Eighty-two Open Wheel Modified warriors filled the pit area for the mega event, which included dual qualifying heats on Thursday and Friday with drivers accumulating points toward Saturday night's 100-lap finale.

Ben registered a fifth place finish in the first round of heat race action on Thursday evening. In Round #2 he advanced from his ninth starting spot to a seventh place finish.

Kates only managed an eighth place finish in Round #3 to starting his outing on Friday night. However, he later recovered to pick up the win in the final heat race. Ben ended the night 35th in the final point standings.

Kates' preliminary efforts positioned him starting eleventh in the c-main on Saturday evening. Ben was battled for position when he spun his #23k Kates Motorsports/Harris to avoid contact with another competitor. Forced to restart at the tail of the field, Kates retired from the remainder of the event and would fail to qualify for the 100-lap finale.

Complete results from the event are available at www.USMTS.com

The tour invaded Humboldt Speedway (Humboldt, Kansas) on Saturday evening for a $3,000-to-win event, which drew a talented field of fifty-four entries. Ben drew the eighth starting spot for his heat race, but only managed a seventh place finish which pinned him deep in a b-main. Kates advanced to a fifth place finish in his b-main, but only the top four transferred to the 30-lap finale, ending his night early.

Sunday night found the team pitted at I-35 Speedway (Winston, Missouri) for another $3,000-to-win event with the USMTS. With forty-two Open Wheel Modifieds on hand, a fourth place finish in heat race action left Kates short of locking into the main event. He started third in his b-main and finished second, earning him the sixteenth starting position on the feature grid. In the 40-lap finale, Ben advanced three spots to a thirteenth place finish in the final rundown.

Complete results from the event are available at www.USMTS.com

As a result, the team made the seven-hour trek back to their home-state to compete in the Battle at the Bullring at Humboldt Speedway (Humboldt, Kansas). The opening round of the three-day event was contested on Thursday night. Unfortunately, Ben's night came to an early end when he was involved in a heat race incident. The team decided to scratch from the remainder of the weekend and return home.

Full results are available at www.HumboldtSpeedway.com

A talent-laden field of forty-five competitors registered for the $2,000-to-win program on Friday night. Ben drew the third starting spot for his heat race but slipped to a fourth place finish, sending him to a b-main. He went on to finish fourth in his b-main, locking him into the 22nd starting position for the 30-lap main event. Kates ultimately registered a 20th place finish in the final rundown.

Action continued on Saturday night with a $3,000-to-win event that drew a field of fifty Open Wheel Modified warriors to the oval. The team battled heavy and rough track conditions throughout the night. A third place finish in his heat race left Ben just short of locking into the main event, sending him to a b-main where he started third. Unfortunately, Kates slipped backwards in the b-main and failed to qualify for the 40-lap feature.

The weekend drew to a close on Sunday afternoon with a $4,000-to-win program for USMTS competitors. Forty-five entries registered for battle, and struggles in preliminary action forced Ben to utilize a series provisional to lock into the 50-lap finale. After starting 26th on the grid, Kates ultimately retired just shy of the halfway mark to a 23rd place finish.

Ben is currently fourth in the USMTS Rookie of the Year standings. Complete results from the event and the latest series' standings are available at www.USMTS.com