<B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="GRAY">by Todd Staley, USMTS</FONT></B>

FAIRMONT, MN (August 15, 2000) &#151; The United States Modified Touring Series has added a date at the Fairmont Raceway on Wednesday, Aug. 23. This race will coincide with a race on Thursday at the Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City, IA.

This will be the first ever visit to Fairmont for the USMTS and with all the local competitors that run very good this will be a very interesting race for the USMTS drivers. Also running on Wednesday will be Stock Cars for $300 to win. Hobby Stocks will also race for $200 to win and the Cruisers for $125 to win.

On Thursday the Series will move south and race at the Hamilton County Speedway, where the Stock Cars will race for $600 to win, Hobby Stocks $400 to win and the Econo Stocks for $100 to win.

Adding this race will bring more drivers in the area as they will be able to race two nights in-a-row for $2,000 to win.

This will be drivers' last chance to visit the Hamilton County Speedway to get set up for the second annual Fall Jamboree later in September.

The ticket price for both events will be $10 for adults and kids 6-12 will be $5. Pit passes will be $20 for both events. Gates will open at 5 p.m. both nights with hot laps scheduled for 7.

The race at Fairmont will be a points race. As of Monday, Aug. 14, Kelly Shryock still holds a slim 82-point lead over Mike Chasteen heading into Owatonna, Minn. this week. The Midwest Motorsports Rookie-of-the-Year battle is also tight as Kevin Peters is ahead of Dan Daniels by a 193-161 margin. There are only six nights of points left for the USMTS in the 2000 season.

Some of the expected drivers for Fairmont are Mark Noble, Ron Jones, Tim Donlinger, Denny Anderson, Rich Lewerke, Troy Swearingen, Greg Porth, Jim Richert, Tommy Myer, Willy Kraft, Kevin Peters, Mike Chasteen, Kelly Shryock, plus many more, including Joe Kosiski and Johnny Saathoff.

This should be some of the best modified racing seen in southern Minnesota for the 2000 season.