Battle-hardened USMTS Warriors Await War in West Union
The 12th Annual War in West Union will be held at the
Fayette County Speedway in West Union, Iowa, this
Wednesday as part of the Summit USMTS National
Championship presented by RacinDirt. This event has
become a staple on the USMTS schedule, attracting
top-tier drivers and enthusiastic fans to the 3/8-mile
semi-banked clay oval located at the Fayette County
Fairgrounds.
Usually a key event during the
Memorial Day Weekend swing, this year's show was
postponed to this Wednesday, June 11, due to weather
issues. This week, it will be a prelude to the 26th
Masters, which takes place Thursday, Friday and
Saturday, June 12-14.
The first USMTS event in
West Union was actually held at the Echo Valley
Speedway, a different track in the same town, which is
now closed. Jason Krohn won this inaugural race, marking
the beginning of USMTS’s presence in West Union.
The 2008 event officially became known as the War in
West Union and shifted to the Fayette County Speedway.
However, it was postponed due to tornados and flooding
but rescheduled as a prelude to the Featherlite Fall
Jamboree. Nine-time series champ Kelly Shryock was a
noted contender during this period.
Two of the
youngest drivers to ever win their first USMTS race,
Jake Neal of Omaha, Neb., won the first War in West
Union while the 2009 title went to Ryan Gustin of
Marshalltown.
After a six-year hiatus from the
3/8 mile track Jerry Blue built, Zack VanderBeek won the
War in West Union in 2016 and thus began a nine-year run
for the event. This week's 'War' will be the 10th in a
row and 12th overall at the track.
Gustin went on
to be the first two-time winner of the event in 2017,
followed by five straight first-time winners—Lucas
Schott, Rodney Sanders, Terry Phillips and Dereck
Ramirez—before Phillips broke through as a two-time
winner in 2022 after a fierce contest with VanderBeek.
VanderBeek bounced back to get his second War in
West Union trophy in 2023, and Jim Chisholm of Osage
nabbed his first en route to the Summit USMTS National
Championship in 2024. Chisholm dominated the 40-lap
feature, leading every lap to win $3,000 as the
21-year-old’s victory was his ninth career USMTS win.
In addition to the Summit USMTS Modifieds, this
Wednesday's War in West Union at the
Fayette County Speedway will also see the
Karl Chevrolet PRO Late Model Tour presented by
Aikey Auto Salvage in action, along with the
Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series featuring USRA
Stock Cars and USRA Hobby Stocks.
Check out the
FAST FACTS for complete event information.
The Fayette County Speedway is one of the oldest,
continuously running racetracks in Iowa. In 1947, the
present grandstand was completed. The present pit area
took the place of the backstretch for the half-mile
oval. In 1964, the half-mile was reshaped to a
quarter-mile, and in 1991, promoter Jerry Blue built the
3/8 mile track that is raced on today.
A majority
of the improvements that are seen at the track today,
including the two crow’s nests and the backstretch
fence, are still there. Today, the track is operated by
the Fayette County Ag Society Race Committee. Their goal
is to provide the best racing show possible with 50/50
ticket proceeds going back into facility improvements
and amentities.
The USMTS is the ultimate proving
ground where only the fiercest, most skilled dirt
slingers in North America dare to tread. This is where
legends are forged, battles are won and the roar of
engines drowns out the weak.
Since 1999, this is
where the elite meet, and every driver from the top guns
to the local heroes get a shot at glory at some of
America's most brutal dirt tracks. This is where the
Best of the Best in dirt modified racing come to show
their mettle.
When it comes to outlaw dirt
modified racing, the USMTS has no equal. USMTS is the
Real Deal. Don't be afraid of the fast.
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USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS:
American Racer Racing Tires,
Beyea Headers,
Fast Shafts,
Featherlite Trailers,
FK Rod Ends,
KSE Racing Products,
Malvern Bank,
Mesilla Valley Transportation,
Nitroquest Media,
PEM Racing Gears & Drivetrain,
RacinDirt,
Summit Racing Equipment,
VP Racing - Heartland,
Wieland.
USMTS PRESENTING SPONSORS:
Boomtest Well Service,
Boubin Tire & Automotive,
Brodix Cylinder Heads,
Callies Performance Products,
Collins Brothers Towing,
Hochatown Saloon,
Mel Hambelton Ford,
Miller Welders,
PBM Performance Products,
STAKT Products,
YouDirt.com.
USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS:
AERO Race Wheels,
AFCO Racing Products,
Allstar Performance,
Bear Graphix,
Bryke Racing,
BSB Manufacturing,
Champ Pans,
Danny Crane Racing Engines,
Driven Racing Oil,
Dynamic Drivelines,
Edelbrock,
Gorsuch Performance Solutions,
Harris Auto Racing,
Hooker Harness,
Hyperco,
Integra Racing Shocks and Springs,
JE Pistons,
JRi Shocks,
Keyser Manufacturing,
MD3,
Mel Hambelton Racing,
MSD Performance,
Penske Racing Shocks,
QA1,
Quarter Master,
RaceQuip,
RacerWebsite.com,
Real Racing Wheels,
Rush RaceGear by Austin Witt,
Simpson Performance Products,
Sweet Manufacturing,
Swift Springs,
Sybesma Graphics,
Total Power,
Victory Fuel,
Victory Vault,
Wehrs Machine & Racing Products,
Wilwood Racing.
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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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