Hughes triples up on hump day hullabaloo at Hamilton County Speedway

August 23, 2017

Jason Hughes took another step toward winning his third straight United States Modified Touring Series national championship and fourth overall Wednesday with a victory at the Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City, Iowa.

Jake Timm led the first dozen circuits of the 35-lapper, but lapped traffic impeded his progress just enough to open the door for Hughes to slip in front and grab the lead on lap 13.

From there, the veteran from Watts, Okla., sailed to another $4,500 payday for his third straight win in the USMTS Hunt for the Casey’s Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental.

It was the eighth win of the 2017 season for Hughes and the 154th USMTS triumph of his career. He’s now 28 wins shy of tying Kelly Shryock on the all-time list.

Hughes’ teammate, Ryan Gustin, got by Timm on lap 17 but could never mount a serious challenge for the top spot.

Jake O'Neil followed Timm across the finish line in fourth to record his career-best finish in USMTS competition while Cade Dillard advanced from 10th on the starting grid to claim the fifth spot.

Dereck Ramirez, Ricky Thornton Jr., Adam Kates, Cory Crapser and R.C. Whitwell rounded out the top 10.

Things heat up Thursday as USMTS Hunt for the Casey’s Cup invades Worthington, Minn., for the biggest dirt track race of the year at the Nobles County Speedway. The Iron Man Challenge featuring Holley USRA Stock Cars and Out-Pace USRA B-Mods will also be in action, plus USRA Hobby Stocks too.

This will mark the seventh visit to NCS by the USMTS. Gustin won the most recent race here back in 2012, and is the only two-time winner of this event. Other past winners include Jason Krohn, Rodney Sanders, Jon Tesch and Kelly Shryock.

The pits open at 4 p.m. and spectator gates open at 5 with hot laps at 7 and racing at 7:30. Adult admission is $20, juniors ages 11-15 are $10 and kids ages 10 and under get in for free. Pit passes are $35.

Coupons good for $2 off adult admission are available at Casey's General Stores locations in Fulda, Windom and Worthington, plus Arnolds Park, George, Okoboji, Sibley and Spirit Lake in Iowa. To find the location nearest you, visit www.caseys.com.

Curt Myers of Cameron, Wis., driver of the No. 1M Snickers USMTS Modified, will appear at the Casey’s General Store located at 1704 Oxford St. in Worthington from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fans can get a special $5 ‘Hot Ticket’ directly from Myers during his appearance.

The Nobles County Speedway is a semi-banked 3/8-mile dirt oval located just off of I-90 at exit 43, then 0.4 mile south on SR 59, then 0.4 mile west on Oxford St., then 0.2 mile north on McMullan ((1600 Stower Dr., Worthington, MN 56187). For more information, call (507) 227-4540 or (507) 220-3511 or check out www.noblescountyspeedway.com.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usmts, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usmts and Instagram at www.instagram.com/usmts or subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv. Keep up to speed with everything USMTS by joining our email list at www.usmts.com/subscribe.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
USMTS Hunt for the Casey’s Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental
11th Annual USMTS Hamilton County Hullabaloo presented by Casey's General Stores
Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed and money won.

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (1) 19R Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
2. (2) 2t Jake O'Neil (R), Tucson, Ariz.
3. (3) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
4. (7) 20RT Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.
5. (4) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
6. (6) 18z Zane DeVilbiss (R), Farmington, N.M.
7. (5) 14e Chase Ellingson, Iowa Falls, Iowa.

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (1) 10c Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa, Iowa.
2. (4) 49jr Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
3. (3) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
4. (6) 1M Curt Myers, Cameron, Wis.
5. (5) 1g Pat Graham, Ankeny, Iowa.
6. (7) 00 Tristan Vesterby, Webster City, Iowa.
7. (2) 1s Travis Saurer (R), Elizabeth, Minn.

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (2) 07 Cory Crapser, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
2. (4) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
3. (6) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
4. (5) 96 R.C. Whitwell (R), Tucson, Ariz.
5. (3) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan.
6. (1) 8c Chris Clark (R), Jackson, Wyo.

