Hughes scores at Ardmore, remains perfect in USMTS Southern Series West Region
ARDMORE, Okla. – Don’t tell Jason Hughes “you can’t win ‘em all.”
After three races in the West Region of the USMTS Southern Series, the 34-year-old chassis builder is perfect after picking up a hard-earned victory Friday night at the Lake Country Speedway in Ardmore, Okla.
After sweeping both shows at his hometown West Siloam Speedway last month, Hughes pocketed his third $2,000 top prize in the region with a late-race pass of Steven Whiteaker Jr. when he bobbled after a restart with six laps to go.
Whiteaker took the lead from polesitter Kyle Schmidt at the drop of the green flag to start the 35-lap Sunoco “A” Main. Eight laps later, Hughes worked his way into the runner-up position and chased Whiteaker around the 3/8-mile semi-banked clay oval for the next 21 circuits.
The bulge between Whiteaker and Hughes remained about two car lengths with each passing lap, but it was the slight slip up high that opened the door for Hughes to give him his fourth overall USMTS victory of the season in defense of his 2008 USMTS Southern Series title.
Although he could not withstand the pressure from Hughes, Whiteaker held off a late charge by eight-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock to claim the second-place paycheck.
Johnny Bone Jr., who has two wins this season in the USMTS Southern Series East Region, came from thirteenth to finish fourth while Rodney Sanders came from fifteenth and finished fifth.
2008 Dustin Duncan Memorial “Just SayYes” Rookie of the Year John O Whittington made his 2009 USMTS Southern Series debut and garnered a sixth-place finish, but it was Clyde Dunn Jr. who came from 21st to seventh and earned the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award.
Tim Clonch finished eighth, Shane Hebert was ninth and Kevin Sustaire rounded out the top-10 finishers.
In the West Region points standings, Hughes holds a 66-points lead over Shryock (312 to 246), while Sanders moved up two spots to third with 237 markers. Whiteaker is fourth with 227 points, followed by Hebert (222), Bone (216), Jon Tesch (210), Eddie Martin (203), Randy Timms (203) and Bryan Rowland (199).
ON TAP ...
The USMTS Southern Series event for Saturday, May 2, at the Cowtown Speedway has been rained out. The event for Sunday, May 3, at the Heart O’ Texas Speedway is still on as planned.
Also on the menu are USRA Southern Limited Modifieds and Mini-Sprints. Pit gates open at 3:00, grandstands open at 4:00, hot laps start at 5:30 and the racing action kicks off at 6:00.
The Heart O’ Texas Speedway is a 1/3-mile semi-banked clay oval located 0.6 mile north of I-35 at Exit 343 (FM 308) on east frontage road in Elm Mott, Texas.
For more information, call 254-776-1576 or surf on over to www.heartotexspeedway.com.
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.
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OFFICIAL RESULTS
USMTS Southern Series (West Region)
Lake Country Speedway, Ardmore, Okla.
2nd Annual Event
Friday, May 1, 2009
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 Sunoco “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.
ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. 89 - Steven Whiteaker Jr. -- Corpus Christi, TX (1)
2. 5w - John O Whittington -- Vidor, TX (2)
3. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (5)
4. 57 - Jason Armstrong -- Marshall, TX (3)
5. 20r - Bryan Rowland -- Woodward, OK (7)
6. 52 - Chad Davis -- Tulsa, OK (4)
7. 4m - Bobby Malchus --Red Oak, TX (6)
8. 51 - Eddie Martin -- Stilwell, OK (8)
9. 15 - Cam Case -- Edmond, OK (9)
10. 18x - Cody Smith -- Kaufman, TX (10) DNF
HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. 71k - Kevin Sustaire -- Emery, TX (1)
2. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (2)
3. 11x - Wesley Veal -- Princeton, TX (7)
4. 34n - C.A. Nix -- Lawton, OK (3)
5. 58 - Nathan Bichsel -- Amarillo, TX (9)
6. 75 - Alan Sharpensteen -- Amarillo, TX (10)
7. 26 - Allen Chickering -- Okarche, OK (6)
8. 5r - Morgan Bagley -- Longview, TX (4)
9. 61 - Michael Ables -- Caddo, OK (8)
10. 210 - Ed Dunn -- Chattanooga, OK (5)
HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (7)
2. 10 - Kyle Schmidt -- Farmington, AR (3)
3. 76 - Troy Taylor Jr. -- Dallas, TX (5)
4. 68 - Brandon Watson -- Denison, TX (6)
5. 23b - Brandon Davis -- Castle Rock, CO (2)
6. 15 - Brian Wolfe -- Cromwell, OK (9)
7. 5c - Lee Cranford -- Ada, OK (4)
8. 72 - Kerry Davis -- Tuttle, OK (8)
9. 87 - John Webb -- Pauls Valley, OK (1)
10. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (10) DNF
HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. 30 - Chase Allen -- Midlothian, TX (1)
2. 14t - Tristan Dycus -- Midlothian, TX (2)
3. 88xxx - Clyde Dunn Jr. -- Sunnyville, TX (4)
4. 111 - Bumper Jones -- Mesilla Park, NM (7)
5. 91b - Shawn Brassfield -- Ada, OK (6)
6. 5t - Randy Timms -- Wheatland, OK (9)
7. 60 - William Gould -- Calera, OK (5)
8. 190 - Shawn Stephenson -- Howe, TX (10)
9. 05 - Ron Gould Jr. -- McLoud, OK (3)
10. 5a - Wes Armstrong -- Marshall, TX (8)
HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):
1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (1)
2. 18 - Jack Sullivan -- Greenbrier, AR (3)
3. 18t - Tim Clonch -- Quinlan, TX (6)
4. 87 - Justin McCoy -- Ovilla, TX (2)
5. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (7)
6. 9 - Shane Hebert -- Lafayette, LA (9)
7. 2 - Grant Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (10)
8. 121 - Jerry Ensey -- Ada, OK (8)
9. 718 - Michael Lamb -- Fort Worth, TX (4)
10. 3s - Sam Cox -- Flower Mound, TX (5) DNF
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (1)
2. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (6)
3. 57 - Jason Armstrong -- Marshall, TX (4)
4. 5t - Randy Timms -- Wheatland, OK (8)
5. 88xxx - Clyde Dunn Jr. -- Sunnyville, TX (2)
6. 68 - Brandon Watson -- Denison, TX (3)
7. 52 - Chad Davis -- Tulsa, OK (10)
8. 87 - Justin McCoy -- Ovilla, TX (5)
9. 91b - Shawn Brassfield -- Ada, OK (7)
10. 60 - William Gould -- Calera, OK (12)
11. 5a - Wes Armstrong -- Marshall, TX (19)
12. 51 - Eddie Martin -- Stilwell, OK (13)
13. 26 - Allen Chickering -- Okarche, OK (11)
14. 87 - John Webb -- Pauls Valley, OK (16)
15. 15 - Cam Case -- Edmond, OK (15)
16. 23b - Brandon Davis -- Castle Rock, CO (9) -1 Lap
17. 718 - Michael Lamb -- Fort Worth, TX (17) -1 Lap
18. 210 - Ed Dunn -- Chattanooga, OK (18) -1 Lap
19. 72 - Kerry Davis -- Tuttle, OK (14) DNF
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 9 - Shane Hebert -- Lafayette, LA (8)
2. 20r - Bryan Rowland -- Woodward, OK (5)
3. 111 - Bumper Jones -- Mesilla Park, NM (2)
4. 76 - Troy Taylor Jr. -- Dallas, TX (1)
5. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (18)
6. 5r - Morgan Bagley -- Longview, TX (13)
7. 58 - Nathan Bichsel -- Amarillo, TX (3)
8. 34n - C.A. Nix -- Lawton, OK (4)
9. 190 - Shawn Stephenson -- Howe, TX (12)
10. 3s - Sam Cox -- Flower Mound, TX (19)
11. 121 - Jerry Ensey -- Ada, OK (14)
