SHRYOCK GUNS DOWN O’REILLY USMTS FOES IN ROOKIES ROCKIN’ SPORTS BAR MEMORIAL DAY SHOOTOUT
by: Jeff Nun

BRITT, Ia (May 29, 2006) - Five straight nights of racing for the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series wrapped up on Monday with the Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Memorial Day Shootout at the Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway in Britt, Iowa.

For Kelly Shryock, the weekend was a profitable one as the Fertile, Iowa, veteran ended the weekend in the same manner he started it: in victory lane.

After victories at the Park Jefferson (S.D.) Speedway on Thursday and the Murray County Speedway in Slayton, Minn., the seven-time defending O’Reilly USMTS national champion picked up his third win in five races on Memorial Day. With a runner-up showing on Saturday and a third-place finish on Sunday, Shryock took home $8,500 and led 66 of the 185 main event laps during the Memorial Day Weekend swing.

In Monday's 40-lap Holley "A" Main, Mark Elliott of Webster City, Iowa, took the early lead from his pole position, and held the top spot until lap 11 when Clear Lake, Iowa's Mike Hejna wrestled the lead away from Elliott. Hejna paced the next 18 laps before Shryock ran him down on lap 27. On lap 28, Shryock slipped around Hejna for first place and went on to lead the final dozen circuits to score his Series-leading seventh O’Reilly USMTS victory of the 2006 season.

Tommy Myer of Blooming Prairie, Minn., who won Sunday night's event at the Dodge County Speedway in Kasson, Minn., nabbed second while Hejna settled for a third-place check at the pay window. Clear Lake residents completed the top five finishers with Mike's older brother, Al, taking fourth and Dean Mahlstedt in fifth.

Mark Noble failed to finish Monday's main event, capping off a disappointing weekend for the Blooming Prairie, Minn., veteran. Noble, who entered the weekend swing leading the national points standings, dropped to second behind Shryock. Noble continues to lead the Western Region standings, while Shryock is the points leader in the Central Region and Reich Concrete/Yeager Machine Northeast Region. Mahlstedt is the points leader in the Dirt Works Race Cars Southern Region.

Shryock's Skyrocket Chassis continues to lead the UNIJIG Builders Championship ahead of Kraft Kar Race Cars, Hughes Chassis, GRT Race Cars and Belleville Motorsports. With 146 laps out front, Shryock also leads the season-long chase for the AMSOIL Lap Leader Award.

Jason Friesen of Sutton, Neb., maintains a comfortable advantage Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year points, with Mike Steensma, Jeff Schluetter, Matt Gilbertson and Jay Poidinger rounding out the top-5 points-getters.

In Home Pride Passing Points, Myer leads the national standings while three other drivers hold the lead in the regional standings: Friesen (Central Region, Dirt Works Southern Region), Ruter (Western Region) and Shryock (Reich Concrete/Yeager Machine Northeast Region).

Up next for the O’Reilly USMTS will be a Dairy State tripleheader, beginning with the first-ever trip for America's Premier Modified Series to the Oshkosh SpeedZone Raceway in Oshkosh, Wis., on Tuesday, June 6, for the first night of the Wisconsin Summer Nationals. On Wednesday, June 7, the rugged road warriors invade the Thunderhill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., before wrapping up the swing on Friday, June 9, at the Fox Ridge Speedway in Arcadia, Wis. Each show will pay $2,000 to win and a minimum of $200 to start, with points being awarded in the Reich Concrete/Yeager Machine Northeast Region.

For more information, or to learn more about the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series, call (515) 832-7944 or visit www.USMTS.com online.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Memorial Day Shootout
Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway, Britt, Iowa
Monday, May 29, 2006

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

The top 12 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 #1 (10 laps):
1. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (1)
2. 12 - Mark Elliott -- Webster City,, IA (6)
3. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (3)
4. 1m - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (5)
5. 1k - Pat Graham -- Ames, IA (2)
6. X - Julie McDermid -- Fremont, WI (7)
7. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (8) DNF
8. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (4) DNF

HEAT #2 (10 laps):
1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (1)
2. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (3)
3. 50 - Brad Bakken -- Garner, IA (2)
4. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (4)
5. 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN (6)
6. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (7)
7. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (5) DNF

HEAT #3 (10 laps):
1. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (2)
2. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (1)
3. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (4)
4. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (6)
5. 7 - Eric Dailey -- Armstrong, IA (5)
6. 10h - Todd Hanson -- Clear Lake, IA (3)
7. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (7)

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN (8 laps):
1. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (7)
2. 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN (1)
3. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (8)
4. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (5)
5. 10h - Todd Hanson -- Clear Lake, IA (6)
6. X - Julie McDermid -- Fremont, WI (4)
7. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (9)
8. 7 - Eric Dailey -- Armstrong, IA (3) DNF
9. 1k - Pat Graham -- Ames, IA (2) DNF
10. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (10) DNS

HOLLEY "A" MAIN (40 laps):
1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (4)
2. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (13)
3. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (5)
4. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (15)
5. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (2)
6. 50 - Brad Bakken -- Garner, IA (9)
7. 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN (14)
8. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (3)
9. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (16)
10. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (19)
11. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (12) DNF
12. 1m - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (11) DNF
13. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (8) DNF
14. 10h - Todd Hanson -- Clear Lake, IA (17) DNF
15. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (6) DNF
16. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (7) DNF
17. 12 - Mark Elliott -- Webster City,, IA (1) DNF
18. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (22) DNF
19. 7 - Eric Dailey -- Armstrong, IA (20) DNF
20. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (10) DNF
21. X - Julie McDermid -- Fremont, WI (18) DNF
22. 1k - Pat Graham -- Ames, IA (21) DNS

AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Elliott 1-10, M. Hejna 11-28, Shryock 29-40.
Total Laps Led: M. Hejna 18, Shryock 12, Elliott 10.
Provisional Starters: none.
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Myer (started 13th, finished 2nd).
Next Race: June 6, Oshkosh SpeedZone Raceway, Oshkosh, Wis.
O’Reilly National Driver Points (top 10): Shryock 1605, Noble 1510, Myer 1363, Ruter 1359, Friesen 1244, A. Hejna 1240, VanderBeek 1210, Jon Tesch 1196, Mahlstedt 1194, McEwan 1192.
Central Region Points (top 10): Shryock 503, Noble 459, Myer 418, Mahlstedt 389, VanderBeek 372, Jon Tesch 370, M. Hejna 367, Ruter 361, A. Hejna 353, Steensma 347.
Home Pride Passing Points - National (top 5): Myer 75, Friesen 73½, A. Hejna 69, Ruter 66, Shryock 66.
Home Pride Passing Points - Central Region (top 5): Friesen 31½, Mark Noble 24, Tommy Myer 22½, Mike Steensma 22½, Mike Hejna 19½.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points (top 5): Friesen 369, Steensma 225, Jeff Schluetter 214, Gilbertson 200, Poidinger 184.
UNIJIG Builders Championship Points (top 5): Skyrocket 159, Kraft 131, Hughes 109, GRT 92, BMS 81.

Contingency Awards:
Bassett Racing Wheel – M. Hejna.
Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.
Boyer’s Engine Development – Shryock.
Dynatech Racing Exhaust – Shryock.
Edelbrock – Shryock, Myer.
Fast Shafts – A. Hejna.
GRT Race Cars – not awarded.
Isky Racing Cams – Gilbertson.
KEVKO Oil Pans & Components – Mahlstedt.
KSE Racing Products – Gilbertson.
Larson Racing Specialists – Noble.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Halfway leader if using Marsh Racing Wheels.
QuickTime Performance Parts – Steensma.
RaceQuest – Shryock.
Real Racing Wheels – Myer.
T.A.R. Race Car Bodies – Poidinger.
UNIJIG – Noble.