August 29, 2024 | By Lyndal Scranton

McCowan returns 'home' a battle-tested driver for MLRA Jenkins Memorial

WHEATLAND, Mo. — Since he last appeared on his home dirt, over Memorial Day Weekend for the Show-Me 100, you might say Dillon McCowan has gone to racing school.

The 20-year-old from nearby Urbana followed the UMP Summer Nationals "Hell Tour" that began in mid-June, a six-week endurance test that took him to more than two dozen tracks in eight states. It was quite the education.

Add in a few non-Summer Nationals shows, and McCowan has raced at 28 different speedways in the three months since his 16th-place finish in the 32nd annual Show-Me 100 Presented by Missouri Division of Tourism on May 25th.

"It’s been kind of a blur and kind of wild," McCowan said earlier this week. "Ever since (the Show-Me 100) we’ve been wide open and put the pedal down and haven’t looked back. The Summer Nationals was definitely a big deal. It taught us a lot and we got to see a lot of different race tracks and a lot of different dirt, racing around a lot of different guys. All around, it was a great experience for us."

McCowan passed the test with, if not straight-As, certainly with honor grades. He didn't win a feature, but was a mark of consistency with 19 top-10 finishes in 23 features in which he qualified for, and a second-place finish in tour points behind Tyler Erb.

This weekend, McCowan hopes to put some of his knowledge to work at the 10th annual Lucas Oil MLRA Ron Jenkins Memorial Presented by Rugged Radios at Lucas Oil Speedway, Friday and Saturday nights.

"It’s awesome to be back," McCowan said. "I always look forward to coming home and racing with all the people I grew up racing around and getting to be at the track will all my buddies again, and all the familiar faces that I used to around every weekend."

Joining the MLRA Late Models both nights will be the Arctic Food Equipment USRA Modifieds, Clear Creek Golf Cars USRA B-Mods and Show-Me Vintage Racers. The Modifieds will run for $750 to win on Friday and $1,500 to win on Saturday; the B-Mods go for $500 to win Friday and $1,000 on Saturday.

Pit gates will open at 4 p.m. both days with grandstands at 4:30, hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:05.

Fat prize money will be up for grabs for the MLRA Late Models with a $5,000-to-win feature on Friday night and a big $10,000 prize on Saturday. The feature winners each night also will receive a $2,000 bonus from Mary Jenkins Holt, in memory of Ron Jenkins, builder of the original Wheatland Raceway. Mary Jenkins Holt also will award Fast Time Qualifier $500 each night.

That McCowan failed to win a feature on the Summer Nationals marathon may pale in comparison to the bigger picture, with the fact that he didn't tear up either of his cars iand his motors also survived intact.

"That was probably the craziest part of it all," McCowan said. "You see everybody tore up every night and guys wrecking out. We were fortunate enough to bring both of our cars back in pretty well one piece and just maintenance everything up and put on new bodies. We were really fortunate not to tear a lot of stuff up."

Meanwhile, McCowan built a racing notebook of first-time tracks from tiny to large and everything between.

“We went from one extreme to the other," McCowan said. "Macon (Speedway) is probably the smallest thing I’ve seen in my life, other than the Dome (America's Dome in St. Louis). We raced 100 laps around that place and then Red Hill (Raceway) is big and aero dependent and your stuff has to be just right.

“It was fun to experience the different types of tracks, all the different kind of dirt and how you have to change everything you’re doing inside the cockpit so frequently and so quick."

All the while, it was just Dillon and friend Riley Duncan traveling and servicing the cars for the majority of the tour. Dillon's dad, Charlie, was along for part of it before returning home to manage the family farm. Dillon's uncle Kim drove the hauler and loaned a hand for some of the trip.

But the bulk of the experience and life on the road for an extended period fell upon Dillon and Riley.

"That deal, it was so good for us," McCowan said. "That all taught me so much as a driver getting to experience different things and being in the car night after night. It was tough, but once you get out there and do it, you’re thankful. It was good for the whole team."

Now he's back in familiar surroundings, with family and friends primed to cheer him on. McCowan is fourth in MLRA season points, 105 behind championship leader Chad Simpson. He's not given up hopes to making a run at the reigning champ.

"There’s like 12 races left. If we can keep our nose clean and have some good runs, just be as consistent as we can, I think we might be right there in the chase," McCowan said. "But a bad night can be detrimental because we don’t have a full season to recover if we have a bad weekend or a bad race."

He said the same philosophy applies that he learned from the Summer Nationals.

“Mentally, you just have to take it day by day," McCowan said.

The MLRA will continue on to Moberly Motorsports Park on Sunday for another $10,000-to-win program. For more information on the Lucas Oil MLRA, including full points, schedule and archived news, visit MLRAracing.com.

Anthem Edition pre-race show Saturday: The gospel quartet Anthem Edition will perform in a pre-race concert from 5:45-6:15 p.m. on Saturday. The group has performed at Lucas Oil Speedway in previous years as The Old Paths, which formed in 2003 as a trio, founding by Doug Roark and Tim Rackley with a mission to glorify God.

It became a quartet in 2012 and signed with Crossroad Music's Sonlite Records releasing the album "Right Now" which yielded two No. 1 hits and earning them a Singing News Fan Award for Favorite New Quartet. In 2022, the group changed its name to Anthem Edition and welcomed Andrew Utech as new head vocalist and in the fall of 2023 Cameron Edens joined as new tenor.

Diamond Drag Boat Nationals on Lake Lucas: The 14th annual Diamond Drag Boat Nationals will feature the third and final visit of the season to Lake Lucas for the Kentucky Drag Boat Association. Gates and pits open at 7:30 a.m. on Friday with qualifying tentatively set for 8 a.m. On Saturday, gates open at 9:30 a.m. with qualifying at 10. Eliminations will be held on Sunday with a tentative schedule of 8:30 a.m. for gates and 10:30 for racing.

Combo passes are available for fans who wish to attend both the drag boat and dirt-track races on Friday or Saturday. All drag boat passes include access to the boat pit area.

The event will have a $33,200 purse and produced for later airing on MAVTV. Divisions include Top Alcohol Hydro, Pro Outlaw, Pro Mod, Quick Eliminator, Pro Eliminator, Pro Comp Flat, Tom Eliminator, Modified Eliminator, Stock Eliminator and Personal Watercraft.

For more info on the KDBA visit kydragboat.com.


Friday Dirt Track Admission:

Advance discount tickets online only (13 and up) - $27
Adults (13 and up) - $30
Seniors (62 and up)/Military - $27
Youth (ages 6-12) - $10
Kids (5 and under) - FREE
Family pass - $70
Pit pass - $40


Saturday Dirt Track Admission:

Advance discount tickets online only (13 and up) - $27
Adults (13 and up) - $30
Seniors (62 and up)/Military - $27
Youth (ages 6-12) - $10
Kids (5 and under) - FREE
Family pass - $70
Pit pass - $40


Friday Drag Boat Admission:

Combo (drag boats and dirt track on Friday only)
Adults (13 and up) GA combo - $45
Seniors (62 and up)/Military - $42
Youth (ages 6-12) GA combo - $25
Kids (5 and under) GA combo - FREE
Family pass GA combo (two adults, up to 2 kids 6-12 - $115
Adult 3-day pit combo - $105


Drag boats only Friday:

GA (6 and up) - $20
Kids GA (5 and under) - FREE
3-day drag boat only pit pass - $60
Saturday Drag Boat Admission:
Combo (drag boats and dirt track Saturday only)
Adults GA combo (13 and up) - $45
Seniors (62 and up)/Military GA combo - $42
Youth (6-12) GA combo - $25
Kids GA combo (5 and under) - FREE
Family pass GA combo (two adults, up to two kids 6-12) - $115
Adult two-day pit combo - $60



Saturday Drag Boat only:

GA (6 and up) - $20
Kids GA (5 and under) - FREE
2-day drag boat only pit pass - $40


Sunday Drag Boat Admission:

(Includes pit pass)
Ages 6 and up GA - $20
Ages 5 and under - FREE


For ticket or camping information on any Lucas Oil Speedway event, contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 295-6043 or via email at nmcmillan@lucasoilspeedway.com.

For information about Lucas Oil Speedway, including schedules, point standings and other news, please visit LucasOilSpeedway.com.