LAS VEGAS — Fans making their way to The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday are in for a special treat.

The Late Model Truck Series – which has a long history in short track racing in the southwest – will anchor the night’s racing at Back to School Night presented by Whelen Engineering at the 3/8-mile Las Vegas oval. The trucks will put an exclamation point on a 10-race schedule at The Bullring as part of Melling Performance Racing Weekends Across America with a 35-lap feature event.

“It’s going to be a great weekend at The Bullring, and we can’t wait to bring the Late Model Truck Series back to short track racing fans,” said series organizer Michael Riefler, a longtime Bullring competitor. “It’s a special thrill for the trucks to be the anchor of the night’s schedule, and we are excited to give fans a great way to end a wonderful night of short track action. We encourage racing fans of all ages to come out to The Bullring for a great night.”

The race winner and runner-up will receive $150 Melling product bonus coupons in addition to the payouts. Gates open at 5 p.m. PT, and racing starts at 7.

LMTS drivers also will participate in three practices on Friday night – at 7, 7:55 and 9:30 – and those sessions are free and open to the public. The LMTS will compete at everything from 1/4-mile short tracks to 1/2-mile ovals, as well as 1.7-mile and 2.1-mile road courses.

In addition to the Aug. 25 race on Back to School Night, the LMTS will race at the 3/8-mile Bullring during on Pack the Track Night on Sept. 22. From there, the series moves on to The Speedway at Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond, Calif., on Oct. 13, and is tentatively scheduled for Havasu 95 Speedway in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., on Nov. 10.

The region’s truck racing lineage dates back to the Speed Truck Series that originated in 1997 under the American Speed Association (ASA). MechanixWear gloves and Go Fast! energy drinks sponsored the class throughout the years, and the trucks raced at up to 10 different tracks in California, Arizona and Nevada before the ASA disbanded in 2013.

The series trucks will feature a full-tube chassis, a 330-horsepower sealed V-8 spec engine and two-speed direct-drive transmission, with a clutch pedal dump valve, coupled to an aluminum quick-change rear end. The trucks sport replica fiberglass bodies of the Chevrolet S-10, Chevrolet Colorado, Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma.

Series partners include the On Wheels Now online radio show – the longest-running motorsports radio show in Las Vegas – Melling Performance Racing, The Bomber Nation, KO Mechanical Services, Gary’s Trailer Repair, Nevada Pic-A-Part, The “Racer’s Rewards” Contingency Connection and ReliableBanner.com. Follow the LMTS on Twitter at @LMTSTRUCK and on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/LateModelTruckSeries.

2018 Late Model Truck Series schedule

Date                Track                                                                          City
Aug. 25           The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway          Las Vegas
Sept. 22          The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway          Las Vegas
Oct. 13            The Speedway at Willow Springs                            Rosamond, Calif.
Nov. 10           Havasu 95 Speedway                                                 Lake Havasu City, Ariz.