Hughes wins Ed Sheckler Memorial at Knoxville presented by The UPS Store

KNOXVILLE, Ill. (August 2) -  Jason Hughes of Colcord, Okla., scored a wire-to-wire victory Thursday as the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series invaded the Knox County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Ill., for the Ed Sheckler Memorial at Knoxville presented by The UPS Store. Another packed house was on hand for this annual event, with 38 high-powered O’Reilly USMTS Modifieds signing in to do battle.

Hughes was fast from the time he rolled his No. 12 Hughes Chassis off the trailer until he loaded it back up after winning the Holley "A" Main. After coming from eighth to finish second in his heat race, Hughes redrew the outside of the front row for the start of the 30-lap, 24-car main event. Hughes powered ahead of polesitter Dean Mahlstedt of Clear Lake, Iowa, at the drop of the green flag and never looked back en route to a $2,000 victory — his second of the season.

Eight-time defending O’Reilly USMTS national champ Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, claimed the runner-up spot, while Jason Krohn of Slayton, Minn., held off Mahlstedt for third. Al Hejna of Clear Lake, Iowa, rounded out the top-5 finishers. Crossing the finish line in the sixth through 10th spots, respectively, were Tony Fraise, Jon Tesch, NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader, Bruce Hanford and Bill Tuckwell.

On Friday night, the O’Reilly USMTS road warriors travel to the Mountain Dew Bloomfield (Iowa) Speedway for another Central Region clash featuring Ken Schrader. The five-race swing wraps up at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo., for the final event in the Central Region and the Ed Sheckler Memorial at Memphis presented by Pepsi.

The Marsh Racing Wheels Halfway Leader Award will be worth a record $700 at Bloomfield. The prize goes to the leader at the halfway point of the main event if that driver is using Marsh Racing Wheels. The amount goes up $50 for every race it's not claimed.

To learn more about the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series, call (515) 832-7944 or visit www.usmts.com online.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series
Ed Sheckler Memorial at Knoxville presented by The UPS Store
National Event - Central Region
Knox County Fairgrounds, Knoxville, Ill.
Thursday, Aug. 2, 2007

Showing finishing position, car number, driver, hometown and starting position in parentheses. The top 12 drivers in Home Pride Passing Points accumulated in the Heats are locked into the Holley “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.

ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT #1 (8 laps):
1. 75 - Thad Wilson -- Moline, IL (1)
2. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (4)
3. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (5)
4. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (8)
5. 82m - Ryan Meyer -- Liberty, IL (2)
6. M50 - Darin Thye -- Burlington, IA (6)
7. H7 - Dean McGee Sr. -- Galesburg, IL (3)
8. 9x - Charles Baker -- Labelle, MO (7) DNF

HEAT #2 (8 laps):
1. 7K - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (7)
2. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (8)
3. E85 - Troy Emerick -- Geneseo, IL (1)
4. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (2)
5. 77j - Steve Johnson -- Camanche, IA (3)
6. 25W - Butch Weisser -- Peoria, IL (5)
7. 19g - Richie Gustin Jr. -- Gilman, IA (6)
8. 4d - Bret Diercks -- Davenport, IA (4) DNF

HEAT #3 (8 laps):
1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (2)
2. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (4)
3. 19r - Ryan Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (7)
4. 5D - Bob Dominacki -- Bettendorf, IA (1)
5. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (3)
6. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (8)
7. 77 - Ray Bollinger -- Kewanee, IL (5)
8. 7g - Chad Goff -- Dahinda, IL (6) DNF

HEAT #4 (8 laps):
1. 32 - Donovan Lodge -- Moline, IL (2)
2. 25T - Marty Thompson -- Mineral, IL (1)
3. 61 - Bruce Hanford -- Davenport, IA (4)
4. 76 - Bill Tuckwell -- Metamore, IL (6)
5. 8 - Rich Smith -- Davenport, IA (5)
6. 118 - Terry Beckham Jr. -- Webb City, MO (7)
7. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (3) DNF

HEAT #5 (8 laps):
1. 9 - Ken Schrader -- Concord, NC (3)
2. 105 - Kevin Peters -- Monmouth, IL (2)
3. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (1)
4. 45 - Tony Fraise -- Donnellson, IA (7)
5. 44x - Shaune Lewis -- Kewanee, IL (4) DNF
6. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (5) DNF
7. A1 - Rob Toland -- Bettendorf, IA (6) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 45 - Tony Fraise -- Donnellson, IA (2)
2. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (1)
3. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (4)
4. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (3)
5. 25W - Butch Weisser -- Peoria, IL (9)
6. 82m - Ryan Meyer -- Liberty, IL (5)
7. 118 - Terry Beckham Jr. -- Webb City, MO (8)
8. A1 - Rob Toland -- Bettendorf, IA (12)
9. 44x - Shaune Lewis -- Kewanee, IL (7) DNF
10. 77 - Ray Bollinger -- Kewanee, IL (11) DNF
11. H7 - Dean McGee Sr. -- Galesburg, IL (10) DNF
12. 4d - Bret Diercks -- Davenport, IA (13) DNF
13. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (6) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 76 - Bill Tuckwell -- Metamore, IL (3)
2. 61 - Bruce Hanford -- Davenport, IA (1)
3. E85 - Troy Emerick -- Geneseo, IL (2)
4. 5D - Bob Dominacki -- Bettendorf, IA (4)
5. M50 - Darin Thye -- Burlington, IA (8)
6. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (9)
7. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (7)
8. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (11)
9. 19g - Richie Gustin Jr. -- Gilman, IA (10)
10. 8 - Rich Smith -- Davenport, IA (6) DNF
11. 77j - Steve Johnson -- Camanche, IA (5) DNF
12. 9x - Charles Baker -- Labelle, MO (12) DNF
13. 7g - Chad Goff -- Dahinda, IL (13) DNF

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (30 laps):
1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (2)
2. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (5)
3. 7K - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (7)
4. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (1)
5. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (12)
6. 45 - Tony Fraise -- Donnellson, IA (13)
7. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (15)
8. 9 - Ken Schrader -- Concord, NC (3)
9. 61 - Bruce Hanford -- Davenport, IA (16)
10. 76 - Bill Tuckwell -- Metamore, IL (14)
11. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (23)
12. 32 - Donovan Lodge -- Moline, IL (4)
13. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (19)
14. 105 - Kevin Peters -- Monmouth, IL (11)
15. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (8)
16. 5D - Bob Dominacki -- Bettendorf, IA (20)
17. 19r - Ryan Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (9)
18. 25T - Marty Thompson -- Mineral, IL (10)
19. M50 - Darin Thye -- Burlington, IA (22)
20. 75 - Thad Wilson -- Moline, IL (6) DNF
21. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (24) DNF
22. 25W - Butch Weisser -- Peoria, IL (21) DNF
23. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (17) DNF
24. E85 - Troy Emerick -- Geneseo, IL (18) DNF

AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Hughes 1-30.
Total Laps Led: Hughes 30.
AFCO Pole Award: Krohn.
Provisional Starters: VanderBeek (regional), Dripps (national).
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: VanderBeek (started 23rd, finished 11th).
Next Race: Friday, Aug. 3, Mountain Dew Bloomfield (Iowa) Speedway (Central Region).
O’Reilly National Points: Shryock 3442, VanderBeek 2787, Hughes 2768, Hejna 2706, Weder 2326, Poidinger 1828, Green 1735, Tesch 1714, Dripps 1704, Krohn 1642.
Central Region Points: Shryock 865, Hughes 716, VanderBeek 715, Hejna 665, Weder 602, Lodge 587, Richie Gustin Jr. 533, Mahlstedt 526, Ryan Gustin 507, Mike Hejna 455.
Home Pride Passing Points (National): Shryock 145½, Hughes 111, VanderBeek 108, Hejna 102, Green 78.
Home Pride Passing Points (Central): VanderBeek 37½, Shryock 28½, Hughes 25½, Weder 22½, Hejna 22½.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Green 585, Ryan Gustin 257, Cale Sponsler 235, Richie Gustin Jr. 215, Lodge 215.
Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 343, Hughes 275, Harris 193, GRT 140, Bullet 131.

Contingency Awards:
Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.
Boyer’s Engine Development – Hughes.
GRT Race Cars – not awarded.
Hawk Performance – Schrader.
Isky Racing Cams – not awarded.
Kevko Oil Pans & Components – Hejna, Weder.
KSE Racing Products – Shryock, Mahlstedt.
Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.
Nitroquest Web Solutions - Krohn.
Quarter Master – Hughes, Hanford.
QuickTime Performance Parts – Tesch.
Real Racing Wheels – Fraise.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSOR: O’Reilly Auto Parts.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Race Tires, AMSOIL, Arizona Sport Shirts, BRODIX, Fast Company Performance, Holley Performance Products, Home Pride Companies, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, Marsh Racing Wheels, Nitroquest Web Solutions, Olympic Fire Protection, Real Racing Wheels, Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar, Yeager Machine.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Boom Drilling, Borco LP, Day Motor Sports, Gressell Oil Field Services, Hughes Racing Chassis, KraftKar Race Cars, McVicker Oil Fields, Rinehart Trucking.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Belleville Motorsports, Bilstein Shocks, Boyer’s Engine Development, Dynatech Racing Exhaust, GRT Race Cars, Hawk Performance, Hyperco, Isky Racing Cams, KSE Racing Products, Quarter Master, QuickTime Performance Race Parts, Racer’s Choice (RCI).