Jesse Stovall in victory lane at Monett Speedway.

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa -- As the heat of summer approaches, more than 1,000 drivers are engaged in the battle for the USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Series national championship, with title chases heating up in all four USRA-sanctioned classes.

USRA MODIFIEDS:

Jesse Stovall of Galena, Mo., continues to hold the top spot that he claimed in mid-April. Stovall has 12 feature wins in 23 starts this season, and leads the USRA Modified track title chase at Bolivar (Mo.) Speedway USA and the Monett (Mo.) Speedway. Stovall is one of three drivers who have reached the 20-race threshold for calculating national points.

Rex Merritt of Billings, Mo., who competes weekly against Stovall at Bolivar and Monett, ranks second in the national standings (2,302 to 2,183) and at both racetracks. Both drivers frequently go head-to-head at the Lebanon (Mo.) I-44 Speedway on Saturday nights as well.

Brandon Banks of Washington, Iowa, sits third in the USRA Modified national points on the strength of 17 top-10 finishes in 21 starts, competing weekly at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, Mountain Dew Bloomfield (Iowa) Speedway and Pepsi Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo.

With five wins to his credit, Larry Herring of Lone Tree, Iowa, has been impressive at the West Liberty (Iowa) Raceway and Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, Iowa, with 12 top-five finishes in 15 starts between the two tracks.

Rounding out the top-five is Travis Patch of Wichita, Kan., who is matched with Herring in starts, wins and top-five finishes. Patch competes weekly at Thunderhill Speedway in Mayetta, Kan., and Humboldt (Kan.) Speedway.

Through June 20, a record 509 USRA Modified drivers have scored points in the USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Series. Each track champion will earn $1,000 while the USRA Modified national champion will be awarded $10,000.

USRA STOCK CARS:

A track champion in the USRA Hobby Stock division in 2005, Colt Mather moved up to the ultra-competetive USRA Stock Cars this season, and the Webster, Iowa, youngster finds himself atop the USRA Stock Car national points. Mather has four wins for the season, along with 22 top-10 finishes in 24 starts.

Just 30 points back is Tom Schmitt of Independence, Iowa, who has three wins at the Cresco (Iowa) Speedway and three at the Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway in Britt, Iowa.

With a division-leading 31 starts under his belt, Matt Greiner of Washington, Iowa, sits third in the USRA Stock Car national standings on the strength of 22 top-10 finishes.

Brothers Jason and Ryan Cook rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in the national standings. Both drivers are also among the top-five in track points at the Mountain Dew Bloomfield Speedway and Pepsi Scotland County Speedway, where Jason is the current points leader at both.

Through June 20, a record 245 USRA Stock Car drivers have scored points in the USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Series. Each track champion will earn $700 while the USRA Stock Car national champion will be awarded $2,000.

USRA B-MODIFIEDS:

Tony Dunker of Quincy, Ill., leads all drivers in the USRA B-Modified national title chase on the strength of his 13 top-fives in 15 starts, including 8 wins.

Fellow Quincy, Ill., racer Jeff Waterman battles Dunker every Saturday night at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo., and ranks second in the national points fight.

Jimmy Broszeit of Postville, Iowa, leads the points standings at the Upper Iowa Speedway in Decorah, Iowa, and is third in the national points.

Junior Boyer of Calmar, Iowa, is fourth and Joe Hooper of Mendon, Ill., is fifth.

Through June 20, a record 139 USRA B-Modified drivers have scored points in the USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Series. Each track champion will earn $500 while the USRA B-Modified national champion will be awarded $1,500.

USRA HOBBY STOCKS:

Sigourney, Iowa's Nathan Wood has been the most dominant driver in any USRA-sanctioned division during the 2006 season. With 27 races in the books, Wood has snared an unbelievable 13 wins, including 23 top-fives and a perfect 27 finishes in the top-10. One of his wins came last week at the Musco Lighting Great American Stock Car Challenge where he pocketed the $1,000 top prize. Wood, who leads the points at two tracks and ranks second at another, also competes in the USRA Stock Car division where he ranks 25th nationally.

Mike Shelton of Ottumwa, Iowa, is second in national points, with Knoxville, Iowa's Bill Gibson close behind in third. Steve Allen of Oskaloosa, Iowa, ranks fourth and another Oskaloosa regular, Jason VanZomeren, is fifth.

Through June 20, a record 271 USRA Hobby Stock drivers have scored points in the USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Series. Each track champion will earn $500 while the USRA Hobby Stock national champion will be awarded $1,500.

USRA CASEY'S GENERAL STORES WEEKLY SERIES

National points (top 10) through June 20, 2006

USRA Modifieds:

1. Jesse Stovall, Galena, Mo. .... 2302

2. Rex Merritt, Billings, Mo. .... 2183

3. Brandon Banks, Washington, Iowa .... 1962

4. Larry Herring, Lone Tree, Iowa .... 1767

5. Travis Patch, Wichita, Kan. .... 1686

6. Steve Martin, Willard, Mo. .... 1604

7. Steve Stewart, Washington, Iowa .... 1586

8. Terry Walker, Riverside, Iowa .... 1573

9. James Flood, Billings, Mo. .... 1563

10. Jared Durbin, Fort Madison, Iowa .... 1505

USRA Stock Cars:

1. Colt Mather, Webster, Iowa .... 2198

2. Tom Schmitt, Independence, Iowa .... 2168

3. Matt Greiner, Washington, Iowa .... 2115

4. Jason Cook, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa .... 2015

5. Ryan Cook, West Point, Iowa .... 1779

6. Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa .... 1740

7. Scotty Pratt, Tipton, Iowa .... 1739

8. Greg Gill, Muscatine, Iowa .... 1709

9. Bobby Greiner Jr., Ottumwa, Iowa .... 1646

10. Shay Curtin, Cresco, Iowa .... 1612

USRA B-Modifieds:

1. Tony Dunker, Quincy, Ill. .... 1611

2. Jeff Waterman, Quincy, Ill. .... 1437

3. Jimmy Broszeit, Postville, Iowa .... 1306

4. Junior Boyer, Calmar, Iowa .... 1196

5. Joe Hooper, Mendon, Ill. .... 1104

6. Joel Elbers, Luverne, Minn. .... 959

7. Jeremy Klaassen, Rock Rapids, Iowa .... 947

8. Justin Anderson, Worthington, Minn. .... 933

9. Brandon Savage, Keokuk, Iowa .... 925

10. Chris Leathers, Macon, Mo. .... 898

USRA Hobby Stocks:

1. Nathan Wood, Sigourney, Iowa .... 2452

2. Mike Shelton, Ottumwa, Iowa .... 2114

3. Bill Gibson, Knoxville, Iowa .... 2068

4. Steve Allen, Oskaloosa, Iowa .... 1831

5. Jason VanZomeren, Oskaloosa, Iowa .... 1778

6. Mark Moore, Ottumwa, Iowa .... 1541

7. Dan Thrasher, Agency, Iowa .... 1464

8. Jason McDaniel, Eldon, Iowa .... 1303

9. Derek Kirkland, Centerville, Iowa .... 1296

10. Robby Sands, Centerville, Iowa .... 1279

Complete points standings for all divisions can be found online at http://www.usraracing.com/points.asp.

The United States Racing Association (USRA) was formed in 2001 with a mission of accomplishing three goals: increased driver participation, increased attendance and increased sponsorship for each USRA-sanctioned racetrack. The USRA is more than just a set of rules or a familiar logo ... we are a marketing partner with the bottom line of our sanctioned tracks at interest, and we are committed to maintaining guidelines to make racing affordable and fun for racers, yet exciting and competitive for fans.

First and foremost, the USRA is committed to the prosperity and profitability of our partners in grassroots motorsports. The USRA is committed to providing a combination of cost-effective rules for competitors in weekly auto racing and effective marketing strategies to assist in the growth and popularity of the tracks at which they compete.

For racetrack promoters looking for an option that considers their bottom line, as well as the bottom line of the racer, the USRA invites all short-track and regional series operators to have a look at what we have to offer.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

USRA TITLE SPONSOR: Casey's General Stores

USRA OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Nitroquest Web Solutions, SpeedNet Direct.

USRA CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: Boyer’s Engine Development, Edelbrock, Holley Performance Products, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, QuickTime Performance Race Parts, RaceQuest Sponsorship Marketing, Racing Optics, Real Racing Wheels, TCI Automotive.