WHEATLAND, MO. (Sept. 21, 2023) – The Hermitage Lumber Late Model division enjoyed a rejuvenated Big Adventure Weekly Racing Series season at Lucas Oil Speedway with car count on the rise.
Now the Late Models get to run a two-night show for money usually reserved for the open division. The first Fall Brawl Presented by SMC will find the State Tech Hermitage Lumber Late Models running full programs Friday and Saturday with a $2,000 to win feature on night one and $4,000 night two.
“I think we’re all pretty excited,” driver Tucker Cox of Jefferson City said. “It’s been a long time coming. A lot of us have been racing at Wheatland for a while. There’s some new guys, too, but there’s several of us that have raced there for quite a few years now. I think it’s deserved.”
Drivers had to enter a minimum of four Weekly Racing Series events to be eligible. For Cox, that became problematic when a hard crash in mid April left him with a broken foot and uncertain racing plans. He missed two months and admitted his foot wasn’t 100 percent for a while.
But the 23-year-old was able to pick up where he left off, running near the front. He had five top-five finishes after returning in mid-July, including four third-place feature runs at Wheatland.
“We’ve been pretty good,” Cox said. “I blew a motor up one week running third and I’ve ran third a few times. We’ve been all right and are trying to get a little bit better now.
“I wasn’t real sure what to expect (when he came back) with my foot being the way it was, with it being sore. It’s gotten a lot better since I first came back. The first few weeks I was pretty sore after the races and during the races. I think that affected me a little bit.
“It’s still a little bit sore, not every day, but some days. The doctor said it could take up to a year to fully recovery from the soreness.”
Cox is looking to finish the season strong and built positive momentum heading in the winter months. He plans to hit the POWRi Nationals at Lake Ozark Speedway next weekend and the Turkey Bowl at Springfield against open competition in November.
He will do so with a new chassis, having switched to a Capital after campaigning an MB Customs for the last few seasons. He debuted it last week at I-35 Speedway, finishing third in the feature.
“My MB was good and everything, I just hadn’t drove anything else really,” Cox said. “I drove something else my first year and have had MB Customs since. I just want to do something a little bit and try it out and see how it was.
“I’m hoping to run a little better this week and carry that into the end of the year and next year.”
The Springfield Mechanical Services Inc. POWRi Pure Stock Shootout also will be a first-time special for that class at Lucas Oil Speedway. The SMSI Pure Stock Shootout was formerly held at Dallas County Speedway, which closed earlier this year. The Shootout will see the Pure Stocks going after $500 to win on Friday and $1,500 on Saturday with $150 to start.
The Friday winner will earn a provisional into Saturday night’s feature if the driver does not qualify for the main event otherwise.
Also running full programs both nights will be the Show Me Vintage Racers Series (SMVR) and the American Iron Racing Series (A.I.R.S).
Spectator gates open at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7 p.m.
Friday admission:
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 – $40
Pit Pass – $35
Saturday admission:
Advance Discount Tickets online only (16 and up) – $17
Adults (16 and up) – $20
Seniors (62 and up)/Military – $17
Youth (6-15) – $10
Kids (5 and under) – FREE
Family Pass – $50
Pit Pass – $40
For information on 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