Noble survives for O’Reilly Auto Parts Iowa Spring Classic victory

Oskaloosa, Ia (April 8, 2006) - Mark Noble of Blooming Prairie, Minn., came out on top in a race of survival Saturday as he captured the 3rd Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Iowa Spring Classic main event at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

The win was Noble's second on the season, and cemented his place at the top of the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series national points standings.

Noble, who started 16th on the grid, methodically picked off cars throughout the first half of the race while Dean Mahlstedt of Clear Lake, Iowa, set a torrid pace at the front of the field. Cautions erased Mahlstedt's big lead on several occasions before Noble became a factor for the lead.

Taking the lead near the halfway point of the race, Noble was unable to shake Mahlstedt as he stayed glued to Noble's bumper while seven-time defending O’Reilly USMTS national champion Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, joined in to make it a three-way battle for the lead. With eight laps to go, Mahlstedt and Shryock made contact exiting turn 2, which resulted in a caution flag for Shryock who stopped at the end of the backstretch with a flat tire. During the caution period, Mahlstedt also entered the pits to change a flat tire, ending both drivers' chance for a victory.

Noble went unchallenged the rest of the way while Brad Pinkerton of New Sharon, Iowa, made his 2006 O’Reilly USMTS debut with a runner-up finish. Pinkerton edged Al Hejna of Clear Lake, Iowa, at the finish line while Brad McEwan of Storm Lake, Iowa, finished fourth. Jon Tesch of Watertown, S.D., rounded out the top-5 finishers.

Up next for the O’Reilly USMTS will the 2nd Annual Ruter Farms Spring Challenge at the Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway in Britt, Iowa, on Sunday, April 9, for the second race of the season for drivers in the Central Region. Sunday's event will pay $2,000 to win.

For more information, call the O’Reilly USMTS headquarters at (515) 832-7944 or visit www.usmts.com online.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series
3rd Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Iowa Spring Classic
Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Saturday, April 8, 2006

Showing finishing position, car number, driver, hometown and starting position in parentheses.

The top 13 drivers in Home Pride 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. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (8)
2. 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN (3)
3. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (6)
4. 9g - Rick Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (10)
5. 90 - Chuck Stanton -- New Hampton, IA (5)
6. 11j - Jim Brown -- Altoona, IA (1)
7. 7r - Jerry Pilcher -- Bloomfield, IA (9)
8. 72 - Mike Lineberry -- Fontanelle, NE (2) DNF
9. 5 - Tim Sands -- Conesville, IA (4) DNF
10. 40 - Scott Dickey -- Packwood, IA (7) DNF

HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (2)
2. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (3)
3. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (5)
4. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (1)
5. 17p - Brad Pinkerton -- New Sharon, IA (9)
6. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (10)
7. 54 - Benji LaCrosse -- Luxemburg, WI (4)
8. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (6)
9. 82m - Ryan Meyer -- Liberty, IL (7) DNF
10. 00 - Joshua Vinnedge -- Forreston, IL (8) DNF

HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (8)
2. 1 - Dan Chapman -- Clarence, IA (5)
3. 1r - Ryan York -- Racine, MN (3)
4. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (7)
5. 7m - Michael Darnall -- West Union, IA (6)
6. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (9)
7. 85 - Mark Dotson -- Cameron, MO (1) DNF
8. 1m - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (4) DNF
9. 18 - Michael Long -- Quincy, IL (2) DNF
10. 1d - Mel Saffran -- Farley, IA (10) DNF

HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (8)
2. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (2)
3. 4r - Ron VerBeek -- Oskaloosa, IA (3)
4. 45 - Tony Fraise -- Donnellson, IA (1)
5. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (4)
6. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (9)
7. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (6) DNF
8. 7t - Mike Thomas -- West Branch, IA (5) DNS
9. 17 - Steve Stewart -- Washington, IA (7) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 17p - Brad Pinkerton -- New Sharon, IA (2)
2. 1r - Ryan York -- Racine, MN (1)
3. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (6)
4. 7r - Jerry Pilcher -- Bloomfield, IA (7)
5. 1m - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (10)
6. 85 - Mark Dotson -- Cameron, MO (8)
7. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (5)
8. 7m - Michael Darnall -- West Union, IA (4)
9. 5 - Tim Sands -- Conesville, IA (11)
10. 72 - Mike Lineberry -- Fontanelle, NE (9) DNF
11. 45 - Tony Fraise -- Donnellson, IA (3) DNF
12. 1d - Mel Saffran -- Farley, IA (14) DNF
13. 18 - Michael Long -- Quincy, IL (12) DNS
14. 40 - Scott Dickey -- Packwood, IA (13) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (2)
2. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (3)
3. 4r - Ron VerBeek -- Oskaloosa, IA (1)
4. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (8)
5. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (9)
6. 82m - Ryan Meyer -- Liberty, IL (11)
7. 11j - Jim Brown -- Altoona, IA (6)
8. 54 - Benji LaCrosse -- Luxemburg, WI (7) DNF
9. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (4) DNF
10. 90 - Chuck Stanton -- New Hampton, IA (5) DNF
11. 00 - Joshua Vinnedge -- Forreston, IL (13) DNF
12. 7t - Mike Thomas -- West Branch, IA (10) DNS
13. 17 - Steve Stewart -- Washington, IA (12) DNS

HOLLEY "A" MAIN (25 laps):
1. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (16)
2. 17p - Brad Pinkerton -- New Sharon, IA (13)
3. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA ()
4. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA ()
5. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (14)
6. 9g - Rick Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA ()
7. 4r - Ron VerBeek -- Oskaloosa, IA (18)
8. 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN ()
9. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA ()
10. 1r - Ryan York -- Racine, MN (15)
11. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA ()
12. 45 - Tony Fraise -- Donnellson, IA (24)
13. 1 - Dan Chapman -- Clarence, IA ()
14. 1m - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (21)
15. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA ()
16. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (22)
17. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI ()
18. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (17)
19. 7r - Jerry Pilcher -- Bloomfield, IA (19)
20. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE () DNF
21. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN () DNF
22. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (20) DNF
23. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA () DNF
24. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (23) DNF

Lap Leaders:
Total Laps Led:
Provisional Starters: Mondus, Fraise.
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger:
Next Race: April 9, Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway, Britt, Iowa
O’Reilly National Driver points (top 10):
Central Region points (top 10):
Rookies Rockin' Sports Bar Rookie of the Year points (top 5): Friesen 53, Kevin Larkins 34, Steve Arpin 28, Steensma 27, Randy Timms 24.
UNIJIG Builders Championship points (top 5):

Contingency Awards:
Bassett Racing Wheel – A. Hejna.
Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.
Boyer’s Engine Development – Noble.
Dynatech Racing Exhaust – Noble, Pinkerton.
Edelbrock – Noble, Pinkerton.
Fast Shafts – Tesch.
GRT Race Cars – not awarded.
Isky Racing Cams – A. Hejna.
KEVKO Oil Pans & Components – McEwan.
KSE Racing Products – Steensma.
Larson Racing Specialists – Chapman.
Marsh Racing Wheels –
QuickTime Performance Parts – VerBeek.
RaceQuest – Noble, Dotson, Darnall.
Real Racing Wheels – Pinkerton, Tesch.
T.A.R. Race Car Bodies – York.
UNIJIG –