LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Steven Whiteaker Jr. of Corpus Christi, Texas, combined skill, luck and timing Wednesday night to score his career-first USMTS Southern Series main event win at the I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark.

Starting deep in the field in the 17th spot, the 21-year-old Whiteaker made it known early on that he wanted to stand out from the crowd. While most of the Modifieds on the track were running a low or middle line on the multi-grooved quarter-mile, Whiteaker chose to chew away at the top side of the racing surface.

The strategy paid off as Whiteaker had no cars to contend with in front of him — only those cars to his left as he passed them.

Jared Landers drew the pole position for the 40-lap Sunoco “A” Main, and threatened to turn the show into a yawner up front as he stretched out his lead to nearly a full straight-away a few laps into the race, then again after a couple of restarts during the middle stages of the contest.

With eight laps to go, Whiteaker began battling with AFCO Pole Award winner Steve Holzkamper for what looked like a certain runner-up finish for one of the two as Landers had checked out. But two laps later, USMTS Southern Series East Region points leader Jack Sullivan came to a stop on the track to bring out the caution flag and tighten up the pack.

As the green flag waved for the final six-lap shootout, Landers led the field into the first turn. Holzkamper closed in on his bumper while Whiteaker flashed by on the outside as they raced down the back-stretch.

With a right rear tire going flat, Landers slowed coming out of the fourth turn. Unable to get off the track, the oncoming pack scattered while several cars made contact with Landers coming to rest at the entrance of turn 1 and nearly tipping over on his side.

With Chris Henigan using the low line, Whiteaker stayed true to the top side of the racing surface and held off the fellow Texan to collect the $2,000 top prize and his first USMTS Southern Series checkered flag.

Another Lone Star State ace, Morgan Bagley, finished third with Garrett Durrett coming home fourth.

Earlier in the program, Kelly Shryock finished third in the third and final Real Racing Wheels "B" Main to earn the final transfer spot in the main event. Finishing fourth in the same race was Tuesday's feature winner at the Tri-State Speedway, Jason Hughes, who had to use a provisional to join the feature race starting line-up.

Despite starting 22nd, Shryock clawed his way to a fifth-place finish in the main event and passed one more competitor than Whiteaker to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award. Dustin Hyde was sixth, Johnny Bone Jr. grabbed seventh, Mike Bowers was eighth and Hughes raced from 23rd on grid to finish ninth.

Mike Sellers used a track provisional to get the 26th and final starting spot and raced to a tenth-place finish.

The East Region points got shaken up with Sullivan and Holzkamper both recording a DNF in the main event. Bone now leads the rankings by just six points (565 to 559) over Sullivan and Whiteaker, who are tied for second. Hughes is fourth with 546 points, followed by Shryock (544), Holzkamper (534), Rodney Sanders (518), Bagley (515), Henigan (486) and Dereck Ramirez (469).

Fifty-two drivers representing eight different States signed in to do battle Wednesday night in the second of six straight nights comprising the 3rd Annual USMTS Southern Speedweek.

The Fast Shafts Challenge bonus money carries over to Thursday night's event at the Ark-La-Tex Speedway in Vivian, La., and will now be worth $300 if the winning driver is utilizing a nine-inch Ford rearend. If the award is not won, Thursday's prize will grow to $300 and so on, with a possible $600 bonus at Sunday's USMTS Southern Speedweek finale. To learn more about Fast Shafts, call toll-free 800-622-6617 or visit www.fastshafts.com online.

Landers came up just six laps short of collecting the Fast Shafts Challenge money, and is expected to try again Thursday night.

Wednesday's was again on WatchModsLive.com, which broadcasted live real-time video footage from the event. All remaining USMTS Southern Series events will also be broadcast live on the World Wide Web. To learn more or to sign-up to watch all the action from the comfort of your own living room, check out www.WatchModsLive.com on the World Wide Web.

THURSDAY, JUNE 11 … ARK-LA-TEX SPEEDWAY, VIVIAN, LA.

Tomorrow (Thursday, June 11) will find the tireless touring titans at Gene Boyter's Ark-La-Tex Speedway in Vivian, La. In the first-ever USMTS Southern Series show here last year, first-time USMTS competitor Duke Whiseant of Texarkana, Ark., took home the hardware over Johnny Bone Jr., Jason Hughes, Tommy Weder Jr. and Steve Holzkamper.

Local aces Odie Green, Justin Sprayberry, Mike Washburn, Dick Haynes, Dwayne Brown, Greg Garrett, Lee Patton, Tippy Bickham, Jason Ingalls, Michael Robertson and others are expected to make a statement in protecting their home turf against the invading USMTS forces.

Pit gates open at 4:00, grandstand gates swing open at 5:00, hot laps take to the track at 7:00 and the racing action kicks off at 7:30. Factory Stocks will also be racing for $300 to win, along with the USRA Southern Limited Modifieds going for $500 to win.

Beginning at the Ark-La-Tex Speedway event, the final four events will all feature the USRA Southern Limited Modifieds racing for $500 to win each night.

The Ark-La-Tex Speedway a 1/4-mile semi-banked dirt oval located 0.6 mile south of SR 2 on SR 1, then 0.7 mile west on Airport Rd., then 2.2 miles south on Boyter Lane Rd. (ESR). For race day information, call the track hotline at 318-375-3470 or click your way to www.arklatexspeedway.net on the World Wide Web.

Fast Trax Speedway in Chatham, La., is the site of event #4 on the USMTS Southern Speedweek schedule on Friday night, the Drew County Speedway in Monticello, Ark., plays host to round 5 on Saturday and the six-race swing wraps up on Sunday at the Boothill Speedway in Greenwood, La.

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 (East Region)
3rd Annual USMTS Southern Speedweek - Event #2 of 6
I-30 Speedway, Little Rock, Ark.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Showing finishing position, car number, driver, hometown and starting position in parentheses. The top 13 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. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (2)
2. 05 - Michael Robertson -- Minden, LA (3)
3. 16 - Chris Henigan -- Marshall, TX (8)
4. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (7)
5. 60b - Mike Bowers -- North Little Rock, AR (9)
6. 10k - Kyle Schmidt -- Farmington, AR (4)
7. 15w - Lee Walchli -- Lavaca, AR (5)
8. 5j - John Schwab -- Liberal, KS (6)
9. 7s - Steven Schaberg -- Glenwood, AR (1) DNF

BRODIX HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. 8j - Dustin Hyde -- Texarkana, TX (1)
2. 777 - Jared Landers -- Benton, AR (4)
3. 02x - B.J. Robinson -- Shreveport, LA (2)
4. 57 - Jason Armstrong -- Marshall, TX (3)
5. F1 - Randy Weaver -- Little Rock, AR (5)
6. 12t - Tyler Townsend -- Longview, TX (8)
7. 26s - Jon Stinson -- Walls, MS (7)
8. 26 - Patrick Linn -- Little Rock, AR (9)
9. 11s - Mike Sellers -- Little Rock, AR (6) DNF

AWESOME RACEWEAR HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (4)
2. 5t - Randy Timms -- Wheatland, OK (2)
3. 12h - Jeff Huckaby -- Texarkana, TX (5)
4. 60 - William Gould -- Calera, OK (8)
5. 20r - Bryan Rowland -- Woodward, OK (7)
6. 601 - Curtis Cook -- Conway, AR (9)
7. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (3)DNF
8. XXX - Rick Hearnsberger -- Arkadelphia, AR (1) DNF
9. 1 - Chris Patton -- Ruston, LA (6) DNF

INTERCOMP HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. 5r - Morgan Bagley -- Longview, TX (2)
2. 4m - Bobby Malchus -- Red Oak, TX (4)
3. 05x - Garrett Durrett -- Simsboro, LA (6)
4. 89 - Steven Whiteaker Jr. -- Corpus Christi, TX
5. 42 - James Longpine -- Drummond, OK (1)
6. 7x - Chris Dawson -- Post, TX (3)
7. 401k - Travis Broach -- Mapleville, AR (7)
8. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (8)DNF

AMERICAN RACER HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):
1. 18 - Jack Sullivan -- Greenbrier, AR (3)
2. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (1)
3. 52 - Chad Davis -- Tulsa, OK (5)
4. 36 - Kenny Wallace -- Concord, NC (7)
5. 9 - Shane Hebert -- Lafayette, LA (6)
6. 458 - Sammy Chamberlain -- Cabot, AR (4)
7. 71 - Robert Baker -- Benton, AR (8) DNF
8. 1st - Johnny Scott -- Las Cruces, NM (2) DQ (finished first, did not go to scales)

