BAYTOWN, Texas — In just a few days, the biggest names in dirt modified racing will invade the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas, to battle in the season-ending blockbuster for the United States Modified Touring Series.
Set for Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 14-16, the 7th Annual Lecolift Texas Winter Nationals presented by 4s Motorsports will once again draw more than 100 top guns from at least a dozen states, with all of them converging on the state-of-the-art 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval looking for their share of more than $50,000 in prize money.
A track and event record 148 entries (82 USMTS Modifieds and 66 USRA Limited Mods) were on hand for the last November’s shoot-out.
A possible $9,000 to win is up for grabs over three days for the USMTS Modifieds. Thursday’s winner will take home $2,000 while Friday’s first-place finisher pockets $3,000. Saturday’s finale will carry a $4,000 top prize.
USRA Limited Mods will also be on the racing card each night with drivers battling for and event record $500, $1,000 and $1,500 to win, respectively.
Newly-crowned USMTS national champion Rodney Sanders of Happy, Texas, will lead the charge into this year’s event. One of his eight USMTS wins in 2013 came at the Royal Purple Raceway this past February during the USMTS Texas Spring Nationals, and he was also the 2010 champion of the Lecolift Texas Winter Nationals.
One year ago at this event, Jeremy Payne of Springfield, Mo., made history as he swept all three nights of the Lecolift Texas Winter Nationals-the first and only a driver has swept a three-night event in the 15-year existence of the USMTS.
Other former champions of the fall classic in Baytown include Dereck Ramirez (2011), Sanders (2010), Zack VanderBeek (2008) and Kelly Shryock (2007). The 2009 event was “snowed out” after just one night of racing.
Texan Paul White won the first-ever USMTS event at the track in 2007 when it was still called Houston Raceway Park. Since then, trips to victory lane have also been made by Alan Mondus, Tommy Weder Jr., Johnny Bone Jr., Ryan Gustin, John O. Whittington, Chris Brown, Terry Phillips and Johnny Scott.
Jason Hughes leads all drivers with six career wins at the facility.
On Thursday and Friday, the pit gate opens at 3 p.m., grandstands open at 5Â drivers meeting is at 6:30 and racing begins at 7 (all times are one hour earlier on Saturday).
Grandstand admission is $15 each night for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12 and children 5 and under get in for free. Pit passes are $35 Thursday and Friday, $40 on Saturday.
An open practice on Wednesday, Nov. 13, will get the party started. Gates open at 4 p.m. and practice will take place from 6-9 p.m. Admission to the grandstands is free while pit passes are $20.
Drivers in both classes may download the entry form at www.goo.gl/gL3kAe. Complete rules are available on the USMTS website at www.usmts.com or the USRA website at www.usraracing.com.
The Royal Purple Raceway is a state-of-the-art 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval with a main grandstand seating capacity of 7,500 which includes fourteen VIP luxury suites and boasts a modern Musco Lighting system suitable for television productions.
RacinDirt.TV will carry all of the action live from the Royal Purple Raceway online with flag-to-flag action from start to finish. Visit www.RacinDirt.tv for more information.
The track is located east of Houston on I-10 to Exit 799, then 2.5 miles south on SH 99 (Grand Parkway), then 0.3 mile west on FM 565. Speedway entrance located at Gate 3. For more information, call the track office at 281-383-RACE or visit www.royalpurpleraceway.com online.
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 or check out our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv.