Texas Speedzone - Texana Raceway Park gears up for Modified Invasion

Texana Raceway Park gears up for Modified Invasion
By J M Hallas and Monty Chamberlain

Inaugural "Texas Winter Challenge," November,. 20th-22nd
Edna, Tx., (November 18, 2008) This weekend Texana Raceway Parkʼs 5/16 semi-banked clay oval becomes the hub of activity as the United States Modified Touring Series(USMTS), Southern Series rolls into town. Action kicks off on Thursday night, with a $1,000 to win A-main, Friday night they raise the stakes up to $2,000 to win, with the Saturday finale paying a cool Three Grand to the winner.

Track Promoter, Bruce Tesch has been busy all week working on the track and facilities, in what will be the biggest event held at the track. "With many teams visiting Texana for the first time and several of the series big names making the trip, we want to make sure that we present the Texana track in a positive light that the teams will enjoy. Once the three day event is completed on Saturday night, we want teams to walk away remembering a positive experience and wanting to come back in the future. We are excited to have privilege of hosting this event and the fans will be in for a real treat when the best dirt track driving talent the nation has to offer rolls into town" said Tesch.

Heading the list of USMTS superstars is Westville, Oklahomaʼs, Jason Hughes who is no stranger to finding his way to the Winners Circle in south Texas. Hughes, the current points leader, has been a multi-time winner of the Modified Nationals in McAllen and holds a 72 point lead over Gentry, Arkansasʼ Steve Holzkamper. Other out-of-town heavy hitters expected are, National Tour and defending series champion, Kelly Shryock(Fertile, Iowa), multi-time Super Nationals champion, Mark Noble(Blooming Prairie, Minn.), NASCAR star, Ken Schrader(Concord, N.C.) and Tommy Weder jr.(Woodward, Okla.), who is third in points.

Local drivers will be looking to have home track experience on their side as they battle it out with some of the toughest competition in national. Hoping to derail the northern and midwest invaders are, 2008 track champion Nick Hardcastle(Corpus Christi), former USAC Silver Crown champion Paul White(Temple), Lawrence Mikulencak(Corpus Christi) Dale Flanagan(Corpus Christi)and Steve Whiteaker jr.(Corpus Christi).

Yet another group will be eyeing the big paydays as the Houston area sends Jesse Manning, Howard Willis, Chris Brown, John O Whittington and David Horner, who eked out one of last yearʼs A-mains in Corpus Christi, by six inches over Holzkamper.

The nightʼs racing action will also include the Limited Modifieds, with added pay-outs for all three nights of racing.

Texana Raceway Park is located 2 miles east of Edna on SR 111, then left on Haines Rd. (FM 412). For more information, call the track's business office at (979) 758-4440 or (361) 781-0411 on race day. More details can also be found online at www.texanaracewaypark.org.