KASSON, Minn. – Bridesmaid.

Say the word out loud and it is actually sounds similar to the name Brad Waits.

But after Thursday night's performance at the Kasson Speedway, bridesmaid is a term that can no longer be associated with the veteran Modified racer from Zumbrota, Minn.

After settling for the runner-up paycheck in all four of his previous starts this season with the O’Reilly USMTS National Tour, Waits was finally able to enjoy being on the receiving end of the handshakes and congratulatory remarks rather than begrudgingly delivering them.

In the season opener at the Junction Motor Speedway back in March, Waits came up one spot short of victory in both nights of the doubleheader, and two months ago in Kasson he chased Jason Hughes to the checkered flag. On Thursday night, Waits was once again the pursuer with eight-time O'Reilly USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock the pursuee.

Shryock grabbed the lead in the 40-lap main event at the drop of the green flag and paced the first 20 laps in front of a pack of crowd-pleasing battles before Jon Tesch was able to slip by to lead lap 21.

Shryock reclaimed the top spot one lap later while Hughes stepped in to put the pressure on Shryock while Waits came up from his eighth-place starting spot to stalk the leaders. Tesch and Wednesday night's winner, Tim Donlinger, battled behind Waits until the yellow flag waved for Hughes, who found himself on the losing end of a tussle with a lapped car.

On the restart, Waits hounded Shryock for the lead and as the two fought for position on lap 30, Shryock slowed and dropped from contention with a broken transmission. Waits went unchallenged the rest of the way to pocket the $2,000 top prize and yank the proverbial monkey from his back.

Tesch hung on for second ahead of Donlinger, with 10-starting Zack VanderBeek edging 11th-starting Bob Timm for the fourth spot. Tommy Myer, who started 19th earned the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award, finished sixth, while Alan Mondus, Dereck Ramirez, Mike Sorensen and Scott Green completed the top-10 at the finish line.

With Hughes and Shryock taking rare finishes outside of the top-10, Donlinger was able to pad his points lead in the Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region. Donlinger leads Hughes by 27 markers (625 to 598) while Shryock is an additional 20 points behind with 578. The remainder of the top-10 are Al Hejna (571), VanderBeek (564), Brandon Kenny (495), Myer (488), Mondus (485), Steve Wetzstein (475) and Timm (473).

Four straight nights of racing for the rugged road warriors of the O’Reilly USMTS National Tour wraps up on Friday at the Tri-Oval Speedway in Fountain City, Wis., for another event in the Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region. Pit gates open at 5 p.m., hot laps begin at 7:15 and the first heat race is slated to get the green flag at 7:30.

The Tri-Oval Speedway is a 3/8-mile semi-banked clay tri-oval located 3.0 miles north of Fountain City on SR 35. The Hwy. 43 bridge over the Mississippi River has re-opened, so fans and race teams can enjoy un-detoured access to the facility. The bridge was closed June 3 because of rust and corrosion found in gusset plates at several locations of the bridge. For day-of-race information, call (608) 687-3282 or visit www.triovalspeedway.com online.

Race fans can pick up $2-off discount coupons for Friday's event at all Casey's General Stores locations in Rochester, Minn., and Sparta, Wis.

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 (Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region)
Inaugural Event
Kasson Speedway, Kasson, Minn.
Thursday, July 24, 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. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (1)
2. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (3)
3. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rollingstone, MN (2)
4. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (4)
5. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (8)
6. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (5)
7. 21x - Joe Wernecke -- Dodge Center, MN (6)
8. 3x - Brady Peterson -- Cottage Grove, MN (7) DNF
9. 42 - Tom Paulson -- Kasson, MN (9) DNS

NEW VISION GRAPHICS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (2)
2. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN (3)
3. 19 - Mike Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (5)
4. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (4)
5. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (7)
6. 44 - LeRoy Scharkey -- Rochester, MN (1)
7. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (6)
8. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (8)

Q.E.M., INC. HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (1)
2. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (2)
3. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (4)
4. 45 - Todd Scharkey -- Kasson, MN (5)
5. 02 - Jacob Dahle -- Morristown, MN (3)
6. 20r - Brandon Kenny -- Woodward, OK (7)
7. 6m - Ted Marrs -- Bethel, MN (6)
8. 1x - Bobby Swanson -- Kasson, MN (8)

HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. 36 - Kenny Wallace -- Concord, NC (1)
2. 24 - Brad Waits -- Zumbrota, MN (6)
3. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (3)
4. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (2)
5. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (8)
6. 1r - Ryan York -- Racine, MN (7)
7. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (4)
8. 77 - Tom Brink -- Winona, MN (5) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 45 - Todd Scharkey -- Kasson, MN (1)
2. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (4)
3. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (6)
4. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (3)
5. 20r - Brandon Kenny -- Woodward, OK (5)
6. 21x - Joe Wernecke -- Dodge Center, MN (7)
7. 6m - Ted Marrs -- Bethel, MN (8)
8. 1x - Bobby Swanson -- Kasson, MN (10)
9. 3x - Brady Peterson -- Cottage Grove, MN (9) DNF
10. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (2) DNF
11. 42 - Tom Paulson -- Kasson, MN (11) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (1)
2. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (3)
3. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (7)
4. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (9)
5. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (2)
6. 1r - Ryan York -- Racine, MN (5)
7. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (8)
8. 02 - Jacob Dahle -- Morristown, MN (4)
9. 77 - Tom Brink -- Winona, MN (10)
10. 44 - LeRoy Scharkey -- Rochester, MN (6)

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. 24 - Brad Waits -- Zumbrota, MN (8)
2. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (5)
3. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (4)
4. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (10)
5. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rollingstone, MN (11)
6. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (19)
7. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (16)
8. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (15)
9. 19 - Mike Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (9)
10. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (2)
11. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (14)
12. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (18)
13. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (3)
14. 20r - Brandon Kenny -- Woodward, OK (21)
15. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (20)
16. 36 - Kenny Wallace -- Concord, NC (7)
17. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (22)
18. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (23)
19. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (1) DNF
20. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (12) DNF
21. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN (6) DNF
22. 45 - Todd Scharkey -- Kasson, MN (13) DNF
23. 21x - Joe Wernecke -- Dodge Center, MN (24) DNF
24. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (17) DNF

Lap Leaders: Shryock 1-20, Tesch 21, Shryock 22-29, Waits 30-40.
Total Laps Led: Shryock 28, Waits 11, Tesch 1.
AFCO Pole Winner: Waits.
Provisional Starters: Hillson, Wernecke.
Ruter Farms Long Tow: Hughes (639.12 miles).
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger: Myer (started 19th, finished 6th).
Next Race: Friday, July 25, Tri-Oval Speedway, Fountain City, Wis. (Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region).
Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region Points: Donlinger 625, Hughes 598, Shryock 578, Hejna 571, VanderBeek 564, Kenny 495, Myer 488, Mondus 485, Wetzstein 475, Timm 473.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Kenny 620, Ramirez 608, Bryan Rowland 425, Gary Langworthy Jr. 161, Colt Mather 149.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Sput’s 267, Mullins 227, Wanders 198, A.S.I. 193, JR 178.
Chassis Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 281, Hughes 236, Harris 187, Kraft 165, Specialty 84.

Contingency Awards:
AFCO Racing Products – Waits.
American Racer – Hillson.
Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.
BSB Manufacturing – Green.
Hawk Performance – Waits, Sorensen.
Isky Racing Cams – Tesch.
KSE Racing Products – Myer.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Neal.
New Vision Graphics – Green.
Nitroquest Web Solutions - Donlinger.
Quarter Master – Waits, Ramirez.
QuickTime Performance Parts – Mondus.
Real Racing Wheels – Krohn.
Ruter Farms – Hughes.
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, AwesomeRaceSuits.com, 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, Buzzard Racing Engines, 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.