WHEATLAND, MO. (March 20, 2023) – Drivers are down to the final days of finishing touches and last-minute preparations before a new racing season roars to life on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Speedway.
The Hermitage Lumber Late Models will be in the spotlight, running a special $1,000-to-win 25-lap feature as the 2023 season lifts off with the Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series Spring Opener. Joining the Late Models will be the Cedar Creek Beef Jerky USRA Modifieds, Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods and O’Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars.
Gates are scheduled to open at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:05.
In the Hermitage Lumber Late Models, defending track champion Larry Ferris of Nevada will be looking for a successful start to his title defense. Ferris posted four feature victories last season as he outlasted Jefferson City’s Tucker Cox by 80 points at season’s end for his first Lucas Oil Speedway championship.
The other divisions find Lebanon’s Kris Jackson returning after earning his fourth straight and seventh overall Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod track title in 2022. The closest points race a year ago came in the O’Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars, where Lebanon’s Bryan White edged his father, Rob White, by just eight points.
There will be a new track champion in the Cedar Creek Beef Jerky USRA Modifieds this season after Urbana’s Dillon McCowan, who won the last two, has plans to move into open Late Models this season. McCowan has indicated his plans to chase the Lucas Oil MLRA Rookie of the Year with that circuit kicking off March 31-April 1 at Lucas Oil Speedway for the 10th annual MLRA Spring Nationals.
Weekly Racing Series ticket information:
Advance discount tickets (online only, ages 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 (two adults up to three youth) – $35
Pit Pass – $35
Drivers must register on MyRacePass: If they have not done so already, drivers must register their information on MyRacePass for the upcoming season and may do so on the Drivers’ Dashboard portion of LucasOilSpeedway.com. The driver forms link will allow drivers to find both their membership and license application along with driver/owner W9 and driver medical form.
Downloading those forms and filling them out ahead of time and returning to Office Manager Laurie Looney at Llooney@lucasoilspeedway.com before opening night is preferred. The forms also can be printed and dropped by the office at the Test and Tune or prior to opening night.
Announcing crew seeks info for MAVTV telecasts: The announcing crew for Lucas Oil Speedway and MAVTV Motorsports Network need the drivers’ help in gathering driver information for the upcoming season. If you plan on racing at Lucas Oil Speedway, please take a few minutes and fill in the Driver Profile Electronic form. It will help in promoting you, your sponsors, and the sport.
Enduro Easter Bowl 150 entries remain open: Drivers planning to enter the Enduro Easter Bowl 150 on April 8th also can find the entry form online and return it. Pre-entry is $100 if received by March 30 and $150 after that.
SRX roster of drivers expands, with tickets on sale: General admission tickets for the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) race scheduled for Aug. 17 at Lucas Oil Speedway remain on sale. The SRX Thursday Night Thunder event will be the finale in the six-race series, which features some of racing’s biggest names.
Reigning SRX Champion Marco Andretti will defend his title, racing full-time by participating in all six events. The IndyCar legend will be joined as full-time SRX competitors by fellow IndyCar star and SRX veteran Paul Tracy along with IndyCar Series and Indy 500 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Those three will join previously announced all-stars racing at Lucas Oil Speedway – Tony Stewart, Kenny Wallace, Hailie Deegan, Brad Keselowski, Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman, Helio Castroneves and Clint Bowyer. One remaining driver will be announced in the near future.
SRX will air on six consecutive Thursday nights at 8 p.m. CST on ESPN and the ESPN App, bringing back the iconic “ESPN Thursdays Night Thunder” brand.
Tickets for the SRX event will be $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 more 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