Scott secures USMTS pole for Saturday's Silver Dollar Nationals finale


GREENWOOD, Neb. (July 20)--Johnny Scott of Las Cruces, N.M., claimed the Pole Dash victory Friday night at the I-80 Speedway, and locked himself into the pole position for Saturday's $10,000-to-win United States Modified Touring Series finale of the 7th Annual Silver Dollard Nationals.

Following two runner-up finishes in both of his heat races earlier, Scott drew the pole position for the start of the Pole Dash which featured the top 12 drivers that racked up the most passing points during the dual qualifying races.

The first four laps were led by Tyler Wolff of Fayetteville, Ark., who held the advantage over Scott in the early going by pounding the no-margin-for-error high side of the high-banked 4/10-mile speedplant.

But racing into the third turn to complete the fifth lap, the outside concrete wall won the battle and Wolff's limped to the pit area with damage to the right rear of his No. 4w Lobo Racing machine.

Current MSD Central Region points leader, Cade Dillard of Robeline, La., won both of his qualifying heats and challenged Scott repeatedly for the final five circuits but had to settle for second place while Scott claimed the checkers in the $1,000 winner-take-all contest and earned the pole position for Saturday's finale.

Two-time USMTS national champion Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa, also captured both of his heat races, started third in the Pole Dash and finished there.

Scott, Dillard and Gustin will fill the front row for the start of Saturday's 40-lap, $10,000-to-win star-studded main event that features a three-wide start.

Zack VanderBeek finished fourth, with Jake Timm, Jesse Sobbing, Rodney Sanders, Dereck Ramirez, Brad Dierks, Terry Phillips, Wolff and R.C. Whitwell claiming the final eight spots in the Pole Dash and also punching their tickets to Saturday's feature race.

Sanders, who also competed with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series on Friday night and won his second qualifying heat with the full-fendered cars, is seeking his eighth USMTS win at the I-80 Speedway.

The pilot from Happy, Texas, has won seven of the last eight USMTS races here, including a clean sweep of the Silver Dollar Nationals for four straight seasons.

Phillips, who claimed the 2nd Annual Silver Dollar Nationals trophy and is also racing double-duty this weekend, is the only other former USMTS feature winner here on the entry list.

Timm, Wolff, Phillips, Whitwell and Lance Town were also heat race winners Friday night.

The Casey's USMTS National Tour powered by S&S Fishing & Rental will join the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series again Saturday. USMTS competitors will be running two Real Racing Wheels "B" Mains to fill out the starting field for the $600-to-start feature while the 80-lap LOLMDS feature pays a whopping $53,000 to win and $1,700 to start.

Not only is the Silver Dollar Nationals a must-see crown jewel on the USMTS calendar, this year's race also serves as the final contest in the MSD Ignition USMTS Central Region presented by Summit Racing Equipment.

For those unable to attend Saturday's finale, every lap of every race will be carried live at www.DirtonDirt.com.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usmts, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usmts and Instagram at www.instagram.com/usmts or subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv. Keep up to speed with everything USMTS by joining our email list at www.usmts.com/subscribe.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
Casey's USMTS National Tour powered by S&S Fishing & Rental - MSD Ignition USMTS Central Region presented by Summit Racing Equipment
7th Annual Silver Dollar Nationals - Night #1 of 2
I-80 Speedway, Greenwood, Neb.
Friday, July 20, 2017

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed and money won.

ROUND #1, SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #1 (10 laps):
1. (4) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
2. (1) 29d Brad Dierks, Clarence, Iowa.
3. (3) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
4. (8) 96 R.C. Whitwell (R), Tucson, Ariz.
5. (7) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
6. (6) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
7. (2) 34 Mickey Lassiter (R), Piedmont, Okla.
8. (9) 111 Bumper Jones, Mesilla Park, N.M.
9. (5) A1 Phil Dixon, Crosby, Texas.

ROUND #1, FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (10 laps):
1. (3) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
2. (2) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3. (4) 07 Cory Crapser, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
4. (8) 18z Zane DeVilbiss (R), Farmington, N.M.
5. (6) G3 Jake Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M.
6. (5) 91 Scott Drake, Joplin, Mo.
7. (7) 70 Jesse Dennis, Prescott, Iowa.
8. (1) 15 Andy Wilkinson, York, Neb.
9. (9) 48 Brent Dutenhoffer, Watertown, S.D.

ROUND #1, EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (10 laps):
1. (1) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
2. (2) 4 Dan Powers, Wichita, Kan.
3. (3) 87 Darron Fuqua, Mayetta, Kan.
4. (6) 88d Matt Dotson, Sturgeon, Mo.
5. (9) 21 Jacob Bleess (R), Chatfield, Minn.
6. (5) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
7. (8) 10 Austin Arneson, Fargo, N.D.
8. (7) 81 Mike Densberger, Lincoln, Neb.
9. (4) 19sb Lance Mari (R), Imperial, Calif.

