VanderBeek readying for USMTS campaign in 2016

Officials from the United States Modified Touring Series released the 2016 schedule of events for the 18th season of featuring the Best of the Best in dirt modified racing on the planet.

The 2016 campaign consists of 70 nights of racing over the course of 227 days and is dotted with ongoing classic events, former venues returning to the fold and some first-time stops that are sure to please.

Tentative plans for Zack VanderBeek and the 33z Racing team are to compete in all events through April 23, including King of America VI. The season starts at the Shady Oaks Speedway in Goliad, Texas, Feb. 11-13.

For the third year in a row, the USMTS campaign will launch in February with a foursome of three-day show. Opening weekend takes place Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 11-13, at the Shady Oaks Speedway in Goliad, Texas, followed by tripleheader weekends at the Heart ‘O’ Texas Speedway near Waco, Texas, Feb. 18-20; Ark-La-Tex Speedway in Vivian, La., Feb. 25-27; and Southern Oklahoma Speedway in Ardmore, Okla., March 3-5.

Each show will pay $2,000, $3,000 and $4,000 to win, respectively, and will comprise the first dozen events in the expanded 17-race Double H Bands Southern Region presented by Day Motor Sports.

The MSD Central Region presented by Day Motor Sports will kick off Friday-Sunday, March 18-20, with visits to the Caney Valley Speedway in Caney, Kan.; Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kan.; and I-35 Speedway, Winston, Mo. Eleven additional shows are penciled in for the region.

The Gopher State will host the first three events in the 12-race Farm Boy BBQ Sauce Northern Region presented by Day Motor Sports, beginning with a Thursday, May 12, engagement at the Ogilvie Raceway in Ogilvie, Minn. Friday, May 13, will take the tireless USMTS touring titans to the I-94 Speedway in Fergus Falls, Minn., before wrapping up the weekend on Saturday, May 14, at the Viking Speedway in Alexandria, Minn.

All regional points races in the USMTS Casey’s Cup Series powered by S&S Fishing & Rental will carry a minimum top prize of $3,000 to win for single-day events, with a stellar increase over last year’s payouts in the points funds for each region.

The quest for a national championship begins on Thursday, Aug. 4, with the first race in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental at the Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo., and ends 18 races later on the first night of the 18th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree, Thursday, Sept. 22, at the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn.

This year’s Fall Jamboree is one of three “Triple Crown” events that won’t award any points, but instead will dole out colossal amounts of cash.

The first Triple Crown event will take place at the Humboldt Speedway for the King of America VI Modified Nationals, Thursday-Saturday, March 31-April 2, with a $10,000 winner’s share up for grabs.

A brand new mega-event will take place for the second round of the Triple Crown with a three-day stint at the I-94 Speedway in Fergus Falls, Minn. Set for Thursday-Saturday, June 23-25, the inaugural Summersota Nationals will pay $15,000 to win.

Finally, the Featherlite Fall Jamboree will take place Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 22-24, at the Deer Creek Speedway with the 2016 USMTS national champion emerging from Thursday’s $5,000-to-win main event, followed by another $5,000-to-win show on Friday and a $10,000 top prize going to Saturday’s feature winner.

Overall, more than $230,000 is earmarked just for main event winners throughout the 2016 USMTS campaign trail, with more than $1 million in purses and points funds entering the pockets of the world’s greatest dirt modified racers next season.

There’s at least one new venue on the calendar for 2016, but it might as well be two. By popular demand, the USMTS will make its debut at the Atchison County Raceway in Atchison, Kan., on Sunday, April 24, for a sure-to-thrill contest at ‘The Cage.’ Then on Thursday, May 26, the series invades the all-new, refurbished and reborn Mason City Motor Speedway in Mason City, Iowa.

Under the direction of former USMTS standout Al Hejna, the racetrack at the North Iowa Events Center is undergoing a massive transformation during the off-season as he—along with many community members, fans and racers—look to revive the historic half-mile clay oval that has struggled to survive in recent years.

The series is scheduled to make a second stop at the former I-35 Speedway on Sunday, Aug. 14, during the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental.

Returning to the USMTS schedule after a three-year hiatus is the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, with a date of Tuesday, July 19, set aside for the faithful fans of the ‘Mahaska County Monster.’

