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Four races in four days on the horizon in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (Aug. 17) – Four races are in the books with another four on deck this week as the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship presented by Bad Boy Mowers invades four demanding dirt tracks in Iowa and Wisconsin. After four straight days of racing last week, the tireless touring titans of the United States Modified Touring Series are taking advantage of 48 hours to recover, rebuild and refresh before embarking on another four-day stretch of $3,000-to-win contests. WEDNESDAY, AUG. 18 – HAMILTON COUNTY SPEEDWAY (WEBSTER CITY, IA) The chaos kick starts Wednesday, August 18, at the Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City, Iowa – home of the USMTS headquarters. The Hamilton County Speedway was the site of the prestigious USMTS Featherlite Fall Jamboree from 1999-2002 before the event moved north to the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn. Ron Jones won the inaugural event, Johnny Saathoff won in 2000, Willy Kraft claimed the 2001 title and Mark Noble was the winner in 2002 at the half-mile clay oval. Kevin Pittman, Tommy Myer and Jason Hughes also have USMTS wins in Webster City while Jones and Noble have two along with nine-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock, who won the last USMTS event staged at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in 2004. Wednesday night’s racing action will also feature the hard-as-nails Dart Iron Man Challenge featuring the hottest USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Car drivers in the region. Local B-Mods will also compete. Gates will open Wednesday at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 7 and racing at 7:30. Race fans can pick up $2-off-admission coupons on race day at both Casey’s General Stores locations in Webster City. Colt Mather and his #8 Snickers-sponsored Modified will be at the 1515 Superior St. location from 12-2 p.m. to meet and greet fans. For more information, or to find the Casey’s location nearest you, check out www.caseys.com on the World Wide Web. The Hamilton County Speedway is located 1.2 miles north of US 20 t exit 140, then 0.5 mile east on Bank St., then 5 blocks south on Bluff St. (at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds). For more information, call the track office at 515-899-2222 or 515-832-5382 on race day or check out www.hamiltoncountyspeedway.com online. THURSDAY, AUG. 19 – HANCOCK COUNTY SPEEDWAY (BRITT, IA) On Thursday, the USMTS Modifieds roll into Britt, Iowa, for the 7th Annual Ruter Farms Iowa Summer Challenge at the Hancock County Speedway. Kelly Shryock is a four-time winner at the tough-to-tame 3/8-mile semi-banked dirt oval, including three in a row from 2006-2008. Jon Tesch is a two-time winner at Britt along with Jason Hughes, who picked up a $10,000 paycheck in the 2005 Fall Festival. Other past winners of USMTS events at the Hancock County Speedway include 2008 USMTS National Champion Tim Donlinger, Dean Mahlstedt, Al Hejna, Corey Dripps and Ron Jones. Dripps’ victory in 2005 was one of the most exciting races in USMTS history as he rebounded from an early-race penalty and then passed every car in the field to cross the finish line first. Donlinger is the defending winner of the race. He and his #3D Cheetos-sponsored Modified will be making an appearance at the Casey’s General Store located at 207 S. Main Ave. in Britt from 12-2 p.m. Fans can also pick up coupons worth $2 off adult admission at the location on Thursday. The Dart Iron Man Challenge for USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Cars will also be on the night’s racing card, along with B-Mods. Gates will open at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 7 and racing at 7:30. The Hancock County Speedway is a semi-banked 3/8-mile dirt oval located 1.3 miles south of US 18 on James St. (turns into Main Ave. and Diagonal and 1st), then 0.5 mile east on 220th Ave., then 2 blocks north on Jewell Ave. For more information, call the USMTS headquarters at 515-832-7944. FRIDAY, AUGUST 20 – MISSISSIPPI THUNDER SPEEDWAY (FOUNTAIN CITY, WI) On Friday, action moves to the Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wis., for Round 7 of the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship presented by Bad Boy Mowers. Todd Scharkey captured the inaugural event in 2007 at the former Tri-Oval Speedway and Kelly Shryock picked up the win when the series returned the following month. Mother Nature won the first scheduled stop during the 2008 season and Al Hejna won later that year in the final event staged on the tri-oval configuration. In 2009, veteran Modified racer Bob Timm took over the reigns of the racetrack. Timm’s new role as promoter brought a new configuration, new clay surface and a new name. The facility was renamed Mississippi Thunder Speedway and gone was the sweeping tri-oval shape in favor of a high-banked 1/3-mile oval. On May 25, 2009, Ryan Gustin won in dominating fashion and then followed Tim Donlinger across the finish line on Aug. 21 during ‘The Hunt.’ Tommy Myer picked up his third USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour victory of the season when the series last visited Fountain City a little more than a month ago. Pit gates will open at 3:30 p.m., grandstand gates open at 5:30, hot laps are slated to begin at 6:40 and the first heat race will take to the track at 7 p.m. Also on the racing card will be USRA Karl Performance Parts B-Mods racing for track and national points in the American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series, plus WISSOTA Street Stocks and Mini Mods. The Mississippi Thunder Speedway is located 3.0 miles north of Fountain City on SR 35. For more information, call 608-687-3282 or visit www.mississippithunder.com on the World Wide Web. Colt Mather and his #8 Snickers-sponsored Modified will be at the Casey’s General Store located at 1600 Eastwood Rd. SE in Rochester, Minn., from 12-2 p.m. Race fans can get their $2-off coupons at Casey’s General Stores locations in Rochester and Zumbrota in Minnesota or in Wisconsin at the Sparta or Tomah locations. For more information, or to find the Casey’s location nearest you, check out www.caseys.com online. SATURDAY, AUG. 21 – ADAMS COUNTY SPEEDWAY (CORNING, IA) Saturday night will find the mud-slinging USMTS Modifieds at the Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa, after a one-year hiatus. With three of his series-best 156 career wins coming in Corning, Kelly Shryock is the only multi-time winner at the sweeping half-miler. Other winners include Jon Tesch, Jason Hughes, Tony Fraise, Al Hejna, Zack VanderBeek and Ryan Ruter. Grandstand gates are set to swing open at 5 p.m., with hot laps at 6:30 and the first heat race scheduled to get the green flag at 7 p.m. Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks and Sport Mods will also be on the racing card Saturday night. Race fans can pick up $2-off coupons at Casey’s General Stores locations in Corning, Lenox and Villisca. Tim Donlinger and his #3D Cheetos-sponsored Modified will be making an appearance at the Casey’s General Store located at 600 Quincy in Corning from 12-2 p.m. The Adams County Speedway is a slightly-banked half-mile dirt oval located 1.0 mile north of US 34 on SR 148, then east on 12th (at the Adams County Fairgrounds). For more information, call the track office at 641-322-4184 or check out www.acspeedway.com online. FILM CREWS CAPTURING THE ACTION FOR DIRT KNIGHTS Film crews for the Dirt Knights television show will be on hand capturing the action this week and at every race during the Hunt for the USMTS Casey's General Stores National Championship presented by Bad Boy Mowers. Dirt Knights will be an on-going dramatic series of one-hour programs that will air during the highly coveted Sunday evening time slot for 13 weeks. The much-anticipated show is set to debut in January of 2011 on VERSUS cable sports network, reaching more than 75 million households. USMTS drivers Corey Dripps, Ryan Gustin, Al Hejna, Mike Spaulding and Jon Tesch are the featured drivers of the Dirt Knights program. While life has taken them in unique directions, all of them have one thing in common: a hunger for the checkered flag. Night after night from town to town, the Dirt Knights seek out a life of danger and on-the-edge-thrills. “This is a project that has been in the works for more than two years now,” added Corey Dripps. “For some, racing is a hobby and for others it’s how we make our living, but either way, we all love and respect this sport. We hope that people will tune in and be entertained, but at the same time we want to convey what the racing life is really all about.” The life of an American dirt track racer is not one that many could endure, but for the Dirt Knights it’s the only life worth living, and through the Dirt Knights TV series on VERSUS, we all get to go along for the wild ride. Visit www.dirtknights.com on the World Wide Web for more information or to view the trailer. Also look for Dirt Knights on Facebook and Twitter. THE BATTLE FOR THE CROWN With his third-place finish at the Monett Speedway in Monett, Mo., last Sunday, 19-year-old Ryan Gustin gained the upper hand in the points battle while the top three coming into the night – Kelly Shryock, Zack VanderBeek and Dereck Ramirez – struggled to finishes of 13th, 12th and 14th, respectively. Gustin is now the points leader in ‘The Hunt,’ but only by two points over Vanderbeek while Shryock is a single marker behind ‘The Reaper’ and ‘The Z-Man.’. Jason Hughes moved into fourth ahead of Ramirez, Tim Donlinger climbed to sixth with a runner-up finish Sunday, seventh is 20-year-old Texan Rodney Sanders, 2007 USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn sits eighth, Jon Tesch is ninth and Tommy Myer rounds out the top-10. POINTS STANDINGS 1. 19r Ryan Gustin,
