OWATONNA, Minn. -- Tommy Myer Blooming Prairie, MN had to wait 'til the ninth race of the season to get his first win of the USMTS season. Myer started the race from the third spot and had to pass a very fast Mike Hejna en route to his first win of the season.

This race ended two laps short after a terrible crash in turn one with Steve Wetzstein more later on this. This race scheduled for Saturday April 10th was moved two weeks prior to the date due to conflicts with area tracks kept the car count light, but the racing made up for the car count.

This was probably one of the best Owatonna tracks the USMTS has been on in several years. The racing action got underway with the Kevko heat races. The first heat race went to Jon Tesch from the front row outside beating Jeremy Keller. Heat two probably the most exciting race of the evening when the 7II and 74 car of Mike Hejna and Mark Noble got together coming out of turn two letting Corey Dripps and Willy Kraft trying to get by on the inside.

Dripps would end up winning the race with Hejna second and Kraft third, Noble would settle with a fourth place finish. The third and final heat race Craig Scott take the top spot from the front row outside over Mark Elliott who started sixth. The Harris Auto Racing B-main went to Osky winner Dan Bohr over Zack Vanderbeek.

The stage would be set for the 30 lap main event. Mike Hejna would jump into the early lead over Tommy Myer and Jon Tesch. Hejna would lead the first thirteen laps before Myer would use a good move to get by Hejna. The race was for the third place spot between Mark Noble and Jon Tesch. Noble would take the spot and start reeling in Hejna. A restart would let Tesch get back by Noble, as the race continued Kraft would take his #83 Kraft Kar by Noble also before the Wetzstein accident.

On lap twenty eight as Tommy Myer started coming up on lap traffic the #90 brand new Loose Gruff Chassis driven by Steve Wetzstein throttle would stick sending him into the turn one concrete wall hard. The wall would explode and the car would get underneath the catch fence and end up out on the street. By the time track officials would get to the car Steve was already out of the car and looking at the remains what remains there was. The car was completely destroyed and Wetzstein was very lucky to walk away from this one.

The race had to be stopped as the cement wall was gone and the fence was tore up. The race was finished at lap twenty-eight giving the win to Tommy Myer with Mike Hejna, Jon Tesch, Willy Kraft, and Mark Noble rounding out the top five. USMTS and Steele Co Ag talked about finishing the race and it was decided with the wall being gone and the fence being tore up that it would take more than two hours to fix the wall and fence that the race would be finished at lap twenty-eight.

We were just thankful that no one was injured in this horrific crash. Tommy Myer and Jon Tesch have taken the top spot in the USMTS north region point standings after the sixth place finish by Kelly Shryock going into Britt.

<FONT SIZE="4"><B>Results</FONT></B>

HEAT #1: 14 Tesch, 11k Keller, 65 Myer, 7 Hejna, 66 Bohr, 23 Gilbertson, 713 Hillson, 98 Reisch, 79 Nolan.

HEAT #2: 31 Dripps, 7II Hejna, 83 Kraft, 74 Noble, 33z Vanderbeek, 61 Hanford, 50 Davis, 52 Frericks, 07 McCarthy.

HEAT #3: 0 Scott, 12E Elliott, 3 Shryock, 1* Christiansen, 17 Underdahl, 90 Wetzstein, 17x Oskerson, 26 McEwan.

B-MAIN: 66 Bohr, 33z VanderBeek, 17 Underdahl, 61 Hanford, 713 Hillson, 50 Davis, 23 Gilbertson, 52 Frericks, 17x Oskerson, 26 McEwan, 90 Wetzstein, 98 Reisch, 79 Nolan, 07 McCarthy.

A-MAIN: 65 Myer, 7II Hejna, 14 Tesch, 83 Kraft, 74 Noble, 3 Shryock, 713 Hillson, 50 Davis, 7 Hejna, 1* Christiansen, 33Z VanderBeek, 52 Frericks, 90 Wetzstein, 26 McEwan, 61 Hanford, 23 Gilbertson, 12E Elliott, 66 Bohr, 11K Keller, 17x Oskerson, 0 Scott, 31 Dripps, 98 Reisch, 17 Underdahl.