VanderBeek performs passing party at Southern Oklahoma Speedway

Round 4 of USMTS Winter Speedweeks took Zack VanderBeek and the Casey's General Stores No. 33z Racing team to the  Southern Oklahoma Speedway in Ardmore, Okla., March 3-5, for another tripleheader of dirt modified fast fun.

On Thursday, things got off to a rough start with a seventh-place finish in the heat race, but 'The Z-Man' was able to rebound for a runner-up finish in the "B" Main after starting ninth. Going off 18th in the $2,000-to-win feature, Zack picked off eleven cars en route to a seventh at the checkered flags.

Friday featured a $3,000-to-win affair that started off with a runner-up results in the heat race, but a lot of passing and a lot of cars left Zack on the pole of the first "B" Main as the first driver not yet qualified for the "A" Main. He won his "B" Main handily, and then executed another prolific passing effort in the main event as he roared from 13th on th grid to finish fifth.

Zack would have to get back to work again Saturday when problems left him with a ninth-place finish in his heat race. After starting deep in the field, he could only manage a seventh-place finish in the "B" Main, so he was awarded a provisional starting spot in the 50-lap, $4,000-to-win main event. He made the most of his chance by passing twelve cars on his way to finishing 13th.

In all, Zack passed 31 cars in the weekend's three feature races and left John and Nikki Webb's 3/8-mile clay oval facility firmly in fourth place in the Production Jars Southern Region points standings. For full results of the weekend of racing, check out www.usmts.com.

With USMTS Winter Speedweeks and the first dozen dates in the Production Jars Southern Region in the books, attention turns to the season-opening trio of races to launch the MSD Central Region presented by Day Motor Sports. Two straight nights are planned at the Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kan., for the 11th Annual Spring Fling @ The Bullring on Friday and Saturday, March 18-19. Then on Sunday, March 20, it’s the 8th Annual Missouri Meltdown at the I-35 Speedway in Winston, Mo.