Gustin returns to victory lane at Highway 3 Raceway

 

ALLISON, Iowa -- The Hunt for the USMTS National Championship took to the half-mile Highway 3 Raceway Thursday night and Ryan Gustin rolled to his fifth win during the championship chase with a dominating performance in the main event.

It was three years and three days ago tonight that Gustin won his first USMTS race on the Butler County Fairgrounds clay at the age of 17.

His victory tonight was his 23rd of the year – more than twice that of his nearest competitor – and 47th of his career, which is third all time behind his two closest pursuers in the points – Kelly Shryock and Jason Hughes.

With a new twist on the qualifying format, drivers timed in during group time trials to set the fields for the four heat races.

After winning his heat and the six-lap dash, Gustin started on the pole for the WIX Filters “A” Main, which ran caution-free for the 35-lap distance and took less than 13 minutes to complete.

But Gustin didn’t lead every lap.

Hughes, who started fourth, got by the leader on the second lap and led through lap 8 before ‘The Reaper’ raced by to lead the ninth lap.

From there, the race was for second as Gustin cruised to a $2,360 payday and padded his points lead in the Hunt for the USMTS National Championship.

Hughes settled for the runner-up spot with Johnny Scott taking third, Zack VanderBeek fourth and Shryock rounding out the top-5 finishers.

VanderBeek started 12th and passed eight cars to earn the Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger Award for a series-best seventh time this season.

Colt Mather, who held off Gustin here on May 26 for his career-first USMTS victory, finished sixth in Thursday’s nightcap with Jon Tesch, Ryan Ruter, Rodney Sanders and Dereck Ramirez completing the first ten to cross beneath the checkered flags.

Gustin now leads Shryock by 134 markers with 13 of 22 events in the books. Hughes is 151 points behind in third, followed by Tesch (-201), Scott (-225), VanderBeek (-242), Dustin Boney (-331), Tommy Myer (-384), Sanders (-401) and Ramirez (-408).

Tomorrow night will find the USMTS touring titans at Darin Toot’s Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minn., for the 6th Annual Cedar River Race where the 1/3-mile semi-banked clay oval always provides for exciting side-by-side racing from the drop of the first green flag to the final checkered flag.

During a stop here Memorial Day Weekend, fans witnessed a wild finish that saw Gustin and rookie Brandon Davis make contact while racing for the lead with Davis ending up on the end of the wrecker while Gustin coasted into the winner’s circle.

Other former USMTS event winners at the Chateau Raceway include Doug Hillson, Jason Hughes, Tim Donlinger, Jason Krohn, Tommy Myer, Jon Tesch, Kelly Shryock and Mike Chasteen. Both Tesch and Gustin have two wins at the lightning-fast bullring.

Gates open at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 7 and racing to follow. Also racing Friday night will be WISSOTA Midwest Mods, Street Stocks and Pure Stocks.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
The Hunt for the USMTS  National Championship
6th Annual Event
Highway 3 Raceway, Allison, Iowa
Thursday, September 1, 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 12 drivers in passing points accumulated in the heat races are locked into the “A” Main.

ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (1) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
2. (3) 66 Dan Bohr, Decorah, Iowa.
3. (2) 555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa.
4. (4) 69 Lucas Schott (R), Chatfield, Minn.
5. (8) 56 Chris Spieker, Massena, Iowa.
6. (6) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan.
7. (9) 12e Mark Elliott, Webster City, Iowa.
8. (7) 02 Jacob Dahle, Morristown, Minn.
9. (5) 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn.

NEW VISION GRAPHICS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (4) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
2. (3) 8 Colt Mather, Webster, Iowa.
3. (1) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
4. (2) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
5. (5) 21 Todd Hansen, Muscatine, Iowa.
6. (6) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
7. (8) 68 Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa.
8. (7) 26f Dan Fetters, Montour, Iowa.

EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (2) 7 Eric Dailey (R), Armstrong, Iowa.
3. (3) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D.
4. (4) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
5. (6) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
6. (5) 99 Jason Grimes (R), Jamestown, N.D.
7. (8) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa.
8. (7) 20L Zach Less (R), Hopkinton, Iowa.

PBM PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (3) 22 Dustin Boney, Platte City, Mo.
2. (4) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
3. (2) 77 Kurt Kile, Nichols, Iowa.
4. (1) 27m Mark Schulte, Delhi, Iowa.
5. (7) 90 Steve Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn.
6. (8) 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa.
7. (6) 26p Kevin Pittman, Waterloo, Iowa.
8. (5) 19g Richie Gustin Jr., Gilman, Iowa.

DASH (6 laps, finish determines “A” Main line-up):
1. (1) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
2. (2) 22 Dustin Boney, Platte City, Mo.
3. (4) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
4. (5) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
5. (3) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
6. (6) 8 Colt Mather, Webster, Iowa.
7. (7) 7 Eric Dailey (R), Armstrong, Iowa.
DNS - 66 Dan Bohr, Decorah, Iowa.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (10 laps, top 6 advance):
1. (2) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
2. (3) 27m Mark Schulte, Delhi, Iowa.
3. (4) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
4. (7) 12e Mark Elliott, Webster City, Iowa.
5. (11) 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn.
6. (8) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa.
7. (6) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
8. (9) 02 Jacob Dahle, Morristown, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, $75.
9. (10) 20L Zach Less (R), Hopkinton, Iowa, Stewart/Stewart, $75.
10. (5) 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa, BC/Mullins, $90.
11. (1) 56 Chris Spieker, Massena, Iowa, IROC/PerfMach, $90.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (10 laps, top 6 advance):
1. (2) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
2. (4) 21 Todd Hansen, Muscatine, Iowa.
3. (1) 69 Lucas Schott (R), Chatfield, Minn.
4. (3) 90 Steve Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn.
5. (6) 99 Jason Grimes (R), Jamestown, N.D.
6. (5) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan.
7. (9) 26f Dan Fetters, Montour, Iowa, Sidebiter/KSE, $75.
8. (7) 68 Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa, $75.
9. (10) 19g Richie Gustin Jr., Gilman, Iowa, Skyrocket/Heckt, $75.
10. (8) 26p Kevin Pittman, Waterloo, Iowa, Victory/AEM, $75.

WIX FILTERS “A” MAIN (35 laps):
1. (1) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 35, $2360.
2. (4) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 35, $1600.
3. (3) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Hughes/ASI, 35, $1100.
4. (12) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 35, $1110.
5. (9) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ProPower, 35, $910.
6. (6) 8 Colt Mather, Webster, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 35, $775.
7. (10) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D., GRT/Sput’s, 35, $650.
8. (8) 555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa, Sidebiter/Sput’s, 35, $600.
9. (13) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, Hughes/Geddes, 35, $660.
10. (16) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 35, $500.
11. (5) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 35, $525.
12. (7) 7 Eric Dailey (R), Armstrong, Iowa, Skyrocket/Grawmondbeck’s, 35, $350.
13. (2) 22 Dustin Boney, Platte City, Mo., Hughes/Sput’s, 35, $550.
14. (20) 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn., GRT/GMPP, 35, $400.
15. (22) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa, BC/JR, 34, $350.
16. (17) 69 Lucas Schott (R), Chatfield, Minn., Hughes/Action, 34, $300.
17. (14) 27m Mark Schulte, Delhi, Iowa, GRT/Grove, 34, $250.
18. (23) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan., Hughes/Mullins, 34, $300.
19. (11) 77 Kurt Kile, Nichols, Iowa, GRT/AEM, 24, mechanical, $250.
20. (18) 12e Mark Elliott, Webster City, Iowa, 23, mechanical, $250.
21. (19) 90 Steve Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s, 15, mechanical, $250.
22. (21) 99 Jason Grimes (R), Jamestown, N.D., Hughes/Dakota, 14, mechanical, $300.
23. (15) 21 Todd Hansen, Muscatine, Iowa, GRT/Stewart, 6, mechanical, $250.
DNS - 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., GRT/Sput’s, 0, did not start, $300.
DNS - 66 Dan Bohr, Decorah, Iowa, GRT/Sput’s, 0, did not start, $250.

(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.

Integra Lap Leaders: Ryan Gustin 1, Hughes 2-8, Ryan Gustin 9-35.
Total Laps Led: Ryan Gustin 28, Hughes 7.
Margin of Victory: 3.806 seconds.
AFCO Pole Winner: Ryan Gustin.
Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger: VanderBeek (started 12th, finished 4th).
Provisional Starter: Junghans.
Next Race: Friday, Sept. 2, Chateau Raceway, Lansing, Minn.
National Championship Points: Gustin 1300, Shryock 1166, Hughes 1149, Tesch 1099, Scott 1075, VanderBeek 1058, Boney 969, Myer 916, Sanders 899, Ramirez 892.
Rookie of the Year Points: Grimes 1689, Schott 1601, Keith Foss 1571, Clyde Dunn Jr. 976, Jimmy Ray 971.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 550, ProPower 446, Sput’s 420, ASI 257, Geddes 248.
Tiger Rear Ends Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 582, Skyrocket 510, GRT 409, BC 241, Sidebiter 163.