O’REILLY USMTS ANNOUNCES 2006 SCHEDULE
by: Jeff Nun

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (Jan. 3, 2006) - The eighth season of the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series will bring the rugged road warriors to at least 30 different venues in 10 Midwestern States during the 2006 campaign, Series officials announced today.

The tentative schedule is highlighted with return engagements to 21 facilities that hosted the O’Reilly USMTS in 2005, as well as eight new venues encompassing some of the most exciting dirt ovals in the Midwest.

For the third straight year, the O’Reilly USMTS will open the season with a two-day show Friday and Saturday, March 10-11, at the state-of-the-art Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., followed by the 4th Annual Kansas Spring Thaw on Friday and Saturday, March 17-18, at the lightning-fast Thunderhill Speedway in Mayetta, Kan.

The Series then makes its first-ever visit to the Bloomfield (Iowa) Speedway on Friday, March 31. Teams will load 'em up and haul 'em about 45 minutes south to the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo., for another $2,000-to-win show on Saturday, April 1. The next weekend, the O’Reilly USMTS visits the tight and tricky Hancock County Speedway in Britt, Iowa, on Friday, April 7, before making the first of four treks to the big half-mile Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, on Saturday, April 8.

The month of May kicks off with the 3rd Annual Missouri Nationals at a trio of the Show-Me State's most popular speedplants. Bolivar (Mo.) Speedway USA will host the opener for the tripleheader on Friday, May 12, followed by a date at Lebanon (Mo.) I-44 Speedway on Saturday, May 13, and Monett (Mo.) Speedway on Sunday, May 14.

Throughout the 2006 racing season, the O’Reilly USMTS will make 2005 encore stops at Park Jefferson (S.D.) Speedway, Murray County Speedway in Slayton, Minn., Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., Dodge County Speedway in Kasson, Minn., Thunderhill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., Langlade County Speedway in Antigo, Wis., Fox Ridge Speedway in Arcadia, Wis., Highway 3 Raceway in Allison, Iowa, Cresco (Iowa) Speedway, Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa, Casino Speedway in Watertown, S.D., Knox County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Ill., and Upper Iowa Speedway in Decorah, Iowa.

In addition to a pair of stops at the Bloomfield Speedway, first-time or revived venues dot the 2006 O’Reilly USMTS schedule. The traveling titans will make their first-ever visit to the Oshkosh (Wis.) SpeedZone Raceway on Tuesday, June 6, for a $2,000-to-win show that kicks off four straight nights in the Dairy State. Then on Friday, June 16, the Humboldt (Kan.) Speedway hosts the O’Reilly USMTS after a hiatus in 2005.

Wednesday, July 19, will find the tireless O’Reilly USMTS title chasers back in the Cornhusker State at the 1/3-mile high-banked oval of Eagle Raceway near Lincoln, Neb., for the first time in the new Millennium. One night later on Thursday, July 20, the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta, Iowa, brings back America's Premier Modified Series for a one-day $2,000-to-win bout.

The month of August will see four shows at three new venues, beginning with a doubleheader on Friday and Saturday, August 11-12, at the new Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. After a couple days rest, the O’Reilly USMTS teams get back in the groove at two legendary Iowa racetracks. West Liberty Raceway will host the Series on Tuesday, August 15, followed by a trip to the "Palace of Speed" at Farley Speedway on Wednesday, August 16.

"We feel that the 2006 O’Reilly USMTS schedule will be popular with both fans and competitors," said Todd Staley, President of the O’Reilly USMTS. "The support from O’Reilly Auto Parts and our other great sponsors, as well as the growing popularity of the Series has permitted us to assemble a schedule that includes return events at our most popular venues, as well as bolstering the menu with some new racetracks which are the finest you'll find in the Midwest."

"We also appreciate the operators of the racing facilities hosting our events next season," added Staley. "We are working with some of the finest event promoters in motorsports and we look forward to another great O’Reilly USMTS season in 2006."

For the eighth straight year, the O’Reilly USMTS will return to the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., for the annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree, Thursday through Saturday, September 21-23. A non-points race for the O’Reilly USMTS drivers “In The Hunt” for the national title, the best of the best in Modified racing will again make the annual trek to the Queensland Family's exciting speedway for the most lucrative prize money of the season.

The 2006 schedule winds up with six shows at three tracks in the month of October. The final series of events leading up to the crowning of a national champion begins on Friday and Saturday, October 6-7, at the Adams County Speedway. On Friday and Saturday, October 20-21, the Bolivar Speedway hosts a return to Southern Missouri, while the Scotland County Speedway will present the season's final battle on Friday and Saturday, October 27-28.

As many as 10 more dates may be added to the 2006 O’Reilly USMTS slate as contract negotiations continue with several event promoters. As the tentative 2006 schedule nears completion, officials will announce the regional alignments for the 2006 “In The Hunt” season-ending title chase.

To learn more about the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series, call the headquarters office at (515) 832-7944 or visit www.USMTS.com online.

O’REILLY AUTO PARTS UNITED STATES MODIFIED TOURING SERIES TENTATIVE 2006 SCHEDULE

Fri Mar 10 ... Junction Motor Speedway, McCool Junction, NE ($2,000 to win)
Sat Mar 11 ... Junction Motor Speedway, McCool Junction, NE ($3,000 to win)
Fri Mar 17 ... Thunderhill Speedway, Mayetta, KS ($2,000 to win)
Sat Mar 18 ... Thunderhill Speedway, Mayetta, KS ($3,000 to win)
Fri Mar 31 ... Bloomfield Speedway, Bloomfield, IA ($2,000 to win)
Sat Apr 1 .... Scotland County Speedway, Memphis, MO ($2,000 to win)
Fri Apr 7 .... Hancock County Speedway, Britt, IA ($2,000 to win)
Sat Apr 8 .... Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, IA ($2,000 to win)
Fri Apr 14 ... TBA
Sat Apr 15 ... TBA
Fri May 12 ... Bolivar Speedway USA, Bolivar, MO ($2,000 to win)
Sat May 13 ... Lebanon I-44 Speedway, Lebanon, MO ($2,000 to win)
Sun May 14 ... Monett Speedway, Monett, MO ($2,000 to win)
Thu May 25 ... Park Jefferson Speedway, Jefferson, SD ($2,000 to win)
Fri May 26 ... Murray County Speedway, Slayton, MN ($2,000 to win)
Sat May 27 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN ($2,000 to win)
Sun May 28 ... Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, MN ($2,000 to win)
Mon May 29 ... Hancock County Speedway, Britt, IA ($2,000 to win)
Tue Jun 6 .... Oshkosh SpeedZone Raceway, Oshkosh, WI ($2,000 to win)
Wed Jun 7 .... Thunderhill Raceway Sturgeon Bay, WI ($2,000 to win)
*Thu Jun 8 ... Langlade County Speedway, Antigo, WI ($2,000 to win)
Fri Jun 9 .... Fox Ridge Speedway, Arcadia, WI ($2,000 to win)
Fri Jun 16 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, KS ($2,000 to win)
Sat Jun 17 ... Lebanon I-44 Speedway, Lebanon, MO ($2,000 to win)
Sun Jun 18 ... Monett Speedway, Monett, MO ($2,000 to win)
Tue Jun 20 ... Highway 3 Raceway, Allison, IA ($2,000 to win)
Wed Jun 21 ... Cresco Speedway, Cresco, IA ($2,000 to win)
Thu Jun 22 ... Adams County Speedway, Corning, IA ($2,000 to win)
Tue Jun 27 ... TBA
Wed Jun 28 ... TBA
Thu Jun 29 ... Casino Speedway, Watertown, SD ($2,000 to win)
Wed Jul 12 ... Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, MN ($2,000 to win)
Thu Jul 13 ... Cresco Speedway, Cresco, IA ($2,000 to win)
Fri Jul 14 ... Fox Ridge Speedway, Arcadia, WI ($2,000 to win)
Wed Jul 19 ... Eagle Raceway, Eagle, NE ($2,000 to win)
Thu Jul 20 ... Buena Vista Raceway Alta, IA ($2,000 to win)
Fri Jul 21 ... Murray County Speedway, Slayton, MN ($2,000 to win)
Wed Aug 2 .... Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, IA ($2,000 to win)
Thu Aug 3 .... Knox County Fairgrounds, Knoxville, IL ($2,000 to win)
Fri Aug 4 .... Bloomfield Speedway, Bloomfield, IA ($2,000 to win)
Sat Aug 5 .... Scotland County Speedway, Memphis, MO ($2,000 to win)
Fri Aug 11 ... Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, MO ($2,000 to win)
Sat Aug 12 ... Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, MO ($3,000 to win)
Tue Aug 15 ... West Liberty Raceway, West Liberty, IA ($2,000 to win)
Wed Aug 16 ... Farley Speedway, Farley, IA ($2,000 to win)
Thu Aug 17 ... Upper Iowa Speedway, Decorah, IA ($2,000 to win)
Fri Aug 18 ... Fox Ridge Speedway, Arcadia, WI ($2,000 to win)
Sat Aug 19 ... TBA
Sun Aug 20 ... TBA
Fri Sep 1 .... Highway 3 Raceway, Allison, IA ($2,000 to win)
Sat Sep 2 .... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN ($2,000 to win)
Sun Sep 3 .... Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, MN ($2,000 to win)
Fri Sep 15 ... Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, IA ($2,000 to win)
Sat Sep 16 ... Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, IA ($2,000 to win)
Thu Sep 21 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN (TBD)
Fri Sep 22 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN (TBD)
Sat Sep 23 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN (TBD)
Fri Oct 6 .... Adams County Speedway, Corning, IA ($2,000 to win)
Sat Oct 7 .... Adams County Speedway, Corning, IA ($3,000 to win)
Fri Oct 20 ... Bolivar Speedway USA, Bolivar, MO ($2,000 to win)
Sat Oct 21 ... Bolivar Speedway USA, Bolivar, MO ($3,000 to win)
Fri Oct 27 ... Scotland County Speedway, Memphis, MO ($2,000 to win)
Sat Oct 28 ... Scotland County Speedway, Memphis, MO ($3,000 to win)

* Tentative
# 8th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree (non-points race)

SCHEDULE IS TENTATIVE AND paddECT TO CHANGE