Hughes stops Gustin steamroller with thrilling win at Silver Dollar Nationals

Hughes stops Gustin steamroller with thrilling opening night win at Silver Dollar Nationals

Jason Hughes celebrates in victory lane along with I-80 Speedway co-owner Steve Kosiski (left) and USMTS flagman Ryne Staley (right).

GREENWOOD, Neb. -- Jason Hughes scored a come-from-behind victory Friday night after he outdueled Ryan Gustin over the final dozen laps on opening night at I-80 Speedway’s 2nd Annual Silver Dollar Nationals.

Hughes has struggled over the past couple of weeks while Gustin was racking up five straight wins coming into the 21st USMTS National Championship Series tilt of the season, but the 37-year-old from Watts, Okla., was on his game Friday night.

Gustin started the 40-lap Swan Energy “A” Main from the outside of the front row, but it was polesitter Jeremy Payne taking control at the drop of the green flag. Payne’s reign was short-lived, however, as Gustin blasted by to lead lap 5.

Two laps later, Rodney Sanders snuck past Payne for second but ‘The Rocket’ was unable to reel in ‘The Reaper’ and the gap between the two 21-year-olds expanded over the next 13 laps until the race’s first yellow flag waved.

A flawless restart gave Gustin another big cushion as the field went back to green flag racing while Payne slipped underneath Sanders to regain the second position. Hughes also found the low groove to his liking and followed Payne by Sanders one lap later as Dereck Ramirez and Terry Phillips followed close behind in a battle for fifth.

With 25 laps complete, Hughes moved around Payne for second. Gustin, meanwhile, had his sights set on a career-best sixth straight USMTS triumph but his advantage disappeared for a second time when the caution lights lit up the 4/10-mile clay oval for a second time on lap 27.

Back under green it was evident that Hughes was going to give Gustin all he could handle for the last 13 laps. With Hughes finding his rhythm on the bottom, Gustin continued to run from the high side to the middle and the pair did not disappoint the packed house looking on.

Hughes edged ahead of Gustin to lead lap 31, but Gustin fought back to lead by a nose the next time around. With 33 laps in the books, Hughes crossed the line first again as they raced side by side under flagstand.

While Gustin searched for a better line in each corner, Hughes consistently rolled around the bottom and held on over the final seven laps to beat Gustin to the finish line by 0.095 second and register his fifth USMTS National Championship Series win of the 2012 campaign.

Hughes’ 110th career USMTS triumph was worth $4,000 and kept him within striking distance of Gustin in the $30,000-to-win points battle. Sanders, who currently sits second in the standings and leads the USMTS Casey’s Cup Series points, finished third while Terry Phillips snared fourth with Chris Brown passing eight cars en route to a fifth-place finish.

Bryan Rowland came from 14th to finish sixth ahead of teammate Stormy Scott. Mark Dotson, who started 19th, came home eighth while Dereck Ramirez nabbed ninth and 2007 USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn completed the top 10.

But nobody was as prolific in passing as Richie Gustin. The older brother of Ryan, Richie finished 11th after taking the final transfer spot out of the second Real Racing Wheels “B” Main to start 24th in the main event and earned the Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger Award.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
USMTS National Championship Series
2nd Annual Silver Dollar Nationals – Night 1 of 2
I-80 Speedway, Greenwood, Neb.
Friday, July 20, 2012

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed 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. (3) 555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa.
2. (8) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D.
3. (6) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
4. (4) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
5. (7) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
6. (5) 31j Jeremy Rasmussen, Bella Vista, Ark.
7. (1) R21 Ryan Schaffer, Corning, Iowa.
8. (2) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.

HOOKER HARNESS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (3) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
2. (2) 99m Tim Murty (R), Tama, Iowa.
3. (5) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
4. (8) 20s Stormy Scott (R), Las Cruces, N.M.
5. (1) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn.
6. (7) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
7. (4) 11 Ryan Peckham, Corning, Iowa.
8. (6) 78 Derrick Hicks (R), Ravenwood, Mo.

EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
2. (4) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
3. (5) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
4. (7) 21 Chris Brown, Spring, Texas.
5. (3) 0 Richie Gustin, Gilman, Iowa.
6. (2) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan.
7. (8) 70 Jesse Dennis, Prescott, Iowa.
8. (6) 85d Mark Dotson, Cameron, Mo.

PBM PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (4) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
2. (7) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
3. (1) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
4. (5) 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa.
5. (6) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.
6. (8) 72 Mike Lineberry, Waterloo, Neb.
7. (3) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck (R), Waukee, Iowa.
8. (2) 21m Dean Mahlstedt, Clear Lake, Iowa.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (10 laps, top 6 advance):
1. (1) 21 Chris Brown, Spring, Texas.
2. (3) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
3. (6) 31j Jeremy Rasmussen, Bella Vista, Ark.
4. (10) 85d Mark Dotson, Cameron, Mo.
5. (2) 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa.
6. (8) 11 Ryan Peckham, Corning, Iowa.
7. (9) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
8. (7) 70 Jesse Dennis, Prescott, Iowa, Skyrocket/Midstate, $100.
9. (4) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn.
10. (5) 72 Mike Lineberry, Waterloo, Neb., Harris/Roberts, $100.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (10 laps, top 6 advance):
1. (1) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
2. (3) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.
3. (5) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
4. (2) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
5. (8) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck (R), Waukee, Iowa.
6. (4) 0 Richie Gustin, Gilman, Iowa.
7. (6) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan.
8. (9) 78 Derrick Hicks (R), Ravenwood, Mo., Shaw/Wyman, $100.
9. (7) R21 Ryan Schaffer, Corning, Iowa, IROC/Mullins, $100.
DNS - 21m Dean Mahlstedt, Clear Lake, Iowa, GRT/Midstate, $100.

SWAN ENERGY “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (7) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $4000.
2. (2) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $2200.
3. (3) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, Hughes/Geddes, 40, $1600.
4. (8) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Hatfield, 40, $1200.
5. (13) 21 Chris Brown, Spring, Texas, Skyrocket/RoushYates, 40, $1000.
6. (14) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 40, $800.
7. (12) 20s Stormy Scott (R), Las Cruces, N.M., Hughes/ProPower, 40, $700.
8. (19) 85d Mark Dotson, Cameron, Mo., GRT/KSE, 40, $600.
9. (4) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 40, $550.
10. (15) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, 40, $500.
11. (24) 0 Richie Gustin, Gilman, Iowa, GRT/Yeoman, 40, $475.
12. (11) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Hughes/ProPower, 40, $450.
13. (10) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 40, $425.
14. (1) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo., GRT/RoushYates, 40, $400.
15. (18) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/RoushYates, 40, $400.
16. (27) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $100.
17. (25) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., GRT/Sput’s, 40, $400.
18. (21) 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa, BC/ProPower, 40, $400.
19. (17) 31j Jeremy Rasmussen, Bella Vista, Ark., TRE/Donrich, 40, $300.
20. (26) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, 40, $100.
21. (23) 11 Ryan Peckham, Corning, Iowa, IROC/PerfAuto, 40, $400.
22. (6) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D., GRT/Sput’s, 34, $400.
23. (5) 555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa, Sidebiter/Sput’s, 27, $400.
24. (22) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck (R), Waukee, Iowa, GRT/Mullins, 27, $400.
25. (9) 99m Tim Murty (R), Tama, Iowa, Skyrocket/, 27, $300.
26. (20) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., GRT/Sput’s, 19, $400.
27. (16) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo., GRT/Mullins, 10, $400.

(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.

Integra Lap Leaders: Payne 1-4, Ryan Gustin 5-30, Hughes 31, Ryan Gustin 32, Hughes 33-40.
Total Laps Led: Gustin 27, Hughes 9, Payne 4.
Margin of Victory: 0.095 second.
Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger: Richie Gustin (started 24th, finished 11th).
Next Race: Saturday, July 21, I-80 Speedway, Greenwood, Neb.
USMTS National Championship Series Points: Ryan Gustin 1834, Sanders 1639, Hughes 1623, J. Scott 1480, Shryock 1478, Brown 1460, S. Scott 1456, Ramirez 1417, VanderBeek 1290, C. Junghans 1278.
Rookie of the Year Points: S. Scott 2028, Hilsabeck 1374, Ron Keith 1219, Casey Penn 956, Thomas Tillison Jr. 789.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 325, Geddes 304, ProPower 274, Sput’s 250, RoushYates 178.
Tiger Rear Ends Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 388, GRT 344, Skyrocket 288, Sidebiter 136, Shaw 118.