USMTS ready to rumble at Royal Purple Raceway

BAYTOWN, Texas-After a roaring practice night Wednesday that boasted more than 40 modified in attendance, the USMTS Casey's Cup Series powered by S&S Fishing & Rental embarks on a three-night affair Thursday at the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas.

Just a few miles down the road from NASA's Johnson Space Center, the 6th Annual USMTS Texas Spring Nationals presented by Double H Bands will feature three nights under the lights, Feb. 19-21, at the state-of-the-art 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval.

Thursday's lid-lifter will be the 36th USMTS event held at the track and pays $2,000 to win. That will be followed by a $3,000-to-win show on Friday and a $4,000 top prize awaiting the winner of Saturday's feature race.

Jason Hughes leads all USMTS drivers with six career wins at the facility, while Zack VanderBeek has five wins in Baytown, including the last event of 2013 where he drove his Casey's General Stores-sponsored #33z machine to back-to-back victories in the USMTS Winter Nationals.

Texan Paul White won the first-ever USMTS event at the former Houston Raceway Park. Since then, three trips to victory lane have been made by Jeremy Payne and Chris Brown, who grabbed two checkers in last year's USMTS Spring Nationals.

Kelly Shryock, Dereck Ramirez, Rodney Sanders and Ryan Gustin each have two wins while Alan Mondus, Tommy Weder Jr., Johnny Bone Jr., John O. Whittington, Terry Phillips, Johnny Scott and Clyde Dunn Jr. and Stormy Scott have one victory each.

Other drivers expected this week include Philip Houston, Dereck Ramirez, Steve Whiteaker Jr., Cade Dillard, Jesse Sobbing, Austin and Casey Arneson, Adam Penn, Daniel Hilsabeck, Johnny Scott, Grant Junghans, Jimmy Ray, Joe Duvall, Fito and Jake Gallardo, Austin Theiss, Eddie Martin, Shane Sprinkle, Lance Town, Rory Jordan, Brock and Cody Bauman, Donovan Lodge, Ben Kates, Vince Lucas, Ronnie Gould III, Logan Robertson, T.J. Steele, Chris Henigan, Landon Atkinson, Austin Siebert, John Webb, Gregory Garrett, Cody Erickson, Brad Doherty, Howard Willis, Van Gemmill, Chase Delrio, bubba Gates and more.

On Thursday and Friday, the pit gate opens at 3 p.m., grandstands open at 5, the driver's meeting is at 6:30 and racing begins at 7. All times are one hour earlier on Saturday.

Grandstand admission is $15 each night for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12 and children 5 and under get in for free. Pit passes are $35 Thursday and Friday, $40 on Saturday.

For those unable to attend in person, RacinDirt.com will carry all of the action live online from the 6th Annual USMTS Texas Spring Nationals with flag-to-flag action from start to finish. Visit www.RacinDirt.com for ordering information.

The Royal Purple Raceway is a modern facility with a main grandstand seating capacity of 7,500 which includes fourteen VIP luxury suites and boasts a modern Musco Lighting system suitable for television productions. The track is located east of Houston on I-10 to Exit 799, then 2.5 miles south on SH 99 (Grand Parkway), then 0.3 mile west on FM 565. Speedway entrance located at Gate 3. For more information, call the track office at 281-383-RACE or visit www.royalpurpleraceway.com online.

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 subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv.

POINTS STANDINGS AS OF FEB. 19, 2015

MVT Gulf Coast Border Region presented by Day Motor Sports:
1. 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa ... 289 (1 win)
2. 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla. ... 273
3. 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa ... 244
4. 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas ... 239
5. 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla. ... 238 (1 win)
6. 89c Steve Whiteaker Jr., Corpus Christi, Texas ... 226 (1 win)
7. 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La. ... 222
8. 99 Jesse Sobbing, Glenwood, Iowa ... 220
9. 10 Austin Arneson, Fargo, N.D. ... 217
10. 1* Adam Penn, Shreveport, La. ... 213
11. 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa ... 212
12. 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 209
13. 2 Casey Arneson, Fargo, N.D. ... 202
14. 2 Grant Junghans, Manhattan, Kan. ... 199
15. 9 Jimmy Ray, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 194
15. 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla. ... 194

Rookie of the Year:
1. 99 Jesse Sobbing, Glenwood, Iowa ... 220
2. 10 Austin Arneson, Fargo, N.D. ... 217
3. 2 Casey Arneson, Fargo, N.D. ... 202
4. 7d Austin Theiss, Hockley, Texas ... 182
5. 23k Ben Kates, Tonganoxie, Kan. ... 181

COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Year:
1. Mullins Race Engines ... 29 (2 wins)
2. Sput's Racing Engines ... 23
3. Cornett Race Engines ... 20 (1 win)
3. Panhandle Performance Engines ... 20
5. Durham Racing Engines ... 19

Manufacturers Championship:
1. Hughes Racing Chassis ... 28 (1 win)
2. LG2 Race Cars ... 26 (1 win)
2. GRT Race Cars ... 26 (1 win)
4. MB Customs ... 22
5. Hilsabeck Chassis ... 17

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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Casey's General Stores, Chix Gear Racewear, COMP Cams, Day Motor Sports, Deatherage Opticians, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Fast Shafts, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, MSD, Nitroquest Media Group, RACEceiver, RacinDirt.com, S&S Fishing & Rental, VP Racing Fuels.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arizona Sport Shirts, ASi Racewear, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Double H Bands, Duvall Electric, ElbowsUp.com, Integra Racing Shocks & Springs, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Olympic Fire Protection, Rivers Edge Scrap Management, Schwab's Tinker Shop, UMotors Motorsports & Marine, Velocita-USA.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Bell Racing Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, BSB Manufacturing, CPD Racing Tools, Crane Cams, Driven Racing Oil, Edelbrock, Eibach Springs, FK Rod Ends, Forty9 Designs, Fuel Safe, Genesis Racing Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Holley Performance, Hooker Custom Harness, JRi Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, PBM Performance Products, QA1 Precision Products, Quarter Master, R2C Performance, Real Racing Wheels, Simpson Performance Products, Sybesma Graphics, Tilton Engineering, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes.

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Contact Info:
Jeff Nun
Communications Director
United States Modified Touring Series, Inc. (USMTS)
1715 W. 2nd St., P.O. Box 905
Webster City, IA 50595
Tel: 515-297-3835

Email: jeff@usmts.com
Web: www.usmts.com