The 2016 IMCA Hawkeye Dirt Tour is set for a Memorial Day opener at the Benton County Speedway.

Opening night for the seventh annual Hawkeye Dirt Tour brings Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds to their traditional home track on Memorial Day.

The Monday, May 30 show marks the fifth occasion the tour has taken its first green flag of the season at Benton County Speedway. The Vinton oval was the site of the first-ever IMCA Modified event in 1979.

In all, nine dates are on the 2016 tour schedule. Features pay a minimum of $1,000 to win and $150 to start, and will be qualifying events for 2016 or 2017 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational bal­lots.

Following the opener at Benton County are Dirt Tour programs Thursday, June 9 at Kossuth County Speedway in Algona and Tuesday, June 14 at West Liberty Raceway.

Touring Modifieds headline Hancock County Speedway’s Tuesday, June 28 Salute To Veterans program at Britt.

The first-ever HDT race at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Speedway in Des Moines is Tuesday, July 19. The rest of that midweek tripleheader sees the tour at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa on Wednesday, July 20 and at Knoxville Raceway on Thursday, July 21.

Cedar County Raceway at Tipton hosts the tour on Tuesday, Aug. 2 with the finale set for Wednes­day, Aug. 10 at Buena Vista Raceway in Alta.

The Deery Brothers Summer Series for Late Models will also be at West Liberty on June 14 and at Tipton on Aug. 2. Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods are on the July 21 Knoxville card.

The Hawkeye Dirt Tour has yet to see a repeat champion; the defending king is Kyle Brown of State Center. No driver has been able to post multiple wins in either of the past two series seasons.

There will be no change in procedures or provisionals and entry fee at all events will be $50.

The tour point fund and title sponsor are to be announced.

2016 IMCA HAWKEYE DIRT TOUR SCHEDULE
MON, MAY 30 - Benton County Speedway (Vinton)
TUE, JUN 09 - Kossuth County Speedway (Algona)
TUE, JUN 14 - West Liberty Raceway (West Liberty) **
TUE, JUN 28 - Hancock County Speedway (Britt)
TUE, JUL 19 - Iowa State Fairgrounds Speedway (Des Moines)
WED, JUL 20 - Southern Iowa Speedway (Oskaloosa)
THU, JUL 22 - Harris Clash at Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville)
TUE, AUG 02 - Cedar County Raceway (Tipton)
TUE, AUG 10 - Buena Vista Raceway (Alta)

** = IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series also competing

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