Strickler pockets USMTS Hobo gold

NewsMay 23, 2025 by Jeff Nun

Strickler pockets USMTS Hobo gold

BRITT, Iowa (May 23, 2025)—For the first time in more than a decade, the Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt visited the Hancock County Speedway in Britt, Iowa, on Friday, with a field of 50 road warriors in the pits for the Hobo 100k Nickel Nationals.

Britt is home to the National Hobo Convention, celebrating the rich history of American hobos—hardworking travelers who left their mark on the railroads and on U.S. nickels. The hobo nickel was a carved buffalo nickel, a piece of art and trade among hobos.

On Friday night the USMTS put 100,000 of them ($5,000) up for grabs to the ground-pounding, spoiler-wielding USMTS Modified winner.

Polesitter Jake Timm of Winona, Minn., led the opening four laps but slipped up too high in turn four, which allowed Wichita wheelman Tanner Mullens and Kyle Strickler to race by and dropping Timm to third.

Mullens crossed the stripe to lead the fifth lap, but Strickler roared around the top to move in front of Mullens to lead lap six.

The race stayed green while Strickler ran away from his pursuers, but on lap 20 Kylie Kath went up in smoke, forcing Strickler to take evasive action. At the same time, Mullens slowed on the back-stretch.

Kath's misfortune forced the first G-Style Transport Caution flag to wave and erasing a huge lead for “The High Side Tickler” from Mooresville, N.C.

With a swarm of tough customers chasing him from afar, Strickler built his lead back a nearly a full straight-away when the yellow flag waved with just eighth laps remaining.

The restart saw Mullens give Strickler a scare as he edged in front, but Strickler fought back and regained the lead albeit with some added wrinkles in the sheet metal on his CDR Race Car machine.

Reece Solander came into the picture late, forcing Mullens to protect his second-place run while Strickler galloped away for this second USMTS win of the 2025 campaign.

“This place has been so good to me,” Strickler said in Victory Lane. “To come here with the USMTS for the first time and win is awesome. Hats off to Tanner, he raced me so clean. I gave him probably a little less room than I should've, but I really wanted to win this one.

“On the last lap, he could have sent a haymaker and come across my nose, but he's definitely a class act, and with most of these guys you race with here at USMTS. I feel like this is the highest level of Mod racing..

The $5,000 winner's share of the prize money was earned with a brand new powerplant by Kevin Stoa Engineering under the hood of his G-Style Transport machine.

“Went home, did our homework, came back, changed our colors, changed our luck... Everything's looking good,” Strickler added. “I can't say enough about G-Man (car owner and fellow racer Troy Girolamo) and my buddy Hunter Marriott. He hooked us up with some motors and, damn this Kevin Stoa motor runs awesome.”

Strickler, Mullens and Solander claimed to the steps on the Featherlite Trailers Top-3 Finishers podium, with Brandon Davis of Hayfield, Minn., finishing fourth.

Five-time USMTS national champ Rodney Sanders of Happy, Texas was fifth after rolling off 13th to start the race. He won the last USMTS contest here on June 14, 2014.

Jacob Bleess, Jim Chisholm, Ryan Wetzstein, Terry Phillips and Zack VanderBeek rounded out the top 10. Wetzstein earned the FK rod Ends Hard Charger Award after passing 10 cars from his 18th starting spot.

The 21st Annual Southern Minnesota Spring Challenge happens at the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., on Saturday. The Memorial Day Weekend wraps up on Sunday with the Jerry Hejna Memorial presented by Rookies Rockin' Sports Bar at the Pritchard Family Auto Stores Mason City Motor Speedway at the North Iowa Fair.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt
Hobo 100K Nickel Nationals
Hancock County Speedway, Britt, Iowa
Friday, May 23, 2025

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.

