McCOOL JUNCTION, Neb. -- On a chilly night in McCool Junction, Neb., Johnny Saathoff of Beatrice was red hot as he sped to victory Saturday in the 35-lap finale of the USMTS Spring Thaw at Junction Motor Speedway. "The Jet" capped off the season-opening weekend for the O'Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series by passing Dustin Boney on lap 12, then pacing the final 23 circuits to claim the $3,000 top prize.

Johnny “The Jet” Saathoff in victory lane Saturday night at Junction Motor Speedway. (Photo credit: Racetracker Photos)

Saathoff followed Boney across the stripe as the drivers completed the first lap of the Holley "A" Main, then dropped back to third on the next lap as Jason Hughes of Colcord, Okla., moved up to challenge for the top spot. Hughes was able to get the nose of his self-made chassis underneath Boney on several occasions, but could never complete the pass.

On lap 7, both Saathoff and Blooming Prairie, Minn.'s Tommy Myer were able to slip by Hughes. Five laps later, Saathoff moved to the high side in turns 3-4 and made the pass for the lead. Continuing to run the high side through a handful of cautions and a handful of cautions, Saathoff was never challenged for the rest of the contest.

"We won a show in Vegas earlier this year, but it's still pretty intimidating to come in and see all the tough guys here," Saathoff said in victory lane. "Todd (Staley, series promoter) puts on a great show and we always like running with these guys."

Despite landing in the winners circle, "The Jet" gave relief to the competition, noting that he will be just a "frequent flyer" on the 2005 O'Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series.

"I wish we could run more all of these shows, but we'll probably race mostly close to home and spend more time with my family," Saathoff said in his post-race interview while holding his four-year-old daughter, Sierra. "We'll definitely catch some more of these shows though."

After dropping the lead to Saathoff, Boney continued to chase the leader until lap 20 when mechanical woes sideleined the DeSoto, Kan., driver, and handed the runner-up position to Myer.

A caution on lap 27 for seventh-running Darrick Klima bunched the field for a restart with Myer choosing the outside lane. A slip in the first corner by last year's O'Reilly USMTS National points runner-up gave the second-place spot to Hughes, while Myer drifted all the way back to fifth by the time the next lap was scored.

Hughes would have nothing for Saathoff either, and had to settle for the second spot at the checkered flag. Defending O'Reilly USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, worked his way into third at the checkers, while Myer hung on for a fourth-place finish.

After a dominating performance in Friday night's Holley "A" Main at Junction Motor Speedway, Corey Dripps of Waterloo, Iowa, wound up fifth, but once again gave the fans a show to remember. After failing to qualify for the main event through his heat race, Dripps won the Second "B" Main to earn the 15th starting spot in Saturday's Holley "A" Main. By the seventh lap, Dripps had powered his way into the top-5, but a flat tire on lap 14 sent Dripps to the pits. Upon his return to the track, Dripps restarted at the tail of the field then offered up an passing prowess encore, racing back to a fifth-place finish over the final 11 laps.

With his win on Friday, couple with earned passing points, Dripps leads the O'Reilly USMTS army into next weekend's two-day battle at Thunderhill Speedway in Mayetta, Kan., clinging to a one-point lead over Hughes in the National Championship points standings (199-198). Shryock sits third with 191 points, followed by Myer (176) and Jason Krohn of Slayton, Minn. (173).

Next up for the O'Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series is a visit to the 3/8-mile high-banked dirt oval at Thunderhill Speedway in Mayetta, Kan., for the "USMTS Kansas Spring Fling" on Friday and Saturday, March 18-19. On Friday, gates open at 4 p.m., with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7. Saturday will see gates open at 12 Noon, with hot laps at 3:30 and the first green flag waving at 4.

Friday's Holley "A" Main winner will pocket $2,000 while Saturday's main event winner will take home $3,000.

For more information, contact the USMTS office at 515-832-7944 or email promoter Todd Staley at todd@usmts.com. The O'Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series is online at www.USMTS.com. For Thunderhill Speedway information, call 785-966-2844

RESULTS

(Top 13 in passing points from the Heats advance to the Holley "A" Main)

FIRST HEAT (8 laps):

1. 96 Johnny Saathoff, Beatrice, Neb.

2. 49 Bob Timm, Rolling Stone, Minn.

3. 12 Jason Hughes, Colcord, Okla.

4. 40C Mike Chasteen, Creve Coeur, Ill.

5. 43 Brian Foote, Essex, Iowa

6. 7N Jay Noteboom, Orange City, Iowa

7. 07 Mike Goldfuss, Sutton, Neb.

8. 40 Danny Concelman, Erie, Colo.

9. 37 Scott Ward, Watertown, S.D.

10. 6S Brant Fastnacht, Grand Island, Neb.

11. 02 Chad VanHoutan, Ozawkie, Kan.

SECOND HEAT (8 laps):

1. X Mike Wedelstadt, Hortonville, Wis.

2. 1K Tim Karrick, Bashor, Kan.

3. 26 Brad McEwan, Storm Lake, Iowa

4. 12X Trent Jackson, Corning, Iowa

5. 23 Matt Gilbertson, Montevideo, Minn.

6. 35 Tim Echevarria, Junction City, Kan.

7. 75 Jon Thompson, Superior, Neb.

8. 12N Lynn Nilsson, Nunda, S.D.

9. 92 Jeff Stephens, Arion, Iowa

10. 19 Mike Sorensen, Rochester, Minn.

11. 8R Mike Rumsey, Brownsdale, Minn.

THIRD HEAT (8 laps):

1. 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn.

2. 1M Julie McDermid, Fremont, Wis.

3. 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa

4. 3L Bub Lerette, Council Bluffs, Iowa

5. 19J Jeff Jones, Council Bluffs, Iowa

6. 21 Wade Cross, Doniphan, Neb.

7. 8 Justin Bell, Wichita, Kan.

8. 14J Jake Neal, Omaha, Neb.

9. 74 Mark Noble, Blooming Prairie, Minn.

10. 4 Roger Hadan, Omaha, Neb.

FOURTH HEAT (8 laps):

1. 3 Kelly Shryrock, Fertile, Iowa

2. 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa

3. 1F Jason Friesen, Sutton, Neb.

4. 186 Jeremy Payne, Tucson, Ariz.

5. 33Y Justen Yeager, Green River, Wyo.

6. 5M Gary March, Hinton, Iowa

7. 71J Jeff James, Stanton, Iowa

8. 9R Robby Haines, Benkelman, Neb.

9. 83 Jesse Cowles, Sioux City, Iowa

10. 44 Aaron Wiersma, Pierre, S.D.

FIFTH HEAT (8 laps):

1. 20 Dustin Boney, DeSoto, Kan.

2. 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D.

3. 97M David Murray Jr., Oberlin, Kan.

4. 555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa

5. x4 Tim Vogt, Elmwood, Neb.

6. Z62 Danny McKeighan, Carter Lake, Iowa

7. 50 Brad Bakken, Garner, Iowa

8. 2K Darrick Klima, Belleville, Kan.

9. 68 Alan Dix, Stockton, Kan.

10. 11L Ricky Stangl, Raytown, Mo.

SIXTH HEAT (8 laps):

1. 7K Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.

2. 29 Greg Metz, Washington, Kan.

3. 11 Steve Burch, Junction City, Kan.

4. 2 Joe Cleveland, Bennington, Kan.

5. 27 Clint Homan, Bellevue, Neb.

6. 90 Charles Stanton, New Hampton, Iowa

7. L99 Loren Dauer, Lindsborg, Kan.

8. 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa

9. 55 Brian Shaw, Brownsdale, Minn.

10. 64 Dusty Blake, Carleton, Neb.

FIRST "B" MAIN (12 laps, top 3 advance to Holley "A" Main):

1. 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D.

2. 1F Jason Friesen, Sutton, Neb.

3. 555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa

4. 33Y Justen Yeager, Green River, Wyo.

5. 35 Tim Echevarria, Junction City, Kan.

6. 19 Mike Sorensen, Rochester, Minn.

7. 23 Matt Gilbertson, Montevideo, Minn.

8. 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa

9. 68 Alan Dix, Stockton, Kan.

10. 50 Brad Bakken, Garner, Iowa

11. 5M Gary March, Hinton, Iowa

12. 37 Scott Ward, Watertown, S.D.

13. x4 Tim Vogt, Elmwood, Neb.

14. 8R Mike Rumsey, Brownsdale, Minn.

15. 9R Robby Haines, Benkelman, Neb.

16. 8 Justin Bell, Wichita, Kan.

17. 11L Ricky Stangl, Raytown, Mo.

SECOND "B" MAIN (12 laps, top 3 advance to Holley "A" Main)):

1. 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa

2. 2K Darrick Klima, Belleville, Kan.

3. 74 Mark Noble, Blooming Prairie, Minn.

4. 40C Mike Chasteen, Creve Coeur, Ill.

5. 4 Roger Hadan, Omaha, Neb.

6. 40 Danny Concelman, Erie, Colo.

7. Z62 Danny McKeighan, Carter Lake, Iowa

8. L99 Loren Dauer, Lindsborg, Kan.

9. 07 Mike Goldfuss, Sutton, Neb.

10. 11 Steve Burch, Junction City, Kan.

11. 90 Charles Stanton, New Hampton, Iowa

12. 27 Clint Homan, Bellevue, Neb.

13. 21 Wade Cross, Doniphan, Neb.

14. 3L Bub Lerette, Council Bluffs, Iowa

15. 55 Brian Shaw, Brownsdale, Minn.

16. 64 Dusty Blake, Carleton, Neb.

THIRD "B" MAIN (12 laps, top 3 advance to Holley "A" Main)):

1. 12X Trent Jackson, Corning, Iowa

2. 186 Jeremy Payne, Tucson, Ariz.

3. 97M David Murray Jr., Oberlin, Kan.

4. 7N Jay Noteboom, Orange City, Iowa

5. 19J Jeff Jones, Council Bluffs, Iowa

6. 43 Brian Foote, Essex, Iowa

7. 2 Joe Cleveland, Bennington, Kan.

8. 75 Jon Thompson, Superior, Neb.

9. 71J Jeff James, Stanton, Iowa

10. 12N Lynn Nilsson, Nunda, S.D.

11. 44 Aaron Wiersma, Pierre, S.D.

12. 83 Jesse Cowles, Sioux City, Iowa

13. 92 Jeff Stephens, Arion, Iowa

14. 14J Jake Neal, Omaha, Neb.

15. 6S Brant Fastnacht, Grand Island, Neb.

16. 02 Chad VanHoutan, Ozawkie, Kan.

HOLLEY "A" MAIN (35 laps):

1. 96 Johnny Saathoff, Beatrice, Neb. [$3,000]

2. 12 Jason Hughes, Colcord, Okla.

3. 3 Kelly Shryrock, Fertile, Iowa

4. 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn.

5. 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa

6. 29 Greg Metz, Washington, Kan.

7. 26 Brad McEwan, Storm Lake, Iowa

8. 12X Trent Jackson, Corning, Iowa

9. 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa

10. 555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa

11. 19 Mike Sorensen, Rochester, Minn.

12. 7K Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.

13. X Mike Wedelstadt, Hortonville, Wis.

14. 49 Bob Timm, Rolling Stone, Minn.

15. 186 Jeremy Payne, Tucson, Ariz.

16. 1M Julie McDermid, Fremont, Wis.

17. 1K Tim Karrik, Bashor, Kan.

18. 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa

19. 2K Darrick Klima, Belleville, Kan.

20. 20 Dustin Boney, DeSoto, Kan.

21. 74 Mark Noble, Blooming Prairie, Minn.

22. 97M David Murray Jr., Oberlin, Kan.

23. 1F Jason Friesen, Sutton, Neb.

24. 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D.

Lap Leaders: Boney 1-11, Saathoff 12-35.

Provisional Starters: Sorensen, VanderBeek.

Hard Charger: Sorensen (started 23rd, finished 11th).

Next Race: March 18, Thunderhill Speedway, Mayetta, Kan.

Points Standings (top 10): Dripps 199, Hughes 198, Shryock 191, Myer 176, Krohn 173, Ruter 163, Sorensen 160, McEwan 157, Hejna 142, VanderBeek 136.