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USMTS invades Junction Motor Speedway this weekend for 8th Annual Nebraska Spring Thaw

McCOOL JUNCTION, Neb. (June 1) -- The USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour powered by Swan Energy will return to action this weekend as the nation’s elite open-wheel modified drivers make their annual trek to the Cornhusker State for the eighth straight year this Friday and Saturday, June 3-4, for the 8th Annual Nebraska Spring Thaw at the Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb.

Originally scheduled for early March but postponed by inclement weather, Friday’s feature winner will garner $2,000 while a top prize of $3,000 is set aside for the driver visiting victory lane on Saturday.

Ryan Gustin scored the first of his series-best sixteen wins last year at the Junction Motor Speedway. Making just his second start in his new ride with the Gressel Racing team, “The Reaper” started on the pole and beat Jon Tesch to the turn at the drop of the green flag, then fought off every challenge from the “Wizard of Watertown” for the entire 30-lapper.

Gustin returns to JMS this weekend for the 2011 season’s first points race in the Farm Boy BBQ Sauce Great Plains Region. The 20-year-old phenom from Marshalltown, Iowa, has collected 11 feature wins this season already, and 26 altogether since last year’s triumph at the 3/8-mile high-banked JMS oval.

He currently leads the points in four of the other five USMTS regions and is on a three-race win streak after capturing three of the four main events this past Memorial Day Weekend.

In addition to Gustin and Tesch, other past Nebraska Spring Thaw champions expected this weekend include two other stars of the Dirt Knights television show – two-time winner Al Hejna and 2005 event champion Corey Dripps – along with nine-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock, who captured the debut event at the Junction Motor Speedway in 2004, plus dozens more of the rugged USMTS road warriors.

Race time is set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The first heat race on Saturday takes the green flag at 7 p.m. Hobby Stocks and Four-Cylinders will join the action on Friday while Saturday’s racing card will be rounded out with NASCAR Late Models, NASCAR B-Modifieds and NASCAR Stock Cars.

Camelot Inn and Suites is located just five minutes north of the racetrack and is offering a special rate for USMTS fans. To book your reservation, call 402-362-6885 or visit www.camelotyork.com online.

Located five miles south of I-80 on US 81, the Junction Motor Speedway is a state-of-the-art facility entering its eighth year of operation. The track is a super-fast, 3/8-mile clay oval boasting 80-foot-wide straight-aways, making for a lot of racing room for the drivers and a lot of wheel-to-wheel action for fans. For more information, call 402-773-5538 or check out www.junctionmotorspeedway.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, 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, 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.