HEJNA COMPLETES MEMPHIS SWEEP WHILE SHRYOCK SECURES EIGHTH O’REILLY USMTS TITLE
By Brian Neal

MEMPHIS, Mo. (Nov. 5) - The 2006 racing season for the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series came to a close Sunday at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo., during the 5th Annual Pepsi/Mountain Dew Mid-America Nationals. Al Hejna of Clear Lake, Iowa, swept the weekend, while Fertile, Iowa's Kelly Shryock claimed his unprecedented eighth straight O’Reilly USMTS National Championship.

Mark Burgtorf of Quincy, Ill., Donovan Lodge of Moline, Ill., Hejna, Michael Long of Quincy, Ill., and Tony Fraise of Donnellson, Iowa, topped the five heat races while Tommy Myer of Blooming Prairie, Minn., and Zack VanderBeek of New Sharon, Iowa, picked up the Real Racing Wheels "B" Main wins. Series provisionals for a starting spot in the Holley "A" Main went to Jay Poidinger of Somerset, Wis., and Ryan Meyer of Liberty, Ill., to set the field of 24 cars for the 35-lap contest.

Clinging to a slim 12-point lead over 14th-starting VanderBeek in ‘The Hunt’ for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship, Shryock locked in the 17th starting spot with a third-place finish in his Real Racing Wheels "B" Main and the final battle for the crown was set.

Drawing the front row for the main event were Mark Schulte of Delhi, Iowa, and Fraise. Fraise, the 2005 Pepsi Scotland County Speedway track champion, took advantage of his front row starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1, with Hejna close behind in second. Hejna made his move into the top spot by going under Fraise on lap 3 and that was all she wrote.

Hejna led the final 32 laps uncontested, and lapped up to the ninth place car to make a sweep of the weekend. Fraise held on for a second place finish, Long came home third, Mark Noble of Blooming prairie, Minn., came from 11th to finish in fourth, with Myer coming from 12th to round out the top-5.

Shryock claimed the Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger honors as he passed 11 cars en route to a sixth place finish. With Shryock coming home in sixth and VanderBeek following in seventh, Shryock held on to claim his eighth O'Reilly USMTS National Championship with a final 19-point margin over VanderBeek.

While Shryock and VanderBeek locked horns for the top spot in the final rankings, Jason Friesen of Sutton, Neb., struggled in Sunday's main event and finished 17th. It was good enough, however, to hang on to a third place finish in the final 2006 standings as he nipped Myer by just three points. Watertown, S.D.'s Jon Tesch completed the top-5 in the final points tally.

After 59 races at 33 tracks in nine States, The O’Reilly USMTS road warriors have wrapped up their nine-month campaign for the 2006 season. A preliminary 2007 schedule of events and rules changes (if any) will be announced in the near future. 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.

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 (10 laps):
1. 69m - Mark Burgtorf -- Quincy, IL (4)
2. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (1)
3. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (2)
4. 17 - Garry Oskerson -- Fairmont, MN (5)
5. 82m - Ryan Meyer -- Liberty, IL (8)
6. 9 - Charles Baker -- Labelle, MO (6)
7. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (7)
8. b4 - Rickey Frankel -- Quincy, IL (3)

HEAT #2 (10 laps):
1. 32 - Donovan Lodge -- Moline, IL (4)
2. 27m - Mark Schulte -- Delhi, IA (3)
3. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (5)
4. 43 - Milo Veloz -- Colona, IL (1)
5. 05 - David Wietholder -- Liberty, IL (6)
6. 75 - James Parker -- Dodge Center, MN (8)
7. 18m - Jacob Murray -- Hartford, IA (2)
8. 83 - Willy Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (7)

HEAT #3 (10 laps):
1. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (2)
2. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (1)
3. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (4)
4. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (3)
5. X - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (6)
6. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (5)
7. 21m - Russ Olson -- Cedar Rapids, IA (7)

HEAT #4 (10 laps):
1. 18 - Michael Long -- Quincy, IL (3)
2. 99 - Martin Bennett -- Ankeny, IA (6)
3. 4g - David Holder -- Clarence, MO (5)
4. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (1)
5. 28r - Robbie Reed -- Mexico City, MO (8)
6. 7g - Chad Goff -- Monmouth, IL (7)
7. 25 - Butch Weisser -- Peoria, IL (4)
8. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (2)

HEAT #5 (10 laps):
1. 45 - Tony Fraise -- Donnellson, IA (6)
2. 1 - Vance Wilson -- Frankford, MO (1)
3. 70 - Todd Ihde -- Decorah, IA (4)
4. 8 - Rich Smith -- Davenport, IA (2)
5. 96 - Tim Greif -- West Liberty, IA (3)
6. 20/20 - Chris Eggers -- Lancaster, MO (5)
7. 55x - Brian Shaw -- Brownsdale, Mn (7

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (10)
2. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (2)
3. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (5)
4. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (1)
5. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (9)
6. 82m - Ryan Meyer -- Liberty, IL (3)
7. 55x - Brian Shaw -- Brownsdale, Mn (12)
8. 05 - David Wietholder -- Liberty, IL (6)
9. 96 - Tim Greif -- West Liberty, IA (7)
10. 43 - Milo Veloz -- Colona, IL (4)
11. 21m - Russ Olson -- Cedar Rapids, IA (11)
12. 7g - Chad Goff -- Monmouth, IL (8)
13. 83 - Willy Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (13)

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (4)
2. X - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (6)
3. 70 - Todd Ihde -- Decorah, IA (1)
4. 17 - Garry Oskerson -- Fairmont, MN (2)
5. 20/20 - Chris Eggers -- Lancaster, MO (9)
6. b4 - Rickey Frankel -- Quincy, IL (12)
7. 8 - Rich Smith -- Davenport, IA (5)
8. 18m - Jacob Murray -- Hartford, IA (10)
9. 28r - Robbie Reed -- Mexico City, MO (3)
10. 9 - Charles Baker -- Labelle, MO (8)
11. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (13)
12. 25 - Butch Weisser -- Peoria, IL (11)
13. 75 - James Parker -- Dodge Center, MN (7)

HOLLEY "A" MAIN (35 laps):
1. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (4)
2. 45 - Tony Fraise -- Donnellson, IA (2)
3. 18 - Michael Long -- Quincy, IL (7)
4. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (11)
5. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (13)
6. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (17)
7. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (14)
8. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (9)
9. 99 - Martin Bennett -- Ankeny, IA (3)
10. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (15)
11. 27m - Mark Schulte -- Delhi, IA (1)
12. 17 - Garry Oskerson -- Fairmont, MN (20)
13. X - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (16)
14. 4g - David Holder -- Clarence, MO (12)
15. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (21)
16. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (19)
17. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (6)
18. 82m - Ryan Meyer -- Liberty, IL (24)
19. 1 - Vance Wilson -- Frankford, MO (10)
20. 70 - Todd Ihde -- Decorah, IA (18)
21. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (23)
22. 20/20 - Chris Eggers -- Lancaster, MO (22)
23. 69m - Mark Burgtorf -- Quincy, IL (8)
24. 32 - Donovan Lodge -- Moline, IL (5)

AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Fraise 1-2, A. Hejna 3-35.
Total Laps Led: A. Hejna 33, Fraise 2.

Provisional Starters: Poidinger (national), Meyer (national).
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Shryock (started 17th, finished 6th).

Next Race: 2006 season complete.
Points Standings (final): Shryock 1279, VanderBeek 1260, Friesen 1154, Myer 1151, Tesch 1112, A. Hejna 960, McEwan 950, Ryan Ruter 898, M. Hejna 848, Mondus 801, Poidinger 734, Dean Mahlstedt 470, Noble 398, Jason Hughes 198, Mike Lineberry 5.

Home Pride Passing Points (final): Shryock 240, Ryan Ruter 186, VanderBeek 166½, Myer 165, A. Hejna 162.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points (final): Poidinger 871, Friesen 823, Mondus 584, Brent Bohmont 431, Tommy Weder Jr. 367.

UNIJIG Builders Championship Points (final): Skyrocket 568, Hughes 375, GRT 338, Kraft 332, Bullet 287.

Contingency Awards:
Bassett Racing Wheel – Long.
Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.
Boyer’s Engine Development – A. Hejna.
Edelbrock – A. Hejna, Fraise.
Fast Shafts – Myer.
GRT Race Cars – Shryock.
Isky Racing Cams – Burgtorf.
Kevko Oil Pans & Components – Noble.
KSE Racing Products – M. Hejna.
Larson Racing Specialists – Wedelstadt.
Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.
QuickTime Performance Parts – VanderBeek.
RaceQuest – A. Hejna, Kraft.
Real Racing Wheels – Myer, VanderBeek.
T.A.R. Race Car Bodies – Tesch.
UNIJIG – Burgtorf.