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Ramirez collects $10,000 Juggernaut victory at Tri-State

There was no rust for Dereck Ramirez over the weekend. Despite more than a month break from the driver’s seat, Ramirez raced to a runner-up finish in USMTS action on Friday night before registering a $10,000 triumph on Saturday night in his Ramirez Motorsports No. 4r Koda Services/ Boom-Test Well Service/ Raw Truck Wash/ Hughes Racing Chassis/ Cornett Racing Engine Modified.

Ramirez’ second victory of 2021, which came at Oklahoma’s Tri-State Speedway, was worth a cool $10,000 and marked his second five-figure payday of the season.

“That was fun,” Ramirez said in Victory Lane on Saturday night. “I pride myself on being a clean racer and I didn’t want to dirty him (Austin Seibert) up. I felt like on the last lap there I got far enough ahead of him that I was going to clear him going in the corner, so I had to do what I had to do. You’ve got to win a race and that’s what we do this for.

“I’ve got to dedicate this win to a family back home. Brandon Miller and his family, they lost their dad (Eugene Shahan) and he actually started going with us this year. We got him a victory down there in Texas and this one’s for him. We’re going to miss him, and I know he’d be right here with us, and I’m sure he’s up there watching me today so this is for him. And this is for my dad (Leon Ramirez). He’s been battling cancer and seems like every time we get good news we get bad news and I owe all this racing to him. I love him and I love my family and I just hope he gets better and so it’s for you too dad.”

After more than a month break, Dereck Ramirez returned to competition with the United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) on Friday evening at Lakeside Speedway (Kansas City, Kan.) in the seventh annual Spring Sizzler.

With 48 cars entered, Ramirez posted a runner-up finish in his heat race behind Tanner Mullens, which positioned him 10th on the starting grid for the $10,000-to-win A-Main. Marching forward eight spots in the 35-lap affair, Dereck notched a second-place finish behind Rodney Sanders with Jake O’Neil, Lucas Schott, and Dan Ebert rounding out the Top 5.

On Saturday afternoon at Tri-State Speedway (Pocola, Okla.) for the Juggernaut, Dereck advanced two spots in his heat race to place second behind Austin Siebert. (Ellie Nightingale photo)

Starting the feature in sixth, Ramirez snuck past race-long pacesetter Austin Siebert on lap 35 to grab the lead for one circuit until Siebert wrestled it back on the 36th circuit. Overtaking Siebert again on lap 39, Dereck led the final lap en route to his second win of the season, which came over Siebert, Tanner Mullens, Lucas Schott, and Tyler Wolff. He earned $10,000.

With his win, Dereck has taken over the lead atop the latest USMTS point standings.

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