Jeremy Payne of Springfield, Mo., won the MARS DIRTcar Series main event on Thursday, July 1, at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa. (Danny Howk Photo)

OSKALOOSA, Iowa – The Southern Iowa Speedway hosted a special Thursday night program, July 1, featuring the MARS DIRTcar Series, along with the Carter's Manufacturing USRA B-Mods and USRA Hobby Stocks racing for track and national points in the American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series.

Jeremy Payne of Springfield, Mo., led every lap en route to his first win of the 2010 season and his seventh MARS DIRTcar Series win of his career. Just one caution slowed the race action on lap 17 of the 30-lap feature when Mount Vernon's Chad Simpson slowed with a flat tire. Simpson started third on the grid and raced in that spot until misfortune struck.

Five-time MARS champion, fellow Springfield resident and Payne's teammate, Terry Phillips, started fifth and raced his way up to second on the half-mile Mahaska County Monster. Al Purkey of Coffeyville, Kan., started and finished fourth while Jason Utter of Columbus Junction started seventh and worked his way to a fifth-place finish.

Former USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Car track champion Zack VanderBeek made his first start in a dirt late model. The 25-year-old from nearby New Sharon, who often competes against Payne in the United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS), finished 17th in Thursday night's main event.

Twenty-five late models were on hand for the series debut at OSKY.

In the USRA Hobby Stock main event, Donavon Nunnikhoven of Sully used the pole position to lead the field and take the win. Nunnikhoven held off several challenges and survived some late cautions for the win. A good three-car battle for the second and third spot saw Danny Thrasher of Agency take the runner-up spot - one spot better than his third-place finish Wednesday night and with less sheet metal problems. The third spot was a battle with Oskaloosa’s Kris Walker and Tony Teninty of Eldon going wheel to wheel with Walker taking third ahead of Teninty.

The Carter’s Manufacturing USRA B-Mods saw Mike Wanders pace the field for the first seven laps before a yellow flag closed the field onto his rear bumper. On the restart, Mike Shelton of Bloomfield and Tyler Groenendyk of Oskaloosa mixed it up, swapping the runner-up spot several times before Shelton made the pass on Wanders while Groenendyk followed. When the checkers flew, Shelton took his first ever Carter’s Manufacturing USRA B-Mod triumph at OSKY. Groenendyk took second with Wanders in third and Jason McDaniel of Eldon in fourth.

Another wild night of wheel-to-wheel action is in store for next Wednesday, July 7, as Palmer For State Representative presents the American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series featuring Musco USRA Modifieds, USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Cars, Carter’s Manufacturing USRA B-Mods and USRA Hobby Stocks.

With 21 or more entries, the winner of the Musco USRA Modified main event will pocket $1,000 with a minimum $100 to each starter. USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Cars will race for $400 to win and $75 to start, while both the Carter’s Manufacturing USRA B-Mods and USRA Hobby Stocks will battle for $300 to win and $60 to start.

Pits open at 5 p.m., grandstands open at 5:30, hot laps begin at 7:15 and the first heat race starts at 7:30. Tickets are $8 for adults, $3 for kids ages 6-12 and children ages 5 and under are always admitted free of charge. Pit passes are $25.

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.rlpromotions.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.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

OFFICIAL RESULTS
MARS DIRTcar Series
Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Thursday, July 1, 2010

Heat #1: 1. Jeremy Payne, 2. Denny Eckrich, 3. Kurt Kyle, 4. Kevin Kyle, 5. Jason O'Brien, 6. Chris Simpson, 7. Richard Weber, 8. Chris Speiker, 9. Bill Koons.

Heat #2: 1. Al Purkey, 2. Terry Phillips, 3. Dave Eckrich, 4. Andy Eckrich, 5. Nick Marolf, 6. Rob Moss, 7. Leroy Johnson, 8. Matt Furman.

Heat #3: 1. Chad Simpson, 2. Andrew McKay, 3. Jason Utter, 4. Bryant Goldsmith, 5. Zack VanderBeek, 6. Curt Schroeder, 7. Gary Christian, 8. Eric Turner.

"B" Feature: 1. Rob Moss, 2. Gary Christian, 3. Curt Schroeder, 4. Leroy Johnson, 5. Matt Furman, 6. Bill Koons, 7. Richard Webber, DNS - Eric Turner, Chris Speiker.

"A" Feature: 1. Jeremy Payne, 2. Terry Phillips, 3. Chad Simpson, 4. Al Purkey, 5. Jason Utter, 6. Denny Eckrich, 7. Andy Eckrich, 8. Andrew McKay, 9. Kurt Kyle, 10. Gary Christian, 11. Rob Moss, 12. Kevin Kyle, 13. Bryant Goldsmith, 14. Eric Turner, 15. Jason O'Brien, 16. Zack Vanderbeek, 17. Bill Koons, 18. Leroy Johnson, 19. Curt Schroeder, 20. Nick Marolf, 21. Chris Simpson, 22. Dave Eckrich.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series
Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Thursday, July 1, 2010

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver and hometown.

USRA HOBBY STOCKS

Heat #1:
1. (4) 84 Danny Thrasher, Agency
2. (6) 61 Tony Teninty, Eldon
3. (1) 33 Justin Hook, Oskaloosa
4. (2) 2JR Rick Metcalf, Selma
5. (8) 3S Steve Allen, Oskaloosa
6. (5) 78 Andy Coleman, Packwood
7. (3) 911 Shawn Coleman, Packwood
8. (9) 64 Casey Greubel, Lacona
9. (7) 53D Ron Downing, Ottumwa

Heat #2:
1. (4) 2K Derek Kirkland, Centerville
2. (9) 18 Kris Walker, Oskaloosa
3. (1) 57 Scott Shull, Eldon
4. (8) 2N Donavon Nunnikhoven, Sully
5. (3) 20 Andrew Hustead, Rutledge, Mo.
6. (6) 10G Dustin Griffiths, Ottumwa
7. (2) 67 Tyler Ruepke, Chariton
8. (7) 17 Donny Sly, Ottumwa
9. (5) 29 Wes Almond, Oskaloosa

Feature:
1. (1) 2N Donavon Nunnikhoven, Sully
2. (9) 84 Danny Thrasher, Agency
3. (7) 18 Kris Walker, Oskaloosa
4. (3) 61 Tony Teninty, Eldon
5. (4) 20 Andrew Hustead, Rutledge, Mo.
6. (2) 33 Justin Hook, Oskaloosa
7. (12) 10G Dustin Griffiths, Ottumwa
8. (11) 3S Steve Allen, Oskaloosa
9. (5) 78 Andy Coleman, Packwood
10. (10) 2K Derek Kirkland, Centerville
11. (8) 2JR Rick Metcalf, Selma
12. (6) 57 Scott Shull, Eldon
13. (13) 911 Shawn Coleman, Packwood
14. (18) 29 Wes Almond, Oskaloosa
15. (14) 67 Tyler Ruepke, Chariton
16. (17) 17 Donny Sly, Ottumwa
17. (16) 53D Ron Downing, Ottumwa
18. (15) 64 Casey Greubel, Lacona

CARTER’S MANUFACTURING USRA B-MODS

Heat #1:
1. (1) 17T Tyler Groenendyk, Oskaloosa
2. (3) 3 Chris Ammenhauser, Ottumwa
3. (9) 85 Jason McDaniel, Eldon
4. (7) 16 Mike Shelton, Bloomfield
5. (8) 1X Paul Underwood, Ottumwa
6. (5) 49GX Brandon Groenendyk, Oskaloosa
7. (4) 6 Cory Adams, Des Moines
8. (6) 15 Jeremiah Fry, Bloomfield
9. (2) 8J A.J. Johnson, New Sharon

Heat #2:
1. (4) 0 Mike Wanders, Keswick
2. (3) 54 Bobby Greene, Eddyville
3. (7) 8X Brad Iverson, Grinnell
4. (5) 1 Curtis Van Der Wahl, Oskaloosa
5. (1) 8T Tony Johnson, Oskaloosa
6. (8) D1 Drew Lawson, Oskaloosa
7. (9) 7UP Curtis Barnes, Greentop, Mo.
8. (6) 8 Tom Lathrop, Ottumwa
9. (2) 38 Bill Gibson, Knoxville

Feature:
1. (7) 16 Mike Shelton, Bloomfield
2. (5) 17T Tyler Groenendyk, Oskaloosa
3. (2) 0 Mike Wanders, Keswick
4. (9) 85 Jason McDaniel, Eldon
5. (12) 1X Paul Underwood, Ottumwa
6. (3) 1 Curtis Van Der Wahl, Oskaloosa
7. (18) 38 Bill Gibson, Knoxville
8. (1) D1 Drew Lawson, Oskaloosa
9. (8) 54 Bobby Greene, Eddyville
10. (11) 8X Brad Iverson, Grinnell
11. (10) 49GX Brandon Groenendyk, Oskaloosa
12. (4) 8T Tony Johnson, Oskaloosa
13. (6) 3 Chris Ammenhauser, Ottumwa
14. (14) 7UP Curtis Barnes, Greentop, Mo.
15. (13) 6 Cory Adams, Des Moines
16. (16) 8 Tom Lathrop, Ottumwa
17. (15) 15 Jeremiah Fry, Bloomfield
18. (17) 8J A.J. Johnson, New Sharon

##

SOUTHERN IOWA SPEEDWAY SPONSORS: Arnold Motor Supply, Bank Iowa, Big Ed’s BBQ, 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 Corn, Mitrisin Motors, Musco Lighting, NAPA Auto Parts, Oskaloosa Herald, Palmer for State Representative, Pepsi, Pro-Line Buildings, Racemart, Rick’s Motocross Connection, Van Gorp Used Cars, Vermeer Manufacturing.