NOBLE RETURNS TO O’REILLY USMTS WINNERS CIRCLE AT ALLISON
By: Jeff Nun

ALLISON, Iowa (June 20) -- Mark Noble returned to the winners circle Tuesday, capturing the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series main event at the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, Iowa. It was the first win for the Blooming Prairie, Minn., veteran since May 14, and came on a night when race fans packed the Butler County Fairgrounds grandstand despite Mother Nature's threat of rain.

Many of the onlookers were expecting a blowout after Kelly Shryock, who has won 9 of 20 feature races this season, drew the pole for the 25-lap main event. The seven-time defending O’Reilly USMTS national champ would not lead a single lap, however, as he jumped the cushion entering the first turn. The bobble packed the Fertile, Iowa pilot's right front wheel with mud, eventually forcing him to the pits for repairs and out of contention for the win.

Ryan Ruter of Forest City, Iowa, led the first lap and nine more after that before mechanical woes sidelined him for the remainder of the race. Noble inherited the lead and never looked back en route to a $2,000 payday. With the win, Noble expanded his season winnings to more than $20,000 and grabbed a three-point advantage over Shryock for the Central Region points lead.

Noble also garnered an additional $450 contingency prize as he earned the Marsh Racing Wheels Halfway Leader Award.

Dean Mahlstedt of Clear Lake, Iowa, snagged the runner-up finish, with Dan Bohr of Decorah, Iowa, taking third place. Kevin Pittman of Waterloo, Iowa, was fourth and New Sharon, Iowa's Zack VanderBeek rounded out the top five.

UP NEXT: The “Best of the Best” invade the Cresco Speedway in Cresco, Iowa, for the 2nd Annual Howard County Fair Summer Classic on Wednesday, June 21. Then on Thursday, June 22, the stars and cars of the O’Reilly USMTS make their long-awaited return to the Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa, for a nationally-televised event. The swing wraps up with a bang on Friday, June 23, with the debut of the O’Reilly USMTS Modifieds at the Rapid Speedway in Rock Rapids, Iowa.

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.


OFFICIAL RESULTS
O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series
Inaugural Allison Clash
Highway 3 Raceway, Allison, Iowa
Tuesday, June 20, 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 (8 laps):
1. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (4)
2. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (6)
3. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (2)
4. 2 - Joey Schaefer -- Waterloo, IA (1)
5. 90 - Chuck Stanton -- New Hampton, IA (7)
6. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (8)
7. X - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (5)
8. 72c - Scott Chisholm -- Greene, IA (3)


HEAT #2 (8 laps):
1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (2)
2. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (1)
3. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (3)
4. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (4)
5. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (5)
6. 50 - Brad Bakken -- Garner, IA (6)
7. 26f - Dan Fetters -- Montour, IA (7)
8. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (8)

HEAT #3 (8 laps):
1. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (2)
2. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (6)
3. 12 - Mark Elliott -- Webster City,, IA (7)
4. 27m - Mark Schulte -- Delhi, IA (5)
5. 00t - Travis Chapman -- Waverly, IA (3)
6. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (1)
7. 91 - Shawn Ryan -- Waterloo, IA (4)

HEAT #4 (8 laps):
1. 26p - Kevin Pittman -- Waterloo, IA (4)
2. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (1)
3. 5w - Darrin Walch -- Postville, IA (7)
4. 72 - Douglas Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (3)
5. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (6)
6. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (2)
7. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (5)


REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #1 (10 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 27m - Mark Schulte -- Delhi, IA (1)
2. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (2)
3. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (4)
4. X - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (7)
5. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (5)
6. 90 - Chuck Stanton -- New Hampton, IA (3)
7. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (6)
8. 91 - Shawn Ryan -- Waterloo, IA (8)
9. 72c - Scott Chisholm -- Greene, IA (9)


REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #2 (10 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 2 - Joey Schaefer -- Waterloo, IA (1)
2. 72 - Douglas Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (2)
3. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (9)
4. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (3)
5. 50 - Brad Bakken -- Garner, IA (5)
6. 00t - Travis Chapman -- Waverly, IA (4)
7. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (6)
8. 26f - Dan Fetters -- Montour, IA (7)
9. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (8)

HOLLEY "A" MAIN (25 laps):
1. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (5)
2. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (11)
3. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (4)
4. 26p - Kevin Pittman -- Waterloo, IA (3)
5. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (12)
6. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (9)
7. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (8)
8. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (17)
9. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (15)
10. 12 - Mark Elliott -- Webster City,, IA (7)
11. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (23)
12. 27m - Mark Schulte -- Delhi, IA (13)
13. 72 - Douglas Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (16)
14. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (21)
15. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (20)
16. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (1)
17. 50 - Brad Bakken -- Garner, IA (22)
18. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (18)
19. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (10)
20. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (2)
21. 26f - Dan Fetters -- Montour, IA (24)
22. 2 - Joey Schaefer -- Waterloo, IA (14)
23. 5w - Darrin Walch -- Postville, IA (6)
24. X - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (19)
25. 00t - Travis Chapman -- Waverly, IA (25)

AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Ruter 1-10, Noble 11-25.
Total Laps Led: Noble 15, Ruter 10.
Provisional Starters: Poidinger (regional), Fetters (national), Chapman (track).
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Poidinger (started 23rd, finished 11th).
Next Race: June 21, Cresco Speedway, Cresco, Iowa.
O’Reilly National Driver Points (top 10): Shryock 1978, Noble 1803, Myer 1735, Ruter 1672, Tesch 1540, VanderBeek 1532, Mahlstedt 1448, McEwan 1414, Wedelstadt 1332, A. Hejna 1285.
Central Region Points (top 10): Noble 566, Shryock 563, Myer 503, Mahlstedt 493, VanderBeek 463, Tesch 441, Ruter 416, M. Hejna 412, McEwan 399.
Home Pride Passing Points - National (top 5): Ruter 84.0, Myer 82.5, Shryock 82.5, Jason Friesen 73.5, Noble 70.5.
Home Pride Passing Points - Central Region (top 5): Jason Friesen 31.5, Noble 30.0, Myer 22.5, Mike Steensma 22.5, M. Hejna 19.5.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points (top 5): Jason Friesen 369, Poidinger 270, Gilbertson 242, Mike Steensma 225, Jeff Schluetter 214.
UNIJIG Builders Championship Points (top 5): Skyrocket 196, Kraft 159, Hughes 143, GRT 120, Bullet 99.

Contingency Awards:

Bassett Racing Wheel – Bohr.
Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.
Boyer’s Engine Development – Noble.
Dynatech Racing Exhaust – Noble, Mahlstedt.
Edelbrock – Noble, Mahlstedt.
Fast Shafts – VanderBeek.
GRT Race Cars – Hughes.
Isky Racing Cams – Bohr.
KEVKO Oil Pans & Components – not awarded.
KSE Racing Products – Myer.
Larson Racing Specialists – Hillson.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Noble ($450).
QuickTime Performance Parts – Neal.
RaceQuest – Noble, Stanton.
Real Racing Wheels – Schaefer.
T.A.R. Race Car Bodies – Elliott.
UNIJIG – Neal.