SPRING VALLEY, Minn. -- After recording back-to-back runner-up finishes on Thursday and Friday, Forest City, Iowa's Ryan Ruter found redemption at the Deer Creek Speedway Saturday as he led wire to wire in the 4th Annual Justice Brothers Southern Minnesota Spring Challenge to claim his second O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series win of the 2006 season.

On Thursday at the Park Jefferson (S.D.) Speedway, and again on Friday night at the Murray County Speedway in Slayton, Minn., Ruter snagged the top spot in the main event, only to watch the $2,000 top prize slip away to seven-time defending O’Reilly USMTS national champion Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa.

Ruter never saw the 13th-starting Shryock on Saturday night, but Shryock saw him. After disposing of 11 competitors, Shryock moved into the second spot and set his sights on Ruter. Time ran out for Shryock, however, as he hugged the back bumper of Ruter's Modified as the pair crossed under the checkered flag at the high-banked 1/3-mile dirt oval near Spring Valley, Minn.

While Ruter pocketed the $2,000 top prize to bring his three-day total to $5,000, Shryock picked up $1,500 at the O’Reilly USMTS pay window to bring his take to $5,500 during the past 50 hours of racing action.

With the win, Shryock moved ahead of season-long national points leader Mark Noble of Blooming Prairie, Minn., who finished ninth after starting 24th on the grid with a provisional starting spot -- not good enough to maintain the top spot in the rankings, but more than enough to earn Saturday night's Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger honors.

After two events in the Reich Concrete/Yeager Machine Northeast Region, Shryock leads the points battle as he looks to position himself for a run at an unprecedented eighth O’Reilly USMTS national crown.

On Sunday, May 28, the Dodge County Speedway in Kasson, Minn., hosts America's Premier Modified Tour for the 5th Annual Minnesota Spring Fling -- the fourth of five straight races for the O’Reilly USMTS. The pentathlon of racing concludes on Monday, May 29, at the Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway for the Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Memorial Day Shootout, and the final show of the 2006 season at the popular Britt, Iowa, facility.

Both remaining Memorial Weekend events will pay $2,000 to win.

For more information, or to learn more about the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series, call (515) 832-7944 or visit www.USMTS.com online.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS

O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series

4th Annual Justice Brothers Southern Minnesota Spring Challenge

Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Showing finishing position, car number, driver, hometown and starting position in parentheses.

The top 12 drivers in Home Pride Passing Points accumulated in the heat races are locked into the Holley “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.

ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT #1 (8 laps):

1. 2 - Joey Schaefer -- Waterloo, IA (2)

2. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (1)

3. X - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (4)

4. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (8)

5. 19 - Mike Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (9)

6. 1k - Pat Graham -- Ames, IA (10)

7. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (5)

8. 55x - Brian Shaw -- Brownsdale, MN (7)

9. 18 - Mick Glenn -- Minnesota City, MN (6)

10. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (3) -1 Lap

HEAT #2 (8 laps):

1. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (1)

2. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (2)

3. 00eh - Steve Arpin -- Fort Frances, ON, CAN (5)

4. 4x - Kevin Larkins -- Greenwood, NE (3)

5. 59 - Hank Rollinger -- Buffalo City, WI (8)

6. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (7)

7. 51 - Chris Oertel -- Marshfield, WI (9)

8. 42 - Tom Paulson -- Kasson, MN (6)

9. 47 - Jason Hyerdall -- Wildwood, IL (4)

10. 75 - James Parker -- Dodge Center, MN (10)

HEAT #3 (8 laps):

1. 90 - Chuck Stanton -- New Hampton, IA (2)

2. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (6)

3. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (5)

4. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (4)

5. 7e - Neil Eckhart -- Rochester, MN (1)

6. 1r - Ryan York -- Racine, MN (7)

7. 88t - Terry Timmerman -- Stewartville, MN (3)

8. 1 - Dan Chapman -- Clarence, IA (9)

9. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (8) DNF

HEAT #4 (8 laps):

1. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (2)

2. 90 - Steven Wetzstein -- W. Concord, MN

3. 24 - Brad Waits -- Zumbrota, MN (7)

4. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (3)

5. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rolling Stone, MN (8)

6. 2m - Dave Mass -- Brainerd, MN (9)

7. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (4)

8. 52w - Nate Wasmund -- Rochester, MN (6)

9. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (1)

HEAT #5 (8 laps):

1. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (2)

2. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (4)

3. 4r - Ron Ver Beek -- Oskaloosa, IA (1)

4. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (7)

5. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (6)

6. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (5)

7. 54 - Bobby Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (9)

8. 10 - Paul Parker -- Kaukauna, WI (8) DNF

9. 21x - Joe Wernecke -- Dodge Center, MN (3) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 5 advance):

1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (1)

