July 30, 2025 | By Lyndal Scranton

Sanders brings latest USMTS title pursuit to Lucas Oil Speedway

WHEATLAND, MO.—Rodney Sanders’ five United States Modified Touring Series championships stand above anyone else. A sixth is starting to come into focus entering this weekend’s 16th annual USMTS Slick Mist Show-Me Shootout Presented by Foley Equipment at Lucas Oil Speedway.

But you won’t catch the 35-year-old from Happy, Texas, sitting around and calculating points or a specific strategy as he attempts to complete the six pack. This weekend’s doubleheader will be business as usual.

“It would be great,” Sanders said of what a sixth title would mean. “I know it’s gonna be tough to finish it out, but it would be really cool if we could.

“The goal of every race is going into it to win. If you’re not running solid, you get the best you can to not do anything dumb that would jeopardize a bad finish. We try to go to win and the points kind of take care of themselves … while trying to be smart about it at the same time.”

Sanders brings a 141-point lead over defending USMTS champ Jim Chisholm into the action on Friday and Saturday, the second time that the Show-Me Shootout has been expanded into a two-night affair with full shows both nights.

It’s been a vintage Sanders season so far with five USMTS wins in 21 attempts along with 17 top-five finishes. Overall, he has 10 wins in 2025 while focusing entirely on his Modified team after dabbling in Open Late Models the last few years.

“I’d love to do it,” Sanders said of running the Late Model. “But we can’t afford to do it and the Modified. I had to do one or the other.

“It’s been a really good season. We’ve been really consistent and it’s been a solid year.”

Sanders has won USMTS championships in 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 and 2023. He’s seen drivers come and go and the technology in the cars changes from his early days in the sport, but he continues to excel through the challenges.

“It’s always been really tough, the USMTS,” Sanders said. “You have different people, but the competition is really tough in that series, from when I started to now. It seems like the cars are so much different now than back then.

“The biggest difference is how much clean air matters and how much the body makes a difference,” Sanders said, comparing it to the Late Models but without quite as much importance in shocks and springs. “But we’re getting close to that, just on a smaller scale.”

As always, he expects the Lucas Oil Speedway surface to test him and the others this weekend. He won the Show-Me Shootout in 2019 and 2023, but ran sixth and 10th in last year’s rendition.

“We’ve had really good runs there, but also have struggled there,” Sanders said of Wheatland. “There hasn't been a whole lot of in-between. It seems like every time we go we’re almost on a different set-up. That place is very unique. It’s a great place and I like going there. It’s just it can throw you curveballs with what the track can be.”

The busy two days on the dirt track also includes three divisions of the Pitts Home and Realty Weekly Racing Series. The Clear Creek Golf Cars USRA B-Mods and O'Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars will be running for $500 to win and the Hermitage Lumber Late Models will also be in action racing for $750-to-win on Friday. The next night, the Stock Cars and B-Mods will go after $750 to win in the feature while the Late Models compete for $1,000-to-win.

The USMTS feature each night will pay $5,000 to the winner.

Grandstand gates open at 4 p.m. both days with hot laps at 6:30 and racing to follow.


Dirt Track Friday Admission:

Advance Discount Tickets online only (13 and up) - $22
Adults (13 and up) - $25
Seniors (62 and up)/Military - $22
Youth (6-12 )- $10
Kids (5 and under) - FREE
Family Pass - $60
Pit Pass - $40


Dirt Track Saturday Admission:

Advance Discount Tickets online only (13 and up) - $22
Adults (13 and up) - $25
Seniors (62 and up)/Military - $22
Youth (6-12) - $10
Kids (5 and under) - FREE
Family Pass - $60
Pit Pass - $40


Drag boats on Lake Lucas: The Kentucky Drag Boat Association makes its second of three appearances on Lake Lucas this season with the Show-Me Shootout. Spectator gates for the drag boats open at 9 a.m. Friday with qualifying rounds set for 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday’s schedule has gates opening at 9 a.m. with eliminations starting at 9:30 a.m. All times are tentative. 

Points leaders in the KDBA include Rick Allen (Top Alcohol Hydro), Justin Schmidt (Pro Outlaw), Henry Behne (Pro Modified), Robert Ledbetter (Pro Jet), Ty Bollweg (Quick Eliminator), David Merchant (Pro Comp Flat), Dave Schmidt (Pro Eliminator), Joe McIntyre (Top Eliminator), Addyson Leas (Modified Eliminator), James Norman (Stock Eliminator) and Teagan Finnigan (Personal Watercraft).


Friday Drag Boat Admission (includes drag boat pit access)

2-day pit pass - $80 (Includes admission to dirt track Friday and Saturday)
Drag Boat Event Only
General admission (6 and up) - $15
Kids GA (age 5 and under) - FREE
Combo Event (Drag Boat & Dirt Track Event)
Adults general admission combo (13 and up) - $40
Seniors (62 and up) /Military GA combo - $37
Youth GA Combo (6-12) - $25
Kids GA Combo (age 5 and under) - FREE
Family Pass GA combo - $105 includes admission for 2 adults and up to 2 kids ages 6-12


Saturday Drag Boat Admission (includes drag boat pit access)


2-day pit pass - $40 (Includes admission to dirt track Saturday night)
Saturday Drag Boat only
General admission (ages 6 and up) - $15
Kids GA (age 5 and under) - FREE
Combo Event (Drag Boat & Dirt Track Event)
Adults GA Combo (13 and up) - $40
Seniors (62 and up) /Military GA Combo - $37
Youth GA Combo (6-12) - $25
Kids GA Combo (age 5 and under) - FREE
Family Pass GA Combo - $105 includes admission for two adults and up to 2 kids (ages 6-12)


For information on admission or camping for any Lucas Oil Speedway event in 2025, contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-6119 or (417) 295-6043 or email her at nmcmillan@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.