CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas—As if 80 days weren’t enough torture, USMTS drivers and fans will have to wait another 24 hours for the first green flag of 2014 racing season.

The last checkered flag waved on Nov. 16 last year in Baytown, Texas, but Mother Nature has been stubborn this week in Corpus Christi, Texas, and has forced officials to cancel Friday night’s event.

The 2nd Annual Sparkling City Nationals at the South Texas Speedway will now be a two-day show on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 8-9, paying $3,000 to win Saturday and $4,000 to win Sunday. Gates open at 3 p.m. both days with hot laps at 5 p.m.

Limited Modifieds will also be on the racing card with a $1,000 top prize at stake Saturday and $1,500 to the winner on Sunday night.

The kickoff for the MVT Gulf Coast Border Region will be the first of four straight weekends along America’s southern border. The regional points champion will also be the lone driver in contention for a $100,000 payoff if that driver can go on to win the points title in the other three regions and The Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s National Championship powered by Swan Energy.

The series’ lone journey to the South Texas Speedway came in 2007 with Jason Hughes and David Horner taking the wins on the first two nights before rain thwarted the finale of the scheduled tripleheader.

2ND ANNUAL USMTS SPARKLING CITY NATIONALS
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, FEB. 8-9, 2014.

TRACK INFO: The South Texas Speedway in Corpus Christi, Texas, is located 3.4 miles south of I-37 (exit 4A) on FM 665/Old Brownsville Rd., then merge onto S. Padre Island Dr., then right onto FM665 W/Old Brownsville Rd., then 2.6 miles west. Phone: 361-548-0669 or 361-814-8084; Website: www.stxspeedway.com.

TIMES & PROCEDURES: Draw for heat race starting spot ends 15 minutes before hot laps. Qualifying will be done by heat race passing points and “B” Mains. RACEceivers and AMB transponders are mandatory and available for rent or purchase at the USMTS trailer. On Saturday and Sunday, the pit gate opens at 3 p.m., hot laps begin at 5 p.m. and racing begins at 5:30 p.m. Pit passes are $35 each day.

USMTS MODIFIED PAYOUT: Saturday ... Licensed – 1. $3000, 2. $1700, 3. $1200, 4. $1000, 5. $800, 6. $700, 7. $600, 8. $500, 9. $450, 10. $400, 11. $375, 12. $350, 13. $325, 14-24. $300, Tow $90; Non-Licensed – 1. $3000, 2. $1500, 3. $1000, 4. $800, 5. $600, 6. $500, 7. $450, 8. $400, 9. $350, 10. $300, 11-24. $275, Tow $70; Sunday ... Licensed – 1. $4000, 2. $1700, 3. $1200, 4. $1000, 5. $800, 6. $700, 7. $600, 8. $500, 9. $450, 10. $400, 11. $375, 12. $350, 13. $325, 14-24. $300, Tow $90; Non-Licensed – 1. $4000, 2. $1500, 3. $1000, 4. $800, 5. $600, 6. $500, 7. $450, 8. $400, 9. $350, 10. $300, 11-24. $275, Tow $70.

LIMITED MOD PAYOUT: Saturday ... 1. $1000, 2. $600, 3. $450, 4. $360, 5. $250, 6. $200, 7. $170, 8. $140, 9. $120, 10. $110, 11. $100, 12. $90, 13. $85, 14. $80, 15-24. $75, Tow $40; Sunday ... 1. $1500, 2. $600, 3. $450, 4. $360, 5. $250, 6. $200, 7. $170, 8. $140, 9. $120, 10. $110, 11. $100, 12. $90, 13. $85, 14. $80, 15-24. $75, Tow $40.

RULES: USMTS Modifieds ... All USMTS rules apply. Tires permitted for this event are the American Racer KK-704 or Hoosier G60. See complete rules at www.usmts.com. There is no requirement to purchase a USMTS license to compete in any USMTS event. However, benefits enjoyed by licensed drivers includes higher event purses and bonus payouts, increased tow money, discounted entry fees, points fund eligibility and more. No provisionals will be awarded at this event; Limited Mods ... Rules will be governed under USRA Limited Mod rules. Tires allowed are the stamped Hoosier 500 or Hoosier H500.

The high-powered open-wheel machines of the USMTS Casey’s Cup powered by Swan Energy move to the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas, next week for the 5th Annual Double H Bands Texas Spring Nationals presented by Penn Transport on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 13-15.

The USMTS has visited the Royal Purple Raceway at least once in each of the last seven seasons, and 2010 USMTS national champion Jason Hughes leads all drivers with six career wins at the 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval.

The state-of-the-art facility has main grandstand seating capacity of 7,500 which includes fourteen VIP luxury suites and boasts a modern Musco Lighting system suitable for television productions.

From there, the series treks to the El Paso Speedway Park for two nights on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21-22, before heading a few minutes up the road to the Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces, N.M., on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27-28 and March 1.

This will be the first-ever visit by the USMTS to El Paso and Las Cruces, but both tracks host the similar USRA Modifieds during their weekly Friday and Saturday night programs throughout the year, as well as some well-attended special events that routinely draw the best dirt modified aces on the planet.

Each of the three-day shows will by $2,000 to win Thursday, $3,000 to win Friday and $4,000 to win Saturday. The two-day clash in El Paso will pay $2,000 and $3,000 to win, respectively.

An open practice will be held at the Royal Purple Raceway and Southern New Mexico Speedway on Wednesday night prior to each show, and on Thursday night prior to the first night of racing at the El Paso speedway Park.

RacinDirt.TV will carry all of the action live online from every show during the four-week swing with flag-to-flag action from start to finish each night. Visit www.RacinDirt.tv for ordering information.

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 or check out our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv.

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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, AMP Energy, Casey’s General Stores, COMP Cams, Day Motor Sports, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, MSD Ignition, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, RacinDirt.com, Snickers, SpiderWeb Modular Storage Solutions, Swan Energy.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: ASi Racewear, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Double H Bands, ElbowsUp.com, Erson Cams, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Integra Racing Shocks & Springs, Major League Bowhunter, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Olympic Fire Protection, Penn Transport, S & S Fishing and Rental, United Cellular Services.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Bell Racing Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, Brass Monkey Racing Products, BSB Manufacturing, C&R Racing, CPD Racing Tools, Edelbrock, FK Rod Ends, Forty9 Designs, Fuel Safe, Genesis Racing Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Hooker Harness, JRi Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, PBM Performance Products, Power Lift Racing Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Sybesma Graphics, Tiger Rear Ends.