The Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt finally shook off the weather woes as the series returned to action in the Mel Hambelton Racing USMTS Central Region at the 81 Speedway in Park City, Kan., for the 2nd Annual Ed Gressel Memorial.

Tyler Wolff laid down the QA1 fastest lap during heat race qualifying, won Fast shafts Heat #1, and then led all but two laps in scoring his second straight opening night win at the Gressel Memorial.

Just past the half way mark, Smith rolled underneath the Lobo Racing No. 4W and took the lead, but two laps later an issue with a lapped car upset Smith's car and Wolff pounced to regain the top spot.

With 25 laps in the books, the Gorsuch Performance Caution Flag waved for the first time due to a large piece of debris at the top of the turn. That bunched the field for the restart and still 10 laps remaining.

With Wolff back in charge, the yellow returned four laps later when the top two in USMTS national points—Jake Timm and Jim Chisholm—banged wheels entering the third turn which sent Chisholm spinning and backing into the outside retaining wall.

Before the dust settled, the melee atop the corner included Jacob Hobscheidt, gunner Martin, Tanner Mullens, Rodney Sanders Kyle Brown, Gary Christian and J.T. Wasmund.

Tyler Davis and Timm both scooted by Smith on the restart with Davis securing the second spot and Timm battling Smith for third, but a puff of smoke underneath Smith's machine caused the race's third caution came out.

Wolff cruised to the win—his second straight during opening night of the Gressel Memorial.

“It's his home track,” Wolff said about Davis. “He's no joke so I was just trying to do what I could, but I felt like my tires had went away. I was just hoping for a longer run there when that yellow come out. I just thought ‘We'll see where we're at and hope we hang on' but got the victory and got to smash them Coors Lights.

“We got the W and that's what matters.”

An exciting duel for several non-winning positions saw Davis come home second with Timm, Dan Ebert and Jake O'Neil taking the next four spots.

“I didn't want to see that yellow,” Davis recalled. “I felt like we were kind of closing in on him there but had to be a little careful. I altered my line several times and I felt like I finally got a good rhythm and then we got shoved back to fifth or sixth and I'm like ‘Not tonight' so got up on the wheel a bit and got up to second.”

Chisholm came from the back of the field to salvage a sixth-place finish at the checkered flag. Hobscheidt, Jason Hughes, Dereck Ramirez and Mullens rounded out the top ten.

The finale of the 2nd Annual Ed Gressel Memorial happens Saturday and will be the 30th feature race at the 81 Speedway for the USMTS. Alongside the Summit USMTS Modifieds will be TM Fencing Super Stocks and Rage Jerky Mini Stocks.

For event times, ticket prices and more, check out the FAST FACTS.

If you can't be there in person, witness all the action from anywhere on any device with RacinDirt. Watch live and get exclusive content on your desktop, laptop tablet or a suite of apps like Roku, Amazon Fire, iOS, Apple TV and Google Play.

The 81 Speedway is a 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval located at 7700 N Broadway, Park City, KS 67219. For more information call (316) 755-1781 or email. Follow the 81 Speedway on Facebook, Instagram and X.

Check out usmts.com for complete coverage of the United States Modified Touring Series.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt
2nd Annual Ed Gressel Memorial – Night 1 of 2
81 Speedway, Park City, Kan.
Friday, June 21, 2024

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver and hometown. Heat race lineups are determined via group qualifying. The top 12 in heat race passing points advance to the Summit Racing Equipment “A” Main.

SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (2) 1 Jacob Hobscheidt, Plattsmouth, Neb.
2. (4) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan.
3. (5) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
4. (8) 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz.
5. (6) 44K Kelsie Black, Otis, Kan.
6. (1) 55H A.J. Hoff, Mantorville, Minn.
7. (7) 88 Nathan Smith, Anthony, N.M.
8. (3) 71 Chad Melton, Mineral Wells, Texas
9. (9) 44 Braden Stoner, Wichita, Kan.

