Mahlstedt nips Krohn in O’Reilly USMTS thriller at Farley

FARLEY, Iowa (Aug 14) - The O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series invaded the Farley (Iowa) Speedway Tuesday for the fifth race in The Hunt for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship, with three drivers making big strides in the ever-tightening points battle. With 35 of the best Modified drivers in the region signed in, and a little rain the night before to put some moisture in the racing surface, the “Palace of Speed” certainly lived up to its name.

Polesitter Willy Kraft of Lakefield, Minn., led the field to flagman Ryne Staley's green flag to begin the 30-lap Holley “A” Main, but it was Clear Lake, Iowa's Dean Mahlstedt powering to the front to lead the first lap. While Mahlstedt checked out from the field, several drivers were clawing their way to the front from the middle and rear of the starting field.

Mahlstedt's advantage was wiped out on lap 22, however, when a caution flag slowed the action and set up a double-file restart and an eight-lap dash to the checkers. Mahlstedt continued to utilize the low side of the racetrack as he maintained his advantage, but Jason Krohn of Slayton, Minn., was coming fast on the high side of the half-mile oval.

Krohn nosed ahead of Mahlstedt at the flagstand to lead lap 27, but Mahlstedt raced back ahead going into the first turn. for the next two laps, the pair raced side by side, with Mahlstedt holding the advantage in turns 1-2 while Krohn, who started 12th, was quicker in turns 3-4. After taking the white flag, Mahlstedt again powered ahead exiting turn 2, but this time he moved to the high side in turn 3 to take away Krohn's preferred line. The timely move was just what Mahlstedt needed as he crossed the finish line first with Krohn glued to his rear bumper.

Jon Tesch of Watertown, S.D., came from 14th on the starting grid to take home a third-place paycheck as the top-3 closed the gap on points leader Jason Hughes of Colcord, Okla., and Fertile, Iowa's Kelly Shryock, who sits second in the rankings as he seeks an unprecedented ninth O’Reilly USMTS National Championship.

Kraft hung on for fourth place and Hughes finished fifth — his 13th top-5 finish in the last 15 USMTS-sanctioned events. Local favorite Mark Schulte took sixth, Tommy Weder Jr. was seventh, Tommy Myer eighth, Darrin Walch ninth and Shryock finished 10th to earn the Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger honors after starting 22nd.

Hughes continues to lead Shryock in the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship points, 516 to 492. Krohn is third with 478 points, followed by Tesch (473), Weder (429), Mahlstedt (428), Greg Skaggs (416), Zack VanderBeek (396), Myer (376), and Steve Holzkamper (374).

Special guest competitor and NASCAR Nextel Cup Series veteran Ken Schrader finished 12th after qualifying through one of the Real Racing Wheels “B” Mains. It was Schrader's eighth race with the O’Reilly USMTS this season.

Schrader joins the Bad Boys With Fast Toys again on Wednesday as the O’Reilly USMTS stars and cars make their first-ever appearance at the Echo Valley Speedway in West Union, Iowa, for race no. 6 in The Hunt for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship. Also on the racing card will be the USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Racing Series featuring USRA B-Mods and Outlaw Hobbys. Gates will open at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 7 and racing at 7:30. The Echo Valley Speedway is a 4/10-mile high-banked clay oval located 1.4 miles east of SR 150 on US 18.

On Thursday, the teams venture north to the Steele County Fairgrounds in Owatonna, Minn., then return to the Cresco (Iowa) Speedway on Friday. The race at Cresco will mark the 18th event in 21 days for the rugged road warriors, but they'll get nearly two well-deserved weeks off before returning to action for the last half of the ‘The Hunt’ beginning Aug. 30.

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

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series
The Hunt for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship (Race 5 of 16)
Farley Speedway, Farley, Iowa
Tuesday, Aug. 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. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (1)
2. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (4)
3. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (2)
4. 9 - Ken Schrader -- Concord, NC (7)
5. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (3)
6. 0 - Jeremy English -- Bernard, IA (6)
7. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (5)

HEAT #2 (10 laps):
1. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (1)
2. 5w - Darrin Walch -- Postville, IA (5)
3. 30 - Mark Massey -- Worthington, IA (6)
4. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (4)
5. 99.3 - Eric Glendenning -- Darlington, WI (3)
6. 58 - Scott Vesely -- Mosinee, WI (2) DNF
7. 7c - Nate Caruth -- Ames, IA (7) DNS

HEAT #3 (10 laps):
1. 32 - Donovan Lodge -- Moline, IL (1)
2. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (2)
3. 41 - Dennis Dugan -- Colesburg, IA (3)
4. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (7)
5. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (6)
6. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (4)
7. 00 - Joshua Vinnedge -- Forreston, IL (5)

HEAT #4 (10 laps):
1. 83 - Willy Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (2)
2. 2K - Jeff Larson -- Freeport, IL (7)
3. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (3)
4. 12t - Timmy Current -- Bernard, IA (4)
5. 77j - Steve Johnson -- Camanche, IA (6) DNF
6. 1d - Mel Saffran -- Farley, IA (5) DNF
7. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (1) -3 Laps

