Regional alignments set for 2011 USMTS National Tour

[NickHolt]

Regional alignments set for 2011 USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour powered by Swan Energy

 

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (Feb. 14) -- Officials from the United States Modified Touring Series have revealed the 2011 regional alignments for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour powered by Swan Energy.

 

For the 13th straight season, the rugged USMTS road warriors will open-wheel modified fans in America's heartland with an aggressive campaign featuring a whopping 94 nights of racing at 54 different venues in 12 different States.

 

With the incorporation of the USMTS Southern Series into the National Tour, this year’s slate is divided into six regions where drivers can compete for lucrative regional points funds and earn a chance to compete for the crown in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship powered by Swan Energy.

 

Each of the six regions are worth up to $2,500 for the highest points earner while the 2011 USMTS National Champion will earn $20,000.

 

The 2011 campaign will kick off Feb. 17-19 at the Royal Purple Raceway (formerly Houston Raceway Park) in Baytown, Texas, for the first race in the newly-formed Southeast Region.

 

Eleven events over four weekends are scheduled, with six of those races happening at the Royal Purple Raceway.

 

Drivers ranked among the top-10 in points or with perfect attendance in the Southeast Region after March 26 will earn a spot in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship powered by Swan Energy.

 

Southeast Region:

Thu, Feb 17 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX ($2,000)

Fri, Feb 18 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX ($2,000)

Sat, Feb 19 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX ($3,000)

Fri, Mar 18 ... Golden Triangle Raceway Park, Beaumont, TX ($2,000)

Sat, Mar 19 ... Gator Motorplex, Willis, TX ($2,000)

Thu, Mar 24 ... Rose Bowl Speedway, Winona, TX ($2,000)

Fri, Mar 25 ... Boothill Speedway, Greenwood, LA ($2,000)

Sat, Mar 26 ... Lonestar Speedway, Kilgore, TX ($2,000)

Thu, Nov 17 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX ($2,000)

Fri, Nov 18 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX ($3,000)

Sat, Nov 19 ... Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, TX ($4,000)

 

Action moves to the Cornhusker State two weeks later as the Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., hosts the 8th Annual Nebraska Spring Thaw on Friday and Saturday, March 4-5, for the first two of a dozen events comprising the Great Plains Region.

 

Six of the twelve shows will be staged during a six-day, six-track, three-state swing from Tuesday, June 7, through Sunday, June 12.

 

The Great Plains Region champion will emerge from a doubleheader on Friday and Saturday, June 22-23, at Nebraska Raceway Park’s I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb.

 

Great Plains Region:

Fri, Mar 4 ... Junction Motor Speedway, McCool Junction, NE ($2,000)

Sat, Mar 5 ... Junction Motor Speedway, McCool Junction, NE ($3,000)

Tue, Jun 7 ... Huset’s Speedway, Brandon, SD ($2,000)

Wed, Jun 8 ... Red River Valley Speedway, West Fargo, ND ($2,000)

Thu, Jun 9 ... Casino Speedway, Watertown, SD ($2,000)

Fri, Jun 10 ... Brown County Speedway, Aberdeen, SD ($2,000)

Sat, Jun 11 ... Jamestown Speedway, Jamestown, ND ($2,000)

Sun, Jun 12 ... Nobles County Speedway, Worthington, MN ($2,000)

Thu, Jun 23 ... Park Jefferson Speedway, Jefferson, SD ($2,000)

Fri, Jun 24 ... Rapid Speedway, Rock Rapids, IA ($2,000)

Fri, Jul 22 ... Nebraska Raceway Park, Greenwood, NE ($2,000)

Sat, Jul 23 ... Nebraska Raceway Park, Greenwood, NE ($2,000)

 

Ten events are on tap in the highly competitive Mo-Kan Region, where the touring USMTS titans open up action on Friday, March 11, at the Mid America Speedway in South Coffeyville, Okla., and Saturday, March 12, at the Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kan.

 

Less than two months later, the Mo-Kan Region champion will be revealed and another batch of drivers will be qualified for ‘The Hunt’ when the series invades the Monett Speedway in Monett, Mo., on Sunday, May 1.

 

Mo-Kan Region:

Fri, Mar 11 ... Mid America Speedway, South Coffeyville, OK ($2,000)

Sat, Mar 12 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, KS ($2,000)

Fri, Apr 1 ... LA Raceway, La Monte, MO ($2,000)

Fri, Apr 15 ... Valley Speedway, Grain Valley, MO ($2,000)

Sat, Apr 16 ... Central Missouri Speedway, Warrensburg, MO ($2,000)

Sun, Apr 17 ... 71 Speedway, Butler, MO ($2,000)

Thu, Apr 28 ... Tri-State Speedway, Pocola, OK ($2,000)

Fri, Apr 29 ... Outlaw Motor Speedway, Oktaha, OK ($2,000)

Sat, Apr 30 ... West Siloam Speedway, West Siloam Springs, OK ($2,000)

Sun, May 1 ... Monett Speedway, Monett, MO ($2,000)

 

The Farm Boy BBQ Sauce Central States Region gets cookin’ on Saturday, April 2, when the USMTS Modifieds venture to the I-35 Speedway in Winston, Mo., for the first time since the 2003 season.

 

Three events in Illinois and four in Iowa will complete the slate with the regional finale at the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta, Iowa, on Wednesday, June 22.

 

Farm Boy BBQ Sauce Central States Region:

Sat, Apr 2 ... I-35 Speedway, Winston, MO ($2,000)

Fri, May 13 ... Lincoln Speedway, Lincoln, IL ($2,000)

Sat, May 14 ... Spoon River Speedway, Lewistown, IL ($2,000)

Sun, May 15 ... Quincy Raceways, Quincy, IL ($2,000)

Wed, May 25 ... Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, IA ($2,000)

Thu, May 26 ... Highway 3 Raceway, Allison, IA ($2,000)

Mon, Jun 13 ... Mineral City Speedway, Fort Dodge, IA ($2,000)

Tue, Jun 14 ... I-35 Speedway, Mason City, IA ($2,000)

Wed, Jun 22 ... Buena Vista Raceway, Alta, IA ($2,000)

 

With events in Oklahoma and Texas, the Southwest Region could be racing’s version of the Red River Rivalry.

 

The first three blockbuster battles are expected to draw big fields as those shows are also three of the last four events in the Mo-Kan Region.

 

Southwest Region:

Thu, Apr 28 ... Tri-State Speedway, Pocola, OK ($2,000)

Fri, Apr 29 ... Outlaw Motor Speedway, Oktaha, OK ($2,000)

Sat, Apr 30 ... West Siloam Speedway, West Siloam Springs, OK ($2,000)

Thu, May 5 ... Heart O’ Texas Speedway, Elm Mott, TX ($2,000)

Fri, May 6 ... RPM Speedway, Crandall, TX ($2,000)

Sat, May 7 ... Cowtown Speedway, Kennedale, TX ($2,000)

Thu, May 19 ... Thunderbird Speedway, Muskogee, OK ($2,000)

Fri, May 20 ... Brill Motor Speedway, Meeker, OK ($2,000)

Sat, May 21 ... Route 66 Motor Speedway, Amarillo, TX ($2,000)

Sun, May 22 ... Enid Speedway, Enid, OK ($2,000)

 

Racing action in two regions will already be complete by the time the first event in the Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region takes place on Friday, May 27, at the Chateau Raceway in Lansing, Minn.

 

Four of the ten tracks in the Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region will also host events during the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship powered by Swan Energy.

 

Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region:

Fri, May 27 ... Chateau Raceway, Lansing, MN ($2,000)

Sat, May 28 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN ($2,000)

Sun, May 29 ... Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, MN ($2,000)

Wed, Jun 15 ... Cresco Speedway, Cresco, IA ($2,000)

Thu, Jun 16 ... Central Wisconsin Raceway, Unity, WI ($2,000)

Fri, Jun 17 ... Cedar Lake Speedway, New Richmond, WI ($2,000)

Sat, Jun 18 ... Cedar Lake Speedway, New Richmond, WI ($3,000)

Tue, Jun 21 ... Fairmont Raceway, Fairmont, MN ($2,000)

Sat, Jun 25 ... North Central Speedway, Brainerd, MN ($2,000)

Fri, Jul 15 ... Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI ($2,000)

Sat, Jul 16 ... Elko Speedway, Elko, MN ($2,000)

Sun, Jul 17 ... Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, MN ($2,000)

 

For the second straight year, the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship powered by Swan Energy will begin at the Great American Dirt Track in Jetmore, Kan., where Kelly Shryock nipped Ryan Gustin in a photo finish.

 

In 2011, ‘The Hunt’ is comprised of the final 22 races of the season. Points are awarded at regional events, with the top-10 in the final standings of each region and those with perfect attendance in any region earning a spot in the season-ending title chase.

 

The USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour presented by Swan Energy will return to the Deer Creek Speedway for the 13th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 22-24.

 

The Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship powered by Swan Energy:

Thu, Aug 11 ... Great American Dirt Track, Jetmore, KS ($3,000)

Fri, Aug 12 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, KS ($3,000)

Sat, Aug 13 ... Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, MO ($3,000)

Sun, Aug 14 ... Monett Speedway, Monett, MO ($3,000)

Wed, Aug 17 ... Ogilvie Raceway, Ogilvie, MN ($3,000)

Thu, Aug 18 ... Rice Lake Speedway, Rice Lake, WI ($3,000)

Fri, Aug 19 ... Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI ($3,000)

Sat, Aug 20 ... Upper Iowa Speedway, Decorah, IA ($3,000)

Sun, Aug 21 ... Nobles County Speedway, Worthington, MN ($3,000)

Thu, Aug 25 ... I-35 Speedway, Winston, MO ($3,000)

Fri, Aug 26 ... Cedar County Raceway, Tipton, IA ($3,000)

Sat, Aug 27 ... Hamilton County Speedway, Webster City, IA ($3,000)

Thu, Sep 1 ... Highway 3 Raceway, Allison, IA ($3,000)

Fri, Sep 2 ... Chateau Raceway, Lansing, MN ($3,000)

Sat, Sep 3 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN ($3,000)

Sun, Sep 4 ... Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, MN ($3,000)

Fri, Sep 16 ... Outlaw Motor Speedway, Oktaha, OK ($3,000)

Sat, Sep 17 ... Salina Highbanks Speedway, Salina, OK ($3,000)

Sun, Sep 18 ... 71 Speedway, Butler, MO ($3,000)

Thu, Sep 22 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN ($3,000)

Fri, Sep 23 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN ($4,000)

Sat, Sep 24 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN ($6,000)

 

For the fans, the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship powered by Swan Energy serves as a “playoff” for the ultimate prize in open-wheel dirt modified racing.

 

While handicapping gives a slight advantage to the drivers that compete on the entire National Tour circuit, any of the qualified drivers have a legitimate shot at capturing the crown.

 

Jason Hughes of Westville, Okla., is the defending USMTS National Champion, and also won last year’s USMTS Southern Series title – his third straight.

 

Former USMTS National Champions include Kelly Shryock (1999-2006, 2009), Jason Krohn (2007) and Tim Donlinger (2008).

 

In addition to his nine USMTS National Champion trophies, Shryock also captured the 2007 USMTS Southern Series crown.

 

In all of organized auto racing, only Steve Kinser’s 20 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series titles and John Force’s career 14 NHRA Drag Racing Series championships rival Shryock’s tally.

 

A pair of huge four-day non-points events are also on the 2011 USMTS schedule, including the $20,000-to-win World Modified Dirt Track Championship, April 6-9, at the Deer Creek Speedway, and a $15,000-to-win showdown, Oct. 19-22, at the Humboldt Speedway.

 

To date, 133 drivers have already entered the World Modified Dirt Track Championship which will surely break the all-time car count record for a USMTS-sanctioned event set at the 2003 Featherlite Fall Jamboree with 137 competitors competing over three days.

 

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.