SLAYTON, Minn. -- Last weekend, Kelly Shryock brought a brand new race car to the Batesville (Ark.) Speedway and proceeded to spank the competition by outrunning the pack early in the race, then slashing through the entire field for the final 70 laps after flattening a tire in a rub with a lapped car while leading. Although Shryock finished second in the race, it was obvious that he was the man to beat.

Since then, he has remained the man to beat. Nobody has done it yet.

After a strong performance on Thursday night at the Park Jefferson (S.D.) Speedway to capture the first of five straight Memorial Weekend events for the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series, Shryock continued his onslaught with a knockout punch of the 41-car field at the Murray County Speedway in Slayton, Minn., on Friday night.

As he did on Thursday, Ryan Ruter of Forest City, Iowa, took the lead at the drop of the green flag in Friday's main event at the 3rd Annual Holinka Distributing Minnesota Spring Challenge. While he led 12 laps on Thursday, his reign on Friday was shorter as Shryock took the lead on the fifth lap.

Just like Thursday, the fat lady started warming up at that point. Thirty-five laps later, she was singing loud and clear for the seven-time defending O’Reilly USMTS national champion as he logged his Series-leading sixth Holley "A" Main win of the 2006 season.

Shryock pocketed $2,000 for the win as he inched to within six points of Mark Noble in the O’Reilly national driver standings. Noble, who has taken four checkers during the 2006 campaign, saw his main event run end before it even got started. Contact between the Blooming Prairie, Minn., veteran and Greenwood, Neb.'s Kevin Larkins send both drivers to the trailer without a lap complete.

Ruter took the runner-up spot for the second straight night, while Jon Tesch of Watertown, S.D., grabbed third. New Sharon, Iowa's Zack VanderBeek scored his best paycheck of the season with a fourth-place finish, while Tommy Myer of Blooming Prairie, Minn., rounded out the top-5 across the finish line.

Tomorrow (Saturday, May 27) the Series returns to Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., for the 4th Annual Justice Brothers Southern Minnesota Spring Challenge. 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 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.

All three 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

3rd Annual Holinka Distributing Minnesota Spring Challenge

Murray County Speedway, Slayton, Minn.

Friday, May 26, 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 (10 laps):

1. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (1)

2. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (4)

3. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (7)

4. 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN (5)

5. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (8)

6. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (6)

7. 57 - Chad Williamson -- Watertown, SD (9)

8. 1z - Kelly Harmelink -- Brookings, SD (2) DNF

9. 11 - Aaron Betz -- Avoca, MN (3) DNF

HEAT #2 (10 laps):

1. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (1)

2. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (4)

3. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (7)

4. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (6)

5. 21h - Jim Horejsi -- Echo, MN (8)

6. 4m - Chad Muecke -- Slayton, MN (2)

7. 9x - Brett Dejager -- Brandon, SD (5)

8. 28x - Josh Klay -- Luverne, MN (3) DNF

HEAT #3 (10 laps):

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

2. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (2)

3. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (3)

4. 9 - Kent Arment -- Aberdeen, SD (4)

5. 11c - Chris Prussman -- Brookings, SD (6)

6. 19 - Marlin Kracht -- Luverne, MN (7)

7. 7t - Jim Gregoire -- Lake Benton, MN (5)

8. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (8) DNF

HEAT #4 (10 laps):

1. 1m - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (4)

2. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (7)

3. 17 - Garry Oskerson -- Fairmont, MN (2)

4. 00 - Ron Luitjens -- Brewster, MN (8)

5. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (3)

6. 12 - Mark Elliott -- Webster City, IA (5)

7. 86 - Tyson Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (1)

8. 12n - Lynn Nilsson -- Nunda, SD (6)

HEAT #5 (10 laps):

1. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (2)

2. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (1)

3. 4x - Kevin Larkins -- Greenwood, NE (5)

4. 54 - Ted Anderson -- Springfield, MN (3)

5. 3b - Allen Barber -- Tyler, MN (6)

6. 98 - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN (7) DNF

7. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (8) DNF

8. m80 - Jim Mathieson -- Sioux City, IA (4) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #1 (15 laps):

1. 4x - Kevin Larkins -- Greenwood, NE (1)

2. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (3)

3. 98 - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN (8)

4. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (2)

5. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (4)

6. 86 - Tyson Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (12)

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

8. 9x - Brett Dejager -- Brandon, SD (11)

