Mullens takes top honors in ARMS season opener

Thursday night at Heart O' Texas Speedway in Elm Mott, Texas, Tanner Mullens survived a slew of Midwest Sheet Metal cautions to win the season opening event for the USRA American Racer Modified Series presented by Day Motor Sports—his first ever in the Lonestar State.
“I had really good cars behind me that I held off,” said Mullens in Victory Lane. “I seen Rodney (Sanders) and Jim (Chisholm) and a bunch of them at one point. I feel pretty good about it and hopefully pretty good about tomorrow. Hopefully this is an outlook on our year.”
Mark Smith led early and was the Deatherage Opticians Fast Time qualifier with a best lap at 14.6 seconds during qualifying. The car got out from underneath him in the middle of turns one and two midway through the feature. He raced his way from the tail back to tenth place.
Reigning Summit USMTS National Champion and Mod War 100 winner, Chisholm ended up one spot short in second. From 11th, Sanders completed the top three.
Fifty-one competitors signed in for action. Heat race wins went to Carlos Ahumada Jr, Mullens, Chisholm, Mark Smith, Nathan Smith and Dustin Hyde.
Next on the docket for the ARMS is a doubleheader weekend at Ark-La-Tex Speedway in Vivian, La., April 18-19.
The remainder of this weekend atHeart 'O Texas Speedway will be the season opener for the USMTS, with $5,000-to-win shows both Friday and Saturday.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Racing Association
Summit USRA Weekly Racing Seires
USRA American Racer Modified Series presented by Day Motor Sports
Heart O' Texas Speedway, Elm Mott, Texas
Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025
Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver and hometown.
USRA MODIFIEDS
Qualifying 1:
1. 64 Casey Fowler, Grand Saline, Texas, 15.005
2. D25 David Tanner, Wichita Falls, Texas, 15.088
3. 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa, 15.09
4. 712 Trevor Hughes, Westville, Okla., 15.12
5. 7G David Goode Jr, Copperas Cove, Texas, 15.14
6. 13S John Smelley, Longview, Texas, 15.18
7. 65X Carlos Ahumada Jr., El Paso, Texas, 15.298
8. 2 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan., 15.37
9. T11 Jacob Twomey, Carthage, Texas, 15.379
10. 12S Chase Hatton, De Berry, Texas, 15.413
11. 80XXX Jason Langford, Palestine, Texas, 15.499
12. 91 Joe Duvall, Justice, Okla., 15.537
13. 71 Chad Melton, Mineral Wells, Texas, 15.561
14. 56 Broc Bowen, Fannin, Texas, 15.574
15. P1 Paul White, Waco, Texas, 15.647
16. 17 Henry Chambers, Baldwin City, Kan., 15.663
17. 715 Chase Doughty, Ennis, Texas, 15.675
18. 766 Shane Priddy, Merkel, Texas, 15.838
19. 6* Dillon Pike, Waxahachie, Texas, 15.851
20. 26D Cody Duke, Montgomery, Texas, 15.857
21. 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla., 15.868
22. 25 Joe Chisholm, Osage, Iowa, 15.908
23. 714 Charles Melveney, Elm Mott, Texas, 16.349
24. 7A Steve Askew, Valley View, Texas, 16.449
25. 62 JD Davis, Merkel, Texas, 17.204
DNS - 97 Cole Anderson, Le Center, Minn.
Qualifying 2:
1. 2SS Mark Smith, Anthony, N.M., 14.608
2. 88 Nathan Smith, Anthony, N.M., 14.669
3. 5 Reece Solander, Emporia, Kan., 14.779
4. 15W Kale Westover, Altus, Okla., 14.973
5. 2G Kenny Gaddis, Diana, Texas, 14.998
6. 8T Dustin Hyde, Texarkana, Texas, 14.999
7. 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., 15.028
8. 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, 15.065
9. 45T Eric Tomlinson, Robinson, Texas, 15.065
10. 29 Keith Hammett, Brookland, Ark., 15.072
11. 24M Manuel Williams II, Fouke, Ark., 15.139
12. 11J Justin Radcliff, Waco, Texas, 15.176
13. 18J Jake Huckaby, Texarkana, Texas, 15.238
14. 7S Troy Schaberg, Amity, Ark., 15.398
15. 91X Jamie Burford, Keatchie, La., 15.499
16. 52 Justin Ingalls, Longview, Texas, 15.514
17. 24W Mason Williams, Fouke, Ark., 15.601
18. 87 Julie Whitney, Vivian, La., 15.809
19. 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa, 16.336
20. 66 David Gould, Calera, Okla., 16.873
21. 10 John Shoptaw, Mena, Ark., 16.973
DQ 7 Sean Gaddis, Diana, Texas, 14.909
DNS - 71P Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas
DNS - 12H Mike Hansen, Dickinson, N.D.
DNS - 23T Trevor Raney, Sherman, Texas
Heat 1:
1. (3) 65X Carlos Ahumada Jr., El Paso, Texas
2. (4) 12S Chase Hatton, De Berry, Texas
3. (8) 25 Joe Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
4. (2) 712 Trevor Hughes, Westville, Okla.
5. (7) 6* Dillon Pike, Waxahachie, Texas
6. (6) 17 Henry Chambers, Baldwin City, Kan.
7. (1) 64 Casey Fowler, Grand Saline, Texas
8. (9) 62 JD Davis, Merkel, Texas
DQ. (5) 71 Chad Melton, Mineral Wells, Texas
Heat 2:
1. (3) 2 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
2. (2) 7G David Goode Jr, Copperas Cove, Texas
3. (5) 56 Broc Bowen, Fannin, Texas
4. (4) 80XXX Jason Langford, Palestine, Texas
5. (1) D25 David Tanner, Wichita Falls, Texas
6. (7) 26D Cody Duke, Montgomery, Texas
7. (6) 715 Chase Doughty, Ennis, Texas
8. (8) 714 Charles Melveney, Elm Mott, Texas
DNS - (9) 97 Cole Anderson, Le Center, Minn.
Heat 3:
1. (1) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
2. (4) 91 Joe Duvall, Justice, Okla.
3. (2) 13S John Smelley, Longview, Texas
4. (3) T11 Jacob Twomey, Carthage, Texas
5. (7) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla.
6. (5) P1 Paul White, Waco, Texas
7. (8) 7A Steve Askew, Valley View, Texas
DNS - (6) 766 Shane Priddy, Merkel, Texas
Heat 4:
1. (1) 2SS Mark Smith, Anthony, N.M.
2. (2) 15W Kale Westover, Altus, Okla.
3. (3) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
4. (4) 29 Keith Hammett, Brookland, Ark.
5. (5) 18J Jake Huckaby, Texarkana, Texas
6. (7) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa
7. (8) 7 Sean Gaddis, Diana, Texas
8. (6) 52 Justin Ingalls, Longview, Texas
DNS - (9) 23T Trevor Raney, Sherman, Texas
Heat 5:
1. (1) 88 Nathan Smith, Anthony, N.M.
2. (3) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas
3. (2) 2G Kenny Gaddis, Diana, Texas
4. (4) 24M Manuel Williams II, Fouke, Ark.
5. (6) 24W Mason Williams, Fouke, Ark.
6. (7) 66 David Gould, Calera, Okla.
7. (5) 7S Troy Schaberg, Amity, Ark.
DNS - (8) 71P Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas
Heat 6:
1. (2) 8T Dustin Hyde, Texarkana, Texas
2. (1) 5 Reece Solander, Emporia, Kan.
3. (8) 12H Mike Hansen, Dickinson, N.D.
4. (5) 91X Jamie Burford, Keatchie, La.
5. (3) 45T Eric Tomlinson, Robinson, Texas
6. (6) 87 Julie Whitney, Vivian, La.
7. (7) 10 John Shoptaw, Mena, Ark.
DQ (4) 11J Justin Radcliff, Waco, Texas
B Feature 1:
1. (1) 712 Trevor Hughes, Westville, Okla.
2. (4) 6* Dillon Pike, Waxahachie, Texas
3. (5) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla.
4. (2) T11 Jacob Twomey, Carthage, Texas
5. (7) 17 Henry Chambers, Baldwin City, Kan.
6. (8) P1 Paul White, Waco, Texas
7. (16) 71 Chad Melton, Mineral Wells, Texas
8. (6) 24W Mason Williams, Fouke, Ark.
9. (9) 66 David Gould, Calera, Okla.
10. (12) 7S Troy Schaberg, Amity, Ark.
11. (11) 7A Steve Askew, Valley View, Texas
DNS - (13) 62 JD Davis, Merkel, Texas
DNS - (10) 64 Casey Fowler, Grand Saline, Texas
DNS - (15) 71P Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas
DNS - (14) 766 Shane Priddy, Merkel, Texas
DNS - (17) 23T Trevor Raney, Sherman, Texas
DNS - (3) 24M Manuel Williams II, Fouke, Ark.
B Feature 2:
1. (1) 80XXX Jason Langford, Palestine, Texas
2. (3) 91X Jamie Burford, Keatchie, La.
3. (11) 7 Sean Gaddis, Diana, Texas
4. (8) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa
5. (6) 45T Eric Tomlinson, Robinson, Texas
6. (7) 26D Cody Duke, Montgomery, Texas
7. (4) D25 David Tanner, Wichita Falls, Texas
8. (9) 87 Julie Whitney, Vivian, La.
9. (12) 10 John Shoptaw, Mena, Ark.
10. (14) 52 Justin Ingalls, Longview, Texas
11. (2) 29 Keith Hammett, Brookland, Ark.
12. (13) 714 Charles Melveney, Elm Mott, Texas
13. (5) 18J Jake Huckaby, Texarkana, Texas
DNS - (10) 715 Chase Doughty, Ennis, Texas
DNS - (15) 11J Justin Radcliff, Waco, Texas
DNS - (16) 97 Cole Anderson, Le Center, Minn.
A Feature:
1. (4) 2 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
2. (5) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
3. (11) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas
4. (3) 65X Carlos Ahumada Jr., El Paso, Texas
5. (10) 15W Kale Westover, Altus, Okla.
6. (23) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla.
7. (20) 80XXX Jason Langford, Palestine, Texas
8. (2) 8T Dustin Hyde, Texarkana, Texas
9. (7) 12S Chase Hatton, De Berry, Texas
10. (1) 2SS Mark Smith, Anthony, N.M.
11. (13) 25 Joe Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
12. (15) 13S John Smelley, Longview, Texas
13. (21) 6* Dillon Pike, Waxahachie, Texas
14. (17) 2G Kenny Gaddis, Diana, Texas
15. (19) 712 Trevor Hughes, Westville, Okla.
16. (18) 12H Mike Hansen, Dickinson, N.D.
17. (24) 7 Sean Gaddis, Diana, Texas
18. (12) 5 Reece Solander, Emporia, Kan.
19. (22) 91X Jamie Burford, Keatchie, La.
20. (6) 88 Nathan Smith, Anthony, N.M.
21. (8) 7G David Goode Jr, Copperas Cove, Texas
22. (9) 91 Joe Duvall, Justice, Okla.
23. (14) 56 Broc Bowen, Fannin, Texas
24. (16) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
Silver Anniversary Season: As the United States Racing Association (USRA) charges into its monumental 25th season of dirt track racing in 2025. It's a full-throttle commitment to the heart of racing with an unwavering dedication to fair, logical and cost-effective rules.
The USRA has been the driving force behind the surge of racetracks and racers joining the fray each year. Last season during the Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series, over 60 of America's top-tier dirt ovals hosted more than 1,000 nights of jaw-dropping racing.
To learn more about the USRA, check out USRAracing.com and follow our social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube. To get USRA news and exclusive promotions delivered to your inbox, click here.
Registration is open for Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series racers in 2025 by calling (515) 832-6000, online or download the application on the USRA website.
Summit USRA Nationals: The 12th Annual Summit USRA Nationals is slated for five nights from Sept. 30 through Oct. 4 at the legendary Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo., with USRA Modifieds, USRA Stock Cars, USRA B-Mods, USRA Hobby Stocks and USRA Tuners in action. For more information, visit lucasoilspeedway.com.
The 6th Annual Summit USRA Southern Nationals returns to the Boothill Speedway in Greenwood, La., from Oct. 16-18. The event will feature USRA Limited Mods and Sunoco USRA Factory Stocks. For more information, visit boothilldirt.com.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
USRA OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Beyea Headers, Christie Door Company, Fast Shafts, FK Rod Ends, KSE Racing Products, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Nitroquest Media, PEM Racing Gears & Drivetrain, RacinDirt, Summit Racing Equipment, Sunoco Race Fuels.
USRA PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Boubin Tire & Automotive, Brodix Cylinder Heads, PBM Performance Products, YouDirt.com.
USRA CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Bryke Racing, BSB Manufacturing, Champ Pans, Dynamic Drivelines, Edelbrock, Gorsuch Performance Solutions, Hyperco, Integra Racing Shocks & Springs, JE Pistons, Keyser Manufacturing, Landrum Performance Springs, MD3, MSD Performance, Performance Bodies & Parts, QA1, Quarter Master, QuickCar Racing Products, RacerWebsite.com, Real Racing Wheels, Rush RaceGear by Austin Witt, Sweet Manufacturing, Swift Springs, Sybesma Graphics, Total Power, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes ARMI Contractors, Chevrolet Performance, Day Motor Sports, Deatherage Racing Opticians, Gunshepherd.com, KS Engineering.