Shryock rebounds at Allison, back in ‘The Hunt’

ALLISON, IA (Aug. 31, 2006) -  “Anything can happen,” said Kelly Shryock prior to the kickoff of ‘The Hunt’ for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship on Wednesday. “You look at all of these parts and pieces on these cars and anything can go wrong or break on any given night. There's no guarantees.”

The seven-time defending O’Reilly USMTS national champ found out how right he was on Wednesday when mechanical problems forced him out of the main event and a 24th-place finish, dropping him to fourth in ‘The Hunt’ standings. It was just his seventh finish outside of the top-5 in 44 starts, but it couldn't have come at a worse time.

On Thursday night, however, it was a complete reversal of fortune as everything held together and Shryock powered his No. 3 Skyrocket into victory lane for the 28th time this season at the 2nd Annual Transport America Hawkeye Summer Classic. The win was worth $2,000 to the 41-year-old Fertile, Iowa, veteran as he catapulted into second behind Zack VanderBeek in ‘The Hunt’ standings with 2 of 16 events in the books.

Shryock started seventh in Thursday's 30-lap Holley “A” Main on the sweeping half-mile Highway 3 Raceway, but it took him less than a mile to take the lead. Once out front, Shryock never looked back as he brought his total to 694 laps led this season. Despite two months of racing to go, it was enough to clinch the season-long AMSOIL Lap Leader Award and the accompanying $1,000 prize.

While Shryock left no doubt as to the winner of the race, ninth-starting Al Hejna of Clear Lake, Iowa, gave the fans something to cheer about as ‘The A-Train’ bounced back from an early-race caution, racing from the back of the pack to finish in the runner-up spot at the checkered flag. Jason Friesen of Sutton, Neb., recorded his best finish since winning the season-opener in March, with a third-place paycheck.

Passing points were doled out in bundles Thursday night as Bob Timm of Rolling Stone, Minn., finished fourth after starting 11th and Zumbrota, Minn.'s Brad Waits grabbed fifth and a 15th-place starting spot.

For the second straight night the Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger honors went to Darin Duffy of Hazleton, Iowa, who started 24th and finished 10th. Duffy also passed 12 cars in Wednesday night's main event.

A ninth-place finish was enough for New Sharon, Iowa's VanderBeek to hang on to the points lead in ‘The Hunt’ with a six-point advantage (225 to 219) over Shryock. Wednesday's winner, Jon Tesch of Watertown, S.D., sits third with 211 points, followed by Tommy Myer of Blooming Prairie, Minn. (209) and Hejna (187).

The O’Reilly USMTS rugged road warriors roll on Friday night as they kick off the month of September with the Inaugural Husqvarna Labor Day Classic presented by Miner's Outdoor Equipment at the Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minn. The semi-banked 1/3-mile oval is located 5.0 miles north of Austin on US 218 to the Lansing exit, then 1.3 miles east on CR 2, then 0.4 mile south on CR 25, then 0.3 mile east. Gates open at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 7 and the first heat race scheduled to go green at 7:30. For day-of-race information, call the track hotline at (507) 433-1982. Also running will be Pure Stocks, Dwarf Cars, Midwest Mods and Street Stocks.

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
2nd Annual Transport America Hawkeye Summer Classic
Highway 3 Raceway, Allison, Iowa
Thursday, August 31, 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 (3)
2. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (2)
3. 26p - Kevin Pittman -- Waterloo, IA (4)
4. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (6)
5. 24 - Brad Waits -- Zumbrota, MN (8)
6. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (7)
7. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (5)
8. 91 - Shawn Ryan -- Waterloo, IA (1) DNS

HEAT #2 (8 laps):
1. 50 - Brad Bakken -- Garner, IA (3)
2. 70 - Jerry King -- Waterloo, IA (7)
3. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rolling Stone, MN (1)
4. 58 - Scott Vesely -- Mosinee, WI (2)
5. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (6) DNF
6. 19 - Darin Duffy -- Hazleton, IA (8) DNF
7. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (4) DNF
8. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (5) DNS

HEAT #3 (8 laps):
1. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (6)
2. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (1)
3. 21 - Layne Meyer -- West Union, IA (3)
4. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (5)
5. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (7)
6. 02 - Jacob Dahle -- Morristown, MN (2)
7. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN (4) DNF

HEAT #4 (8 laps):
1. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (2)
2. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (4)
3. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (6)
4. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (1)
5. 4r - Ron Ver Beek -- Oskaloosa, IA (7) DNF
6. 12m - Jason Miller -- Osceola, WI (5) DNF
7. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (3) DNF
8. 75 - James Parker -- Dodge Center, MN (8) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (10 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (1)
2. 24 - Brad Waits -- Zumbrota, MN (2)
3. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN (8)
4. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (3)
5. 02 - Jacob Dahle -- Morristown, MN (6)
6. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (7)
7. 19 - Darin Duffy -- Hazleton, IA (5) DNF
8. 75 - James Parker -- Dodge Center, MN (10) DNF
9. 4r - Ron Ver Beek -- Oskaloosa, IA (4) DNS
10. 91 - Shawn Ryan -- Waterloo, IA (9) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (10 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (9)
2. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (5)
3. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (1)
4. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (3)
5. 12m - Jason Miller -- Osceola, WI (6)
6. 58 - Scott Vesely -- Mosinee, WI (2)
7. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (4) DNS
8. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (7) DNS
9. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (8) DNS

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (30 laps):
1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (7)
2. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (9)
3. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (3)
4. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rolling Stone, MN (11)
5. 24 - Brad Waits -- Zumbrota, MN (15)
6. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (5)
7. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (1)
8. 26p - Kevin Pittman -- Waterloo, IA (10)
9. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (16)
10. 19 - Darin Duffy -- Hazleton, IA (24)
11. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (18) -1 Lap
12. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (20) -1 Lap
13. 70 - Jerry King -- Waterloo, IA (8) -1 Lap
14. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (23) DNF
15. 21 - Layne Meyer -- West Union, IA (12) DNF
16. 50 - Brad Bakken -- Garner, IA (4) DNF
17. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN (17) DNF
18. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (6) DNF
19. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (2) DNF
20. 12m - Jason Miller -- Osceola, WI (22) DNF
21. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (19) DNF
22. 02 - Jacob Dahle -- Morristown, MN (21) DNF
23. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (14) DNF
24. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (13) DNF

AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Myer 1-2. Shryock 3-30.
Total Laps Led: Shryock 28, Myer 2.
Provisional Starters: Bohmont (national), Duffy (regional).
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Duffy (started 24th, finished 10th).
Next Race: Friday, Sept. 1, Chateau Raceway, Lansing, Minn.
‘The Hunt’ Points: VanderBeek 225, Shryock 219, Tesch 211, Myer 209, A. Hejna 187, Friesen 178, McEwan 171, M. Hejna 161, Mahlstedt 132, Ruter 130.
Home Pride Passing Points (National): Shryock 171, Ruter 150, A. Hejna 142½, Myer 139½, McEwan 123.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Poidinger 677, Friesen 509, Matt Gilbertson 357, Mondus 338, Bohmont 312.
UNIJIG Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 434, Hughes 321, Kraft 270, GRT 269, Bullet 225.

Contingency Awards:
Bassett Racing Wheel – Friesen.
Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.
Boyer’s Engine Development – Shryock.
Edelbrock – Shryock, A. Hejna.
Fast Shafts – Waits.
GRT Race Cars – Bohr.
Isky Racing Cams – Bohr.
Kevko Oil Pans & Components – Timm.
KSE Racing Products – Pittman.
Larson Racing Specialists – not awarded.
Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.
QuickTime Performance Parts – Myer.
RaceQuest – Shryock, Poidinger, Vesely.
Real Racing Wheels – Ruter, Mahlstedt.
T.A.R. Race Car Bodies – Duffy.
UNIJIG – not awarded.