VanderBeek tames Mahaska County Monster

OSKALOOSA, Iowa -- Race fans that braved the heat wave Wednesday night got a fiery hot finish as local favorite Zack VanderBeek used a last-lap pass to win the 10th Annual Arnold Motor Supply Spring Classic as the USMTS National Tour invaded the Southern Iowa Speedway.

After earning the AFCO Pole Award by accumulating the most passing points during the heat races, VanderBeek redrew sixth for the start of the 30-lap WIX Filters “A” Main while Ryan Gustin drew the pole position.

Gustin, who has a series-leading 31 wins over the last two seasons, including both events last year at the Mahaska County Monster, took off at the drop of the green flag and pulled out to a ten-car-length advantage over Corey Dripps during the first 10 laps.

Riding the high side in Gustin’s shadow, Dripps narrowed the margin over the next few laps but VanderBeek snuck by to grab second place on lap 16 and began to run down Gustin.

Three laps later, the yellow flag waved when Shane Demey suffers mechanical trouble in turn 3. With Gustin setting the pace, VanderBeek chose the inside line for the restart and left Dripps on the high side.

On the restart, Gustin abandoned the top groove and pulled in front of VanderBeek on the low side of the half-mile Osky oval. With the top lane all to himself, Dripps powered around the outside of both leaders to lead lap 20.

VanderBeek got around Gustin five laps later and began to track down Dripps. Tucked in behind Dripps as they crossed beneath the white flag, VanderBeek dove to the inside in turns 1-2 and pulled even with Dripps down the back-stretch.

Through the final corner, Dripps could only watch as VanderBeek inched ahead and drove away to cross the finish line two car-lengths ahead.

The $2,000 triumph was third in the last five events for the 26-year-old from nearby New Sharon, and career win number 21 for the 2004 USMTS Rookie of the Year.

Dripps claimed the runner-up finish ahead of Gustin, with Colt Mather and Kelly Shryock rounding out the top 5. Sixth through tenth went to Terry Phillips, Rodney Sanders, Jeremy Payne, Ron Ver Beek and Scott Dickey.

Gustin continues to lead the Arnold Motor Supply Central States Region points with a 47-point cushion over Mather with VanderBeek just one more point back in third. Shryock is fourth, followed by Sanders, Chris Spieker, Tommy Myer, Demey, Al Hejna and Jason Krohn.

Spieker won the first-ever USMTS race at Oskaloosa on June 17, 2002. In the 33 events staged here, Shryock has the most wins with 11.

Wednesday night’s ‘Spring Classic’ was originally scheduled for May 25, but was postponed due to rain.

On Thursday, the series returns to Bloomfield, Iowa, after a hiatus of nearly three years. The last time the USMTS drivers churned the clay at the Davis County Fairgrounds was Aug. 1, 2008, when nine-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock capped a record string of 11 straight wins before Mike Hejna ended Shryock’s streak the following night in Memphis, Mo.

In fact, the USMTS has visited the Bloomfield Speedway five times – all of them won by Shryock.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
USMTS National Tour Arnold Motor Supply Central States Region
10th Annual Arnold Motor Supply Spring Classic
Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Wednesday, July 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. All drivers are locked into the “A” Main, with the top 8 in passing points re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.

ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (3) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
2. (1) 40 Scott Dickey, Packwood, Iowa.
3. (6) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
4. (5) 56 Chris Spieker, Massena, Iowa.
5. (2) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
6. (4) 70 Jesse Dennis, Prescott, Iowa.

NEW VISION GRAPHICS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (2) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
2. (4) 8 Colt Mather, Webster, Iowa.
3. (1) 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa.
4. (5) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
5. (3) 26f Dan Fetters, Montour, Iowa.
6. (6) 15m Shane Demey (R), Denison, Iowa.

EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (2) 7K Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
2. (6) 74x Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
3. (3) 94 Steven Blattler, Oskaloosa, Iowa.
4. (1) R4 Ron Ver Beek, Oskaloosa, Iowa.
5. (4) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa.
6. (5) 5j John Schwab, Liberal, Kan.

WIX FILTERS “A” MAIN (30 laps):
1. (6) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 30, $2000.
2. (2) 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa, BC/Mullins, 30, $1500.
3. (1) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 30, $1000.
4. (5) 8 Colt Mather, Webster, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 30, $900.
5. (4) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ProPower, 30, $800.
6. (13) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Hatfield, 30, $700.
7. (11) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, Hughes/Geddes, 30, $650.
8. (8) 74x Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Hatfield, 30, $600.
9. (12) R4 Ron Ver Beek, Oskaloosa, Iowa, Skyrocket/Midstate, 30, $450.
10. (7) 40 Scott Dickey, Packwood, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 30, $500.
11. (15) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa, BC/JR, 30, $450.
12. (9) 94 Steven Blattler, Oskaloosa, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 30, $300.
13. (14) 26f Dan Fetters, Montour, Iowa, Sidebiter/KSE, 30, $275.
14. (16) 70 Jesse Dennis, Prescott, Iowa, Skyrocket/Midstate, 30, $375.
15. (3) 7K Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, 19, $350.
16. (17) 15m Shane Demey (R), Denison, Iowa, BMS/Demey, 19, $300.
17. (10) 56 Chris Spieker, Massena, Iowa, IROC/PerfMach, 17, $300.
DNS - 5j John Schwab, Liberal, Kan., Ramirez/Cline, 0, $250.

(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.

Integra Lap Leaders: Gustin 1-20, Dripps 21-29, VanderBeek 30.
Total Laps Led: Gustin 20, Dripps 9, VanderBeek 1.
Margin of Victory: 1.008 seconds.
AFCO Pole Winner: VanderBeek.
Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger: Phillips (started 13th, finished 6th).
Next Race: Thursday, July 21, Bloomfield Speedway, Bloomfield, Iowa.
Arnold Motor Supply Central States Region Points: Gustin 386, Mather 339, VanderBeek 338, Shryock 323, Sanders 312, Spieker 237, Tommy Myer 225, Demey 223, Hejna 210, Krohn 183.
Rookie of the Year Points: Jason Grimes 1538, Clyde Dunn Jr. 976, Jimmy Ray 971, Keith Foss 869, Lucas Schott 862.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 378, ProPower 301, Sput’s 268, Geddes 172, ASI 167.
Tiger Rear Ends Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 398, Skyrocket 346, GRT 258, BC 143, Ramirez 80.