CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Jason Hughes of Westville, Okla., passed teammate Tommy Weder Jr. on lap 21, then pulled away over the final 14 laps for the victory Thursday night as the USMTS Southern Series invaded the South Texas Speedway for the first night of the inaugural South Texas Fall Nationals.

The $1,000 triumph was the second straight USMTS Southern Series win for Hughes and his third overall, while Woodward, Okla.'s Weder grabbed the runner-up spot for the second time in as many races. Rookies Rockin' Sports Bar National Rookie of the Year Scott Green of Derby, Kan., scored his best finish of the season with a third-place paycheck and gave the stable of Hughes Chassis drivers a sweep of the podium.

Current points leader Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, finished fourth ahead of Corpus Christi fan favorite Steven Whiteaker Jr., who earned the Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger honors by racing to a fifth-place finish from 16th on the starting grid.

Randy Timms, Chris Brown, Greg Skaggs, Lawrence Mikulencak and Steve Holzkamper rounded out the top-10 finishers. By virtue of earning more passing points than Shryock in the main event, Timms closed the gap by a single point in the battle for the USMTS Southern Series crown.

Shryock leads Timms by an even 100 points (1620 to 1520) while Hughes (1494) narrowed the gap between himself and the leaders with Thursday's win. Weder sits fourth in the rankings with 1474 markers, followed by Skaggs (1413), Holzkamper (1395), Green (1164), Rodney "Rocket" Sanders (968), Jamie Burford (955) and Dena Wilson (952). Just 12 points separate Wilson and the next three spots held by Whiteaker, Nicholas Littlejohn and Zack VanderBeek.

The USMTS Southern Series will be back in action on Friday and Saturday for the final two nights of the South Texas Speedway tripleheader. A top prize of $2,000 awaits Friday’s main event winner, while Saturday’s top dog will pocket $3,000. On Friday, gates open at 5 p.m. with racing slated for 7:30. On Saturday, gates open at 4 p.m. and the first green flag waves at 6:30.

Friday night is designated as Childhelp Night, and race fans can help play a direct role in the treatment and prevention of child abuse by simply attending the races. For every ticket sold in the grandstands on Friday, a donation of $1 will go to Childhelp to help carry out their mission of meeting the physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs of abused and neglected children. To make a donation to help abused children, contact Childhelp at (480) 922-8212 or visit them online at www.childhelp.org.

Limited Mods will also be running both days, paying $700 to win Friday and $1,000 to win Saturday.

South Texas Speedway is located 2.0 miles southwest of SR 358 on Old Brownsville Rd. (CR 665) in Corpus Christi, Texas. Voted one of the best 50 racetracks in America by Behind The Wheel Magazine, South Texas Speedway features ultra-clean facilities, aluminum seating for over 3,000 fans and bright stadium lighting which provides great views of the action on the exciting semi-banked 1/4-mile clay oval.

For more information, call the South Texas Speedway offices at (361) 548-0669 or (361) 808-RACE on race day. The track's website is located at www.southtexasspeedway.com.

All USMTS rules will apply. American Racer is the Official Tire of the USMTS, and any driver seeking to receive USMTS Southern Series points and/or contingency awards must use the American Racer KK-704 racing tire. The Hoosier G60 tire will also be allowed for this race, but must be mounted on all four wheels with no grooving allowed.

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
Inaugural South Texas Fall Nationals - Night 1 of 3
South Texas Speedway, Corpus Christi, Texas
Thursday, Nov. 15, 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 (10 laps):
1. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (2)
2. 21 - Chris Brown -- Cleveland, TX (4)
3. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (6)
4. 89 - Steven Whiteaker Jr. -- Corpus Christi, TX (1)
5. 8g - Jordan Grabouski -- Beatrice, NE (3)
6. 8 - Steve Miller -- Georgetown, TX (7)
7. 15 - Chuck Perry -- Corpus Christi, TX (8)
8. 55 - Christopher Brown -- Corpus Christi, TX (5) DNF

HEAT #2 (10 laps):
1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (3)
2. 87 - Lawrence Mikulencak -- Corpus Christi, TX (1)
3. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (4)
4. 54 - Dena Wilson -- Coweta, OK (2)
5. 38 - David Schury -- Corpus Christi, TX (6)
6. 37 - Bill Pittaway -- Corpus Christi, TX (5)
7. 13 - Ken Hobbs -- Corpus Christi, TX (7) DNF
8. 144 - David Grigg -- Springdale, AR (8) DNS

HEAT #3 (10 laps):
1. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (2)
2. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (5)
3. 76 - Nicholas Littlejohn -- Everman, TX (4)
4. 55m - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (3)
5. 8mr - Mike Riley -- Corpus Christi, TX (1)
6. 35 - Eddy Ross -- Corpus Christi, TX (6)
7. 57 - Dale Flanagan -- Corpus Christi, TX (7)

