VanderBeek draws first blood at Texas Winter Nationals

BAYTOWN, Texas -- With the two winningest drivers in USMTS history out of the picture, Thursday night’s opener of the 4th Annual Texas Winter Nationals at the Houston Raceway Park turned into a battle between two members of today’s youth movement in America’s premier dirt modified touring series.

From the outside of the front row, Rodney Sanders grabbed the lead from polesitter Chase Allen to lead the first lap of the 30-lap main event.

Sporting a new powerplant from Geddes Racing Engines, Sanders appeared ready to add to his late-season fund-raising tour that includes a $10,000 win in Las Cruces, N.M., two weeks ago and a $10,000 victory in September in Fountain City, Wis.

While the 21-year-old from Happy, Texas, paced the first seven laps, Zack VanderBeek was narrowing the gap with each passing lap and nosed in front of Sanders as they completed the eighth lap.

The two ran virtually side by side for the next nine laps when the race’s second caution flag waved on lap 17 just as the leaders had caught the tail end of the field and were preparing to deal with lapped traffic.

On the restart, VanderBeek again held off Sanders while Chris Brown followed in third behind the wheel of Kelly Shryock’s back-up car and several others jockeying for positions throughout the field.

VanderBeek continued to turn flawless laps but Sanders kept VanderBeek with two car-lengths during the next 11 laps when the final yellow flag was unfurled to set up a green-white-checkered finish.

After quietly working his way to fifth from the 15th starting spot, Ryan Gustin became a factor during the final two laps as he churned the moist dirt on the high side of the racing surface.

Gustin, age 20, picked off two cars over the last two laps, but was unable to reel in Sanders or the 26-year-old from New Sharon, Iowa, who went on to score his second career win at the Houston Raceway Park and pocket the $2,000 top prize.