WACO, Texas -- It's been the talk of the town from Oklahoma City to Dallas for several months, and this coming Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 5-7, the talk will stop but the mud-slinging will escalate as the rugged road warriors of the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour powered by Swan Energy invade three of the most popular dirt tracks in Texas and Oklahoma.

Three highly-competitive clay ovals that demand more from what’s inside the helmet than what’s under the hood will make for some exciting action that no dirt Modified fan in the Lone Star or Sooner State will want to miss.

Thursday, May 5, is sure to be a barnburner at the popular Heart O’ Texas Speedway bullring located ner Waco in Elm Mott. Twice canceled because of rain, it’s an event that local dirt track racing fans have been waiting for going on three seasons now.

The original Heart O’ Texas Speedway opened in 1955 just a few miles from the current location, which has been in operation since 1966. Dirt track racing in Waco dates back to 1916 at the Texas Cotton Palace Fairgrounds half-mile oval. Racing continued at the fairgrounds until the 1940s when the Suicide Bowl opened where Lake Waco now sits.

Pit gates swing open at 4 p.m. for the inaugural event. Grandstands will open at 5:30, hot laps start at 7 and the first heat race takes to the track at 7:30. Local Limited Mods will complete the racing card.
The Heart O’ Texas Speedway is a quarter-mile high-banked dirt oval located 7 miles north of Waco on I-35 at exit 343. Call 254-776-1576 for more information or 254-829-2294 on race day or visit the track’s website at www.heartotexspeedway.com.

After a thrilling event in 2008, race fans at the Cowtown Speedway in Kennedale, Texas, missed out on an encore when Mother Nature rained out an appearance in 2009, but they get another chance this Friday, May 6.

Defending USMTS National Champion Jason Hughes finished fourth in the 2008 event while three Cowtown locals – George White, Bryan Sugg and Glenn Leuschner – successfully defended their home turf and claimed the top three spots.

Pit gates will open at 4 p.m., grandstands open at 5, hot laps are at 6:30 and the green flag waves at 7 p.m. Also on the racing card will be Limited Mods and Bombers/Hobby Stocks.

The Cowtown Speedway is a quarter-mile high-banked clay oval located off of I-20 at exit 442-A, then 1.7 miles southeast on Mansfield Hwy., then 1.4 miles southwest on New Hope Rd. For day-of-race information, call 817-478-9952 or check out www.cowtownspeedway.com on the World Wide Web.

Mufflers are mandatory for all drivers competing at the Cowtown Speedway event. The only types of mufflers permitted will be the unaltered 609-style muffler or three-ring muffler. Both muffler types are available from Day Motor Sports by calling 800-543-6238 or online at www.daymotorsports.com. Mufflers will also be for sale on race day at the track.

On Saturday night, May 7, the scene will be Virgil Page's Lake Country Speedway in Ardmore, Okla. The 3/8-mile semi-banked clay oval promises to be one of the best passing tracks on the schedule this season as both fans and drivers alike have heralded the racing surface at ‘Devil’s Backbone’ as one of the smoothest and best-prepared in the country right now.

Pit gates open at 4 p.m., grandstand gates open at 5, hot laps begin at 7 and the first heat race takes the green flag at 8:00. Also on the racing card will be HotMods/B-Mods, Late Models and Hobby Stocks.

Lake Country Speedway is a 3/8-mile semi-banked clay oval located just off of I-35 at exit 29, then 0.7 mile east on US 70, then 1.8 miles south on US 77. For race day information, call 580-220-7565 or visit www.lakecountryspeedwayok.com online.

All three event events will pay $2,000 to the winner.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also follow the USMTS on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Day Motor Sports, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com, DrySlik Dirt Trak Racewear, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Karl Performance Parts, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Race Cars, Ruter Farms, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Hypercoil Springs, ISKY Racing Cams, The Joie of Seating, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, RHS – Racing Head Service, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, WIX Filters.