LOCUST GROVE, Ark. — Peyton Taylor of Batesville, Ark., captured Thursday's main event at the Batesville Motor Speedway to earn a sweep for the locals in USMTS Southern Series competition at the 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval. On May 12, Jared Landers of Batesville found victory lane at his hometown track on what was supposed to be the second of two nights. The first night was rained out and Thursday's race was a make-up of that event.

Taylor took the lead at the drop of the green flag in Thursday's Holley "A" Main, then proceeded to lead all 40 laps to pocket the $3,000 top prize sponsored by Larry Shaw Race Cars, Bad Boy Mowers and Mark Martin Ford. Jeremy Payne of Springfield, Mo., raced from last to first in his heat race, but was unable to make a challenge for the top spot and followed Taylor to the checkered flag with a runner-up finish.

Tommy Weder Jr. of Woodward, Okla., took the third-place paycheck, with 14th-starting Brandon Smith of Floral, Ark., fourth and 10th-starting Kevin Salter of Batesville in fifth. Sean Jones of Mansfield, Texas earned the Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger honors by finishing sixth after starting 20th in the 24-car feature.

Jeff Taylor, Landers, Michael Murphree and Jason Wilkey finished seventh through 10th, respectively.

Terry Phillips was slated to start from the pole, but mechanical woes sent him and his GRT Modified to the pits during the parade lap. It was the third time this season that Phillips had problems just prior to the start of the Holley "A" Main.

Most right rear tires, including those of the top three finishers, were burned up by the conclusion of the 40-lapper, with several drivers' tires not making the distance. Jason Krohn gave Taylor a run for his money throughout the main event, but a flat tire ended Krohn's night with five laps to go. At the same time, eight-time defending O’Reilly USMTS national champion Kelly Shryock suffered a flat tire while running fifth. Krohn wound up 17th while Shryock finished 15th.

Shryock remains the USMTS Southern Series points leader with a healthy margin (835 to 697) over Weder, who was the only top-10 driver in points that scored a top-10 finish Thursday night. Steve Holzkamper sits third with 690 points, followed by Randy Timms (676), Zack VanderBeek (651), Greg Skaggs (646), Jason Hughes (603), Rodney Sanders (584), Jamie Burford (541) and Brandon Morton (532).

UP NEXT:

On Friday, July 27, the USMTS Southern Series makes their debut at the Monticello (Ark.) Speedway for another $3,000-to-win clash and the Commercial Bank 40 presented by Larry Shaw Race Cars, Bad Boy Mowers and Mark Martin Ford. Also on the racing card will be Hobby Stocks, Street Stocks, Cruisers and Young Guns. Gates open at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30. The Monticello Speedway is a quarter-mile semi-banked clay oval located 7.2 miles south of US 278 on US 425 (WSR). For more info, call (870) 723-4895 or (870) 367-RACE or visit www.monticellospeedway.com online.

Fast Trax Speedway in Chatham, La., will be the venue on Saturday, July 28, with a $3,000 top prize up for grabs in the Specialty Contractors 40 presented by Larry Shaw Race Cars, Bad Boy Mowers and Mark Martin Ford. Southern SportsMods, Late Models, Street Stocks, Cruisers and the Young Guns Challenge will round out a complete show with gates opening at 5 p.m. and racing at 7:30. Fast Trax Speedway is a quarter-mile semi-banked clay oval located 4.0 miles southeast of SR 34 on SR 4 (NSR). For more information, call (318) 325-4568 or (318) 249-2443 on raceday or visit www.fasttraxspeedway.net online.

The whirlwind week wraps up with a long-awaited visit to Boothill Speedway in Greenwood, La., on Sunday, July 29, for the Marshall Mobile Homes Battle of Boothill presented by Larry Shaw Race Cars, Bad Boy Mowers and Mark Martin Ford. USMTS Southern Series drivers will battle for $2,000 to win, while Limited Modifieds and Factory Stocks will race for $500 to win in each class. Gates will open at 5 p.m. and the mud starts flyin’ at 7:30. Boothill Speedway a 7/16-mile high-banked clay oval located west of Shreveport on I-20 to Exit 3, then 0.2 mile north, then 0.2 mile east on McGee Rd., then left, then right. For raceday information, call (515) 297-3870.

Like each of the four regions comprising the 56-race O’Reilly USMTS National Events schedule, the 24-race USMTS Southern Series will boast a separate points fund and drivers competing in the USMTS Southern Series will have the opportunity to qualify to compete in ’The Hunt’ for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship. The top 10 in USMTS Southern Series points at the start of ’The Hunt’ will qualify, as well as all other drivers with perfect attendance at USMTS Southern Series events up to that date.

The American Racer KK704 is the Official Tire of the USMTS Southern Series, but drivers not competing for points and/or points funds have the option to utilize the Hoosier G60 tire. There is no requirement that a driver purchase a USMTS license to compete in any USMTS event. However, benefits enjoyed by licensed drivers includes bonus payouts, increased tow money, contingency awards, points funds eligibility, provisional starting spots, increased media recognition, a personalized driver profile page at www.usmts.com and more.

The USMTS Southern Series gives top drivers from Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and surrounding areas a touring format that pits the best of the best in Modified racing under the banner of America’s top Modified touring series.

To learn more about the USMTS Southern Series, call the headquarters office at (515) 832-7944 or visit www.usmts.com online.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
USMTS Southern Series
Batesville Blowout presented by Larry Shaw Race Cars, Bad Boy Mowers and Mark Martin Ford
Batesville Motor Speedway, Locust Grove, Ark.
Thursday, July 26, 2007

Showing finishing position, car number, driver, hometown and starting position in parentheses. The top 13 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. 15 - Larry Campbell -- Van Buren, AR (4)
2. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (9)
3. 05 - Michael Robertson -- Minden, LA (8)
4. 1/4 - Brandon Hunter -- Elma, AR (2)
5. 8 - Steve Miller -- Georgetown, TX (5)
6. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (3)
7. 33 - Heath Stevens -- Vilonia, AR (6)
8. 211 - Chad Fitzgerald -- Baytown, TX (1)
9. 8c - Keith Craft -- Arkadelphia, AR (10)
10. 015 - Thomas Blackwell -- Crandall, TX (7) DNF

HEAT #2 (10 laps):
1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (3)
2. 12B - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (2)
3. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (9)
4. 777 - Jared Landers -- Batesville, AR (8)
5. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (1)
6. 5T - Jeff Taylor -- Cave City, AR (10)
7. 32 - Brandon Ball -- West Plains, MO (6)
8. 56T - Troy Taylor -- Fort Worth, TX (4)
9. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (7)
10. 54 - Dena Wilson -- Coweta, OK (5)

HEAT #3 (10 laps):
1. 01 - Peyton Taylor -- Batesville, AR (2)
2. 83 - Willy Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (4)
3. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (8)
4. 4x - Bobby Malchus -- Red Oak, TX (1)
5. 5R - Sean Jones -- Mansfield, TX (9)
6. 7M - Nathan Sugg -- Arlington, TX (7)
7. 9 - Shane Herbert -- Scott, LA (5)
8. 14r - Mike Richardson -- Red Oak, TX (10)
9. D6 - Chris Huckaby -- Monroe, LA (6)
10. 45 - Shane Killingsworth -- Dallas, TX (3) DNF

HEAT #4 (10 laps):
1. 75 - Terry Phillips -- Springfield, MO (6)
2. 5t - Randy Timms -- Wheatland, OK (5)
3. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (2)
4. 00eh - Steve Arpin -- Rochester, MN (10)
5. 76 - Nicholas Littlejohn -- Everman, TX (1)
6. 26 - Patrick Linn -- Little Rock, AR (3)
7. 19 - Jamie Burford -- Keatchie, LA (8)
8. 28 - Ronnie Jeffrey -- Batesville, AR (9)
9. 99 - Danny Hebert -- Duson, LA (7)
10. F1 - Tyson Franks -- Oiltrough, AR (4) DNF

HEAT #5 (10 laps):
1. 87 - Kevin Salter -- Batesville, AR (1)
2. L51 - Jason Wilkey -- Batesville, AR (5)
3. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (4)
4. 73 - Shawn Walsh -- Ash Flat, AR (9)
5. 5W - John Whittington -- Vidor, TX (2)
6. 1 - T.J. Herndon -- Atwood, TN (7)
7. A1 - Phil Dixon -- Crosby, TX (3)
8. 36 - Ron Grandel -- Madison, MS (6)
9. 89 - Steven Whiteaker Jr. -- Corpus Christi, TX (8)

HEAT #6 (10 laps):
1. 74 - Jeremy Payne -- Springfield, MO (9)
2. 23 - Brandon Smith -- Floral, AR (4)
3. 51M - Michael Murphree -- Little Rock, AR (3)
4. 11 - Brandon Morton -- Coweta, OK (6)
5. C8 - Timothy Culp -- West Monroe, LA (8)
6. 561 - David Horner -- Houston, TX (5)
7. 77 - Billy Shearer -- Heber, AR (1)
8. 48 - Chase Allen -- Midlothian, TX (2)
9. 13 - David Mitchell -- Ashdown, AR (7)

