July 18, 2025 | By USMTS PR

Joe Chisholm dominates Fairmont's USMTS Summer Spectacular

FAIRMONT, Minn.—Joe Chisholm of Osage, Iowa, put on a commanding performance Thursday night at Fairmont Raceway, dominating the 11th Annual Summer Spectacular presented by Bettin Trucking.

Chisholm, the current Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year points leader, won his heat race and then earned the Sybesma Graphics Pole Award for the 25-lap the Summit Racing Equipment “A” Main.

The 17-year-old led an impressive 21 of the 25 laps after passing Gary Christian of Broken Bow, Okla., on lap 5 and ultimately securing a decisive $3,000 victory.

The battle for second place was hotly contested, with Christian jousting with Tanner Mullens of Wichita, Kan., who consistently ran near the front of the pack.

Meanwhile veteran racer Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., had a strong fourth-place finish, while points leader Rodney Sanders of Happy, Texas, secured a solid fifth-place paycheck on his journey to earn a sixth USMTS National Championship.

Kyle Brown of Madrid, Iowa, finished in a respectable sixth position, followed closely by defending series champ Jim Chisholm of Osage, Iowa, in seventh. Trevor Hughes of Westville, Okla., claimed eighth, with Josh Ruby of Lakota, Iowa, taking ninth.

Rounding out the top ten was Kyle Strickler of Mooresville, N.C., who battled hard throughout the race after mechanical problems in his heat race forced him to drop to the last spot on the 20-car grid.

The evening began with Hodges Farms & Dredging Qualifying, where Gary Christian set the pace with the fastest lap. Heat races, sponsored by Simpson Race Products and Fast Shafts, determined the starting grid for the main event. Joe Chisholm’s strong performance in the Fast Shafts Heat Race #2 propelled him to the pole for the “A” Main.

The 25-lap main event, though interrupted by three quick cautions, was completed in just under 14 minutes, with a margin of victory of 1.397 seconds. Joe Chisholm's impressive run also earned him well-deserved contingency awards, including the Fast Shafts and Featherlite Trailers honors, highlighting his dominant performance.

He also took home contingency awards from Gorsuch Performance Solutions, Hyperco, MD3, Swift Springs and VP Racing.

On Friday, July 18, the series makes its debut at Princeton Speedway for the first night of the 5th Annual Mod Wars featuring USMTS vs Wissota Modifieds. The quarter-mile high-banked clay oval will award $5,000 to the winner and $700 to start. Super Stocks, Midwest Mods, Street Stocks, Mod Fours and Hornets are also on the card.

The Princeton Speedway is a 1/4-mile high-banked clay oval located at 1400 3rd Street N, Princeton, MN 55371. For more information, surf on over to www.princetonspeedway.com.

The action shifts to the Ogilvie Raceway on Saturday, and then wraps up on Sunday, July 20, at Granite City Motor Park in Sauk Rapids, Minn.



OFFICIAL RESULTS

United States Modified Touring Series
Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt
11th Annual Summer Spectacular presented by Bettin Trucking
Fairmont Raceway, Fairmont, Minn.

Thursday, July 17, 2025

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver and hometown. Heat race lineups are determined via group qualifying. The top 12 in heat race passing points advance to the Summit Racing Equipment “A” Main.

HODGES FARMS & DREDGING QUALIFYING:
1. (13) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla., 18.764
2. (6) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan., 18.808
3. (1) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn., 18.928
4. (16) 5 Reece Solander, Emporia, Kan., 18.998
5. (11) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, 19.067
6. (2) 8 Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, N.C., 19.242
7. (18) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa, 19.244
8. (10) 712 Trevor Hughes, Westville, Okla., 19.253
9. (12) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., 19.267
10. (21) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa, 19.268
11. (14) 9 Roger Nielsen, Fairmont, Minn., 19.339
12. (9) 25 Joe Chisholm, Osage, Iowa, 19.381
13. (19) 35 Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa, 19.391
14. (8) 30 Josh Ruby, Lakota, Iowa, 19.471
15. (7) 8L Lyle Sathoff, Sherburn, Minn., 19.572
16. (17) 27 Don Gerritsen Jr., Rock Rapids, Iowa, 19.581
17. (4) 32 Derek Green, Granada, Minn., 19.627
18. (5) 17 Lee Beemer, Fairmont, Minn., 19.647
19. (20) 3 Dustin Wiederhoeft, Fairmont, Minn., 19.871
20. (3) 57 Duke Erickson, Sioux Falls, S.D., 20.178
21. (15) 2G Troy Girolamo, Williston, N.D., 20.375

SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (2) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
2. (4) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas
3. (3) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa
4. (6) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla.
5. (1) 9 Roger Nielsen, Fairmont, Minn.
6. (9) 32 Derek Green, Granada, Minn.
7. (7) 35 Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa
8. (10) 3 Dustin Wiederhoeft, Fairmont, Minn.
9. (8) 8L Lyle Sathoff, Sherburn, Minn.
10. (11) 2G Troy Girolamo, Williston, N.D.
11. (5) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (1) 25 Joe Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
2. (2) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
3. (6) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
4. (5) 5 Reece Solander, Emporia, Kan.
5. (4) 8 Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, N.C.
6. (3) 712 Trevor Hughes, Westville, Okla.
7. (7) 30 Josh Ruby, Lakota, Iowa
8. (8) 27 Don Gerritsen Jr., Rock Rapids, Iowa
9. (9) 17 Lee Beemer, Fairmont, Minn.
10. (10) 57 Duke Erickson, Sioux Falls, S.D.

SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT “A” MAIN (25 laps):
1. (1) 25 Joe Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
2. (2) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla.
3. (5) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
4. (4) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
5. (8) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas
6. (3) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa
7. (7) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
8. (11) 712 Trevor Hughes, Westville, Okla.
9. (13) 30 Josh Ruby, Lakota, Iowa
10. (20) 8 Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, N.C.
11. (17) 8L Lyle Sathoff, Sherburn, Minn.
12. (9) 32 Derek Green, Granada, Minn.
13. (19) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
14. (18) 57 Duke Erickson, Sioux Falls, S.D.
15. (16) 17 Lee Beemer, Fairmont, Minn.
16. (6) 5 Reece Solander, Emporia, Kan.
17. (14) 3 Dustin Wiederhoeft, Fairmont, Minn.
18. (10) 9 Roger Nielsen, Fairmont, Minn.
19. (12) 35 Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa
20. (15) 27 Don Gerritsen Jr, Rock Rapids, Iowa
DNS - 2G Troy Girolamo, Williston, N.D.

Lap Leaders: Christian 1-4, Joe Chisholm 5-25.

Total Laps Led: Joe Chisholm 21, Christian 4.

Margin of Victory: 1.397 seconds.

Time of Race: 13 minutes, 56.375 seconds (3 cautions).

FK Rod Ends Hard Charger: Strickler (started 20th, finished 10th).

Entries: 21.

Next Race: July 18, Princeton Speedway, Princeton, Minn..

Summit USMTS National Championship Points: Sanders 1632, Jim Chisholm 1505, Mullens 1473, Strickler 1441, Joe Chisholm 1360, Phillips 1345, Christian 1293, Hughes 1209, Brown 1168, Solander 1134.

Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year Points: Joe Chisholm 1286, Hughes 1137, Solander 1084, Girolamo 751, Mark Smith 627.

FK Rod Ends USMTS Hard Charger Points: Sanders 76, Jim Chisholm 54, Phillips 54, Mullens 51, Strickler 48.

Miller Welders USMTS Manufacturers Championship Points: MBCustoms 152, CDR 143, Skyrocket 138, Mullens 110, Bloodline 86.

JE Pistons USMTS Engine Builder of the Year Points: Hatfield 148, KSE 146, Mullins 128, ECE 115, Durham 95.


Contingency Awards:
Aero Race Wheels – Bleess.
American Racer – Crimmins.
Bear Graphix – Wiederhoeft.
Beyea Custom Headers – Phillips.
Bryke Racing – Beemer.
BSB Manufacturing – Nielsen.
Champ Pans – Beemer.
Danny Crane Racing Engines – Brown.
Dynamic Drivelines – Gerritsen.
Edelbrock – Ruby.
Fast Shafts – Joe Chisholm.
Featherlite Trailers – Joe Chisholm, Christian, Mullens.
FK Rod Ends – Strickler.
Gorsuch Performance Solutions – Joe Chisholm.
Harris Auto Racing – Sathoff.
Hodges Farms & Dredging – Christian.
Hooker Harness – Green.
Hyperco – Joe Chisholm.
Integra Racing Shocks & Springs – Nielsen.
Keyser Manufacturing – Strickler.
KSE Racing Products – Strickler.
MD3 – Joe Chisholm.
MSD Performance – Phillips.
Penske Racing Shocks – Bleess.
PEM Racing Gears & Drivetrain – Solander.
QA1 – Christian.
Quarter Master – Ruby.
RaceQuip – Erickson.
RacerWebsite – Erickson.
Real Racing Wheels – Bleess.
Rush RaceGear by Austin Witt – Green.
Simpson Race Products – Phillips.
Sweet Manufacturing – Solander.
Swift Springs – Christian, Gerritsen, Joe Chisholm.
Sybesma Graphics – Joe Chisholm.
Total Power – Sathoff.
VP Racing – Joe Chisholm.
Wehrs Machine & Racing Products – Nielsen.
Wilwood Disc Brakes – Jim Chisholm.