URBANA, Mo. – Ryan Gustin earned the 100th victory of his career in United States Modified Touring Series competition on Thursday night at Dallas County Speedway.
Gustin had to fend off a determined Dereck Ramirez in the inaugural Bullring Bash, with Gustin beating Ramirez in a photo finish.
“That was one heck of a race,” Gustin said in victory lane. “I thought he (Ramirez) took it away from us, but we gave each other a lane and always race each other clean.
“I wasn’t sure we were going to get number 100 this year or not,” Gustin said. “It’s a milestone, man, and it feels good. Looking forward to tomorrow.”
The winner never had a moment to rest as action was constant from the front of the field back.
From the pole position, Terry Phillips took charge at the drop of the green flag and ran the low line while Gustin churned the loose clay lining the long way around the track.
The lead duo found the back of the pack by lap 12 and Gustin was able to squeak by to lead for the first time on lap 18 just before a caution flag waved and let everybody catch their breath.
Phillips continued to challenge Gustin for the lead for the next 10 laps until the two made contact in turn four and Phillips wound up smacking a yuke tire near the exit of the corner.
Another yellow flag waved as Phillips saw his night come to an end, and on the restart Marriott followed Gustin but Ramirez stuck his nose underneath and claimed the second position.
The final 10 laps were intense as Gustin and Ramirez raced wheel-to-wheel lap after lap while four more cautions slowed the pace.
The final caution waved with three laps to go, and Ramirez edged in front of Gustin at the flagstand to lead lap 38 and again the next time around as they drag-raced beneath USMTS flagman Ryne Staley’s white flag.
The pair exited the final corner door to door as they raced to the checkered. Despite sending a shower of sparks off of the front-stretch concrete wall, Gustin nipped Ramirez by less than five one-hundredths of a second.
“This is a small deal, it’s elbows up,” Gustin added. “It doesn’t matter what you do to your car, you just have to get up on the wheel at these small little places and get after it.”
The win was worth $2,500 to the 28-year-old from Marshalltown, Iowa.
For Ramirez, it was his fifth runner-up finish in seven races during the Casey’s Hunt for the USMTS National Championship while Marriott, Rodney Sanders and Dean Wille completed the top five.
The finish:
Ryan Gustin, Dereck Ramirez, Hunter Marriott, Rodney Sanders, Dean Wille, Jake O’Neil, Jason Pursley, Terry Schultz, Stephen Muilenburg, Colson Kirk, Travis Saurer, Mike Striegel, Mickey Burrell, Mark Simon, Joe Duvall, Chris Clark, Jimmy Ray, Greg Skaggs, Terry Phillips, Adam Kates, Lance Mari, Austin Siebert, Ed Griggs, Tyler Wolff.