Summit USRA Nationals opens with Davis, Hovden and Morton earning Shootout victories at Lucas Oil Speedway
The first of a scheduled five straight nights of the Summit USRA Nationals powered by Chevrolet Performance kicked off at Lucas Oil Speedway on Tuesday night with Brandon Davis, Mitch Hovden and J.C. Morton each visiting victory lane.
The Summit Shootout presented by Mel Hambelton Racing all-star event featured Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series track champions and Summit Shootout qualifying race winners from the 2023 season.
Davis of Hayfield, Minn., led all 16 laps but had to hold off Nic Bidinger’s challenge just past the halfway point and held on for the USRA Modified feature win.
Davis started on the pole and led fourth-starting Bidinger through the first four laps, opening less than a one-second lead before Paden Phillips spun to bring out a caution while running fourth.
Bidinger rode the high line to pressure Davis by lap 10, then switched to the low side on lap 12 to pull alongside.
But Davis, racing at Lucas Oil Speedway for the first time, was able to build a gap over the final laps to pull away and beat Bidinger by 1.2 seconds.
"I didn't really know where to run," Davis said. "I saw the class before me (Stock Cars) run up on top. I just decided to go to the bottom because I know the lip is pretty treacherous up there if you get over it.
"I heard Bidinger and looked at the (video) board and he was there. I decided to try and change it up a little bit and finally figured out towards the end a little bit in (turns) one and two.
"The first time here, it's interesting. It takes a little bit to get used to this stuff. It's amazing the difference in soil from up north to down here."
Jason Pursley finished third with Trevor Hughes fourth and USRA Modified national points leader Tyler Davis in fifth.
Davis was the Summit USRA Nationals winner in 2019 when the event was held at the Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City, Iowa.
He punched his ticket to the Summit Shootout by winning the track championship at the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., where he's also the all-time winningest driver in tracks history.
He's a two-time USRA Modified national champion (2012 and 2019) and currently just 22 points behind defending national champ Tyler Davis in his quest to become the first three-time USRA Modified titleist ever.
Hovden captures Stock Car battle: Five-time and defending Medieval USRA Stock Car national champ Mitch Hovden of Decorah, Iowa, lost the lead midway through the Summit Shootout feature for the Stock Cars, then regained it a lap later to post the feature win.
William Garner grabbed the lead on lap 10, but Hovden drove back to the top spot one lap later and didn't surrender it the rest of the way.
Garner and Josh Cain staged a side-by-side battle for second over the next several laps before Garner got the advantage and cut Hovden’s lead to one-half second.
Hovden was able to roll from there and wound up one second in front of Garner at the finish.
"You could hear 'em," Hovden said of the challengers. "I moved to the bottom and it seemed to be quite a bit better than the top and I was lucky enough to hold them off."
Cain wound up third with Derek Green fourth and Mason Beck fifth.
The most decorated driver in USRA history, Hovden is seeking his fifth straight and 10th overall title in the Medieval USRA Stock Car division. His overall count would climb to 11 including his 2007 USRA Hobby Stock crown.
Hovden won the 2021 Summit USRA Nationals in the first year it was held at the Lucas Oil Speedway. The 36-year-old also won the event in 2018 at the I-35 Speedway in Winston, Mo.
With 14 wins during the 2023 season, Hovden earned a spot in the Summit Shootout by capturing the Medieval USRA Stock Car track championship at the Winneshiek Raceway in Decorah, Iowa.
B-Mod Shootout goes to Morton: J.C. Morton of Springfield led the final 14 laps of the USRA B-Mod Summit Shootout on the opening night of nationals.
The 2016 USRA B-Mod national champ took the lead on lap seven from Henry Chambers, who started up front and paced five of the first six of the 20-lapper.
Morton went on to finish 0.686 second ahead of Lucas Oil Speedway track champion Bobby Williams for his seventh USRA B-Mod feature win of the 2023 season, with half of those coming at the Wheatland oval.
Williams also had a strong run, advancing from seventh at the start.
Morton started eighth and quickly moved into the top four before challenging for the lead and taking it over on lap seven. He didn’t give it up from there for a strong start of his week at nationals.
Morton, 33, was the USRA B-Mod main event winner at the Summit USRA Nationals in 2021 at the Lucas Oil Speedway.
He is currently 13th in USRA B-Mod national points and earned his way into tonight's Summit Shootout as the 2023 track champion at the Arrowhead Speedway in Colcord, Okla.
Action continues Wednesday night as action builds toward Saturday's big final night in all five divisions.
The three classes from Tuesday will return for programs on Wednesday, with the USRA Hobby Stocks holding their Summit Shootout.
Drivers are building toward Saturday's final program, which will feature an "alphabet soup" of preliminary feature races leading up to the championship main event for each class. USRA Tuners join the fun on Friday.
Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series national points will be awarded each night with 100 bonus points awarded to each driver in attendance that competes two or more nights.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Racing Association
Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series
10th Annual Summit USRA Nationals powered by Chevrolet Performance - Night 1 of 5
Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, Mo.
Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023
Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver and hometown
USRA MODIFIEDS
Qualfier:
1. (6) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan.
2. (2) 97 Houston Johnson, Kansas City, Mo.
3. (7) 38C Jason Pursley, Warsaw, Mo.
4. (9) 50III Brandon Davis, Hayfield, Minn.
5. (3) 127 Paden Phillips, Chanute, Kan.
6. (5) 3B Nic Bidinger, Perry, Kan.
7. (4) 21 Ben Nading, Ankeny, Iowa
8. (1) 21C Chad Clancy, Polo, Mo.
9. (10) 712 Trevor Hughes, Westville, Okla.
10. (8) 8L Lyle Sathoff, Sherburn, Minn.
11. (12) 92 Tyler Grooms, Trenton, Mo.
12. (11) 5D Devon Havlik, Waterloo, Iowa
Summit Shootout presented by Mel Hambelton Racing:
1. (1) 50III Brandon Davis, Hayfield, Minn.
2. (4) 3B Nic Bidinger, Perry, Kan.
3. (3) 38C Jason Pursley, Warsaw, Mo.
4. (9) 712 Trevor Hughes, Westville, Okla.
5. (6) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan.
6. (7) 21 Ben Nading, Ankeny, Iowa
7. (5) 97 Houston Johnson, Kansas City, Mo.
8. (10) 8L Lyle Sathoff, Sherburn, Minn.
9. (8) 21C Chad Clancy, Polo, Mo.
10. (2) 127 Paden Phillips, Chanute, Kan.
DNS – 92 Tyler Grooms, Trenton, Mo.
DNS – 5D Devon Havlik, Waterloo, Iowa
MEDIEVAL USRA STOCK CARS
Qualfier #1:
1. (1) 15 Mitch Hovden, Decorah, Iowa
2. (2) 7G William Garner, Lebanon, Mo.
3. (8) 74 Jason Josselyn, Alamogordo, N.M.
4. (7) 95 Chance Larson, Dunnell, Minn.
5. (3) 38T Dylan Thornton, Orcutt, Calif.
6. (4) 43K Josh Kelderman, Sioux Center, Iowa
7. (5) 35C Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa
8. (6) 35 Johnny Coats, Joplin, Mo.
Qualfier #2:
1. (1) 0F Mason Beck, Urbana, Mo.
2. (3) 88 Jeff Dixon, Trenton, Mo.
3. (4) 3J Josh Cain, Rio Rancho, N.M.
4. (7) 85 Darrin Schmidt, Winchester , Kan.
5. (2) 21P Darren Phillips, Wheatland, Mo.
6. (8) 33 Kevin Donlan, Decorah, Iowa
7. (5) 21 Myles Michehl, Fort Dodge, Iowa
8. (6) 6D David Whittle, Muskogee, Okla.
Qualfier #3:
1. (1) M17 Rob Moseley, Los Lunas, N.M.
2. (2) 3C Colin Deming, Hobbs, N.M.
3. (5) 32 Derek Green, Granada, Minn.
4. (4) 106 Andy Morris, Fort Gibson, Okla.
5. (7) 21B Andrew Borchardt, Plymouth, Iowa
6. (3) 10A John Ades, Rippey, Iowa
7. (6) 541 Robert White, Lebanon, Mo.
Last Chance Qualifier:
1. (3) 35C Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa
2. (2) 43K Josh Kelderman, Sioux Center, Iowa
3. (6) 541 Robert White, Lebanon, Mo.
4. (5) 35 Johnny Coats, Joplin, Mo.
5. (1) 10A John Ades, Rippey, Iowa
6. (4) 21 Myles Michehl, Fort Dodge, Iowa
DNS – 6D David Whittle, Muskogee, Okla.
Summit Shootout presented by Mel Hambelton Racing:
1. (4) 15 Mitch Hovden, Decorah, Iowa
2. (7) 7G William Garner, Lebanon, Mo.
3. (9) 3J Josh Cain, Rio Rancho, N.M.
4. (1) 32 Derek Green, Granada, Minn.
5. (2) 0F Mason Beck, Urbana, Mo.
6. (5) 3C Colin Deming, Hobbs, N.M.
7. (11) 85 Darrin Schmidt, Winchester , Kan.
8. (6) M17 Rob Moseley, Los Lunas, N.M.
9. (19) 541 Robert White, Lebanon, Mo.
10. (18) 43K Josh Kelderman, Sioux Center, Iowa
11. (16) 33 Kevin Donlan, Decorah, Iowa
12. (3) 74 Jason Josselyn, Alamogordo, N.M.
13. (20) 35 Johnny Coats, Joplin, Mo.
14. (12) 106 Andy Morris, Fort Gibson, Okla.
15. (17) 35C Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa
16. (14) 21P Darren Phillips, Wheatland, Mo.
17. (13) 21B Andrew Borchardt, Plymouth, Iowa
18. (10) 95 Chance Larson, Dunnell, Minn.
19. (8) 88 Jeff Dixon, Trenton, Mo.
20. (15) 38T Dylan Thornton, Orcutt, Calif.
USRA B-MODS
Qualfier #1:
1. (1) 56 Shadren Turner, St. Joseph, Mo.
2. (2) 54 Tyler Kidwell, Chanute, Kan.
3. (8) J2 Kris Jackson, Lebanon, Mo.
4. (6) 18 J.C. Morton, Springfield, Mo.
5. (7) 97 Tyler Lacy, Glenpool, Okla.
6. (3) 42 Kaeden Bronner, Austin, Minn.
7. (9) 16 Dan Hovden, Decorah, Iowa
8. (10) 9J Jeremiah Reed, Otho, Iowa
9. (5) 21K Dave Kennedy, Tea, S.D.
10. (4) 17K Klay Beemer, Fairmont, Minn.
Qualfier #2:
1. (1) 1B Bobby Williams, Hermitage, Mo.
2. (2) 17 Henry Chambers, Baldwin City, Kan.
3. (3) 69ER Tyler Cadwallader, Amazonia, Mo.
4. (4) 66 Ryan Gillmore, Springfield, Mo.
5. (6) 56H Brandon Hare, Elma, Iowa
6. (8) 19K Kyle Slader, Muskogee, Okla.
7. (10) 181 Luke Nieman, Nortonville, Kan.
8. (9) 88 Bryer McCoy, Webster City, Iowa
9. (7) 11J Jacob Lynch, Winona, Minn.
10. (5) 57 Duke Erickson, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Summit Shootout presented by Mel Hambelton Racing:
1. (8) 18 J.C. Morton, Springfield, Mo.
2. (7) 1B Bobby Williams, Hermitage, Mo.
3. (11) 19K Kyle Slader, Muskogee, Okla.
4. (1) 17 Henry Chambers, Baldwin City, Kan.
5. (6) 69ER Tyler Cadwallader, Amazonia, Mo.
6. (5) 66 Ryan Gillmore, Springfield, Mo.
7. (14) 16 Dan Hovden, Decorah, Iowa
8. (10) 56H Brandon Hare, Elma, Iowa
9. (2) 54 Tyler Kidwell, Chanute, Kan.
10. (4) 56 Shadren Turner, St. Joseph, Mo.
11. (12) 181 Luke Nieman, Nortonville, Kan.
12. (13) 42 Kaeden Bronner, Austin, Minn.
13. (20) 57 Duke Erickson, Sioux Falls, S.D.
14. (18) 11J Jacob Lynch, Winona, Minn.
15. (16) 88 Bryer McCoy, Webster City, Iowa
16. (19) 17K Klay Beemer, Fairmont, Minn.
17. (17) 21K Dave Kennedy, Tea, S.D.
18. (3) J2 Kris Jackson, Lebanon, Mo.
19. (9) 97 Tyler Lacy, Glenpool, Okla.
20. (15) 9J Jeremiah Reed, Otho, Iowa
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