MAHLSTEDT, GREINER, BRYANT, GIBSON EMERGE AS MUSCO LIGHTING FALL CHALLENGE CHAMPIONS

By Tony Paris

OSKALOOSA, Iowa (Sept. 16) — The finals for the 16th annual MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge was held Sunday afternoon, Sept. 16, due to rain on Saturday night at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa. After a chilly night for the drivers and fans on Friday night, Sunday gave way to beautiful sunny skies and temperatures in the '70s, which made for an awesome show at the Mahaska County Half-Mile Monster.

On Sunday afternoon, Bobby Greiner Jr. of Ottumwa passed Nathan Wood of Keswick for the win and the $1,000 top prize on the 17th lap of the 20-lap USRA Hobby Stock main event. While Wood hung on for second, 2007 track champion Matt Greiner of Washington was third and Malcolm Teachout of Granada, Minn.. grabbed the fourth spot. Jerry Pilcher of Floris rounded out the top-5 in the thrilling battle. After several burnouts to celebrate his feature win, Greiner announced to the crowd that this was his final season in the cockpit and he was retiring from driving.

The $500-to-win USRA B-Mod feature saw Cory Brown of Ottumwa take the lead and pace the field until a lap-9 before caution closed the field up. After the restart, Ken Bryant of Ottumwa made the winning pass on lap 11 and drove to victory lane, with Brown taking second and Paul Underwood in third, giving all three podium spots to Ottumwa pilots. Andrew Schroeder of Keswick took fourth, while Raymond Lundry of Maynard, who is currently second in the USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Racing Series standings, completed the top-5.

The USRA Hobby Stock feature saw Bill Gibson of Knoxville, Mark Haglund of Webster City and Chris Hovden of Cresco battle for the lead, with Gibson taking the lead on lap 7 and holding off several challenges to take the $500 win. Haglund took second, followed by Hovden, Nathan Wood of Keswick and veteran Bill Bonnett of Knoxville.

The final feature of the day was the $2,000-to-win MUSCO Lighting USRA Modified main event, and what a doozey it was! The race capped off the 2007 season with six different leaders and numerous flat tires from the rubbered-down racing surface. The fans got to see drivers from 16 to 55 years of age going to battle for the title and the cash. The feature came down to a green-white-checkered finish with Dean Mahlstedt of Clear Lake driving his No. 21m Bullet Chassis to victory lane for the second time of the weekend. Mark Noble of Blooming Prairie, Minn., took second, followed by Ron Ver Beek of Oskaloosa in third, Bruce Hanford of Davenport fourth and 2007 track champion Brandon Banks of Washington fifth.

The 16th Annual MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge put the wraps on the 2007 season at the Southern Iowa Speedway. Track champions, top points-getters and special award recipients will be feted at the annual banquet this Fall, and a tentative 2008 schedule of events will be announced before the end of the year.

Officials from RL Promotions and the staff of the Southern Iowa Fairboard extend their gratitude and thanks to all of the fans, drivers, crewmembers and sponsors that helped make the 2007 season one of the most exciting and memorable ever at Osky.

For more information call the Southern Iowa Speedway office at 515-832-6000. The Southern Iowa Speedway is a half-mile semi-banked clay oval located 0.5 mile west of US 63 on SR 92, then four blocks north on N. I St. (at the Southern Iowa Fairgrounds). For day-of-race information, call the track hotline at (507) 634-4281 or visit www.rlpromotions.com/oskaloosa online. For more information about the USRA, visit www.usraracing.com.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Racing Series
16th Annual MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge
Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007

MUSCO LIGHTING USRA MODIFIEDS

Heat 1: 1. Jake Neal, Omaha; 2. Mark Noble, Blooming Prairie, Minn.; 3. Chris Spieker, Massena; 4. Dean Mahlstedt, Clear Lake; 5. Bruce Hanford, Davenport; 6. Brandon Banks, Washington; 7. Terry Walker, Riverside; 8. Tim Sands, Conesville; 9. Clayton Jensen, Iowa City; 10. Ron Ver Beek, Oskaloosa.

Heat 2: 1. Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown; 2. Colt Mather, Webster; 3. Tony Fraise, Donnellson; 4. Brad Pinkerton, New Sharon; 5. Richie Gustin Jr., Gilman; 6. Glenn Ridgeway, Eldon; 7. John Fellman, Blue Grass; 8. David Ott, Ankeny; 9. Jerry Pilcher, Bloomfield; 10. Tom Lathrop, Ottumwa.

A Main: 1. Mahlstedt; 2. Noble; 3. Ver Beek; 4. Hanford; 5. Banks; 6. Sands; 7. Ott; 8. Neal; 9. Walker; 10. Richie Gustin; 11. Spieker; 12. Ryan Gustin; 13. Fellman; 14. Fraise; 15. Ridgeway; 16. Mather; 17. Pinkerton; 18. Jensen; 19. Pilcher; 20. Lathrop.

USRA STOCK CARS

Heat 1: 1. Matt Greiner, Washington; 2. Rick Todd, Des Moines; 3. Corey Stout, Oskaloosa; 4. Josh Newell, Oskaloosa; 5. Doug Seidl, Des Moines; 6. Clayton Garden, Oskaloosa; 7. Matt Pinegar, Ankeny; 8. Doug Newell, Oskaloosa; 9. Carl Colsch, Eitzen, Minn.; 10. Randy Krampe, Baxter.

Heat 2: 1. Brad Pinkerton, New Sharon; 2. A.J. Johnson, Oskaloosa; 3. Steve Jackson, Polk City; 4. Greg Mitchell, Decorah; 5. Bert McDaniel, Eldon; 6. Michael Johnston, Des Moines; 7. Robert Koeneman, Des Moines; 8. Don Wear, Des Moines; 9. Terry McDowell, Des Moines.

A Main: 1. Bobby Greiner Jr., Ottumwa; 2. Nathan Wood, Keswick; 3. M. Greiner; 4. Malcolm Teachout, Granada, Minn.; 5. Jerry Pilcher, Floris; 6. Pinkerton; 7. Bobby Greene, Eddyville; 8. Jackson; 9. McDaniel; 10. Mike Harward, Floris; 11. Todd; 12. J. Newell; 13. Mitchell; 14. Johnson; 15. Krampe; 16. Garden; 17. D. Newell; 18. Wear; 19. Stout; 20. Koeneman; 21. Johnston; 22. Pinegar; 23. Colsch; 24. Seidl; 25. McDowell.

USRA B-MODS

Heat: 1. Ken Bryant, Ottumwa; 2. Paul Underwood, Ottumwa; 3. Ray Stock Jr., Ankeny; 4. Mike Wanders, Oskaloosa; 5. Ronnie Pumphrey, Altoona; 6. Brad Iverson, Grinnell; 7. Curtis Engen, Monona; 8. Jayme Duinink, Pella.

A Main: 1. Bryant; 2. Cory Brown, Ottumwa; 3. Underwood; 4. Andrew Schroeder, Keswick; 5. Raymond Lundry, Maynard; 6. Ryan Lundy, Knoxville; 7. Wanders; 8. Pumphrey; 9. Kevin Fee, Knoxville; 10. Stock; 11. Iverson; 12. Duinink; 13. Matt Lettow, Roland; 14. Engen.

USRA HOBBY STOCKS

Heat 1: 1. Mike Shelton, Ottumwa; 2. Justin Hook, Oskaloosa; 3. Dustin Griffiths, Ottumwa; 4. Terry Rachels, Knoxville; 5. Kris Walker, Oskaloosa; 6. John Yaw Jr., Des Moines; 7. Curtis Barnes, Greentop, Mo.; 8. Richard Yaw II, Pleasant Hill.

Heat 2: 1. David Breuklander, Oskaloosa; 2. Louis Lynch, Glenwood, Mo.; 3. Shannon Sherwood, Oskaloosa; 4. Jason VanZomeren, Oskaloosa; 5. Mike Yaw, Des Moines; 6. T.J. Henderson, Douds; 7. Danny Thrasher, Agency.

Heat 3: 1. Bill Bonnett, Knoxville; 2. Jason McDaniel, Eldon; 3. Tony Johnson, Oskaloosa; 4. John Yaw, Des Moines; 5. Ricky Wilson, Ottumwa; 6. Travis Sherwood, Ottumwa; 7. Chad Dehne, Ottumwa.

B Main: 1. Thrasher; 2. Walker; 3. T. Sherwood; 4. R. Yaw; 5. M. Yaw; 6. Henderson.

A Main: 1. Bill Gibson, Knoxville; 2. Mark Haglund, Webster City; 3. Chris Hovden, Cresco; 4. Nathan Wood, Keswick; 5. Bonnett; 6. Thrasher; 7. Walker; 8. Bob Lynch, Ottumwa; 9. Hook; 10. Griffiths; 11. L. Lynch; 12. R. Yaw; 13. VanZomeren; 14. J. Yaw; 15. Shelton; 16. Breuklander; 17. Henderson; 18. M. Yaw; 19. Mark Moore, Ottumwa; 20. McDaniel; 21. S. Sherwood; 22. Johnson; 23. Rachels; 24. T. Sherwood.