Dripps takes down USMTS feature at Brown County Speedway

ABERDEEN, S.D. -- Corey Dripps of Waterloo, Iowa, grabbed the checkered flag Friday night as the USMTS National Tour invaded the Brown County Speedway in Aberdeen, S.D.

Polesitter Ryan Gustin took charge at the drop of the green flag in Friday’s feature race and led the first 30 laps before trouble found the winningest driver this season with just ten laps remaining in the WIX Filters “A” Main.

While maneuvering through lapped traffic, Gustin closed in on Cody Sholpp to put the Canadian youngster a lap down. But before Gustin could make his move, the engine in Scholpp’s machine went up in smoke and Gustin made hard contact.

The result was Gustin’s night ending in the pit area while Dripps inherited the lead for the restart.

Dripps was flawless over the final ten circuits and sailed to his first win since August of last year and a $2,000 pay day.

Jason Krohn recorded the runner-up finish with Jason Grimes third, Ryan Ruter fourth and Kelly Shryock finishing fifth. Sixth through tenth were 17th-starting Zack VanderBeek, Scott Ward, Al Hejna, Rodney Sanders and Mike Stearns.

Two more events in the Farm Boy BBQ Sauce Great Plains Region are on tap as the rugged USMTS road warriors continue their grueling stretch of 17 races over the course of 19 days during Summer Speedweeks with a return to the Jamestown Speedway in Jamestown, N.D., on Saturday night.

Shryock captured the first two events at Jamestown in 2003 and 2004 en route to his fifth and sixth USMTS titles, while Hughes was the winner in 2005. After a ten-year hiatus, the series returned to Don Gumke’s high-banked quarter-mile clay oval last year with Jason Krohn getting the victory.