MYER NOTCHES OPENING NIGHT WIN AT MUSCO LIGHTING FALL CHALLENGE

OSKALOOSA, IA. (Sept. 15, 2006) - Sometimes being lucky simply means that somebody else in unlucky. Such was the case Friday night as Tommy Myer was well on his way to a runner-up finish in the main event on opening night of the 15th Annual Musco Lighting Fall Challenge at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa. With six laps to go, Kelly Shryock was comfortably in front when a flat tire forced the seven-time O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series to stop on the track and head to the pits. Myer inherited the lead and cruised to his second O’Reilly USMTS win of the season and first for car owner Corey Dripps.

Clear Lake, Iowa's Dean Mahlstedt jumped out front to lead the first seven laps before yielding the top spot to Shryock. The Fertile, Iowa, veteran set a blistering pace through lap 19 before the failed tire knocked him out of contention, relinquishing the lead and eventual win to the Blooming Prairie, Minn., pilot. Mahlstedt hung on for second behind Myer, who leapfrogged over Shryock to third in ‘The Hunt’ for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship standings.

Ryan Ruter of Forest City, Iowa, finished third after starting 12th and earned the Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger honors. Jon Tesch of Watertown, S.D., finished fourth and Jason Friesen of Sutton, Neb., rounded out the top-5 finishers.

Johnny Bone Jr. of Pea Ridge, Ark., finished sixth while Zack VanderBeek of New Sharon, Iowa, took seventh after starting 14th at his hometown track. VanderBeek continues to lead ‘The Hunt’ points over Tesch (577 to 558) with Myer in third (521), Shryock (519) and Friesen (512).

‘The Hunt’ for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship continues Saturday night with the finale of the 15th Annual Musco Lighting Fall Challenge at the Southern Iowa Speedway. Gates open at 4 p.m., hot laps are at 6 and the mud starts flyin' at 6:30. Saturday's main event winner will earn $3,000.

The Mahaska County Half-Mile Monster is located 0.5 mile west of US 63 on SR 92, then 0.3 mile north on N. I St. (at the Southern Iowa Fairgrounds). For day-of-race information, call the track hotline at (507) 634-4281 or visit www.rlpromotions.com/oskaloosa online. For more information about the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series, call the 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
15th Annual Musco Lighting Fall Challenge
Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Friday, Sept. 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. X - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (2)
2. 56 - Chris Spieker -- Massena, IA (4)
3. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (6)
4. 11 - Mike Hughes -- Rose Hill, IA (5)
5. 4r - Ron Ver Beek -- Oskaloosa, IA (7)
6. 12d - Adam Davis -- Walford, IA (1)
7. 21 - Jim Horejsi -- Echo, MN (9)
8. 4b - Bret Diercks -- Davenport, IA (8)
9. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (3) DNF


HEAT #2 (8 laps):
1. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (1)
2. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (2)
3. 2 - Joey Schaefer -- Waterloo, IA (4)
4. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (9)
5. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (6)
6. 12 - Mark Elliott -- Webster City,, IA (7)
7. 17p - Brad Pinkerton -- New Sharon, IA (3)
8. 61 - Bruce Hanford -- Davenport, IA (8)
9. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (5) DNF

HEAT #3 (8 laps):

1. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (1)
2. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (2)
3. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (7)
4. 4g - David Holder -- Clarence, MO (9)
5. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (5)
6. 29 - Matt Greiner -- Iowa City, IA (4)
7. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (6)
8. 5 - Tim Sands -- Conesville, IA (8)
9. 47 - Josh Truman -- Indianola, IA (3) DNS

HEAT #4 (8 laps):

1. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (6)
2. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (7)
3. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (8)
4. 31j - Barry Sandeman -- Creston, IA (2)
5. 99 - Martin Bennett -- Ankeny, IA (5)
6. 32 - Michael Bennett -- Des Moines, IA (4)
7. 00 - David Ott -- Ankeny, IA (9)
8. 17 - Steve Stewart -- Washington, IA (3) DNF
9. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (1) DNF


HEAT #5 (8 laps):

1. 22 - Brandon Banks -- Washington, IA (8)
2. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (3)
3. 45 - Tony Fraise -- Donnellson, IA (2)
4. 40 - Scott Dickey -- Packwood, IA (5)
5. 8 - Rich Smith -- Davenport, IA (1)
6. 67 - Matt McDermid -- Ocotona Fall, WI (4)
7. 11j - Jim Brown -- Altoona, IA (7)
8. 7t - Mike Thomas -- Iowa City, IA (6) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 5 advance):

1. 4g - David Holder -- Clarence, MO (2)
2. 4r - Ron Ver Beek -- Oskaloosa, IA (5)
3. 45 - Tony Fraise -- Donnellson, IA (3)
4. 17p - Brad Pinkerton -- New Sharon, IA (11)
5. 61 - Bruce Hanford -- Davenport, IA (13)
6. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (1)
7. 21 - Jim Horejsi -- Echo, MN (10)
8. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (15)
9. 12d - Adam Davis -- Walford, IA (8)
10. 11j - Jim Brown -- Altoona, IA (12)
11. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (6)DNF
12. 32 - Michael Bennett -- Des Moines, IA (9) DNF
13. 8 - Rich Smith -- Davenport, IA (7) DNF
14. 40 - Scott Dickey -- Packwood, IA (4) DNS
15. 17 - Steve Stewart -- Washington, IA (14) DNS
16. 47 - Josh Truman -- Indianola, IA (16) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 5 advance):

1. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (1)
2. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (5)
3. 12 - Mark Elliott -- Webster City,, IA (7)
4. 11 - Mike Hughes -- Rose Hill, IA (3)
5. 99 - Martin Bennett -- Ankeny, IA (6)
6. 29 - Matt Greiner -- Iowa City, IA (8)
7. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (15)
8. 31j - Barry Sandeman -- Creston, IA (4)
9. 67 - Matt McDermid -- Ocotona Fall, WI (9)
10. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (16)
11. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (11)
12. 00 - David Ott -- Ankeny, IA (10)
13. 5 - Tim Sands -- Conesville, IA (13)
14. 4b - Bret Diercks -- Davenport, IA (12) DNF
15. 2 - Joey Schaefer -- Waterloo, IA (2) DNF
16. 7t - Mike Thomas -- Iowa City, IA (14) DNS

HOLLEY "A" MAIN (25 laps):

1. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (11)
2. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (2)
3. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (12)
4. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (3)
5. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (4)
6. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (7)
7. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (14)
8. 22 - Brandon Banks -- Washington, IA (1)
9. 4g - David Holder -- Clarence, MO (13)
10. 17p - Brad Pinkerton -- New Sharon, IA (19)
11. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (10)
12. 12 - Mark Elliott -- Webster City,, IA (18)
13. 56 - Chris Spieker -- Massena, IA (8)
14. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (16)
15. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (5)
16. 61 - Bruce Hanford -- Davenport, IA (21)
17. 11 - Mike Hughes -- Rose Hill, IA (20)
18. 45 - Tony Fraise -- Donnellson, IA (17)
19. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (9)
20. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (23)
21. 99 - Martin Bennett -- Ankeny, IA (22)
22. X - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (6) DNF
23. 4r - Ron Ver Beek -- Oskaloosa, IA (15) DNF
24. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (24) DNF


AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Mahlstedt 1-7, Shryock 8-19, Myer 20-25.
Total Laps Led: Shryock 13, Mahlstedt 7, Myer 5.
Provisional Starters: McEwan (regional), Poidinger (regional).
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Ruter (started 12th, finished 3rd).
Next Race: Saturday, Sept. 16, Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa.
‘The Hunt’ Points: VanderBeek 577, Tesch 558, Myer 521, Shryock 519, Friesen 512, Ruter 439, McEwan 405, Mike Hejna 404, Mahlstedt 393, Poidinger 336, Mondus 327, Al Hejna 317, Mark Noble 165, Mike Lineberry 5, Jason Hughes 4.
Home Pride Passing Points (National): Shryock 189, Ruter 162, Myer 150, Al Hejna 145½, VanderBeek 138.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Poidinger 739, Friesen 605, Mondus 400, Bohmont 368, Matt Gilbertson 357.
UNIJIG Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 471, Hughes 330, GRT 295, Kraft 279, Bullet 247.


Contingency Awards:

Bassett Racing Wheel – Ruter.
Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.
Boyer’s Engine Development – Myer.
Edelbrock – Myer, Mahlstedt.
Fast Shafts – Friesen.
GRT Race Cars – Bone.
Isky Racing Cams – Wedelstadt.
Kevko Oil Pans & Components – Tesch.
KSE Racing Products – not awarded.
Larson Racing Specialists – not awarded.
Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.
QuickTime Performance Parts – VanderBeek.
RaceQuest – Myer, Schluetter, Duellman.
Real Racing Wheels – Holder, VanderBeek.
T.A.R. Race Car Bodies – Pinkerton.
UNIJIG – not awarded.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSOR: O’Reilly Auto Parts.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, AMSOIL, Dirt Works Race Cars, Holley Performance Products, Home Pride Companies, Intercomp, Marsh Racing Wheels, Nitroquest Web Solutions, Olympic Fire Protection, R.A. Benson Motorsports, Real Racing Wheels, Reich Concrete, Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar, SpeedNet Direct, UNIJIG, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Bassett Racing Wheel, Bell Racing, Belleville Motorsports, Bert Transmission, Boyer’s Engine Development, Dynatech Racing Exhaust, Edelbrock, Fast Shafts, GRT Race Cars, Hawk Performance, Hyperco, Impact! Racing, Intensitee Custom Clothing, Isky Racing Cams, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, KSE Racing Products, Larson Racing Specialists, Quarter Master, QuickTime Performance Race Parts, RaceQuest, RaceMN Motorsports Expo, T.A.R. Race Car Bodies, US Brake.