By STEVE EIGHINGER

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

There's no question the most anticipated 10-day span of the dirt-track season at Quincy Raceways begins tonight.

The track hosts the $3,000-to-win Titan Wheel and Tire Shootout, which serves as an informal warm-up to the $6,000-to-win July 8 United Midwestern Promoters (IMP) Summer Nationals race.

The back-to-back major events should appease all late model fans in the region. Tonight's race will bring together the finest of the IMCA in a 50-lap main event that should attract all of the major drivers from Iowa.

The Summer Nats will then allow track clients their annual glimpse of some of the nation's top UMP talents.

Tonight marks the third year the $3,000 payday has been in place for this race. Tom Darbyshire of Morning Sun and Jeff Aikey of Cedar Falls have cashed the first two $3,000 checks.

The Titan Wheel and Tire race is normally run over the July 4 weekend, but was pushed up a week this year. The big payout resulted from former track promoters Bob and Jeff Scott creating a major midseason event to replace a Deery Brothers Summer Series race that used to be held at the .29-mile facility over the July 4 weekend.

For more about tonight's racing action at 8000 Broadway, go to the Stevie Dirt blog on the www.whig.com Web site.

Liberty Cup: Lee County Speedway's pre-entry deadline for the Thursday, July 3, Liberty Cup is Monday. That gives modified drivers just two days to save $10 on the entry fee for the first-ever event at Donnellson, Iowa.

The Liberty Cup will feature a $1,500-to-win feature for the IMCA modifieds. The IMCA national points event will also qualify the winner for an all-star invitational during Boone Speedway's IMCA Supernationals.

Race winners in any IMCA national event paying $1,000 or more since last June are eligible to be voted into the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational via the IMCA Web site.

IMCA stock cars are also on the card and will battle for a $1,000 top prize. Hobby stocks will run for $600 to win and the four-cylinder cars will vie for $300 top money. A fireworks display is also planned.

Grandstand general admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and $7 for students 11-17. Kids 10 and under are free.

Deery Brothers: What better place than Independence, Iowa, for the Deery Brothers Summer Series holiday race? The IMCA's finest late models will make their next tour stop in Independence for a Thursday, July 3, race, the eighth of 17 events on the 2008 schedule.

The feature pays $2,000 to win.

This will be the 21st tour event at Independence. Hometown hotshoe Curt Martin leads all drivers with six series wins at Independence.

Different winners have won nine consecutive series races, including the last two in 2007. That's the longest streak since 14 different drivers prevailed in consecutive events during the 1992 and 1993 seasons.

Todd Cooney of Des Moines is the Deery points leader.

Moberly madness: 24 Raceway in Moberly, Mo., is another track hosting a Thursday, July 3, big deal. "A" modifieds and the MLRA (Midwest Late Model Racing Association) cars are the key attractions.

Outlaws ousted: The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event originally scheduled for July 5 at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., has been postponed due to the recent flooding that has left the access road to the track impassable.

World of Outlaws officials and the staff at I-55 Raceway are working to reschedule the event after the ground begins to dry around the facility.

--seighinger@whig.com/221-3377