WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (Oct. 12, 2005) -- With the weekend off before the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series season finale at the Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway next Friday and Saturday, October 21-22, many of the top drivers are hitting the road in search of a big payday this weekend.
In Oklahoma City, Okla., the final round of the Xtreme Super Nationals is taking place over three days at the State Fair Speedway where Saturday's main event winner is guaranteed to take home $25,000.
In Memphis, Mo., some of the best Super Late Model drivers will be joining the Modifieds in a doubleheader that pays the winner of each feature $5,000 in a prelude to next weekend's O’Reilly USMTS finale at the Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway.
Here's a look at the O’Reilly USMTS national drivers who will be competing this weekend:
STATE FAIR SPEEDWAY - OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
KELLY SHRYOCK -- The current and seven-time O’Reilly USMTS champion heads the list of at least six of the current top 10 drivers heading to Oklahoma City.
Hometown: Fertile, Iowa.
Car No.: 3
Chassis: Skyrocket
Current Rank: 1st
2005 Stats: 15 wins, 33 top-5s and 41 top-10s in 47 starts
TOMMY MYER -- Currently ranked second in the points and the Home Pride Passing Points championship leader.
Hometown: Blooming Prairie, Minn.
Car No.: 65
Chassis: Hughes
Current Rank: 2nd
2005 Stats: 5 wins, 28 top-5s and 35 top-10s in 45 starts
BRAD MCEWAN -- McEwan picked up his first Series win on opening night at the 7th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree two weeks ago.
Hometown: Storm Lake, Iowa
Car No.: 26
Chassis: Hughes
Current Rank: 3rd
2005 Stats: 1 win, 14 top-5s and 31 top-10s in 47 starts
AL HEJNA -- The "A Train" was nearly unstoppable during Swing #4 as he picked up the 10-race title.
Hometown: Clear Lake, Iowa
Car No.: 7
Chassis: Skyrocket
Current Rank: 4th
2005 Stats: 7 wins, 19 top-5s and 30 top-10s in 42 starts
RYAN RUTER -- The "young gun" of the Series picked up his first win of the season at the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, Iowa, and is always a fan favorite with his fearless driving style.
Hometown: Kanawha, Iowa
Car No.: 555
Chassis: Skyrocket
Current Rank: 7th
2005 Stats: 1 win, 12 top-5s and 20 top-10s in 42 starts
JASON HUGHES -- While Hughes has won just two points races this season, he also captured two non-points races on Oct. 1 and 2 which earned the chassis builder $22,000 in a 24-hour period.
Hometown: Colcord, Okla.
Car No.: 12
Chassis: Hughes
Current Rank: 9th
2005 Stats: 2 wins, 17 top-5s and 22 top-10s in 27 starts
STEVE HOLZKAMPER -- Hard-charging Holzkamper has competed nine times this season, from South Dakota to southern Missouri and finished third at Oklahoma City on May 1.
Hometown: Gentry, Ark.
Car No.: 5
Chassis: TRE
Current Rank: 31st
2005 Stats: 2 top-10s in 9 starts
SCOTT DRAKE -- The veteran pilot won the Xtreme Super Nationals event on May 1 in Oklahoma City, and will be one of the favorites this weekend.
Hometown: Webb City, Mo.
Car No.: 12
Chassis: Dirt Works
Current Rank: 30th
2005 Stats: 1 top-5 and 4 top-10s in 8 starts
GARY CLARK -- Clark drove his familiar Dirt Works Modified to a fourth-place finish at Oklahoma City on July 17.
Hometown: Walker, Mo.
Car No.: 4G
Chassis: Dirt Works
Current Rank: 43rd
2005 Stats: 1 top-5 and 2 top-10s in 6 starts
BENTZ GM COUNTRY SCOTLAND COUNTY SPEEDWAY - MEMPHIS, MO
ZACK VANDERBEEK -- The former USRA Stock Car ace is enjoying a breakthrough sophomore season with the O’Reilly USMTS, and picked up his first career win earlier this season in Decorah, Iowa.
Hometown: New Sharon, Iowa
Car No.: 33z
Chassis: Skyrocket
Current Rank: 6th
2005 Stats: 1 win, 2 top-5s and 16 top-10s in 46 starts
DEAN MAHLSTEDT -- "The Bullet" has turned on the after-burners late in the season, and is the current points leader in the AFCO Challenge -- a $3,000-to-win "mini-series" comprised of the final 10 points events of the O’Reilly USMTS season.
Hometown: Garner, Iowa
Car No.: 21m
Chassis: Bullet
Current Rank: 14th
2005 Stats: 7 top-5s and 13 top-10s in 23 starts
BRUCE HANFORD -- The crafty veteran and former NASCAR Busch Grand National Modified Series champion is a threat to win wherever he pulls into the pits at.
Hometown: Davenport, Iowa
Car No.: 61
Chassis: MasterSbilt
Current Rank: 15th
2005 Stats: 4 top-5s and 9 top-10s in 23 starts
TONY FRAISE -- Fraise picked up a win at the Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa, earlier this season, and is the newly-crowned USRA Modified track champion at the Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway.
Hometown: Donnellson, Iowa
Car No.: 45
Chassis: Racemart
Current Rank: 29th
2005 Stats: 1 win, 3 top-5s and 6 top-10s in 8 starts
STEVE STEWART -- Stewart captured his first track championship this season in the USRA Modified class at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
Hometown: Washington, Iowa
Car No.: 17
Chassis: Stewart
Current Rank: 47th
2005 Stats: 8 starts
RYAN MEYER -- Meyer is one of the toughest competitors each week at the Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway, where he finished third in the season-ending standings.
Hometown: Liberty, Ill.
Car No.: 82m
Chassis: Racemart
Current Rank: 68th
2005 Stats: 4 starts
MARK BURGTORF -- Burgtorf is a former NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series regional champion, and finished as the runner-up in the 2005 USRA Modified points at the Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway.
Hometown: Quincy, Ill.
Car No.: 69M
Chassis: Skyrocket
Current Rank: 69th
2005 Stats: 3 starts
MIKE BENNETT -- Bennett has three starts with the Series this season in his MB2 Motorsports #32 Modified.
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
Car No.: 32
Chassis: Skyrocket
Current Rank: 70th
2005 Stats: 3 starts
In Oklahoma City, Okla., the final round of the Xtreme Super Nationals is taking place over three days at the State Fair Speedway where Saturday's main event winner is guaranteed to take home $25,000.
In Memphis, Mo., some of the best Super Late Model drivers will be joining the Modifieds in a doubleheader that pays the winner of each feature $5,000 in a prelude to next weekend's O’Reilly USMTS finale at the Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway.
Here's a look at the O’Reilly USMTS national drivers who will be competing this weekend:
STATE FAIR SPEEDWAY - OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
KELLY SHRYOCK -- The current and seven-time O’Reilly USMTS champion heads the list of at least six of the current top 10 drivers heading to Oklahoma City.
Hometown: Fertile, Iowa.
Car No.: 3
Chassis: Skyrocket
Current Rank: 1st
2005 Stats: 15 wins, 33 top-5s and 41 top-10s in 47 starts
TOMMY MYER -- Currently ranked second in the points and the Home Pride Passing Points championship leader.
Hometown: Blooming Prairie, Minn.
Car No.: 65
Chassis: Hughes
Current Rank: 2nd
2005 Stats: 5 wins, 28 top-5s and 35 top-10s in 45 starts
BRAD MCEWAN -- McEwan picked up his first Series win on opening night at the 7th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree two weeks ago.
Hometown: Storm Lake, Iowa
Car No.: 26
Chassis: Hughes
Current Rank: 3rd
2005 Stats: 1 win, 14 top-5s and 31 top-10s in 47 starts
AL HEJNA -- The "A Train" was nearly unstoppable during Swing #4 as he picked up the 10-race title.
Hometown: Clear Lake, Iowa
Car No.: 7
Chassis: Skyrocket
Current Rank: 4th
2005 Stats: 7 wins, 19 top-5s and 30 top-10s in 42 starts
RYAN RUTER -- The "young gun" of the Series picked up his first win of the season at the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, Iowa, and is always a fan favorite with his fearless driving style.
Hometown: Kanawha, Iowa
Car No.: 555
Chassis: Skyrocket
Current Rank: 7th
2005 Stats: 1 win, 12 top-5s and 20 top-10s in 42 starts
JASON HUGHES -- While Hughes has won just two points races this season, he also captured two non-points races on Oct. 1 and 2 which earned the chassis builder $22,000 in a 24-hour period.
Hometown: Colcord, Okla.
Car No.: 12
Chassis: Hughes
Current Rank: 9th
2005 Stats: 2 wins, 17 top-5s and 22 top-10s in 27 starts
STEVE HOLZKAMPER -- Hard-charging Holzkamper has competed nine times this season, from South Dakota to southern Missouri and finished third at Oklahoma City on May 1.
Hometown: Gentry, Ark.
Car No.: 5
Chassis: TRE
Current Rank: 31st
2005 Stats: 2 top-10s in 9 starts
SCOTT DRAKE -- The veteran pilot won the Xtreme Super Nationals event on May 1 in Oklahoma City, and will be one of the favorites this weekend.
Hometown: Webb City, Mo.
Car No.: 12
Chassis: Dirt Works
Current Rank: 30th
2005 Stats: 1 top-5 and 4 top-10s in 8 starts
GARY CLARK -- Clark drove his familiar Dirt Works Modified to a fourth-place finish at Oklahoma City on July 17.
Hometown: Walker, Mo.
Car No.: 4G
Chassis: Dirt Works
Current Rank: 43rd
2005 Stats: 1 top-5 and 2 top-10s in 6 starts
BENTZ GM COUNTRY SCOTLAND COUNTY SPEEDWAY - MEMPHIS, MO
ZACK VANDERBEEK -- The former USRA Stock Car ace is enjoying a breakthrough sophomore season with the O’Reilly USMTS, and picked up his first career win earlier this season in Decorah, Iowa.
Hometown: New Sharon, Iowa
Car No.: 33z
Chassis: Skyrocket
Current Rank: 6th
2005 Stats: 1 win, 2 top-5s and 16 top-10s in 46 starts
DEAN MAHLSTEDT -- "The Bullet" has turned on the after-burners late in the season, and is the current points leader in the AFCO Challenge -- a $3,000-to-win "mini-series" comprised of the final 10 points events of the O’Reilly USMTS season.
Hometown: Garner, Iowa
Car No.: 21m
Chassis: Bullet
Current Rank: 14th
2005 Stats: 7 top-5s and 13 top-10s in 23 starts
BRUCE HANFORD -- The crafty veteran and former NASCAR Busch Grand National Modified Series champion is a threat to win wherever he pulls into the pits at.
Hometown: Davenport, Iowa
Car No.: 61
Chassis: MasterSbilt
Current Rank: 15th
2005 Stats: 4 top-5s and 9 top-10s in 23 starts
TONY FRAISE -- Fraise picked up a win at the Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa, earlier this season, and is the newly-crowned USRA Modified track champion at the Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway.
Hometown: Donnellson, Iowa
Car No.: 45
Chassis: Racemart
Current Rank: 29th
2005 Stats: 1 win, 3 top-5s and 6 top-10s in 8 starts
STEVE STEWART -- Stewart captured his first track championship this season in the USRA Modified class at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
Hometown: Washington, Iowa
Car No.: 17
Chassis: Stewart
Current Rank: 47th
2005 Stats: 8 starts
RYAN MEYER -- Meyer is one of the toughest competitors each week at the Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway, where he finished third in the season-ending standings.
Hometown: Liberty, Ill.
Car No.: 82m
Chassis: Racemart
Current Rank: 68th
2005 Stats: 4 starts
MARK BURGTORF -- Burgtorf is a former NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series regional champion, and finished as the runner-up in the 2005 USRA Modified points at the Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway.
Hometown: Quincy, Ill.
Car No.: 69M
Chassis: Skyrocket
Current Rank: 69th
2005 Stats: 3 starts
MIKE BENNETT -- Bennett has three starts with the Series this season in his MB2 Motorsports #32 Modified.
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
Car No.: 32
Chassis: Skyrocket
Current Rank: 70th
2005 Stats: 3 starts
