O’Neil opens Mod Wars with third straight USMTS triumph

OGILVIE, Minn. (July 16)—After Friday night’s performance during opening night of Mod Wars at the Ogilvie Raceway, any argument that Jake O’Neil is not the hottest dirt modified racer on the planet is meritless.

After starting fourth in the 35-lap Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s main event, the 29-year-old from Tucson, Ariz., tracked down Ryan Gierke by lap 11 and then grabbed the lead for good as they completed lap 12.

Searching for his career-first USMTS victory, Gierke churned the thin cushion around the track’s longest route and jumped out to a sizeable lead to kick off the $5,000-to-win contest.

Lapped traffic became a factor just seven laps into the race and that’s when O’Neil began to close the gap, eventually zipping past Gierke as they raced down the back-stretch in a swarm of back-markers.

Tanner Mullens started eighth and made a late charge, but even a caution with a handful of laps to go was no help as O’Neil pulled away to win by more than three seconds.

Behind O’Neil and Mullens, Rodney Sanders nipped Gierke on the final lap to steal the third spot while Lucas Schott raced his way into the final position inside the top five.

Dustin Sorensen, Dereck Ramirez, Jason Hughes, Tyler Wolff and Shane Sabraski completed the top ten.

Ramirez, who started 19th, picked up and extra $100 as the FK Rod Ends Hard Charger Award winner but it was a bittersweet result as O’Neil knocked him from the top of the mountain in the USMTS points battle.

It was O’Neil’s third straight win against the Best of the Best and fifth overall during the 2021 campaign, bringing his winnings to $40,000 in just those five events.

He’s now the points leader in the fight to add $70,000 to his bank account and become the 2021 USMTS national champion. Ramirez trails by 22 points (1460 to 1438) while Sanders (1427) is just 11 markers behind Ramirez in third. Mullens (1341), Wolff (1314), Schott (1299), Terry Phillips (1248), Dan Ebert (1216), Sorensen (1212) and Hughes (1164).

Mod Wars finale Saturday: The Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s returns to the Ogilvie Raceway on Saturday for the finale of the inaugural Mod Wars at the high-banked 3/8-mile clay oval.

A top prize of $10,000 awaits the winner of Saturday’s finale. Wissota Midwest Modifieds, Wissota Mod Fours and Wissota Hornets join the program for a second straight night.

The pits and grandstands open at 4 p.m., hot laps begin at 6 and racing gets underway at 6:30. General admission tickets are $30 while seniors (55+), students and members of the military are $28. Kids 12 and under get in for free.

Pit passes are $40 or $20 for non-drivers ages 7-14 (with parent and waiver). Children under 6 are allowed in the pits at no charge.

The Ogilvie Raceway is located less than one hour north of the twin cities on Highway 23 or 5 miles west of Highway 65 or 11 miles east from Highway 169 in Milaca, Minn., or 1 mile east of Highway 47 in Ogilvie. The physical address is 1539 Hwy 23, Ogilvie, MN 56358. For more information, visit ogilvieraceway.com.

Taking dirt to a new level: The 2021 campaign for the Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s features 36 nights of racing with the winners of those main events set to take home over $300,000 in earnings from more than $1 million in prize money earmarked for those shows.

Twenty-six of the 36 race nights will pay at least $10,000 to win while the other 10 carry a $5,000 top prize. And if that weren’t enough, more than $230,000 is committed to the top ten finishers in the 2021 points standings with a record $70,000 reserved for the 2021 USMTS National Champion.

Visit usmts.com for schedules, points, photos, souvenirs, videos and more. Follow our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Click here to get USMTS news delivered to your inbox.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s
Inaugural Mod Wars – Night 1 of 2
Ogilvie Raceway, Ogilvie, Minn.
Friday, July 16, 2021

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, laps completed and money won. The top 12 in heat race passing points advance to the Casey’s “A” Main.

