4/13/2023
Lucas Oil Speedway
Lucas Oil Speedway Spotlight: After fast-but-frustrating season debut, JC Newell looks for USRA B-Mod success
WHEATLAND, MO. (April 13, 2023) - Opening night at Lucas Oil Speedway was the ultimate good news/bad news outcome for JC Newell in the Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod division.
Debuting a new Allen Autosports car - without so much as a lap of practice - the 26-year-old from Buffalo didn’t know what to expect when he unloaded back on March 25th.
“I was pretty nervous going into that weekend,” Newell said. “It was the first time I’d taken a new car out like that, with no practice. I was surprised for it to be as quick as it was.”
Newell led the first 11 laps in the feature and had a 1.5-second command when he suddenly slowed and pulled to the infield. What appeared to be a victory with his grasp disappeared in a blink.
“A maintenance issue on my end kind of cost us,” Newell said, noting a throttle linkage fell off the carburetor. “We were just excited to come right out of the box with the speed we had the first night, but definitely upset because we felt we gave one away. But we’d rather break leading than running 10th or something.”
Newell looks forward to getting into a regular racing rhythm, beginning with Saturday night’s Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series program. The Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods are the headline class, running a 25-lap feature for $750 to win.
He’s also looking forward to getting back to regular contention at Lucas Oil Speedway, where he was fourth in B-Mod season points in 2021 with one feature win and four other top-five finishes. Newell wound up fifth in the deep, talented B-Mod division in 2020.
Last year saw a curtailed schedule after Newell and wife Lindsey welcomed son Deacon in February. Now 14 months, Deacon is enjoying his time around the track, probably destined to someday become a fourth-generation Newell racer.
“We also had some problems getting some engine parts and didn’t have our motor for most of the season,” Newell said of 2022. “So we ran a pretty limited schedule last year.”
Racing definitely is a family affair. Newell’s younger brother Dayton and dad Ben race Midwest Mods and his grandfather “Big JC” drove pavement cars until recent years. His father-in-law, Scotty Allen, is well known for both his driving and car-building skills. Allen, Ben Newell and “Big JC” all are members of the Ozarks Area Racers Foundation Hall of Fame.
JC Newell said he’s looking forward to racing with Allen some this season as Scotty gets a chance to compete in B-Mods.
“Just hopefully try and win some races,” JC Newell said of his goals in a new-look car that has a primary color of orange. He figured the new car was a perfect time to change up the appearance.
“My dad used to race an orange car back in the day and I wanted to do something bright and different and stand out,” JC said of the new look. “We had run red and white and it seemed like a lot of guys were in red and white. We just wanted to try something different.”
Newell’s sponsors include Prime Inc., Los Hermanos Mexican Restaurant, The Butcher Shop, Royal Heating and Air, Pomme Plumbing LLC, Bite Me Hooks, Scotty’s Signs & Wraps, KR Performance Fuels LLC, RACE Schock Service and Ruble Racing Engines.
The Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods will headline Round Two of the Weekly Racing Series Presented by Townsquare Media and KIX 105.7 FM. The Hermitage Lumber Late Models, Cedar Creek Beef Jerky USRA Modifieds and O'Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars also will be in action.
Pit gates open at 4 p.m. with grandstands at 5, hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:05.
Kids' Pit Tour: Resuming this week will be the Frogs Jr Fan Club Pit Tour, led by flagman Mike Striegel. Prior to each weekly dirt-track racing program this season, Striegel will lead a pit tour on a large golf cart for youngsters ages 5-12 with the youngsters signing up for a drawing each week to be a part of the tour.
Striegel will drive them through the pits and stop and visit with various drivers where the youngsters can see the race cars up close, take pictures and collect autographs.
Kids can sign up for the Frogs Jr Fan Club on the south end of the Midway after gates open at 5 p.m. for a chance to go on the pit tour.
Ticket info:
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
SRX roster of drivers expands, with tickets on sale: General admission tickets for the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) race scheduled for Aug. 17 at Lucas Oil Speedway remain on sale. Some of the biggest names in racing will be on hand as the SRX Thursday Night Thunder event will be the finale in the six-race series.
Drivers previously announced for the Wheatland event include Tony Stewart, Kenny Wallace, Hailie Deegan, Brad Keselowski, Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman, Helio Castroneves, Clint Bowyer, reigning SRX Champion Marco Andretti, Paul Tracy and Ryan Hunter-Reay.
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. Advance tickets can now be purchased via Stubwire - https://www.stubwire.com/event/srxespnthursdaynightthunder/lucasoilspeedway/wheatland/28075/ Pit passes are $50 and must be purchased the day of the event.
For information 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
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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, 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, 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, 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.
Article Credit: By Lyndal Scranton, Lucas Oil Speedway
