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VANDERBEEK CASHES IN AT CRESCO
CRESCO, Iowa (May 21)
– Zack VanderBeek scored his first USMTS Casey’s General Stores National
Tour win of the season Thursday night at the Cresco Speedway in the first
race of the season in the ultra-competitive Yeager Machine Upper Midwest
Region.
The 24-year-old from New
Sharon, Iowa, started third in the 35-lap Sunoco "A" Main, and was no match
for polesitter Steve Wetzstein in the early stages of the race.
Wetzstein was untouchable in
the early going, at times extending his lead to nearly a full straight-away
over the rest of the field. Three caution flags during the first dozen laps
provided optimism for his chasers, but each time Wetzstein would run off and
hide when the green flag waved.
VanderBeek grabbed second
place away from Ron Konkel on the first lap and settled in behind Wetzstein
while AFCO Pole winner Dan Bohr snagged the third spot following the first
caution on lap 2. At the same time, defending USMTS National Champion Tim
Donlinger moved into the fifth position after starting eighth.
The second yellow flag waved
on lap 10 and Donlinger used the ensuing restart to edge past Bohr for
third. The third and final caution flew two laps later, which helped
Donlinger scoot underneath VanderBeek for second and set his sights on
Wetzstein.
Wetzstein was too strong for
his fellow Gopher State ace, however, and again built a huge advantage as
the race wore on.
VanderBeek began reeling in
Donlinger on lap 20, making the pass for second on lap 25. From there, the
distance between himself and Wetzstein began to evaporate and VanderBeek
found himself on Wetzstein's bumper with six laps to go.
The pair completed lap 30 and
entered the first turn nose to tail with Wetzstein hugging the bottom of the
racetrack and VanderBeek moving to the middle groove. As they exited the
second turn, Wetzstein's Modified crept to the right just enough to allow
VanderBeek to execute a "crossover" move and slingshot past Wetzstein on the
inside.
From there, the 'Z-Man' set
his Skyrocket Chassis on cruise control and sailed to his first victory
since claiming the USMTS Southern Series finale last December.
While VanderBeek earned the
$2,000 top prize, Wetzstein hung on for a runner-up finish with Donlinger
third, Konkel fourth and Bohr in fifth. Jon Tesch, Darrin Walch, Dereck
Ramirez, Al Hejna and Kelly Shryock rounded out the top-10 at the finish
line.
Walch, the defending Cresco
Speedway track champion, started 18th and earned the PBM Racing Products
Hard Charger Award.
Although Shryock could only
muster a tenth-place finish, it was a successful night for the eight-time
USMTS National Champion's company as eight of the top ten were Skyrocket
Chassis pilots, including all of the top five finishers. It was also the
first win of the season for the 'Skyrocket Nation.'
In the powerplant category,
Sput's Racing Engines was even for dominant as every driver in the top eight
spots were propelled by motors from the defending COMP Cams Engine Builder
of the Year.
UP NEXT:
The rugged road warriors head
to the Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minn., tomorrow (Friday, May 22) for the
second round of action in the Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region.
Pit open at 5:00 and the
grandstand gates open at 5:30. Hot laps are slated to begin at 7:00 and the
first heat race will hit the track at 7:30. Also on the racing card will be
WISSOTA Midwest Mods, Pure Stocks and Hornets.
Fans can pick up coupons good
for $2 off adult general admission at Casey's General Stores locations in
Austin, Owatonna, Rochester and Stewartville.
The Chateau Raceway is a
1/3-mile semi-banked oval located 5.0 miles north of Austin on US 218 to the
Lansing Exit, then 1.3 miles east on CR 2, then 0.4 mile south on CR 25,
then 0.3 mile east. For more information, call 507-433-4578 or check out
www.chateauraceway.net
online.
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)
5th Annual Cresco Bowl
Cresco Speedway, Cresco, Iowa
Thursday, May 21,
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.
ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT RACE #1 (8
laps):
1. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (1)
2. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (4)
3. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (3)
4. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (5)
5. 5w - Darrin Walch -- Postville, IA (7)
6. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (6)
7. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (5)
8. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (2)
9. 55 - Larry Hall -- Rochester, MN (9)
BRODIX HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. 35k - Ron Konkel -- Caledonia, MN (4)
2. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (6)
3. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (1)
4. 19 - Mike Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (8)
5. 2 - Grant Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (7)
6. 98 - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN (5)
7. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (3)
8. 21w - Dano Ostrander -- Princeton, MN (2)
9. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (9) DNF
AWESOME RACEWEAR HEAT RACE #3 (8
laps):
1. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (5)
2. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (1)
3. 9 - Ken Schrader -- Concord, NC (7)
4. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Kanawha, IA (3)
5. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (8)
6. 88t - Terry Timmerman -- Spring Valley, MN (2)
7. 01 - Brandon Aggen -- Rushmore, MN (4)
8. 55 - Brian Shaw -- Brownsdale, MN (6)
INTERCOMP HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN (5)
2. 12h - Mike Hansen -- Alton, IA (1)
3. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (6)
4. 27s - Jason Schlangen -- Cresco, IA (3)
5. 12d - Scott Drake -- Webb City, MO (7)
6. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (8)
7. 21 - Layne Meyer -- West Union, IA (4)
8. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (2)
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1
(12 laps, top 4 advance):
1. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (5)
2. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (1)
3. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (2)
4. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (7)
5. 2 - Grant Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (4)
6. 27s - Jason Schlangen -- Cresco, IA (3)
7. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (9)
8. 98 - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN (6)
9. 55 - Larry Hall -- Rochester, MN (11)
10. 55 - Brian Shaw -- Brownsdale, MN (10) DNF
11. 01 - Brandon Aggen -- Rushmore, MN (8) DNF
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2
(12 laps, top 4 advance):
1. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (1)
2. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (5)
3. 5w - Darrin Walch -- Postville, IA (3)
4. 12d - Scott Drake -- Webb City, MO (4)
5. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Kanawha, IA (2)
6. 21 - Layne Meyer -- West Union, IA (8)
7. 88t - Terry Timmerman -- Spring Valley, MN (6)
8. 21w - Dano Ostrander -- Princeton, MN (9)
9. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (10) DNF
10. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (7) DNF
11. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (11) DNS
SUNOCO “A” MAIN (35 laps):
1. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (3)
2. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN (1)
3. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (8)
4. 35k - Ron Konkel -- Caledonia, MN (2)
5. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (5)
6. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (4)
7. 5w - Darrin Walch -- Postville, IA (18)
8. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (13)
9. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (14)
10. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (19)
11. 19 - Mike Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (11)
12. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (9)
13. 9 - Ken Schrader -- Concord, NC (6)
14. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (7)
15. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (16)
16. 12h - Mike Hansen -- Alton, IA (10)
17. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (17)
18. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (15)
19. 27s - Jason Schlangen -- Cresco, IA (23)
20. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (24)
21. 12d - Scott Drake -- Webb City, MO (20) DNF
22. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (21) DNF
23. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (22) DNF
24. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (12) DNF
Lap Leaders:
Wetzstein 1-30, VanderBeek 31-35.
Total Laps Led:
Wetzstein 30, VanderBeek 5.
AFCO Pole Winner: Bohr.
Provisional Starters: Noble,
Poidinger, Schlangen (track), Schluetter (track).
Ruter Farms Long Tow:
Hughes (630.14 miles).
PBM Performance Products Hard
Charger: Walch (started 18th,
finished 7th).
Next Race:
Friday, May 22, Chateau Raceway, Lansing, Minn. (Yeager Machine Upper
Midwest Region).
Yeager Machine Upper Midwest
Region Points: VanderBeek 103,
Wetzstein 98, Donlinger 96, Walch 89, Konkel 87, Bohr 84, Tesch 81, Ramirez
81, Shryock 81, Hejna 79.
DandyLand Farms Rookie of the
Year Points: Tate Cole 124, Tim
Shields 109, Junghans 97, Brian Bolin 75, Colt Mather 75.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the
Year Points: Sput’s 92, Mullins
84, a.s.i. 72, Homegrown 39, AEM 37.
Chassis Builders Championship
Points: Hughes 95, Skyrocket
91, Ramirez 85, GRT 57, TRE 55.
Contingency Awards:
AFCO Racing Products – Bohr.
American Racer – Donlinger.
Isky Racing Cams – VanderBeek.
KSE Racing Products – VanderBeek
PBM Performance Products – Walch.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Hughes.
Nitroquest – Donlinger.
Out-Pace Racing Products – Sorensen.
Quarter Master – VanderBeek, Ramirez.
QuickTime Performance Parts – Walch.
Real Racing Wheels – Schlangen, Meyer.
Ruter Farms – Hughes.
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