KANSAS CITY, Kan.—The weather looks perfect for a cookout this Friday, and all fans are invited to join the fun with Karsyn’s Krusaders and the drivers of the USMTS.

This Friday at the Lakeside Speedway, Karsyn’s Krusaders is hosting a cookout, raffle and driver “meet ‘n’ greet” to kick off a great night of racing with some great food and bunch of fun.

Festivities get started around 6 p.m., and some of the drivers joining the party include Dereck Ramirez, Rodney Sanders, Stormy Scott, Johnny Scott, Grant Junghans, Zack VanderBeek, Ben Kates, Tim Karrick and many others.

Open to everybody, items for raffle include race panels, a driving suit and items from the Kansas Speedway, plus USMTS, driver and Karsyn’s Krusaders apparel have been donated to help kick cancer’s butt… one lap at a time.

Be sure to check out the spiffy, all-new “grill car” too while you’re there. Special thanks to Barnett Excavating & Trucking and RacinDirt.com for support of this project.

As part of the USMTS 4 Kids program, fund-raising through the month of April has benefited Karsyn’s Krusaders.

Officials from the United States Modified Touring Series unveiled USMTS 4 Kids last month as a new campaign for 2015 that will involve local drivers, fans and sponsors to benefit children’s charities throughout the racing season.

After kicking things off in March during the King of America V event at the Humboldt Speedway, the spotlight has continued to shine on Karsyn’s Krusaders at USMTS events throughout the month of April, although Mother Nature has made it quite difficult.

The mission of Karsyn’s Krusaders is to coordinate a combined effort within the racing community and beyond by creating awareness and fundraising initiatives to positively impact the lives of individuals who have been affected by cancer, with special emphasis on childhood cancer.

Longtime race fans and sponsors Andy and Jessica Miller, along with their son, Austin, would never have imagined that their daughter and sister, Karsyn, would be faced with an acute lymphoblastic leukemia diagnosis at just three years old. It was in the midst of tragedy and the worst of times that they witnessed the very best in people. The generosity, care, support and concern they received was humbling and life-changing.

“We formed this organization to give back and help others who continue to battle this ugly disease,” said Jessica Miller. “As long as we are able to attend races and have the support of others, we are going to volunteer our time with the purpose of making a difference in the lives of as many individuals as possible.”

As of March, organizations receiving support from Karsyn’s Krusaders include The Littlest Heroes, Sing Me To Heaven, Blank Children’s Hospital, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Capturing Hopes, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Ronald McDonald Charities, Cancer Services of New Mexico, Caring Bridge, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, SuperSibs, Camp Heart Connection and St. Jude.

In addition to the projects previously outlined, financial support has been provided to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, University of Iowa’s Children Hospital, Liam’s Lighthouse, Dance Marathon - University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, Be the Match and many others.

Karsyn’s Krusaders is a 100% volunteer based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with minimal operating expenses, as there are no office overhead expenses and the vast majority of travel expenses are donated in-kind to the organization.

To learn more about Karsyn’s Krusaders, call 319-239-4737, email karsynskrusaders@gmail.com or visit www.karsynskrusaders.org online. Donations can also be made via mail to P.O. Box 2851, Waterloo, IA 50704, and you can also follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/karsynskrusaders.

The newly-formed USMTS 4 Kids program will benefit several unique charitable organizations each month during the USMTS Casey’s Cup Series powered by S&S Fishing & Rental, the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup and all other USMTS-sanctioned special events.

Each month, a different charity will be highlighted. The designated charity will be announced and posted at each stop during the month, with multiple organizations benefiting from the month-long fundraisers throughout the year. A representative from that charity will be invited to attend the final race of the month where the USMTS will present a check to them in person.

Action in the MSD Central Region presented by Day Motor Sports kicks off this Friday, May 1, at the Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., for the first of two $3,000-to-win blockbuster events. Then on Saturday, May 2, the USMTS Modifieds return to the high banks of the Randolph County Raceway in Moberly, Mo.

This will be the twelfth time the USMTS has circled the historic Lakeside Speedway since making its debut here less than three years ago. Ryan Gustin won the inaugural race during his second straight USMTS national championship season in 2012. Since then, Jeremy Payne and Terry Phillips have both won three times while two-time defending USMTS national champ Rodney Sanders has two.

2013 USRA Modified National Champion Matt Dotson and defending Lakeside Speedway track champion Nic Bidinger each have one USMTS victory—both coming during the 2013 Sunflower Showdown.

Pit gate opens Friday at 4 p.m., spectator gates open at 5 p.m., hot laps start at 7 p.m. and racing begins at 7:30. Adult grandstand tickets are $18, youth ages 13-16 are $10, kids ages 6-12 are $5 and children ages 5 and under are admitted free with a paid adult. Seating in the V.I.P. suites are $25. Pit passes are $35.

The Lakeside Speedway is a semi-banked 4/10-mile dirt oval located 1.0 mile west of I-435 (exit 18) on SR 5 (northwest of Kansas City). For more information, call 913-299-9206 or visit www.lakesidespeedway.net.

On Saturday, the series returns to the Randolph County Raceway for the first time since 2010. After being shuttered for several seasons, new ownership breathed life back into the former 24 Raceway, and fans across the social media spectrum have been chattering about the USMTS returning to the Moberly, Mo., high banks on May 2.

The first trip to the facility has its place in history as the only USMTS feature to ever end in a tie. Zack VanderBeek and Jon Tesch crossed the finish line in a dead heat, but both the naked eye and photo finish could not determine a clear winner. Both drivers were awarded the victory.

The following season, the USMTS implemented the AMB timing and scoring system for all events, and although dozens have been incredibly close, technology has prevented another split podium. Tesch returned the following year to get the win uncontested.

The last visit in 2010 for the series saw Jason Krohn take the win in a race that was featured on the Dirt Knights docu-drama for a national television audience. Jason Hughes also won here earlier in 2010 with Michael Long taking his first USMTS win here in 2009.

Pit gate opens at 3 p.m., spectator gates open at 5 p.m., hot laps start at 6:30 and racing begins at 7 p.m. Adult grandstand tickets are $20, kids ages 6-14 are $10 and children ages 5 and under get in for free. Pit passes are $35.

The Randolph County Raceway is a high-banked 4/10-mile clay oval located 3.5 miles east of US 63 on US 24 (5 miles east of Moberly). For more information, call 660-651-8599 or check out www.randolphcountyraceway.com on the World Wide Web.

Both events will also feature the Holley Iron Man Series featuring USRA Stock Cars and USRA B-Mods. ULMA Late Models, Hobby Stocks and 4-Cylinders will also be racing Saturday in Moberly.

With two races in the books in the MSD Central Region, Gustin holds a four-point cushion over Stormy Scott in the regional points standings. Dereck Ramirez, Keith Foss, Cade Dillard, Sanders, Casey Arneson, Joe Duvall, Austin Arneson and Kelly Shryock round out the top-ten.

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 subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv.

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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Casey’s General Stores, Chix Gear Racewear, COMP Cams, Day Motor Sports, Deatherage Opticians, Farm Boy BBQ Sauce, Fast Shafts, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, MSD, Nitroquest Media Group, RACEceiver, RacinDirt.com, S&S Fishing & Rental, VP Racing Fuels.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Arizona Sport Shirts, ASi Racewear, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, Double H Bands, Duvall Electric, ElbowsUp.com, Integra Racing Shocks & Springs, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Olympic Fire Protection, Rivers Edge Scrap Management, Schwab’s Tinker Shop, UMotors Motorsports & Marine, Velocita-USA.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Bell Racing Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, BSB Manufacturing, CPD Racing Tools, Crane Cams, Driven Racing Oil, Edelbrock, Eibach Springs, FK Rod Ends, Forty9 Designs, Fuel Safe, Genesis Racing Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Holley Performance, Hooker Custom Harness, JRi Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, Midwest Sheet Metal, PBM Performance Products, QA1 Precision Products, Quarter Master, R2C Performance, Real Racing Wheels, Simpson Performance Products, Sybesma Graphics, Tilton Engineering, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes.