WEBSTER CITY, Iowa -- The eighth season for the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series will be another one to remember as several changes are in order to make the 2006 racing season even more exciting for drivers, fans and sponsors.

In 2005 the series brought in a new title sponsor with O’Reilly Auto Parts, and the best season yet for the O’Reilly USMTS was provided for fans and drivers. The series will make a few more changes to make it more lucrative for more drivers, and more exciting for fans to follow the title chase throughout the season.

The 2005 schedule was divided into five sections (swings) with a champion of each swing being crowned, along with the overall National Champion at season's end. In 2006, the O’Reilly USMTS will continue with the multiple-race “swing” system, but will instead divide the 2006 schedule into geographic regions.

Each region will comprise between 9 and 14 races in a defined area rather than 9 or 10 races in a row. The first event in a particular region may be staged in April and the last in August. The O’Reilly USMTS schedule will be divided into four regions, with the champion of each region earning $2,000. The top-10 drivers in the final standings for each region will be “In The Hunt” for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship.

The ‘Hunt’ will be comprised of the final 14-16 races of the season and travel throughout most or all regions. The O’Reilly USMTS National Championship points system will be used at all events, with the top-10 in the final standings for each region earning 10 points for first place, 9 points for second place and so forth, descending to 1 point for tenth place in the region. The total points earned for all regions will serve as the base points that each driver will be “In The Hunt” with.

For instance, if a driver finishes first in two regions, second in one region and fourth in another region, that driver will earn 37 regional points (10-10-9-7) and be “In The Hunt” with 36 base points. The O’Reilly USMTS National Championship points system will be used at the remaining events for the drivers “In The Hunt” to determine the 2006 O’Reilly USMTS national champion.

Drivers must finish among the top-10 in any of the four final regional standings to be “In The Hunt.”

“We are really excited about the 2006 points system for our fans and competitors,” said USMTS President Todd Staley. “While it has become increasingly expensive, time-consuming and physically taxing for teams to travel the entire O’Reilly USMTS circuit, we feel we have come up with a way to encourage more drivers to participate in our national championship, while not penalizing those drivers who support us week in and week out.

“For our fans, the final 14 or 16 races of the season will serve as a “playoff” for the O’Reilly USMTS national championship. While handicapping gives a slight “home field” advantage to the drivers that compete on the entire national tour, each of the top-10 drivers in any of the four regions has a legitimate shot at capturing the national crown by competing “In The Hunt” at the end of the season.”

As few as 10 and as many as 40 different drivers could be “In The Hunt” when the final national championship series begins.

For 2006, the regional champions will earn at least $2,000 each -- twice as much as each swing champion earned in 2005 -- and the national champion (winner of “In The Hunt”) will earn at least a $6,000 payday.

The 2006 season for the O’Reilly USMTS is tentatively scheduled to begin with the 3rd Annual Nebraska Spring Thaw at the Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., on Friday and Saturday, March 10-11.

For more information on the O’Reilly USMTS, call 515-832-7944 or visit www.USMTS.com on the Web.

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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS SYSTEM

"A" Main Finish:

1st place - 100 points

2nd place - 95 points

3rd place - 91 points

4th place - 87 points

5th place - 84 points

6th place - 81 points

7th place - 78 points

8th place - 76 points

9th place - 74 points

10th place - 72 points

11th place - 70 points

12th place - 68 points

13th place - 66 points

14th place - 64 points

15th place - 62 points

16th place - 60 points

17th place - 58 points

18th place - 56 points

19th place - 55 points

20th place - 54 points

21st place - 53 points

22nd place - 52 points

23rd place - 51 points

24th place - 50 points

• All additional drivers (if any) starting the "A" main earn 50 points.

• All drivers that fail to qualify for the "A" main earn 45 points.

• All drivers leading at least one lap in the "A" main earn 1 bonus point.

• The driver leading the most laps in the "A" main earns 2 bonus points. Tie goes to the highest-finishing driver.

• Each driver will earn 1 bonus point per car passed in the "A" main, based on original starting spot versus finishing position.

• Only drivers holding a 2006 USMTS National License will earn points toward the National Championship. Only drivers holding a 2006 USMTS National or Regional License will earn points toward the Regional Championship.

REGIONAL POINTS

(based on National Championship points earned per region)

1st place - 10 points

2nd place - 9 points

3rd place - 8 points

4th place - 7 points

5th place - 6 points

6th place - 5 points

7th place - 4 points

8th place - 3 points

9th place - 2 points

10th place - 1 point

LINE-UP PROCEDURES

ONE-DAY & TWO-DAY/TWO-PAY SHOWS: Drivers will draw for starting positions in heat races. Heat races will award 59 points to the winner, then descending by 4 points for each finishing position thereafter (55-51-47-43-39, etc.). Each driver will earn an additional 1.5 bonus points for each car passed in the heat race, based on original starting position versus finishing position. The top 12 in points will qualify for the first 12 positions in the “A” main. The top 8 in points will redraw for starting positions 1-8, with the remaining four drivers starting in positions 9-12 based on points earned. One or more “B” mains will be staged with starting positions being “heads up” by heat race points. The top 12 drivers in the “B” main(s) will qualify for the “A” main, and will be lined up “heads up” in positions 13-24 in the “A” main based on their finishing position in the “B” main(s). Up to two (2) provisional starters may be added to the rear of the “A” main line-up.

TWO-DAY/ONE-PAY SHOWS: Same as above, except the following: The top 4 finishers in the “A” main on the first day will automatically qualify for one of the first 8 starting positions in the “A” main on the second day, along with the top 4 drivers in heat race points earned on the second day. Those 8 drivers will redraw for starting positions 1-8 in the “A” main.

At any event, USMTS officials may elect to stage a “dash” race among the top 8 qualifiers to determine the starting line-up for positions 1-8 in the “A” main.

NOTE: THESE POINTS AND PROCEDURES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE