SLAYTON, Minn. -- The United States Modified Touring Series will kick off its northern swing Friday May 23rd at the Murray County Speedway in Slayton, MN. This race will be the first night of four nights in southern Minnesota.

Each race will be on the American Racer G60 tire and all races will pay $2000 to win and $200 to start each main event. All non-qualifiers will receive $75. The series will start at the Murray County Speedway in Slayton, MN on Friday May 23rd. Hot laps will be set for 7pm with racing to follow. Also running will be Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks, and Sportsman.

The USMTS visited the Murray County Speedway one time in 2002 and Tim Donlinger picked up the victory. This season the track has been redone making for more exciting side by side racing. On Saturday the series will move to the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, MN. This race will be the second stop of the weekend and the first of four visits to the speedway for the USMTS. All weekly classes will be running with the USMTS modifieds. Hot laps will get underway at 6pm with racing to follow.

Tickets for the 5th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree will also go on sale on Saturday night. USMTS and Deer Creek Speedway will make some big announcements for the Jamboree on this night. On Sunday the series will move to the Dodge County Speedway in Kasson, MN for the first stop of two. The racing action will be hot at this speedway as Mother Nature has not allowed the track to open yet.

The first weekly show of the season will be one week before the USMTS drivers come in to tame the 1/3-mile speedway. Also running on Sunday will be the Super Stocks, Midwest Mods, and the Street Stocks. Hot laps will begin at 5:30 and racing at 6pm.

The racing action will end the weekend at the Owatonna Raceway in Owatonna, MN on Monday May 26th. This race will be the first of five stops for the USMTS at the speedway. Also running will be the Super Stocks $500 to win Midwest Mods $400 to win and the Pure/Hobby Stocks $300 to win. Todd Staley and Mick Trier will be promoting all holiday specials at the Owatonna Raceway in 2003. Gates will open at 1pm on Monday with hot laps scheduled for 4:30 pm and racing to follow.

This four-day swing should bring some of America’s top modified drivers to the Minnesota area. The racetrack in Owatonna has also been revamped making for some exciting side-by-side racing.

Some of the expected drivers for these races are: Tommy Myer, Justin Boney, Jason Hughes, Kelly Shryock, Mark Noble, Willy Kraft, Joey Jensen, Mike Sorensen, Bob Timm, Kevin Peters, Jay Ihrke, Willy Kraft, Scott Drake, Corey Dripps, Dean Mahlstadt, Al & Mike Hejna, Tim Donlinger, Todd Klees, Steve Kosiski, Mike Wedelstadt, Kevin Peters, David Siercks, Johnny Bone, Klint Pursley plus many more.

This will be the first visit of the season for the USMTS and several races this season have been won on the last lap. The USMTS has had eleven different winners so far this season. Justin Boney leads the south region standings, Jason Hughes north region, Scott Drake the southern series and Tommy Myer the National Points. This has been one of the most competitive seasons ever for the USMTS and it should be no different coming into Minnesota next weekend. For more information call the USMTS office at 515-832-7944.