The rugged road warriors of the United States Modified Touring Series return to battle this week with a three-night caravan through Kansas kicking off the richest two-week stretch in series history.

This Tuesday, June 6, the will launch an 11-race, 13-day swing that begins at the Caney Valley Speedway in Caney, Kan. On Wednesday, fans can find the series at the 81 Speedway in Park City, Kan., and Thursday marks the first-ever trip by the USMTS to the Salina Speedway in Salina, Kan.

These will be the fifth, sixth and seventh shows in the MSD USMTS Central Region presented by Summit Racing Equipment. Each night’s main event will be worth $3,000 to the winner and no less than $300 to every driver taking the green flag in the feature.

At the Caney Valley Speedway on Tuesday, the USMTS machines will be joined by Factory Stocks and Out-Pace USRA B-Mods. The pits open at 4 p.m., grandstands open at 5, hot laps begin at 7:10 and racing starts at 7:30.

Tickets are $20 or $18 for seniors 62 and older. Kids ages 6 to 12 are $5 and children 5 and under get in for free. Pit passes are $35. Race fans can get $2-off discount coupons on race day at Casey’s General Stores locations in Caney, Cherryvale, Coffeyville and Independence, as well as Bartlesville, Dewey and Nowata in Oklahoma. Visit www.caseys.com to find the location nearest you.

This will be the fourth visit to the Caney Valley Speedway. Jason Hughes won the inaugural event in 2009 and Johnny Bone Jr. won the event one year later. Rodney Sanders was the most recent winner in 2014.

The Caney Valley Speedway is a 1/4-mile semi-banked clay oval located 0.8 mile west of the junction of US 75 and US 166 on CR 1600 in Caney, Kan. For more information call (620) 330-0485 or visit www.caneyvalleyspeedway.net on the World Wide Web.

On Wednesday, June 7, the series returns to the 81 Speedway in Park City, Kan., for the tenth race in ten seasons. While the USMTS drivers will be facing off with the best of the NCRA, joining the program will be the NCRA Mod Lites. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and grandstands open at 5 with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:30.

Adult grandstand tickets are $20 and all kids ages 11 and under get in free of charge. Pit passes are $30. Race fans can get $2-off discount coupons on race day at Casey’s General Stores locations in Andover, Augusta, Clearwater, Derby, El Dorado, Haysville, Hesston, Mulvane, Newton, Rose Hill, Valley Center and all four stores in Wichita. Visit www.caseys.com to find the location nearest you.

Jason Hughes picked up his only win at the 81 Speedway during the USMTS debut in 2008 while Jeremy Payne, Rodney Sanders and Ryan Gustin each have two victories at C. Ray Hall’s speed palace. Stormy Scott and Cade Dillard have also won here.

Three-time USMTS national champion Jason Hughes was the first winner at the Caney Valley Speedway and 81 Speedway. 

The 81 Speedway is located north of Wichita on I-135 to exit 16, then 0.7 mile west on 77th St. in Park City, Kan. For more information call (316) 755-1781 or visit www.race81speedway.com online.

Thursday, June 8, takes the tireless USMTS touring titans to the Salina Speedway for the first time in the 19-year history of the series. The track took a direct hit from a tornado less than three weeks ago, but track crews and volunteers have worked tirelessly to fix buildings and lights, and repair fences that were destroyed by the 70+ mph winds.

The safety fence on the front straight-away of the Salina Speedway was ripped down by a tornado on May 18.

All systems are a go with Mod Lites and Hobby Stocks also on the menu for Thursday night with pit gates opening at 5 p.m. and spectator seating available at 5. Hot laps start at 7:15 and the green flag waves at 8 p.m.

Adult tickets are $20 with free admission for kids under 16 years old. Pit passes are $35. Race fans can get $2-off discount coupons on race day at Casey’s General Stores locations in Abilene, Lindsborg, Minneapolis and all six locations in Salina. Visit www.caseys.com to find the location nearest you.

The Salina Speedway is a 3/8-mile semi-banked clay oval located off of I-135 at exit 92, then 2.5 miles west on Crawford St., then 2.7 miles south on Burma Rd. in Salina, Kan. For more information, call (785) 292-9220 or visit www.racesalinaspeedway.com online.

The following are the top 20 points standings after four events in the MSD Central Region presented by Summit Racing Equipment:

1. 20rt Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz. ... 350 (2 wins)
2. 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La. ... 336
3. 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa ... 321
3. 1st Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 321
5. 2s Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, N.M. ... 314 (1 win)
6. 4r Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla. ... 301
7. 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla. ... 289
8. 81 Mike Densberger, Lincoln, Neb. ... 244
9. 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo. ... 235
10. 4w Tyler Wolff (R), Fayetteville, Ark. ... 216
11. 8C Chris Clark (R), Jackson, Wyo. ... 212
12. 96 R.C. Whitwell (R), Tucson, Ariz. ... 210
12. 3F Cole Ferguson (R), Dexter, Iowa ... 210
14. 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas ... 206
15. 23 Adam Kates (R), Tonganoxie, Kan. ... 204
16. 5K Kyle Prauner (R), Norfolk, Neb. ... 202
17. 87 Darron Fuqua, Mayetta, Kan. ... 185
18. 7 Shayne Bailey (R), Lathrop, Mo. ... 136
19. 18 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan. ... 132
20. 21t Lance Town, Louisburg, Kan. ... 101
Other winner:
1k Mitch Keeter, Webb City, Mo. (1 win)

Following the three-night swing through the Sunflower State, Friday will be a day off before hitting the Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa, on Saturday, June 10, for the next-to-last event in the MSD Central Region.

That will leave the RHRSwag.com Northern Region slate of races kicking off on Sunday, June 11, at the Mason City Motor Speedway, followed by another day off on Monday before rolling into the Brown County Speedway in Aberdeen, S.D., on Tuesday, June 13.

The make-up race at the Ogilvie Raceway happens on Wednesday, June 14, and then it’s time to make tracks to the Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., for the “Masters” which will feature the USMTS on Thursday night for $3,000 to win then qualifying on Friday night for the $50,000-to-win show on Saturday.

If a single driver could pick up all of the wins over this two-week stretch, that would be $74,000 in winnings.

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 and Instagram at www.instagram.com/usmts or subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv. Keep up to speed with everything USMTS by joining our email list at www.usmts.com/subscribe.

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USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: 905 Ink, AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Beyea Custom Headers, BigDeal Car Care, BSB Manufacturing, Day Motor Sports, Dickson Racing Shocks, E3 Spark Plugs, Edelbrock, FK Rod Ends, Forty9 Designs, Fuel Safe, Genesis Racing Shocks, GRT Race Cars, Holley Performance Products, Hooker Custom Harness, Integra Shocks & Springs, Jerovetz Motorsports Racing Parts, Keyser Manufacturing, Out-Pace Racing Products, QA1 Precision Products, Real Racing Wheels, Simpson Performance Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Sybesma Graphics, Tire Demon, Wehrs Machine & Race Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes.