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It's the 3rd Annual USMTS Southern Series Speedweek kick-off at Tri-State Speedway!!!

There were 52 cars at last year's TSS Speedweek event.

Here's how they finished in 2009:

SUNOCO “A” MAIN (30 laps):
1. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (2)
2. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (3)
3. 60 - William Gould -- Calera, OK (1)
4. 05x - Garrett Durrett -- Simsboro, LA (6)
5. 18 - Jack Sullivan -- Greenbrier, AR (7)
6. 16 - Chris Henigan -- Marshall, TX (4)
7. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (8 )
8. 1st - Johnny Scott -- Las Cruces, NM (9)
9. 9 - Shane Hebert -- Lafayette, LA (5)
10. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (15)
11. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (17)
12. 89x - Tate Cole -- Muskogee, OK (18 )
13. 24t - Glenn Bratti -- Springdale, AR (16)
14. 89 - Steven Whiteaker Jr. -- Corpus Christi, TX (20)
15. 05 - Michael Robertson -- Minden, LA (13)
16. 5r - Morgan Bagley -- Longview, TX (23)
17. 88 - Chad Wheeler -- Muskogee, OK (22)
18. 36 - Kenny Wallace -- Concord, NC (27)
19. 02x - B.J. Robinson -- Shreveport, LA (24)
20. 10k - Kyle Schmidt -- Farmington, AR (12)
21. 22h - J.P. Hassett -- Fort Smith, AR (26)
22. F9 - Eric Beshoner -- Pocola, OK (10) -1 Lap
23. 1b - Brandon Wilson -- Fort Smith, AR (25) -1 Lap
24. 4m - Bobby Malchus -- Red Oak, TX (19) DNF
25. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (14) DNF
26. 7x - Chris Dawson -- Post, TX (21) DNF
27. 21 - Jarrod Havens -- Muskogee, OK (11) DNF

The 19-year old Iowa Phenom is on his way south!




Gustin leads youth movement in USMTS racing

By Jason Feldman
The Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN

Todd Staley remembers watching Ryan Gustin in his formative dirt-track racing years, four or five years ago at Webster City, Iowa.

Gustin was in a B-Modified, but Staley, the owner and promoter of the United States Modified Touring Series, knew it wouldn't be long before he saw Gustin on the track with the best modified drivers in the country.

"I always knew he'd be something special," Staley said. "He has no fear. He'll get everything he can out of his car. He has a great car, a great owner and all the equipment he needs to be successful."

Gustin stepped up to the Modifieds class two years ago and has taken the USMTS by storm, while showing respect to the series' top drivers, but not conceding anything to them. At just 19 years old, the Marshalltown, Iowa, native has nine career USMTS victories, including two this season.

He earned his first USMTS feature win on Aug. 28, 2008, at Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, Iowa. He still stands as the youngest feature winner in USMTS history — he was 17 years, 10 months, 13 days old at the time.

"It takes a long time (to get comfortable) racing with these guys," Gustin said. "You can't just jump in at 16 years old and go door-to-door with Kelly Shryock or Jason Hughes. You just try to keep your car and your helmet straight. Don't run into anybody and tear up their equipment."

Gustin has had the opportunity to learn from the best. He started his USMTS career in a Harris chassis, learning from veterans such as Al Hejna. Last season he drove a Skyrocket, built by nine-time national champion Shryock.

This season Gustin is driving for team owner Ed Gressel out of Kansas. Gustin's No. 19R car includes a chassis built by Jason Hughes, the driver who Gustin edged for second place last season in the USMTS national points standings.

"I've learned a lot on and off the track from those guys," Gustin said.

This is Gustin's first season of running with the USMTS on a nightly basis. The past two years, he raced for USMTS regional championships, and opened plenty of eyes last season. In 2009, Gustin pushed Shryock and Hughes to the final night of the season, passing Hughes for second place and coming up just 33 points shy of Shryock in the race for the national title.

"It was really cool to be up there with those guys," Gustin said, chuckling and adding, "It would've been a lot better if we hadn't come up 30-some points short."

With Gressel's backing and the help of crew chief Joey Ciechanowski (who formerly wrenched for USMTS star Corey Dripps), Gustin has his sights set on dethroning Shryock in 2010, but he knows it's easier said than done.

Gustin has five top-10 finishes in six A Main starts through nine events of the Southern Series.

In 2008, Eddie Martin started 8th and won an excellent A-main event with Shryock and Hughes getting 2nd & 3rd at Tri-State for his first USMTS win in 8 years!

Here's the results from 2008:

HOLLEY “A” MAIN (30 laps):

1. 51 - Eddie Martin -- Stilwell, OK (8)

2. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (5)
3. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK (13)
4. 15L - Larry Campbell -- Van Buren, AR (1)
5. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK (12)
6. 26 - Brian Williams -- Fayetteville, AR (10)
7. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR (15)
8. 2w - Paul White -- Temple, TX (4)
9. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX (2)
10. 5w - John O Whittington -- Vidor, TX (19)
11. 60 - William Gould -- Fort Smith, AR (6)
12. 89 - Steven Whiteaker Jr. -- Corpus Christi, TX (20)
13. 19 - Jamie Burford -- Keatchie, LA (18)
14. 8h - Brandon Henry -- Ozark, AR (22)
15. 20r - Bryan Rowland -- Woodward, OK (3)
16. 21b - Brandon Kenny -- Woodward, OK (14)
17. 54 - Dena Wilson -- Coweta, OK (11)
18. 9 - Shane Hebert -- Lafayette, LA (23)
19. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK (21)
20. 89 - Tate Cole -- Muskogee, OK (16) DNF
21. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR (7) DNF
22. 5r - Morgan Bagley -- Longview, TX (24) DNF
23. 15 - Curtis Allen -- Yukon, OK (9) DNF
24. 75 - Alan Sharpensteen -- Amarillo, TX (17) DNF