Payne hits pay dirt in O’Reilly USMTS go at LaMonte

LaMONTE, Mo. (June 14) - The O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series chewed up the soil at the L A Raceway in LaMonte, Mo., for the first time ever on Thursday, with a top-to-bottom talent-laden field of 47 heavy hitters from 10 different states on hand. In the end, it was 21-year-old Jeremy Payne of Springfield, Mo., setting a blistering pace and winning his career-first O’Reilly USMTS main event.

Payne drew the third starting position for the Holley “A” Main, but from the drop of the green flag the Arizona transplant was a rocket as he ran away and hid from the field for a $2,000 payday. The contest went caution-free for the entire 40-lap distance on the 3/8-mile semi-banked clay oval, with Payne lapping up to the ninth-place car of polesitter Zack VanderBeek.

Payne’s final victim going one lap down was his car owner, Terry Phillips, who finished 10th. Phillips was slated to start on the outside of the front row but a flat tire relegated him to the rear of the 24-car field for the start of the race.

Eight-time defending O’Reilly USMTS national champion Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, finished in the second spot — his sixth runner-up finish in the last 10 races — as Payne became the 10th different winner in the last 10 races. Eric Turner of Hermitage, Mo., started 13th after winning the first Real Racing Wheels B Main, then muscled his way to a third-place finish to earn the Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger honors. Jason Hughes of Colcord, Okla., had his best performance so far in the Southern Region with a fourth-place finish, while Wednesday night's winner, Greg Skaggs of Bixby, Okla., rounded out the top-5 finishers.

Sixth through 10th were Johnny Bone Jr., Scott Roberts, Corey Dripps, VanderBeek and Phillips.

Drivers from Iowa, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Nebraska, Texas and Arkansas signed in to do battle Thursday night.

Up next, the rugged O’Reilly USMTS road warriors invade Bolivar Speedway USA in Bolivar, Mo., on Friday night for round 1 of the 4th Annual Missouri Nationals and the third of five straight $2,000-to-win shows in the Show-Me State. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., with hot laps at 7:00 and racing at 7:30. Bolivar Speedway USA is a 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval located 3 miles south of Bolivar on SR 13 to CR U, then west to Frontage Rd., then 0.3 mile south, then 0.5 mile west. For more information call the track hotline at (417) 326-2235 or visit www.bolivarspeedwayusa.com online.

Rounds 2 and 3 of the 4th Annual Missouri Nationals will take place at the Lebanon I-44 Speedway on Saturday and the Monett Speedway on Sunday.

To learn more about the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series, call the headquarters office at (515) 832-7944 or visit www.usmts.com online.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Fri Jun 15 ... Bolivar Speedway USA, Bolivar, MO ($2,000 to win)
Sat Jun 16 ... Lebanon I-44 Speedway, Lebanon, MO ($2,000 to win)
Sun Jun 17 ... Monett Speedway, Monett, MO ($2,000 to win)
Tue Jun 19 ... Park Jefferson Speedway, Jefferson, SD ($2,000 to win)
Wed Jun 20 ... Huset’s Speedway, Brandon, SD ($2,000 to win)
Thu Jun 21 ... Casino Speedway, Watertown, SD ($2,000 to win)
Fri Jun 22 ... Rapid Speedway, Rock Rapids, IA ($2,000 to win)
Sat Jun 23 ... Nobles County Speedway, Worthington, MN ($2,000 to win)

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series
National Event - Southern Region
L A Raceway, LaMonte, Mo.
Thursday, June 14, 2007

Showing finishing position, car number, driver, hometown and starting position in parentheses. The top 12 drivers in Home Pride Passing Points accumulated in the Heats 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. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (1)
2. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (3)
3. 25x - Rex Merritt -- Billings, MO (4)
4. 37 - Jeremy Chambers -- Oswego, KS (7)
5. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (8)
6. 13A - Aaron Poe -- Warrensburg, MO (5)
7. 48 - Jimmy Dowell -- Marshall, MO (9)
8. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (2)
9. 2x - Lyle Shepard -- Manhattan, KS (10)
10. 00 - Jesse Stovall -- Galena, MO (6) DNF

HEAT #2 (10 laps):
1. 11P - Curt Potter -- Boonville, MO (1)
2. 9D - Alan Deatherage -- Concordia, MO (2)
3. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (3)
4. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (6)
5. C8 - Timothy Culp -- West Monroe, LA (4)
6. 51 - Eddie Martin -- Stilwell, OK (10)
7. 55 - Terry Kirk -- Urbana, MO (8)
8. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (7)
9. 21 - Chad Shubert -- Amarillo, TX (5)
10. 56 - Tony Jackson -- Lebanon, MO (9) DNF

HEAT #3 (10 laps):
1. 1x - Jason Bodenhamer -- Centerview, MO (1)
2. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (5)
3. 118 - Terry Beckham Jr. -- Webb City, MO (4)
4. 96 - Chad Lyle -- Long Jack, MO (2)
5. 90 - Terry Schultz -- Sedalia, MO (8)
6. B32 - Keith Branson -- Springfield, MO (6)
7. 95 - Austin Jones -- Ashland, MO (9)
8. 9J - Darrell Jones -- Ashland, MO (7)
9. 20 - Jason Thompson -- Concordia, MO (3) DNF

HEAT #4 (10 laps):
1. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (2)
2. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (7)
3. 74 - Jeremy Payne -- Springfield, MO (8)
4. 99T - Eric Turner -- Hermitage, MO (9)
5. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (1)
6. 222 - Dustin Boney -- Tonganoxie, KS (4)
7. 4G - Gary Clark -- Walker, MO (5)
8. 51M - Michael Murphree -- Little Rock, AR (6)
9. 112 - Justin Moon -- Sedalia, MO (3)

HEAT #5 (10 laps):
1. 75 - Terry Phillips -- Springfield, MO (7)
2. 25R - Scott Roberts -- Columbia, MO (2)
3. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (6)
4. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (4)
5. 01 - Peyton Taylor -- Batesville, AR (5)
6. 171 - Donald Dannar -- Odessa, MO (8)
7. 75 - Alan Sharpensteen -- Amarillo, TX (1)
8. 31j - Jeremy Rasmussen -- Bentonville, AR (3)
9. B29 - Tammy Mitchell -- Pea Ridge, AR (9) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 99T - Eric Turner -- Hermitage, MO (1)
2. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (7)
3. 118 - Terry Beckham Jr. -- Webb City, MO (2)
4. 51M - Michael Murphree -- Little Rock, AR (14)
5. 75 - Alan Sharpensteen -- Amarillo, TX (12)
6. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (4)
7. 2x - Lyle Shepard -- Manhattan, KS (15)
8. 171 - Donald Dannar -- Odessa, MO (8)
9. 20 - Jason Thompson -- Concordia, MO (16)
10. 51 - Eddie Martin -- Stilwell, OK (6)
11. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (13)
12. 56 - Tony Jackson -- Lebanon, MO (18)
13. 48 - Jimmy Dowell -- Marshall, MO (10)
14. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (3) DNF
15. b29 - Tammy Mitchell -- Pea Ridge, AR (17) DNF
16. 96 - Chad Lyle -- Long Jack, MO (5) DNF
17. B32 - Keith Branson -- Springfield, MO (9) DNF
18. 55 - Terry Kirk -- Urbana, MO (11) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 01 - Peyton Taylor -- Batesville, AR (7)
2. 25x - Rex Merritt -- Billings, MO (1)
3. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (5)
4. 222 - Dustin Boney -- Tonganoxie, KS (9)
5. 90 - Terry Schultz -- Sedalia, MO (4)
6. 4G - Gary Clark -- Walker, MO (11)
7. 00 - Jesse Stovall -- Galena, MO (17)
8. 37 - Jeremy Chambers -- Oswego, KS (2)
9. 31j - Jeremy Rasmussen -- Bentonville, AR (14)
10. 13A - Aaron Poe -- Warrensburg, MO (8)
11. 112 - Justin Moon -- Sedalia, MO (16)
12. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (12)
13. 95 - Austin Jones -- Ashland, MO (10)
14. 9J - Darrell Jones -- Ashland, MO (13)
15. 21 - Chad Shubert -- Amarillo, TX (15) DNF
16. C8 - Timothy Culp -- West Monroe, LA (6) DNF
17. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (3) DNF

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. 74 - Jeremy Payne -- Spring Field, MO (3)
2. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (7)
3. 99T - Eric Turner -- Hermitage, MO (13)
4. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (9)
5. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (8)
6. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (6)
7. 25R - Scott Roberts -- Columbia, MO (12)
8. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (10)
9. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (1)
10. 75 - Terry Phillips -- Springfield, MO (2) -1 lap
11. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (18) -1 lap
12. 11P - Curt Potter -- Boonville, MO (5) -1 lap
13. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (15) -1 lap
14. 51M - Michael Murphree -- Little Rock, AR (19) -1 lap
15. 1x - Jason Bodenhamer -- Centerview, MO (4) -1 lap
16. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (24) -1 lap
17. 75 - Alan Sharpensteen -- Amarillo, TX (21) -1 lap
18. 9D - Alan Deatherage -- Concordia, MO (11) -1 lap
19. 90 - Terry Schultz -- Sedalia, MO (22) -1 lap
20. 25x - Rex Merritt -- Billings, MO (16) -1 lap
21. 222 - Dustin Boney -- Tonganoxie, KS (20) -1 lap
22. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (23) -2 laps
23. 01 - Peyton Taylor -- Batesville, AR (14) DNF
24. 118 - Terry Beckham Jr. -- Webb City, MO (17) DNF

AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Payne 1-40.
Total Laps Led: Payne 40.
AFCO Pole Award: Phillips.
Provisional Starters: Green (regional), Weder (national).
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Turner (started 13th, finished 3rd).
Next Race: Friday, June 15, Bolivar Speedway USA, Bolivar, Mo.
O’Reilly National Points: Shryock 2074, VanderBeek 1583, Hejna 1430, Hughes 1406, Holzkamper 1383, Weder 1198, Poidinger 1086, Skaggs 904, Jon Tesch 851, Dripps 822.
Southern Region Points: Shryock 516, Skaggs 454, Hejna 425, Holzkamper 418, Bone 368, VanderBeek 327, Green 318, Weder 303, Rasmussen 303, Boney 301.
Home Pride Passing Points (National): Shryock 109½, VanderBeek 66, Hughes 60, Hejna 58½, Green 46½.
Home Pride Passing Points (Southern): Shryock 21, Hughes 19½, Holzkamper 16½, Bone 16½, Skaggs 16½.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Green 230, Cale Sponsler 225, Jay Noteboom 187, Ryan Gustin 186, Richie Gustin Jr. 186.
Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 206, Hughes 150, TRE 104, Harris 82, Bullet 72, GRT 72.

Contingency Awards:
Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.
Boyer’s Engine Development – not awarded.
GRT Race Cars – not awarded.
Hawk Performance – Dripps.
Isky Racing Cams – VanderBeek.
Kevko Oil Pans & Components – Skaggs, Holzkamper.
KSE Racing Products – Shryock, Hughes.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Halfway leader if using Marsh Racing Wheels.
Nitroquest Web Solutions - not awarded.
Quarter Master – VanderBeek.
QuickTime Performance Parts – not awarded.
Real Racing Wheels – not awarded.