Hughes rolls to Upper Iowa Speedway win


DECORAH, Iowa (May 28) -- In search of his third straight USMTS National Championship and fourth overall, Jason Hughes rolled to his fifth victory of the season Sunday during the 10th Annual Nordic Nationals at the Upper Iowa Speedway.

Rolling off from the outside of the front row for the 40-lap main event, Hughes grabbed the lead from polesitter Tyler Wolff after one lap, and then held off a charging Zack VanderBeek over the final four laps to seize the $3,000 winner's paycheck and notch the 151st USMTS win of his career.

It was also his second career triumph at the Decorah, Iowa, oval after winning here in 2011, and his late-race efforts kept VanderBeek from registering his fourth at the track.

Meanwhile, Saturday's feature winner, Cade Dillard, took the third spot with Ryan Gustin and 15th-starting Stormy Scott close behind.

Not only did Scott earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award, but also garnered the Wehrs Machine & Racing Products "Trick Move" of the Race Award.

R.C. Whitwell, Travis Saurer, Jake Timm, Dereck Ramirez and Jacob Bleess completed the top ten.

The points battle in the RHRSwag.com Northern Region is as close as it gets. VanderBeek leads with 376 points while Hughes and Dillard are tied for second with 375. Whitwell sits fourth with 319 markers, followed by Timm (305), Saurer (292), Gustin (290), Bleess (277), Scott (276) and Kyle Prauner (259).

Action returns to the MSD Central Region presented by Summit Racing Equipment on Tuesday, June 6, when the series visits the Caney Valley Speedway in Caney, Kan.

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
Casey's USMTS National Tour powered by S&S Fishing & Rental - RHRSwag.com Northern Region presented by Summit Racing Equipment
10th Annual Nordic Nationals presented by Weis GMC Buick
Upper Iowa Speedway, Decorah, Iowa
Saturday, May 28, 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. (2) 4w Tyler Wolff (R), Fayetteville, Ark.
2. (8) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
3. (1) 1g Pat Graham, Ankeny, Iowa.
4. (3) 45 Levi Nielsen (R), Evansdale, Iowa.
5. (4) 5d Devon Havlik (R), Iowa Falls, Iowa.
6. (6) 19 Dustin Sorensen (R), Rochester, Minn.
7. (7) 33f Jardin Fuller (R), Memphis, Mo.
8. (5) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan.

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (1) 1m Curt Myers, Cameron, Wis.
2. (7) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
3. (2) 96 R.C. Whitwell (R), Tucson, Ariz.
4. (4) 49jr Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
5. (5) 21 Jacob Bleess (R), Chatfield, Minn.
6. (3) 07 Cory Crapser, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
7. (6) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
8. (8) 14 Amanda Stiffler (R), Farmdale, Ohio.

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (4) 1s Travis Saurer (R), Elizabeth, Minn.
2. (3) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3. (7) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
4. (8) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa.
5. (6) 5k Kyle Prauner (R), Norfolk, Neb.
6. (2) 00 Owen Grube (R), Cambridge, Minn.
7. (5) 72 Doug Hillson, Blooming Prairie, Minn.
8. (1) 14 Scott Stiffler (R), Farmdale, Ohio.

REAL RACING WHEELS "B" MAIN (10 laps, all advance):
1. (4) 19 Dustin Sorensen (R), Rochester, Minn.
2. (3) 21 Jacob Bleess (R), Chatfield, Minn.
3. (8) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
4. (5) 07 Cory Crapser, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
5. (1) 5k Kyle Prauner (R), Norfolk, Neb.
6. (7) 33f Jardin Fuller (R), Memphis, Mo.
7. (10) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan.
8. (12) 14 Scott Stiffler (R), Farmdale, Ohio.
9. (2) 5d Devon Havlik (R), Iowa Falls, Iowa.
10. (6) 00 Owen Grube (R), Cambridge, Minn.
11. (9) 72 Doug Hillson, Blooming Prairie, Minn.
12. (11) 14 Amanda Stiffler (R), Farmdale, Ohio.

CASEY'S GENERAL STORES "A" MAIN (40 laps):
1. (2) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $3000.
2. (8) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, VanderBuilt/Sput's, 40, $1700.
3. (5) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La., MBCustom/ASI, 40, $1200.
4. (6) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $1000.
5. (15) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., GRT/Mullins, 40, $900.
6. (10) 96 R.C. Whitwell (R), Tucson, Ariz., MBCustom/Mullins, 40, $800.
7. (3) 1s Travis Saurer (R), Elizabeth, Minn., MBCustom/Dakota, 40, $700.
8. (12) 49jr Jake Timm, Winona, Minn., MBCustom/Sput's, 40, $650.
9. (4) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., LG2/Cornett, 40, $600.
10. (14) 21 Jacob Bleess (R), Chatfield, Minn., MBCustom/Sput's, 40, $550.
11. (11) 45 Levi Nielsen (R), Evansdale, Iowa, MBCustom/KSE, 40, $500.
12. (17) 5k Kyle Prauner (R), Norfolk, Neb., Razor/GMPP, 40, $450.
13. (16) 07 Cory Crapser, Chippewa Falls, Wis., MBCustom/Troy's, 40, $425.
14. (7) 1m Curt Myers, Cameron, Wis., LG2/Sput's, 40, $400.
15. (18) 33f Jardin Fuller (R), Memphis, Mo., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $375.
16. (20) 14 Scott Stiffler (R), Farmdale, Ohio, Taylor/HRE, 40, $350.
17. (24) 14 Amanda Stiffler (R), Farmdale, Ohio, Taylor/HRE, 40, $325.
18. (22) 00 Owen Grube (R), Cambridge, Minn., SSR/KSE, 39, $300.
19. (19) 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan., LG2/Speedway, 30, $300.
20. (9) 1g Pat Graham, Ankeny, Iowa, Victory/Karl, 23, $300.
21. (1) 4w Tyler Wolff (R), Fayetteville, Ark., MBCustom/Hatfield, 20, $300.
22. (23) 72 Doug Hillson, Blooming Prairie, Minn., GRT/Fast, 17, $300.
23. (21) 5d Devon Havlik (R), Iowa Falls, Iowa, Sidebiter/Jono's, 14, $300.
24. (13) 19 Dustin Sorensen (R), Rochester, Minn., MBCustom/Action, 10, $300.

(R) = Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year contender

Lap Leaders: Wolff 1, Hughes 2-40.
Total Laps Led: Hughes 39, Wolff 1.
Margin of Victory: 0.302 second.
Time of Race: 18 minutes, 0.912 second (3 cautions).
Provisional Starters: none.
KSE Racing Products Hard Charger: Scott (started 15th, finished 5th).
Entries: 24.
Next Race: Tuesday, June 6, Caney Valley Speedway, Caney, Kan.
RHRSwag.com Northern Region Points: VanderBeek 376, Hughes 375, Dillard 375, Whitwell 319, Timm 305, Saurer 292, Gustin 290, Bleess 277, Scott 276, Prauner 259.
Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year Points: Whitwell 1822, Saurer 1737, Wolff 1612, Kates 1260, Billy Vogel 982.
Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins 263, ASI 210, Sput's 198, Durham 197, Hatfield 155 ..
Manufacturers Championship Points: Hughes 263, MBCustoms 252, GRT 228, VanderBuilt 202, LG2 172.