WATERTOWN, S.D. — Kent Arment has been close to winning an O’Reilly USMTS event in the past, but not as close as he came Thursday night. Last year at Casino Speedway, the five-time defending Modified track champion finished third, and in 2005 he started on the pole but finished second. He had another runner-up in 2006 at the Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, S.D.

Arment could smell victory Thursday night, but his quest was squashed as another local favorite found his way to the winners circle instead. After leading 36 laps, Arment relinquished the lead to Watertown's Scott Ward, who slipped past Arment on the high side of the racetrack with two laps to go, then edged Arment at the finish to score his first O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series win.

Thursday's victory in the 40-lap Holley "A" Main was Ward's first with the O’Reilly USMTS, and just his second top-10 finish in eight career starts. His other was a 10th-place finish on June 16, 2005 during the inaugural O’Reilly USMTS event at Casino Speedway.

After a tussle in the second heat race with Jason Hughes of Colcord, Okla., Ward found himself in the first Real Racing Wheels "B" Main, which he won to give himself a 13th-place starting position in the main event. It took him 38 laps and several caution flags, but Ward's persistence paid off with a $2,000 paycheck while Arberdeen's Arment settled for the runner-up finish.

Hughes, who failed to finish the second Real Racing Wheels "B" Main, had to use a provisional to get into the main event, but he made the most of it by passing 21 cars en route to a third-place finish. His teammate, Tommy Weder Jr. of Woodward, Okla., finished fourth and Watertown's Dustin Beebe placed fifth to give the locals three of the top-5 spots.

Al Hejna bounced back from an early-race mishap to finish sixth, while South Dakota pilots Curt Kranz, Chad Becker, Joe Waba and Jay Triplett completed the top-10 in front of a packed house at the 3/8-mile semi-banked oval.

The feature race saw just 10 of the 24 starters reach the checkered flag, and many of the regular O’Reilly USMTS road warriors suffered either mechanical or mental breakdowns. Watertown's Jon Tesch, a three-time past champion at his hometown track, spun out on the first lap of the main event and wound up 24th on the final score card. While running second with five laps to go, Kelly Shryock slid off of turn 2 and ended his chance at a third straight O’Reilly USMTS victory.

The most expensive night, however, belonged to Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year points leader Scott Green. After rolling his Hughes Chassis in the second heat race, Green got out his back-up car and qualified for the main event through the second Real Racing Wheels "B" Main. A tangle in the Holley "A" Main ended his night early anyway, finishing 20th.

Up next, the rugged road warriors of the O’Reilly USMTS trek to the Rapid Speedway in Rock Rapids, Iowa, on Friday for another $2,000-to-win Western Region tilt. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., with hot laps at 7:00 and racing at 7:30. Rapid Speedway is a 3/8-mile semi-banked clay oval located 0.5 mile east of US 75 on SR 9, then 0.5 mile south on South Tama St. (at the Lyons County Fairgrounds). For raceday information, call (712) 472-3742 or visit www.husets-speedway.com/rapid online.

To learn more about the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series, call the headquarters office at (515) 832-7944 or visit www.usmts.com online.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Fri Jun 22 ... Rapid Speedway, Rock Rapids, IA ($2,000 to win)
Sat Jun 23 ... Nobles County Speedway, Worthington, MN ($2,000 to win)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

OFFICIAL RESULTS
O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series
National Event - Western Region
Casino Speedway, Watertown, S.D.
Thursday, June 21, 2007

Showing finishing position, car number, driver, hometown and starting position in parentheses. The top 12 drivers in Home Pride Passing Points accumulated in the Heats are locked into the Holley “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.

ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT #1 (8 laps):
1. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (2)
2. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (7)
3. 83 - Joe Waba -- Watertown, SD (8)
4. m80 - Jim Mathieson -- Sioux City, IA (4)
5. 75j - Wayne Jaquet -- Southshore, SD (3)
6. z28 - Mark Trautner -- Mahnomen, MN (1) DNF
7. 81 - Eugene Schleusner -- Watertown, SD (5) DNF
8. 72 - Mike Lineberry -- Fontanelle, NE (6) DNF

HEAT #2 (8 laps):
1. 10T - Jay Triplett -- Brookings, SD (4)
2. 54 - Danny Hall -- Watertown, SD (2)
3. 37 - Scott Ward -- Watertown, SD (3)
4. 7F - Josh Fleming -- Florence, SD (6)
5. 128 - Jamie Trautner -- Felton, MN (5)
6. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (1) DNF
7. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (7) DNF
8. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (8) DNS

HEAT #3 (8 laps):
1. 9 - Kent Arment -- Aberdeen, SD (3)
2. 71 - Scott Olson -- Watertown, SD (2)
3. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (1)
4. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (6)
5. 33 - Todd Stark -- Watertown, SD (7)
6. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (5)
7. B80 - Jeff Berens -- Dakota Dunes, SD (4) DNF

