October 9, 2024 | By Billy Rock

MLRA Set For Thursday at I-70 Speedway & Championship Friday at Tri City Speedway

ODESSA, Mo. — The 2024 season for the Lucas Oil Midwest Late Model Racing Association (MLRA) will see the final curtain call this weekend, but not before drivers take to the track at the I-70 Speedway and the Tri-City Speedway in a pair of highly critical $7,000 to win showdowns. Friday night’s action will culminate with the crowning of the Sunoco Race Fuel Rookie of the year and the $20,000 MLRA Series Champion.


I-70 Speedway to host “K.C.” Cup:

I-70 Speedway in Odessa, MO will open the gates for a special Thursday night event on October 10th, to get the weekend started. The $7,000 to win inaugural running of the “K.C. Cup” Presented by Mid American Automation Services, comes about because of a late summer rain out for the second consecutive year.

The super-fast ½ mile high banked facility last hosted the MLRA in 2022 as part of a co-sanctioned event with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS), which was won by Hudson O’Neal. After sitting idle for many years, the track located just east of the Kansas City metro area reopened in 2021 after an extensive renovation project which included many updates to the fan experience along with removal of its former asphalt surface and a return to the dirt.


Tri-City Speedway Championship Moves to Friday Night:

The MLRA “Championship Weekend” will once again return on the Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, IL on Friday night October 11th for the crowning of the series champion. Originally scheduled as a two-night affair for Friday and Saturday, speedway officials have made the difficult decision to cancel the Saturday portion due to a family commitment which requires them to be out of state.

This scheduling change will now move the Saturday purse up one day, making Friday night now worth $7,000 to win and $700 to start. This will mark the fifth consecutive season with the 3/8-mile facility playing host to the series championship.

“My mom is currently residing in Florida, and due to unfortunate circumstances with her health we need to move her back to the St. Louis area to be closer to family, so we can provide additional care for her. With the incoming hurricane it is going to prevent us from safely getting to her mid-week as we had hoped,” explained promotor Tammy Gundaker.

“We do not want to cancel Saturdays planned finale, but we also have to do best for our family, and that means being there and helping to make this move as soon as we can get into Florida which we believe will be Saturday. We are looking forward to making Friday special for the teams and we are excited to be the finale of what looks to be a great championship battle between Chad, Chris, and Tony.”

The annual “Trunk or Treat” for the kids to cruise the pits and visit drivers will now be moved to Saturday, October 26th from 2 – 4 pm, and held in conjunction with the speedways B-Mod Bash.


LUCAS OIL MLRA "CHAMPIONSHIP OUTLOOK"

With just two nights to decide the $20,000 to win MLRA Championship, the intensity should be tight when drivers make their way into the I-70 Speedway on Thursday night. Three drivers will have a legitimate mathematical shot at taking home the title, making every single position on the track as important as ever.

Chad Simpson (Points Leader): The four-time Lucas Oil MLRA Champion will enter the weekend with a 65-point advantage, as he looks to capture his third consecutive series crown. Simpson’s margin stood at 160 points just six races ago, but has slowly dwindled down with pressure coming from brother Chris Simpson and Tony Jackson Jr.

Of the top three drivers only, Chad Simpson competed in the MLRA’s last bout at I-70 in 2022, finishing in 10th and giving himself a bit of an edge when it comes to experience on the highbanks. Simpson’s championship chasing experience will likely come into play down the stretch as well. Not only is he a 20-time MLRA winner, but he also has six Corn Belt Clash Series Championships to his name.

A championship for Simpson would put him in elite company, surpassing Terry Phillips (4) and joining Alan Vaughn as the only five-time MLRA champions. Only Al Purkey has more titles, as the 2024 Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inductee has seven titles to his credit. He would also tie Vaughn as the only driver in series history to win three consecutive championships.

Chris Simpson ( -65 points): Last year’s MLRA runner-up told fans following a Labor Day weekend victory that they would be in for a treat over the remaining races, as he expected his brother and himself to put on a great battle for the championship. 24 hours later it looked like that would be all for not, as he recorded a 24th place showing after a power steering line failure.

Following a 26th place run at the Davenport Speedway it looked even more unlikely, until this past weekend when he erased 135 points in three nights off what was a 200-point deficit. Two runner-up finishes and a $10,000 victory in Saturday’s MLRA Fall Nationals has Chris Simpson entering the weekend as the hottest of the title contenders.

Tony Jackson Jr. ( -75 points): Jackson came out of the box strong in 2024, as the only MLRA regular to secure a top five in the MLRA Spring Nationals season opener. The next three events however found Jackson with finishes outside of the top ten and in a hole.

Turn the page to August, and with the help of a new Longhorn Chassis the two-time MLRA Champion has found his stride once again, finishing no worse than 9th with a series leading 5.11 average finishing position since.

If it comes down to a battle on Friday at Tri City Speedway don’t count out “Prime Time”. Jackson has found his way to victory lane at Tri City Speedway 4 of the past 5 seasons, proving he knows his way around the 3/8-mile race track and is capable of capturing his third career MLRA Championship.



SUNOCO ROOKIE OF THE YEAR-

Aaron Marrant has all but wrapped up the 2024 Sunoco Rookie of The Year title, which will be made official following Friday nights feature event at Tri City. Marrant and car owners Michael and Misty Meise have collected three top tens on the season including a 6th place at Lakeside Speedway. Thursday night will serve as another home game for Marrant, who lives just about 30 minutes from I-70. Marrant currently sits 8th in the season championship standings as well, and only 105 behind Dustin Hodges for 7th in the final rundown.

I
-70 Speedway: Odessa, MO “K.C. Cup”: (Race Day Info) Thursday 10/10/24

Pit Gates: 2:30 PM, Grandstand: 4:30 pm

Racing: Hot Laps/Practice - 6:30 PM, Racing 7:00 PM

Admission: Adults $25, Seniors/Military $22, Kids (ages 4-12) $5

Support Classes: USRA Stock Cars

Website: www.i70motorsportspark.com                 



Tri-City Speedway: Pontoon Beach, IL: (Race Day Info)--Friday 10/11/24

Pit Gates: 3:00 PM, Grandstands 5:30 PM

Racing: Hot Laps - 6:30 PM, Racing to follow

Admission: Adults $30, Kids (12 & Under) FREE

Support Classes: UMP Modifieds $1,000 to Win--Time Trial Qualifying Format

Website:  www.tricityspeedway.net                             

For all of the latest news and information, including the full 2024 schedule, fans are encouraged to visit the series website at www.MLRARacing.com.

For all of the latest news and information fans are encouraged to visit the series website:
Explore MLRARACING.COM