The Stakes are High at USA Raceway

Kevin Montgomery Tucson, Arizona (May 5^th, 2010) - With one of the highest Modified purses this side of the Red River it is not a complete surprise that the best in the west will migrate to USA Raceway to take their chance at Modified Supremacy.  Not all drivers will come for the competition, however, the $1000 that awaits the eventual winner may entice a few to take there chances this Saturday night as the stars of the Barnett Harley Davidson UMP West Modifieds return to the Southwest Center of Speed.

With a little less than 3 weeks for fans to unravel the latest 25-Lap green to checkered outing led by Nick O'Neil, where he displayed a rim riding act to perfection and took home $1000 on his birthday, a refresher may be needed.

Below you will find the some random thoughts for the weekend.

When the Chips are Down

When the chips are down, an idiom that means when the pressure is on, will serve many meanings for this rant.  For starters we will put O'Neil in the hot seat!  One may think that after winning it gets easier but to the contrary is becomes more difficult.  Nick will return to the scene, with his RPM's high, a victory under his belt and in search of his next triumph.  This fact can not be shared by many, however, one person that comes to mind is RC Whitwell, the former USA Raceway champion.  Whitwell, while tied with O'Neil for the points lead, has failed to find victory lane in 2010 with a pair of runner up finishes.  Many would be proud of this accomplishment but those that know Whitwell also know that he loves winning and has a long track record of doing so.  The pressure will be on for Whitwell to park in victory lane but the pressure will also be on for someone to beat him for a third time.  Either way the chips will not be in the cards for USA Raceway competitors.

Stiff Competition

With more than 30 cars competing in each of the first 2 Modified outings at USA Raceway, the competition is extremely fierce and in addition the competitors are just as tough.  This ideology often effect's people in different ways!  While there may be a few that shy away from competition and look for a less spirited venue, the real racers will embrace the higher skill levels knowing that when they do win they beat the best. 

The field will continue to get tougher as more racers gear up for a Modified action.  With some contenders not yet making their way to the Tucson racing scene, it is likely we will see them coming soon.  Robert Adams, who has promised to be ready for action this month, joins the likes of Bumper Jones, Dylan Kelfer, Johnny Scott, Royal Jones and Anthony Madrid to name a few that have yet to appear at USA Raceway in 2010.

The New Mexico Factor

The New Mexico factor will be in full effect this Saturday night as Jimmy Ray and Stormy Scott are both rumored to be returning to USA Raceway in search of a thousand bucks.  Ray leads the charge as he posted the first 2010 victory at the speedway with Stormy only a lightning strike away and according to the informative documentary of a racing legend, lightning always comes before thunder, Ka-Chow!  Look for Scott to be charging to the front come feature time.

Mother's Day

The "Second Sunday of May" or more commonly Mother's Day, has been the day that families honor their Mother since it became a National Holiday in 1914.

The staff of USA Raceway, in conjunction with "Team Lump Busters" has sought to honor our Mother's with a Race for the Cure benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the global leader of the breast cancer movement.  The Susan G. Komen for the Cure is a non profit organization that is working to save lives and energize science to find a cure for a disease that, in 2009, had nearly 200,000 new cases diagnosed in American women.

This Saturday night, USA Raceway will have its own version of a Race for the Cure with $5 for every ticket purchased being donated to Susan G. Komen via "Team Lump Busters" and in honor of all of our Mother's.

Stiff Competition - Take II....The Unifirst Super Stocks

The Unifirst Super Stocks, like the Modifieds, will head back to action with a tie for the lead in championship points standings.  Daniel Stricker and Dwayne Hogan will lead the battle tied, with the top 6 only separated by 20 points.  Neither of the leaders, in fact no drivers in the top 5, have made it to victory lane leaving Marty Hussak as the only driver eligible for win number two.

Back to School

The tenacious, Trevor Hildalgo, grandson of Wild Bill Cheesbourg, seems to have learned a few tricks from the teacher as he continues his steadfast factory stock stint.  The Pueblo High School team has managed to avoid any legalities leaving others singing the blues as the team has garnered one victory and has failed to finish less then third in three tries.  Hildalgo is doing some teaching of his own on the track as he leads the points battle going to round four this weekend.

Bo Partain, winner of the first 2 Factory Stock outings, is recovering from engine woes but will likely be back in action this week with a stout cast of competitors all capable of becoming the third victor in a very tough division.

The Hornets

Jim Hock came to Tucson trying to keep up with the Jones and in turn is the one needing to be kept up with.  Hock, who has posted two wins in three starts, now leads the very competitive Rear Wheel Drive Hornet division into battle after a 4 week hiatus.  However, don't count out the Jones brothers as they will be battling hard to make up ground they lost by missing the first round of Hornet action due to a Wedding.

Stephen Lee leads the early point battle in Front Wheel Drive action with one victory while Tony Pugliese has managed 2 wins.  Pugliese has maintained the winning ways set forth by his son Jason who was the Front Wheel Drive Hornet Champion in 2009.  Jason has since moved on to a rapidly growing field of X-Mods!

The Little Mods

The Southwest Modlites return to action after taking to a short course in the North.  Mike Martin, The Modlite Magic Man, brings a devilish point lead to the super speedway for some fast action with Tony Evans in hot pursuit.

The man on a mission is still Andy Eatwell who has been to victory lane every time he has hit the track.  Eatwell, who missed a race to support his better half as she competed at USA in Modified Midget action, resumed his winning ways last week.  While Eatwell is the man to beat, look for the likes of Evans or Martin to slap the cuffs on this streak.

Coming Events of USA Raceway

While this weekend will lend itself to helping find a cure for a disease that effect's something men dearly love, we will take a sneak peak forward a week for another weekend of tributes.  May 15^th marks the 2^nd Annual USA Raceway Military Appreciation night honoring the men and women of the Armed Forces.  Those who attended last years gathering will surely be back and those who didn't surely won't miss the second go around.  The 1^st edition was high ranking as Maj. Jason Jensen wheeled his borrowed Hornet from the rear of the field to capture the 1^st Annual Chiefs vs. Commanders race and received a standing ovation from a capacity crowd.

Maj. Jensen will be back in action and has also organized an even bigger and better event that will include an A-10 fly over to salute the men and women that bring us freedom.  Fans are urged to come early to take part in all the festivities as we honor our hero's.

The race for the cure and the honoring of our Mother's begins when general admission tickets go on sale at 4pm for only $12, racing will begin promptly at 6:45pm.  Join us as we celebrate Mother's Day with great racing action and the support of a great cause.

To keep up on all the latest news and happenings please sign up for USA Raceway E-News.  The track update registration can be found at the top of the home page www.usaraceway.net

Season and Suite Access Passes will allow race fans to get all the action at an unheard of low cost.  Season Passes are on sale for only $249 and $199 for Seniors, Students and Military.  Suite Access Passes will allow race fans the opportunity to enjoy the races from USA Raceway's VIP Suite.  Enjoy the races in luxury!  Suite Access Passes are now on sale for only $399

The 2010 USA Raceway Schedule can be previewed online at www.usaraceway.net/schedule.php

Discounted season passes are available by calling the USA Raceway office at 520-574-8515.  2010 Season Ticket Packages can be viewed on line at www.usaraceway.net/tickets.php

USA Raceway is located east of Tucson off I-10 exit 265, then 1.6 miles south on Craycroft Road, which turns into Los Reales.  For more information please, contact the track at 520-574-8515 or additional information regarding USA Raceway can be found at www.usaraceway.net