GOLIAD, Texas-For drivers with a USMTS feature win-or perhaps even a championship-on their New Year’s resolution checklist, the chance to make good on that goal happens in just a little more than a month at USMTS Winter Speedweeks.
The USMTS Casey’s Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental will launch in February with a foursome of three-day shows in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma to kick off the biggest of the big campaigns for the United States Modified Touring Series.
Opening weekend for the 18th season featuring the Best of the Best in dirt modified racing takes place Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 11-13, at the Shady Oaks Speedway in Goliad, Texas, followed by tripleheader weekends at the Heart O’ Texas Speedway near Waco, Texas, Feb. 18-20; Ark-La-Tex Speedway in Vivian, La., Feb. 25-27; and Southern Oklahoma Speedway in Ardmore, Okla., March 3-5.
Each show will pay $2,000, $3,000 and $4,000 to win, respectively, and will comprise the first dozen events in the expanded 17-race Production Jars Southern Region presented by Day Motor Sports.
SHADY OAKS SPEEDWAY, GOLIDAD, TX – FEB. 11-13, 2016
Last year, the South Texas Speedway in Corpus Christi, Texas, was forced to cancel the season opener less than a week before the green flag due to heavy rainfall in the area which caused the concrete wall in turn 3 to collapse. Hours later, the promoters at the Shady Oaks Speedway jumped in and the three-day event had a new home.
When the dust had settled it was Steve Whiteaker Jr., Dereck Ramirez and Ryan Gustin claiming the first three checkered flags of the 2015 season.
The Shady Oaks Speedway is located 4.0 miles north of Goliad on US 183, then 3.0 miles east on FM 622. To learn more, check out their website at www.shadyoakspeedway.com.
HEART O’ TEXAS SPEEDWAY, ELM MOTT, TX – FEB. 18-20, 2016
Rodney Sanders claimed the win on June 23, 2015, when the USMTS last invaded the Heart O’ Texas Speedway. Prior to that, checkered flags have waved for Johnny Scott, Mike Sorensen and Ryan Gustin while Mother Nature has claimed three shows at the wicked oval outside of Waco.
The Heart O’ Texas Speedway is a semi-banked 1/3-mile clay oval just off of I-35 at exit 343 (FM 308), then 0.6 mile north on east frontage road. For more information, call 254-829-2294 or check out www.heartotexspeedway.com online.
ARK-LA-TEX SPEEDWAY, VIVIAN, LA – FEB. 25-27, 2016
Racing on his home track, Chris Henigan has captured both of his two career USMTS wins here. In 2014, Cade Dillard posted his career-first USMTS victory on Thursday night during the 8th Annual Winter Nationals, Rodney Sanders claimed Friday’s feature and nine-time USMTS national champion Kelly Shryock ended the season on a high note with a trip to the winner’s circle on Saturday. All three days of the ninth running of the event was rained out this past November.
The Ark-La-Tex Speedway is located 0.6 mile south of SR 2 on SR 1, then 0.7 mile west on Airport Rd., then 2.2 miles south on Boyter Lane Rd. For race day information, call the track hotline at 318-375-3470 or click www.arklatexspeedway.net to visit them online.
SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA SPEEDWAY, ARDMORE, OK – MARCH 3-5, 2016
Jason Hughes was the winner in 2008 and 2009 at the former Lake Country Speedway, and picked up the most recent win here this past November to cap off his 2015 USMTS national championship season. Rodney Sanders and Stormy Scott each have three wins in Ardmore, Ryan Gustin has two and visiting victory lane once each are Johnny Scott, Thomas Tillison Jr. and Triston Dycus.
The Southern Oklahoma Speedway is a semi-banked 3/8-mile clay oval located 0.7 mile east of I-35 (exit 29) on US 70, then 1.8 miles south on US 77. For more information, call 405-627-1766 or click www.southernoklahomaspeedway.com to visit the track’s official website.
USMTS WINTER SPEEDWEEKS PAYOUTS:
Day 1: Licensed – 1. $2000, 2. $1500, 3. $1000, 4. $800, 5. $700, 6. $650, 7. $600, 8. $550, 9. $500, 10. $450, 11. $425, 12. $400, 13. $375, 15. $350, 16. $325, 17-24. $300, Tow $80; Non-Licensed – 1. $2000, 2. $1200, 3. $800, 4. $700, 5. $550, 6. $500, 7. $450, 8. $400, 9. $350, 10. $300, 11. $250, 12-24. $200, Tow $60.
Day 2: Licensed – 1. $3000, 2. $1700, 3. $1200, 4. $1000, 5. $800, 6. $700, 7. $650, 8. $600, 9. $550, 10. $500, 11. $450, 12. $425, 13. $400, 14. $375, 15. $350, 16-24. $325, Tow $90; Non-Licensed – 1. $3000, 2. $1500, 3. $1000, 4. $800, 5. $600, 6. $500, 7. $450, 8. $400, 9. $350, 10. $300, 11-24. $250, Tow $70.
Day 3: Licensed – 1. $4000, 2. $2700, 3. $1800, 4. $1200, 5. $900, 6. $800, 7. $700, 8. $650, 9. $600, 10. $550, 11. $500, 12. $450, 13. $425, 14. $400, 15. $375, 16-24. $350, Tow $100; Non-Licensed – 1. $4000, 2. $2500, 3. $1400, 4. $1000, 5. $700, 6. $600, 7. $500, 8. $450, 9. $400, 10. $350, 11. $325, 12-24. $300, Tow $80.
RULES & PROCEDURES: All USMTS rules apply. Draw for heat race starting spot ends 15 minutes before hot laps. Qualifying will be done by heat race passing points and “B” Mains. RACEceivers and AMB transponders are mandatory and available for rent or purchase at USMTS trailer. See complete rules at www.usmts.com/rules.
LICENSES: There is no requirement to purchase a USMTS license to compete in any USMTS event. However, benefits enjoyed by licensed drivers includes higher event purses and bonus payouts, increased tow money, discounted entry fees, points fund eligibility, increased media recognition, a personalized driver profile page on the USMTS website and more. Drivers can download the USMTS license application at www.usmts.com/downloads.
ENTRY FEES: Early entry fee for each event is $100 for Thursday, $110 for Friday and $135 for Saturday (each day $10 less for licensed drivers). Early entries must be received or post-marked no less than one week prior to the date of the event. Late or at-the-track entry for all drivers is $110 on Thursday, $125 on Friday and $150 for Saturday. Enter any of the four events for $250 but entry must be received by the USMTS no later than Jan. 31 (no grace period). Download the entry form at www.usmts.com/downloads/entry-forms.
PROVISIONALS: Beginning with the third event in the region, provisionals will be awarded at each event to the top two drivers in regional points that fail to qualify for the “A” Main and have perfect attendance in the region. Driver is eligible for two provisionals in each region, with a third provisional added after ten events. Hosting racetrack reserves the right to add additional provisionals, but no “A” Main points will be awarded to track provisionals.
Revise your New Year’s resolutions. Instead of another diet that won’t work or helping your spouse around the house, make this year’s goal to attend the USMTS Winter Speedweeks. Keep watching this news source for forthcoming information regarding times, ticket prices and support classes for each event.
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 and Instagram at www.instagram.com/usmts or subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv.
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Contact Info:
Jeff Nun