Gustin returns to winning ways at Cedar County Raceway

TIPTON, Iowa -- Two-time defending USMTS National Champion Ryan Gustin got the monkey off his back Thursday night as he scored a decisive victory at the Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, Iowa, during Round 13 of the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup.

Winless since June 13, the 22-year-old from Marshalltown, Iowa, took the lead with nine laps in the books and blistered the field over the final 31 circuits to score his fourth win of the season and first during ‘The Hunt.’

Rookie points leader Trevor Hunt garnered his first pole and used his starting position to take command at the drop of the green flag. The rising star paced the first nine laps before ‘The Reaper’ blasted by and off into the distance.

2010 USMTS National Champion Jason Hughes drove the fastest car on the track over the last dozen laps, clawing his way from 13th on the 24-car starting grid to a runner-up finish, albeit more than five seconds behind Gustin at the checkers.

Johnny Scott, who held the second position until the final lap, scored a third-place finish while Zack VanderBeek and Rodney Sanders took fourth and fifth. Brad Dierks, Hunt, Lucas Schott, Kelly Shryock and Jeremy Payne rounded out the top 10.

For Gustin, it was his 65 career USMTS victory as he left the high-banked quarter-mile dirt oval with a $3,000 winner’s paycheck plus an additional $2,000 for taking part in the Big Dog Buy-In.

In the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup, Scott regained the points lead he lost last week and now leads Sanders by a mere six points (1216 to 1210) with just four races left to determine the 2013 USMTS National Champion. Hughes closed the gap on the two young guns and is 35 markers out of first place. Fourth through ninth are Stormy Scott, Payne, VanderBeek, Shryock, Dereck Ramirez and Schott while Gustin moved into a tie with Hunt for tenth.

On Friday night the series returns to the Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minn., where the winner could leave Darin Toot’s bullring with as much as $8,600 as Brew Pub Pizza has stepped up and doubled their offer on the Brew Pub Pizza Challenge.

The payoff this week is $3,600 for a driver who accepts the challenge. Coupled with the regular $3,000 it pays to win the USMTS Modified feature, that’s $6,600 to win. And if you partake in the USMTS Big Dog Buy-In for an extra hundred bucks, it makes for a possible $8,600 take home prize for the winner.

More than just the drivers on the front row, this week the Brew Pub Pizza Challenge will be offered to the top eight drivers in passing points before they get a chance to redraw. Defending USRA Modified National Champion Brandon Davis has captured two of the last three USMTS events at. Other former winners here include Jason Hughes, Tim Donlinger, Jason Krohn, Tommy Myer, Jon Tesch, Kelly Shryock, Ryan Gustin, Mike Chasteen and Mike Sorensen.

Gates open at 5:00 with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:00. Also racing Friday night will be USRA B-Mods, Street Stocks, Midwest Modifieds and Pure Stocks. Live music from Decadence will cap the night off following the final checkered flag.

General admission is $18, kids ages 6-12 are $5 and pit passes are $30. Race fans can pick up $2-off grandstand admission coupons on race day at Casey's General Store locations in Austin and Blooming Prairie, and you can see Steve Whiteaker Jr. and his Cheetos-sponsored machine from 11:30 to 1:30 at the Casey’s General Store located at 1702 12th St. SW in Austin.

The Chateau Raceway is a semi-banked one-third-mile gumbo clay oval located 5.0 miles north of Austin on US 218 (Lansing Exit), then 1.3 miles east on CR 2, then 0.4 mile south on CR 25, then 0.3 mile east on 266th St. For more information call 507-391-2486 or check out www.chateauraceway.net online.

On Saturday, the series invades the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., for the 8th Annual BP Labor Day Dual presented by Baudoin Oil and Sunday will find the mud-slinging USMTS Modifieds at the Cresco Speedway in Cresco, Iowa, for the next-to-last race in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup.

The final USMTS points race during ‘The Hunt’ will take place on the first night of the 15th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree on Thursday, Sept. 19, back at the Deer Creek Speedway.

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 at www.facebook.com/usmts, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usmts or check out our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
The Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup – Round 13 of 17
Cedar County Raceway, Tipton, Iowa
Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013

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) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
2. (4) 29d Brad Dierks, Clarence, Iowa.
3. (1) 77 Joe Beal, Milan, Ill.
4. (2) 01 Joey Galloway (R), Manor, Sask., Canada.
5. (5) 99m Richie Gustin, Gilman, Iowa.
6. (7) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa.
7. (8) 20 Dan Albright, Hiawatha, Iowa.
8. (6) 93 Matt Werner, Colona, Ill.

JRi SHOCKS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (2) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (4) 99h Trevor Hunt (R), Kearney, Mo.
3. (3) 89 Steve Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas.
4. (6) 00 Masen Big Eagle (R), Manor, Sask., Canada.
5. (7) 36 Jeff Conner (R), Panora, Iowa.
6. (1) 77 Kurt Kile (R), Nichols, Iowa.
7. (5) 2 Dusty Kraklio, Durant, Iowa.

EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 61 Bruce Hanford, Davenport, Iowa.
2. (2) 1 Dan Chapman, Clarence, Iowa.
3. (3) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
4. (5) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
5. (6) 9z Chris Zogg, New Liberty, Iowa.
6. (7) 8s Josh Starr, Tipton, Iowa.
7. (4) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.

PBM PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (1) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
2. (4) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
3. (2) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
4. (3) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
5. (5) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
6. (6) 43 Milo Veloz, Colona, Ill.
7. (7) 56 Nick Dains, Mechanicsville, Iowa.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (8) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
2. (2) 01 Joey Galloway (R), Manor, Sask., Canada.
3. (6) 77 Kurt Kile (R), Nichols, Iowa.
4. (1) 00 Masen Big Eagle (R), Manor, Sask., Canada.
5. (9) 93 Matt Werner, Colona, Ill.
6. (5) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa.
7. (7) 20 Dan Albright, Hiawatha, Iowa, Spaw/Sperry, $80.
8. (3) 36 Jeff Conner (R), Panora, Iowa.
9. (4) 99m Richie Gustin, Gilman, Iowa, Shaw/Parker, $80.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. (2) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
2. (4) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
3. (1) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
4. (6) 43 Milo Veloz, Colona, Ill.
5. (3) 9z Chris Zogg, New Liberty, Iowa.
6. (5) 8s Josh Starr, Tipton, Iowa, Kraft/Gade, $80.
7. (7) 2 Dusty Kraklio, Durant, Iowa, Harris/Kraklio, $80.
8. (8) 56 Nick Dains, Mechanicsville, Iowa, Shaw/Sperry, $80.

CASEY’S GENERAL STORES “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (6) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $5000.
2. (13) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $2200.
3. (3) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., GRT/ProPower, 40, $1600.
4. (2) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, Hughes/Sput’s, 40, $1100.
5. (4) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, MBCustom/Geddes, 40, $900.
6. (5) 29d Brad Dierks, Clarence, Iowa, Shaw/Sperry, 40, $800.
7. (1) 99h Trevor Hunt (R), Kearney, Mo., GRT/Geddes, 40, $800.
8. (14) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, 40, $650.
9. (12) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ProPower, 40, $600.
10. (11) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo., GRT/RoushYates, 40, $550.
11. (9) 77 Joe Beal, Milan, Ill., Skyrocket/VonDresky, 40, $400.
12. (7) 1 Dan Chapman, Clarence, Iowa, Kazzbuilt/Shrope, 40, $350.
13. (10) 89 Steve Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $425.
14. (19) 00 Masen Big Eagle (R), Manor, Sask., Canada, GRT/Tim’s, 39, $500.
15. (22) 9z Chris Zogg, New Liberty, Iowa, Skyrocket/Zogg, 39, $275.
16. (24) 36 Jeff Conner (R), Panora, Iowa, Skyrocket/RoushYates, 33, $350.
17. (15) 01 Joey Galloway (R), Manor, Sask., Canada, GRT/Tim’s, 28, $325.
18. (23) 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 25, $400.
19. (16) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., GRT/ProPower, 19, $400.
20. (17) 77 Kurt Kile (R), Nichols, Iowa, GRT/Mullins, 19, $300.
21. (8) 61 Bruce Hanford, Davenport, Iowa, Skyrocket/AutoRon’s, 12, $275.
22. (18) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 12, $400.
23. (21) 93 Matt Werner, Colona, Ill., Skyrocket/Mullins, 7, $275.
24. (20) 43 Milo Veloz, Colona, Ill., Skyrocket/Mullins, 2, $275.

(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.

Lap Leaders: Hunt 1-9, Ryan Gustin 10-40.
Total Laps Led: Ryan Gustin 31, Hunt 9.
Margin of Victory: 5.408 seconds.
Provisional Starters: Hilsabeck, Conner.
Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger: Hughes (started 13th, finished 2nd).
Next Race: Friday, Aug. 30, Chateau Raceway, Lansing, Minn.
Points Standings: J. Scott 1216, Sanders 1210, Hughes 1181, S. Scott 1082, Payne 1066, VanderBeek 1013, Shryock 950, Ramirez 907, Schott 891, Ryan Gustin 887, Hunt 887.
Rookie of the Year Points: Hunt 1689, Galloway 1547, Big Eagle 1302, Conner 1005, Adam Penn 598.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: ProPower 393, Mullins 362, Geddes 342, RoushYates 341, Sput’s 316.
Tiger Rear Ends Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 432, GRT 407, MBCustom 374, Skyrocket 290, LG2 221.

Contingency Awards:
AERO Race Wheels – Veloz.
American Racer – Kile.
Beyea Custom Headers – Ryan Gustin.
BSB Manufacturing – Sanders, Hunt.
Buck Monson Photos – Ryan Gustin.
Crane Cams – Ryan Gustin.
Dominator Race Products – Kile.
Edelbrock – J. Scott.
Eibach Springs – Hanford.
FK Rod Ends – Zogg.
Forty9Designs.com – Big Eagle, S. Scott.
Fuel Safe – Dierks.
GRT Race Cars – Hunt.
Hooker Harness – Whiteaker.
JRi Shocks – J. Scott.
KEVKO Oil Pans & Components – Shryock.
Keyser Manufacturing – Payne.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Werner.
Mesilla Valley Transportation – Hughes.
MSD Ignition – Ryan Gustin.
PBM Performance Products – VanderBeek, Ryan Gustin.
Power Lift Racing Products – Galloway.
Real Racing Wheels – all non-qualifiers.
VP Racing Fuels – Ryan Gustin.