GREENVILLE, Texas (May 5) — Cade Dillard captured his second straight United States Modified Touring Series winThursday night in dominating fashion during the 2nd Annual North Texas Nationals at the Superbowl Speedway.
With the event postponed last week because of weather, the 24-year old from Robeline, La., had to wait one week to nab his fourth career USMTS victory and first in the Lone Star State.
Following a first-lap, first-corner melee that collected no fewer than nine race cars, Grant Junghans Memorial USMTS Rookie of the Year contender Tyler Wolff led the opening circuit to record his first-ever lap at the leader of a USMTS event.
But Wolff’s stint was short-lived as fifth-starting Jesse Sobbing muscled his way into the lead on lap 2 with Dillard following in his tire tracks into second place.
For the next 16 laps, the duo raced virtually side by side around the semi-banked 3/8-mile dirt oval before Dillard was finally able to secure the position with 17 laps in the books.
Once out front, the 2014 rookie titlist sailed away from the pack and crossed the finish line with a full straight-away advantage at the end of 42 green flag laps
Last year’s top rookie and winner of the race prior to Dillard’s most recent triumph, Sobbing held on for a solid runner-up result while veteran Scott Drake traded in his crew chief gloves for driver gloves and earned a third-place finish in Joe Duvall’s Club 91 back-up machine.
Rodney Sanders started 13th, climbed into the top five early on, went to the back of the field midway through the race and then clawed his way around the outside to get back to fourth at the end.
Dereck Ramirez started 17th and earned the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award with his fifth-place effort while Jason Hughes. Max Thomas, Bobby Malchus, Wolff and rookie points leader Brock Bauman rounded out the top 10.
With his $3,000 victory, Dillard moved into second behind Hughes in the Production Jars Southern Region presented by Day Motor Sports points battle. Despite missing the event, Ryan Gustin and Zack VanderBeek held on to their third- and fourth-place rankings while Sobbing remains fifth in the standings with two races remaining in the region.
Friday finds the fire-breathing USMTS fighter pilots at the Lubbock Speedway in Lubbock, Texas, for the second time in series history. The first occasion came more than six years ago when Hughes took the win during his run toward his first USMTS national championship.
Spectator tickets are $20, kids ages 6-12 are $5 and children 5 and under get in for free. Pit passes are $35. The pit gate opens at 4 p.m., grandstands open at 5, hot laps begin at 7:30 and racing starts at 8.
Joining the USMTS on the card will be Southern Sports Mods, Stock Cars and Street Stocks.
The Lubbock Speedway is a high-banked 1/3-mile dirt oval located south of Lubbock on I-27 to 114th St., then 1.5 miles east. For more information, call (806) 782-5160 or check them out online at www.lubbockspeedway.com.
The swing wraps up Saturday, May 7, with the 7th Annual Amarillo Ambush at the Route 66 Motor Speedway in Amarillo, 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.
