Valley, Lakeside, Salina make up USMTS tripleheader April 18-20

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (April 15) – The stars and cars of the United States Modified Touring Series are back in action this weekend with three nights of racing in America’s heartland.

The high-powered dirt modifieds of the USMTS Casey’s Cup Series visit the Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo., on Thursday, April 18, and then race 43 miles east on Friday, April 19, for the season’s first of several visits to the Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. The tripleheader wraps up on Saturday, April 20, at the Salina Highbanks Speedway in Pryor Creek, Okla.

All three events will award valuable points in the USMTS Arbor Masters Central Region presented by Day Motor Sports.

The “Big Dog Buy-In” will be in effect each night to create a possible $12,000 take-home pay for one driver. Each race pays $2,000 to win, but the Big Dog Buy-In allows any driver to gamble an extra $100 at the time of registration to compete for an extra $2,000 cash for taking the win. In eight events this season, a gambler has won the main event seven times.

Thursday’s event will be the fourth visit in three seasons to “The Valley.” Jason Hughes won the inaugural USMTS event at the 1/3-mile semi-banked dirt oval on April 17, 2011. Two-time defending USMTS national champion Ryan Gustin captured the victory last April while Chris Brown netted a win in June.

Grandstand gates open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7 p.m. The Iron Man Challenge for USRA B-Mods will also join the program for the 3rd Annual USMTS “Thunder in the Valley.” On race day, fans can pick up $2-off coupons at Casey’s General Stores locations in Blue Springs, Grain Valley and Oak Grove.

The Valley Speedway is located 0.9 mile south of I-70 (exit 24) on Main St. (Buckner-Tarnsey Rd.), then 0.4 mile east on Old US 40. For more information, call 816-229-2222 or visit www.valleyspeedway.com online.

On Friday the 13th last July, the USMTS made its maiden voyage to the historic Lakeside Speedway and the fans filling jam-packing the grandstands got a classic battle that ended with Gustin claiming the victory en route to his season-long title.

The Iron Man Challenge featuring USRA B-Mods and local Factory Stocks will also be in action. Gates will open at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 19, with hot laps at 7 p.m. The night’s first heat race gets the green flag at 7:30. Fans can save $2 on adult admission by stopping by Casey’s General Stores locations in Kansas City, Leavenworth, Lenexa, Shawnee and Platte City, Mo., on Friday.

The Lakeside Speedway is a 3/8-mile slightly-banked dirt oval located 1.0 mile west of I-435 (exit 18) on SR 5 (northwest of Kansas City, Kan.). The track hotline is 913-299-2040 or check them out the track’s official website at www.lakesidespeedway.net.

On Saturday, April 20, the popular Salina Highbanks Speedway near Pryor Creek, Okla., will host another sure-to-thrill blockbuster featuring the USMTS Modifieds. Not surprisingly, Gustin took down one of the two events in 2012 while Terry Phillips captured the other checkered flag. Hughes was the winner when the USMTS made its only prior appearance in 2004.

Support classes for Saturday’s show will be Grand Nationals, 360 Modifieds, Pure Stocks and Factory Stocks presented by MCH Kenworth. Gates open at 4 p.m. with the first green flag waving at 6:30.

The Salina Highbanks Speedway is located 7 miles east of Pryor on SR 20. For more information, visit the website at www.salinahighbanksspeedway.com or call 918-434-7223.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usmts, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usmts or check out our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/USMTSTV.

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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Casey’s General Stores, Cheetos, COMP Cams®, Day Motor Sports, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, RacinDirt.com, Snickers.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Allgayer Inc., Arbor Masters, ASi Racewear, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Erson Cams, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, 4s Motorsports, FVP, Integra Racing Shocks & Springs, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Lecolift, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Motorsports, Ruter Farms, Something Inked, United Cellular Services.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, Bell Racing Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, BSB Manufacturing, Champ Pans, CPD Racing Tools, Crane Cams, Dominator Race Products, Edelbrock, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, FK Rod Ends, Forty9 Designs, Fuel Safe, Genesis Racing Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Hooker Harness, JRi Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, MSD Ignition, PBM Performance Products, Power Lift Racing Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Sybesma Graphics, Tiger Rear Ends, VP Racing Fuels.

Category: USMTS