WHEATLAND, MO. (June 7, 2023) – There was a time when Justin Wells won Late Model races in bunches around the southwest Missouri region. He was as formidable a foe as anyone on the Ozarks-area dirt-track scene.
Kind of like Wells is doing this season at Lucas Oil Speedway.
“It feels like we’re partying like it’s 2004 or something,” Wells said with a laugh. “I haven’t won races like this since I was a young guy.”
The veteran racer from Aurora, nearing three decades behind the wheel, has won five Hermitage Lumber Late Model features in six events to all but clinch the Midseason Championship before he straps in for Saturday’s Bolivar Herald Free-Press Midseason Championships Presented by Townsquare Media.
Wells holds a commanding 92.5-point lead over Bryon Allison midway through the Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series season. For all he’s done on dirt tracks in his career – the 46-year-old Wells has in the neighborhood of 400 career feature wins – he’s never won a Lucas Oil Speedway track championship.
However, he is the answer to a cool Lucas Oil Speedway trivia question. Who won the first Late Model race when the track opened in 2006?
Wells was the winner, of course. He remembers the Midwest Late Model Racing Association victory like it happened last week.
“We had raced the night before at US 36 Speedway at Osborn, Missouri and I wrecked,” Wells said. “I stayed up all night, never even went to bed, and fixed that car. We worked all night and all day long. It wiped out everything.
“But we went up there and won the MLRA race. It’s something that’ll stand out for years to come.”
The car he’s winning with these day is nearly that old. It’s a 2006 model TNT chassis that has been part of Wells’ stable since 2008. Last Saturday night’s feature win at Wheatland was the 99th in the No. 98 car he affectionately calls “Old Faithful.”
“It’s been great since day one,” Wells said. “I drove it at the Spooker at Fort Smith the last race of the year in 2008. I told (racing partner) Kenny Patterson after that I was gonna sit out a while and not race as much. It took him about a month or so for him to talk me into coming back and racing for him the following year.
“Man, that old car, no matter what we do to it, it stays consistent. We keep it looking good. We keep modernizing it every year, changing the body around a little bit. I don’t know if it’s ever gonna quit or not. It’s beyond belief for us to that it keeps going like it does.”
Along with “Old Faithful,” Wells said old-fashioned determination has made this season special after two wins in four attempts at Lucas Oil Speedway in 2022.
“We’ve just had better focus,” Wells said of the key to success. “This winter, Kenny Patterson and Doug Hess, they wanted to race hard this summer. I said if we’re gonna race hard in the summer we’re gonna do the work this winter. So we’ve worked hard all winter to get cars ready to go.
“Bob Arnold also helped me all winter and I think preparation and focus was the big key to it.”
That and the ability to solely focus his racing pursuits on driving. Wells and Darrell Mooneyham started the Cash Money Dirt Late Model Series in a few years ago as an affordable way to allow regional drivers a chance to travel to race.
Unfortunately for Wells, the work involved with helping run a series took its toll on his racing.
“I’d been trying to help promote a lot of races the last 6-8 years,” Wells said. “I don’t have that to take care of the last two years and it’s sure made a difference in my racing.
“Me and Darrell were partners on it and it just takes so much time, the PR work and sponsors. I told Darrell, maybe the fourth year, I don’t have enough family time while also trying to run a business. He bought my part out and he’s doing good with it. It’s sure a good deal for letting somebody travel and get started” in Late Models.
Meanwhile, Wells and his racing partners are showing no signs of slowing down. Wells joked that even if he tries, it might not work.
“I’ve tried to slow down before and – I ain’t gonna say quit, but not go a whole lot ever since I met Kenny Patterson in 2008,” Wells said. “It just ain’t worked for us. We just keep going harder and faster.”
Midseason champions also will be determined in three other divisions on Saturday – Cedar Creek Beef Jerky USRA Modifieds, O’Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars and Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods.
Pit gates open at 4 p.m. Saturday at the dirt track with grandstands at 5. Hot laps are scheduled for 6:30 and racing at 7:05. Look for discount ticket coupons in this week’s edition of the Bolivar Herald Free-Press.
Dirt Track Admission:
(FREE with Off Road ticket)
Advance Discount Tickets online only (16 and up) – $12
Adults (16 and up) – $15
Seniors (62 and up)/Military – $12
Youth (6-15) $5
Kids (5 and under) – FREE
Family Pass – $35
Pit Pass – $35
Off Road during the day: The Off Road action see gates opening at 7:30 a.m. and racing at about 9:40 a.m., wrapping up with awards at approximately 4:45 p.m.
Open registration is set for 5-10 p.m. on Friday, June 9th. Racers pit passes are $35 and Racers entry fees will be $50 for Youth 170 stock, 170 Limited, 170 Modified classes; $75 for Youth 800, Youth 1000 and all Women’s classes and $100 for all Pro Turbo & N/A classes.
All Racers will be required to have a RaceCeivers.
Payouts will go to the top five finishers in each class with five or more entries.
Saturday Off Road Event Schedule:
(All times are tentative and subject to change)
7 a.m. – Registration and pit gates open
7:30 a.m. – Spectator gates open
8 a.m. – Practice sessions
9:40 a.m.-4:30 p.m. – Heat races and features
4:45 p.m. (approximate) – Awards ceremony following races with trophies to top three in each class.
Off Road Grandstand Admission
(All tickets include entry to Off Road pit area and FREE admission to that night’s dirt track event)
Advance Discount Tickets online only (16 and up) – $22
Adults GA/Pit Pass Combo (16 and up) – $25
Seniors (62 and up)/Military GA/Pit Pass Combo (62 and up) – $22
Youth GA/Pit Pass Combo (age 6 to 15) – $10
Kids GA/Pit Pass Combo (age 5 and under) – FREE
Family Pass GA/Pit Pass Combo (Includes Admission for 2 Adults and Up to 3 Kids Ages 6-15) – $60
Racers Pit Pass – $35
CAMPING (Daily Rates):
Dry Camping $15/Night (up to 6 people) ($5 additional a night per person)
Reserve Dry $25/Night (limited Availability) (up to 6 people) ($5 additional a night per person)
Reserved Electric & Water- $40/Night (up to 6 people) ($5 additional a night per person (Limited Availability)
SRX tickets remain on sale: General admission tickets for the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) race scheduled for Aug. 17 at Lucas Oil Speedway remain on sale. Some of the biggest names in racing will be on hand as the SRX Thursday Night Thunder event will be the finale in the six-race series. All SRX races will air live on ESPN.
Drivers announced for the Wheatland event include Tony Stewart, Kenny Wallace, Hailie Deegan, Brad Keselowski, Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman, Helio Castroneves, Clint Bowyer, reigning SRX Champion Marco Andretti, Paul Tracy and Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Tickets for the SRX event are $35 in advance and $40 at the gate (ages 16 and over). Kids (ages 6-15) will be $20 with ages 5-and-under free. Advance tickets can now be purchased via Stubwire – https://www.stubwire.com/event/srxespnthursdaynightthunder/lucasoilspeedway/wheatland/28075/ Pit passes are $50 and must be purchased the day of the event.
For information about any event at Lucas Oil Speedway in 2023 contact admissions director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or email her at nichole@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.
CONTACT:
Danny Lorton
Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager
Office: (417) 282-5984