Hejna Brothers Racing Score Top Fives Hejna Brothers Racing landed two top five finishes at Black Bird Bend Speedway this past weekend. After a rough start, things are looking up for HBR.

On Friday, April 14, 2006, the United States Modified Tour hit the dirt at Black Bird Bend Speedway (Onawa, IA) for what was scheduled to be the first of a two-night affair. Both Al and Mike Hejna ran upfront during the thirty-lap A-Main. Al would get be brother Mike with to laps to go to take third. Al would come home in third while Mike finished fourth.

Both brothers were excited about racing on Saturday night, but heavy rain forced USMTS officials to cancel Saturday night’s racing action.

"You always want to get another night in on the trip if you can," said a disappointed Mike Hejna. “We were already there and had ran the track the night before. You always think you can do better the next night."

After what the boys would call a rough start to the 2006 season, things are starting to look a little better. Older brother Al says that they haven't been doing anything different.

"Things haven't really changed. We’re still running pretty standard stuff," explained Al. "We're on the 4-bar/4-bar set-up right now, but we might be going back to the z-link on the right side next race.”

"Racing against the competition that we face on the (USMTS) tour, top fives are good," Al Hejna commented from the shop on Monday. "We just have to get a win here soon."

The next stop for HBR on the USMTS trail is Bloomfield Speedway on Friday, May 5th and Scotland County Speedway the next night.

posted by BUCK @ 9:18 PM

Rain on Second Night at BBB [ONAWA, IA] - - Officials from the O'Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series and the Blackbird Bend Speedway were forced to pull the plug on tonight's (04-15-06) finale of the inaugural CasinOmaha "Double Down" Showdown. A make-up date for the $3,000-to-win event will be announced in the near future.

posted by BUCK @ 10:10 PM

Top 5 Finishes for Al and Mike at BBB Al and Mike Hejna both grabbed a top five finish on the first night of the "Double Down" Showdown at Black Bird Bend Speedway. Al came home in third, and Mike was right on his back bumper in fourth.

Mike rolled out on the pole in heat race number one, and he would take the win. Al was in heat race three, and he started deep in the field (10th). When the checkered flag fell, he was in third. Both were in the top eight of passing points.

On the redraw, it was both ends of the stick. Mike drew the pole, and Al drew eighth. When the dust settled it was a third and fourth palce finish for Hejna Brothers Racing.

On Saturday night, it's more of the same at Black Bird Bend Speedway.

UNITED STATES MODIFIED TOURING SERIES
Black Bird Bend Speedway
Friday, April 14, 2006
A-Main Finish (courtesy of USMTS)

Pos-No.-Driver-Hometown (Start)
1 74 - Mark Noble -- Blooming Prairie, MN (2)
2 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA (4)
3 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (8)
4 7ii - Mike Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA (1)
5 26 - Brad McEwan -- Storm Lake, IA (15)
6 12 - Jason Hughes -- Colcord, OK (20)
7 7n - Jay Noteboom -- Hinton, IA (19)
8 x - Mike Wedelstadt -- Hortonville, WI (5)
9 1f - Jason Friesen -- Sutton, NE (13)
10 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD (16)
11 16 - Reese Coffee -- Hinton, IA (6)
12 20 - Dustin Boney -- Shawnee, KS (12)
13 98 - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN (21)
14 4r - Ron Ver Beek -- Oskaloosa, IA (22)
15 35 - Jeff Schluetter -- New Hampton, IA (7)
16 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA (18)- 1 Lap
17 49x - Jay Poidinger -- Somerset, WI (24)- 1 Lap
18 55x - Jim Cole -- Sioux City, IA (17)DNF
19 9 - Kent Arment -- Aberdeen, SD (11)DNF
20 65 - Tommy Myer -- Blooming Prairie, MN (14)DNF
21 10 - Mike Steensma -- Luverne, MN (3)DNF
22 23 - Matt Gilbertson -- Montevideo, MN (10)DNF
23 555 - Ryan Ruter -- Forest City, IA (23)DNF
24 4x - Kevin Larkins -- Greenwood, NE (9)DNF

posted by BUCK @ 1:22 PM

RaceRPM.com's USMTS Post Race Report (04.09.06) - corrected USMTS Post-Race Report
Hancock Co. Speedway (04.09.06)

INTERVIEWS:
Kelly Shryock (winner)
Tommy Myer (2nd place)
Mark Noble (3rd place)

Posted By The RaceRPM.com Pit Crew from Hancock Co. Speedway.

Post Race Report

Post Race ReportMP3 File

Kelly Shryock Interview

Kelly Shryock MP3 File Winner

Tommy Myer Interview

Tommy Myer MP3 File

Mark Noble Interview

Mark Noble MP3 File

posted by BUCK @ 4:05 PM

TODAY: April 9 - USMTS Trackside Updates On Sunday, April 9, 2006, RaceRPM.com will have the Casey's General Stores Club House at the Hancock County Speedway (Britt, IA) set-up for trackside updates. The featured class will be the United States Modified Touring Series.

Hot laps are slated fro 3:00 PM with racing to follow. Bucky Doren and Chris Marchese will be on hand to deliver Limited Trackside Updates of all the action. Updates are presented by Leading Edge Lubricants.

