SAUK RAPIDS, Minn. (Sept. 9) – After clinching the USMTS Rookie of the Year title one night earlier, Stormy Scott captured the win Sunday at the Granite City Speedway and moved into the top spot in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup standings.
Scott started on the pole for the 40-lap Swan Energy “A” Main, but it was local favorite Clayton Wagamon taking charge at the start of the race from the outside of the front row.
Wagamon built a comfortable lead early in the contest, but the winner of the feature race two weeks ago at the 3/8-mile semi-banked clay oval had his cushion disappear when caution slowed the action on lap 16.
On the restart, Wagamon dove into the first turn but slowed quickly with engine problems. Third-running Jeremy Payne made contact with the leader and suffered a flat tire, and hopes of a victory came to an end for both drivers.
Scott inherited the lead for the next green flag, and never relinquished it over the final 24 go-arounds.
Ryan Gustin, who came into the event as the USMTS Casey’s Cup Series points leader, narrowed the gap between himself and Scott during the late stages of the race but had to settle for a second-place finish.
Jason Hughes, Dereck Ramirez and Johnny Scott finished third through fifth, respectively, while Rodney Sanders, Jon Tesch, Eric Martini, Zack VanderBeek and Jason Cummins rounded out the top 10 at the checkered flag.
When the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup began last month, Stormy Scott came into the 18-race campaign as the points leader. He fell back to third after the first event, but with his $3,000 triumph – his eighth overall during the 2012 season – Scott is back atop the standings with three big shows remaining to decide whose name goes on the $15,000 paycheck.
Gustin slipped to second in the standings, but is just five points back while Sanders is only 26 points out of first-place. The trio made up the top 3 when ‘The Hunt’ began 15 races ago, and the title will almost certainly land in one of their laps.
Hughes is fourth, but more than 100 points behind the leader. Johnny Scott is fifth, followed by Payne, Kelly Shryock, VanderBeek, Ramirez and Cummins.
While Ryan Gustin locked up his second straight USMTS National Championship on Friday night and Stormy Scott clinched the rookie crown on Saturday, two more season-ending awards were locked up Sunday.
In the COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year contest, Mullins Race Engines of Mt. Olive, Ill., has sealed the deal for the third year in a row and in the Tiger Rear Ends Manufacturers Championship points, Hughes Racing Chassis has mathematically eliminated the competition for the second straight season.
Eleven days from now, the 14th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree will kick off for the final three rounds of the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup. Slated for Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 19-22, at the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., the Featherlite Fall Jamboree is America’s undisputed marquee event for open-wheel dirt modified racing.
Thursday will pay $,3000 to win and Friday’s feature winner gets $4,000. On Saturday, the winner of the 50-lap main event will pocket $6,000 while the winner of the Non-Qualifiers Race will earn $2,000.
Nearly $200,000 in cash awards has been posted for this year’s blockbuster. USRA B-Mods will also join the racing card all three nights. An open practice is set for Wednesday, Sept. 19, from 6-9 p.m.
To keep up with everything happening at this year’s Featherlite Fall Jamboree, check out the event’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/falljamboree.
The Deer Creek Speedway is a 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval located off of I-90 at Exit 209, then 11.3 miles south on US 63 (0.7 mile north of SR 16). Fan may purchase tickets online at www.deercreekspeedway.com or by calling toll-free 877-DCS-RACE. For track or campground info, call 507-346-2342 or email info@deercreekspeedway.com.
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/ustmts and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usmts.
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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
The Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup – Round 15 of 18
Granite City Speedway, Sauk Rapids, Minn.
Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012
Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed, reason out (if any) and money won. All drivers were locked into the “A” Main, with the top 8 in heat race passing points re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.
BEYEA CUSTOM HEADERS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (1) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
2. (2) 71 Jason Cummins, New Richland, Minn.
3. (4) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
4. (5) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D.
5. (7) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
6. (8) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
7. (6) 47 Ryan Canon (R), Clearwater, Minn.
8. (3) 6m Ted Marrs, Bethel, Minn.
HOOKER HARNESS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (2) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
2. (4) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
3. (7) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
4. (5) 24 Eric Martini (R), Avon, Minn.
5. (3) 31v Jason Voigt, St. Cloud, Minn.
6. (6) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
7. (8) 555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa.
8. (1) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa.
EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 2s Stormy Scott (R), Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (4) 14w Clayton Wagamon, Blaine, Minn.
3. (2) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn.
4. (7) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
5. (3) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck (R), Waukee, Iowa.
6. (5) 110 Tony Bahr (R), Rice Lake, Wis.
7. (6) 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa.
SWAN ENERGY “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (1) 2s Stormy Scott (R), Las Cruces, N.M., Hughes/ProPower, $3000.
2. (5) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, $1700.
3. (3) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, $1200.
4. (7) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, $1000.
5. (6) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Hughes/ProPower, $900.
6. (9) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, Hughes/Geddes, $800.
7. (11) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D., GRT/Sput’s, $700.
8. (12) 24 Eric Martini (R), Avon, Minn., Fastrack/Tim’s, $500.
9. (17) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, Hughes/Sput’s, $700.
10. (8) 71 Jason Cummins, New Richland, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s, $550.
11. (14) 31v Jason Voigt, St. Cloud, Minn., RCT/Breeschoeten, $350.
12. (10) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, $450.
13. (13) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ProPower, $400.
14. (20) 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa, BC/GMPP, $375.
15. (15) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck (R), Waukee, Iowa, GRT/Mullins, $350.
16. (19) 47 Ryan Canon (R), Clearwater, Minn., Victory/Victory, $250.
17. (16) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, $400.
18. (22) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa, BC/JRM, $300.
19. (4) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo., GRT/RoushYates, $400.
20. (2) 14w Clayton Wagamon, Blaine, Minn., Wheeler/Wagamon, $300.
21. (18) 110 Tony Bahr (R), Rice Lake, Wis., GRT/Anderson, $250.
22. (21) 6m Ted Marrs, Bethel, Minn., Frederick/Homerun, $300.
DNS – 555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa, Sidebiter/Sput’s, $90.
(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.
Integra Lap Leaders: Wagamon 1-16, S. Scott 17-40.
Total Laps Led: S. Scott 24, Wagamon 16.
Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger: VanderBeek (started 17th, finished 9th).
Next Race: Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 20-22, Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn., 14th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree.
USMTS Casey’s Cup Series Points: S. Scott 1353, Gustin 1348, Sanders 1327, Hughes 1244, J. Scott 1205, Payne 1154, Shryock 1131, VanderBeek 1120, Ramirez 1092, Cummins 1081.
Rookie of the Year Points: S. Scott 2230, Hilsabeck 1563, Ron Keith 1219, Casey Penn 1110, Thomas Tillison Jr. 904.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 506, Geddes 447, ProPower 439, Sput’s 420, RoushYates 307.
Tiger Rear Ends Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 593, GRT 542, Skyrocket 451, Sidebiter 225, BC 218.
Contingency Awards:
AERO Race Wheels – Marrs.
American Racer – S. Scott.
Beyea Custom Headers – Payne.
Dominator Race Products – Wagamon.
Eibach Springs – S. Scott.
Forty9Designs.com – Ramirez, VanderBeek.
Hooker Harness – Gustin.
Integra Racing Shocks & Springs – S. Scott.
KEVKO Oil Pans & Components – VanderBeek.
KSE Racing Products – Cummins.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Bahr.
Nitroquest – not awarded.
Mesilla Valley Transportation – VanderBeek
PBM Performance Products – not awarded.
R2C Performance Products – Gustin.
Real Racing Wheels – not awarded.
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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.
USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Dominator Race Products, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.
USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arbor Masters, Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, Beebe Heating & Air Conditioning, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com, Erson Cams, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Mesilla Valley Transportation, O’Brien Enterprises, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Motorsports, Road Runner Trucking, Ruter Farms, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.
USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, Beyea Custom Headers, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Integra Racing Shocks & Springs, Keyser Manufacturing, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Tiger Rear Ends.