SPRING VALLEY, Minn. -- Zack VanderBeek of New Sharon, Iowa, had the other 55 drivers seeing pink Wednesday night as the USMTS National Tour stormed into the Deer Creek Speedway to join the World of Outlaws Late Model Series for the 32nd Annual NAPA Gopher 50.
VanderBeek announced earlier this week that his #33z Skyrocket would be embellished with the pink and black colors in support of the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure to fight and find a cure for breast cancer, and he may want to keep the colors for a little while longer as he notched his second win in a row after going winless for the first half of the year.
From the outside of the front row, Jon Tesch of Watertown, S.D., grabbed the lead at the drop of the green flag to start the 40-lap WIX Filters “A” Main, but AFCO Pole Award winner Mike Steensma wrestled the lead away the next time around.
Looking for his second career USMTS victory, Steensma kept Tesch and VanderBeek at bay for the next 19 laps despite four cautions that kept his pursuers within striking distance.
Meanwhile, Ryan Gustin was giving the fans a show back in the pack. After struggling in his heat race and missing the main event cut by one spot in the third Real Racing Wheels “B” Main, ‘The Reaper’ was forced to use a provisional to give him the 27th and last starting spot on the grid.
But after just 17 laps, Gustin was already up to eighth and had the leaders in his crosshairs while Steve Wetzstein was up to fourth after starting in the 18th position.
The race’s fifth yellow flag on lap 20, however, gave VanderBeek the opportunity he was looking for and the 26-year-old from New Sharon, Iowa, blasted around the high side to snare the top spot away from Steensma.
Two more cautions quieted the engines during the last half of the race.
The first occurred when a radiator hose broke on Tesch’s machine and spewed steam and water onto the racing surface with 28 laps in the books.
With just five laps to go, the final caution waved with Wetzstein and Gustin now running second and third behind VanderBeek, but ‘The Z-Man’ was flawless on the restart and during the final five orbits as he sailed to a $3,050 payday, including a $1,000 bonus from NAPA Auto Parts.
With an advantage of 1.860 seconds at the finish line, it was the 20th win of VanderBeek’s USMTS career which started in 2004 when he captured the USMTS Rookie of the Year Award.
Wetzstein passed 16 cars to finish second and Gustin earned the Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger Award by passing 24 cars en route to a third-place finish. Steensma held on for fourth while Tommy Myer climbed to fifth after starting 16th.
Jason Cummins, nine-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock, Rodney Sanders, Jason Miller and 2008 USMTS National Champion Tim Donlinger rounded out the top 10 finishers.
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OFFICIAL RESULTS
USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour
powered by Swan Energy
Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region
32nd Annual
NAPA Gopher 50
Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn.
Wednesday, July
13, 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 14 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. (1) 3 Kelly
Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
2. (3) 69 Lucas Schott (R), Chatfield, Minn.
3.
(5) 0 Les Duellman, Winona, Minn.
4. (9) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa.
5.
(4) 1T Tim Thomas, West Fargo, N.D.
6. (2) 20 Cole Queensland (R), Grand
Meadow, Minn.
7. (6) 27 Don Gerritsen Jr., Rock Rapids, Iowa.
8. (7) 30
Shane Wehrs (R), Bangor, Wis.
9. (8) 77 Tom Brink, Winona, Minn.
10. (10)
1A Dwaine Hanson, Lakefield, Minn.
NEW VISION GRAPHICS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (1) 12M
Jason Miller, Osceola, Wis.
2. (3) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3.
(9) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
4. (5) 15 Brian Shaw, Brownsdale,
Minn.
5. (4) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
6. (10) 95 Keith Foss (R),
Winona, Minn.
7. (8) 96x Jay Ihrke, Dover, Minn.
8. (2) 26F Dan Fetters,
Montour, Iowa.
9. (7) 21x Joe Wernecke, Dodge Center, Minn.
10. (6) R21
Ryan Schaffer, Corning, Iowa.
EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (2) 7 Eric
Dailey (R), Armstrong, Iowa.
2. (4) 49 Bob Timm, Winona, Minn.
3. (5)
50iii Brandon Davis (R), Medford, Minn.
4. (3) 99s Bobby Swanson, Kasson,
Minn.
5. (8) 19 Mike Sorensen, Rochester, Minn.
6. (6) 7k Jason Krohn,
Slayton, Minn.
7. (7) 72 Doug Hillson, Blooming Prairie, Minn.
8. (1) 431
Mike Gibson (R), Star Prairie, Wis.
