KANSAS CITY, Kan.—Everybody is invited to join the United States Modified Touring Series as the series heads for a doubleheader in the heartland of America this Friday and Saturday, May 1-2.

Oh, Mother Nature? She’s not invited.

Action in the MSD Central Region presented by Day Motor Sports kicks off this Friday, May 1, at the Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., for the first of two $3,000-to-win blockbuster events. Then on Saturday, May 2, the USMTS Modifieds return to the high banks of the Randolph County Raceway in Moberly, Mo.

This will be the twelfth time the USMTS has circled the historic Lakeside Speedway since making its debut here less than three years ago. Ryan Gustin won the inaugural race during his second straight USMTS national championship season in 2012. Since then, Jeremy Payne and Terry Phillips have both won three times while two-time defending USMTS national champ Rodney Sanders has two.

2013 USRA Modified National Champion Matt Dotson and defending Lakeside Speedway track champion Nic Bidinger each have one USMTS victory—both coming during the 2013 Sunflower Showdown.

Pit gate opens Friday at 4 p.m., spectator gates open at 5 p.m., hot laps start at 7 p.m. and racing begins at 7:30. Adult grandstand tickets are $18, youth ages 13-16 are $10, kids ages 6-12 are $5 and children ages 5 and under are admitted free with a paid adult. Seating in the V.I.P. suites are $25. Pit passes are $35.

The Lakeside Speedway is a semi-banked 4/10-mile dirt oval located 1.0 mile west of I-435 (exit 18) on SR 5 (northwest of Kansas City). For more information, call 913-299-9206 or visit www.lakesidespeedway.net.

On Saturday, the series returns to the Randolph County Raceway for the first time since 2010. After being shuttered for several seasons, new ownership breathed life back into the former 24 Raceway, and fans across the social media spectrum have been chattering about the USMTS returning to the Moberly, Mo., high banks on May 2.

The first trip to the facility has its place in history as the only USMTS feature to ever end in a tie. Zack VanderBeek and Jon Tesch crossed the finish line in a dead heat, but both the naked eye and photo finish could not determine a clear winner. Both drivers were awarded the victory.

The following season, the USMTS implemented the AMB timing and scoring system for all events, and although dozens have been incredibly close, technology has prevented another split podium. Tesch returned the following year to get the win uncontested.

The last visit in 2010 for the series saw Jason Krohn take the win in a race that was featured on the Dirt Knights docu-drama for a national television audience.

Jason Hughes also won here earlier in 2010 with Michael Long taking his first USMTS win here in 2009.

Pit gate opens at 3 p.m., spectator gates open at 5 p.m., hot laps start at 6:30 and racing begins at 7 p.m. Adult grandstand tickets are $20, kids ages 6-14 are $10 and children ages 5 and under get in for free. Pit passes are $35.

The Randolph County Raceway is a high-banked 4/10-mile clay oval located 3.5 miles east of US 63 on US 24 (5 miles east of Moberly). For more information, call 660-651-8599 or check out www.randolphcountyraceway.com on the World Wide Web.

Both events will also feature the Holley Iron Man Series featuring USRA Stock Cars and USRA B-Mods. ULMA Late Models, Hobby Stocks and 4-Cylinders will also be racing Saturday in Moberly.

With two races in the books in the MSD Central Region, Gustin holds a four-point cushion over Stormy Scott in the regional points standings. Dereck Ramirez, Keith Foss, Cade Dillard, Sanders, Casey Arneson, Joe Duvall, Austin Arneson and Kelly Shryock round out the top-ten.

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 subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv.

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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Casey’s General Stores, Chix Gear Racewear, COMP Cams, Day Motor Sports, Deatherage Opticians, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Fast Shafts, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, Malvern Trust & Savings Bank, MSD, Nitroquest Media Group, RACEceiver, RacinDirt.com, S&S Fishing & Rental, VP Racing Fuels.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arizona Sport Shirts, ASi Racewear, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Double H Bands, Duvall Electric, ElbowsUp.com, Integra Racing Shocks & Springs, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Olympic Fire Protection, Rivers Edge Scrap Management, Schwab’s Tinker Shop, UMotors Motorsports & Marine, Velocita-USA.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Bell Racing Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, BSB Manufacturing, CPD Racing Tools, Crane Cams, Driven Racing Oil, Edelbrock, Eibach Springs, FK Rod Ends, Forty9 Designs, Fuel Safe, Genesis Racing Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Holley Performance, Hooker Custom Harness, JRi Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Midwest Sheet Metal, PBM Performance Products, QA1 Precision Products, Quarter Master, R2C Performance, Real Racing Wheels, Simpson Performance Products, Sybesma Graphics, Tilton Engineering, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes.