WEBSTER CITY, Iowa -- With 36 races already in the books this season, the rugged road warriors of the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series are enjoying a brief summer vacation with a season-long 10 days between the last event and the next. But the nation's "best of the best" won't be quiet for long as a five-night, five-race swing kicks off the month of August and the countdown to ‘The Hunt’ for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship.

While both the Western and Reich Concrete/Yeager Machine Northeast Regions wrapped up the points battles last week, the door remains wide open in the Central Region where the next five races take place.

The action gets underway on Tuesday, Aug. 1, when the O’Reilly USMTS invades the Benton County Speedway for the 2nd Annual Hawkeye Classic. The winner will earn a $2,000 paycheck and a minimum of $200 goes to each driver who starts the main event. Gates open at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 7. the Benton County Speedway is located on the south edge of Vinton on C Ave. to 21st, then east to 2nd Ave. (at the Benton County Fairgrounds). For more information, call (319) 472-4603.

After tearing up the quarter-mile oval in Vinton, Iowa, the Series moves south to the Southern Iowa Speedway for the second time this season and the 3rd Annual Southern Iowa Challenge on Wednesday, Aug. 2, at the Mahaska County Half-Mile Monster in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The event will pay $2,000 to win and $200 to start. Also on the card will be the USRA Casey’s General Stores Weekly Racing Series featuring USRA Stock Cars and USRA Hobby Stocks. Gates open at 5 p.m. with racing at 7:30. For event info call (515) 832-7944 or call (641) 673-7004 on race day.

On Thursday, Aug. 3, the long-awaited return of the O’Reilly USMTS at the Knox County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Ill., is on tap with the 4th Annual UPS Store Illinois Challenge at the big half-mile speedplant. A $2,500 top prize is up for grabs with $250 to start the feature race. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. and the green flag flies at 7:30. The Knox County Fairgrounds are located just south of I-74 (exit 51) on the north side of Knoxville. For event info call (515) 832-7944 or call (309) 289-4806 on race day.

The Mountain Dew Bloomfield Speedway in Bloomfield, Iowa, hosts the modified masters for the second time this season on Friday, Aug. 5, with a $2,000-to-win, $200-to-start event on tap. Also on the racing card will be the USRA Casey’s General Stores Weekly Racing Series featuring Hougland's Repair Shop USRA Stock Cars, Kirkland Auto USRA Hobby Stocks and Kollision Korner Hornets. Gates open at 5 p.m. and the mud starts flying at 7:30. For event info call (515) 832-7944 or call (641) 664-2500 for race day information.

On Saturday, Aug. 5, the five-race swing winds down with a Central-Southern co-regional race at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo. the winner of the 2nd Annual Memphis Shootout presented by Walker Motor & Collision and Spilman Auto Parts will pocket $2,000. USRA Casey’s General Stores Weekly Racing Series action featuring USRA Stock Cars, Advance Trading USRA B-Mods, USRA Hobby Stocks, Outlaw Hobbies and Hornets are also on the menu. Gates open at 4 p.m., hot laps at 6:15 and racing starts at 6:30. For event info call (515) 832-7944 or call (660) 465-8948 for race day information.

Seven-time defending O’Reilly USMTS National Champion Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, is setting a blistering pace with 22 wins during the 2006 season, including seven straight. With victories in Nebraska and South Dakota last week, Shryock locked up both the Western and Reich Concrete/Yeager Machine Northeast Region titles and leads the Central Region standings heading into the Benton County Speedway event on Aug. 1.

Twelve drivers have so far qualified for ‘The Hunt’ for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship, including Shryock (30 pts.), Tommy Myer (27), Brad McEwan (22), Zack VanderBeek (21), John Tesch (18), Ryan Ruter (18), Al Hejna (12), Mark Noble (11), Jay Poidinger (7), Mike Lineberry (5), Dean Mahlstedt (2) and Mike Hejna (2).

‘The Hunt’ will be comprised of the final 20 races of the season. The O’Reilly USMTS points system will be used at all regional events, with the top-10 in the final standings for each of the four regions earning 10 points for first place, 9 points for second and so forth, descending to 1 point for tenth place in the region. Each driver who competed at all events within a region will also earn 5 bonus points. The total points earned for all regions will serve as the base points that each driver will start with in ‘The Hunt’ for the O’Reilly National Championship. The normal O’Reilly USMTS points system is then used during ‘The Hunt’ to determine the 2006 O’Reilly USMTS National Champion. Any driver finishing among the top-10 in the final points standings in one or more regions, as well as any driver with perfect attendance in any region, will qualify to be in ‘The Hunt’ and thereby earn a legitimate shot at becoming the 2006 O’Reilly USMTS National Champion.

For more information, or to learn more about the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series, call (515) 832-7944 or visit www.USMTS.com online.