Boney returns to USMTS Winners Circle in Nebraska Spring Thaw Opener

by Jeff Nun, USMTS

McCOOL JUNCTION, Neb. (March 21) — Against a stout field of heavy hitters, Justin Boney raced with a heavy heart and a heavy right foot Friday night to capture the opening night win of the 5th Annual Nebraska Spring Thaw at the Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb.

"We're still working some things out in the car, but this win is encouraging" said Boney, "I want to dedicate this win for my grandmother."

It was the first O’Reilly USMTS National Tour win since 2003 for the Leavenworth, Kan., driver, whose grandmother passed away last week.

Making his first-ever stop at the 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval, the 2002 Rookies Rockin' Sports Bar Rookie of the Year started fourth in the main event, but wrestled the lead away on lap 2 from last year's top rookie, Scott Green. Despite five cautions, including one with two laps remaining, Boney was able to fend off all challengers as he rode the high side of the racetrack to victory.

"The track was smooth up on top," said Boney, "I just told myself to stay up top and everything came around."

The win was worth $2,000 and also propelled Boney to the top of the Great Plains Region standings.

Going into the second turn on the final lap, Brad Waits nosed ahead of Boney and could very well have delivered a "slide job" to shut the door on Boney. Instead, the veteran from Zumbrota, Minn., held his line and gave Boney just enough room to power back around the outside to secure the top spot.

Meanwhile, 14th-starting Zack VanderBeek of New Sharon, Iowa, edged in front of Waits in the final turn but watched as Waits powered back ahead to take the runner-up position by a bumper.

Defending O’Reilly USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn of Slayton, Minn., challenged Boney for the lead in the early stages of the 30-lapper, but had to settle for a fourth-place paycheck at the end of the night. Eight-time O’Reilly USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, started ninth in the main event but slid all the way back as far as 14th during the first 10 laps before finding his groove and recovering for a fifth-place finish.

Jon Tesch, John Allen, 26th-starting Jay Noteboom, Mark Noble and Green rounded out the top-10, respectively.

With two races in the books, the Great Plains Region points battle is heating up with Boney just one marker ahead of Shryock (198 to 197), followed by Tesch with 185 points. The rest of the current top-10 are VanderBeek (183), Allen (171), Steve Kosiski (145), Krohn (140), Josh Reisch (140), Brandon Kenny (132) and Al Hejna (125).

The action continues on Saturday for round 2 of the 5th Annual Nebraska Spring Thaw. Gates will open at 10 a.m. with hot laps slated for 1:30 p.m. and racing to follow. Open Stock Cars will also be on the card racing for $300 to win.

Race fans can stop by Casey's General Store locations in York and Geneva on Saturday to pick up a coupon good for $2 off admission price at the racetrack.

Located five miles south of I-80 (York Exit) on U.S. Hwy. 81, Junction Motor Speedway is a state-of-the-art facility entering its fifth year of operation. The track is a super-fast, 3/8-mile clay oval boasting 80-foot-wide straight-aways, making for a lot of racing room for the drivers and a lot of wheel-to-wheel action for fans.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, call the headquarters at (515) 832-7944 or visit www.usmts.com online for the latest news and information from the USMTS — America's Hottest Ticket on Dirt.

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O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series

O’Reilly USMTS National Tour - Great Plains Region

5th Annual Nebraska Spring Thaw (Night 1 of 2)

Junction Motor Speedway, McCool Junction, Neb.

Friday, March 21, 2008



Showing finishing position, car number, driver, hometown and starting position in parentheses. The top 12 drivers in 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 RACE #1 (8 laps):

1. 8 - Colt Mather -- Webster, IA (2)

2. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (6)

3. 18 - Justin Boney -- Leavenworth, KS (10)

4. 31j - Jeremy Rasmussen -- Bentonville, AR (5)

5. 22 - Steve Kosiski -- Papillion, NE (1)

6. 19 - Mike Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (9)

7. 7n - Jay Noteboom -- Hinton, IA (8)

8. 40 - Scott Dickey -- Packwood, IA (3)

9. 2 - Grant Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (4)

10. 9e - Don Eischens -- Richmond, MN (7) DNF



NEW VISION GRAPHICS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):

1. 4r - Ron Ver Beek -- Oskaloosa, IA (3)

2. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (9)

3. 19x - Richie Gustin Jr. -- Gilman, IA (4)

4. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (5)

5. 15 - Dan DeMey -- Denison, IA (2)

6. 20r - Bryan Rowland -- Woodward, OK (10)

7. 95 - Dylan Smith -- Osceola, NE (7)

8. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (8)

9. 1m - Mannix Winningham -- Lincoln, NE (1)

10. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (6) DNF



HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):

1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (1)

2. 24 - Brad Waits -- Zumbrota, MN (5)

3. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (6)

4. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (8)

5. 02x - Jacob Dahle -- Morristown, MN (2)

6. 102 - Delbert Smith -- Wichita, KS (4)

7. 31x - Dan Carl -- North Platte, NE (9)

8. 7x - Bob Ruisinger -- Bennett, NE (10) DNF

9. 3L - Brian Levander -- Grand Island, NE (7) DNF

10. 57h - Terry Hanson -- Elk River, MN (3) DNF



HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):

1. 98 - John Allen -- Chanute, KS (4)

2. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (3)

3. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (6)

4. 00c - Chris Mills -- Sioux City, IA (2)

