Iowa native Zack VanderBeek scored a $12,000 payday by winning the prestigious USMTS King of America. We talked with the 'King of the Modifieds' after the honorable win.

Despite its short history, the USMTS King of America has become one of the open wheel modified crown jewel racing events. The annual event held at Humboldt (KS) Speedway has had six different winners during its first six races. The most recent... Iowa's Zack VanderBeek.

VanderBeek (New Sharon, IA) bested a field that boasted 106 entries and some of the best modified drivers in the country. After the 72-lap main event ended, the Iowa native added his name to a winner's list that has some impressive names.

To be on that list of drivers that have won that deal is a pretty [great] honor," Zack VanderBeek[/pullquotes]

Jason Hughes was the reigning King of America. Rodney Sanders (Happy, TX) took the crown in 2014. It was another Iowan in 2013 when Ryan Gustin (Marshalltown, IA) won. Stormy Scott (Las Cruces, NM) scored the victory in 2012. Iowa's Kelly Shryock (Fertile, IA) won the inaugural crown in 2011.

#33z Zack VanderBeek, #20 Rodney Sanders (Photo: Cody Papke via USMTS)
#33z Zack VanderBeek, #20 Rodney Sanders (Photo: Cody Papke via USMTS)
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VanderBeek has competed in every King of America event, and he has been close to winning the crown. In fact, the driver of the number "33z" has had an average finish of 7th during the first five KoA events.

"We've been to every one of those races," VanderBeek remembered. "We've had good runs in everyone of those races in the past. We almost won it one year. We got second to Stormy Scott.

"Once I got to the lead, It seemed like for ever to get to the white flag," VanderBeek said. "We ended up having that yellow with three (laps) to go, so that was another uncomfortable feeling there."

He would go on to take the win becaming the sixth different winner of the USMTS King of America in as many races.

VanderBeek will return to the USMTS trail when the Modified tour returns to action on April 22, 2016 at Lakeside Speedway (Kansas City, KS). You can follow along with the Z-Man via his web site, www.zackvanderbeek.com. To See the complete results from the 2016 USMTS King of America event, click here.

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