HEAT #4 (10 laps):
1. 39 - John Armstrong -- Bellaire, TX (1)
2. 44 - Joey Heinaman -- Corpus Christi, TX (2)
3. 51 - Jack Sullivan -- Greenbrier, AR (3)
4. 20x - Brian Rye -- Corpus Christi, TX (7)
5. 31 - Elias Anderson -- Austin, TX (6)
6. 5t - Randy Timms -- Wheatland, OK (4) -1 Lap
7. 89x - Lupe Gomez -- Corpus Christi, TX (5) DNF

HEAT #5 (10 laps):
1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (2)
2. 2w - Paul White -- Temple, TX (3)
3. 561 - David Horner -- Houston, TX (4)
4. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (7)
5. L1 - Larry Clevenger -- Greenwood, LA (1)
6. 98 - Trevor Huston -- McAllen, TX (5)
7. 17b - Bruce Barber -- Corpus Christi, TX (6) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 5t - Randy Timms -- Wheatland, OK (9)
2. 76 - Nicholas Littlejohn -- Everman, TX (1)
3. 54 - Dena Wilson -- Coweta, OK (4)
4. 8g - Jordan Grabouski -- Beatrice, NE (6)
5. 51 - Jack Sullivan -- Greenbrier, AR (3)
6. 20x - Brian Rye -- Corpus Christi, TX (2)
7. 38 - David Schury -- Corpus Christi, TX (5)
8. 37 - Bill Pittaway -- Corpus Christi, TX (8)
9. L1 - Larry Clevenger -- Greenwood, LA (7) DNF
10. 15 - Chuck Perry -- Corpus Christi, TX (10) DNF
11. 57 - Dale Flanagan -- Corpus Christi, TX (11) DNF
12. 17b - Bruce Barber -- Corpus Christi, TX (12) DNS
13. 144 - David Grigg -- Springdale, AR (13) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (2)
2. 89 - Steven Whiteaker Jr. -- Corpus Christi, TX (3)
3. 561 - David Horner -- Houston, TX (1)
4. 55m - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (4)
5. 98 - Trevor Huston -- McAllen, TX (9)
6. 8 - Steve Miller -- Georgetown, TX (7)
7. 31 - Elias Anderson -- Austin, TX (5)
8. 35 - Eddy Ross -- Corpus Christi, TX (8)
9. 8mr - Mike Riley -- Corpus Christi, TX (6)
10. 13 - Ken Hobbs -- Corpus Christi, TX (10)
11. 89x - Lupe Gomez -- Corpus Christi, TX (11) DNF
12. 55 - Christopher Brown -- Corpus Christi, TX (12) DNS

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (35 laps):
1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (7)
2. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (1)
3. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (2)
4. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (3)
5. 89 - Steven Whiteaker Jr. -- Corpus Christi, TX (16)
6. 5t - Randy Timms -- Wheatland, OK (13)
7. 21 - Chris Brown -- Cleveland, TX (4)
8. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (6)
9. 87 - Lawrence Mikulencak -- Corpus Christi, TX (10)
10. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (9)
11. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (12)
12. 76 - Nicholas Littlejohn -- Everman, TX (15)
13. 54 - Dena Wilson -- Coweta, OK (17)
14. 55m - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (20)
15. 39 - John Armstrong -- Bellaire, TX (8)
16. 561 - David Horner -- Houston, TX (18)
17. 98 - Trevor Huston -- McAllen, TX (22)
18. 44 - Joey Heinaman -- Corpus Christi, TX (11)
19. 2w - Paul White -- Temple, TX (5) DNF
20. 8 - Steve Miller -- Georgetown, TX (24) DNF
21. L1 - Larry Clevenger -- Greenwood, LA (23) DNF
22. 51 - Jack Sullivan -- Greenbrier, AR (21) DNF
23. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (14) DNF
24. 8g - Jordan Grabouski -- Beatrice, NE (19) DNF

Lap Leaders: Weder 1-21, Hughes 22-35.
Total Laps Led: Weder 21, Hughes 14.
Pole Award: Shryock.
Provisional Starters: Clevenger, Miller.
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Whiteaker (started 16th, finished 5th).
Next USMTS Southern Series Event: Friday, Nov. 16, South Texas Speedway, Corpus Christi, Texas.
USMTS Southern Series Points: Shryock 1620, Timms 1520, Hughes 1494, Weder 1474, Skaggs 1413, Holzkamper 1395, Green 1164, Sanders 968, Jamie Burford 955, Wilson 952.
USMTS Southern Series Home Pride Passing Points: Shryock 76½, Weder 75, Skaggs 67½, Hughes 63, Timms 57.

Contingency Awards:
GRT Race Cars – not awarded.
Hawk Performance – Skaggs.
Isky Racing Cams – Green.
Kevko Oil Pans & Components – Whiteaker, Wilson.
KSE Racing Products – Weder, Shryock.
Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.
Nitroquest Web Solutions - Green.
Quarter Master – Hughes.
QuickTime Performance Parts – Chris Brown.
Real Racing Wheels – Timms, VanderBeek.

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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).