JAMESTOWN, N.D. – The USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour made their northern-most stop on the 2010 campaign Saturday night as they invaded the Jamestown Speedway in Jamestown, N.D., for the first time in more than five seasons.
The wait was well worth it for the fans who packed the grandstands overlooking the high-banked quarter-mile clay oval as the drivers served up a thrilling nightcap that saw three lead changes in the final seven laps and a nail-biting finish.
Jason Hughes, who won the last USMTS event at Jamestown on June 18, 2005, drew the pole for the 40-lap WIX Filters “A” Main and slowly pulled away from outside front row starter Ken Schrader. Five laps into the race, defending and nine-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock scooted by Schrader on the inside and began to chase Hughes.
By the ninth lap, the leaders were maneuvering through lapped traffic while Jason Krohn and Zack VanderBeek worked their way into the top five. Using an extremely low line, VanderBeek raced into the runner-up spot on lap 12 while Krohn remained faithful to the equally extreme high line around the racetrack and followed into the third spot.
VanderBeek was able to close up on Hughes several times over the next 18 laps, but Hughes’ ability to navigate traffic helped him rebuild his advantage each time his pursuers got close.
Everything changed on lap 30 when a flat tire on Tim Thomas’ machine spread debris on the racing surface and resulted in the first and only caution of the contest.
After the restart, Hughes had his hands full with VanderBeek peeking underneath in each corner and Krohn zipping around the top of the track, pulling alongside Hughes in the straight-aways.
Meanwhile, fourth-running Schrader joined the rim-riding route and followed Krohn around the top of the track. With a strong run off of turn 4, Krohn edged Hughes by a nose to lead the 34th lap, but Hughes fought back to nip Krohn at the line the next two times around.
Krohn inched ahead again as they completed lap 37 while Hughes continued to hold VanderBeek at bay around the bottom. As they exited the final turn, Krohn chewed away at the cushion with perfection and streaked beneath the checkered flags to take the win and pocket the $2,000 winner’s share of the purse.
Schrader, Hughes and VanderBeek crossed the stripe three-wide with Schrader glued to Krohn’s bumper. Schrader was able to wrestle the runner-up spot away in the final few hundred feet while VanderBeek beat Hughes by a bumper to claim the third position.
Hughes had to settle for a fourth-place paycheck while Jon Tesch rounded out the top-5 finishers.
Shryock, who captured the first two events at Jamestown in 2003 and 2004, came home sixth ahead of 17th-starting Dereck Ramirez, 21st-starting Jason Grimes, Ryan Gustin and Mike Steensma.
Despite his first finish outside of the top-3 in the first seven races of the Dart Great Plains Region presented by Allstar Performance, Gustin continues to hold a healthy points lead on the strength of his four wins. “The Reaper” leads VanderBeek by 51 markers (703 to 652), while Tesch is third with 626 points. Ramirez sits fourth with 510, followed by Steensma (492), Shryock (488), Mike Hansen (468), Chase Junghans (430), Krohn (412) and Grimes (394).
OFFICIAL RESULTS
USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour – Dart Great Plains Region presented by Allstar Performance
4th Annual Dakota 40 presented by 103.1 The Raven
Jamestown Speedway, Jamestown, N.D.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
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 WIX Filters “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.
ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (3) 9 Ken Schrader, Concord, N.C.
2. (5) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
3. (8) 91 Curt Myers (R), Cameron, Wis.
4. (7) 6t Corky Thomas, Fargo, N.D.
5. (4) 19r Ross Romdalvik, West Fargo, N.D.
6. (6) 1 Tim Thomas, West Fargo, N.D.
7. (1) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
8. (2) 128 Jamie Trautner, Felton, Minn.
NEW VISION GRAPHICS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (2) 5 John Corell, Jamestown, N.D.
2. (4) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn.
3. (3) 12h Mike Hansen, Alton, Iowa.
4. (5) 24s Mike Stearns (R), Hecla, S.D.
5. (6) 2j Blake Jegtvig (R), Hawley, Minn.
6. (7) 9 Kent Arment, Aberdeen, S.D.
7. (1) 4t Randy Tarno, Jamestown, N.D.
8. (8) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
SCHOENFELD HEADERS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 12 Jason Hughes, Westville, Okla.
2. (7) 37 Scott Ward, Watertown, S.D.
3. (2) E85 Jason Strand, Portland, N.D.
4. (5) Z28 Mark Trautner, Mahnomen, Minn.
5. (3) 30 Shayne Laske, Moorhead, Minn.
6. (4) 57 Dwight Wegner, Jamestown, N.D.
7. (6) 99 Jason Grimes (R), Jamestown, N.D.
8. (8) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (4) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
2. (3) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D.
3. (5) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
4. (7) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
5. (1) 21 Scott Bender, Aberdeen, S.D.
6. (6) M80 Jim Mathieson, Sioux City, Iowa.
7. (2) 29 Ben Mickelson, Jamestown, N.D.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (10 laps, top 6 advance):
1. (2) 24s Mike Stearns (R), Hecla, S.D.
2. (1) 12h Mike Hansen, Alton, Iowa.
