned eighth place, Jeremy Idom nabbed ninth and new Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year points leader Mike Striegel rounded out the top ten.

With his 87th career USMTS triumph, Sanders took command in the USMTS National Championship points standings as well as the Summit USMTS Southern Series powered by MSD.

UPDATE: A rain-soaked Mississippi has forced USMTS and track officials to cancel Saturday night’s stint at the Whynot Motorsports Park as well as the scheduled series debut at the Magnolia Motor Speedway on Sunday.

The series heads to the Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, Minn., tomorrow as the USMTS brings the boom for a third straight year with a three-wide start for Saturday night’s main event at the ‘House of Hook.’

Pits open at 1 p.m., grandstands open at 3, the drivers meeting starts at 6, hot laps begin at 6:30 and racing gets underway at 7 p.m.

Adult grandstand tickets are $20 and kids (6-12) get in for $10. Pit passes are $35 for adults or $15 for kids (6-12). Children 5 and under are free on both sides of the fence.

Joining the USMTS Modifieds on the racing card will be Durrence Layne Crate Late Models, Street Stocks and 602 Sportsmans plus Factory Stocks and Hot Shots.

The Whynot Motorsports Park is a semi-banked 3/10-mile dirt oval located at the intersection of JW Reynolds Rd. and Old Hwy. 19 Southeast (4773 JW Reynolds Rd., Meridian, MS 39301).

For questions please call Phillip Hathcock at (205) 965-3070 or Rodney Wing at (601) 527-0084. The track’s website can be found at whynotmotorsportspark.com. You can also like them on Facebook, follow on Twitter and see them on Instagram.

The action reaches a boiling point on Sunday as the meanest machines in America make their maiden voyage to the legendary Magnolia Motor Speedway for a wheel-to-wheel showdown with 604 Crate Late Models, 602 Crate Late Models and Factory Stocks also in action.

The pits open at 1 p.m. and grandstands open at 3. The drivers meeting is slated for 4:30 with hot laps set for 4:45 followed by the first green flag at 5:15 p.m.

Grandstand tickets are $20 for adults (17-64) or just $15 for seniors (65+) and members of the military. Youth (11-16) are $10 and kids 10 and under are free. Pit passes are $35 for adults (11+) or $20 for youth (5-10). Kids 4 and under are admitted to the pit area at no charge.

The Magnolia Motor Speedway is a 3/8-mile dirt oval located near the intersection of US 82 and US 45 (take the Macon/Meridian exit off US 82). For more information, call (662) 240-3478 or (662) 574-2572. The track’s website is magnoliadirt.com and you can get social with ‘The Mag’ on Facebook and Twitter.

For fans unable to attend the action in person at the Magnolia Motor Speedway, every lap in every division will be broadcast live on RacinDirt.com.

The Official Host Hotel for the Mississippi swing is the Holiday Inn Meridian E- I 20/I 59 in Meridian, Miss. Centrally located for all three events, the Holiday Inn Meridian E- I 20/I 59 features wireless Internet, a refrigerator, microwave, Keurig coffee maker and a 32-inch flat screen HD television in every room.

Right now, the Holiday Inn Meridian E- I 20/I 59 is offering race fans a deep-discounted $89 per night rate for these events. When making a reservation online, event-goers are welcome to use the Group Code “USM” which will show the discounted rate for the weekend of April 5-7, 2019. You can also call the hotel directly at (601) 693-0160. The Holiday Inn Meridian E- I 20/I 59 is located at 100 North Frontage Road, Meridian, MS 39301.

In addition to modern, spacious rooms, Kem’s Restaurant features a full Southern Breakfast Buffet for just $7.99 + tax, as well as a healthy breakfast menu featuring a wide variety of options from 6-10 a.m. Kem’s Restaurant also serves dinner featuring an All-American fare from 5-10 p.m., and Kem’s Lounge offers Happy Hour nightly from 4-7 p.m.

Guests are invited to enjoy the indoor heated pool with sundeck too. Holiday Inn Meridian offers an exclusive shuttle service to any business within a five-mile radius of the hotel.

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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OFFICIAL RESULTS

United States Modified Touring Series
Casey’s General Stores USMTS National Championship
Summit USMTS Southern Series powered by MSD
Jackson Motor Speedway, Byram, Miss.
3rd Annual Event
Friday, April 5, 2019

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed and money won. The top 12 in heat race passing points advance to the Summit Racing Equipment “A” Main with the top 8 redrawing for the first 8 starting spots.

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (3) 7h Spencer Hughes, Meridian, Miss.
2. (1) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
3. (7) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
4. (2) 3 Chad Shivers, Prentiss, Miss.
5. (5) 187 Kenny Hollingsworth, Carthage, Miss.
6. (4) 246 Jade Luzenberg, Saucier, Miss.
7. (6) 127 Matt Clark, Ellisville, Miss.

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (6) C8 Timothy Culp, Prattsville, Ark.
2. (2) 9 Bryan Powell, Magee, Miss.
3. (1) L88 Jarrod May, Magee, Miss.
4. (5) 25L Lance Walker, Morton, Miss.
5. (4) 10w Hunter Wilbanks, Lakeland, Tenn.
6. (3) 7 Bryan Foy, Lacombe, La.
DNS – 23 Adam Kates, Tonganoxie, Kan.

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (3) 008 Greg Hollingsworth, Lawrence, Miss.
2. (6) 13 Jeremy Idom, Hattiesburg, Miss.
3. (2) 3h Toby Hodge, Pulaski, Miss.
4. (4) 23c Charles Sibley, Livingston, La.
5. (1) 14 Ben Davis, Poplarville, Miss.
6. (7) 18 Heath Williams, Prentiss, Miss.
7. (5) 55 Nathan Hagar, Adair, Okla.

VP RACING FUELS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (2) 23 Logan Robertson, Shamrock, Texas.
2. (1) 17 Mike Striegel, Wheatland, Mo.
3. (3) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
4. (6) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
5. (4) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
6. (5) 24z Zane Ferrell, Hermitage, Ark.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (8 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (2) 3 Chad Shivers, Prentiss, Miss.
2. (1) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
3. (8) 55 Nathan Hagar, Adair, Okla.
4. (4) 14 Ben Davis, Poplarville, Miss.
5. (3) 187 Kenny Hollingsworth, Carthage, Miss.
6. (7) 127 Matt Clark, Ellisville, Miss., DirtWorks/Mike’s, $75.
7. (6) 7 Bryan Foy, Lacombe, La., Trak-Star/Mullins, $90.
8. (5) 18 Heath Williams, Prentiss, Miss., GRT/ChevPerf, $75.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (8 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (4) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
2. (6) 24z Zane Ferrell, Hermitage, Ark.
3. (1) 25L Lance Walker, Morton, Miss.
4. (3) 10w Hunter Wilbanks, Lakeland, Tenn.
5. (2) 23c Charles Sibley, Livingston, La.
6. (5) 246 Jade Luzenberg, Saucier, Miss., Hughes/TimsBuilt, $75.
DNS – 23 Adam Kates, Tonganoxie, Kan., LG2/Speedway, $90.

SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT “A” MAIN (30 laps):
1. (4) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, MBCustoms/Hatfield, 30, $3000.
2. (12) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, VanderBuilt/Stoen, 30, $1700.
3. (7) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Durham, 30, $1100.
4. (5) C8 Timothy Culp, Prattsville, Ark., Shaw/ChevPerf, 30, $800.
5. (2) 23 Logan Robertson, Shamrock, Texas, MBCustoms/Hatfield, 30, $700.
6. (14) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla., MBCustoms/ChevPerf, 30, $650.
7. (18) 25L Lance Walker, Morton, Miss., GRT/Wall2Wall, 30, $500.
8. (16) 24z Zane Ferrell, Hermitage, Ark., MBCustoms/ASI, 30, $550.
9. (6) 13 Jeremy Idom, Hattiesburg, Miss., Rage/Mitchell, 30, $350.
10. (9) 17 Mike Striegel, Wheatland, Mo., GRT/ChevPerf, 30, $450.
11. (17) 55 Nathan Hagar, Adair, Okla., Shaw/BlueDiamond, 30, $425.
12. (20) 10w Hunter Wilbanks, Lakeland, Tenn., MBCustoms/Mullins, 30, $275.
13. (22) 23c Charles Sibley, Livingston, La., GRT/Wall2Wall, 30, $250.
14. (1) 008 Greg Hollingsworth, Lawrence, Miss., GRT/ChevPerf, 28, $225.
15. (10) L88 Jarrod May, Magee, Miss., Hughes/Wall2Wall, 28, $225.
16. (11) 3h Toby Hodge, Pulaski, Miss., GRT/Brown, 27, $300.
17. (3) 7h Spencer Hughes, Meridian, Miss., Lethal/Mullins, 25, $300.
18. (21) 187 Kenny Hollingsworth, Carthage, Miss., Chase/Barker, 25, $225.
19. (8) 9 Bryan Powell, Magee, Miss., GRT/Mullins, 16, $225.
20. (13) 3 Chad Shivers, Prentiss, Miss., Hughes/Mullins, 15, $300.
21. (19) 14 Ben Davis, Poplarville, Miss., Davis/Smiley’s, 10, $225.
22. (15) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/TriStar, 0, $300.

