DAY #2 USMTS AT MCCOOL JUNCTION, NE

McCOOL JUNCTION, Neb. — On Friday and Saturday, the Junction Motor Speedway played host to the O’Reilly USMTS National Tour for the 5th Annual Nebraska Spring Thaw. While cold and windy conditions kept the racing surface dry and the fans bundled up, the drivers provided plenty of heat with nail-biting finishes both nights.

When all was said and done, it was a pair of Sunflower State pilots taking the bulk of the prize money back home across the Kansas border.

Justin Boney of Leavenworth, Kan., earned his first win since 2003 on Friday night, while Saturday's laurels went to John Allen of Chanute, Kan. Just one week shy of going six years without a win under the USMTS banner, the veteran Modified racer used a late-race restart to snag the lead from Brad Waits, then pull away for the $3,000 victory.

An extremely dry racing surface produced little passing in the Real Racing Wheels “B” Mains, while thick dust made for treacherous racing.

“I can give us a better racetrack,” Junction Motor Speedway owner and promoter Delmar Friesen told USMTS and track officials prior to the start of the 30-lap Holley “A” Main.

So, Friesen climbed aboard the water truck and began to lay down some heavy water on the top and bottom of the racetrack to not only make it safer, but produce a better finale for the race fans who braved the chilly weather.

“It's one of those things where if we have a big crash, then I'm the ass,” he explained. “We had to give it a shot.”

The shot turned out to be a bulls-eye as the feature race produced plenty of action, multiple grooves and four lead changes among three drivers.

“Overall it added about 20 minutes to the program, but I think we got a pretty good racetrack out of it,” Friesen added.

Mike Sorensen grabbed the early lead from polesitter Mark Noble, and led the first three circuits before giving up the lead to Allen, who was moving quickly on the bottom of the racetrack. On lap 10, Waits found the high side of the high-banked 3/8-mile oval to his liking and powered around Allen for the top spot.

On lap 18, the second caution flag of the race waved and Waits saw his lead of nearly a straight-away wiped out. He picked right up where he left off, however, and began to pull away from Allen while Oklahoma's Tommy Weder Jr. followed Waits' high line into the second spot.

The race's third and final yellow flag waved with just two laps to go, and again Waits paced the field for the double-file restart and a green-white-checkered finish. As the green flag waved, Allen dove to the inside of Waits and held the advantage as the leaders dove into the first turn. Allen was able to slide up in front of Waits, then powered his way around the top side of the racetrack to take the his first O’Reilly USMTS National Tour victory since March 29, 2002.

For a disappointed Waits, it was his second runner-up finish in as many days.

“Did you spin the tires,” USMTS promoter Todd Staley asked Waits, referring to the restart with two laps to go.

Waits just grimaced and nodded.

The final restart did not bode well for Weder either, as he slipped back to fourth at the finish behind Zack VanderBeek, who scored his second third-place finish of the doubleheader weekend. Steve Kosiski rounded out the top-5 after winning the first Real Racing Wheels “B” Main and starting 13th in the main event.

Alan Mondus, Jay Noteboom, Kelly Shryock, Sorensen and Jon Tesch finished sixth through 10th, respectively.

Despite struggling throughout the event, Shryock earned the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award and enough points to reclaim the points lead in the Great Plains Region. VanderBeek moved up to second in the rankings, just nine markers back of the eight-time O’Reilly USMTS National Champion (286 to 279). With the win, Allen moved up to third with 274 points, followed by Boney (271), Tesch (261), Kosiski (237), Weder (213), Brandon Kenny (203), Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year points leader Dereck Ramirez (189), defending O’Reilly USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn and Josh Reisch (185 each).

Next up for the O’Reilly USMTS National Tour will be a Show-Me State tripleheader on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 28-30. The action kicks off at the L A Raceway in La Monte, Mo., on Friday, then moves on to the Lebanon I-44 Speedway and Monett Speedway on Saturday and Sunday for the 5th Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Missouri Nationals. All five races will earn points for drivers in the Mo-Kan Region, and all five will pay a minimum of $2,000 to win and $250 to start the main event.

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 — America's Hottest Ticket on Dirt.

O'Reilly Auto Parts - Modified
A Main Finish 3/22/2008
Finis Drive
1 98 - John Allen -- Chanute, KS (3)
2 24 - Brad Waits -- Zumbrota, MN (7)
3 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (8)
4 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (10)
5 22 - Steve Kosiski -- Pappilion, NE (13)
6 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (5)
7 7N - Jay Noteboom -- Hinton, IA (11)
8 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (21)
9 19 - Mike Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (2)
10 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (14)
11 21b - Brandon Kenny -- East Woodward, OK (12)
12 18 - Justin Boney -- Leavenworth, KS (17)
13 4R - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (6)
14 49 - Bob Timm -- Rolling Stone, MN (4)
15 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (1)
16 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (19)
17 19x - Richie Gustin Jr. -- Gilman, IA (9)
18 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (15)
19 9E - Don Eischens -- Richmond, MN (22)
20 40 - Scott Dickey -- Packwood, IA (20)DNF
21 15 - Dan DeMey -- Denison, IA (24)DNF
22 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (18)DNF
23 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (23)DNF
24 96J - Johnny Saathoff -- Beatrice, NE (16)DNS
Laps 1-3 19 Sorensen-4-10 Allen 11-28 Waits 29-30 Allen

O'Reilly Auto Parts - Modified
B Main Finish 3/22/2008
Heat 1 Finish Driver
1 22 - Steve Kosiski -- Pappilion, NE (5)
2 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (1)
3 18 - Justin Boney -- Leavenworth, KS (4)
4 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (2)
5 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (10)
6 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (15)
7 z3 - Mike Albertsen -- Audubon, IA (11)
8 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (6)
9 20r - Bryan Rowland -- Woodward, Ok (16)
10 00c - Chris Mills -- Sioux City, IA (7)
11 01 - Brandon Aggen -- Rushmore, MN (14)
12 56 - Chris Spieker -- Massena, IA (9)
13 17 - Garry Oskerson -- Fairmont, MN (13)
14 31j - Jeremy Rasmussen -- Bentonville, AR (3)DNF
15 02x - Jacob Dahle -- Morristown, MN (8)DNF
16 98x - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN (12)DNS

Heat 2 Finish Driver
1 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (6)
2 96J - Johnny Saathoff -- Beatrice, NE (1)
3 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (2)
4 40 - Scott Dickey -- Packwood, IA (5)
5 9E - Don Eischens -- Richmond, MN (7)
6 15 - Dan DeMey -- Denison, IA (4)
7 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (12)
8 95 - Dylan Smith -- Osceola, NE (11)
9 102 - Delbert Smith -- Witchita, KS (3)
10 33zx - Kyle Berck -- Marquette, NE (15)
11 m80 - Jim Mathieson -- Sioux City, IA (16)
12 3L - Brian Levander -- Grand Island, NE (10)
13 72 - Mike Lineberry -- Fremont, NE (8)
14 12b - Brett Smith -- Fort Morgan, CO (9)DNF
15 8 - Colt Mather -- Webster, IA (13)DNF
16 57h - Terry Hanson -- Elk River, MN (14)DNS

O'Reilly Auto Parts - Modified
Heat Races 3/22/2008
Heat 1 Finish Driver
1 49 - Bob Timm -- Rolling Stone, MN (2)
2 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (5)
3 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (1)
4 22 - Steve Kosiski -- Pappilion, NE (3)
5 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (6)
6 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (9)
7 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (4)
8 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (7)
9 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (8)
Heat 2 Finish Driver
1 24 - Brad Waits -- Zumbrota, MN (5)
2 4R - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (7)
3 21b - Brandon Kenny -- East Woodward, OK (6)
4 40 - Scott Dickey -- Packwood, IA (2)
5 18 - Justin Boney -- Leavenworth, KS (8)
6 02x - Jacob Dahle -- Morristown, MN (3)
7 3L - Brian Levander -- Grand Island, NE (1)
8 17 - Garry Oskerson -- Fairmont, MN (4)
9 33zx - Kyle Berck -- Marquette, NE (9)DNS
Heat 3 Finish Driver
1 19x - Richie Gustin Jr. -- Gilman, IA (1)
2 98 - John Allen -- Chanute, KS (7)
3 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (5)
4 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (6)
5 00c - Chris Mills -- Sioux City, IA (4)
6 72 - Mike Lineberry -- Fremont, NE (2)
7 z3 - Mike Albertsen -- Audubon, IA (3)DNF
8 8 - Colt Mather -- Webster, IA (8)DNF
9 20r - Bryan Rowland -- Woodward, Ok (9)DNF
Heat 4 Finish Driver
1 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (1)
2 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (7)
3 19 - Mike Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (9)
4 31j - Jeremy Rasmussen -- Bentonville, AR (5)
5 15 - Dan DeMey -- Denison, IA (8)
6 56 - Chris Spieker -- Massena, IA (6)
7 95 - Dylan Smith -- Osceola, NE (4)
8 01 - Brandon Aggen -- Rushmore, MN (2)
9 m80 - Jim Mathieson -- Sioux City, IA (3)DNF
Heat 5 Finish Driver
1 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (2)
2 7N - Jay Noteboom -- Hinton, IA (3)
3 96J - Johnny Saathoff -- Beatrice, NE (4)
4 102 - Delbert Smith -- Witchita, KS (5)
5 9E - Don Eischens -- Richmond, MN (1)
6 12b - Brett Smith -- Fort Morgan, CO (6)
7 98x - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN (7)DNS
8 57h - Terry Hanson -- Elk River, MN (8)DNS

Points standings updated as of March 22, 2008

Rank	Prev	+/-	Car #	Driver	Points	Races	Wins	Top 5’s	Top 10’s	Prov	Earnings
1	2	+1	3	Kelly Shryock	286	3	1	2	3	0	$3,250
2	4	+2	33z	Zack VanderBeek	279	3	0	2	2	0	$2,925
3	5	+2	98	John Allen	274	3	1	2	3	0	$4,250

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