Williamson’s first USMTS win worth $10,000 at Ogilvie’s Mod Wars

OGILVIE, Minn. (July 17)—Alex Williamson’s first USMTS victory was a big one as the Rushford, Minn., racer netted $10,000 after leading all 40 laps of the inaugural Mod Wars main event Saturday at the Ogilvie Raceway.

Many of the top drivers in the Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s points battle were unable to avoid the cause of several caution flags, and that made for a shake-up in the points and some big money going to a bunch of fresh faces in a 40-lapper that lasted nearly 45 minutes.

As the Sybesma Graphics Pole Award winner, Williamson set the pace for the start of the race and jumped out to leader to first handful of laps around the high-banked 3/8-mile dirt oval.

Just as the leader caught the rear of the pack, the race’s first yellow flag waved to slow the pace and give Williamson a clear track for the restart but before another lap could be completed a second caution emerged for a multi-car tangle in turn four involving Tyler Wolff, Jason Hughes, Dustin Sorensen, Rodney Sanders and several others.

While under caution as the field was getting aligned, points leader Jake O’Neil pulled out of formation as his mount rolled to a stop. Mechanical troubles ended his night and his string of victories at three.

Back under green flag racing, Williamson set sail and expanded his lead over Jody Bellefeuille to nearly a full straight-away by the time they reach the halfway mark of the 40-lap contest.

With 23 laps complete, Sanders pulled into the infield and called it quits which left the four-time USMTS national champ and O’Neil out of the top 20 on the final scoresheets.

Williamson led the field back to the green flag and continued to churn the thin cushion against the outside wall of the Ogilvie Raceway while Bellefeuille—the track’s Wissota Modified points leader—used the rest of the racing surface to find a way around the leader.

Meanwhile, Jake Timm and Jacob Bleess kept the pressure on Bellefeuille with Shane Sabraski close behind in the top five.

After another quick caution with 13 laps to go, Williamson continued to use up the top groove with Landon Atkinson clawing his way into fourth with 11 laps to go, but a two-car tangle with nine laps remaining erased yet another growing advantage for Williamson.

Yellow fever continued with seven laps to go when Dan Ebert got together with Dereck Ramirez, sending Ebert to the back of the field while Ramirez retained his position in eighth.

Bellefeuille showed a lot of respect to the leader on the restart, choosing to leave Williamson just enough room to scoot past on the high side rather than slamming the door with a slide job.

He never got another shot as Williamson powered his way to his first-ever USMTS victory and a $10,000 paycheck as the inaugural Mod Wars champion.

Atkinson got by Bellefeuille for the runner-up spot while Bleess and Gierke completed the top five. Darron Fuqua, Timm, Ramirez, Tanner Mullens and Zack VanderBeek netted the sixth through tenth-place paychecks.

Ramirez, Mullens and VanderBeek were the only drivers ranked among the top ten in points who finished in the top ten of the main event.

Racin’ in Mason City on Sunday: Less than 24 hours from now, the Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s ventures into the Hawkeye State for the $5,000-to-win Mod Mania built by Christie Door Co. at the Mason City Motor Speedway.

Dereck Ramirez won the finale of last year’s Mod Mania as well picking up a win one month earlier, but that was on last year’s configuration. This time around, all drivers will find a newly-shaped and sculpted racing surface which has so far earned its nickname as ‘Iowa’s Action Track.’

Tanner Mullens and Lucas Schott also visited victory lane here last year. Terry Phillips won in 2018 and Ryan Gustin won two main events in one night in 2017 after an early-season rain-out. He remains the only two-time USMTS winner at the former I-35 Speedway.

Other former winners at the MCMS include Cade Dillard, Rodney Sanders, Jason Hughes, Kelly Shryock, Mike Steensma and Ryan Ruter, who won the first USMTS race here on June 24, 2009.

USRA Stock Cars, USRA B-Mods and USRA Hobby Stocks will also be on the card competing for track, regional and national points in the Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series. Outlaw Mini Mods will round out the five-division program.

The pits open at 3 p.m. while grandstand gates swing open at 4. Hot laps begin at 5:40 and the first heat race hits the dirt at 6 p.m. sharp.

