5/31/2023
Lucas Oil Speedway
Lucas Oil Speedway Spotlight: USRA B-Mod points leader Williams sets sights on finding victory lane
WHEATLAND, MO. (May 31, 2023) - There’s a new name atop the Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod championship standings at Lucas Oil Speedway, but you won’t find Bobby Williams talking about points chasing any time soon.
Williams, a 23-year-old from nearby Hermitage, has a focus on winning races. He’s yet to do so, using five top-five finishes in six events to build a 49-point lead in the Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series.
“If we can win some races, track championships and stuff like that will come,” Williams said. “Our main focus is to just try to win every night out.”
Williams’ quest resumes on Saturday when the Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods are the featured class on Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper $5 Night at the Races. The B-Mods' 25-lap feature will pay $750 to win.
Racing has been a part of Williams’ life since he began driving go-karts before moving into micro-sprints. He said a bad wreck in sprints convinced him to leave open-wheel racing behind and he’s been driving B-Mods or Modifieds for about 10 years.
This has been by far the best season. Overall, Williams has 13 top-five finishes in 16 features at six different tracks.
Williams said the key to his success has been adapting to his J2 Race Car built by Kris Jackson who, ironically, is the driver Williams is trying to dethrone as the king of B-Mods at Lucas Oil Speedway. Jackson is a seven-time track champion who’s won the last four titles.
Jackson is not running for track points in 2023, clearing the way for Williams and others to stake a claim to a championship.
“Kris and everybody over there at J2 have been helping me a lot,” Williams said. “Just the feedback they give and Kris is also helping me a whole bunch with my driving, just trying to minimize my mistakes.”
Seat time has been important and a reason Williams has been trying to race as much as possible this season.
“Usually we race on Friday and Saturday and if we can find a Sunday race somewhere, we’ll go there too,” Williams said. “We’ve been trying to go three nights a week if we can, to find me some more seat time. I’ve made lots of little mistakes this year that have cost me wins. So if I can get a little more comfortable in the car, I think I can minimize those mistakes.”
Winning a feature at Lucas Oil Speedway not only would help his season championship hopes, it would achieve a long-time dream for Williams. He’s been close, with two second-place feature finishes in 2023.
“I’ve got a Silver Driller from the Tulsa Shootout from when I was a kid and that’s a pretty big win for me,” Williams said. “But to win at Lucas, my hometown track in front of my family and friends, that would be pretty amazing.”
Williams’ sponsors include White’s Marine Center, Aaron White Racing, Miller’s Body Shop, J Williams Contracting, Bear Trailers, Campbell Buildings and Metal Sales and Don Howe Gravel and Dirt.
“I also have my niece, Blakely Williams, her name is on the quarter panel,” Bobby Williams said. “She was diagnosed with down syndrome. It’s cool to have her there with us every weekend.”
The Cedar Creek Beef Jerky USRA Modifeids, Hermitage Lumber Late Models and O'Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars also will be in action on Saturday with all grandstand tickets $5 for ages 6-and-older. Kids under six, as always, are free.
Pit gates open at 4 p.m. with grandstand gates at 5. Hot laps are set for 6:30 with racing at 7:05 p.m.
Admission prices:
General Admission (ages 6 and Up) - $5
Kids (5 and under)- FREE
Pit Pass - $35
Kids' Pit Tour: The Frogs Jr Fan Club Pit Tour, led by flagman Mike Striegel, is scheduled prior to each weekly dirt-track racing program this season, Striegel will lead the 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.
SRX tickets remain 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. All SRX races will air live on ESPN.
Drivers 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
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, 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