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (2) 4W Tyler Wolff, Fayetteville, Ark.
2. (3) 49 Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
3. (6) 19SB Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif.
4. (7) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas
5. (4) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
6. (1) 44T Tanner Black, Otis, Kan.
7. (8) 7G Gabe Hodges, Lebo, Kan.
8. (5) 747 Colton Eck, Goddard, Kan.
9. (9) 26S Steven Glenn, Hamilton, Mo.

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 99L Steve Lavasseur, River Falls , Wis.
2. (4) 2SS Mark Smith, Anthony, N.M.
3. (6) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
4. (8) 60 Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minn.
5. (2) 11N Gene Nicholas, Lowell, Ark.
6. (7) 10B Brandon Givens, Wichita, Kan.
7. (9) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla.
8. (3) 15WX Wyatt Gaggero, Wichita, Kan.
9. (5) 22N Kevin Newell, Wichita, Kan.

WIELAND METAL SERVICES HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (2) 19R Chris Kratzer, Haysville, Kan.
2. (5) 75M Gunner Martin, Sugar Creek, Mo.
3. (4) 51W J.T. Wasmund, Pine Island, Minn.
4. (6) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
5. (7) 4R Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
6. (3) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
7. (8) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa
8. (1) 30 Dalton Kirk, Edgerton, Kan.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (4) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
2. (1) 60 Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minn.
3. (2) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas
4. (7) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa
5. (3) 4R Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
6. (6) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
7. (8) 44T Tanner Black, Otis, Kan.
8. (12) 22N Kevin Newell, Wichita, Kan.
9. (10) 15WX Wyatt Gaggero, Wichita, Kan.
10. (9) 747 Colton Eck, Goddard, Kan.
11. (5) 10B Brandon Givens, Wichita, Kan.
12. (11) 26S Steven Glenn, Hamilton, Mo.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (2) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
2. (1) 51W J.T. Wasmund, Pine Island, Minn.
3. (7) 55H A.J. Hoff, Mantorville, Minn.
4. (3) 44K Kelsie Black, Otis, Kan.
5. (8) 88 Nathan Smith, Anthony, N.M.
6. (5) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla.
7. (6) 7G Gabe Hodges, Lebo, Kan.
8. (9) 71 Chad Melton, Mineral Wells, Texas
9. (4) 11N Gene Nicholas, Lowell, Ark.
10. (11) 30 Dalton Kirk, Edgerton, Kan.
11. (10) 44 Braden Stoner, Wichita, Kan.

SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT “A” MAIN (35 laps):
1. (1) 4W Tyler Wolff, Fayetteville, Ark.
2. (8) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan.
3. (6) 49 Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
4. (15) 60 Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minn.
5. (12) 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz.
6. (11) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
7. (5) 1 Jacob Hobscheidt, Plattsmouth, Neb.
8. (10) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
9. (21) 4R Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
10. (14) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
11. (13) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
12. (2) 75M Gunner Martin, Sugar Creek, Mo.
13. (19) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa
14. (17) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas
15. (23) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
16. (24) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla.
17. (7) 99L Steve Lavasseur, River Falls , Wis.
18. (18) 55H A.J. Hoff, Mantorville, Minn.
19. (16) 51W J.T. Wasmund, Pine Island, Minn.
20. (3) 2SS Mark Smith, Anthony, N.M.
21. (9) 19SB Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif.
22. (22) 88 Nathan Smith, Anthony, N.M.
23. (4) 19R Chris Kratzer, Haysville, Kan.
24. (25) 7G Gabe Hodges, Lebo, Kan.
25. (20) 44K Kelsie Black, Otis, Kan.

