LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., bested a stout field of 68 USRA Modifieds Friday night to take the opening night checkers for the 17th Annual Winter Meltdown at the Southern New Mexico Speedway.

Rodney Sanders of Happy, Texas, narrowed the gap near the end of the main event but had to settle for a runner-up finish and will start on the inside of row 2 behind Phillips in Sunday's $10,000-to-win championship race.

Three New Mexico drivers – Johnny Scott, Bumper Jones and Stormy Scott – rounded out the top 5 finishers and also locked themselves into Sunday's finale.

Heat race wins went to Fito Gallardo, Toby Herring, Johnny Scott, Stormy Scott, Philip Houston and Phillips. “B” Main wins went to defending USMTS National Champion Ryan Gustin, Gallardo and Mike Steensma.

USRA Modifieds will be back in action Saturday night with a the action brought to you LIVE and FREE on the World Wide Web courtesy of the XSAN Sports Network and Ustream. Be sure to visit http://www.ustream.tv/xsan-supercast-wmd2012 to catch round 2 of the 17th Annual Winter Meltdown, and then again on Sunday.

To learn more about the USRA, visit www.usraracing.com or call 515-832-6000. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usraracing or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usraracing.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series
17th Annual Winter Meltdown - Night #1 of 3
Southern New Mexico Speedway, Las Cruces, N.M.
Friday, March 2, 2012

USRA MODIFIEDS

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver and hometown. The top 12 drivers in heat race passing points are locked into the “A” Main with the top 8 redrawing for starting positions 1-12.

Heat Race #1 (8 laps):
1. (1) G17 Fito Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (7) 0 Garrett Higgins, Aztec, N.M.
3. (8) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
4. (4) 88d Matt Dotson, Clark, Mo.
5. (6) 19 Donavon Ooley, El Paso, Texas.
6. (10) 14 Jesse Lynch, Albuquerque, N.M.
7. (5) 98 Alex Stanford, Chowchilla, Calif.
8. (2) 23j Greg Jelvik, Tucson, Ariz.
9. (3) 21 Skeeter Estey, Kelly Lake, Minn.
10. (9) 18z Zane Devilbiss, Farmington, N.M.

Heat Race #2 (8 laps):
1. (1) 117 Toby Herring, Hobbs, N.M.
2. (5) X57 Richie Davis, Springerville, Ariz.
3. (3) 8 Steve Miller, Georgetown, Texas.
4. (6) 9 Jimmy Ray, Las Cruces, N.M.
5. (8) 21 David Winslett, Bossier City, La.
6. (4) J17 Jacob Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M.
7. (7) 28 Tom Georges, El Paso, Texas.
8. (10) 3d Chad Ayers, Tucson, Ariz.
9. (9) 58 Nathan Bichsel, Amarillo, Texas.
10. (2) 187 Lee Heiligenthal, Las Cruces, N.M.

Heat Race #3 (8 laps):
1. (7) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (6) 33y Justen Yeager, Green River, Wyo.
3. (9) 110 Brian Ruhlman, Clark Lake, Mich.
4. (5) 37 Kelly Estey, Hibbing, Minn.
5. (8) 99 Terry Tipton, Duncan, Ariz.
6. (3) 99x Triston Sikes, Hobbs, N.M.
7. (1) 9 John Carpeneter, Hibbing, Minn.
8. (10) 2j Blake Jegtvig, Hawley, Minn.
9. (2) 89 Jeremy Gossett, Amarillo, Texas.
10. (4) 29 Mercedes Harris, Deming, N.M.

Heat Race #4 (8 laps):
1. (5) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (6) 20rt Ricky Thorton Jr, Chandler, Ariz.
3. (3) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
4. (1) 88n Nick O'Neil, Vail, Ariz.
5. (2) 101 Butch Reid, Carlsbad, N.M.
6. (9) 06 Owen Puckett, Artesia, N.M.
7. (7) 46 Bert Beech, Green River, Wyo.
8. (10) 92 Tim Shallenberger, El Paso, Texas.
9. (8) 74h Matthew Higgins, Bloomfield, N.M.
10. (4) 26z Zach Hensley, Green River, Wyo.

Heat Race #5 (8 laps):
1. (2) 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas.
2. (5) 28r Randy Reeser, Clovis, N.M.
3. (8) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
4. (6) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo.
5. (7) 3J Josh Cain, Moriaty, N.M.
6. (10) 121 Holly Jones, Las Cruces, N.M.
7. (1) 44 Christy Georges, El Paso, Texas.
8. (4) 49 Duane Murphy, El Paso, Texas.
9. (9) 131 Royal Jones, Las Cruces, N.M.
10. (3) 0 Chris Sims, Las Cruces, N.M.

Heat Race #6 (8 laps):
1. (5) 111 Bumper Jones, Mesilla Park, N.M.
2. (6) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
3. (3) 16b Randy Brown, Chowchilla, Calif.
4. (9) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn.
5. (1) 1x Dan Earven, Globe, Ariz.
6. (8) 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz.
7. (7) 51 Tim Thomas, West Fargo, N.D.
8. (2) 22 John Calvert Jr., Rio Rancho, N.M.
9. (4) 3h Michael Higgins, Bloomfield, N.M.

