Scott too fast for storms, sails to USMTS victory at LA Raceway

April 19, 2012

Scott too fast for storms, sails to USMTS Casey’s Cup victory at LA Raceway

LA MONTE, Mo. -- The rain held off until after the final checkered flag waved Thursday night at the LA Raceway, but a powerful storm pounded the racetrack in the main event for the stars and cars of the USMTS Casey’s Cup Series.

Looking to record his first win on the 2012 season, Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa, took control of the 40-lap feature from the pole position and pulled out to nearly a ten-car-length lead by lap 10 with Dereck Ramirez, Jason Hughes and Stormy Scott slugging it out for the next three positions.

By lap 15 ‘The Reaper’ was lapping the back of the field but Scott was on the charge and quickly narrowing the gap between himself and the defending USMTS National Champion.

Scott caught the rear bumper of Gustin’s machine by the halfway point and then blasted into the lead with 21 laps complete in the 6th Annual Schwab’s Tinker Shop Show-Me Shootout.

By lap 30, the King of America II Modified Nationals winner had padded his advantage to a full straight-away, and with no cautions to aid his pursuers Scott and his #2s Rancho Milagro GRT/Yeoman streaked beneath the checkered flag a full five seconds ahead of Gustin.

With rain approaching and lightning filling the sky, Scott pocketed $2,000 for his efforts while Gustin had to settle for his fifth runner-up finish of the season as raindrops began to fall on the 3/8-mile clay oval.

Ramirez held off Hughes for third while Rowland rounded out the top 5 finishers. Sixth through tenth were Kelly Shryock, Chase Junghans, Rodney Sanders, 20th-starting Jeremy Payne and Johnny Scott. Bobby Malchus was the final car on the lead lap, finishing 11th.

Thursday marked the eight USMTS event at the LA Raceway, and the fourth time the “A” Main has went from green to checkered without a caution.

Friday night will find the USMTS Casey’s Cup Series at the Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo. The USMTS made its debut ‘The Valley’ last year with Jason Hughes taking the win after starting 15th while four of the top five finishers came from deeper than the fourth row on the starting grid.

The pit gate will open up at 4:00 and grandstand seats become available at 5:00 with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:00. Lightning Sprints and Vintage Cars will also be on the racing card.

The Valley Speedway is a 1/3-mile semi-banked dirt oval located 0.9 mile south of I-70 (exit 24) on Main St. (Buckner-Tarnsey Rd.), then 0.4 mile east on Old US 40. For more information, call 816-229-2222 or visit www.valleyspeedway.com online.

On Saturday the series invades the Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, Okla., and then wraps up the four-race swing on Sunday at the Monett Speedway in Monett, Mo.

All three USMTS Casey’s Cup Series shows pay $2,000 to win and $250 to start. Kenny Wallace will be in action again Friday and Saturday while Ken Schrader joins the party Friday night and will race on Saturday and 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
6th Annual Schwab’s Tinker Shop Show-Me Shootout
LA Raceway, La Monte, Mo.
Thursday, April 19, 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) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
2. (4) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3. (6) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
4. (5) 90 Terry Schultz, Sedalia, Mo.
5. (1) 7 Corey Botkins (R), Columbia, Mo.
6. (8) 39 Luke Driskell (R), Stilwell, Kan.
7. (7) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan.
8. (9) 66t Tyler Schmidt, Easton, Kan.
9. (3) 5* Casey Penn (R), Shreveport, La.

HOOKER HARNESS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (2) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
2. (1) 91 Joe Duvall, Chelsea, Okla.
3. (4) 253 Chad Lyle, Oak Grove, Mo.
4. (3) 25 Ron Keith (R), Shawnee, Kan.
5. (8) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
6. (6) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.
7. (7) 88d Matt Dotson, Clark, Mo.
8. (9) 5j John Schwab, Liberal, Kan.
9. (5) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck (R), Waukee, Iowa.

EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 98 John Allen, Chanute, Kan.
2. (3) 36 Kenny Wallace, Concord, N.C.
3. (5) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
4. (4) 00 Jim Moody, Odessa, Mo.
5. (8) 4m Bobby Malchus, Red Oak, Texas.
6. (6) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
7. (7) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
8. (9) 14 Shawn Nations (R), Macks Creek, Mo.
9. (2) 5 Jacob Ebert (R), Oak Grove, Mo.

PBM PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (1) 2s Stormy Scott (R), Stewartville, Mo.
2. (2) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
3. (4) 68 Dean Wille, Warrensburg, Mo.
4. (3) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
5. (7) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
6. (6) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo.
7. (5) 33 Steve Muilenburg, Sparta, Mo.
8. (8) 00 Jay Marshall (R), Brooksville, Fla.
DNS - 16s Matt Johnson (R), Archie, Mo.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (10 laps, top 6 advance):
1. (2) 4m Bobby Malchus, Red Oak, Texas.
2. (4) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
3. (3) 00 Jim Moody, Odessa, Mo.
4. (6) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
5. (8) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
6. (1) 90 Terry Schultz, Sedalia, Mo.
7. (5) 39 Luke Driskell (R), Stilwell, Kan., GRT/Driskell, $90.
8. (10) 14 Shawn Nations (R), Macks Creek, Mo., GRT/Ruble, $75.
9. (7) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan.
10. (9) 66t Tyler Schmidt, Easton, Kan., Hughes/Sput’s, $75.
11. (11) 5* Casey Penn (R), Shreveport, La.
12. (12) 5 Jacob Ebert (R), Oak Grove, Mo., GRT/Morton, $75.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (10 laps, top 6 advance):
1. (1) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
2. (3) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
3. (2) 25 Ron Keith (R), Shawnee, Kan.
4. (5) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.
5. (7) 88d Matt Dotson, Clark, Mo.
6. (8) 33 Steve Muilenburg, Sparta, Mo.
7. (9) 5j John Schwab, Liberal, Kan.
8. (11) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck (R), Waukee, Iowa, GRT/Mullins, $90.
9. (4) 7 Corey Botkins (R), Columbia, Mo., Skyrocket/Botkins, $75.
10. (10) 00 Jay Marshall (R), Brooksville, Fla., Hughes/Sput’s, $75.
11. (6) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo., Hughes/Geddes, $90.
DNS - 16s Matt Johnson (R), Archie, Mo., Rocket/Morton, $75.

“A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (4) 2s Stormy Scott (R), Stewartville, Mo., GRT/Yeoman, 40, $2000.
2. (1) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/RoushYates, 40, $1500.
3. (2) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 40, $1000.
4. (3) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $900.
5. (5) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 40, $800.
6. (15) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/RoushYates, 40, $700.
7. (9) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., GRT/Sput’s, 40, $650.
8. (13) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, Hughes/Geddes, 40, $600.
9. (20) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo., GRT/RoushYates, 40, $650.
10. (14) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Hughes/ProPower, 40, $500.
11. (12) 4m Bobby Malchus, Red Oak, Texas, Hughes/Wells, 40, $450.
12. (21) 88d Matt Dotson, Clark, Mo., GRT/BMS, 39, $300.
13. (10) 253 Chad Lyle, Oak Grove, Mo., GRT/Hatfield, 39, $275.
14. (18) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 39, $375.
15. (23) 33 Steve Muilenburg, Sparta, Mo., TRE/MotorMachine, 39, $300.
16. (6) 36 Kenny Wallace, Concord, N.C., Impressive/Mullins, 39, $250.
17. (11) 68 Dean Wille, Warrensburg, Mo., Shaw/GMPP, 39, $250.
18. (8) 98 John Allen, Chanute, Kan., Hughes/Mullins, 39, $300.
19. (24) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan., GRT/Mullins, 39, $90.
20. (17) 25 Ron Keith (R), Shawnee, Kan., GRT/Mullins, 39, $300.
21. (22) 90 Terry Schultz, Sedalia, Mo., GRT/Mullins, 39, $300.
22. (25) 5j John Schwab, Liberal, Kan., Ramirez/Cline, 39, $90.
23. (26) 5* Casey Penn (R), Shreveport, La., Hughes/Geddes, 33, mechanical, $90.
24. (7) 91 Joe Duvall, Chelsea, Okla., Hughes/BMS, 20, brakes, $300.
25. (16) 00 Jim Moody, Odessa, Mo., GRT/McVey, 8, mechanical, $300.
26. (19) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo., GRT/Mullins, 4, flat tire, $300.
DNS - 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Hatfield, 0, engine, $100.

(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.

Integra Lap Leaders: Gustin 1-21, S. Scott 22-40.
Total Laps Led: Gustin 21, S. Scott 19.
Margin of Victory: 5.30 seconds.
Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger: Payne (started 20th, finished 9th).
Dominator Race Products Hard Luck: Phillips.
Provisional Starters: Beebe, Penn, Schwab.
Next Race: Friday, April 20, Valley Speedway, Grain Valley, Mo.
USMTS Casey’s Cup Series Points: Sanders 44, S. Scott 36, Hughes 32, Gustin 29, J. Scott 26, Phillips 24, VanderBeek 21, Payne 20, Rowland 19, Schultz 18, Ramirez 18.
Rookie of the Year Points: S. Scott 572, Keith 361, Penn 248, Hilsabeck 205, Driskell 180, Marshall 180.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 54, Geddes 53, ProPower 47, Yeoman 43, Sput’s 39.
Tiger Rear Ends Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 67, GRT 62, Skyrocket 51, TRE 34, Pierce 24.