10/6/2020
RacinBoys
Lucas Oil Speedway plays host to 7th annual MLRA Fall Nationals
By Lyndal Scranton (Wheatland, MO) -- The final oval-track action of the season at Lucas Oil Speedway will find a big doubleheader, featuring the Lucas Oil MLRA Late Models plus crowning an Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod Clash of Champions III champion.
The 7th annual Lucas Oil MLRA Fall Nationals finds full programs for the Late Models on Friday and Saturday nights with feature winners taking home $3,000 and $5,000, respectively.
PHOTO CREDIT: GS Stanek Racing Photography
With only five events remaining in the MLRA season, the championship chase is heating up. Republic’s Payton Looney, winner of the Show-Me 100 back in July, leading 2018 MLRA champion Chad Simpson of Mount Vernon, Iowa, by 57. Series Rookie of the Year leader Jeremiah Hurst of Dubuque, Iowa, also is in title contention, just 77 points behind Looney.
Looney had some mechanical issues the last time the MLRA series was at Lucas Oil Speedway and finished fourth at the Ron Jenkins Memorial on Sept. 5. Motor issues the next time, at Randolph County Raceway, led to a rare DNF that tightened the points chase with just five events remaining.
The motor has since been freshened and Looney is optimistic for what's ahead.
"Hopefully we can come out a little bit stronger and no mechanical failures and give it our best shot these next five races," Looney said, noting that keeping an even-keel approach is important over the course of a season.
"You just don't let anything like that affect you or change what you're doing," he added. "You can't hit the panic button and change the stuff that got you there in the first place. You just put your head down and keep doing your thing.
"Just win. I feel like if you can go do what you're supposed to, and win races, the points battle will take care of itself. I haven't really looked at the points all year long. If I started now it'd be bad luck and put me in a bad position."
Just one month ago when the Lucas Oil MLRA appeared at Lucas Oil Speedway, Mason Oberkramer of Broseley, Missouri, posted his first career series feature win.
After next weekend’s action, only an Oct. 16-17 doubleheader at Tri-City Speedway and an Oct. 18 program at Randolph County Raceway remain before an MLRA champion is crowned for 2020.
For more information on the Lucas Oil MLRA Series, including point standings, archived stories and the 2020 schedule, please visit MLRAracing.com.
The Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod division is the largest of the weekly classes at Lucas Oil Speedway and the B-Mod Clash of Champions was started in 2018 to give those drivers an opportunity to be in the spotlight with a high-paying special event.
Lucas Oil Speedway track champion Kris Jackson won last year’s Clash of Champions II after the inaugural event was rained out. Jackson, the reigning USRA B-Mod national champion, enters this weekend locked in a tight battle for the national championship as he’s just 12 points behind Jim Chisholm of Osage, Iowa.
Dillon McCowan of Urbana is third in USRA national points and Springfield’s JC Morton comes into this week No. 7. Jackson edged out Morton for the Lucas Oil Speedway season championship.
The Lucas Oil MLRA will have a 40-lap, $3,000-to-win feature on Friday night while the Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods will be running a double set of heat races to determine the alphabet soup lineups leading into Saturday’s main event. On Saturday, the MLRA will go 50 laps for $5,000 to win as the USRA B-Mods will conclude with a 30-lap, $3,000-to-win feature.
Activities begin on Thursday with an open practice from 5-8 p.m. Grandstand admission is free with pit passes $25. There will be limited concessions on the pit side and music in the tech building following practice.
Friday’s schedule:
4 p.m. - Gates open
6:30 p.m. - Hot laps
7 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
7:05 p.m. - Racing begins
Saturday’s schedule:
3 p.m. - Gates open
5:30 p.m. - Hot laps
6 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
6:05 p.m. - Racing begins
Friday’s admission:
Adults (16 and over) - $15
Seniors (62 and over)/Military - $12
Youth (ages 6-15) - $5
Kids (5 and under) - FREE
Family pass - $35
Pit pass $35
Saturday's admission:
Adults (16 and over) - $20
Seniors (62 and over)/Military - $17
Youth (ages 6-15) - $10
Kids (5 and under) - FREE
Family pass - $50
Pit pass $40
For ticket questions or information for any event at Lucas Oil Speedway, contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or email her at nichole@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott
