Hughes Cops Kasson Checkers For Third Win In Six Nights

[CPG Marketing]

KASSON, Minn. (May 24) – Jason Hughes of Westville, Okla., rolled to his fifth win of the young season Sunday night as the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour invaded the Dodge County Speedway in Kasson, Minn., for the 8th Annual Stars & Stripes Shootout presented by CJ Auto Sales.

The win, worth $2,000, was his ninth overall this year as he also has four additional wins in the USMTS Southern Series. It was the second win of his career at the Dodge County Fairgrounds speedplant.

Hughes used an early caution flag to get a run on AFCO Pole Award winner Mike Sorensen, then led the final 35 circuits in the 40-lap Sunoco “A” Main for his third triumph in the last six events.

Steve Wetzstein scored his fourth top-10 and third top-5 in the last four races with a runner-up finish, while Sorensen hung on for a season's best third. Rodney Sanders earned the Hard Charger Award as he raced from 19th on the starting grid to fourth at the finish with Dereck Ramirez rounding out the top-5 finishers.

Jon Tesch, Dan Bohr, Alan Mondus, Jay Ihrke and Ryan Gustin finished sixth through tenth, respectively.

Consistency finds Wetzstein atop the Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region standings with 379 points, followed by Tesch with 356. After failing to finish Thursday's event at the Cresco Speedway, Hughes has clawed his way up to third with 354 markers, while Tim Donlinger dropped from the top spot to fourth (340 points) after failing to start Sunday's feature race. Fifth is Kelly Shryock (328), followed by Zack VanderBeek (321), Ramirez (321), Sanders (312), Bohr (304) and Sorensen (288).

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, call the headquarters at (515) 832-7944 or visit www.usmts.com online for the latest news and information from the USMTS.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour (Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region)
8th Annual Stars & Stripes Shootout presented by CJ Auto Sales
Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, Minn.
Sunday, May 24, 2009

Showing finishing position, car number, driver, hometown and starting position in parentheses. The top 12 drivers in passing points accumulated in the heat races are locked into the Sunoco “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.

HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (5)
2. 52w - Nate Wasmund -- Rochester, MN (3)
3. 99 - Josh Angst -- Winona, MN (8)
4. 96 - Greg Jensen -- Albert Lea, MN (1)
5. 96x - Andrew Wiste -- Adams, MN (6)
6. 1k - Pat Graham -- Ames, IA (2)
7. 21x - Joe Wernecke -- Dodge Center, MN (7)
8. 4a - Joel Alberts -- Mantorville, MN (4) DNF

BRODIX HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (2)
2. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rollingstone, MN (1)
3. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (7)
4. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (8)
5. 19r - Ryan Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (6)
6. 21 - Layne Meyer -- West Union, IA (4)
7. 12h - Mike Hansen -- Alton, IA (3)
8. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (5)

AWESOME RACEWEAR HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. 19 - Mike Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (8)
2. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (2)
3. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (4)
4. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (3)
5. 12d - Scott Drake -- Webb City, MO (6)
6. 1r - Ryan York -- Racine, MN (7)
7. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (1) DNF
8. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (5) DNF

INTERCOMP HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (2)
2. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (3)
3. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN (6)
4. 97 - Rich Lewerke -- Garner, IA (8)
5. 45 - Todd Scharkey -- Kasson, MN (1)
6. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (7)
7. 0 - Keith Foss -- Winona, MN (4)
8. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (5)

AMERICAN RACER HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):
1. 42 - Tom Paulson -- Kasson, MN (2)
2. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (7)
3. 96 - Jay Ihrke -- Dover, MN (1)
4. 2 - Grant Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (6)
5. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (5)
6. 23 - Darwin Karau -- Kasson, MN (3)
7. 21w - Dano Ostrander -- Princeton, MN (4)
8. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (8) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 4 advance):
1. 97 - Rich Lewerke -- Garner, IA (2)
2. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (1)
3. 96 - Jay Ihrke -- Dover, MN (3)
4. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (8)
5. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (7)
6. 21 - Layne Meyer -- West Union, IA (9)
7. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (14)
8. 96x - Andrew Wiste -- Adams, MN (5)
9. 96 - Greg Jensen -- Albert Lea, MN (4)
10. 21w - Dano Ostrander -- Princeton, MN (12)
11. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (13)
12. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (11) DNF
13. 21x - Joe Wernecke -- Dodge Center, MN (10) DNF
14. 12d - Scott Drake -- Webb City, MO (6) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 4 advance):
1. 19r - Ryan Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (5)
2. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (1)
3. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (2)
4. 0 - Keith Foss -- Winona, MN (11)
5. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (4)
6. 2 - Grant Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (3)
7. 1r - Ryan York -- Racine, MN (7)
8. 1k - Pat Graham -- Ames, IA (8)
9. 4a - Joel Alberts -- Mantorville, MN (12)
10. 12h - Mike Hansen -- Alton, IA (10) DNF
11. 23 - Darwin Karau -- Kasson, MN (9) DNF
12. 45 - Todd Scharkey -- Kasson, MN (6) DNF
13. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (13) DNS
14. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (14) DNS

SUNOCO “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (5)
2. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN (11)
3. 19 - Mike Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (1)
4. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (19)
5. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (7)
6. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (18)
7. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (4)
8. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (2)
9. 96 - Jay Ihrke -- Dover, MN (17)
10. 19r - Ryan Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (14)
11. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (3)
12. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (15)
13. 99 - Josh Angst -- Winona, MN (6)
14. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (22)
15. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (21)
16. 0 - Keith Foss -- Winona, MN (20)
17. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (10)
18. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rollingstone, MN (12)
19. 42 - Tom Paulson -- Kasson, MN (8)
20. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (24)
21. 97 - Rich Lewerke -- Garner, IA (13)
22. 45 - Todd Scharkey -- Kasson, MN (23) DNF
23. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (16) DNF
24. 52w - Nate Wasmund -- Rochester, MN (9) DNF

Lap Leaders: Sorensen 1-5, Hughes 6-40.
Total Laps Led: Hughes 35, Sorensen 5.
AFCO Pole Winner: Sorensen.
Provisional Starters: Dripps, Green, Scharkey (track), Hillson (track).
Ruter Farms Long Tow: Junghans (517.98 miles).
Hard Charger: Sanders (started 19th, finished 4th).
Next Race: Monday, May 25, Mississippi Thunder Speedway (Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region).
Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region Points: Wetzstein 379, Tesch 356, Hughes 354, Donlinger 340, Shryock 328, VanderBeek 321, Ramirez 321, Sanders 312, Bohr 304, Sorensen 288.
DandyLand Farms Rookie of the Year Points: Junghans 127, Tate Cole 124, Tim Shields 109, Hansen 93, Lewerke 90.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Sput’s 120, Mullins 116, a.s.i. 95, Homegrown 39, AEM 37, Pro Power 37.
Chassis Builders Championship Points: Hughes 124, Skyrocket 116, Ramirez 108, GRT 56, TRE 55.