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (1) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
2. (3) 11 Jody Bellefeuille (R), Carlton, Minn.
3. (2) 14W Clayton Wagamon, Ramsey, Minn.
4. (5) 18A Landon Atkinson, Little Falls, Minn.
5. (6) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
6. (7) 2G Brandon Givens (R), Wichita, Kan.
7. (4) WIN1 Jon Frolik, Ramsey, Minn.
8. (9) 65X Carlos Ahumada Jr., El Paso, Texas.
9. (8) 46 Justin A-Strike, Elk River, Minn.

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (1) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
2. (2) 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
3. (4) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
4. (5) 89 J.T. Johnson, Milaca, Minn.
5. (3) 2 Denis Czech, Gilman, Minn.
6. (9) 24 Brandon Dolman, Alexandria, Minn.
7. (6) 85 Jayson Good (R), Watertown, S.D.
8. (7) 7J Corey Jones (R), Zimmerman, Minn.
9. (8) 28 Josh Backman, Alberta, Minn.

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 444 Brooks Strength (R), Raymond, Miss.
2. (3) 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz.
3. (2) 49JR Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
4. (4) 19 Dustin Sorensen, Rochester, Minn.
5. (5) 4R Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
6. (8) 7A Shane Sabraski, Rice, Minn.
7. (6) 11B Andy Jones, Princeton, Minn.
8. (7) 1M Curt Myers, Cameron, Wis.
9. (9) 19T James Trantina III, St. Joseph, Minn.

MSD PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (3) 26G Ryan Gierke, Villard, Minn.
2. (4) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
3. (7) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
4. (2) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan.
5. (6) 60 Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minn.
6. (9) 55W Jeffrey Wood, Chisholm, Minn.
7. (5) 87 Darron Fuqua, Mayetta, Kan.
8. (8) 22 Jeff Spacek (R), Phillips, Wis.
9. (1) 19SB Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif.

VP RACING FUELS HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):
1. (3) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
2. (2) 4W Tyler Wolff, Fayetteville, Ark.
3. (6) 06 Jeremy Nelson, Zimmerman, Minn.
4. (4) 110 Darrell Nelson, Hermantown, Minn.
5. (8) 2C Dave Cain, Corcoran, Minn.
6. (5) 30 Matt Leer, Bruce, Wis.
7. (7) 96 Taton Hansen (R), Spicer, Minn.
8. (9) 8C Chris Clark, Jackson, Wyo.
9. (1) 37X Skeeter Estey, Kelly Lake, Minn.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (1) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
2. (5) 2C Dave Cain, Corcoran, Minn.
3. (7) 24 Brandon Dolman, Alexandria, Minn.
4. (8) 4R Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
5. (6) 2 Denis Czech, Gilman, Minn., $100.
6. (3) 110 Darrell Nelson, Hermantown, Minn., $100.
7. (4) 89 J.T. Johnson, Milaca, Minn.
8. (9) 2G Brandon Givens (R), Wichita, Kan.
9. (11) 11B Andy Jones, Princeton, Minn., $100.
10. (2) 49JR Jake Timm, Winona, Minn., MBCustoms/OFI, $110.
11. (14) 1M Curt Myers, Cameron, Wis., Rage/Sput's, $110.
12. (10) WIN1 Jon Frolik, Ramsey, Minn., $100.
13. (17) 19T James Trantina III, St. Joseph, Minn., $100.
14. (12) 96 Taton Hansen (R), Spicer, Minn.
15. (13) 8C Chris Clark, Jackson, Wyo., Hughes/Cornett, $110.
16. (15) 19SB Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif., MRT/Yeoman, $110.
17. (16) 46 Justin A-Strike, Elk River, Minn., $100.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (2) 19 Dustin Sorensen, Rochester, Minn.
2. (1) 14W Clayton Wagamon, Ramsey, Minn.
3. (3) 18A Landon Atkinson, Little Falls, Minn.
4. (5) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
5. (8) 7A Shane Sabraski, Rice, Minn.
6. (6) 60 Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minn.
7. (4) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan.
8. (7) 55W Jeffrey Wood, Chisholm, Minn., Shaw/Chevrolet, $110.
9. (14) 22 Jeff Spacek (R), Phillips, Wis., Rage/PPM, $110.
10. (11) 87 Darron Fuqua, Mayetta, Kan., MBCustoms/Driskell, $110.
11. (12) 65X Carlos Ahumada Jr., El Paso, Texas.
12. (10) 85 Jayson Good (R), Watertown, S.D., MBCustoms/Tim's, $110.
13. (15) 37X Skeeter Estey, Kelly Lake, Minn., $100.
14. (9) 30 Matt Leer, Bruce, Wis., MBCustoms/Stoen, $110.
15. (13) 7J Corey Jones (R), Zimmerman, Minn., VanderBuilt/Tim's, $110.
16. (16) 28 Josh Backman, Alberta, Minn., $100.