12. 05 - Ron Gould Jr. -- McLoud, OK (16)
13. 15 - Brian Wolfe -- Cromwell, OK (7)
14. 61 - Michael Ables -- Caddo, OK (15)
15. 5c - Lee Cranford -- Ada, OK (11) -1 Lap
16. 2 - Grant Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (9) DNF
17. 75 - Alan Sharpensteen -- Amarillo, TX (6) DNF
18. 4m - Bobby Malchus -- Red Oak, TX (10) DNF
19. 18x - Cody Smith -- Kaufman, TX (17) DNS
SUNOCO “A” MAIN (35 laps):
1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (4)
2. 89 - Steven Whiteaker Jr. -- Corpus Christi, TX (2)
3. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (5)
4. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (13)
5. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (15)
6. 5w - John O Whittington -- Vidor, TX (10)
7. 88xxx - Clyde Dunn Jr. -- Sunnyville, TX (21)
8. 18t - Tim Clonch -- Quinlan, TX (9)
9. 9 - Shane Hebert -- Lafayette, LA (14)
10. 71k - Kevin Sustaire -- Emery, TX (8)
11. 10 - Kyle Schmidt -- Farmington, AR (1)
12. 5t - Randy Timms -- Wheatland, OK (19)
13. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (22)
14. 18 - Jack Sullivan -- Greenbrier, AR (3)
15. 76 - Troy Taylor Jr. -- Dallas, TX (20)
16. 11x - Wesley Veal -- Princeton, TX (7)
17. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (11)
18. 20r - Bryan Rowland -- Woodward, OK (16)
19. 30 - Chase Allen -- Midlothian, TX (6)
20. 14t - Tristan Dycus -- Midlothian, TX (12)
21. 3s - Sam Cox -- Flower Mound, TX (25)
22. 5a - Wes Armstrong -- Marshall, TX (24)
23. 57 - Jason Armstrong -- Marshall, TX (17)
24. 111 - Bumper Jones -- Mesilla Park, NM (18) DNF
25. 51 - Eddie Martin -- Stilwell, OK (23) DNF
26. 61 - Michael Ables -- Caddo, OK (26) DNF
Lap Leaders: Whiteaker 1-29, Hughes 30-35.
Total Laps Led: Whiteaker 29, Hughes 6.
AFCO Pole Winner: Shryock.
Provisional Starters: Martin, W. Armstrong, Ables (track), Cox (track).
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger: Dunn (started 21st, finished 7th).
Next Race: Sunday, May 3, Heart O' Texas Speedway, Elm Mott, Texas (West Region).
West Region Points: Hughes 312, Shryock 246, Sanders 237, Whiteaker 227, Hebert 222, Bone 216, Tesch 210, Martin 203, Timms 203, Rowland 199.
Dustin Duncan Memorial “Just Say Yes” Rookie of the Year Points: J. Armstrong 134, W. Armstrong 129, Schmidt 100, C. Davis 94, Sustaire 90.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: A.S.I. 57, Mullins 55, Sput’s 40, BMS 35, Homegrown 34.
Chassis Builders Championship Points: Hughes 65, Skyrocket 63, GRT 61, TRE 60, Ramirez 58.
Contingency Awards:
AFCO Racing Products – Shryock.
American Racer – Veal.
Isky Racing Cams – Whiteaker.
KSE Racing Products – Dunn.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Ables.
Nitroquest – Shryock.
Quarter Master – Hughes, Clonch.
QuickTime Performance Parts – Dunn.
Real Racing Wheels – Watson, Bagley.
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USMTS TITLE SPONSOR: Casey’s General Stores.
USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Racewear, AwesomeRaceSuits.com, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, COMP Cams, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Karl Chevrolet, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, Nitroquest, PBM Performance Products, Sunoco Race Fuels.
USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: ASi Racewear, Bear Tire, DandyLand Farms, Day Motor Sports, Diamond Oil Company, Gressel Oil Field Service, Just Say Yes, Ramirez Race Cars, Lone Star Super Gas, Olympic Fire Protection, Ruter Farms, Yeager Machine.
USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Big Dog Chassis & Fabrication, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Dynatech Racing Exhaust, Hyperco, ISKY Racing Cams, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, Quarter Master, QuickTime Performance Race Parts, Real Racing Wheels, US Brake.