Hughes Wins USMTS Hunt Race At LA Raceway

It had been a close-but-no-cigar campaign so far for Jason Hughes in The Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship presented by Bad Boy Mowers, but Friday night at the LA Raceway the Westville, Okla., driver was smoking – literally.

Nate Caruth took the lead at the drop of the green flag in Friday night’s 40-lap WIX Filters “A” Main. In the first three laps, the 17-year-old built himself a five-car-length advantage over points leader Ryan Gustin, but Gustin chased down the leader and pulled alongside Caruth as they came to the flagstand to complete lap 5.

Debris on the front-stretch brought out the race’s first and only caution at that point. As the field slowed, Hughes’ machine began to belch smoke and it appeared his night might end prematurely.

On the restart, however, Hughes found a fast line around the top of the 3/8-mile oval and powered around both Gustin and Caruth to lead the sixth lap. Gustin followed into second a half-lap later.

Hughes expanded his lead over Gustin to about ten car-lengths during the next ten laps. Two things didn’t change over the final 30 laps: Hughes’ advantage over the field and the blue smoke pouring out of the rear of his Modified as he entered each turn.

After taking the checkered flag for his first win of ‘The Hunt,’ it was discovered that Hughes ran over the debris on lap 5 which punctured his oil pan. He finished the race $3,000 richer but with several quarts of oil missing from his powerplant.

Gustin finished second while Tommy Myer raced from 11 on the starting grid to third at the finish line. Corey Dripps was fourth and Zack VanderBeek wound up fifth. Sixth through tenth went to Jason Krohn, Dustin Boney, Jesse Stovall, Caruth and Tim Donlinger.

While Hughes won the battle, Gustin continues to win the war but saw his points lead dwindle to a single point over Hughes (886 to 885) after nine events. VanderBeek lurks in third with 834 markers, followed by Myer (806), Kelly Shryock (761), Krohn (749), Donlinger (689), Rodney Sanders (689), Dereck Ramirez (683) and Johnny Scott (634).

On Saturday, the 24 Raceway in Moberly hosts the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour for the fifth time in three years. The 2008 event at the 4/10-mile high-banked clay oval drew national attention with the first-ever tie to end a USMTS main event as Jon Tesch and Zack VanderBeek crossed the stripe in a dead heat.

Tesch rolled to a convincing win when the series visited again in 2009. The series returned later that season in August with Michael Long capturing his career-first victory under the USMTS banner.

Jason Hughes scored the win this past April in a memorable battle that came down to the wire.

Gates will open at 5 p.m., with hot laps slated for 6:30 and the first green flag scheduled to wave at 7. Also on the racing card will be the Dart Iron Man Challenge for USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Cars, plus local Sportsman and Hornet divisions.

The 24 Raceway is located 3.5 miles east of US 63 on US 24. For more information, call 573-881-8861 or visit www.24racewayinmoberly.com on the World Wide Web.

Race fans can pick up $2-off-admission coupons on Saturday at Casey’s General Stores locations in Macon, Madison and Moberly. Colt Mather and his Snicker-sponsored Skyrocket Modified will be meeting and greeting fans from 12-2 p.m. at the 1222 Hurley St. store in Moberly.

For more information, or to find the Casey’s location nearest you, check out www.caseys.com online.

Film crews for the Dirt Knights television show will be on hand capturing the action this week and at every race during The Hunt for the USMTS Casey's General Stores National Championship presented by Bad Boy Mowers.

Dirt Knights will be an on-going dramatic series of one-hour programs that will air during the highly coveted Sunday evening time slot for 13 weeks. The much-anticipated show is set to debut in January of 2011 on VERSUS cable sports network, reaching more than 75 million households.

Visit www.dirtknights.com on the World Wide Web for more information or to view the trailer. Also look for Dirt Knights on Facebook and Twitter.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also follow the USMTS on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube.

La Monte, MO All Results

Casey's General Store
Heat Races 8/27/2010

Heat 1 Finish Driver
1 7c - Nate Caruth -- Ames, IA (4)
2 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (3)
3 19r - Ryan Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (8)
4 73 - Mickey Burrell -- Fair Grove, MO (2)
5 13 - Aaron Poe -- Warrensburg, MO (5)
6 8 - Colt Mather -- Webster, IA (7)
7 17 - Lucas Conley -- Spring Hill, KS (6)
8 12v - Nathan Vaughn -- Lincoln, MO (1)

