(July 22, 2002) - The United States Modified Touring Series raced three more nights with stops at Owatonna, MN Allison, IA and Somerset, WI on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Twenty different winners this season in USMTS action has made it one of the most competitive seasons yet.

Owatonna, MN

Jason Krohn Slayton, MN who has been very fast this season led all thirty laps enroute to the first ever USMTS victory.

Krohn started showing some smoke late in the race as his car started overheating. Krohn started the race from the front row outside with Kelly Shryock coming home second. Mark Noble and Willy Kraft battled throughout the race after getting tangled together and both going to the back with flat tires. Kraft and Noble moved back thru the field for a eighth and ninth place finish. Some rain showers at 1pm made for a very good racetrack on Thursday night.

Rounding out the top five was Tommy Myer, Ron Schreiner, and Jeremy Mills. The Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger was Jon Tesch.

Allison, IA

Kevin Pittman started the race from the front row outside and led all thirty-five laps for the win. The win did not come easy as early challenges from Dan Chapman and Tim Donlinger. Donlinger who started the race from the seventh row outside went to the very top of the track and was running third in two laps. After the first yellow Donlinger slipped past Chapman and looked as if he was going to go right by Pittman when he went into turns 3-4 and slapped the wall giving the #21 Hoffman modified a flat tire and ended his evening. Tommy Myer worked his way through the field and would pressure Pittman the last eight laps. Jeff Aikey driving his brothers modified looked as if he might have something for Pittman before smacking the wall ending his evening. Rounding out the top five was Bruce Hanford, Kelly Shryock, and Scott Williams.

Cedar Lake Speedway

The USMTS Modifieds were next to take to the track. After out-of-car introductions and a redraw which would invert the top eight drivers, the 24 cars were ready to go green for a 40 lap shootout.

It was Les Duellman grabbing the early lead while defending race champion Kelly Shryock and Todd Stinehart battled for second. Shryock took over second on lap two while Trent Follmer charged into third. Dave Cain was coming to the front in a hurry after starting eighth and moving into fourth on lap three. The first caution came on lap five when Jon Tesch spun to a stop in turn three. On the restart, Duellman lead followed by Follmer and Shryock and on lap seven Follmer blasted into the lead. Dave Cain was all over the bumpers of Shryock and Duellman and took over third from Shryock on lap eight. Tim Donlinger was on the move and challenging Stinehart for fifth. By lap 11, Follmer had nearly a straightaway lead over the field, and this would be a common sight for the rest of the event. The next yellow came on lap 12 with a breakdown for Steve Mueller. After a failed restart the caution would come again, this time when Mike Chamernick and Ryan Ruter got together in turns three and four. When the green flag waved, the yellow would follow shortly after before a lap could be completed once again, when Steve Wetzstein, Joey Kates, Steve Mueller, and Jon Tesch got together in turns three and four. Trouble would continue on the next attempted restart when Bob Timm and Kevin Viebrock made contact on the backstretch bringing an end to Timm's night. Timm made contact with the concrete, and rolled to a stop in turn three unable to continue. Under green once more, Tim Donlinger picked up a position to move into fourth on lap 13. Ron Schreiner was starting to come alive and moved into fifth on lap 15, moving by Shryock. The yellow flag waved again on lap 16 when Luke Cochran and Doug Gustafson spun in turns three and four. After one more completed lap the caution waved over the field after Craig Scott made contact with the concrete in turn one. After the restart, Schreiner went from fourth to second in two laps and Dave Cain tried to reclaim the position, but to no avail. Follmer, by lap 21, had pulled out to a straightaway advantage over Schreiner who was still in second. The next caution came again on lap 26 when Ryan Ruter spun in turn two. For the restart, it was Follmer, Schreiner, Cain, Duellman, and Donlinger making up the top five. Follmer once again checked out on the field, with the running order staying the same until lap 37, when Duellman lost a left rear wheel while running fourth. This brought the race to a three lap shootout with Schreiner not quite having enough to make a bid for the lead. Follmer took the checkered flag first followed by Schreiner, Cain, Donlinger, and Shryock.

RESULTS

Cedar Lake Results

Heat #1 (10 laps):

1. Les Duellman #0

2. Todd Stinehart #7s

3. Daryl Holzmer #53H

4. Craig Scott #0s DNF

5. Gary Frazier #7G DNF

6. Scott Schulte #5 DNF

7. Mike Hernke #37 DNF

Heat #2:

1. Trent Follmer #31T

2. Dave Cain #2c

3. Ron Schreiner #97 (white mod)

4. John Tesch #14

5. Justin Boney #18

6. Kevin Viebrock #50

7. Bruce Fouks #63

8. Ryan Ruter #555 DNF

Heat #3:

1. Dennis Jones #1

2. Tommy Meyer #65

3. Dave Lear #66

4. Joey Kates #23k

5. Bob Timm #49

6. Luke Cochran #40

7. Steve Wetzstein #90 DNF

8. Mike Chamernick #OK DNF

Heat #4:

1. Kelly Shryock #3

2. Jason Miller #8

3. Tim Donlinger #21

4. Steve Mueller #2M

5. Dennis Krause #11k

6. Doug Rambo #4D

7. Eric Pember #30 DNF

B Main #1 (10 laps):

1. Viebrock

2. Timm

3. Wetzstein

4. Kates

5. Chamernick

6. Gustafson

7. Fouks

8. Frazier

9. Lear DNF

10. Schulte DNF

B Main #2:

1. Pember

2. Tesch

3. Boney

4. Cochran

5. Ruter

6. Mueller

7. Hernke

8. Rambo

9. Krause DNF

A Main (40 laps):

1. Follmer (5)

2. Schreiner (12)

3. Cain (

4. Donlinger (9)

5. Shryock (3)

6. Miller (7)

7. Gustafson (23) +16

8. Boney (1

9. Jones (6)

10. Stinehart (1)

11. Viebrock (13)

12. Cochran (20)

13. Chamernick (24)

14. Ruter (21)

15. Duellman DNF (lost left rear wheel with 2 to go while running in 4th)

16. Scott DNF (hit turn 1 concrete wall)

17. Wetzstein DNF (drove pitside)

18. Pember DNF (drove pitside)

19. Timm DNF (stalled)

20. Holzmer DNF (would not refire on one of lap 12 restarts)

21. Kates DNF (damaged in wreck on lap 12 restart)

22. Tesch DNF (damaged in wreck on lap 12 restart)

23. Mueller DNF (stalled, returned, smoked, black flagged)

24. Myer DNF (pulled off early)

Cautions: (9) on laps 6, 12(four times), 15, 17, 26, 38

Lap Leaders: Duellman 1-7, Follmer 8-40.

Allison Results

Race Results

Heat 1- Russ Olson, Jeff Aikey, Shawn Ryan, Justin Boney, Ryan Ruter

Heat 2- Jon Tesch, Mike Hejna, Bob Sutherland, Bruce Hanford, Chris Speiker

Heat 3- Joey Kates, Scott Williams, Doug Hillson, Gary Fraser, Luke Cochran

Heat 4- Dan Chapman, Kevin Pittman, Tommy Myer, Randy Havlik, Jeff Havlik

B-main 1- Justin Boney, Shawn Ryan, Kelly Shryock, Ryan Ruter, Todd Klees

B-main 2- Tim Donlinger, Jeff Feaster, Chuck Stanton, Al Tordoff Jr., Luke Cochran

A-main- Kevin Pittman, Tommy Myer, Bruce Hanford, Kelly Shryock, Scott Williams, Bob Sutherland, Mike Hejna, Craig Scott, Al Tordoff, Doug Hillson, Jeff Feaster, Shawn Ryan, Jeff Aikey, Chuck Stanton, Justin Boney, Ryan Ruter, Luke Cochran, Todd Klees, Tim Donlinger, Dean Mahlstadt, Russ Olson, Joey Kates, Jon Tesch

Owatonna, Results

Heat 1-Denny Barwald, Ron Schreiner, Jason Cummins, Ron Houdek, Greg Porth, Brian Mullen,

Heat 2- Tommy Myer, Steve Wetzstein, Mark Noble, Jon Tesch, Ryan Ruter

Heat 3- Jeremy MIlls, Tim Donlinger, Todd Sharckey, Luke Cochran, Craig Scott

Heat 4- Nathan Kilwine, Jason Krohn, Kelly Shryock, Doug Hillson, Dennis Hillson

Dash- Mills, Krohn, Shryock, Schreiner, Myer

B-main 1-Sharckey, Doug Hillson, Joey Kates, Mike Hejna, Greg Porth

B-main 2- Noble, Tesch, Jay Ihrke, Mullen, Jim Richert

A-main- Krohn, Shryock, Myer, Schreiner, Mills, Wetzstein, Kraft, Noble, Tesch, Todd Klees, Sharckey, Jason Cummins, Hillson, Barwald, Mike Hejna, Kilwine, Dean Mahlstadt, Luke Cochran, Porth. Tim Donlinger, Ihrke, Mullen, Richert, Kates