By John Rittenoure
(Maxx Ramsey photo) – ENID, Okla. (August 2, 2025) – On Friday night Ryker Pace was concerned he might not be able to complete in Saturday’s Ortco, Inc. United Sprint League presented by Same Day Auto Repair event at Enid Speedway after running second in the main event at Arrowhead Speedway with an overheating engine.
“The motor was getting a little hot and we checked a few things and everything seemed ok,” Pace said of a busy Saturday morning in the garage with his dad Shane Pace. “We checked the valves, and changed oil. We came out here hoping it would run better and obviously it ran good tonight.”
The Theodore Concrete Construction, Synergy Aerospace 8R sprinter ran better than ever on Saturday as Pace finished second in his heat, won the Oklahomatidbits Pole Dash and went on to win his first career United Sprint League main event.
It was a victory Pace has been waiting for.
“It was good to get it out of the way,: he said. “It feel like we have been banging on the door for ever.”
Pace has run plenty of non-wing events, but it was the first time for him and the USL on a 3/8’s mile track.
“It was definitely different keeping momentum up,” Pace said of his run to victory. “This is the biggest track we have ran on without a wing. It felt good to win in front of a big crowd like this.”
Starting on the pole, Pace jumped into the early lead and led the first 12 laps with Cameron Hagin giving chase. After a lap 9 restart Ace Moore passed Hagin for second and closed on Pace. Moore raced around Pace for the lead on lap 13. Two laps later Moore drove into turn four too hard and Pace drove underneath to regain the lead.
“I think the rubber came in and he showed me a nose and got past me, but thankfully he slipped up a little bit,” Pace said of Moore. “He was running a little high and I slide up to him and raced him down and got him in (turns) 3 and 4. I did not want to giveaway another USL win.”
After that Pace opened up a straightaway lead until a lap 27 yellow tightened up the field.
“It seemed like every time we got a gap there was a yellow,” Pace said.
However Pace had no trouble regaining the lead on the restart and raced two more laps for the win. Moore held on to second and Hagin stayed in third. Tim Kent and Craig Carroll rounded out the top five. Points leader Tanner Conn came from 9th to finish 6th.
United Sprint League
Enid Speedway – Enid, Oklahoma
August 2, 2025
Morton Excavating A-Feature (30 Laps): 1. 8R-Ryker Pace[1]; 2. 49A-Ace Moore[4]; 3. 6T-Cameron Hagin[2]; 4. 79-Tim Kent[3]; 5. 24C-Craig Carroll[7]; 6. 6-Tanner Conn[9]; 7. 24H-Ty Hulsey[6]; 8. 6K-Brylee Kilmer[11]; 9. 65-Kohl Ricke[8]; 10. 50-Cody Whitworth[15]; 11. 36-Zack Smith[10]; 12. 21P-Mike Ables[18]; 13. 5F-Sandy Rushing[13]; 14. (DNF) 5X-Cooper Cottrell[14]; 15. (DNF) 49Z-Zak Moore[5]; 16. (DNF) 24-TJ Herrell[17]; 17. (DNF) 7-Tyler Kent[16]; 18. (DNF) 69-Greg York[12]; 19. (DNS) 7D-David Baxter; 20. (DNS) 5B-Brock Cottrell
Oklahomatidbits Dash (6 Laps): 1. 8R-Ryker Pace[1]; 2. 6T-Cameron Hagin[2]; 3. 79-Tim Kent[6]; 4. 49A-Ace Moore[3]; 5. 49Z-Zak Moore[5]; 6. 24H-Ty Hulsey[4]
Speed Stix Shocks Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 49A-Ace Moore[1]; 2. 79-Tim Kent[7]; 3. 24C-Craig Carroll[3]; 4. 6K-Brylee Kilmer[4]; 5. 5F-Sandy Rushing[6]; 6. (DNF) 7D-David Baxter[2]; 7. (DNF) 5B-Brock Cottrell[5]
Kent Fireworks Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 49Z-Zak Moore[2]; 2. 24H-Ty Hulsey[4]; 3. 36-Zack Smith[1]; 4. 69-Greg York[3]; 5. 5X-Cooper Cottrell[5]; 6. 7-Tyler Kent[7]; 7. 21P-Mike Ables[6]
H&R Auto Glass Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 6T-Cameron Hagin[1]; 2. 8R-Ryker Pace[3]; 3. 65-Kohl Ricke[2]; 4. 6-Tanner Conn[5]; 5. 50-Cody Whitworth[4]; 6. 24-TJ Herrell[6]
Lap Leaders: Ryker Pace 1-12, 15-30; Ace Moore 13-14.
Margin of victory: 1.412.
2025 Winners: 3/22 – Steven Shebester, Red Dirt Raceway; 4/11 – Johnny Kent, Tulsa Speedway; 4/12 – Johnny Kent, Creek County Speedway; 4/25 – Tyler Edwards, Creek County Speedway; 6/14 – Ty Hulsey, Lawton Speedway; 7/18 – Tanner Conn, Creek County Speedway; 8/2 – Ryker Pace, Enid Speedway.
About United Sprint League
Owned by Michael Tyre, the USL sanctions 360 two-barrel / 305 non-wing sprint car events throughout Oklahoma and surrounding states with goals of supporting sponsors and providing fans the the opportunity to enjoy the excitement of non-wing sprint car racing.
Website: https://www.UnitedSprintLeague.com.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnitedSprintLeague.