SLAYTON, Minn. -- The battle to be a part of ‘The Hunt’ for the O’Reilly National Championship completed another step Friday night as the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series visited the Murray County Speedway in Slayton, Minn., for the 5th Annual Gopher Summer Challenge presented by Key Largo on Lake Shetek and the final event of the Reich Concrete/Yeager Machine Northeast Region.

Friday's 30-lap, 26-car Holley “A” Main saw hometown favorite Jason Krohn jump out to the early lead from his second-row starting slot. Krohn paced the first nine laps before giving way to seven-time defending O’Reilly USMTS national champion Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa. Shryock paced the next 10 laps while Tommy Myer of Blooming Prairie, Minn., chased him down as the leaders hit lapped traffic.

Myer powered ahead of Shryock to lead lap 20, but failed brakes slowed Myer on the following lap and allowed Shryock to regain the lead. Myer kept it close over the next nine laps, but had to settle for the runner-up paycheck behind Shryock, who scored a record seventh straight victory and 22nd overall for the 2006 O’Reilly USMTS season. The win was worth $2,000 to Shryock as he locked up the Reich Concrete/Yeager Machine Northeast Region title.

Veteran Willy Kraft of Lakefield, Minn., recorded his best run of the season with a third-place finish, while Zack VanderBeek of New Sharon, Iowa, finished fourth after advancing from the first Real Racing Wheels “B” Main and starting 13th. Krohn held on to round out the top five finishers.

Friday night's race at the Murray County Speedway also signaled the completion of events in the Reich Concrete/Yeager Machine Northeast Region. Shryock added an additional $2,000 to his season-long earnings by capturing the Reich Concrete/Yeager Machine Northeast Region title, and added another 15 base points to his starting total in ‘The Hunt’ for the O’Reilly National Championship.

‘The Hunt’ will be comprised of the final 20 races of the season. The O’Reilly USMTS points system will be used at all regional events, with the top-10 in the final standings for each of the four regions earning 10 points for first place, 9 points for second and so forth, descending to 1 point for tenth place in the region. Each driver who competed at all events within a region will also earn 5 bonus points. The total points earned for all regions will serve as the base points that each driver will start with in ‘The Hunt’ for the O’Reilly National Championship. The normal O’Reilly USMTS points system is then used during ‘The Hunt’ to determine the 2006 O’Reilly USMTS National Champion. Any driver finishing among the top-10 in the final points standings in one or more regions, as well as any driver with perfect attendance in any region, will qualify to be in ‘The Hunt’ and thereby earn a legitimate shot at becoming the 2006 O’Reilly USMTS National Champion.

Including the Western Region, which wrapped up Thursday night at Huset's Speedway, the drivers that have qualified for ‘The Hunt’ so far are: Kelly Shryock (30 pts.), Tommy Myer (27), Brad McEwan (22), Zack VanderBeek (21), John Tesch (18), Ryan Ruter (18), Al Hejna (12), Mark Noble (11), Jay Poidinger (7), Mike Lineberry (5), Dean Mahlstedt (2) and Mike Hejna (2).

Due to the cancellation of the July 28-29 event at the Batesville (Ark.) Speedway, the rugged O’Reilly USMTS road warriors are off duty until Tuesday, Aug. 1, when they travel to Vinton, Iowa, for the 2nd Annual Hawkeye Classic at the Benton County Speedway.

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

5th Annual Gopher Summer Challenge presented by Key Largo on Lake Shetek

Murray County Speedway, Slayton, Minn.

Friday, July 21, 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. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (2)

2. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (1)

3. 00 - Ron Luitjens -- Brewster, MN (8)

4. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (7)

5. 14i - Jay Ireton -- Slayton, MN (9)

6. m80 - Jim Mathieson -- Sioux City, IA (3)

7. 28 - Brett Pospisil -- Worthington, MN (6) DNF

8. 3b - Allen Barber -- Tyler, MN (5) DNF

9. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (4) DNF

HEAT #2 (8 laps):

1. 11c - Chris Prussman -- Brookings, SD (1)

2. 86 - Willy Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (5)

3. 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN (6)

4. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (9)

5. 17 - Garry Oskerson -- Fairmont, MN (8)

6. 7t - Jim Gregoire -- Lake Benton, MN (2)

7. 1z - Kelly Harmelink -- Brookings, SD (7)

8. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (4) DNF

9. 54 - Ted Anderson -- Springfield, MN (3) DNF

HEAT #3 (8 laps):

1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (5)

2. 11 - Aaron Betz -- Avoca, MN (2)

3. 5r - James Richert -- Comfrey, MN (9)

4. 65 - Tyson Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (1)

5. 19 - Marlin Kracht -- Luverne, MN (3)

6. 9 - Roger Nielsen -- Estherville, IA (7)

7. 75 - Randy Klein -- Currie, MN (8)

8. 98 - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN (6) DNF

9. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (4) DNF

HEAT #4 (8 laps):

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

2. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (4)

3. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (6)

4. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (9)

5. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (7)

6. 1s - John Klynsma -- Hospers, IA (3)

7. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (1) DNF

8. 5 - Chris Palsrok -- Sibley, IA (8) DNF

9. 48 - Bob Moore -- Sioux City, IA (5) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 6 advance):

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

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

3. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (1)

4. 17 - Garry Oskerson -- Fairmont, MN (3)

5. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (12)

6. 1z - Kelly Harmelink -- Brookings, SD (8)

7. 98 - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN (10)

8. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (11)

9. 75 - Randy Klein -- Currie, MN (7)

10. 9 - Roger Nielsen -- Estherville, IA (5) DNF

11. 7t - Jim Gregoire -- Lake Benton, MN (6) DNF

12. 3b - Allen Barber -- Tyler, MN (9) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 6 advance):

1. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (1)

2. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (8)

3. 19 - Marlin Kracht -- Luverne, MN (4)

4. 1s - John Klynsma -- Hospers, IA (6)

5. m80 - Jim Mathieson -- Sioux City, IA (5)

6. 14i - Jay Ireton -- Slayton, MN (2)

7. 28 - Brett Pospisil -- Worthington, MN (7)

8. 65 - Tyson Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (3) DNF

9. 5 - Chris Palsrok -- Sibley, IA (10) DNF

10. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (9) DNF

11. 54 - Ted Anderson -- Springfield, MN (11) DNF

12. 48 - Bob Moore -- Sioux City, IA (12) DNS

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (30 laps):

1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (5)

2. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (6)

3. 86 - Willy Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (8)

4. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (13)

5. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (3)

6. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (15)

7. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (14)

8. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (7)

9. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (10)

10. 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN (9)

11. 1s - John Klynsma -- Hospers, IA (20)

12. 00 - Ron Luitjens -- Brewster, MN (1)

13. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (25)

14. 11c - Chris Prussman -- Brookings, SD (4)

15. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (11) -1 Lap

16. 14i - Jay Ireton -- Slayton, MN (24) -1 Lap

17. m80 - Jim Mathieson -- Sioux City, IA (22) DNF

18. 1z - Kelly Harmelink -- Brookings, SD (23) DNF

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

20. 11 - Aaron Betz -- Avoca, MN (12) DNF

21. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (16) DNF

22. 17 - Garry Oskerson -- Fairmont, MN (19) DNF

23. 98 - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN (26) DNF

24. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (17) DNF

25. 5r - James Richert -- Comfrey, MN (2) DNF

26. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (21) DNF

AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Krohn 1-9. Shryock 10-19, Myer 20, Shryock 21-30.

Total Laps Led: Shryock 20, Krohn 9, Myer 1.

Provisional Starters: Spaulding (regional), Reisch (national).

Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Spaulding (started 25th, finished 13th).

Next Race: Tuesday, Aug. 1, Benton County Speedway, Vinton, Iowa.

O’Reilly National Driver Points (top 10): Shryock 3526, Myer 3038, Tesch 2734, VanderBeek 2714, Mark Noble 2628, Ruter 2604, McEwan 2522, Mahlstedt 2297, Hejna 2297, Poidinger 1798.

Reich Concrete/Yeager Machine Northeast Region Points (FINAL top 10): Shryock 1037, Myer 909, VanderBeek 828, McEwan 693, Ruter 692, Mark Noble 664, Tesch 636, Hejna 617, Mike Hejna 578, Poidinger 513.

Home Pride Passing Points - National (top 5): Shryock 142.5, Ruter 123.0, Hejna 115.5, Myer 105.0, Tesch 99.0.

Home Pride Passing Points - Northeast (FINAL top 5): Shryock 46.5, Hejna 34.5, Mark Noble 30.0, VanderBeek 30.0, McEwan 25.5.

Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points (top 5): Poidinger 522, Jason Friesen 409 Gilbertson 327, Weder 304, Steensma 290.

UNIJIG Builders Championship Points (top 5): Skyrocket 345, Kraft 267, Hughes 257, GRT Greenbrier, AR 2 224, Bullet 168.

Contingency Awards:

Bassett Racing Wheel – W. Kraft.

Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.

Boyer’s Engine Development – Shryock.

Edelbrock – Shryock, Myer.

Fast Shafts – Krohn.

GRT Race Cars – McEwan.

Isky Racing Cams – Ruter.

KEVKO Oil Pans & Components – VanderBeek.

KSE Racing Products – Ruter.

Larson Racing Specialists – Spaulding.

Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.

QuickTime Performance Parts – Neal.

RaceQuest – Shryock, T. Kraft, Gilbertson.

Real Racing Wheels – VanderBeek, Neal.

T.A.R. Race Car Bodies – Steensma.

UNIJIG – W. Kraft.