OWATONNA, Minn. – Tim Donlinger of Rochester, Minn., scored his first O’Reilly USMTS National Tour victory of the season with a wire-to-wire win in the 5th Annual Memorial Day Shootout at the Steele County Speedway in Owatonna, Minn.

Donlinger led all 30 laps of the Holley “A” Main and pocketed $2,000 for his efforts. Driving the Ron's Automotive #3D Skyrocket Chassis, Donlinger jumped ahead of polesitter Steve Wetzstein of West Concord, Minn., at the drop of the green flag, then survived three cautions and the challenges of Westville, Okla.'s Jason Hughes to take the win.

Hughes, who was looking for his third straight victory in the Casey's General Stores #12 Hughes Chassis, had to settle for the runner-up spot, while Wetzstein finished third. Brandon Kenny of Woodward, Okla., extended his advantage in the Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year rankings with a fourth-place finish, and Dean Mahlstedt of Clear Lake, Iowa, took home a fifth-place paycheck.

Al Hejna, Richie Gustin Jr., Bob Timm, Tommy Myer and Mark Noble rounded out the top-10 finishers.

Hughes moved into the points lead of the Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region after points leader Kelly Shryock was forced to scratch from the main event when he blew a motor following his win in the first Real Racing Wheels “B” Main.

Shryock and four other Skyrocket Chassis drivers were testing at the Kasson (Minn.) Speedway earlier in the day Monday when Bryan Rowland crashed his Modified. Rowland used Shryock's green #3 machine at Owatonna while Shryock drove his black #3. With Rowland already qualified for Monday's main event in Shryock's other Modified, the eight-time O’Reilly USMTS National Champ was unable to use his other car as a back-up and failed to start an O’Reilly USMTS National Tour main event for the first time in nearly a decade.

Although Hughes tops the Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region points chase, his lead is anything but safe as Donlinger trails by just a single point (458 to 457) on the strength of five top-10 finishes in five starts. Hejna also has five top-10 showings and sits third with 421 points. Zack VanderBeek if fourth with 417, followed by Shryock (415), Myer (394), Wetzstein (372), Kenny (360), defending O’Reilly USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn (344) and Noble (341).

Noble became a “Top Dog” after earning the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award for racing from 18th to 10th in Monday's finale. The Top Dog Bonus guarantees that the top-10 in points will earn a minimum of $400 against winnings at each event where that driver is among the top-10 in points for that region.

UP NEXT:

The O’Reilly USMTS National Tour travels to the LaSalle Speedway in LaSalle, Ill., on Saturday, May 31, for the inaugural event at the quick quarter-mile oval. On Sunday, June 1, the tour treks to the Quad City Raceway in East Moline, Ill., for the 2nd Annual Spring Clash. Then, on Monday, June 2, the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, will be the setting for the 2nd Annual NASCAR Night presented by Karl Chevrolet. NASCAR veterans Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace will be on hand to sign autographs and compete against the rugged road warriors of the USMTS.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, call the headquarters at (515) 832-7944 or visit www.usmts.com online for the latest news and information from the USMTS — America's Hottest Ticket on Dirt.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
O’Reilly USMTS National Tour
5th Annual Memorial Day Shootout
Steele County Speedway, Owatonna, Minn.
Monday, May 26, 2008

Showing finishing position, car number, driver, hometown and starting position in parentheses. The top 12 drivers in 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.

ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (2)
2. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (9)
3. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (5)
4. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rollingstone, MN (6)
5. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (10)
6. 7n - Jay Noteboom -- Hinton, IA (7)
7. 19r - Ryan Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (4)
8. 2 - Joey Schaefer -- Waterloo, IA (3)
9. 3 - Bryan Rowland -- Woodward, OK (8)
10. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (1) DNF

NEW VISION GRAPHICS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN (1)
2. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (4)
3. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (3)
4. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (6)
5. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (5)
6. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (7)
7. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (8)
8. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (9)
9. 17 - Steve Stewart -- Washington, IA (2)
10. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (10) DNS

HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. 21b - Brandon Kenny -- Woodward, OK (1)
2. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (7)
3. 19g - Richie Gustin Jr. -- Gilman, IA (6)
4. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (9)
5. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (5)
6. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (8)
7. 75 - James Parker -- Dodge Center, MN (4)
8. 71 - Jason Cummins -- New Richland, MN (2)
9. 23 - Darwin Karau -- Kasson, MN (3) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (10 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (1)
2. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (2)
3. 7n - Jay Noteboom -- Hinton, IA (3)
4. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (4)
5. 3 - Bryan Rowland -- Woodward, OK (7)
6. 2 - Joey Schaefer -- Waterloo, IA (6)
7. 75 - James Parker -- Dodge Center, MN (5)
8. 23 - Darwin Karau -- Kasson, MN (8) DNF
9. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (9) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (10 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (2)
2. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (3)
3. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (1)
4. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (5)
5. 71 - Jason Cummins -- New Richland, MN (6)
6. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (8)
7. 17 - Steve Stewart -- Washington, IA (7) DNF
8. 19r - Ryan Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (4) DNS

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (30 laps):
1. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (2)
2. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (3)
3. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN (1)
4. 21b - Brandon Kenny -- Woodward, OK (4)
5. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (10)
6. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (11)
7. 19g - Richie Gustin Jr. -- Gilman, IA (7)
8. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rollingstone, MN (12)
9. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (9)
10. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (18)
11. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (6)
12. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (20)
13. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (16)
14. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (15)
15. 71 - Jason Cummins -- New Richland, MN (22)
16. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (8)
17. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (19) DNF
18. 7n - Jay Noteboom -- Hinton, IA (17) DNF
19. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (14) DNF
20. 3 - Bryan Rowland -- Woodward, OK (21) DNF
21. 2 - Joey Schaefer -- Waterloo, IA (23) DNF
22. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (5) DNF
23. 17 - Steve Stewart -- Washington, IA (24) DNF
24. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (13) DNS

Lap Leaders: Donlinger 1-30.
Total Laps Led: Donlinger 30.
AFCO Pole Winner: Krohn.
Provisional Starters: Schaefer, Stewart.
Ruter Farms Long Tow: Stewart (271.03 miles).
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award: Noble (started 18th, finished 10th).
Next Race: Saturday, May 31, LaSalle Speedway, LaSalle, Ill (Central States Region).
Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region Points: Hughes 458, Donlinger 457, Hejna 421, VanderBeek 417, Shryock 415, Myer 394, Wetzstein 372, Kenny 360, Krohn 344, Noble 341.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Kenny 323, Ramirez 224, Rowland 195, Gary Langworthy Jr. 128, Stewart 96.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Sput’s 122, A.S.I. 102, Mullins 101, Wanders 87, JRM 72.
Chassis Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 130, Hughes 114, Harris 85, GRT 53, Kraft 46.

Contingency Awards:
American Racer – Dripps.
Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.
BSB Manufacturing – Noble.
Hawk Performance – Donlinger, Myer.
Isky Racing Cams – Ramirez.
KSE Racing Products – Noble.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Shryock.
New Vision Graphics – Wetzstein.
Nitroquest Web Solutions - Wetzstein.
Quarter Master – Donlinger, Timm.
QuickTime Performance Parts – Richie Gustin Jr.
Real Racing Wheels – Shryock, Hillson.
Ruter Farms – Stewart.
TrackTek Racing Fuel – not awarded.

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TITLE SPONSOR: O’Reilly Auto Parts.

PRESENTING SPONSOR: Casey’s General Stores.

OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Race Tires, Arizona Sport Shirts, Awesome Race Suits, Bear Tire Company, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Childhelp, Gressel Racing, Houston Specialty Products Co., Karl Chevrolet, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest Web Solutions, Q.E.M., Inc., TrackTek Racing Fuel, Western Flyer Xpress.

PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Boom Drilling, Day Motor Sports, Kraft/Ramirez Race Cars, Olympic Fire Protection, Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar, Ruter Farms, Yeager Machine.

CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Belleville Motorsports, Bert Transmission, BSB Manufacturing, COMP Cams, Duralite Racing Wheels, Dynatech Racing Exhaust, GRT Race Cars, Hawk Performance, Holley Performance Products, Hyperco, ISKY Racing Cams, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Quarter Master, QuickTime Performance Race Parts, Real Racing Wheels, US Brake.