May 8, 2025 | By Lyndal Scranton

Hodges makes fast transition back to USRA Mods

WHEATLAND, Mo.—Dustin Hodges felt he had turned the corner and was making gains in his aspiring dirt Late Model career when the Lucas Oil MLRA Series he was following shut down during the offseason.

“I feel we were just getting past the point of getting our teeth kicked in every weekend,” Hodges said. “We were starting to find some speed and a little rhythm. Unfortunately, things just didn’t work out with the MLRA.”

With other regional open Late Model tours a bit too far flung for his team to follow, Hodges has transitioned back to the USRA Modified division. The Centralia, Mo., driver certainly will be one to watch on Saturday when the Heartland Modified Tour stops at Lucas Oil Speedway for a 30-lap, $2,000-to-win feature.

The 2022 Arctic Food Equipment USRA Modified runner-up in the track championship chase at Lucas Oil Speedway, Hodges already has three top-five finishes in six Modified races in a rain-plagued 2025 season. The weather has made it difficult to everyone to find a consistent flow.

“We’re just trying to get a good feel for it,” Hodges said of a new VanderBuilt race car, built in partnership with Zack Vanderbeek and Tony Jackson Jr. “It made sense for us to get back to the Modified stuff. With the Heartland deal, it’s a pretty neat thing they have going.

“It works out well for us to still be able to do a regional thing, by switching up our program a little bit.”

Hodges already has posted a third-place in the early going at Lucas Oil Speedway where he’s third in early season points. He won three times at the track in 2022 and fell just short of the championship while finishing third in USRA Modified national points.

Hodges, 36, then decided to focus on Late Models. He was seventh in MLRA points last season. As he’s returned to Modified, the Late Model experience provide some things that translate.

“Just from being aggressive and with certain things you can do with the car, mainly from a set-up standpoint,” Hodges said. “Plus the people I was able to meet and form a bond with. That’s been a benefit to our Modified program.”

Perhaps the biggest benefit since he last raced Modified is the Heartland Modified Tour, which debuted in 2024. Designed to grow car counts and add money to regional racers, the mission seems to be getting accomplished.

From the regionalized scheduling to the time-trial qualifying format to the purse structure, Hodges said it’s helping to make the Modified scene a lot more healthy than when he left it. He credits Trenton Berry and Erick Chesterman for their work in getting the HMT up and running.

“It’s phenomenal what Trenton and Erick have put together for the local guys, to have something to follow rather than the (USMTS) national tour or not being able to follow anything,” Hodges said.

“I think they have a good thing going and hopefully more tracks will choose to come on board with it and they can pick facilities that work the best and keep putting together something better every year. I think the car counts speak for themselves.”

Moms free courtesy Vietti Marketing: Vietti Marketing Group presents the Pitts Homes and Realty Weekly Racing Series with all Moms admitted free to commemorate Mother’s Day Weekend. Four divisions of the weekly series will be in action, led by the Arctic Food Equipment USRA Modifieds, running under the Heartland Modified Series banner.

The O'Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars, Clear Creek Golf Car USRA B-Mods and Hermitage Lumber Late Models also will be in action with 20-lap main events. In addition, the O’Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars' rained out feature from March Full Body Madness will be made up on Saturday and lead off the racing program.

Grandstands open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 and opening ceremonies at 7. General admission is $5 for ages 6-and-over with Moms free. Pit passes are $35.

Kids Pit Tour and Power Wheel races: The Junior Fan Club Kids' Pit Tour continues this week with Lucas Oil Speedway flagman Chris Loberg leading the way. Youngsters can sign up on the midway for the fan club before 5 p.m. and be a part of a drawing for a chance to join Loberg on a golf-car tour of the pits to meet drivers.

In addition Kids Power Wheel Races will be held during intermission for ages 3-9. The youngsters can race their own 24-36V power wheels with awards to the top three.

For information on tickets or camping for any Lucas Oil Speedway event in 2025, contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 295-6043 or email her at nmcmillan@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.