WESTVILLE, Okla. – He’s the two-time defending champion of the USMTS Castle Rock Recruiting Southern Series and ranks second on the all-time win list for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour with 64 career wins, but something has been missing for Jason Hughes during the first eleven seasons of the United States Modified Touring Series.
Hughes has wound up among the top-5 in the final points standings on six occasions, including two third-place showings and a career-best runner-up finish in 2007, but the title of USMTS National Champion has eluded him each season.
Now, with just five events remaining to determine the 2010 titleist, Hughes is in the driver’s seat.
The 36-year-old chassis builder from Westville, Okla., has positioned himself as the odds-on favorite to claim the title coming into the final week of competition.
There’s an 85-point margin between Hughes and his nearest pursuer, Ryan Gustin.
That’s exactly the advantage he needs in next Saturday’s season finale at the 12th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree in order to have the 2010 USMTS National Championship clinched going into the final night of the three-day competition.
With 15 victories this season, Gustin has grabbed more checkered flags than any other driver this season, so “The Reaper” begin able to reel in Hughes is not unlikely.
Hughes, however, has been a model of consistency during the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship presented by Bad Boy Mowers with 12 top-five finishes and 13 top-tens in 14 starts.
Tommy Myer lost ground in the last two events but is still alive and sits third in the standings, 123 markers behind the leader. Fourth is Zack VanderBeek (-126), followed by 2007 USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn (-213), nine-time and defending USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock (-238), Rodney Sanders (-308), Dereck Ramirez (-326), Jon Tesch (-354) and Johnny Scott (-371).
The Southern Iowa Speedway welcomes back the USMTS Modifieds on Monday, Sept. 20, for the 7th Annual Musco Lighting Southern Iowa Challenge. The event, which was rained-out on Sept. 1, will be the 32nd time the series has visited the historic “Mahaska County Monster.”
Gustin won the last time when the series invaded the semi-banked half-mile oval on May 26, but Kelly Shryock owns the most wins at Osky with 11 triumphs to his credit, but the last of which came in August 2006.
Also on tap will be the Dart Iron Man Challenge for USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Cars, plus USRA B-Mods and USRA Hobby Stocks. Gates open at 5:30, hot laps begin at 7:15 and racing starts at 7:30.
The Southern Iowa Speedway is a half-mile semi-banked clay oval located 0.5 mile west of US 63 on SR 92, then 0.3 mile north on I St. (at the Southern Iowa Fairgrounds). For more information, call 515-832-6000 or visit www.rlpromotions.com online. Race day info is available by calling the track hotline at 641-673-7004.
On Tuesday, Sept. 21, the rugged USMTS road warriors return to the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, Iowa, for the 6th Annual Hawkeye Summer Classic presented by Schroeder Racing Products which was rained-out on Sept. 2.
NASCAR veteran racer and broadcaster Kenny Wallace will be competing at both the Oskaloosa and Allison events.
The 2010 season USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour will conclude at the 12th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 23-25, at the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., where the 2010 USMTS National Champion will be crowned.
POINTS STANDINGS AS OF SEPT. 16, 2010:
1. 12 Jason Hughes, Westville, Okla. ... 1351
2. 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa ... 1266
3. 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn. ... 1228
4. 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa ... 1225
5. 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn. ... 1138
6. 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa ... 1113
7. 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas ... 1043
8. 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla. ... 1025
9. 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D. ... 997
10. 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 980
11. 3d Tim Donlinger, Rochester, Minn. ... 979
12. 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa ... 943
13. 8 Colt Mather, Webster, Iowa ... 899
14. 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa ... 892
15. 02 Tommy Weder Jr., Woodward, Okla. ... 855
16. 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan. ... 678
17. 90 Steve Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn. ... 385
18. 12h Mike Hansen, Alton, Iowa ... 356
19. 72 Doug Hillson, Blooming Prairie, Minn. ... 353
20. 85d Mark Dotson, Cameron, Mo. ... 293
21. 12 Johnny Bone Jr., Pea Ridge, Ark. ... 277
22. 17 Lucas Conley, Spring Hill, Kan. ... 275
23. 12 Mark Elliott, Webster City, Iowa ... 248
24. M80 Jim Mathieson, Sioux City, Iowa ... 191
25. 98 John Allen, Chanute, Kan. ... 161
26. 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn. ... 158
27. X2 Brian Bolin, Fort Scott, Kan. ... 109
28. 11 Ryan Peckham, Corning, Iowa ... 67
29. 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla. ... 18
30. 5r Morgan Bagley, Longview, Texas ... 16
31. 111 Bumper Jones, Mesilla Park, N.M. ... 15
32. 5 Steve Holzkamper, Gentry, Ark. ... 13
33. 55d Nick Deal, Walnut, Iowa ... 11
33. 89 Steven Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas ... 11
35. 5w John O Whittington, Vidor, Texas ... 7
36. 9 Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La. ... 5
36. 7x Rory Jordan, Victoria, Texas ... 5
36. 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan. ... 5
36. 20 Troy Seidl, Magnolia, Texas ... 5
