The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of the DQ - Recliner Reactions

King of America XIV - Night One
Lucas Oil Speedway
Wheatland, Missouri 

First year at the Diamond of Dirt Tracks for the King of America XIV Crown Jewel 

Weather Conditions via NWS Springfield, MO
79 Degrees
Fair Conditions
15 MPH Wind SW Gust 23     

Car Count from MRP live timing and scoring:
USMTS: 71
USRA B-mods: 60
KS Engineering Iron Man USRA Stock Car Series driven by Terminator Chassis: 47  
I'll be focusing on USMTS but wanted to give a tip of the hat to the b-mods and stock car teams.  

Quick Qualifier Group A: Kaylin Lopez 17.677 
Quick Qualifier Group B: Cade Dillard 17.590 
Quick Qualifier Group C: Mark Smith **17.268** $100 winner 
Invert Dice Draw: 3 - This was the second time the 3 has been rolled this year. 

SUMMIT USMTS National Championship present by RacinDirt Point Standings after March 27, 2025 Post Tech
1. Rodney Sanders 361
2. Tanner Mullens 350 +1
3. *Joe Chisholm 336 +1
4. Terry Phillips 334 +3
5. Jim Chisholm 330 -3
6. Kyle Strickler 315 -1
7. Alex Williamson 312
8. *Trevor Hughes 285 +2
9. Gary Christian 277 -1
10. Kyle Brown 267 -1
*denotes Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year Contender 
+/- noted as positions gained or lost since last race

Top Ten Recap:  
1. Cade Dillard: After a heartbreaking race at Salina, the CDR team rebounds for the win after a DQ from the original winner post tech. (see below)

2. Terry Phillips: Another good run for TP. Missing a little something but when you get a podium finish you can't be too disappointed.

3. Keith Foss: A regular at the Deer Creek, MTS area tracks, he showed he's not one to sleep on this weekend. I wouldn't be surprised to see the 95 at some Northern Light events this summer.

4. Tanner Mullens: Wasn't too happy after his heat race.  Started 5th after his son drew his number. A good top 5 to continue to start the year on a positive note. 

5. Rodney Sanders: Starting 15th after a B-main, "rockets" through the field for a top 5 finish. Should extend his points lead after the rough night for Jim Chisholm.

6. Alex Williamson:  Wasn't sure he'd be able to make it early in the week. Made sure to give a big thanks to his crew back at his business after his heat win.  Night didn't start well, finding a broken spark plug after qualifying.  Rebounds for his 4th top 10 finish of the year.

7. Joe Duvall:  After a start to the season that would make many questions themselves or a change of "shorts" for good luck, Big Daddy put together a good night and well deserved top 10. 

8. Joe Chisholm:  Another good night for Smoke during his ROTY run with USMTS.  Took what was given to him and will race another day.

9. Dustin Strand:  Made the trip from way up in East Grand Forks, MN.  Represented himself well against the field of cars in attendance.

10. Trevor Hughes: Continues to make positive steps and earned another top 10 finish.  It may not be always flashy but top 10's will build confidence for the team. 

Honorable Mention (or not so honorable) Dustin Sorensen was DQ'd in the post tech barn. He crossed the finish line first , but the tech crew found a component on the car unsatisfactory.   

Follow Along: 

DirtInfo | Dirt Racing Analysis & Opinions  My writings can be found here.  As they say, things are "in the works" for some other projects.  Right now, I'll recap all the USMTS events, either in person, or thanks to the fine folks at RacinDirt | USMTS, Dirt Modifieds & Live Racing Streams.  The nights I'm at the track and in the pits,  I'll have a race recap similar to my Mason City USMTS fair race article. A modified version of the Recliner Reactions those nights will still be available. 

DirtInfo - YouTube I have a voice and face for writing so you won't see me here :).  A weekly podcast my discord group puts on with a buffet of racing topics, series, schedules and other topics of interest.  I will toss them a USMTS nugget or two when asked. More importantly, they'll always leave you with "One for the Road'.