Opening night action for the Karl Performance Hawkeye Dirt Tour returns to Benton County Speedway for the third consecutive year.

Touring IMCA Modifieds headline the Tuesday, May 7 program at Vinton, the first of 13 events in the fourth annual series. All features pay a minimum of $1,000 to win and are qualifying events for 2013 or 2014 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballots

The champion also earns a $1,000 share of the $4,000 point fund, a portion of which is provided by title sponsor Karl Performance of Des Moines, to be paid to top 10 drivers in final series standings.

Standings will be determined by driver’s 10 best tour finishes.

“This year’s schedule is very similar to last year’s, even to the dates,” IMCA Vice President of Operations Brett Root said. “We added Clay County Speedway in Spencer and shifted a race to Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, which is a weekly sanctioned track.”

The addition of the race at Clay County, in northwest Iowa, and the number of midweek shows figured in the decision to base series standings on drivers’ best 10 finishes.

“Spencer is definitely outside the home area for most of the 2012 series drivers,” Root acknowledged. “We realize there will be drivers who cannot make all the midweek races because they have to be at work the next morning. Going to the best 10 of 13 finishes means they can still follow the series and contend for point fund money and contingency awards.”

2013 Karl Performance Hawkeye Dirt Tour Schedule for IMCA Modifieds

Tuesday, May 7 – Benton County Speedway, Vinton. Thursday, May 16 – Clay County Speedway, Spencer. Monday, May 27 – I-35 Speedway, Mason City. Tuesday, June 4 – Hamilton County Speedway, Webster City. Tuesday, June 11 – Cedar County Raceway, Tipton. Thursday, June 20 – Lee County Speedway, Donnellson. Tuesday, June 25 – Buena Vista Raceway, Alta. Thursday, July 4 – Algona Raceway, Algona. Tuesday, July 16 – Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa. Monday, Aug. 5 – Independence Motor Speedway, Independence. Thursday, Aug. 8 – Hancock County Speedway, Britt. Friday, Sept. 13 – Farley Speedway, Farley. Saturday, Sept. 14 – Farley Speedway, Farley.