Heat Race #7 (8 laps):
1. (6) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
2. (5) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3. (3) 16 Bob Sikes, Eunice, N.M.
4. (2) 96 Dusty Riggs, Hatch, N.M.
5. (1) 20r Robbie Chiles, Hooper, Colo.
6. (8) 17m Roy Mason, Hobbs, N.M.
7. (9) 5x Pat Carney, El Paso, Texas.
8. (7) 999 James Fleming, Silver City, N.M.
9. (4) 11 Michael Lucero, Albuquerque, N.M.

“B” Main #1 (15 laps, top 4 advance):
1. (2) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
2. (1) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3. (6) 88d Matt Dotson, Clark, Mo.
4. (5) 37 Kelly Estey, Hibbing, Minn.
5. (4) 16 Bob Sikes, Eunice, N.M.
6. (7) 3J Josh Cain, Moriaty, N.M.
7. (17) 131 Royal Jones, Las Cruces, N.M.
8. (9) 1x Dan Earven, Globe, Ariz.
9. (18) 18z Zane Devilbiss, Farmington, N.M.
10. (3) 8 Steve Miller, Georgetown, Texas.
11. (16) 58 Nathan Bichsel, Amarillo, Texas.
12. (13) 51 Tim Thomas, West Fargo, N.D.
13. (10) 17m Roy Mason, Hobbs, N.M.
14. (8) 19 Donavon Ooley, El Paso, Texas.
15. (14) 92 Tim Shallenberger, El Paso, Texas.
16. (15) 22 John Calvert Jr., Rio Rancho, N.M.
17. (11) 5x Pat Carney, El Paso, Texas.
18. (12) 9 John Carpeneter, Hibbing, Minn.
19. (19) 26z Zach Hensley, Green River, Wyo.

“B” Main #2 (15 laps, top 4 advance):
1. (1) G17 Fito Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (2) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
3. (3) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
4. (6) 88n Nick O'Neil, Vail, Ariz.
5. (10) J17 Jacob Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M.
6. (13) 3d Chad Ayers, Tucson, Ariz.
7. (4) 9 Jimmy Ray, Las Cruces, N.M.
8. (11) 98 Alex Stanford, Chowchilla, Calif.
9. (16) 89 Jeremy Gossett, Amarillo, Texas.
10. (12) 46 Bert Beech, Green River, Wyo.
11. (18) 187 Lee Heiligenthal, Las Cruces, N.M.
12. (9) 20r Robbie Chiles, Hooper, Colo.
13. (17) 3h Michael Higgins, Bloomfield, N.M.
14. (15) 999 James Fleming, Silver City, N.M.
15. (19) 0 Chris Sims, Las Cruces, N.M.
16. (7) 14 Jesse Lynch, Albuquerque, N.M.
17. (8) 06 Owen Puckett, Artesia, N.M.
18. (5) 21 David Winslett, Bossier City, La.
19. (14) 23j Greg Jelvik, Tucson, Ariz.

“B” Main #3 (15 laps, top 4 advance):
1. (2) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn.
2. (9) 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz.
3. (1) 117 Toby Herring, Hobbs, N.M.
4. (5) 99 Terry Tipton, Duncan, Ariz.
5. (10) 99x Triston Sikes, Hobbs, N.M.
6. (13) 2j Blake Jegtvig, Hawley, Minn.
7. (6) 96 Dusty Riggs, Hatch, N.M.
8. (11) 28 Tom Georges, El Paso, Texas.
9. (18) 29 Mercedes Harris, Deming, N.M.
10. (8) 101 Butch Reid, Carlsbad, N.M.
11. (16) 74h Matthew Higgins, Bloomfield, N.M.
12. (14) 49 Duane Murphy, El Paso, Texas.
13. (17) 11 Michael Lucero, Albuquerque, N.M.
14. (12) 44 Christy Georges, El Paso, Texas.
15. (7) 121 Holly Jones, Las Cruces, N.M.
16. (4) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo.
17. (15) 21 Skeeter Estey, Kelly Lake, Minn.
18. (3) 16b Randy Brown, Chowchilla, Calif.

“A” Main (35 laps, top 5 locked into Sunday’s main event):
1. (2) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
2. (7) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
3. (8) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
4. (1) 111 Bumper Jones, Mesilla Park, N.M.
5. (5) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
6. (16) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
7. (6) 20rt Ricky Thorton Jr, Chandler, Ariz.
8. (20) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
9. (17) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
10. (14) G17 Fito Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M.
11. (13) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
12. (3) 33y Justen Yeager, Green River, Wyo.
13. (22) 37 Kelly Estey, Hibbing, Minn.
14. (4) 0 Garrett Higgins, Aztec, N.M.
15. (9) 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas.
16. (18) 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz.
17. (11) X57 Richie Davis, Springerville, Ariz.
18. (24) 99 Terry Tipton, Duncan, Ariz.
19. (10) 110 Brian Ruhlman, Clark Lake, Mich.
20. (23) 88n Nick O'Neil, Vail, Ariz.
21. (12) 28r Randy Reeser, Clovis, N.M.
22. (21) 117 Toby Herring, Hobbs, N.M.
23. (19) 88d Matt Dotson, Clark, Mo.
24. (15) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn.