81 Speedway
Readies for Ed Gressel Memorial April 20-22
On Thursday, Friday and
Saturday, April 20-22, we’ll gather again when the stars
of the Summit USMTS National Championship presented by
RacinDirt descend on the 81 Speedway in Park City,
Kansas, for three nights to honor racing legend Ed
Gressel.
Gressel’s impact on racing throughout
the Midwest remains largely unmatched. What began as a
hobby working on cars at the 81 Speedway during the
1970s morphed into a top-tier modified team capturing
checkered flag after checkered flag on the USMTS trail.
Along with his wife, Cinde, he was a supporter of
the series since its infancy and was instrumental in the
series growth as it’s seen today.
“Ed meant a lot
to my family and everybody at the USMTS, as well as
countless racers and race teams,” said USMTS President
Todd Staley shortly after Ed Gressel's passing last May.
“He was a big part of our growth. A huge supporter—both
financially and personally—and a great friend to many.
We’ll never forget him.”
The list of drivers who
have piloted the gold and blue for Gressel Racing is
impressive. Local hot shoes have gotten the chance to
cut their teeth, regional superstars found victory lane
and others blossomed into national stardom behind the
wheel for Ed Gressel.
None of those drivers were
more prolific than Ryan Gustin. “The Reaper” collected
two USMTS championships, a $40,000 payday at the USRA
Modified Nationals and 72 of his 103 career USMTS
victories while racing for Gressel and always behind the
wheel of a Hughes Racing Chassis. The last of his
victories driving for Gressel happened at the 81
Speedway.
Before Gustin it was Scott Green
steering the wheel for Gressel, and after came names
like R.C. Whitwell, Ricky Thornton Jr. and Tanner
Mullens, all finding success piloting the blue and gold
machine. Then, in 2018, Wichita native Brandon Givens
took over.
“I will never be able to repay both Ed
and Cinde for everything they’ve done for me, my wife
and my family,” said Givens. “What he’s done for us... I
can never tell you how much I owe that man. The day
after his funeral, my wife Dani looked at me and told me
we needed to do something for Ed.”
“Getting to
know Ed the last couple of years after purchasing 81
Speedway, it was so neat to see the guy he really was,”
commented track owner J.R. Sartain. “Ed was genuine,
straight to the point, but more importantly a fierce
friend. If you were lucky enough to be welcomed in by
Ed, you were blessed. It’s an honor to hold this race
right here at 81. We’re working hard to make this
something special, and we hope to see the grandstands
packed in honor of Ed.”
“Ed Gressel was a
long-time supporter of mine and a great friend,” added
track promoter John Allen. “I don’t know what I would
have done without Ed at times. It’s going to be tough to
race without him here, but we’re going to bust our butts
to put on the best show we can for him. And after is all
said and done, we’ll gather as friends and drink a beer
for him too.”
The Ed Gressel Memorial kicks off
Thursday, April 20, paying $3,000 to win the Summit
USMTS main event. Following a $5,000-to-win contest on
Friday, April 21, the event reaches a final crescendo
paying a $10,000 top prize on Saturday, April 22.
Alongside the USMTS stars on Thursday night will be
the United Rebel Sprint Series. The JLR Property
Management 316 A-Mods and AutoTech Service Super Stocks
join the fun on Friday before the Heyglassman.com Stock
Cars complete the under card for Saturday night.
For complete race day information and a complete 2023
schedule, check out the
FAST FACTS or visit
81speedway.com.
Mel Hambelton Ford
hosts open house: Mel Hambelton Ford in
Wichita, Kansas, invites all race fans, drivers, crew
members and their families to the 3rd Annual USMTS Open
House on Friday, April 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Meet
your favorite drivers while you enjoy food, fun,
contests and more.
Click here to learn more.
Cornhole
Tournament: 81 Speedway will host a Cornhole
Tournament and silent auction for door panels on
Saturday, April 22. Winners will receive cornhole boards
as prizes.
Click here to register. Space is limited. The cost
is $50 per team and the tournment starts at 10 a.m. for
more information call (316) 304-1454 or email
81speedwayevents@gmail.com.
Watch every USMTS
event online live and on-demand from anywhere on any
device with
RacinDirt. Download the app at
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Amazon Fire,
iOS,
Apple TV or on
Google Play.
Visit
usmts.com for
schedules,
points,
photos,
souvenirs,
videos and more. Follow our social media channels on
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YouTube.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
USMTS
OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American
Racer Racing Tires, Beyea
Headers, Callies
Performance Products, Chevrolet
Performance, Fast
Shafts, FK
Rod Ends, KSE
Racing Products, Malvern
Bank, Mesilla
Valley Transportation, Nitroquest
Media, PEM
Racing Gears & Drivetrain, RacinDirt, Summit
Racing Equipment, Super
Clean, VP
Racing, Wieland.
USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: ARMI
Contractors, Boomtest
Well Service, Boubin
Tire & Automotive, Brodix
Cylinder Heads, Collins
Brothers Towing, D&T
Marriott Enterprise, LLC, DAY
Motorsports, Duvall
Electric, Gunshepherd.com, Hacienda
Mechanical, Kenny's
Tile, Mel
Hambelton Racing, Midwest
Wrap Co., Miller
Welders, PBM
Performance Products, Rancho
Milagro Racing, S&S
Fishing & Rental, Salty's
BBQ & Catering, Shocker
Hitch, Shop
Quik Stores, YouDirt.com.
USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO
Race Wheels, AFCO
Racing Products, Allstar
Performance, BigDeal
Car Care, Bryke
Racing, BSB
Manufacturing, Champ
Pans, Deatherage
Opticians, Edelbrock, Hooker
Harness, Hyperco, Integra
Racing Shocks and Springs, JE
Pistons, K1
RaceGear by Ryan Bowers Motorsports, Keyser
Manufacturing, MD3, MSD
Performance, Penske
Racing Shocks, Performance
Bodies & Parts, QA1, Quarter
Master, RacerWebsite.com, Real
Racing Wheels, Simpson
Performance Products, Swift
Springs, Sybesma
Graphics, Wehrs
Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood
Racing.
USMTS RACETRACKS:
81 Speedway,
Ark-La-Tex Speedway,
Arrowhead Speedway,
Cedar Lake Speedway,
Deer Creek Speedway,
Fayette County Speedway,
Hamilton County Speedway,
Humboldt Speedway,
I-70 Speedway,
Lakeside Speedway,
Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track,
Lucas Oil Speedway,
Mason City Motor Speedway,
Ogilvie Raceway,
Rocket Raceway Park.
##
Contact Info:
Jeff Nun
Chief Communications Officer
United States Modified Touring Series, Inc. (USMTS)
1715 W 2nd St, PO Box 905
Webster City, IA 50595
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