Mike Sorensen
SPRING VALLEY, Minn. (Sept. 4) – Mike Sorensen plucked the top spot from race-long leader Nate Wasmund with ten laps to go and went on to hold off Jason Hughes for the victory Saturday night as the Deer Creek Speedway hosted Round 13 of the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship presented by Bad Boy Mowers.
The win helped inch the 45-year-old engine builder from nearby Rochester to within five wins of tying Bob Timm all-time win record at ‘The Creek,’ but it was his career-first checkered flag under the USMTS banner at his home track.
Saturday’s wild feature race was the 41st USMTS main event held at the high-banked 3/8-mile oval – the most of any track in the 12-year history of the series – so it was only fitting that Sorensen pocketed $4,100 for his efforts thanks to a $1,000 bonus from Hanson Tire of LeRoy, Minn.
Wasmund drew the pole for the 40-lap WIX Filters “A” Main while Sorensen shared the front row with his fellow Rochester resident.
The race had a rocky start as a broken drive shaft sidelined Josh Angst before he could even join the parade lap, followed by three cautions that slowed the action during the first four laps.
The first yellow flag waved as quickly as the first green flag. As the leaders entered the first turn, Jay Ihrke’s machine slid up the track and bounced off of the concrete retaining wall, collecting 2007 USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn in the process.
Krohn was able to rejoin the race at the rear of the field, but Ihrke’s night ended on the back of a tow truck. Meanwhile, Jon Tesch and Dereck Ramirez both ducked into the infield during the caution. Tesch returned in time to join Krohn at the back of the pack but terminal mechanical issues kept Ramirez out of the contest.
On the restart, Tesch was only able to complete one more lap before suspension issues sent him back to the pits again. Krohn would also drop out ten laps later with a flat tire caused by a cut he sustained in the first-lap melee.
Two more cautions each of the next two laps again slowed the action and saw Johnny Scott, Tommy Weder Jr. and Lucas Schott head to the pits for new tires.
With the early delays in the first four laps, several drivers climbed six or seven spots in the running order without passing a single car on the track, but the final 36 orbits went caution-free and gave the crowd a nail-biting preview of what to expect when the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship presented by Bad Boy Mowers returns to Deer Creek Sept. 23-25 for the 12th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree.
Wasmund and Sorensen raced nose to tail throughout the contest with Steve Wetzstein making it a three-car battle midway through the race. Five laps later, Hughes entered the fray as the four leaders broke away from the pack to settle it among themselves.
With Wasmund and Wetzstein fighting for real estate in the middle of the track and Hughes churning away at the cushion on the high side of the racing surface, Sorensen used the low line to edge in front of Wasmund as they completed lap 30.
Two laps later, Hughes disposed of Wasmund and began to erase the distance between him and the leader but Sorensen maneuvered around a lapped car as the white flag was displayed and crossed beneath the checkered flags with a two-car-length advantage over Hughes.
It was the fourth career USMTS win for Sorensen whose last triumph came on May 27, 2005, at the Dodge County Speedway in Kasson just one day after “the big one” at Deer Creek – an ten-car crash that sent five drivers to the hospital and prompted officials and drivers to cancel the event that night and donate the prize money to the families of the injured drivers.
Sorensen’s first USMTS win came in 2001 when he was awarded the win after finishing second to Hughes, who crossed the scales underweight and was disqualified.
Wetzstein was able to muscle his way past Wasmund in the final two laps to secure a third-place paycheck while Oskaloosa, Iowa’s Ron Ver Beek finished fifth.
Nine-time and defending USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock started 18th and edged Kevin Pittman for sixth at the finish line. Joel Alberts earned an eighth-place finish, Ryan Gustin nabbed ninth and 14-year-old Schott rebounded from a pit stop on lap 4 to claim the tenth spot.
Although he was unable to garner his second win during ‘The Hunt,’ Hughes passed ten cars en route to record his 12th top-five finish in 13 starts and pad his ever-growing points lead.
Hughes’ advantage is now 92 markers over Gustin, followed by Tommy Myer (-120), Zack VanderBeek (-157), Shryock (-226), Krohn (-241), Ramirez (-324), Rodney Sanders (-330), Tim Donlinger (-349) and Scott (-390).
Although he finished last among the 19 cars running at the end of the main event, Scott ensured himself of an extra $2,000 as he clinched the DandyLand Farms Rookie of the Year honors for the 2010 season. Scott also leads the crop of rookies in the USMTS Castle Rock Recruiting Southern Series where Hughes is the championship points leader on a quest for three straight titles on that our.