5. 33zx - Kyle Berck -- Marquette, NE (7)

6. 72 - Mike Lineberry -- Fremont, NE (9)

7. 12b - Brett Smith -- Fort Morgan, CO (1)

8. 67d - Isaac Dotson -- Lathrop, MO (8)

9. 01 - Brandon Aggen -- Rushmore, MN (10)

10. 98x - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN (5) DNF



HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):

1. 21b - Brandon Kenny -- East Woodward, OK (1)

2. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (5)

3. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (7)

4. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (6)

5. 17 - Garry Oskerson -- Fairmont, MN (4)

6. M80 - Jim Mathieson -- Sioux City, IA (2)

7. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rollingstone, MN (9) DNF

8. 56 - Chris Spieker -- Massena, IA (3) DNF

9. B18 - Jason Gaver -- Columbus, NE (8) DNF



REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 5 advance):

1. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (2)

2. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (4)

3. 98x - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN (19)

4. 22 - Steve Kosiski -- Papillion, NE (7)

5. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (3)

6. 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (18)

7. 102 - Delbert Smith -- Wichita, KS (9)

8. 31x - Dan Carl -- North Platte, NE (10)

9. 17 - Garry Oskerson -- Fairmont, MN (8)

10. 01 - Brandon Aggen -- Rushmore, MN (15)

11. 12b - Brett Smith -- Fort Morgan, CO (12)

12. 1m - Mannix Winningham -- Lincoln, NE (16)

13. 7n - Jay Noteboom -- Hinton, IA (11) DNF

14. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (1) DNF

15. B18 - Jason Gaver -- Columbus, NE (17) DNF

16. 19 - Mike Sorensen -- Rochester, MN (6) DNF

17. 33zx - Kyle Berck -- Marquette, NE (5) DNF

18. 67d - Isaac Dotson -- Lathrop, MO (14) DNF

19. 40 - Scott Dickey -- Packwood, IA (13) DNS



REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 5 advance):

1. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (1)

2. 31j - Jeremy Rasmussen -- Bentonville, AR (3)

3. 19x - Richie Gustin Jr. -- Gilman, IA (2)

4. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rollingstone, MN (10)

5. 00c - Chris Mills -- Sioux City, IA (4)

6. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (13)

7. 15 - Dan DeMey -- Denison, IA (7)

8. 02x - Jacob Dahle -- Morristown, MN (8)

9. 56 - Chris Spieker -- Massena, IA (14)

10. 72 - Mike Lineberry -- Fremont, NE (6)

11. 20r - Bryan Rowland -- Woodward, OK (5)

12. M80 - Jim Mathieson -- Sioux City, IA (9)

13. 95 - Dylan Smith -- Osceola, NE (11) -1 Lap

14. 9e - Don Eischens -- Richmond, MN (17) -1 Lap

15. 2 - Grant Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (15) -1 Lap

16. 7x - Bob Ruisinger -- Bennett, NE (12) -1 Lap

17. 57h - Terry Hanson -- Elk River, MN (18) -1 Lap

18. 3L - Brian Levander -- Grand Island, NE (16) -1 Lap



HOLLEY “A” MAIN (30 laps):

1. 18 - Justin Boney -- Leavenworth, KS (4)

2. 24 - Brad Waits -- Zumbrota, MN (6)

3. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (14)

4. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (5)

5. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (9)

6. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (12)

7. 98 - John Allen -- Chanute, KS (7)

8. 7n - Jay Noteboom -- Hinton, IA (26)

9. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (11)

10. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (2)

11. 21b - Brandon Kenny -- East Woodward, OK (10)

12. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (13)

13. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rollingstone, MN (20)

14. 00c - Chris Mills -- Sioux City, IA (22)

15. 4r - Ron Ver Beek -- Oskaloosa, IA (1)

16. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (25)

17. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (23)

18. 31j - Jeremy Rasmussen -- Bentonville, AR (16)

19. 72 - Mike Lineberry -- Fremont, NE (24) DNF

20. 8 - Colt Mather -- Webster, IA (8) DNF

21. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (3) DNF

22. 98x - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN (17) DNF

23. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN (21) DNF

24. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (15) DNF

25. 19x - Richie Gustin Jr. -- Gilman, IA (18) DNF

26. 22 - Steve Kosiski -- Papillion, NE (19) DNF



Lap Leaders: Green 1, Boney 2-30.

Total Laps Led: Boney 29, Green 1.

AFCO Pole Award: Krohn.

Provisional Starters: Ramirez, Lineberry, Friesen (promoter), Noteboom (promoter).

KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award: Noteboom (started 26th, finished 8th).

Ruter Farms Long Tow Award: Timm (484.9 miles).

Next Race: Saturday, March 22, Junction Motor Speedway, McCool Junction, Neb.

Great Plains Region Points: Boney 198, Shryock 197, Tesch 185, VanderBeek 183, Allen 171, Kosiski 145, Krohn 140, Reisch 140, Kenny 132, Hejna 125.

Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Ramirez 69, Gary Langworthy Jr. 46, Rodney Sanders 46, Rowland 30, Mills 25.

COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Sput’s 28, A.S.I. 25, Buzzard 20, Wanders 19, Mullins 17.

Chassis Builders Championship Points: GRT 28, Skyrocket 26, Hughes 25, TRE 13, Harris 13.