Capping off perhaps the most star-studded, action-packed Featherlite Fall Jamboree ever, Jason Hughes stood alone at the top of the mountain after winning his third feature race of the weekend Saturday to become the first driver to sweep the weekend in the event’s 17-year history.

Hughes admitted Thursday after notching his second USMTS national championship in six years that it takes an equal combination of a good driver, good equipment and good luck to win at the Deer Creek Speedway.

He had heaps of all three qualities this week.

And the 41-year-old from Watts, Okla., should know. Nobody has shined as brightly as Hughes at the Deer Creek Speedway. Now a five-time Fall Jamboree champ, he’s the only one to win it more than once and Saturday’s triumph was the 14th of his career at the high-banked 3/8-mile oval.

After making his first-ever USMTS start on Thursday, Kyle Strickler led the field to the green flag from the pole but it was Rodney Sanders jumping out to take control in the first turn at the start of Saturday’s 50-lap finale.

For most of the race, nobody had anything for Sanders-not even close. But a couple of ill-timed cautions and man named Hughes made life difficult for Sanders.

Sanders, who came up short in defending his USMTS national title on Thursday, was long gone when a lap-11 yellow flag brought the field pack to his bumper. By this time Hughes was seventh-up eight spots from his starting position-but had five tough-to-tame racers between himself and the leader.

The restart saw Sanders pull away and extend his advantage over teammates Tim Donlinger and Dereck Ramirez, with Bobby Malchus, Jason Cummins and Brandon Davis also sandwiched between Sanders and Hughes.

Hughes worked his way up to fourth by lap 30 and had a wild battle with Donlinger, Malchus and Ramirez for a spot in the top five. Meanwhile, Cummins was rim-riding the high line with Cade Dillard and Strickler following him around the top side of the track.

Then on lap 36, Donlinger and Malchus made contact in the third turn which allowed Hughes to scoot by on the low side and claim the second spot. Moments later, a large piece of debris littered the end of the back-stretch and the caution waved for the final time to set up yet another Sanders-Hughes battle to the finish.

After working the high side for three laps after the restart, Hughes was able to power around Sanders, and just like the night before he took the lead for the first time on lap 40.

This time, however, he had to fend off Sanders for an additional ten laps. Hughes was flawless, and he crossed the finish line two car lengths ahead of Sanders to claim the $10,000 winner’s check.

“I don’t know if I can retire this thing,” Hughes said, referring to his familiar No. 12 Hughes Chassis in victory lane. “We might have to keep this one around.

“I knew when we first got out on the track and hit the gas that the car was good. It wasn’t slipping or anything, it just took off. I just had to bide my time and I found something up on the cushion.”

Combined with his $5,000 victories on Thursday and Friday, plus his USMTS national championship, Hughes padded his bank account by $40,000 over the course of three days of work.

“We’ve talked about wanting to do this,” Hughes said of sweeping the Fall Jamboree. “Everything fell our way this year. We had a great time every time we hit the track.”

Hughes undoubtedly had the best car and team this weekend, and he also cashed in on some good fortune. In his heat race Saturday, Hughes was involved in a multi-car crash that sidelined several cars. Luckily, he was able to continue and pulled out a fourth-place finish.

The top 15 drivers in heat race passing points were locked into the main event. Hughes was 15th-the last driver fortunate enough to avoid racing in a “B” Main.

For his efforts, Sanders took home $5,000 for second runner-up finish behind Hughes.

“I didn’t know if I had a big lead or what (when the caution came out late),” Sanders said. “It looked like Jason just had a better car tonight. I just have to keep working.”

Despite being behind the wheel for the first time in two years, 2008 USMTS national champion and former Fall Jamboree winner Tim Donlinger looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. He finished third and recorded two top-five finishes on the weekend.

Brad Waits, who started 14th, claimed the fourth spot as he held off Malchus on the final lap. Cummins, Dillard, Tommy Weder Jr., Strickler and Stormy Scott rounded out the top ten.

In the annual Non-Qualifiers Race, Steve Wetzstein came from the 11th starting spot to win the 30-car, 25-lap affair. He became the first driver to win the $2,000 contest twice, winning previously in 2009.

Fourteen-year-old Dustin Sorensen was second, followed by Grant Junghans, Chris Oertel and 17th-starting Josh Angst.

One more event remains on the 2015 for the USMTS Modifieds. The 9th Annual USMTS Winter Nationals will take place Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 5-7, at the Ark-La-Tex Speedway in Vivian, La.

Cole Queensland of Grand Meadow, Minn., captured his first Featherlite Fall Jamboree championship Saturday night at the Deer Creek Speedway in the Holley Iron Man Series USRA B-Mod main event.

The 2015 track champion, Queensland thought he had a winner’s check on Thursday night but a miscalculation during post-race technical inspection awarded the trophy to the race’s runner-up.

Queensland bounced back to finish second in Friday night’s feature, and led the final 11 of 25 laps Saturday to pocket $1,000 and add the title of Fall Jamboree champion to his career accomplishments.

Kyle Anderson, who started next to Queensland in the fourth row, gave a valiant late-race effort but settled for second at the checkered flag.

Brady Joynt was scored third, early leader Trevor Fecht held on for fourth and Alex Williamson finished fifth. Sixth through tenth were Derek Clement, Dan Hovden, Thursday winner Mike Striegel, Kylie Kath and 24th-starting Jerry Young.

Sixty-nine USRA B-Mod drivers competed in Saturday’s show.

The Holley Iron Man Series will return to the Cresco Speedway in Cresco, Iowa, on Saturday, Oct. 3, with both USRA Stock Cars and USRA B-Mods in action.

The season finale will take place Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 15-17, during the 2nd Annual USRA National Championships at the Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.

To learn more about the USRA, visit www.usraracing.com or call 515-832-6000. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usraracing, follow us at www.twitter.com/usraracing on Twitter and check out our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usratv.

Mike Striegel was staring at a third-place finish when the white flag waved, but in the end he took home his second Holley Iron Man Series trophy of the season as the USRA B-Mods opened the 17th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree at the Deer Creek Speedway on Thursday.

The Wheatland, Mo., racer started the 20-lap main event from the third spot and battled to keep that spot for most of the race while track champion Cole Queensland from start to finish.

With a bold move on the final lap, Striegel was able to nip another former track champ, Jacob Bleess for the runner-up honors, but Striegel’s finishing position improved one more spot when Queensland failed post-race technical inspection.

The win was worth $600 for Striegel as Bleess settled for the second-place finish. Dan Hovden, Kyle Anderson and 17th-starting Eric Kanz finishing third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

Holley Iron Man Series points leader Dakota Foster snagged the sixth spot, Nate Whitehurst finished seventh in his first Holley Iron Man Series start, Kylie Kath claimed eighth, Dustin Kruse nabbed the ninth spot and Aaron Wiersma rounded out the top 10.

Action continues at the majestic 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval on Friday and Saturday. Thanks to support from Carroll’s corn, USRA B-Mod drivers will battle for $1,000 to win both nights as they share the spotlight with the USRA Modifieds. USRA national points are on the line both nights.

Fan may purchase tickets at the gate on race night. For fans unable to be there in person, the entire event will be broadcast live. Visit www.racindirt.com for ordering information.

The Deer Creek Speedway is a high-banked 3/8-mile clay oval which sits on 60 acres with one of America’s most popular state-of-the-art racing complexes and an adjoining campground. For track or campground info, call 507-346-2342 or email info@deercreekspeedway.com.