Hejna inches closer to Swing title with win at Britt
<B>BRITT, Iowa --</B> When it comes to points, Fertile, Iowa's Kelly Shryock is nearly impossible to beat.
Shryock is well on his way to winning his seventh straight O'Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series points title, but for one of the tour's five segments, Shryock may not be sitting at the top.
Al Hejna, who was neck and neck with Shryock in the battle for the Dirt Works Race Cars Swing #4 title, moved one step closer to knocking off Shryock with a win at the Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway on Friday.
The win, Hejna's fourth of the year on the O'Reilly USMTS circuit, gives Hejna the lead heading into the segment's final stop at the Cresco (Iowa) Speedway on Sunday.
"To beat Shryock in points," Hejna said. "I don't think anyone even thinks about it."
But now Hejna can.
The Clear Lake, Iowa, driver led from the drop of the green in the 30-lap main event while Shryock finished ninth.
"We have some good luck in Britt," he said. "It must have paid off running all those years here on Friday night."
While knocking Shryock out of the points lead is unthinkable for most drivers, it should come as no surprise that Hejna is in contention. He's finished in the top 10 in his last 19 O'Reilly USMTS races, and also won on back-to-back nights earlier in the Swing.
"The car has just been awesome," Hejna said. "Anymore, I think I have a pretty good chance wherever we go race."
Jason Krohn of Slayton, Minn., had his best O'Reilly USMTS showing of the season Friday with a runner-up finish, while the winner's brother, Mike Hejna, finished in the third spot. Bruce Hanford of Davenport, Iowa, was fourth while Watertown, S.D.'s Jon Tesch rounded out the top 5.
In his second night driving a new Hughes Chassis, Tommy Myer of Blooming Prairie, Minn., garnered his second straight Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger honors by racing to a sixth-place finish from 12th on the starting grid.
The series moves on to the Cresco Speedway this Sunday, Aug. 21, for the CPU/I Wireless 40 -- the final event in Dirt Works Race Cars Swing #4. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. with hot laps slated for 6 p.m. and racing to follow. General admission adult grandstand tickets are just $13 with kids ages 6-12 getting in for $4 while children under 6 are admitted FREE of charge. Pit passes are $25.
Also running will be the USRA Stock Car and Hobby Stock divisions battling for points in the USRA Casey's General Stores Championship Series, as well as Street Stocks and Hornets.
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.
<B><FONT size="4">RESULTS</FONT></B>
OFFICIAL RESULTS
O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series
O'Reilly Auto Parts Back To School Shootout
Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway, Britt, Iowa
Friday, August 19, 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. 7K - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (2)
2. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (3)
3. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (4)
4. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (8)
5. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (6)
6. 33Z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (5)
7. 3F - Jeff Feaster -- Dakota City, IA (7)
8. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (1)
HEAT #2 (10 laps):
1. 61 - Bruce Hanford -- Davenport, IA (1)
2. 00 - Steve Arpin -- International Falls, MN (4)
3. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (5)
4. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (3)
5. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Kanawha, IA (6)
6. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (2)
7. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (7)
8. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Garner, IA (8)
HEAT #3 (10 laps):
1. 50 - Brad Bakken -- Garner, IA (2)
2. 10 - Jeremy Mills -- Garner, IA (4)
3. 7E - Neil Eckhart -- Rochester, MN (3)
4. 10E - Stacey Mills -- Webb, IA (5)
5. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (7)
6. 10h - Todd Hanson -- Clear Lake, IA (6)
7. 4 - Rick Schueller -- Burt, IA (1)
8. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (8)
"B" MAIN (12 laps):
1. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (1)
2. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Kanawha, IA (3)
3. 33Z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (4)
4. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (10)
5. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (2)
6. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (5)
7. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (12)
8. 3F - Jeff Feaster -- Dakota City, IA (7)
9. 10h - Todd Hanson -- Clear Lake, IA (6)
10. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (8)
11. 4 - Rick Schueller -- Burt, IA (9)
12. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Garner, IA (11)
HOLLEY "A" MAIN (30 laps):
1. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (2)
2. 7K - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (5)
3. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (8)
4. 61 - Bruce Hanford -- Davenport, IA (3)
5. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (9)
6. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (12)
7. 10 - Jeremy Mills -- Garner, IA (6)
8. 7E - Neil Eckhart -- Rochester, MN (10)
9. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (16)
10. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (1)
11. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (13)
12. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (18)
13. 33Z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (15)
14. 50 - Brad Bakken -- Garner, IA (7)
15. 10E - Stacey Mills -- Webb, IA (11)
16. 10h - Todd Hanson -- Clear Lake, IA (21)
17. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (17)
18. 3F - Jeff Feaster -- Dakota City, IA (20)
19. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (22)
20. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (19)
21. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Garner, IA (24)
22. 00 - Steve Arpin -- International Falls, MN (4)
23. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Kanawha, IA (14)
24. 4 - Rick Schueller -- Burt, IA (23)
Lap Leader: A. Hejna 1-30.
Provisional Starters: Schueller, Mahlstedt.
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Myer (started 12th, finished 6th).
Next Race: Aug. 21, Cresco (Iowa) Speedway.
Contingency Awards:
Edelbrock - A. Hejna, Krohn.
TCI Automotive - M. Hejna, Myer.
ISKY Racing Cams - M. Hejna.
KEVKO Oil Pans & Components - Hanford.
GRT Race Cars - Tesch.
QuickTime Performance Race Parts - J. Mills.
KSE Racing Products - Eckhart.
AERO Race Wheels - Hanson.