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Diamond Dozen: Looking back at 12 memorable Lucas Oil Speedway moments during 2024 season

WHEATLAND, MO. (Nov. 12, 2024) - Before closing the book on the 2024 racing season at Lucas Oil Speedway, it’s time to take a look back in our annual review of the “Diamond Dozen,” an overview of the top 12 moments. The list is compiled by Lucas Oil Speedway public relations director Lyndal Scranton with an assist from track announcer Shane Friebe.

1 - USMTS Show-Me Shootout expands and produces classic: Jim Chisholm outdueled Terry Phillips in a USMTS race for the ages on Night One of the 15th annual Slick Mist Show-Me Shootout Presented by Foley Equipment. It was the first time the event was expanded to two nights.

Chisholm, the young gun from Osage, Iowa, led six of the final eight laps, but swapped the lead with Phillips, the veteran from Springfield, Mo., three times over the final stretch of the 40-lapper. Chisholm regained the lead from Phillips on lap 38 and held on from there to win by a narrow .445 seconds for the $5,000 prize.

"We could run top to bottom. We ran through the middle a lot. I have to thank Terry. I don't know if he led some of those laps, but we were running side by side through there. I was a little bit better through one and two and he would get me back in three and four,” Chisholm said in victory lane.

Chisholm completed the weekend sweep with another $5,000 win the next night.

"This is gonna stick with me for a really, really long time," Chisholm said, adding, "again, Lucas Oil gave us a really good race track. I didn't win the race on the line I started. To me, that's huge because it keeps us drivers working really hard on where we have to run.”

2 - “Superman” does it again in Show-Me 100: Living up to his nickname of "Superman," Jonathan Davenport put on another dominating performance to cap Memorial Day Weekend’s 32nd annual Show-Me 100 Presented by the Missouri Division of Tourism.

Davenport led every lap, with only a parade of caution flags slowing him down in rolling to a $50,000 victory, a race shortened to 80 laps due to approaching thunderstorms. The Blairsville, Ga., driver took the checkers 5.92 seconds in front of runner-up Tim McCreadie.

It was Davenport's eighth feature victory at Lucas Oil Speedway since the spring of 2023 and his second Show-Me 100 triumph. He also won the crown jewel race in 2015, leading all 100 laps.

Davenport’s approach wasn’t without some danger. His night nearly ended on lap 22 when Neil Baggett of Columbus, Miss., and Brennon Willard of Lebanon, Mo., tangled between turns three and four with Davenport charging toward them.

“Oh my God, that was so close,” recalled Davenport, who took evasive action to slip between the two spinning cars while making only the slightest contact with Willard’s right-rear quarterpanel. “I held my breath going through there. Luckily they just kept doing what they was doing and they didn’t stand on the gas and try to spin around, because I actually had to slide off the brake pedal to miss the first one and then I gassed up and went back the other way to miss the other one.”

3 - Tosh edges Brown in Full Fender Thriller: Richie Tosh of Salado, Ark. edged Brown in the Full Fender Challenge, featuring a field of 12 cars split between USRA Stock Cars and POWRi Super Stocks that ran features earlier in the evening. Both Tosh and Brown came out of the Super Stocks division.

Tosh, a close third after leading early in the Super Stock feature, began fifth in the Full Fender Challenge. But it was Brown who appeared on his way to a double victory most of the way.

Brown grabbed the lead on lap one and opened a 2.6-second gap on Tosh by lap seven when the first caution flew.After the restart, Brown and Tosh waged a battle at the front with Brown staying in front. Sixth-starting Fennewald, meanwhile, fell back to eighth by lap 11 after climbing as high as fifth at the caution.

Tosh pulled alongside Brown out of turn four on lap 15. Brown was able to fend off the challenge - until the final turn.

The leaders found themselves in lapped traffic on the final cirdcuit and Tosh, diving low in turn four, beat Brown by a hood’s length at the checkers, the margin listed as .074 seconds.

It worked out. Lapped traffic, we diced and sliced there a little bit," Tosh said. "It was a fun race and fortunate to get to do it.”

4 - Tony Jackson Jr. rolls to Jenkins Memorial MLRA win: Tony Jackson Jr. saved his best for last in the 10th annual Lucas Oil MLRA Ron Jenkins Memorial Presented by Rugged Radios over Labor Day Weekend.

The veteran Late Model driver from Lebanon found speed on the high side and rocketed to the lead two laps to go, then held off Dillon McCowan and Gordy Gundaker for the $12,000 victory.

Jackson never led - but also was never out of the top three - until the exciting finish when the 2021 Lucas Oil MLRA champ went from third to first seemingly in an instant. It was his second time to win a Ron Jenkins Memorial feature.

"What a race track," an excited Jackson said in victory lane. "Ten thousand is a great pay day and they add an extra two thousand. Great people and a great family. We can't thank them enough. We're blessed to win it.”

5 - Veteran Pursley celebrates first track championship: Jason Pursley could celebrate a Lucas Oil Speedway track championship after being runner-up multiple times — even if it wasn't exactly the way he would have planned it.

Pursley spun and damaged his car on the opening lap in the feature, but by merely taking the green flag on Saturday night Pursley clinched the Arctic Food Equipment USRA Modified track championship in the Big Adventure RV Weekly Championship Series.

Pursley was running second behind fellow front-row starter Chambers on the opening lap when he spun between turns three and four and was hit by multiple cars - including his son, Dayton.

Pursley was unable to continue and credited with 20th place, but thanks to a 69-point lead to begin the night over Chad Lyle, who didn't start the feature, Pursley clinched the championship when the green flew. He didn't win a feature, but had five top-five finishes and three other top-10s this season.

