Greg Skaggs of Bixby, Okla., gave himself the better birthday present Wednesday as the cars and stars of the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series made their first appearance at the I-70 Speedway Dirt Track. Skaggs, who celebrates his 37th birthday on Thursday, swapped the lead with Kelly Shryock three times from laps 4-9, then pulled away over the remaining 31 laps to score his second O’Reilly USMTS National Event win of the season.

Skaggs’ triumph at the newly-constructed 3/8-mile dirt oval was worth $2,000.

“This is a challenging race track and fun to race on,” Skaggs said in victory lane. “I really liked it, especially tonight.”

Shryock wrestled the lead away from polesitter Dustin Boney of Tonganoxie, Kan., on the fourth circuit, but the eight-time defending O’Reilly USMTS national champ from Fertile, Iowa, didn't have the muscle tonight to challenge Skaggs and had to settle for the runner-up paycheck on his 42nd birthday.

Boney held on for third place, with 13th-starting Al Hejna of Clear Lake, Iowa, fourth. Jesse Stovall of Galena, Mo., rounded out the top-5 finishers and earned the Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger honors for racing from 19th on the starting grid.

Sixth through 10th at the finish were Steve Holzkamper, Johnny Bone Jr., Eddie Martin, Jeremy Rasmussen and Jay Poidinger.

In all, drivers representing nine states — Oklahoma, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Texas and Minnesota — signed in to do battle.

Up next for the rugged O’Reilly USMTS road warriors is another first-time venue as they storm the L A Raceway in LaMonte, Mo., on Thursday night for the second of five straight $2,000-to-win shows in the Show-Me State. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., with hot laps at 7:00 and racing at 7:30. The L A Raceway is a 3/8-mile semi-banked clay oval located 3.5 miles west of SR 127 on Hwy Y. For more information call the track hotline at (660) 347-5222 or visit laraceway.com online.

To learn more about the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series, call the headquarters office at (515) 832-7944 or visit usmts.com online.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series
National Event - Southern Region
I-70 Speedway Dirt Track, Odessa, Mo.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Showing finishing position, car number, driver, hometown and starting position in parentheses. The top 12 drivers in Home Pride Passing Points accumulated in the Heats 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. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (1)
2. 31j - Jeremy Rasmussen -- Bentonville, AR (3)
3. 37 - Jeremy Chambers -- Oswego, KS (4)
4. 12 - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (2)
5. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (8)
6. 8x - Eric Anderson -- Harrisonville, MO (7)
7. 75 - Alan Sharpensteen -- Amarillo, TX (5) DNF
8. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (6) DNF

HEAT #2 (10 laps):
1. 00m - Jim Moody -- Odessa, MO (4)
2. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (2)
3. 8r - Darrin Roberts -- Archie, MO (1)
4. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (7)
5. 00 - Jesse Stovall -- Galena, MO (3)
6. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (5)
7. 96 - Chad Lyle -- Long Jack, MO (8)
8. 90 - Terry Schultz -- Sedalia, MO (6)

HEAT #3 (10 laps):
1. 51 - Eddie Martin -- Stilwell, OK (1)
2. 09 - Josh Stephens -- Independence, MO (2)
3. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (6)
4. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (7)
5. 1x - Jason Bodenhamer -- Centerview, MO (5)
6. 2x - Lyle Shepard -- Manhattan, KS (3)
7. 13a - Aaron Poe -- Warrensburg, MO (4)

HEAT #4 (10 laps):
1. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (1)
2. 222 - Dustin Boney -- Tonganoxie, KS (3)
3. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (5)
4. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (6)
5. 48 - Jimmy Dowell -- Marshall, MO (7)
6. 26s - Steven Glenn -- Hamilton, MO (4)
7. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (2) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (1)
2. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (2)
3. 12 - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (3)
4. 00 - Jesse Stovall -- Galena, MO (4)
5. 96 - Chad Lyle -- Long Jack, MO (7)
6. 8x - Eric Anderson -- Harrisonville, MO (5)
7. 18s - Brent Bohmont -- Martell, NE (9)
8. 2x - Lyle Shepard -- Manhattan, KS (6) DNF
9. 13a - Aaron Poe -- Warrensburg, MO (8) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (2)
2. 90 - Terry Schultz -- Sedalia, MO (9)
3. 48 - Jimmy Dowell -- Marshall, MO (3)
4. 8r - Darrin Roberts -- Archie, MO (1)
5. 26s - Steven Glenn -- Hamilton, MO (6)
6. 1x - Jason Bodenhamer -- Centerview, MO (4) DNF
7. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (5) DNF
8. 75 - Alan Sharpensteen -- Amarillo, TX (7) DNS
9. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (8) DNS

