With his victory Wednesday night at the Hamilton County Speedway, Jesse Sobbing made it seven different winners in nine races in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental.
The 33-year-old from Malvern, Iowa, started on the pole but it was Grant Junghans taking control of the main event at the drop of the green flag.
Sobbing snuck past Junghans after the seventh lap with Johnny Scott, Rodney Sanders and Stormy Scott holding down the rest of the first five positions.
With 10 of the 30 laps in the books, Sanders got around Johnny Scott for third and then looked to make the pass on Junghans for second when the two made contact and Sanders wound up facing the wrong direction at the top of turn 2.
While Sanders tagged the rear of the field, Sobbing led the pack back to green. Junghans got over the treacherous cushion in the first corner as Stormy Scott, Ryan Gustin and Johnny Scott raced by on the inside.
Stormy Scott was the next driver to get bitten by the tall cushion as Gustin and three others screamed past. One lap later, Gustin began to bellow heavy smoke and when the caution waved on lap 14 he dove into the pits and out of the hunt with a punctured radiator.
Johnny Scott assumed the runner-up spot and got around Sobbing briefly on the 16th lap, but the race’s third yellow flag put Sobbing back in front for the restart while third-running Cade Dillard went to the tail after coming to a stop atop the second turn.
From that moment on, Sobbing was never challenged again as he and Johnny Scott left the rest of the field far behind and raced to a 1-2 finish with Dan Ebert claiming the third spot.
The $3,000 triumph was the second feature win this season for Sobbing, who clinched the 2015 USMTS rookie title prior to Wednesday’s program.
Sporting a new Sour Patch Kids livery, Cory Crapser was the hard charger of the race, coming from 15th on the starting grid to finish fourth ahead of Jason Hughes.
Sanders, meanwhile, averted disaster and fought his way back to sixth at the checkered flag. Dillard got back up to seventh, Dereck Ramirez passed ten cars to finish eighth, Stormy Scott held on for ninth and veteran Tommy Myer rounded out the top 10.
On Thursday, Sept. 3, the series moves to the legendary Fairmont Raceway in Fairmont, Minn., with the Holley Iron Man Series featuring USRA Stock Cars and USRA B-Mods back on the ticket for a second straight night. Gates open at 5 p.m., hot laps start at 7 and racing begins at 7:15 p.m.
General admission for ages 13 and older is $18, youth ages 6-12 are $5 and children 5 and under are free. Pit passes are $35. Fans can get coupons good for $2 off adult general admission at Casey’s General Stores locations in Fairmont, Sherburn, Trimont, Truman, Welcome, Winnebago and Armstrong in Iowa.
Joe ‘Big Daddy’ Duvall and his No. 91 AMP Energy machine will be greeting fans at 202 E. Blue Earth in Fairmont from 12-2 p.m. Listen to KFMC 106.5 FM to hear live broadcasts from the appearance.
The Fairmont Raceway is a 1/2-mile high-banked dirt oval located 1.0 mile south of I-90 (exit 99) on N. Bixby Rd. (CR 39). For more information call (507) 382-4531 or (507) 382-4531 or visit www.fairmontraceway.com online.
Friday will find the series at the Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minn., followed by a date on Saturday at the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn. The five-night Labor Day Weekend swing wraps up on Sunday at the Cresco Speedway in Cresco, Iowa.
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 or subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv.
