CRESCO, Iowa -- With the World Modified Dirt Track Championship in their rearview mirrors, the stars and cars of the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour powered by Swan Energy are back on the road this week with a trio of events that will wrap up regional points battles and set the stage for this year’s Hunt for the USMTS National Championship.
On Thursday, Aug. 4, the action comes to the Cresco Speedway in Cresco, Iowa, for the 6th Annual Cresco Bowl. Originally scheduled for June 15, the event was one of many that were thwarted by Mother Nature this season.
This will be the 17th occasion that the lead-footed USMTS Modifieds have invaded the 4/10-mile clay oval at the Howard County Fairgrounds. Kelly Shryock tops the all-time win list with eight victories here, while Al Hejna and Jason Krohn each have two wins.
Mike Spaulding won the inaugural event at Cresco on June 27, 2002; Alan Mondus won his first and only USMTS event here in 2006; one of Zack VanderBeek’s 21 career wins came at Cresco in 2009 and Corey Dripps is the defending event champion.
Pit gates open at 4 p.m. grandstands open at 5, hot laps begin at 7 and the first heat race gets the green flag at 7:30. The Cresco Speedway is located 2 blocks north of SR 9 on SW 7th. Race day info is available by calling 563-547-3400 or at www.mhcfair.com/speedway.
On Friday and Saturday, Aug. 4-5, the Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wis., will host a dynamic doubleheader which also was created with the help of Mother Nature when the one-day USMTS event was rained out July 15.
Promoter Bob Timm decided to make it a two-day weekend, with the USMTS Modifieds racing for $2,000 to win on Friday and $3,000 to win on Saturday as part of the 3rd Annual Rivercity Rumble.
Todd Scharkey, Kelly Shryock and Al Hejna were all winners at the former Tri-Oval Speedway before Timm assumed ownership three years ago and reconfigured the track shape and brought in tons of new clay for the racing surface. Since then, Tommy Myer and Tim Donlinger have both scored victories at the track while Ryan Gustin has two wins, including the most recent event last August during ‘The Hunt.’
Friday at the Mississippi Thunder Speedway, the pits will open at 4 p.m. and the grandstands will swing open at 5. Hot laps begin at 6:30 with racing to follow at 7 p.m. On Saturday, pits open at 2 p.m., grandstands open at 3 and hot laps start at 5:30 with racing at 6 p.m.
The Mississippi Thunder Speedway is located 3.0 miles north of Fountain City on SR 35. For more information, call 608-687-3282 or visit www.mississippithunder.com on the World Wide Web.
This week’s trio of shows will wrap up the Yeager Machine Upper Midwest Region points battle and graduate the final class of drivers who will compete in this year’s Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Championship powered by Swan Energy.
Ryan Gustin leads the regional points battle over Zack VanderBeek and Kelly Shryock, with Rodney Sanders, Jon Tesch, Jason Miller, Corey Dripps, Al Hejna, Jason Grimes and Jason Krohn rounding out the top 10 in points.
The event at Cresco and Friday at Fountain City will feature the Iron Man Challenge for USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Cars and USRA Karl Performance Parts B-Mods. USRA Hobby Stocks will join the action Thursday at Cresco. USRA Karl Performance Parts B-Mods, Street Stocks, Super Stocks and Mini-Mods will round out the card on Saturday at Fountain City.
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