DECORAH, Iowa -- Residing in Watertown, S.D., Jon Tesch put more miles on his tow rig than most drivers in the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series. The strain of escalating fuel prices and struggles mechanically with his No. 14 GRT Modified forced Tesch to miss the entire month of August -- seven straight races.

The 30-year-old Tesch didn't take long to knock the rust off, however, as he returned to action Wednesday night and earned his third O’Reilly USMTS victory of the 2006 season in the 2nd Annual Budweiser Summer Challenge presented by NAPA and Decorah Bank & Trust at the Upper Iowa Speedway in Decorah, Iowa.

After starting the Holley "A" Main in the ninth spot, Tesch blazed a trail to the front of the field and snagged the top spot away from Clear Lake, Iowa's Al Hejna on lap 9. The polesitter regained the lead on lap 10 before surrendering again to Tesch on lap 11.

A three-way battle for the lead ensued as younger brother Mike Hejna joined the fight as the top three diced for position while they began navigating heavy lapped traffic on the quarter-mile bullring. Mike Hejna took control on lap 14 and paced the pack through lap 24. Tesch motored back around Mike Hejna to lead lap 25, then held on over the final 10 laps to take the win the first race of ‘The Hunt’ -- the championship series comprised of the final 16 events of the O’Reilly USMTS season.

While Tesch put $2,000 in his pocket, Mike Hejna settled for the runner-up paycheck. Zack VanderBeek of New Sharon, Iowa, came from 10th to finish third, while Darin Duffy of Hazelton, Iowa, earned the Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger honors by starting 16th and racing to a fourth-place finish. Jason Friesen of Sutton, Neb., rounded out the top five finishers.

With his third-place finish, VanderBeek grabbed the points lead in ‘The Hunt’ standings with 144 points. Tesch ranks second with 134, followed by Tommy Myer (130), Brad McEwan (115) and seven-time defending O’Reilly USMTS national champion Kelly Shryock (110).

Myer and Shryock started second and sixth, respectively, but made contact with each other early in the race. The damage was enough to send Shryock to the pits while Myer was able to rejoin the field and climbed to a seventh-place finish before the main event was over. Shryock was 24th on the final scorecard.

The O’Reilly USMTS rugged road warriors roll on Thursday night for the 2nd Annual Transport America Hawkeye Summer Classic at the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, Iowa. The semi-banked half-mile oval is located 0.3 miles north of SR 3 on S. Main St. (towards downtown). Gates open at 4:30 p.m. with hot laps at 7 and the first heat race scheduled to go green at 7:30. For day-of-race information, call the track hotline at (319) 267-9977. Also running will be USRA-sanctioned Stock Cars, B-Mods and Hobby Stocks competing for national points in the USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Racing Series.

For more information, or to learn more about the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series, call (515) 832-7944 or visit www.USMTS.com online.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS

O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series

2nd Annual Budweiser Summer Challenge presented by NAPA and Decorah Bank & Trust

Upper Iowa Speedway, Decorah, Iowa

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Showing finishing position, car number, driver, hometown and starting position in parentheses. The top 12 drivers in Home Pride Passing Points accumulated in the heat races are locked into the Holley “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.

ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT #1 (10 laps):

1. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (6)

2. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (1)

3. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (2)

4. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (3)

5. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (9)

6. 19 - Darin Duffy -- Hazelton, IA (8)

7. 02 - Jacob Dahle -- Morristown, MN (7)

8. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (5) DNF

9. 30 - Mark Massey -- Worthington, IA (4) DNF

HEAT #2 (10 laps):

1. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (5)

2. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (2)

3. 35x - Ron Konkel -- Caledonia, MN (7)

4. 28t - Todd Ihde -- Decorah, IA (1)

5. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (3)

6. 58 - Scott Vesely -- Mosinee, WI (6)

7. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (4)

8. 23 - Matt Jones -- Waukon, IA (8)

9. 70 - Matt Sweeny -- Waukon, IA (9)

HEAT #3 (10 laps):

1. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (4)

2. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (5)

3. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (1)

4. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rolling Stone, MN (3)

5. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (8)

6. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (7)

7. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (6)

8. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (2)

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (10 laps, top 6 advance):

1. 28t - Todd Ihde -- Decorah, IA (1)

2. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (5)

3. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (2)

4. 30 - Mark Massey -- Worthington, IA (7)

5. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (3)

6. 02 - Jacob Dahle -- Morristown, MN (4)

7. 23 - Matt Jones -- Waukon, IA (6)

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (10 laps, top 6 advance):

1. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (4)

2. 19 - Darin Duffy -- Hazelton, IA (2)

3. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rolling Stone, MN (1)

4. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (5)

5. 58 - Scott Vesely -- Mosinee, WI (3)

6. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (6)

7. 70 - Matt Sweeny -- Waukon, IA (7)

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (40 laps):

1. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (9)

2. 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (5)

3. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (10)

4. 19 - Darin Duffy -- Hazelton, IA (16)

5. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (7)

6. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA (11)

7. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (2)

8. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rolling Stone, MN (18)

9. 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (12)

10. 30 - Mark Massey -- Worthington, IA (19)

11. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (4)

12. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (15) -1 Lap

13. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (1)

14. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (20) -1 Lap

15. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (24) -1 Lap

16. 70 - Matt Sweeny -- Waukon, IA (26) -1 Lap

17. 23 - Matt Jones -- Waukon, IA (25) -1 Lap

18. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (17) -1 Lap

19. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (14) DNF

20. 58 - Scott Vesely -- Mosinee, WI (22) DNF

21. 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (21) DNF

22. 35x - Ron Konkel -- Caledonia, MN (3) DNF

23. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (8) DNF

24. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (6) DNF

25. 28t - Todd Ihde -- Decorah, IA (13) DNF

26. 02 - Jacob Dahle -- Morristown, MN (23) DNF

AMSOIL Lap Leaders: A. Hejna 1-8, Tesch 9, A. Hejna 10, Tesch 11-13, M. Hejna 14-24, Tesch 25-35.

Total Laps Led: Tesch 15, M. Hejna 11, A. Hejna 9.

Provisional Starters: Jones (track), Sweeny (track).

Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Duffy (started 16th, finished 4th).

Next Race: Thursday, Aug. 31, Highway 3 Raceway, Allison, Iowa.

‘The Hunt’ National Points: VanderBeek 144, Tesch 134, Myer 130, McEwan 115, Shryock 110, M. Hejna 106, Friesen 87, A. Hejna 85, Mahlstedt 81, Ruter 80, Mondus 71, Poidinger 70, Noble 69, Mike Lineberry 5, Jason Hughes 4.

Home Pride Passing Points (National): Shryock 171.0, Ruter 147.0, A. Hejna 142.5, Myer 132.0, McEwan 121.5.

Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Poidinger 666, Friesen 484, Matt Gilbertson 357, Mondus 327, Tommy Weder Jr. 304.

UNIJIG Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 424, Hughes 319, Kraft 270, GRT 262, Bullet 223.

Contingency Awards:

Bassett Racing Wheel – VanderBeek.

Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.

Boyer’s Engine Development – Tesch.

Edelbrock – Tesch, M. Hejna.

Fast Shafts – Friesen.

GRT Race Cars – Bohr.

Isky Racing Cams – Myer.

Kevko Oil Pans & Components – not awarded.

KSE Racing Products – Timm.

Larson Racing Specialists – A. Hejna.

Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.

QuickTime Performance Parts – Myer.

RaceQuest – Tesch, Dahle, Hillson.

Real Racing Wheels – Schluetter, Noble.

T.A.R. Race Car Bodies – Massey.

UNIJIG – Mahlstedt.