GREENWOOD, Neb. -- While the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series may be getting a lot of press for the upcoming 2nd Annual Silver Dollar Nationals at the I-80 Speedway, let us not forget that the best Modified drivers in the country will also be there Friday and Saturday, July 20-21, for the biggest race in Nebraska History.

Last year, heading into the inaugural SDN most fans had their thoughts on the $25,000-to-win Super Late Model event. That portion of the SDN with its unique qualifying format was very well received by fans and drivers alike.

But many of the comments received from fans after the inagural event were about how impressed they were with the USMTS Modifieds and how well their program was organized and completed. To fans who had never seen the USMTS before, that was a huge bonus they hadn’t counted on. Well, Todd Staley and his crew have been doing this USMTS thing for many years and when you consider some years the USMTS has ran 90 to 100 races, they have had a lot of time to perfect their show ... and they certainly have.

As one diehard fan who has seen the USMTS perform throughout the Midwest said, “There are B-Mods and A-Mods, and then there are AA Mods. The USMTS are the AA Mods.”

The USMTS drivers list contains a wealth of talent and certainly when you talk about the USMTS drivers you have to start with Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa. Shryock has won the USMTS National Championship an amazing nine times and he is always in the hunt for the title.

The rising star in the USMTS has to be 21-year-old Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa. "The Reaper" is the defending USMTS National Champion and is one of the most exciting drivers around. 2010 USMTS National Champion Jason Hughes of Watts, Okla., is another of the USMTS stars you'll see at I-80 Speedway.

Jeremy Payne won the Saturday night finale last year at the inaugural Silver Dollar Nationals.

Other drivers synonymous with the USMTS are 2007 USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn of Slayton, Minn.; Rodney "The Rocket" Sanders of Happy, Texas; and twin brothers Johnny and Stormy Scott of Las Cruces, N.M. Stormy Scott picked up $15,000 in March for winning the USMTS King of America II Modified Nationals in Humboldt, Kan. Also, Zack VanderBeek of New Sharon, Iowa, has been a long-time competitor. Rick Beebe of Shawnee, Kan., is a regular face on the tour and spent his early career racing the ASA Late Model Series and also competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. And don't forget about long-time USMTS competitor Al Hejna of Clear Lake, Iowa.

Throw in USMTS competitors such as Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo.; John Anderson of Omaha; Jeremy Payne of Springfield, Mo.; John Allen of Chanute, Kan.; and long-time modified ace Tim Donlinger of Rochester, Minn., and you find yourself in some extremely tough competition.

So if you want to see the best Modified drivers compete on the same program as the best Super Late Model drivers in the country, you need to make plans to attend the 2nd Annual Silver Dollar Nationals at the I-80 Speedway, July 20-21. You will not be disappointed.

Friday's show will be a USMTS National Championship Series event paying $4,000 to the winner while Saturday's race will be part of the USMTS Casey’s Cup Series with a $2,000 top prize up for grabs.

For more information, visit www.usmts.com or www.i-80speedway.com or call the I-80 Speedway office at 402-342-3453.