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FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis. -- Even though he hasn’t reached his 21st birthday yet, Marshalltown, Iowa’s Ryan Gustin reached another milestone in his young driving career Friday night with a convincing win at the Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wis.
In addition to recording his series-best 18th win of the season, Gustin’s third career USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour powered by Swan Energy victory at the high-banked 3/8-mile clay oval was his 42nd overall which ties him with Tommy Myer for third on the all-time USMTS win list.
Rodney Sanders, who left the Mississippi Thunder Speedway last September with $12,000 after winning the USRA Modified Nationals, jumped out from the pole position to lead the first four laps of the 35-lap WIX Filters “A” Main.
It was obvious early on, however, that Gustin was on the charge as he moved up from starting ninth on the grid to challenge Sanders for the lead by the third lap. By the end of the fifth lap, Gustin was in front and the fat lady was warming up.
Gustin streaked beneath the checkered flags 30 laps later with a quarter-lap advantage over Wasmund, while nine-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock crossed the finish line in third ahead of Ryan Ruter and Myer, who started 13th.
Thursday night’s runner-up at the Cresco (Iowa) Speedway, Lucas Schott, scored the sixth-place paycheck, Jason Miller wound up seventh and Zack VanderBeek came from 20th to eighth and garnered the Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger Award. Corey Dripps and Keith Foss rounded out the top 10.
PBM PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (1) 52w Nate Wasmund, Rochester, Minn.
2. (5) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
3. (2) 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn.
4. (6) 72 Doug Hillson, Blooming Prairie, Minn.
5. (4) 18 Mick Glenn, Minnesota City, Minn.
6. (8) 94jr John Doelle, Arcadia, Wis.
7. (3) 30 Shane Wehrs (R), Bangor, Wis.
8. (7) 77 Tom Brink, Winona, Minn.
WIX FILTERS “A” MAIN (35 laps):
1. (9) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 35, $2110.
2. (3) 52w Nate Wasmund, Rochester, Minn., Hughes/KSE, 35, $1500.
3. (6) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ProPower, 35, $1110.
4. (7) 555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa, Sidebiter/Sput’s, 35, $900.
5. (13) 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn., GRT/GMPP, 35, $800.
6. (5) 69 Lucas Schott (R), Chatfield, Minn., Hughes/GMPP, 35, $700.
7. (2) 12m Jason Miller, Osceola, Wis., Hughes/Mullins, 35, $650.
8. (20) 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa, Skyrocket/Sput’s, 35, $700.
9. (14) 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa, BC/Mullins, 35, $550.
10. (16) 95 Keith Foss (R), Winona, Minn., Skyrocket/Brink, 35, $500.
11. (11) 49 Bob Timm, Winona, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, 35, $450.
12. (22) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 35, $515.
13. (18) 3d Tim Donlinger, Rochester, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s, 35, $400.
14. (26) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Hughes/ASI, 35, $465.
15. (19) 96 Jay Ihrke, Dover, Minn., Fegers/Dean, 35, $350.
16. (10) 35k Ron Konkel, Caledonia, Minn., 35, $250.
17. (27) 5 Brandon Beckendorf (R), Danube, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s, 35, $90.
18. (12) 66 Dan Bohr, Decorah, Iowa, GRT/Sput’s, 35, $300.
19. (25) 52 Jason Thoennes (R), Garfield, Minn., MasterSbilt/Sower, 35, $390.
20. (21) 94jr John Doelle, Arcadia, Wis., 35, $325.
21. (8) X Mike Wedelstadt, New London, Wis., Sidebiter/Yeoman, 35, $300.
22. (4) 4 Ben Mattick, Mantorville, Minn., Fegers/Dave’s, 19, mechanical, $250.
23. (24) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn., Skyrocket/Sput’s, 18, air cleaner, $390.
24. (23) 60 Kurt Krauskopf, Decorah, Iowa, Harris/Sput’s, 17, shock mount, $325.
25. (1) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, Hughes/Geddes, 10, fuel pump, $510.
26. (15) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, 10, brake line, $300.
27. (17) 72 Doug Hillson, Blooming Prairie, Minn., Hillson/CRE, 8, ignition, $300.
