ODESSA TOO WET; O’REILLY USMTS STILL ON FOR HUMBOLDT, MAYETTA
by: Jeff Nun

ODESSA, Mo. (March 23) -- The O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series races scheduled for Saturday afternoon, March 24, at the I-70 Speedway in Odessa, Mo., have been canceled due to an abundance of rain on Friday night. Officials will attempt to reschedule the event for a later date.

The O’Reilly USMTS National Event slated for the Humboldt (Kan.) Speedway on Saturday night is still on as planned. Last year’s tilt at the quarter-mile semi-banked clay oval saw defending O’Reilly USMTS national champion Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, score his ninth win of the 2006 season en route to his unprecedented eighth season-ending title. With one win and three bridesmaid finishes in four races so far in 2007, Shryock leads the rugged road warriors into Humboldt with both the National and Southern Region points lead.

Gates will open at 5 p.m., hot laps are at 7 and racing starts at 7:30. Adult tickets are $15, kids ages 6-12 are $5 and children under 6 are admitted FREE. Friday’s $2,000-to-win O’Reilly USMTS feast will be supported by action in the Factory Stock and E-Mod classes.

The Humboldt Speedway is located just 0.1 mile west, then 0.5 mile south, then 0.9 mile east from the Humboldt Exit on U.S. Hwy. 169. For more information call the Humboldt Speedway office at (620) 431-2470 or the track hotline at (620) 473-3694 on race day. More information is available online at www.humboldtspeedway.com .

On Sunday, March 25, the 5th Annual Kansas Spring Fling will take place at the Thunderhill Speedway in Mayetta, Kan. Last year at the super-fast 4/10-mile high-banked clay oval, Mark Noble of Blooming Prairie, Minn., ended a two-year drought with a victory on the first of two days at Thunderhill. Saturday’s checkers waved for Clear Lake, Iowa’s Dean Mahlstedt. Other former O’Reilly USMTS winners at Thunderhill Speedway include inaugural winner Dustin Boney, Tommy Myer and Kelly Shryock, who won five straight at the facility from March 19, 2004 to March 19, 2005.

Once again, $2,000 is up for grabs for the winner of the Holley “A” Main in this Western Region tilt. Fresh off back-to-back season-opening wins at the Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., March 9-10, Clear Lake, Iowa’s Al Hejna leads the Western Region rankings heading into Sunday’s battle.

Gates open at 1 p.m. Hot laps are slated for 3:30 and the mud starts flying at 4 p.m. Adult tickets are $15, kids ages 6-12 are $5 and children under 6 are admitted FREE. The O’Reilly USMTS Modified aces will be joined by Thunderhill’s own highly-competitive Factory Stock and Hobby Stock classes.

The Thunderhill Speedway is located 14.6 miles north of U.S. Hwy. 24 on U.S. Hwy. 75 to 142nd St., then 2.2 miles west. The track’s business office can be reached at (785) 966-2575 and race day info is available by calling the track hotline at (785) 966-2844. Thunderhill Speedway is on the World Wide Web at www.thunderhillmayetta.com .