2012usmts-a

Heart O’ Texas Speedway, Cowtown Speedway await USMTS National Championship Series March 9-10

WACO, Texas (March 4) -- The USMTS National Championship Series returns to the Lone Star State this Friday and Saturday, March 9-10, for another pair of $4,000-to-win blockbusters.

Friday will find the USMTS Modifieds at the Heart O’ Texas Speedway in Elm Mott, Texas, before heading north on Saturday to invade the Cowtown Speedway in Kennedale, Texas.

Canceled twice before because of rain, USMTS drivers delivered a barnburner last year at Gene Adamcik’s quarter-mile clay oval near Waco.

Ryan Gustin picked up his sixth win of the season en route to capturing his first USMTS National Championship, holding off Jimmy Ray in the late stages of the main event.

Jason Hughes, Johnny Scott and Shane Hebert finished third through fifth after starting 13th, 19th and 25th, respectively, on the grid.

Grandstands will open at 5:30 p.m., hot laps start at 7 and the first heat race takes to the track at 7:30. Limited Modifieds will complete the racing card.
The Heart O’ Texas Speedway is a quarter-mile high-banked dirt oval located 7 miles north of Waco on I-35 at exit 343. Call 254-776-1576 for more information or 254-829-2294 on race day or visit the track’s website at www.heartotexspeedway.com.

After a thrilling event in 2008, race fans at the Cowtown Speedway missed out on an encore when Mother Nature rained out an appearance in 2009, but they got another chance last season.

Fending off a late-race charge by Hughes, Gustin settled into a quick and comfortable line and went on to take the win over Hughes, who finished fourth in the 2008 event while three Cowtown locals – George White, Bryan Sugg and Glenn Leuschner – successfully defended their home turf and claimed the top three spots in the debut event.

Grandstands open at 3 p.m., hot laps are at 5 and the green flag waves at 6 p.m. Also on the racing card will be Limited Modifieds, Street Stocks and Bombers.

The Cowtown Speedway is a quarter-mile high-banked clay oval located off of I-20 at exit 442-A, then 1.7 miles southeast on Mansfield Hwy., then 1.4 miles southwest on New Hope Rd. For day-of-race information, call 817-478-9952 or check out www.cowtownspeedway.com on the World Wide Web.

Mufflers are mandatory for all drivers competing at the Cowtown Speedway event. The only types of mufflers permitted will be the unaltered 609-style muffler or three-ring muffler. Both muffler types are available from Day Motor Sports by calling 800-543-6238 or online at www.daymotorsports.com. Mufflers will also be for sale on race day at the track.

USMTS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES – TOP 20 POINTS:

1. 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa ... 190
2. 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla. ... 187
3. 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 175
4. 5w John O Whittington, Vidor, Texas ... 174
5. 89 Steven Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas ... 165
6. 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas ... 150
7. 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa ... 144
7. 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan. ... 144
9. 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D. ... 142
9. 16 Chris Henigan, Marshall, Texas ... 142
11. 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 141
12. 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla. ... 138
13. 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn. ... 131
13. 88xxx Clyde Dunn Jr., Sunnyville, Texas ... 131
15. 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo. ... 128
16. 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo. ... 119
17. 85d Mark Dotson, Cameron, Mo. ... 115
18. 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan. ... 114
19. 14t Tristan Dycus, Midlothian, Texas ... 113
20. 12c Corey Babbitt, Channelview, Texas ... 111

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Dominator Race Products, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arbor Masters, Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, Beebe Heating & Air Conditioning, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, DAY Motor Sports, Dirthead.com, DrySlik Dirt Trak Racewear, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Mesilla Valley Transportation, O’Brien Enterprises, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, Erson Cams, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, ISKY Racing Cams, The Joie of Seating, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Racing Head Service, Tiger Rear Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, WIX Filters.

Welcome to the first installment of the USMTS Week in Review. We'll be capturing footage from each USMTS National Championship Series event, along with driver interviews, sponsor spotlights and several other surprises throughout the year. This will be a 10-20 minute weekly magazine for the fans during the 2012 season.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Hughes fires opening shot, wins USMTS National Championship Series opener

BAYTOWN, Texas (Feb. 24) – Start Jason Hughes deep in the field of a USMTS main event and he is still a favorite to win on any given night at any given track, but put him on the front row on a racetrack where he has won more time than any other driver and he borders on unbeatable.

Friday night at the Royal Purple Raceway, Hughes started on the front row of the 40-lap “A” Main and that was as close as anybody got to the 2010 USMTS National Champion as led every lap en route to a $4,000 victory on the second night of the 3rd Annual Texas Spring Nationals.

Defending USMTS National Champion Ryan Gustin got by polesitter Stormy Scott after a restart with seven laps to go and claimed the runner-up spot while Scott settled for third.

John O Whittington, who won here a year ago, was fourth and nine-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock rounded out the top 5 finishers.

“We got lucky and drew the front row outside and kind of cruised around and saved our equipment,” Hughes said following the win. “I saw Stormy show his nose a time or two so I’d gas it up and go on a little bit and then kind of cruised it to save my tires a little bit.

“I didn’t want to abuse my equipment and get passed on the last lap.”

Unlike Thursday night’s race where weather played havoc with the track and made for a bumpy racing surface in some areas, Friday’s feature provided a smooth slick surface but still plenty of action.

“Last night after 35 laps I could hardly breathe when we got done,” Hughes said. “But tonight we had a lot smoother race track. They’ve worked on the track, I figure they’ll work on it some more and it’ll be event better tomorrow like it was last year.”

The win was number 105 for his USMTS career and gave Hughes his sixth triumph at the quarter-mile clay oval in Baytown, Texas. It also put the 37-year-old from Watts, Okla., in the driver’s seat in his quest to claim the USMTS National Championship and the $30,000 check that awaits the champion.

Clyde Dunn Jr. earned a sixth-place finish Friday night to give Hughes Racing Chassis three of the first six to cross the finish line. Chris Henigan, Rodney Sanders, Steen Whiteaker Jr. and Johnny Scott completed the top 10.

Watch a video recap of Friday night's action on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFHLA8VZPdk.

The nation’s elite open-wheel dirt Modified drivers return on Saturday for another $4,000-to-win, $400-to-start USMTS National Championship Series event. USRA Western Flyer HotMods will also be racing for $900 to win.

The pit gate opens at 2 p.m., grandstands open at 4 and the first heat race hits the track at 5:30.

The Royal Purple Raceway is located just east of Houston on I-10 to exit 799, then 2.5 miles south on SH 99 (Grand Parkway), then 0.3 mile west on FM 565. For more information, call the track office at 281-383-7223 or visit www.royalpurpleraceway.com online.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
USMTS National Championship Series
3rd Annual Texas Spring Nationals – Night 2 of 3
Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, Texas
Friday, Feb. 24, 2012

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed, reason out (if any) and money won. The top 14 drivers in passing points accumulated in the heat races are locked into the “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.

ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (3) 97 Cade Dillard (R), Robeline, La.
2. (4) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
3. (8) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
4. (9) 12c Corey Babbitt, Channelview, Texas.
5. (2) 24 Sean Jones, Mansfield, Texas.
6. (10) 89 Steven Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas.
7. (7) 127 Glen Hibbard (R), Euless, Texas.
8. (6) 41 Jordan Foster (R), Henry, S.D.
9. (5) 19 Pete Sagmiller, Spring, Texas.
10. (11) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
11. (1) 22 Brad Buck (R), Paragould, Ark.
DNS - 56 David Horner, Houston, Texas.

HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (2) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (5) 16 Chris Henigan, Marshall, Texas.
3. (4) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
4. (3) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
5. (9) 6x Rob Litton (R), Alexandria, La.
6. (6) 2j John Anderson, Omaha, Neb.
7. (7) 91 Joe Duvall, Chelsea, Okla.
8. (10) 14 David Ashley, Zachary, La.
9. (8) 23 Howard Willis, Dayton, Texas.
10. (1) 77 Brian Craighead (R), Farmerville, La.
11. (11) 25 Ron Keith (R), Shawnee, Kan.

EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (1) 5w John O Whittington, Vidor, Texas.
2. (3) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
3. (5) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D.
4. (2) 1 T.J. Herndon (R), Atwood, Tenn.
5. (4) 85d Mark Dotson, Cameron, Mo.
6. (6) 14t Tristan Dycus, Midlothian, Texas.
7. (7) 5¢ Chris Buhler (R), Baton Rouge, La.
8. (10) 44 Marcus Berndt (R), Katy, Texas.
9. (8) 68 Danny Barringer, Lufkin, Texas.
10. (11) 5* Casey Penn (R), Shreveport, La.
11. (9) 27f James Allen Farmer (R), Aubrey, Texas.

PBM PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (1) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
2. (3) 8t Dustin Hyde, Texarkana, Texas.
3. (2) 60 Kurt Krauskopf (R), Decorah, Iowa.
4. (4) A1 Phil Dixon, Crosby, Texas.
5. (7) 88t William Turner (R), Yukon, Okla.
6. (8) J17 Jacob Gallardo (R), Las Cruces, N.M.
7. (10) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla.
8. (9) 73 Mickey Burrell, Fair Grove, Mo.
9. (6) 11 Danny Hebert (R), Duson, La.
10. (5) 5m Joe Mayhew, Highlands, Texas.
DNS - 11x Rich Lofthus (R), Bloomer, Wis.

HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):
1. (2) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (1) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.
3. (4) 9 Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La.
4. (3) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn.
5. (7) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
6. (8) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
7. (9) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
8. (6) G17 Fito Gallardo (R), Las Cruces, N.M.
9. (10) 00 Jay Marshall (R), Brooksville, Fla.
10. (5) 715 Jeff Hoegh, New Caney, Texas.

RACINDIRT.COM HEAT RACE #6 (8 laps):
1. (1) 88xxx Clyde Dunn Jr., Sunnyville, Texas.
2. (6) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
3. (3) C3 Charlie Morrow (R), Pitkin, La.
4. (8) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan.
5. (2) 8 Chase Allen, Midlothian, Texas.
6. (9) 51 Tracy Denby Jr., Vidor, Texas.
7. (4) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo.
8. (7) 5 Wes Armstrong, Marshall, Texas.
9. (11) 76 Jesse Manning (R), Brazoria, Texas.
10. (10) 21 Troy Seidl, Magnolia, Texas.
11. (5) 7x Rory Jordan, Victoria, Texas.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 4 advance):
1. (1) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D.
2. (2) 9 Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La.
3. (8) 2j John Anderson, Omaha, Neb.
4. (6) 24 Sean Jones, Mansfield, Texas.
5. (5) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, $100.
6. (7) J17 Jacob Gallardo (R), Las Cruces, N.M., GRC/BMS, $100.
7. (11) 73 Mickey Burrell, Fair Grove, Mo., TRE/Ruble, $100.
8. (14) 11 Danny Hebert (R), Duson, La., Pierce/ASI, $100.
9. (3) 6x Rob Litton (R), Alexandria, La.
10. (9) 127 Glen Hibbard (R), Euless, Texas, CAM/Stinson, $100.
11. (4) A1 Phil Dixon, Crosby, Texas, Fast1/Jackson, $100.
12. (10) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo.
13. (15) 77 Brian Craighead (R), Farmerville, La., DirtWorks/Sput’s, $100.
14. (12) 5 Wes Armstrong, Marshall, Texas, TRE/AMS, $100.
15. (13) 19 Pete Sagmiller, Spring, Texas, Skyrocket/Coates, $100.
16. (16) 21 Troy Seidl, Magnolia, Texas, Skyrocket/CNC, $100.
17. (17) 27f James Allen Farmer (R), Aubrey, Texas, BillsBuilt/BK’s, $100.
DNS - 56 David Horner, Houston, Texas, Skyrocket/Sput’s, $100.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 4 advance):
1. (5) 89 Steven Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas.
2. (3) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
3. (1) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan.
4. (7) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
5. (6) 85d Mark Dotson, Cameron, Mo., GRT/KSE, $100.
6. (8) 14t Tristan Dycus, Midlothian, Texas, Kraft/Wells, $100.
7. (4) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, $100.
8. (13) 23 Howard Willis, Dayton, Texas, Evolution/Fox, $100.
9. (10) 14 David Ashley, Zachary, La., Pierce/Tim’s, $100.
10. (14) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., GRT/Sput’s, $100.
11. (2) 60 Kurt Krauskopf (R), Decorah, Iowa, Harris/Sput’s, $100.
12. (9) 91 Joe Duvall, Chelsea, Okla., Hughes/BMS, $100.
13. (15) 5m Joe Mayhew, Highlands, Texas, Skyrocket/Houston, $100.
14. (12) 76 Jesse Manning (R), Brazoria, Texas, Evolution/Hall, $100.
15. (16) 22 Brad Buck (R), Paragould, Ark., TRE/SCP, $100.
16. (11) 41 Jordan Foster (R), Henry, S.D., GRT/Sput’s, $100.
DNS - 11x Rich Lofthus (R), Bloomer, Wis., Hughes/Tim’s, $100.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #3 (12 laps, top 4 advance):
1. (1) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
2. (2) C3 Charlie Morrow (R), Pitkin, La.
3. (5) 51 Tracy Denby Jr., Vidor, Texas.
4. (8) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
5. (3) 1 T.J. Herndon (R), Atwood, Tenn., GRT/JRM, $100.
6. (7) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla., Hughes/Geddes, $100.
7. (6) 8 Chase Allen, Midlothian, Texas, CAM/Allard, $100.
8. (11) G17 Fito Gallardo (R), Las Cruces, N.M., GRC/BMS, $100.
9. (14) 5* Casey Penn (R), Shreveport, La., Hughes/Geddes, $100.
10. (4) 88t William Turner (R), Yukon, Okla.
11. (16) 25 Ron Keith (R), Shawnee, Kan.
12. (9) 5¢ Chris Buhler (R), Baton Rouge, La., Pierce/RPM, $100.
13. (10) 44 Marcus Berndt (R), Katy, Texas, DirtWorks/AARE, $100.
14. (15) 715 Jeff Hoegh, New Caney, Texas, Skyrocket/AARE, $100.
15. (13) 68 Danny Barringer, Lufkin, Texas, Skyrocket/Craft, $100.
16. (17) 7x Rory Jordan, Victoria, Texas, Hughes/Mullins, $100.
17. (12) 00 Jay Marshall (R), Brooksville, Fla., Hughes/Sput’s, $100.

“A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (2) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 40, $4000.
2. (3) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $2200.
3. (1) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., GRT/Yeoman, 40, $1600.
4. (4) 5w John O Whittington, Vidor, Texas, Pierce/CB, 40, $1200.
5. (10) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ProPower, 40, $1000.
6. (5) 88xxx Clyde Dunn Jr., Sunnyville, Texas, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $700.
7. (6) 16 Chris Henigan, Marshall, Texas, GRT/Riggins, 40, $700.
8. (11) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, Hughes/Geddes, 40, $600.
9. (16) 89 Steven Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas, Hughes/Mullins, 40, $550.
10. (7) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Hughes/ProPower, 40, $500.
11. (15) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D., GRT/Sput’s, 40, $475.
12. (9) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., GRT/Sput’s, 40, $450.
13. (14) 12c Corey Babbitt, Channelview, Texas, TRE/CAM, 40, $425.
14. (13) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo., GRT/Mullins, 40, $400.
15. (25) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Hatfield, 40, $400.
16. (26) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 40, $400.
17. (22) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan., GRT/Mullins, 40, $400.
18. (12) 8t Dustin Hyde, Texarkana, Texas, CAM/CMS, 40, $400.
19. (27) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo., Hughes/Geddes, 40, $100.
20. (28) 6x Rob Litton (R), Alexandria, La., Skyrocket/Mullins, 40, $100.
21. (29) 25 Ron Keith (R), Shawnee, Kan., GRT/Mullins, 40, $100.
22. (24) 24 Sean Jones, Mansfield, Texas, PCR/Brooks, 40, $400.
23. (20) C3 Charlie Morrow (R), Pitkin, La., Pierce/Wall2Wall, 40, $300.
24. (30) 88t William Turner (R), Yukon, Okla., Hughes/Wells, 40, $100.
25. (23) 51 Tracy Denby Jr., Vidor, Texas, Skyrocket/CB, 36, mechanical, $300.
26. (8) 97 Cade Dillard (R), Robeline, La., Impressive/Parker, 36, mechanical, $400.
27. (21) 2j John Anderson, Omaha, Neb., GRT/Sput’s, 31, mechanical, $400.
28. (19) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, 15, mechanical, $400.
29. (18) 9 Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La., Hughes/ASI, 13, mechanical, $400.
30. (17) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Hatfield, 5, mechanical, $400.

(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.

Lap Leader: Hughes 1-40.
Total Laps Led: Hughes 40.
Margin of Victory: 0.860 second.
Pole Winner: Dillard.
Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger: Phillips (started 25th, finished 15th).
Dominator Race Products Hard Luck: Payne.
Provisional Starters: Davis, Litton, Keith, Turner.
Next Race: Saturday, Feb. 25, Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, Texas.
USMTS National Championship Series Points: Hughes 103, Gustin 95, S. Scott 91, Whittington 87, Shryock 84, Dunn 81, Henigan 78, Sanders 76, Whiteaker 74, J. Scott 72.
Rookie of the Year Points: J. Gallardo 119, Litton 99, Penn 98, Keith 98, Dillard 95, Turner 95.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Yeoman 16, Mullins 16, Geddes 14, Hatfield 12, ProPower 12.
Tiger Rear Ends Manufacturers Championship Points: GRT 19, Hughes 19, Pierce 15, TRE 12, Skyrocket 12.

Contingency Awards:
American Racer – Foster.
Dominator Race Products – Payne.
Eibach Springs – Whittington.
Forty9Designs.com – Whittington, Whiteaker.
ISKY Racing Cams – Dillard.
KSE Racing Products – Dillard.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Payne.
Nitroquest – Farmer, Foster, Marshall.
Mesilla Valley Transportation – Phillips.
PBM Performance Products – Hughes.
Real Racing Wheels – Rowland, Dotson, Herndon.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Dominator Race Products, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, Beebe Heating & Air Conditioning, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, DAY Motor Sports, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Mesilla Valley Transportation, O’Brien Enterprises, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, COMP Cams, Eibach Springs, Erson Cams, Forty9Designs.com, ISKY Racing Cams, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, PBM Performance Products, Real Racing Wheels, Tiger Rear Ends.

Phillips first at Baytown, wins USMTS Casey’s Cup opener

BAYTOWN, Texas (Feb. 23) – Good things come to those who wait, and that was true for both race fans and Terry Phillips Thursday night at the Royal Purple Raceway as the United States Modified Touring Series launched the 2012 racing season with the first of three nights at the quarter-mile clay oval in Baytown, Texas.

The drought-stricken Lone Star State got some much needed rain last weekend which forced spectators and competitors alike to postpone plans for the USMTS Casey’s Cup lid-lifter to this weekend.