ROUND #1, THE JOIE OF SEATING HEAT RACE #4 (10 laps):
1. (2) 49jr Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
2. (1) 99 Jesse Sobbing, Malvern, Iowa.
3. (3) 95 Dylan Smith, Osceola, Neb.
4. (6) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
5. (5) 9 Kevin Rutherford (R), Flower Mound, Texas.
6. (8) 21t Lance Town, Wellsville, Kan.
7. (7) 1rs Rodney Stopak, Omaha, Neb.
8. (4) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan.

ROUND #1, VP RACING FUELS HEAT RACE #5 (10 laps):
1. (1) 4w Tyler Wolff (R), Fayetteville, Ark.
2. (6) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
3. (3) 37 Mike Jergens, Plover, Iowa.
4. (5) 10 Marc Hurd, Wichita, Kan.
5. (7) 27 Clint Homan, Bellevue, Neb.
6. (8) 6 Ryan Jenkins, Omaha, Neb.
7. (4) 30 Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice, Neb.
8. (2) R21 Ryan Schaffer, Corning, Iowa.

ROUND #2, SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #1 10 8 laps):
1. (3) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
2. (8) 4w Tyler Wolff (R), Fayetteville, Ark.
3. (5) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
4. (9) 99 Jesse Sobbing, Malvern, Iowa.
5. (2) 18z Zane DeVilbiss (R), Farmington, N.M.
6. (7) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
7. (1) 111 Bumper Jones, Mesilla Park, N.M.
8. (4) 9 Kevin Rutherford (R), Flower Mound, Texas.
9. (6) 95 Dylan Smith, Osceola, Neb.

ROUND #2, FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (10 laps):
1. (5) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
2. (1) 10 Austin Arneson, Fargo, N.D.
3. (3) 10 Marc Hurd, Wichita, Kan.
4. (7) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
5. (4) 91 Scott Drake, Joplin, Mo.
6. (6) R21 Ryan Schaffer, Corning, Iowa.
7. (8) 4 Dan Powers, Wichita, Kan.
8. (2) 70 Jesse Dennis, Prescott, Iowa.
DNS - 48 Brent Dutenhoffer, Watertown, S.D.

ROUND #2, EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (10 laps):
1. (2) 96 R.C. Whitwell (R), Tucson, Ariz.
2. (3) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
3. (1) 21 Jacob Bleess (R), Chatfield, Minn.
4. (8) 29d Brad Dierks, Clarence, Iowa.
5. (4) G3 Jake Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M.
6. (6) 07 Cory Crapser, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
7. (7) 87 Darron Fuqua, Mayetta, Kan.
8. (5) A1 Phil Dixon, Crosby, Texas.
9. (9) 15 Andy Wilkinson, York, Neb.

ROUND #2, THE JOIE OF SEATING HEAT RACE #4 (10 laps):
1. (1) 21t Lance Town, Wellsville, Kan.
2. (3) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
3. (4) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
4. (6) 49jr Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
5. (5) 19sb Lance Mari (R), Imperial, Calif.
6. (2) 1rs Rodney Stopak, Omaha, Ne.
7. (7) 34 Mickey Lassiter (R), Piedmont, Okla.
DNS - 30 Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice, Neb.

ROUND #2, VP RACING FUELS HEAT RACE #5 (10 laps):
1. (5) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
2. (2) 81 Mike Densberger, Lincoln, Neb.
3. (6) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
4. (3) 88d Matt Dotson, Sturgeon, Mo.
5. (4) 37 Mike Jergens, Plover, Iowa.
6. (7) 6 Ryan Jenkins, Omaha, Neb.
7. (1) 27 Clint Homan, Bellevue, Neb.
DNS - 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan.

POLE DASH (10 laps):
1. (1) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., $1000.
2. (4) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
3. (3) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
4. (7) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
5. (6) 49jr Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
6. (8) 99 Jesse Sobbing, Malvern, Iowa.
7. (11) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
8. (5) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
9. (9) 29d Brad Dierks, Clarence, Iowa.
10. (10) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
11. (2) 4w Tyler Wolff (R), Fayetteville, Ark.
DNS - 96 R.C. Whitwell (R), Tucson, Ariz.

(R) = Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year contender

Entries: 43.
Next Race: Saturday, July 21, I-80 Speedway, Greenwood, Neb.
MSD Central Region Points: Dillard 720, VanderBeek 697, Ricky Thornton Jr. 639, S. Scott 635, Ramirez 620, Duvall 596, Densberger 519, Wolff 450, Whitwell 449, Kates 447.
Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year Points: Whitwell 1894, Travis Saurer 1766, Wolff 1685, Kates 1370, Billy Vogel 982.
Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 337, Sput's 292, ASI 282, Durham 206, Cornett 190.
Manufacturers Championship Points: MBCustoms 340, Hughes 334, VanderBuilt 296, GRT 289, LG2 233.