<B>MEMPHIS, Mo. --</B> The tiny rural community of Memphis, Mo., will be transformed into a mecca of race fans, cars and drivers next week as five thrilling nights of racing over 10 days are on tap at the Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway.

"Speedweeks" at the 3/8-mile high-banked oval begins on Thursday, Oct. 13, with the first of three nights comprising the inaugural Memphis Nationals. Headlining this event will be Super Late Models and Modifieds, with drivers in each class battling for a $5,000 top prize on Saturday, Oct. 15.

Wrapping up the two-weekend line-up will be the season finale for the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series as they race for $2,000 to win on Friday, Oct. 21, and $3,000 to win on Saturday, Oct. 22, during the Pepsi/Mt. Dew Mid-America Nationals.

As of Thursday, Oct. 6, more than 130 drivers were already registered for the Memphis Nationals. More than 250 different cars and drivers are expected to compete during the five-night blowout.

A free-to-the-public open practice session is slated for Wednesday, Oct. 12, to help kick off the Memphis Nationals. Practice sessions are scheduled from 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Grandstand admission is free, while pit passes are $15.

The action gets underway on Thursday, Oct. 13, with Modifieds, Stock Cars, B-Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Hornets and Cruisers competing in heat races, B-mains and A-main qualifiers. The top six cars from each A-main qualifier on Thursday will be locked into Saturday night’s main event. Adult grandstand tickets for Thursday are $10, kids (ages 6-12) are just $3 and children 5 and under are admitted free of charge. Pit passes are $25. Gates open at 3:00 p.m. with racing scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

The lightning-fast Super Late Models join the program on Friday, Oct. 14, along with Modifieds, Stock Cars, B-Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Hornets and Cruisers back in action. All classes will compete in heat races, B-mains and A-main qualifiers. The top 10 finishers in the Super Late Model A-main qualifier will be locked into Saturday's finale, while the top six finishers in the other classes will be locked into Saturday night’s main event. Adult grandstand tickets for Thursday are $12, kids (ages 6-12) are just $4 and children 5 and under are admitted free of charge. Pit passes are $25. Gates open at 3:00 p.m. with racing scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

After the races on Friday night, Cunningham Fertilizer and other area sponsors will be hosting a post-race party for all drivers and teams, with three kegs of beer and Karaoke going as late as party-goers can last.

All classes return on Saturday for the Memphis Nationals finale, with last-chance qualifiers, pole scrambles and main events for all seven divisions. The 12 qualified drivers from Thursday and Friday in the Modified, Stock Car, B-Mod, Hobby Stock, Hornet and Cruiser classes will each battle it out in a "pole scramble" to determine the starting line-up for the feature races. The Super Late Model "pole scrambles" will feature the top 10 drivers from Friday's A-main qualifier. The remaining spots in the main event fields will be filled through last-chance qualifiers in each division. General admission adult grandstand tickets are just $15 for Saturday's show, with kids (ages 6-12) $5 and children 5 and under admitted free of charge. Pit passes are $30. Gates will open at 2:00 p.m. with racing slated for 5:30 p.m.

In Saturday's main events, Hornets will be racing for $300 to win and $70 to start, Cruisers will battle for $300 to win and $75 to start, Hobby Stocks will race for $700 to win and $100 to start, B-Mods are going for $1,000 to win and $100 to start and Stock Cars will be fighting for $2,000 to win and $100 to start. Both the Super Late Models and Modifieds will be competing for $5,000 to win and $300 to start.

Once the dust settles and the memories are tucked away, the town of Memphis remains quiet for five days before the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series roars into town for the Pepsi/Mt. Dew Mid-America Nationals. Two complete shows are slated for Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21-22, with all of the regular Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway classes also in action.

While Fertile, Iowa's Kelly Shryock has already locked up his seventh consecutive O’Reilly USMTS national points championship, the battles for the remaining top 10 positions are wide open. The best of the best in Modified racing will be on hand in the final event of 2006 for race fans to see the stars and cars of the O’Reilly USMTS.

Dean Mahlstedt of Garner, Iowa, who captured his first O’Reilly USMTS win on September 29, leads the travelling road warriors into Memphis for the final two races of the AFCO Challenge -- a $3,000-to-win "mini-series" comprised of the final 10 points events of the O’Reilly USMTS season. Mahlstedt holds a slim 13-point advantage (698 to 685) over Tommy Myer of Blooming Prairie, Minn., heading into the final points races of the season at the Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway. Shryock sits third in the AFCO Challenge standings with 675 points, followed by Clear Lake, Iowa's Al Hejna (667) and Zack Vanderbeek of New Sharon, Iowa (585).

For more information, contact the USMTS offices at 515-832-7944, or visit www.USMTS.com online.