WEBSTER CITY, Iowa — There's a few less holes in the 2008 calendar now as officials announced Tuesday the addition of four more races to the O’Reilly USMTS National Tour to fill in the dates that were listed as to-be-announced (TBA) venues, and to move one event from one track to another.

New to this year's slate are two historic Hawkeye State tracks that will host the mud-slinging Modified masters for the first time in the 10-year history of the United States Modified Touring Series.

On Thursday, July 24, the Independence Motor Speedway will host the O’Reilly USMTS National Tour for the first time with new promoter Brian Lillie securing the show for the 3/8-mile oval located at the Buchanan County Fairgrounds in Independence, Iowa.

Then, on Saturday, Sept. 13, the Marshalltown (Iowa) Speedway will be the site of a sure-to-thrill action-packed contest as the rugged road warriors of the O’Reilly USMTS National Tour make their first-ever stop at the popular high-banked 1/4-mile oval. In addition to headlining the second night of “Havoc on the Highbanks” at the Central Iowa Fairgrounds, the race will also be the next-to-last stop in the Casey's General Stores Hunt for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship.

Speaking of high banks, the O’Reilly USMTS National Tour will be returning to the legendary Belleville (Kan.) High Banks for the first time in more than six years on Tuesday, Aug. 12, for a special event that will feature Kenny Wallace and other to-be-announced NASCAR stars taking on The World's Fastest Half-Mile Dirt Track. The race will also serve as a crucial stop in the Casey's General Stores Hunt for the O’Reilly USMTS National Championship.

The date was originally set for the Eagle (Neb.) Raceway, but USMTS promoter Todd Staley decided to move venues when it was discovered that nearby I-80 Speedway (11 miles away) had already scheduled a special sprint car race for that date.

Garnering a second date on the 2008 slate, the Thunderhill Speedway in Mayetta, Kan., takes the Thursday, June 19, slot which will be the third stop in a five-day, five-State swing. The O’Reilly USMTS National Tour will also be at the high-banked 4/10-mile oval on Sunday, March 16, for the 6th Annual Kansas Spring.

For the fifth straight year, the O’Reilly USMTS National Tour campaign will kick off with a doubleheader at the state-of-the-art Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb. The 5th Annual Nebraska Spring Thaw is slated for Friday and Saturday, March 7-8, 2008. Friday’s event will pay $2,000 to win while the victor in Saturday’s main event will pocket $3,000. More than 70 entries are once again expected for the annual lidlifter at the 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval.

The USMTS is celebrating its 10th Anniversary Season in 2008 with many special promotions to show thanks to the fans, drivers, team members, families and sponsors who have helped make the USMTS the premier dirt modified series in the nation. More announcements about the 2008 season will be forthcoming over the next few weeks.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, call the headquarters at (515) 832-7944 or visit www.usmts.com online for the latest news and information from the USMTS — America's Hottest Ticket on Dirt.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

TITLE SPONSOR: O’Reilly Auto Parts.

PRESENTING SPONSOR: Casey’s General Stores.

OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Race Tires, Awesome Race Suits, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, Nitroquest Web Solutions, TrackTek Racing Fuel.

PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Day Motor Sports, Kraft Kar Race Cars, Marsh Racing Wheels, Olympic Fire Protection, Real Racing Wheels, Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar, Ruter Farms, Yeager Machine.

CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: Belleville Motorsports, Hawk Performance, Hyperco, ISKY Racing Cams, Quarter Master, QuickTime Performance Race Parts.