Lucas Oil Speedway Spotlight: Phillips hoping a little home cooking will boost him at USMTS Slick Mist Show-Me Shootout
WHEATLAND, MO. — Over the years, whether it's been in a Modified or Late Model, Terry Phillips' has had a love-hate relationship with Lucas Oil Speedway.
The veteran Springfield racer has enjoyed some good moments, including United States Modified Touring Series wins in 2012 and 2014. He's also had his share of struggles. Three years ago, we was leading a special USMTS weeknight edition and, with six laps to go, saw a mechanical issue end his hopes.
With this Saturday's USMTS Slick Mist Show-Me Shootout Presented by Foley Equipment in mind, Phillips entered a Cedar Creek Beef Jerky USRA Modified program a few weeks ago. It was a competitive test session for his new Phillips Bloodline chassis and Phillips was fast in hot laps.
Then a broken driveshaft ended his night.
"At first I thought I had a flutter in the motor and a little vibration and I shut it down," Phillips said. "We worked on the motor and couldn’t find anything. So I went back out there and gassed it and the drive shaft split in two. So I didn’t get much test time there."
Despite the frequent struggles at the track closest to home, Phillips is eager to give it another try on Saturday night when the USMTS returns to Lucas Oil Speedway. The feature winner will earn $10,000 in the finale of a three-night swing that includes Thursday at I-70 Speedway and Friday at Lakeside Speedway.
"It’s nice. We’re traveling all over and it’s a lot nicer being a little closer to home and we’re ready to go," Phillips said.
Phillips said it's been an "up and down" season in his new home-built chassis, with two feature wins in 27 USMTS events. Included was a recent win at Mason City, Iowa, his first since March. He's hopeful that will kick-start positive momentum.
Phillips sits ninth in USMTS points with six top-five finishes and 10 top-10s.
"We didn’t get qualified good, but drew to the pole," Phillips said of the invert and re-draw process that the USMTS utilizes to set the starting feature field. "I think we’ve got the speed most of the time or pretty close. It’s where you start."
Too often for his liking this season, Philips said he's been fast while winning heat races but the re-draw for the main event hasn't been kind. Starting sixth instead of first or second can crush your hopes to win, he said.
"Speed has been there. Our new car is pretty good," Phillips said. "The way they do their inversion and all that makes it really hard. We’ve also went to tracks that aren’t good to pass on in general. When you set fast time in your heat and you start in the third row, most times you’re lucky to pass on car because everybody’s within a tenth of a second of you.
“It’s tough as it’s ever been," he added, describing the quality of competition. "They’re paying all this money and it’s brought out better cars and younger kids. They’ve got talent and they have help. Everybody has gotten better. They have better equipment and they do a good job."
Philips announced early this year that he was retiring from a storied career in Late Model racing to focus entirely on Modifieds. He started his new Bloodline chassis line and has sold a half-dozen cars. Recently, he's decided to bring the entire process back to his shop after first outsourcing the initial stages.
"I went and got all my equipment and jigs the other day and we’re working on a building to start doing it here at our shop," Phillips said. "We’re kind of on a little lull and we’ll start up and this winter we’ll hit it hard."
Philips knows that winning is the best marketing for selling his cars. He believes the speed is there to do so and hopes what he found in the trip to Lucas Oil Speedway prior to the driveshaft failure will translate to results on Saturday. It would be sweet to break a long drought in front of his legion of local fans.
"We completely changed set-ups up there and got better, so we’re gonna try that and see how it goes," Phillips said. "If it doesn't work, we can put it back and still be pretty good. You're always just trying to get that extra edge."
Whatever happens, Phillips said he's all in on Modifieds. The Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer, a four-time Lucas Oil MLRA champion and six-time MARS Series champ, said he hasn't missed driving a Late Model one bit.
"I haven’t even really thought about it," Phillips said. "I guess I’ve turned into a fan. I watch it on TV. Strangely, I don’t miss it at all. I’d kind of been done with it a couple of years, really. I did it for a long time and now I don’t really think about it much."
Dereck Ramirez of Woodward, Okla., has won the last three editions of the Show-Me Shootout including last year when he led wire-to-wire to collect $10,000. He beat Darron Fuqua by 1.1 seconds at the finish.
Four-time series champion Rodney Sanders of Happy, Texas, is leading the Summit USMTS Championship standings by 78 points over Jason Hughes of Watts, Okla., and 117 over Jim Chisholm of Osage, Iowa. Sanders and Chism have two feature victories apiece this season in 27 series starts while Hughes is seeking his first.
The Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods, O'Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars and the Hermitage Lumber Late Models will also be in action. Pit gates open at 4 p.m., with grandstands at 5, hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:05.
Saturday admission:
Advance Discount Tickets online only (16 and up) - $22
Adults (16 and up) - $25
Seniors (62 and up)/Military - $22
Youth (6-15) - $10
Kids (5 and under) - FREE
Family Pass (two adults and up to three youth) - $60
Pit Pass $45
The Show-Me Shootout on Saturday concludes a three-race swing for the USMTS Series, which begins on Thursday at I-70 Speedway and continues on Friday at Lakeside Speedway. For more information on the series, go to usmts.com.
Camping World SRX advance tickets on sale: It's just a couple of 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 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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