ALLISON, Iowa — The Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship powered by Swan Energy took to the half-mile Highway 3 Raceway Thursday night and Ryan Gustin rolled to his fifth win during the championship chase with a dominating performance in the main event.
"Gustin cruised to a ,360 payday."
It was three years and three days ago tonight that Gustin won his first USMTS race on the Butler County Fairgrounds clay at the age of 17.
His victory tonight was his 23rd of the year – more than twice that of his nearest competitor – and 47th of his career, which is third all time behind his two closest pursuers in the points – Kelly Shryock and Jason Hughes.
With a new twist on the qualifying format, drivers timed in during group time trials to set the fields for the four heat races.
After winning his heat and the six-lap dash, Gustin started on the pole for the WIX Filters “A” Main, which ran caution-free for the 35-lap distance and took less than 13 minutes to complete.
But Gustin didn’t lead every lap.
Hughes, who started fourth, got by the leader on the second lap and led through lap 8 before ‘The Reaper’ raced by to lead the ninth lap.
From there, the race was for second as Gustin cruised to a $2,360 payday and padded his points lead in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship powered by Swan Energy.
Hughes settled for the runner-up spot with Johnny Scott taking third, Zack VanderBeek fourth and Shryock rounding out the top-5 finishers.
VanderBeek started 12th and passed eight cars to earn the Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger Award for a series-best seventh time this season.
Colt Mather, who held off Gustin here on May 26 for his career-first USMTS victory, finished sixth in Thursday’s nightcap with Jon Tesch, Ryan Ruter, Rodney Sanders and Dereck Ramirez completing the first ten to cross beneath the checkered flags.
Gustin now leads Shryock by 134 markers with 13 of 22 events in the books. Hughes is 151 points behind in third, followed by Tesch (-201), Scott (-225), VanderBeek (-242), Dustin Boney (-331), Tommy Myer (-384), Sanders (-401) and Ramirez (-408).
Tomorrow night will find the USMTS touring titans at Darin Toot’s Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minn., for the 6th Annual Cedar River Race where the 1/3-mile semi-banked clay oval always provides for exciting side-by-side racing from the drop of the first green flag to the final checkered flag.
During a stop here Memorial Day Weekend, fans witnessed a wild finish that saw Gustin and rookie Brandon Davis make contact while racing for the lead with Davis ending up on the end of the wrecker while Gustin coasted into the winner’s circle.
Other former USMTS event winners at the Chateau Raceway include Doug Hillson, Jason Hughes, Tim Donlinger, Jason Krohn, Tommy Myer, Jon Tesch, Kelly Shryock and Mike Chasteen. Both Tesch and Gustin have two wins at the lightning-fast bullring.
Gates open at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 7 and racing to follow. Also racing Friday night will be WISSOTA Midwest Mods, Street Stocks and Pure Stocks.
Tommy Myer and his #65 Cheetos Modified will be at the Casey’s General Store located at 1702 12th St. SW in Austin from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Race fans can pick up $2-off grandstand admission coupons on race day at Casey's General Store in Blooming Prairie, Mantorville and Northwood.
The Chateau Raceway is located 5.0 miles north of Austin on US 218 to the Lansing exit, then 1.3 miles eat on CR 2, then 0.4 mile south on CR 25, then 0.3 mile east . For more info, call 507-391-2486 or 507-433-4578 on raceday or visit www.chateauraceway.net.
The Labor Day Weekend swing continues Saturday at the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., before wrapping up the five-race stretch on Sunday at the Dodge County Speedway in Kasson, Minn.
To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944.