HODGES FARMS & DREDGING QUALIFYING #1:
1. (8) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, 17.824
2. (11) 2SS Mark Smith, Anthony, N.M., 17.879
3. (19) 8 Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, N.C., 17.989
4. (14) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan., 18.007
5. (5) 5 Reece Solander, Emporia, Kan., 18.064
6. (3) 56 Shadren Turner, St. Joseph, Mo., 18.126
7. (23) 88 Nathan Smith, Anthony, N.M., 18.228
8. (18) 25 Joe Chisholm, Osage, Iowa, 18.273
9. (9) 55H A.J. Hoff, Mantorville, Minn., 18.278
10. (24) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan., 18.280
11. (4) 712 Trevor Hughes, Westville, Okla., 18.326
12. (2) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa, 18.380
13. (16) 35 Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa, 18.402
14. (6) 19SB Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif., 18.497
15. (22) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla., 18.498
16. (7) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn., 18.509
17. (13) 90 Ryan Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn., 18.542
18. (20) 97 Cole Anderson, Le Center, Minn., 18.718
19. (25) 99L Steve Lavasseur, River Falls, Wis., 18.739
20. (12) 3 Dustin Wiederhoeft, Fairmont, Minn., 18.757
21. (15) 24 Xavier Ortega, Las Cruces, N.M., 18.778
22. (10) 23 Darwin Karau, Kasson, Minn., 18.886
23. (21) 17 Lee Beemer, Fairmont, Minn., 18.966
24. (17) 96 Taton Hansen, Spicer, Minn., 18.993
25. (1) 75H Garry Hall, Rochester, Minn., 18.993

HODGES FARMS & DREDGING QUALIFYING #2:
1. (7) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa, 18.237
2. (1) 50III Brandon Davis, Hayfield, Minn., 18.239
3. (4) 21X Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn., 18.244
4. (25) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn., 18.344
5. (24) 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, 18.379
6. (21) 49 Jake Timm, Winona, Minn., 18.451
7. (18) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa, 18.524
8. (14) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., 18.565
9. (12) 29H Joe Horgdal, Mantorville, Minn., 18.624
10. (2) 16B Kaylin Lopez, Chowchilla, Calif., 18.639
11. (3) 12M Nick Murgic, Rosemount, Minn., 18.679
12. (19) 23B Brett Bumgardner, Hawkeye, Iowa, 18.852
13. (8) 83 Kylie Kath, Claremont, Minn., 18.856
14. (9) 8L Lyle Sathoff, Sherburn, Minn., 18.870
15. (22) 21 Ben Nading, Ankeny, Iowa, 18.921
16. (20) 99 Jason Grimes, Jamestown, N.D., 19.051
17. (16) 30 Josh Ruby, Lakota, Iowa, 19.069
18. (23) 2G Troy Girolamo, Williston, N.D., 19.129
19. (5) 3W Garett Wilson, Carlisle, Iowa, 19.145
20. (10) 97JR Landon Volkman, Rushford, Minn., 19.220
21. (11) 7S Todd Stinehart, Waseca, Minn., 19.517
22. (13) 43 Logan Veloz, Colona, Ill., 19.518
23. (15) 911 Robert Bennett, Woolstock, Iowa, 19.520
24. (6) 55 Larry Hall, Rochester, Minn., 19.520
DQ - (17) 80XX Jason Langford, Palestine, Texas, 18.520

SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #1 (10 laps):
1. (3) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
2. (6) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
3. (4) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas
4. (7) 99L Steve Lavasseur, River Falls, Wis.
5. (5) 35 Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa
6. (8) 23 Darwin Karau, Kasson, Minn.
7. (2) 88 Nathan Smith, Anthony, N.M.
8. (1) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan.
9. (9) 75H Garry Hall, Rochester, Minn.

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (10 laps):
1. (3) 5 Reece Solander, Emporia, Kan.
2. (7) 3 Dustin Wiederhoeft, Fairmont, Minn.
3. (5) 19SB Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif.
4. (6) 90 Ryan Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn.
5. (1) 712 Trevor Hughes, Westville, Okla.
6. (2) 25 Joe Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
7. (8) 17 Lee Beemer, Fairmont, Minn.
8. (4) 2SS Mark Smith, Anthony, N.M.

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (10 laps):
1. (4) 8 Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, N.C.
2. (3) 56 Shadren Turner, St. Joseph, Mo.
3. (1) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa
4. (5) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla.
5. (8) 96 Taton Hansen, Spicer, Minn.
6. (7) 24 Xavier Ortega, Las Cruces, N.M.
7. (6) 97 Cole Anderson, Le Center, Minn.
8. (2) 55H A.J. Hoff, Mantorville, Minn.

WRISCO HEAT RACE #4 (10 laps):
1. (4) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
2. (3) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
3. (2) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa
4. (6) 99 Jason Grimes, Jamestown, N.D.
5. (1) 16B Kaylin Lopez, Chowchilla, Calif.
6. (7) 3W Garett Wilson, Carlisle, Iowa
7. (9) 80XX Jason Langford, Palestine, Texas
8. (8) 43 Logan Veloz, Colona, Ill.
9. (5) 83 Kylie Kath, Claremont, Minn.

VP RACING HEAT RACE #5 (10 laps):
1. (2) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
2. (4) 50III Brandon Davis, Hayfield, Minn.
3. (3) 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa
4. (1) 12M Nick Murgic, Rosemount, Minn.
5. (7) 97JR Landon Volkman, Rushford, Minn.
6. (5) 8L Lyle Sathoff, Sherburn, Minn.
7. (6) 30 Josh Ruby, Lakota, Iowa
8. (8) 911 Robert Bennett, Woolstock, Iowa

G-STYLE TRANSPORT HEAT RACE #6 (10 laps):
1. (3) 49 Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
2. (4) 21X Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
3. (5) 21 Ben Nading, Ankeny, Iowa
4. (7) 7S Todd Stinehart, Waseca, Minn.
5. (2) 29H Joe Horgdal, Mantorville, Minn.
6. (6) 2G Troy Girolamo, Williston, N.D.
7. (1) 23B Brett Bumgardner, Hawkeye, Iowa
8. (8) 55 Larry Hall, Rochester, Minn.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (1) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas
2. (6) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla.
3. (4) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa
4. (8) 35 Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa
5. (11) 16B Kaylin Lopez, Chowchilla, Calif.
6. (7) 97JR Landon Volkman, Rushford, Minn.
7. (2) 21 Ben Nading, Ankeny, Iowa
8. (12) 8L Lyle Sathoff, Sherburn, Minn.
9. (15) 2SS Mark Smith, Anthony, N.M.
10. (14) 97 Cole Anderson, Le Center, Minn.
11. (19) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan.
12. (9) 29H Joe Horgdal, Mantorville, Minn.
13. (3) 99L Steve Lavasseur, River Falls, Wis.
14. (5) 99 Jason Grimes, Jamestown, N.D.
15. (16) 23B Brett Bumgardner, Hawkeye, Iowa
16. (10) 3W Garett Wilson, Carlisle, Iowa
17. (13) 17 Lee Beemer, Fairmont, Minn.
18. (17) 911 Robert Bennett, Woolstock, Iowa
19. (18) 55H A.J. Hoff, Mantorville, Minn.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (2) 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa
2. (1) 19SB Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif.
3. (4) 90 Ryan Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn.
4. (11) 83 Kylie Kath, Claremont, Minn.
5. (6) 96 Taton Hansen, Spicer, Minn.
6. (17) 43 Logan Veloz, Colona, Ill.
7. (7) 12M Nick Murgic, Rosemount, Minn.
8. (10) 712 Trevor Hughes, Westville, Okla.
9. (3) 7S Todd Stinehart, Waseca, Minn.
10. (14) 25 Joe Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
11. (15) 30 Josh Ruby, Lakota, Iowa
12. (9) 24 Xavier Ortega, Las Cruces, N.M.
13. (13) 80XX Jason Langford, Palestine, Texas
14. (12) 2G Troy Girolamo, Williston, N.D.
15. (8) 23 Darwin Karau, Kasson, Minn.
16. (18) 55 Larry Hall, Rochester, Minn.
17. (19) 75H Garry Hall, Rochester, Minn.
18. (5) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa
19. (16) 88 Nathan Smith, Anthony, N.M.

SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (4) 8 Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, N.C.
2. (2) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
3. (6) 5 Reece Solander, Emporia, Kan.
4. (3) 50III Brandon Davis, Hayfield, Minn.
5. (13) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas
6. (5) 21X Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
7. (7) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
8. (18) 90 Ryan Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn.
9. (10) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
10. (14) 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa
11. (23) 25 Joe Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
12. (15) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla.
13. (21) 16B Kaylin Lopez, Chowchilla, Calif.
14. (11) 56 Shadren Turner, St. Joseph, Mo.
15. (24) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa
16. (8) 3 Dustin Wiederhoeft, Fairmont, Minn.
17. (17) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa
18. (9) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
19. (12) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
20. (1) 49 Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
21. (25) 712 Trevor Hughes, Westville, Okla.
22. (16) 19SB Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif.
23. (20) 83 Kylie Kath, Claremont, Minn.
24. (26) 80XX Jason Langford, Palestine, Texas
25. (22) 96 Taton Hansen, Spicer, Minn.
26. (19) 35 Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa

Lap Leaders: Timm 1-4, Mullens 5, Strickler 6-40.
Total Laps Led: Strickler 35, Timm 4, Mullens 1.
Margin of Victory: 0.310 second.
Time of Race: 20 minutes, 38.35 seconds (3 cautions).
Provisional Starters: Joe Chisholm, Brown.
Emergency Provisionals: Hughes, Langford.
FK Rod Ends Hard Charger: Wetzstein (started 18th, finished 8th).
Entries: 50.
Next Race: Saturday, May 24, Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn.
Summit USMTS National Championship Points: Sanders 785, Jim Chisholm 779, Mullens 732, Strickler 700, Joe Chisholm 684, Williamson 675, Phillips 659, Hughes 616, Brown 596, Christian 56.
Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year Points: Joe Chisholm 610, Hughes 544, Solander 427, Girolamo 378, Langford 363.
FK Rod Ends USMTS Hard Charger Points: Williamson 43, Sanders 41, Phillips 35, Chisholm 33, Hughes 29.
Miller Welders USMTS Manufacturers Championship Points: Skyrocket 73, MBCustoms 72, CDR 69, Mullens 54, SSR 44.
JE Pistons USMTS Engine Builder of the Year Points: KSE 80, Hatfield 68, Mullins 59, ECE 59, Stoen 51.

Contingency Awards:
Aero Race Wheels – N. Smith.
American Racer – Langford.
Bear Graphix – Mari.
Beyea Custom Headers – B. Davis.
Bryke Racing – Brown.
BSB Manufacturing – Timm.
Champ Pans – Sanders.
Danny Crane Racing Engines – Bleess.
Dynamic Drivelines – N. Smith.
Edelbrock – Strickler.
Fast Shafts – Solander.
Featherlite Trailers – Strickler, Mullens, Solander.
FK Rod Ends – Wetzstein.
Gorsuch Performance Solutions – Strickler.
Harris Auto Racing – Hughes.
Hodges Farms & Dredging – Sanders.
Hooker Harness – Christian.
Hyperco – Hall.
Integra Racing Shocks & Springs – Williamson.
Keyser Manufacturing – VanderBeek.
KSE Racing Products – Wetzstein.
MD3 – Strickler.
MSD Performance – B. Davis.
Penske Racing Shocks – Lopez.
PEM Racing Gears & Drivetrain – Kath.
QA1 – Sanders.
Quarter Master – Phillips.
RaceQuip – Kath.
RacerWebsite – Nading.
Real Racing Wheels – Volkman.
Rush RaceGear by Austin Witt – Wiederhoeft.
Simpson Race Products – Mullens.
Sweet Manufacturing – Wiederhoeft.
Swift Springs – Kath, Stinehart, Strickler.
Sybesma Graphics – Timm.
Total Power – Joe Chisholm.
VP Racing – Strickler.
Wehrs Machine & Racing Products – Bennett.
Wilwood Disc Brakes – Jim Chisholm.

The USMTS is the ultimate proving ground where only the fiercest, most skilled dirt slingers in North America dare to tread. This is where legends are forged, battles are won and the roar of engines drowns out the weak.

Since 1999, this is where the elite meet, and every driver from the top guns to the local heroes get a shot at glory at some of America's most brutal dirt tracks. This is where the Best of the Best in dirt modified racing come to show their mettle.

When it comes to outlaw dirt modified racing, the USMTS has no equal. USMTS is the Real Deal. Don't be afraid of the fast.

Check out usmts.com to learn more, and follow our social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube. Subscribe for free to get news delivered to your inbox plus members-only benefits.

With live and on-demand coverage of every USMTS event plus exclusive interviews, instant replays, multiple camera angles and more, subscribe to RacinDirt.TV. Plus, get exclusive content on your desktop, laptop, tablet or on your smartphone using apps from Amazon Fire, Apple iOS, Apple TV, Google Play and Roku.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Beyea Headers, 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, VP Racing - Heartland, Wieland.