FORT WORTH, Texas (March 2, 2013) – Three first-time champions were crowned Saturday evening as Shane Hebert won the SUPR Late Model title, John Whittington the Limited Modifieds and Rodney Sanders the Modifieds during two-day, 237-entry Port-A-Cool Texas World Dirt Track Championship at Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track.
Hebert, a 33-year-old native of Lafayette, La., had the most dramatic run of the group as he stormed from the 14th starting position in the 22-car main event to capture his first Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track championship. He quickly carved through the field in the 40-lap main to get in contention, but it wasn’t until Lap 36 that Hebert grabbed second from the fading two-time champion, Rob Litton.
It took only two more laps for the surging Hebert wrestle the lead from Allgayer Motorsports teammate, Jeremy Payne and then pulled away for the victory.
“I’ve been racing here for a few years in the Modifieds and Limited Modifieds, but this was my first time in the Late Model,” Hebert said. “I’ve been close, but I haven’t ever won here and I never thought my first victory would be in this series.
“You come here in Late Models and Modifieds and you got 125 to 200 cars in each class and you pretty much have to have the perfect car to beat that many competitors at one track. Everything has to click. It happens for someone every time, but it is difficult to be that one person.”
The other two titles were won by Texans, with Vidor native Whittington taking the Limited Modified championship. Whittington started on the outside of the first row, but jumped out to the lead early on the first lap and never looked back. Two restarts on Lap 23 made things interesting as Randy Timms, who finished second, made a run on Whittington. Timms, a Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track Modified champion in 2008, got into the back of Whittington and loosened him coming out of Turn 3, but Whittington saved it and held onto the lead for the remaining seven laps.
“I’ve probably led more laps at this place than anybody here and finished second more than anybody here, so it’s just great to get this win,” Whittington said.
Sanders, of Happy, Texas, won his seventh race of the year, but his first championship at Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track with the Modified title. Starting on the pole, Sanders maintained the lead until Lap 32. Between Laps 32 and 34, there were four lead changes between Sanders and fellow USMTS competitor, Ryan Gustin. Sanders and Gustin battled through lapped traffic before Sanders took the lead for the final time with six laps remaining of the 40-lap main.
“We were kind of slide jobbing each other and it was a fun kind of racing,” Sanders said. “We race with (Gustin) a lot and he’s a good racer. Always tough to beat and I’m glad to finally win one.
Dirt track action returns to the Texas Motor Speedway on Sept. 20-21 for the Limited Modified and Modified divisions as well as the ASCS Sprint Cars competing in the Port-A-Cool U.S. National Dirt Track Championship.
SUPR Late Model
- Shane Hebert
- Rob Litton
- Jeremy Payne
- Jason Krohn
- Timothy Culp
- Morgan Bagley
- Kevin Sitton
- Chase Allen
- Ray Moore
- Sean Jones
- Patrick Daniel
- Jim Bryant
- Wendall Bolden
- Tyler Erb
- Jeff Chandler
- Steve Whiteaker, Jr.
- Chris Brown
- Gary Christian
- Jon Mitchell
- Ryan Gustin
- Jesse Stovall
- Zachary McMillan
Modified
- Rodney Sanders
- Ryan Gustin
- Chris Brown
- Bobby Malchus
- Chris Henigan
- Rany Timms
- Josh Landers
- Dustin Hyde
- Garrett Gregory
- Dennie Gieber
- Triston Dycus
- Steve Whitaker, Jr.
- Tracy Denby, Jr.
- Mickey Lassiter
- Troy Taylor
- Paul White
- Morgan Bagley
- Jamie Burford
- Ronald Pilkington
- John Whittington
- Clyde Dunn, Jr.
- Chris Huckeba
- David Hennan
- Kyle Sweeney
- Bryan Mewborn
- Dillon Pike
Limited Modified
- John Whittington
- Randy Timms
- Derick Grigsby
- J.J. Jennings
- Matt Mueller
- Dennier Gieber
- RJ Stroman
- Robert Elliott
- Randy Seal
- Michael Daniels
- Tim Clonch
- Mike Goodson
- Gary Corbin
- Travis Johnson
- James Blaylock
- Cleo Adams
- JC Howell
- Brandon Blaylock
- Paul White
- Mark Harrison
- Joe Adamas
- Gary Stuckey
- Keith McCullough
- David Phillips
- Braydon Dodson
- Wally Beaty