Lucas Oil Speedway Spotlight: USRA Veteran Modified racer Terry Kirk soaks in first feature win in ages
WHEATLAND, MO. — Emerging from his USRA Modified in victory lane last Saturday night, Terry Kirk heard a chorus of cheers from the Lucas Oil Speedway fans. It put a big smile on his face.
"You bet, I did hear those," Kirk said earlier this week. "I was surprised, but you know, I’ve been around forever. I’ve run a lot of races over there at Wheatland. I won a lot of races back before it was Lucas Oil and before it had a wall around it."
Back in the days of Wheatland Raceway, Kirk raced there and all over the place and won his share of races. The last few years, he's slowed to a part-time schedule with more focus on helping his son, Colson Kirk, campaign a USRA B-mod. Kirk joked that he can't remember the last time he won a feature at Lucas Oil Speedway just saying it's been "a long, long time."
The Urbana resident was in vintage form, leading all 20 years for the Cedar Creek Beef Jerky USRA Modified victory as he outdistanced season points leader Ryan Middaugh. It was just Kirk's night, it seemed, from when he checked into the pit building and drew a prime starting spot for the heat race.
"I drew good to start off and won the heat. Then on the re-draw I drew the one again," Kirk said. "It all sure worked out in my favor."
It was a fun night for Kirk, who's always driven in the top Modified class since he began racing in the late 1990s. Along with the old Wheatland track, he raced regularly at his hometown Dallas County Speedway, Warrensburg, Springfield "and wherever. We went out of state a lot. We went to Arkansas back then, out into Kansas. We ran a lot of USMTS back in the late ‘90s and early 2000s."
While estimating he's won around 40 career feature races, Kirk said he never was a points racer.
"I've just always went where I felt like going," Kirk said.
And he's had a good time and some memorable stories to tell from the journey.
"I won a race at Urbana, in the late '90s or about 2000," Kirk said. "I blew a motor during hot laps. I only live four or five miles from the track. We came home, me and a couple of my brothers and some guys who were helping me at the time and changed motors. We went back to the track, got there in time for the feature, started in the back of the pack and won.
"There was 16 or 18 in the feature. Back then, Dallas County was hot. There wasn't any place for another car to park or another spectator to get in.
"The only other place that a ran regularly and never could win a feature was Lamonte. I've run second up there, I'll bet 10 times. I never could win. A couple of times I led to the last lap. We thought we won one, one night, and they gave it to another guy. The finish line was past where the flag stand was and I let up at the flag stand and he passed me."
The last few years, he's run a newer GRT but not often. He competed only eight times in 2022 and has been on the track seven times this year.
"Colson won 12 or 13 races last year," Terry Kirk said. "He's hanging around the front but only has one win this year. He just ain’t got no luck. I drew the front Saturday night and he drew the highest number they had in the B-Mod. He an uphill run all night long. Went to Arrowhead on Friday night and it was the same thing.
"A lot of the time I’ll let (my car) sit so I can go with Colson, if he’s going somewhere interesting or if there’s a big-money race somewhere. The other night, we decided everybody was going to Lucas and we all went over there."
The Cedar Creek Beef Jerky USRA Modified will be the featured class on Saturday when it's Fan Appreciation Night for Round 13 of the Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series. The Modified winner of the 25-lap feature will earn $1,000.
Meanwhile, the Show Me Vintage Racing Club Cars will be on hand as our guest class and will be displaying their cars on the midway prior to the event.
Also during intermission, Kids' Power Wheel races will be held. The kids can enter their own battery-powered Power Wheel cars by signing up for the Frogs Jr. Fan Club on the south end of the Midway prior to the races. One Kids Power Wheel class will be the 6-12 volt cars and another will be for the 24-36 volt class. No power or speed enhancement modifications will be allowed.
Pit gates open at 4 p.m. with grandstands at 5, hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:05. Fans who purchase drag boat tickets on Saturday or two-day drag boat passes will be admitted free to the dirt track program.
Saturday dirt-track admission:
(Free admission to those with Saturday or two-day drag boat tickets)
Advance Discount Tickets online only (16 and up) - $12
Adults (16 and up) - $15
Seniors (62 and up)/Military - $12
Youth (6-15) - $5
Kids (5 and under) - FREE
Family Pass - $35
Pit Pass - $35
Drag boats set for Saturday and Sunday: The Kentucky Drag Boat Association-sanctioned KDBA Show-Me Shootout on Lake Lucas starts a big weekend, with $33,200 in prize money up for grabs in 10 divisions Saturday and Sunday.
Fans attending the drag boat action will be admitted free with a Saturday ticket or a two-day drag boat pass.
The more information on the Kentucky Drag Boat Association, visit kydragboat.com to see results, standings, registration into and more.
KDBA Show-Me Shootout on Lake Lucas tentative schedule
Saturday
7 a.m. - Registration Opens
8 a.m. - Spectator Gates Open
9 a.m. - Round 1 Qualifying Sportsman Session
10:30 a.m. - Round 1 Qualifying Pro Session
12:30 p.m. - Round 2 Qualifying Sportsman Session
2 p.m. - Round 2 Qualifying Pro Session
Sunday
8 a.m. - Spectator Gates Open
9 a.m. - Eliminations
KDBA Show-Me Shootout admission:
Saturday
Adults GA/Pit Pass Combo (16 and up) - $25
Seniors (62 and up)/Military GA/Pit Pass Combo (62 and up) - $22
Youth GA/Pit Pass Combo (age 6 to 15) - $10
Kids GA/Pit Pass Combo (age 5 and under) - FREE
Family Pass GA/Pit Pass Combo (Includes Admission for 2 Adults and Up to 3 Kids ages 6-15) - $60
Adult 2-Day GA/Pit Pass Combo - $40
Seniors (62 and up)/Military 2-Day GA/Pit Pass Combo - $34
Youth Ages (6-15) 2-Day GA/Pit Pass Combo - $15
Sunday
Adults GA/Pit Pass Combo (16 and up) - $15
Seniors (62 and up)/Military GA/Pit Pass Combo (62 and up) - $12
Youth GA/Pit Pass Combo (age 6 to 15) - $5
Kids GA/Pit Pass Combo (age 5 and under) - FREE
Family Pass GA/Pit Pass includes Admission for 2 Adults and Up to 3 Kids Ages (6-15) - $35
Camping World SRX advance tickets on sale: It's just four weeks until some of the world's legendary drivers visit Lucas Oil Speedway to crown a champion in the Camping World Superstar Racing Experience Series.
General admission tickets remain on sale for the Camping World SRX "Thursday Night Thunder" on Aug. 17 at Lucas Oil Speedway, the finale of the six-race series which will determine the 2023 champion. All SRX races will air live on ESPN.
Purchase online tickets here
Drivers announced for the Lucas Oil Speedway event include NASCAR Cup Series champions Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski and Bobby Labonte, along with NASCAR drivers Kenny Wallace, Ken Schrader, Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer and Hailie Deegan. Also on hand will be four-time Indy 500 winer Helio Castroneves, plus reigning SRX Champion Marco Andretti and fellow Indy-car driver Paul Tracy and Trans-Am champion Ernie Franics Jr.
The series will pit the drivers against one another in identically prepared cars with points accumulated in each of the six events.
Tickets for the SRX event are $35 in advance and $40 at the gate (ages 16 and over). Kids (ages 6-15) will be $20 with ages 5-and-under free. Pit passes are $50 and must be purchased the day of the event.
USRA Modifieds will be the support class with an invitational format set for the non-points event.
Tentative Lucas Oil Speedway Camping World SRX schedule:
(Thursday, August 17th)
Noon - Pit gate will open for Drivers and crews only
1 p.m. - Main grandstand gates open
2:10 p.m. - Modified hot laps
2:30-4:30 p.m. - SRX practice sessions
4:30-5 p.m. – Track prep
5 p.m. – Modified heat races
5:30-6:15 p.m. - SRX drivers Q&A sessions (4 group sessions)
6:15 p.m. – Modified Feature
6:45-7:15 p.m. – Track prep and intermission break
7:15 p.m – SRX cars to grid
7:35 p.m. – SRX driver introductions
7:45 p.m. - Opening ceremonies and National Anthem
7:50 p.m. - SRX drivers to cars
8 p.m. – ESPN live
8:02 p.m. - Drivers start engines
8:12pm – SRX green flag
10 p.m. – Victory Lane set up and top 3 driver interviews for ESPN
For information on Camping World SRX Series tickets or about any event at Lucas Oil Speedway in 2023 contact admissions director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or email her at nichole@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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