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 3 advance):
1. 23 - Brandon Smith -- Floral, AR (1)
2. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (6)
3. 5R - Sean Jones -- Mansfield, TX (4)
4. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (3)
5. 26 - Patrick Linn -- Little Rock, AR (8)
6. 4x - Bobby Malchus -- Red Oak, TX (5)
7. 73 - Shawn Walsh -- Ash Flat, AR (2)
8. 28 - Ronnie Jeffrey -- Batesville, AR (11)
9. 36 - Ron Grandel -- Madison, MS (12)
10. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (13)
11. 7M - Nathan Sugg -- Arlington, TX (7)
12. 89 - Steven Whiteaker Jr. -- Corpus Christi, TX (14)
13. 54 - Dena Wilson -- Coweta, OK (15)
14. A1 - Phil Dixon -- Crosby, TX (10)
15. 33 - Heath Stevens -- Vilonia, AR (9) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 3 advance):
1. 777 - Jared Landers -- Batesville, AR (2)
2. 5T - Jeff Taylor -- Cave City, AR (5)
3. 51M - Michael Murphree -- Little Rock, AR (3)
4. C8 - Timothy Culp -- West Monroe, LA (4)
5. 00eh - Steve Arpin -- Rochester, MN (1)
6. 1 - T.J. Herndon -- Atwood, TN (7)
7. 32 - Brandon Ball -- West Plains, MO (9)
8. 76 - Nicholas Littlejohn -- Everman, TX (6)
9. 561 - David Horner -- Houston, TX (8)
10. 48 - Chase Allen -- Midlothian, TX (12)
11. 77 - Billy Shearer -- Heber, AR (10)
12. 211 - Chad Fitzgerald -- Baytown, TX (11)
13. D6 - Chris Huckaby -- Monroe, LA (13) DNF
14. 45 - Shane Killingsworth -- Dallas, TX (15) DNF
15. 13 - David Mitchell -- Ashdown, AR (14) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #3 (15 laps, top 3 advance):
1. 12B - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (1)
2. 11 - Brandon Morton -- Coweta, OK (3)
3. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (2)
4. 8c - Keith Craft -- Arkadelphia, AR (12)
5. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (7)
6. 5W - John Whittington -- Vidor, TX (6)
7. 9 - Shane Herbert -- Scott, LA (9)
8. F1 - Tyson Franks -- Oiltrough, AR (15)
9. 56T - Troy Taylor -- Fort Worth, TX (11)
10. 1/4 - Brandon Hunter -- Elma, AR (4)
11. 99 - Danny Hebert -- Duson, LA (13)
12. 14r - Mike Richardson -- Red Oak, TX (10)
13. 8 - Steve Miller -- Georgetown, TX (5)
14. 19 - Jamie Burford -- Keatchie, LA (8) DNF
15. 015 - Thomas Blackwell -- Crandall, TX (14) DNS

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. 01 - Peyton Taylor -- Batesville, AR (2)
2. 74 - Jeremy Payne -- Springfield, MO (3)
3. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (5)
4. 23 - Brandon Smith -- Floral, AR (14)
5. 87 - Kevin Salter -- Batesville, AR (10)
6. 5R - Sean Jones -- Mansfield, TX (20)
7. 5T - Jeff Taylor -- Cave City, AR (18)
8. 777 - Jared Landers -- Batesville, AR (15)
9. 51M - Michael Murphree -- Little Rock, AR (21)
10. L51 - Jason Wilkey -- Batesville, AR (9)
11. 5t - Randy Timms -- Wheatland, OK (6)
12. 11 - Brandon Morton -- Coweta, OK (19)
13. 12B - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (16)
14. 54 - Dena Wilson -- Coweta, OK (23)
15. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (12)
16. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (17) DNF
17. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (4) DNF
18. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (7) DNF
19. 56T - Troy Taylor -- Fort Worth, TX (24) DNF
20. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (22) DNF
21. 15 - Larry Campbell -- Van Buren, AR (8) DNF
22. 05 - Michael Robertson -- Minden, LA (11) DNF
23. 83 - Willy Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (13) DNF
24. 75 - Terry Phillips -- Springfield, MO (1) DNS

Lap Leaders: P. Taylor 1-40.
Total Laps Led: P. Taylor 40.
Pole Award: Payne.
Provisional Starters: Wilson, T. Taylor.
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Jones (started 20th, finished 6th).
Next USMTS Southern Series Event: Friday, July 27, Monticello (Ark.) Speedway.
USMTS Southern Series Points: Shryock 835, Weder 697, Holzkamper 690, Timms 676, VanderBeek 651, Skaggs 646, Hughes 603, Sanders 584, Burford 541, Morton 532.
USMTS Southern Series Home Pride Passing Points: Shryock 51, VanderBeek 36, Hughes 36, Timms 34½, Bone 33, Weder 33.

Contingency Awards:
Boyer’s Engine Development – P. Taylor.
GRT Race Cars – Jones.
Hawk Performance – Landers.
Isky Racing Cams – not awarded.
Kevko Oil Pans & Components – Bone.
KSE Racing Products – Payne, Smith.
Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.
Nitroquest Web Solutions - Weder.
Quarter Master – P. Taylor, Murphree.
QuickTime Performance Parts – J. Taylor.
Real Racing Wheels – Smith, Landers, Bone.

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USMTS SOUTHERN SERIES OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Race Tires, Arizona Sport Shirts, Fast Company Performance, Holley Performance Products, Home Pride Companies, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, Marsh Racing Wheels, Nitroquest Web Solutions, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Olympic Fire Protection, Real Racing Wheels.

USMTS SOUTHERN SERIES 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 SOUTHERN SERIES 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).