BRITT, Iowa -- Jason Hughes came into Monday night's O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series race with a big, hairy, annoying monkey firmly holding the driver in a full Nelson.

When Hughes and crew loaded up their rig to head back home to Colcord, Okla., the monkey had been body-slammed to the ground, left to die on the rubbered-down front stretch of the Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway.

"We definitely needed that one," Hughes said after claiming his first O’Reilly USMTS victory of the year. "Hopefully that's the last we see of him (the monkey)."

Coming into the 2005 campaign, Hughes was considered one of the pre-season favorites with a chance at knocking six-time defending Series Champion Kelly Shryock from his throne. But despite eight top-5 finishes through the first 14 events, Hughes has been bitten by mechanical problems and being in "the wrong place at the wrong time."

When the yellow flag waved just past the halfway point of Monday's Iowa Memorial Day Shootout main event, Hughes was in the right place at the right time. The caution flag wiped out race-long leader Al Hejna's six-car-length advantage, and put Hughes in position to take a stab at the top spot.

One lap after the green flag waved, Hughes made his move and slipped past Hejna on the inside of the turn to take the lead. From there, Hughes cruised the final 16 of 40 laps to claim the $2,000 top prize and break into the winners circle for the first time this season.

Originally slated to start on the outside of the front row, Hejna inherited the pole position for a lap-1 restart after polesitter Les Duellman looped his Modified in turn 2 at the start of the race. Hejna, who won a weekly USRA Modified race at the 3/8-mile oval earlier this season, looked to have the race in hand and on his way to his first O’Reilly USMTS triumph of the season. After dropping the lead to the no. 12 Hughes Chassis, Hejna's no. 7 Skyrocket began to handle poorly, ending up fourth at the finish.

Mike Sorensen of Rochester, Minn., who captured two O’Reilly USMTS wins over the Memorial Day Weekend, came from the 13th starting spot to finish a close second to Hughes. Sorensen's pass of 11 competitors earned him the Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger Award.

In the early stages of the 40-lap Holley "A" Main, Jon Tesch got spun around and was forced to restart the race from the tail of the field. By the time the cars took the checkered flag, Tesch had picked his way through the field to bring home a third-place finish. Shryock, the current O’Reilly USMTS national points leader, came from 15th to finish fifth.

With his victory, Hughes grabbed the lead in the Pro-Line Buildings Swing #2 points chase with five races down and five to go, and also moved back into second place behind Shryock in the season-long national points standings.

The stars and cars of the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series get a full week to catch their breath before heading to the Adams County Speedway on Monday, June 6. The event at the 1/2-mile Corning, Iowa, facility will be the first of five races next week. On Tuesday, June 7, the O’Reilly USMTS teams pay their first-ever visit to I-80 Speedway @ Nebraska Raceway Park in Greenwood, Neb., followed by another $2,000-to-win stop at the Benton County Speedway in Vinton, Iowa, on Thursday, June 9. From there, the "best of the best" in open-wheel modified racing trek to the Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo., for a two-day show on Friday and Saturday, June 10-11.

For more information, call 515-832-7944 or log on to www.USMTS.com for all the latest news and information from the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS

O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series

Iowa Memorial Day Shootout

Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway, Britt, Iowa

Monday, May 30, 2005

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 will be locked into the Holley "A" Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for their starting positions.

HEAT 1 (10 laps):

1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (2)

2. 50 - Brad Bakken -- Garner, IA (5)

3. 75 - Clint Wendel -- Mason City, IA (4)

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

5. 10h - Todd Hanson -- Clear Lake, IA (1)

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

7. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (9)

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

9. 9g - Rick Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (3)

HEAT 2 (10 laps):

1. 24 - Darin Walker -- Bowling Green, MO (2)

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

3. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (6)

4. 83 - Willy Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (3)

5. 19 - Mike Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (7)

6. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (8)

7. 12x - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (5)

8. 1m - Julie McDermid -- Fremont, WI (1)

HEAT 3 (10 laps):

1. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (1)

2. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (2)

3. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Kanawha, IA (5)

4. 10 - Jeremy Mills -- Garner, IA (8)

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

6. 7e - Neil Eckhart -- Rochester, MN (6)

7. 3f - Jeff Feaster -- Dakota City, IA (4)

8. 11k - Jeremy Keller -- Bismark, ND (7)

"B" MAIN (10 laps):

1. 19 - Mike Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (1)

2. 12x - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (8)

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

4. 7e - Neil Eckhart -- Rochester, MN (6)

5. 9g - Rick Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (13)

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

7. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (10)

8. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (5)

9. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (7)

10. 10h - Todd Hanson -- Clear Lake, IA (4)

11. 3f - Jeff Feaster -- Dakota City, IA (9)

12. 1m - Julie McDermid -- Fremont, WI (11)

13. 11k - Jeremy Keller -- Bismark, ND (12)

HOLLEY "A" MAIN (40 laps):

1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (6)

2. 19 - Mike Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (13)

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

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

5. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (15)

6. 12x - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (14)

7. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (4)

8. X - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (18)

9. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (11)

10. 83 - Willy Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (12)

11. 7e - Neil Eckhart -- Rochester, MN (16)

12. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (20)

13. 9g - Rick Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (17)

14. 10h - Todd Hanson -- Clear Lake, IA (22)

15. 75 - Clint Wendel -- Mason City, IA (10)

16. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (19)

17. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (21)

18. 3f - Jeff Feaster -- Dakota City, IA (23)

19. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (1)

20. 50 - Brad Bakken -- Garner, IA (7)

21. 10 - Jeremy Mills -- Garner, IA (9)

22. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Kanawha, IA (8)

23. 24 - Darin Walker -- Bowling Green, MO (5)

24. 11k - Jeremy Keller -- Bismark, ND (25)

25. 1m - Julie McDermid -- Fremont, WI (24)

Lap Leaders: Hejna 1-24, Hughes 25-40.

Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Sorensen (started 13th, finished 2nd).

Provisional Starters: Feaster, McDermid, Keller.

Next Race: June 6, Adams County Speedway, Corning, Iowa.