The plan is is also to record the USMTS A-Main from Hancock County Speedway, and RaceRPM.com will uploaded it when they return home for you to listen to if you are not able to join us at the track.

www.RaceRPM.com

posted by BUCK @ 10:37 AM

Top 5 Run at Southern Iowa for Al After a rough start to the 2006 racing season, Al Hejna bounced back with a top 5 run at Southern Iowa Speedway (Oskaloosa, IA). Al grabbed the win in his heat ace, and he finished 3rd in the A-Main.

Mike Hejna made his 2006 debut also last night at Southern Iowa Speedway. Mike also took the checkered flag in his heat race, but did not have the same kind of luck in the A-Main. His official finish was 23rd in the A-Main.

A-Main Top 10: 1. Mark Noble 2. Brad Pinkerton 3. Al Hejna 4. Brad McEwan 5. Jon Tesch 6. Rick Gustin 7. Ron Verbeek 8. Mike Steensma 9. Kell Shryock 10. Ryan York.

posted by BUCK @ 10:29 AM

RaceRPM.com will Be at Britt on April 9 Weather has forced the United States Modified Touring Series to postpone their race scheduled for Friday April 7, 2006. This has allowed the RaceRPM.com Pit Crew to alter thier game plan as well. They have added the USMTS this weekend's Limited Trackside Updates schedule.

USMTS Officials have bumped their Friday event at the Hancock County Speedway (Britt, IA) to Sunday afternoon. This has allowed for RaceRPM.com to be present for Limited Trackside Updates for this race. Hot laps will start at 3:00 PM with racing to follow. "Those Live Update Guys" will be trackside for another day of updates. RaceRPM.com is looking at recording that night's A-Main and make it available for download later that night.

www.RaceRPM.com

posted by BUCK @ 5:58 PM

USMTS Britt Race Postponed Until April 9th (from the USMTS web site)

Rain pushes Britt to Sunday
BRITT, Iowa -- More than a half-inch of rain fell at the Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway in Britt, Iowa, on Thursday night, forcing O'Reilly USMTS officials to move Friday night's 2nd Annual Ruter Farms Spring Classic to Sunday.

This race will be run on Sunday, April 9, with gates scheduled to open at noon and hot laps slated for 3 p.m. The early start time will give drivers and fans the chance to make it to their local speedways on Sunday night. USRA Stock Cars ($350 to win), USRA B-Modifieds ($300 to win) and USRA Hobby Stocks ($300 to win) will also be on Sunday's card.

On Saturday, the O'Reilly USMTS will make their first visit of the season to the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa. USRA Stock Cars ($350 to win) and USRA Hobby Stocks ($300 to win) will join the racing program at the Southern Iowa Speedway.

Both nights, grandstand general admission is $15 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12 and children under 6 are admitted free of charge. Pit passes at both events will be $25.

The Pritchard Family Auto Stores is located 1.3 miles south of US 18 on James St. (turns into Main Ave. and Diagonal and 1st), then 0.5 mile east on 220th Ave., then 0.1 mile north on Jewel Ave., then east (at the Hancock County Fairgrounds). The Southern Iowa Speedway is located 0.5 mile west of US 63 on SR 92, then 0.3 mile north on N. I St. (at the Southern Iowa Fairgrounds).

For more information, call the USMTS headquarters at (515) 832-7944, or visit the Official Web site at www.usmts.com. Day-of-race info is available by calling the tracks at 641-843-4513 (Britt) or 641-673-7004 (Oskaloosa).

RaceRPM.com is planning on attending this new date with Limited Trackside Updates through the night. We also plan to record the A-Main and upload it that night or the next morning.

posted by BUCK @ 11:51 AM

USMTS Iowa-Missouri Border Wars Rescheduled for May 5-6 WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (April 4) -- Mother Nature dealt race fans a knockout punch last weekend as heavy rains forced the postponement of the Iowa-Missouri Border War. Today, however, officials from the O'Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series, announced a rematch for Friday and Saturday, May 5-6.

Heavy rainfall throughout Thursday afternoon and evening soaked the grounds and made the racing surface unmanageable at both the Mountain Dew Bloomfield (Iowa) Speedway and Pepsi Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo. Track crews are already hard at work getting the facilities ready for next month's events.

Friday's $2,000-to-win clash will serve as the first of two nights in two States as the O'Reilly USMTS makes their rain-delayed debut at the Mountain Dew Bloomfield Speedway. America's hottest Modified masters travel 30 miles south on Saturday to the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo., for another battle royal worth $2,000 to the winner.

Up next for the O'Reilly USMTS will be a pair of $2,000-to-win events in the Hawkeye State. On Friday, April 7, the hottest Modified drivers in America will invade the Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway in Britt, Iowa, for the 2nd Annual Ruter Farms Iowa Spring Challenge. Then, on Saturday, April 8, the rugged road warriors travel to the big and fast half-mile oval of the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, for the 2nd Annual Iowa Spring Classic.

For more information about these events, or to learn more about the O'Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series, call (515) 832-7944 or visit www.USMTS.com online.

posted by BUCK @ 6:07 PM