|
|
|
|
|
OSKALOOSA, Iowa (May 23, 2011) – Five days of cash and chaos is up next for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour powered by Swan Energy as the series heads north for their traditional Memorial Day Weekend swing this Wednesday through Sunday, May 25-29. This will be the tenth straight year for the Memorial Day Weekend pentathlon through Iowa and Minnesota that annually draws dozens of the region’s best open-wheel modified drivers to five of the most popular dirt ovals in America’s heartland. And while the USMTS four-wide parade lap featuring each driver displaying the American Flag has become a renowned tradition to race fans everywhere, the show takes on special meaning this weekend as fans, drivers, officials and sponsors remember the fighting men and women of the United States military who, through their sacrifices, make it possible for all of us to enjoy the greatest spectator sport on the planet. Action kicks off at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, followed on Thursday by another Arnold Motor Supply Central States Region clash at the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, Iowa. Friday will find the rugged USMTS road warriors at the Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minn., for the first contest in the mega-tough Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region. On Saturday, it’s the first trip of the 2011 season to the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., and the weekend wraps up on Sunday in Kasson, Minn., at the Dodge County Speedway. Each event will pay $2,000 to win and a minimum $250 to start. Race fans can pick up $2-off general admission coupons for each show on race day at area Casey’s General Stores. Check out www.caseys.com to find the location nearest you. WEDNESDAY, MAY 25 — SOUTHERN IOWA SPEEDWAY, OSKALOOSA, IA It all gets started this Wednesday as the fearless lead-footed USMTS pilots invade the ‘Mahaska County Monster’ for the 10th Annual Arnold Motor Supply Spring Classic. The event will mark the 33rd time the United States Modified Touring Series has churned the clay at the Mahaska County Monster, with Kelly Shryock laying claim to 11 of the previous 32 checkered flags. His last win, however, came nearly five years ago on Aug. 2, 2006 Last year it was Ryan Gustin who snared the first of two stops at Osky – both of them wins for the 20-year-old from Marshalltown, Iowa. Drivers with multiple wins at the Southern Iowa Speedway include Brad Pinkerton, Jason Krohn, Tommy Myer, John VanDenBerg and Chris Spieker with two wins each. Other former winners at Oskaloosa include Tony Fraise, Dan Bohr, Bruce Hanford, Mark Noble, Zack VanderBeek, Jason Hughes and Al Hejna. Joining the USMTS Modifieds will be the Iron Man Challenge for Stock Cars and B-Mods with USRA Hobby Stocks. USRA Weekly Racing Series track and national points will be awarded in the Stock Car, B-Mod and Hobby Stock divisions. Grandstands open for general admission seating at 5:30 p.m., hot laps begin at 7:15 and racing starts at 7:30. Race fans can stop by the Casey’s General Store in Oskaloosa on Wednesday and pick up a coupon worth $2 off an adult ticket for the show that night. The Southern Iowa Speedway is located 0.5 mile west of US 63 on SR 92 (A Ave. West), then 0.3 mile north on N. I St. (at the Southern Iowa Fairgrounds). Day-of-race information is available by calling 641-673-7004 or online at www.raceosky.com. THURSDAY, MAY 26 — HIGHWAY 3 RACEWAY, ALLISON, IA On Thursday, the rugged USMTS road warriors head north to the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, Iowa, for the 9th Annual Butler County Spring Clash and the third points race in the Arnold Motor Supply Central States Region. Corey Dripps captured last year’s event for his first win at the half-mile clay oval. Kelly Shryock has three wins at the facility and Kevin Pittman has two at the former Butler County Speedway. Other past winners at the Highway 3 Raceway include Jon Tesch, John Logue, Mike Sorensen, Johnny Saathoff, Ryan Ruter, Mark Noble, Mike Hejna, Tim Donlinger and Ryan Gustin, who won his first of 32 career USMTS main event here on Aug. 28, 2008, at the age of 17. The event will kick off with spectator gates opening at 5 p.m. Hot laps begin at 6:30 and racing starts at 7. Also on the card Thursday evening will be the Iron Man Challenge for USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Cars and USRA Karl Performance Parts B-Mods. Race fans can pick up $2-off coupons on race day at the Casey's General Stores locations in Allison, Aplington and Clarksville. The Highway 3 Raceway is located 0.3 miles north of SR 3 on S. Main St. (at the Butler County Fairgrounds). For more information, call 319-267-9977 or check out www.highway3raceway.com online. FRIDAY, MAY 27 — CHATEAU RACEWAY, LANSING, MN Friday will find the series at Darin Toot’s Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minn., for the 4th Annual Guttormson Memorial and the year’s first race in the Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region. The 1/3-mile semi-banked clay oval always provides for exciting side-by-side racing from the drop of the first green flag to the final checkered flag. Doug Hillson has been a steady fixture on the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour powered by Swan Energy during the twelve-year history of America’s most popular dirt Modified series. At 53 years of age, the Blooming Prairie veteran ventured into unfamiliar territory in last year’s event with a trip to victory lane to the delight of the standing-room-only crowd. Other former USMTS event winners at the Chateau Raceway include Jason Hughes, Tim Donlinger, Jason Krohn, Tommy Myer, Jon Tesch, Kelly Shryock and Mike Chasteen. Tesch won last September to become the only driver to have two USMTS main event wins to his credit at the lightning-fast Lansing bullring. Gates open at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 7 and racing to follow. Also racing Friday night will be Midwest Mods, Pure Stocks and Hornets. Race fans can pick up $2-off grandstand admission coupons on race day at Casey's General Store in Austin, Stewartville, Rochester and Owatonna. The Chateau Raceway is located 5.0 miles north of Austin on US 218 to the Lansing exit, then 1.3 miles eat on CR 2, then 0.4 mile south on CR 25, then 0.3 mile east . For more info, call 507-391-2486 or 507-433-4578 on raceday or visit www.chateauraceway.net. SATURDAY, MAY 28 — DEER CREEK SPEEDWAY, SPRING VALLEY, MN On Saturday, it's the first of several occasions this season that the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour powered by Swan Energy will tackle the popular Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn. The 9th Annual A&A Electric Southern MN Spring Challenge will pit some of the best Modified drivers in the nation against arguably the toughest field of weekly racers on the planet. The Deer Creek Speedway sits on 60 acres with one of America’s most popular state-of-the-art racing complexes. More USMTS main events have been staged at ‘The Creek’ than any other racetrack, and Saturday’s feature race will be the 49th here in the 13-year history of the United States Modified Touring Series. Kelly Shryock won the first-ever race here on May 25, 2002, and has taken home the most hardware from the high-banked 3/8-mile oval with nine career wins. Jason Hughes has six and Tim Donlinger is a fiver-time winner while Corey Dripps, Ryan Ruter, Zack VanderBeek and Terry Phillips have two victories each. Drivers with one victory in their pocket include Mike Sorensen, Jason Cummins, Tommy Myer, Dean Mahlstedt, Jon Tesch, Jason Krohn, Steve Arpin, Chad Kinder, Mark Burgtorf, Brad McEwan, Mike Spaulding, Mike Hejna, Les Duellman, Dan Chapman, Dan Daniels, Tony Fraise, Darin Walker, Mark Noble and Steve Wetzstein. The Iron Man Challenge will make its third stop of the weekend on Saturday with USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Cars joining the action. Midwest Mods and Street Stocks will also join the line-up (no USRA B-Mods or Late Models this week). Grandstands gates open at 3 p.m. with $1 beer, pop and hot dogs available from 3-4 p.m. Races start at 5 p.m. Order your tickets now on-line at www.deercreekspeedway.com or by calling 877-DCS-RACE. Race fans can pick up $2-off grandstand admission coupons on race day at Casey's General Store in Austin, Stewartville, Rochester and Owatonna. The Deer Creek Speedway is located 11.3 miles south of I-90 (exit 209) on US 63 (0.7 mile north of SR 16). For more info, call toll-free 877-DCS-RACE or 507-346-2342 on raceday or visit www.deercreekspeedway.com online. SUNDAY, MAY 29 — DODGE COUNTY SPEEDWAY, KASSON, MN Set your TIVO or DVR to record the Indy 500 and World 600 because the best racing on Sunday will be at the Dodge County Speedway in Kasson, Minn., for the 10th Annual Stars & Stripes Shootout. The Dodge County Speedway dates back to the early 1940s as a horse track turned auto racing track. The Dodge County Fair will celebrate its 154th annual free fair in 2010 and has always held racing close to its heart. Sunday’s show will be the 28th time the USMTS Modifieds have taken the green flag at the speedplant. Tommy Myer captured the checkered flag in last year’s Stars & Stripes Shootout for his third career win here. Kelly Shryock tops the list with four career wins at the Dodge County Speedway while Jason Hughes owns three victories. Jon Tesch, Brad Waits, Todd Scharkey and Dan Chapman are two-time winners while Ryan Gustin, Mike Hejna, Mike Sorensen, Corey Dripps, Nate Wasmund, Scott Megonigle, Chris Spieker and Mike Chasteen have one win each. The Dodge County Fairgrounds grandstands will open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 5:30 and the first heat race getting the green flag at 6 p.m. USRA Karl Performance Parts B-Mods, Midwest Mods, Super Stocks and Street Stocks are also on tap for Sunday's show. The Dodge County Speedway is located 1.1 mile north of US 14 on SR 57 (at the Dodge County Fairgrounds). For more info, call 651 226-3706 or 507 634-6400 on raceday or visit www.dodgecountyspeedway.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 follow the USMTS on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 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, Dirt Track Racing School, 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, Schwab’s Tinker Shop, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine. USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, 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, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, WIX Filters.
|