Clouds and wind blanketed the Baytown, Texas, bullring again Thursday night but no rain fell and the 3rd Annual USMTS Texas Spring Nationals is in the books.

Sixty-two drivers were on hand with Stormy Scott setting the tone early on as he raced from the tenth starting spot to take the win in the first of six talent-packed heat races and lead the field in passing points.

After the redraw, Rodney Sanders and Phillips filled the front row for the 35-lap main event while Scott began his quest for his first USMTS victory from the fifth spot.

Meanwhile, three former USMTS National Champions – Jason Hughes, Jason Krohn and Kelly Shryock – started deep in the field after racing their way into the feature race through one of three Real Racing Wheels “B” Mains.

Phillips took charge at the drop of the green flag and grew his advantage to 10 car-lengths over Sanders before the first caution slowed the action with 10 laps complete.

On the restart, Scott powered past Sanders for second and took a look to the inside of the leader but Phillips was able to maintain the top spot for the next four laps before the yellow flag waved again.

Three more cautions slowed the pace during the contest, but Phillips was up to the task each time and his patience proved profitable in the end as he held off every challenge and steered his #75 Andy’s Frozen Custard GRT/Hatfield into victory lane for a $2,000 pay day.

“I could go around the outside of the bumps in turn 2, and we were pretty good up there when I could hit my marks,” said Phillips following his win. “This is a new car and we won last time we came out with a new car, so hopefully this one will be just as good as the last.”

Sanders battled with Scott for the bulk of the race and pressured Phillips over the final five laps before settling for the runner-up paycheck.

Mark Dotson disposed of Scott late in the race and took home third-place money while Hughes came from 16th to fifth and earned the season’s first Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger Award.

Defending USMTS National Champion Ryan Gustin struggled throughout the middle portion of the race and slipped back as far as 11th before clawing his way back to sixth by the time the checkered flags waved.

Johnny Scott finished three spots behind his twin brother in seventh, Jon Tesch wound up eighth, top rookie Jacob Gallardo nabbed the ninth spot and Shane Hebert rounded out the top 10 after starting 17 on the 27-car grid.

The win was Phillips’ first at the Royal Purple Raceway and gave him the upper hand in the season-long quest for the USMTS Casey’s Cup. He never trailed Thursday night, leading every lap of his heat race and the “A” Main.

The nation’s elite open-wheel dirt Modified drivers return on Friday and Saturday for a pair of $4,000-to-win main events to kick off the USMTS National Championship Series. USRA Western Flyer HotMods will also be racing each night for $600 and $900 to win, respectively.

The pit gate opens at 3 p.m. on Friday, with grandstands opening at 5 and racing at 7. On Saturday, pit gates open at 2 p.m., grandstands open at 4 and the first heat race hits the track at 5:30.

The Royal Purple Raceway is located just east of Houston on I-10 to exit 799, then 2.5 miles south on SH 99 (Grand Parkway), then 0.3 mile west on FM 565. For more information, call the track office at 281-383-7223 or visit www.royalpurpleraceway.com online.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
USMTS Casey’s Cup – Qualifying Event
3rd Annual Texas Spring Nationals – Night 1 of 3
Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, Texas
Thursday, February 23, 2012

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown, chassis/engine builder, laps completed, and money won. The top 14 drivers in passing points accumulated in the heat races are locked into the “A” Main, with the top 8 re-drawing for starting positions 1-8.

ISKY RACING CAMS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (10) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (1) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn.
3. (6) 5* Casey Penn (R), Shreveport, La.
4. (3) 12t Tyler Townsend, Longview, Texas.
5. (9) 25 Ron Keith, Shawnee, Kan.
6. (8) 88t William Turner (R), Yukon, Okla.
7. (4) 21 Troy Seidl, Magnolia, Texas.
8. (11) 955 Robert Metz Jr., Lumberton, Texas.
9. (7) 73 Mickey Burrell, Fair Grove, Mo.
10. (5) 34dd Tim Boudreaux (R), Cleveland, Texas.
11. (2) 7x Rory Jordan, Victoria, Texas.

HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (4) 51 Tracy Denby Jr., Vidor, Texas.
2. (1) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
3. (2) 16 Chris Henigan, Marshall, Texas.
4. (5) 5w John O Whittington, Vidor, Texas.
5. (3) 12c Corey Babbitt, Channelview, Texas.
6. (9) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
7. (7) 41 Jordan Foster (R), Henry, S.D.
8. (8) 1 T.J. Herndon, Atwood, Tenn.
9. (10) 85 Thomas Tillison Jr. (R), Wellston, Okla.
10. (6) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan.

EIBACH SPRINGS HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (2) 8t Dustin Hyde, Texarkana, Texas.
2. (3) J17 Jacob Gallardo (R), Las Cruces, N.M.
3. (7) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas.
4. (8) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo.
5. (6) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla.
6. (10) 97 Cade Dillard (R), Robeline, La.
7. (5) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo.
8. (4) 715 Jeff Hoegh, New Caney, Texas.
9. (9) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
10. (1) 68 Danny Barringer, Lufkin, Texas.

PBM PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (1) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M.
2. (2) 2j John Anderson, Omaha, Neb.
3. (3) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
4. (4) 8 Chase Allen, Midlothian, Texas.
5. (8) 88xxx Clyde Dunn Jr., Sunnyville, Texas.
6. (5) 5m Joe Mayhew, Highlands, Texas.
7. (9) A1 Phil Dixon, Crosby, Texas.
8. (6) 127 Glen Hibbard, Euless, Texas.
9. (7) 44 Marcus Berndt (R), Katy, Texas.
10. (10) 11x Rich Loftus (R), Bloomer, Wis.

HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):
1. (3) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D.
2. (1) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
3. (7) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa.
4. (9) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
5. (5) 24 Sean Jones, Mansfield, Texas.
6. (4) 60 Kurt Krauskopf (R), Decorah, Iowa.
7. (6) 91 Joe Duvall, Chelsea, Okla.
8. (10) 23 Howard Willis, Dayton, Texas.
9. (8) 7g Mark Smith, Lufkin, Texas.
10. (2) 5c Chris Buhler (R), Baton Rouge, La.

RACINDIRT.COM HEAT RACE #6 (8 laps):
1. (1) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
2. (5) 85d Mark Dotson, Cameron, Mo.
3. (3) 9 Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La.
4. (4) 89 Steven Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas.
5. (6) G17 Fito Gallardo (R), Las Cruces, N.M.
6. (9) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
7. (11) C22 Rob Litton (R), Alexandria, La.
8. (8) 22 Tracy Denby Sr., Vidor, Texas.
9. (10) 00 Jay Marshall (R), Brooksville, Fla.
10. (7) 5 Wes Armstrong, Marshall, Texas.
11. (2) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (12 laps, top 4 advance):
1. (1) 7K Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
2. (6) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa.
3. (4) 12t Tyler Townsend, Longview, Texas.
4. (2) 16 Chris Henigan, Marshall, Texas.
5. (5) 97 Cade Dillard (R), Robeline, La., Impressive/Dillard, $80.
6. (3) 25 Ron Keith, Shawnee, Kan., GRT/Mullins, $80.
7. (13) 73 Mickey Burrell, Fair Grove, Mo., TRE/Ruble, $80.
8. (7) 24 Sean Jones, Mansfield, Texas, PCR/Brooks, $80.
9. (11) 1 T.J. Herndon, Atwood, Tenn., GRT/KMF, $80.
10. (12) 22 Tracy Denby Sr., Vidor, Texas, $60.
11. (8) 5m Joe Mayhew, Highlands, Texas, Skyrocket/Houston, $60.
12. (16) 5 Wes Armstrong, Marshall, Texas, TRE/AMS, $60.
13. (15) 68 Danny Barringer, Lufkin, Texas, $80.
14. (14) 7g Mark Smith, Lufkin, Texas, Skyrocket/Craft, $80.
15. (9) 955 Robert Metz Jr., Lumberton, Texas, Pierce/CB, $60.
16. (10) 16 Austin Siebert, Grandview, Mo., GRT/Mullins, $80.
17. (17) 23 Brandon Davis, Castle Rock, Colo., Hughes/Geddes, $80.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (12 laps, top 4 advance):
1. (1) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
2. (6) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3. (2) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
4. (5) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla.
5. (4) 8 Chase Allen, Midlothian, Texas, CAM/Allard, $80.
6. (8) 60 Kurt Krauskopf (R), Decorah, Iowa, Harris/Sput’s, $80.
7. (12) 85 Thomas Tillison Jr. (R), Wellston, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, $80.
8. (13) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla.
9. (7) 88t William Turner (R), Yukon, Okla., Hughes/Wells, $80.
10. (10) 91 Joe Duvall, Chelsea, Okla., Hughes/BMS, $80.
11. (14) 34dd Tim Boudreaux (R), Cleveland, Texas, $60.
12. (16) 7x Rory Jordan, Victoria, Texas, Hughes/Mullins, $80.
13. (9) 21 Troy Seidl, Magnolia, Texas, Skyrocket/CNC, $80.
14. (11) 715 Jeff Hoegh, New Caney, Texas, Skyrocket/AARE, $80.
15. (3) 5w John O Whittington, Vidor, Texas, Pierce/CB, $80.
16. (15) 11x Rich Loftus (R), Bloomer, Wis., Hughes/Tim’s, $80.

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #3 (12 laps, top 4 advance):
1. (2) 9 Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La.
2. (4) 89 Steven Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas.
3. (6) 12c Corey Babbitt, Channelview, Texas.
4. (14) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan.
5. (7) C22 Rob Litton (R), Alexandria, La., Skyrocket/Mullins, $80.
6. (9) 41 Jordan Foster (R), Henry, S.D., GRT/Sput’s, $60.
7. (15) 5c Chris Buhler (R), Baton Rouge, La., Pierce/RPM, $60.
8. (13) 44 Marcus Berndt (R), Katy, Texas, DirtWorks/Graham, $80.
9. (1) 186 Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Hatfield, $80.
10. (3) 88xxx Clyde Dunn Jr., Sunnyville, Texas, Hughes/Mullins, $80.
11. (5) G17 Fito Gallardo (R), Las Cruces, N.M., GRC/BMS, $80.
12. (8) A1 Phil Dixon, Crosby, Texas, Fast1/Jackson, $60.
13. (11) 127 Glen Hibbard, Euless, Texas, Allen/Stinson, $80.
14. (10) 23 Howard Willis, Dayton, Texas, Evolution/CB, $60.
15. (12) 00 Jay Marshall (R), Brooksville, Fla., $60.

“A” MAIN (35 laps):
1. (2) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., GRT/Hatfield, 35, $2000.
2. (1) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas, Hughes/Geddes, 35, $1500.
3. (4) 85d Mark Dotson, Cameron, Mo., GRT/KSE, 35, $1000.
4. (5) 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., GRT/Yeoman, 35, $800.
5. (16) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla., Hughes/Mullins, 35, $800.
6. (9) 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa, Hughes/Mullins, 35, $600.
7. (8) 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M., Hughes/ASI, 35, $500.
8. (3) 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D., GRT/Sput’s, 35, $450.
9. (10) J17 Jacob Gallardo (R), Las Cruces, N.M., GRC/ASI, 35, $400.
10. (17) 9 Shane Hebert, Lafayette, La., Pierce/ASI, 35, $350.
11. (19) 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 35, $320.
12. (23) 12c Corey Babbitt, Channelview, Texas, TRE/CAM, 35, $300.
13. (18) 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa, Skyrocket/ProPower, 35, $275.
14. (6) 51 Tracy Denby Jr., Vidor, Texas, Skyrocket/Harris, 35, $200.
15. (25) 5t Randy Timms, Wheatland, Okla., Hughes/Geddes, 35, $250.
16. (24) 16 Chris Henigan, Marshall, Texas, GRT/PTS, 35, $250.
17. (26) 22b Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan., GRT/Mullins, 35, $250.
18. (20) 89 Steven Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas, Hughes/Mullins, 35, $250.
19. (13) 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., GRT/Sput’s, 35, $250.
20. (22) 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., GRT/Sput’s, 35, $250.
21. (11) 5* Casey Penn (R), Shreveport, La., Hughes/Geddes, 34, $250.
22. (27) 20r Bryan Rowland, Woodward, Okla., Hughes/ProPower, 32, $80.
23. (15) 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, 23, $250.
24. (14) 2j John Anderson, Omaha, Neb., GRT/Sput’s, 23, $250.
25. (7) 8t Dustin Hyde, Texarkana, Texas, CAM/CMS, 20, $250.
26. (21) 12t Tyler Townsend, Longview, Texas, Hughes/PTS, 16, $250.
27. (12) 10 Mike Steensma, Luverne, Minn., Hughes/Sput’s, 13, $250.

(R) = Rookie of the Year contender.

Lap Leader: Phillips 1-35.
Total Laps Led: Phillips 35.
Margin of Victory: 1.429 seconds.
Pole Winner: S. Scott.
Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger: Hughes (started 16th, finished 5th).
Dominator Race Products Hard Luck: Loftus.
Provisional Starter: Rowland.
Next Race: Friday, Feb. 24, Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, Texas.
USMTS Casey’s Cup Points: Phillips 10, Sanders 9, Dotson 8, S. Scott 7, Hughes 6, Gustin 5, J. Scott 4, Tesch 3, J. Gallardo 2, Hebert 2, Ramirez 2, Babbitt 2, Shryock 2, Denby Jr. 2, Timms 2, Henigan 2, Beebe 2, Whiteaker 2, C. Junghans 2, G. Junghans 2, Penn 2, Krohn 2, Anderson 2, Hyde 2, Townsend 2, Steensma 2, Rowland 2.
Rookie of the Year Points: J. Gallardo 74, Penn 53, Dillard 45, Krauskopf 45, Tillison 45, Turner 45, Loftus 45, Litton 45, Berndt 45, F. Gallardo 45, Boudreaux 45, Foster 45, Buhler 45, Marshall 45.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Points: Hatfield 10, Geddes 9, KSE 8, Yeoman 7, Mullins 6, ASI 5, Sput’s 4, ProPower 3, CAM 2, Harris 1, PTS 1, CMS 1.
Tiger Rear Ends Manufacturers Championship Points: GRT 10, Hughes 9, GRC 8, Pierce 7, TRE 6, Skyrocket 5, CAM 4.

Contingency Awards:
American Racer – Hughes.
Dominator Race Products – Loftus.
Eibach Springs – Hyde.
Forty9Designs.com – S. Scott, J. Gallardo.
Hooker Harness – Babbitt.
ISKY Racing Cams – S. Scott.
KSE Racing Products – J. Scott.
Marsh Racing Wheels – Steensma.
Nitroquest – Davis, Loftus, Marshall.
Mesilla Valley Transportation – Hughes.
PBM Performance Products – J. Scott.
Real Racing Wheels – Dillard, Allen, Litton.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Dominator Race Products, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, Beebe Heating & Air Conditioning, Brodix Cylinder Heads, DAY Motor Sports, Dirthead.com, Dirt Knights, DrySlik Dirt Trak Racewear, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Mesilla Valley Transportation, O’Brien Enterprises, Olympic Fire Protection, RacinDirt.com, Roadrunner Trucking, Ruter Farms, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, Erson Cams, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, ISKY Racing Cams, The Joie of Seating, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Racing Head Service, Tiger Rear Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, WIX Filters.

Title chase begins Thursday with 3rd Annual USMTS Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway

BAYTOWN, Texas (Feb. 22) – The nation’s elite dirt Modified drivers begin their quest for a 2012 USMTS National Championship with the season openers for both the USMTS Casey’s Cup and newly-formed USMTS National Championship Series this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23-25, at the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas.

With the best names in the business entered for this year’s lidlifter, just making one of the main events will be a feat but one driver could come up smelling like roses and walk away with $10,000 or more from the tripleheader at the state-of-the-art 3/8-mile clay oval located just east of Houston.

USRA Western Flyer HotMods (Limited Modifieds) will also be on the racing card each night battling for $500, $600 and $900 to win, respectively, plus several bonus cash awards up for grabs.

The engines fire up and drivers get an opportunity to fine-tune their machines during an open practice on Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 6-9 p.m. before the green flag unfurls for the first time on Thursday for the year’s first USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier with at least $2,000 going to the winner.

With 27 USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifiers on the schedule, drivers will be battling for a spot in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup, which will begin Aug. 9 at the Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo., and culminate Sept. 20-22 at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., during the 14th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree. At the conclusion of the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup, the champion will earn a $15,000 paycheck.

On Friday and Saturday, the inaugural events for the USMTS National Championship Series are on tap with each night carrying a $4,000 top prize and at least $400 to take the green flag in the main event.

The USMTS National Championship Series currently has 29 events and each will pay at least $4,000 to win with up to 30 cars taking the green flag in every feature race. The driver with the best 20 showings during the campaign will be named the 2012 USMTS National Champion and will take home a record $30,000 while the runner-up in the final ranking will get a cool $20,000 in the richest season-ending payoff in USMTS history.

Paul White won the first-ever USMTS event at the Royal Purple Raceway in 2007. Since then, trips to victory lane have also been made by Alan Mondus, Kelly Shryock, Jason Hughes, Tommy Weder Jr., Johnny Bone Jr., Zack VanderBeek, Jeremy Payne, Rodney Sanders, Ryan Gustin, John O Whittington, Chris Brown and Dereck Ramirez.

Hughes leads all drivers with five wins at the former Houston Raceway Park, but Ramirez comes into the event with the momentum after capturing back-to-back wins on the final two nights of the 5th Annual USMTS Winter Nationals in November.

Other drivers on the list for this blockbuster include defending USMTS National Champion Ryan Gustin, nine-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock, 2007 USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn, Johnny Scott, Rodney Sanders, Rick Beebe, Bryan Rowland, Chase Junghans, Grant Junghans, Shane Hebert, Randy Timms, Jeremy Payne, Steven Whiteaker Jr., Stormy Scott, Tyler Townsend, Dustin “Tater” Hyde, Tracy Denby Jr., Jason Thoennes, Joe Duvall, 2011 Lucas Oil MLRA Late Model Series champ John Anderson, four-time NCRA Modified national champ John Allen, defending Featherlite Fall Jamboree champ Terry Phillips, Jon Tesch, T.J. Herndon, Chris Henigan, Ron Keith, Jimmy Ray, Billy Turner, Rory Jordan, Larry Clevenger, Mike Sorensen, Michael Walker, Ben Stephens, Jay Marshall, Jimmy Ray, the father-son team of Fito and Jacob Gallardo, Southern New Mexico Speedway boss Royal Jones, Mark Dotson, Danny Barringer, Mark Smith, Rob Litton, Rich Loftus, Travis Johnson and Mickey Burrell.

THURSDAY PAYOFF:
Licensed – 1. $2000, 2. $1500, 3. $1000, 4. $800, 5. $700, 6. $600, 7. $500, 8. $450, 9. $400, 10. $350, 11. $320, 12. $300, 13. $275, 14-26. $250, Tow $80.
Non-Licensed – 1. $2000, 2. $1200, 3. $800, 4. $600, 5. $500, 6. $400, 7. $350, 8. $300, 9. $250, 10. $230, 11. $210, 12-26. $200, Tow $60.

