Waits breaks, Myer breaks through in O’Reilly USMTS tilt at Kasson
KASSON, Minn. — When the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series invaded the Kasson (Minn.) on May 27, local favorite Brad Waits of Zumbrota, Minn., dominated the main event as he led all 35 laps for an impressive victory over a stellar field of Modifieds. The O’Reilly USMTS returned to Kasson Wednesday night, and Waits was on top of his game again, leading laps 1-35 of the Holley "A" Main from the pole position.
The main event this time, however, was 40 laps.
Coming to the flagstand to complete the 35th lap and enjoying an eight-car-length advantage over Tommy Myer, Waits' No. 24 Skyrocket suddenly slowed and he exited the track with a broken U-joint and broken-hearted.
That opened the door for Myer, who assumed the top spot and paced the field over the final five circuits for his first O’Reilly USMTS win of 2007. It was the first win since Sept. 15 last year as the popular pilot from Blooming Prairie, Minn., pocketed $2,000 for his efforts.
Although Waits was in command for a majority of the race, the action behind him was hot and heavy as drivers jockeyed for position on the fast, smooth, multi-grooved track. Myer grabbed the runner-up position from Jason Krohn of Slayton, Minn., with 10 laps to go. Krohn left the racetrack with mechanical problems a lap later as Kasson's Todd Scharkey closed in on Myer's rear bumper.
For the last five orbits, Myer was perfect as he gave BC Chassis their first win of the season too. Scharkey held on for second while Rochester's Tim Donlinger raced from 12th on the 24-car starting grid to finish third. Colcord, Okla.'s Jason Hughes started 14th and finished fourth. Corey Dripps did the most passing of them all as he finished fifth after starting 18th. It gave BC Chassis two cars in the top-5 and earned Dripps the Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger honors.
Al Hejna, Dean Mahlstedt, Kelly Shryock, Mark Noble and Zack VanderBeek rounded out the top-10 finishers.
With his ninth-place finish, Noble moved into 10th in the Yeager Machine Northeast Region standings and elevated his hopes of qualifying for the ‘The Hunt’ for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship. With three events left in the Yeager Machine Northeast Region — including events tomorrow and Friday — Noble must secure a top-10 finish in the Region in order to make ‘The Hunt’.
The O’Reilly USMTS returns to action on Thursday night at the Upper Iowa Speedway in Decorah, Iowa, before wrapping up the four-race swing at the Tri-Oval Speedway in Fountain City, Wis.
To learn more about the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series, call (515) 832-7944 or visit www.usmts.com online.
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OFFICIAL RESULTS
O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series
National Event - Yeager Machine Northeast Region
6th Annual Dodge County Shootout
Kasson Speedway, Kasson, Minn.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Showing finishing position, car number, driver, hometown and starting position in parentheses. The top 16 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 (10 laps):
1. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (1)
2. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (6)
3. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (3)
4. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (8)
5. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (7)
6. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (5)
7. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (4)
8. 96 - Greg Jensen -- Albert Lea, MN (2)
HEAT #2 (10 laps):
1. 24 - Brad Waits -- Zumbrota, MN (4)
2. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (2)
3. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (6)
4. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (3)
5. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN (7)
6. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (5)
7. 27 - Ben Rippentrop -- Hayfield, MN (1)
8. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (8) DNS
HEAT #3 (10 laps):
1. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (3)
2. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rolling Stone, MN (6)
3. 45 - Todd Scharkey -- Kasson, MN (7)
4. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (1)
5. 0 - Craig Scott -- Rosemount, MN (5)
6. 80 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (4)
7. 21x - Joe Wernecke -- Dodge Center, MN (8)
8. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (2)
HEAT #4 (10 laps):
1. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (2)
2. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (8)
3. 55 - Brian Shaw -- Brownsdale, MN (3)
4. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (6)
5. 42 - Tom Paulson -- Kasson, MN (5)
6. 58 - Scott Vesely -- Mosinee, WI (7)
7. 71 - Jason Cummins -- New Richland, MN (1) DNF
8. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (4) DNF
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (10 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (2)
2. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (3)
3. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (6)
4. 27 - Ben Rippentrop -- Hayfield, MN (8)
5. 58 - Scott Vesely -- Mosinee, WI (5)
6. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (10)
7. 0 - Craig Scott -- Rosemount, MN (4)
8. 96 - Greg Jensen -- Albert Lea, MN (9)
9. 21x - Joe Wernecke -- Dodge Center, MN (7)
10. 55 - Brian Shaw -- Brownsdale, MN (1) DNF
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (10 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (5)
2. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN (3)
3. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (9)
4. 72 - Douglas Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (2)
5. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (7)
6. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (1)
7. 80 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (6)
8. 42 - Tom Paulson -- Kasson, MN (4)
9. 71 - Jason Cummins -- New Richland, MN (8) DNS
10. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (10) DNS
HOLLEY “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (4)
2. 45 - Todd Scharkey -- Kasson, MN (5)
3. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (12)
4. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (14)
5. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (18)
6. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (10)
7. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (9)
8. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (11)
9. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (15)
10. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (13)
11. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (3)
12. 72 - Douglas Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (20)
13. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (6)
14. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (17)
15. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (8)
16. 27 - Ben Rippentrop -- Hayfield, MN (19)
17. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN (16)
18. 24 - Brad Waits -- Zumbrota, MN (2) DNF
19. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (1) DNF
20. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rolling Stone, MN (7) DNF
21. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (22) DNF
22. 55 - Brian Shaw -- Brownsdale, MN (23) DNF
23. 58 - Scott Vesely -- Mosinee, WI (21) DNF
24. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (24) DNF
AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Waits 1-35, Myer 36-40.
Total Laps Led: Waits 35, Myer 5.
AFCO Pole Award: Schluetter.
Provisional Starters: Shaw (regional), Mondus (national).
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Dripps (started 18th, finished 5th).
Next Race: Thursday, July 19, Upper Iowa Speedway, Decorah, Iowa.
O’Reilly National Points: Shryock 2972, VanderBeek 2386, Hughes 2303, Hejna 2253, Weder 1933, Poidinger 1626, Steve Holzkamper 1496, Dripps 1473, Green 1425, Tesch 1376.
Yeager Machine Northeast Region Points: Shryock 651, Hughes 590, VanderBeek 538, Tesch 500, Myer 478, Dripps 478, Weder 444, Steve Holzkamper 402, Poidinger 385, Noble 355.
Home Pride Passing Points (National): Shryock 135, VanderBeek 91˝, Hejna 85˝, Hughes 82˝, Green 66.
Home Pride Passing Points (Northeast): Shryock 36, Hughes 25˝, Dripps 22˝, Waits 19˝, Tesch 18.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Green 468, Cale Sponsler 225, Jay Noteboom 187, Ryan Gustin 186, Richie Gustin Jr. 186.
Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 295, Hughes 235, Harris 151, TRE 128, GRT 119.
Contingency Awards:
Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.
Boyer’s Engine Development – Myer.
GRT Race Cars – Hejna.
Hawk Performance – Shryock.
Isky Racing Cams – Myer.
Kevko Oil Pans & Components – Dripps, Green.
KSE Racing Products – Hughes.
Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.
Nitroquest Web Solutions - Donlinger.
Quarter Master – Myer, Noble.
QuickTime Performance Parts – Mahlstedt.
Real Racing Wheels – VanderBeek, Hughes.
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USMTS TITLE SPONSOR: O’Reilly Auto Parts.
USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Race Tires, AMSOIL, Arizona Sport Shirts, BRODIX, Fast Company Performance, Holley Performance Products, Home Pride Companies, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, Marsh Racing Wheels, Nitroquest Web Solutions, Olympic Fire Protection, Real Racing Wheels, Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar, Yeager Machine.
USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Boom Drilling, Borco LP, Day Motor Sports, Gressell Oil Field Services, Hughes Racing Chassis, KraftKar Race Cars, McVicker Oil Fields, Rinehart Trucking.
USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Belleville Motorsports, Bilstein Shocks, Boyer’s Engine Development, Dynatech Racing Exhaust, GRT Race Cars, Hawk Performance, Hyperco, Isky Racing Cams, KSE Racing Products, Quarter Master, QuickTime Performance Race Parts, Racer’s Choice (RCI).