(R) = Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year contender

Lap Leader: Sanders 1-30.
Total Laps Led: Sanders 30.
Margin of Victory: 0.712 second.
Time of Race: 32 minutes, 39.875 seconds (4 cautions).
Provisional Starters: none.
Eibach Spring Forward Award: Walker (advanced 10 positions).
FK Rod Ends Hard Charger: Walker (started 18th, finished 7th).
Entries: 27.
Next Race: Thursday-Saturday, April 11-13, Ark-La-Tex Speedway, Vivian, La.
USMTS National Championship Points: Sanders 325, Phillips 319, Duvall 318, VanderBeek 309, Striegel 267, Gustin 257, Ricky Thornton Jr. 253, Darron Fuqua 245, Brady Gerdes 241, Kates 240.
Summit USMTS Southern Series Points: Sanders 103, VanderBeek 95, Phillips 91, Culp 87, Robertson 84, Duvall 81, Walker 78, Ferrell 76, Idom 74, Striegel 72.
Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year Points: Striegel 267, Hagar 220, Mike McKinney 206, Hunter Marriott 205, Carlos Ahumada Jr. 195.
USMTS Engine Builder of the Year Points: Stoen 17, Hatfield 15, ChevPerf 14, Mullins 12, Durham 12.
USMTS Manufacturers Championship Points: MBCustom 19, GRT 14, Lethal 13, VanderBuilt 12, Hughes 11.

Contingency Awards:
American Racer – Williams.
Beyea Custom Headers – Robertson.
Bryke Racing – May.
BSB Manufacturing – Davis.
Champ Pans – Robertson.
Deatherage Opticians – Wilbanks.
E3 Spark Plugs – Phillips.
Edelbrock – G. Hollingsworth.
Eibach – Walker.
Fast Shafts – Culp.
FK Rod Ends – Walker.
Forty9 Designs – G. Hollingsworth, Powell.
Hooker Harness – Sibley.
Hyperco – Duvall.
Integra Racing Shocks & Springs – K. Hollingsworth.
Jerovetz Motorsports Racing Parts – Hodge.
K1 RaceGear by Ryan Bowers Motorsports – Clark.
Keyser Manufacturing – Striegel.
KSE Racing Products – Idom.
Maxima Racing Oils – Sanders.
Mesilla Valley Transportation – TBD.
Out-Pace Racing Products – Hodge.
PEM Racing Gears & Drivetrain – Idom.
QA1 – Phillips.
RacerWebsite.com – Williams.
Real Racing Wheels – Clark, Foy, Williams, Luzenberg, Kates.
Simpson Performance Products – Hughes.
Swift Springs – Sanders, Walker.
Sybesma Graphics – G. Hollingsworth.
Tire Demon – Hagar.
VP Racing Fuels – Sanders.
Wilwood Disc Brakes – Walker.

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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 Motorsports, 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, Boubin Tire & Automotive, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Duvall Electric, Eagle Moon Farm, Impact RaceGear, PBM Performance Products, RACEceiver, Rancho Milagro Racing, River’s Edge Scrap Management, Tony Moro Powder Coat, Top of the World Ranch, YouDirt.com.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: 905 Ink, AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Beyea Custom Headers, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Bryke Racing, BSB Manufacturing, Champ Pans, E3 Spark Plugs, Edelbrock, Forty9 Designs, Genesis Racing Shocks, Hooker Harness, Hyperco, 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, Tire Demon, Wilwood Racing.