The Mason City Motor Speedway is a high-banked 1/3-mile clay oval located 5.1 miles east of I-35 at exit 194 on SR 122 (at the North Iowa Fairgrounds). The physical address is 3700 4th St SW, Mason City, IA 50401. For more information, check out MasonCityMotorSpeedway.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.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s
Inaugural Mod Wars – Night 2 of 2
Ogilvie Raceway, Ogilvie, Minn.
Saturday, July 17, 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) 4W Tyler Wolff, Fayetteville, Ark.
2. (4) 30 Matt Leer, Bruce, Wis.
3. (5) 18A Landon Atkinson, Little Falls, Minn.
4. (6) 19 Dustin Sorensen, Rochester, Minn.
5. (7) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
6. (8) 11B Andy Jones, Princeton, Minn.
7. (3) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
8. (9) 22 Jeff Spacek (R), Phillips, Wis.
9. (2) 4R Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (1) 26G Ryan Gierke, Villard, Minn.
2. (3) 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz.
3. (4) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
4. (2) 444 Brooks Strength (R), Raymond, Miss.
5. (7) 89 J.T. Johnson, Milaca, Minn.
6. (5) 37X Skeeter Estey, Kelly Lake, Minn.
7. (9) 55W Jeffrey Wood, Chisholm, Minn.
8. (6) WIN1 Jon Frolik, Ramsey, Minn.
9. (8) 7J Corey Jones (R), Zimmerman, Minn.

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
2. (3) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
3. (2) 87 Darron Fuqua, Mayetta, Kan.
4. (5) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
5. (6) 60 Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minn.
6. (4) 110 Darrell Nelson, Hermantown, Minn.
7. (8) 96 Taton Hansen (R), Spicer, Minn.
8. (7) 8C Chris Clark, Jackson, Wyo.

MSD PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (1) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
2. (3) 49JR Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
3. (8) 7A Shane Sabraski, Rice, Minn.
4. (2) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan.
5. (4) 06 Jeremy Nelson, Zimmerman, Minn.
6. (5) 65X Carlos Ahumada Jr., El Paso, Texas.
7. (7) 19X James Trantina III, St. Joseph, Minn.
8. (6) 2G Brandon Givens (R), Wichita, Kan.

VP RACING FUELS HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):
1. (3) 11 Jody Bellefeuille, Carlton, Minn.
2. (2) 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
3. (1) 2 Denis Czech, Gilman, Minn.
4. (5) 2C Dave Cain, Corcoran, Minn.
5. (8) 24 Brandon Dolman, Alexandria, Minn.
6. (4) 1M Curt Myers, Cameron, Wis.
7. (6) 85 Jayson Good (R), Watertown, S.D.
8. (7) 19SB Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (1) 18A Landon Atkinson, Little Falls, Minn.
2. (3) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
3. (4) 444 Brooks Strength (R), Raymond, Miss.
4. (7) 06 Jeremy Nelson, Zimmerman, Minn.
5. (5) 24 Brandon Dolman, Alexandria, Minn.
6. (2) 2 Denis Czech, Gilman, Minn., SSR/Tim's, $100.
7. (15) 4R Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
8. (6) 89 J.T. Johnson, Milaca, Minn.
9. (8) 110 Darrell Nelson, Hermantown, Minn., MBCustoms/Tim's, $100.
10. (9) 37X Skeeter Estey, Kelly Lake, Minn., TRC/Tim's, $100.
11. (14) 2G Brandon Givens (R), Wichita, Kan.
12. (12) 85 Jayson Good (R), Watertown, S.D.
13. (10) 55W Jeffrey Wood, Chisholm, Minn., Shaw/Chevrolet, $125.
14. (13) WIN1 Jon Frolik, Ramsey, Minn., MasterSbilt/Adams, $100.
15. (11) 96 Taton Hansen (R), Spicer, Minn.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (2) 19 Dustin Sorensen, Rochester, Minn.
2. (1) 87 Darron Fuqua, Mayetta, Kan.
3. (3) 2C Dave Cain, Corcoran, Minn.
4. (6) 60 Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minn.
5. (4) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan.
6. (10) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
7. (5) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
8. (8) 1M Curt Myers, Cameron, Wis., Rage/Sput's, $125.
9. (7) 11B Andy Jones, Princeton, Minn., MasterSbilt/Adams, $100.
10. (11) 19X James Trantina III, St. Joseph, Minn., Lethal/Sower, $100.
11. (15) 7J Corey Jones (R), Zimmerman, Minn., VanderBuilt/Tim's, $125.
12. (14) 19SB Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif., MRT/Yeoman, $125.
13. (9) 65X Carlos Ahumada Jr., El Paso, Texas.
14. (12) 22 Jeff Spacek (R), Phillips, Wis., Rage/PPM, $125.
15. (13) 8C Chris Clark, Jackson, Wyo., Hughes/Cornett, $125.

