BAYTOWN, Texas -- The United States Modified Touring Series is the undisputed heavyweight champion of open-wheel dirt modified racing, so it was a fitting finale Saturday night when the 4th Annual USMTS Texas Spring Nationals powered by Lecolift came down to a battle between the all-time Best of the Best in USMTS history.
From the pole position, 2007 USMTS national champion Jason Krohn squirted ahead of Willy Kraft at the drop of the green flag with 2010 USMTS national champion Jason Hughes following into second a few laps later in the 40-lap Swan Energy “A” Main.
Jeremy Payne also moved to the front of the field quickly from his sixth row starting spot and challenged Hughes early on in the contest. Meanwhile, Krohn enjoyed about a ten-car-length cushion over the field for the first half of the race.
With 22 laps complete and Krohn mired in heavy lapped traffic, the race’s first caution slowed the pace and put Krohn’s competitors on his rear bumper for the restart.
However, Krohn was once again able to pull away as Payne, Hughes and two-time defending USMTS national champion Ryan Gustin slugged it out for second, third and fourth while defending event champion Johnny Scott sat in the fifth spot watching the action ahead of him.
Following two more caution periods, Krohn used the bottom and middle portions of the racing surface while Gustin chewed away at the cushion on the high side of the Royal Purple Raceway.
With ten laps to go, Gustin blasted into the lead. Krohn fought back, but another yellow flag killed the momentum with just seven laps remaining.
Back under green, Gustin was able to fend off Krohn’s challenges the rest of the way to take his first win of the year.
“We were pretty free, so I knew we’d be in trouble if we tried to roll through the middle,” Gustin said, referring to his preference for the long way around the track in Saturday’s feature race. “We just had to air it out on the top and hope for the best.
Gustin’s 62nd career USMTS victory was worth $6,000 to the 22-year-old from Marshalltown, Iowa, while Krohn settled for a runner-up paycheck of $3,000.
“We drew the pole and that can be an advantage or disadvantage,” Krohn said. “We had to withstand a lot of yellows, I think before that we had ‘em covered.”
Payne, who swept all three nights when the USMTS invaded the Baytown, Texas, oval three months ago, took the third spot while Hughes finished fourth and nine-time USMTS national champion Kelly Shryock clawed his way to fifth after starting 17th.
Johnny Scott, who started 28th, wound up sixth with Kraft, Clyde Dunn Jr., Rick Beebe and Austin Siebert rounding out the top-10 finishers.
After a week off, the tireless USMTS touring titans invade the Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kan., on Friday, March 8, and then trek to the Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo., on Saturday, March 9.
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
USMTS Casey’s Cup Championship – Allgayer, Inc. Southern Region presented by Day Motor Sports
4th Annual USMTS Texas Spring Nationals powered by Lecolift – Night 2 of 2
Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, Texas
Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013
Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder and money won. The top 14 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.
EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (2) 23 Howard Willis, Dayton, Texas.
2. (4) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
3. (1) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
4. (3) 87 John Webb, Pauls Valley, Okla.
5. (9) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
6. (6) 21 Chris Brown, Spring, Texas.
7. (5) 9 Jimmy Ray, Las Cruces, N.M.
8. (7) 160 Michael Maggard, Springfield, Mo.
9. (10) 22 Brad Buck, Paragould, Ark.
10. (8) 1st Johnny Scott, Arroyo Hondo, N.M.
REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 4 advance):
1. (3) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
2. (5) 85 Thomas Tillison Jr., Wellston, Okla.
3. (1) 97 Cade Dillard (R), Robeline, La.
4. (2) 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas.
5. (11) 160 Michael Maggard, Springfield, Mo., GRT/SMF, $90.
6. (4) 51 Tracy Denby Jr., Vidor, Texas, Skyrocket/CB, $100.
7. (15) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla., Hughes/Geddes, $100.
8. (6) J17 Jacob Gallardo (R), Las Cruces, N.M., GRC/BMS, $100.
9. (12) 22 Brad Buck, Paragould, Ark., TRE/SCP, $90.
10. (10) 5* Casey Penn, Shreveport, La., Hughes/Geddes, $100.
11. (8) 6 Donnie Powers, Henderson, Texas, Shaw/Powers, $90.
12. (13) 10b Aaron Drewry, Magnolia, Texas, Pierce/CHB, $90.
13. (9) 9 Jimmy Ray, Las Cruces, N.M., AOS/AOS, $100.
14. (14) 2 Earl Whatley (R), Alvin, Texas, Fast1/USA, $100.
15. (7) 11 Jeff Allgayer (R), El Campo, Texas, Hughes/Mullins, $100.
SWAN ENERGY “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (16) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, $6000.
2. (1) 7K Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn., MBC/Sput’s, $3000.
3. (11) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo., GRT/RoushYates, $2000.
4. (6) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, $1500.
5. (17) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ProPower, $1100.
6. (28) 1st Johnny Scott, Arroyo Hondo, N.M., Hughes/ProPower, $900.
7. (2) 83 Willy Kraft, Mico, Texas, Kraft/Gaerte, $800.
8. (3) 88xxx Clyde Dunn Jr., Sunnyvale, Texas, Hughes/Mullins, $700.
9. (21) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan., MBC/Mullins, $600.
10. (9) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo., GRT/Mullins, $550.
11. (7) 23 Howard Willis, Dayton, Texas, Hughes/Fox, $500.
12. (15) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, Hughes/Sput’s, $450.
13. (13) 36m Logan Martin (R), West Plains, Mo., GRT/SCP, $425.
14. (24) 99h Trevor Hunt (R), Kearney, Mo., GRT/Yeoman, $400.
15. (4) 77 Garrett Gregory (R), Tomball, Texas, Hughes/105, $400.
16. (12) 5W John O Whittington, Vidor, Texas, Pierce/CB, $400.
17. (10) 19 Jamie Burford, Keatchie, La., IRP/Geddes, $400.
18. (25) 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas, Hughes/RoushYates, $400.
19. (20) 87 John Webb, Pauls Valley, Okla., MBC/Mullins, $400.
20. (27) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, MBC/Geddes, $400.
21. (18) 89 Steve Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas, Hughes/Mullins, $400.
22. (19) 85 Thomas Tillison Jr., Wellston, Okla., Hughes/Geddes, $400.
23. (26) 21 Chris Brown, Spring, Texas, Hughes/RoushYates, $400.
24. (5) 715 J.P. Dowell, Killeen, Texas, GRT/RCR, $400.
25. (14) 25 Ron Keith, Shawnee, Kan., GRT/Mullins, $300.
26. (22) 97 Cade Dillard (R), Robeline, La., Sidebiter/Sput’s, $400.
27. (8) 12 Kyle Cummings (R), Sibley, La., IRP/EPM, $400.
28. (23) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, $400.
Lap Leaders: Krohn 1-30, Gustin 31-40.
Total Laps Led: Krohn 30, Gustin 10.
Margin of Victory: 0.747 seconds.
Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger: Shryock (started 17th, finished 5th).
Next Race: Friday, March 8, Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, Kan.
Allgayer, Inc. USMTS Southern Region Points: Gustin 187, Scott 176, Hughes 160, VanderBeek 159, Sanders 155, Payne 142, Krohn 140, Shryock 137, Dunn 134, Beebe 134.
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