URBANA, Mo. — The inaugural USMTS event at the Dallas County Speedway last year was honored as the USMTS Race of the Year.

After Thursday’s night’s finish in the second annual Wehrs Machine & Racing Products Bullring Bash, that award could very well be staying at the Allen family’s quarter-mile dirt oval.
Seeking his first victory with the Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s, Joe Duvall looked to be on his way to victory, but a couple of pesky lapped cars and a persistent Tony Jackson Jr. spoiled those plans.

Instead, it was Jackson who held the winner’s paycheck in victory lane after sneaking by Duvall in the final corner of the 40-lap, $2,500-to-win main event.

“Oh man, I’ve won a lot of races but never won a USMTS race,” Jackson told the capacity crowd after the win. “Man, what a racy race track.

“I had a good battle with (Terry) Phillips there and then I ended up hitting a yuke tire about halfway through or something and it kind of got me messed up, then Joe got bundled up there in lapped traffic and he hit a yuke tire there and that’s essentially what let me get by him there.

Jackson, who competed in a handful of USMTS events more than a decade ago, was making just his second start with a new Hughes Chassis. Included their heat race where he followed Duvall to the finish line, Jackson finally got around ‘Big Daddy’ after chasing him for 49 laps Thursday night.

Although disappointed, Duvall was quick to use his runner-up finish as a confidence builder heading into the next show 20 hours later.

“Well, lapped traffic and infield tires are the devil,” Duvall quipped. “Y’all don’t have any idea how hungry this old man is but I got a lot of fight in me.”

Adam Kates led the opening lap of the Casey’s “A” Main and polesitter Colson Kirk led the next two before Duvall took control of the race. Despite four action-killing cautions that peppered the contest, Duvall pulled away from the field each restart.

His advantage over Jackson was nearly a straight-away when lapped traffic became an issue and Jackson started to narrow the gap. Duvall clipped the infield tire with two laps to go but maintained the lead until the lead duo exited the final corner.

Coming to the flag stand, Jackson powered around the outside of Duvall to take the win while Phillips, who had his own issue with an infield tire in last year’s race, settled for third.

Rodney Sanders and Jason Hughes won their respective Real Racing Wheels “B” Mains, and both passed nine cars to finish fourth and fifth, respectively.

The finish:

Tony Jackson Jr., Joe Duvall, Terry Phillips, Rodney Sanders, Jason Hughes, Carlos Ahumada Jr., Brooks Strength, Dereck Ramirez, Tanner Mullens, Casey Skyberg, Dean Wille, Jake O’Neil, Austin Siebert, Tyler Davis, Lance Mari, Cody Jolly, Chase Jones, Stephen Muilenburg, Evan Hubert, Zack VanderBeek, Adam Kates, Tyler Wolff, Colson Kirk, Dustin Hodges