Officials from the United States Modified Touring Series announced the addition of four events to the 2018 campaign this weekend, filling the three dates previously marked as “to be announced” and adding the series' first-ever date in the State of Arizona.

Two shows were added to fill out the May 4-6 weekend, and features a return to two iconic speedplants leading up to the inaugural event at the Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, Okla., on Sunday, May 6.

On Friday, May 4, the USMTS will return to the I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark., for the first time since the 2009 season. The track is a high-banked, quarter-mile red clay oval located in the state's capital city, and hosts numerous high-profile special events such as the Short Track Nationals.

Five races were held between June 4, 2008, and June 10, 2009, with Arkansas drivers taking down three of the first four wins. Jack Sullivan won the inaugural event and Mike Bowers claimed the checkers later on that year. In 2009, Michael Robertson and Johnny Bone Jr. were winners of the “Topless Nationals” and Steve Whiteaker Jr. won the last USMTS feature race here.

On Saturday, May 5, the Tri-State Speedway in Pocola, Okla., hosts the USMTS Hunt for the Casey's Cup for the first time since 2011. Originally named Mighty Mouse Speedway when it was built in 1969, the Tri-State Speedway will mark its 48th consecutive year of racing in 2018.

Eddie Martin won the first USMTS race here on June 3, 2008. For the next three years the checkered flag was owned by four-time USMTS national champion Jason Hughes.

All three events May 4-6 will award points in both the USMTS Hunt for the Casey's Cup and Summit Racing Equipment USMTS Southern Series.

The final TBA on the schedule was Thursday, Aug. 16, and that date will find the Best of the Best at the I-35 Speedway in Winston, Mo., for the 10th Annual USMTS Missouri Meltdown.

Twelve different drivers have won USMTS main events at the I-35 Speedway since 2002 including Kelly Shryock who won three straight in 2002. Ryan Gustin is also a three-time winner here. Other winners include John Allen, John Van Den Berg, Scott Drake, Mark Noble, Johnny Scott, Ron Ver Beek, Stormy Scott, Rodney Sanders, Jason Hughes and, most recently, Ricky Thornton Jr. in 2017.

Two new dates will bring the USMTS to the state of Arizona for the first time in the series' 20-year history when the USMTS visits the Canyon Speedway Park on Friday and Saturday, April 13-14, for a national points race doubleheader.

Built in 1981, the Canyon Speedway Park is a 1/3-mile clay oval located in North Peoria, Ariz.

The series will compete at the Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces, N.M., the following weekend on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 20-22.

The USMTS invades the Canyon Speedway Park on Friday and Saturday, April 13-14, 2018.

The 20th anniversary season featuring the Best of the Best in dirt modified racing features a points fund of more than $160,000 highlighted by a record top prize of $50,000 awaiting the 2018 USMTS National Champion. The USMTS Hunt for the Casey's Cup has 43 nights of racing penciled in at 37 of America's most popular dirt ovals.

2018 USMTS Hunt for the Casey's Cup:
Fri Mar 9 ... Jackson Motor Speedway, Byram, Miss.
Sat Mar 10 ... Whynot Motorsports Park, Meridian, Miss.
Sun Mar 11 ... Magnolia Motor Speedway, Columbus, Miss.
Thu Mar 15 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, Kan.
Fri-Sat Apr 13-14 ... Canyon Speedway Park, Peoria, Ariz.
Fri-Sun Apr 20-22 ... Southern New Mexico Speedway, Las Cruces, N.M.
Fri Apr 27 ... West Texas Raceway, Lubbock, Texas
Sat Apr 28 ... Route 66 Motor Speedway, Amarillo, Texas
Sun Apr 29 ... Enid Speedway, Enid, Okla.
Fri May 4 ... I-30 Speedway, Little Rock, Ark.
Sat May 5 ... Tri-State Speedway, Pocola, Okla.
Sun May 6 ... Creek County Speedway, Sapulpa, Okla.
Fri May 18 ... I-94 Speedway, Fergus Falls, Minn.
Sat May 19 ... Ogilvie Raceway, Ogilvie, Minn.
Sun May 20 ... Mason City Motor Speedway, Mason City, Iowa
Fri May 25 ... Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, Wis.
Sat May 26 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn.
Sun May 27 ... Upper Iowa Speedway, Decorah, Iowa
Thu Jun 7 ... 81 Speedway, Park City, Kan.
Fri Jun 8 ... Dodge City Raceway Park, Dodge City, Kan.
Sat Jun 9 ... Salina Speedway, Salina, Kan.
Thu Jun 14 ... Cedar Lake Speedway, New Richmond, Wis.
Thu Jun 28 ... Nobles County Speedway, Worthington, Minn.
Fri Jun 29 ... Brown County Speedway, Aberdeen, S.D.
Sat Jun 30 ... Devil's Lake Speedway, Crary, N.D.
Tue Jul 17 ... Hamilton County Speedway, Webster City, Iowa
Wed Jul 18 ... Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Thu Aug 2 ... Springfield Raceway, Springfield, Mo.
Fri Aug 3 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, Kan.
Sat Aug 4 ... Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, Mo.
Thu Aug 16 ... I-35 Speedway, Winston, Mo.
Fri Aug 17 ... Lakeside Speedway, Kansas City, Kan.
Sat Aug 18 ... Salina Highbanks Speedway, Pryor Creek, Okla.
Fri Aug 24 ... Rapid Speedway, Rock Rapids, Iowa
Sat Aug 25 ... Park Jefferson Speedway, Jefferson, S.D.
Sun Aug 26 ... Casino Speedway, Watertown, S.D.
Fri Aug 31 ... Fayette County Speedway, West Union, Iowa
Sat Sep 1 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn.
Sun Sep 2 ... Cresco Speedway, Cresco, Iowa
Thu Sep 20 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn.

With events in Arkansas, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, the Summit Racing Equipment USMTS Southern Series will have it's own lucrative points fund and crown a champion at season's end. Twelve of the 21 race nights will also be USMTS national points races.

2018 Summit Racing Equipment USMTS Southern Series:
Fri-Sat Feb 23-24 ... South Texas Speedway, Corpus Christi, Texas
Sun Feb 25 ... Texana Raceway Park, Edna, Texas
Thu Mar 1 ... Grayson County Speedway, Bells, Texas
Fri Mar 2 ... Kennedale Speedway Park, Kennedale, Texas
Sat Mar 3 ... Superbowl Speedway, Greenville, Texas
Fri Mar 9 ... Jackson Motor Speedway, Byram, Miss.
Sat Mar 10 ... Whynot Motorsports Park, Meridian, Miss.
Sun Mar 11 ... Magnolia Motor Speedway, Columbus, Miss.
Fri-Sun Apr 20-22 ... Southern New Mexico Speedway, Las Cruces, N.M.
Fri Apr 27 ... West Texas Raceway, Lubbock, Texas
Sat Apr 28 ... Route 66 Motor Speedway, Amarillo, Texas
Sun Apr 29 ... Enid Speedway, Enid, Okla.
Fri May 4 ... I-30 Speedway, Little Rock, Ark.
Sat May 5 ... Tri-State Speedway, Pocola, Okla.
Sun May 6 ... Creek County Speedway, Sapulpa, Okla.
Thu-Sat Nov 1-3 ... Kennedale Speedway Park, Kennedale, Texas

In addition to the national and southern events, the USMTS will continue to stage several non-points crown jewel events.

King of America VIII is set for March 15-17 at the Humboldt (Kan.) Speedway. The $50,000-to-win Masters returns to the Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., June 14-16, and the I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb., hosts the Silver Dollar Nationals for the USMTS Modifieds and Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series for the eighth straight year on Friday and Saturday, July 20-21. The 20th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree takes place at the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., Sept. 20-22, where the USMTS National Champion will once again be crowned at the conclusion of Thursday's night opener.

The 3rd Annual Grant Junghans Memorial will return to the Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., on Friday, Aug. 17. It was also also announced today that the 2018 Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year will earn a record $5,000.

A new crown jewel event will close out the 2018 racing season with the inaugural Summit Racing Equipment USMTS Southern Nationals at the Kennedale Speedway Park, Nov. 1-3. The event will also be the final points race in the Summit Racing Equipment USMTS Southern Series.

2018 USMTS Crown Jewel Events:
Thu-Sat Mar 15-17 ... King of America VIII - Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, Kan.
Thu-Sat Jun 14-16 ... 20th Annual Masters - Cedar Lake Speedway, New Richmond, Wis.
Fri-Sat Jul 20-21 ... 8th Annual Silver Dollar Nationals - I-80 Speedway, Greenwood, Neb.
Fri Aug 17 ... 3rd Annual Grant Junghans Memorial - Lakeside Speedway, Kansas City, Kan.
Thu-Sat Sep 20-22 ... 20th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree - Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn.
Thu-Sat Nov 1-3 ... Summit USMTS Southern Nationals - Kennedale Speedway Park, Kennedale, Texas

The 2018 season kicks off with the first Summit Racing Equipment USMTS Southern Series event on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23-24, at the South Texas Speedway in Corpus Christi, Texas. The first points race in the USMTS Hunt for the Casey's Cup happens two weeks later on Friday, March 9, at the Jackson Motor Speedway in Byram, Miss., which will also be a Summit Racing Equipment USMTS Southern Series points race.

Awards Banquet: The USMTS will celebrate the sponsors, crew members, drivers and their families at the annual USMTS awards banquet on Saturday, Jan. 27, at the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Mo. A record crowd of nearly 300 people attended last year's gala, and this year's party will once again be a joint effort for both the USMTS and United States Racing Association (USRA).

Fans and members of the media are invited to attend too. Individual tickets are $40 each and are on sale now by calling the USMTS offices at (515) 832-7944 during normal business hours. The deadline to order tickets is Jan. 12.

Those attending this year's celebration are encouraged to reserve their rooms as soon as possible to take advantage of huge savings. For reservations, call the Ameristar Casino Hotel at (816) 414-7107 and request the discounted room rate for "US Modified Touring" using code SCUSMA8.

In addition to the awards ceremony, the evening's meal will feature a luxurious and plentiful selection of fine food, plus a huge dessert bar. A cash bar will also be available.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usmts, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usmts and Instagram at www.instagram.com/usmts or subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv. Keep up to speed with everything USMTS by joining our email list at www.usmts.com/subscribe.

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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Argo Manufacturing, Casey's General Stores, Chix Gear Racewear, CP-Carrillo, Deatherage Opticians, Fast Shafts, Intercomp, KSE Racing Products, Leaf Racewear & Safety Equipment, Malvern Bank, MSD, Pace Performance, RacerWebsite.com, RacinDirt.com, RacingJunk.com, S&S Fishing & Rental, SToK Cold-Brew Coffee, Summit Racing Equipment, The Joie of Seating, VP Racing Fuels.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arizona Sport Shirts, ASi Racewear, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Duvall Electric, ElbowsUp.com, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Oreo, Production Jars, Rancho Milagro Racing, RHRSwag.com, YouDirt.com.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: 905 Ink, AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Beyea Custom Headers, BigDeal Car Care, BSB Manufacturing, Day Motor Sports, Dickson Racing Shocks, E3 Spark Plugs, Edelbrock, FK Rod Ends, Forty9 Designs, Genesis Racing Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Holley Performance Products, Hooker Custom Harness, Integra Shocks & Springs, Jerovetz Motorsports Racing Parts, Keyser Manufacturing, Out-Pace Racing Products, QA1 Precision Products, Real Racing Wheels, Simpson Performance Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Swift Springs, Sybesma Graphics, Tire Demon, Wehrs Machine & Race Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes.