Hughes flies to USMTS Series Win at Route 66 Motor Speedway

AMARILLO, Texas -- Jason Hughes captured his third USMTS National Championship Series main event of the season Saturday as the series competed at the Route 66 Motor Speedway in Amarillo, Texas, in front of a standing-room-only audience.

The 37-year-old from Watts, Okla., led all but 2 of the 40 laps in the Swan Energy “A” Main, and pocketed another $4,000 for his 108th career USMTS win, and his first triumph with his new baby girl in attendance.

Local favorite Rick Lovelady led the first lap but Hughes was in control the second time around the 3/8-mile clay oval. Stormy Scott snuck ahead to lead lap 16, but Hughes battled back to regain the top spot and then led the rest of the way.

Scott wound up second while Ryan Gustin raced to a third-place finish from 15th on the starting grid. Amarillo’s Nathan Bichsel finished fourth and Rodney Sanders garnered a sixth-place finish.

Johnny Scott, Randy Timms, Kelly Shryock, Chris Brown and Jeremy Payne rounded out the top-10 at the finish line. Timms, who started 22nd, earned the Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger Award.

With the win, Hughes narrowed the gap between himself and Gustin in the USMTS National Championship Series standings, and now trails by just seven points (832 to 825). Sanders sits third with 771 markers, followed by Johnny Scott (759), Shryock (757), Stormy Scott (710), Chase Junghans (692), Dereck Ramirez (674), Jason Krohn (666) and Brown (585).

With the forthcoming Memorial Day Weekend, the USMTS Modifieds embark on a five-night, five-track swing through Iowa and Minnesota …

Wed, May 23 ... I-35 Speedway, Mason City, IA (3rd Annual Event)
Thu, May 24 ... Highway 3 Raceway, Allison, IA (11th Annual Spring Clash)
Fri, May 25 ... Chateau Raceway, Lansing, MN (5th Annual Guttormson Memorial)
Sat, May 26 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN (10th Annual Southern MN Spring Challenge)
Sun, May 27 ... Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, MN (11th Annual USMTS Stars & Stripes Shootout)

All five races will pay $2,000 to win and award points in the USMTS Casey’s Cup Series.

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 Event
Route 66 Motor Speedway, Amarillo, Texas
Saturday, May 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.

BEYEA CUSTOM HEADERS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (4) 89 Jeremy Gossett (R), Amarillo, Texas.
2. (8) 28R Randy Reeser (R), Clovis, N.M.
3. (1) J41 Monte Bolton, Lubbock, Texas.
4. (3) 10 Dee Gossett, Amarillo, Texas.
5. (7) 31 Neal Debord (R), Amarillo, Texas.
6. (6) 19 Mike Sorensen, Rochester, Minn.
7. (2) 75 Alan Sharpensteen, Amarillo, Texas.
8. (9) 80 David Yanacsek (R), Amarillo, Texas.
9. (5) 2x Gene Weaver (R), Amarillo, Texas.

HOOKER HARNESS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (1) 7L Rick Lovelady (R), Amarillo, Texas.
2. (3) 2s Stormy Scott (R), Stewartsville, Mo.
3. (6) 7x Chris Dawson, Lubbock, Texas.
4. (7) 99N Matt Newkirk (R), Amarillo, Texas.
5. (5) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
6. (8) 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas.
7. (2) 5* Casey Penn (R), Shreveport, La.
8. (4) 25 Ron Keith (R), Shawnee, Kan.

EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
2. (2) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
3. (6) 4X Chad Austin (R), Amarillo, Texas.
4. (3) 5T Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla.
5. (5) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
6. (7) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
7. (8) 21 Chris Brown, Spring, Texas.
8. (4) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo.

PBM PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (2) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
2. (1) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3. (6) 58 Nathan Bichsel, Amarillo, Texas.
4. (8) 45 Logan Cabbell (R), Quail, Texas.
5. (3) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
6. (5) 8 Steve Miller, Georgetown, Texas.
7. (7) 11M Mark Myers (R), Clovis, N.M.
8. (4) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.

HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):
1. (1) 85 Thomas Tillison Jr. (R), Wellston, Okla.
2. (3) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
3. (4) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
4. (5) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
5. (2) 55 Braden Woods (R), Amarillo, Texas.
6. (7) 26 Mike Stroud (R), Fritch, Texas.
7. (8) 22B Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan.
8. (6) 72 Kerry Davis, Foss, Okla.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 7 advance):
1. (2) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
2. (8) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
3. (10) 21 Chris Brown, Spring, Texas.
4. (1) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
5. (9) 19 Mike Sorensen, Rochester, Minn.
6. (15) 2x Gene Weaver (R), Amarillo, Texas.
7. (11) 75 Alan Sharpensteen, Amarillo, Texas.
8. (14) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo., GRT/Mullins, $100.
9. (7) 55 Braden Woods (R), Amarillo, Texas, SRP/Carrolls, $100.
10. (5) 31 Neal DeBord (R), Amarillo, Texas, BillsBuilt/Green, $100.
11. (12) 11m Mark Myers (R), Clovis, N.M., Shaw/, $100.
12. (4) 10 Dee Gossett, Amarillo, Texas, GRT/Carrolls, $100.
13. (3) J41 Monte Bolton, Lubbock, Texas, CAM/Sput’s, $100.
14. (6) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, $100.
15. (13) 25 Ron Keith (R), Shawnee, Kan., GRT/Mullins, $100.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 7 advance):
1. (3) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
2. (2) 99n Matt Newkirk (R), Amarillo, Texas.
3. (7) 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas.
4. (6) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
5. (9) 8 Steve Miller, Georgetown, Texas.
6. (4) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla.
7. (5) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
8. (10) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan., GRT/Mullins, $100.
9. (11) 5* Casey Penn (R), Shreveport, La.
10. (8) 26 Mike Stroud (R), Fritch, Texas, SRP/PPE, $100.
11. (13) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo., Hughes/Geddes, $100.
12. (1) 45 Logan Cabbell (R), Quail, Texas, RaceCraft/PPE, $100.
13. (12) 80 David Yanacsek (R), Amarillo, Texas, $100.
14. (14) 72 Kerry Davis, Foss, Okla., Hughes/Geddes, $100.

SWAN ENERGY “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (3) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $4000.
2. (8) 2s Stormy Scott (R), Stewartsville, Mo., GRT/Yeoman, 40, $2200.
3. (15) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $1600.
4. (11) 58 Nathan Bichsel, Amarillo, Texas, Hughes/PPE, 40, $1000.
5. (6) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, Hughes/Geddes, 40, $1000.
6. (20) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Hughes/ProPower, 40, $800.
7. (24) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla., Hughes/Geddes, 40, $800.
8. (14) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ProPower, 40, $600.
9. (17) 21 Chris Brown, Spring, Texas, Skyrocket/RoushYates, 40, $550.
10. (26) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo., GRT/RoushYates, 40, $500.
11. (19) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 40, $475.
12. (4) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., GRT/Sput’s, 40, $450.
13. (13) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 40, $425.
14. (18) 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas, Hughes/Geddes, 40, $400.
15. (5) 28r Randy Reeser (R), Clovis, N.M., Hughes/, 39, $300.
16. (21) 19 Mike Sorensen, Rochester, Minn., Hughes/Action, 39, $400.
17. (2) 89 Jeremy Gossett (R), Amarillo, Texas, Hughes/Carrolls, 30, mechanical, $300.
18. (22) 8 Steve Miller, Georgetown, Texas, Hughes/Extreme, 24, mechanical, $400.
19. (23) 2x Gene Weaver (R), Amarillo, Texas, GRT/Yeoman, 17, mechanical, $300.
20. (27) 5* Casey Penn (R), Shreveport, La., Hughes/Geddes, 17, crash, $100.
21. (9) 7x Chris Dawson, Lubbock, Texas, Shaw/Fletcher, 17, crash, $400.
22. (16) 99n Matt Newkirk (R), Amarillo, Texas, Shaw/Willie, 16, mechanical, $300.
23. (7) 85 Thomas Tillison Jr. (R), Wellston, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 14, flat tire, $400.
24. (1) 7L Rick Lovelady (R), Amarillo, Texas, Shaw/Chomiski, 12, mechanical, $300.
25. (10) 4x Chad Austin (R), Amarillo, Texas, D&M/PPE, 8, mechanical, $300.
26. (25) 75 Alan Sharpensteen, Amarillo, Texas, SRP/JRM, 7, mechanical, $300.
27. (12) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 4, mechanical, $400.

(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.

Integra Lap Leaders: Lovelady 1, Hughes 2-15, S. Scott 16, Hughes 17-40.
Total Laps Led: Hughes 38, Lovelady 1, S. Scott 1.
Margin of Victory: 0.145 second.
Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger: Timms (started 24th, finished 7th).
Dominator Race Products Hard Luck: Dawson.
Provisional Starter: Penn.
Next Race: Wednesday, May 23, I-35 Speedway, Mason City, Iowa.
USMTS National Championship Series Points: Gustin 832, Hughes 825, Sanders 771, J. Scott 759, Shryock 757, S. Scott 710, Junghans 692, Ramirez 674, Krohn 666, Brown 585.
Rookie of the Year Points: S. Scott 1379, Keith 710, Penn 678, Daniel Hilsabeck 646, Tillison 413.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 153, Geddes 129, ProPower 121, Yeoman 97, Sput’s 88.
Tiger Rear Ends Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 171, GRT 158, Skyrocket 126, TRE 62, Shaw 54.

Contingency Awards:
AERO Race Wheels – Rowland.
American Racer – Austin.
Beyea Custom Headers – J. Gossett.
Dominator Race Products – Dawson.
Eibach Springs – Hughes.
Forty9Designs.com – Bichsel, Brown.
Hooker Harness – Lovelady.
Integra Racing Shocks & Springs – Hughes.
KEVKO Oil Pans & Components – Brown.
KSE Racing Products – S. Scott.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Sharpensteen.
Nitroquest – Keith, K. Davis.
Mesilla Valley Transportation – Timms.
PBM Performance Products – Junghans.
R2C Performance Products – S. Scott.
Real Racing Wheels – VanderBeek, Shryock.