TULARE, Calif. — Oklahoma’s Jason Hughes led the final 25 laps of Saturday’s 40-lap A-main to become the winner of the inaugural U.S. Western Modified Nationals at Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway, collecting $20,000 for the victory.
Hughes made a move on turn three of lap 15 to take the point from early leader Richie Tosh and held on despite several restarts that kept the field glued to the bumper of Hughes’s Boom Drilling/Hughes Chassis No. 12h.
Working the high side of the track in turns three and four, Hughes was able to fend off a challenge from Bobby Hogge IV and led by a couple of car-lengths at the stripe.
Tommy Weder, Jr., Hughes’s teammate, finished third behind Hogge, who collected $10,000 for his runner-up finish. Kellen Chadwick was fourth, and Alan Sharpensteen charged from his 20th-starting spot to come home in fifth.

Preliminaries

TULARE, Calif. — The inaugural U.S. Western Modified Nationals went green Thursday evening at Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway with Tim Balding and Richie Tosh each coming away with preliminary feature victories.
Balding held off a charging Jason Hughes to take the first 20-lap feature. Hughes finished second and Bobby Hogge IV took third. Jesse Williamson and Jim Pettit II rounded out the top five.
Tosh led the second 20-lap feature mostly unchallenged from the opening lap. Jay Note Boom bested Kellen Chadwick for the runner-up spot, while Royal Jones and Paul Stone completed the top five.