Popular North Texas racer Brandon Bettis and open-wheel veteran Shannon Hartline both won features in their respective divisions, as officials hosted a full card of racing in the Rocket Challenge presented by Carquest on Saturday night at Rocket Raceway Park.

Bettis recorded his first career victory in the Sunoco USRA Factory Stocks and Hartline prevailed in a talent-filled affair for USRA Limited Mods.

Jesse Freelen (USRA Stock Cars) was also feature winners on a night when earlier-than-expected rain showers cut the program short by one feature.

The headlining USRA Modifieds were set to run for $1,200-to-win when the rains came, forcing officials to pull the plug.

Bettis, of Detroit, Texas, started on the pole of an 18-car grid and led all 15 laps (cut by five due to incoming weather) in convincing fashion. Always a threat in Sunoco USRA Factory Stocks, Redmon crossed the stripe in second while points leader Michael Smith filled out the podium.

Marty Hicks (Powderly) and Richard George Jr. (Celina) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

“I would truly say we started from the bottom, and now here we are,” Bettis said when contacted after scoring his first big victory. “I truly have guys behind me who help and share tons of knowledge to get this done. Three of the four guys we pit with have already won this year.

“I owe this first career victory to them and our great sponsors who fund this venture. Is was an amazing night I will never forget. They say that first win is pretty special, and they are dead-right on that fact.”

Finishing sixth through tenth were Wyatt Payne, James Proctor, Russ Malone II, Jeremy Fodge and Scottie Gipson. Two cautions slowed the pace on laps 4 and 9—both for minor incidents. Bettis’ margin of victory over Redmon was a scant 0.656 of a second.

Hartline, of Ivanhoe, started from the pole on a 15-car grid, powered past ageless veteran Skeet Amason on the opening lap and hung on to earn top honors. Amason settled for close second, while Greenville, Texas, native Rowdy Day filled out the podium.

Mason Day (no relation)  of Farmersville and Matthew Riskey (Commerce) completed the top five.

“I put this car on the scales at 1:30 yesterday afternoon,” Hartline said on Sunday morning. “It hit the dirt for the first time in Hot Laps. It’s a 2024 Western Flyer from Curtis Allen. The last one I had took a pretty huge hit, and held up so I can still race.  I figured I better get another one, and have no regrets.

“The motor is from our own Hartline Machine Shop, which makes the win even sweeter. The track was in great shape last night; Kevin and his guys are on top of it every week. So this one felt pretty special, to take a brand new car and put it into Victory Lane its first time out. I’ll thank all who made it happen.”

Finishing sixth through tenth were Kyle Whitworth, Bailey Dosser, Brian Orr, Jacob White and Brian Hopkins. With  no cautions to slow his pace, Hartline simply put his foot to the floor and focused on keeping Amason in his mirror.

This week’s championship points program at Kevin Sustaire’s pristine facility drew a solid 83 entries spread across six divisions. It’s unfortunate that rain kept the mighty USRA Modifieds from running their feature, as 18 teams were on hand ready for battle. Their feature will be made up at a later date.

You can replay every lap of Saturday night’s abbreviated program from Rocket Raceway Park with a membership at RaceON.com. RaceON has over 400 live events on tap in 2024 from several states.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Racing Association
Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series
Rocket Raceway Park, Petty, Texas
Saturday, May 11, 2024

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

USRA MODIFIEDS

Heat #1:
1. (1) 53M Jason Miles, Nacogdoches, Texas
2. (2) 2 Billy Brierton, Greenville, Texas
3. (4) 29X Lance Plant, Canton, Texas
4. (5) 32 Mitchell Clement, Bonham, Texas
5. (7) 82 Jimmie Williams, Denison, Texas
6. (9) 7X Cary Bartoo, McKinney, Texas
7. (6) 87MX Robert McCutcheon, Prosper, Texas
8. (3) 5-M Mike Morris, Hooks, Texas
9. (8) 261 Rickey Wilkerson, Gunter, Texas

Heat #2:
1. (2) 47 Jack Sartain, Royse City, Texas
2. (6) 15J Jason Webb, McKinney, Texas
3. (1) 4 Bo Day, Greenville, Texas
4. (3) 54T Matthew Day, Farmersville, Texas
5. (7) 01 Colby Smith, Greenville, Texas
6. (5) 25H Shane Hartline, Ivanhoe, Texas
7. (8) 2B Ricky Boston, Stringtown, Okla.
8. (4) R0 Jason Rowe
9. (9) 24M Manuel Williams II, Fouke, Ark.

Feature:
Rained out, postponed to May 25

USRA STOCK CARS

Heat:
1. (2) 79 Tyler Parker, Flint, Texas
2. (6) 24 Jesse Freelen, Powderly, Texas
3. (5) 86C Cody Cline, Sulphur Springs, Texas
4. (1) 13 John Michael Winters, Pattonville, Texas
5. (3) 34 Donald Fetty, Greenville, Texas
6. (4) 23W Chris Watson, Scurry, Texas

Feature:
1. (1) 24 Jesse Freelen, Powderly, Texas
2. (2) 79 Tyler Parker, Flint, Texas
3. (3) 86C Cody Cline, Sulphur Springs, Texas
4. (5) 34 Donald Fetty, Greenville, Texas
5. (4) 13 John Michael Winters, Pattonville, Texas
DNS – 23W Chris Watson, Scurry, Texas

 Jesse Freelen won the USRA Stock Car main event.

USRA LIMITED MODS

Heat #1:
1. (1) 95 Mason Day, Farmersville, Texas
2. (4) 14 Jacob Watts, Sulphur Bluff, Texas
3. (9) F5 Skeet Amason, New Boston, Texas
4. (3) 28 Dustin Sprouse Jr., Crandall, Texas
5. (6) 44S Jonathan Sullivan, Gilmer, Texas
6. (7) 36 Brian Orr, Sulphur Springs, Texas
7. (2) 168 Brian Hopkins, Bonham, Texas
8. (8) R143 Kevin Forester, Royce City, Texas
9. (5) 01C Tuff Forester, Royce City, Texas

Heat #2:
1. (4) 49 Shannon Hartline, Ivanhoe, Texas
2. (3) 29 Matthew Riskey, Commerce, Texas
3. (2) 2012K Kyle Whitworth, Leonard, Texas
4. (5) 23M Rowdy Day, Greenville, Texas
5. (8) 56 Bailey Dosser, Rusk, Texas
6. (9) 12K Colton Keel, Anna, Texas
7. (1) 45 Mark Hemming, Shawnee, Okla.
8. (7) 98 Andrew Fouse, Sulphur Springs, Texas
9. (6) 7V Jake Vaughn, Lake Creek, Texas

Feature:
1. (1) 49 Shannon Hartline, Ivanhoe, Texas
2. (2) F5 Skeet Amason, New Boston, Texas
3. (7) 23M Rowdy Day, Greenville, Texas
4. (3) 95 Mason Day, Farmersville, Texas
5. (5) 29 Matthew Riskey, Commerce, Texas
6. (6) 2012K Kyle Whitworth, Leonard, Texas
7. (8) 56 Bailey Dosser, Rusk, Texas
8. (11) 36 Brian Orr, Sulphur Springs, Texas
9. (4) 14 Jacob Watts, Sulphur Bluff, Texas
10. (10) 44S Jonathan Sullivan, Gilmer, Texas
11. (13) 168 Brian Hopkins, Bonham, Texas
12. (9) 28 Dustin Sprouse Jr., Crandall, Texas
13. (12) 45 Mark Hemming, Shawnee, Okla.
14. (14) 98 Andrew Fouse, Sulphur Springs, Texas
15. (15) 7V Jake Vaughn, Lake Creek, Texas
DNS – 12K Colton Keel, Anna, Texas
DNS – R143 Kevin Forester, Royce City, Texas
DNS – 01C Tuff Forester, Royce City, Texas

Shannon Hartline won the USRA Limited Mod main event.

SUNOCO USRA FACTORY STOCKS

Heat #1:
1. (4) 95 Brandon Bettis, Detroit, Texas
2. (5) 22C Richard George Jr., Celina, Texas
3. (1) 2CC Ross Malone II, Powderly, Texas
4. (3) 10 Jared Brown, Paris, Texas
5. (6) 12 Craig Miller, Pattonville, Texas
6. (2) 18C Chris Striplin, Texarkana, Texas
DNS – 7G Scottie Gipson, Lewisville, Texas

Heat #2:
1. (3) 38 Deaon Redmon, Paris, Texas
2. (6) 40 Michael Bowles, Italy, Texas
3. (2) 13P Wyatt Payne, Powderly, Texas
4. (1) 69X Jeremy Fodge, Paris, Texas
5. (4) 7X Daylon Briscoe, Paris, Texas
6. (5) 57 Joey Freelen, Paris, Texas
DNS – 67 Matt Owings, Longview, Texas

Heat #3:
1. (1) 2 Cody Dixon, Ennis, Texas
2. (2) 28 James Proctor, Paris, Texas
3. (4) 5V Michael Smith, Paris, Texas
4. (3) 2H Marty Hicks, Powderly, Texas
5. (5) 34B Terry McGary, Powderly, Texas
6. (6) 4D Dario Lopez Jr., Rowlett, Texas

Feature:
1. (1) 95 Brandon Bettis, Detroit, Texas
2. (2) 38 Deaon Redmon, Paris, Texas
3. (7) 5V Michael Smith, Paris, Texas
4. (11) 2H Marty Hicks, Powderly, Texas
5. (4) 22C Richard George Jr., Celina, Texas
6. (9) 13P Wyatt Payne, Powderly, Texas
7. (6) 28 James Proctor, Paris, Texas
8. (8) 2CC Ross Malone II, Powderly, Texas
9. (10) 69X Jeremy Fodge, Paris, Texas
10. (16) 7G Scottie Gipson, Lewisville, Texas
11. (3) 40 Michael Bowles, Italy, Texas
12. (12) 10 Jared Brown, Paris, Texas
13. (17) 67 Matt Owings, Longview, Texas
14. (15) 57 Joey Freelen, Paris, Texas
15. (13) 34B Terry McGary, Powderly, Texas
16. (18) 12 Craig Miller, Pattonville, Texas
17. (14) 18C Chris Striplin, Texarkana, Texas
18. (5) 2 Cody Dixon, Ennis, Texas
DNS – 7X Daylon Briscoe, Paris, Texas
DNS – 4D Dario Lopez Jr., Rowlett, Texas

Brandon Bettis won the Sunoco USRA Factory Stock main event.

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