Friday, May 30, 2008

NASCAR Stars to Battle O’Reilly USMTS Modifieds at Iowa State Fair Speedway June 2

DES MOINES, Iowa (May 29) - When the United States Modified Touring Series invades the Iowa State Fair Speedway on Monday, June 2, the rugged road warriors will have some added incentive to find victory lane, and fans will have a chance to see two of the biggest names in stock car racing take on the biggest names in modified racing.

NASCAR stars Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace will strap on the helmets and stand on the gas as they compete with the O’Reilly USMTS National Tour on the Des Moines half-mile dirt oval for NASCAR Night presented by Karl Chevrolet. While they are best known for circling America's superspeedways with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, both are prolific dirt track racers with a pedigree.

They won't be looking for show up points, they'll be looking to win.

Ken Schrader: It was on the dirt tracks where Schrader's career began. He started out driving mostly open-wheel cars and won in every division he raced, including two USAC championships -- 1982 Silver Crown and '83 Sprint Car. Schrader is a veteran second-generation racer, and has 722 career starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Schrader's victory in the 1991 Budweiser 500 at Dover International Speedway was his last to date. He appears as a television analyst on Inside Sprint Cup on the SPEED Channel, and is also the owner of Ken Schrader Racing, which fields entries for himself in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the Whelen All-American Series for Chris Bristol. Schrader is also the owner of I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo.

Kenny Wallace: Wallace currently drives part-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He also works as an on-air personality for SPEED Channel on shows such as NASCAR RaceDay and NASCAR Victory Lane. He was also featured on the show NASCAR Drivers: 360 on FX. He has two brothers who are also current or former NASCAR drivers: Rusty Wallace and Mike Wallace. As a child, Wallace’s boisterous behavior earned him the nickname “Herman,” after a mischievous cartoon character named Herman the German. Last year, Wallace was voted in by fans to compete in the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

The rugged road warriors of the O’Reilly USMTS National Tour will be led into battle by Central States Region points leader Brad Pinkerton. Other drivers expected for this blockbuster event include Al Hejna, Ryan Gustin, Kelly Shryock, Jason Hughes, Zack VanderBeek, Jay Noteboom, Dereck Ramirez, Mark Noble, Ron Ver Beek, Chris Spieker, Brandon Kenny, Colt Mather, Bryan Rowland, Cale Sponsler, Jake Neal, Nate Caruth, Alan Mondus, Donovan Lodge, Michael Long, Brandon Banks, Steve Kosiski, Josh Truman, David Holder, Steve Stewart, Scott Dickey, Jeff Schluetter, Tommy Myer, Richie Gustin, Jr., Mark Burgtorf, Tommy Weder Jr., Tony Fraise, Dean Mahlstedt and many more.

Pit gates will open at 4:30 p.m. and grandstand gates will swing open at 5:00. Schrader and Wallace will be signing autographs for the fans from 5:30 to 6:30. After that, all three NASCAR stars will suit up for hot laps. The first green flag is scheduled to wave at 7:00. Tickets are available at the track, and all grandstand seating will be general admission only, so get there early to grab your seat for this one-of-a-kind event.

Also on the racing card will be Stock Cars, B-Mods and Hobby Stocks. Cars legal under USRA or IMCA rules will be able to compete, but there will be no points awarded and the claim rule will not be in effect.

Race fans can pick up $2-off coupons for the event at Casey's General Stores locations in Ankeny, Des Moines and Pleasant Hill. Mark Noble, who will be driving the Miller Lite/Casey's General Stores #74 Modified will meet and greet fans at the Casey's General Stores location at 1010 SE Oralabor Rd. in Ankeny from 12-2 p.m. At the Casey's General Stores location at 1125 N. Hickory Rd. in Pleasant Hill, Zack VanderBeek will be on hand from 12-2 p.m. with his Cheetos/Casey's General Stores #33z Modified.

The Iowa State Fair Speedway is a half-mile semi-banked dirt oval located on the east side of Des Moines at 30th St. and University Ave. For more information, call (515) 201-5526 or visit www.jjam.2y.net/statefair.html online.

The USMTS is celebrating its 10th Anniversary Season in 2008 with many special promotions to show thanks to the fans, drivers, team members, families and sponsors who have helped make the USMTS the premier dirt modified series in the nation.
To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, call the headquarters at (515) 832-7944 or visit www.usmts.com online for the latest news and information from the USMTS — America's Hottest Ticket on Dirt.

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