SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- In Budweiser USRA Modified action Saturday at the Springfield Raceway, former track champion Mitch Keeter took the lead from his outside front row starting spot and kept applying pressure in the championship chase by grabbing the 20-lap feature.

Keeter took the opening lead with Rex Merritt and Brian Green following. Bobby Pearish began a charge forward and by lap 4 moved around Merritt to take the runner-up spot. After starting 8th tonight, John Yeoman began to climb up the ladder and moved by Merritt for third place by lap 6. With Keeter moving high and low, Pearish and Yeoman began to apply pressure to the Webb City driver.

Caution waved on lap 7 for Corey Weir as the field bunched-up on the restart. Keeter kept in the middle lane as Yeoman, Merritt, Green and Steve Muilenburg were side by side. Yeoman also in the close championship hunt, moved around Pearish on lap 9 and closed-in on Keeter. Current USRA track point leader Jackie Dalton came to life and after starting 11th tonight moved up the leader board and into 4th by lap 10. While Keeter had Yeoman closing in quickly, Dalton and Pearish swapped spots for the next 4 laps before Dalton took the position. On lap 15,Keeter moved to the top side and began to pull away in taking his 4th feature win of the season. Keeter in his Mid-America Rebuilders/TRE/Yeoman Engines entry didn't have it easy even though leading all 20 laps.

Yeoman with his 25th Anniversary Yeoman Engines/Hoffman Race Cars kept Keeter honest with Dalton in the Doug's Pro Lube/Garrison Performance/Hoffman, Pearish in the Pearish Construction/Yeoman Engines/Hoffman and Green in his Green Motor Sports/GM Performance CT525/Doug's Pro Lube completed the top 5. 16 of the 20 starters finished on the lead lap.

Current Reliable Chevrolet USRA B-Mod points leader Scott Drake had to overcome an early incident and came roaring to the front to take the top spot on lap 11 from Jon Yeoman Jr in capturing the USRA B Modified feature. Rookie Michael Page took the opening lead with Kaleb Copher and Thomas Hylton following. On lap 2, Hylton who had a great run tonight had contact with Drake in turn 2 knocking Hylton out of the feature.

On the restart, Jon Yeoman Jr. grabbed the lead and was setting a fast pace. Copher kept the pressure on Yeoman as Don Luna came from the 10th starting spot to move with the leaders. On lap 7, Luna powered his GM Performance 602 Crate Motor to second and was pressuring Yeoman. With a couple of cautions in the middle of this race, the field kept bunched tight. On lap 11,Drake shot to the top side as Luna and Yeoman were side by side. With Drake in front, the battle for second was tight as the final caution waved on lap 18. Yeoman picked the low groove on the restart as Drake kept to the extreme top side.

Yeoman and Luna made contact as both drivers gathered their cars back up as JOCK Morton made a bold move around both to secure the runner-up position as Yeoman, Copher and defending track champion Bobby Maggard Jr. completed the top 5. 16 of the scheduled 23 starters finished on the lead lap.

Up next Saturday, July 28, will be the Casey's General Stores Summer Meltdown featuring the MLRA and MARS Super Late Models plus a full Transport Graphics Championship Chase including USRA Modifieds, USRA B-Mods, Legends, Young Lions, Midwest Modz, Pure Stocks and Street Stocks.

Pit Gates will open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:30. Grandstand gates for action at the "Quick-Quarter" will open at 5:30. Grandstand admission will be $20 with kids 6-12 $5 and under 6 free. Pit Passes will be $35 for this event.

For more information visit the website at www.springfieldraceway.com or contact Jerry Hoffman at 417-673-7426

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series
Springfield Raceway, Sprignfield, Mo.
Saturday, July 21, 2012

USRA MODIFIEDS

Feature: 1. Mitch Keeter, 2. John Yeoman, 3. Jackie Dalton, 4. Bobby Pearish, 5. Brian Green, 6. Steve Muilenburg, 7. Rex Merritt, 8. Robbie Bryant, 9. Travis Smith, 10. Jody Tillman, 11. Jerry Lankton, 12. Nick Whitehead, 13. Rob Muilenburg, 14. Billy Dalton, 15. Fred Slagle, 16. Daniel Franklin, 17. Scott Symmonds, 18. Andy Aust, 19. Corey Weir, 20. Danny DeMasters.

Heat #1: 1. Yeoman, 2. Smith, 3. Bryant, 4. Weir, 5. B. Dalton, 6. Tillman, 7. Whitehead.

Heat #2: 1. S. Muilenburg, 2. Pearish, 3. Green, 4. Lankton, 5. Symmonds, 6. Franklin, 7. Aust.

Heat #3: 1. Keeter, 2. Merritt, 3. R. Muilenburg, 4. J. Dalton, 5. DeMasters, 6. Slagle.

USRA B-MODS

Feature: 1. Scott Drake, 2. J.C. Morton, 3. Jon Yeoman Jr., 4. Kaleb Copher, 5. Bobby Maggard Jr., 6. Don Luna, 7. Andy Beauchamp, 8. Tyler Chainey, 9. Gary Rodocker, 10. Toby Thompson, 11. Dakota Maggard, 12. Jared Thulin, 13. T.R. Phillips, 14. Ron McClellan, 15. John Hurn, 16. Blake Ellis, 17. Michael Maggard, 18. Mike Mansker, 19. Jeremy Thulin, 20. Thomas Hylton, 21. Michael Page, 22. Wayne Graybeal, DNS - Ryan Hendrix.

Heat #1: 1. Drake, 2. Beauchamp, 3. M. Maggard, 4. Page, 5. Phillips, 6. McClellan, 7. Chainey, 8. Mansker.

Heat #2: 1. Morton, 2. Yeoman, 3. D. Maggard, 4. Hurn, 5. Ellis, 6. Rodocker, 7. B. Maggard, 8. Hendrix.

Heat #3: 1. Luna, 2. Copher, 3. Hylton, 4. Thompson, 5. Thulin, 6. J. Thulin, 7. Graybeal.