Nine more events have been added to the calendar for the mud-slinging open-wheel machines of the United States Modified Touring Series, bringing the total to 84 nights of intense USMTS action in for the 2012 racing season.

Thirty-eight different venues in ten different states will host an event this year, and once again the best of the best dirt modified racers on the planet will tackle everything from historic high-speed half-mile ovals to high-banked quarter-mile bullrings that give race fans unequaled action that is extremely loud and incredibly close.

Set to host their first USMTS event ever, the RPM Speedway in Crandall, Texas, will showcase a USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier on Friday, May 11 – a perfect fit to fill the gap between Thursday night’s show at the Heart O’ Texas Speedway near Waco and Saturday’s tilt at the Cowtown Speedway in Kennedale.

There are currently 27 USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifiers on the schedule, with each race doling out at least $2,000 to the winner.

Drivers competing in USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifiers will be battling for a spot in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup, which will begin Aug. 9 at the Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo., and culminate Sept. 20-22 at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., during the 14th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree.

One more event has been added to this year’s ‘Hunt’ with the Nobles County Speedway in Worthington, Minn., picking up the Sunday, Aug. 19, date. All races during the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup will pay a minimum of $3,000 to win, with the 2012 USMTS Casey’s Cup champion pocketing $15,000 from the season-ending points fund.

Seven dates have also been added to the new USMTS National Championship Series, including a second stop penciled in at the Nobles County Speedway on Sunday, July 22.

Also added to the campaign for the elite USMTS National Championship Series is a stop at the Interstate Speedway in Jefferson, S.D., on Thursday, July 19 – the first USMTS event at the track since 2006.

A three-race swing through Iowa will kick off the month of August with the USMTS National Championship Series invading the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta, Mineral City Speedway in Fort Dodge and Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Aug. 1-3.

On Saturday, Aug. 25, the action heads north to the Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, N.D., followed by a visit to the Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D., for the seventh straight year on Sunday, Aug. 26.

The USMTS National Championship Series currently has 29 events and each will pay at least $4,000 to win and $400 to start with up to 30 cars taking the green flag in every main event. The driver with the best 20 showings during the USMTS National Championship Series will be named the 2012 USMTS National Champion and will take home a record $30,000 while the runner-up in the final ranking will get a cool $20,000.

For the third straight year, the campaign will begin and end with a tripleheader at the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas. The 3rd Annual USMTS Spring Nationals will take place Feb. 16-18 and the 6th Annual USMTS Winter Nationals happens Nov. 15-16.

The season-opening Thursday night at the 3/8-mile oval near Houston will be the first USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier, and the stakes are raised on Friday and Saturday with the first two events of the USMTS National Championship Series.

The two biggest-paying events in USMTS history will also return again in 2012.

The inaugural King of America Modified Nationals just wrapped up six weeks ago, and will move to March 28-31 for King of America II. Although the dates have changed, the format and location remains the same with three days of qualifying that leads up to the $15,000-to-win finale at the Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kan.

The Deer Creek Speedway will host the 2nd Annual World Modified Dirt Track Championship, Wednesday-
Saturday, July 25-28, with a top prize of $20,000 awaiting the winner again this time.

View complete 2012 schedule at www.usmts.com.

Thanks to the unwavering support of the fans, drivers, crews, families, track promoters, media and sponsors, more than $2 million is projected to be awarded in record purses and record points fund money during the 2012 racing season.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also follow the USMTS on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube.