ATCHISON, Kan.—Cade Dillard of Robeline, La., found the Atchison County Raceway to his liking Sunday night, picking up his third career USMTS win in the series first-ever trip to “The Cage.”

After scoring the most passing points in qualifying and a one-hour rain delay, Dillard redrew the pole position for the 52-lap main event and led every circuit despite constant pressure from Jason Hughes and a seemingly endless sward of lapped traffic on the high-banked 1/5-mile dirt oval.

“This is one fun little track,” the 2014 USMTS Rookie of the Year said in Widow Wax Victory Lane. “It races a lot faster and wider than you’d think, and you can’t lose your concentration for a second.”

After fighting off multiple challenges from Rodney Sanders early and Hughes for the bulk of the race, the 24-year-old finally began to distance himself from his chasers over the final ten laps but a caution on the white flag lap for a stray driveshaft delayed his victory celebration.

“Man, I was cussing (Todd) Staley when that yellow came out on the last lap,” Dillard added. “it wouldn’t have been the first time this year that a late yellow cost us one, but it feels really good to get a win. We needed it.”

Any shot that Hughes had at knocking off Dillard was dashed when 21st-starting Daniel Hilsabeck started on the inside of Hughes for the green-white-checkered finish.

Hughes had his focus taken away in his battle to hang on to second over KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Hilsabeck while Dillard drove off to collect the $3,000 winner’s check.

Sanders held on for fourth with Jesse Sobbing, Dereck Ramirez, Ricky Thornton Jr., 15th-starting Lance Town, Joe Duvall and rookie contender Cody Bauman.

Hughes continues to hold down the points lead in the MSD Central Region presented by Day Motor Sports. He leads Sobbing by 42 markers (382 to 340), followed by Dillard (331), Sanders (330) and Ramirez (312) in the top five.

The focus shifts to the Production Jars Southern Region next week with a tripleheader of $3,000-to-win contests in the Lone Star State.

On Thursday, April 28, the USMTS invades the Superbowl Speedway in Greenville, Texas, for the 2nd Annual North Texas Nationals. Friday, April 29, finds the fire-breathing fighter pilots at the Kennedale Speedway Park in Kennedale, Texas, before wrapping up the swing on Saturday, April 30, with the 3rd Annual “Uproar in Kilgore” at the Lonestar Speedway in Kilgore, Texas.

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 and Instagram at www.instagram.com/usmts or subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
USMTS Casey’s Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental – MSD Central Region presented by Day Motor Sports
Inaugural “Cage Match” presented by R&S Automotive
Atchison County Raceway, Atchison, Kan.
Sunday, April 24, 2016

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, laps completed and money won. All drivers were locked into the “A” Main with the top 8 in passing points accumulated in the heat races re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.

MSD HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (1) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
2. (4) 12d Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
3. (5) 20rt Ricky Thornton Jr. (R), Chandler, Ariz.
4. (3) 01 Joey Galloway, Manor, Sask., Canada.
5. (7) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
6. (6) 37 Mike Jergens (R), Plover, Iowa.
7. (2) 40 Jessy Willard, Mound City, Kan.
8. (9) 4 Billy Vogel (R), West Fargo, N.D.
9. (8) 21 Josh Blumer, Marysville, Kan.

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (3) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
2. (7) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
3. (4) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
4. (6) 6 Brock Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill.
5. (5) 21t Lance Town, Wellsville, Kan.
6. (2) B29 Blonde Bomber Mitchell, Pea Ridge, Ark.
7. (1) 00 Masen Big Eagle, Manor, Sask., Canada.
DNS – 2s Stormy Scott, Arroyo Hondo, N.M.

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (2) 99 Jesse Sobbing, Malvern, Iowa.
2. (4) 4 Cody Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill.
3. (1) 73 Truman Asher, St. Joseph, Mo.
4. (6) 78 Derrick Hicks, Ravenwood, Mo.
5. (7) 5 Todd Shute (R), Des Moines, Iowa.
6. (3) 99 Jett Big Eagle (R), Manor, Sask., Canada.
7. (5) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa.
DNS – 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.

CASEY’S GENERAL STORES “A” MAIN (52 laps):
1. (1) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La., MBCustom/ASI, 52, $3000.
2. (5) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 52, $1700.
3. (21) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa, Hilsabeck/Mullins, 52, $1200.
4. (3) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, MBCustom/Geddes, 52, $1000.
5. (4) 99 Jesse Sobbing, Malvern, Iowa, Harris/GMPP, 52, $900.
6. (2) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., LG2/Cornett, 52, $800.
7. (6) 20rt Ricky Thornton Jr. (R), Chandler, Ariz., Victory/Karl, 52, $700.
8. (15) 21t Lance Town, Wellsville, Kan., Phoenix/Driskell, 52, $650.
9. (8) 12d Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla., MBCustom/Wornhor, 52, $600.
10. (7) 4 Cody Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill., GRT/Mullins, 52, $550.
11. (22) 4 Billy Vogel (R), West Fargo, N.D., LG2/Durham, 52, $500.
12. (12) 01 Joey Galloway, Manor, Sask., Canada, GRT/ProPower, 52, $450.
13. (18) 99 Jett Big Eagle (R), Manor, Sask., Canada, GRT/ProPower, 52, $425.
14. (10) 6 Brock Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill., GRT/Mullins, 52, $400.
15. (11) 78 Derrick Hicks, Ravenwood, Mo., Shaw/Wyman, 52, $300.
16. (20) 00 Masen Big Eagle, Manor, Sask., Canada, GRT/Tim’s, 51, $350.
17. (16) 37 Mike Jergens (R), Plover, Iowa, Harris/KSE, 36, $325.
18. (19) 40 Jessy Willard, Mound City, Kan., Willard/Willard, 27, $300.
19. (9) 73 Truman Asher, St. Joseph, Mo., /, 25, $250.
20. (14) 5 Todd Shute (R), Des Moines, Iowa, Victory/Karl, 10, $400.
21. (17) B29 Blonde Bomber Mitchell, Pea Ridge, Ark., Hughes/BMS, 10, $300.
22. (23) 21 Josh Blumer, Marysville, Kan., Jet/GMPP, 10, $250.
23. (13) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan., Mullens/Mullens, 5, $300.
DNS – 2s Stormy Scott, Arroyo Hondo, N.M., Lethal/Mullins, 0, $90.
DNS – 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Lethal/Durham, 0, $90.

(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.

Lap Leader: Dillard 1-52.
Total Laps Led: Dillard 52.
Margin of Victory: 0.612 second.
Provisional Starters: none.
Time of Race: 26 minutes, 27.083 seconds (5 cautions).
Sybesma Graphics Pole Award: Dillard.
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger: Hilsabeck (started 21st, finished 3rd).
Entries: 25.
Next Race: Thursday, April 28, Superbowl Speedway, Greenville, Texas.
MSD Central Region Points: Hughes 382, Sobbing 340, Dillard 331, Sanders 330, Ramirez 312, Hilsabeck 298, Shute 291, VanderBeek 262, Duvall 261, Thornton 255.
Rookie of the Year Points: B. Bauman 832, C. Bauman 777, Tyler Wolff 764, Vogel 661, Shute 621.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 144, Geddes 119, Sput’s 104, Durham 101, GMPP 71.
Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 140, MBCustoms 133, LG2 117, Harris 94, GRT 88.

Contingency Awards:
Allstar Performance – Town.
American Racer – C. Bauman.
Bell Helmets – Jergens.
Beyea Custom Headers – Sobbing.
BSB Manufacturing – Mitchell.
Day Motor Sports – Mullens.
Deatherage Opticians – Shute.
Edelbrock – Sobbing.
Eibach Springs – Galloway.
Fast Shafts – Sanders.
FK Rod Ends – Hicks.
Forty9Designs.com – B. Bauman, Asher.
Fuel Safe – Ramirez.
GRT Race Cars – Galloway.
Hooker Harness – J. Big Eagle.
Integra Shocks & Springs – Willard.
Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service – M. Big Eagle.
Kevko Oil Pans & Components – Duvall.
Keyser Manufacturing – C. Bauman.
KSE Racing Products – Hilsabeck.
Midwest Sheet Metal – Shute.
MSD – Ramirez, Dillard.
Out-Pace Racing Products – M. Big Eagle.
PBM Performance Products – Hilsabeck.
QA1 – Sobbing.
Real Racing Wheels – not awarded.
Sybesma Graphics – Dillard.
VP Racing Fuels – Dillard.
Wehrs Machine & Racing Products – Vogel.
Wilwood Engineering – Thornton.

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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Argo Manufacturing, Casey’s General Stores, Chix Gear Racewear, COMP Cams, CP-Carrillo, Day Motor Sports, Deatherage Opticians, Fast Shafts, Intercomp, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, Kevko Oil Pans & Components, KSE Racing Products, Leaf Racewear & Safety Equipment, Malvern Trust & Savings Bank, MSD, RacerWebsite.com, RacinDirt.com, RealTruck.com, S&S Fishing & Rental, The Joie of Seating, VP Racing Fuels.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: AMP Energy Drink, Arizona Sport Shirts, ASi Racewear, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Duvall Electric, ElbowsUp.com, Erson Cams, I-29 Trailer Sales, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Oreo, Production Jars, Rivers Edge Scrap Management, Snickers, Sour Patch Kids, YouDirt.com.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Bell Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, BSB Manufacturing, Driven Racing Oil, Edelbrock, Eibach Springs, FK Rod Ends, Forty9 Designs, Fuel Safe Racing Cells, Genesis Racing Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Holley Performance Products, Hooker Custom Harness, Integra Shocks & Springs, Keyser Manufacturing, Midwest Sheet Metal, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, QA1 Precision Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Sybesma Graphics, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood Engineering.