Krohn wires O’Reilly USMTS field at Cresco

CRESCO, Iowa (Aug 17) - One way or the other, one thing's for sure about this year's Hunt for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship: everybody's chasin' Jason.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series invaded the Cresco (Iowa) Speedway on Friday, and this time it was Jason Krohn taking the checkers for his sixth National Event win of the season. The win was worth $2,000 to Krohn as he led all 40 laps and closed the points gap on Jason Hughes in the Hunt for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship.

Hughes, who finished third behind Krohn at Cresco, won the previous night at the Steele County Speedway, with Krohn taking the runner-up spot. On Wednesday at the Echo Valley Speedway, it was Krohn in victory lane. And so it goes … with eight ‘Hunt’ races in the books, Krohn and Hughes have five wins between them and neither driver has finished worse than eighth.

Tim Donlinger, who challenged for the win on Thursday night before a flat tire forced him out of the race, finished second to Krohn Friday night. Tommy Weder Jr. finished fourth behind his teammate, Hughes, while Kelly Shryock claimed the fifth spot. Greg Skaggs, Willy Kraft, Zack VanderBeek, Darrin Walch and Jon Tesch rounded out the top-10 finishers.

For Shryock, the season has turned lukewarm after a blistering-hot first 40 races of 2007 that saw the eight-time defending O’Reilly USMTS National Champion find victory lane 15 times. Winless in ‘Hunt’ competition so far, back-to-back top-5 finishes has kept the Fertile, Iowa, veteran within striking distance of the points leaders, but again on Friday he lost ground as both Krohn and Hughes scored better.

In the Hunt for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship, Hughes holds a slim 20-point lead (804 to 784) over Krohn, while Jon Tesch is 40 points back of Krohn with 741 markers. Shryock is fifth with 713 points, and the remainder of the top-10 are Skaggs (646), Weder (636), VanderBeek (632), Tommy Myer (613), Steve Holzkamper (563) and Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Scott Green (524).

Friday night's contest at Cresco marked the 18th event in 21 days for the rugged O’Reilly USMTS road warriors, but they'll get nearly two well-deserved weeks off before returning to action for the last half of the ‘Hunt’ beginning on Thursday, Aug. 30, at the Highway 3 Raceway n Allison, Iowa. The 2007 season will be wrap up Sept. 6-8 with the 9th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree at the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn.

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 8 of 16)
Cresco Speedway, Cresco, Iowa
Friday, Aug. 17, 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. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (2)
2. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (3)
3. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (7)
4. 70 - Jerry King -- Waterloo, IA (8)
5. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (4)
6. 2 - Joey Schaefer -- Waterloo, IA (1)
7. 25x - Tom Brink -- Winona, MN (6) DNF
8. 50 - Brad Bakken -- Garner, IA (9) DNF
9. 26p - Kevin Pittman -- Waterloo, IA (5) DNF

HEAT #2 (10 laps):
1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (3)
2. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (5)
3. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (8)
4. 83 - Willy Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (7)
5. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (4)
6. 7m - Michael Darnall -- West Union, IA (6)
7. 58 - Scott Vesely -- Mosinee, WI (2)
8. 96 - Jay Ihrke -- Dover, MN (1) DNF

HEAT #3 (10 laps):
1. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (1)
2. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (3)
3. 07 - Jason Schlangen -- Cresco, IA (4)
4. 1 - Dan Chapman -- Clarence, IA (2)
5. 91 - Shawn Ryan -- Waterloo, IA (6)
6. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (7)
7. 19b - Jamie Burford -- Keatchie, LA (8)
8. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (5)

HEAT #4 (10 laps):
1. 5w - Darrin Walch -- Postville, IA (4)
2. 32 - Donovan Lodge -- Moline, IL (2)
3. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (3)
4. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (7)
5. 41p - Keith Pittman -- Waterloo, IA (5)
6. 5h - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (6)
7. 7a - Mike Liddle -- Plainfield, IA (8)
8. 55 - Larry Hall -- Rochester, MN (1) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 83 - Willy Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (1)
2. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (2)
3. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (5)
4. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (4)
5. 91 - Shawn Ryan -- Waterloo, IA (3)
6. 7m - Michael Darnall -- West Union, IA (6)
7. 19b - Jamie Burford -- Keatchie, LA (7)
8. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (10)
9. 25x - Tom Brink -- Winona, MN (8)
10. 50 - Brad Bakken -- Garner, IA (9) DNS
11. 26p - Kevin Pittman -- Waterloo, IA (11) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (1)
2. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (3)
3. 5h - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (6)
4. 1 - Dan Chapman -- Clarence, IA (2)
5. 41p - Keith Pittman -- Waterloo, IA (4)
6. 7a - Mike Liddle -- Plainfield, IA (7)
7. 58 - Scott Vesely -- Mosinee, WI (8)
8. 2 - Joey Schaefer -- Waterloo, IA (5)
9. 55 - Larry Hall -- Rochester, MN (10) DNF
10. 96 - Jay Ihrke -- Dover, MN (9) DNS

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (3)
2. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (8)
3. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (2)
4. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (7)
5. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (5)
6. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (4)
7. 83 - Willy Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (13)
8. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (14)
9. 5w - Darrin Walch -- Postville, IA (6)
10. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (16)
11. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (15)
12. 0 - Les Duellman -- Winona, MN (19)
13. 07 - Jason Schlangen -- Cresco, IA (12)
14. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (1)
15. 32 - Donovan Lodge -- Moline, IL (10)
16. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (9)
17. 5h - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (18)
18. 19b - Jamie Burford -- Keatchie, LA (23)
19. 41p - Keith Pittman -- Waterloo, IA (22)
20. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (24)
21. 70 - Jerry King -- Waterloo, IA (11) DNF
22. 1 - Dan Chapman -- Clarence, IA (20) DNF
23. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (17) DNF
24. 91 - Shawn Ryan -- Waterloo, IA (21) DNF

AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Krohn 1-40.
Total Laps Led: Krohn 40.
AFCO Pole Award: Walch.
Provisional Starters: Burford, Poidinger.
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Duellman (started 19th, finished 12th).
Next Race: Thursday, Aug. 30, Highway 3 Raceway, Allison, Iowa.
O’Reilly USMTS National Championship Points: Hughes 804, Krohn 784, Tesch 741, Shryock 713, Skaggs 646, Weder 636, VanderBeek 632, Myer 613, Holzkamper 563, Green 524.
Home Pride Passing Points: Shryock 186, Hughes 142½, VanderBeek 129, Al Hejna 120, Weder 96.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Green 841, Lodge 403, Ryan Gustin 339, Jeremy Rasmussen 254, Richie Gustin Jr. 248.
Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 452, Hughes 377, Harris 241, GRT 232, TRE 177.

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

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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).