Less than 24 hours removed from a victory at the nearby Gator Motorplex in Willis, Texas, the defending USMTS National Champion disposed of early leader Ryan Gustin on lap 14, and then raced to a ten-car-length victory in the 40-lap nightcap. Gustin and John O Whittington each picked up wins back in February to kick off the 2011 racing season before the third event of the tripleheader was postponed until Sunday due to thick fog rolling over the racetrack. The win tied Hughes and Gustin at three wins apiece with just seven races in the books in the early stages of the 2011 campaign. Randy Timms finished second and earned the Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger Award after coming al the way from 17th on the 27-car starting grid while Johnny Scott got by Gustin for third to give Hughes Chassis drives a sweep of the top four spots. Southern New Mexico Speedway co-owner Jimmy Ray passed 13 cars en route to a fifth-place finish, and Shane Hebert followed up his $1,000 Limited Modified feature win earlier in the program with a sixth-place result in the USMTS “A” Main. Whittington bounced back from an early-race skirmish with Kelly Shryock to finish seventh, Clyde Dunn Jr. went from 21st to eighth, Chase Allen nabbed the ninth spot and last year’s Texas Winter Nationals Champion Rodney Sanders rounded out the top-10. OFFICIAL RESULTS USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour powered by Swan Energy Inaugural Texas Spring Nationals – Night 3 of 3 Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, Texas Sunday, March 20, 2011 Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed, reason out (if any) and money won. The top 12 drivers in passing points accumulated in the heat races are locked into the “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8. ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps): 1. (2) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla. 2. (8) 9 Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La. 3. (5) 88xx Bobby Malchus, Red Oak, Texas. 4. (1) 76 Jesse Manning (R), Brazoria, Texas. 5. (7) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla. 6. (9) 156 Steve Pugh (R), Anderson, Texas. 7. (6) 10 Aaron Jorden (R), Benton, La. 8. (3) A1 Phil Dixon, Crosby, Texas. 9. (4) 87 John Webb (R), Pauls Valley, Okla. NEW VISION GRAPHICS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps): 1. (5) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa. 2. (1) 30 Chase Allen, Midlothian, Texas. 3. (2) 02 Tommy Weder Jr., Woodward, Okla. 4. (8) 707 P.J. Egbert (R), Copperas Cove, Texas. 5. (6) 18s Cody Smith, Kaufman, Texas. 6. (7) 88xxx Clyde Dunn Jr. (R), Sunnyville, Texas. 7. (4) 51 Jeff Wood, Willis, Texas. 8. (9) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan. 9. (3) 99 Landon Anderson (R), Richmond, Texas. EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps): 1. (4) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa. 2. (1) 69 Lucas Schott (R), Chatfield, Minn. 3. (5) 12c Corey Babbitt, Channelview, Texas. 4. (7) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas. 5. (3) 69b Tim Boudreaux, Cleveland, Texas. 6. (8) 9 Jimmy Ray (R), Las Cruces, N.M. 7. (2) 9n Brent Nicholas (R), Baytown, Texas. 8. (9) 16 Chris Henigan, Marshall, Texas. 9. (6) 7x Rory Jordan, Victoria, Texas. PBM PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps): 1. (3) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. 2. (2) 23 Howard Willis, Dayton, Texas. 3. (7) 5w John O Whittington, Vidor, Texas. 4. (6) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla. 5. (1) 56 David Horner, Houston, Texas. 6. (5) 87 Justin McCoy (R), Ovilla, Texas. 7. (8) 955 Robert Metz Jr. (R), Lumberton, Texas. 8. (9) 5m Joe Mayhew, Highlands, Texas. 9. (4) 71 Philip Houston (R), Odessa, Texas. HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps): 1. (4) 95 Keith Foss (R), Winona, Minn. 2. (6) 89 Steven Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas. 3. (2) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla. 4. (3) 1 T.J. Herndon (R), Atwood, Tenn. 5. (8) 76 Jeff Rowland (R), Pauls Valley, Okla. 6. (5) 21 Troy Seidl (R), Magnolia, Texas. 7. (1) 51 Tracy Denby Jr., Vidor, Texas. 8. (7) 15g Bubba Gates (R), Santa Fe, Texas. REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 7 advance): 1. (2) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas. 2. (1) 12c Corey Babbitt, Channelview, Texas. 3. (3) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla. 4. (8) 9 Jimmy Ray (R), Las Cruces, N.M. 5. (6) 18s Cody Smith, Kaufman, Texas. 6. (13) 16 Chris Henigan, Marshall, Texas. 7. (11) 51 Jeff Wood, Willis, Texas. 8. (9) 87 Justin McCoy (R), Ovilla, Texas, Skyrocket/KSP, $90. 9. (5) 1 T.J. Herndon (R), Atwood, Tenn., GRT/KMF, $90. 10. (4) 76 Jeff Rowland (R), Pauls Valley, Okla., Hughes/Boyd’s, $90. 11. (7) 69b Tim Boudreaux, Cleveland, Texas, Skyrocket/, $75. 12. (10) 955 Robert Metz Jr. (R), Lumberton, Texas, Pierce/CB, $90. 13. (14) A1 Phil Dixon, Crosby, Texas, Fast1/Jackson, $90. 14. (16) 7x Rory Jordan, Victoria, Texas, Hughes/Mullins, $90. 15. (12) 51 Tracy Denby Jr., Vidor, Texas, Skyrocket/Harris, $90. 16. (15) 87 John Webb (R), Pauls Valley, Okla., Hughes/Shoulder’s, $90. REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 7 advance): 1. (2) 02 Tommy Weder Jr., Woodward, Okla. 2. (1) 707 P.J. Egbert (R), Copperas Cove, Texas. 3. (3) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla. 4. (12) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan. 5. (8) 88xxx Clyde Dunn Jr. (R), Sunnyville, Texas. 6. (7) 56 David Horner, Houston, Texas. 7. (11) 9n Brent Nicholas (R), Baytown, Texas. 8. (6) 156 Steve Pugh (R), Anderson, Texas, Skyrocket/ProPower, $90. 9. (13) 5m Joe Mayhew, Highlands, Texas, Skyrocket/Houston, $75. 10. (10) 10 Aaron Jorden (R), Benton, La., Hughes/PTS, $90. 11. (15) 99 Landon Anderson (R), Richmond, Texas, Skyrocket/Owens, $90. 12. (4) 76 Jesse Manning (R), Brazoria, Texas, Evolution/Hall, $90. 13. (9) 21 Troy Seidl (R), Magnolia, Texas, Skyrocket/Hovis, $90. 14. (5) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla. 15. (14) 15g Bubba Gates (R), Santa Fe, Texas, DustDevil/Harris, $80. 16. (16) 71 Philip Houston (R), Odessa, Texas, SRP/JR, $75. “A” MAIN (40 laps): 1. (5) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $3000. 2. (17) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $2000. 3. (1) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Hughes/ASI, 40, $1500. 4. (2) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $800. 5. (18) 9 Jimmy Ray (R), Las Cruces, N.M., AOS/AOS, 40, $700. 6. (3) 9 Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La., Hughes/ASI, 40, $600. 7. (4) 5w John O Whittington, Vidor, Texas, Pierce/CB, 40, $550. 8. (21) 88xxx Clyde Dunn Jr. (R), Sunnyville, Texas, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $500. 9. (8) 30 Chase Allen, Midlothian, Texas, CAM/Allard, 40, $450. 10. (12) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, Hughes/Geddes, 40, $425. 11. (14) 12c Corey Babbitt, Channelview, Texas, TRE/CAM, 40, $400. 12. (19) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $375. 13. (26) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 40, $165. 14. (10) 23 Howard Willis, Dayton, Texas, Evolution/CB, 40, $400. 15. (20) 18s Cody Smith, Kaufman, Texas, Hughes/Chase, 40, $400. 16. (15) 707 P.J. Egbert (R), Copperas Cove, Texas, Hughes/Lingo, 40, $300. 17. (16) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Ramirez/ProPower, 40, $300. 18. (9) 69 Lucas Schott (R), Chatfield, Minn., Hughes/Action, 40, $300. 19. (25) 9n Brent Nicholas (R), Baytown, Texas, Hughes/CB, 40, $300. 20. (7) 89 Steven Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas, Hughes/Mullins, 37, mechanical, $300. 21. (23) 56 David Horner, Houston, Texas, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 34, mechanical, $300. 22. (11) 88xx Bobby Malchus, Red Oak, Texas, Hughes/Wells, 28, mechanical, $300. 23. (24) 51 Jeff Wood, Willis, Texas, Skyrocket/WestSide, 28, mechanical, $300. 24. (13) 02 Tommy Weder Jr., Woodward, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 24, mechanical, $400. 25. (22) 16 Chris Henigan, Marshall, Texas, GRT/Mullins, 22, mechanical, $300. 26. (6) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ProPower, 9, shock, $400. DNS - 95 Keith Foss (R), Winona, Minn., DirtDueler/Brink, 0, engine, $400. (R) = Rookie of the Year contender. Integra Lap Leaders: Gustin 1-13, Hughes 14-40. Total Laps Led: Hughes 27, Gustin 13. Margin of Victory: 1.249 seconds. AFCO Pole Winner: Shryock. Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger: Timms (started 17th, finished 2nd). Ruter Farms Long Tow Award: Shryock (1,102 miles). Provisional Starter: B. Rowland. Next Race: Thursday, March 24, Rose Bowl Speedway, Winona, Texas. Southeast Region Points: XXXX. Rookie of the Year Points: Foss 328, Ray 316, J. Rowland 315, Schott 287, Egbert 282. COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 65, ProPower 43, ASI 37, CB 35, Sput’s 33. Chassis Builders Championship Points: Hughes 68, Skyrocket 48, Pierce 34, GRT 32, Evolution 31.
