Scott perfect on Qualifying Night at King of America II

HUMBOLDT, Kan. -- Stormy Scott didn’t just win his career-first USMTS Modified feature Wednesday night at the Humboldt Speedway, he simply overwhelmed the entire field and guaranteed himself the pole position for Saturday’s $15,000-to-win main event here at the King of America II Modified Nationals.

Dubbed “The New Mexico Nightmare,” Scott’s performance will certainly keep the competition from getting some shut-eye as they work to figure out a way to catch the driver from Las Cruces three days from now.

The night began with group time trials where Scott recorded fast time among his fellow heat race competitors, putting him sixth on the grid for his eight-lap heat race.

After winning his heat, he earned the most passing points to garner the pole position for the 35-lap Allen’s Automotive “A” Main Qualifier and that was as close as anybody would get.

Three cautions kept the pack nearby early on, but each restart saw Scott storm out to a huge lead, taking the checkers with more than two seconds to spare over defending King of America winner and nine-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock.

2010 USMTS National Champion Jason Hughes – winner of 11 USMTS feature races at the 3/8-mile clay oval – came from the 13th starting spot to finish third, with 2007 USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn fourth and Zack VanderBeek fifth.

Rick Beebe, Bryan Rowland, Al Hejna, Jacob Gallardo and Jeremy Payne completed the top 10.

While Scott earned the most points possible with his sweep of the night’s festivities, five other drivers – Shryock, VanderBeek, Beebe, Hughes and Krohn – also locked themselves into one of the first 18 starting spots in Saturday’s finale.

However, Hughes opted to forfeit his points and try again to better his total on Thursday or Friday. That moved Jacob Gallardo into the sixth position for Saturday's locked-in group, and all other drivers finishing behind Hughes in the main event moved up one spot in the final order.

Action continues at ‘The Hummer’ on Thursday for River’s Edge Scrap Management Qualifying Night. Group time trials will once again kick off the program, followed by heat races and main events with drivers earning points for their performances in each. The top six points earners tomorrow and Friday night will each earn one of 18 guaranteed starting spots in Saturday’s championship race.

Saturday’s program will feature an “alphabet soup” of main events that will culminate with a 30-car starting field for the championship race. Even if a driver has some tough luck during qualifying, he or she still has the chance to climb the ladder of main events on Saturday to earn a spot in the finale.

Nearly $80,000 has been earmarked for Saturday’s “A” Main alone, with a total purse of more than $130,000 posted for the four-day extravaganza.

USRA B-Mods will be part of the event too, racing for a stout purse and national points in the American USRA Weekly Racing Series. Shawn Strong captured Wednesday night’s race to pocket the $300 top prize. The next three nights will pay $400, $500 and $1,000 to win, respectively. USRA rules will apply except that B-Mods must utilize a solid pull bar.

The Humboldt Speedway is a located 0.1 mile west of US 169 at the Humboldt Exit, then 0.5 mile south, then 0.9 mile east on Georgia Rd. For more information call 620-431-2470 (office) or 620-473-3694 (track) or visit www.humboldtspeedway.com.

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
United States Modified Touring Series
King of America II Modified Nationals – Allen’s Automotive Qualifying Night
Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, Kan.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed and reason out (if any). The top 12 drivers in passing points accumulated in the heat races are locked into the “A” Main.

RIVER’S EDGE HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (1) 7K Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
2. (2) 111 Bumper Jones, Mesilla Park, N.M.
3. (3) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
4. (6) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
5. (4) 25 Ron Keith, Shawnee, Kan.
6. (5) 73B Shad Badder, Oak Grove, Mo.
7. (7) 2J John Anderson, Omaha, Neb.
8. (8) 60 William Gould, Calera, Okla.

SCHWAB’S TINKER SHOP HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (6) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (2) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn.
3. (1) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa.
4. (3) 98 John Allen, Chanute, Kan.
5. (4) 77 Cody Agler, Emporia, Kan.
6. (7) 5j John Schwab, Liberal, Kan.
7. (5) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
8. (8) 9 John Carpenter, Hibbing, Minn.

SWAN ENERGY HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 91 Joe Duvall, Chelsea, Okla.
2. (4) J17 Jacob Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M.
3. (5) 3b Chris Brown, Spring, Texas.
4. (2) 3D Dan Daniels, Humboldt, Kan.
5. (7) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.
6. (6) 99 Randy Zimmerman, Fort Scott, Kan.
7. (8) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo.
8. (3) 5 Brandon Beckendorf, Danube, Minn.

ROAD RUNNER TRUCKING HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (2) G17 Fito Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (1) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
3. (3) 33K David Karst, Mills, Wyo.
4. (4) 26 Dan Fetters, Montour, Iowa.
5. (5) 9d8 Paden Phillips, Chanute, Kan.
6. (8) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
7. (7) 14W Clayton Wagamon, Blaine, Minn.
8. (6) 75G Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice, Neb.

CASEY’S GENERAL STORES HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):
1. (4) 22B Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan.
2. (5) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
3. (6) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
4. (3) 22D Daniel Hilsabeck, Waukee, Iowa.
5. (2) 1 T.J. Herndon, Atwood, Tenn.
6. (7) 63 Lucas Conley, Spring Hill, Kan.
7. (8) 11 Josh Griggs, Dewey, Okla.
8. (1) 48M Rick Murcko, Iola, Kan.
DNS - 40 Jessy Willard, Pleasanton, Kan.

AMERICAN RACER “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 7 advance):
1. (1) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
2. (5) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.
3. (6) 77 Cody Agler, Emporia, Kan.
4. (3) 98 John Allen, Chanute, Kan.
5. (7) 1 T.J. Herndon, Atwood, Tenn.
6. (4) 26 Dan Fetters, Montour, Iowa.
7. (9) 73B Shad Badder, Oak Grove, Mo.
8. (2) 33K David Karst, Mills, Wyo., GRT/Weseman.
9. (12) 14W Clayton Wagamon, Blaine, Minn., Wheeler/Wagamon.
10. (8) 5j John Schwab, Liberal, Kan., Ramirez/Cline.
11. (14) 75G Jordan Grabouski, Beatrice, Neb., GRT/Hatfield.
12. (10) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo., Hughes/Geddes.
13. (11) 2J John Anderson, Omaha, Neb., GRT/Sput’s.
14. (15) 40 Jessy Willard, Pleasanton, Kan., GRT/Willard.
15. (13) 9 John Carpenter, Hibbing, Minn., Galloper/Tim’s.

AMERICAN RACER “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 7 advance):
1. (1) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa.
2. (2) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
3. (4) 22D Daniel Hilsabeck, Waukee, Iowa.
4. (11) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
5. (3) 3D Dan Daniels, Humboldt, Kan.
6. (6) 9d8 Paden Phillips, Chanute, Kan.
7. (12) 60 William Gould, Calera, Okla.
8. (7) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s.
9. (13) 5 Brandon Beckendorf, Danube, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s.
10. (9) 99 Randy Zimmerman, Fort Scott, Kan.
11. (8) 63 Lucas Conley, Spring Hill, Kan., Hughes/Conley.
12. (10) 11 Josh Griggs, Dewey, Okla., Rocket/CNC.
13. (14) 48M Rick Murcko, Iola, Kan.
14. (5) 25 Ron Keith, Shawnee, Kan., GRT/Mullins.

ALEN’S AUTOMOTIVE “A” MAIN (35 laps):
1. (1) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., GRT/Yeoman, 35.
2. (4) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ProPower, 35.
3. (13) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 35.
4. (5) 7K Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, 35.
5. (8) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 35.
6. (2) 22B Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan., GRT/Mullins, 35.
7. (11) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 35.
8. (14) 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa, BC/JRM, 35.
9. (7) J17 Jacob Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M., GRC/BMS, 35.
10. (16) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo., GRT/RoushYates, 35.
11. (12) 3b Chris Brown, Spring, Texas, Skyrocket/ProPower, 35.
12. (18) 22D Daniel Hilsabeck, Waukee, Iowa, GRT/Mullins, 35.
13. (21) 1 T.J. Herndon, Atwood, Tenn., GRT/JRM, 35.
14. (25) 73B Shad Badder, Oak Grove, Mo., GRT/Kuntz, 35.
15. (26) 60 William Gould, Calera, Okla., Shaw/BMS, 35.
16. (10) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, 35.
17. (20) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., GRT/Sput’s, 35.
18. (6) 91 Joe Duvall, Chelsea, Okla., Hughes/BMS, 35.
19. (23) 26 Dan Fetters, Montour, Iowa, Sidebiter/KSE, 35.
20. (15) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo., GRT/Mullins, 35.
21. (28) 48M Rick Murcko, Iola, Kan., Murcko/OMM, 35.
22. (9) 111 Bumper Jones, Mesilla Park, N.M., SRP/Sput’s, 35.
23. (27) 99 Randy Zimmerman, Fort Scott, Kan., Mach1/Folk, 35.
24. (22) 3D Dan Daniels, Humboldt, Kan., TRE/Marlar, 35.
25. (19) 98 John Allen, Chanute, Kan., Hughes/Mullins, 28, mechanical.
26. (3) G17 Fito Gallardo, Las Cruces, N.M., GRC/BMS, 15, flat tire.
27. (24) 9d8 Paden Phillips, Chanute, Kan., BillsBuilt/Allen’s, 8, mechanical.
28. (17) 77 Cody Agler, Emporia, Kan., Skyrocket/Stinnett, 5, mechanical.

Lap Leader: Scott 1-35.
Total Laps Led: Scott 35.
Margin of Victory: 2.329 seconds.
Provisional Starters: Zimmerman, Murcko.
Next Race: Thursday-Saturday, March 29-31, Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, Kan.

King of America II Points Standings:
1. Stormy Scott ... 666.5
2. Kelly Shryock ... 629.5
3. Zack VanderBeek ... 605.5
4. Rick Beebe ... 603.5
5. Jason Krohn ... 589
6. Jacob Gallardo ... 548
7. Bryan Rowland ... 545
8. Jeremy Payne ... 540
9. Chris Brown ... 534
10. Al Hejna ... 521
11. Daniel Hilsabeck ... 492
12. Mike Steensma ... 500
13. Joe Duvall ... 484
14. Shad Badder ... 479
15. Dan Fetters ... 469
16. Fito Gallardo ... 468.5
17. Bumper Jones ... 465
18. T.J. Herndon ... 463
19. Grant Junghans ... 455
20. Randy Zimmerman ... 451
21. David Karst ... 430
22. John Allen ... 438
23. Paden Phillips ... 438
24. Dan Daniels ... 430
25. Cody Agler ... 425
26. Austin Siebert ... 414
27. Ron Keith ... 397
28. Jordan Grabouski ... 396
29. William Gould ... 396
30. Rick Murcko ... 390
31. Brandon Beckendorf ... 372
32. John Schwab ... 358.5
33. Josh Angst ... 356
34. Clayton Wagamon ... 351
35. Lucas Conley ... 345.5
36. John Anderson ... 341
37. Brandon Davis ... 334.5
38. Josh Griggs ... 324.5
39. John Carpenter ... 318
40. Jessy Willard ... 316
41. Jason Hughes ... 0