9/13/2018
RacinBoys
Robinson promoted to expanded role and Lorton elevated to General Manager at Lucas Oil Speedway
By Lyndal Scranton (Wheatland, MO) -- Dan Robinson, General Manager of the highly successful Lucas Oil Speedway since 2009, has been promoted to Lucas Oil Director of Racing Operations for Lucas Oil Speedway, the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series, the Lucas Oil MLRA and the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League.
In a related move, Danny Lorton has been elevated to Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager. Lorton had previously been Assistant General Manager and Competition Director at the Wheatland, Missouri motorsports complex since December of 2015.
"I'm thrilled to accept this new role and the opportunity to work with some great racers, owners, sponsors and fans in the different racing venues affiliated with Lucas Oil," said Robinson, who had been Interim Director of the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Series since June.
"I'm also very happy that Danny has been promoted to General Manager at Lucas Oil Speedway," Robinson added. "He already has been running a lot of the day-to-day operations since I've been more involved with the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Series. While I will still be around a lot at Lucas Oil Speedway, I know Danny and our team at the speedway won't miss a beat."
Racing has been a lifelong passion for Robinson, a Wisconsin native who has overseen the growth of Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo., into one of the nation's showcase racing complexes with an oval dirt track, drag-boat racing lake and off road track.
Among Robinson's awards are the 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016 Great Plains Region Auto Racing Promoter of the Year and 2015 "Innovator of the Year" at the Race Track Business Conference in Indianapolis. In February 2017, he received the 41st Auto Racing Promoter of the Year Award, sponsored by Racing Promotion Monthly and Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Robinson's love of racing began as a crew member of a Dirt Late Model team at Wilmot Speedway at the age of 13 before later moving to southwest Missouri and working for five-time NASCAR Weekly Racing Series champion Larry Phillips and son Terry Phillips. He also worked for the Mittler Brothers NASCAR Truck team, along with being mentored in track operations by the late Bill Willard at Lebanon I-44 Speedway.
Since coming to Lucas Oil Speedway in 2007 and quickly working his way through the ranks, the track has enjoyed unparalleled success at the dirt oval and with the addition of the drag boat lake in 2011 and off road track in 2016. Robinson has presided over a diverse schedule of events at the dirt track, including weekly races, the nationally televised Show-Me 100, Diamond Nationals and ASCS Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial.
Lucas Oil Speedway's signature event, the Show-Me 100 was named the 2015 Most Outstanding Short Track Event by Racing Promotion Monthly.
Robinson and wife Dee Ann reside in Bolivar, Missouri and have two children, daughter Denae and son Dylan. Both attend Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar.
Lorton, a native of Moberly, Mo., has done everything from drive race-cars to oversee competition during a lengthy career in the racing business. He said he looks forward to his new role in continuing the legacy of excellence at Lucas Oil Speedway.
"I am thankful for the opportunity," Lorton said. "Dan Robinson has done an outstanding job with the speedway and I will continue to maintain and build to the standards that he has set. I have learned a lot from Dan and will continue to learn more as I take on this new position. I am very pleased to see Dan moving to a higher position with the Lucas Oil company. We both couldn't ask for a better company to work for."
Lorton got involved in racing at a young age with his father, who raced on the dirt tracks in central Missouri for many years. After high school, Lorton spent three years in the United States Navy starting in 1979 before three more years in the Naval Reserves.
While working as a supervisor at Mack Hils Inc., a metal fabrication plant in central Missouri for 18 years, Lorton began his own career racing in 1992 driving street stocks. He drove a Modified from 1997-2005, then both a Modified and Late Model for two seasons and a Late Model for seven years.
Lorton was a co-founder of the United Late Model Association, a cost-affordable series for Late Models in 2006, as well as serving on the ULMA Board of Directors until the Lucas Oil MLRA and its Series Director, Ernie Leftwich, began overseeing the series in 2018.
Lorton remained active as a racer until 2013 when he was named Race/Competition Director of the Randolph County Raceway in Moberly. He spent three years there until his hiring as Lucas Oil Speedway's Assistant General Manager in December of 2015.
Danny and his wife Lisa of 34 years now reside in Humansville, Mo. He has one daughter, Tara Ragain of Clifton Hill, Mo., and three grandchildren.
Robinson and Lorton will begin a search for a new Lucas Oil Speedway Assistant General Manager with more information to be posted over the next few weeks at http://LucasOilSpeedway.com.
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott
