Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series feature winners Jesse Sobbing (USRA Modifieds), Ricky Thornton Jr. (American Racer USRA Stock Cars) and Danan Knott, (Out-Pace USRA B-Mods) gather with crew members, family and friends at the Finish Strong Mike Tanner Memorial on Saturday, June 15, at the I-35 Speedway in Winston, Mo.

A brief rain storm may have delayed the start of the Finish Strong Mike Tanner Memorial presented by Generational Buildings, but it certainly did not deter a packed grandstand with fans to be thrilled by another night of action-packed racing at the I-35 Speedway.

It was also a night filled with emotion as the track honored the untimely passing last year of Mike Tanner, who was a not only a guiding force for many drivers and race teams, but also a driver himself.

Finish Strong was begun in his honor to help youngsters whose families are challenged financially to find a path to help realize their dreams in sports and education, just to name a few examples.

The racing began with the Out-Pace USRA B-Mod "B" feature advancing the top four finishers to the "A" feature. Truman Asher, Jeremy Pittsenburger, Jeffrey Sears and Nicolas Carpenter all raced their way in to compete in the Mike Tanner Memorial main event.

Racing for extra bonuses, the B-Mods raced out for their feature. After an early side-by-side battle with Daniel Harris, Danan Knott grabbed to top spot. Harris was beset buy a flat tire discovered during a caution, sending him to the back of the field for the restart.

Again, Knott put his foot down on the gas pedal, motoring to the lead. Shadren Turner, Chase Galvin, Randy Smith Jr., Kyle Henning and Randy Ainsworth were among those challenging Knott, but on a final restart Knott pulled away from the field, earning his second win of the year.

Sam Scott and Gary Donaldson starred on the front row of the American Racer USRA Stock Car feature. At the drop of the green flag, the pair put on an amazing display of driving with Donaldson taking the lead. Tim Shields was also hot in pursuit of Donaldson, along with Mike Ryun and Greg Keun.

Austin O’Neal and Jeff Dixon were mired in a high-speed traffic jam, along with Jaylen Wettengel and Ricky Thornton Jr., who started outside of row 7. As the race wound down, Donaldson looked to be the car to beat. Thornton had managed to slice and dice his way through the pack, and after a late caution flag, the pair squared off to determine the eventual winner. Thornton grabbed the front spot, earning a hard-fought emotional win.

The USRA Modified main event was certainly eventful. Dennis Elliott started inside row 1 with Lee Hibner to his outside. Jesse Sobbing began inside row 2 next to Chase Breid. As the green flag flew, an epic battle ensued between Elliott and Hibner. Elliott ran the low side with Hibner running the cushion on the high side, with Sobbing just behind the pair in third. Sobbing spun during the early stages of the race, bringing out the caution flag, and sending him to the rear of the field for the restart.

Elliott and Hibner continued their side-by-side struggle for the front position lap after lap as the fans stood on their feet in amazement. Hibner managed to race by Elliott for the lead, but with four laps to go Hibner hooked his right rear tire over the banking, flipping his car upside down over the banking in turn 4. The red flag flew and Hibner somehow managed to restart his racing machine, but was unable to continue his quest for a victory.

Sobbing, who had raced his way back through the field, found himself in a possible run for the win with Elliott among those standing his his way. Sobbing raced his way to the lead and the eventual win, raising his fists to the night sky on top of his USRA Modified in McCarthy Auto Group Winner’s Circle following his victorious run.

Next Saturday, June 22, the I-35 Speedway will host the annual Gary Davis Super 66 Stock Car Special featuring the Arnold Motor Supply Iron Man Challenge plus the Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series featuring USRA Modifieds and Out-Pace USRA B-Mods. Also on the card will be E-Mods, Pure Stocks, Sport Compacts and Midwest Limited Late Models.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Racing Association
Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series
I-35 Speedway, Winston  Mo.
Saturday, June 15, 2019

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

USRA MODIFIEDS

Heat #1
1. (4) 29 Dennis Elliott, Mt. Ayr, Iowa
2. (3) 99S Jesse Sobbing, Glenwood, Iowa
3. (1) 15 Ed Noll, Excelsior Springs, Mo.
4. (2) 13 Chris Mercer, Excelsior Springs, Mo.
5. (6) 33C Cole Moore, Kansas City, Mo.
6. (5) 89 Tyler Hibner, Chillicothe, Mo.

Heat #2
1. (2) 99H Lee Hibner, Chillicothe, Mo.
2. (3) 12B Chase Breid, Madison, Mo.
3. (1) 98 Austin Johnson, Kansas City, Mo.
4. (6) 97 Houston Johnson, Kansas City, Mo.
5. (4) 711 Bill Rusinger, Bonner Springs, Kan.
6. (5) 31 David Coates, Bethany, Mo.

"A" Feature:
1. (3) 99S Jesse Sobbing, Glenwood, Iowa
2. (1) 29 Dennis Elliott, Mt. Ayr, Iowa
3. (6) 15 Ed Noll, Excelsior Springs, Mo.
4. (11) 89 Tyler Hibner, Chillicothe, Mo.
5. (4) 12B Chase Breid, Madison, Mo.
6. (7) 98 Austin Johnson, Kansas City, Mo.
7. (2) 99H Lee Hibner, Chillicothe, Mo.
8. (5) 97 Houston Johnson, Kansas City, Mo.
9. (8) 33C Cole Moore, Kansas City, Mo.
10. (9) 13 Chris Mercer, Excelsior Springs, Mo.
11. (10) 31 David Coates, Bethany, Mo.
DNS – 711 Bill Rusinger, Bonner Springs, Kan.

AMERICAN RACER USRA STOCK CARS

Heat #1
1. (1) 42T Tim Shields, Kansas City, Mo.
2. (3) F33T Mike Ryun, Pleasant Valley, Mo.
3. (2) 63 Tim Eaton, St. Joseph, Mo.
4. (4) 91J Jaylen Wettengel, Topeka, Kan.
5. (6) 14B Austin Bouzek, Trenton, Mo.
6. (7) 88 Jeff Dixon, Trenton, Mo.
7. (5) 00 Nick Whalen, Kansas City, Kan.
8. (8) 20RT Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.

Heat #2
1. (2) 93 Sam Scott, Polo, Mo.
2. (5) 28D Gary Donaldson, Rayville, Mo.
3. (1) 46 J.J. Baumli, Lathrop, Mo.
4. (8) 6K Greg Keuhn, Trenton, Mo.
5. (7) 11 Austin O'Neal, Kearney, Mo.
6. (3) 47 Paul Carter, Kearney, Mo.
7. (4) S20 Gene Stigall, Winston, Mo.
8. (6) 42C Kacey Shields, Kansas City, Mo.

"A" Feature
1. (14) 20RT Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.
2. (2) 28D Gary Donaldson, Rayville, Mo.
3. (4) F33T Mike Ryun, Pleasant Valley, Mo.
4. (7) 46 J.J. Baumli, Lathrop, Mo.
5. (3) 42T Tim Shields, Kansas City, Mo.
6. (1) 93 Sam Scott, Polo, Mo.
7. (11) 88 Jeff Dixon, Trenton, Mo.
8. (8) 91J Jaylen Wettengel, Topeka, Kan.
9. (16) 42C Kacey Shields, Kansas City, Mo.
10. (12) 47 Paul Carter, Kearney, Mo.
11. (9) 11 Austin O'Neal, Kearney, Mo.
12. (13) 00 Nick Whalen, Kansas City, Kan.
13. (6) 63 Tim Eaton, St. Joseph, Mo.
14. (10) 14B Austin Bouzek, Trenton, Mo.
15. (5) 6K Greg Keuhn, Trenton, Mo.
16. (15) S20 Gene Stigall, Winston, Mo.

OUT-PACE USRA B-MODS

Heat #1
1. (1) 52M Randy Smith Jr., Hamilton, Mo.
2. (3) 57 Randy Ainsworth, Excelsior Springs, Mo.
3. (4) 66X Chris Wright, Chillicothe, Mo.
4. (7) 22L Lonnie Hibner, Chillicothe, Mo.
5. (6) 47 Tyson Lanfermann, Kansas City, Mo.
6. (2) 15XL Jared Hillyard, Pleasant Valley, Mo.
7. (5) 77W Shane Noble, Savannah, Mo.

Heat #2
1. (2) 18K Danan Knott, Coffey, Mo.
2. (1) 69 Tyler Cadwallader, Amazonia, Mo.
3. (4) 17T Shadren Turner, St. Joseph, Mo.
4. (3) 19X Josh Munsen, Atchison, Kan.
5. (6) 13J Jeffrey Sears, Saint Joseph, Mo.
6. (5) 33 Nicholas Carpenter, Leavenworth, Kan.
7. (7) 19 Tyler O'Neal, Bethany, Mo.

Heat #3
1. (1) 0 Chase Galvan, Kansas City, Kan.
2. (3) 1 Kyle Henning, Atchison, Kan.
3. (2) 117 Tim Galvan, Kansas City, Mo.
4. (6) 16 Blake Pierce, Kansas City, Mo.
5. (5) 2T Todd Luke, Maryville, Mo.
6. (7) 4 Andrew Sheetz, Tina, Mo.
7. (4) 14H Blake Hayes, Albany, Mo.

Heat #4
1. (4) 07 Daniel Harris, Excelsior Springs, Mo.
2. (1) 007 Zach Nitsch, Delia, Kan.
3. (3) 20T Ben Stockton, Kansas City, Mo.
4. (2) 73 Truman Asher, St. Joseph, Mo.
5. (5) 32P Jeremy Pittsenburger, Cameron, Mo.
6. (6) 20J Jayden Bears, Smithville, Mo.

"B" Feature
1. (2) 73 Truman Asher, St. Joseph, Mo.
2. (4) 32P Jeremy Pittsenburger, Cameron, Mo.
3. (1) 13J Jeffrey Sears, St. Joseph, Mo.
4. (7) 33 Nicholas Carpenter, Leavenworth, Kan.
5. (5) 4 Andrew Sheetz, Tina, Mo.
6. (3) 2T Todd Luke, Maryville, Mo.
7. (11) 14H Blake Hayes, Albany, Mo.
8. (6) 20J Jayden Bears, Smithville, Mo.
9. (9) 15XL Jared Hillyard, Pleasant Valley, Mo.
10. (8) 19 Tyler O'Neal, Bethany, Mo.
11. (10) 77W Shane Noble, Savannah, Mo.

"A" Feature
1. (2) 18K Danan Knott, Coffey, Mo.
2. (10) 17T Shadren Turner, St. Joseph, Mo.
3. (6) 1 Kyle Henning, Atchison, Kan.
4. (3) 52M Randy Smith Jr., Hamilton, Mo.
5. (15) 19X Josh Munsen, Atchison, Kan.
6. (5) 57 Randy Ainsworth, Excelsior Springs, Mo.
7. (9) 66X Chris Wright, Chillicothe, Mo.
8. (7) 69 Tyler Cadwallader, Amazonia, Mo.
9. (14) 117 Tim Galvan, Kansas City, Mo.
10. (1) 07 Daniel Harris, Excelsior Springs, Mo.
11. (20) 13J Jeffrey Sears, St. Joseph, Mo.
12. (12) 20T Ben Stockton, Kansas City, Mo.
13. (8) 007 Zach Nitsch, Delia, Kan.
14. (19) 32P Jeremy Pittsenburger, Cameron, Mo.
15. (4) 0 Chase Galvan, Kansas City, Kan.
16. (16) 47 Tyson Lanfermann, Kansas City, Mo.
17. (18) 73 Truman Asher, St. Joseph, Mo.
18. (11) 22L Lonnie Hibner, Chillicothe, Mo.
19. (13) 16 Blake Pierce, Kansas City, Mo.
20. (17) 33 Nicholas Carpenter, Leavenworth, Kan.