Armed with new chassis, Cox ready to roll as Lucas Oil Speedway Weekly Late Models get shot at extra cash
WHEATLAND, MO. — The Hermitage Lumber Late Model division enjoyed a rejuvenated Big Adventure Weekly Racing Series season at Lucas Oil Speedway with car count on the rise.
Now the Late Models get to run a two-night show for money usually reserved for the open division. The first Fall Brawl Presented by SMC will find the State Tech Hermitage Lumber Late Models running full programs Friday and Saturday with a $2,000 to win feature on night one and $4,000 night two.
"I think we’re all pretty excited," driver Tucker Cox of Jefferson City said. "It’s been a long time coming. A lot of us have been racing at Wheatland for a while. There’s some new guys, too, but there’s several of us that have raced there for quite a few years now. I think it’s deserved."
Drivers had to enter a minimum of four Weekly Racing Series events to be eligible. For Cox, that became problematic when a hard crash in mid April left him with a broken foot and uncertain racing plans. He missed two months and admitted his foot wasn't 100 percent for a while.
But the 23-year-old was able to pick up where he left off, running near the front. He had five top-five finishes after returning in mid-July, including four third-place feature runs at Wheatland.
"We’ve been pretty good," Cox said. "I blew a motor up one week running third and I’ve ran third a few times. We’ve been all right and are trying to get a little bit better now.
“I wasn’t real sure what to expect (when he came back) with my foot being the way it was, with it being sore. It’s gotten a lot better since I first came back. The first few weeks I was pretty sore after the races and during the races. I think that affected me a little bit.
“It's still a little bit sore, not every day, but some days. The doctor said it could take up to a year to fully recovery from the soreness."
Cox is looking to finish the season strong and built positive momentum heading in the winter months. He plans to hit the POWRi Nationals at Lake Ozark Speedway next weekend and the Turkey Bowl at Springfield against open competition in November.
He will do so with a new chassis, having switched to a Capital after campaigning an MB Customs for the last few seasons. He debuted it last week at I-35 Speedway, finishing third in the feature.
"My MB was good and everything, I just hadn’t drove anything else really," Cox said. "I drove something else my first year and have had MB Customs since. I just want to do something a little bit and try it out and see how it was.
"I’m hoping to run a little better this week and carry that into the end of the year and next year."
The Springfield Mechanical Services Inc. POWRi Pure Stock Shootout also will be a first-time special for that class at Lucas Oil Speedway. The SMSI Pure Stock Shootout was formerly held at Dallas County Speedway, which closed earlier this year. The Shootout will see the Pure Stocks going after $500 to win on Friday and $1,500 on Saturday with $150 to start.
The Friday winner will earn a provisional into Saturday night's feature if the driver does not qualify for the main event otherwise.
Also running full programs both nights will be the Show Me Vintage Racers Series (SMVR) and the American Iron Racing Series (A.I.R.S).
Spectator gates open at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7 p.m.
Friday admission:
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 - $40
Pit Pass - $35
Saturday admission:
Advance Discount Tickets online only (16 and up) - $17
Adults (16 and up) - $20
Seniors (62 and up)/Military - $17
Youth (6-15) - $10
Kids (5 and under) - FREE
Family Pass - $50
Pit Pass - $40
For information on 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
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General Tire
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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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