KEVKO OIL PANS & COMPONENTS HEAT RACE #6 (8 laps):
1. 2 - Tyler Stevens -- Searcy, AR (1)
2. 5a - Wes Armstrong -- Marshall, TX (4)
3. 21 - David Winslett -- Bossier City, LA (7)
4. 15 - Grant Box -- White Hall, AR (3)
5. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (5) DNF
6. 2 - Jerry Standifer -- Howe, OK (2) DNF
7. 17f - Casey Findley -- Bryant, AR (6) DNF
8. 6 - Wayne Patton -- Ruston, LA (8) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 3 advance):
1. 36 - Kenny Wallace -- Concord, NC (3)
2. 89 - Steven Whiteaker Jr. -- Corpus Christi, TX (4)
3. 52 - Chad Davis -- Tulsa, OK (2)
4. 12t - Tyler Townsend -- Longview, TX (7)
5. 1st - Johnny Scott -- Las Cruces, NM (12)
6. 5t - Randy Timms -- Wheatland, OK (1)
7. 11s - Mike Sellers -- Little Rock, AR (13)
8. 5j - John Schwab -- Liberal, KS (11)
9. 15w - Lee Walchli -- Lavaca, AR (9) DNF
10. 458 - Sammy Chamberlain -- Cabot, AR (8) DNF
11. 401k - Travis Broach -- Mapleville, AR (10) DNF
12. 20r - Bryan Rowland -- Woodward, OK (5) DNF
13. F1 - Randy Weaver -- Little Rock, AR (6) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 3 advance):
1. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (1)
2. 9 - Shane Hebert -- Lafayette, LA (5)
3. 02x - B.J. Robinson -- Shreveport, LA (3)
4. 60 - William Gould -- Calera, OK (2)
5. 10k - Kyle Schmidt -- Farmington, AR (7)
6. 42 - James Longpine -- Drummond, OK (6)
7. 26s - Jon Stinson -- Walls, MS (9)
8. 2 - Jerry Standifer -- Howe, OK (8)
9. XXX - Rick Hearnsberger -- Arkadelphia, AR (11) DNF
10. 57 - Jason Armstrong -- Marshall, TX (4) DNF
11. 17f - Casey Findley -- Bryant, AR (10) DNF
12. 6 - Wayne Patton -- Ruston, LA (12) DNF
13. 1 - Chris Patton -- Ruston, LA (13) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #3 (15 laps, top 3 advance):
1. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (2)
2. 60b - Mike Bowers -- North Little Rock, AR (3)
3. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (6)
4. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (11)
5. 601 - Curtis Cook -- Conway, AR (5)
6. 7x - Chris Dawson -- Post, TX (7)
7. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (9)
8. 26 - Patrick Linn -- Little Rock, AR (10)
9. 12h - Jeff Huckaby -- Texarkana, TX (1)
10. 15 - Grant Box -- White Hall, AR (4) DNF
11. 7s - Steven Schaberg -- Glenwood, AR (12) DNF
12. 71 - Robert Baker -- Benton, AR (8) DNS

SUNOCO “A” MAIN (40 Laps):
1. 89 - Steven Whiteaker Jr. -- Corpus Christi, TX (17)
2. 16 - Chris Henigan -- Marshall, TX (2)
3. 5r - Morgan Bagley -- Longview, TX (4)
4. 05x - Garrett Durrett -- Simsboro, LA (13)
5. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (22)
6. 8j - Dustin Hyde -- Texarkana, TX (7)
7. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (15)
8. 60b - Mike Bowers -- North Little Rock, AR (19)
9. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (23)
10. 11s - Mike Sellers -- Little Rock, AR (26)
11. 60 - William Gould -- Calera, OK (24)
12. 36 - Kenny Wallace -- Concord, NC (14)
13. 02x - B.J. Robinson -- Shreveport, LA (21)
14. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (16)
15. 21 - David Winslett -- Bossier City, LA (11)
16. 05 - Michael Robertson -- Minden, LA (12)
17. 4m - Bobby Malchus -- Red Oak, TX (9)
18. 52 - Chad Davis -- Tulsa, OK (20)
19. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (6)
20. 5a - Wes Armstrong -- Marshall, TX (10) DNF
21. 777 - Jared Landers -- Benton, AR (1) DNF
22. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (3) DNF
23. F1 - Randy Weaver -- Little Rock, AR (25) DNF
24. 18 - Jack Sullivan -- Greenbrier, AR (8) DNF
25. 2 - Tyler Stevens -- Searcy, AR (5) DNF
26. 9 - Shane Hebert -- Lafayette, LA (18) DNF

Lap Leaders: Landers 1-34, Whiteaker 35-40.
Total Laps Led: Landers 34, Whiteaker 6.
AFCO Pole Winner: Holzkamper.
Provisional Starters: Hughes, Gould, Sellers (track), Weaver (track).
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger: Shryock (started 22nd, finished 5th).
Next Race: Thursday, June 11, Ark-La-Tex Speedway, Vivian, La. (East Region).
East Region Points: Bone 565, Sullivan 559, Whiteaker 559, Hughes 546, Shryock 544, Holzkamper 534, Sanders 518, Bagley 515, Henigan 486, Ramirez 469.
Dustin Duncan Memorial “Just Say Yes” Rookie of the Year Points: W. Armstrong 217, J. Armstrong 199, Schmidt 181, Kevin Sustaire 180, Davis 174.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 104, a.s.i. 96, Sput’s 72, Young’s 68, Rowland 56.
Chassis Builders Championship Points: Hughes 123, Skyrocket 112, Ramirez 94, TRE 92, GRT 81.

Contingency Awards:
AFCO Racing Products – Holzkamper.
American Racer – Hughes.
Fast Shafts – not awarded.
Isky Racing Cams – Sanders.
KSE Racing Products – Shryock.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Hebert.
Nitroquest – Bagley.
Quarter Master – Whiteaker, Bowers.
QuickTime Performance Parts – Bone.
Real Racing Wheels – Timms, Longpine, Dawson.

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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, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, Nitroquest, PBM Performance Products, Sunoco Race Fuels.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: ASi Racewear, Bear Tire, Big Dog Chassis & Fabrication, 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, WatchModsLive.com, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Dynatech Racing Exhaust, Fast Shafts, 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.