TOPEKA, Kan. – Tommy Weder Jr. of Woodward, Okla., ran down Kelly Shryock, grabbed the lead when Shryock bobbled in lapped traffic, then survived a caution with two laps remaining to capture his first O’Reilly USMTS National Tour win Wednesday night at Heartland Park Topeka.

Weder, who took a pair of checkered flags last season in the O’Reilly USMTS Southern Series, started fifth in the main event and moved into second shortly after Shryock snagged the lead from polesitter Ken Schrader near the midpoint of the 35-lapper. When Shryock bounced off his line while maneuvering beneath a lapped car on lap 27, Weder seized the moment and powered underneath the eight-time O'Reilly USMTS National Champion to take the lead.

With two laps to go, the yellow flag waved for the disabled machine of Rodney Sanders and bunched the field for a two-lap dash to the checkered flag.

Weder was flawless on the restart and pulled away to pocket the $2,000 top prize. Tuesday night's winner, Jason Hughes, nipped Schrader at the line for second with Rookies Rockin' Sports Bar Rookie of the Year points leader Brandon Kenny finishing fourth and Justin Boney rounding out the top-5.

Shryock never got a chance to challenge Weder for the lead as a flat tire forced him to the pits. He was able to pass four cars in the final two orbits, but finished a disappointing 12th in his first time out with a new-look body wrap featuring sponsorship from Casey's General Stores.

Zack VanderBeek led the first lap from the outside of the front row, but fell to sixth by race's end. NASCAR star Kenny Wallace sped to a seventh-place finish after starting 14th, with Jon Tesch eighth, Steve Kosiski ninth and Dustin Boney tenth.

With one race left in the Mo-Kan Region, Shryock leads Hughes by 59 points (1026 to 967) and has all but wrapped up his third regional title of the season. Tesch has 957 points but dropped one spot in the rankings, while John Allen is fourth with 884 markers. Kenny (825), VanderBeek (816), Justin Boney (793), Jason Krohn (761), Johnny Bone Jr. (694) and Weder (662) are sixth through tenth, respectively.

UP NEXT:

Thursday will find the O'Reilly USMTS National Tour teams invading their third first-time-ever facility in a row as they trek to the Nevada (Mo.) Speedway for the Mo-Kan Championship presented by Buzzard Racing Engines of Walker, Mo.

Pit gates will open at 4:30 p.m., hot laps begin at 6:45 and the first heat race is at 7:15. Also on the racing card will be local Street Stocks and Factory Stocks.

Race fans can pick up $2-off discount coupons at all Casey's General Stores locations in Butler and Lamar.

The Nevada Speedway is a 1/4-mile semi-banked clay oval located 0.4 mile west of US 71 on CR K, then 0.4 mile south on Barrett. For raceday information, call the track hotline at (417) 667-5859 or log on to www.nevadaspeedway.net.

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 (Mo-Kan Region)
Inaugural Event
Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kan.
Wednesday, Aug. 6, 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. 19 - Jamie Burford -- Keatchie, LA (6)
2. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (5)
3. 65t - Tim Leiker -- Garden City, KS (7)
4. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (8)
5. 117 - Jason Teague -- Tahlequah, OK (3)
6. 05 - Tom Grist -- Topeka, KS (1) DNF
7. 77 - Steven Bowers -- Topeka, KS (2) DNF
8. 09 - Josh Stephens -- Independence, MO (4) DNF

NEW VISION GRAPHICS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (2)
2. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (3)
3. 22 - Dustin Boney -- Tonganoxie, KS (6)
4. 36 - Kenny Wallace -- Concord, NC (5)
5. 12d - Scott Drake -- Webb City, MO (4)
6. 6 - Donnie Powers -- Henderson, TX (8)
7. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (7) DNF
8. 19m - Aaron Mari -- El Centro, CA (1) DNF

Q.E.M., INC. HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. 9 - Ken Schrader -- Concord, NC (2)
2. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (3)
3. 22k - Steve Kosiski -- Papillion, NE (6)
4. 98 - John Allen -- Chanute, KS (4)
5. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (5)
6. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (1)
7. 7j - Scott Herrick -- Topeka, KS (7)

HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. 18 - Justin Boney -- Leavenworth, KS (1)
2. 21b - Brandon Kenny -- Woodward, OK (4)
3. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (7)
4. 87 - Darron Fuqua -- Topeka, KS (3)
5. 19sb - Lance Mari -- El Centro, CA (2)
6. 12t - Tyler Townsend -- Longview, TX (5)
7. 69 - Ryan Phillips -- Osage City, KS (6) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (10 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 98 - John Allen -- Chanute, KS (2)
2. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (4)
3. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (6)
4. 117 - Jason Teague -- Tahlequah, OK (3)
5. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (1) DNF
6. 77 - Steven Bowers -- Topeka, KS (7) DNF
7. 09 - Josh Stephens -- Independence, MO (9) DNF
8. 7j - Scott Herrick -- Topeka, KS (8) DNF
9. 6 - Donnie Powers -- Henderson, TX (5) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (10 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 36 - Kenny Wallace -- Concord, NC (1)
2. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (7)
3. 87 - Darron Fuqua -- Topeka, KS (2)
4. 12d - Scott Drake -- Webb City, MO (3)
5. 12t - Tyler Townsend -- Longview, TX (6)
6. 69 - Ryan Phillips -- Osage City, KS (8)
7. 19sb - Lance Mari -- El Centro, CA (4)
8. 19m - Aaron Mari -- El Centro, CA (9)
9. 05 - Tom Grist -- Topeka, KS (5) DNS

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (35 laps):
1. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (5)
2. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (9)
3. 9 - Ken Schrader -- Concord, NC (1)
4. 21b - Brandon Kenny -- Woodward, OK (6)
5. 18 - Justin Boney -- Leavenworth, KS (8)
6. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (2)
7. 36 - Kenny Wallace -- Concord, NC (14)
8. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (15)
9. 22k - Steve Kosiski -- Papillion, NE (12)
10. 22 - Dustin Boney -- Tonganoxie, KS (11)
11. 19 - Jamie Burford -- Keatchie, LA (3)
12. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (7)
13. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (10)
14. 98 - John Allen -- Chanute, KS (13)
15. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (17)
16. 87 - Darron Fuqua -- Topeka, KS (18)
17. 12t - Tyler Townsend -- Longview, TX (22) DNF
18. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (21) DNF
19. 19m - Aaron Mari -- El Centro, CA (23) DNF
20. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (16) DNF
21. 65t - Tim Leiker -- Garden City, KS (4) DNF
22. 117 - Jason Teague -- Tahlequah, OK (19) DNF
23. 12d - Scott Drake -- Webb City, MO (20) DNF
24. 19sb - Lance Mari -- El Centro, CA (24) DNF

Lap Leaders: VanderBeek 1, Schrader 2-16, Shryock 17-26, Weder 27-35.
Total Laps Led: Schrader 15, Shryock 10, Weder 9, VanderBeek 1.
AFCO Pole Winner: Burford.
Provisional Starters: L. Mari, A. Mari.
Ruter Farms Long Tow: A. Mari (1430.96 miles).
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger: Hughes (started 9th, finished 2nd).
Next Race: Thursday, Aug. 7, Nevada (Mo.) Speedway (Mo-Kan Region).
Mo-Kan Region Points: Shryock 1026, Hughes 967, Tesch 957, Allen 884, Kenny 825, VanderBeek 816, J. Boney 793, Krohn 761, Johnny Bone Jr. 694, Weder 662.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Kenny 822, Ramirez 798, Bryan Rowland 536, Sanders 193, Colt Mather 191.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Sput’s 349, Mullins 290, Wanders 278, A.S.I. 252, JR 220.
Chassis Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 368, Hughes 301, Kraft 238, Harris 227, Specialty 94.

Contingency Awards:
AFCO Racing Products – Burford.
American Racer – L. Mari.
Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.
BSB Manufacturing – D. Boney.
Hawk Performance – Weder, Kosiski.
Isky Racing Cams – Burford.
KSE Racing Products – Hughes.
Marsh Racing Wheels – L. Mari.
New Vision Graphics – Shryock.
Nitroquest Web Solutions - Schrader.
Quarter Master – Weder, Tesch.
QuickTime Performance Parts – Wallace.
Real Racing Wheels – Allen, Wallace.
Ruter Farms – A. Mari.
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.