Shryock wins at West Liberty; Mondus clinches final spot for ‘The Hunt’

WEST LIBERTY, IA (Aug. 15, 2006) -  The stars and cars of the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series made their long-awaited debut at the West Liberty (Iowa) Raceway on Tuesday, Aug. 15, for a $2,000-to-win battle royale at the historic Muscatine County Fairgrounds.

For the second straight race, Clear Lake, Iowa's Mike Hejna set a torrid pace at the front of the field as he led the first 12 laps of the Holly "A" Main. On lap 13, however, Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, blasted past Hejna to gain the top spot. The seven-time O’Reilly USMTS national champion never looked back as he went on to score his 27th main event win of the season.

Big brother Al Hejna came from the seventh starting spot to take home the runner-up paycheck while Zack VanderBeek of New Sharon, Iowa, scored the third spot at the checkers ahead of Mike Hejna. Bruce Hanford of Davenport, Iowa, rounded out the top-5 finishers.

Late Model veteran Tommy Elston of Keokuk, Iowa, came from the 14th starting spot to finish sixth (the last driver on the lead lap) with West Liberty Raceway track points leader and current USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Racing Series national points leader Larry Herring of Lone Tree, Iowa, behind him in seventh. Chris Spieker of Massena, Iowa; Brad McEwan of Storm Lake, Iowa; and Alan Mondus of Lakeville, Minn., rounded out the top-10 finishers.

With his top-10 finish in Tuesday night's event, Mondus clinched a top-10 finish in the Central Region points standings and earned a spot in ‘The Hunt’ for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship. Fifteen drivers will be qualified for ‘The Hunt’ and the final table will be set after Wednesday night's Central Region curtain-closer at the “Palace of Speed” -- Farley (Iowa) Speedway for another $2,000-to-win, $200-to-start tilt.

Gates open at 5 p.m. with racing at 7. Pro Stocks and Farley Flyers are also on the menu. The Farley Speedway is located just south of U.S. Hwy. 20 at Exit 300 on frontage road, then 0.8 mile west on Olde Farley Rd.

Hard Charger, Big Debut .... Although he finished 11th, Tommy Myer of Blooming Prairie, Minn., impressed his competitors with his heart as he raced from 22nd on the starting grid and earned the Olympic Fire Protection Hard charger honors. Monday afternoon while unloading his racecar, Myer slipped and fell, cracking his 12th vertebrae. Against doctor’s orders, Myer proved his position among the nation's elite with a strong run. His new car also turned a lot of heads tonight as he broke out an all-new Big Cock Chassis with a sleek, new all-chrome look.

Nothing But The Green .... despite 41 entries, five eight-lap Heat races, two 12-lap Real Racing Wheels "B" Mains and a 30-lap Holley "A" Main, not one caution flag waved the entire 90 laps Tuesday evening.

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
West Liberty Raceway, West Liberty, Iowa
Tuesday, August 15, 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. 61 - Bruce Hanford -- Davenport, IA (1)
2. 2 - Rick Hixson -- Orion, IL (2)
3. 3j - Jason Schueller -- Dubuque, IA (3)
4. 9z - Mike Zogg -- New Liberty, IA (6)
5. 33 - Steve Wetter -- Platteville, WI (8)
6. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (4)
7. 55 - Scott Stecher -- Muscatine, IA (5)
8. 20 - Dan Albright -- Hiawatha, IA (9)
9. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (7) DNF

HEAT #2 (8 laps):
1. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (4)
2. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (8)
3. 105 - Kevin Peters -- Monmouth, IL (1)
4. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (3)
5. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (7)
6. 27m - Mark Schulte -- Delhi, IA (6)
7. d1 - Tim Greif -- West Liberty, IA (2)
8. 41 - Scott Hill -- Davenport, IA (5) DNF

HEAT #3 (8 laps):
1. 96 - Larry Herring -- Lone Tree, IA (2)
2. 8 - Rich Smith -- Davenport, IA (3)
3. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (8)
4. 7t - Mike Thomas -- Iowa City, IA (4)
5. 1d - Mel Saffran -- Farley, IA (6)
6. 63 - Paul Parker -- Applington, WI (5)
7. 89 - Brad Dubil -- Bettendorf, IA (7)
8. 29d - Brad Dierks -- Clarence, IA (1) DNF

HEAT #4 (8 laps):
1. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (3)
2. 1 - Dan Chapman -- Clarence, IA (5)
3. 56 - Chris Spieker -- Massena, IA (6)
4. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (1)
5. 12t - Terry Walker -- Riverside, IA (7)
6. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (4)
7. 30 - Mark Massey -- Worthington, IA (2)
8. 9 - Leon Wilson -- Hopkins, IA (8)

HEAT #5 (8 laps):
1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (3)
2. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (4)
3. 51 - Ryan Dolan -- Lisbon, IA (2)
4. 60 - Robbie VerBeck -- Cambridge, IL (7)
5. 19 - Terry Lawson -- New Liberty, IA (1)
6. 7x - Tommy Elston -- Keokuk, IA (8)
7. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (5)
8. f7 - Patrick Flannagan -- Cedar Rapids, IA (6)

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (4)
2. 9z - Mike Zogg -- New Liberty, IA (3)
3. 12t - Terry Walker -- Riverside, IA (6)
4. 60 - Robbie VerBeck -- Cambridge, IL (1)
5. 105 - Kevin Peters -- Monmouth, IL (2)
6. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (5)
7. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (8)
8. 55 - Scott Stecher -- Muscatine, IA (10)
9. 19 - Terry Lawson -- New Liberty, IA (7)
10. 63 - Paul Parker -- Applington, WI (9)
11. 9 - Leon Wilson -- Hopkins, IA (14)
12. 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (15) DNF
13. 89 - Brad Dubil -- Bettendorf, IA (11) DNS
14. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (12) DNS
15. 41 - Scott Hill -- Davenport, IA (13) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 7x - Tommy Elston -- Keokuk, IA (7)
2. 33 - Steve Wetter -- Platteville, WI (3)
3. 3j - Jason Schueller -- Dubuque, IA (1)
4. 51 - Ryan Dolan -- Lisbon, IA (2)
5. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (9)
6. 27m - Mark Schulte -- Delhi, IA (8)
7. 7t - Mike Thomas -- Iowa City, IA (4)
8. 1d - Mel Saffran -- Farley, IA (6)
9. 20 - Dan Albright -- Hiawatha, IA (12)
10. d1 - Tim Greif -- West Liberty, IA (10) –1 Lap
11. 30 - Mark Massey -- Worthington, IA (11) DNF
12. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (5) DNF
13. 29d - Brad Dierks -- Clarence, IA (13) DNS
14. f7 - Patrick Flannagan -- Cedar Rapids, IA (14) DNS

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (30 laps):
1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (3)
2. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (7)
3. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (5)
4. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (2)
5. 61 - Bruce Hanford -- Davenport, IA (4)
6. 7x - Tommy Elston -- Keokuk, IA (14)
7. 96 - Larry Herring -- Lone Tree, IA (1) –1 Lap
8. 56 - Chris Spieker -- Massena, IA (11) –1 Lap
9. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (9) –1 Lap
10. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (6) –1 Lap
11. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (22) –1 Lap
12. 8 - Rich Smith -- Davenport, IA (10) –1 Lap
13. 2 - Rick Hixson -- Orion, IL (12) –1 Lap
14. 9z - Mike Zogg -- New Liberty, IA (15) –1 Lap
15. 60 - Robbie VerBeck -- Cambridge, IL (19) –1 Lap
16. 51 - Ryan Dolan -- Lisbon, IA (20) –1 Lap
17. 33 - Steve Wetter -- Platteville, WI (16) DNF
18. 3j - Jason Schueller -- Dubuque, IA (18) DNF
19. 105 - Kevin Peters -- Monmouth, IL (21) DNF
20. 12t - Terry Walker -- Riverside, IA (17) DNF
21. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (13) DNF
22. 1 - Dan Chapman -- Clarence, IA (8) DNF
23. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (23) DNS
24. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (24) DNS

AMSOIL Lap Leaders: M. Hejna 1-12, Shryock 13-30.
Total Laps Led: Shryock 18, M. Hejna 12.
Provisional Starters: Mahlstedt (regional), Ruter (national).
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Myer (started 22nd, finished 11th).
Next Race: Wednesday, Aug. 16, Farley (Iowa) Speedway.
O’Reilly National Driver Points: Shryock 4145, Myer 3437, VanderBeek 3256, Ruter 3057, McEwan 2927, Mahlstedt 2775, A. Hejna 2734, Jon Tesch 2734, Mark Noble 2628, Poidinger 2155.
Central Region Points: Shryock 1285, VanderBeek 1071, Mahlstedt 1061, Myer 989, Ruter 948, A. Hejna 930, McEwan 885, M. Hejna 872, Poidinger 790, Mondus 754.
Home Pride Passing Points - National: Shryock 166.5, Ruter 145.5, A. Hejna 135.0, Myer 124.5, McEwan 121.5.
Home Pride Passing Points - Central: Myer 48.0, McEwan 43.5, Ruter 40.5, Shryock 39.0, A. Hejna 39.0.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Poidinger 630, Jason Friesen 459, Gilbertson 338, Tommy Weder Jr. 304, Brent Bohmont 291.
UNIJIG Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 405, Hughes 306, Kraft 267, GRT 248, Bullet 214.

Contingency Awards:
Bassett Racing Wheel – VanderBeek.
Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.
Boyer’s Engine Development – Shryock.
Edelbrock – Shryock, A. Hejna.
Fast Shafts – Hanford.
GRT Race Cars – Elston.
Isky Racing Cams – Hanford.
Kevko Oil Pans & Components – M. Hejna.
KSE Racing Products – not awarded.
Larson Racing Specialists – not awarded.
Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.
QuickTime Performance Parts – not awarded.
RaceQuest – Shryock, Bohr, Saffran.
Real Racing Wheels – Hughes, Elston.
T.A.R. Race Car Bodies – Mondus.
UNIJIG – Chapman.