9. 57 - Chad Williamson -- Watertown, SD (10)

10. 11c - Chris Prussman -- Brookings, SD (6) DNF

11. 11 - Aaron Betz -- Avoca, MN (15) DNF

12. 4m - Chad Muecke -- Slayton, MN (9) DNF

13. 12n - Lynn Nilsson -- Nunda, SD (14) DNF

14. 9 - Kent Arment -- Aberdeen, SD (5) DNF

15. 28X - Josh Klay -- Luverne, MN (13) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #2 (15 laps):

1. 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN (3)

2. 00 - Ron Luitjens -- Brewster, MN (1)

3. 19 - Marlin Kracht -- Luverne, MN (7)

4. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (8)

5. 12 - Mark Elliott -- Webster City,, IA (9)

6. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (13)

7. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (10)

8. 3b - Allen Barber -- Tyler, MN (6)

9. 1z - Kelly Harmelink -- Brookings, SD (12)

10. m80 - Jim Mathieson -- Sioux City, IA (14)

11. 7t - Jim Gregoire -- Lake Benton, MN (11)

12. 17 - Garry Oskerson -- Fairmont, MN (2) DNF

13. 21h - Jim Horejsi -- Echo, MN (4) DNF

14. 54 - Ted Anderson -- Springfield, MN (5) DNF

HOLLEY "A" MAIN (40 laps):

1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (4)

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

3. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (2)

4. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (6)

5. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (5)

6. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (12)

7. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (8)

8. 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN (14)

9. 98 - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN (17)

10. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (3)

11. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (9)

12. 12 - Mark Elliott -- Webster City, IA (22)

13. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (11)

14. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (24)

15. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (21)

16. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (20)

17. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (19) DNF

18. 00 - Ron Luitjens -- Brewster, MN (16) DNF

19. 19 - Marlin Kracht -- Luverne, MN (18) DNF

20. 17 - Garry Oskerson -- Fairmont, MN (26) DNF

21. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (25) DNF

22. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (15) DNF

23. 86 - Tyson Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (23) DNF

24. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (10) DNF

25. 4x - Kevin Larkins -- Greenwood, NE (13) DNF

26. 1m - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (7) DNF

AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Ruter 1-4, Shryock 5-40.

Total Laps Led: Shryock 36, Ruter 4.

Provisional Starters: Kraft (regional), Gilbertson (national), Bohmont (track), Oskerson (track).

Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Elliott (started 22nd, finished 12th).

Next Race: May 27, Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn.

O’Reilly National Driver Points (top 10): Noble 1303, Shryock 1300, Tesch 1196, Ruter 1144, Myer 1053, Friesen 1047, Mahlstedt 1006, McEwan 990, A. Hejna 974, VanderBeek 966.

Reich Concrete/Yeager Machine Northeast Region Points (top 10): Shryock 106, Ruter 95, Tesch 91, VanderBeek 89, Krohn 87, Myer 84, Steensma 82, Reisch 82, Hejna 79, Elliott 78.

Home Pride Passing Points - National (top 5): Friesen 70½, Myer 66, Ruter 64½, A. Hejna 57, Shryock 54.

Home Pride Passing Points - Reich Concrete/Yeager Machine Northeast Region (top 5): Shryock 7½, Friesen 6, Noble 6, Schluetter 4½, Horejsi 4½, Wedelstadt 4½.

Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points (top 5): Friesen 314, Steensma 200, Schluetter 197, Gilbertson 153, Poidinger 137.

UNIJIG Builders Championship Points (top 5): Skyrocket 130, Kraft 104, GRT 92, Hughes 89, Bullet 69, BMS 69.

Contingency Awards:

Bassett Racing Wheel – Tesch.

Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.

Boyer’s Engine Development – Shryock.

Dynatech Racing Exhaust – Shryock, Ruter.

Edelbrock – Shryock, Ruter.

Fast Shafts – Myer.

GRT Race Cars – Krohn.

Isky Racing Cams – Tesch.

KEVKO Oil Pans & Components – VanderBeek.

KSE Racing Products – Steensma.

Larson Racing Specialists – Gilbertson.

Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.

QuickTime Performance Parts – M. Hejna.

RaceQuest – Shryock, Spaulding.

Real Racing Wheels – Larkins, Steensma.

T.A.R. Race Car Bodies – McEwan.

UNIJIG – M. Hejna.