FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (April 5, 2003) - The United States Modified Touring Series visited the Thunder Valley Speedway in Fayetteville, AR this last Friday and Saturday night and continued the season with the sixth different winner in six events this season.

Friday night's Haulmark Trailers Heat Races started off the evening racing action. Fifty seven different drivers from ten states was on hand for the racing action. In the first heat race John Vandenberg would take the top spot with a hard charging Jason Hughes and Eddie Martin right behind.

In heat race two Kelly Shryock would take the top spot from the fourth row over Phil Dixon and Steve Holzkamper. Heat race three would see Scott Drake Tommy Myer and Jason Krohn finish 1-2-3. Ronnie Chism would win heat four from the front row over Shawn Brassfield and Ryan Ruter. Heat race five would see Kenny Gaddis come from the fourth row to win over Steve Wetzstein and Jeff Roth. The final heat race of the night would go to Craig Scott over Bruce Hanford and Darin Walker.

After the heat race action Kelly Shryock and Kenny Gaddis would be the two top point getters from the heat races with Craig Scott, Tommy Myer, Scott Drake, Jason Hughes, Shawn Brassfiield and Steve Wetzstein rounding out the top eight. Next up for the modifieds would be the Harris Auto Racing B-Mains. Bruce Hanford would take the win with Eddie Martin, Justin Boney, and Phil Dixon rounding out the top four.

The final B-main would see Jeff Roth win from the front row with Ryan Ruter, Willy Kraft, and Ronnie Barbee rounding out the top four. This would set the stage for the twenty-five lap Midwest Motorsports Main Event. The top eight drivers would draw for the starting spots with the rest of the cars filling in behind them.

Kenny Gaddis would get the AFCO Pole Award for the night after drawing the number one spot with Scott Drake starting outside Gaddis. Gaddis would jump into the early lead with Kelly Shryock Jason Hughes and Scott Drake right behind by lap two. A couple early cautions would keep the field bunched up to start the race.

Once racing resumed Jason Hughes would take the top spot by lap four and would have a hard charging Shryock and Drake on his back bumper. Drake would keep working the high side of the speedway and would take the top spot from Hughes on lap thirteen and Hughes and Drake would race side by side for several laps.

Drake would start to put some distance on the second place car, when the yellow flag would fly for the stalled Darin Walker car. Raing would continue when the final caution of the night would wave on lap 21. This would set the stage for the final four lap shootout. Drake would take the green with Hughes and Shryock right on his bumper, but neither of these drivers would have anything for Drake on this night and Scott Drake would pick up his first ever USMTS win.

Drake would pocket the $2000 payday for his effort and also take over the USMTS Southern Series Point Lead with the win. Rounding out the top five was Tommy Myer and John Vandenberg.

Saturday Night

Saturday's racing action would be no different then the first night, another complete show for the modifieds with fifty-nine cars from ten states on hand for the racing action. The only thing different tonight would be who would take the $2500 paycheck home.

The night started off with the Haulmark Trailers Heat races. The first heat race would look like a feature at most tracks. These ten drivers Willy Kraft, Tommy Myer, Mark Noble, Klint Pursley, Corey Dripps, Tim Weaver, Darin Walker, Kelly Shryock, Mike Folk, and Kenny Gaddis would all be in the first heat race. Tommy Myer would take the top spot with Mark Noble and Willy Kraft rounding out the top three. Heat two would go to Jason Hughes over Mike Wedelstadt, and Gary Vaughan. Heat three would see Justin Boney take the top spot over Ron Schreiner and John Vandenberg. Heat four would go to Terry Beckham with David Grigg and Ronnie Chism coming home second and third. The final two heat races would see Dan Olson and Eddie Martin win with Shawn Brassfield, Phil Dixon, Scott Drake, and Bruce Hanford rounding out the top three.

Next to the track would be the Harris Auto Racing B-mains. Kelly Shryock would win B-main number one. This win was not easy as Shryock had to come from the third row to win this race. Mark Noble and Willy Kraft had a very good battle going for the first half of the race. The man on the move was Corey Dripps who worked his way to second by lap nine. Dripps then went a little high on turn two and about drove off the track, but rebounded and would get back up to third. Noble would finish second with Kraft taking the final spot.

B-main two was just as exciting as the final spot would get taken away from Klint Pursley coming out of turn four for the checkered flag by George White. Ron Schreiner would take the top spot from the front row with Scott Drake finishing second and Ryan Ruter rounding out the top three. The Midwest Motorsports A-main would be up next.

Shawn Brassfield would win the AFCO pole award on Saturday with Gary Vaughan starting next to him. Vaughan would lead only the first lap after Jason Hughes who started fourth would take the top spot on lap two. Hughes would be crusing along with some very hard charging drivers behind him. A yellow flag would come out on lap nine for a stalled Scott Drake car. Once racing continued it looked as if the race would go caution free the rest of the way. Hughes had put a straight on the second place car of Justin Boney who battling with Eddie Martin. While these two drivers are battling a hard charging Tommy Myer is on the move on the bottom of the track. Myer would tangle with a lapped car and the yellow flag would bunch the field for a eight lap sprint. It would only take two laps for Boney to take the top spot away from Hughes and these two drivers would race side by side the rest of the race.

The final caution came out when Phil Dixon would get his modified hung on the outside wall in turn one. This would leave a three lap dash. Hughes would not have enough for Boney and would have to settle for second for the second night in a row. Myer would finish third with Eddie Martin and John Vandenberg rounding out the top five. Scott Drake will still have the point lead by two points over Jason Hughes after this weekends races.

The USMTS will try for a third time to get the racing action in at the Winston Speedway this coming weekend with two complete shows this Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s race will pay $2000 to win and Sunday's race will pay $2500. The racing action will start with hot laps at five on Saturday and 3:30 on Sunday. Also running will be the weekly classes at the Winston Speedway. Jason Hughes will have the USMTS National points lead after the first two races with Justin Boney in second.

For more information log on to the USMTS website at www.usmts.com or call the office at 515-832-7944.

RESULTS

Friday April 4, 2003

Fayetteville, AR

Heat 1: John VanDenBerg, Jason Hughes, Eddie Martin, Greg Hughes, Dusty Johnston.

Heat 2: Kelly Shryock, Phil Dixion, Steve Holzkamper, Justin Boney, Ron Schreiner.

Heat 3: Scott Drake, Tommy Myer, Jason Krohn, Klint Pursley, Jim Small.

Heat 4: Ronnie Chism, Shawn Brassfield, Ryan Rutter, Kenneth Cox, Willy Kraft.

Heat 5: Kenny Gaddis, Steven Wetzstein, Jeff Roth, Mike Wedelstadt, Mike Folk.

Heat 6: Craig Scott, Bruce Hanford, Darin Walker, Gary Vaughan, Johnny Bone Jr.

B-main #1:Bruce Hanford, Eddie Martin, Justin Boney, Phil Dixion, Klint Pursley.

B-main #2: Jeff Roth, Ryan Rutter, Willy Kraft, Ronnie Barbee,Kenneth Cox.

A-main:Scott Drake, Jason Hughes, Kelly Shryock, Tommy Myer, John VanDenBerg, Justin Boney, Steve Holzkamper, Shawn Brassfield, Johnny Bone Jr., Eddie Martin, Ron Schreiner, Kenny Gaddis, Ronnie Chism, Phil Dixion, Darin Walker, George White, Bruce Hanford, Ronnie Barbee, Steven Wetzstein, Jeff Roth, Ryan Ruter, Willy Kraft, Craig Scott, Klint Pursley, Gary Vaughn.

April 5, 2003

Fayetteville, AR

USMTS/Arkansas Nationals

59 Modifieds

Heat #1: Tommy Myer, Mark Noble, Willy Kraft, Corey Dripps, Kelly Shryock.

Heat #2: Jason Hughes, Mike Wedelstadt, Gary Vaughan, Paul Colvin Jr., Craig Scott.

Heat #3: Justin Boney, Ron Schreiner, John VanDenBerg, Robert Pruitt, Steve Holzkamper.

Heat #4: Terry Beckham II, David Grigg, Ronnie Chism, William Sizemore, Andy Claiborne.

Heat #5:Dan Olson, Shawn Brassfield, Phil Dixon, Dean Mahlstedt, George White.

Heat #6:Eddie Martin, Scott Drake,Bruce Hanford, Ryan Ruter, Jeff Roth.

B-main #1: Kelly Shryock, Mark Noble, Corey Dripps, Willy Kraft, Johnny Bone Jr.

B-main #2: Ron Schreiner, Scott Drake, Ryan Ruter, George White, Klint Pursley.

A-main: Justin Boney, Jason Hughes, Tommy Myer, Eddie Martin, John VanDenBerg, Ron Schreiner, Mark Noble, Kelly Shryock, Scott Drake, Ryan Ruter, Corey Dripps, Gary Vaughan, George White, Terry Beckham II., Bruce Hanford, Dan Olson, Jim Small, Johnny Bone Jr., Shawn Brassfield, Mike Wedelstadt, Craig Scott, Phil Dixon, Ronnie Chism, Willy Kraft.