HUMBOLDT — Modified March Madness kicks off the 2012 dirt racing season at Humboldt Speedway this weekend.
The United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) brings the Casey’s Cup racing to the Speedway Friday and Saturday.
The pair of $2,000-to-win contests are expected to draw a lot of added interest, as will the track when it hosts the $15,000-to-win King of America II Modified Nationals less than two weeks later, March 28-31.
Gates open at 5 p.m. on Friday with the first heat race at 7:30. On Saturday, gates open at 3 p.m. with racing getting underway at 5:30.
With 10 career wins in the 24 races held at “The Hummer,” many fans will have 2010 USMTS Nat-ional Champion Jason Hughes of Watts, Okla., at the top of their brackets but several other touring titans will also be favorites, including Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, who won last October’s inaugural King of America Modified Nationals at Ron and Rhenda Whitworth’s quarter-mile bullring.
Of course, picking 21-year-old Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa, was the safest bet in motorsports in 2011 with his series-best 25 victories. The defending USMTS National Champion is hungry for his first checkered flag this season after a pair of runner-up finishes at the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas, two weeks ago.
Defending American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series National Champion Johnny Bone Jr. of Pea Ridge, Ark., has twice tasted victory at the Humboldt Speedway, including the first event held in 2000. Other former winners at the track include Jon Tesch, 2007 USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn, Johnny Scott, Steve Holzkamper and 2008 USMTS National Champion Tim Donlinger.
Others drivers already entered or expected to be on hand include current USMTS Casey’s Cup points leader Terry Phillips, Rodney Sanders, Mark Dotson, Stormy Scott , Dereck Ramirez, Randy Timms, Rick Beebe, Chase Junghans, Grant Junghans, John Anderson, Bryan Rowland, Ron Keith, Mickey Burrell, Austin Siebert , Brandon Davis, Joe Duvall, Jeremy Payne and many more.
As is always the case, home court advantage is powerful and Humboldt boasts some of the toughest local competitors in the country. Justin ‘Whitey’ Folk is the defending track champion and will seek to defend his home turf along with Jesse Folk Jr., Scott Daniels, Brian Bolin, John Allen, Chris Deaton, Lucas Conley, Justin Rexwinkle, Dan Daniels and others.
In addition to the USMTS Modifieds, both nights will feature the Iron Man Challenge for USRA B-Mods plus local Humboldt Speedway Pure Stocks.
The Humboldt Speedway is a located 0.1 mile west of US 169 at the Humboldt exit, then 0.5 mile south, then 0.9 mile east on Georgia Rd. For more information call 620-431-2470 (office) or 620-473-3694 (track) or visit www.humboldtspeedway.com online.
Sandwiched between the this week’s events and the King of America II Modified Nationals at the end of the month will be two USMTS Casey’s Cup clashes at the LA Raceway in La Monte, Mo., on Friday, March 23, and the I-35 Speedway in Winston, Mo., on Saturday, March 24.
In all, Modified March Madness will see nearly $200,000 in cash being doled out to drivers, including a possible $23,000 for one driver if he or she can win them all.
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 and follow us on Twitter.