The Superbowl Speedway in Greenville, Texas, returns to the line-up after a one-year absence, along with the Kennedale Speedway Park in Kennedale, Texas; Lonestar Speedway in Kilgore, Texas; Outlaw Motor Speedway near Muskogee, Okla.; and Tri-State Speedway in Pocola, Okla.

Those in the northern part of the Great Plains won’t be left out either. Back on the USMTS calendar after missing in action for some time are two fan favorites: Dodge County Speedway in Kasson, Minn., and the Park Jefferson Speedway near Jefferson, S.D.

Overall, the 2016 United States Modified Touring Series is once again set to deliver the Best of the Best drivers at the Best of the Best tracks for the Best of the Best fans in all of auto racing.

2016 USMTS SCHEDULE:

Thu Feb 11 ... Shady Oaks Speedway, Goliad, Texas ($2,000 to win) [S]
Fri Feb 12 ... Shady Oaks Speedway, Goliad, Texas ($3,000 to win) [S]
Sat Feb 13 ... Shady Oaks Speedway, Goliad, Texas ($4,000 to win) [S]
Thu Feb 18 ... Heart ‘O’ Texas Speedway, Elm Mott, Texas ($2,000 to win) [S]
Fri Feb 19 ... Heart ‘O’ Texas Speedway, Elm Mott, Texas ($3,000 to win) [S]
Sat Feb 20 ... Heart ‘O’ Texas Speedway, Elm Mott, Texas ($4,000 to win) [S]
Thu Feb 25 ... Ark-La-Tex Speedway, Vivian, La. ($2,000 to win) [S]
Fri Feb 26 ... Ark-La-Tex Speedway, Vivian, La. ($3,000 to win) [S]
Sat Feb 27 ... Ark-La-Tex Speedway, Vivian, La. ($4,000 to win) [S]
Thu Mar 3 ... Southern Oklahoma Speedway, Ardmore, Okla. ($2,000 to win) [S]
Fri Mar 4 ... Southern Oklahoma Speedway, Ardmore, Okla. ($3,000 to win) [S]
Sat Mar 5 ... Southern Oklahoma Speedway, Ardmore, Okla. ($4,000 to win) [S]
Fri Mar 18 ... Caney Valley Speedway, Caney, Kan. ($3,000 to win) [C]
Sat Mar 19 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, Kan. ($3,000 to win) [C]
Sun Mar 20 ... I-35 Speedway, Winston, MO ($3,000 to win) [C]
Thu Mar 31 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, Kan. (Preliminaries) ***
Fri Apr 1 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, Kan. (Preliminaries) ***
Sat Apr 2 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, Kan. ($10,000 to win) ***
Fri Apr 22 ... Lakeside Speedway, Kansas City, Kan. ($3,000 to win) [C]
Sat Apr 23 ... Randolph County Speedway, Moberly, Mo. ($3,000 to win) [C]
Sun Apr 24 ... Atchison County Raceway, Atchison, Kan. ($3,000 to win) [C]
Thu Apr 28 ... Superbowl Speedway, Greenville, Texas ($3,000 to win) [S]
Fri Apr 29 ... Kennedale Speedway Park, Kennedale, Texas ($3,000 to win) [S]
Sat Apr 30 ... Lonestar Speedway, Kilgore, Texas ($3,000 to win) [S]
Thu May 12 ... Ogilvie Raceway, Ogilvie, Minn. ($3,000 to win) [N]
Fri May 13 ... I-94 Speedway, Fergus Falls, Minn. ($3,000 to win) [N]
Sat May 14 ... Viking Speedway, Alexandria, Minn. ($3,000 to win) [N]
Fri May 20 ... Outlaw Motor Speedway, Wainwright, Okla. ($3,000 to win) [C]
Sat May 21 ... Salina Highbanks Speedway, Salina, Okla. ($3,000 to win) [C]
Sun May 22 ... Longdale Speedway, Longdale, Okla. ($3,000 to win) [C]
Wed May 25 ... Crawford County Speedway, Denison, Iowa ($3,000 to win) [N]
Thu May 26 ... Mason City Motor Speedway, Mason City, Iowa ($3,000 to win) [N]
Fri May 27 ... Chateau Raceway, Lansing, Minn. ($3,000 to win) [N]
Sat May 28 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn. ($3,000 to win) [N]
