10/19/2024
Tanner Mullens
Mullens drives to $2,000 victory in HMT season finale at I-35
On Saturday evening, Tanner Mullens bested a field of 27 Modifieds to win the final event of the inaugural USRA Heartland Modified Tour (HMT) season at Winston, Missouri’s I-35 Speedway.
Mullens began the evening with a victory in his heat race at the 3/8-mile venue, then redrew the third starting spot in the 30-lap main event. He ran the top side early in the feature and claimed the lead on the eighth circuit. He never looked back, taking the victory 3.378 seconds ahead of runner-up Tyler Hibner. Third place went to Brandon Givens, with Houston Johnson and Shadren Turner rounding out the top five.
Mullens’ victory was his fifth feature win overall in 2024 and his second HMT triumph.
The Saturday victory also served as redemption for Mullens, whose weekend got off to a challenging start on Friday at the 1/3-mile Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Missouri, where he was one of 32 HMT competitors.
That night, Mullens drove from eighth to fourth in his heat on a treacherous track, starting him 13th in the 30-lap, $3,000-to-win A-Main. He spun after being hit in the right-rear quarter panel before a lap was complete, resulting in a multi-car crash. The crew went to work in the hot pit and patched up Mullens’ ride enough for him to finish 11th.
Mullens took the checkered flag the next night, and his weekend finishes vaulted him to fourth in the final HMT point standings despite not running every race.
Full weekend results are at www.heartlandmodifedtour.com.
Article Credit: Todd Boyd image
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