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World's Fastest Half-Mile Dirt Track awaits O'Reilly USMTS National Tour
BELLEVILLE, Kan. The drivers and crews of the O'Reilly USMTS National Tour got an unexpected two-day vacation this past weekend as both races scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 9-10, have been postponed due to rain.
Saturday's event at the Springfield (Mo.) Raceway was to be the last of five straight nights that the USMTS had visited a racetrack for the first time in series history, while Sunday's OReilly Auto Parts Summer Shootout at the Monett Speedway would have been the fourth annual summer-time event there.
The washed-out events were to be the second and third of 18 events comprising the Casey's General Stores Hunt for the O'Reilly USMTS National Championship. Officials from the USMTS and both tracks are currently dissecting the upcoming calendar in an attempt to reschedule both shows.
The second race of the Casey's General Stores Hunt for the O'Reilly USMTS National Championship will now take place at the World's Fastest Half-Mile Dirt Track on Monday, Aug. 11, for the 2nd Annual Belleville Modified Nationals at the famed Belleville High Banks in Belleville, Kan.
When the O'Reilly USMTS National Tour last visited the historic facility on June 4, 2002, Justin Boney outlasted a tough field of competitors, which included current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Clint Bowyer from nearby Emporia, Kan. Kelly Shryock finished seventh en route to his fourth of eight straight O'Reilly USMTS National Championships.
Monday's blowout at Belleville will feature NASCAR fan favorite Kenny Wallace. Wallace currently drives part-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and also works as an on-air personality for SPEED Channel on shows such as NASCAR RaceDay and NASCAR Victory Lane. He was also featured on the show NASCAR Drivers: 360 on FX. He has two brothers who are also current or former NASCAR drivers: Rusty Wallace and Mike Wallace. As a child, Wallaces boisterous behavior earned him the nickname Herman, after a mischievous cartoon character named Herman the German. Last year, Wallace was voted in by fans to compete in the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Wallace will be signing autographs for V.I.P. fans at the High Banks Hall of Fame and National Midget Auto Racing Museum in Belleville from 5 to 5:45 p.m. on Monday, then again at the racetrack just prior to strapping on the helmet and competing with an unfathomable field of Modified firepower.
While the USMTS Modifieds will be battling for $2,000 to win and valuable points in the fight for the series title, Stock Cars will compete for a $400 top prize while B-Mods will race for $300 to win. Stock Cars and B-Mods that comply with either IMCA or USRA rules are invited to compete. Stock Cars and B-Mods that are legal to run at racetracks in Mayetta and Minneapolis, as well as McCool Junction, Neb., are also allowed with a minimum overall car weight of 2,600 pounds. For licensed USRA drivers, the event at the Belleville High Banks will also award national points in the USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Racing Series. There is no entry fee for either class for this race.
Gates will open on Monday at 5 p.m., with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:30.
Race fans can save $2 on their grandstand admission by picking up discount coupons at all Casey's General Stores locations in Belleville and Concordia, as well as Hebron, Neb. Kelly Shryock and his Casey's-sponsored #3 Skyrocket Modified will meet and greet fans at the Casey's General Store located at 1307 28th St. in Belleville from 1-3 p.m.
The Belleville High Banks is a historic dirt track built nearly a century ago for racing events that encompassed everything from horses to motorcycles. Today, the World's Fastest Half-Mile Dirt Track brings more than race cars and drivers to North Central Kansas, but also an atmosphere of excitement and enthusiasm to the famed Belleville High Banks. The sweeping clay oval is one of the world's most demanding tracks for both drivers and equipment.
The Belleville High Banks is located 2.0 miles north of US 36 on US 81, then 0.4 mile southeast on M St. to 7th St., then 0.1 mile east (near the water tower, at the North Central Kansas Fairgrounds). For more information, visit www.highbanks.org online.
O'REILLY USMTS NATIONAL TOUR
CASEY'S GENERAL STORES HUNT FOR THE O'REILLY USMTS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Points Standings as of Aug. 10, 2008:
1. 33z - Zack VanderBeek -- New Sharon, IA
147
2. 3 - Kelly Shryock -- Fertile, IA
143
3. 14 - Jon Tesch -- Watertown, SD
129
4. 12 - Jason Hughes -- Westville, OK
127
5. 7 - Al Hejna -- Clear Lake, IA
125
6. 4r - Dereck Ramirez -- Woodward, OK
116
7. 20r - Bryan Rowland -- Woodward, OK
110
8. 3d - Tim Donlinger -- Rochester, MN
106
9. 5 - Steve Holzkamper -- Gentry, AR
103
10. 21b - Brandon Kenny -- Woodward, OK
94
11. 55 - Alan Mondus -- Lakeville, MN
86
12. 7k - Jason Krohn -- Slayton, MN
82
12. 02 - Tommy Weder Jr. -- Woodward, OK
82
12. 4r - Ron Ver Beek -- Oskaloosa, IA
82
15. 18 - Justin Boney -- Leavenworth, KS
76
16. 98 - John Allen -- Chanute, KS
74
17. 25 - Scott Green -- Derby, KS
70
18. 49 - Bob Timm -- Rollingstone, MN
59
19. 19 - Jamie Burford -- Keatchie, LA
56
20. 14j - Jake Neal -- Omaha, NE
55
20. 31 - Corey Dripps -- Waterloo, IA
55
22. 12b - Johnny Bone Jr. -- Pea Ridge, AR
54
23. 8j - Dustin Hyde -- Texarkana, TX
51
24. 5r - Morgan Bagley -- Longview, TX
50
25. 5w - John O Whittington -- Vidor, TX
12
26. 2w - Paul White -- Temple, TX
11
27. 32 - Donovan Lodge -- Moline, IL
10
28. 9 - Shane Hebert -- Lafayette, LA
8
29. 20 - Rodney Sanders -- Happy, TX
5
29. 13 - David Mitchell -- Ashdown, AR
5
29. C8 - Timothy Culp -- West Monroe, LA
5
29. 89 - Steven Whiteaker Jr. -- Corpus Christi, TX
5
29. 38r - Jeremy Ross -- Locust Grove, OK
5
29. 12h - Jeff Huckaby -- Texarkana, TX
5
29. 98 - Josh Reisch -- Luverne, MN
5
29. 66 - Dan Bohr -- Decorah, IA
5
37. 19r - Ryan Gustin -- Marshalltown, IA
4
38. 21m - Dean Mahlstedt -- Clear Lake, IA
2
39. 90 - Steve Wetzstein -- West Concord, MN
1
Schedule of Events:
Friday, Aug. 8
Midway Speedway, Lebanon, MO (winner: Jon Tesch)
Monday, Aug. 11
Belleville High Banks, Belleville, KS
Tuesday, Aug. 12
U.S. 36 Raceway, Osborn, MO
Wednesday, Aug. 13
Upper Iowa Speedway, Decorah, IA
Thursday, Aug. 14
Steele County Speedway, Owatonna, MN
Friday, Aug. 15
Tri-Oval Speedway, Fountain City, WI
Thursday, Aug. 28
Highway 3 Raceway, Allison, IA
Friday, Aug. 29
Chateau Raceway, Lansing, MN
Saturday, Aug. 30
Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN
Sunday, Aug. 31
Kasson Speedway, Kasson, MN
Monday, Sept. 1
Steele County Speedway, Owatonna, MN
Saturday, Sept. 13
Marshalltown Speedway, Marshalltown, IA
Sunday, Sept. 14
Fayette County Speedway, West Union, IA
Thursday, Sept. 18
Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN
Friday, Sept. 19
Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN
Saturday, Sept. 20
Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, MN
