WINSTON, Mo. (Aug. 22) – The Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship powered by Swan Energy fires back up this week with a tripleheader of events on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Aug. 25-27.
After a grueling five-race swing that took the tireless USMTS touring titans to five racetracks in three states, teams are charging the batteries for three days before returning to action on Thursday at the I-35 Speedway in Winston, Mo.
On Friday, race fans will see the debut of the USMTS Modifieds at the historic Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, Iowa, before wrapping up the weekend on Saturday at the Upper Iowa Speedway in Decorah, Iowa.
Ryan Gustin came into ‘The Hunt’ as the hottest driver in America and he comes into this week as the man to beat in this year’s battle for the most coveted title in dirt Modified racing.
With seven ‘Hunt’ races in the books, the 20-year-old from Marshalltown, Iowa, has seven top-5 finishes, including three victories recorded in the first four events.
‘The Reaper’ finished second in the final rankings each of the last two seasons, and holds a healthy advantage over the past two USMTS National Champions.
Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, has 10 wins this year – still less than half of Gustin’s total – and is currently second in the points battle as he seeks his unprecedented tenth USMTS crown.
Jon Tesch of Watertown, S.D., is third, with defending USMTS National Champion Jason Hughes of Watts, Okla., and 2007 USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn sitting fourth and fifth in the standings.
TOP 20 POINTS:
1. 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa ... 853 (3 wins)
2. 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa ... 752 (1 win)
3. 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D. ... 708 (1 win)
4. 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla. ... 684 (1 win)
5. 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn. ... 670 (1 win)
6. 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 640
7. 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa ... 632
8. 22 Dustin Boney, Platte City, Mo. ... 599
9. 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn. ... 580
10. 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas ... 547
11. 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla. ... 514
12. 95 Keith Foss, Winona, Minn. ... 502
13. 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn. ... 478
14. 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa ... 477
15. 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa ... 475
16. 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan. ... 469
16. 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan. ... 469
18. 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla. ... 463
19. 56 Chris Spieker, Massena, Iowa ... 427
20. 72 Doug Hillson, Blooming Prairie, Minn. ... 315
THURSDAY, AUG. 25 – I-35 SPEEDWAY, WINSTON, MO
The USMTS Modifieds returned to the I-35 Speedway earlier this year for the first time in nearly eight years, with Ryan Gustin holding off Jason Hughes for the win in front of a jam-packed grandstand.
Other former winners at the 3/8-mile semi-banked dirt oval include John Allen, Kelly Shryock John VanDenBerg, Scott Drake and Mark Noble.
Pit gates open 4:30 p.m., grandstands open at 5, hot laps start at 6:30 and the green flag flies at 7 p.m. Also on the racing card will be the Iron Man Challenge featuring USRA Stock Cars and USRA B-Mods racing for $700 and $500 to win, respectively.
Rick Beebe and his #22 SLAP Energy Modified will be at the Casey’s General Store located at 405 Grand Ave. in Cameron while Dustin Boney and his #22 Snickers Modified will be at the 305 E. Evergreen location in Cameron, both from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Coupons good for $2 off adult grandstand admission will also be available at the Casey’s store in Gallatin.
The I-35 Speedway is a located 10 miles north of Cameron on SR 6 (exit 64). For more information, call the track at 660-749-5317 or visit www.i-35speedway.net online.
FRIDAY, AUG. 26 – CEDAR COUNTY RACEWAY, TIPTON, IA
By popular demand, America’s premier Modified touring series makes its inaugural visit to Al & Kathy Dlouhy’s Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, Iowa.
The USMTS regulars will face a stiff challenge from the local contingent such as Ryan Dolan, Brad Dierks, Noah, Coppess, Chris Zogg and Bruce Hanford.
Gates open 5 p.m., hot laps start at 7 and the first heat race takes to the track at 7:30. Local 4-Cylinders, B-Mods, Hobby Stocks and Legends Cars will also be competing.
Tommy Myer and his #65 Cheetos Modified will be at the Casey’s General Store located at 1107 Cedar St. in Tipton from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Coupons good for $2 off adult grandstand admission will also be available at Casey’s stores in Mechanicsville, Muscatine and West Liberty.
The Cedar County Raceway is a high-banked quarter-mile dirt oval located at the west edge of Tipton on 9th St. (at the Cedar County Fairgrounds). For more information, call 563-886-2328 or visit www.cedarcountyraceway.net online.
SATURDAY, AUG. 27 – UPPER IOWA SPEEDWAY, DECORAH, IA
The series invades the Upper Iowa Speedway on Saturday for the 6th Annual Summer Challenge and the tenth race of the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship powered by Swan Energy.
Zack VanderBeek (2005, '08) and Al Hejna (2007, '09) are both two-time winners at the at the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds bullring. Jon Tesch scored a win during the 2006 campaign and Ryan Gustin won the last meeting in 2009.
Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand gates will swing open at 5. Hot laps are slated to begin at 6:30 and the first green flag waves at 7. Also on the racing card will be the Iron Man Challenge featuring USRA Stock Cars and USRA B-Mods plus USRA Hobby Stocks.
Dustin Boney and his #22 Snickers Modified will be at the Casey’s General Store located at 401 College Dr. in Decorah from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Coupons good for $2 off adult grandstand admission will be available at both Casey’s locations in Decorah plus Cresco and Waukon.
The Upper Iowa Speedway is a 1/4-mile semi-banked clay oval located 1.8 miles east of US 52 on SR 9, then 1.0 mile northwest on Montgomery St., then northeast on E. Main St. (at the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds). For day-of-race information, call the track hotline at 563-382-9984 or check out www.upperiowaspeedway.com online.
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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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.
USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.
USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, DAY Motor Sports, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com, Dirt Track Racing School, DrySlik Dirt Trak Racewear, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Karl Performance Parts, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, Schwab’s Tinker Shop, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.
USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, Erson Cams, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, ISKY Racing Cams, The Joie of Seating, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, RHS – Racing Head Service, Tiger Rear Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, WIX Filters.
After a grueling five-race swing that took the tireless USMTS touring titans to five racetracks in three states, teams are charging the batteries for three days before returning to action on Thursday at the I-35 Speedway in Winston, Mo.
On Friday, race fans will see the debut of the USMTS Modifieds at the historic Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, Iowa, before wrapping up the weekend on Saturday at the Upper Iowa Speedway in Decorah, Iowa.
Ryan Gustin came into ‘The Hunt’ as the hottest driver in America and he comes into this week as the man to beat in this year’s battle for the most coveted title in dirt Modified racing.
With seven ‘Hunt’ races in the books, the 20-year-old from Marshalltown, Iowa, has seven top-5 finishes, including three victories recorded in the first four events.
‘The Reaper’ finished second in the final rankings each of the last two seasons, and holds a healthy advantage over the past two USMTS National Champions.
Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, has 10 wins this year – still less than half of Gustin’s total – and is currently second in the points battle as he seeks his unprecedented tenth USMTS crown.
Jon Tesch of Watertown, S.D., is third, with defending USMTS National Champion Jason Hughes of Watts, Okla., and 2007 USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn sitting fourth and fifth in the standings.
TOP 20 POINTS:
1. 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa ... 853 (3 wins)
2. 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa ... 752 (1 win)
3. 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D. ... 708 (1 win)
4. 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla. ... 684 (1 win)
5. 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn. ... 670 (1 win)
6. 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 640
7. 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa ... 632
8. 22 Dustin Boney, Platte City, Mo. ... 599
9. 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn. ... 580
10. 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas ... 547
11. 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla. ... 514
12. 95 Keith Foss, Winona, Minn. ... 502
13. 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn. ... 478
14. 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa ... 477
15. 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa ... 475
16. 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan. ... 469
16. 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan. ... 469
18. 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla. ... 463
19. 56 Chris Spieker, Massena, Iowa ... 427
20. 72 Doug Hillson, Blooming Prairie, Minn. ... 315
THURSDAY, AUG. 25 – I-35 SPEEDWAY, WINSTON, MO
The USMTS Modifieds returned to the I-35 Speedway earlier this year for the first time in nearly eight years, with Ryan Gustin holding off Jason Hughes for the win in front of a jam-packed grandstand.
Other former winners at the 3/8-mile semi-banked dirt oval include John Allen, Kelly Shryock John VanDenBerg, Scott Drake and Mark Noble.
Pit gates open 4:30 p.m., grandstands open at 5, hot laps start at 6:30 and the green flag flies at 7 p.m. Also on the racing card will be the Iron Man Challenge featuring USRA Stock Cars and USRA B-Mods racing for $700 and $500 to win, respectively.
Rick Beebe and his #22 SLAP Energy Modified will be at the Casey’s General Store located at 405 Grand Ave. in Cameron while Dustin Boney and his #22 Snickers Modified will be at the 305 E. Evergreen location in Cameron, both from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Coupons good for $2 off adult grandstand admission will also be available at the Casey’s store in Gallatin.
The I-35 Speedway is a located 10 miles north of Cameron on SR 6 (exit 64). For more information, call the track at 660-749-5317 or visit www.i-35speedway.net online.
FRIDAY, AUG. 26 – CEDAR COUNTY RACEWAY, TIPTON, IA
By popular demand, America’s premier Modified touring series makes its inaugural visit to Al & Kathy Dlouhy’s Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, Iowa.
The USMTS regulars will face a stiff challenge from the local contingent such as Ryan Dolan, Brad Dierks, Noah, Coppess, Chris Zogg and Bruce Hanford.
Gates open 5 p.m., hot laps start at 7 and the first heat race takes to the track at 7:30. Local 4-Cylinders, B-Mods, Hobby Stocks and Legends Cars will also be competing.
Tommy Myer and his #65 Cheetos Modified will be at the Casey’s General Store located at 1107 Cedar St. in Tipton from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Coupons good for $2 off adult grandstand admission will also be available at Casey’s stores in Mechanicsville, Muscatine and West Liberty.
The Cedar County Raceway is a high-banked quarter-mile dirt oval located at the west edge of Tipton on 9th St. (at the Cedar County Fairgrounds). For more information, call 563-886-2328 or visit www.cedarcountyraceway.net online.
SATURDAY, AUG. 27 – UPPER IOWA SPEEDWAY, DECORAH, IA
The series invades the Upper Iowa Speedway on Saturday for the 6th Annual Summer Challenge and the tenth race of the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship powered by Swan Energy.
Zack VanderBeek (2005, '08) and Al Hejna (2007, '09) are both two-time winners at the at the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds bullring. Jon Tesch scored a win during the 2006 campaign and Ryan Gustin won the last meeting in 2009.
Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand gates will swing open at 5. Hot laps are slated to begin at 6:30 and the first green flag waves at 7. Also on the racing card will be the Iron Man Challenge featuring USRA Stock Cars and USRA B-Mods plus USRA Hobby Stocks.
Dustin Boney and his #22 Snickers Modified will be at the Casey’s General Store located at 401 College Dr. in Decorah from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Coupons good for $2 off adult grandstand admission will be available at both Casey’s locations in Decorah plus Cresco and Waukon.
The Upper Iowa Speedway is a 1/4-mile semi-banked clay oval located 1.8 miles east of US 52 on SR 9, then 1.0 mile northwest on Montgomery St., then northeast on E. Main St. (at the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds). For day-of-race information, call the track hotline at 563-382-9984 or check out www.upperiowaspeedway.com online.
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.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.
USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.
USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, DAY Motor Sports, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com, Dirt Track Racing School, DrySlik Dirt Trak Racewear, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Karl Performance Parts, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, Schwab’s Tinker Shop, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.
USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, Erson Cams, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, ISKY Racing Cams, The Joie of Seating, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, RHS – Racing Head Service, Tiger Rear Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, WIX Filters.
