Texas Speedzone - USRA Kicks Off 2006 Season at San Antonio Speedway This Saturday

San Antonio, TX (March 5, 2006) – All three of the United States Racing Association (USRA) touring series – three of the most popular touring stock car series in Texas – will be kicking off their 2006 season on Saturday evening, March 11, 2006, at San Antonio Speedway.

USRA Kicks Off 2006 Season at San Antonio Speedway For Immediate Release – March 5, 2006 Contact: Nick Holt, USRA Media Director (210) 415-1251 cnholt@sbcglobal.net San Antonio, TX (March 5, 2006) – All three of the United States Racing Association (USRA) touring series – three of the most popular touring stock car series in Texas – will be kicking off their 2006 season on Saturday evening, March 11, 2006, at San Antonio Speedway. The USRA Super Late Models, the USRA Modifieds and the USRA Trucks, along with the Texas Pro Sedans, will join forces this weekend to give San Antonio Speedway’ race fans an opening night to remember. The USRA Super Late Model (SLM) Series is the top traveling series in Texas - if not the entire Southwest - and features many of the best stock car drivers in the country. Nationally-known drivers such as Brandon Bendele, Tommy Grimes, Greg and Chris Davidson, John Kelly, Casey Smith, Bradley Reithmeyer, Todd McLemore, T. Wade Welch, JC Umscheid, Mark Chrudimsky, reigning USRA SLM Champion Heath Stewart and a host of others have positioned the USRA SLM Series into the national racing spotlight. Some of these same drivers will be gunning for their first win of the season in the 125-lap USRA feature event at the super-quick, high-banked SAS half-mile oval. Defending USRA Modified Champion Bruce Beddoe of Corpus Christi will be leading a large contingent of the low-slung, wide-tracked, open-wheeled USRA Modifieds for a 75-lap feature on the same program while Shawn Paul Lehman of Manchaca will begin his defense of the USRA Truck title in a 50-lap main event for the always-entertaining race trucks. The Texas Pro Sedan Series features 4-cylinder stock cars and is entering its 31st consecutive racing season with a 25 lap Feature Race at SAS. 2005 Champion Sergio Hexsel and 23 other TPS drivers have filed entry for the event. San Antonio Speedway General Manager Rick Day is excited to be starting his first season at the paved, half-mile speed plant with such a strong opening night show. “This is a fantastic way to kick of the 2006 season,” Day said during a practice session this past weekend. “San Antonio area race fans know that the touring series boast the very best drivers and the very best equipment. I’m looking forward to a big opening night crowd and a lot of cars in the pits for this one.” USRA Owner and CEO Terry Dickerson is also eagerly anticipating the start of the 2006 USRA season. “We made the (low cost) “crate” engine legal in all three USRA series over the winter. This addition to the rules should help lower the cost of running a competitive car or truck in any of our series. The crate engine addition will also allow our top teams to compete in other national venues without having to rebuild their engine or chassis to meet their rules. We know it’s always difficult to adapt to new rules, but in the long run we hope that racing in Texas and the Southwest will be the better for it.” To spotlight the new crate engine rule Dickerson announced that the highest finishing Chevrolet crate engine in Saturday’s events will receive a $250 bonus and if a Chevrolet crate engine should win, that team will receive a $500 bonus. “I bet we’ll see some of our top USRA SLM teams competing in the big ASA Late Model Challenge Series race we have scheduled for April 1st at SAS since the ASA crate engine rules and our USRA engine rules are now so similar.” The weekend will get started on Friday with an open practice set for 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Grandstand admission for this practice session will be free for spectators. On Saturday, the pit gates will open at 11:00 a.m. with practice sessions scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. and qualifying set to take the green flag at 5:30 p.m. The racing action will begin promptly at 7:00 a.m. with a 25-lap main event for the Texas Pro Sedans followed by feature races for the USRA Modifieds, USRA Super Late Models and USRA Trucks. Admission for Saturday’s events is $20 for adults, $10 for seniors and Military (with ID), $3 for children 7-12 and children 6 and under are admitted free. San Antonio Speedway is located 3.5 miles south of Loop 410 on Texas Highway 16 towards Poteet. For more information about San Antonio Speedway or the USRA, call SAS General Manager Rick Day at 210-827-4524 or call the SAS race hotline at 210-628-1499. For more information about the Texas Pro Sedans call Neil Upchurch at 210-655-3222. The San Antonio Speedway website is http://www.sanantoniospeedway.com. The USRA website is http://www.usraspeed.com, while the Texas Pro Sedan website can be found at http://www.texasprosedans.com. --- 30 ---