Zack VanderBeek

USMTS Spring Challenge moves to Hamilton County Speedway this weekend

With tons of new dirt sitting soaked and track crews unable to properly prepare the racing surface, officials from the 34 Raceway and USMTS have begrudgingly postponed the inaugural USMTS vs UMP Spring Challenge powered by MSD slated for this weekend.

Joint Statement from 34 Raceway and USMTS:

“Having watched several Midwestern racing surfaces fall apart over the past two weeks, the USMTS and 34 Raceway feel it’s best to postpone our event until the fall,” said Jessi Mynatt, who operates the West Burlington, Iowa, facility with her partner Brad Stevens. “We want to give the fans and drivers a good show and do not feel our track is in the condition to do so at this time.

“Every racetrack is different in drainage and drying time, and ours is still very wet—last week's rain did not help. We have not yet had any cars on the track and do not feel that having one hundred-plus cars from all over the U.S. on it in just four days is the best way to test the new dirt out. Junking equipment and putting drivers at risk is not acceptable to USMTS or 34 Raceway.”

With many teams traveling into Iowa for the event, along with hungry race fans starving for the aroma of burning fuel and the sights of the world’s best dirt modified drivers in combat, USMTS promoter Todd Staley has announced that the event will still take place… about three hours north at the Karl Chevrolet Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City, Iowa.

Billed as a clash between the two most powerful empires in the dirt modified universe, the inaugural USMTS vs UMP event will likely take place this fall, but UMP racers are still invited to come race at the historic Hamilton County Speedway. Competitors can follow the USMTS or UMP rulebook but no mixing of the two sets of rules will be allowed. UMP entries must utilize the hard 60 tire on the right rear, and those running under UMP rules are not eligible for USMTS points.

Former NASCAR racer and on-air personality Kenny Wallace has announced that he will still be making the trip to the Hamilton County Speedway, along with several other high-profile racers from “the other side.”

Set for this Friday and Saturday, April 2-3, most everything—such as times and ticket prices—will remain the same as originally planned. The main event on Friday will pay $5,000 to win and $500 to start while Saturday's big show has a $10,000 top prize up for grabs with a minimum $700 to start the feature race.

A trio of Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series classes will be running both nights with national points on the line for Medieval USRA Stock Cars, USRA B-Mods and Mensink Racing Products USRA Hobby Stocks.

On both days, the pits will open at 4 p.m., grandstands open at 5 and qualifying gets underway at 7 p.m.

General admission spectator tickets each day are $25 for adults (17-61) or $20 for seniors (62+) and juniors (12-16). Kids ages 11 and under get in for free. Pit passes are $40 each night or $30 for kids ages 6-10. Children under 6 are admitted for free in the pits.

Racers will get the chance to practice at the historic clay oval on Tuesday, March 30, from 5 p.m. until dark. Pit passes are $20. Admission to the grandstands is free.

Competitors are encouraged to get entered as soon as possible to save themselves some money and save time on race day at the registration headquarters. Go to usmts.com/downloads for USMTS rules, entry forms and more. Call (515) 832-7944 to enter today. Drivers can also pay the early entry price at practice Tuesday.

About the Karl Chevrolet Hamilton County Speedway: Opening in July 1910, the Hamilton County Speedway is the oldest speedway in the state of Iowa. In 1938, work began on the current location at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds. The semi-banked half-mile dirt track was completed in the spring of 1939, and the first races were held on the track in September of that year.

One of the many new improvements to the facility is a new 170-foot-long infield catwalk along the front-stretch. New lights and much more are already finished, underway or in the planning stages.

The Hamilton County Speedway is located off US 20 at exit 140, then 1.2 miles north, then 0.5 mile east on Bank St., then 0.4 mile south on Bluff St. to the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in Webster City, Iowa. The physical address is 1200 Bluff St, Webster City, IA 50595.

The AmericInn by Wyndham is the Official Host Hotel of the Hamilton County Speedway. Located just off the exit from Highway 20 at 411 Closz Drive, check them out online at AmercInn.com or call (515) 337-2611 to book your stay.

For more information, call (515) 832-6000 or check out HamiltonCoSpeedway.com. You can also follow us through social media on Facebook and Twitter.

Taking dirt to a new level: The 2021 campaign for the Summit USMTS National Championship fueled by Casey’s features 36 nights of racing with the winners of those main events set to take home over $300,000 in earnings from more than $1 million in prize money earmarked for those shows. Twenty-six of the 36 race nights will pay at least $10,000 to win while the other 10 carry a $5,000 top prize.

As if that weren’t enough, more than $230,000 is committed to the top ten finishers in the 2021 points standings with a record $70,000 reserved for the 2021 USMTS National Champion.

Visit usmts.com for schedules, points, photos, souvenirs, videos and more. Follow our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Click here to get USMTS news delivered to your inbox.