WEBSTER CITY, Ia. (February 15, 2002) - The 2002 race season is about to get underway for the USMTS with an early race at Capital Speedway in Holts Summit, MO March 1-2.

This race will pay the winner $3000 and should attract some of the best modified drivers in the US. The USMTS is going into the fourth season of the series and has put together they best schedule in the four years. USMTS will then take three weeks off to give drivers a chance to go race some other big specials going on in and around Missouri and Arkansas.

Easter weekend the USMTS will make a stop back to the Winston Speedway in Winston, MO for a two-day $3000 to win show. The racing will get underway at 7:30 on Friday, and Saturday’s races will start at 5pm so that people can get home for Easter at a decent time. USMTS modifieds will run first on Saturday so the travelers can get home. USMTS will visit a lot of new tracks this season with a visit to Fayetteville, AR on April 5-6 for a two-day $3000 to win show. April 19-20 the USMTS will move back to the Spoon River Speedway for a two-day $4000 to win show. Then in May the series will make its first ever visit to Slayton, MN on Friday May 24th and moving to Racine, MN on Saturday the 25th before finishing this three day swing at Kasson on Sunday. USMTS will be very busy in June with 18 races in 24 days.

This swing will get underway with the first ever visit to Belleville Highbanks in Belleville, KS on Tuesday and Wednesday June 4-5. This race will pay $5000 to the winner.

USMTS will give everyone a day to travel up to Minot, ND for the 7th Annual Fisher Motors Roughrider Classic that will be sanctioned by USMTS in 2002. This race will pay $1000 on Friday and Saturday with the winner of Sunday picking up $5000. USMTS will move back to the south on Monday with a big ten-day swing getting underway on Tuesday June 11th at the Crawford County Speedway in Denison, IA. The series will then move to the south for Wednesday racing at the Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, KS for a topless 50 race. USMTS will make another first ever visit on Thursday with a stop at Wheatland Raceway in Wheatland, MO.

We are in the process of the Friday night track and will announce it as soon as they have signed on. On Saturday the series will make the first stop of 2002 to the Scotland County Fairgrounds in Memphis, MO. On Sunday the series will make its first ever appearance at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, IA. On Monday June 17th the series will make another new track appearance with a visit to the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, IA. On Tuesday the series will move to the Butler County Speedway in Allison before moving to the north with a visit to Deer Creek on the 19th and a visit to the Chateau Raceway in Lansing, MN to end the ten-day swing. On Tuesday the 25th of June USMTS will make the first stop of the season at the Steele County Fairgrounds in Owatonna, MN. USMTS is still waiting for a contract for Wednesdays track and will announce as soon as signed. On Thursday the series will make another first time visit with a visit to the Howard County Fair in Cresco, IA.

After a very busy June USMTS will let everyone regroup and only run six races in July. The first will be a visit back to the Capital Speedway in Holts Summit, MO. This race will be July 2-3 and pay $3000 to win with fireworks after the races on Wednesday night. On Thursday July 18th Owatonna will be the start of a three-night swing moving south to Allison, IA on Friday and back to Cedar Lake on Saturday for another topless race. USMTS will end July with a visit to the Knoxville, IL for the fair race on Wednesday July 31st.

Once again USMTS will try on Thursday to race at the Freeport Raceway Park, which was rained out three times in 2001. USMTS will move back to the south with a visit to Quincy Raceway on Friday August 2nd with a final stop at the Scotland County Fairgrounds in Memphis, MO on Saturday August 3rd.

On August 14-15 USMTS will move back to the Steele County Fair for two one-day shows paying $2000 to win each night. On Friday the dirt modifieds will take to the asphalt for the first ever visit to the Elko Speedway in Elko, MN. On Sunday the series will race at the Worthington Speedway in Worthington, MN. On Tuesday August 20th the series will make their last stop to the Butler County Speedway in Allison for the 2nd Annual Topless 75.

A new format for this race in 2002 will make drivers change at least one tire at the pit stop. Payoff will be a split payoff with a $1000 going to the leader at halfway and $1500 going to the winner at the end. Wednesday August 22nd the series will move back to the Crawford County Speedway in Denison, IA with the final night of racing being Thursday with a stop at the Park Jefferson Speedway in Jefferson, SD. A final visit to the Deer Creek Speedway on Saturday August 31 and a final stop at Dodge County Speedway in Kasson, MN on Sunday September 1 will finish out all the one-day $2000 to win shows. For more information call the USMTS office at 515-832-7944 or check us out at www.usmts.com.