Scott secures victory in USMTS debut at Thunderbird

Scott secures victory in USMTS debut at Thunderbird

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (April 5) – The United States Modified Touring Series made its maiden voyage to the Thunderbird Speedway in Muskogee, Okla., Friday for the inaugural York Street Tire Thunderbird Rumble, with Johnny Scott getting the win after apparent winner Jason Hughes was disqualified during post-race technical inspections.

From the outside of the front row, Hughes jumped out to the early lead in the 25-lap main event, with Jeremy Payne and Johnny Scott giving pursuit. Scott rode the cushion into second-place early on and then got by Hughes with six laps to go.

Scott began to stretch out his lead when the caution flag flew with two laps to go. Taking advantage of a second chance, Hughes slid by Scott on the white flag lap and beat his fellow Hughes Racing Chassis driver to the finish line.

But the drama didn’t end with the thrilling last-lap pass. During post-race technical inspections, it was discovered that Hughes had an unapproved rev-limiting chip on his machine. Hughes noted that the team had made an engine change earlier in the day and simply forgot to put the correct chip in.

Unfortunately for Hughes, the win and the $4,000 first-place prize money went to Scott as he garnered his first USMTS victory of the season. It was the 14th career USMTS win for the 23-year-old from Las Cruces, N.M., which moved his ahead of Johnny Bone Jr. and into a tie with Terry Phillips on the all-time wins list.

Scott’s twin brother, Stormy Scott, was one of the fastest cars on the track when mechanical woes sidelined him during the race, dropping him to third in the USMTS Arbor Masters Central Region points standings while Johnny Scott moved into the lead – eight points in front of Kelly Shryock.

Payne scored the runner-up finish Friday night with Canadian speedster Joey Galloway notching his career-best USMTS finish in third. Shryock was fourth and Thomas Tillison Jr. rounded out the top five.

Jason Thoennes finished sixth, Jeff Conner clawed his way from 22nd on the starting grid to finish seventh, Jeremy Ross raced from 19th to eighth, Chris Brown was ninth and tenth went to Eddie Martin.

Saturday night will find the carbureted cowboys and their iron steeds at the West Siloam Speedway near West Siloam Springs, Okla., as the track plays host to the USMTS Casey’s Cup Series for the 5th Annual Sooner Modified Nationals presented by Advanced Energy, Inc.

Hughes visited victory lane the last time the USMTS Modifieds were here on April 30, 2011, and it was his third straight win at the track.

Saturday’s program will also feature Grand Nationals, 360 Modifieds, Pure Stocks and Front-Wheel Drives and Late Models. Pit gates open at 12 noon, grandstand gates open at 3 p.m., hot laps begin at 5:30 and racing starts at 6 p.m.

Grandstand tickets are $15 for adults. Seniors 62 and older plus members of the military get in for $10 with their i.d. card. Kids ages 10 and under get in the grandstands for free.

The West Siloam Speedway is a 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval located 5.5 miles west of Arkansas/Oklahoma State Line on US 412. For more information call 479-427-9295 or check out www.westsiloamspeedway.com on the World Wide Web.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usmts, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usmts or check out our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/USMTSTV.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
USMTS Arbor Masters Central Region presented by Day Motor Sports
Thunderbird Speedway, Muskogee, Okla.
Inaugural York Street Tire Thunderbird Rumble
Friday, April 5 , 2013

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed, reason out (if any) and money won. The top 16 drivers in passing points accumulated in the heat races are locked into the “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.

BEYEA CUSTOM HEADERS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (3) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
2. (5) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
3. (2) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
4. (7) 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas.
5. (4) 5* Dalton Clay, Muskogee, Okla.
6. (6) 00 Masen Big Eagle, Manor, Sask., Canada.
7. (8) 38r Jeremy Ross, Locust Grove, Okla.
8. (9) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.
9. (1) 99h Trevor Hunt, Kearney, Mo.

JRi SHOCKS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (6) 1st Johnny Scott, Arroyo Hondo, N.M.
2. (3) 21 Chris Brown, Spring, Texas.
3. (5) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
4. (2) 51 Eddie Martin, Stilwell, Okla.
5. (9) 15 George Martin, Fort Smith, Ark.
6. (4) 2 Jerry Standifer, Howe, Okla.
7. (8) 27 Dan Morris, Fort Gibson, Okla.
8. (7) 26 Brian Williams, Fayetteville, Ark.
9. (1) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.

EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (3) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
2. (4) 85 Thomas Tillison Jr., Wellston, Okla.
3. (2) 52 Jason Thoennes, Garfield, Minn.
4. (1) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa.
5. (7) 01 Joey Galloway, Manor, Sask., Canada.
6. (8) 127 Andy Morris, Okay, Okla.
7. (6) 7h Brett Hansen, Fort Gibson, Okla.
8. (5) 36 Jeff Conner, Panora, Iowa.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (8 laps, top 8 advance):
1. (1) 00 Masen Big Eagle, Manor, Sask., Canada.
2. (6) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.
3. (9) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
4. (2) 2 Jerry Standifer, Howe, Okla.
5. (3) 38r Jeremy Ross, Locust Grove, Okla.
6. (4) 27 Dan Morris, Fort Gibson, Okla.
7. (8) 99h Trevor Hunt, Kearney, Mo.
8. (7) 36 Jeff Conner, Panora, Iowa.
9. (5) 7h Brett Hansen, Fort Gibson, Okla.
DNS – Brian Williams, Fayetteville, Ark., Hughes/Ora’s, $90.

“A” MAIN (25 laps):
1. (6) 1st Johnny Scott, Arroyo Hondo, N.M., Hughes/ProPower, $4000.
2. (4) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo., GRT/RoushYates, $1500.
3. (14) 01 Joey Galloway, Manor, Sask., Canada, GRT/Tim’s, $1000.
4. (5) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ProPower, $900.
5. (7) 85 Thomas Tillison Jr., Wellston, Okla., Hughes/Geddes, $800.
6. (10) 52 Jason Thoennes, Garfield, Minn., MasterSbilt/Sower, $700.
7. (22) 36 Jeff Conner, Panora, Iowa, Skyrocket/RoushYates, $650.
8. (19) 38r Jeremy Ross, Locust Grove, Okla., PCD/Ora’s, $600.
9. (3) 21 Chris Brown, Spring, Texas, Hughes/RoushYates, $550.
10. (12) 51 Eddie Martin, Stilwell, Okla., BigChief/Geddes, $500.
11. (11) 15 George Martin, Fort Smith, Ark., TRE/Dillard, $450.
12. (21) 99h Trevor Hunt, Kearney, Mo., GRT/Yeoman, $400.
13. (8) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, Hughes/Sput’s, $375.
14. (23) 7h Brett Hansen, Fort Gibson, Okla., Hughes/Shinook, $250.
15. (17) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo., GRT/Mullins, $300.
16. (18) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., LG2/ProPower, $300.
17. (20) 27 Dan Morris, Fort Gibson, Okla., TRE/BMS, $300.
18. (1) 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas, Hughes/RoushYates, $300.
19. (16) 00 Masen Big Eagle, Manor, Sask., Canada, GRT/Tim’s, $300.
20. (9) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla., Hughes/BMS, $300.
21. (15) 127 Andy Morris, Okay, Okla., TRE/BMS, $300.
22. (13) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa, Sidebiter/Mullins, $300.
23. (2) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, disqualified, $0.
DNS – Jerry Standifer, Howe, Okla., Evolution/KSE, $100.
DNS – Dalton Clay, Muskogee, Okla., Skyrocket/RoushYates, $100.

Lap Leaders: Hughes 1-19, J. Scott 20-24, Hughes 25.
Total Laps Led: Hughes 20, J. Scott 5.
Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger: Conner (started 22nd, finished 7th).
Next Race: Saturday, April 6, West Siloam Speedway, Colcord, Okla.
USMTS Arbor Masters Central Region Points: J. Scott 179, Shryock 171, S. Scott 163, Payne 163, Tillison 154, Hughes 145, VanderBeek 140, Galloway 136, Conner 123, Hunt 122.

Contingency Awards:
AERO Race Wheels – Hilsabeck.
American Racer – Conner.
Beyea Custom Headers – Shryock.
BSB Manufacturing – Tillison, Conner.
Buck Monson Photos – J. Scott.
Crane Cams – J. Scott.
Dominator Race Products – Duvall.
Edelbrock – Galloway.
Eibach Springs – Hughes.
FK Rod Ends – Siebert.
Forty9Designs.com – Big Eagle.
Fuel Safe – Thoennes.
Hooker Harness – VanderBeek.
JRi Shocks – J. Scott.
KEVKO Oil Pans & Components – Brown.
Keyser Manufacturing – E. Martin.
Marsh Racing Wheels – A. Morris.
Mesilla Valley Transportation – Conner.
MSD Ignition – J. Scott, Payne.
PBM Performance Products – J. Scott.
Power Lift Racing Products – D. Morris
Real Racing Wheels – Clay, Standifer, Williams.
VP Racing Fuels – J. Scott.

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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Casey’s General Stores, Cheetos, COMP Cams®, Day Motor Sports, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, RacinDirt.com, Snickers.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Allgayer Inc., Arbor Masters, ASi Racewear, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Erson Cams, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, 4s Motorsports, FVP, Integra Racing Shocks & Springs, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Lecolift, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Motorsports, Ruter Farms, Something Inked, United Cellular Services.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, Bell Racing Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, BSB Manufacturing, Champ Pans, CPD Racing Tools, Crane Cams, Dominator Race Products, Edelbrock, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, FK Rod Ends, Forty9 Designs, Fuel Safe, Genesis Racing Shocks, Hooker Harness, JRi Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, MSD Ignition, PBM Performance Products, Power Lift Racing Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Sybesma Graphics, Tiger Rear Ends, VP Racing Fuels.

Category: USMTS