Colt Mather of Webster captured the Musco USRA Modified main event May 18 on opening night at the Southern Iowa Speedway.

The Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, kicked off the 2011 season Wednesday night with an action-packed program of the USRA Weekly Racing Series featuring Musco USRA Modifieds, USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Cars, Carter’s Manufacturing USRA B-Mods and USRA Hobby Stocks.

The first main event of the night got things started off right with a great battle up front as polesitter Jim Hughes of Beacon took the initial lead but it was ninth-starting Danny Sacquitne of Decorah who worked his way through the pack to take a thrilling USRA Hobby Stock victory.

Hughes held on for second ahead of Eldon’s Craig Brown while Steve Allen of Oskaloosa finished fourth ahead of tenth-starting Donovan Nunnikhoven of Sully.

Apparently, ninth place was the choice starting spot as Knoxville’s Bill Gibson matched Sacquitne’s effort in the Carter’s Manufacturing USRA B-Mod feature race and pocketed the $300 winner’s share of the prize money.

Young gun Carter VanDenBerg of Oskaloosa started second and finished second with Bloomfield’s Mike Shelton third, Mike Wanders of Keswick fourth and former USRA Hobby Stock track champion Jason McDaniel of Eldon taking the fifth spot.

Shane Weller of Agency came out on top in a good battle with defending USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Car track champion Nathan Wood of Keswick to capture the checkered flag in the USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Car main event.

Randy Killen of Des Moines brought home a third-place finish, while Jason Minnehan of Churdan and Tim Killen of Des Moines wound up fourth and fifth, respectively.

Derek Kirkland of Centerville made his Stock Car debut Wednesday night. Last year’s USRA Hobby Stock track champion drew the pole position for the start of the feature and held on for sixth at the finish line.

A strong field of Musco USRA Modifieds were on hand for Wednesday night’s season opener, but nobody had an answer for Webster’s Colt Mather, who dominated the main event and crossed the finish line with a full straight-away to spare.

The win gave Mather two wins in a row at the ‘Mahaska County Monster’ as he also won the season-ending Musco Lighting Fall Challenge last October.

Nate Caruth of Ames took home the runner-up paycheck, with Packwood’s Scott Dickey coming home in third. Fourth went to defending Musco USRA Modified track champion Steven Blattler of Oskaloosa and Zack VanderBeek of New Sharon claimed the fifth spot after starting tenth on the grid.

Next Wednesday, May 25, the high-flying mud-slinging Modifieds of the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour powered by Swan Energy return for the 10th Annual Spring Challenge. Joining the USMTS Modifieds will be the USRA Iron Man Challenge for Stock Cars and B-Mods plus USRA Hobby Stocks.

USRA Weekly Racing Series track and national points will be awarded in the Stock Car, B-Mod and Hobby Stock divisions.

The Southern Iowa Speedway is a half-mile semi-banked clay oval located 0.5 mile west of US 63 on SR 92, then 0.3 mile north on I St. (at the Southern Iowa Fairgrounds). For more information, call 515-832-6000 or visit www.raceosky.com online. Race day info is available by calling the track hotline at 641-673-7004.

For rules or other information about the United States Racing Association, check out the USRA website at www.usraracing.com.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
USRA Weekly Racing Series
Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

USRA HOBBY STOCKS

Heat #1:
1. (4) 69 Craig Brown, Eldon
2. (5) 558 Jim Hughes, Beacon
3. (7) 84 Danny Thrasher, Agency
4. (2) 69X Calvin Dhondt, Kellogg
5. (1) 53D Ron Downing Jr., Ottumwa
6. (6) 21 Nick Ulin, Agency
7. (3) 29 Wes Almond, Oskaloosa (DQ)

Heat #2:
1. (1) 6 Danny Sacquitne, Decorah
2. (5) 3S Steve Allen, Oskaloosa
3. (7) 18 Kris Walker, Oskaloosa
4. (6) 2N Donovan Nunnikhoven, Sully
5. (2) 31 Dale Porter, Bloomfield
6. (4) 33T Trevor Tanner, Knoxville
7. (3) 33 Justin Hook, Oskaloosa

Feature:
1. (9) 6 Danny Sacquitne, Decorah
2. (1) 558 Jim Hughes, Beacon
3. (5) 69 Craig Brown, Eldon
4. (3) 3S Steve Allen, Oskaloosa
5. (10) 2N Donovan Nunnikhoven, Sully
6. (4) 69X Calvin Dhondt, Kellogg
7. (13) 33T Trevor Tanner, Knoxville
8. (14) 33 Justin Hook, Oskaloosa
9. (2) 31 Dale Porter, Bloomfield
10. (6) 18 Kris Walker, Oskaloosa
11. (8) 84 Danny Thrasher, Agency
12. (7) 29 Wes Almond, Oskaloosa (DNS)
13. (11) 53D Ron Downing Jr., Ottumwa (DNS)
14. (12) 21 Nick Ulin, Agency (DNS)

CARTER’S MANUFACTURING USRA B-MODS

Heat #1:
1. (1) 10 Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa
2. (2) 27 Bryon Weyer, Des Moines
3. (3) 0 Mike Wanders, Keswick
4. (4) 16 Mike Shelton, Bloomfield
5. (5) 25 Scott Van Buskirk, Hedrick
6. (6) 8T Tony Johnson, Oskaloosa
7. (7) 2 Andrew Schroeder, Keswick
8. (8) 3K John Vandenberg, Oskaloosa (DNS)

Heat #2:
1. (1) 38 Bill Gibson, Knoxville
2. (2) 7 Carter Vandenberg, Oskaloosa
3. (3) 3 Mark Mundell, Ottumwa
4. (4) 1 Curtis Van Der, Oskaloosa
5. (5) 8J A.J. Johnson, New Sharon
6. (6) 72 Brett Lowry, Montezuma
7. (7) 17 Brandon Groenendyk, Oskaloosa

Heat #3:
1. (3) 85 Jason McDaniel, Eldon
2. (2) D1 Drew Lawson, Oskaloosa
3. (4) 7T Jared Timmerman, Norwalk
4. (5) 43 Jeremiah Jones, Eldon
5. (1) 64 Casey Greubel, Lacona
6. (6) 8 Tom Lathrop, Ottumwa
7. (7) 23K Ben Kates, Tonganoxie, Kan. (DNS)

Feature:
1. (9) 38 Bill Gibson, Knoxville
2. (2) 7 Carter Vandenberg, Oskaloosa
3. (19) 2 Andrew Schroeder, Keswick
4. (3) 16 Mike Shelton, Bloomfield
5. (1) 0 Mike Wanders, Keswick
6. (4) 85 Jason McDaniel, Eldon
7. (5) D1 Drew Lawson, Oskaloosa
8. (6) 43 Jeremiah Jones, Eldon
9. (11) 3 Mark Mundell, Ottumwa
10. (20) 17 Brandon Groenendyk, Oskaloosa
11. (13) 25 Scott Van Buskirk, Hedrick
12. (10) 10 Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa
13. (8) 1 Curtis Van Der, Oskaloosa
14. (14) 8J A.J. Johnson, New Sharon
15. (16) 8T Tony Johnson, Oskaloosa
16. (12) 7T Jared Timmerman, Norwalk
17. (18) 8 Tom Lathrop, Ottumwa
18. (17) 72 Brett Lowry, Montezuma
19. (21) 23K Ben Kates, Tonganoxie, Kan.
20. (15) 64 Casey Greubel, Lacona
21. (7) 27 Bryon Weyer, Des Moines (DNS)
22. (22) 3K John Vandenberg, Oskaloosa (DNS)

USRA KARL CHEVROLET STOCK CARS

Heat #1:
1. (1) 7 Jason Minnehan, Churdan
2. (7) 81X Randy Killen, Des Moines
3. (2) 20DUB Shane Weller, Agency
4. (6) 29 Matt Greiner, Washington
5. (4) 57 Dennis Plane, Webster City
6. (5) 94 Corey Stout, Oskaloosa
7. (3) 73C Carl Yaw, Des Moines

Heat #2:
1. (2) 52 Nathan Wood, Keswick
2. (5) 1K Tom Killen, Des Moines
3. (6) 15K Kyle Harwood, Oskaloosa
4. (4) 2K Derek Kirkland, Centerville
5. (3) 98 Brock Welch, Oskaloosa
6. (7) 22S Toby Smith, Oskaloosa
7. (1) 2J Steve Jackson, Polk City (DNS)

Feature:
1. (4) 20DUB Shane Weller, Agency
2. (2) 52 Nathan Wood, Keswick
3. (7) 81X Randy Killen, Des Moines
4. (10) 7 Jason Minnehan, Churdan
5. (6) 1K Tom Killen, Des Moines
6. (1) 2K Derek Kirkland, Centerville
7. (13) 73C Carl Yaw, Des Moines
8. (3) 15K Kyle Harwood, Oskaloosa
9. (11) 94 Corey Stout, Oskaloosa
10. (12) 22S Toby Smith, Oskaloosa
11. (5) 29 Matt Greiner, Washington
12. (9) 57 Dennis Plane, Webster City
13. (8) 98 Brock Welch, Oskaloosa
14. (14) 2J Steve Jackson, Polk City (DNS)

MUSCO USRA MODIFIEDS

Heat #1:
1. (3) 11 Ryan Peckham, Corning
2. (1) 711 Nate Caruth, Ames
3. (2) R Ron Ver Beek, Oskaloosa
4. (4) 40 Scott Dickey, Packwood
5. (6) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile
6. (7) 62 Greg Cox, Altoona
7. (5) 89 Brad Dubil, Bettendorf

Heat #2:
1. (6) 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon
2. (1) 22 Brandon Banks, Washington
3. (3) 94 Steven Blattler, Oskaloosa
4. (5) 8 Colt Mather, Webster
5. (2) 70 Jesse Dennis, Prescott
6. (7) R21 Ryan Schaefer, Corning
7. (4) 15M Shane DeMey, Denison (DNS)

Feature:
1. (5) 8 Colt Mather, Webster
2. (2) 711 Nate Caruth, Ames
3. (4) 40 Scott Dickey, Packwood
4. (7) 94 Steven Blattler, Oskaloosa
5. (10) 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon
6. (3) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile
7. (11) 62 Greg Cox, Altoona
8. (1) 70 Jesse Dennis, Prescott
9. (8) 11 Ryan Peckham, Corning
10. (13) 89 Brad Dubil, Bettendorf
11. (6) R Ron Ver Beek, Oskaloosa
12. (9) 22 Brandon Banks, Washington
13. (12) R21 Ryan Schaefer, Corning
14. (14) 15M Shane DeMey, Denison (DNS)

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SOUTHERN IOWA SPEEDWAY SPONSORS: Arnold Motor Supply, Bank Iowa, Budweiser, Carter’s Manufacturing, Casey’s General Store, Community 1st Credit Union, Doug’s 4-Wheelers, Gatton Realty, Hawkeye Real Estate, Karl Chevrolet, KBOE Hot Country 104.9, Middlekoop Seed Corp., Mitrisin Motors, Musco Lighting, NAPA Auto Parts, Oskaloosa Herald, Palmer for State Representative, Pepsi, Pro-Line Buildings, Van Gorp Used Cars, Vermeer Manufacturing.