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Sorensen electrifies Deer Creek Speedway crowd with career-first USMTS win

Photo Courtesy Of Scott Gulbranson Photography:

With 43 of the top dirt modified drivers in America rolling through the gates at the Deer Creek Speedway on Saturday, Dustin Sorensen led all 40 laps of the main event to register the first USMTS victory of his young career.

From the outside of the front row—and from the drop of the green flag—the 17-year-old pro hockey prospect from Rochester, Minn., led fellow Gopher State youngster Lucas Schott to the checkered flag in a repeat 1-2 finish of last Saturday’s USRA Modified feature during the North Star Nationals at the 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval in Spring Valley, Minn.

The USMTS Hunt for the Casey’s Cup win was worth $3,000 to Sorensen whose father, Mike Sorensen, has five career USMTS triumphs to his credit.

It also established him as the youngest to ever grace USMTS victory lane. In August of 2008, Ryan Gustin captured the first of his 94 career USMTS victories at the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, Iowa, to become the youngest winner in series history at 17 years, 10 months and 13 days old.

At 17 years, 6 months and 25 days, Sorensen now holds the honor.

Schott, 21, was able to challenge Sorensen after a late-race caution and got alongside the leader on a couple of occasions, but Sorensen held the high groove and drove away for the win while Schott held off a hard-charging Johnny Scott who clawed his way forward to finish third after starting 16th on the grid.

Zack VanderBeek—who raced from 14th to third in last Saturday’s Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series event—started 14th again on Saturday and followed Scott across the finish line to claim fourth.

Two-time USMTS national champion Rodney Sanders has collected eight checkered flags at ‘The Creek’ during his short career, but settled for a fifth-place finish in Saturday’s nightcap for the 16th Annual A&A Electric Southern Minnesota Spring Challenge.

Terry Phillips, Stormy Scott, 25th-starting Jake O'Neil, Cory Crapser and Dereck Ramirez rounded out the top 10.

Dustin Sorensen (19) had to fight off several challenges from Lucas Schott (69) to capture Saturday night's USMTS win.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
USMTS Hunt for the Casey’s Cup powered by Summit
16th Annual A&A Electric Southern Minnesota Spring Challenge
Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn.
Saturday, May 26, 2018

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed and money won. The top 12 in heat race passing points advance to the Summit Racing Equipment “A� Main with the top 8 redrawing for the first 8 starting spots.

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):

1. (1) 20 Rodney Sanders, Worthington, Minn.
2. (2) 23b Brett Bumgardner (R), Hawkeye, Iowa.
3. (6) 23 Logan Robertson, Shamrock, Texas.
4. (7) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
5. (5) 111jr Keith Tourville (R), Janesville, Minn.
6. (9) 44 Adam Hensel, Baldwin, Wis.
7. (4) 51 Blake Arndt (R), Brownsdale, Minn.
8. (3) 21 Troy Gudmonson, Savage, Minn.
9. (8) 1a Dwaine Hanson, Lakefield, Minn.

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):

1. (2) 49jr Jake Timm, Minnesota City, Minn.
2. (1) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3. (4) 0 Jake O'Neil (R), Tucson, Ariz.
4. (8) 1st Johnny Scott, Cameron, Mo.
5. (3) 83 Kylie Kath (R), Owatonna, Minn.
6. (7) 24 Brad Waits, Rochester, Minn.
7. (6) 11x Rich Lofthus, Bloomer, Wis.
8. (5) 4a Joel Alberts, Kasson, Minn.
9. (9) 00 Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford, Wis.

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):

1. (4) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
2. (6) 19 Dustin Sorensen (R), Rochester, Minn.
3. (8) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
4. (1) 92 Tyler Droste (R), Waterloo, Iowa.
5. (7) 90 Brandon Davis, Medford, Minn.
6. (3) 56h Brandon Hare (R), Elma, Iowa.
7. (2) 91 Shawn Ryan (R), Waterloo, Iowa.
8. (5) 02 Jacob Dahle, Morristown, Minn.
9. (9) 00 Owen Grube, Cambridge, Minn.

RHRSWAG.COM HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):

1. (2) 52w Nate Wasmund, Rochester, Minn.
2. (3) 07 Cory Crapser, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
3. (6) 23 Adam Kates, Tonganoxie, Kan.
4. (1) 18 Mick Glenn, Minnesota City, Minn.
5. (4) 33 Joe Ludemann, Grand Meadow, Minn.
6. (7) 96 Greg Jensen, Albert Lea, Minn.
7. (8) 61T Tammy Clark, Rochester, Minn.
8. (5) 8c Chris Clark, Jackson, Wyo.
   DNS – 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.

VP RACING FUELS HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):

1. (4) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (5) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
3. (3) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
4. (7) 55 Cory Mahder, Eau Claire, Wis.
5. (6) 73jr Greg Pfeifer.
6. (8) 23k Erik Kanz, Winona, Minn.
7. (1) 77 Jacob Stark, Austin, Minn.
   DQ – (2) 95 Keith Foss, Winona, Minn.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B� MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 6 advance):

1. (1) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
2. (5) 90 Brandon Davis, Medford, Minn.
3. (4) 92 Tyler Droste (R), Waterloo, Iowa.
4. (6) 44 Adam Hensel, Baldwin, Wis.
5. (3) 55 Cory Mahder, Eau Claire, Wis.
6. (7) 83 Kylie Kath (R), Owatonna, Minn.
7. (11) 11x Rich Lofthus, Bloomer, Wis., Hughes/Tim’s, $90.
8. (8) 23k Erik Kanz, Winona, Minn., Shaw/Action, $75.
9. (9) 96 Greg Jensen, Albert Lea, Minn., DirtDueler/ChevPerf, $75.
10. (14) 8c Chris Clark, Jackson, Wyo., GRT/Cornett, $90.
11. (12) 77 Jacob Stark, Austin, Minn., Hillson/KSE, $75.
12. (16) 00 Owen Grube, Cambridge, Minn., SSR/KSE, $90.
13. (10) 61T Tammy Clark, Rochester, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s, $75.
14. (2) 0 Jake O'Neil (R), Tucson, Ariz.
15. (13) 4a Joel Alberts, Kasson, Minn., Rocket/Action, $90.
16. (15) 1a Dwaine Hanson, Lakefield, Minn., Skyrocket/KSE, $75.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B� MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 6 advance):

1. (2) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
2. (1) 1st Johnny Scott, Cameron, Mo.
3. (6) 111jr Keith Tourville (R), Janesville, Minn.
4. (3) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
5. (8) 24 Brad Waits, Rochester, Minn.
6. (11) 91 Shawn Ryan (R), Waterloo, Iowa.
7. (5) 73jr Greg Pfeifer, Hughes/KSE, $75.
8. (7) 33 Joe Ludemann, Grand Meadow, Minn., LG2/Baier’s, $75.
9. (13) 02 Jacob Dahle, Morristown, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, $75.
10. (14) 95 Keith Foss, Winona, Minn.
11. (4) 18 Mick Glenn, Minnesota City, Minn., Skyrocket/JRM, $75.
12. (15) 00 Robby Bunkelman, Abbotsford, Wis., Rocket/Baxter, $75.
13. (10) 51 Blake Arndt (R), Brownsdale, Minn., GRT/KSE, $90.
14. (9) 56h Brandon Hare (R), Elma, Iowa, Skyrocket/ChevPerf, $90.
15. (12) 21 Troy Gudmonson, Savage, Minn., Hughes/ChevPerf, $75.
    DNS – 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.

CASEY’S GENERAL STORES “A� MAIN (40 laps):

1. (2) 19 Dustin Sorensen (R), Rochester, Minn., MBCustoms/Action, $3000.
2. (3) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn., MBCustoms/Hill, $2150.
3. (16) 1st Johnny Scott, Cameron, Mo., VanderBuilt/Durham, $1625.
4. (14) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, VanderBuilt/Sput’s, $1400.
5. (4) 20 Rodney Sanders, Worthington, Minn., MBCustoms/Hatfield, $1195.
6. (5) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Durham, $1090.
7. (7) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., VanderBuilt/Mullins, $985.
8. (25) 0 Jake O'Neil (R), Tucson, Ariz., LG2/Cornett, $880.
9. (9) 07 Cory Crapser, Chippewa Falls, Wis., MBCustoms/Troy’s, $450.
10. (13) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/Cornett, $775.
11. (6) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn., MBCustoms/Sput’s, $375.
12. (1) 52w Nate Wasmund, Rochester, Minn., DirtDueler/Baier’s, $350.
13. (22) 24 Brad Waits, Rochester, Minn., VanderBuilt/Sput’s, $325.
14. (18) 111jr Keith Tourville (R), Janesville, Minn., Player/MAS, $300.
15. (10) 23 Logan Robertson, Shamrock, Texas, MBCustoms/Knowles, $375.
16. (26) 95 Keith Foss, Winona, Minn., Longhorn/Foss, $300.
17. (20) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn., MBCustoms/Sput’s, $300.
18. (24) 91 Shawn Ryan (R), Waterloo, Iowa, Dirt Hustler/King, $300.
19. (8) 49jr Jake Timm, Minnesota City, Minn., MBCustoms/Sput’s, $675.
20. (11) 23 Adam Kates, Tonganoxie, Kan., VanderBuilt/Speedway, $300.
21. (12) 23b Brett Bumgardner (R), Hawkeye, Iowa, SSR/Midnight, $300.
22. (19) 44 Adam Hensel, Baldwin, Wis., DirtDueler/ChevPerf, $300.
23. (15) 90 Brandon Davis, Medford, Minn., MBCustoms/Sput’s, $300.
24. (21) 55 Cory Mahder, Eau Claire, Wis., MBCustoms/PowerLine, $300.
25. (23) 83 Kylie Kath (R), Owatonna, Minn., $300.
26. (17) 92 Tyler Droste (R), Waterloo, Iowa, LG2/AEM, $300.

(R) = Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year contender
Lap Leader: Sorensen 1-40.
Total Laps Led: Sorensen 40.
Margin of Victory: 2.067 seconds.
Time of Race: 17 minutes, 10 seconds.
Provisional Starters: O’Neil, Foss.
Eibach Spring Forward Award: J. Scott (advanced 14 positions).
FK Rod Ends Hard Charger: J. Scott (started 16th, finished 3rd).
Entries: 44.

USMTS Hunt for the Casey’s Cup Points: O'Neil 1210, J. Scott 1162, Schott 1119, Sanders 1117, S. Scott 1111, Ramirez 1094, VanderBeek 1089, Phillips 1068, Timm 897, Duvall 874.
Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year Points: O'Neil 1210, Carlos Ahumada Jr. 760, Zane Ferrell 692, Billy Vogel 610, Lance Mari 529.
USMTS Engine Builder of the Year Points: Durham 130, Cornett 114, Sput’s 110, Hatfield 94, Mullins 93.
USMTS Manufacturers Championship Points: VanderBuilt 150, MBCustoms 148, GRT 112, Hughes 107, LG2 106.

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