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (5)
2. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (4)
3. 222 - Dustin Boney -- Tonganoxie, KS (1)
4. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (13)
5. 00 - Jesse Stovall -- Galena, MO (19)
6. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (12)
7. 12 - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (17)
8. 51 - Eddie Martin -- Stilwell, OK (3)
9. 31j - Jeremy Rasmussen -- Bentonville, AR (2)
10. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (14)
11. 48 - Jimmy Dowell -- Marshall, MO (18)
12. 8r - Darrin Roberts -- Archie, MO (20)
13. 26s - Steven Glenn -- Hamilton, MO (22)
14. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (7) DNF
15. 96 - Chad Lyle -- Long Jack, MO (21) DNF
16. 09 - Josh Stephens -- Independence, MO (9) DNF
17. 90 - Terry Schultz -- Sedalia, MO (16) DNF
18. 37 - Jeremy Chambers -- Oswego, KS (11) DNF
19. 17s - Mike Spaulding -- Bemidji, MN (10) DNF
20. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (15) DNF
21. 00m - Jim Moody -- Odessa, MO (6) DNF
22. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (8) DNF
23. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (23) DNS
24. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (24) DNS

AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Boney 1-3, Shryock 4-5, Skaggs 6-7, Shryock 8, Skaggs 9-40.
Total Laps Led: Skaggs 34, Boney 3, Shryock 3.
AFCO Pole Award: Moody.
Provisional Starters: Hughes (regional), Weder (national).
Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Stovall (started 19th, finished 5th).
Next Race: Thursday, June 14, L A Raceway, LaMonte, Mo.
O’Reilly National Points: Shryock 1974, VanderBeek 1509, Hejna 1353, Holzkamper 1315, Hughes 1314, Weder 1138, Poidinger 1041, Jon Tesch 851, Skaggs 817, Cale Sponsler 772.
Southern Region Points: Shryock 416, Skaggs 367, Holzkamper 350, Hejna 348, Bone 287, Green 266, Rasmussen 258, VanderBeek 253, Boney 248, Jay Noteboom 244.
Home Pride Passing Points (National): Shryock 102, VanderBeek 66, Hughes 58½, Hejna 58½, Green 42.
Home Pride Passing Points (Southern): Hughes 18, Holzkamper 16½, Bone 15, Shryock 13½, Skaggs 12.
Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Cale Sponsler 225, Green 207, Jay Noteboom 187, Ryan Gustin 186, Richie Gustin Jr. 186.
Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 196, Hughes 141, TRE 96, Harris 76, GRT 72.

Contingency Awards:
Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.
Boyer’s Engine Development – Skaggs.
GRT Race Cars – not awarded.
Hawk Performance – Martin.
Isky Racing Cams – Shryock.
Kevko Oil Pans & Components – not awarded.
KSE Racing Products –  Shryock, Hejna.
Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.
Nitroquest Web Solutions - Boney.
Quarter Master – Skaggs, Rasmussen.
QuickTime Performance Parts – Bone.
Real Racing Wheels – Hejna, Poidinger.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

USMTS TITLE SPONSOR: O’Reilly Auto Parts.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Race Tires, AMSOIL, Arizona Sport Shirts, BRODIX, Fast Company Performance, Holley Performance Products, Home Pride Companies, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, Marsh Racing Wheels, Nitroquest Web Solutions, Olympic Fire Protection, Real Racing Wheels, Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar, Yeager Machine.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Boom Drilling, Borco LP, Day Motor Sports, Gressell Oil Field Services, Hughes Racing Chassis, KraftKar Race Cars, McVicker Oil Fields, Rinehart Trucking.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Belleville Motorsports, Bilstein Shocks, Boyer’s Engine Development, Dynatech Racing Exhaust, GRT Race Cars, Hawk Performance, Hyperco, Isky Racing Cams, KSE Racing Products, Quarter Master, QuickTime Performance Race Parts, Racer’s Choice (RCI).