HEAT #4 (8 laps):
1. 87 - Curt Kranz -- Watertown, SD (6)
2. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (3)
3. 72 - Dustin Beebe -- Watertown, SD (5)
4. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (4) DNF
5. 21 - Jim Horejsi -- Echo, MN (2) DNF
6. 13 - Ryan Engels -- Watertown, SD (1) DNF
7. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (7) DNF

HEAT #5 (8 laps):
1. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (3)
2. 11c - Chris Prussman -- Brookings, SD (2)
3. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (1)
4. 12B - Chad Becker -- Aberdeen, SD (4)
5. 11 - Joe Bailey -- Watertown, SD (6)
6. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (7)
7. 3x - Arne Anderson -- Watertown, SD (5) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 37 - Scott Ward -- Watertown, SD (1)
2. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (2)
3. 33 - Todd Stark -- Watertown, SD (5)
4. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (9)
5. 21 - Jim Horejsi -- Echo, MN (7)
6. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (3)
7. 75j - Wayne Jaquet -- Southshore, SD (6)
8. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (13)
9. 81 - Eugene Schleusner -- Watertown, SD (10)
10. z28 - Mark Trautner -- Mahnomen, MN (8)
11. B80 - Jeff Berens -- Dakota Dunes, SD (11)
12. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (4) DNS
13. 3x - Arne Anderson -- Watertown, SD (12) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (1)
2. 12B - Chad Becker -- Aberdeen, SD (4)
3. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (7)
4. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (10)
5. 7F - Josh Fleming -- Florence, SD (2)
6. 13 - Ryan Engels -- Watertown, SD (9)
7. m80 - Jim Mathieson -- Sioux City, IA (3)
8. 72 - Mike Lineberry -- Fontanelle, NE (12)
9. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (11) DNF
10. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (8) DNF
11. 11 - Joe Bailey -- Watertown, SD (5) DNF
12. 128 - Jamie Trautner -- Felton, MN (6) DNF

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. 37 - Scott Ward -- Watertown, SD (13)
2. 9 - Kent Arment -- Aberdeen, SD (4)
3. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (24)
4. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (8)
5. 72 - Dustin Beebe -- Watertown, SD (12)
6. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (6)
7. 87 - Curt Kranz -- Watertown, SD (1)
8. 12B - Chad Becker -- Aberdeen, SD (16)
9. 83 - Joe Waba -- Watertown, SD (7)
10. 10T - Jay Triplett -- Brookings, SD (2)
11. 33 - Todd Stark -- Watertown, SD (17) DNF
12. 11c - Chris Prussman -- Brookings, SD (11) DNF
13. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (19) DNF
14. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (23) DNF
15. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (18) DNF
16. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (3) DNF
17. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (15) DNF
18. 21 - Jim Horejsi -- Echo, MN (21) DNF
19. 54 - Danny Hall -- Watertown, SD (9) DNF
20. 71 - Scott Olson -- Watertown, SD (10) DNF
21. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (20) DNF
22. 7F - Josh Fleming -- Florence, SD (22) DNF
23. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (14) DNF
24. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (5) DNF

AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Waba 1-2, Arment 3-38, Ward 39-40.
Total Laps Led: Arment 36, Waba 2, Ward 2.
AFCO Pole Award: Kranz.
Provisional Starters: Krohn (regional), Hughes (national).
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Hughes (started 24th, finished 3rd).
Next Race: Friday, June 22, Rapid Speedway, Rock Rapids, Iowa.
O’Reilly National Points: Shryock 2629, VanderBeek 2060, Hughes 1960, A. Hejna 1900, Weder 1654, Steve Holzkamper 1496, Poidinger 1406, Dripps 1240, Green 1151, Greg Skaggs 1127.
Western Region Points: Shryock 676, A. Hejna 579, VanderBeek 553, Tesch 507, Krohn 473, Hughes 461, Green 448, Friesen 439, Poidinger 350, Weder 349.
Home Pride Passing Points (National): Shryock 123, VanderBeek 88½, A. Hejna 79½, Hughes 75, Weder 60.
Home Pride Passing Points (Western): Shryock 45, A. Hejna 37½, Green 33, VanderBeek 24, Friesen 21, Hughes 21.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Green 368, Cale Sponsler 225, Jay Noteboom 187, Ryan Gustin 186, Richie Gustin Jr. 186.
Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 262, Hughes 202, TRE 128, Harris 119, GRT 97.

Contingency Awards:
Belleville Motorsports – VanderBeek.
Boyer’s Engine Development – not awarded.
GRT Race Cars – A. Hejna.
Hawk Performance – not awarded.
Isky Racing Cams – A. Hejna.
Kevko Oil Pans & Components – Shryock.
KSE Racing Products –  Weder.
Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.
Nitroquest Web Solutions - Hughes.
Quarter Master – not awarded.
QuickTime Performance Parts – not awarded.
Real Racing Wheels – Friesen.