GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. -- Ryan Gustin rolled into victory lane for the first time in six months Friday night as the defending USMTS National Champion scored his first USMTS Casey’s Cup Series win of the 2012 campaign at the Valley Speedway.
After five runner-up finishes this year, the 21-year-old from Marshalltown, Iowa, was a man on a mission in the 40-lap main event, coming from tenth on the starting grid to overtake polesitter Ken Schrader for the lead with just ten laps in the books.
Determined not to settle for another bridesmaid result like he did last year here, Gustin used every inch of the racing surface to slice his way through lapped traffic while current points leader Rodney Sanders shadowed him in and out of the back-markers for the final 30 circuits.
A caution with four laps to go bunched the field for a final sprint to the finish, but ‘The Reaper’ was too tough to tame tonight as he roared away for a 1.680-second win over ‘The Rocket’ while Schrader held on for a third-place finish.
Kelly Shryock finished fourth while Stormy Scott saw his string of three straight wins end with a fifth-place paycheck. Sixth was Dereck Ramirez and Johnny Scott recovered from a next-to-last lap slide over the embankment while running third to claim the seventh spot. Rusty Griffaw, Bryan Rowland and Jeremy Payne rounded out the top ten.
Rowland, who hails from tornado-ravaged Woodward, Okla., passed twelve cars from his original starting position to earn the Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger Award.
Gustin’s 49th career triumph was worth $2,000 and solidified his position on the all-time wins list behind Shryock (176 wins) and Jason Hughes (106).
His first win came less than four years ago on August 28, 2008, at the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, Iowa. That win made him the youngest winner in USMTS history at 17 years, 10 months and 13 days old – a record that stands today.
His most recent win came during a preliminary qualifying night on October 19, 2011, at the Humboldt Speedway during the inaugural King of America Modified Nationals.
With his fifth top-five finish in six starts, Sanders remains the USMTS Casey’s Cup Series points leader by 11 markers over Stormy Scott, with Gustin, Hughes and Johnny Scott completing the top five in the rankings going into a showdown Saturday night at the Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, Okla.
Hughes was the winner when the USMTS Modifieds made their only appearance at Salina in 2004. Last year’s return of the USMTS Modifieds to the high-banked 3/8-mile clay oval fell to rain.
The Salina Highbanks Speedway has over 5,000 brand new general admission seats, 100 balcony bar seats and 200 VIP seats that are located in the five-star Finish Line Restaurant which gives fans access to the comfort of indoor climate, a full service bar and grill and great views of beautiful Lake Hudson while enjoying the racing action.
Support classes for Saturday’s show will be Pure Stocks, Factory Stocks, Grand Nationals and 360 Modifieds. Gates open at 5 p.m. with the first green flag waving at 7 p.m.
The Salina Highbanks Speedway is located 7 miles east of Pryor on SR 20. For reservations and ticket information, visit the website at www.salinahighbanksspeedway.com or call 918-434-7223.
The USMTS wraps up the four-race swing on Sunday at the Monett Speedway in Monett, Mo. All four events pay $2,000 to win and at least $250 to start.
Schrader and fellow NASCAR favorite Kenny Wallace will be in action again Saturday at Salina and Schrader joins the party Sunday too.
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 Casey’s Cup Series
Valley Speedway,
Grain Valley, Mo.
Friday, April 20, 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 12 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.
HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (2) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy,
Texas.
2. (1) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
3. (3) 22b Rick Beebe,
Shawnee, Kan.
4. (6) 4m Bobby Malchus, Red Oak, Texas.
5. (8) 1st Johnny
Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
6. (9) 36 Kenny Wallace, Concord, N.C.
7. (4) 39
Luke Driskell (R), Stilwell, Kan.
8. (7) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan,
Kan.
9. (5) 00 Jay Marshall (R), Brooksville, Fla.
HOOKER HARNESS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (2) 186 Jeremy
Payne, Springfield, Mo.
2. (3) 73b Shad Badder (R), Oak Grove, Mo.
3. (1)
85d Mark Dotson, Cameron, Mo.
4. (4) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.
5.
(5) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
6. (6) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock,
Colo.
7. (8) 68 Dean Wille, Warrensburg, Mo.
8. (7) 33z Zack VanderBeek,
New Sharon, Iowa.
9. (9) 00 Jim Moody, Odessa, Mo.
EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (3) 5j John
Schwab, Liberal, Kan.
2. (9) 16 Rusty Griffaw (R), Festus, Mo.
3. (4) 25
Ron Keith (R), Shawnee, Kan.
4. (6) 78 Derrick Hicks (R), Ravenwood,
Mo.
5. (1) 4 Josh Poe (R), Drexel, Mo.
6. (8) 66t Tyler Schmidt (R),
Easton, Kan.
7. (5) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
8. (7) 20r Bryan
Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
9. (2) 147 Brent Fielder (R), Abilene, Kan.
PBM PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (2)
88d Matt Dotson, Clark, Mo.
2. (4) 9 Ken Schrader, Concord, N.C.
3. (3) 90
Terry Schultz, Sedalia, Mo.
4. (7) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
5.
(8) 2s Stormy Scott (R), Stewartsville, Mo.
6. (6) 253 Chad Lyle, Oak Grove,
Mo.
7. (5) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck (R), Waukee, Iowa.
8. (1) 16s Matt Johnson
(R), Archie, Mo.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (10 laps, top 6
advance):
1. (1) 90 Terry Schultz, Sedalia, Mo.
2. (3) 2s Stormy
Scott (R), Stewartsville, Mo.
3. (4) 36 Kenny Wallace, Concord, N.C.
4.
(7) 68 Dean Wille, Warrensburg, Mo.
5. (10) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward,
Okla.
6. (9) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
7. (6) 23 Brandon Davis,
Castle Rock, Colo.
8. (5) 4 Josh Poe (R), Drexel, Mo., Intruder/Hatfield,
$75.
9. (11) 00 Jay Marshall (R), Brooksville, Fla.
10. (2) 78 Derrick
Hicks (R), Ravenwood, Mo., Shaw/Wyman, $75.
11. (8) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts,
Okla., Hughes/Mullins, $90.
12. (12) 147 Brent Fielder (R), Abilene, Kan.,
Mach1/, $75.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (10 laps, top 6
advance):
1. (2) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (4) 4r
Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3. (3) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview,
Mo.
4. (5) 66t Tyler Schmidt (R), Easton, Kan.
5. (1) 4m Bobby Malchus,
Red Oak, Texas.
6. (6) 253 Chad Lyle, Oak Grove, Mo.
7. (9) 33z Zack
VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, $90.
8. (8) 22d Daniel
Hilsabeck (R), Waukee, Iowa, GRT/Mullins, $90.
9. (11) 00 Jim Moody, Odessa,
Mo.
10. (7) 39 Luke Driskell (R), Stilwell, Kan., GRT/Driskell, $90.
11.
(10) 16s Matt Johnson (R), Archie, Mo., Rocket/Morton, $75.
“A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (10) 19r Ryan Gustin,
Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/RoushYates, 40, $2000.
2. (6) 20 Rodney Sanders,
Happy, Texas, Hughes/Geddes, 40, $1500.
3. (1) 9 Ken Schrader, Concord, N.C.,
Impressive/Dickens, 40, $1000.
4. (4) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa,
Skyrocket/RoushYates, 40, $900.
5. (15) 2s Stormy Scott (R), Stewartsville,
Mo., GRT/Yeoman, 40, $800.
6. (16) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.,
Hughes/ProPower, 40, $700.
7. (14) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.,
Hughes/ProPower, 40, $650.
8. (2) 16 Rusty Griffaw (R), Festus, Mo.,
Impressive/SCP, 40, $600.
9. (21) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.,
Hughes/ProPower, 40, $650.
10. (8) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.,
GRT/RoushYates, 40, $500.
11. (12) 85d Mark Dotson, Cameron, Mo., GRT/KSE,
40, $450.
12. (11) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan., GRT/Mullins, 40,
$425.
13. (7) 73b Shad Badder (R), Oak Grove, Mo., GRT/Kuntz, 40,
$400.
14. (3) 88d Matt Dotson, Clark, Mo., GRT/BMS, 40, $250.
15. (17) 36
Kenny Wallace, Concord, N.C., Impressive/Mullins, 40, $250.
16. (9) 25 Ron
Keith (R), Shawnee, Kan., GRT/Mullins, 40, $300.
17. (19) 68 Dean Wille,
Warrensburg, Mo., Shaw/GMPP, 40, $250.
18. (25) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle
Rock, Colo., Hughes/Geddes, 40, $90.
19. (22) 4m Bobby Malchus, Red Oak,
Texas, Hughes/Wells, 40, $300.
20. (13) 90 Terry Schultz, Sedalia, Mo.,
GRT/Mullins, 40, $300.
21. (27) 00 Jay Marshall (R), Brooksville, Fla.,
Hughes/Sput’s, 40, $90.
22. (23) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.,
GRT/Sput’s, 34, mechanical, $300.
23. (20) 66t Tyler Schmidt (R), Easton,
Kan., Hughes/Sput’s, 34, mechanical, $250.
24. (26) 00 Jim Moody, Odessa,
Mo., GRT/McVey, 19, mechanical, $90.
25. (18) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview,
Mo., GRT/Mullins, 13, brakes, $300.
26. (24) 253 Chad Lyle, Oak Grove, Mo.,
GRT/Hatfield, 13, suspension, $250.
27. (5) 5j John Schwab, Liberal, Kan.,
Ramirez/Cline, 5, mechanical, $300.
(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.
Integra Lap Leaders: Schrader 1-10, Gustin
11-40.
Total Laps Led: Gustin 30, Schrader
10.
Margin of Victory: 1.680 seconds.
Mesilla
Valley Transportation Hard Charger: Rowland (started 21st, finished
9th).
Dominator Race Products Hard Luck:
Schwab.
Provisional Starters: Davis, Moody,
Marshall.
Next Race: Saturday, April 21, Salina Highbanks
Speedway, Salina, Okla.
USMTS Casey’s Cup Series Points:
Sanders 54, S. Scott 43, Gustin 40, Hughes 34, J. Scott 31, Terry Phillips 24,
Ramirez 24, VanderBeek 23, Payne 23, Shryock 23.
Rookie of the Year
Points: S. Scott 656, Keith 421, Hilsabeck 250, Casey Penn 248,
Marshall 233.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points:
Geddes 62, Mullins 58, ProPower 53, Yeoman 50, Sput’s 40.
Tiger Rear
Ends Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 77, GRT 69, Skyrocket
59, TRE 34, Pierce 24.
