MANY, La. -- The United States Modified Touring Series kicked off the season opener at the Many Motor Speedway in Many, LA this past weekend. Racing was set to get underway with a practice on Wednesday night, but a lot of rain and cold weather put a stop to the practice session and also made for no racing action on Thursday night with the pit area being soaked. We were able to hold a practice on Thursday night for some of the drivers that made the tow to Louisiana as drivers parked in the grandstand parking lot. This left for two shows to be run on Friday and Saturday. Friday night would see forty-nine cars check in for the racing action with three locals faring very well and taking the top three spots in the Holley A-main. The night started off with five heat races and Steve Kosiski, Kelly Shryock, Billy Melton, Larry Clevenger, Jeff Dykes all picked up wins. This set the stage for the redraw and the B-mains. First up would be the Harris Auto Racing B-mains. Tommy Myer and Tim Crawley would each win B-main action. The stage would be set for the Holley USMTS A-main.

Kyle Pleasant would grab the AFCO passing points award at this event with Billy Melton grabbing the AFCO pole and Jason England to the outside. The racing action would get started with Melton taking off to the top spot with Jason Krohn following a second lap caution would fly. The race would resume with Melton at the point before another caution on lap four for Keith Durr and Jason Hughes. The race would go caution free the final thirty-one laps. By lap five Bryan Millican would take the top spot from Melton and race the final thirty laps unchallenged. Millican started the race from the fifth spot and wasted no time jumping into the lead. With eight laps to go Millican had some troubles with the front end, but the race was caution free so it had no effect on the race. Melton would come home second with local favorite Kyle Pleasant finishing third. Pleasant redrew the sixth starting spot for the main event. Rounding out the top five was Tommy Myer starting fourteenth and Larry Clevenger. All in all the racing action was very good for the first visit to the track. The track did get a little rough in one-two corner, but three-four was very nice.

On Saturday the racing action did get underway a little bit earlier as the cold temperatures in the area forced the USMTS to get underway with hot laps at 6pm. Forty-four cars checked in for the racing action on Saturday night. This night would see the USMTS regulars back at the front with Kelly Shryock taking his new Skyrocket to the $3000 Holley A-main win. The racing action on Saturday night was exceptional and all drivers and fans were treated to some great racing action on a very racy and smooth track. The night started with the Isky Racing Cams Heat races. Jason Hughes, Kelly Shryock, Jason Connoyer, David Mitchell and John Whittington each picking up wins. The Harris Auto Racing B-mains would go to Bryan Millican and Chris Brown. The stage would be set for the USMTS Holley A-main. John Whittington would win the AFCO passing points award and would redraw seven. Johnny Bone would win the AFCO pole award with David Mitchell beside Bone. Mitchell would jump into the lead and look as if he would win his first ever race with Bone and Tommy Myer following.

Jason Hughes who started third would move past Myer by lap ten and set his sights on Bone. Kelly Shryock would be fifth by lap ten. Mitchell would still be leading the next ten laps and Hughes would get by Bone on lap eleven and set his sights on Mitchell. Hughes and Mitchell would battle it out for several laps while right behind them Kelly Shryock, Tommy Myer, and Johnny Bone would have a great battle for third. By lap seventeen Shryock would take the third spot and sit back watching the front two battle it out. By lap twenty-one the top three would go into turn three three-wide. Hughes would finally take the top spot from Mitchell on lap twenty-three. On lap twenty-five the first yellow of the event would happen as the engine expired on the Mitchell car. This would set the stage for the shootout between Hughes, Shryock, Myer, and Bone. One more yellow flag would fly on lap twenty-seven when Jason Krohn and Al Hejna would get together with some other cars and each driver would get a flat tire. That was the final yellow of the event and Hughes and Shryock would put on a great show the final thirteen laps with Shryock taking the top spot from Hughes on lap thirty-five and cruising on to the victory his first of the 2004 race season. Johnny Bone, Tommy Myer, and Billy Melton would round out the top five. Billy Melton holds a one point lead over Kelly Shryock in the south region standings. Next up for the USMTS will be the Nebraska Frostbuster at the new Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, NE March 12-13 this race will also be a south region race. For more information call the USMTS office at 515-832-7944 or check us out at www.usmts.com.

<B><font face=verdana size=4>RESULTS</font></b>

Friday

Heat 1- Steve Kosiski, Jason Krohn, Mike Roach, Keith Durr, Pete Pleasant, Johnny Bone, Kenny Loux, Patrick Linn, Rick Gustin, Greg Dillard

Heat 2- Kelly Shryock, Kyle Pleasant, Tommy Myer, Brian Foote, Kyle Taylor, Jeff James, Darryl Seals, Russell Moore, Bruce Taylor, Jason Hughes

Heat 3- Billy Melton, John Whittington, Al Hejna, Kenny Gaddis, Jason Connoyer, Levi McGowen, Shane Hebert, Clarence Howard, Tracy Demby, Lee Patton

Heat 4- Larry Clevenger, Tim Crawley, Jason England, Jason Wilkey, Jamie Burford, John Parker, David Mitchell, Jim Bryant, George White

Heat 5- Jeff Dykes, Bryan Millican, Dougie Murphey, Chris Brown, Michael Robertson, Joel Couvillion, David Grigg, Earnest Haynes, Kyle Hillard

B-main 1- Tommy Myer, Brian Foote, Johnny Bone, Jason Wilkey, Michael Robertson

B-main 2- Tim Crawley, David Mitchell, Joel Couvillion, Mike Roach, Levi McGowen

A-main- Millican, Bryan, Cleveland, TX, Melton, Billy Longview, TX, Pleasant, Kyle Robeline, LA, Myer, Tommy Blooming Prairie, MN, Clevenger, Larry Greenwood, LA,

Kosiski, Steve Pappilion, NE, Shryock, Kelly Fertile, IA, Bone Jr., Johnny Pea Ridge, AR, Crawley, Tim Mabelvale, AR, Krohn, Jason Slayton, MN, Hejna, Al Clear Lake, IA,

Roach, Mike Woodward, OK, Wilkey, Jason Batesville, AR, Gaddis, Kenny Hallsville, TX, McGowen, Levi Humboldt, KS, Mitchell, David Ashdown, AR, Couvillion, Joel Alexanderia, LA, England, Jason Alto, TX, Robertson, Michael Miden, LA, Dykes, Jeff Shreveport, LA, Durr, Keith Mansfield, LA, Hughes, Jason Colcord, OK, Murphrey, Dougie Tullos, LA, Foote, Brian Essex, IA

Saturday

Heat #1: 12 Jason Hughes, 9 Shane Herbert, 21 Chris Brown, 44 David Grigg, 18 Nicholas Little John, 88 Darryl Seals, 4B Jason Wilke, 71, Jeff James, 81 Jason England.

Heat #2: Kelly Shryock, 89 Levi McGowen, 14 Keith Durr, 8 Jamie LaPrairie, 23 Howard Willis, 46+ Jim Bryant, 6x Kyle Pleasant, 2G Kenny Gaddis, 22 Tracy Demby.

Heat #3: Jason Connoyer, 26 Patrick Linn, 7 Al Hejna, 05 Michael Robinson, 7K Jason Krohn, 43 Brian Foote, 17 Pete Pleasant, 1K Steve Kosiski, 100 Lee Patton.

Heat #4: 13 David Mitchell, 87 Billy Melton, 65 Tommy Myer, 7M Brian Millican, 226 Tim Crawley, Superman Butch Gruben, 2 Clarence Howard, 15P John Parker, 30 Joel Couvillion.

Heat #5: John Whittington, 12B Johnny Bone Jr., 148 Russell Moore, 33R Mike Roach, 125 Lew Lyles, 77 Robbie Starnes, 9G Rick Gustin, 99 Kenny Loux.

B-main #1: 7m Bryan Millican, 7K Jason Krohn, 4B Jason Wilkey, 9G Rick Gustin, 46+ Jim Bryant, 33R Mike Roach, 148 Russell Moore, 100 Lee Patton, 23 Howard Willis, 125 Lew Lyles, 15P John Parker, 71 Jeff James, 6X Kyle Pleasant, Superman Butch Gruben, 81 Jason England, 8 Jamie LaPrairie.

B-main #2: 21 Chris Brown, 14 Keith Durr, 05 Michael Robininson, 77 Robbie Starnes, 226 Tim Crawley, 44 David Grigg, 2g Kenny Gaddis, 17 Pete Pleasant, 88 Darryl Seals, 43 Brian Foote, 1K Steve Kosiski, 30 Joel Couvillion, 18 Nicholas Little John, 22 Tracy Demby, 2 Clarence Howard, 99 Kenny Loux.

A-main- 3 Kelly Shryock, 12 Jason Hughes, 12B Johnny Bone Jr., 65 Tommy Myer, 87 Billy Melton, 9 Shane Hebert, 5W John WEhittington, 89 Levi McGowen, 5 Jason Connoyer, 26 Patrick Linn, 05 Michael Robinson, 1K Steve Kosiski, 14 Keith Durr, 7 Al Hejna, 9G Rick Gustin, 6x Kyle Pleasant, 46+ Jim Bryant, 4B Jason Wilkey, 21 Chris Brown, 7K Jason Krohn, 226 Tim Crawley, 13 David Mitchell, 77 Robbie Starnes, 7M Bryan Millican