VanderBeek wires Friday Featherlite Fall Jamboree field.

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. – Zack VanderBeek's career-first win at the Deer Creek Speedway was a big one as he dominated Friday night's main event on the second night of the 10th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree at the high-banked 3/8-mile clay oval.

The win was worth $4,000 to the 24-year-old from New Sharon, Iowa.

Deer Creek Speedway track champion Brad Waits started on the pole for the 35-lap main event, but it was VanderBeek who got the advantage at the start and built his lead to six car-lengths by the time they completed the opening lap. Waits immediately dropped to fourth behind Dan Bohr and Alan Mondus, but clawed his way back to the runner-up spot by lap 5.

Three cautions and two red flags during the first 21 laps kept the field close, but Waits was unable to mount a serious threat to VanderBeek's position. After chasing Waits for 15 laps, Jason Hughes used a lap 21 restart to take over the runner-up spot and set his sights on claiming his second victory in as many nights.

The final 14 laps went caution-free with VanderBeek holding off Hughes by a car length at the checkered flag to claim his fifth O'Reilly USMTS National Tour triumph of the season and guaranteeing himself at least a fourth-place finish in the Casey's General Stores Hunt for the O'Reilly USMTS National Championship.

Waits hung on for third while points leader Tim Donlinger held off Kelly Shryock for fourth. Mondus, Jon Tesch, Dereck Ramirez, Mike Sorensen and Al Hejna rounded out the top-10 finishers.

In contrast to Thursday night's main event where 26 of the 30 starters remained at the finish, just 18 of the 30 starters took the checkered flag in Friday night's contest as a pair of multi-car crashes took their toll on the field.

The opening lap saw WISSOTA standout Ryan Aho and 2006 Featherlite Fall Jamboree winner Chad Kinder collide, with both drivers exiting the race. On lap 3, eight cars were part of a melee in turn 1 that took three cars out of the race. Finally, a second red flag waved on the 21st lap for a pile-up at the bottom of turn 4 which forced all six cars involved to the pits.

The battle to become the tenth O'Reilly USMTS National Champion will be decided on Saturday night, with Donlinger and Shryock locked in he tightest fight for the crown in USMTS history. Just 15 points separated the two coming into Friday's race, and a mere 16 points (1214 to 1198) is the difference going into Saturday's finale. For the second straight night, both drivers battled each other throughout the feature race without incident as Donlinger looks to claim his first title while Shryock is focused on an unprecedented ninth.

Tesch is mathematically still alive in the title chase with 1155 markers, but needs a win on Saturday and some bad luck for Donlinger and Shryock to get it. VanderBeek is fourth with 1148 points, followed by Hejna (1019), Ramirez (1018), Tommy Weder Jr. (992), Mondus (914), Brandon Kenny (904) and Jake Neal (865).

In the race to become the Rookies Rockin' Sports Bar Rookie of the Year, Brandon Kenny can virtually lock up the recognition by qualifying for Saturday's main event. Dereck Ramirez can still collect the accolades by being the highest-finishing rookie in Saturday's main event with Kenny watching from the sidelines. However, if both of the Woodward, Okla. youngsters start Saturday's feature, Ramirez will need at least six other rookie drivers in the finishing order between himself and Kenny.

THE JAMBOREE CONTINUES ...

On Saturday, the enormous explosive finale will feature the hottest dirt Modified pilots in the nation battling for a spot in the 10th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree main event for the O'Reilly USMTS Modifieds. A field of 30 cars will start the main event three-wide and 10 rows deep as drivers battle for a $6,000 top prize and at least $700 just to take the green flag. And if that wasn't enough, non-qualifiers will have a chance at one of the 24 spots in the Non-Qualifier "A" Main, which carries a $2,000 top prize and pays $300 to start—that's more than most Modified races pay to win their "big one." Fans can begin storming the gates at 3:00 p.m. and the mud starts flying at 5:00.

No driver has won the Saturday night finale twice. Past Featherlite Fall Jamboree champions include Ron Jones (1999), Johnny Saathoff (2000), Willy Kraft (2001), Mark Noble (2002), Dan Daniels (2003), Kelly Shryock (2004), Jason Hughes (2005), Chad Kinder (2006) and Dean Mahlstedt (2007).

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, call the headquarters at (515) 832–7944 or visit www.usmts.com online for the latest news and information from the USMTS – America's Hottest Ticket on Dirt.