VANDERBEEK VICTORIOUS AT 15TH ANNUAL MUSCO LIGHTING FALL CHALLENGE

OSKALOOSA, IA (Sept. 16) -- As the 2006 season for the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series gets shorter, Zack VanderBeek's program just seems to get stronger. On Saturday night, the ‘Z-Man’ made his first win of the season a big one as he pocketed $3,000 in the 15th Annual Musco Lighting Fall Challenge at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, and padded his lead in ‘The Hunt’ for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship.

For the second straight night, Dean Mahlstedt of Clear Lake, Iowa, took the lead in the main event at the drop of the green flag. After leading seven laps on Friday, Mahlstedt led the first six on Saturday before giving way to regular track champion Brad Pinkerton of New Sharon, Iowa. Pinkerton, who won his first and only O’Reilly USMTS event last August at the Osky speedplant, had a short-lived reign at the top as VanderBeek muscled his way around one lap later.

Over the next 14 laps, VanderBeek stretched his lead over Pinkerton to 10 car-lengths while the rest of the field was ripe with side-by-side racing on the multi-grooved track. A caution on lap 22 erased VanderBeek's advantage, but the 22-year-old from New Sharon, Iowa, powered away from the pack on the restart.

Seven-time defending O’Reilly USMTS national champ Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, used the caution to his advantage and picked off Pinkerton for second place on lap 23. With VanderBeek in his sights, the yellow flag waved again on lap 24. With six laps to go, chances were good that Shryock might get around VanderBeek and score his 11th career O’Reilly USMTS win at Oskaloosa. Instead of a fight for the lead, however, Shryock found himself fighting for second with Friday night's winner, Tommy Myer of Blooming Prairie, Minn.

While VanderBeek cruised away to a 10-car-length advantage at the checkers, Shryock was able to fend off Myer after the pair swapped positions and paint several times over the final seven laps. Sutton, Neb.'s Jason Friesen continued his impressive late-season run with a fourth-place finish Saturday night, while Pinkerton hung on to take fifth.

The Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger honors went to Johnny Bone Jr. of Pea Ridge, Ark, who started 15th and finished 6th.

VanderBeek, who also put an additional $1,000 in his bank account Saturday night by winning the USRA Stock Car nightcap, continues to be the hunted in ‘The Hunt’ for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship. With seven points-earning events left, VanderBeek holds a 49-point advantage of Jon Tesch of Watertown, S.D. (684 to 635). Shryock sits third with 619 points, with Myer one marker behind Shryock. Friesen rounds out the top-5 with 603 points.

Next up for the rugged O’Reilly USMTS road warriors is the 8th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree at the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., with three big nights of racing on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 21-23.

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 - Night 2 of 2
Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Saturday, Sept. 16, 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. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (6)
2. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (3)
3. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (5)
4. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (2)
5. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (4)
6. 31j - Barry Sandeman -- Creston, IA (8)
7. 67 - Matt McDermid -- Ocotona Fall, WI (1)
8. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (7)

HEAT #2 (8 laps):
1. 2 - Joey Schaefer -- Waterloo, IA (2)
2. 56 - Chris Spieker -- Massena, IA (3)
3. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (1)
4. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (4)
5. 45 - Tony Fraise -- Donnellson, IA (6)
6. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (5)
7. 21 - Jim Horejsi -- Echo, MN (7)
8. 4r - Ron Ver Beek -- Oskaloosa, IA (8)

HEAT #3 (8 laps):

1. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (2)
2. 40 - Scott Dickey -- Packwood, IA (6)
3. 12 - Mark Elliott -- Webster City, IA (1)
4. 22 - Brandon Banks -- Washington, IA (4)
5. 4b - Bret Diercks -- Davenport, IA (3)
6. 00 - David Ott -- Ankeny, IA (8)
7. 7r - Jerry Pilcher -- Ottumwa, IA (5) DNS
8. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (7) DNS


HEAT #4 (8 laps):

1. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (1)
2. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (5)
3. X - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (2)
4. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (8)
5. 50 - Brad Bakken -- Garner, IA (3)
6. 99 - Martin Bennett -- Ankeny, IA (7)
7. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (4) DNF
8. 7t - Mike Thomas -- Iowa City, IA (6) DNS


HEAT #5 (8 laps):

1. 17p - Brad Pinkerton -- New Sharon, IA (2)
2. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (5)
3. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (7)
4. 61 - Bruce Hanford -- Davenport, IA (6)
5. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (4)
6. 5 - Tim Sands -- Conesville, IA (1) DNF
7. 17 - Steve Stewart -- Washington, IA (3) DNS

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

1. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (1)
2. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (7)
3. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (4)
4. 12 - Mark Elliott -- Webster City,, IA (2)
5. 61 - Bruce Hanford -- Davenport, IA (3)
6. 45 - Tony Fraise -- Donnellson, IA (5)
7. 4r - Ron Ver Beek -- Oskaloosa, IA (13)
8. 7t - Mike Thomas -- Iowa City, IA (14)
9. 67 - Matt McDermid -- Ocotona Fall, WI (10)
10. 00 - David Ott -- Ankeny, IA (8)
11. 4b - Bret Diercks -- Davenport, IA (6) DNF
12. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (9) DNS
13. 7r - Jerry Pilcher -- Ottumwa, IA (11) DNS


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

1. 22 - Brandon Banks -- Washington, IA (4)
2. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (1)
3. 21 - Jim Horejsi -- Echo, MN (10)
4. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (11)
5. 99 - Martin Bennett -- Ankeny, IA (8)
6. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (5)
7. 50 - Brad Bakken -- Garner, IA (6)
8. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (12)
9. 5 - Tim Sands -- Conesville, IA (9)
10. X - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (2) DNF
11. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (3) DNF
12. 31j - Barry Sandeman -- Creston, IA (7) DNF
13. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (13) DNS

HOLLEY "A" MAIN (30 laps):

1. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (5)
2. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (7)
3. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (9)
4. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (8)
5. 17p - Brad Pinkerton -- New Sharon, IA (2)
6. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (15)
7. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (10)
8. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (1)
9. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (12)
10. 22 - Brandon Banks -- Washington, IA (14)
11. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (20)
12. 56 - Chris Spieker -- Massena, IA (11)
13. 61 - Bruce Hanford -- Davenport, IA (21)
14. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (13)
15. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (24)
16. X - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (23)
17. 21 - Jim Horejsi -- Echo, MN (18)
18. 12 - Mark Elliott -- Webster City, IA (19)
19. 99 - Martin Bennett -- Ankeny, IA (22)
20. 2 - Joey Schaefer -- Waterloo, IA (6)
21. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (3) DNF
22. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (16) DNF
23. 40 - Scott Dickey -- Packwood, IA (4) DNF
24. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (17) DNF


AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Mahlstedt 1-6, Pinkerton 7, VanderBeek 8-30.

Total Laps Led: VanderBeek 23, Mahlstedt 6, Pinkerton 1.

Provisional Starters: Wedelstadt (national), Dripps (national).

Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Bone (started 15th, finished 6th).

Next Race: Thursday, Sept. 21, Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn.

‘The Hunt’ Points: VanderBeek 684, Tesch 635, Shryock 619, Myer 618, Friesen 603, Ruter 503, McEwan 484, Mahlstedt 470, M. Hejna 404, A. Hejna 398, Poidinger 381, Mondus 377, Mark Noble 165, Mike Lineberry 5, Jason Hughes 4.

Home Pride Passing Points (National): Shryock 196½, Ruter 168, Myer 156, A. Hejna 147, VanderBeek 142½.

Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Poidinger 748, Friesen 630, Mondus 413, Bohmont 383, Matt Gilbertson 357.

UNIJIG Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 481, Hughes 334, GRT 300, Kraft 279, Bullet 253.



Contingency Awards:

Bassett Racing Wheel – Myer.

Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.

Boyer’s Engine Development – VanderBeek.

Edelbrock – VanderBeek, Shryock.

Fast Shafts – Pinkerton.

GRT Race Cars – Bone.

Isky Racing Cams – Shryock.

Kevko Oil Pans & Components – Friesen.

KSE Racing Products – Mahlstedt.

Larson Racing Specialists – Hanford.

Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.

QuickTime Performance Parts – Hejna.

RaceQuest – VanderBeek, Fraise, Bohr.

Real Racing Wheels – Ruter, Bohmont.

T.A.R. Race Car Bodies – not awarded.

UNIJIG – Friesen.