KNOXVILLE, Ill. – Less than 48 hours after notching his fourth win of the season, defending O’Reilly USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn made it five with a victory in the 9th Annual UPS Store Illinois Challenge at the Knox County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Ill.

Unlike Tuesday's wire-to-wire run from the pole at the Cresco Speedway, Krohn started third in Thursday's Ed Sheckler Memorial and chased polesitter Michael Long for the first 21 of 30 laps on the big half-mile oval. The Slayton, Minn., racer was able to wrestle the lead away on lap 22 and sailed the final eight laps to claim the $2,000 top prize.

Dean Mahlstedt settled for the runner-up paycheck for the second straight night, while Jon Tesch finished third ahead of Bob Dominacki, who captured the first-ever USMTS event at Knoxville on Aug. 2, 2000. Zack VanderBeek rounded out the top-5 finishers.

Sixth through tenth, respectively, went to Long, Rookies Rockin' Sports Bar Rookie of the Year points leader Brandon Kenny, Scott Green, Dereck Ramirez and 2005 winner Al Hejna, who also claimed the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award for passing 10 cars from his 20th starting spot on the 24-car grid.

The annual fair-time event has been a standing-room-only extravaganza since its inception thanks to dozens of sponsors, a supportive community and the hard work of former O’Reilly USMTS Marketing Director Ed Sheckler. For the second year, this year's main event paid honor to the late great USMTS ambassador.

Eight-time O’Reilly USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock continued to struggle with his Skyrocket, recording his third DNF in four starts, and allowing VanderBeek to close the gap in the battle for the Central States Region point title.

Shryock holds a 24-point advantage (807 to 783) over "The Z-Man" going into the final points races on Friday and Saturday for the 3rd Annual Iowa-Missouri Border War. Hejna is third with 723 markers, followed by Ramirez (714), Jason Hughes (655), Ryan Gustin (645), Ron Ver Beek (610), Donovan Lodge (600), Alan Mondus (563) and Thursday's AFCO Pole Award winner Colt Mather (542).

UP NEXT:

The O’Reilly USMTS National Tour invades the Bloomfield (Iowa) Speedway on Friday for the round 1 of the 3rd Annual Iowa-Missouri Border War and the next-to-last event in the Central States Region. Pit gates will open at 5 p.m., hot laps begin at 7 and the first heat race is at 7:30. Adults tickets are just $15, kids ages 6-12 are $5 and children, 5 & under are FREE. Pit passes will be $25.

Adults can save $2 on their ticket price by picking up discount coupons at all Casey's General Stores locations in Bloomfield, Eldon and Ottumwa, as well as Lancaster and Memphis, Mo., stores. Zack VanderBeek and his Casey's/Cheetos #33z Skyrocket will meet and greet fans at the 206 S. Washington location in Bloomfield from 12-2 p.m.

The Bloomfield Speedway is a 3/8-mile slightly-banked clay oval located 1.0 mile west of Bloomfield on US 63/SR 2, then 0.8 mile north on CR J40 (at the Davis County Fairgrounds). For race day information, call the track hotline at (641) 664-2500. Also on the racing card will be USRA Stock Cars, USRA B-Mods and USRA Hobby Stocks racing for national points in the USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Racing Series.

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 (Central States Region)
9th Annual UPS Store Illinois Challenge/Ed Sheckler Memorial
Knox County Fairgrounds, Knoxville, Ill.
Thursday, July 31, 2008

Showing finishing position, car number, driver, hometown and starting position in parentheses. The top 16 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. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (1)
2. 20r - Bryan Rowland -- Woodward, OK (2)
3. 19r - Ryan Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (4)
4. 61 - Bruce Hanford -- Davenport, IA (5)
5. 21b - Brandon Kenny -- Woodward, OK (6)
6. 105 - Kevin Peters -- Monmouth, IL (8)
7. E85 - Troy Emerick -- Geneseo, IL (9)
8. M50 - Darin Thye -- Burlington, IA (7)
9. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (3) DNF

NEW VISION GRAPHICS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (1)
2. 22k - Steve Kosiski -- Papillion, NE (5)
3. 18L - Michael Long -- Quincy, IL (8)
4. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (7)
5. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (9)
6. 4rv - Ron Ver Beek -- Oskaloosa, IA (2)
7. 9 - Charles Baker -- La Belle, MO (4)
8. 4 - Tony Dunker -- Quincy, IL (3)
9. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (6) DNF

Q.E.M., INC. HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. 8 - Colt Mather -- Webster, IA (4)
2. 5d - Bob Dominacki -- Bettendorf, IA (2)
3. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (6)
4. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (5)
5. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (8)
6. 32 - Donovan Lodge -- Moline, IL (7)
7. 22 - Wyatt Lantz -- Augusta, IL (1) DNF
8. A1 - Rich Smith -- Davenport, IA (3) DNF
9. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (9) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN (10 laps, top 6 advance):
1. 4rv - Ron Ver Beek -- Oskaloosa, IA (2)
2. 32 - Donovan Lodge -- Moline, IL (1)
3. E85 - Troy Emerick -- Geneseo, IL (3)
4. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (11)
5. M50 - Darin Thye -- Burlington, IA (6)
6. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (10)
7. 4 - Tony Dunker -- Quincy, IL (7)
8. 9 - Charles Baker -- La Belle, MO (4)
9. 22 - Wyatt Lantz -- Augusta, IL (5) DNS
10. A1 - Rich Smith -- Davenport, IA (8) DNS
11. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (9) DNS

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (30 laps):
1. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (3)
2. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (5)
3. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (10)
4. 5d - Bob Dominacki -- Bettendorf, IA (6)
5. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (8)
6. 18L - Michael Long -- Quincy, IL (1)
7. 21b - Brandon Kenny -- Woodward, OK (15)
8. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (13)
9. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (14)
10. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (20)
11. 19r - Ryan Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (9)
12. 20r - Bryan Rowland -- Woodward, OK (7)
13. 32 - Donovan Lodge -- Moline, IL (18)
14. 61 - Bruce Hanford -- Davenport, IA (12)
15. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (22)
16. M50 - Darin Thye -- Burlington, IA (21)
17. 105 - Kevin Peters -- Monmouth, IL (16)
18. 8 - Colt Mather -- Webster, IA (4) DNF
19. 22k - Steve Kosiski -- Papillion, NE (2) DNF
20. E85 - Troy Emerick -- Geneseo, IL (19) DNF
21. 9 - Charles Baker -- La Belle, MO (24) DNF
22. 4 - Tony Dunker -- Quincy, IL (23) DNF
23. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (11) DNF
24. 4rv - Ron Ver Beek -- Oskaloosa, IA (17) DNF

Lap Leaders: Long 1-21, Krohn 22-30.
Total Laps Led: Long 21, Krohn 9.
AFCO Pole Winner: Mather.
Provisional Starters: Dunker, Baker.
Ruter Farms Long Tow: Tesch (593.32 miles).
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger: Hejna (started 20th, finished 10th).
Next Race: Friday, Aug. 1, Bloomfield (Iowa) Speedway (Central States Region).
Central States Region Points: Shryock 807, VanderBeek 783, Hejna 723, Ramirez 714, Jason Hughes 655, Gustin 645, Ver Beek 610, Lodge 600, Mondus 563, Mather 542.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Kenny 701, Ramirez 689, Rowland 446, Mather 191, Gary Langworthy Jr. 161.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Sput’s 305, Mullins 255, Wanders 234, A.S.I. 218, JR 207.
Chassis Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 321, Hughes 261, Harris 205, Kraft 198, Specialty 94.

Contingency Awards:
AFCO Racing Products – Mather.
American Racer – Noble.
Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.
BSB Manufacturing – Hejna.
Hawk Performance – Krohn, Ramirez.
Isky Racing Cams – Mahlstedt.
KSE Racing Products – Hejna.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Ver Beek.
New Vision Graphics – Krohn.
Nitroquest Web Solutions - not awarded.
Quarter Master – Krohn, Green.
QuickTime Performance Parts – Kenny.
Real Racing Wheels – Ver Beek.
Ruter Farms – LongestTow.
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.