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WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (January 8, 2011) - The long-awaited debut of Dirt Knights aired last Sunday on the VERSUS cable sports network to the delight of tens of thousands of racing fans worldwide who huddled in local bars and the comfort of their own living rooms to witness the most exciting form of auto racing – open-wheel dirt Modifieds – in High Definition.

While the seemingly eternal wait for the premiere has now been satisfied, the first of thirteen nail-biting episodes only whetted racing fans’ appetite for the next installment of the dirt track racing docu-drama.

Dirt Knights is an on-going dramatic series of one-hour programs that airs twice a week for 13 weeks, with each episode reaching more than 75 million households.

Corey Dripps, Ryan Gustin, Al Hejna, Dereck Ramirez, Mike Spaulding and Jon Tesch are the Dirt Knights, and the cameras follow the band of mud-slinging motorheads night after night and from town to town as they seek out a life of danger and on-the-edge-thrills in their quest for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship.

Sunday’s premiere broadcast was the realization of a dream for Dripps and Spaulding.

“This is a project that has been in the works for more than two years now,” said Dripps. “For some, racing is a hobby and for others it’s how we make our living, but either way, we all love and respect this sport. We hope that people will tune in and be entertained, but at the same time we want to convey what the racing life is really all about.”

The life of an American dirt track racer is not one that many could endure, but for the Dirt Knights it’s the only life worth living. Through the miracle of television, we all get to go along for the ride.

“We want to say thanks for all of the great feedback and comments we’ve received from fans and people in the racing industry since the first show aired,” said Spaulding. “We promise to continue to do our best to live up to their expectations.”

Filming of Dirt Knights began in June and continued through September, capturing the action as the drivers battled scorching summer heat and flash floods off the track during the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship.

The first episode introduced viewers to the Dirt Knights cast of characters and featured some great on-track action from the North Central Speedway and Elko Speedway in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

“Back to Basics” – Episode 2 of Dirt Knights – will follow Tesch as he moves forward and sets out to make his own way when the series visits the Casino Speedway in his hometown of Watertown, S.D. Dripps continues his comeback and “Mr. Excitement” is as fast as ever at the Cresco Speedway in Cresco, Iowa, while Ryan Gustin and the Gressel Racing team are up in arms and a regional championship might be out the window. The second installment of Dirt Knights will also have action from the Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, N.D., where NASCAR legend Ken Schrader looks to earn his first USMTS victory.

New one-hour episodes air on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. Eastern (5:00 p.m. Central) in High Definition on VERSUS – the fastest growing cable sports network in the nation. Replays of the Sunday shows air on Thursdays at 5:00 p.m. Eastern (4:00 p.m. Central). VERSUS can be found on DIRECTV (channel 603), DISH Network (channel 151) and regionally on most cable systems, including Charter, Comcast, Mediacom, Time Warner and more. Check your local listings or your cable provider for channels and availability in your area.

Visit www.dirtknights.com on the World Wide Web for more information or to view the trailer. Also look for Dirt Knights on Facebook and Twitter.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. For sponsorship and marketing inquiries, call 515-297-3935 or email media@usmts.com. You can also follow the USMTS on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, AwesomeRacesuits.com, GoPro, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, Kevko Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Allstar Performance, Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, Bad Boy Mowers, Bear Tire, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Cagle Motorsports, DandyLand Farms, Day Motor Sports, Dirt Track Racing School, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com, Falcon Wind Power, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Gressel Oil Field Service, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Just Say Yes, Karl Performance Parts, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Ai-Racing, Belleville Motorsports, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, COMP Cams, Dynatech Racing Exhaust, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, GRT Race Cars, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, Isky Racing Cams, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, QuickTime Inc, Real Racing Wheels, RHS – Racing Head Service, Schoenfeld Headers, US Brake, Willy’s Carburetor & Dyno Shop, WIX Filters.