USMTS returns to Hamilton County Speedway this Thursday

August 24, 2016

The United States Modified Touring Series returns to its birthplace this Thursday, Aug. 25, with a power-packed event in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental.

The historic Hamilton County Speedway will host the first of four straight nights of hardcore modified racing in Iowa and South Dakota, with all four events paying $3,000 to the winner.

Now in its 18th season, the first three USMTS Fall Jamborees were held at the track from 1999-2002. Nine-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock won the first race on Oct. 7, 1999, while Ron Jones went on to capture the first Fall Jamboree title two days later.

Since then, drivers such as Kevin Pittman, Tommy Myer, Willy Kraft, Mark Noble, Johnny Saathoff, Ryan Gustin, Johnny Scott and Jason Hughes have found glory in Webster City.

Hughes leads the title chase into the historic half-mile oval as the 42-year-old from Oklahoma seeks his second straight USMTS National Championship and third since 2010.

Iowa racing fans can expect to several of their own homegrown heroes such as Marshalltown’s Ryan ‘The Reaper’ Gustin—a two-time USMTS National Champion and former Hamilton County Speedway track champion.

Multi-time IMCA national champion and 2015 USMTS Rookie of the Year Jesse Sobbing of Malvern, who won this race one year ago, comes into this year’s event ranked third in the standings, while Zack VanderBeek of New Sharon sits in the fifth spot.

Daniel Hilsabeck of Adel and Plover’s Mike Jergens will also be looking to make some noise. Driving the Snickers-sponsored Harris modified, Jergens is seeking the 2016 Grant Junghans USMTs Rookie of the Year title.

Leading the traveling circus of speed from beyond the Hawkeye State’s borders are Oklahoma’s Dereck Ramirez and Joe ‘Big Daddy’ Duvall; two-time USMTS titlist ‘The Sandman’ Rodney Sanders of Texas; Louisiana’s Cade ‘The Thriller’ Dillard; the Bash Brothers of Illinois, Brock and Cody Bauman; Cornhusker State combat pilot Mike Densberger; Kansan Lance Town; Canadian brothers Jett and Masen Big Eagle; and the crowd-pleasing twins Johnny and Stormy Scott from New Mexico.

Johnny Scott, the younger of the two brothers, won the next-to-last USMTS event at the Hamilton County Speedway in 2013. The 2014 show was rained out.

Also competing on Thursday will be the wildly popular Iron Man Series featuring Holley USRA Stock Cars ($750 to win) and Out-Pace USRA B-Mods ($600 to win).

A local sponsor has stepped up to pay the full entry fee for the first 40 Stock Car and B-Mod entries for drivers that have raced at the Hamilton County Speedway at least once during the regular season.

The front gates open at 5 p.m., the drivers meeting takes place at 6:45, hot laps start at 7 and the first green flag waves at 7:30.

General admission tickets are $20, youth ages 11-16 are $10 and children ages 10 and under get in for free. Pit passes are $35.

Fans can pick up commemorative discount coupons good for $2 off adult admission at Casey's General Stores locations Dayton, Dows, Eagle Grove, Fort Dodge, Iowa Falls, Jewell and Webster City on Thursday.

Mike Jergens and his No. 37 Snickers machine will be greeting fans at the Casey’s General Store located at 1300 2nd St. in Webster City from 12-2 p.m. Meanwhile, Cody Bauman and his No. 4 Sour Patch Kids machine will be greeting fans at 700 Superior St. in Webster City from 12-2 p.m.

To find the Casey’s General Store location nearest you, visit www.caseys.com online.

The Hamilton County Speedway is the oldest speedway in the state of Iowa, opening in July 1910. In 1938, work began on the current location at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds. The semi-banked half-mile dirt track was completed in the spring of 1939, and the first races were held on the track in September of that year.

The track is located off of US 20 at exit 140, then 1.2 miles north, then 0.5 mile east on Bank St., then 0.4 mile south on Bluff St. For more information, call (515) 832-1443 or check out www.hamiltoncospeedway.com.

On Friday, Aug. 26, the series heads to the Rapid Speedway in Rock Rapids, Iowa, and The Park Jefferson Speedway near Jefferson, S.D., is the location on Saturday, Aug. 27. The swing wraps up Sunday, Aug. 28, with the return of the USMTS to the thrilling Casino Speedway in Watertown, S.D.

THE HUNT FOR THE USMTS CASEY’S CUP POINTS:
(after 8 of 17 rounds)
1. 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla. ... 1319 (2 wins)
2. 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La. ... 1264 (2 wins)
3. 99 Jesse Sobbing, Malvern, Iowa ... 1236
4. 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas ... 1233 (1 win)
5. 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa ... 1211 (1 win)
6. 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 1139
7. 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla. ... 1081
8. 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla. ... 1061
9. 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 1021
10. 6 Brock Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill. ... 1013
11. 81 Mike Densberger (R), Lincoln, Neb. ... 1010
12. 4 Cody Bauman (R), Eureka, Ill. ... 1009
13. 21t Lance Town, Louisburg, Kan. ... 994
14. 37 Mike Jergens (R), Plover, Iowa ... 993
15. 22d Daniel Hilsabeck, Adel, Iowa ... 979
16. 00 Masen Big Eagle, Manor, Sask., Canada ... 937
17. 99 Jett Big Eagle (R), Manor, Sask., Canada ... 916
18. 19r Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa ... 907 (1 win)
19. 12d Scott Drake, Joplin, Mo. ... 868
20. 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan. ... 752
21. 4w Tyler Wolff (R), Fayetteville, Ark. ... 661
22. 21 Jacob Bleess (R), Chatfield, Minn. ... 639
23. 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn. ... 562
24. 49jr Jake Timm, Winona, Minn. ... 561
25. 71 Philip Houston, Odessa, Texas ... 522
26. 9 Kevin Rutherford (R), Flower Mound, Texas ... 510
26. 8 Steve Miller, Rosanky, Texas ... 510
26. 5 Todd Shute (R), Des Moines, Iowa ... 510
29. 10 Austin Arneson, Fargo, N.D. ... 508
30. 4m Bobby Malchus, Red Oak, Texas ... 507
30. 01 Joey Galloway, Emo, Ont., Canada ... 507
32. 60 Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minn. ... 506
Other winner:
75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo. (1 win)

View complete standings and statistics at www.usmts.com/points/caseys-cup.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usmts, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usmts and Instagram at www.instagram.com/usmts or subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv.

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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: Alpinestars, American Racer Racing Tires, Argo Manufacturing, Casey’s General Stores, Chix Gear Racewear, COMP Cams, CP-Carrillo, Day Motor Sports, Deatherage Opticians, Fast Shafts, Intercomp, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, Kevko Oil Pans & Components, KSE Racing Products, Leaf Racewear & Safety Equipment, Malvern Trust & Savings Bank, MSD, RacerWebsite.com, RacinDirt.com, RealTruck.com, S&S Fishing & Rental, The Joie of Seating, VP Racing Fuels.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: AMP Energy Drink, Arizona Sport Shirts, ASi Racewear, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Duvall Electric, ElbowsUp.com, Erson Cams, I-29 Trailer Sales, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Oreo, Production Jars, Rivers Edge Scrap Management, Snickers, Sour Patch Kids, YouDirt.com.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Bell Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, BSB Manufacturing, Driven Racing Oil, Edelbrock, Eibach Springs, FK Rod Ends, Forty9 Designs, Fuel Safe Racing Cells, Genesis Racing Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Holley Performance Products, Hooker Custom Harness, Integra Shocks & Springs, Keyser Manufacturing, Midwest Sheet Metal, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, QA1 Precision Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Sybesma Graphics, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood Engineering.