1/28/2020
RacinBoys
Lucas Oil Speedway Preseason Spotlight: Technically speaking, Frazon ready to chase a championship
By Lyndal Scranton (Wheatland, MO) -- Cody Frazon has driven different kinds of race cars since his teen years, but clearly has found his niche in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Street Stocks division at Lucas Oil Speedway. The 30-year-old finished third in the division last year, with two feature victories to his credit.
What appeals the most to him about driving the full-bodied car - which also is a fan favorite due to looks that people can identify with - is how it's a thinking man's class.
PHOTO CREDIT: Cody Frazon
"I have yet to race a Street Stock race where I feel that I just flat got beat by a motor," Frazon said. "I think it's technical driving and technical set-ups are what make people fast. That's often overlooked. A lot of new racers think they have to have a big powerhouse of a motor and that's not necessarily the case.
"It's driving technique and set-up technique that prevails."
Frazon, from LaMonte, Missouri, was on his technical game while posting his best season in 2019. He finished 86 points behind track champion Toby Ott and just 10 in back of runner-up John Coats in the weekly series. Driving for car owner Kurt Ewing, Frazon had 10 top-five finishes.
"It was probably one of the better years I've had," Frazon said. "Back when I was younger I won a lot of races, but it was a significantly different competition level.
"Where we are now, racing at Lucas, it's getting into the top-tier competition. These guys are so consistent and so good. I'm just ecstatic that last year went as well as it did."
Frazon said the key was a new car for 2019, built by Marc Carter of Warrensburg. He described the car he drove in 2018 as "more like a big, heavy sled" that he never could find the right balance with.
"The No. 2 thing was a lot of work in studying and understanding what springs and shocks I needed," Frazon said. "Once I found something that worked for me, I tried to make the car stay there ever week.
"Obviously, the track conditions didn't always like that set-up, so the next thing was learning how to adjust to each condition. Now I feel like we have a pretty good notebook and we're ready to go again."
Frazon has his sights set on raising his game to an even higher level in 2020, planning to make a run at a Lucas Oil Speedway track championship.
"I enjoy racing there because it's sustainable," Frazon said. "It's a longer drive for me than my closest home track, at Central Missouri Speedway, but I raced at Lucas every week last year and had only very minor damage from physical contact with other cars. It's good, clean driving.
"I'd like to chase the points and go for a championship. I'd also like to have more than two wins. Hopefully, some of the things we're tinkering with this offseason will help get us there."
Always in the back of a Street Stock driver's mind is the Big Buck 50 Presented by Whitetail Trophy Hunt and Frazon is no different. The 7th annual edition of the race, Oct. 1-3, pays $10,000 to win plus a free entry in the prestigious Whitetail deer hunt. Frazon had mechanical issues with a fuel pump in the B-main last year and had to take a provisional to get into the show and wound up 18th.
"I'm a get-in-on-my-own-merit kind of guy, so i didn't like that happening," he said of using the provisional. "I would like to get in and make a stab at the Big Buck, for sure."
Returning sponsors include Ewing Farms with Kurt and Robin Ewing, Lucas Oil, Heritage Fabrication, Brilliant Graphix, Shark Chassis and Yeoman Race Engines.
Jeff Hardy and Nathan Vaughan are his main crew members with Vaughan a Street Stock racer as well.
"We like to bounce ideas off each other," Frazon said. "Believe it or not, he likes to do something totally different (setting up the car). It's a great thing that two guys doing totally different things both can have success. I think we help each other out."
Blaine Ewing and Frazon's girlfriend, Jessica Hill, round out the race-night team.
The Lucas Oil Speedway season kicks off with the Open Test and Tune on March 28, with the Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series opening night set for April 4 with action in all four divisions - Pitts Homes USRA Modified, Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods, Warsaw Auto Marine & RV ULMA Late Models and O'Reilly Auto Parts Street Stocks.
Season passes for 2020, along with gift cards which can be redeemed in any department of the speedway, are now available. Contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or email her at nichole@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott
