By Jeff Nun – HUMBOLDT, Kan. (Dec. 20) – More than 100 of the nation’s elite open-wheel dirt modified drivers will descend again on the historic Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kan., for the King of America III Modified Nationals, Thursday through Saturday, March 21-23.
The inaugural running of the extravaganza took place in October 2011, and fans were treated to extraordinary close action that culminated with a 75-lap championship main event won by nine-time USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock.
The event was moved to March in 2012, with the same furious one-of-a-kind action that Humboldt Speedway and United States Modified Touring Series fans have come to expect. After a hard-fought battle early on with Terry Phillips, Stormy Scott held off Zack VanderBeek in the closing laps to take the crown en route to earning the USMTS Rookie of the Year honors.
Unlike the previous two King of America events, this year’s installment will not have group qualifying but instead each driver will run four heat races from four different starting position. Each driver will run two heat races on Thursday and two on Friday. Passing points will be combined for the four heat races with the top 12 drivers in overall passing points locked into the first six rows of Saturday’s “A” Main. The next 12 drivers in passing points will be locked into Saturday’s “B” Main and the next 12 into Saturday’s “C” Main. All remaining drivers will race in one of two “last chance” races on Saturday with the top 6 finishers in each advancing to the “C” Main. The weekend culminates with the $10,000-to-win, 100-lap championship race on Saturday night.
In addition to the heat races, there will be two special events each night. On Thursday, the top 12 in passing points from 12 different states will have the opportunity to compete in a 12-lap Race of States. Friday night will feature the USRA Race of Champions which is open to all USRA Modified track champions from the 2012 season.
As if that weren’t enough, the Iron Man Challenge for USRA B-Mods will join the party with a complete program of heat races and feature events all three nights. USRA B-Mods will race for $500 to win on Thursday, $700 to win Friday and $1,000 to win Saturday.
Another change for USMTS drivers at this year’s event is that there will be no “mulligans” awarded, but there is also no entry fee for drivers who enter by Jan. 14 and compete all three days of the event. The entry fee is $200 if received or postmarked by Jan. 14, but that amount will be refunded in full when the driver signs in on Saturday if he/she raced Thursday and Friday too. After Jan. 14, the entry fee is $250 or $300 at the track on race day (no refund if entered after Jan. 14).
There will be an open practice for all drivers on Wednesday from 6-9 p.m. This will be the only night for hot laps for the USMTS Modifieds. Admission to the grandstands is free. Pit passes are $20.
Three-day reserved seat tickets are on sale now for just $50 for adults, $30 for students ages 13-16 and $15 for kids ages 6-12. Single-day tickets will go on sale sometime in January.
On Thursday and Friday, pit gates will open at 3 p.m., grandstands open at 5, the drivers meeting is at 6:15, hot laps for USRA B-Mods is at 6:45 and the first heat race gets the green flag at 7 p.m. All times are one hour earlier on Saturday.
Drivers can download an entry form on the USMTS website at www.usmts.com/Documents/entry_20130321-23.pdf or call 515-832-7944 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central. For camping, ATV and/or golf cart permits call 620-473-3694.
The Humboldt Speedway is a located 0.1 mile west of US 169 at the Humboldt Exit, then 0.5 mile south, then 0.9 mile east on Georgia Rd. For more information call 620-431-2470 (office) or 620-473-3694 (track) or visit www.humboldtspeedway.com.
The 15th season for the USMTS begins in a little over two months at the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas, for the 4th Annual USMTS Spring Nationals, Feb. 21-23, 2013.
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/ustmts and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usmts.
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USMTS TITLE SPONSORS: Casey’s General Stores, Swan Energy.
USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Cheetos, Dominator Race Products, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, New Vision Graphics, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, SLAP Energy, Snickers.
USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arbor Masters, Arnold Motor Supply, ASi Racewear, Beebe Heating & Air Conditioning, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Dirthead.com, DirtKnights.com, Erson Cams, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Intensitee Custom Racewear, Mesilla Valley Transportation, O’Brien Enterprises, Olympic Fire Protection, Ramirez Motorsports, Road Runner Trucking, Ruter Farms, Sybesma Graphics, Yeager Machine.
USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, Beyea Custom Headers, COMP Cams, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Harness, Integra Racing Shocks & Springs, Keyser Manufacturing, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, PBM Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Tiger Rear Ends.