Jason Hughes Becomes 3rd USMTS Winner On The Weekend

BAYTOWN, Texas (Feb. 20) – Jason Hughes was in a class by himself in 2009, winning ten main events en route to claiming his second straight USMTS Southern Series crown.

After three days of racing at the Houston Raceway Park, it looks like Hughes will be the man to beat again in 2010.

As the weekend wore on and the stakes got higher and higher, the 35-year-old chassis builder from Westville, Okla., got better and better. He scored a fifth-place finish on Thursday, came home second on Friday, and then wrapped up the 3rd Annual Texas Winter Nationals presented by Ed Rinehart for County Commissioner with an impressive $5,000 victory on Saturday night.

“That’ll help pay some of the bills,” Hughes said in victory lane. “We kept fighting, my crew has been working hard all weekend and the car kept getting better. This is how we wanted to start the season.

“This is by far the biggest crowd we’ve seen since we’ve started running here, and it’s nice to get the win in front of all these people.”

Prior to the drop of the green flag, Hughes had his work cut out for him as he sat tenth on the 26-car starting grid. On Thursday he started and finished fifth, then could only manage to climb one spot from third to second on Friday night.

Bumper Jones used his pole position to jump out to the early lead in Saturday’s “A” Main while drivers shuffled positions behind him.

Friday’s winner Jeremy Payne rocketed past three cars down the back-stretch two laps later to grab the runner-up spot while Hughes followed suit and quickly moved to fourth behind eighth-starting Steven Whiteaker Jr.

Jones, Payne and Whiteaker raced bumper to bumper for the next nine laps while Hughes trailed by four car-lengths. Racing side by side out of the fourth turn on lap 11, Whiteaker and Payne made contact with Payne holding on to the second spot.

One lap later, the race’s first yellow flag waved as Whiteaker came to a halt on the front-stretch with a flat tire.

After leaving the pit area with fresh rubber, Whiteaker tagged the rear of the field while Hughes inherited the third spot. Payne elected to start on the inside, leaving Hughes to his right for the double-file restart.

At the drop of the green flag, Hughes dove hard into the first turn and powered around Jones in turn two. Payne shadowed Hughes down the back-stretch and wrestled second place away from Jones in the next corner.

Within five laps, Hughes had extended his advantage to nearly a full straight-away over Payne and his teammate Terry Phillips. Phillips, however, nearly spun on lap 19 and gave up the position to Mike Hansen while Jones remained close behind in fifth.

Despite heavy lapped traffic throughout the second-half of the 40-lapper, Hughes remained flawless as he sailed to his 21st career USMTS Southern Series victory and 81st overall under the USMTS banner.

Payne, Hansen and Phillips held on for second, third and fourth, respectively, while John O Whittington nipped Jones for the fifth-place paycheck.

Morgan Bagley snagged seventh, Rodney Sanders earned an eight-place finish, Chris Henigan nabbed ninth and defending Texas Winter Nationals champion Zack VanderBeek raced from eighteenth to finish tenth.

The win also propelled Hughes into the points lead on the strength of his nine passing points and three lap leader bonus points in the main event. Phillips sits six points behind Hughes (292 to 286) in second with Payne just one more point back in third. Whittington is fourth with 276 markers, followed by Jones (259), Bagley (257), Kelly Shryock (227), Dereck Ramirez (201), Shane Hebert (191) and Steve Holzkamper (191).

Lee Patton leads the current crop of rookie contenders, followed by Tristan Dycus, Darrel Dawson, Shane Killingsworth and nine other drivers tied for fifth.

Up next for the USMTS Southern Series is a tripleheader in the Sooner State. The series makes its debut at the Creek County Speedway in Kellyville, Okla., on Thursday, March 18, then moves on to the Outlaw Motor Speedway near Muskogee on Friday, March 19. The weekend winds up at the West Siloam Speedway in West Siloam Springs on Saturday, March 20. All three events are expected to attract a powerful field of entries as points will be awarded for both the USMTS Southern Series and USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour.

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 and Twitter.

A Main Results (Baytown, Texas)

1. (10) 12 Jason Hughes Westville OK Hughes $5,000.00
2. (6) 74 Jeremy Payne Springfield MO GRT by $3,000.00
3. (4) 12h Mike Hansen Alton IA GRT $2,000.00
4. (12) 75 Terry Phillips Springfield MO GRT $1,500.00
5. (9) 5w John O Whittington Vidor TX Pierce $1,000.00
6. (1) 111 Bumper Jones Mesilla Park NM TRE $800.00
7. (3) 5r Morgan Bagley Longview TX Shaw By $700.00
8. (13) 20 Rodney Sanders Happy TX Hughes $600.00
9. (2) 16 Chris Henigan Marshall TX Kraft $500.00
10. (18) 33z Zack VanderBeek New Sharon IA Skyrocket $450.00
11. (16) 5t Randy Timms Wheatland OK Hughes $400.00
12. (5) 25 Scott Green Derby KS Hughes $350.00
13. (20) 5 Steve Holzkamper Gentry AR TRE $350.00
14. (17) 74 Mark Noble Blooming Prairie MN Kraft Kar $350.00
15. (19) 15h Sam Haftertepe Jr. Sunnyville TX $300.00
16. (11) 20r Bryan Rowland Woodward OK Skyrocket $350.00
17. (25) e Howard Willis Dayton TX evolution $350.00
18. (24) 12c Corey Babbitt Channelview TX TRE $300.00
19. (14) jp5 Lee Patton Ruston LA Harris $350.00
20. (22) 51 Tracy Denby Jr. Vidor TX Dirtworks $350.00
21. (26) 410 Brad Doherty Ennis TX GRT $350.00
22. (23) 3 Kelly Shryock Fertile IA Skyrocket $350.00
23. (7) 85d Mark Dotson Cameron MO GRT by $350.00
24. (15) 4r Dereck Ramirez Woodward OK Ramirez $350.00
25. (8) 89 Steven Whiteaker Jr. Corpus Christi TX Hughes $350.00
26. (21) 21 Johnny Fennewald Appleton City MO GRT by $350.00

Modified
B Main Finish 2/20/2010
B 1 Finish Driver
1 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (1)
2 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (7)
3 21 - Johnny Fennewald -- Appleton City, MO (8)
4 12c - Corey Babbitt -- Channelview, TX (11)
5 r5 - Hunter Rasdon -- Jonesboro, AR (15)
6 00 - Darrel Dawson -- Midlothian, TX (5)
7 30 - Chase Allen -- Midlothian, TX (3)
8 186 - Jeremy Gossett -- Amarillo, TX (16)
9 98 - Darryl Seals -- Vidor, TX (9)
10 17x - Cade Dillard -- Robeline, LA (19)
11 68 - Danny Barringer -- Lufkin, TX (14)
12 69 - Randy Heston -- Stinnett, TX (17)
13 9 - Shane Hebert -- Lafayette, LA (6)
14 8g - Greg Dinsmore -- Kerrville, TX (4)
15 34 - Ben Stephens -- Hattiesburg, MS (2)
16 56 - Steve Pugh -- Anderson, Tx (10)
17 9 - Brent Nicholas -- Baytown, TX (12)
18 18L - Michael Long -- Quincy, IL (13)
19 7g - Mark Smith -- Lufkin, TX (18)

B 2 Finish Driver
1 5t - Randy Timms -- Wheatland, OK (6)
2 15h - Sam Haftertepe Jr. -- Sunnyville, TX (2)
3 51 - Tracy Denby Jr. -- Vidor, TX (1)
4 e - Howard Willis -- Dayton, TX (3)
5 10 - Kenny Battarbee -- Houston, TX (5)
6 18s - Cody Smith -- Kaufman, TX (9)
7 15 - Kevin Battabee -- Houston, TX (4)
8 25 - John Allen -- Chanute, KS (17)
9 14T - Tristan Dycus -- Midlothian, TX (8)
10 55 - Kyle Anderson -- Tomball, TX (15)
11 2 - Grant Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (19)
12 51 - Jeff Wood -- Willis, TX (14)
13 2 - Jerry Standifer -- Howe, OK (10)
14 64 - Jay Sale -- Edmond, OK (12)
15 8 - Steve Miller -- Georgetown, TX (18)
16 87 - John Webb -- Pauls Valley, OK (13)
17 17 - Brad Lasater -- Garland, TX (16)
18 99 - Derick Grigsby -- Marshall, TX (7)
19 8j - Dustin Hyde -- Texarkana, TX (11)

B 3 Finish Driver
1 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (1)
2 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (3)
3 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (8)
4 410 - Brad Doherty -- Ennis, TX (2)
5 44 - Darrell Nelson -- Hermantown, MN (7)
6 190 - Shawn Stephenson -- Howe, TX (6)
7 10 - Kyle Schmidt -- Farmington, AR (16)
8 5a - Wes Armstrong -- Marshall, TX (13)
9 20 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (5)
10 7x - Rory Jordan -- Victoria, TX (12)
11 5 - Jon Mitchell -- Texarkana, TX (9)
12 20 - Troy Seidl -- Maganolia, TX (14)
13 23 - Brandon Davis -- Castle Rock, CO (18)
14 9 - Shane Killingsworth -- Dallas, TX (10)
15 56 - David Horner -- Houston, TX (11)
16 96 - Foster Ellison -- Richwood, TX (15)
17 58 - Nathan Bichsel -- Amarillo, TX (4)
18 76 - Jesse Manning -- Brazoria, TX (17)