CASEY’S “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (1) 15W Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn., SSR/KSE, 40, $10,000.
2. (13) 18A Landon Atkinson, Little Falls, Minn., Lethal/Sower, 40, $5000.
3. (4) 11 Jody Bellefeuille, Carlton, Minn., MBCustoms/Tim's, 40, $3000.
4. (5) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn., VanderBuilt/KSE, 40, $2000.
5. (2) 26G Ryan Gierke, Villard, Minn., SSR/Stoen, 40, $1700.
6. (16) 87 Darron Fuqua, Mayetta, Kan., MBCustoms/Driskell, 40, $1500.
7. (6) 49JR Jake Timm, Winona, Minn., MBCustoms/OFI, 40, $1200.
8. (23) 4R Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/Cornett, 40, $1000.
9. (24) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan., Mullens/Mullens, 40, $900.
10. (11) 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, VanderBuilt/Stoen, 40, $850.
11. (19) 06 Jeremy Nelson, Zimmerman, Minn., Lethal/KSE, 40, $575.
12. (14) 19 Dustin Sorensen, Rochester, Minn., MBCustoms/Action, 40, $775.
13. (20) 60 Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minn., Lethal/Ebert, 40, $750.
14. (25) 89 J.T. Johnson, Milaca, Minn., MasterSbilt/Wagamon, 40, $740.
15. (10) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Durham, 40, $735.
16. (29) 85 Jayson Good (R), Watertown, S.D., MBCustoms/Tim's, 40, $155.
17. (22) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $725.
18. (21) 24 Brandon Dolman, Alexandria, Minn., SSR/Adams, 40, $505.
19. (30) 2G Brandon Givens (R), Wichita, Kan., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $140.
20. (28) 65X Carlos Ahumada Jr., El Paso, Texas, Hughes/BMS, 40, $125.
21. (3) 4W Tyler Wolff, Fayetteville, Ark., MBCustoms/ECE, 38, $705.
22. (17) 444 Brooks Strength (R), Raymond, Miss., MBCustoms/Stoen, 30, $700.
23. (8) 7A Shane Sabraski, Rice, Minn., Lethal/Hill, 29, $500.
24. (27) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn., MBCustoms/Stoen, 27, $125.
25. (18) 2C Dave Cain, Corcoran, Minn., Longhorn/OFI, 26, $700.
26. (7) 30 Matt Leer, Bruce, Wis., MBCustoms/Stoen, 24, $700.
27. (12) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, MBCustoms/Hatfield, 21, $700.
28. (9) 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz., LG2/Cornett, 12, $700.
29. (26) 96 Taton Hansen (R), Spicer, Minn., MBCustoms/Dakota, 12, $700.
30. (15) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 12, $700.

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

Lap Leader: Williamson 1-40.
Total Laps Led: Williamson 40.
Margin of Victory: 0.973 second.
Time of Race: 44 minutes, 11.920 seconds (8 cautions).
Provisional Starters: Ramirez, Mullens.
Emergency Provisionals: Schott, Ahumada, Good, Givens.
Track Provisionals: Johnson, Hansen.
FK Rod Ends Hard Charger: Atkinson (started 13th, finished 2nd).
Entries: 42.
Next Race: Sunday, July 18, Mason City Motor Speedway, Mason City, Iowa.
Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s Points: Ramirez 1514, O'Neil 1510, Sanders 1477, Mullens 1415, Wolff 1367, Schott 1349, Phillips 1310, Ebert 1282, Sorensen 1280, Hughes 1214.
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 156, Hughes 140, LG2 134, Lethal 108, Mullens 107.
Compstar USMTS Engine Builder of the Year Points: Cornett 149, Hatfield 113, Stoen 113, Mullens 92, Mullins 81.