Highway 3 Raceway President Larry Blickenderfer (left), Race Manager Larry Flaws and Butler County Fair Association Director Nick Kluiter (right) sign agreement and a 17-race schedule for 2012 at the historic Butler County Fairgrounds racetrack in Allison, Iowa.

ALLISON, Iowa -- The sights and sounds of dirt track racing will fill the air this summer at the historic Butler County Fairgrounds in Allison, Iowa, as officials from the Highway 3 Raceway have unveiled their 2012 schedule of events for the upcoming season.

After more than a decade of hosting a handful of special events throughout the year, the 2012 calendar includes seventeen nights of racing action on the half-mile clay oval.

Weekly Saturday night events will feature four classes of racing machines sanctioned by the United States Racing Association – USRA A-Mods, USRA Stock Cars, USRA B-Mods and USRA Hobby Stocks – and well-known face will oversee the racing operations as Larry Flaws has been hired to run the day-to-day operations of the popular speedplant.

“This is a great opportunity to work for a couple of top notch racing facilities,” said Flaws, who will also co-promote Friday night shows at the Mineral City Speedway in Fort Dodge, Iowa. “Both tracks provide fast and exciting racing, and both facilities are very spectator friendly and set up for the fans to enjoy racing without a bad seat in the house.

“All race cars and haulers pit on the outside of the track which allows fans to see everything. They also have great concessions that offer some of the best sandwiches, pizza and snacks around. For the drivers, they can look forward to one of the best-prepared racing surfaces in the region and, without a doubt, one of the best points funds of any track around.”

USRA A-Mods will compete for a track points fund worth up to $1,500 to the season champion. USRA Stock Cars will compete for $600 to win the points battle while USRA B-Mods and USRA Hobby Stocks will each square off for a $500 to the 2012 track champion.

The USRA A-Mods will utilize the “alternative” rules package for Modifieds, while all other USRA rules will apply to all four classes.

In addition to the USRA Weekly Racing Series headlining the Saturday night festivities at the Highway 3 Raceway, several major special events are also on tap. The USMTS Modifieds will make three pilgrimages to the track in 2012 while the USRA Iron Man Challenge for Stock Cars and B-Mods will be featured four times.

“Having these special series which use the same basic rules package as our weekly classes should give the drivers that support our track week in and week out a strong advantage when the ‘big boys’ come to town, Flaws added. “But whether it is a weekly show of a big money USMTS race, we guarantee that the fans will be treated to the best racing around and each and every driver will be treated like a professional and given the same red carpet treatment as the next.”

The 2012 season will kick off on Saturday, April 21, for the first points race of the USRA Weekly Racing Series. The Season Championship is slated for Saturday, Aug. 11.

2012 HIGHWAY 3 RACEWAY SCHEDULE:

Sat Apr 21 ... USRA Weekly Racing Series Season Opener.
Sat May 5 ... USRA Weekly Racing Series.
Sat May 12 ... USRA Weekly Racing Series.
Sat May 19 ... USRA Weekly Racing Series.
Thu May 24 ... USMTS Casey's Cup Qualifier plus USRA Iron Man Challenge for B-Mods and Stock Cars.
Sat Jun 2 ... USRA Weekly Racing Series.
Tue Jun 19 ... Butler County Fair Race - USRA Weekly Racing Series.
Fri Jun 29 ... USMTS National Championship Series plus USRA Iron Man Challenge for B-Mods.
Sat Jul 14 ... USRA Weekly Racing Series.
Sat Jul 21 ... USRA Weekly Racing Series.
Tue Jul 24 ... Great American Stock Car Challenge - USRA Weekly Racing Series.
Wed Jul 25 ... Great American Stock Car Challenge - USRA Weekly Racing Series.
Sat Aug 4 ... USRA Weekly Racing Series.
Sat Aug 11 ... Season Championships - USRA Weekly Racing Series.
Thu Aug 30 ... USMTS Hunt for the Casey's Cup plus USRA Iron Man Challenge for B-Mods and Stock Cars.
Fri Oct 5 ... Fall Challenge - USRA Iron Man Challenge for B-Mods and Stock Cars.
Sat Oct 6 ... Fall Challenge - USRA Iron Man Challenge for B-Mods and Stock Cars.

Unless otherwise noted, all USRA Weekly Series events feature USRA A-Mods, USRA Stock Cars, USRA B-Mods and USRA Hobby Stocks. Gates open at 5 p.m., hot laps start at 6:30 and racing begins at 7.

Regular weekly ticket prices are $10 for adults, $3 for kids ages 6-12 and children under 6 get in for free. Pit passes are $25. Ticket prices may be higher for special events.

The Highway 3 Raceway is located 0.3 miles north of SR 3 on S. Main St. (at the Butler County Fairgrounds). For more information or to inquire about sponsorships for the 2012 racing season, call Larry Flaws at 515-297-1691 or check out www.highway3raceway.com online.

To learn more about the USRA, visit www.usraracing.com or call 515-832-6000. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usraracing or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usraracing.

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USRA OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Dominator Race Products, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, Karl Performance Parts, Kevko Oil Pans & Components, Nitroquest, RACEceiver, Racing Head Service, Western Flyer Race Cars.

USRA PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Boubin Tire & Automotive, Brodix Cylinder Heads, DAY Motor Sports, DirtKnights.com, SpeedNet Direct.

USRA CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AERO Race Wheels, COMP Cams, Dirthead.com, Eibach Springs, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Custom Harness, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, New Vision Graphics, PBM Performance Products, Real Racing Wheels, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products.