Myer back in Victory Lane with Nebraska Spring Thaw Triumph

McCOOL JUNCTION, Neb. (March 6) – So far so good for Tommy Myer.

Up against a stout field of 55 entries for the USMTS Casey's General Stores National Tour season opener Friday night at the Junction Motor Speedway, Myer came in as one of the hottest drivers in the country.

Last weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway dirt track, Myer turned his first laps in a brand new all-black GRT Modified for car owners Chris and Linda Noel. He christened his new ride by winning his heat from the 14th starting spot, then finished second and fourth, respectively, in the weekend's two main events.

Any mention of “beginner's luck” or “fluke” was thrown out the window Friday night as Myer delivered a good old-fashioned butt-whooping on a talent-laden main event in the 6th Annual Nebraska Spring Thaw.

Dustin Boney may have been the only driver on the 26-car starting grid that had anything for Myer. After starting fourth, Boney drove around polesitter Corey Dripps to lead the first of 30 laps on the high-banked 3/8-mile clay oval.

Boney led the first 17 laps and was increasing the gap between himself and Jason Friesen before suddenly dropping out of the race with a broken fan belt.

Friesen led the next three laps before Myer, who started 18th, took the lead on lap 21. Once in front, Myer maneuvered his way through lapped traffic and led the final nine laps going away.

Myer is second on the USMTS all-time wins list behind Kelly Shryock, but Friday's $2,000 victory was his first since Aug. 31, 2007.

After just 15 starts in a winless season last year, Myer is “back in black” in 2009 with hopes of contending for the USMTS Casey's General Stores National Championship.

“We plan to run the entire series this year,” said the 43-year-old from Blooming Prairie, Minn. “So far, so good. Hopefully we can keep it up for a while longer and be in good position when the Hunt starts.”

Continuing where he left off in December with a win at the Texas Winter Nationals at Houston Raceway Park, Zack VanderBeek also turned in a crowd-pleasing performance as he raced from 16th at the start to a runner-up finish, getting by Friesen with one lap to go in the main event.

Scott Green took fourth, and Shryock came from 11th to finish fifth. Dripps, Jon Tesch, Ken Schrader, David Holder and Don Eischens rounded out the top-10 finishers.

Myer was the PBM Performance Products Hard Charger of the race, passing 17 cars in 30 laps.

The Ruter Farms Long Tow Award went to Jake Bitker of Halstad, Minn., who traveled 569.3 miles (one way) to McCool Junction, Neb.

With the first race in he books, Myer leads the Great Plains Region points over VanderBeek (118 to 109), followed by Friesen (94), Tesch (91), Shryock (90), Green (89), Schrader (82), Dripps (81), Dereck Ramirez (71) and Rich Lewerke (70).

In the DandyLand Farms Rookie of the Year points, Eischens leads Lewerke by two markers (25 to 23), followed by Andrew Gordon (21) and a five-way tie for fourth between Mike Albertsen, Arne Anderson, Dan DeMey, Jesse Dennis and Anthony Mann with 10 points each.

Thanks to Myer's victory, Sput’s Racing Engines is back atop the COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year standings while GRT Race Cars claims the initial top spot in the USMTS Chassis Builders Championship.

Due to extreme cold and wind, plus the threat of rain and snow during the day, officials from the Junction Motor Speedway and the USMTS have canceled the show for Saturday, March 7. With more of the same forecasted for Sunday, there will be no rain date.

The USMTS Casey's General Stores National Tour now heads to the Caney Valley Speedway in Caney, Kan., for the first time ever on Friday, March 13, then to the Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kan., on Saturday, March 14, for the 4th Annual Havoc at The Hummer. The pair of $2,000-to-win shows will kick off the points battle in the Bear Tire Mo-Kan Region.

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.



OFFICIAL RESULTS
USMTS Casey's General Stores National Tour (Great Plains Region)
6th Annual Nebraska Spring Thaw
Junction Motor Speedway, McCool Junction, Neb.

Friday, March 6, 2009

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 “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions

1-8.ISKY
RACING CAMS HEAT RACE #1 (10 laps):
1. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (2)
2. 30b - Jordan Grabouski -- Beatrice, NE (1)
3. 21 - Andrew Gordon -- Murdock, MN (3)
4. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (6)
5. 7n - Jay Noteboom -- Hinton, IA (7)
6. B1 - Scott Ward -- Watertown, SD (9)
7. 31j - Jeremy Rasmussen -- Bentonville, AR (4)
8. M80 - Jim Mathieson -- Sioux City, IA (5)
9. J2 - Micaah Johnson -- Courtland, KS (8)
10. 47 - Ryan Canon -- Clearwater, MN (10)

HEAT RACE #2 (10 laps):
1. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (1)
2. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (2)
3. 9e - Don Eischens -- Richmond, MN (7)
4. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (4)
5. 27 - Don Gerritsen Jr. -- Rock Rapids, IA (3)
6. 31 - Jason Voigt -- St. Cloud, MN (9)
7. 23 - Mike Albertsen -- Audubon, IA (8)
8. 1 - Tim Thomas -- West Fargo, ND (6)
9. 59m - Travis Mack -- Grand Island, NE (5)

HEAT RACE #3 (10 laps):
1. 1 - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (9)
2. 9 - Ken Schrader -- Concord, NC (1)
3. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (6)
4. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (8)
5. 19 - Cody Skytland -- Fargo, ND (3)
6. 20 - Anthony Mann -- Luverne, MN (4)
7. 3 - Arne Anderson -- Watertown, SD (5)
8. 59 - Jared Stiens -- Maryville, MO (7)
9. 121 - Brandon Hagan -- Culbertson, NE (2)

HEAT RACE #4 (10 laps):
1. 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN (1)
2. 97 - Rich Lewerke -- Garner, IA (3)
3. 96j - Johnny Saathoff -- Beatrice, NE (2)
4. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (9)
5. 18 - Chase Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (6)
6. 10h - Nate Heinrich -- Madison, MN (7)
7. 15 - Dan DeMey -- Denison, IA (8)
8. 15 - Andy Wilkinson -- York, NE (4)
9. 19b - Jake Bitker -- Halstad, MN (5)

HEAT RACE #5 (10 laps):
1. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (2)
2. 22 - Dustin Boney -- Tonganoxie, KS (6)
3. 98 - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN (4)
4. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (8)
5. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (7)
6. 4k - Kent Willms -- Willmar, MN (3)
7. 70 - Jesse Dennis -- Prescott, IA (9)
8. 15m - Shane DeMey -- Denison, IA (5)
9. 7x - Bob Ruisinger -- Bennett, NE (1)

HEAT RACE #6 (10 laps):
1. 3rw - Ronnie Wallace -- McCook, NE (3)
2. 3w - Stacey Wilhelm -- Martell, NE (1)
3. 71 - David Holder -- Clarence, MO (7)
4. 55 - Brian Shaw -- Brownsdale, MN (4)
5. 40 - Scott Dickey -- Packwood, IA (6)
6. 72 - Mike Lineberry -- Fremont, NE (2)
7. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (5)
8. 21w - Dano Ostrander -- Princeton, MN (8)
9. 6b - Blake Borgen -- Perley, MN (9)

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (1)
2. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (3)
3. 98 - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN (4)
4. 7n - Jay Noteboom -- Hinton, IA (7)
5. B1 - Scott Ward -- Watertown, SD (9)
6. 4k - Kent Willms -- Willmar, MN (12)
7. 10h - Nate Heinrich -- Madison, MN (11)
8. 3w - Stacey Wilhelm -- Martell, NE (2)
9. 18 - Chase Junghans -- Manhattan, KS (8)
10. 27 - Don Gerritsen Jr. -- Rock Rapids, IA (10)
11. 70 - Jesse Dennis -- Prescott, IA (13)
12. 15 - Dan DeMey -- Denison, IA (14)
13. M80 - Jim Mathieson -- Sioux City, IA (16)
14. 3 - Arne Anderson -- Watertown, SD (15)
15. 47 - Ryan Canon -- Clearwater, MN (22)
16. 121 - Brandon Hagan -- Culbertson, NE (20)
17. 15m - Shane DeMey -- Denison, IA (18)
18. J2 - Micaah Johnson -- Courtland, KS (19)
19. 7x - Bob Ruisinger -- Bennett, NE (21)
20. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (6)
21. 96j - Johnny Saathoff -- Beatrice, NE (5)
22. 59 - Jared Stiens -- Maryville, MO (17)

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 5 advance):
1. 9 - Ken Schrader -- Concord, NC (1)
2. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (3)
3. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (2)
4. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (5)
5. 21 - Andrew Gordon -- Murdock, MN (4)
6. 40 - Scott Dickey -- Packwood, IA (8)
7. 55 - Brian Shaw -- Brownsdale, MN (6)
8. 31j - Jeremy Rasmussen -- Bentonville, AR (14)
9. 20 - Anthony Mann -- Luverne, MN (11)
10. 31 - Jason Voigt -- St. Cloud, MN (9)
11. 6b - Blake Borgen -- Perley, MN (21)
12. 1 - Tim Thomas -- West Fargo, ND (16)
13. 72 - Mike Lineberry -- Fremont, NE (12)
14. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (15)
15. 15 - Andy Wilkinson -- York, NE (17)
16. 23 - Mike Albertsen -- Audubon, IA (13)
17. 59m - Travis Mack -- Grand Island, NE (19)
18. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (7)
19. 19 - Cody Skytland -- Fargo, ND (10)
20. 21w - Dano Ostrander -- Princeton, MN (18)
21. 19b - Jake Bitker -- Halstad, MN (20)

“A” MAIN (30 laps):
1. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (18)
2. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (16)
3. 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (5)
4. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (6)
5. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (11)
6. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (1)
7. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (20)
8. 9- Ken Schrader -- Concord, NC (14)
9. 71 - David Holder -- Clarence, MO (9)
10. 9e - Don Eischens -- Richmond, MN (2)
11. 97 - Rich Lewerke -- Garner, IA (10)
12. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (15)
13. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE (13)
14. 30b - Jordan Grabouski -- Beatrice, NE (12)
15. 21 - Andrew Gordon -- Murdock, MN (22)
16. B1 - Scott Ward -- Watertown, SD (21)
17. 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN (3)
18. 47 - Ryan Canon -- Clearwater, MN (26)
19. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (23) DNF
20. 15 - Andy Wilkinson -- York, NE (25) DNF
21. 7n - Jay Noteboom -- Hinton, IA (19) DNF
22. 3rw - Ronnie Wallace -- McCook, NE (7) DNF
23. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (24) DNF
24. 22 - Dustin Boney -- Tonganoxie, KS (4) DNF
25. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA (8) DNF
26. 98 - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN (17) DNF

Lap Leaders: Boney 1-17, Friesen 18-20, Myer 21-30.

Total Laps Led: Boney 17, Myer 10, Friesen 3.
AFCO Pole Winner: Friesen.
Provisional Starters: Hejna, Krohn, Wilkinson (track), Canon (track).
Ruter Farms Long Tow: Bitker (569.3 miles).
PBM Performance Products Hard Charger: Myer (started 18th, finished 1st).
Next Race: Saturday, March 7, Junction Motor Speedway, McCool Junction, Neb. (Great Plains Region).
Great Plains Region Points: .
DandyLand Farms Rookie of the Year Points: .
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: .
Chassis Builders Championship Points: .Contingency Awards:
AFCO Racing Products – Friesen.
American Racer – draw.
Isky Racing Cams – Mahlstedt.
KSE Racing Products – Mahlstedt
PBM Performance Products – Myer.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Reisch.
Nitroquest Web Solutions – Friesen.
Quarter Master – Myer, Schrader.
QuickTime Performance Parts – Tesch.
Real Racing Wheels – Willms, Dickey.
Ruter Farms – Bitker.