11/17/2019
Lucas Oil Speedway Champions Review: Reed makes good on goal of Pitts Homes USRA Modified crown
WHEATLAND, Missouri - The goal was set early in the season, after Robbie Reed bounced back from a poor opening-night run at Lucas Oil Speedway and won the week two Pitts Homes USRA Modified feature.
Even though that would be his lone trip to victory lane, Reed was a mark of consistency en route to his first Lucas Oil Speedway track championship. He used three second-place finishes and seven top-five runs to finish 62 points ahead of runner-up Jason Pursley.
"We kind of set out a goal to race for it early in the year," Reed said. "It was kind of an accomplishment to get it done. There are a lot of good drivers that come through there. A lot of tracks you go to, you're racing the same guys every week. There's good cars and good drivers from different series that come through there every week.
"I feel like we really did something by winning that championship."
Reed, from the mid-Missouri town of Mexico, made the most of his decision to become a regular at Lucas Oil Speedway for the first time. Driving a new Vanderbuilt Race Car, he said a key was maximizing the most of the bad nights, even if those were few and far between.
"On your bad nights, you have to get every position you can when running for something like that," Reed said. "We were able to do that."
Not only did Reed capture the track title, he looked good doing it. He took home the Best Appearing Race Car Award at the speedway's postseason banquet. That included all four Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series divisions and was selected by track photographer Kenny Shaw and the track staff.
"For all the cars that come through there, that was a pretty cool deal," Reed said. "I wasn't expecting that."
Reed said he's always taken a lot of pride in how his race car looks, even his work vehicles at his recycling business, Central Metals. But he praised crew member Derek "Dirk" Keith, in particular, for keeping the race car looking sharp.
"Dirk takes is really into it; he goes over and above with the looks of the car and keeping it up," Reed said. "He takes a lot of pride in it.
"They do a lot for the team," Reed added of Dirk and brother Buddy Keith, along with Dale Test. "They probably are more into racing than I am. I probably wouldn't get to go do it as much without their help."
Following one more race, later this month, Reed said work will begin on refurbishing his two race cars for the 2020 season. He plans to go after another championship at Lucas Oil Speedway and said the best might be yet to come.
"I'm kind of (eager) to run it again down there," Reed said of the Vanderbuilt car. "We've got a really good car that's dialed in now. We're two-for-two in wins since getting it dialed in and haven't go to run it at Lucas Oil since the season ended so early down there. I think we really have something to take there, now."
What did he and the team figure out? Reed, with a laugh, declined to be specific.
"It's just working a lot better. It's driving off the corners," he said. "I can't really say what we've done. It's kind of a secret. But we've got it working better than we had it all year.
"We sure had a lot of seconds down there. I wish we had the car that we have today, then. We've have had more wins down there."
2019 USRA Modified Champion Robbie Reed
Lucas Oil Speedway USRA Modified Championship Banquet video for Robbie Reed (Video by Robert Claunch)
The 2020 Lucas Oil Speedway season will begin on April 4 with the first Weekly Racing Series program of the season, following an Open Test & Tune on March 28. The tentative schedule was announced last week.
Season passes, along with Show-Me 100 three-day passes, will go on sale later this winter. Look for that information at LucasOilSpeedway.com and on Lucas Oil Speedway's Facebook page. Contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan for more info at (417) 282-5984 or via email at Nichole@LucasOilSpeedway.com.
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 the 2020 schedule 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.
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 ninth season for the Liquid Quarter Mile Drag Racing Lake, "Lake Lucas." New for 2017 was all-purpose built Off Road facility featuring the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series as well as a host of other 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 Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series features the Warsaw Auto Marine & RV ULMA Late Models, Pitts Homes USRA Modifieds, O'Reilly Auto Parts Street Stocks and the Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods.
Article Credit: Lance Jennings
