Hard luck for Holzkamper; O’Reilly USMTS hardware for Hughes

LEBANON, Mo. (June 16) - Randy Mooneyham told everybody that the new red clay surface at his Lebanon I-44 Speedway was “really fast.”

After Saturday night's event at the 4/10-mile high-banked oval, the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series drivers can be vouch that Mooneyham is a man of his word.

No matter the size, shape or surface of the track, the stars and cars of the O’Reilly USMTS are always fast. But Saturday night was at another level as both drivers and fans were treated to a smooth, sticky lightning-fast racing surface that kept the fans on their feet and the drivers on their toes.

From the pole position, Dustin Boney of Tonganoxie, Kan., took command of the 25-lap Holley “A” Main at the drop of the green flag. Boney led two laps before Steve Holzkamper of Gentry, Ark., zipped past Boney to take the top spot. Holzkamper set a blistering pace while he led the field beneath the flagstand for the next 14 circuits and was eight laps away from his career-first O’Reilly USMTS victory when his engine failed him.

Pursuing at nearly 100 mph, Jason Hughes of Colcord, Okla., glanced off of the rear corner of the leader's slowing TRE Modified, sending Holzkamper into a spin and bringing out the only caution flag of the main event. Hughes assumed the lead on the restart, and quickly padded his advantage over the rest of the field while eight-time defending O’Reilly USMTS national champ Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, and Clear Lake, Iowa's Al Hejna diced for the runner-up spot.

Hughes sped away from the field over the next eight laps (about two minutes total time) en route to an eight-car-length advantage at the checkered flags to become the 12th different winner in the last 12 races. Shryock, who started 10th, finished in the second spot — his seventh runner-up finish in the last dozen races — while Hejna placed third. Boney hung on for a fourth-place paycheck and Corey Dripps of Waterloo, Iowa, finished fifth after starting 13th in the 24-car field.

Sixth through 10th, respectively, were Greg Skaggs, Matt Johnson, Zack VanderBeek, Johnny Bone Jr. and Tony Jackson.

The Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger honors went to Brandon Morton, who finished 11th after starting 23rd.

Holzkamper picked up the Marsh Racing Wheels Halfway Leader Award tonight, pocketing an extra $450 to help ease the pain of his disappointing main event outcome.

Saturday's $2,000 win was the first for Hughes in nearly a year. His last win came on June 18, 2006, at the Monett Speedway, where the rugged O’Reilly USMTS road warriors venture to on Sunday night for Round 3 of the 4th Annual Missouri Nationals and the fifth 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. The Monett Speedway is a 3/8-mile semi-banked clay oval located one mile east of SR 37 on US 60, then north on Chapel Dr.. For more information call the track hotline at (417) 236-4600 or visit www.monettspeedway.net online.

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:

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)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

OFFICIAL RESULTS
O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series
National Event - Southern Region
Lebanon I-44 Speedway USA, Lebanon, Mo.
Saturday, June 16, 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 (8 laps):
1. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (2)
2. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (4)
3. 0X - Steve Picou -- High Ridge, MO (5)
4. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (6)
5. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (3)
6. 118 - Terry Beckham Jr. -- Webb City, MO (8) DNF
7. 75 - Alan Sharpensteen -- Amarillo, TX (1) DNF
8. 71 - Jason Meadors -- Fordland, MO (7) DNF

HEAT #2 (8 laps):
1. 222 - Dustin Boney -- Tonganoxie, KS (2)
2. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (1)
3. 6x - Kyle Pleasant -- Robeline, LA (3)
4. 22s - Chad Kinder -- Newton, IL (5)
5. 7GK - Ken McCarty -- Rogers, AR (7)
6. 4R - Derek Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (6)
7. 31j - Jeremy Rasmussen -- Bentonville, AR (4)
8. 17S - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (8) DNS

HEAT #3 (8 laps):
1. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (6)
2. 51 - Eddie Martin -- Stilwell, OK (3)
3. 14 - Justin Neuman -- Waynesville, Mo (2)
4. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (4)
5. 21B - Brandon Kenny -- East Woodward, OK (5)
6. 88d - Rusty Dukes -- Fair Grove, MO (7)
7. 23 - Mookie Cunningham -- St. James, MO (1)
8. 87 - Jack Jones -- Lebanon, MO (8)

HEAT #4 (8 laps):
1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (4)
2. 54 - David Hendrix -- Lake Way, MO (1)
3. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (2)
4. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (3)
5. 56 - Tony Jackson -- Lebanon, MO (8)
6. 33R - Mike Roach -- Woodward, OK (7)
7. 26 - Patrick Linn -- Little Rock, AR (5)
8. 51m - Michael Murphree -- Little Rock, AR (6)

HEAT #5 (8 laps):
1. 7II - Matt Johnson -- Archie, MO (2)
2. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (1)
3. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (4)
4. 11 - Brandon Morton -- Coweta, OK (6)
5. 15R - Jamie Ragland -- Lebanon, MO (7)
6. B29 - Tammy Mitchell -- Pea Ridge, AR (3)
7. 52 - Trevor Latham -- Rogers, AR (5)
8. 37 - Jeremy Chambers -- Oswego, KS (8) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (5)
2. 6x - Kyle Pleasant -- Robeline, LA (1)
3. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (2)
4. 56 - Tony Jackson -- Lebanon, MO (4)
5. 88d - Rusty Dukes -- Fair Grove, MO (8)
6. 4R - Derek Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (9)
7. 23 - Mookie Cunningham -- St. James, MO (11)
8. 15R - Jamie Ragland -- Lebanon, MO (6) DNF
9. 21B - Brandon Kenny -- East Woodward, OK (7) DNF
10. 11 - Brandon Morton -- Coweta, OK (3) DNF
11. 52 - Trevor Latham -- Rogers, AR (12) DNF
12. 51m - Michael Murphree -- Little Rock, AR (14) DNF
13. 75 - Alan Sharpensteen -- Amarillo, TX (10) DNS
14. 17S - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (13) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (2)
2. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (4)
3. 118 - Terry Beckham Jr. -- Webb City, MO (7)
4. 22s - Chad Kinder -- Newton, IL (3)
5. 33R - Mike Roach -- Woodward, OK (8)
6. 26 - Patrick Linn -- Little Rock, AR (11)
7. 7GK - Ken McCarty -- Rogers, AR (5)
8. 87 - Jack Jones -- Lebanon, MO (13)
9. 71 - Jason Meadors -- Fordland, MO (12) DNF
10. 37 - Jeremy Chambers -- Oswego, KS (14) DNF
11. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (6) DNF
12. B29 - Tammy Mitchell -- Pea Ridge, AR (9) DNF
13. 31j - Jeremy Rasmussen -- Bentonville, AR (10) DNF
14. 14 - Justin Neuman -- Waynesville, Mo (1) DNF

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (25 laps):
1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (3)
2. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (10)
3. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (5)
4. 222 - Dustin Boney -- Tonganoxie, KS (1)
5. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (13)
6. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (6)
7. 7II - Matt Johnson -- Archie, MO (4)
8. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (14)
9. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (16)
10. 56 - Tony Jackson -- Lebanon, MO (19)
11. 11 - Brandon Morton -- Coweta, OK (23)
12. 51 - Eddie Martin -- Stilwell, OK (7)
13. 6x - Kyle Pleasant -- Robeline, LA (15)
14. 54 - David Hendrix -- Lake Way, MO (9)
15. 88d - Rusty Dukes -- Fair Grove, MO (21)
16. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (17)
17. 33R - Mike Roach -- Woodward, OK (22) DNF
18. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (8) DNF
19. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (2) DNF
20. 31j - Jeremy Rasmussen -- Bentonville, AR (24) DNF
21. 118 - Terry Beckham Jr. -- Webb City, MO (18) DNF
22. 22s - Chad Kinder -- Newton, IL (20) DNF
23. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (12) DNF
24. 0X - Steve Picou -- High Ridge, MO (11) DNF

AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Boney 1-2, Holzkamper 3-17, Hughes 18-25.
Total Laps Led: Holzkamper 15, Hughes 8, Boney 2.
AFCO Pole Award: Hejna.
Provisional Starters: Rasmussen (regional), Morton (national).
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Morton (started 23rd, finished 11th).
Next Race: Sunday, June 17, Monett Speedway, Monett, Mo.
O’Reilly National Points: Shryock 2238, VanderBeek 1765, Hejna 1610, Hughes 1584, Holzkamper 1496, Weder 1337, Poidinger 1199, Skaggs 1077, Dripps 959, Green 883.
Southern Region Points: Shryock 680, Skaggs 627, Hejna 605, Bone 554, Holzkamper 531, VanderBeek 509, Hughes 471, Green 460, Boney 442, Weder 442.
Home Pride Passing Points (National): Shryock 111, VanderBeek 76½, Hejna 66, Hughes 64½, Weder 48.
Home Pride Passing Points (Southern): Hughes 24, Shryock 22½, VanderBeek 19½, Bone 18, Skaggs 18, Holzkamper 18.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Green 278, Cale Sponsler 225, Jay Noteboom 187, Ryan Gustin 186, Richie Gustin Jr. 186.
Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 224, Hughes 166, TRE 119, Harris 98, Bullet 81.

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