2. 7e - Neil Eckhart -- Rochester, MN (8)

3. X - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (2)

4. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (7)

5. 52w - Nate Wasmund -- Rochester, MN (14)

6. 59 - Hank Rollinger -- Buffalo City, WI (4)

7. 4r - Ron Ver Beek -- Oskaloosa, IA (3)

8. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (11)

9. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (16)

10. 51 - Chris Oertel -- Marshfield, WI (10)

11. 55x - Brian Shaw -- Brownsdale, MN (13)

12. 18 - Mick Glenn -- Minnesota City, MN (15)

13. 75 - James Parker -- Dodge Center, MN (18)

14. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (6) DNF

15. 1r - Ryan York -- Racine, MN (9) DNF

16. 4x - Kevin Larkins -- Greenwood, NE (5) DNS

17. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (12) DNS

18. 21x - Joe Wernecke -- Dodge Center, MN (17) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 5 advance):

1. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (5)

2. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rolling Stone, MN (4)

3. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (2)

4. 19 - Mike Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (3)

5. 54 - Bobby Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (10)

6. 1 - Dan Chapman -- Clarence, IA (12)

7. 2m - Dave Mass -- Brainerd, MN (7)

8. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (16)

9. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (9)

10. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (17)

11. 42 - Tom Paulson -- Kasson, MN (13)

12. 88t - Terry Timmerman -- Stewartville, MN (11)

13. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (1) DNF

14. 47 - Jason Hyerdall -- Wildwood, IL (15) DNF

15. 1k - Pat Graham -- Ames, IA (6) DNF

16. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (8) DNF

17. 10 - Paul Parker -- Kaukauna, WI (14) DNS

HOLLEY "A" MAIN (35 laps):

1. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (1)

2. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (13)

3. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (3)

4. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (18)

5. 90 - Steven Wetzstein -- W. Concord, MN (5)

6. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rolling Stone, MN (16)

7. 24 - Brad Waits -- Zumbrota, MN (9)

8. 7e - Neil Eckhart -- Rochester, MN (15)

9. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (24)

10. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (6)

11. 00eh - Steve Arpin -- Fort Frances, ON, CAN (12)

12. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (2)

13. 54 - Bobby Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (22)

14. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (23)

15. 2 - Joey Schaefer -- Waterloo, IA (8)

16. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (14) DNF

17. 90 - Chuck Stanton -- New Hampton, IA (4) DNF

18. 19 - Mike Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (20) DNF

19. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (10) DNF

20. X - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (17) DNF

21. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (19) DNF

22. 52w - Nate Wasmund -- Rochester, MN (21) DNF

23. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (11) DNF

24. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (7) DNF

AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Ruter 1-35.

Total Laps Led: Ruter 35.

Provisional Starters: Friesen (regional), Noble (national).

Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Noble (started 24th, finished 9th).

Next Race: May 28, Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, Minn.

O’Reilly National Driver Points (top 10): Shryock 1406, Noble 1392, Ruter 1247, Jon Tesch 1196, Myer 1154, Friesen 1120, A. Hejna 1065, McEwan 1062, Mahlstedt 1051, VanderBeek 1034.

Reich Concrete/Yeager Machine Northeast Region Points (top 10): Shryock 210, Ruter 203, Myer 185, A. Hejna 165, VanderBeek 157, McEwan 144, Friesen 143, Noble 139, M. Hejna 138, Schluetter 118.

Home Pride Passing Points - National (top 5): Friesen 70½, Myer 70½, Ruter 66, A. Hejna 60, Shryock 57.

Home Pride Passing Points - Reich Concrete/Yeager Machine Northeast Region (top 5): Shryock 10½, McEwan 9, Mahlstedt 9, Friesen 6, Noble 6, Wedelstadt 6, Waits 6.

Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points (top 5): Friesen 335, Schluetter 214, Mike Steensma 200, Gilbertson 164, Poidinger 148.

UNIJIG Builders Championship Points (top 5): Skyrocket 140, Kraft 112, Hughes 98, GRT 92, BMS 75.

Contingency Awards:

Bassett Racing Wheel – A. Hejna.

Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.

Boyer’s Engine Development – Ruter.

Dynatech Racing Exhaust – Ruter, Shryock.

Edelbrock – Ruter, Shryock.

Fast Shafts – Wetzstein.

GRT Race Cars – Timm.

Isky Racing Cams – Schaefer.

KEVKO Oil Pans & Components – Myer.

KSE Racing Products – not awarded.

Larson Racing Specialists – B. Sorensen.

Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.

QuickTime Performance Parts – Waits.

RaceQuest – Ruter, Chapman.

Real Racing Wheels – Shryock, M. Hejna.

T.A.R. Race Car Bodies – McEwan.

UNIJIG – Schaefer.