WEBSTER CITY, Iowa—Rodney Sanders of Happy, Texas started out the 2014 race season winning a few races out in Tucson getting geared up for the 2014 USMTS race season and since Kelly Shryock and Ryan Gustin are the only drivers with more than one USMTS Championship and Jason Hughes out running the Lucas Oil Late Model Series, it seemed fitting that maybe Sanders would possibly make it two years in a row.

There were a couple of obstacles in the way and one was the forming of Rowland Racing bringing Stormy Scott back behind the wheel of the No. 2S LG2 Modified with Gustin’s former crew chief Joey Ciechanoswski, as the team leader of the Rowland Racing entry. The season would kicked off with the newly-formed MVT Gulf Coast Border Region which kicked off in Corpus Christi, Texas and ran four straight weekends in February, and finishing right in the Scott brother’s home town of Las Cruces, N.M. at the end of February. The nice thing about the USMTS is drivers only need to race in one region to be eligible to win the USMTS National Championship. Granted, it is to your advantage to race more races and earn points in each region, but it’s not necessary. Sanders was held winless in the first month and had to settle up for a runner-up spot at the end of the MVT Gulf Coast Border Region. Scott who was figured to be the man to beat throughout the whole year proved during February that everyone was going to have to step up their game as he took 4 wins in the 11 race region. In addition to Scott, picking up wins in the MVT Gulf Coast Border Region were Johnny Scott (2), Fito Gallardo, Jason Krohn, and Chris Brown (2).

The Major League Bowhunter Central Region was the second region to start racing in Mid March and it didn’t take people long to figure out that Sanders would be tougher in this region. After 12 races ran Sanders would pick up eight wins only leaving four races for others to win. Hunter Rasdon, Bryan Rowland, Zack VanderBeek, and Johnny Scott each won races in this region as the points were won by Sanders. VanderBeek finished second, followed by Stormy and Johnny in third and fourth and Kelly Shryock rounded out the top five.

The S&S Fishing & Rental Southern Region would be all Stormy Scott as he won six times in this 12 race region, with Sanders winning two times, Johnny Scott, Kelly Shryock, Chris Henigan, and Chris Brown each had one win. At the end of this region Scott would take the top honors, with Sanders taking another runner-up finish, Johnny Scott wound up finishing third, Kelly Shryock and Daniel Hilsabeck rounded out the top five respectively.

The final region was the Farm Boy BBQ Northern Region where Zack VanderBeek picked up the region championship. Stormy Scott, Kelly Shryock, Johnny Scott, and Joey Jensen rounded out the top five of the Farm Boy BBQ Northern Region. Sanders only showed up six times in this region and won three of the six races he attended with 4 top fives and 5 top tens. Picking up the other wins in this region was VanderBeek (2), Johnny Scott, Brandon Davis, Brad Dierks, and Brad Waits. Sanders finished 14th in the standings in this region.

USMTS Casey’s Hunt for the National Championship had 20 races scheduled and just like the whole season Mother Nature would not want to cooperate. The Hunt for the Championship ended up running 16 of the 20 scheduled events, with Sanders winning eight times and finishing in the top five 14 times with 14 top tens. Only two bad shows throughout the 16 race Hunt. The battle was very tight throughout the first eight races before Sanders wound up pulling away as others struggled. Sanders finished the Hunt with 136 more points than VanderBeek while Scott came home third. Kelly Shryock finished fourth, with Johnny Scott rounding out the top five.

Once the season ended and after all the point racing was done Sanders competed in 58 nights of racing action. His impressive resume includes 21 wins 45 top fives, and 52 top tens. Sanders pocketed more than $91,000 in cash not counting contingencies throughout the season or point money. In addition to these races Sanders captured each of the crown jewels the USMTS Series puts on that were not point races. King of America in Humboldt, Kan., World Modified Dirt Track Championship at Spring Valley, Minn., and the Fall Jamboree at Deer Creek in Spring Valley, Minn. A very impressive season for this young man out of Happy, Texas. USMTS would like to congratulate Sanders on a very impressive season in 2014.

Another Champion for the 2014 season was Cade Dillard from Robeline, La. who won the 2014 USMTS Rookie of the Year. Cade who joined forces with Chris Brown this past year, and raced the series 28 times enroute to the Rookie of the Year honors. Going into the year ending event Dillard was still looking for that first win, and it happened during the Winter Nationals in Vivian, LA earlier this month. Dillard had a very impressive year and had to work hard to take the top spot from Jacob Gallardo who raced more than Dillard, but struggles in mid June sent him back home in New Mexico. Gallardo would regroup and race several USRA Weekly races before getting back late in the season. Dillard won the $2,000 paycheck for the top honors plus several contingencies that come along with that. We will be looking for more out of Dillard when the 2015 race season starts as they always say the toughest win is that first one, so expect several more wins from Dillard in 2015.

All champions and drivers will be honored during the USMTS banquet held in Kansas City late in January at Harrah’s Casino. Watch for more details in regards to the banquet and the 2015 race season.

Hunt for the USMTS Casey's Cup:
1. 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas ... 1576
2. 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa ... 1440
3. 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ,,, 1310
4. 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa ... 1207
5. 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 1189
6. 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla. ... 1135
7. 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla. ... 1120
8. 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa ... 1053
9. 98 John Allen, Chanute, Kan. ... 977
10. 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La. ... 862
11. 99h Trevor Hunt, Kearney, Mo. ... 816
12. J17 Jake Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 764
13. 21 Lance Town, Lousiburg, Kan. ... 755
14. 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo. ... 740
15. 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo. ... 468

USMTS Rookie of the Year:
1. 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La. ... 1879
2. J17 Jake Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 1781
3. 1* Adam Penn, Shreveport, La. ... 1436
4. 21t Lance Town, Louisburg, Kan. ... 1320
5. 95 Dylan Smith, Osceola, Neb. ... 1298

COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year:
1. Sput’s Racing Engines, Owatonna, Minn. ... 443
2. Geddes Racing Engines, Colorado Springs, Colo. ... 426
3. Pro Power Racing, Sullivan, Wis. ... 413
4. Mullins Race Engines, Mt. Olive, Ill. ... 270
5. ASI Racing Engines, Lubbock, Texas ... 199

Tiger Quick Change Manufacturers Championship:
1. LG2 Chassis, Newport, Tenn. ... 506
2. MB Customs, Menomonie, Wis. ... 488
3. GRT Race Cars, Greenbrier, Ark. ... 400
4. Ramirez Race Cars, Woodward, Okla. ... 381
5. Hughes Racing Chassis, Colcord, Okla. ... 307

Meilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger:
1. Stormy Scott ... 86
2. Zack VanderBeek ... 69
3. Jake Gallardo ... 41
4. Terry Phillips ... 39
5. Rodney Sanders ... 38

Sybesma Graphics Pole Award:
1. Rodney Sanders ... 451.0
2. Zack VanderBeek ... 387.0
3. Stormy Scott ... 324.0
4. Johnny Scott ... 304.5
5. Terry Phillips ... 260.5

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 check out our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv.

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