GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. -- What started off as a wet, cold and seemingly doomed weekend of racing was saved on Sunday with a spectacular night of action as the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour powered by Swan Energy visited the Valley Speedway for the first time in the series’ 13-year history.

Originally scheduled for Friday, heavy rain and chilly temperatures forced officials to postpone the event until Sunday while Saturday’s show at the Central Missouri Speedway was cut short after hot laps when the track surface was unable to be worked into safe racing condition.

Sunday’s main event saw a talent-laden 24-car field take the green for the 40-lapper, with Chase Junghans jumping out to the early lead over fellow front row starter Kelly Shryock.

Shryock hounded Junghans for the first three laps, finally making the pass for the lead on during the fourth orbit of the high-banked 1/3-mile bullring.

Meanwhile, Ryan Gustin charged into fourth on lap 5 after starting 11th in the field. Eight laps later, “The Reaper” wrestled the lead away from the nine-time USMTS National Champion just before the race’s first caution slowed the pace.

Dustin Boney also got by Shryock just before the yellow flag waved, but suffered a flat tire one lap after the restart to bring out another yellow and was forced to rejoin the race at the back of the pack following the caution.

With 14 laps in the books, it became evident that Gustin was about to have some company as defending USMTS National Champion Jason Hughes sat fourth after starting 15th on the grid.

Using an extreme high line entering turn 1, Hughes powered around the outside of Gustin on lap 17 to claim the top spot and then moved back down to the low side of the racing surface in front of Gustin.

Unable to threaten Hughes for the top spot, Gustin moved his mount to the top of the racetrack in search of a faster line but despite four more cautions which kept the field on his tail, Hughes went unchallenged the rest of the distance to record his fourth victory of the season in the Schwab’s Tinker Shop Mo-Kan Region.

Rodney Sanders snuck into the runner-up spot while Gustin slipped in behind Sanders and ahead of Jon Tesch to hold on for a third-place finish.

Bryan Rowland rounded out the top five finishers and Boney rebounded from his earlier misfortune to take home a sixth-place paycheck. Seventh through tenth, respectively, went to Chris Spieker, Rick Beebe, Terry Schultz and Junghans.

The USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour powered by Swan Energy will be back in action with a four-race swing beginning Thursday, April 28, at the Tri-State Speedway in Pocola, Okla. The Outlaw Motor Speedway near Muskogee, Okla., hosts the series on Friday, April 29, followed by a return to the West Siloam Speedway in West Siloam Springs, Okla., on Saturday, April 30. The weekend wraps up on Sunday, May 1, at the Monett Speedway in Monett, Mo.

Each event will pay $2,000 to win and a minimum $250 to start. A stout field of cars and drives are expected as the first three days will award points in both the Schwab’s Tinker Shop Mo-Kan Region and newly-formed Southwest Region.

Sunday’s event will be a Mo-Kan region race that will culminate with the regional points champion being crowned, as well as another batch of drivers qualified for this year’s Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship powered by Swan Energy.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also follow the USMTS on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour powered by Swan Energy
Inaugural Thunder in the Valley presented by Casey’s General Stores
Valley Speedway, Grain Valley, Mo.
Sunday, April 17, 2011

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed, reason out (if any) and money won. The top 14 drivers in passing points accumulated in the heat races are locked into the “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.

ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (3) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.
2. (4) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan.
3. (5) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D.
4. (2) 8 Wesley Summers, Wellington, Mo.
5. (6) 95 Keith Foss, Winona, Minn.
6. (1) 73 Mickey Burrell, Fair Grove, Mo.
7. (7) F16 Blaine Nolker, Harding, Mo.

NEW VISION GRAPHICS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (2) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
2. (6) 22 Dustin Boney, Platte City, Mo.
3. (1) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
4. (3) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
5. (5) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
6. (4) 9 Corey Botkins, Colombia, Mo.
7. (7) 85d Mark Dotson, Cameron, Mo.

EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
2. (3) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
3. (2) 78 Danny Crane, Columbia, Mo.
4. (6) 51 Tim Setzer, Archie, Mo.
5. (5) 20 Jason Thompson, Concordia, Mo.
6. (7) 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn.
7. (4) 2 Jerry Standifer (R), Howe, Okla.

PBM PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (2) 90 Terry Schultz (R), Sedalia, Mo.
2. (3) 56 Chris Spieker, Massena, Iowa.
3. (6) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
4. (1) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
5. (5) 73b Shad Badder, Oak Grove, Mo.
6. (4) 11 Josh Stephens, Independence, Mo.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 10 advance):
1. (1) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
2. (4) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
3. (7) 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn.
4. (5) 20 Jason Thompson, Concordia, Mo.
5. (2) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
6. (11) 85d Mark Dotson, Cameron, Mo.
7. (10) 11 Josh Stephens, Independence, Mo.
8. (8) 73 Mickey Burrell, Fair Grove, Mo.
9. (3) 95 Keith Foss, Winona, Minn.
10. (12) 2 Jerry Standifer (R), Howe, Okla.
11. (9) 9 Corey Botkins, Colombia, Mo., Skyrocket/Botkins, $75.
12. (6) 73b Shad Badder, Oak Grove, Mo., BillsBuilt/Yancy’s, $75.
DNS - F16 Blaine Nolker, Harding, Mo., Skyrocket/Yancy’s, $75.

WIX FILTERS “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (15) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $2100.
2. (9) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, Hughes/Geddes, 40, $1500.
3. (11) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $1000.
4. (10) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D., GRT/Sput’s, 40, $900.
5. (6) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 40, $800.
6. (5) 22 Dustin Boney, Platte City, Mo., Hughes/Sput’s, 40, $700.
7. (8) 56 Chris Spieker, Massena, Iowa, IROC/PerfMach, 40, $650.
8. (4) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $600.
9. (7) 90 Terry Schultz (R), Sedalia, Mo., Mach1/Schultz, 40, $550.
10. (1) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., Hughes/Sput’s, 40, $500.
11. (12) 78 Danny Crane, Columbia, Mo., Skyrocket/Dickey, 40, $350.
12. (21) 11 Josh Stephens, Independence, Mo., Stephens/Stephens, 40, $300.
13. (22) 73 Mickey Burrell, Fair Grove, Mo., TRE/Ruble, 40, $400.
14. (3) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo., GRT/Mullins, 31, crash, $375.
15. (19) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Hughes/ASI, 30, retired, $500.
16. (2) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ProPower, 28, driveshaft, $300.
17. (23) 95 Keith Foss, Winona, Minn., DirtDueler/Brink, 23, suspension, $250.
18. (20) 85D Mark Dotson, Cameron, Mo., GRT/KSE, 20, suspension, $300.
19. (16) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 18, shock mount, $400.
20. (17) 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn., GRT/Sput’s, 15, flat tire, $300.
21. (13) 51 Tim Setzer, Archie, Mo., Hughes/AEM, 14, rear end, $250.
22. (24) 2 Jerry Standifer (R), Howe, Okla., Evolution/KSE, 12, brakes, $300.
23. (18) 20 Jason Thompson, Concordia, Mo., Hughes/Yancy’s, 8, flat tire, $250.
24. (14) 8 Wesley Summers, Wellington, Mo., BMS/Richmont, 3, mechanical, $300.

(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.

Integra Lap Leaders: Junghans 1-3, Shryock 4-12, Gustin 13-16, Hughes 17-40.
Total Laps Led: Hughes 24, Shryock 9, Gustin 4, Junghans 3.
Margin of Victory: 0.992 second.
AFCO Pole Winner: Siebert.
Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger: Hughes (started 15th, finished 1st).
Ruter Farms Long Tow Award: Scott (943.66 miles).
Next Race: Thursday, April 28, Tri-State Speedway, Pocola, Okla.
Schwab’s Tinker Shop Mo-Kan Points: Gustin 380, Hughes 350, Tesch 334, Shryock 320, Boney 302, Scott 282, Beebe 271, Sanders 269, VanderBeek 250, Rowland 238.
Rookie of the Year Points: Clyde Dunn Jr. 516, Jimmy Ray 460, Jeff Rowland 458, T.J. Herndon 453, Lucas Schott 450.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 122, ProPower 91, ASI 83, Sput’s 55, Geddes 50.
Chassis Builders Championship Points: Hughes 127, Skyrocket 97, GRT 68, Pierce 52, TRE 52.

Contingency Awards:
American Racer – Setzer.
Eibach Springs – Junghans.
Forty9Designs.com – Tesch, Schultz.
Hooker Harness – not awarded.
Integra Racing Shocks & Springs – Hughes.
ISKY Racing Cams – Siebert.
KSE Racing Products – Spieker.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Standifer.
New Vision Graphics – Rowland.
Nitroquest – Standifer.
Mesilla Valley Transportation – Hughes.
PBM Performance Products – Schultz.
Real Racing Wheels – Burrell.
Ruter Farms – Scott.
WIX Filters – Hughes.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, DAY Motor Sports, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com, Dirt Track Racing School, DrySlik Dirt Trak Racewear, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Karl Performance Parts, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, Schwab’s Tinker Shop, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, COMP Cams, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, ISKY Racing Cams, The Joie of Seating, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, RHS – Racing Head Service, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, WIX Filters.