BUTLER, Mo. (Aug. 21, 2025)—Tanner Mullens of Wichita, Kan., powered his way from the sixth starting spot to capture the Summit USMTS National Championship victory at Electric City Speedway on Thursday night.

 In a thrilling 35-lap main event, Mullens tracked down points leader Rodney Sanders with seven laps to go, and then  outdueled a stout field to secure the win and cap off a dominant day that saw him also top the charts in qualifying and win his heat race.

The night began with Mullens setting the fastest time in the Hodges Farms & Dredging Qualifying session with a blistering 15.558-second lap. He continued his momentum by winning his Simpson Race Products Heat Race, lining him up for a charge in main event.

The Summit Racing Equipment "A" Main saw Sanders and Gary Christian of Broken Bow, Okla., on the front row. Sanders, a five-time series champion, led the early laps, but Mullens was on the move.

He methodically worked his way through the field, showcasing the speed his No. 02 car had all night. After several laps of pressure, Mullens found his way past Sanders and took command of the race.

Sanders, of Happy, Texas, held strong to finish in second place, while Trevor Hughes of Westville, Okla., who won his heat race earlier in the night, rounded out the podium in third.

Christian finished fourth, and Tyler Davis of Haysville, Kan., completed the top five.

The Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt continues its summer swing through Missouri, with drivers battling at the Callaway Raceway in Fulton on Friday, and a return to the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis on Saturday.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt
Electric City Speedway, Butler Mo.
Thursday, Aug. 22, 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. (2) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan., 15.558
2. (15) 712 Trevor Hughes, Westville, Okla., 15.614
3. (7) 56 Shadren Turner, St. Joseph, Mo., 15.686
4. (18) 5 Reece Solander, Emporia, Kan., 15.733
5. (21) 8 Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, N.C., 15.742
6. (8) 91 Joe Duvall, Justice, Okla., 15.758
7. (11) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan., 15.825
8. (1) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla., 15.88
9. (10) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa, 15.898
10. (5) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa, 15.941
11. (9) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, 16.037
12. (4) 211 Tim Eaton, St. Joseph, Mo., 16.081
13. (20) 68 Dean Wille, Warrensburg, Mo., 16.093
14. (6) 25 Joe Chisholm, Osage, Iowa, 16.096
15. (16) 55H A.J. Hoff, Mantorville, Minn., 16.124
16. (17) 17 Henry Chambers, Baldwin City, Kan., 16.149
17. (12) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., 16.248
18. (13) 18 Brad Johnson, Cameron, Mo., 16.253
19. (14) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo., 16.317
20. (3) 38C Jason Pursley, Hermitage, Mo., 16.341
21. (19) 10 Dayton Pursley, Hermitage, Mo., 16.422

SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (1) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
2. (2) 5 Reece Solander, Emporia, Kan.
3. (3) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan.
4. (6) 17 Henry Chambers, Baldwin City, Kan.
5. (5) 68 Dean Wille, Warrensburg, Mo.
6. (7) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.
7. (4) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (1) 712 Trevor Hughes, Westville, Okla.
2. (3) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla.
3. (4) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas
4. (2) 8 Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, N.C.
5. (5) 25 Joe Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
6. (6) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
7. (7) 38C Jason Pursley, Hermitage, Mo.

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 56 Shadren Turner, St. Joseph, Mo.
2. (2) 91 Joe Duvall, Justice, Okla.
3. (3) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
4. (5) 55H A.J. Hoff, Mantorville, Minn.
5. (4) 211 Tim Eaton, St. Joseph, Mo.
6. (7) 10 Dayton Pursley, Hermitage, Mo.
7. (6) 18 Brad Johnson, Cameron, Mo.

SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT “A” MAIN (35 laps):
1. (6) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
2. (1) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas
3. (5) 712 Trevor Hughes, Westville, Okla.
4. (2) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla.
5. (7) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan.
6. (9) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
7. (15) 25 Joe Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
8. (4) 91 Joe Duvall, Justice, Okla.
9. (10) 8 Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, N.C.
10. (18) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
11. (8) 5 Reece Solander, Emporia, Kan.
12. (14) 68 Dean Wille, Warrensburg, Mo.
13. (12) 55H A.J. Hoff, Mantorville, Minn.
14. (21) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa
15. (11) 17 Henry Chambers, Baldwin City, Kan.
16. (16) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.
17. (20) 18 Brad Johnson, Cameron, Mo.
18. (13) 211 Tim Eaton, St. Joseph, Mo.
19. (17) 10 Dayton Pursley, Hermitage, Mo.
20. (19) 38C Jason Pursley, Hermitage, Mo.
21. (3) 56 Shadren Turner, St. Joseph, Mo.

Lap Leaders: Sanders 1-2, Christian 3-4, Sanders 5-28, Mullens 29-35.
Total Laps Led: Sanders 26, Mullens 7, Christian 2.
Margin of Victory: 2.673 seconds.
Time of Race: 12 minutes, 15.692 seconds (4 cautions).
FK Rod Ends Hard Charger: Joe Chisholm (started 15th, finished 7th).
Entries: 21.
Next Race: Friday, Aug. 22, Callaway Raceway, Fulton, Mo.
Summit USMTS National Championship Points: Sanders 2251, Mullens 2126, Jim Chisholm 2087, Joe Chisholm 1914, Strickler 1909, Christian 1852, Phillips 1825, Hughes 1652, Solander 1636, Brown 1599.
Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year Points: Joe Chisholm 1745, Hughes 1524, Solander 1505, Troy Girolamo 994, Mark Smith 819.
FK Rod Ends USMTS Hard Charger Points: Sanders 91, Phillips 83, Mullens 82, Chisholm 77, Strickler 61.
Miller Welders USMTS Manufacturers Championship Points: MBCustoms 209, Skyrocket 194, CDR 193, Mullens 168, Bloodline 117.
JE Pistons USMTS Engine Builder of the Year Points: KSE 206, Hatfield 203, Mullins 174, ECE 173, Durham 122.

Contingency Awards:
Aero Race Wheels – Brown.
American Racer – Wille.
Beyea Custom Headers – Christian.
Bryke Racing – Chambers.
BSB Manufacturing – J. Pursley.
Champ Pans – Davis.
Danny Crane Racing Engines – Jim Chisholm.
Driven Racing Oil – Mullens.
Dynamic Drivelines – Turner.
Edelbrock – Turner.
Fast Shafts – Hughes.
Featherlite Trailers – Mullens, Sanders, Hughes.
FK Rod Ends – Joe Chisholm.
Gorsuch Performance Solutions – Mullens.
Hodges Farms & Dredging – Mullens.
Hooker Harness – Wille.
Hyperco – Jim Chisholm.
Integra Racing Shocks & Springs – Eaton.
Keyser Manufacturing – Phillips.
KSE Racing Products – Joe Chisholm.
MD3 – Sanders.
MSD Performance – Christian.
Penske Racing Shocks – Hoff.
PEM Racing Gears & Drivetrain – Turner.
QA1 – Mullens.
Quarter Master – Strickler.
RacerWebsite – D. Pursley.
Real Racing Wheels – D. Pursley.
Rush RaceGear by Austin Witt – Chambers.
Simpson Race Products – Mullens.
Sweet Manufacturing – Siebert.
Swift Springs – Phillips, D. Pursley, Mullens.
Sybesma Graphics – Sanders.
Total Power – Solander.
VP Racing – Mullens.
Wehrs Machine & Racing Products – Eaton.
Wilwood Disc Brakes – Joe Chisholm.

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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.

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USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Bear Graphix, Bryke Racing, BSB Manufacturing, Champ Pans, Danny Crane Racing Engines, Driven Racing Oil, Dynamic Drivelines, Edelbrock, Gorsuch Performance Solutions, Harris Auto Racing, Hooker Harness, Hyperco, Integra Racing Shocks and Springs, JE Pistons, JRi Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing, MD3, Mel Hambelton Racing, MSD Performance, Penske Racing Shocks, QA1, Quarter Master, RaceQuip, 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.