MALVERN, Iowa—Everybody who had previously competed against Jesse Sobbing on a dirt track knew that when he jumped up to the big leagues in 2015 that he would be a force to be reckoned with.

And while some fans—and perhaps even a handful of his fellow drivers—were skeptical about his chances for success in his first full season running with the Best of the Best in the United States Modified Touring Series, those doubts have been put to rest.

With eight points races still remaining in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental, Sobbing has mathematically clinched the 2015 USMTS Rookie for the Year Award and added another gold star to an already-glowing racing résumé.

The only driver to compete in every USMTS regional points race in 2015, Sobbing led the rookie standings for the first time this season following the event on May 1 at the Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Mo.

One day later, he won his first career USMTS main event by outrunning Terry Phillips and Rodney Sanders at the Randolph County Raceway in Moberly, Mo., and he never trailed again.

Driving the No.99 Home Pride Motorsports MB Custom powered by Sput’s Racing Engines, the multi-time I.M.C.A. national and NASCAR regional champion from Malvern, Iowa, has traveled with his veteran crew chief, Mike Gocke, to every USMTS Casey’s Cup Series show this season.

In his 44 starts, Sobbing has recorded one win, 17 top-fives and 30 top-ten finishes while racking up more than $40,000 in earnings.

Throughout four regional points races, the team finished third in the final standings in two regions and fourth in the other two. Sobbing came into the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup as the points leader and currently rides in third behind Rodney Sanders and Jason Hughes.

At 33 years of age, Sobbing is not the oldest to win the USMTS Rookie of the Year Award. That distinction belongs to Scott Green who was 37 when he claimed the honor in 2007. Conversely, Trevor Hunt was the youngest recipient at 14 years of age when he won it in 2013.

Former USMTS Rookie of the Year Award winners include Cade Dillard (2014), Trevor Hunt (2013), Stormy Scott (2012), Jason Grimes (2011), Johnny Scott (2010) Grant Junghans (2009), Brandon Kenny (2008), Scott Green (2007), Jay Poidinger (2006), Brad McEwan (2005), Zack VanderBeek (2004), Corey Dripps (2003), Justin Boney (2002), Jason Hughes (2001) and Kevin Peters (2000).

In addition to cash in pocket, Sobbing’s Rookie of the Year title also comes with a new fuel cell from Fuel Safe and a  new carburetor from Holley Performance, plus contingency awards from Beyea Custom Headers, FK Rod Ends, Genesis Racing Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing, Nitroquest Media and more.

USMTS Rookie Points Standings (as of Aug. 18):
1. 99 Jesse Sobbing, Malvern, Iowa ... 2070
2. 2 Casey Arneson, Fargo, N.D. ... 1741
3. 23k Ben Kates, Tonganoxie, Kan. ... 1483
4. 38 Ronnie Gould III, Seminole, Okla. ... 1167
5. 07 Cory Crapser, Chippewa Falls, Wis. ... 1082
6. 10 Austin Arneson, Fargo, N.D. ... 1073
7. 60 Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minn. ... 978
8. 7x Jesse Glenz, Cadott, Wis. ... 883
9. 4 Cody Bauman, Eureka, Ill. ... 833
10. 6 Brock Bauman, Eureka, Ill. ... 820

Rookie points are awarded for each eligible driver’s best twenty-four (24) points-earning performances during the season. To be eligible for the USMTS Rookie of the Year Award, a driver may have participated in no more than twenty-four (24) USMTS events prior to the current year and/or may not have won a USMTS “A” Main during a prior year.

Sobbing will be looking to take a step toward one more title when the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental returns to America’s heartland this weekend for a pair of critical events in the battle to become the 2015 champion of the United States Modified Touring Series.

Action kicks off this Friday, Aug. 21, at the Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., for the first of two $3,000-to-win blockbuster events with the first heat race at 7:30 p.m.

The Lakeside Speedway is a semi-banked 4/10-mile dirt oval located 1.0 mile west of I-435 (exit 18) on SR 5 (northwest of Kansas City). For more information, call 913-299-9206 or visit www.lakesidespeedway.net.

Then on Saturday, Aug. 22, the gear-grinding goliaths of the USMTS return to the Salina Highbanks Speedway for what promises to be yet another classic nail-biter on the steep clay oval. The first green flag waves at 7 p.m.

The Salina Highbanks Speedway is located 7 miles east of Pryor on SR 20. For more information, visit the website at www.salinahighbanksspeedway.com or call 918-434-7223.

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.

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

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Casey’s General Stores, Chix Gear Racewear, COMP Cams, Day Motor Sports, Deatherage Opticians, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Fast Shafts, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, Malvern Trust & Savings Bank, MSD, Nitroquest Media Group, RACEceiver, RacinDirt.com, S&S Fishing & Rental, VP Racing Fuels.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arizona Sport Shirts, ASi Racewear, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Double H Bands, Duvall Electric, ElbowsUp.com, Integra Racing Shocks & Springs, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Olympic Fire Protection, Rivers Edge Scrap Management, Schwab’s Tinker Shop, UMotors Motorsports & Marine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Bell Racing Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, BSB Manufacturing, CPD Racing Tools, Crane Cams, Driven Racing Oil, Edelbrock, Eibach Springs, FK Rod Ends, Forty9 Designs, Fuel Safe, Genesis Racing Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Holley Performance, Hooker Custom Harness, JRi Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Midwest Sheet Metal, PBM Performance Products, QA1 Precision Products, Quarter Master, R2C Performance, Real Racing Wheels, Simpson Performance Products, Sybesma Graphics, Tilton Engineering, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes.