Davis and Sanders win effortlessly in the USMT series | News, Sports, Jobs

ABOVE: Rodney Sanders races through turn two at Fairmont Raceway in the No. 20 car during the second round of the USMTS.

FAIRMONT – Tyler Davis and Rodney Sanders won top prizes in the United States Modified Touring Series at Fairmont Raceway on Thursday night.

The USMTS competition was split into three heats and two main races, with points awarded based on finishing position at the race. These points count across all events and the top ten drivers in the series advance and have a shot at the national championship.

“It is the fastest track ever. Many people are afraid of it,” said driver Lee Beemer. “But it’s the high speed, the long half-mile, the high lean. And that’s what makes the big guys pick up a lot of speed.”

The first heat of the USMTS races was won by driver Kyle Brown of Madrid, Iowa, with a fastest lap time of 19.548 seconds. Close behind was Rodney Sanders, who set a best time of 19.743 seconds. Third was Jake Tim with a best time of 19.625 seconds.

In Heat 2, Gary Christian took first place with a best lap time of 20.055. Just behind him was Brandon Davis, who was unable to close the gap despite a faster final lap time of 19.918. Third was Alex Williamson, who again set a fastest lap of 19.829, but fell back due to two poor laps and was 2.668 seconds behind Christian.

In the third and final heat before the main competitions, Dan Ebert took first place, AJ Hoff took second place and Jason Hughes took third place.

In the B-Feature 1 race for the Summit USMTS, Davis took first place with a best lap time of 20.095. Jacob Hobsscheidt took second with a best lap time of 20.022, but could not save himself through a difficult second lap that set him back by 23.063 seconds. Lyle Sathoff took third place with a best lap time of 20.881.

Before the main event of the evening, a 25-lap race involving all 25 drivers who had taken part in the various heats, driver Jim Chisholm had only two things on his mind: winning and going fast.

Chisholm, who was in second place before the night’s races, said before the race that he doesn’t get to run many courses like this one.

“I’ve heard from people who have run here that it’s really fast and big, so we don’t get to run that often anymore. So it’s a little different, but it should be fun and exciting,” said Chisholm. “Other than a gear change, we’ll run it the same way we finished it last time on track. So we’ll go from there and if we need to make a few adjustments, we’ll do that.”

Sanders secured gold in the A Feature 1 race with a final lap time of 23.730 and a best lap of 20.061. Right behind him, Chisholm took silver with a final lap time of 23.069 and a best lap of 20.378. Bronze went to Terry Phillips, whose final lap was 21.565. Phillips finished the evening with a best lap of 20.425.

Fairmont Raceway has a rich history. Built in 1965, the race track hosted its first eight-man race on August 19, 1968. The track’s popularity grew many times, and often as many as 50 cars would race. In 1984, it was renamed from International Raceway to its current name, Fairmont Raceway.

Over time, various racing classes were added or eliminated, allowing less experienced racers to gain experience and advance to higher levels of competition. Currently, Fairmont Raceway is authorized in five classes: Hobby Stocks, Tunners, B-Mods and Modifieds, which has allowed them to host USMTS events.

The USMTS started in 1998, the five-year-old United States Modified Series was taken over by Todd and Janet Staley and renamed the United States Modified Touring Series. Now running in its 24th season, it is one of the fastest growing open-wheel modified series in the country.

Through 2023, the league has paid out over $20 million in winnings to 4,600 drivers in over 181 venues across 19 states. Divided into three regions of Central, North and South, the top 10 finishers advance to the national championship series and have a chance at the $100,000 grand prize.

The league hosts an average of 36 shows per season, but the number varies depending on the weather. In some seasons there are up to 50, in others only 30.

Fairmont Raceways’ next event is August 2nd, Back-to-School Night.