3. (7) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
4. (3) 2j Blake Jegtvig (R), Hawley, Minn.
5. (8) 99 Jason Grimes (R), Jamestown, N.D.
6. (5) 9 Kent Arment, Aberdeen, S.D.
7. (10) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, $90.
8. (4) 30 Shayne Laske, Moorhead, Minn., $75.
9. (9) 128 Jamie Trautner, Felton, Minn., $75.
10. (6) 57 Dwight Wegner, Jamestown, N.D., $75.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (10 laps, top 6 advance):
1. (1) E85 Jason Strand, Portland, N.D.
2. (9) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
3. (7) 4t Randy Tarno, Jamestown, N.D.
4. (2) Z28 Mark Trautner, Mahnomen, Minn.
5. (3) 19r Ross Romdalvik, West Fargo, N.D.
6. (5) 1 Tim Thomas, West Fargo, N.D.
7. (8) 29 Ben Mickelson, Jamestown, N.D., $75.
8. (6) M80 Jim Mathieson, Sioux City, Iowa, $400.
9. (4) 21 Scott Bender, Aberdeen, S.D., $75.
WIX FILTERS “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (7) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s, 40, $2000.
2. (2) 9 Ken Schrader, Concord, N.C., Impressive/Dickens, 40, $1500.
3. (10) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 40, $1000.
4. (1) 12 Jason Hughes, Westville, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $1000.
5. (9) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D., Ramirez/Sput’s, 40, $800.
6. (3) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ASI, 40, $700.
7. (17) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Ramirez/ProPower, 40, $650.
8. (21) 99 Jason Grimes (R), Jamestown, N.D., Hughes/Dakota, 40, $600.
9. (12) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $550.
10. (8) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s, 40, $500.
11. (5) 37 Scott Ward, Watertown, S.D., Arrow/Sput’s, 40, $475.
12. (16) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., Hughes/Sput’s, 40, $450.
13. (6) 5 John Corell, Jamestown, N.D., Shaw/Dakota, 40, $275.
14. (15) 12h Mike Hansen, Alton, Iowa, GRT/PerfOnly, 40, $400.
15. (4) 91 Curt Myers (R), Cameron, Wis., Shaw/Mullins, 40, $375.
16. (23) 9 Kent Arment, Aberdeen, S.D., Arrow/Sturdy, 39, $250.
17. (14) E85 Jason Strand, Portland, N.D., Shaw/G-Force, 39, $250.
18. (13) 24s Mike Stearns (R), Hecla, S.D., Fegers/Schwarting’s, 39, $300.
19. (11) 6t Corky Thomas, Fargo, N.D., Shaw/Mullins, 39, $250.
20. (18) 4t Randy Tarno, Jamestown, N.D., J-Car/Dakota, 39, $250.
21. (22) 19r Ross Romdalvik, West Fargo, N.D., J-Car/Tesar, 39, $250.
22. (24) 1 Tim Thomas, West Fargo, N.D., Shaw/TBD, 30, flat tire, $250.
23. (19) 2j Blake Jegtvig (R), Hawley, Minn., Shaw/Mullins, 29, overheating, $300.
24. (20) Z28 Mark Trautner, Mahnomen, Minn., Taylor/Dakota, 24, mechanical, $250.
(R) = DandyLand Farms Rookie of the Year contender.
WIX Filters Lap Leaders: Hughes 1-33, Krohn 34, Hughes 35-36, Krohn 37-40.
Total Laps Led: Hughes 35, Krohn 5.
Margin of Victory: 0.347 second.
AFCO Pole Winner: Krohn.
PBM Performance Products Hard Charger: Grimes (started 21st, finished 8th).
Ruter Farms Long Tow: Hughes (960.5 miles).
Next Race: Sunday, Aug. 1, Nobles County Speedway, Worthington, Minn.
Dart Great Plains Region Points: Gustin 703, VanderBeek 652, Tesch 626, Ramirez 510, Steensma 492, Shryock 488, Hansen 468, Junghans 430, Krohn 412, Grimes 394.
DandyLand Farms Rookie of the Year Points: Johnny Scott 1283, Nick Deal 650, Grimes 473, Myers 411, Lucas Schott 396.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 260, Sput’s 254, ASI 186, AEM 102, KSE 97.
Chassis Builders Championship Points: Hughes 259, Skyrocket 250, GRT 188, Ramirez 180, BC 95.
Contingency Awards:
Ai-Racing – Gustin.
American Racer – Schrader.
Belleville Motor Sports – Tesch, Steensma, Myers.
Dart Machinery – Junghans.
Eibach Springs – Krohn.
Forty9Designs.com – Hughes, Gustin.
Hooker Harness – not awarded.
Isky Racing Cams – not awarded.
KSE Racing Products – Steensma.
Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.
Out-Pace Racing Products – Ward.
PBM Performance Products – Grimes.
Quarter Master – Krohn, Grimes.
QuickTime – Ramirez.
Real Racing Wheels – not awarded.
Schoenfeld Headers – Hughes.
WIX Filters – Krohn, Hughes.
