by Trenton Berry, RacinDirt.com
JETMORE, Kan. -- For the second year in a row, the Hunt for the USMTS Casey's General Stores National Championship powered by Swan Energy will kick off at the Great American Dirt Track in Jetmore, Kan., on Thursday, Aug. 11.
"The Hunt" is a 21-race endeavor to see who will walk away with the series title and $20,000 top prize. The series brings in the very best in the modified world to battle with local and regional standout drivers.
Spicing things up this time around will be a visit from NASCAR superstar Ken Schrader. Schrader will have merchandise on hand and sign autographs for the fans, plus he'll be racing.
He's no slouch on dirt either. Schrader scored his first USMTS win last season, and is extremely competitive in his Federated Auto Parts #9.
"I've heard it was multi-groove, plenty fast and lit up pretty good," Schrader said of the Jetmore track. "I know it's one of the tracks we haven't been to and we're looking forward to going."
Schrader knows the competition will be fierce.
"It's the World of Outlaws of modified racing," he commented. "It's the best racers. They travel all over the Midwest. They have so many nights in a row. They're really on top of their game, and they do a real good job. We're coming to win the race."
There will be other drivers to keep an eye on too. Ryan Gustin from Marshalltown, Iowa, comes into "The Hunt" with three USMTS regional championships and likely a fourth by the end of the weekend, as there's still one region racing.
"I had one of my favorite races ever this last February down at Volusia County with Ryan," said Schrader. "We traded the lead three or four times in the closing laps of the race and he wound up beating us by about a car length."
Kelly Shryock, last year's winner at the Great American Dirt Track, and 2010 USMTS National Champion Jason Hughes will be there looking to start off on the right foot as well. A host of others will join in on what will be remembered as a huge night of racing for Southwestern Kansas.
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