Story By: BEN SHELTON / RODNEY SANDERS RACING – HAPPY, TX – Rodney Sanders visited Victory Lane twice over the Memorial Day weekend in his Wichita Tank Racing / Paulson Rock Products / Stussy Construction No. 20 Texas Locomotive Solutions / Kenny’s Tile / ARMI Contractors / MB Customs Race Car / Hatfield Racing Engine Modified.
Thursday and Friday’s action at Minnesota’s Deer Creek Speedway found Rodney collecting over $8,000 in winnings. The wins marked his fourth-and-fifth of the year.
“It was a big weekend for our team. We got two wins and added a pair of Top-10 finishes, which now puts us in the USMTS point lead. There’s still a long way to go in the season, but weekend’s like this will keep us in contention for a fifth series title,” Sanders commented.
Rodney Sanders added two more Summit United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) triumphs to his illustrious career on Thursday and Friday with feature wins in the 20th annual USMTS Southern Minnesota Spring Challenge at Deer Creek Speedway.
Sanders’ familiar No. 20 ride was one of 46 USMTS Modifieds in the pit area at the 3/8-mile oval in Spring Valley, Minnesota, on Thursday, when the three-day show kicked off with a 30-lap, $3,000-to-win race.
Sanders finished second in his heat and won his B-Main, starting the driver from Happy, Texas, 16th for the feature event. He charged through the field and took the top spot on lap 19, scoring the victory over Jim Chisholm, Alex Williamson, Jake O’Neil and Brandon Davis.
On Friday, Sanders set the quickest time in his group during qualifying and scored a third-place result in his heat race. He started on the pole for the 40-lap, $5,000 to win A-Main and never relinquished the lead, taking the victory by 0.271 seconds over a hard-driving Tanner Mullens. Williamson, Jake Timm and Tyler Wolff rounded out the Top 5 in the event which saw 52 USMTS entries.
The wins were Sanders’ fourth and fifth of the year overall and his 113th and 114th USMTS victories. The four-time USMTS National Champion also took over the series points lead.
Saturday night’s finale again featured 52 USMTS Modifieds, with each looking to score the night’s $10,000 top prize.
With a fifth-place finish in his heat and a fourth in his B-Main, Sanders rolled off 21st for the night’s main event. He moved forward 13 spots to finish eighth.
USMTS then headed to the Hawkeye State to wrap up its four-day slate of Memorial Day weekend races with War in West Union at the 3/8-mile Fayette County Speedway (West Union, Iowa). The events attracted 27 USMTS Modifieds.
Sanders finished fourth in his heat and started fifth on the grid for the 40-lap, $10,000-to-win feature. He moved forward one spot to finish fourth behind Zack VanderBeek, Tom Berry Jr. and Jason Hughes. Dan Ebert came home fifth.
With his weekend performances, Rodney has vaulted to the top of the latest Summit USMTS standings.
Next up for Sanders is a visit to Ark-La-Tex Speedway (Vivian, La.) this Friday and Saturday for the Doug Murphrey Memorial, which is headlined by a $5,000-to-win each night for the USRA American Racer Modified Series.