CASEY’S “A” MAIN (35 laps):
1. (4) 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz., LG2/Cornett, 35, $5000.
2. (8) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan., Mullens/Mullens, 35, $3000.
3. (5) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, MBCustoms/Hatfield, 35, $2000.
4. (2) 26G Ryan Gierke, Villard, Minn., SSR/Stoen, 35, $1500.
5. (7) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn., MBCustoms/Stoen, 35, $1000.
6. (14) 19 Dustin Sorensen, Rochester, Minn., MBCustoms/Action, 35, $900.
7. (19) 4R Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/Cornett, 35, $800.
8. (1) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 35, $750.
9. (11) 4W Tyler Wolff, Fayetteville, Ark., MBCustoms/ECE, 35, $700.
10. (22) 7A Shane Sabraski, Rice, Minn., 35, $550.
11. (23) 60 Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minn., Lethal/Ebert, 35, $650.
12. (6) 444 Brooks Strength (R), Raymond, Miss., MBCustoms/Stoen, 35, $625.
13. (18) 18A Landon Atkinson, Little Falls, Minn., Lethal/Sower, 35, $600.
14. (15) 2C Dave Cain, Corcoran, Minn., 35, $425.
15. (12) 06 Jeremy Nelson, Zimmerman, Minn., 35, $420.
16. (13) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Durham, 35, $540.
17. (20) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn., VanderBuilt/KSE, 35, $530.
18. (10) 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, VanderBuilt/Stoen, 35, $525.
19. (24) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan., Hughes/Mullins, 35, $520.
20. (9) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn., SSR/KSE, 35, $515.
21. (26) 2G Brandon Givens (R), Wichita, Kan., Hughes/Mullins, 35, $110.
22. (27) 96 Taton Hansen (R), Spicer, Minn., 35, $505.
23. (25) 65X Carlos Jr. Ahumada, El Paso, Texas, Hughes/BMS, 35, $110.
24. (21) 2 Denis Czech, Gilman, Minn., 35, $500.
25. (16) 14W Clayton Wagamon, Ramsey, Minn., 28, $400.
26. (28) 89 J.T. Johnson, Milaca, Minn., 18, $400.
27. (3) 11 Jody Bellefeuille (R), Carlton, Minn., 13, $500.
28. (17) 24 Brandon Dolman, Alexandria, Minn., 12, $400.

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

Lap Leaders: Gierke 1-11, O’Neil 12-35.
Total Laps Led: O’Neil 24, Gierke 11.
Margin of Victory: 3.606 seconds.
Time of Race: 21 minutes, 24.630 seconds (2 cautions).
Provisional Starters: Ebert, Davis.
Emergency Provisionals: Ahumada, Givens.
Track Provisionals: Hansen, Johnson.
FK Rod Ends Hard Charger: Ramirez (started 19th, finished 7th).
Entries: 45.
Next Race: Saturday, July 17, Ogilvie Raceway, Ogilvie, Minn.
Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s Points: O'Neil 1460, Ramirez 1438, Sanders 1427, Mullens 1341, Wolff 1314, Schott 1299, Phillips 1248, Ebert 1216, Sorensen 1212, Hughes 1164.
Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year Points: Strength 946, Jesse Glenz 877, Good 743, Lucas Lee 713, Givens 691.
Miller Welders USMTS Manufacturers Championship Points: MBCustoms 148, Hughes 134, LG2 133, Mullens 102, Lethal 99.
Compstar USMTS Engine Builder of the Year Points: Cornett 145, Hatfield 112, Stoen 106, Mullens 89, Mullins 80.