Sun May 29 ... Upper Iowa Speedway, Decorah, Iowa ($3,000 to win) [N]
Thu Jun 2 ... 81 Speedway, Park City, Kan. ($3,000 to win) [C]
Fri Jun 3 ... Red River Speedway, Wichita Falls, Texas ($3,000 to win) [S]
Sat Jun 4 ... Route 66 Motor Speedway, Amarillo, Texas ($3,000 to win) [S]
Wed Jun 15 ... Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, Minn. ($3,000 to win) [N]
Thu Jun 16 ... KRA Speedway, Willmar, Minn. ($3,000 to win) [N]
Fri Jun 17 ... Cedar Lake Speedway, Somerset, WI ($3,000 to win) [N]
Sat Jun 18 ... Cedar Lake Speedway, Somerset, WI ($3,000 to win) [N]
Thu Jun 23 ... I-94 Speedway, Fergus Falls, Minn. (Preliminaries) ***
Fri Jun 24 ... I-94 Speedway, Fergus Falls, Minn. (Preliminaries) ***
Sat Jun 25 ... I-94 Speedway, Fergus Falls, Minn. ($15,000 to win) ***
Tue Jul 19 ... Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa ($3,000 to win) [C]
Wed Jul 20 ... TBA ($3,000 to win) [C]
Fri Jul 22 ... I-80 Speedway, Greenwood, Neb. ($3,000 to win) [C]
Sat Jul 23 ... I-80 Speedway, Greenwood, Neb. ($3,000 to win) [C]
Thu Aug 4 ... Valley Speedway, Grain Valley, Mo. ($3,000 to win) [H]
Fri Aug 5 ... Humboldt Speedway, Humboldt, Kan. ($3,000 to win) [H]
Sat Aug 6 ... Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, Mo. ($3,000 to win) [H]
Sun Aug 7 ... Monett Speedway, Monett, Mo. ($3,000 to win) [H]
Thu Aug 11 ... Red Cedar Speedway, Menomonie, Wis. ($3,000 to win) [H]
Fri Aug 12 ... Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, Wis. ($3,000 to win) [H]
Sat Aug 13 ... Ogilvie Raceway, Ogilvie, Minn. ($3,000 to win) [H]
Sun Aug 14 ... Mason City Motor Speedway, Mason City, Iowa ($3,000 to win) [H]
Fri Aug 19 ... Lakeside Speedway, Kansas City, Kan. ($3,000 to win) [H]
Sat Aug 20 ... Salina Highbanks Speedway, Salina, Okla. ($3,000 to win) [H]
Sun Aug 21 ... Tri-State Speedway, Pocola, Okla. ($3,000 to win) [H]
Thu Aug 25 ... Hamilton County Speedway, Webster City, Iowa ($3,000 to win) [H]
Fri Aug 26 ... Rapid Speedway, Rock Rapids, Iowa ($3,000 to win) [H]
Sat Aug 27 ... Park Jefferson Speedway, Jefferson, S.D. ($3,000 to win) [H]
Thu Sep 1 ... Fairmont Raceway, Fairmont, Minn. ($3,000 to win) [H]
Fri Sep 2 ... Chateau Raceway, Lansing, Minn. ($3,000 to win) [H]
Sat Sep 3 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn. ($3,000 to win) [H]
Sun Sep 4 ... Cresco Speedway, Cresco, Iowa ($3,000 to win) [H]
Thu Sep 22 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn. ($5,000 to win) [H]
Fri Sep 23 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn. ($5,000 to win) ***
Sat Sep 24 ... Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn. ($10,000 to win) ***

[C] = MSD Central Region presented by Day Motor Sports
[N] = Farm Boy BBQ Sauce Northern Region presented by Day Motor Sports
[S] = Double H Bands Southern Region presented by Day Motor Sports
[H] = Hunt for the Casey's Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental
*** = Triple Crown Event

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.

To learn more about VanderBeek and 33z Racing, visit www.zackvanderbeek.com, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/zackvanderbeekracing, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zackvanderbeek and subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/zackvanderbeekracing.