KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Aug. 20) — Three venues in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma are on deck in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup this week with the tightest points battle at this point in the 15-year history of the United States Modified Touring Series.
The high-powered USMTS dirt modifieds visit the Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo., on Thursday, Aug. 22, and then race 43 miles east on Friday, Aug. 23, for the season’s second of six nights this season at the Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. The tripleheader wraps up on Saturday, Aug. 24, at the Salina Highbanks Speedway in Pryor Creek, Okla.
All three events will pay $3,000 to win with a $2,000-to-win bonus up for grabs to any driver taking part in the Big Dog Buy-In program that is open to any entrant.
Action will kick off this Thursday, at the Valley Speedway for the only appearance of the season for the USMTS Modifieds. This event was rained out back in April, and bonus money has been put up by promoter Dennis Shrout for local drivers to come out and support this event.
Joining the racing card will be the Iron Man Challenge featuring USRA B-Mods with gates opening at 6:00, hot laps at 7:00 and racing to follow. Mufflers are required at this event.
General admission adult tickets are $16, reserved seats are $18 and seating on the party deck is $20. Kids ages 6-12 years of age are $5 and children under 6 get in for free. Pit passes are $30. On race day, fans can pick up $2-off coupons at Casey’s General Stores locations in Grain Valley, Oak Grove and Blue Springs.
Trevor Hunt and his Snickers-sponsored machine will be on hand for a meet ‘n’ greet from 11:30-1:30 Thursday at the Casey’s General Store located at 101 S. Buckner-Tarsney Rd. in Grain Valley (just a few blocks from the racetrack).
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 Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup returns to the Lakeside Speedway for another barn-burner at the historic half-mile oval on the edge of the Missouri River.
Last year, the USMTS made its maiden voyage here and the got a classic battle that ended with Ryan Gustin claiming the victory en route to his second straight USMTS National Championship. Earlier this season, Jeremy Payne emerged with the victory in the “Clash of the Titans” event.
Gates will open at 4:00, hot laps start at 7:00 and the night’s first heat race gets the green flag at 7:30. The Iron Man Challenge featuring USRA B-Mods will also be in action along with local Factory Stocks. Adults are $17, juniors ages 13-16 are $10, kids ages 6-12 are $5 and children ages 5 and under get in for free. Pit passes are $35.
Lucas Schott and his AMP Energy ride will be on hand for a meet ‘n’ greet from 11:30-1:30 Friday at the Casey’s General Store located at 13000 State Ave. in Kansas City. At the same time, Trevor Hunt and his Snickers car will be at the Casey’s located at 112 Branch in Platte City, Mo.
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 out the track’s website at www.lakesidespeedway.net.
On Saturday, the popular Salina Highbanks Speedway near Pryor Creek, Okla., will host another sure-to-thrill blockbuster. Ryan Gustin and Terry Phillips picked up wins here last season while Stormy Scott walked away with the hardware most recently in April. Jason Hughes was the winner when the USMTS made an appearance in 2004.
The ‘Salute to Veterans Night’ will also feature the highly unpredictable sprint cars of the Oil Capital Racing Series as track salutes the service veterans that have served our country with pride and honor. Dale Settle will parachute into the racetrack during pre-race ceremonies and there will also be a fly over by Paul Mackey and the Warbirds.
Gates open at 5:00 with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:00. Fans can choose to view the racing from the grandstand bleachers, the upper deck beer garden, the full service “Finish Line Bar & Grill” or from one of the special VIP suites. Tickets for adults are $20, kids ages 5-12 are $10 and children ages 4 and under are free. A Family Ticket is also available for $45. VIP seating is $35 or a seat in the beer garden is $25. Pit passes are $35 for adults and $25 for kids.
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.
For those unfortunate souls unable to see it all in person, all three of this week’s events will be broadcast live via pay-per-view produced by RacinDirt.com. You don’t have to miss a single lap, visit www.RacinDirt.com and subscribe today.
Be sure to stop by a Casey’s General Store location before and after the races for all your supplies and needs, and remember to get your $2-off coupons available on race day at most events during ‘The Hunt.’ Check out www.caseys.com for more information or to find the location nearest you.
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.