VanderBeek victorious in “Dirt Nationals” finale at Elko Speedway
DandyLand Farms Rookie of the Year contenders Chase Junghans and Jacob Dahle drew front row starting spots for the 40-lap Sunoco “A” Main, but it was 2004 top rookie Zack VanderBeek taking home the winner's trophy at the end of the race.
Making just his fifth career USMTS main event start, Junghans jumped ahead of Dahle at the drop of the green flag, but slid high entering the first turn. Dahle and defending USMTS National Champion Tim Donlinger made it three wide underneath Junghans, who ran out of room and smacked the turn 2 outside wall.
The complete restart saw Dahle setting the pace with VanderBeek moving from his third starting spot to the outside of the front row. "The Z-Man" got the advantage on the start with Ryan Gustin following into second place ahead of Dahle.
Just one more caution on lap 9 slowed the pace, but VanderBeek was able to hang on to the lead and paced Gustin and Donlinger for the remainder of the contest to capture his third USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour victory of the season. The win was worth $3,000 to the driver of the #33z Skyrocket.
Tommy Myer held off the challenges of Corey Dripps to earn fourth-place money, while Jason Krohn rode the high line to a sixth-place finish. Mark Noble was seventh, Friday's winner Kelly Shryock grabbed eighth and Jason Miller earned the PBM Performance Products Hard Charger Award for racing from 20th to ninth. Jon Tesch wound up tenth to score his eleventh top-10 finish in eleven Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region starts.
GREAT PLAINS REGION WRAPS UP SUNDAY AT NOBLES COUNTY SPEEDWAY
On Sunday, July 26, the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour will move back to the Nobles County Speedway in Worthington, Minn., for an event that was postponed by rain on June 21.
The racetrack is always in great shape and traditionally draws great fan support when the USMTS touring titans travel to town.
This will be the final race in the Great Plains Region, with the first group of drivers getting qualified for The Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship, which begins on Aug. 11. Currently, there are 17 drivers in the Great Plains Region who can make the cut for The Hunt.’
Eight-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock found victory lane when the Series last visited the Nobles County Speedway in 2007. The 2008 event was rained-out.
Pit gates open at 3:00, grandstands open at 4:30, hot laps are scheduled for 5:30 and the first heat race takes to the track at 6:00.
A full program is on tap with USRA Stock Cars, USRA B-Mods and USRA Hobby Stocks racing for track and national points in the American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series, plus the local Sportsman division in action.
Race fans can pick up $2-off coupons on Sunday at both Casey's General Stores locations in Worthington. Check out www.caseys.com for more information or to find the Casey's General Store location nearest you.
The Nobles County Speedway is a 1/4-mile semi-banked clay oval located off of I-90 at Exit 43, then 0.4 mile south on SR 59, then 0.4 mile west on Oxford St., then 0.2 mile north on McMullan (Pioneer Village) in Worthington, Minn. For more information, call the track hotline at 507-360-3825 or check out www.noblescountyspeedway.net on the World Wide Web.
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 Casey’s General Stores National Tour (Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region)
Inaugural Dirt Nationals - Night 2 of 2
Elko Speedway, Elko, Minn.
Saturday, July 25, 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. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (1)
2. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (2)
3. 19r - Ryan Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (7)
4. 6m - Ted Marrs -- Bethel, MN (4)
5. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (6)
6. B1 - Scott Ward -- Watertown, SD (5)
7. 30 - Tim Siercks -- Princeton, MN (3)
8. 23x - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (8)
NEW VISION GRAPHICS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. 18 - Chase Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (1)
2. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (4)
3. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (2)
4. 72 - Mike Lineberry -- Fremont, NE (3)
5. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (6)
6. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (8)
7. 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN (7)
8. 2 - Grant Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (5)
BRODIX HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (1)
2. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (3)
3. 12h - Mike Hansen -- Alton, IA (5)
4. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (7)
5. 42 - Tom Paulson -- Kasson, MN (4)
6. 12m - Jason Miller -- Osceola, WI (8)
7. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (6)
8. 23b - Brandon Davis -- Castle Rock, CO (2)
AWESOME RACEWEAR HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (1)
2. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (4)
3. 02 - Jacob Dahle -- Morristown, MN (7)
4. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (5)
5. 10x - Brett DeJager -- Brandon, SD (2)
6. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (6)
7. 72 - Baiden Heskett -- Alvarado, TX (3)
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (3)
2. 42 - Tom Paulson -- Kasson, MN (4)
3. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (8)
4. 30 - Tim Siercks -- Princeton, MN (7)
5. 23x - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (9)
6. 23b - Brandon Davis -- Castle Rock, CO (10)
7. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (1) DNF
8. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (5) DNF
9. 6m - Ted Marrs -- Bethel, MN (2) DNF
10. B1 - Scott Ward -- Watertown, SD (6) DNS
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (1)
2. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (3)
3. 10x - Brett DeJager -- Brandon, SD (4)
4. 12m - Jason Miller -- Osceola, WI (5)
5. 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN (7)
6. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (6)
7. 2 - Grant Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (9)
8. 72 - Baiden Heskett -- Alvarado, TX (8)
9. 72 - Mike Lineberry -- Fremont, NE (2) DNF
SUNOCO “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (3)
2. 19r - Ryan Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (5)
3. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (4)
4. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (6)
5. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (9)
6. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (8)
7. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (7)
8. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (12)
9. 12m - Jason Miller -- Osceola, WI (20)
10. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (14)
11. 02 - Jacob Dahle -- Morristown, MN (2)
12. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (10)
13. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (13)
14. 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN (22)
15. 23x - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (21)
16. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (17) -1 Lap
17. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (23) -1 Lap
18. 12h - Mike Hansen -- Alton, IA (11) DNF
19. 10x - Brett DeJager -- Brandon, SD (18) DNF
20. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (16) DNF
21. 30 - Tim Siercks -- Princeton, MN (19) DNF
22. 42 - Tom Paulson -- Kasson, MN (15) DNF
23. 2 - Grant Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (24) DNF
24. 18 - Chase Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (1) DNF
Lap Leader: VanderBeek 1-40.
Total Laps Led: VanderBeek 40.
AFCO Pole Winner: VanderBeek.
Provisional Starters: Bohr, G. Junghans.
PBM Performance Products Hard Charger: Miller (started 20th, finished 9th).
Next Race: Sunday, July 26, Nobles County Speedway, Worthington, Minn. (Great Plains Region).
Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region Points: Shryock 951, Tesch 949, VanderBeek 920, Wetzstein 839, Gustin 835, Donlinger 815, Bohr 768, Dripps 767, Al Hejna 756, Ramirez 754.
DandyLand Farms Rookie of the Year Points: G. Junghans 461, Hansen 385, Rich Lewerke 201, Mike Albertsen 193, Tate Cole 174.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Sput’s 283, Mullins 206, ASI 164, JR 134, AEM 101.
Chassis Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 272, Ramirez 245, Hughes 228, GRT 146, Harris 130.
Contingency Awards:
AFCO Racing Products VanderBeek.
American Racer Gustin.
Isky Racing Cams VanderBeek.
KSE Racing Products Krohn.
PBM Performance Products Miller.
Marsh Racing Wheels C. Junghans.
Nitroquest Donlinger.
Out-Pace Racing Products Dahle.
Quarter Master VanderBeek, Shryock.
QuickTime Performance Parts Noble.
Real Racing Wheels Davis, Poidinger.
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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, New Vision Graphics, 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, Dirthead.com, 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.