FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 3, 2011

Changes Announced for 2011 MDLMS Season; Season Opener a Month Away

by Dusty Wiegert
SALINA, Kan. -- The off season changes keep occurring for the MidwestDirt Late Model Series. Here are some of those changes and what to expect on June 3-4 when the series tackles the Beaver County Raceway and Dodge City Raceway Park on their opening weekend.

The latest change has to do with UMP/DIRTcar. The MidwestDirt Late Model Series is no longer affiliated with and is no longer sanctioned by the DIRTcar banner. Series officials conducted a number of calls to try and work out some unforeseeable differences but in the end they felt that by taking a different route it would benefit the area drivers and teams in a more productive way.

The series will have a championship points fund as follows for the 2011 season:

1st: $1000
2nd: $750
3rd: $600
4th: $500
5th: $400
6th: $300
7th: $250
8th: $200
9th: $200
10th: $200

Drivers wishing to compete for the points fund must be a member of the series and compete in 75% of the races scheduled. Anyone finishing past 10th with 75% of the shows scheduled will receive $200.

MDLMS will also be working closely with the Caney Valley Speedway in Caney, Kansas to coordinate events between MDLMS and the weekly show at CVS. Incentives will also be offered to drivers who perform well with CVS & MDLMS over the course of the season. The first event for Caney is this Friday night, May 6.

The lineups will be different this year compared to years past. The heat races will be lined up by a pill draw while the feature will be lined up by passing points. The top 6 drivers in the heat races in passing points will be placed into the G&G Dozer dash. The dash will be lined up in inverted order of passing points, with the 6th highest driver starting on the pole, 5th highest outside pole, etc. The finish of the dash will determine the starting position for the first 3 rows. In the event that more than 20 cars are in attendance, the top 12 cars in passing points will advance to the A Feature while the remainder of the field will be placed in the B Feature.

The Rookie of the Year program offers new incentives for the new guys competing with the series in 2011. Mike's Custom Tanks has come on board to help the rookies with a set of tanks to the winner of the Rookie of the Year award valued at $1200.

The Hard Charger program is backed by GRT Race Cars in 2011. The driver that passes the most cars in the A Feature will receive a $50 product certificate for use with GRT Race Cars.

A Hard Luck award will also be attainable for the driver with the worst luck during the evening. This award is sponsored by BSB Manufacturing and is for a $100 product certificate towards a purchase at BSB Manufacturing.

R2C Performance also brings a product certificate to the table with the highest finishing car sporting a R2C decal.

A randomly drawn driver will be the recipient of an Advance Engine & Machine, Pro Motorsports, or Speedline Racing Products product certificate during the main event.

More contingency partners are being discussed and will be announced in the next few weeks.

Also back with the series in 2011 is the tow money program for far away travelers. For 2011 any driver traveling more than 200 miles in one direction to an event will be eligible to receive no less than $250 to start the A Feature. If a driver travels more than 300 miles in one direction they will be eligible to receive no less than $300 to start the A Feature.

All of this will culminate on June 3 as the MDLMS opens their 2011 season at the Beaver County Raceway in Beaver, Oklahoma, followed up with an event the next night at the Dodge City Raceway Park in Dodge City, Kansas.

For more information on the MidwestDirt Late Model Series please visit www.mdlms.net or call 785-342-2565.

2011 Schedule

June 3 Beaver County Raceway (Beaver, Okla.)
June 4 Dodge City Raceway Park (Dodge City, Kan.)
June 11 Enid Speedway (Enid, Okla.)
June 17 Brill Motor Speedway (Meeker, Okla.)
June 18 Oklahoma Sports Park (Ada, Okla.)
June 24 Caney Valley Speedway (Caney, Kan.)
June 25 Great American Dirt Track (Jetmore, Kan.)
July 22 Hutchinson Raceway Park (Hutchinson, Kan.)
August 5 Salina Speedway (Salina, Kan.)
August 6 Thunderhill Speedway (Mayetta, Kan.)
August 19 Caney Valley Speedway (Caney, Kan.)
August 20 Hutchinson Raceway Park (Hutchinson, Kan.)