9. (9) 28 Bill Clemens (R), Chatfield,
Minn.
PBM PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (3)
555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa.
2. (6) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon,
Iowa.
3. (2) 711 Nate Caruth, Ames, Iowa.
4. (7) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy,
Texas.
5. (4) 19R Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
6. (1) 99 Jason Grimes
(R), Jamestown, N.D.
7. (8) 60 Kurt Krauskopf, Decorah, Iowa.
8. (5) 20r
Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
9. (9) 29H Joe Horgdal (R), Kasson, Minn.
MINER’S OUTDOOR & REC HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):
1. (1)
96S Kevin Stoa, Albert Lea, Minn.
2. (2) 71 Jason Cummins, New Richland,
Minn.
3. (4) 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn.
4. (7) 66 Dan Bohr,
Decorah, Iowa.
5. (3) 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa.
6. (8) 56 Chris
Spieker, Massena, Iowa.
7. (5) 5W Darrin Walch, Postville, Iowa.
8. (6) 90
Steve Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn.
9. (9) 23K Darwin Karau, Kasson,
Minn.
HUSQVARNA HEAT RACE #6 (8 laps):
1. (4) 10 Mike Steensma,
Luverne, Minn.
2. (5) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D.
3. (6) 3d Tim
Donlinger, Rochester, Minn.
4. (8) 52w Nate Wasmund, Rochester, Minn.
5.
(2) 00 Steve Arpin, Cornelius, N.C.
6. (1) 4A Joel Alberts, Mantorville,
Minn.
7. (7) 01 Brandon Aggen, Rushmore, Minn.
8. (9) 52 Jason Thoennes
(R), Garfield, Minn.
9. (3) 1X Cody Erickson, Ulen, Minn.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 4
advance):
1. (2) 52w Nate Wasmund, Rochester, Minn.
2. (12) 90
Steve Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn.
3. (1) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake,
Iowa.
4. (10) 01 Brandon Aggen, Rushmore, Minn.
5. (8) 4A Joel Alberts,
Mantorville, Minn., Skyrocket/Action, $90.
6. (13) 28 Bill Clemens (R),
Chatfield, Minn., /, $90.
7. (9) 27 Don Gerritsen Jr., Rock Rapids, Iowa,
Skyrocket/HarryHeads, $75.
8. (4) 19 Mike Sorensen, Rochester, Minn.,
Hughes/Action, $75.
9. (14) 1X Cody Erickson, Ulen, Minn.,
Impressive/Mullins, $75.
10. (5) 1T Tim Thomas, West Fargo, N.D.,
Hughes/GForce, $75.
11. (7) 20 Cole Queensland (R), Grand Meadow, Minn.,
Pierce/Action, $90.
12. (6) 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa, BC/Mullins,
$90.
13. (11) 26F Dan Fetters, Montour, Iowa, Sidebiter/KSE, $90.
14. (3)
66 Dan Bohr, Decorah, Iowa, GRT/Sput’s, $90.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 4
advance):
1. (2) 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn.
2. (8)
96x Jay Ihrke, Dover, Minn.
3. (6) 00 Steve Arpin, Cornelius, N.C.
4. (7)
7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
5. (4) 99s Bobby Swanson, Kasson, Minn.,
Skyrocket/Sput’s, $90.
6. (5) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s,
$90.
7. (10) 52 Jason Thoennes (R), Garfield, Minn., MasterSbilt/Sower,
$90.
8. (3) 711 Nate Caruth, Ames, Iowa, Shaw/Sput’s, $75.
9. (11) 431
Mike Gibson (R), Star Prairie, Wis., Matrix/Tim’s, $90.
10. (12) 77 Tom
Brink, Winona, Minn., TRE/Grove, $90.
11. (9) 72 Doug Hillson, Blooming
Prairie, Minn., Hillson/CRE, $90.
12. (1) 0 Les Duellman, Winona, Minn.,
DirtDueler/Brink, $90.
13. (13) 29H Joe Horgdal (R), Kasson, Minn.,
Skyrocket/, $90.
14. (14) 1A Dwaine Hanson, Lakefield, Minn., Harris/A&M,
$75.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #3 (12 laps, top 4
advance):
1. (1) 50iii Brandon Davis, Medford, Minn.
2. (2) 20
Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
3. (4) 95 Keith Foss, Winona, Minn.
4. (6)
56 Chris Spieker, Massena, Iowa.
5. (5) 19R Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa,
Hughes/Mullins.
6. (9) 5W Darrin Walch, Postville, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s,
$90.
7. (7) 99 Jason Grimes (R), Jamestown, N.D., Hughes/Dakota, $90.
8.
(12) 21x Joe Wernecke, Dodge Center, Minn., Sidebiter/KSE, $90.
9. (11) 20r
Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, $90.
10. (10) 30 Shane Wehrs
(R), Bangor, Wis., Hughes/Tomcat, $90.
11. (13) 23K Darwin Karau, Kasson,
Minn., /, $75.
12. (3) 15 Brian Shaw, Brownsdale, Minn., Harris/Premier,
$75.
13. (8) 60 Kurt Krauskopf, Decorah, Iowa, Harris/Sput’s, $75.
14.
(14) R21 Ryan Schaffer, Corning, Iowa, Bullet/Midstate, $75.
WIX FILTERS “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (4) 33z Zack
VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 40, $3050.
2. (18) 90 Steve
Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s, 40, $1500.
3. (27) 19R Ryan
Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $1200.
4. (1) 10 Mike
Steensma, Luverne, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s, 40, $900.
5. (16) 65 Tommy Myer,
Blooming Prairie, Minn., GRT/Sput’s, 40, $800.
6. (14) 71 Jason Cummins, New
Richland, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, 40, $700.
7. (8) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile,
Iowa, Skyrocket/ProPower, 40, $750.
8. (20) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas,
Hughes/Geddes, 40, $700.
9. (5) 12M Jason Miller, Osceola, Wis.,
Matrix/Mullins, 40, $550.
10. (13) 3d Tim Donlinger, Rochester, Minn.,
Skyrocket/Sput’s, 40, $500.
11. (17) 50iii Brandon Davis (R), Medford, Minn.,
BC/GMPP, 40, $450.
12. (19) 96x Jay Ihrke, Dover, Minn., Fegers/Dean, 40,
$425.
13. (3) 7 Eric Dailey (R), Armstrong, Iowa, Skyrocket/Grawmondbeck’s,
40, $400.
14. (12) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 40,
$375.
15. (24) 01 Brandon Aggen, Rushmore, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s, 40,
$350.
16. (23) 95 Keith Foss (R), Winona, Minn., DirtDueler/Brink, 35,
mechanical, $300.
17. (10) 49 Bob Timm, Winona, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, 28,
mechanical, $300.
18. (6) 555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa, Sidebiter/KSE, 28,
mechanical, $300.
19. (2) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D., GRT/Sput’s, 28,
radiator, $400.
20. (15) 52w Nate Wasmund, Rochester, Minn., Hughes/KSE, 23,
mechanical, $250.
21. (9) 96S Kevin Stoa, Albert Lea, Minn., Skyrocket/KSE,
20, mechanical, $300.
22. (22) 00 Steve Arpin, Cornelius, N.C., Shaw/Action,
20, mechanical, $350.
23. (25) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s,
19, mechanical, $300.
24. (26) 56 Chris Spieker, Massena, Iowa,
IROC/PerfMach, 17, mechanical, $300.
25. (7) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.,
Hughes/Mullins, 10, mechanical, $300.
26. (11) 69 Lucas Schott (R),
Chatfield, Minn., Hughes/GMPP, 8, mechanical, $300.
27. (21) 7 Al Hejna,
Clear Lake, Iowa, BC/JR, 8, mechanical, $400.
(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.
Integra Lap Leaders: Tesch 1, Steensma 2-20, VanderBeek
21-40.
Total Laps Led: VanderBeek 20, Steensma 19, Tesch
1.
Margin of Victory: 1.860 seconds.
AFCO Pole
Winner: Steensma.
Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard
Charger: Gustin (started 27th, finished 3rd).
Ruter Farms
Long Tow Award: Arpin (1,133 miles).
Provisional
Starter: Gustin.
Next Race: Thursday, July 14,
Chateau Raceway, Lansing, Minn.
Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region
Points: Gustin 629, VanderBeek 582, Shryock 559, Sanders 500, Tesch
471, Miller 469, Dripps 457, Hejna 442, Krohn 427, Grimes 424.
Rookie
of the Year Points: Jason Grimes 1404, Clyde Dunn Jr. 976, Jimmy Ray
971, Jeff Rowland 843, Philip Houston 807.
COMP Cams Engine Builder
of the Year Points: Mullins 350, ProPower 283, Sput’s 239, ASI 167,
Geddes 150.
Tiger Rear Ends Manufacturers Championship
Points: Hughes 373, Skyrocket 319, GRT 234, BC 124, Ramirez 80.