CASEY’S GENERAL STORES “A” MAIN (35 laps):
1. (3) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 35, $3000.
2. (6) 19R Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 35, $1700.
3. (2) 49jr Jake Timm, Winona, Minn., MBCustoms/Sput’s, 35, $1200.
4. (7) 2t Jake O'Neil (R), Tucson, Ariz., Hughes/Mullins, 35, $1000.
5. (10) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La., MBCustoms/ASI, 35, $900.
6. (9) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., LG2/Cornett, 35, $800.
7. (4) 20RT Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz., Shaw/Mullins, 35, $700.
8. (15) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan., LG2/Speedway, 35, $650.
9. (5) 07 Cory Crapser, Chippewa Falls, Wis., MBCustoms/Troy’s, 35, $600.
10. (12) 96 R.C. Whitwell (R), Tucson, Ariz., MBCustoms/Hatfield, 35, $550.
11. (13) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, VanderBuilt/Sput’s, 35, $500.
12. (11) 1M Curt Myers, Cameron, Wis., LG2/Sput’s, 35, $450.
13. (17) 18z Zane DeVilbiss (R), Farmington, N.M., DeVilbiss/DeVilbiss, 35, $425.
14. (20) 1s Travis Saurer (R), Elizabeth, Minn., MBCustoms/Dakota, 35, $400.
15. (14) 1g Pat Graham, Ankeny, Iowa, Victory/Karl, 35, $375.
16. (18) 8c Chris Clark (R), Jackson, Wyo., GRT/Hunter, 33, $350.
17. (8) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., VanderBuilt/Mullins, 30, $400.
18. (1) 10c Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa, Iowa, VanderBuilt/Midstate, 24, $250.
19. (16) 00 Tristan Vesterby, Webster City, Iowa, /, 10, $250.
20. (19) 14e Chase Ellingson, Iowa Falls, Iowa, GRT/KSE, 1, $250.

(R) = Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year contender

Lap Leaders: Timm 1-12, Hughes 13-35.
Total Laps Led: Hughes 13, Timm 12.
Margin of Victory: 1.786 seconds.
Time of Race: 19 minutes, 54.349 seconds (2 cautions).
Provisional Starters: none.
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger: Kates (started 15th, finished 8th).
Entries: 20.
Next Race: Thursday, Aug. 24, Nobles County Speedway, Worthington, Minn.
Hunt for the Casey’s Cup Points: Hughes 1359, Scott 1293, Dillard 1223, VanderBeek 1186, Ramirez 1184, Whitwell 1158, Timm 1150, Saurer 1147, Thornton 1085, Crapser 1045.
Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year Points: Whitwell 1964, Saurer 1906, Tyler Wolff 1790, DeVilbiss 1482, Kates 1471.
Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 460, Sput’s 384, ASI 360, Hatfield 269, Cornett 255.
Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 453, MBCustoms 453, VanderBuilt 396, GRT 344, LG2 318.

Contingency Awards:
Allstar Performance – Kates.
American Racer – Whitwell.
Beyea Custom Headers – Gustin.
BigDeal Car Care – Hughes.
BSB Manufacturing – Dillard.
Casey’s General Stores – Graham.
Chix Gear Racewear – Crapser.
Day Motor Sports – Vesterby, Ellingson.
Deatherage Opticians – Myers.
Dickson Racing Shocks – Graham.
E3 Spark Plugs – Timm.
Edelbrock – Crapser.
Fast Shafts – Carter.
Forty9Designs.com – Saurer, Vesterby.
Fuel Safe Racing Cells – Ramirez.
GRT Race Cars – Ellingson.
Hooker Custom Harness – DeVilbiss.
Integra Shocks & Springs – Carter.
Jerovetz Motorsports Racing Parts – Scott.
Keyser Manufacturing – Whitwell.
KSE Racing Products – Kates.
Out-Pace Racing Products – Clark.
QA1 – Crapser.
Real Racing Wheels – all non-qualifiers.
Simpson Performance Products – Gustin.
Sweet Manufacturing – Carter.
Swift Springs – Hughes.
Sybesma Graphics – Carter.
Tire Demon – VanderBeek.
VP Racing Fuels – Hughes.
Wehrs Machine & Racing Products – O’Neil.
Wilwood Engineering – Thornton.

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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Argo Manufacturing, Casey’s General Stores, Chix Gear Racewear, CP-Carrillo, Deatherage Opticians, Fast Shafts, Intercomp, KSE Racing Products, Leaf Racewear & Safety Equipment, Malvern Bank, MSD, Pace Performance, RacerWebsite.com, RacinDirt.com, RacingJunk.com, S&S Fishing & Rental, SToK Cold-Brew Coffee, Summit Racing Equipment, The Joie of Seating, VP Racing Fuels.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arizona Sport Shirts, ASi Racewear, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Duvall Electric, ElbowsUp.com, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Oreo, Production Jars, Rancho Milagro Racing, RHRSwag.com, YouDirt.com.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: 905 Ink, AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Beyea Custom Headers, BigDeal Car Care, BSB Manufacturing, Day Motor Sports, Dickson Racing Shocks, E3 Spark Plugs, Edelbrock, FK Rod Ends, Forty9 Designs, Fuel Safe, Genesis Racing Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Holley Performance Products, Hooker Custom Harness, Integra Shocks & Springs, Jerovetz Motorsports Racing Parts, Keyser Manufacturing, Out-Pace Racing Products, QA1 Precision Products, Real Racing Wheels, Simpson Performance Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Swift Springs, Sybesma Graphics, Tire Demon, Wehrs Machine & Race Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes.