March 2nd, 2013 (FYE Motorsports Promotions) Las Cruces, NM — Three time and defending race winner Terry Phillips, who started 14th in the feature event stormed to the front and overhauled race pole sitter Bumper Jones on lap 22 of the 30 lap main event for the USRA Modifieds putting his Hatfield powered GRT race car on the outside of the front row for Sunday’s $10,000 to win Winter Meltdown finale.

Phillips raced high and low into the top five early while charging to the front after winning the second b-main and began to challenge for a transfer position around the midpoint of the race, while Jimmy Owens, piloting a Bryan Rowland owned LG2 continued to lead from the outside of the front row. Owens, who is the two time and defending Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion, looked right at home behind the wheel of a Modified tonight and opened up more than a straight away lead at one point before a lap 21 caution bunched up the field and allowed Bumper and Phillips to pressure Owens for the lead.

When the field raced back to green, Owens jumped the cushion going into turn one and slipped back to seventh, handing the lead over to Jones, but that lead was only short lived as Jake Gallardo snuck by and put his #J17 into the lead. Gallardo and Jones battled tooth and nail for the top spot for several laps until Phillips rolled around both of them into the lead for good on lap 22. Once out front, Phillips ran away over the final eight circuits and picked up his 11th Modified victory at the Southern New Mexico Speedway and will start alongside pole sitter Blake Jegtvig when the field goes green for the 19th annual Winter Meltdown’s $10,000 payday on Sunday afternoon.

Jones ran second ahead of a charging Stormy Scott, who started 16th, Jake Gallardo and Jason Hughes. Fito Gallardo ran sixth with RC Whitwell, Royal Jones, Terry Tipton and Philip Houston securing top ten finishing positions.

USRA Modifieds – B-MAIN 2
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown
1 2 75    Terry Phillips    Springfield , Mo
2 10 2S    Stormy Scott    Las Cruces, Nm
3 1 71    Philip Houston    Odessa , Tx
4 5 555    Chad Falco    El Paso, Tx
5 4 23J    Greg Jelvik     –
6 3 49    Duane Murphy     –
7 8 M16    Rick Gallardo    Las Cruces, Nm
8 6 25    Levi Roberts    Alamogordo , Nm
9 9 20    Robbie Chiles    Hooper , Co
10 7 22    John Calvert Jr    Rio Rancho, Nm

USRA Modifieds – B-MAIN 1
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown
1 5 96    Rc Whitwell    Tucson , Az
2 1 44    Christy Georges    El Paso, Tx
3 2 187    Scott Logston    Las Cruces, Nm
4 10 23    Kevin Clark    El Paso, Tx
5 4 19    Donavon Ooley    El Paso, Tx
6 9 75J    John Carney    El Paso, Tx
7 7 17    Billy Mcdaniel     –
8 8 0    Masen Bigeagle    Manor , Sk
9 6 87    Lee Heiligenthal    Las Cruces, Nm
10 11 93    Gregory Gorham    Las Cruces, Nm
11 3 121    Holly Jones    Las Cruces, Nm

USRA Modifieds – FEATURE
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown
1 14 75    Terry Phillips    Springfield , Mo
2 1 111    Bumper Jones    Mesilla Park, Nm
3 16 2S    Stormy Scott    Las Cruces, Nm
4 4 J17    Jacob Gallardo    Las Cruces, Nm
5 8 12    Jason Hughes    Watts , Ok
6 10 G17    Fito Gallardo    Las Cruces, Nm
7 13 96    Rc Whitwell    Tucson , Az
8 12 131    Royal Jones    Las Cruces, Nm
9 5 99    Terry Tipton    Duncan , Az
10 18 71    Philip Houston    Odessa , Tx
11 2 20R    Bryan Rowland    Woodward , Ok
12 15 44    Christy Georges    El Paso, Tx
13 6 29    Mercedes Harris    Deming , Nm
14 9 5X    Patrick Carney    El Paso, Tx
15 7 1    Joey Galloway    Manor , Sk
16 17 187    Scott Logston    Las Cruces, Nm
17 19 23    Kevin Clark    El Paso, Tx
18 3 32    Max Sadler    Springerville , Az
19 23 19    Donavon Ooley    El Paso, Tx
20 21 87    Lee Heiligenthal    Las Cruces, Nm
21 11 7V    Vince Ogle     –
22 24 49    Duane Murphy     –
23 20 555    Chad Falco    El Paso, Tx
24 22 23J    Greg Jelvik     –

USRA Modifieds – HEAT 4
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown
1 1 20R    Bryan Rowland    Woodward , Ok
2 2 5X    Patrick Carney    El Paso, Tx
3 3 71    Philip Houston    Odessa , Tx
4 7 44    Christy Georges    El Paso, Tx
5 4 23J    Greg Jelvik     –
6 6 25    Levi Roberts    Alamogordo , Nm
7 5 M16    Rick Gallardo    Las Cruces, Nm
8 8 2S    Stormy Scott    Las Cruces, Nm

USRA Modifieds – HEAT 3
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown
1 3 12    Jason Hughes    Watts , Ok
2 1 32    Max Sadler    Springerville , Az
3 6 J17    Jacob Gallardo    Las Cruces, Nm
4 5 187    Scott Logston    Las Cruces, Nm
5 8 121    Holly Jones    Las Cruces, Nm
6 2 87    Lee Heiligenthal    Las Cruces, Nm
7 7 0    Masen Bigeagle    Manor , Sk
8 4 23    Kevin Clark    El Paso, Tx

USRA Modifieds – HEAT 2
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown
1 6 29    Mercedes Harris    Deming , Nm
2 8 1    Joey Galloway    Manor , Sk
3 4 7V    Vince Ogle     –
4 2 49    Duane Murphy     –
5 3 19    Donavon Ooley    El Paso, Tx
6 7 555    Chad Falco    El Paso, Tx
7 1 20    Robbie Chiles    Hooper , Co
8 5 22    John Calvert Jr    Rio Rancho, Nm

USRA Modifieds – HEAT 1
Finish Start Car Driver Hometown
1 1 99    Terry Tipton    Duncan , Az
2 4 111    Bumper Jones    Mesilla Park, Nm
3 5 G17    Fito Gallardo    Las Cruces, Nm
4 7 131    Royal Jones    Las Cruces, Nm
5 8 75    Terry Phillips    Springfield , Mo
6 2 96    Rc Whitwell    Tucson , Az
7 9 17    Billy Mcdaniel     –
8 3 75J    John Carney    El Paso, Tx
9 6 93    Gregory Gorham    Las Cruces, Nm