Marshalltown, Iowa ... 395 During the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship presented by Bad Boy Mowers, drivers will be grappling for their piece of nearly $50,000 in points fund money and thousands in contingency awards. Entrants will lock horns on a nightly basis for at least $3,000 to win and more than $400,000 in prize money up for grabs during the 20-race campaign over 45 days. The Hunt will wrap up at the Deer Creek Speedway with the 12th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 23-25, where the 2010 USMTS National Champion will be crowned. Proving that any driver in The Hunt is capable of winning the title, Jason Krohn captured the 2007 title after entering the first event with just seven points and ranked 18th in the standings. Krohn became just the second driver to wear the USMTS crown, dethroning eight-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock. Similarly, Tim Donlinger found himself outside of the top-10 in points after the first two races of the 2008 championship crusade. He won the third event, but was only seventh in the rankings and still 59 markers behind the points leader with 11 races to go. Nonetheless, Donlinger went on to upset Shryock for the 2008 title, sealing the deal with a thrilling victory on the final night of the Featherlite Fall Jamboree. Despite winning just two races all season, Shryock went on to claim his ninth USMTS National Championship in 2009 by just 33 points, beating an 18-year-old up-and-comer named Ryan Gustin. Since the inception of the regional points format in 2006, Shryock has begun The Hunt as the points leader each time. Again he finds himself atop the points going into the 2010 Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship. HOW IT WORKS: The Hunt is comprised of the final 20 races of the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour season, with qualifying through 35 regional events and 13 USMTS Castle Rock Recruiting Southern Series races. The top-10 in each region and/or the USMTS Castle Rock Recruiting Southern Series earn 15 base points for first place, 14 points for second and so forth, descending to 6 points for the 10th-place finisher. In addition, each driver with perfect attendance earns 5 bonus points. The cumulative base points earned are the points that each driver will start The Hunt with. Drivers may use their best points combination from the four National Tour regions or a combination of three regions and the Southern Series for their base points. Once The Hunt begins, the USMTS points system will be used to determine the 2010 USMTS National Champion. WHY IT WORKS: Created for the fans, The Hunt serves as a “playoff” for the USMTS National Championship. While handicapping gives a moderate advantage to the drivers that compete in all or most events, each driver who has earned a spot in The Hunt has a legitimate shot at capturing the USMTS National Championship. TOP DOG BONUS: Beginning with Thursday's kick-off at the Great American Dirt Track, all drivers in the top-10 points of The Hunt are guaranteed a minimum $400 against their winnings at each event. So, stay in the top-10 and you're going home with at least $400 every night. PROVISIONALS: Unlike past seasons, there are no provisional starting spots awarded so every driver must race his way into the main event like every other driver racing that night. On nights when there are 40 or fewer cars entered, 24 drivers will start the main event. On nights when 41 or more cars check in, 26 starters will take the green flag in the WIX Filters “A” Main. THE HUNT FOR THE USMTS CASEY’S GENERAL STORES NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY BAD BOY MOWERS Thu Aug 12 … Great American
Dirt Track, Jetmore, KS (winner: Kelly Shryock) 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, Castle Rock Recruiting. USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, AwesomeRacesuits.com, GoPro, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, Kevko Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver. USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Allstar Performance, Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, Bad Boy Mowers, Bear Tire, Big Dog Chassis & Fabrication, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Cagle Motorsports, Centex Motorsports, DandyLand Farms, Day Motor Sports, Dirt Track Racing School, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com, Falcon Wind Power, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Gressel Oil Field Service, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Just Say Yes, Karl Performance Parts, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, WIX Filters, Yeager Machine. USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Ai-Racing, Belleville Motorsports, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, COMP Cams, Dart Machinery, Dynatech Racing Exhaust, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, GRT Race Cars, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, Isky Racing Cams, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, QuickTime Inc, Real Racing Wheels, RHS – Racing Head Service, Schoenfeld Headers, US Brake, Willy’s Carburetor & Dyno Shop, WIX Filters.
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