Hejna hits paydirt in O’Reilly USMTS Dairyland Invasion opener
<B>ANTIGO, Wis. --</B> The O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series launched their invasion of Wisconsin Tuesday night with a visit to the Langlade County Speedway in Antigo for the first of four straight nights of racing in the Dairy State.
Starting third in the Budweiser/Rookie’s Rockin’ Sports Bar No. 7 Skyrocket, O’Reilly USMTS ace Al Hejna of Clear Lake, Iowa, wasted no time as he snuck into the top spot on the first lap of the 30-lap Holley "A" Main, then paced the 24-car field for rest of the race to score a $2,000 payday in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Badger Summer Classic.
Despite several dozens of top-5 finishes during the 2004-05 seasons, the win was the first in O’Reilly USMTS competition for “Big Al” since a victory at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo., on April 26, 2003.
Tommy Myer of Blooming Prairie, Minn., was no match for Hejna on this night, and settled for the runner-up finish, while Jason Hughes of Colcord, Okla., wound up third, with Storm Lake, Iowa's Brad McEwan grabbing fourth.
O’Reilly USMTS points leader Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, completed the top-5 finishers after bouncing back from a lap-1 incident which forced the six-time Series champion to restart at the tail of the field.
Jared Siefert of Green Bay fared best of the locals, placing eighth after starting 19th. Siefert also earned the Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger honors for the night.
Next up, the O’Reilly USMTS travels to Thunderhill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. on Wednesday (June 22) for the second of four events in the Wisconsin quadrupleheader.
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
O’Reilly Auto Parts Badger Summer Classic
Langlade County Speedway, Antigo, Wis.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005</B>
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.
<B>HEAT 1 (10 laps):</B>
1. X - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (1)
2. c19 - Jeremie Hedrick -- Shawano, WI (6)
3. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (4)
4. 30 - Wade Schutt -- Shawano, WI (8)
5. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (5)
6. 66j - Jared Siefert -- Green Bay, WI (9)
7. 55 - Tom Schaal -- Gillett, WI (7)
8. 07 - Scott Boyea -- Abrams, WI (3)
9. 99x - Jeremy Christians -- Horicon, WI (2) DNF
<B>HEAT 2 (10 laps):</B>
1. 83 - Willy Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (4)
2. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (7)
3. 85 - Craig Bartz -- Shawano, WI (2)
4. 51 - Chris Oertel -- Marshfield, WI (5)
5. 42 - Robbie Bunelman -- Abbotsford, WI (8)
6. 4T - Tim Vandehei -- Green Bay, WI (6)
7. 49 - Ken Murray -- Crandon, WI (1)
8. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (9)
9. 1J - Jason Zdroik -- Eagle River, WI (3)
<B>HEAT 3 (10 laps):</B>
1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (5)
2. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (7)
3. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (4)
4. 72 - Brian Mullen -- Seymour, WI (2)
5. 69 - John Logue -- Boone, IA (6)
6. 03 - Brad Rohloff -- Pulaski, WI (1)
7. 99 - Eric Vaniten -- Green Bay, WI (8)
8. 75s - Eric Scribner -- Kiel, WI (9)
9. 1 - Scott Mullen -- Seymour, WI (3)
<B>HEAT 4 (10 laps):</B>
1. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (4)
2. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (5)
3 73 - Scott Williams -- Antigo, WI (6)
4. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (8)
5. 67 - Matt McDermid -- Ocotona Fall, WI (1)
6. 65x - Dean Maurer -- DePere, WI (3)
7. 8h - Dennis Haldemann -- Randolph, WI (2)
8. B4 - Beetle Bailey -- Argonne, WI (9) DNF
9. 05 - Mike Mashl -- DePere, WI (7) DNF
<B>"B" MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 5 advance):</B>
1. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (1)
2. 72 - Brian Mullen -- Seymour, WI (3)
3. 51 - Chris Oertel -- Marshfield, WI (2)
4. 66j - Jared Siefert -- Green Bay, WI (4)
5. 1 - Scott Mullen -- Seymour, WI (12)
6. 67 - Matt McDermid -- Ocotona Fall, WI (5)
7. 49 - Ken Murray -- Crandon, WI (8)
8. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (9)
9. 99x - Jeremy Christians -- Horicon, WI (11)
10. B4 - Beetle Bailey -- Argonne, WI (10) DNF
11. 99 - Eric Vaniten -- Green Bay, WI (7)DNF
12. 03 - Brad Rohloff -- Pulaski, WI (6) DNF
<B>"B" MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 5 advance):</B>
1. 69 - John Logue -- Boone, IA (3)
2. 85 - Craig Bartz -- Shawano, WI (1)
3. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (4)
4. 42 - Robbie Bunelman -- Abbotsford, WI (2)
5. 4T - Tim Vandehei -- Green Bay, WI (5)
6. 75s - Eric Scribner -- Kiel, WI (9)
7. 05 - Mike Mashl -- DePere, WI (12)
8. 07 - Scott Boyea -- Abrams, WI (10)
9. 65x - Dean Maurer -- DePere, WI (6) DNF
10. 55 - Tom Schaal -- Gillett, WI (7) DNF
11. 8h - Dennis Haldemann -- Randolph, WI (8) DNF
12. 1J - Jason Zdroik -- Eagle River, WI (11) DNS
<B>HOLLEY "A" MAIN (30 laps):</B>
1. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (3)
2. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (4)
3. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (1)
4. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (7)
5. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (5)
6. 83 - Willy Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (2)
7. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (11)
8. 66j - Jared Siefert -- Green Bay, WI (19)
9. 72 - Brian Mullen -- Seymour, WI (15)
10. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (12)
11. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (13)
12. 69 - John Logue -- Boone, IA (14)
13. X - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (8)
14. 67 - Matt McDermid -- Ocotona Fall, WI (24)
15. 1 - Scott Mullen -- Seymour, WI (21)
16. 51 - Chris Oertel -- Marshfield, WI (17)
17. 4T - Tim Vandehei -- Green Bay, WI (22)
18. 42 - Robbie Bunelman -- Abbotsford, WI (20) DNF
19. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (23) DNF
20. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (18) DNF
21. 30 - Wade Schutt -- Shawano, WI (10) DNF
22. c19 - Jeremie Hedrick -- Shawano, WI (6) DNF
23. 73 - Scott Williams -- Antigo, WI (9) DNF
24. 85 - Craig Bartz -- Shawano, WI (16) DNF
Lap Leader: Hejna 1-30.
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Siefert (started 19th, finished 8th).
Provisional Starters: Mondus, McDermid.
Next Race: June 22, Thunderhill Raceway, Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Badger Summer Classic Contingency Awards:
Edelbrock - Hejna, Myer.
TCI Automotive - Hughes, Kraft.
ISKY Racing Cams - Hughes.
KEVKO Oil Pans & Components - McEwan.
GRT Race Cars - Shryock.
QuickTime Performance Race Parts - Tesch.
KSE Racing Products - none.
AERO Race Wheels - Oertel.