SUNDAY, SUNDAY SUNDAY …
Sunday will be the final event of the Labor Day Weekend, but it’ll be anything but relaxing as make-up features from the July 14 rain-shortened program will precede a full program of events at the Dodge County Speedway in Kasson, Minn.
Sunday’s 9th Annual Kasson Klash will be the 26th occasion that the USMTS Modifieds have taken the green flag at the 151-year-old Dodge County Fairgrounds.
Donlinger held off Jason Hughes in a thriller last summer during the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship for his first USMTS win in Kasson. Hughes has three career wins along with Memorial Day Weekend winner Myer. Shryock tops he list with four career wins here. Brad Waits, Todd Scharkey and Dan Chapman are two-time winners while Mike Hejna, Sorensen, Tesch, Dripps, Wasmund, Scott Megonigle, Chris Spieker and Mike Chasteen have one win each.
Hot laps are slated for 4:30 p.m. with racing at 5. USRA Karl Performance Parts B-Mods, Midwest Mods, Pure Stocks and Street Stocks are also on tap for Sunday's regularly-scheduled show.
Race fans can pick up $2-off grandstand admission coupons on race day at Casey's General Stores locations in Austin, Mantorville, Owatonna, Rochester, Stewartville and West Concord. Colt Mather and his Snickers-sponsored Modified will be at the 214 State St. North location in West Concord from 12-2 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information or to find the Casey’s General Store nearest you, check out www.caseys.com online.
The Dodge County Speedway is located 1.1 mile north of US 14 on SR 57 (at the Dodge County Fairgrounds). For more info, call 651 226-3706 or 507 634-6400 on raceday or visit www.dodgecountyspeedway.com online.
The main event will pay $3,000 to the winner with $2,000 earmarked for the victor in Sunday’s make-up main event. With all qualifying events completed, the show was deemed unfinished business on July 14 with the Real Racing Wheels “B” Mains and WIX Filters “A” Main to be completed Sunday.
Drivers that were not in attendance July 14 may purchase a pit pass, pay the entry fee and start at the rear of the field in one of the Real Racing Wheels “B” Mains. For licensed competitors that were on hand at the rain-out on July 14, they each received 45 show-up points for the event in the Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region. Additional points earned in Sunday’s make-up race will be added to each driver’s total points to determine the final standings in the Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region.
The 2010 season for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour will conclude at the 12th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 23-25, at the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., where the 2010 USMTS National Champion will be crowned.
To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also follow the USMTS on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube.
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OFFICIAL RESULTS
The Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship presented by Bad Boy Mowers
6th Annual BP Labor Day Dual presented by Baudoin Oil
Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
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 14 drivers in passing points accumulated in the heat races are locked into the WIX Filters “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.
ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):1. (1) 19 Mike Sorensen, Rochester, Minn.
2. (2) 12 Jason Hughes, Westville, Okla.
3. (3) 12hike Hansen, Alton, Iowa.
4. (6) 1st Johnny Scott (R), Las Cruces, N.M.
5. (4) 71 Jason Cummins, New Richland, Minn.
6. (7) 3d Tim Donlinger, Rochester, Minn.
7. (5) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn.
8. (9) 74 Mark Noble, Blooming Prairie, Minn.
9. (8) 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn.
NEW VISION GRAPHICS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (2) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D.
2. (1) 4a Joel Alberts (R), Mantorville, Minn.
3. (6) 555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa.
4. (7) 8 Colt Mather, Webster, Iowa.
5. (5) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
6. (4) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
7. (9) 1r Ryan York, Racine, Minn.
8. (8) 29d Brad Dierks, Clarence, Iowa.
9. (3) 91 Curt Myers (R), Cameron, Wis.
SCHOENFELD HEADERS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (2) 26p Kevin Pittman, Waterloo, Iowa.
2. (6) 52w Nate Wasmund, Rochester, Minn.
3. (3) 45 Todd Scharkey, Kasson, Minn.
4. (4) 69 Lucas Schott (R), Chatfield, Minn.
5. (5) 49x Jay Poidinger, Somerset, Wis.
6. (1) 66 Dan Bohr, Decorah, Iowa.
7. (8) 0 Les Duellman, Winona, Minn.
8. (7) 110 Stormy Scott (R), Las Cruces, N.M.
EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (1) R4 Ron Ver Beek, Oskaloosa, Iowa.
2. (4) 7c Nate Caruth (R), Ames, Iowa.
3. (2) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
4. (3) 23 Darwin Karau, Kasson, Minn.
5. (5) 35 Ron Konkel, Caledonia, Minn.
6. (6) 27 Don Gerritsen Jr., Rock Rapids, Iowa.
7. (7) 35 Jeff Schluetter, New Hampton, Iowa.
8. (8) 29h Joe Horgdal, Kasson, Minn.
AWESOMERACESUITS.COM HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):
1. (2) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
2. (4) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
3. (1) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
4. (3) 49 Bob Timm, Rollingstone, Minn.
5. (5) 01 Brandon Aggen (R), Rushmore, Minn.
6. (8) 21x Joe Wernecke, Dodge Center, Minn.
7. (7) 96 Greg Jensen, Albert Lea, Minn.
8. (6) 28 Bill Clemens, Chatfield, Minn.
FORTY9DESIGNS.COM HEAT RACE #6 (8 laps):
1. (2) 96 Jay Ihrke, Dover, Minn.
2. (1) 72 Doug Hillson, Blooming Prairie, Minn.
3. (4) 1a Dwaine Hanson, Lakefield, Minn.
4. (5) 5w Darrin Walch, Postville, Iowa.
5. (8) 17s Mike Spaulding, Bemidji, Minn.
6. (6) 99 Josh Angst (R), Winona, Minn.
7. (7) B1 Jeff Larson (R), Freeport, Ill.
8. (3) 6m Ted Marrs, Bethel, Minn.
FARM BOY BBQ SAUCE HEAT RACE #7 (8 laps):
1. (3) 02 Tommy Weder Jr., Woodward, Okla.
2. (2) 90 Steve Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn.
3. (1) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
4. (4) 99s Bobby Swanson (R), Kasson, Minn.
5. (5) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa.
6. (8) 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa.
7. (6) 77 Tom Brink, Winona, Minn.
8. (9) 75 James Parker, Dodge Center, Minn.
9. (7) 4g Chris Gilbertson (R), Trempealeau, Wis.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 4 advance):
1. (1) 90 Steve Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn.
2. (3) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
3. (15) 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn.
4. (10) 99 Josh Angst (R), Winona, Minn.
5. (7) 35 Ron Konkel, Caledonia, Minn., $75.
6. (9) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, $400.
7. (14) 29h Joe Horgdal, Kasson, Minn., $75.
8. (13) 75 James Parker, Dodge Center, Minn., $75.
9. (12) B1 Jeff Larson (R), Freeport, Ill., $90.
10. (2) 12h Mike Hansen, Alton, Iowa, $90.
11. (6) 71 Jason Cummins, New Richland, Minn., $90.
12. (4) 5w Darrin Walch, Postville, Iowa, $75.
13. (5) 23 Darwin Karau, Kasson, Minn., $75.
14. (8) 21x Joe Wernecke, Dodge Center, Minn., $75.
15. (11) 0 Les Duellman, Winona, Minn., $75.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 4 advance):
1. (6) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
2. (3) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
3. (5) 49 Bob Timm, Rollingstone, Minn.
4. (4) 17s Mike Spaulding, Bemidji, Minn.
5. (2) 45 Todd Scharkey, Kasson, Minn., $75.
6. (1) 1a Dwaine Hanson, Lakefield, Minn., $75.
7. (13) 29d Brad Dierks, Clarence, Iowa, $75.
8. (11) 35 Jeff Schluetter, New Hampton, Iowa, $90.
9. (7) 01 Brandon Aggen (R), Rushmore, Minn., $90.
10. (10) 1r Ryan York, Racine, Minn., $75.
11. (12) 77 Tom Brink, Winona, Minn., $75.
12. (14) 28 Bill Clemens, Chatfield, Minn., $75.
13. (9) 66 Dan Bohr, Decorah, Iowa, $90.
14. (15) 91 Curt Myers (R), Cameron, Wis., $90.
15. (8) 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa, $90.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #3 (15 laps, top 4 advance):1. (1) 8 Colt Mather, Webster, Iowa.
2. (3) 1st Johnny Scott (R), Las Cruces, N.M.
3. (4) 69 Lucas Schott (R), Chatfield, Minn.
4. (10) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn.
5. (7) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa, $90.
6. (8) 3d Tim Donlinger, Rochester, Minn., $400.
7. (5) 99s Bobby Swanson (R), Kasson, Minn., $90.
8. (13) 110 Stormy Scott (R), Las Cruces, N.M., $90.
9. (12) 74 Mark Noble, Blooming Prairie, Minn., $90.
10. (11) 96 Greg Jensen, Albert Lea, Minn., $75.
11. (9) 27 Don Gerritsen Jr., Rock Rapids, Iowa, $90.
12. (2) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., $90.
13. (15) 4g Chris Gilbertson (R), Trempealeau, Wis., $90.
14. (14) 6m Ted Marrs, Bethel, Minn., $75.
15. (6) 49x Jay Poidinger, Somerset, Wis., $75.
WIX FILTERS “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (7) 19 Mike Sorensen, Rochester, Minn., Hughes/Action, 40, $4100.
2. (12) 12 Jason Hughes, Westville, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $1500.
3. (15) 90 Steve Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s, 40, $1000.
4. (2) 52w Nate Wasmund, Rochester, Minn., Skyrocket/AMD, 40, $900.
5. (8) R4 Ron Ver Beek, Oskaloosa, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 40, $700.
6. (18) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 40, $700.
7. (4) 26p Kevin Pittman, Waterloo, Iowa, Victory/AEM, 40, $650.
8. (13) 4a Joel Alberts (R), Mantorville, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s, 40, $600.
9. (19) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $550.
10. (23) 69 Lucas Schott (R), Chatfield, Minn., Hughes/Action, 40, $500.
11. (17) 8 Colt Mather, Webster, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 40, $450.
12. (16) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, Hughes/Sput’s, 40, $425.
13. (9) 7c Nate Caruth (R), Ames, Iowa, Shaw/Sput’s, 40, $400.
14. (21) 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn., GRT/Sput’s, 40, $400.
15. (25) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s, 40, $350.
16. (14) 72 Doug Hillson, Blooming Prairie, Minn., Hillson/CRE, 40, $300.
17. (24) 17s Mike Spaulding, Bemidji, Minn., BC/Mullins, 40, $300.
18. (22) 49 Bob Timm, Rollingstone, Minn., Fegers/Sput’s, 40, $300.
19. (20) 1st Johnny Scott (R), Las Cruces, N.M., Hughes/ASI, 39, $400.
20. (1) 02 Tommy Weder Jr., Woodward, Okla., Hughes/Clements, 21, mechanical, $300.
21. (11) 555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa, Sidebiter/KSE, 21, mechanical, $300.
22. (10) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s, 12, flat tire, $400.
23. (3) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D., GRT/Sput’s, 3, suspension, $300.
24. (5) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Ramirez/ProPower, 2, mechanical, $400.
25. (6) 96 Jay Ihrke, Dover, Minn., Fegers/Ihrke, 2, crash, $300.
DNS - 99 Josh Angst (R), Winona, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s, 0, drive shaft, $300.
(R) = DandyLand Farms Rookie of the Year contender.
WIX Filters Lap Leaders: Wasmund 1-30, Sorensen 31-40.
Total Laps Led: Wasmund 30, Sorensen 10.
Margin of Victory: 0.585 second.
AFCO Pole Winner: Weder.
PBM Performance Products Hard Charger: Schott (started 23rd, finished 10th).
Next Race: Sunday, Sept. 5, Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, Minn.
Championship Points: Hughes 1283, Gustin 1191, Myer 1163, VanderBeek 1126, Shryock 1057, Krohn 1042, Ramirez 959, Sanders 953, Donlinger 934, J. Scott 893.
DandyLand Farms Rookie of the Year Points: J. Scott 1726, Nick Deal 772, Mark Elliott 748, Schott 730, Myers 709.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 415, Sput’s 414, ASI 223, ProPower 200, JR 158.
Chassis Builders Championship Points: Hughes 415, Skyrocket 399, GRT 338, Ramirez 278, BC 181.
Contingency Awards:
Ai-Racing – Gustin.
American Racer – Poidinger.
ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems – not awarded.
Dart Machinery – Sanders.
Eibach Springs – not awarded.
Forty9Designs.com – Wasmund, Gustin.
Hanson Tire – Sorensen.
Hooker Harness – Caruth.
Isky Racing Cams – Sorensen.
KSE Racing Products – Tesch.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Angst.
Out-Pace Racing Products – Mather.
PBM Performance Products – Schott.
Quarter Master – Sorensen, Alberts.
QuickTime – Pittman.
Real Racing Wheels – VanderBeek, Donlinger.
Schoenfeld Headers – Pittman.
WIX Filters – Sorensen, Wasmund.
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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Castle Rock Recruiting.
USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, AwesomeRacesuits.com, GoPro, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, Kevko Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver.
USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Allstar Performance, Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, Bad Boy Mowers, Bear Tire, Big Dog Chassis & Fabrication, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Cagle Motorsports, Centex Motorsports, DandyLand Farms, Day Motor Sports, Dirt Track Racing School, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com, Falcon Wind Power, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Gressel Oil Field Service, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Just Say Yes, Karl Performance Parts, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, WIX Filters, Yeager Machine.
USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Ai-Racing, Belleville Motorsports, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, COMP Cams, Dart Machinery, Dynatech Racing Exhaust, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, GRT Race Cars, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, Isky Racing Cams, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, QuickTime Inc, Real Racing Wheels, RHS – Racing Head Service, Schoenfeld Headers, US Brake, Willy’s Carburetor & Dyno Shop, WIX Filters.