Heat 2 Finish Driver
1 00 - Jesse Stovall -- Galena, MO (2)
2 96 - Chad Lyle -- Oak Grove, MO (6)
3 90 - Terry Schultz -- Sedalia, MO (1)
4 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (5)
5 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (4)
6 20 - Jason Thompson -- Concordia, MO (7)
7 5j - John Schwab -- Liberal, KS (3)
8 25 - Scotty Roberts -- Columbia, MO (8)

Heat 3 Finish Driver
1 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (1)
2 3D - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (3)
3 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (7)
4 66t - Tyler Schmidt -- Easton, KS (4)
5 85d - Mark Dotson -- Cameron, MO (6)
6 5 - Buddy Thompson -- Oak Grove, MO (5)
7 22 - Luke Feeback -- Harrisonville, MO (2)

Heat 4 Finish Driver
1 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (5)
2 22 - Dustin Boney -- Kansas City, MO (4)
3 88d - Matt Dotson -- Sturgeon, MO (7)
4 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (6)
5 62 - Hunter Marriott -- Brookville, MO (1)
6 112 - Justin Moon -- Sedalia, MO (2)
7 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (3)

Heat 5 Finish Driver
1 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (2)
2 15r - Jamie Ragland -- Lebanon, MO (1)
3 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (7)
4 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (4)
5 1st - Johnny Scott -- Las Cruces, NM (5)
6 002 - R.C. Whitwell -- Tucson, AZ (6)
7 18 - Chase Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (3)


A Main Prelim Report
Casey's General Store 8/27/2010
Preliminary Redraw
Driver Name Car Number Points Starting Starting
Krohn, Jason 7k 65 1 1
Caruth, Nate 7c 63.5 1 2
Lyle, Chad 96 61 2 3
Stovall, Jesse 00 60.5 1 4
Dripps, Corey 31 60.5 1 5
Hughes, Jason 12 59 1 6
Gustin, Ryan 19r 58.5 3 7
Boney, Dustin 22 58 2 8
VanderBeek, Zack 33z 57 3 9 XXXXXX
Dotson, Matt 88d 57 3 10 XXXXXX
Myer, Tommy 65 57 3 11 XXXXXX
Sanders, Rodney 20 56.5 2 12 XXXXXX


Casey's General Store
B Main Finish 8/27/2010
Heat 1 Finish Driver
1 3D - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (1)
2 90 - Terry Schultz -- Sedalia, MO (2)
3 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (3)
4 85d - Mark Dotson -- Cameron, MO (5)
5 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (6)
6 1st - Johnny Scott -- Las Cruces, NM (7)
7 20 - Jason Thompson -- Concordia, MO (8)
8 66t - Tyler Schmidt -- Easton, KS (4)
9 17 - Lucas Conley -- Spring Hill, KS (10)
10 112 - Justin Moon -- Sedalia, MO (9)
11 22 - Luke Feeback -- Harrisonville, MO (11)
12 18 - Chase Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (12)
13 25 - Scotty Roberts -- Columbia, MO (13)

Heat 2 Finish Driver
1 8 - Colt Mather -- Webster, IA (7)
2 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (2)
3 15r - Jamie Ragland -- Lebanon, MO (1)
4 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (11)
5 73 - Mickey Burrell -- Fair Grove, MO (3)
6 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (4)
7 13 - Aaron Poe -- Warrensburg, MO (5)
8 5j - John Schwab -- Liberal, KS (10)
9 62 - Hunter Marriott -- Brookville, MO (6)
10 002 - R.C. Whitwell -- Tucson, AZ (9)
11 5 - Buddy Thompson -- Oak Grove, MO (8)
12 12v - Nathan Vaughn -- Lincoln, MO (12)


Casey's General Store
A Main Finish 8/27/2010
Finish Drive
1 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (4)
2 19r - Ryan Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (3)
3 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (11)
4 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (7)
5 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (9)
6 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (5)
7 22 - Dustin Boney -- Kansas City, MO (6)
8 00 - Jesse Stovall -- Galena, MO (8)
9 7c - Nate Caruth -- Ames, IA (1)
10 3D - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (13)
11 96 - Chad Lyle -- Oak Grove, MO (2)
12 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (12)
13 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (16)
14 1st - Johnny Scott -- Las Cruces, NM (23)
15 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (24)
16 90 - Terry Schultz -- Sedalia, MO (15)
17 8 - Colt Mather -- Webster, IA (14)
18 88d - Matt Dotson -- Sturgeon, MO (10)
19 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (20)
20 15r - Jamie Ragland -- Lebanon, MO (18)
21 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (21)
22 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (17)
23 73 - Mickey Burrell -- Fair Grove, MO (22)
24 85d - Mark Dotson -- Cameron, MO (19)