10/24/2017
RacinBoys
Rodney Sanders pockets $10k at Southern New Mexico
By Ben Shelton (Happy, TX) -- For the second time in his career, Rodney Sanders scored the $10,000 victory in the USRA Fall Nationals in his Wichita Tank Racing #20 Swan Energy MB Customs Modified. The prestigious triumph – which was his first since 2010 – came over the weekend at Southern New Mexico Speedway.
“That late-race caution gave us the shot that we needed to get around Ricky (Thornton Jr.) for the top spot,” Sanders recounts. “I knew that was going to be my best opportunity to get to the lead, and luckily I was able to capitalize. It was a pretty thrilling win for our team!”
On Friday night Rodney Sanders went into battle with the United States Racing Association (USRA) in the 18th annual Rancho Milagro USRA Fall Nationals at Southern New Mexico Speedway (Las Cruces, New Mexico).
With 58 Open Wheel Modifieds on hand for the three-day event, Sanders improved four spots in his heat race, landing a runner-up finish behind Alan Sharpensteen. Earning the third-starting position for the opening night preliminary feature, Rodney jumped up one spot to finish second behind Ricky Thornton Jr. with Johnny Scott, Terry Phillips, and Zane DeVilbiss rounding out the Top 5.
With the Top 5 finishers from preliminary features on Friday and Saturday locked into the A-Main on Sunday, Sanders sat out Saturday’s program to prepare for Sunday.
Rolling off third on the grid on Sunday, Sanders jumped up one spot early in the 50-lapper and trailed Ricky Thornton Jr. until a lap 32 caution bunched the field. Taking advantage of the late-race restart, Rodney slipped past Thornton in the first turn and held off Thornton in the following corner securing the lead. Holding the field at bay for the remaining 17 circuits, Rodney Sanders charged to his 10th win of the season and a $20,000 payday. Terry Phillips, Ricky Thornton Jr., Zack VanderBeek, and Johnny Scott completed the Top-5 finishers.
For more results from these events, please visit www.USRARacing.com .
Next on the docket for Rodney and his team is a trip to Thunderbird Speedway (Muskogee, Oklahoma) to take part in the Midwest Dirt Track Championship. The event pays $10,000-to-win for Super Late Models and $1,500-to-win for Modifieds.
More event details can be found at www.facebook.com/Thunderbird-Speedway-192229047937380/ .
Rodney Sanders would like to thank all of his sponsors including Wichita Tank Racing, Swan Energy, Kimrad Transport, DriveWFX.com, S&S Fishing and Rental, Krohn Farms, STSI, Mars Race Cars, MB Customs, Mesilla Valley Transportation, KBC Graphics, Bergman Tax and Accounting, Hatfield Race Engines, Deatherage Opticians, VP Race Fuels, C&R Incorporated, Beyea Headers, CMD Race Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing, Integra Race Shocks, Swift Springs, Wilwood Brakes, Palmer Painting, D&G Contracting, Driven Oil, 87 Automotive, FK Rod Ends, Allstar Performance, Fikes Transmission, QA1 Driveshafts, Performance Bodies, Day Motorsports, and MSRMafia.com Marketing Services.
For more information on Rodney Sanders, please visit www.RodneySandersRacing.net .
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott
