<B>OSKALOOSA, Iowa --</B> Mark Noble of Blooming Prairie, Minn., came out on top in a race of survival Saturday as he captured the 3rd Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Iowa Spring Classic main event at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

The win was Noble's second on the season, and cemented his place at the top of the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series national points standings.

Noble, who started 16th on the grid, methodically picked off cars throughout the first half of the race while Dean Mahlstedt of Clear Lake, Iowa, set a torrid pace at the front of the field. Cautions erased Mahlstedt's big lead on several occasions before Noble became a factor for the lead.

Taking the lead near the halfway point of the race, Noble was unable to shake Mahlstedt as he stayed glued to Noble's bumper while seven-time defending O’Reilly USMTS national champion Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, joined in to make it a three-way battle for the lead. With eight laps to go, Mahlstedt and Shryock made contact exiting turn 2, which resulted in a caution flag for Shryock who stopped at the end of the backstretch with a flat tire. During the caution period, Mahlstedt also entered the pits to change a flat tire, ending both drivers' chance for a victory.

Noble went unchallenged the rest of the way while Brad Pinkerton of New Sharon, Iowa, made his 2006 O’Reilly USMTS debut with a runner-up finish. Pinkerton edged Al Hejna of Clear Lake, Iowa, at the finish line while Brad McEwan of Storm Lake, Iowa, finished fourth. Jon Tesch of Watertown, S.D., rounded out the top-5 finishers.

Up next for the O’Reilly USMTS will the 2nd Annual Ruter Farms Spring Challenge at the Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway in Britt, Iowa, on Sunday, April 9, for the second race of the season for drivers in the Central Region. Sunday's event will pay $2,000 to win.

For more information, call the O’Reilly USMTS headquarters at (515) 832-7944 or visit www.usmts.com online.

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<B>OFFICIAL RESULTS

O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series

3rd Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Iowa Spring Classic

Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa

Saturday, April 8, 2006</B>

Showing finishing position, car number, driver, hometown and starting position in parentheses.

The top 13 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.

<B>ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):</B>

1. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (8)

2. 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN (3)

3. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (6)

4. 9g - Rick Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (10)

5. 90 - Chuck Stanton -- New Hampton, IA (5)

6. 11j - Jim Brown -- Altoona, IA (1)

7. 7r - Jerry Pilcher -- Bloomfield, IA (9)

8. 72 - Mike Lineberry -- Fontanelle, NE (2) DNF

9. 5 - Tim Sands -- Conesville, IA (4) DNF

10. 40 - Scott Dickey -- Packwood, IA (7) DNF

<B>HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):</B>

1. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (2)

2. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (3)

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

4. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (1)

5. 17p - Brad Pinkerton -- New Sharon, IA (9)

6. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (10)

7. 54 - Benji LaCrosse -- Luxemburg, WI (4)

8. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (6)

9. 82m - Ryan Meyer -- Liberty, IL (7) DNF

10. 00 - Joshua Vinnedge -- Forreston, IL (8) DNF

<B>HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):</B>

1. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (8)

2. 1 - Dan Chapman -- Clarence, IA (5)

3. 1r - Ryan York -- Racine, MN (3)

4. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (7)

5. 7m - Michael Darnall -- West Union, IA (6)

6. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (9)

7. 85 - Mark Dotson -- Cameron, MO (1) DNF

8. 1m - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (4) DNF

9. 18 - Michael Long -- Quincy, IL (2) DNF

10. 1d - Mel Saffran -- Farley, IA (10) DNF

<B>HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):</B>

1. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (8)

2. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (2)

3. 4r - Ron VerBeek -- Oskaloosa, IA (3)

4. 45 - Tony Fraise -- Donnellson, IA (1)

5. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (4)

6. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (9)

7. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (6) DNF

8. 7t - Mike Thomas -- West Branch, IA (5) DNS

9. 17 - Steve Stewart -- Washington, IA (7) DNS

<B>REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #1 (10 laps, top 5 advance):</B>

1. 17p - Brad Pinkerton -- New Sharon, IA (2)

2. 1r - Ryan York -- Racine, MN (1)

3. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (6)

4. 7r - Jerry Pilcher -- Bloomfield, IA (7)

5. 1m - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (10)

6. 85 - Mark Dotson -- Cameron, MO (8)

7. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (5)

8. 7m - Michael Darnall -- West Union, IA (4)

9. 5 - Tim Sands -- Conesville, IA (11)

10. 72 - Mike Lineberry -- Fontanelle, NE (9) DNF

11. 45 - Tony Fraise -- Donnellson, IA (3) DNF

12. 1d - Mel Saffran -- Farley, IA (14) DNF

13. 18 - Michael Long -- Quincy, IL (12) DNS

14. 40 - Scott Dickey -- Packwood, IA (13) DNS

<B>REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #2 (10 laps, top 5 advance):</B>

1. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (2)

2. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (3)

3. 4r - Ron VerBeek -- Oskaloosa, IA (1)

4. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (8)

5. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (9)

6. 82m - Ryan Meyer -- Liberty, IL (11)

7. 11j - Jim Brown -- Altoona, IA (6)

8. 54 - Benji LaCrosse -- Luxemburg, WI (7) DNF

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

10. 90 - Chuck Stanton -- New Hampton, IA (5) DNF

11. 00 - Joshua Vinnedge -- Forreston, IL (13) DNF

12. 7t - Mike Thomas -- West Branch, IA (10) DNS

13. 17 - Steve Stewart -- Washington, IA (12) DNS

<B>HOLLEY "A" MAIN (25 laps):</B>

1. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (16)

2. 17p - Brad Pinkerton -- New Sharon, IA (13)

3. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (8)

4. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (6)

5. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (14)

6. 9g - Rick Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (5)

7. 4r - Ron VerBeek -- Oskaloosa, IA (18)

8. 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN (7)

9. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (11)

10. 1r - Ryan York -- Racine, MN (15)

11. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (10)

12. 45 - Tony Fraise -- Donnellson, IA (23)

13. 1 - Dan Chapman -- Clarence, IA (4)

14. 1m - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (21)

15. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (2)

16. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (22)

17. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (12)

18. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (17)

19. 7r - Jerry Pilcher -- Bloomfield, IA (19)

20. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (3) DNF

21. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (9) DNF

22. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (20) DNF

23. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (1) DNF

24. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (24) DNF

<B>Lap Leaders:</B> Mahlstedt 1-14, Noble 15-25.

<B>Total Laps Led:</B> Mahlstedt 14, Noble 11.

<B>Provisional Starters:</B> Fraise, Mondus.

<B>Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger:</B> Noble (started 16th, finished 1st).

<B>Next Race:</B> April 9, Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway, Britt, Iowa

<B>O’Reilly National Driver Points (top 10):</B> Noble 528, Tesch 465, Shryock 419, Ruter 398, Friesen 359, McEwan 357, Myer 354, Mahlstedt 330, A. Hejna 304, VanderBeek 299.

<B>Central Region Points (top 10):</B> Noble 116, Pinkerton 106, A. Hejna 96, Tesch 93, McEwan 89, VerBeek 89, Fraise 79, York 77, Steensma 76, Shryock 76.

<B>Rookies Rockin' Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points (top 5):</B> Friesen 53, Kevin Larkins 34, Steve Arpin 28, Steensma 27, Randy Timms 24.

<B>UNIJIG Builders Championship Points (top 5):</B> Kraft 45, Skyrocket 44, GRT 36, Hughes 31, BMS 23.

<B>Contingency Awards:</B>

Bassett Racing Wheel – A. Hejna.

Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.

Boyer’s Engine Development – Noble.

Dynatech Racing Exhaust – Noble, Pinkerton.

Edelbrock – Noble, Pinkerton.

Fast Shafts – Tesch.

GRT Race Cars – not awarded.

Isky Racing Cams – A. Hejna.

KEVKO Oil Pans & Components – McEwan.

KSE Racing Products – Steensma.

Larson Racing Specialists – Chapman.

Marsh Racing Wheels – Mahlstedt.

QuickTime Performance Parts – VerBeek.

RaceQuest – Noble, Dotson, Darnall.

Real Racing Wheels – Pinkerton, Tesch.

T.A.R. Race Car Bodies – York.

UNIJIG – A. Hejna.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSOR: O’Reilly Auto Parts.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Race Tires, Holley Performance Products, Home Pride Companies, Intercomp, Marsh Racing Wheels, Olympic Fire Protection, R.A. Benson Motorsports, Real Racing Wheels, Reich Concrete, Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar, SpeedNet Direct, UNIJIG, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Bassett Racing Wheel, Bell Racing, Belleville Motorsports, Bert Transmission, Boyer’s Engine Development, Dynatech Racing Exhaust, Edelbrock, Fast Shafts, GRT Race Cars, Hyperco, Intensitee Custom Clothing, Isky Racing Cams, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, KSE Racing Products, Larson Racing Specialists, Quarter Master, QuickTime Performance Race Parts, RaceQuest, T.A.R. Race Car Bodies, US Brake.