WEBSTER CITY, Iowa — In what may be a first in organized racing, three of the four drivers that captured the USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Racing Series titles in 2007 repeated the feat in 2008.

Brad Waits captured his second straight USRA Modified crown, while the same can be said for Tom Schmitt (USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Cars) and Matt Jones (USRA Karl Chevrolet B-Mods). Jason McDaniel (USRA Hobby Stocks) won his first title after finishing second last year.

For Waits, his second consecutive title netted track championships at both the Tri-Oval Speedway in Fountain City, Wis., and Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., nearby his hometown of Zumbrota.

He won a total of 19 main events during the 2008 season, including eight times at Tri-Oval; five times at Deer Creek; and three times each at the Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minn., and Dodge County Speedway in Kasson, Minn.

While Waits competed in his final USRA points race on August 23, Justin "Whitey" Folk of Iola, Kan., used a late-season charge through the end of October to close the gap, but settled for a second-place finish in the final USRA Modified standings.

Johnny Bone Jr. of Pea Ridge, Ark., wound up third in the final rankings, with Luverne, Minn., drivers Mike Steensma and Josh Reisch finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.

Waits joins Larry Herring (2006) and Ron Luitjens (2005) as past national champions in the USRA Modified division. A National Champion was not crowned in prior seasons.

Entering the month of September, Tom Schmitt wasn't even on the radar in the USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Car points standings. With a driver's best 20 finishes comprising the National Championship points, Schmitt had just 19 starts before racing five more times in September and October.

In his 24 starts, the Independence, Iowa, veteran scored 10 feature wins—nine of them at the Cresco Speedway in Cresco, Iowa, where he claimed his third consecutive track championship.

Matt Greiner of Iowa City, Iowa, competed in 44 events during the season, and captured six feature wins at four different tracks, but the "Iron Man" had to settle for the runner-up finish in the USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Racing Series. He also finished third in 2007 and fifth in 2006.

Decorah, Iowa's Kurt Krauskopf finished third in the final standings, followed by Nicholas Johansen of Russell, Minn., and Dan Jones of Waterville, Iowa.

Schmitt joins Scotty Pratt (2006) and Mitch Lawson (2002) as past champions in the USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Car class. Schmitt was the runner-up to Pratt during the 2006 campaign. There were no National Champions in the 2003 through 2005 seasons.

In 2002, an overall USRA National Champion was determined. Receiving that honor was Lawson, a USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Car driver who competed at the Thunder Valley Speedway in Fayetteville, Ark. At the time, it was the only track featuring USRA-sanctioned Stock Cars.

It was another repeat performance in the USRA Karl Chevrolet B-Mod division as Matt Jones of Waukon, Iowa, defended his crown in the USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Racing Series. Jones recorded 12 feature wins in 31 starts, with six wins each coming at the Cresco Speedway in Cresco, Iowa, and Upper Iowa Speedway in Decorah, Iowa. He also claimed the 2008 track championship at both Northern Iowa speedplants.

Jones joins Tony Dunker of Quincy, Ill. (2006) as the only USRA Karl Chevrolet B-Mod National Champions. The class was formed prior to the 2006 season.

Jeremy Smith of Luverne, Minn., wound up with the runner-up honors. Justin Anderson of Worthington, Minn., took third; Andrew Schroeder of Keswick, Iowa, was fourth; and Raymond Lundry of Maynard, Iowa, rounded out the top-5 in the final rankings.

The USRA Hobby Stock division title went to Eldon, Iowa's Jason McDaniel as he got redemption after falling one spot short of the title in 2007. McDaniel won more than half the events he competed in this season, taking 18 wins in 34 starts.

Nine of his wins came at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, where he captured his second straight track championship. He also won five times at his hometown Eldon Speedway and four times at the Bloomfield Speedway in Bloomfield, Iowa.

McDaniel joins Mitch Hovden (2007) and Nathan Wood (2006) as past champions of the USRA Hobby Stock division.

USRA CASEY'S GENERAL STORES WEEKLY RACING SERIES
FINAL 2008 POINTS STANDINGS

USRA Modifieds:
1. 24 - Brad Waits, Zumbrota, Minn. … 4448
2. 6 - Justin "Whitey" Folk, Iola, Kan. … 4392
3. 12 - Johnny Bone Jr., Pea Ridge, Ark. … 4365
4. 10 - Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn. … 4213
5. 98 - Josh Reisch, Luverne, Minn. … 4176
6. 7jr - Jesse Folk Jr., Iola, Kan. … 4143
7. 45 - Todd Scharkey, Kasson, Minn. … 4119
8. 19 - Mike Sorensen, Rochester, Minn. … 4102
9. 49 - Bob Timm, Rollingstone, Minn. … 4057
10. 00 - Ron Luitjens, Brewster, Minn. … 4051
11. 90 - Steve Wetzstein, West Concord, Minn. … 4038
12. X2 - Brian Bolin, Fort Scott, Kan. … 4032
13. 15r - Jamie Ragland, Lebanon, Mo. … 4008
14. 20 - Jack Simmons, Erie, Kan. … 3993
15. 25 - Rex Merritt, Billings, Mo. … 3917
16. 9d - Scott Daniels, Humboldt, Kan. … 3850
17. 63 - Ryan Whitworth, Humboldt, Kan. … 3828
18. 11 - Jimmy Willis, Macks Creek, Mo. … 3804
19. 9 - Brett DeJager, Brandon, S.D. … 3785
20. 99 - Josh Angst, Winona, Minn. … 3764

USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Cars:
1. 18 - Tom Schmitt, Independence, Iowa … 4265
2. 29 - Matt Greiner, Iowa City, Iowa … 4193
3. 60 - Kurt Krauskopf, Decorah, Iowa … 4182
4. 12x - Nicholas Johansen, Russell, Minn. … 4118
5. 25 - Dan Jones, Waterville, Iowa … 3968
6. 27t - Tory Reicks, Waucoma, Iowa … 3952
7. 15m - Mitch Hovden, Decorah, Iowa … 3926
8. 33d - Kevin Donlan, Decorah, Iowa … 3871
9. 70 - Rich Gregoire, Russell, Minn. … 3719
10. 69 - Jacob Ludeking, Decorah, Iowa … 3556
11. 2s - Jon Schmidt, Cottonwood, Minn. … 3474
12. 45k - Brad Klaassen, Adrian, Minn. … 3385
13. 42e - Steve Eliason, Brookings, S.D. … 3347
14. 97 - Lynn Panos, Protivin, Iowa … 3346
15. 02 - Ron Prins, Worthington, Minn. … 3199
16. 48 - Brent Fagen, Maynard, Minn. … 3126
17. 23x - Steve Malherek, Marshall, Minn. … 3088
18. 88 - Delwin Wittrock, Pipestone, Minn. … 3005
19. 00 - Danny Cole Jr., Lansing, Minn. … 2971
20. 9 - Patty Fosaaen, Waukon, Iowa … 2857

USRA Karl Chevrolet B-Mods:
1. 23 - Matt Jones, Waukon, Iowa … 4301
2. 7j - Jeremy Smith, Luverne, Minn. … 4210
3. 07 - Justin Anderson, Worthington, Minn. … 4193
4. 02 - Andrew Schroeder, Keswick, Iowa … 4157
5. 96 - Raymond Lundry, Maynard, Iowa … 4095
6. 88x - Jimmy Broszeit, Frankville, Iowa … 4057
7. 7 - Brian Freilinger, Decorah, Iowa … 4034
8. 76 - Greg Roemen, Ellsworth, Minn. … 4019
9. 16 - MIke Shelton, Bloomfield, Iowa … 3953
10. 11 - Eugene Betz, Sioux Falls, S.D. … 3922
11. 5 - Colter Deutsch, Ellsworth, Minn. … 3858
12. 42 - Junior Boyer, Calmar, Iowa … 3823
13. 10 - Bryan Webb, Decorah, Iowa … 3822
14. 27 - Kevin Joachim, Larchwood, Iowa … 3818
15. 14 - Brian Schrage, Cresco, Iowa … 3761
16. 58 - Shane Panos, Decorah, Iowa … 3756
17. 16 - Brock Hess, Renner, S.D. … 3699
18. 35 - Jeremy Klaasen, Rock Rapids, Iowa … 3603
19. 06w - Ryan Walker, Luverne, Minn. … 3584
20. 0 - Mike Wanders, Oskaloosa, Iowa … 3582

USRA Hobby Stocks:
1. 85 - Jason McDaniel, Eldon, Iowa … 4477
2. 56h - Brandon Hare, Alta Vista, Iowa … 4314
3. 5n - Donavan Nunnikhoven, Kellogg, Iowa … 4235
4. 91 - Craig Hanisch, Sioux Falls, S.D. … 4183
5. 71 - Adam Cline, Decorah, Iowa … 4179
6. 18 - Scott Spilde, Ridgeway, Iowa … 4157
7. 75 - Tommy Barber, Brandon, S.D. … 4125
8. 84 - Danny Thrasher, Agency, Iowa … 4094
9. 6 - Danny Sacquitne, Decorah, Iowa … 4061
10. 98 - Kyle Anderson, Decorah, Iowa … 3930
11. 71 - Shaun Taylor, Sioux Falls, S.D. … 3854
12. 901 - Shane Klaassen, Little Rock, Iowa … 3788
13. 22 - Justin Arends, Little Rock, Iowa … 3774
14. 59 - Corey Gronewold, Adrian, Minn. … 3748
15. 2h - Denny Lottman, Canton, S.D. … 3693
16. 38s - Nick Schwebach, Caledonia, Minn. … 3620
17. 44 - Chad Kuhnert, Valley Springs, S.D. … 3595
18. 21h - Brad Halbur, Hadley, Minn. … 3522
19. 66 - Corey Kremer, Sioux Falls, S.D. … 3509
20. 20 - Travis Christensen, Sioux Falls, S.D. … 3495

The USRA currently sanctions 22 different racetracks in seven different states—Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Missouri. More than 1,600 drivers competed at USRA-sanctioned events during the 2008 season.

The United States Racing Association (USRA) was formed with a mission of accomplishing three goals: increased driver participation, increased attendance and increased sponsorship for each USRA-sanctioned racetrack. The USRA serves as a marketing partner with the bottom line of our sanctioned tracks at interest, and we are committed to maintaining guidelines to make racing affordable and fun for all racers, yet exciting and competitive for fans. The USRA is committed to providing a combination of cost-effective rules for competitors in weekly auto racing and effective marketing strategies to assist in the growth and popularity of the tracks at which they compete.

For more information regarding the USRA, call (515) 832-6000 or visit the USRA online at www.usraracing.com.

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