VanderBeek hard charges to seventh at 81 Speedway

One year after nearly thwarting Rodney Sanders's victory celebration, Zack VanderBeek and the 33z Racing team returned to the 81 Speedway near Wichita, Kan., on June 18, for a single-day MSD Central Region battle with the USMTS.

Last year, 'The Z-Man' pulled ahead at the white flag lap only to have Sanders nip him at the line and preserve the win. Thursday night, VanderBeek roared to a seventh-place finish after taking the green flag from the 21st position. The effort earned him the race's hard charger honors and he now leads the season-long USMTS Hard Charger Award points.

On their way home, the team will make a stop at the Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., on Friday night to compete against a tough field of USRA Modifieds there. The next USMTS event will be the Silver Dollar Nationals at the I-80 Speedway on Friday and Saturday, July 17-18.