RUTER EASY ON THE RUBBER, CASHES IN AT CORNING

CORNING, IA (Oct. 7, 2006) - In contrast to Friday's all-out speed contest on a sticky-fast racing surface at the Adams County Speedway, Saturday's finale of the 2nd Annual Hawkeye Clash turned out to be a test of patience and tire wear as a dry, rubbered-down racing surface played havoc with the rugged road warriors of the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series.

Ironically, it was one of the high-flying O’Reilly USMTS “young guns” known for his “balls to the wall” driving style that had the patience and persistence to come out on top of Saturday's main event. Twenty-two-year-old Ryan Ruter of Forest City, Iowa, used more of his head than his feet Saturday night, and it paid off with a thrilling $3,000 victory at the half-mile clay oval in Corning, Iowa.

Ruter, who started deep in the 24-car field in the 16th position, methodically moved up through the field as he nursed his tires on the abrasive track surface. Passing cars when possible and picking up positions as those in front of him suffered flat tires, Ruter was in the right place at the right time when leader Tim Karrick of Bashor, Kan., saw his chances of victory deflated with five laps remaining in the 35-lap contest.

In addition to runaway leader Karrick, a dozen other drivers replaced rubber during the contest, including seven-time defending O’Reilly USMTS national champion Kelly Shryock, early race leader Al Hejna and current points leader Zack VanderBeek. They wound up ninth, 13th and 15th, respectively, at the finish.

Ruter's smart-charging style on Saturday also earned him his second Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger honors in a row. He passed 15 competitors on Friday night to finish eighth, then passed 15 more on Saturday to put an exclamation point on an impressive weekend.

Johnny Bone Jr. of Pea Ridge, Ark., finished second in Saturday's main event, while Mike Hejna of Clear Lake, Iowa, took third. Mount Ayr, Iowa's Russell Stewart recorded his career-best O’Reilly USMTS finish with a fourth-place finish and Jason Friesen of Sutton, Neb., grabbed the fifth spot after starting 20th on the grid.

In ‘The Hunt’ for the O’Reilly National Championship, VanderBeek maintained his points lead but gave up some ground to Shryock, who now trails by 33 points (929 to 896) with four races remaining on the 2006 schedule.

Jon Tesch of Watertown, S.D., is third in the rankings with 869 points, followed by Friesen (859) and Tommy Myer of Blooming Prairie, Minn. (803).

Up next for the O’Reilly USMTS will be a doubleheader at Bolivar Speedway USA near Bolivar, Mo., for The Heartland on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 27-28. For more information about the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series, call the headquarters at (515) 832-7944 or visit www.usmts.com online.



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OFFICIAL RESULTS
O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series
2nd Annual Hawkeye Clash - Night 2 of 2
Adams County Speedway, Corning, Iowa
Saturday, Oct. 7, 2006

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

ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT RACE #1 (10 laps):

1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (7)
2. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (6)
3. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (4)
4. 31j - Barry Sandeman -- Creston, IA (8)
5. 47 - Josh Truman -- Indianola, IA (1)
6. 15 - John O'Neal -- Platte City, MO (2) DNF
7. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (3) DNF
8. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (5) DNS

HEAT RACE #2 (10 laps):

1. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (3)
2. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (7)
3. 64 - Russell Stewart -- Mount Ayr, IA (2)
4. 5w - Darrin Walch -- Postville, IA (6)
5. g7 - Jeremy Tibben -- Stanton, IA (1)
6. 4w - J.C. Wyman -- Griswold, IA (8)
7. 72 - Mike Lineberry -- Fontanelle, NE (4)
8. 17s - Stoney Stuart -- Creston, IA (5) DNF

HEAT RACE #3 (10 laps):

1. 07 - Tim Karrick -- Bashor, KS (1)
2. 56 - Chris Spieker -- Massena, IA (6)
3. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (8)
4. 1 - Trent Jackson -- Corning, IA (2)
5. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (5)
6. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (3)
7. 94 - Josh Most -- Red Oak, IA (4)
8. 55x - Kevin Parman -- Denver, MO (7)

HEAT RACE #4 (10 laps):

1. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (1)
2. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (2)
3. 118 - Terry Beckham Jr. -- Webb City, MO (3)
4. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (6)
5. 70 - Jesse Dennis -- Prescott, IA (7)
6. 10c - Justin Cooper -- Prescott, IA (5)
7. 32c - Dave Carlisle -- Shannon City, IA (4) DNF

HEAT RACE #5 (10 laps):

1. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (1)
2. 222 - Dustin Boney -- Tonganoxie, KS (2)
3. 43x - Dan Mueller -- Griswold, IA (5)
4. 7x - David Holder -- Clarence, MO (3)
5. 5t - Todd Inman -- Des Moines, IA (4)
6. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (7)
7. 85 - Mark Dotson -- Cameron, MO (6) DNF


REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 5 advance):

1. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (9)
2. 64 - Russell Stewart -- Mount Ayr, IA (2)
3. 31j - Barry Sandeman -- Creston, IA (1)
4. 5w - Darrin Walch -- Postville, IA (3)
5. 1 - Trent Jackson -- Corning, IA (4)
6. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (8)
7. 94 - Josh Most -- Red Oak, IA (11)
8. 70 - Jesse Dennis -- Prescott, IA (5)
9. 85 - Mark Dotson -- Cameron, MO (12)
10. 5t - Todd Inman -- Des Moines, IA (7) DNF
11. g7 - Jeremy Tibben -- Stanton, IA (6) DNF
12. 17s - Stoney Stuart -- Creston, IA (13) DNF
13. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (10) DNS


REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 5 advance):

1. 118 - Terry Beckham Jr. -- Webb City, MO (2)
2. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (3)
3. 7x - David Holder -- Clarence, MO (4)
4. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (6)
5. 4w - J.C. Wyman -- Griswold, IA (7)
6. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (1)
7. 72 - Mike Lineberry -- Fontanelle, NE (10)
8. 15 - John O'Neal -- Platte City, MO (8)
9. 32c - Dave Carlisle -- Shannon City, IA (11)
10. 47 - Josh Truman -- Indianola, IA (5)
11. 10c - Justin Cooper -- Prescott, IA (9) DNF
12. 55x - Kevin Parman -- Denver, MO (13) DNF
13. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (12) DNS

HOLLEY "A" MAIN (35 laps):

1. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (16)
2. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (7)
3. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (13)
4. 64 - Russell Stewart -- Mount Ayr, IA (15)
5. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (20)
6. 1 - Trent Jackson -- Corning, IA (21)
7. 56 - Chris Spieker -- Massena, IA (3)
8. 222 - Dustin Boney -- Tonganoxie, KS (11)
9. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (8)
10. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (5)
11. 43x - Dan Mueller -- Griswold, IA (12)
12. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (4)
13. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (1)
14. 07 - Tim Karrick -- Bashor, KS (2)
15. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (6)
16. 7x - David Holder -- Clarence, MO (18) DNF
17. 31j - Barry Sandeman -- Creston, IA (17) DNF
18. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (23) DNF
19. 5w - Darrin Walch -- Postville, IA (19) DNF
20. 4w - J.C. Wyman -- Griswold, IA (22) DNF
21. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (10) DNF
22. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (24) DNF
23. 118 - Terry Beckham Jr. -- Webb City, MO (14) DNF
24. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (9) DNF


AMSOIL Lap Leaders: A. Hejna 1-5, Karrick 6-30, Ruter 31-35.
Total Laps Led: Karrick 25, Ruter 5, A. Hejna 5.
Provisional Starters: McEwan (national), Poidinger (national).
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Friesen (started 20th, finished 5th).
Next Race: Friday, Oct. 27, Bolivar Speedway USA, Bolivar, Mo.

‘The Hunt’ Points: VanderBeek 929, Shryock 896, Tesch 869, Friesen 859, Myer 803, Ruter 792, M. Hejna 680, McEwan 671, A. Hejna 570, Mondus 562, Poidinger 544, Dean Mahlstedt 470, Mark Noble 252, Jason Hughes 70, Lineberry 5.
Home Pride Passing Points (National): Shryock 229½, Ruter 181½, VanderBeek 162, A. Hejna 160½, Myer 160½.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Poidinger 821, Friesen 727, Mondus 498, Brent Bohmont 431, Matt Gilbertson 357.
UNIJIG Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 528, Hughes 347, GRT 324, Kraft 301, Bullet 275.

Contingency Awards:
Bassett Racing Wheel – M. Hejna.
Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.
Boyer’s Engine Development – Ruter.
Edelbrock – Ruter, Bone.
Fast Shafts – Friesen.
GRT Race Cars – not awarded.
Isky Racing Cams – Shryock.
Kevko Oil Pans & Components – Stewart.
KSE Racing Products – Boney.
Larson Racing Specialists – A. Hejna.
Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.
QuickTime Performance Parts – not awarded.
RaceQuest – Ruter, Cooper, Dripps.
Real Racing Wheels – M. Hejna, Beckham.
T.A.R. Race Car Bodies – Mondus.
UNIJIG – Shryock.