Wheatland, Missouri (May 25, 2016) – It’s the weekend that dirt-track racing fans long ago circled on the calendar. Now it’s here. The 24th annual Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 Presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com begins its three-night run on Thursday at Lucas Oil Speedway.

Here are 12 things to know before the engines fire up:

Three nights, three features: For the first time, Late Model features will be run each night. The Cowboy Classic (honoring the late Allen “Cowboy” Chancellor, former owner of the MLRA) on Thursday and the Tribute to Don and Billie Gibson (who started the Show-Me 100 in 1993 at West Plains Motor Speedway) on Friday are worth $6,000 to the winner. Of course, Saturday’s Show-Me 100 winner will take home $30,000 and total purse of the weekend has been bumped to approximately $170,000.

Setting it up: Driver

Jonathan Davenport celebrates after winning the 2015 edition of the Show-Me 100. (Chris Bork photo)

will earn points based on their feature-finishing results  the first two nights, helping to determine a portion of the starting field for Saturday night’s feature. So more than money will be on the line on Thursday and Friday. Pitts Homes USRA Modifieds also have full programs each of the first two nights with $500-to-win features and a $1,000-to-win feature Presented by RacinDirt.com on Saturday.

Defending champ looks strong: Reigning Show-Me 100 winner Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., is off to a strong start in his bid to repeat as the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion. Davenport has six series wins this season and sits atop the points chase. Davenport was 3-for-3 at Lucas Oil Speedway in 2015, also winning the Cowboy Classic and Diamond Nationals. He led 169 out of the 195 laps in those races.

Bloomquist looms large: He’s perhaps the biggest name in dirt-track racing history and always polarizing, with either cheers and boos from the fans and little middle ground. Scott Bloomquist has five Show-Me 100 victories – more than any other driver – but none since the race moved to Lucas Oil Speedway in 2010. He was second, to Davenport, in the 2015 Show-Me. He enters the weekend ranked No. 1 in the DirtonDirt.com top 25 poll.

	Scott Bloomquist (0) has five Show-Me 100 victories and is the only driver to start all 23 editions of the crown-jewel event. (Chris Bork photo)

More Bloomquist: The 52-year-old from Mooresburg, Tenn., is the only driver to have started all 23 Show-Me 100s. Billy Moyer is next with 22 starts (did not make the field in 2011) and Wendell Wallace has 21 (failed to make the race in 2011 and 2013). Terry Phillips and Don O’Neal both have 17 Show-Me 100 starts.

Show-Me the locals: Phillips, the veteran from Springfield, is the lone Missouri driver to win the Show-Me 100 (he celebrated in 1999 at West Plains Motor Speedway). Jesse Stovall of Billings and Tony Jackson Jr. of Lebanon qualified on the front row of last year’s event with Stovall finishing fifth and Jackson ninth. Justin Wells of Aurora was fourth in the 2006 edition – one of just seven combined top-five finishes for Show-Me state drivers.

Second-generation contender: Bob Pierce drove to a third-place finish in the inaugural Show-Me 100 in 1993.

Bobby Pierce, a 19-year-old Illinois young gun, is one to watch this weekend. (Chris Bork photo)

Now his 19-year-old son, Bobby Pierce, is one of the rising stars in the sport with a part-time ride in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Bobby Pierce, of Oakwood, Ill., was a fast-closing second at Lucas Oil Speedway to Brian Shirley on April 9 in the MLRA Spring Nationals and said at the time it was a valuable scouting mission to work on set-up for the Show-Me 100.

Don’t give up: The top 24 drivers not qualifying for the Show-Me 100 through the first two nights or B-mains will be in the 4th annual Midwest Sheet Metal Challenge. The 20-lap, $2,500-to-win race is more than a consolation. The winner will have the option to forfeit the paycheck for a chance to start at the tail of the Show-Me 100 field. Last year, Chris Simpson did so and drove from 31st to third.

	Ron Mitchell will have more than 25 door panels for silent auction with proceeds to benefit the American Cancer Society. (Ron Mitchell photo)

Cool souvenirs, terrific charity: In what’s become a Show-Me 100 tradition, Ron Mitchell returns with his door-panel auction on the hillside between the front gate and main grandstand. Mitchell will have more than 25 door panels on display on Saturday, including from cars of Brian Shirley, Ryan Gustin, Jesse Stovall, Terry Phillips, Tony Jackson Jr. and Randy Weaver, among others. Sign-up sheets for the silent auction will determine the winner. Proceeds will benefit Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society.

Set your clocks: Gates open at 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday, with hot laps at 7 p.m. each day. Time trials for the Late Models commence at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday with heat races for the Late Models and USRA Modifieds to follow. On Saturday night, the B-mains will begin the racing program at 7:30.

Rain, rain stay away: Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager says every effort will be made to run complete programs each night, as scheduled, despite a forecast of rain a portion of each day this week. The official rain date for the Show-Me 100 is Sunday. For updates, dial up the Lucas Oil Speedway Facebook page facebook.com/LucasOilSpeedway or check twitter @LucasSpeedway throughout the weekend.

Lights, cameras, action: For the first time, all three nights of the Show-Me 100 will be streamed live on LucasOilRacing.TV – the new Motorsports App that provides exclusive, unlimited/ 24/7 all-access motorsports coverage. Go to LucasOilRacing.TV for more info. The Show-Me 100 will be shown later this summer on CBS, NBC Sports and MAV-TV.

Ticket prices for the Show-Me 100 weekend are:

THURSDAY:

Adults (16 and up) $25
Seniors (62 and up)/Military $22
Youth (6-15) $10
Kids (5 and under) FREE
Family Pass $50 (Click Here for more information)
3-Day Reserved Seat Ticket $95
Pit Pass $35
3-Day Pit Pass $100

FRIDAY:
Adults (16 and up) $25
Seniors (62 and up)/Military $22
Youth (12-15) $10
Kids (11 and under) FREE
Family Pass $50 (Click Here for more information)
3-Day Reserved Seat Ticket $95
Pit Pass $35
3-Day Pit Pass $100

SATURDAY:
Adults (16 and up) $30
Seniors (62 and up)/Military $27
Youth (6-15) $10
Kids (5 and under) FREE
Family Pass $60 (Click Here for more information)
3-Day Reserved Seat Ticket $95
Pit Pass $40
3-Day Pit Pass $100

Friday’s program will be part of the 2016 Free Kids Fridays promotion. Youngsters 11-and-under will be admitted free with a paid adult admission.

For complete event information, archived stories, ticket info and schedule information for the season, visit lucasoilspeedway.com

Lucas Oil Speedway is located at Highways 83 and 54 in Wheatland, Missouri. A campground with shower and bathroom facilities is also available. With it’s entrance located just outside the pit gate this sprawling scenic camping facility will continue to enhance the racing experience at the Diamond of Dirt Tracks.

Click www.LucasOilSpeedway.com for more information and detailed directions to the speedway or call the Track Hotline at (417) 282-5984.

In addition, fans can get social with Lucas Oil Speedway by following @LucasSpeedway on Twitter, clicking “Like” at www.facebook.com/LucasOilSpeedway and on www.youtube.com/LucasOilSpeedway.