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Lucas Oil Speedway Champions Spotlight: King of the last-lap pass, Beck enjoys first Stock Cars championship

WHEATLAND, MO. (Dec. 21, 2023) - Mason Beck not only became a Lucas Oil Speedway track champion this season, the 20-year-old from nearby Urbana gave fans some of the biggest thrills of the season.

Multiple times in 2023, Beck pulled off winning passes on the final lap in the O’Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars division. He also prevailed coming to the checkers as the Pure Stocks were a guest class one week, bringing the fans to their feet.

It was part of a winning formula that propelled Beck to six feature wins at Lucas Oil Speedway and a 94-point margin over William Garner for the Stock Cars championship. Overall, he won 14 features with other tracks included.

Of the close finishes and coming out on top, Beck said “it’s a lot of luck” and that he wasn’t planning to wait until the final lap or even the final turn to make his winning moves.

“I try to save my car until the very end, but there was a couple of those races where I was trying to get to the front from the very beginning because I started deep,” Beck said. “As soon as I got the lead it was the last lap and I couldn’t wait around any longer and I had to go.”

Asked his favorite finish, Beck said he had two with a Stock Cars win over Garner and a Pure Stock pass of Robby Jones topping the list.

“Will Garner and me are really good buddies and that was cool,” Beck said. “I tried to pass him and pass him. We raced really clean and I finally got around him. And when I raced Pure Stock and passed Robby Jones on the last lap, that was cool, too.

“The more exciting one was Will Garner, but the better one was Robby Jones because I passed him with my dad’s old car. That was probably the better one.”

Beck said it’s hard for him to choose which is more fun, making the last-lap pass or leading all the way.

“It’s hard to tell. It’s nice to know you have a good race car and you can start out front and lead the whole time.” Beck said. “At the same time, leading all the way, every lap, I wouldn’t think would be as fun as coming from the back and having something exciting like that to talk about.”

Beck said racing for a track championship was his goal from the start after finishing third in Lucas Oil Speedway points in 2022.

“We’ve tried to run for points once before, but that was back when I played football in high school so by the end of the season I had to quit racing at Lebanon and go play football,” Beck said. “We thought we should have won it last yea, but we had two really bad nights. We still ended up third which was really good, but this year we felt like we could for sure win it if we just didn’t have bad nights.”

Beck said the title was special because his dad, Phillip Beck, won a Stock Cars championship at the old Wheatland Raceway just over 20 years ago.

“I’ve always wanted to win there since my Dad’s told me he won one there, before I was born, racing the same class,” Beck said. “It means quite a bit. Now I get to tell him that I’m even with him there. I’d like to go back-to-back. I’d definitely like to one up him.”

Chasing another championship is in the works as Beck looks ahead to 2024. With a few fewer Big Adventure Weekly Racing Series events, he also is eyeing some added-money events out-of-state. He's making a pre-Christmas trip to Texas to pick up some part to start prepping the cars for 2024.

"We'll freshen both of them up. I’d like to start earlier so I can sit around and look at it a little bit before it gets all dented and scratched up," Beck said.

“I just want to thank Ethan and Duane Mackey for giving me the opportunity to drive their car,” Beck said. “Also, my sponsors, Sniper Speed and Mid-State Machine. They’re the ones who put me in victory lane.”

Season pass renewals, gift cards available: Lucas Oil Speedway recently unveiled its tentative 2024 schedule with Open Test & Tune set to kick things off on March 30. The speedway has gift cards available for purchase as a Christmas-gift option and also has season pass renewals for the 2024 season available at a discount through the end of the year.

Season passes for the 2024 season are available now at a $50 discount for renewals from 2023. Contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or email her at nmcmillan@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.

Season Pass Renewals before Dec. 29th, 2023:

Adults (Age 16-61) $700 (dirt-track only)

Seniors (Age 62 and up) $600 (dirt-track only)

Season Passes beginning Jan. 15th, 2024:

Adults (Age 16-61) $750 (dirt-track only)

Senior (Age 62 and up) $650 (dirt track only)

Each season pass holder is entitled to one reserved stadium-style seat, complete with high backs and armrests located in the top six rows of the main grandstand of the dirt track.

Meanwhile, Lucas Oil Speedway gift cards are available in any dollar amount. Gift cards can be used in all departments including in the ticket office, pit office, camp shack, concessions, gift shop, suites and the Diamond Bar.

Lorton added that the gift shop is remaining open year-round, during week-day business hours, for those interested in stopping by the track and shopping for items.

For ticket information about any future event at Lucas Oil Speedway contact admissions director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or email her at nmcmillan@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.

CONTACT:

Danny Lorton

Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager

Office: (417) 282-5984

DLorton@lucasoilspeedway.com
Complete Lucas Oil Speedway event information, archived race recaps, previews and driver features, along with ticket information and schedules can be found by visiting LucasOilSpeedway.com.

Lucas Oil Speedway is located at Highways 83 and 54 in Wheatland, Missouri. A campground with shower and bathroom facilities is also available. With its entrance located just outside the pit gate this sprawling scenic camping facility will continue to enhance the racing experience at the Diamond of Dirt Tracks.

Click LucasOilSpeedway.com for more information and detailed directions to the speedway or call the Track Hotline at (417) 282-5984. The Lucas Oil Speedway EZ Texting number is (417) 804-4141.

In addition, fans can get social with Lucas Oil Speedway by following @LucasSpeedway on Twitter, clicking "Like" at www.facebook.com/LucasOilSpeedway and on www.youtube.com/LucasOilSpeedway

About Lucas Oil Speedway
Lucas Oil Speedway is considered by fans, drivers and industry insiders to be one of the top five racing facilities in the nation. Located in Wheatland, Missouri, approximately an hour from Springfield, Missouri, and just an hour and a half from the Kansas City metro area, the "Diamond of Dirt Tracks" lives up to its title.

Twenty-One VIP Luxury Suites, HD Jumbo-Tron Screen, Stadium Style Musco Sports Lighting, a Bose Sound System, Go-Kart Slick Track, The Diamond Bar, Track Treasures Gift Shop, the best track food in the country and paved pits are a few of the spectacular amenities setting the Diamond of Dirt apart. This year marks the 12th season for the Liquid Quarter Mile Drag Racing Lake, "Lake Lucas." New for 2017 was all-purpose built Off Road facility featuring a host of regional events.

Lucas Oil Speedway's dirt oval track plays host to some of the largest and most-popular events in the Midwest with national and regional touring series appearing frequently including: The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, POWRi Midget National Series, Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League, United States Modified Touring Series, ASCS Sprint Cars and the Lucas Oil MLRA.

In addition to the special events, the Lucas Oil Speedway Weekly Racing Series features the Late Models, USRA Modifieds, USRA Stock Cars and USRA B-Mods.

2023 Official Lucas Oil Speedway Marketing Partners

Arizona Sport Shirts
"The Official Merchandise Provider" of Lucas Oil Speedway

Bill Roberts Chevrolet-Buick
"The Official Truck" of Lucas Oil Speedway

Dixie Chopper
"The Official Mowers of Lucas Oil Speedway"

General Tire
"The Official Tire" of Lucas Oil Speedway

Lucas Oil Products
"The Official Oil" of Lucas Oil Speedway

MAVTV
"The Official Television Network" of Lucas Oil Speedway

Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr. Pepper
"The Official Soft Drink" of Lucas Oil Speedway

RacingJunk.com
"The Official Classifieds" of Lucas Oil Speedway

Rugged Radios
"The Official 2-Way Communications Provider" of Lucas Oil Speedway

Summit Racing Equipment
"The Official Sponsor" of Lucas Oil Speedway

Sunoco Race Fuels
"The Official Fuel" of Lucas Oil Speedway

Super Clean
"The Official Sponsor" of Lucas Oil Speedway

2023 Lucas Oil Speedway Supporters Include:
AM Pyrotechnics, Alliance Sport Marketing, Arctic Food Equipment, Arizona Sport Shirts, Berry Tractor and Equipment Co., Big Adventure RV, Bill Roberts Chevrolet-Buick, Bolivar Auto Sales & Detailing, Bolivar Farmers Exchange-MFA, Boone's BBQ Barn, Boubin Tire/American Racer, Branstetter & Lightfoot LLC, Bridal Cave, BWI Sanitation, Camden on the Lake Resort, Candlelight Creations-Dick's Wild Root Horseradish, Casey's, Cedar Creek Beef Jerky, Citizens Memorial Healthcare, City Magnet, Clearlight Inn, Dirt Track Specialist, Dixie Chopper, Eagle Vision Paving LLC, Eibach Springs, Farmers Insurance Agent Kristy Reynolds, Fast Shafts by Axle Exchange, Foley Equipment-Cat Rental Store, Frog Signs, Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare, Hermitage Lumber, HICKAMO Country Store, Hobbytime Motorsports, Impact Signs Awnings Wraps, In the Garden of Eden, KC Bobcat, Kettle Treats, Keyser Manufacturing, Kluhsman Racing Components, Kona Ice, Lucas Cattle Company, MD3, Midwest Sheet Metal, Miller Welding, Missouri Division of Tourism, MyRacePass, Nutrien Ag Solutions, OakStar Bank, O'Bannon Bank, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Ozark Golf Cars, Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr. Pepper, Ozarks Community Health Center, PEM, Pitts Homes, Pitts Realty, Pitts Cattle, Pomme de Terre Resort, ProThings Apparel, RACEceiver, Racinboys.com, RacinDirt.com, RacingJunk.com, Rains Ice Company, Real Racing Wheels, Reed Environmental, River's End Motel & RV Park, Rod End Supply, Ron Jenkins Accounting & Tax Service, Rugged Radios, Ryan E. Murphy Law Firm LLC, SBU Athletics, Safety Kleen, Scott Furniture, Sidetrack RV Park, Simpson Racing Products, SMC, Southwest Electric Cooperative, State Tech, Stillwater Resort, Summit Racing Equipment, Sunoco Race Fuels, US Army Corps of Engineers-Pomme de Terre, Vietti Marketing Group, Wasoba Seed & Trucking, Wheatland Motel, White's Marine Center, Wieland, Wild Animal Safari, Woods Supermarkets.

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