OWATONNA, Minn. -- Jason Hughes of Colcord, Okla., continued his three-week onslaught as he powered his way to victory in the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series main event Thursday at the Steele County Speedway in Owatonna, Minn. The top-4 in points coming into the event rose to the occasion, garnering the top-4 finishing positions in the main event. But it was Hughes, the points leader coming in, who left the track with the best score after passing his three closest rivals en route to the win.

Hughes started 10th on the 25-car starting grid while his teammate, Tommy Weder Jr., led the field to the green flag from the pole position. It was Jon Tesch, however, who got the advantage at the start to lead the first lap. Through 23 laps and six caution flags, including hard contact with a lapped car exiting the track, the Watertown, S.D., resident was able to turn back challenges by Weder, Kelly Shryock, Tim Donlinger and Jason Krohn, but he met his match when Hughes reached the runner-up spot.

Using the extreme high side of the racing surface, Hughes powered around Tesch in turns 3-4 to lead lap 24, then drove away from the pack to capture his seventh Holley “A” Main of the season — his fourth in the last eight events. The win, worth $2,000, also extended his points lead over Krohn, who finished third behind Tesch. Shryock finished fourth in the 30-lapper on the half-mile oval and remains fourth in The Hunt for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship behind Tesch.

Tommy Myer of nearby Blooming Prairie, Minn., raced from the 18th starting spot to finish fifth while Greg Skaggs, Scott Green, Richie Gustin Jr., Donovan Lodge and Zack VanderBeek rounded out the top-10. Green, who clinched the Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year title five races ago, garnered the Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger honors after racing to a seventh-place finish after starting 21st.

In O’Reilly USMTS National Championship points, Hughes padded his lead to 34 (713 to 679) over Krohn. Third through 10th are Tesch (663), Shryock (629), Skaggs (565), VanderBeek (550), Weder (546), Myer (539), Steve Holzkamper (504) and Dean Mahlstedt (480).

On Friday, the teams venture back to the Cresco (Iowa) Speedway for Race No. 8 in The Hunt for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship. The race at Cresco will mark the 18th event in 21 days for the rugged road warriors, but they'll get nearly two well-deserved weeks off before returning to action for the last half of the ‘The Hunt’ beginning Aug. 30.

To learn more about the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series, call (515) 832-7944 or visit www.usmts.com online.

RESULTS

O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series

The Hunt for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship (Race 7 of 16)

Steele County Speedway, Owatonna, Minn.

Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007

Showing finishing position, car number, driver, hometown and starting position in parentheses. The top 12 drivers in Home Pride Passing Points accumulated in the Heats are locked into the Holley “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.

ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT #1 (8 laps):

1. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (7)

2. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (6)

3. 19b - Jamie Burford -- Keatchie, LA (3)

4. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (2)

5. 02 - Jacob Dahle -- Morristown, MN (8)

6. 40 - David Schuster -- Waterville, MN (4)

7. 58 - Scott Vesely -- Mosinee, WI (5) DNF

8. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (1) DNF

HEAT #2 (8 laps):

1. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (2)

2. 19g - Richie Gustin Jr. -- Gilman, IA (1)

3. 71 - Jason Cummins -- New Richland, MN (4)

4. 32 - Donovan Lodge -- Moline, IL (5)

5. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (6)

6. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (3) DNF

7. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (7) DNF

HEAT #3 (8 laps):

1. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (1)

2. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (5)

3. 0 - Craig Scott -- Rosemount, MN (2)

4. 5h - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (4)

5. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (6)

6. 55 - Brian Shaw -- Brownsdale, MN (3) DNF

7. 4s - Craig Shaw -- Adams, MN (7) DNS

HEAT #4 (8 laps):

1. 83 - Willy Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (2)

2. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (3)

3. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (4)

4. 19r - Ryan Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (1)

5. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (7)

6. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN (5)

7. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (6) DNF

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (10 laps, top 5 advance):

1. 32 - Donovan Lodge -- Moline, IL (1)

2. 19r - Ryan Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (3)

3. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (2)

4. 55 - Brian Shaw -- Brownsdale, MN (6)

5. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (4)

6. 40 - David Schuster -- Waterville, MN (5)

7. 58 - Scott Vesely -- Mosinee, WI (7) DNF

8. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (9) DNF

9. 4s - Craig Shaw -- Adams, MN (8) DNS

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (10 laps, top 5 advance):

1. 5h - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (2)

2. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (4)

3. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (3)

4. 02 - Jacob Dahle -- Morristown, MN (1)

5. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN (6)

6. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (8)

7. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (5) DNS

8. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA (7) DNS

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (30 laps):

1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (10)

2. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (2)

3. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN (8)

4. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (4)

5. 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (18)

6. 27 - Greg Skaggs -- Bixby, OK (16)

7. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS (21)

8. 19g - Richie Gustin Jr. -- Gilman, IA (3)

9. 32 - Donovan Lodge -- Moline, IL (13)

10. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (5)

11. 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (23)

12. 83 - Willy Kraft -- Lakefield, MN (7) DNF

13. 55 - Brian Shaw -- Brownsdale, MN (19) DNF

14. 19r - Ryan Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA (15) DNF

15. 58 - Scott Vesely -- Mosinee, WI (24) DNF

16. 5h - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (14) DNF

17. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN (6) DNF

18. 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (25) DNF

19. 0 - Craig Scott -- Rosemount, MN (12) DNF

20. 02 - Jacob Dahle -- Morristown, MN (20) DNF

21. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (1) DNF

22. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN (22) DNF

23. 72 - Doug Hillson -- Blooming Prairie, MN (17) DNF

24. 71 - Jason Cummins -- New Richland, MN (9) DNF

25. 19b - Jamie Burford -- Keatchie, LA (11) DNF

AMSOIL Lap Leaders: Tesch 1-23, Hughes 24-30.

Total Laps Led: Tesch 23, Hughes 7.

AFCO Pole Award: Shryock.

Provisional Starters: Poidinger, Vesely, Noble (track).

Olympic Fire Protection Hard Charger: Green (started 21st, finished 7th).

Next Race: Friday, Aug. 17, Cresco (Iowa) Speedway.

O’Reilly USMTS National Championship Points: Hughes 713, Krohn 679, Tesch 663, Shryock 629, Skaggs 565, VanderBeek 550, Weder 546, Myer 539, Holzkamper 504, Dean Mahlstedt 480.

Home Pride Passing Points: Shryock 183, Hughes 136½, VanderBeek 124½, Hejna 120, Tesch 91½.

Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar Rookie of the Year Points: Green 816, Lodge 380, Ryan Gustin 339, Jeremy Rasmussen 254, Richie Gustin Jr. 248.

Builders Championship Points: Skyrocket 442, Hughes 368, Harris 241, GRT 225, Bullet 175.

Contingency Awards:

Belleville Motorsports – not awarded.

Boyer’s Engine Development – Hughes.

GRT Race Cars – not awarded.

Hawk Performance – Richie Gustin Jr.

Isky Racing Cams – Shryock.

Kevko Oil Pans & Components – Myer, B. Shaw.

KSE Racing Products – Tesch, Shryock.

Marsh Racing Wheels – not awarded.

Nitroquest Web Solutions - Krohn.

Quarter Master – Hughes, Lodge.

QuickTime Performance Parts – Green.

Real Racing Wheels – Lodge, Holzkamper.

USMTS TITLE SPONSOR: O’Reilly Auto Parts.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Race Tires, AMSOIL, Arizona Sport Shirts, BRODIX, Fast Company Performance, Holley Performance Products, Home Pride Companies, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, Marsh Racing Wheels, Nitroquest Web Solutions, Olympic Fire Protection, Real Racing Wheels, Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar, Yeager Machine.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Boom Drilling, Day Motor Sports, Gressell Oil Field Services, Hughes Racing Chassis, KraftKar Race Cars, McVicker Oil Fields, Rinehart Trucking.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Belleville Motorsports, Bilstein Shocks, Boyer’s Engine Development, Dynatech Racing Exhaust, GRT Race Cars, Hawk Performance, Hyperco, Isky Racing Cams, KSE Racing Products, Quarter Master, QuickTime Performance Race Parts, Racer’s Choice (RCI).