HEAT #5 (10 laps):
1. 37b - Ron Barker -- Dubuque, IA (2)
2. 27m - Mark Schulte -- Delhi, IA (4)
3. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (5)
4. 11b - Mike Burbridge -- Delhi, IA (1)
5. 19B - Jamie Burford -- Keatchie, LA (6)
6. 3j - Jason Schueller -- Dubuque, IA (3)
7. 31 - Jack Bateman -- Canaan, NH (7)

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (2)
2. 9 - Ken Schrader -- Concord, NC (1)
3. 1d - Mel Saffran -- Farley, IA (9)
4. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (5)
5. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (3)
6. 00 - Joshua Vinnedge -- Forreston, IL (11)
7. 99.3 - Eric Glendenning -- Darlington, WI (7)
8. 31 - Jack Bateman -- Canaan, NH (12)
9. 19B - Jamie Burford -- Keatchie, LA (6) DNF
10. 12t - Timmy Current -- Bernard, IA (4) DNF
11. 58 - Scott Vesely -- Mosinee, WI (8) DNF
12. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (10) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (6)
2. 41 - Dennis Dugan -- Colesburg, IA (2)
3. 77j - Steve Johnson -- Camanche, IA (5)
4. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (1)
5. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (11)
6. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (8)
7. 11b - Mike Burbridge -- Delhi, IA (4)
8. 3j - Jason Schueller -- Dubuque, IA (9)
9. 0 - Jeremy English -- Bernard, IA (7)
10. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (3)
11. 7c - Nate Caruth -- Ames, IA (10) DNS

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (30 laps):
1. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (3)
2. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (12)
3. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (14)
4. 83 - Willy Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (1)
5. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (11)
6. 27m - Mark Schulte -- Delhi, IA (9)
7. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (13)
8. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (4)
9. 5w - Darrin Walch -- Postville, IA (2)
10. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (22)
11. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (5)
12. 9 - Ken Schrader -- Concord, NC (15)
13. 37b - Ron Barker -- Dubuque, IA (6)
14. 1d - Mel Saffran -- Farley, IA (17)
15. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (20)
16. 32 - Donovan Lodge -- Moline, IL (7)
17. 77j - Steve Johnson -- Camanche, IA (18)
18. 30 - Mark Massey -- Worthington, IA (10)
19. 41 - Dennis Dugan -- Colesburg, IA (16)
20. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (21)
21. 2K - Jeff Larson -- Freeport, IL (8) DNF
22. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (23) DNF
23. 19B - Jamie Burford -- Keatchie, LA (24) DNF
24. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (19) DNF

AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Mahlstedt 1-26, Krohn 27-29, Mahlstedt 30.
Total Laps Led: Mahlstedt 27, Krohn 3.
AFCO Pole Award: Larson.
Provisional Starters: Holzkamper, Burford.
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Shryock (started 22nd, finished 10th).
Next Race: Wednesday, Aug. 15, Echo Valley Speedway, West Union, Iowa.
O’Reilly USMTS National Championship Points: Hughes 516, Shryock 492, Krohn 478, Tesch 473, Weder 429, Mahlstedt 428, Skaggs 416, VanderBeek 396, Myer 376, Holzkamper 374.
Home Pride Passing Points: Shryock 172½, Hughes 130½, VanderBeek 121½, Hejna 118½, Weder 88½.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Green 781, Lodge 334, Ryan Gustin 299, Jeremy Rasmussen 254, Cale Sponsler 235.
Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 424, Hughes 351, Harris 232, GRT 208, Bullet 172.

Contingency Awards:
Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.
Boyer’s Engine Development – Mahlstedt.
GRT Race Cars – not awarded.
Hawk Performance – Myer.
Isky Racing Cams – Myer.
Kevko Oil Pans & Components – Hughes.
KSE Racing Products – Krohn, Kraft.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Mahlstedt ($300).
Nitroquest Web Solutions - Tesch.
Quarter Master – Mahlstedt, Walch.
QuickTime Performance Parts – Weder.
Real Racing Wheels – Weder, Tesch.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSOR: O’Reilly Auto Parts.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Race Tires, AMSOIL, Arizona Sport Shirts, BRODIX, Fast Company Performance, Holley Performance Products, Home Pride Companies, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, Marsh Racing Wheels, Nitroquest Web Solutions, Olympic Fire Protection, Real Racing Wheels, Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar, Yeager Machine.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Boom Drilling, Day Motor Sports, Gressell Oil Field Services, Hughes Racing Chassis, KraftKar Race Cars, McVicker Oil Fields, Rinehart Trucking.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Belleville Motorsports, Bilstein Shocks, Boyer’s Engine Development, Dynatech Racing Exhaust, GRT Race Cars, Hawk Performance, Hyperco, Isky Racing Cams, KSE Racing Products, Quarter Master, QuickTime Performance Race Parts, Racer’s Choice (RCI).