Modified
Heat Races 2/20/2010
Heat 1 Finish Driver
1 5r - Morgan Bagley -- Longview, TX (2)
2 20r - Bryan Rowland -- Woodward, OK (4)
3 51 - Tracy Denby Jr. -- Vidor, TX (5)
4 15 - Kevin Battabee -- Houston, TX (1)
5 e - Howard Willis -- Dayton, TX (10)
6 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (9)
7 5 - Jon Mitchell -- Texarkana, TX (7)
8 9 - Shane Killingsworth -- Dallas, TX (6)
9 7x - Rory Jordan -- Victoria, TX (11)
10 51 - Jeff Wood -- Willis, TX (12)
11 17 - Brad Lasater -- Garland, TX (8)
12 8 - Steve Miller -- Georgetown, TX (3)

Heat 2 Finish Driver
1 85d - Mark Dotson -- Cameron, MO (2)
2 89 - Steven Whiteaker Jr. -- Corpus Christi, TX
3 15h - Sam Haftertepe Jr. -- Sunnyville, TX (4)
4 58 - Nathan Bichsel -- Amarillo, TX (1)
5 9 - Shane Hebert -- Lafayette, LA (7)
6 10 - Kenny Battarbee -- Houston, TX (11)
7 21 - Johnny Fennewald -- Appleton City, MO
8 12c - Corey Babbitt -- Channelview, TX (8)
9 18L - Michael Long -- Quincy, IL (3)
10 r5 - Hunter Rasdon -- Jonesboro, AR (9)
11 10 - Kyle Schmidt -- Farmington, AR (6)
12 23 - Brandon Davis -- Castle Rock, CO (5)

Heat 3 Finish Driver
1 5w - John O Whittington -- Vidor, TX (2)
2 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (7)
3 16 - Chris Henigan -- Marshall, TX (11)
4 34 - Ben Stephens -- Hattiesburg, MS (8)
5 8g - Greg Dinsmore -- Kerrville, TX (9)
6 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (5)
7 14T - Tristan Dycus -- Midlothian, TX (10)
8 8j - Dustin Hyde -- Texarkana, TX (4)
9 87 - John Webb -- Pauls Valley, OK (1)
10 20 - Troy Seidl -- Maganolia, TX (12)
11 69 - Randy Heston -- Stinnett, TX (3)
12 17x - Cade Dillard -- Robeline, LA (6)

Heat 4 Finish Driver
1 111 - Bumper Jones -- Mesilla Park, NM (3)
2 jp5 - Lee Patton -- Ruston, LA (2)
3 410 - Brad Doherty -- Ennis, TX (1)
4 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (9)
5 5t - Randy Timms -- Wheatland, OK (7)
6 190 - Shawn Stephenson -- Howe, TX (10)
7 44 - Darrell Nelson -- Hermantown, MN (11)
8 56 - David Horner -- Houston, TX (4)
9 2 - Jerry Standifer -- Howe, OK (12)
10 55 - Kyle Anderson -- Tomball, TX (8)
11 25 - John Allen -- Chanute, KS (5)
12 2 - Grant Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (6)

Heat 5 Finish Driver
1 12h - Mike Hansen -- Alton, IA (3)
2 74 - Jeremy Payne -- Springfield, MO (11)
3 30 - Chase Allen -- Midlothian, TX (2)
4 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (10)
5 99 - Derick Grigsby -- Marshall, TX (1)
6 98 - Darryl Seals -- Vidor, TX (6)
7 56 - Steve Pugh -- Anderson, Tx (4)
8 9 - Brent Nicholas -- Baytown, TX (7)
9 5a - Wes Armstrong -- Marshall, TX (5)
10 96 - Foster Ellison -- Richwood, TX (9)
11 76 - Jesse Manning -- Brazoria, TX (8)

Heat 6 Finish Driver
1 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (2)
2 75 - Terry Phillips -- Springfield, MO (3)
3 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (5)
4 00 - Darrel Dawson -- Midlothian, TX (1)
5 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (10)
6 20 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (11)
7 18s - Cody Smith -- Kaufman, TX (8)
8 64 - Jay Sale -- Edmond, OK (7)
9 68 - Danny Barringer -- Lufkin, TX (4)
10 186 - Jeremy Gossett -- Amarillo, TX (9)
11 7g - Mark Smith -- Lufkin, TX (6)