FRIDAY PAYOFF:
Licensed – 1. $4000, 2. $2200, 3. $1600, 4. $1200, 5. $1000, 6. $800, 7. $700, 8. $600, 9. $550, 10. $500, 11. $475, 12. $450, 13. $425, 14-30. $400, Tow $100.
Non-Licensed – 1. $4000, 2. $2200, 3. $1500, 4. $1000, 5. $800, 6. $700, 7. $600, 8. $550, 9. $500, 10. $450, 11. $400, 12. $375, 13. $350, 14. $325, 15-30. $300, Tow $100.

SATURDAY PAYOFF:
Licensed – 1. $4000, 2. $2200, 3. $1600, 4. $1200, 5. $1000, 6. $800, 7. $700, 8. $600, 9. $550, 10. $500, 11. $475, 12. $450, 13. $425, 14-30. $400, Tow $100.
Non-Licensed – 1. $4000, 2. $2200, 3. $1500, 4. $1000, 5. $800, 6. $700, 7. $600, 8. $550, 9. $500, 10. $450, 11. $400, 12. $375, 13. $350, 14. $325, 15-30. $300, Tow $100.

ENTRY FEES:
On Thursday, early entry is $90 for licensed or $100 for non-licensed while at-the-track entry is $110 on race day. On Friday and Saturday, the early entry is $125 for licensed or $135 for non-licensed while entry on race day is $150. Drivers can still get the early entry rate through the end of practice on Wednesday night.

LICENSES:
There is no requirement to purchase a USMTS license to compete in any USMTS event. However, benefits enjoyed by licensed drivers include provisional starting spots, higher event purses and bonus payouts, increased tow money, discounted entry fees, points fund eligibility, increased media recognition, a personalized driver profile page on the USMTS website and more. The cost of a USMTS Casey’s Cup license is $150 and the cost of a USMTS National Championship license is $300.

RULES & PROCEDURES:
All USMTS rules apply. Qualifying will be done by heat race passing points and “B” Mains. Draw for heat race starting spot ends 15 minutes before hot laps. RACEceivers and AMB transponders are mandatory and available for rent or purchase from the USMTS. See complete rules at www.usmts.com.

USRA WESTERN FLYER HOTMOD PAYOFFS:
Thursday – 1. $500, 2. $300, 3. $200, 4. $170, 5. $150, 6. $130, 7. $110, 8. $100, 9. $90, 10. $80, 11. $70, 12. $65, 13. $60, 14. $55, 15-24. $50.
Friday – 1. $600, 2. $400, 3. $300, 4. $200, 5. $170, 6. $150, 7. $130, 8. $110, 9. $100, 10. $90, 11. $80, 12. $75, 13. $70, 14. $65, 15-24. $60.
Saturday – 1. $900, 2. $500, 3. $400, 4. $300, 5. $200, 6. $175, 7. $150, 8. $140, 9. $130, 10. $120, 11. $110, 12. $105, 13-24. $100.

The top-finishing USRA Western Flyer HotMod drivers that have not raced a USMTS Modified or are not currently a USMTS Modified driver will get the following bonus money: Thursday – $100, $75, $50, $25; Friday – $150, $100, $75, $50, $25; Saturday – $200, $150, $100, $75, $50, $25.

A $100 bonus will be paid to any driver racing all three nights and not qualifying for the “A” Main on Saturday, and there is also a Hard Charger Award worth $100 each night too.

EVENT TIMES:
Practice on Wednesday will be from 6-9 p.m. On Thursday and Friday, the pit gate opens at 3 p.m., grandstands open at 5 and racing begins at 7. On Saturday, pit gates open at 3 p.m., grandstands open at 4 and the first heat race hits the track at 5:30.

TRACK INFO:
The Royal Purple Raceway is located just east of Houston on I-10 to exit 799, then 2.5 miles south on SH 99 (Grand Parkway), then 0.3 mile west on FM 565. For more information, call the track office at 281-383-7223 or visit www.royalpurpleraceway.com online.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like the USMTS on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Dominator Race Products, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, Beebe Heating & Air Conditioning, Brodix Cylinder Heads, DAY Motor Sports, Dirthead.com, Dirt Knights, DrySlik Dirt Trak Racewear, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Karl Performance Parts, Mesilla Valley Transportation, O’Brien Enterprises, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, Erson Cams, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, ISKY Racing Cams, The Joie of Seating, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Racing Head Service, Tiger Rear Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, WIX Filters.

Dominator Race Products named Official Plastic Nose Kit of USMTS

LYONS, Ohio (Feb. 21) – Officials from the United States Modified Touring Series announced today that Dominator Race Products will be the Official Plastic Nose Kit of the USMTS, and will also sponsor the new ‘Hard Luck Award’ to be awarded at each USMTS event during the 2012 racing season.

“We are thrilled to be working with the USMTS,” said Dominator Race Products owner Bentley Shaw. “We looked for one of the best organizations to work with and I would say we found the best.”

In addition to the Hard Luck Award which will award a Dominator Race Products product certificate at each event to one driver that, unfortunately, “earns” the honor, Dominator Race Products will also make a cash contribution to the points funds for both the USMTS National Championship Series and USMTS Casey’s Cup.

“When we met with the staff at Dominator during the IMIS trade show in Indianapolis, we were impressed with not only their product line and fair pricing, but also their willingness to help each customer and provide the kind of service that every team expects,” said USMTS Marketing & Communications Director Jeff Nun.

When it comes to nose and flair kits, look no further than Dominator Race Products. The designs are truly cutting edge and setting a new standard for aerodynamic products. With the durability that you’ve come to expect from Dominator Race Products – like Modified and Late Model nose kits to hood scoops and full roof packages including sails and pillar posts - right out of the box, Dominator has your car covered in multiple colors.

For more information about Dominator Race Products, contact any one of their more than 250 dealers across the United States, or call 419-923-6970. Learn more by checking out www.dominatorraceproducts.com on the World Wide Web.

The 2012 campaign for the USMTS will begin with a tripleheader at the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas, for the 3rd Annual USMTS Texas Spring Nationals on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23-25.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Dominator Race Products, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, Beebe Heating & Air Conditioning, Brodix Cylinder Heads, DAY Motor Sports, Dirthead.com, Dirt Knights, DrySlik Dirt Trak Racewear, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Karl Performance Parts, Mesilla Valley Transportation, O’Brien Enterprises, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, Erson Cams, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, ISKY Racing Cams, The Joie of Seating, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Racing Head Service, Tiger Rear Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, WIX Filters.

Wednesday practice kicks off 3rd Annual USMTS Texas Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway

BAYTOWN, Texas (Feb. 15) – With Valentine’s Day in the rear view mirror, the nation’s elite dirt Modified drivers begin their quest for a 2012 USMTS National Championship with the season openers for both the USMTS Casey’s Cup and newly-formed USMTS National Championship Series this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 16-18, at the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas.

With the best names in the business entered for this year’s lidlifter, just making one of the main events will be a feat but one driver could come up smelling like roses and walk away with $10,000 or more from the tripleheader at the state-of-the-art 3/8-mile clay oval located just east of Houston.

HotMods (Limited Mods) will also be on the racing card each night. Thanks to the folks at Express Race Cars, the win amounts for the HotMods are $500, $600 and $900 to win, respectively, plus several bonus cash awards up for grabs.

The engines fire up and drivers get an opportunity to fine-tune their machines during an open practice on Wednesday, Feb. 15, from 6-9 p.m. before the green flag unfurls for the first time on Thursday for the year’s first USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier with at least $2,000 going to the winner.

With 27 USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifiers on the schedule, drivers will be battling for a spot in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup, which will begin Aug. 9 at the Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo., and culminate Sept. 20-22 at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., during the 14th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree.

At the conclusion of the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup, the champion will earn a $15,000 paycheck.

On Friday and Saturday, the inaugural events for the USMTS National Championship Series are on tap with each night carrying a $4,000 top prize and at least $400 to take the green flag in the main event.

The USMTS National Championship Series currently has 29 events and each will pay at least $4,000 to win with up to 30 cars taking the green flag in every feature race. The driver with the best 20 showings during the campaign will be named the 2012 USMTS National Champion and will take home a record $30,000 while the runner-up in the final ranking will get a cool $20,000 in the richest season-ending payoff in USMTS history.

Paul White won the first-ever USMTS event at the Royal Purple Raceway in 2007. Since then, trips to victory lane have also been made by Alan Mondus, Kelly Shryock, Jason Hughes, Tommy Weder Jr., Johnny Bone Jr., Zack VanderBeek, Jeremy Payne, Rodney Sanders, Ryan Gustin, John O Whittington, Chris Brown and Dereck Ramirez.

Hughes leads all drivers with five wins at the former Houston Raceway Park, but Ramirez comes into the event with the momentum after capturing back-to-back wins on the final two nights of the 5th Annual USMTS Winter Nationals in November.

Other drivers on the list for this blockbuster include defending USMTS National Champion Ryan Gustin, nine-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock, 2007 USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn, Zack VanderBeek, Johnny Scott, Rodney Sanders, Rick Beebe, Bryan Rowland, Chase Junghans, Grant Junghans, Shane Hebert, Randy Timms, Jeremy Payne, Steven Whiteaker Jr., Stormy Scott, Tyler Townsend, Dustin “Tater” Hyde, Tracy Denby Jr., Jason Thoennes, Joe Duvall, 2011 Lucas Oil MLRA Late Model Series champ John Anderson, four-time NCRA Modified national champ John Allen, defending Featherlite Fall Jamboree champ Terry Phillips, Jon Tesch, T.J. Herndon, Chris Henigan, Ron Keith, Jimmy Ray, Billy Turner, Rory Jordan, Larry Clevenger, Mike Sorensen, Michael Walker, Ben Stephens, Joe Marshall, Jimmy Ray, the father-son team of Fito and Jacob Gallardo, Southern New Mexico Speedway boss Royal Jones, Mark Dotson, Danny Barringer, Mark Smith, Rob Litton, Travis Johnson, Mississippi Thunder Speedway promoter Bob Timm and his son, Jake Timm.

THURSDAY PAYOFF:
Licensed – 1. $2000, 2. $1500, 3. $1000, 4. $800, 5. $700, 6. $600, 7. $500, 8. $450, 9. $400, 10. $350, 11. $320, 12. $300, 13. $275, 14-26. $250, Tow $80.
Non-Licensed – 1. $2000, 2. $1200, 3. $800, 4. $600, 5. $500, 6. $400, 7. $350, 8. $300, 9. $250, 10. $230, 11. $210, 12-26. $200, Tow $60.

FRIDAY PAYOFF:
Licensed – 1. $4000, 2. $2200, 3. $1600, 4. $1200, 5. $1000, 6. $800, 7. $700, 8. $600, 9. $550, 10. $500, 11. $475, 12. $450, 13. $425, 14-30. $400, Tow $100.
Non-Licensed – 1. $4000, 2. $2200, 3. $1500, 4. $1000, 5. $800, 6. $700, 7. $600, 8. $550, 9. $500, 10. $450, 11. $400, 12. $375, 13. $350, 14. $325, 15-30. $300, Tow $100.

SATURDAY PAYOFF:
Licensed – 1. $4000, 2. $2200, 3. $1600, 4. $1200, 5. $1000, 6. $800, 7. $700, 8. $600, 9. $550, 10. $500, 11. $475, 12. $450, 13. $425, 14-30. $400, Tow $100.
Non-Licensed – 1. $4000, 2. $2200, 3. $1500, 4. $1000, 5. $800, 6. $700, 7. $600, 8. $550, 9. $500, 10. $450, 11. $400, 12. $375, 13. $350, 14. $325, 15-30. $300, Tow $100.

ENTRY FEES:
On Thursday, early entry is $90 for licensed or $100 for non-licensed while at-the-track entry is $110 on race day. On Friday and Saturday, the early entry is $125 for licensed or $135 for non-licensed while entry on race day is $150. Drivers can still get the early entry rate through the end of practice on Wednesday night.

LICENSES:
There is no requirement to purchase a USMTS license to compete in any USMTS event. However, benefits enjoyed by licensed drivers include provisional starting spots, higher event purses and bonus payouts, increased tow money, discounted entry fees, points fund eligibility, increased media recognition, a personalized driver profile page on the USMTS website and more. The cost of a USMTS Casey’s Cup license is $150 and the cost of a USMTS National Championship license is $300.

RULES & PROCEDURES:
All USMTS rules apply. Qualifying will be done by heat race passing points and “B” Mains. Draw for heat race starting spot ends 15 minutes before hot laps. RACEceivers and AMB transponders are mandatory and available for rent or purchase from the USMTS. See complete rules at www.usmts.com.

HOTMOD PAYOFFS:
Thursday – 1. $500, 2. $300, 3. $200, 4. $170, 5. $150, 6. $130, 7. $110, 8. $100, 9. $90, 10. $80, 11. $70, 12. $65, 13. $60, 14. $55, 15-24. $50.
Friday – 1. $600, 2. $400, 3. $300, 4. $200, 5. $170, 6. $150, 7. $130, 8. $110, 9. $100, 10. $90, 11. $80, 12. $75, 13. $70, 14. $65, 15-24. $60.
Saturday – 1. $900, 2. $500, 3. $400, 4. $300, 5. $200, 6. $175, 7. $150, 8. $140, 9. $130, 10. $120, 11. $110, 12. $105, 13-24. $100.

The top-finishing HotMod drivers that have not raced a USMTS Modified or are not currently a USMTS Modified driver will get the following bonus money: Thursday – $100, $75, $50, $25; Friday – $150, $100, $75, $50, $25; Saturday – $200, $150, $100, $75, $50, $25.

A $100 bonus will be paid to any driver racing all three nights and not qualifying for the “A” Main on Saturday, and there is also a Hard Charger Award worth $100 each night too.

EVENT TIMES:
Practice on Wednesday will be from 6-9 p.m. On Thursday and Friday, the pit gate opens at 3 p.m., grandstands open at 5 and racing begins at 7. On Saturday, pit gates open at 3 p.m., grandstands open at 4 and the first heat race hits the track at 5:30.

TRACK INFO:
The Royal Purple Raceway is located just east of Houston on I-10 to exit 799, then 2.5 miles south on SH 99 (Grand Parkway), then 0.3 mile west on FM 565. For more information, call the track office at 281-383-7223 or visit www.royalpurpleraceway.com online.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like the USMTS on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Dominator Race Products, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, Beebe Heating & Air Conditioning, Brodix Cylinder Heads, DAY Motor Sports, Dirthead.com, Dirt Knights, DrySlik Dirt Trak Racewear, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Karl Performance Parts, Mesilla Valley Transportation, O’Brien Enterprises, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, Erson Cams, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, ISKY Racing Cams, The Joie of Seating, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Racing Head Service, Tiger Rear Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, WIX Filters.

USMTS engine builders, drivers rev up for another COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year battle

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Feb. 8) – Engine builders and the drivers of the United States Modified Touring Series will once again be rewarded for their efforts by COMP Cams for the fifth year in a row during the 2012 campaign.

The COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year Award was launched at the start of the 2008 season to recognize the masters of the horsepower-making craft whose dedication, hard work and unparalleled expertise propel the mud-slinging USMTS Modifieds around America's finest dirt ovals.

“USMTS puts on some of the most exciting and competitive Dirt Modified racing in the country,” said Chris Douglas, Vice President of Marketing for COMP Cams. “We’re proud to continue the long association between the performance minded staff at COMP Cams and the passionate drivers and teams that compete in grueling USMTS events all over the United States.

“We are fortunate to be in a position to be able to give something back to the racers and the racing community who use our products. We are also excited about sponsoring the USMTS Engine Builder of the Year competition, and we look forward to seeing a great field of racers this year.”

At the conclusion of the 2012 racing season, COMP Cams will dole out awards to the top five engine builders in the COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year standings. For the drivers, the top five in points at the conclusion of the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup and USMTS National Championship Series will be recognized, along with the top five in the USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifiers.

Additionally, COMP Cams will also be a cash contributor to the points funds for the series.

To be eligible for the nearly $5,000 in contingency awards, each competitor must possess a USMTS license and display the approved COMP Cams decal at each USMTS event with no competing valve train or cam company decals.

Mullins Race Engines emerged as the COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year for the second straight year in 2011. In all, 83 different engine builders scored points in the COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year competition.

For more than 33 years, the COMP Cams mission has never changed: to produce the highest-performing products possible, provide customers with superior service, and to lead the industry in technological development. While the COMP Performance Group has grown to multiple companies and hundreds of employees, we still retain the competitive spirit and desire to be the very best that has positioned COMP Cams as the absolute leader in valve train components.

COMP Cams has never forgotten that performance is defined by results – both at the track and on the street.

Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., COMP Cams employs the industry’s largest and most highly-trained engineering staff, and the most sophisticated manufacturing processes and test equipment in the world. The integration of research, engineering and development at COMP Cams consistently proves itself by out-performing the competition.

Whether you’re looking for horsepower, reliability or gas mileage, COMP Cams has the products that will deliver. For more information about COMP Cams, call toll-free 800-999-0853 or visit them online at www.compcams.com.

For the third straight year, the USMTS campaign will begin with a tripleheader at the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas. The 3rd Annual USMTS Spring Nationals will take place Feb. 16-18.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like the USMTS on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, Kevko Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, Beebe Heating & Air Conditioning, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Day Motor Sports, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com, DrySlik Dirt Trak Racewear, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Karl Performance Parts, Mesilla Valley Transportation, O’Brien Enterprises, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, Erson Cams, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, Isky Racing Cams, The Joie of Seating, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Racing Head Service, Tiger Rear Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, WIX Filters.

AERO Race Wheels joins USMTS family of contingency sponsors

ESTHERVILLE, Iowa (Feb. 3) – Officials from the United States Modified Touring Series announced today that AERO Race Wheels will be a contingency sponsor during the 2012 racing season for the drivers of the USMTS Casey’s Cup and USMTS National Championship Series.

Located in Estherville, Iowa, AERO Race Wheels was established in 1995 by current owner F.L. “Skip” Miller on the conviction that this company and its dedicated staff could provide higher quality wheels designed specifically to endure the tough requirements and conditions of the racing industry.

And there is no tougher testing ground on dirt than the drivers and machines of the USMTS.

In addition to contributing the record-setting points fund for this season, AERO Race Wheels will award certificates good for $40 off the purchase of two wheels to the last place finisher in every USMTS main event. Certificates valued at $1,500 will also be distributed at year's end.

“AERO Race Wheels is excited to be back on board with the USMTS,” said AERO Race Wheels Marketing Manager Kelli Peton. “We feel the organization provides a great racing environment for their racers.

“We put our customers first and we appreciate the loyalty the racer's have for our company.”

Since it’s founding, AERO Race Wheels has become the largest premier steel racing wheel supplier with a product line that speaks for itself. It's not an understatement to say that they have made their mark in the racing community in just a short time.

For more information about AERO Race Wheels, call toll-free 888-895-2376 or visit www.aeroracewheels.com online.

For the third straight year, the USMTS campaign will begin with a tripleheader at the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas. The 3rd Annual USMTS Spring Nationals will take place Feb. 16-18.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like the USMTS on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, Kevko Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, Beebe Heating & Air Conditioning, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Day Motor Sports, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com, DrySlik Dirt Trak Racewear, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Karl Performance Parts, Mesilla Valley Transportation, O’Brien Enterprises, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, Erson Cams, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, Isky Racing Cams, The Joie of Seating, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Racing Head Service, Tiger Rear Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, WIX Filters.

USMTS Casey’s Cup, National Championship Series openers set for Feb. 16-18 at Royal Purple Raceway

BAYTOWN, Texas (Jan. 30) – In less than three weeks, the nation’s elite dirt Modified drivers will begin their quest for a 2012 USMTS National Championship with the season openers for both the USMTS Casey’s Cup and new USMTS National Championship Series at the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas, Feb. 16-18.

One driver could walk away with $10,000 or more from the tripleheader at the 3/8-mile clay oval.

The engines fire up and drivers get an opportunity to fine-tune their machines during an open practice on Wednesday, Feb. 15, before the green flag unfurls for the first time on Thursday for the year’s first USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier with at least $2,000 going to the winner.

With 27 USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifiers on the schedule, drivers will be battling for a spot in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup, which will begin Aug. 9 at the Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo., and culminate Sept. 20-22 at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., during the 14th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree.

At the conclusion of the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup, the champion will earn a $15,000 paycheck.

On Friday and Saturday, the inaugural events for the USMTS National Championship Series are on tap with each night carrying a $4,000 top prize.

The USMTS National Championship Series currently has 29 events and each will pay at least $4,000 to win and $400 to start with up to 30 cars taking the green flag in every main event. The driver with the best 20 showings during the campaign will be named the 2012 USMTS National Champion and will take home a record $30,000 while the runner-up in the final ranking will get a cool $20,000 in the richest season-ending payoff in USMTS history.

Paul White won the first-ever USMTS event at the Royal Purple Raceway in 2007. Since then, trips to victory lane have also been made by Alan Mondus, Kelly Shryock, Jason Hughes, Tommy Weder Jr., Johnny Bone Jr., Zack VanderBeek, Jeremy Payne, Rodney Sanders, Ryan Gustin, John O Whittington, Chris Brown and Dereck Ramirez.

Hughes leads all drivers with five wins at the former Houston Raceway Park, but Ramirez comes into the event with the momentum after capturing back-to-back wins on the final two nights of the 5th Annual USMTS Winter Nationals in November.

Other drivers expected to compete for the checkered flag include Jon Tesch, Johnny Scott, Rick Beebe, Bryan Rowland, Corey Dripps, Jason Krohn, Stormy Scott, Jeremy Payne, Shane Hebert, Randy Timms, Chase Junghans, Grant Junghans, Austin Siebert, Bobby Malchus, Clyde Dunn Jr., Chase Allen, Steven Whiteaker Jr. and many more.

Limited Mods will also be running for $500 to win Thursday, $700 on Friday and $1,000 on Saturday. A $100 bonus will be paid to any driver racing all three nights and not qualifying for the “A” Main on Saturday. The event will be sanctioned by the USRA, with licensed USRA Western Flyer HotMod drivers earning national points toward the American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series.

Practice on Wednesday will be from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. On Thursday and Friday, the pit gate opens at 3:00 p.m., grandstands open at 5:00 and racing begins at 7:00. On Saturday, pit gates open at 3:00 p.m., grandstands open at 4:00 and the first heat race hits the track at 5:30.

The Royal Purple Raceway is located just east of Houston on I-10 to exit 799, then 2.5 miles south on SH 99 (Grand Parkway), then 0.3 mile west on FM 565. For more information, call the track office at 281-383-7223 or visit www.royalpurpleraceway.com online.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like the USMTS on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, Kevko Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, Beebe Heating & Air Conditioning, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Day Motor Sports, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com, DrySlik Dirt Trak Racewear, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Karl Performance Parts, Mesilla Valley Transportation, O’Brien Enterprises, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: Aero Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, Erson Cams, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, Isky Racing Cams, The Joie of Seating, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Racing Head Service, Tiger Rear Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, WIX Filters.

More dates added, 84 nights at 38 dirt ovals comprise 2012 USMTS campaign

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (Jan. 12) – Nine more events have been added to the calendar for the mud-slinging open-wheel machines of the United States Modified Touring Series, bringing the total to 84 nights of intense USMTS action in for the 2012 racing season.

Thirty-eight different venues in ten different states will host an event this year, and once again the best of the best dirt modified racers on the planet will tackle everything from historic high-speed half-mile ovals to high-banked quarter-mile bullrings that give race fans unequaled action that is extremely loud and incredibly close.

Set to host their first USMTS event ever, the RPM Speedway in Crandall, Texas, will showcase a USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier on Friday, May 11 – a perfect fit to fill the gap between Thursday night’s show at the Heart O’ Texas Speedway near Waco and Saturday’s tilt at the Cowtown Speedway in Kennedale.

There are currently 27 USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifiers on the schedule, with each race doling out at least $2,000 to the winner.

Drivers competing in USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifiers will be battling for a spot in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup, which will begin Aug. 9 at the Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo., and culminate Sept. 20-22 at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., during the 14th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree.

One more event has been added to this year’s ‘Hunt’ with the Nobles County Speedway in Worthington, Minn., picking up the Sunday, Aug. 19, date. All races during the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup will pay a minimum of $3,000 to win, with the 2012 USMTS Casey’s Cup champion pocketing $15,000 from the season-ending points fund.

Seven dates have also been added to the new USMTS National Championship Series, including a second stop penciled in at the Nobles County Speedway on Sunday, July 22.

Also added to the campaign for the elite USMTS National Championship Series is a stop at the Interstate Speedway in Jefferson, S.D., on Thursday, July 19 – the first USMTS event at the track since 2006.

A three-race swing through Iowa will kick off the month of August with the USMTS National Championship Series invading the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta, Mineral City Speedway in Fort Dodge and Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Aug. 1-3.

On Saturday, Aug. 25, the action heads north to the Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, N.D., followed by a visit to the Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D., for the seventh straight year on Sunday, Aug. 26.

The USMTS National Championship Series currently has 29 events and each will pay at least $4,000 to win and $400 to start with up to 30 cars taking the green flag in every main event. The driver with the best 20 showings during the USMTS National Championship Series will be named the 2012 USMTS National Champion and will take home a record $30,000 while the runner-up in the final ranking will get a cool $20,000.

For the third straight year, the campaign will begin and end with a tripleheader at the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas. The 3rd Annual USMTS Spring Nationals will take place Feb. 16-18 and the 6th Annual USMTS Winter Nationals happens Nov. 15-16.

The season-opening Thursday night at the 3/8-mile oval near Houston will be the first USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier, and the stakes are raised on Friday and Saturday with the first two events of the USMTS National Championship Series.

The two biggest-paying events in USMTS history will also return again in 2012.

The inaugural King of America Modified Nationals just wrapped up six weeks ago, and will move to March 28-31 for King of America II. Although the dates have changed, the format and location remains the same with three days of qualifying that leads up to the $15,000-to-win finale at the Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kan.

The Deer Creek Speedway will host the 2nd Annual World Modified Dirt Track Championship, Wednesday-
Saturday, July 25-28, with a top prize of $20,000 awaiting the winner again this time.

2012 USMTS SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Thu Feb 16 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Fri Feb 17 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX (USMTS National Championship Series)
Sat Feb 18 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX (USMTS National Championship Series)
Fri Mar 9 ... Heart O’ Texas Speedway, Elm Mott, TX (USMTS National Championship Series)
Sat Mar 10 ... Cowtown Speedway, Kennedale, TX (USMTS National Championship Series)
Fri Mar 16 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, KS (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Sat Mar 17 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, KS (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Fri Mar 23 ... LA Raceway, La Monte, MO (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Sat Mar 24 ... I-35 Speedway, Winston, MO (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Wed Mar 28 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, KS - King of America II
Thu Mar 29 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, KS - King of America II
Fri Mar 30 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, KS - King of America II
Sat Mar 31 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, KS - King of America II
Fri Apr 20 ... Valley Speedway, Grain Valley, MO (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Sat Apr 21 ... Salina Highbanks Speedway, Salina, OK (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Sun Apr 22 ... Monett Speedway, Monett, MO (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Thu Apr 26 ... Rice Lake Speedway, Rice Lake, WI (USMTS National Championship Series)
Fri Apr 27 ... Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI (USMTS National Championship Series)
Sat Apr 28 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN (USMTS National Championship Series)
Fri May 4 ... LA Raceway, La Monte, MO (USMTS National Championship Series)
Sat May 5 ... West Plains Motor Speedway, West Plains, MO (USMTS National Championship Series)
Thu May 10 ... Heart O’ Texas Speedway, Elm Mott, TX (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Fri May 11 ... RPM Speedway, Crandall, TX (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Sat May 12 ... Cowtown Speedway, Kennedale, TX (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Fri May 18 ... Southern Oklahoma Speedway, Ardmore, OK (USMTS National Championship Series)
Sat May 19 ... Route 66 Motor Speedway, Amarillo, TX (USMTS National Championship Series)
Wed May 23 ... I-35 Speedway, Mason City, IA (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Thu May 24 ... Highway 3 Raceway, Allison, IA (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Fri May 25 ... Chateau Raceway, Lansing, MN (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Sat May 26 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Sun May 27 ... Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, MN (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Fri Jun 1 ... Junction Motor Speedway, McCool Junction, NE (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Sat Jun 2 ... Junction Motor Speedway, McCool Junction, NE ($3,000 to win)
Fri Jun 8 ... Southern Oklahoma Speedway, Ardmore, OK (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Sat Jun 9 ... Route 66 Motor Speedway, Amarillo, TX (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Sun Jun 10 ... Beaver County Raceway, Beaver, OK (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Wed Jun 13 ... Amsoil Speedway, Superior, WI (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Fri Jun 15 ... Cedar Lake Speedway, Somerset, WI (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Sat Jun 16 ... Cedar Lake Speedway, Somerset, WI (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Fri Jun 22 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, KS (USMTS National Championship Series)
Sat Jun 23 ... Valley Speedway, Grain Valley, MO (USMTS National Championship Series)
Wed Jun 27 ... Mineral City Speedway, Fort Dodge, IA (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Thu Jun 28 ... Fairmont Raceway, Fairmont, MN (USMTS National Championship Series)
Fri Jun 29 ... Highway 3 Raceway, Allison, IA (USMTS National Championship Series)
Sat Jun 30 ... Upper Iowa Speedway, Decorah, IA (USMTS National Championship Series)
Sat Jul 7 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Thu Jul 12 ... I-35 Speedway, Winston, MO (USMTS National Championship Series)
Fri Jul 13 ... Lakeside Speedway, Kansas City, KS (USMTS National Championship Series)
Sat Jul 14 ... Great American Dirt Track, Jetmore, KS (USMTS National Championship Series)
Thu Jul 19 ... Interstate Speedway, Jefferson, SD (USMTS National Championship Series)
Fri Jul 20 ... I-80 Speedway, Greenwood, NE (USMTS National Championship Series)
Sat Jul 21 ... I-80 Speedway, Greenwood, NE (USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier)
Sun Jul 22 ... Nobles County Speedway, Worthington, MN (USMTS National Championship Series)
Wed Jul 25 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN - World Modified Dirt Track Championships
Thu Jul 26 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN - World Modified Dirt Track Championships
Fri Jul 27 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN - World Modified Dirt Track Championships
Sat Jul 28 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN - World Modified Dirt Track Championships
Wed Aug 1 ... Buena Vista Raceway, Alta, IA (USMTS National Championship Series)
Thu Aug 2 ... Mineral City Speedway, Fort Dodge, IA (USMTS National Championship Series)
Fri Aug 3 ... Cedar County Raceway, Tipton, IA (USMTS National Championship Series)
Thu Aug 9 ... Valley Speedway, Grain Valley, MO (Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup)
Fri Aug 10 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, KS (Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup)
Sat Aug 11 ... Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, MO (Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup)
Sun Aug 12 ... Monett Speedway, Monett, MO (Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup)
Wed Aug 15 ... Ogilvie Raceway, Ogilvie, MN (Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup)
Thu Aug 16 ... Rice Lake Speedway, Rice Lake, WI (Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup)
Fri Aug 17 ... Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI (Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup)
Sat Aug 18 ... Upper Iowa Speedway, Decorah, IA (Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup)
Sun Aug 19 ... Nobles County Speedway, Worthington, MN (Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup)
Sat Aug 25 ... Red River Valley Speedway, West Fargo, ND (USMTS National Championship Series)
Sun Aug 26 ... Huset’s Speedway, Brandon, SD (USMTS National Championship Series)
Wed Aug 29 ... Fairmont Raceway, Fairmont, MN (Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup)
Thu Aug 30 ... Highway 3 Raceway, Allison, IA (Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup)
Fri Aug 31 ... Chateau Raceway, Lansing, MN (Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup)
Sat Sep 1 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN (Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup)
Sun Sep 2 ... Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, MN (Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup)
Fri Sep 7 ... Ogilvie Raceway, Ogilvie, MN (USMTS National Championship Series)
Sat Sep 8 ... Ogilvie Raceway, Ogilvie, MN (USMTS National Championship Series)
Thu Sep 20 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN (Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup)
Fri Sep 21 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN (Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup)
Sat Sep 22 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN (Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup)
Thu Nov 15 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX - 6th Annual USMTS Winter Nationals
Fri Nov 16 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX - 6th Annual USMTS Winter Nationals
Sat Nov 17 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX - 6th Annual USMTS Winter Nationals

Thanks to the unwavering support of the fans, drivers, crews, families, track promoters, media and sponsors, more than $2 million is projected to be awarded in record purses and record points fund money during the 2012 racing season.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also follow the USMTS on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Day Motor Sports, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com, DrySlik Dirt Trak Racewear, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Karl Performance Parts, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, Erson Cams, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, ISKY Racing Cams, The Joie of Seating, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, RHS – Racing Head Service, Tiger Rear Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, WIX Filters

Deadline January 15 for USMTS awards banquet tickets

ALTOONA, Iowa (Jan. 5) – The deadline to get your reserved tickets for this year’s United States Modified Touring Series awards banquet is Monday, January 16.

The USMTS awards banquet is open to drivers, fans, media and sponsors. Tickets are available by calling 515-832-7944, Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

The awards banquet will be held Friday, January 20, at the Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino located at 1 Prairie Meadows Drive in Altoona, Iowa.

2011 USMTS National Champion Ryan Gustin, USMTS Rookie of the Year Jason Grimes plus many others will be honored at this year’s gala.

Tickets are $40 per person and include a Premier Dinner Buffet with the choice of three entrees, cash bar and a live comedian on stage following the awards ceremony. Business casual attire is recommended.

In addition, the awards for drivers competing in the USRA Weekly Racing Series will also be honored.

Adventureland Inn will be the host hotel for the banquet with shuttles to and from Prairie Meadows. There are currently about 100 rooms available for Friday night at a rate of $89. Call 515-265-7321 to reserve your room today using the promotion code USMTS/USRA.

Social hour runs from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., dinner will be from 7:00 to 8:00, the USRA awards presentations will take place from 8:00 to 9:00 and the USMTS awards will be handed out from 9:00 to 10:00.

For more information about the Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino, check out www.prairiemeadows.com.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also follow the USMTS on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Day Motor Sports, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com, DrySlik Dirt Trak Racewear, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Karl Performance Parts, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, Erson Cams, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, ISKY Racing Cams, The Joie of Seating, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, RHS – Racing Head Service, Tiger Rear Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, WIX Filters.

Tickets for King of America Modified Nationals II on sale Tuesday

HUMBOLDT, Kan. (Jan. 1) –- Race fans can start snatching up tickets for the King of America Modified Nationals II beginning this Tuesday, Jan. 3.

The nation’s elite dirt Modified drivers are expected to descend again on the historic Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kan., for the $15,000-to-win, $1,500-to-start event slated for Wednesday through Saturday, March 28-31.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.usmts.com or by calling 515-832-7944 beginning Tuesday. Four-day reserved tickets are $75. Single-day tickets on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are $20 each while Saturday’s show is $25. All single-day tickets are general admission and will only be sold on the night of the races.

The inaugural running of the extravaganza took place a little more than 10 weeks ago, and fans were treated to four nights of extraordinary close action that culminated with a 75-lap championship main event won by nine-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock.

The qualifying features on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday each ended with a pass for the lead during the last five laps of the race.

While officials decided to move the show to March for this and future runnings of the event, the program will feature the same one-of-a-kind format that was utilized for the October race.

Drivers register to qualify on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, but may also purchase a “mulligan” that allows them to attempt to qualify a second day if they aren’t satisfied with their result on their first day.

Group time trials will be staged each of the first three days, followed by heat races and main events with drivers earning points for their performances in each. The top-6 points earners each day will earn one of 18 guaranteed starting spots in Saturday’s championship race, with the highest overall points earner during the three days of qualifying garnering the pole for the big dance.

Saturday’s program will feature an “alphabet soup” of main events that will culminate with a 30-car starting field for the championship race that will feature a three-wide start. Even if a driver has some tough luck during qualifying, he or she still has the chance to climb the ladder of main events on Saturday to earn a spot in the finale.

Nearly $80,000 has been earmarked for Saturday’s “A” Main alone, with a total purse of more than $130,000 posted for the four-day extravaganza.

The Humboldt Speedway is a located 0.1 mile west of US 169 at the Humboldt Exit, then 0.5 mile south, then 0.9 mile east on Georgia Rd. For more information call 620-431-2470 (office) or 620-473-3694 (track) or visit www.humboldtspeedway.com.

B-Mods will also be a part of the event, racing for a stout purse too. Each day will be a complete and separate show with $300, $400, $500 and $1,000 to win on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Any B-Mod driver racing three or four nights will not have any entry fee – only pit passes – and may purchase a four-day pit pass for $125 (a savings of $20). Drivers only wanting to race the last two nights or Saturday night only will be charged a $75 entry fee.

Humboldt Speedway’s B-Mod rules will be used, and are very similar to USRA B-Mod rules. Drivers with rules questions are asked to call the track’s tech director Carl Flowers at 785-640-6104 or check out http://www.humboldtspeedway.com online for more information.

For camping, ATV and/or golf cart permits, call 620-473-3694.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also follow the USMTS on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Day Motor Sports, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com, DrySlik Dirt Trak Racewear, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Karl Performance Parts, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, Erson Cams, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, ISKY Racing Cams, The Joie of Seating, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, RHS – Racing Head Service, Tiger Rear Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, WIX Filters.