BEMIDJI, Minn. -- The dirt track racing docu-drama “Dirt Knights” will make its much-anticipated television debut next month with a new sixth member stepping into the spotlight.

Twenty-four-year-old Dereck Ramirez of Woodward, Okla., will be one of the featured competitors when the hour-long show debuts Sunday, Jan. 2, at 6 p.m. Eastern on VERSUS – the fastest growing cable sports network in the nation.

“We’re excited to have Dereck on board,” said Mike Spaulding who, along with fellow featured driver Corey Dripps, has spearheaded the Dirt Knights project from its inception nearly three years ago. “We've been watching Dereck progress while filming fellow Dirt Knights driver Jon Tesch, and felt his charismatic presence along with his driving skills would be a great addition to Dirt Knights.”

Ramirez Motorsports, which is owned and operated by Dereck’s father, Leon Ramirez, entered the playing field less than three years ago and have grown into a force to be reckoned with, recruiting USMTS National Champions such as Tim Donlinger and many others.

“I’m honored that these guys would welcome me into the Dirt Knights family,” said Ramirez. “We’ve all become good friends and fierce competitors over the last few seasons, and I’m more excited about this opportunity than words can describe.

“However,” he added, “I hope they don’t think this will make me cut them a break on the racetrack, because that ain’t happening.”

While he has led nearly 100 main event laps in four seasons, Ramirez is the only one of the six Dirt Knights cast of characters still searching for that elusive first win with the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour.

Nonetheless, he remains one of the drivers to beat every time his team pulls through the pit gate. He’s finished among the top-10 in the final points standings in each of the last three seasons with a career-best fifth-place ranking at the end of the 2008 campaign, and was runner-up to Brandon Kenny in the closest-ever Rookie of the Year contest in 2007 that included some of today’s top drivers including Bryan Rowland, Rodney Sanders and Colt Mather.

Despite a victory missing from his list of accomplishments, Ramirez’s résumé includes 23 top-five and 89 top-ten finishes in his 238 career starts against the best of the best in dirt modified racing.

Sponsors of the #4R Ramirez Motorsports team include Coors Light, Buddy’ Rig Lounge, Midwest Refrigeration, Boom-Test, Pro Power Racing Engines and Power Rig.

Dirt Knights is an on-going dramatic series of one-hour programs that will air twice a week for 13 weeks beginning Jan. 2, 2011, with each episode reaching more than 75 million households.

Episodes will air during the highly coveted Sunday evening time slot. VERSUS is available in high-definition and can be seen nationally on DirecTV (channel 603), Dish Network (channel 151) and regionally on most cable systems.

The life of an American dirt track racer is not one that many could endure, but for the Dirt Knights it’s the only life worth living, and through the Dirt Knights TV series on VERSUS, we all get to go along for the wild ride.

Visit www.dirtknights.com for more information and to view the trailer. Also look for Dirt Knights on Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT DIRT KNIGHTS
DIRT KNIGHTS is a multimedia entertainment and marketing company that is built around its flagship television series on VERSUS. The weekly, one-hour TV series follows six dirt track racecar drivers as they search for victory and themselves at speedways throughout the Midwest. This unique brand of entertainment is complemented by a complete line of marketing and cross-promotional items including a vast Internet strategy, national print exposure, personal appearances and grassroots, face-to-face connections as well as collectibles, apparel and accessories.

ABOUT RAMIREZ MOTORSPORTS
Based out of Woodward, Okla., Ramirez Motorsports is a dirt modified chassis manufacturer that also offers several racing-related services including powder coating, graphics and parts. More information is available by calling 580-254-5577 or online at www.ramirezracing.com

ABOUT VERSUS
VERSUS celebrates real competition across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Stanley Cup Playoffs as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, Davis Cup Tennis, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), the Indy Racing League and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12, Mountain West and Ivy League. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events that audiences can't find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK) is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

ABOUT THE PRODUCERS
KOEL COMMUNICATIONS LLC and TOPWATER MEDIA INC. are industry leaders in producing large event outdoor programming with a credit list that includes, HISTORY’S “Monsterquest”, FLW Outdoors on VERSUS, FOX SPORTS NET, ESPN, ABC and others.