4/12/2025
Rodney Sanders
Sanders drives to Spring Classic sweep
Vaults to Top of USMTS Standings with $10,000 Weekend
HAPPY, Tex. (04/15/25) – Rodney Sanders scored his first two Summit USMTS feature victories of 2025 over the weekend after a pair of impressive performances in the Spring Classic at Hamilton County Speedway aboard his Wichita Tank Racing / Paulson Rock Products / Stussy Construction No. 20 MB Customs Race Car / Hatfield Racing Engine Modified.
With the consecutive victories, Sanders surged to the top of the USMTS National Championship standings, narrowly overtaking reigning 2024 champion Jim Chisholm by a single point.
“We were pretty good again,” Sanders said. “It was definitely smoother than last night, so hats off to Todd (Staley) and all of them. It feels good. There's a lot of great cars here. It just feels good to be competitive with them and have a good run.”
When the 15th annual event kicked off at the half-mile track in Webster City, Iowa, on Friday, Sanders was among 26 USMTS Modified drives seeking the night’s $5,000 first-place payout. He drove his No. 20 car to the runner-up spot in his heat race and rolled off third to start the night’s 35-lap feature.
He led the first seven circuits of the main event, then grabbed the lead for good on lap 26 and survived a green-white-checkered finish to notch his first USMTS victory at the track. He led three times for a total of 18 laps and came out on top of a race-long battle with Brandon Davis and Kyle Strickler. Sanders took the checkers 0.955 seconds ahead of Davis, with Strickler rounding out the podium. Zack VanderBeek took fourth and Alex Williamson came home fifth.
The next night, Sanders was part of a 28-car USMTS field at Hamilton County for another $5,000-to-win program. He again finished second in his heat, then started fourth in the 40-lap A-Main.
He took the top spot at the feature’s halfway mark when leader Tom Berry Jr. suffered a flat tire after being clipped by a lapped car, leading to a yellow flag. Sanders held off all challengers for the rest of the race and collected his 123rd USMTS triumph and third feature win overall this season by a 0.930-second margin over VanderBeek. Jim Chisholm finished third, with Williamson and Joe Chisholm claiming fourth and fifth, respectively.
With the pair of victories, Sanders now leads the USMTS National Championship standings by one point over Jim Chisholm.
Full results from the Spring Classic are at www.USMTS.com.
While Sanders has yet to finalize down his next race, the pursuit of the USMTS National Championship resumes in May with the following scheduled events:
May 22nd: War in West Union at Fayette County Speedway
May 23rd: Iowa Spring Challenge at Hancock County Speedway
May 24th: Southern Minnesota Spring Challenge at Deer Creek Speedway
Rodney Sanders would like to thank all of his sponsors including Wichita Tank Racing, ARMI Contractors, Mesilla Valley Transportation, S&S Fishing and Rental, Kenny’s Tile, MB Customs, Hatfield Race Engines, Hibner Logging, Keith Hammett Trucking & Construction, Bergman Tax and Accounting, Paulson Rock Products, Stussy Construction, Integra Shocks, Shocker Hitch, Olsen Custom Farms, Swift Springs, Texas Locomotive Solutions, American Masonry Contractors, FK Rod Ends, CMD Race Shocks, Wehrs Machine, 87 Automotive, Keyser Manufacturing, Allstar Performance, Speedway Motors, Schoenfeld Headers, JE Pistons, Walker Performance Filtration, Day Motorsports, Real Wheels, Palmer Painting, Deatherage Opticians, Wilwood Brakes, PEM Rearends, Winning Edge Carburetors, McCartney Welding, Simpson Race Products, Buzz Signs & Graphix, and MyRacePass.com Website & Marketing Services.
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