The biggest and richest one-day event in the history of dirt modified racing will take place Friday, Aug. 19, when fans and the top drivers in the sport converge on the Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City for the inaugural Grant Junghans Memorial.
More than $100,000 will be paid out to drivers on this night, including $10,002 to the winner of the United States Modified Touring Series main event.
As part of the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup powered by S&S Fishing & Rental, the Best of the Best in dirt modified racing will be on hand for this epic show, as well as many surprise entries from regional open-wheel favorites to dirt late model superstars.
“Thanks to the Junghans family and dozens of financial supporters, this race will be incredible,” said USMTS president Todd Staley. “In nearly 20 years of promoting races, I’ve never seen anything even close to this and what is happening with everybody wanting to be a part of it. It’s a testament to the character and life of Grant Junghans and the fact that he touched so many lives in such a short time.”
Grant was first diagnosed with cancer in February of 2010. Despite on-again off-again chemotherapy treatments and numerous surgeries, he never lost his sense of humor, fighting spirit or natural-born tendency to be decent to others.
The racing world lost one of its finest ambassadors this past March, and the Grant Junghans Memorial race will be an opportunity for his fans, family and friends to remember the good times and racing memories shared in his 27 years with us.
Grant had told his father, Greg, that if a race was held in his honor he wanted it to be a $10,000-to-win, $1,000-to-start USMTS race and staged at the Lakeside Speedway.
Check. Done.
Here’s the “official” payout for the inaugural Grant Junghans Memorial main event: 1. $10,002, 2. $8002, 3. $5502, 4. $4502, 5. $4002, 6. $3502, 7. $3002, 8. $2502, 9. $2202, 10. $2002, 11. $1802, 12. $1902, 13. $1602, 14. $1502, 15. $1402, 16. $1302, 17. $1202, 18. $1172, 19. $1162, 20. $1152, 21. $1142, 22. $1532, 23. $1122, 24. $1112, 25-30. $1102.
Tow money will be a minimum of $152 for all drivers not making the 30-car feature race, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Extra money—lots of it—will be doled out to drivers finishing in pre-determined mystery positions, lap money, heat race bonuses, hard charger awards and a Long Tow Award with the following bonuses: 1. $500, 2. $400, 3. $300, 4. $200, 5. $200.
More than $100,000 will find its way into the pockets of competitors at the Grant Junghans Memorial on Friday, Aug. 19, at the lakeside Speedway.
Not only are the Modifieds making more bank, but the payouts for the USRA Stock Cars and USRA B-Mods have also been expanded: 1. $700, 2. $500, 3. $400, 4. $350, 5. $300, 6. $270, 7. $250, 8. $220, 9. $200, 10. $180, 11. $160, 12. $150, 13. $140, 14. $130, 15. $125, 16. $120, 17. $115, 18. $110, 19. $105, 20. $100 to start. There's no entry fee for support classes, just pit passes.
Sponsors so far stepping up to make this race possible are Ramirez Motorsports, Rancho Milagro Racing, Day Motor Sports, Mesilla Valley Transportation, A&A Electric & Underground, Pro-Line Buildings/33z Racing, Malvern Trust & Savings Bank, TOS Motorsports, RealTruck.com/Scott Bintz Racing, Fast Shafts, Midwest Sheet Metal, BriggsAuto.com, MB Customs Race Cars, Sput’s Racing Engines, CPD Racing Shocks, VP Race Fuels (Heartland), Real Wheels, Boubin Tire & Automotive, JS Sign & Awning, Shop Quik, Stussy Rock & Construction, B&B Racing Supply, CCA LLC Investments (Thomas Tillison family), River’s Edge Scrap Management, Richard (Gator) & Lana Calhoun, Lobo Racing/Wolff Family, Home Pride Companies, Chad & Jamie Dolan, Edge Services (Weder family), Pioneer Excavating & Trucking (Tim Thomas), Speedway Motors, Grain Handler USA, Victory Trophies & Plaques, Show-Me Synthetics, Krohn Family (in memory of Natalie Krohn) and Kling Auto & Diesel Repair.
The Junghans family will be selling special event shirts with proceeds going to children’s cancer research.
Simpson Race Products will be giving away a $600 head and neck restraint system to one driver on this night, AFCO Racing Products will be giving away a $200 gift certificate to every “A” Main qualifier and KEVKO Oil Pans & Components will be awarding a new oil pan ($600 value) to one lucky driver.
Deatherage Opticians will be handing out a $50 gift certificate off the purchase of a pair of Oakley sunglasses to every driver participating in the Grant Junghans Memorial, Show-Me Synthetics will be giving out a case of oil to the winner and Pit Stop Catering will be handing out some BBQ sauce.
RacerWebsite.com will be donating $22 to the family’s charity for every current RacerWebsite.com client in attendance, and $222 for every new customer that comes on board between now and the last race in The Hunt on Sept. 22.
Jesse and Brandi Sobbing will be supplying treats for a kids’ Candy Dash during the night, and the Southern New Mexico Speedway will award a free entry to the USRA Fall Nationals ($250 value) to the second-place finishing car in the main event.
All of this cash and prizes are in addition to the fantastic contingency awards doled out at every USMTS event from Allstar Performance, American Racer Racing Tires, Bell Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, BSB Manufacturing, Day Motor Sports, Deatherage Opticians, Edelbrock, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, FK Rod Ends, Forty9 Designs, Fuel Safe Racing Cells, GRT Race Cars, Hooker Custom Harness, Integra Shocks & Springs, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, Keyser Manufacturing, KSE Racing Products, Midwest Sheet Metal, MSD, Out-Pace Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, QA1 Precision Products, Real Racing Wheels, Sybesma Graphics, VP Racing Fuels, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products and Wilwood Engineering.
If you are interested in being a sponsor of this event be sure to call the USMTS office at 515-832-7944.
To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usmts, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usmts and Instagram at www.instagram.com/usmts or subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv.