FANS SEEING DOUBLE AS VANDERBEEK, TESCH FINISH IN DEAD HEAT AT 24 RACEWAY

Source: Jeff Nunn
Date: 08/04/2008

Scratch that.

And the winners are ...

The mud-slinging Modifieds of the O'Reilly USMTS National Tour invaded the 24 Raceway in Moberly, Mo., for the first time ever on Saturday and the result was a typical action-packed battle that wound up with a not-so-typical first time ever finish.

Jon Tesch has been one of the hottest drivers of late, and he continued his surge by leading the first 33 laps of Saturday's 35-lapper. Slowly but surely, Zack VanderBeek closed in on Tesch throughout the race as he clawed his way from the 12th starting spot.

As the white flag waved, VanderBeek ducked underneath Tesch to lead the next-to-last lap. They raced side by side through the next turn, with Tesch nosing ahead as they raced down the back stretch and into turn 3.

Again they were door to door as they exited turn 4, with the pair crossing the finish line in a dead heat.

Flagman Ryne Staley, both scorekeepers and the officials in the infield all shrugged their shoulders as they looked for an answer to who had the advantage at the line.

According to the naked eye, it looked like a tie.

And so it was.

Although there have been countless nail-biters throughout the ten-year history of the United States Modified Touring Series, none have been this close ... and none could ever be any closer. Both drivers were credited with the win in the first-ever tie for first place in a USMTS event.

Both drivers agreed with the decision and both were awarded first-place points while they split the total prize money for first and second place.

Local ace and part-time Series competitor David Holder recorded his career-best O'Reilly USMTS National Tour finish in third, with rookie Bryan Rowland scoring his best with a fourth. Eight-time O'Reilly USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock rounded out the top-5.

Sixth through tenth, respectively, went to Brandon Lennox, Brandon Kenny, Dean Mahlstedt, Michael Long and Donovan Lodge.

VanderBeek picked up the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award, but despite the abundance of passing points and the win, Shryock hung on to claim the Central States Region title for the third straight season. Rounding out the top-10 in points and securing a slot in the prestigious Casey's General Stores Hunt for the USMTS National Championship were Dereck Ramirez, Al Hejna, Ron Ver Beek, Lodge, Ryan Gustin, Jason Hughes, Mahlstedt and Scott Green.

UP NEXT:

After five straight nights of circling speedways in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri, the rugged road warriors of the O'Reilly USMTS National Tour get one day to relax before heading back into battle on Monday, Aug. 4, for the first of twelve more straight nights of mud-slinging excitement.

Monday will be the first of three straight nights featuring NASCAR veterans Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace, beginning with at the Humboldt (Kan.) Speedway with the 2nd Annual NASCAR Modified Challenge presented by The Grain Bin of Chanute, Kan. The event will also be the first of four straight events that will decide the Mo-Kan Region championship, and propel he final group of drivers into the Casey's General Stores Hunt for the USMTS National Championship.

Pit gates will open at 4 p.m., hot laps begin at 7 and the first heat race is at 7:30. Adult ticket prices are just $15, kids ages 6-12 are $5 and children 5 and under get in for free. B-Mods and Factory Stocks will also be on the racing card.

The Humboldt Speedway is a 1/4-mile semi-banked clay oval located on US 169 to the Humboldt Exit, then 0.1 mile west, then 0.5 mile south, then 0.9 mile east. For day-of-race information, call the track hotline at (620) 473-3694 or check out www.humboldtspeedway.com online.

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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