BAYTOWN, Texas -- Start Jason Hughes deep in the field of a USMTS main event and he is still a favorite to win on any given night at any given track, but put him on the front row on a racetrack where he has won more time than any other driver and he borders on unbeatable.
Friday night at the Royal Purple Raceway, Hughes started on the front row of the 40-lap “A” Main and that was as close as anybody got to the 2010 USMTS National Champion as led every lap en route to a $4,000 victory on the second night of the 3rd Annual Texas Spring Nationals.
Defending USMTS National Champion Ryan Gustin got by polesitter Stormy Scott after a restart with seven laps to go and claimed the runner-up spot while Scott settled for third.
John O Whittington, who won here a year ago, was fourth and nine-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock rounded out the top 5 finishers.
“We got lucky and drew the front row outside and kind of cruised around and saved our equipment,” Hughes said following the win. “I saw Stormy show his nose a time or two so I’d gas it up and go on a little bit and then kind of cruised it to save my tires a little bit.
“I didn’t want to abuse my equipment and get passed on the last lap.”
Unlike Thursday night’s race where weather played havoc with the track and made for a bumpy racing surface in some areas, Friday’s feature provided a smooth slick surface but still plenty of action.
“Last night after 35 laps I could hardly breathe when we got done,” Hughes said. “But tonight we had a lot smoother race track. They’ve worked on the track, I figure they’ll work on it some more and it’ll be event better tomorrow like it was last year.”
The win was number 105 for his USMTS career and gave Hughes his sixth triumph at the quarter-mile clay oval in Baytown, Texas. It also put the 37-year-old from Watts, Okla., in the driver’s seat in his quest to claim the USMTS National Championship and the $30,000 check that awaits the champion.
Clyde Dunn Jr. earned a sixth-place finish Friday night to give Hughes Racing Chassis three of the first six to cross the finish line. Chris Henigan, Rodney Sanders, Steen Whiteaker Jr. and Johnny Scott completed the top 10.
The nation’s elite open-wheel dirt Modified drivers return on Saturday for another $4,000-to-win, $400-to-start USMTS National Championship Series event. USRA Western Flyer HotMods will also be racing for $900 to win.
The pit gate opens at 2 p.m., grandstands open at 4 and the first heat race hits the track at 5:30.
The Royal Purple Raceway is located just east of Houston on I-10 to exit 799, then 2.5 miles south on SH 99 (Grand Parkway), then 0.3 mile west on FM 565. For more information, call the track office at 281-383-7223 or visit www.royalpurpleraceway.com online.
To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
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OFFICIAL RESULTS
USMTS National Championship Series
3rd Annual
Texas Spring Nationals – Night 2 of 3
Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown,
Texas
Friday, Feb. 24, 2012
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. (3) 97 Cade
Dillard (R), Robeline, La.
2. (4) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
3. (8)
18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
4. (9) 12c Corey Babbitt, Channelview,
Texas.
5. (2) 24 Sean Jones, Mansfield, Texas.
6. (10) 89 Steven Whiteaker
Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas.
7. (7) 127 Glen Hibbard (R), Euless, Texas.
8.
(6) 41 Jordan Foster (R), Henry, S.D.
9. (5) 19 Pete Sagmiller, Spring,
Texas.
10. (11) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
11. (1) 22 Brad Buck
(R), Paragould, Ark.
DNS - 56 David Horner, Houston, Texas.
HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (2) 2s Stormy Scott, Las
Cruces, N.M.
2. (5) 16 Chris Henigan, Marshall, Texas.
3. (4) 186 Jeremy
Payne, Springfield, Mo.
4. (3) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
5. (9) 6x
Rob Litton (R), Alexandria, La.
6. (6) 2j John Anderson, Omaha, Neb.
7.
(7) 91 Joe Duvall, Chelsea, Okla.
8. (10) 14 David Ashley, Zachary, La.
9.
(8) 23 Howard Willis, Dayton, Texas.
10. (1) 77 Brian Craighead (R),
Farmerville, La.
11. (11) 25 Ron Keith (R), Shawnee, Kan.
EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 5w John O
Whittington, Vidor, Texas.
2. (3) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
3. (5)
14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D.
4. (2) 1 T.J. Herndon (R), Atwood, Tenn.
5.
(4) 85d Mark Dotson, Cameron, Mo.
6. (6) 14t Tristan Dycus, Midlothian,
Texas.
7. (7) 5˘ Chris Buhler (R), Baton Rouge, La.
8. (10) 44 Marcus
Berndt (R), Katy, Texas.
9. (8) 68 Danny Barringer, Lufkin, Texas.
10.
(11) 5* Casey Penn (R), Shreveport, La.
11. (9) 27f James Allen Farmer (R),
Aubrey, Texas.
PBM PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (1) 12
Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
2. (3) 8t Dustin Hyde, Texarkana, Texas.
3. (2)
60 Kurt Krauskopf (R), Decorah, Iowa.
4. (4) A1 Phil Dixon, Crosby,
Texas.
5. (7) 88t William Turner (R), Yukon, Okla.
6. (8) J17 Jacob
Gallardo (R), Las Cruces, N.M.
7. (10) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla.
8.
(9) 73 Mickey Burrell, Fair Grove, Mo.
9. (6) 11 Danny Hebert (R), Duson,
La.
10. (5) 5m Joe Mayhew, Highlands, Texas.
DNS - 11x Rich Lofthus (R),
Bloomer, Wis.
HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):
1. (2) 1st Johnny Scott, Las
Cruces, N.M.
2. (1) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.
3. (4) 9 Shane
Hebert, Lafayette, La.
4. (3) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn.
5. (7) 20r
Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
6. (8) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield,
Mo.
7. (9) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
8. (6) G17 Fito Gallardo
(R), Las Cruces, N.M.
9. (10) 00 Jay Marshall (R), Brooksville, Fla.
10.
(5) 715 Jeff Hoegh, New Caney, Texas.
RACINDIRT.COM HEAT RACE #6 (8 laps):
1. (1) 88xxx Clyde
Dunn Jr., Sunnyville, Texas.
2. (6) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown,
Iowa.
3. (3) C3 Charlie Morrow (R), Pitkin, La.
4. (8) 22b Rick Beebe,
Shawnee, Kan.
5. (2) 8 Chase Allen, Midlothian, Texas.
6. (9) 51 Tracy
Denby Jr., Vidor, Texas.
7. (4) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo.
8.
(7) 5 Wes Armstrong, Marshall, Texas.
9. (11) 76 Jesse Manning (R), Brazoria,
Texas.
10. (10) 21 Troy Seidl, Magnolia, Texas.
11. (5) 7x Rory Jordan,
Victoria, Texas.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 4
advance):
1. (1) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D.
2. (2) 9 Shane
Hebert, Lafayette, La.
3. (8) 2j John Anderson, Omaha, Neb.
4. (6) 24 Sean
Jones, Mansfield, Texas.
5. (5) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.,
Hughes/ProPower, $100.
6. (7) J17 Jacob Gallardo (R), Las Cruces, N.M.,
GRC/BMS, $100.
7. (11) 73 Mickey Burrell, Fair Grove, Mo., TRE/Ruble,
$100.
8. (14) 11 Danny Hebert (R), Duson, La., Pierce/ASI, $100.
9. (3) 6x
Rob Litton (R), Alexandria, La.
10. (9) 127 Glen Hibbard (R), Euless, Texas,
CAM/Stinson, $100.
11. (4) A1 Phil Dixon, Crosby, Texas, Fast1/Jackson,
$100.
12. (10) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo.
13. (15) 77 Brian
Craighead (R), Farmerville, La., DirtWorks/Sput’s, $100.
14. (12) 5 Wes
Armstrong, Marshall, Texas, TRE/AMS, $100.
15. (13) 19 Pete Sagmiller,
Spring, Texas, Skyrocket/Coates, $100.
16. (16) 21 Troy Seidl, Magnolia,
Texas, Skyrocket/CNC, $100.
17. (17) 27f James Allen Farmer (R), Aubrey,
Texas, BillsBuilt/BK’s, $100.
DNS - 56 David Horner, Houston, Texas,
Skyrocket/Sput’s, $100.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 4
advance):
1. (5) 89 Steven Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi,
Texas.
2. (3) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
3. (1) 22b Rick Beebe,
Shawnee, Kan.
4. (7) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
5. (6) 85d Mark
Dotson, Cameron, Mo., GRT/KSE, $100.
6. (8) 14t Tristan Dycus, Midlothian,
Texas, Kraft/Wells, $100.
7. (4) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn.,
Hughes/Sput’s, $100.
8. (13) 23 Howard Willis, Dayton, Texas, Evolution/Fox,
$100.
9. (10) 14 David Ashley, Zachary, La., Pierce/Tim’s, $100.
10. (14)
2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., GRT/Sput’s, $100.
11. (2) 60 Kurt
Krauskopf (R), Decorah, Iowa, Harris/Sput’s, $100.
12. (9) 91 Joe Duvall,
Chelsea, Okla., Hughes/BMS, $100.
13. (15) 5m Joe Mayhew, Highlands, Texas,
Skyrocket/Houston, $100.
14. (12) 76 Jesse Manning (R), Brazoria, Texas,
Evolution/Hall, $100.
15. (16) 22 Brad Buck (R), Paragould, Ark., TRE/SCP,
$100.
16. (11) 41 Jordan Foster (R), Henry, S.D., GRT/Sput’s, $100.
DNS -
11x Rich Lofthus (R), Bloomer, Wis., Hughes/Tim’s, $100.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #3 (12 laps, top 4
advance):
1. (1) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
2. (2) C3
Charlie Morrow (R), Pitkin, La.
3. (5) 51 Tracy Denby Jr., Vidor,
Texas.
4. (8) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
5. (3) 1 T.J. Herndon
(R), Atwood, Tenn., GRT/JRM, $100.
6. (7) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla.,
Hughes/Geddes, $100.
7. (6) 8 Chase Allen, Midlothian, Texas, CAM/Allard,
$100.
8. (11) G17 Fito Gallardo (R), Las Cruces, N.M., GRC/BMS, $100.
9.
(14) 5* Casey Penn (R), Shreveport, La., Hughes/Geddes, $100.
10. (4) 88t
William Turner (R), Yukon, Okla.
11. (16) 25 Ron Keith (R), Shawnee,
Kan.
12. (9) 5˘ Chris Buhler (R), Baton Rouge, La., Pierce/RPM, $100.
13.
(10) 44 Marcus Berndt (R), Katy, Texas, DirtWorks/AARE, $100.
14. (15) 715
Jeff Hoegh, New Caney, Texas, Skyrocket/AARE, $100.
15. (13) 68 Danny
Barringer, Lufkin, Texas, Skyrocket/Craft, $100.
16. (17) 7x Rory Jordan,
Victoria, Texas, Hughes/Mullins, $100.
17. (12) 00 Jay Marshall (R),
Brooksville, Fla., Hughes/Sput’s, $100.
“A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (2) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.,
Hughes/Mullins, 40, $4000.
2. (3) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa,
Hughes/Mullins, 40, $2200.
3. (1) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.,
GRT/Yeoman, 40, $1600.
4. (4) 5w John O Whittington, Vidor, Texas, Pierce/CB,
40, $1200.
5. (10) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ProPower, 40,
$1000.
6. (5) 88xxx Clyde Dunn Jr., Sunnyville, Texas, Hughes/Mullins, 40,
$700.
7. (6) 16 Chris Henigan, Marshall, Texas, GRT/Riggins, 40, $700.
8.
(11) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, Hughes/Geddes, 40, $600.
9. (16) 89
Steven Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $550.
10.
(7) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Hughes/ProPower, 40, $500.
11. (15)
14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D., GRT/Sput’s, 40, $475.
12. (9) 18 Chase
Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., GRT/Sput’s, 40, $450.
13. (14) 12c Corey Babbitt,
Channelview, Texas, TRE/CAM, 40, $425.
14. (13) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview,
Mo., GRT/Mullins, 40, $400.
15. (25) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.,
GRT/Hatfield, 40, $400.
16. (26) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.,
Hughes/ProPower, 40, $400.
17. (22) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan.,
GRT/Mullins, 40, $400.
18. (12) 8t Dustin Hyde, Texarkana, Texas, CAM/CMS,
40, $400.
19. (27) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo., Hughes/Geddes, 40,
$100.
20. (28) 6x Rob Litton (R), Alexandria, La., Skyrocket/Mullins, 40,
$100.
21. (29) 25 Ron Keith (R), Shawnee, Kan., GRT/Mullins, 40, $100.
22.
(24) 24 Sean Jones, Mansfield, Texas, PCR/Brooks, 40, $400.
23. (20) C3
Charlie Morrow (R), Pitkin, La., Pierce/Wall2Wall, 40, $300.
24. (30) 88t
William Turner (R), Yukon, Okla., Hughes/Wells, 40, $100.
25. (23) 51 Tracy
Denby Jr., Vidor, Texas, Skyrocket/CB, 36, mechanical, $300.
26. (8) 97 Cade
Dillard (R), Robeline, La., Impressive/Parker, 36, mechanical, $400.
27. (21)
2j John Anderson, Omaha, Neb., GRT/Sput’s, 31, mechanical, $400.
28. (19) 7k
Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, 15, mechanical, $400.
29. (18) 9
Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La., Hughes/ASI, 13, mechanical, $400.
30. (17) 186
Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Hatfield, 5, mechanical, $400.
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