Talan Willis followed Jake O’Neil’s Saturday sweep with one of his own Sunday at Route 66 Motor Speedway, topping qualifying, winning his heat and controlling the 35-lap Pannell Chipping A Feature to close the High Plains Hustle weekend.
The Elizabeth, Louisiana, rookie paced a 23-entry field in the USRA American Racer Modified Series presented by Day Motor Sports. As the Sunday matinee stretched toward sunset in the Texas Panhandle, Willis established himself out front while a furious battle for position unfolded behind him on a prime racing surface.
Reece Solander and Bo Day gave chase early, with Jason Hughes, O’Neil and defending series champion Kale Westover working forward. Two early cautions interrupted the action, including one for O’Neil after he slipped over the top of turns three and four while battling for a position inside the top five. Hughes then split Solander and Day on a restart to claim second, while seventh-starting Rodney Sanders began his march toward the front.
A caution with 18 laps remaining again cleared approaching traffic from Willis’ path. Hughes exited before the restart, handing second to Westover, but Sanders quickly grabbed that position off turn two when racing resumed. Sanders pursued Willis as the leaders approached traffic late, only for another caution to bunch the field with four laps remaining.
The ensuing restart brought more fireworks when contact between O’Neil and Stormy Scott left Scott facing backward then collecting Leland Cruz and David Tanner.
Willis remained unchallenged on the final restart, completing the sweep ahead of Sanders and Westover. Solander finished fourth, while O’Neil recovered to round out the top five. Drake Findley advanced from 13th to sixth, followed by AJ Sharpensteen, Jason Langford, Kalvin King and Cole Dennis.
Willis set the Deatherage Opticians fast time with a lap of 17.057 seconds and won the Rick Bebee Heating & Air Conditioning heat one. Day captured the Smith Equipment Company heat two , while Solander topped the Kevko Racing heat three.
The victory saw Willis’ point lead swell to a 106-point advantage over Scott. Findley stands third, while Westover’s podium finish moved him into fourth, just 10 points ahead of Hughes. Rusty Trevathan Jr. remains close behind in sixth.
Next up is Joe Duvall’s Funkadelic Dirt Track & Honky Tonk Extravaganza, opening Friday, October 23, at Springfield Raceway in Springfield, Missouri, with a non-points show for ARMS. The championship battle resumes Saturday, October 24, at Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, Oklahoma, before the weekend concludes Sunday, October 25, at Arrowhead Speedway in Colcord, Oklahoma.
For updated schedules, championship standings, event details, and breaking series news, visit AmericanRacerModifiedSeries.
Media Results for October 11, 2026 — Route 66 Motor Speedway, Amarillo, Texas
USRA American Racer Modified Series — 23 Entries
A Feature 1 35 Laps | 00:23:19.412 | Pannell Chipping
Talan Willis; 2. Rodney Sanders; 3. Kale Westover; 4. Reece Solander; 5. Jake O’Neil; 6. Drake Findley; 7. AJ Sharpensteen; 8. Jason Langford; 9. Kalvin King; 10. Cole Dennis; 11. David Tanner; 12. Diego Alvarado; 13. Jeff Veazey; 14. Roy Don Mason; 15. Bo Day; 16. Stormy Scott; 17. Leland Cruz; 18. Braden Howell; 19. Jason Hughes; 20. Ronnie Yanacsek; 21. Peyton Gallardo; 22. Derek Scott; 23. Rusty Trevathan Jr.
Heat 1 8 Laps | 00:03:09.450 | Rick Bebee Heating & Air Conditioning
Talan Willis; 2. Jason Hughes; 3. Rodney Sanders; 4. Kale Westover; 5. Drake Findley; 6. Braden Howell; 7. Jeff Veazey; 8. Diego Alvarado.
Heat 2 8 Laps | 00:02:17.418 | Smith Equipment Company
Bo Day; 2. Jake O’Neil; 3. Stormy Scott; 4. AJ Sharpensteen; 5. Jason Langford; 6. Cole Dennis; 7. Derek Scott; 8. Rusty Trevathan Jr.
Heat 3 8 Laps | 00:02:16.640 | Kevko Racing
Reece Solander; 2. Kalvin King; 3. Leland Cruz; 4. David Tanner; 5. Ronnie Yanacsek; 6. Peyton Gallardo; 7. Roy Don Mason.
Qualifying 1 | 00:00:35.028 | Deatherage Opticians
Talan Willis; 2. Bo Day; 3. Reece Solander; 4. Jason Hughes; 5. Jake O’Neil; 6. Kalvin King; 7. Rodney Sanders; 8. Jason Langford; 9. Ronnie Yanacsek; 10. Braden Howell; 11. AJ Sharpensteen; 12. David Tanner; 13. Diego Alvarado; 14. Derek Scott; 15. Leland Cruz; 16. Drake Findley; 17. Stormy Scott; 18. Peyton Gallardo; 19. Jeff Veazey; 20. Cole Dennis; 21. Roy Don Mason; 22. Kale Westover; 23. Rusty Trevathan Jr.
The USRA American Racer Modified Series presented by Day Motorsports would like to recognize and thank our 2026 season long partners. Please thank them, with your patronage for their support.
Gold Partners – Central Spray Foam & Cement Lifting, Day Motor Sports, Deatherage Opticians, Dirt Track Specialist, Dylan Scott Entertainment, Hochatown Saloon, Kevko Racing, Midwest Sheet Metal, Mel Hambelton Ford Racing, Pannell Chipping, RacinDirt.com, Real Racing Wheels, Rick Beebe Heating and Air Conditioning, Smith Equipment Company, Swift Springs, VP Racing Fuels Heartland, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products
Silver Partners – American Racer Tires, Buck Monson Photos, Bulletproof Tees and Racewear, Duvall Electric, Integra Shocks, JRT Trucking, Keyser Manufacturing, Midwest Automation, Photos By Boyd, Scotty Dogg’s Hideout
Bronze Partners – Bryke Racing, Fast Shafts, Freight Logistics Inc., KS Engineering, Maxima Racing Oil, Milburn Acreages by Tillison Enterprises, PEM Racing, Premier Lubricants, Schoenfeld Headers, Service Plumbing of Wichita, Transmissions Unlimited, Wagdog Spices, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Yeoman Race Engines
2026 Point Funds (ARMS, HMT, NLMS)
1. $7,500
2. $4,500
3. $3,500
4. $3,000
5. $2,500
6. $2,400
7. $2,300
8. $2,200
9. $2,100
10. $2,000
*80 Percent attendance required to remain point fund eligible
NEXT: Jake O’Neil Sweeps High Plains Hustle Opener In First Modified Start Of 2026
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