CRANDALL, Texas — Jack Sartain survived a wild 35-lap main event Thursday to claim his first victory with the Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s as RPM Speedway kicked off the third annual Summit Southern Nationals.
From the outside of the front row, Bobby Malchus snagged the lead from polesitter Bo Day when the green flag waved over the sticky fast bullring but Day was able to wrestle the lead away two laps later.
Day, who captured his first USMTS victory on March 6 at the nearby Big O Speedway in Ennis, remained the leader through lap five when the front-end of Fito Gallardo’s racecar washed out and launched him into the left front of Day.
Before another lap could be completed, caution waved for an infield tractor tire that found its way onto the racing surface. Back under green, damage to Day’s machine caused him to spin in front of the field in the first turn to end his night.
Gallardo assumed the lead with Sartain, Malchus, Jason Hughes and Cody Leonard giving chase. Sartain briefly inched ahead of Gallardo to lead lap 8 but the 2015 USRA Modified national champ sped back by Sartain to regain the spot with nine laps complete.
Lapped traffic greeted the leaders on lap 12 and Gallardo was able to put some distance between himself and Sartain for a few laps before they were nose-to-tail again at the race’s halfway point when Gallardo nearly stopped in turn four to keep from spinning.
As he maneuvered between two tire barriers, Sartain shot past to lead Gallardo at the flag stand. Gallardo fought back to the inside as they raced out of turn three but Sartain shut the door when they reached the third turn.
Leonard got around Gallardo the next lap and proceeded to reel in Sartain as the laps wound down. He was glued to Sartain’s bumper for several laps when Sartain’s IRP Race Car got upset in turn four coming to complete lap 33 of 35.
Taking advantage of the opening, Leonard shot underneath and took the lead away with two laps remaining. Sartain, who competed at the RPM Speedway all season long, backed his racecar into the cushion in turn one and launched across turn two, crossing over Leonard and regaining the top spot.
Sartain was back in front when they reached the white flag and kept it low and slow the final lap to secure the $2,000 top prize while Leonard settled for the runner-up position.
Gallardo emerged on the final lap to make it a three-way race for the win and wound up third with 2020 track champion Clyde Dunn Jr. finishing fourth after starting 12th.
Malchus held on to take fifth.
Unable to finish the race, Rodney Sanders finished 21st on the final score sheet but officially clinched the 2020 USMTS national championship.
The finish:
Jack Sartain, Cody Leonard, Fito Gallardo, Clyde Dunn Jr., Bobby Malchus, Philip Houston, Jason Hughes, Brooks Strength, Chris Henigan, Terry Phillips, Carlos Ahumada Jr., Tyler Davis, Dustin Mooney, Manuel Williams II, Casey Skyberg, Jeff Needham, Kale Westover, A.J. Vasquez, Dereck Ramirez, Dennie Gieber, Rodney Sanders, Tanner Mullens, Max Eddie Thomas, Bo Day, Joe Duvall, Dustin Hyde.