Johnson, Dixon, Royalty top Pro-Ag/Mike Knight Celebration Night at I-35 Speedway

Patrick Royalty won the Out-Pace USRA B-Mod main event.

Patrick Royalty won the Out-Pace USRA B-Mod main event.


To thank race fans, I-35 Speedway owners Mike, and Kyle Johnson threw open the doors to the 3/8-mile high-banked facility for Saturday’s Pro-Ag/Mike Knight Celebration Night, offering free admission to the grandstands. The fans answered the call in earnest, filling up nearly every inch of real estate in the grandstands. Once again, the drivers thrilled the fans in attendance, putting them on their feet and smiles to their faces.

I-35 Speedway honored the late Mike Knight. In charge of preparing I-70 Speedway and Lakeside Speedway previously, Knight also groomed the high banks of I-35 Speedway most recently before his passing. Knight was remembered with thoughts, a moment of silence and balloon release led by J.D. Green.

Prior to the start of the evening, Out-Pace USRA B-Mod driver Patrick Royalty saiod that he preferred whichever track surface makes his faster. His words came to fruition as the feature event unfolded.

Starting from the pole, Royalty roared down the front stretch into turn one with the lead. Jeff Elder was in close pursuit, along with Chase Galvan, Daniel Harris, Lonnie Hibner, Johnny McGinnis and Ty Griffith. With Royalty leading the way, everyone behind him raced in side-by-side, three- and four-wide battles around the track.

But nobody could match Royalty’s speed, running mid-line through the corners at both ends of the track, as the dirt evolved into a shining mirror of sorts as it became dry slick. Royalty held off every challenge and in his first visit to I-35 Speedway this season earned his first feature win at the track this year as well.

Galvan finished second, Daniel Harris was third, Hibner came home fourth and Griffith took the fifth spot.

Last week, luck was not with American Racer USRA Stock Car driver Jeff Dixon. Just after the halfway point while maintaining the lead, Dixon’s race car was beset by a mechanical issue.

Hoping for a different outcome, he began from inside row one next to Willam Dahl for Saturday's feature. Dahl raced to the front, leading for several laps with Dixon challenging and Jason Newman a close third. Dixon eventually found the speed on the track he was looking for, passed Dahl and drove to his seventh victory of the year. Dahl finished second and Newman was third.


Jeff Dixon won the American Racer USRA Stock Car main event.

Nineteen USRA Modifieds headed on to the track for their feature. Tyler Hibner started from the pole next to a fast Matt Johnson. Paden Phillips and Dennis Elliott were in the second row.

As the green flag flew, Johnson shot to the lead heading into turn one. Hibner, Phillips, Elliott, Clint Lyle and Lee Hibner were inches apart as the field raced with side-by-side everywhere the fans looked. The fight became one for second as Johnson motored away from each driver as they challenged him for the lead.

On a late restart, Elliott ran to the high side cushion in turn one. Heading into turn two, contact was made from behind Elliott, sending the back of his car into the air, as he slid off the banking, losing several positions as the field raced by him.

A family fight for second began between father Lee Hibner and son Tyler Hibner. Lyle was just behind the pair, along with Austin Johnson and Darren Shaw. As the checkered flag flew, Matt Johnson raced into McCarthy Auto Group Winner’s Circle, earning his first feature victory of the season at I-35 Speedway.

Tyler Hibner finished second, Lee Hibner was third, Lyle wound up fourth and Austin Johnson rounded out the top five.


Matt Johnson won the USRA Modified main event.

Next Saturday, Sept. 14, the I-35 Speedway will host the Bud Wilson Memorial, during Scobee Powerline Night. The Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series featuring USRA Modifieds. American Racer USRA Stock Cars and Out-Pace USRA B-Mods will headline the event with E-Mods, Limited Late Models, Pure Stocks, Sport Compacts and the POWRi Midwest Lightning Sprint Cars also in action.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Racing Association
Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series
I-35 Speedway, Winston, Mo.
Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver and hometown.

USRA MODIFIEDS

Heat #1:
1. (6) 89 Tyler Hibner, Chillicothe, Mo.
2. (1) 0X Zach Gilmore, Kansas City, Mo.
3. (4) 0 Richard Layne, Kansas City, Mo.
4. (7) 26S Steven Glenn, Hamilton, Mo.
5. (5) 15 Ed Noll, Excelsior Springs, Mo.
6. (3) 92 Tyler Grooms, Trenton, Mo.
7. (2) 2 George Burnett, Cameron, Mo.

Heat #2:
1. (1) 1X Matt Johnson, Archie, Mo.
2. (2) 67D Isaac Dotson, Trimble, Mo.
3. (4) 98 Austin Johnson, Kansas City, Mo.
4. (3) 21 Ben Nading, Ankeny, Iowa
5. (5) 33C Cole Moore, Kansas City, Mo.
6. (6) 5 Jacob Brock, Lathrop, Mo.

Heat #3:
1. (1) 9d8 Paden Phillips, Chanute, Kan.
2. (4) 29 Dennis Elliott, Mt. Ayr, Iowa
3. (3) 99H Lee Hibner, Chillicothe, Mo.
4. (6) 97 Houston Johnson, Kansas City, Mo.
5. (2) 11 Darren Shaw, Lawson, Mo.
6. (5) 33 Clint Lyle, Kansas City, Mo.

Feature:
1. (2) 1X Matt Johnson, Archie, Mo.
2. (1) 89 Tyler Hibner, Chillicothe, Mo.
3. (10) 99H Lee Hibner, Chillicothe, Mo.
4. (17) 33 Clint Lyle, Kansas City, Mo.
5. (8) 98 Austin Johnson, Kansas City, Mo.
6. (16) 11 Darren Shaw, Lawson, Mo.
7. (7) 0 Richard Layne, Kansas City, Mo.
8. (12) 21 Ben Nading, Ankeny, Iowa
9. (11) 97 Houston Johnson, Kansas City, Mo.
10. (13) 15 Ed Noll, Excelsior Springs, Mo.
11. (4) 29 Dennis Elliott, Mt. Ayr, Iowa
12. (5) 67D Isaac Dotson, Trimble, Mo.
13. (19) 2 George Burnett, Cameron, Mo.
14. (14) 33C Cole Moore, Kansas City, Mo.
15. (6) 0X Zach Gilmore, Kansas City, Mo.
16. (9) 26S Steven Glenn, Hamilton, Mo.
17. (15) 5 Jacob Brock, Lathrop, Mo.
18. (18) 92 Tyler Grooms, Trenton, Mo.
19. (3) 9d8 Paden Phillips, Chanute, Kan.

AMERICAN RACER USRA STOCK CARS

Heat:
1. (2) 88 Jeff Dixon, Trenton, Mo.
2. (1) 40 William Dahl, Rush Hill, Mo.
3. (3) 111X Jason Newman, Kearney, Mo.

Feature:
1. (1) 88 Jeff Dixon, Trenton, Mo.
2. (2) 40 William Dahl, Rush Hill, Mo.
3. (3) 111X Jason Newman, Kearney, Mo.

OUT-PACE USRA B-MODS

Heat #1:
1. (2) 97J Jeff Elder, Smithville, Mo.
2. (1) 69 Tyler Cadwallader, Amazonia, Mo.
3. (3) 31 Lyle Phillips
4. (7) 07 Daniel Harris, Excelsior Springs, Mo.
5. (6) 56 Ty Griffith, Webster City, Iowa
6. (8) 17R Ramon Ortega, St. Joseph, Mo.
7. (4) 59 Jamie Aleshire, Moberly, Mo.
8. (5) 14H Blake Hayes, Albany, Mo.

Heat #2:
1. (4) 49 Patrick Royalty, Kansas City, Kan.
2. (2) 10 Johnny McGinnis, Hardin, Mo.
3. (5) 0 Chase Galvan, Kansas City, Kan.
4. (6) 88 Lonnie Hibner, Chillicothe, Mo.
5. (1) 5% Hugh Eddy, Milan, Mo.
6. (7) 169 Chad Fuller, Savannah, Mo.
7. (3) 77W Shane Noble, Savannah, Mo.

Feature:
1. (1) 49 Patrick Royalty, Kansas City, Kan.
2. (4) 0 Chase Galvan, Kansas City, Kan.
3. (6) 07 Daniel Harris, Excelsior Springs, Mo.
4. (8) 88 Lonnie Hibner, Chillicothe, Mo.
5. (9) 56 Ty Griffith, Webster City, Iowa
6. (2) 97J Jeff Elder, Smithville, Mo.
7. (3) 10 Johnny McGinnis, Hardin, Mo.
8. (5) 69 Tyler Cadwallader, Amazonia, Mo.
9. (11) 169 Chad Fuller, Savannah, Mo.
10. (14) 77W Shane Noble, Savannah, Mo.
11. (15) 14H Blake Hayes, Albany, Mo.
12. (13) 59 Jamie Aleshire, Moberly, Mo.
13. (10) 17R Ramon Ortega, St. Joseph, Mo.
14. (7) 31 Lyle Phillips
15. (12) 5% Hugh Eddy, Milan, Mo.