Ken Schrader en route to a heat race win Tuesday night at the Cresco Speedway. (Photo credit: Rick Blewett/DirtRacin.com)

BLOOMFIELD, Iowa — “I really like running with these guys. The competition is fast and clean, the fans are great and it's some of the most competitive racing I've ever raced against.”

With that, NASCAR Nextel Cup Series veteran Ken Schrader penciled two more stops this week with the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series. Scheduled for two nights with the rugged O’Reilly USMTS road warriors, Schrader finished sixth in Tuesday night's standing-room-only show at the Cresco (Iowa) Speedway and will compete Wednesday night at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa. On Tuesday, Schrader announced he'll make it a four-day trek by adding the show on Thursday at the Knox County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Ill., and Friday's tilt at the Mountain Dew Bloomfield (Iowa) Speedway.

At both shows, Schrader will be signing autographs for the fans, then strapping into his own high-powered No. 9 Red Baron Pizza Modified to take on the best the division has to offer.

While he is best known for circling America’s superspeedways with the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, Schrader is an accomplished short track racer. It was on the dirt tracks of the Midwest where Schrader’s career began. He started out driving mostly open-wheel cars and won in every division he raced, including two USAC championships. Schrader is a veteran second-generation racer, and currently drives the #21 Motorcraft/Little Debbie Ford Fusion for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. He appears as a television analyst on Inside Nextel Cup on the SPEED Channel, and is also the owner of Ken Schrader Racing, which fields entries for himself in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the Whelen All-American Series for Chris Bristol. Schrader is also the owner of I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo.

The O’Reilly USMTS will be led into battle by Fertile, Iowa's Kelly Shryock as the current national points leader seeks his unprecedented ninth crown. Other drivers expected for these barnburners include Zack VanderBeek, Jason Hughes, Al Hejna, Tommy Weder Jr., Scott Green, Corey Dripps, Jon Tesch, Jason Krohn, Tommy Myer, Mike Spaulding, Dean Mahlstedt, Mark Noble, Mike Hejna, Richie Gustin Jr., Ryan Gustin, Jeff Schluetter, Donovan Lodge, Brad Pinkerton, Dan Bohr, Mark Burgtorf, Tony Fraise and more!

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2 — KNOX COUNTY FAIGROUNDS

The Knox County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Ill., will host the O’Reilly USMTS on Thursday, Aug. 2, for a Central Region battle at the Ed Sheckler Memorial presented by The UPS Store. The O'Reilly USMTS Modifieds will be going for $2,000 to win and $250 to start. Also, RA Benson Motorsports and J & J Steel will be sponsoring the Hobby Stocks ($500 to win) and B-Mods ($300 to win). Gates will open at 5 p.m., hot laps at 7:15 and racing to follow. The Knox Fairgrounds is a half-mile slightly-banked clay oval located just south of I-74 (exit 51) on the north side of town.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3 - MOUNTAIN DEW BLOOMFIELD SPEEDWAY

Friday, Aug. 3  will find the tour at the Mountain Dew Bloomfield Speedway in Bloomfield, Iowa, for another Central Region clash. Also on the racing card will be the USRA Casey's General Stores Weekly Racing Series featuring Stock Cars, B-Mods and Hobby Stocks racing for track and USRA national points. Gates will open at 4:30 p.m., hot laps at 7:15 and racing to follow. The Mountain Dew Bloomfield Speedway is located 1.0 mile west of Bloomfield on US 63/SR 2, then 0.8 mile north on CR J40 (at the Davis County Fairgrounds).

To learn more about the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series, call the headquarters office at (515) 832-7944 or visit www.usmts.com online.

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USMTS TITLE SPONSOR: O’Reilly Auto Parts.

USMTS OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Race Tires, AMSOIL, Arizona Sport Shirts, BRODIX, Fast Company Performance, Holley Performance Products, Home Pride Companies, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, Marsh Racing Wheels, Nitroquest Web Solutions, Olympic Fire Protection, Real Racing Wheels, Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar, Yeager Machine.

USMTS PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Boom Drilling, Borco LP, Day Motor Sports, Gressell Oil Field Services, Hughes Racing Chassis, KraftKar Race Cars, McVicker Oil Fields, Rinehart Trucking.

USMTS CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Belleville Motorsports, Bilstein Shocks, Boyer’s Engine Development, Dynatech Racing Exhaust, GRT Race Cars, Hawk Performance, Hyperco, Isky Racing Cams, KSE Racing Products, Quarter Master, QuickTime Performance Race Parts, Racer’s Choice (RCI).