LAS CRUCES, N.M. (Feb. 3) – When you find yourself looking at a dozen or more rear bumpers while sitting at the rear of a double-wide pack for the start of a USMTS main event, the task at hand can be daunting.

Thrill of victory aside, drivers competing in the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour have another incentive to battle their way to the front of the field.

Mesilla Valley Transportation – one of the largest locally-owned transportation providers in Western Texas and Southern New Mexico – has stepped up to the plate and delivered a home run for USMTS drivers as sponsor of the Hard Charger Award for the 2011 racing season.

Mesilla Valley Transportation co-founders Jimmy Ray (left) and Royal Jones.

“We at MVT consider USMTS the premier modified sanction in the country and are proud to be a part of it,” said the company’s co-founder, Royal Jones. “We have basically come from the back in everything we have ever done. That being said, it only seemed natural that we sponsor the hard charger.”

At the conclusion of the “A” main at every USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour event, the driver that passed the most cars will earn the Mesilla Valley Transportation Hard Charger Award and a $100 cash bonus.

What’s more, that driver will earn one point for every car passed and those points will accumulate throughout the year. At season’s end, the two “hard chargers” with the most points will earn a cash bonus of $2,000 and $1,000, respectively.

To be eligible, the driver must possess a USMTS license and must display the approved Mesilla Valley Transportation decal in the required location on the racecar.

Specializing in time sensitive service between major manufacturing areas in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, Mesilla Valley Transportation is dedicated to consistent, on-time delivery of valuable assets in good condition. With dry freight capabilities, MVT has the resources to handle any transportation need. Once you compare MVT to the rest, you will understand why they stand by their reputation.

MVT also has the most efficient fleet in the USA – possibly the world. The company prides itself in finding ways to make their equipment cut through the wind like no other. MVT uses low rolling resistance tires, have cut parasitic drag in their tractors and was the first in their industry to use trailer skirts 100%. Today, MVT has begun installing boat tails on the back of trailers to reduce the drag behind the trailer.

“The air we all breathe will be better due to our efforts,” Jones added. “Not to mention that the whole country would be less dependent on foreign oil if all would follow our lead.”

For more information about Mesilla Valley Transportation, call 575-524-2835 or visit them online at www.m-v-t.com.

The USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour 2011 campaign will kick off Feb. 17-19 at the Royal Purple Raceway (formerly Houston Raceway Park) in Baytown, Texas, then moves to the Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., for the 8th Annual Nebraska Spring Thaw on Friday and Saturday, March 4-5.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. For sponsorship and marketing inquiries, call 515-297-3935 or email media@usmts.com. You can also follow the USMTS on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, GoPro, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, Kevko Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, NITROQUEST, RACEceiver.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Allstar Performance, Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, Bad Boy Mowers, Bear Tire, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Cagle Motorsports, DandyLand Farms, Day Motor Sports, Dirt Track Racing School, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com, DrySlik Dirt Trak Racewear, Falcon Wind Power, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Gressel Oil Field Service, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Just Say Yes, Karl Performance Parts, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Belleville Motorsports, COMP Cams, Dynatech Racing Exhaust, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, Isky Racing Cams, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, QuickTime Inc, Real Racing Wheels, RHS – Racing Head Service, Schoenfeld Headers, US Brake, Willy’s Carburetor & Dyno Shop, WIX Filters.