Indiana Open Wheel - OT Good Luck to Bill Gardner and Brian Hayden

They are on the road to the biggest race of their lives this week.

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. -- Officials from the United States Modified Touring Series announced today that the Deer Creek Speedway will host the inaugural World Modified Dirt Track Championship, April 6-9, 2011.

With a whopping $20,000 going to the winner and a minimum $1,500 to each of the 30 main event starters, the early-season blockbuster is expected to draw the biggest names in open wheel dirt modified racing to the Mecca of Modified racing in Spring Valley, Minn.

“We’ve been putting together the pieces for this show for over a year now,” said USMTS president Todd Staley. “This will truly be a unique show that anybody who’s anybody in Modified racing – and everybody else – will want to be a part of and want to be the first name etched on the championship trophy.”

The Deer Creek Speedway sits on 60 acres of scenic rural rolling hills with one of America’s most popular state-of-the-art racing complexes and a busy modern campground. More USMTS main events have been staged at ‘The Creek’ than any other racetrack.

“There are not very many facilities that are equipped to host an event like this,” Staley continued. “Not only is it one of the raciest and best-prepared racing surfaces known to dirt, they have the resources to host the number of cars and fans we’re expecting.”

In addition to annual events on Memorial Day and Labor Day Weekend, the track has been the venue for the Featherlite Fall Jamboree for the past nine seasons.

While the race will be sanctioned and officiated by the USMTS, the World Modified Dirt Track Championship will be a non-points race and will feature a one-of-a-kind qualifying format.

Drivers can register to qualify on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday with 50 cars qualifying each night. If more than 150 entries are received, additional competitors will be added to each night in order of how they are received.

Time trials will be staged with the top six qualifiers in each heat race inverted for starting positions in their heat races. Each night, points will be awarded for time trials, heat races, “B” Mains and the “A” Main with the top six in overall points each night being locked into Saturday's $20,000-to-win World Modified Dirt Track Championship “A” Main.

The highest overall points earner during the first three days of qualifying will earn the pole for the Saturday's “A” Main, second most points in the middle of the front row, third most points on the outside of the front row and so on for the 18 qualified drivers.

Saturday will feature an “alphabet soup” of main events with the highest non-qualified points earner on the pole of the “B” Main and the lowest points earner at the back of the “H” Main (or lowest main event staged). Six drivers will advance from each main event to the next, with 12 cars advancing from the “B” Main to the “A” Main to create a 30-car starting field featuring a three-wide start.

Nearly $100,000 has been earmarked for Saturday’s “A” Main alone, with a total purse of more than $160,000 posted for the four-day extravaganza.

“A” MAIN: 1. $20,000, 2. $12,000, 3. $7,000, 4. $5,000, 5. $4,000, 6. $3,000, 7. $2,500, 8. $2,200, 9. $2,100, 10. $2,000, 11. $1,900, 12. $1,800, 13. $1,700, 14. $1,600, 15. $1,575, 16. $1,550, 17. $1,540, 18. $1,530, 19. $1,520, 20. $1,510, 21. $1,500, 22. $1,500, 23. $1,500, 24. $1,500, 25. $1,500, 26. $1,500, 27. $1,500, 28. $1,500, 29. $1,500, 30. $1,500.

“B” MAIN: 1. Transfer, 2. Transfer, 3. Transfer, 4. Transfer, 5. Transfer, 6. Transfer, 7. Transfer, 8. Transfer, 9. Transfer, 10. Transfer, 11. Transfer, 12. Transfer, 13. $1,000, 14. $900, 15. $800, 16. $700, 17. $700, 18. $700, 19. $700, 20. $700, 21. $700, 22. $700, 23. $700, 24. $700.

“C” MAIN: 1. Transfer, 2. Transfer, 3. Transfer, 4. Transfer, 5. Transfer, 6. Transfer, 7. $1,000, 8. $900, 9. $800, 10. $750, 11. $700, 12. $650, 13. $600, 14. $600, 15. $600, 16. $600, 17. $600, 18. $600, 19. $600, 20. $600, 21. $600, 22. $600, 23. $600, 24. $600.

“D” MAIN: 1. Transfer, 2. Transfer, 3. Transfer, 4. Transfer, 5. Transfer, 6. Transfer, 7. $800, 8. $700, 9. $600, 10. $550, 11. $500, 12. $500, 13. $500, 14. $500, 15. $500, 16. $500, 17. $500, 18. $500, 19. $500, 20. $500, 21. $500, 22. $500, 23. $500, 24. $500.

“E” MAIN: 1. Transfer, 2. Transfer, 3. Transfer, 4. Transfer, 5. Transfer, 6. Transfer, 7. $700, 8. $600, 9. $500, 10. $450, 11. $450, 12. $450, 13. $450, 14. $450, 15. $450, 16. $450, 17. $450, 18. $450, 19. $450, 20. $450, 21. $450, 22. $450, 23. $450, 24. $450.

“F” MAIN: 1. Transfer, 2. Transfer, 3. Transfer, 4. Transfer, 5. Transfer, 6. Transfer, 7. $600, 8. $500, 9. $450, 10. $400, 11. $400, 12. $400, 13. $400, 14. $400, 15. $400, 16. $400, 17. $400, 18. $400, 19. $400, 20. $400, 21. $400, 22. $400, 23. $400, 24. $400.

“G” MAIN: 1. Transfer, 2. Transfer, 3. Transfer, 4. Transfer, 5. Transfer, 6. Transfer, 7. $500, 8. $400, 9. $350, 10. $350, 11. $350, 12. $350, 13. $350, 14. $350, 15. $350, 16. $350, 17. $350, 18. $350, 19. $350, 20. $350, 21. $350, 22. $350, 23. $350, 24. $350.

“H” MAIN: 1. Transfer, 2. Transfer, 3. Transfer, 4. Transfer, 5. Transfer, 6. Transfer, 7. $400, 8. $350, 9. $300, 10. $300, 11. $300, 12. $300, 13. $300, 14. $300, 15. $300, 16. $300, 17. $300, 18. $300, 19. $300, 20. $300, 21. $300, 22. $300, 23. $300, 24. $300.

Drivers will select their preferred day(s) to qualify – Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Entries for each day will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis with an initial 50 spots available for each day until all three days are full.

Entry fee is $250 if received or postmarked by Jan. 15, 2011. After Jan. 15, the entry fee is $300 and will be $400 at the gate on race day. Each entrant may qualify on one day only, unless the driver purchases a “Mulligan” which will allow that driver to throw out the points earned the first night and try again the following night (good for Wednesday and Thursday only).

Mulligans are an additional $100, must be purchased at the time of entry and are non-refundable.

Brian is scheduled to race on Thursday night, and is eligible for a "Mulligan" in case he needs it.