(June 22, 2024) Park City, KS – Jake O’Neil turned his fortunes around with a dominant performance at the Ed Gressel Memorial, leading all 40 laps in the Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt at 81 Speedway. The Tucson, AZ, driver secured his second Ed Gressel Memorial trophy, adding another victory at the 3/8-mile clay oval in Park City, KS, to his impressive record.
A Stellar Victory
Now a two-time defending event champion, O’Neil fended off late challenges from Dereck Ramirez and points leader Jake Timm in the final laps. This victory marks O’Neil’s fourth win in the last eight USMTS feature races at 81 Speedway.
“It’s been trying times—not just this year but last year too,” O’Neil said. “We’ve been digging hard. We’ve had good cars. We’ve just been shy on luck, sometimes shy on skill and shy on speed. Everybody’s gotten faster and it’s just hard to do.”
The Race Breakdown
O’Neil started from the second position and quickly established his dominance, maintaining the lead throughout the race. Despite a few cautions, including one with just three laps to go, O’Neil managed to hold off his competitors and secure the win.
In a tense moment on the final restart, O’Neil nearly lost his lead to Timm but managed to recover and cross the finish line first. “These guys are fast and you can’t make any mistakes. I about gave it away there,” O’Neil admitted.
Timm secured second place, holding off New Mexico’s Mark Smith, who finished third. Rodney Sanders made an impressive charge from 21st to finish fourth, earning the FK Rod Ends Hard Charger Award. Dereck Ramirez rounded out the top five.
Additional Highlights
- Brass Balls Award: O’Neil also won the Gressel Racing “Brass Balls” Award, which included a unique trophy and an additional $5,000 in prize money.
- Long-Distance Travelers: Dan Ebert (north), Chad Melton (south), Steve Lavasseur (east), and Nathan Smith (west) each received $250 for traveling the farthest in their respective directions. Mark Smith earned the overall MVT Long Tow Award.
Upcoming Events
The next stop for the USMTS is the 4th Annual Mod Wars at Ogilvie Raceway in Ogilvie, MN, featuring USMTS vs. Wissota Modifieds from July 11-13. The main events will offer $3,000 to the winner on Thursday, $5,000 on Friday, and $11,000 for Saturday’s champion. An open practice session is scheduled for Wednesday, July 10.
For event times, ticket prices, and more information, visit the official USMTS website. Fans unable to attend in person can watch live on RacinDirt, available on various streaming platforms.
Feature Results (40 Laps):
- Jake O’Neil (2)
- Jake Timm (1)
- Mark Smith (3)
- Rodney Sanders (21)
- Dereck Ramirez (8)
- Jim Chisholm (7)
- Cayden Carter (11)
- Jason Hughes (16)
- Lance Mari (20)
- Tyler Davis (17)
- Jacob Hobscheidt (15)
- Terry Phillips (18)
- Dan Ebert (14)
- Kyle Brown (6)
- Steve Lavasseur (13)
- Reece Solander (19)
- Gary Christian (25)
- Wyatt Gaggero (27)
- Tanner Mullens (9)
- Brandon Givens (12)
- J.T. Wasmund (10)
- Steven Glenn (26)
- Gabe Hodges (24)
- Tyler Wolff (4)
- Alex Williamson (23)
- A.J. Hoff (22)
- Chris Kratzer (5)
Stay tuned for more thrilling races and updates from the Summit USMTS National Championship.
