DALLAS – United States Modified Touring Series officials have released a schedule featuring 62 nights of racing at 39 race tracks in 13 states for the upcoming season.
Along the dirt road that has produced just seven different USMTS national champions in 20 years, fans and drivers will visit legendary facilities hosting long-time series classics, new venues and a handful of tracks returning to the schedule after a multi-year absence.
The USMTS season kicks off with three nights in Texas, starting March 14 at 82 Speedway. Kennedale Speedway Park hosts the USMTS on March 15, while Superbowl Speedway in Greenville wraps up opening weekend on March 16.
One week later, the King of America IX powered by Summit takes place at Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kan., along with the fifth annual Battle at the Bullring featuring B-Mods. A top prize of $12,000 awaits the winner of the year’s first crown jewel event.
The second crown jewel on the schedule happens April 11-13 with the seventh annual Cajun Clash at Ark-La-Tex Speedway in Vivian, La., before the USMTS makes its way west for the second annual Rancho Milagro Short Track Shootout at Vado Speedway Park in Vado, N.M., May 3-5.
Crown jewel number four happens June 13-15 at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., for the 20th annual Masters, and then it’s on to I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb., for the ninth annual Silver Dollar Nationals and the final event for the USMTS Mid-American Series and USMTS Northern Lights Series on July 19-20.
The Casey’s General Stores Hunt for the USMTS National Championship begins at 81 Speedway in Wichita, Kan., on the first day in August.
This year’s ‘Hunt’ series will feature 18 nights of racing from Aug. 1 to Sept. 1, then wraps up Sept. 19-21 for the sixth crown jewel of the season at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., for the 21st annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree.
The USMTS national champion won’t be decided until the finale of the Summit USMTS Southern Series, Oct. 31-Nov. 2 at Kennedale Speedway Park during the second annual Summit USMTS Southern Nationals.
Besides returning to the 82 Speedway for the season opener, another track returns to the slate with a new name.
Scheduled for May 23, the series visits Spring Lake Speedway in Unity, Wis., where Kelly Shryock was the winner on June 16, 2011, when it was called Central Wisconsin Speedway.
Two dirt ovals are readying for their first-ever USMTS shows. Rained out last year, April 7 is the date for the inaugural USMTS event at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, Miss.
Meanwhile, the USMTS will visit the historic Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson on April 26 for the first time.
The May 3-5 events at Vado Speedway Park will see the event move from Southern New Mexico Speedway to the new state-of-the-art facility under the direction of Royal Jones and General Manager Rue Stone.
To view the complete USMTS schedule, advance to the next page.