Lap Leaders: Wolff 1-18, M. Smith 19-20, Wolff 21-35.
Total Laps Led: Wolff 33, M. Smith 2.
Margin of Victory: 1.677 seconds.
Time of Race: 23 minutes, 48.801 seconds (4 cautions).
Provisional Starters: Williamson, Christian, Hodges.
FK Rod Ends Hard Charger: Ramirez (started 21st, finished 9th).
Entries: 35.
Next Race: Friday, June 21, 81 Speedway, Park City, Kan.
Summit USMTS National Championship Points: TBA.
Mel Hambelton Racing USMTS Central Region Points: TBA.
Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year Points: TBA.
FK Rod Ends USMTS Hard Charger Points: TBA.
Miller Welders USMTS Manufacturers Championship Points: TBA.
Callies/JE Pistons USMTS Engine Builder of the Year Points: TBA.

Contingency Awards:
Aero Race Wheels – Eck.
American Racer – Gaggero.
Bear Graphix – N. Smith.
Beyea Custom Headers – Ebert.
Bryke Racing – Williamson.
BSB Manufacturing – Mari.
Champ Pans – O'Neil.
Danny Crane Racing Engines – Chisholm.
Deatherage Opticians – T. Davis.
Edelbrock – Lavasseur.
Fast Shafts – Wolff.
Featherlite Trailers – Wolff, Davis, Timm.
FK Rod Ends – Ramirez.
Gorsuch Performance Solutions – Wolff.
Hooker Harness – Martin.
Hyperco – Phillips.
Integra Racing Shocks & Springs – Hoff.
Keyser Manufacturing – Mullens.
KSE Racing Products – Ramirez.
MD3 – Wolff.
Mesilla Valley Transportation – M. Smith.
Mel Hambelton Racing – T. Black, Newell.
MSD Performance – Ebert.
Penske Racing Shocks – Brown.
PEM Racing Gears & Drivetrain – Lavasseur.
QA1 – Wolff.
Quarter Master – Ramirez.
RacerWebsite.com – Christian.
Rush RaceGear by Austin Witt – O'Neil.
Simpson Race Products – Hobscheidt.
Summit Racing Equipment – K. Black, T. Black, Givens, Glenn, Williamson.
Sweet Manufacturing – Christian.
Swift Springs – Chisholm, Martin, Wolff.
Sybesma Graphics – Wolff.
Total Power – Phillips.
Victory Fuel – Wolff.
VP Racing – Wolff.
Wehrs Machine & Racing Products – Stoner.
Wilwood Disc Brakes – Hobscheidt.

Check out USMTS.com for schedules, points, photos, souvenirs, videos and more. Follow our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube. Don't forget to subscribe for free to get USMTS news delivered to your inbox plus Members Only benefits.

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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS:  American Racer Racing Tires, Beyea Headers, Callies Performance Products, Chevrolet Performance, Fast Shafts, Featherlite Trailers, FK Rod Ends, KSE Racing Products, Malvern Bank, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Nitroquest Media, PEM Racing Gears & Drivetrain, RacinDirt, Summit Racing Equipment, TicketSmarter, VP Racing - Heartland, Wieland.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: ARMI Contractors, Boomtest Well Service, Boubin Tire & Automotive, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Collins Brothers Towing, Gene Nicholas, LLC, Hacienda Mechanical, Hochatown Saloon, Mel Hambelton Ford, Miller Welders, PBM Performance Products, Rancho Milagro Racing, Salty's BBQ & Catering, Shop Quik Stores, STAKT Products, YouDirt.com.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Bear Graphix, Bryke Racing, BSB Manufacturing, Champ Pans, Danny Crane Racing Engines, Deatherage Racing Opticians, Edelbrock, Gorsuch Performance Solutions, Gunshepherd.com, Hooker Harness, Hyperco, Integra Racing Shocks and Springs, JE Pistons, Keyser Manufacturing, MD3, Mel Hambelton Racing, MSD Performance, Penske Racing Shocks, Performance Bodies & Parts, QA1, Quarter Master, RacerWebsite.com, Real Racing Wheels, Rush RaceGear by Austin Witt, Simpson Performance Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Swift Springs, Sybesma Graphics, Total Power, Victory Fuel, Victory Vault, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood Racing.