"It's good to finally not be the first loser," Pursley said with a laugh, thanking car owner Tom Campbell and his sponsors for the support.

Other track championships for 2024 went to JC Morton (Clear Creek Golf Cars USRA B-Mods), Justin Wells with a repeat in the Hermitage Lumber Late Models and William Garner (O’Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars).

6 - Phillips claims first Heartland Modified Tour event at Wheatland: Terry Phillips led all 30 laps, but it was a hard-fought battle to the finish as the veteran driver from Springfield captured the first USRA Heartland Modified Tour feature at Lucas Oil Speedway.

Phillips earned $2,000 for the victory, which also was the Arctic Food Equipment USRA Modified headliner of the Big Adventure RV Weekly Championship Series. Phillips held off Gabe Hodges by .209 seconds in a close battle that came down to the final turn, pitting the old pro against a young gun. A total of 50 USRA Modified checked into the pits.

Phillips, in his own Bloodline Race Car, utilized the low groove around the track from start to finish in his first added-money win at Lucas Oil Speedway in quite some time.

"I love coming up here. I run pretty decent in my Modified," Phillips said, noting the extra-thrill of victory in front of fans who rarely get to see him race near home as he's moved to top-level Modified racing full time in recent years.

Phillips hugged the low groove - as did the other contenders - until Hodges ducked to his inside in turn three on lap 19. Phillips was able to fend him off and Hodges moved up the track on lap 21 with Tyler Wolff putting the pressure on him. That allowed Phillips to extend his league to one second by lap 25.

The leaders hit heavy traffic at the white flag and Hodges closed in for one final charge. Phillips was able to hang on by a car length at the checkers with Wolff right behind.

7 - High Limit Racing arrives with Courtney capturing win: Tyler Courtney took the lead with five laps remaining Friday night and went on to capture Night One of the Kubota High Limit Racing Diamond Classic in late June. Courtney, of Indianapolis, roared from third and into the lead after a lap 24 restart and went on to earn $10,000 with his fourth Kubota High Limit Racing feature win of the season.

Courtney beat Brad Sweet at the finish with James McFadden capturing third.

"The last time I ran here, I won in a Midget (in 2016) and it's pretty cool to come back in a winged car and have success," the ninth-starting Courtney said in victory lane. "That was fun, a lot of fun.”

Courtney, driving for Clauson Marshall Racing, finished two seconds clear at the checkers as he pulled away from Brad Sweet and the rest after taking the lead on lap 25. He was the fourth and final leader of the 30-lapper.

8 - Chris Simpson wins MLRA Fall Nationals finale and Taylor bags Big Buck 50: Chris Simpson's weekend of settling for second-best at the Lucas Oil MLRA Fall Nationals took a positive turn as the veteran Iowa driver found his way to victory lane on the third and final night of action.

Simpson wrested the lead away from his older brother and MLRA points leader Chris Simpson on lap 19. He held it the rest of the way and went on to claim his second series victory of the season and second career MLRA victory at Lucas Oil Speedway. It was worth $10,000 as the co-headliner with the 8th annual Super Stocks Big Buck 50 Presented by Whitetail Trophy Hunt.

The return of the Big Buck 50 after a four-year break saw a familiar winner. Peyton Taylor of Batesville, Ark., grabbed the $10,000 victory to go with his Big Buck victories in 2019 and 2020. He took command on lap 15 and led the rest of the way.

Taylor also earned a spot in the sold-out Whitetail Trophy Hunt next month in mid-Missouri, which pays $15,000 to win.

Chris Simpson capped a weekend of perseverance after finishing runner-up to Ryan Gustin two nights in a row. He said a poor qualifying performance left him displeased and with a lot of work to do, starting the final-nigh feature in eighth.

"We love coming here," Simpson said. "I just have to thank all my guys. It's a good way to end it. We've been working hard all year.

Taylor, who also won the last Big Buck 50 at Wheatland, took command from Terry Schultz on lap 15 and, driving a car borrowed from Jared Neiswander after Taylor's car was plagued by motor issues on both preliminary nights, was never seriously threatened the rest of the way.

"To go back to back to back, it's pretty surreal," Taylor said. "Thank you all for bringing this back. This is a special event for a lot of us grassroots racers and I think everybody here had a fun time.”

9 - Bubak, Doney score first Hockett-McMillin Memorial wins: The 14th annual Jesse Hockett-Daniel McMillin Memorial saw a pair of first-winners. Jake Bubak emerged from an early three-car battle, wound up leading 24 of 25 laps and held off a late charge from Scott Bogucki to capture the POWRi 410 Sprint feature.

Meanwhile, Xavier Doney made the leap from race runner-up a year ago into victory lane in the POWRi WAR Sprint division.

"This is really special," said Bubak, of Arvada, Colo., after earning $10,000. "The Jesse Hockett-Daniel McMillin Memorial is a big one, probably the biggest memorial race in sprint cars.”

The Hockett-McMillin Memorial pays tribute to the legacy of Jesse Hockett of Warsaw, Mo., who was a star in both the winged and non-wing sprint divisions when he lost his life in a shop accident in 2010. His cousin and crew chief, Daniel McMillin, was killed in an automobile accident in 2006.

One year after finishing as the runner-up and with some other near-misses in this race, Doney of Odessa, Mo., was able to get it done in the wingless portion Doney took over the lead with 10 laps remaining and held off Jesse Vermillion of Greencastle, Ind., in a three-lap shootout after a late-race restart, to earn the $4,077 victory.

10 - Joe Chisholm takes USRA Nationals finale: Four nights of racing culminated with championship features in five divisions at Lucas Oil Speedway on Saturday night, with the Summit USRA Nationals hitting the finish line.

The big winner was young Iowa driver Joe Chisholm, who took command late in the USRA Modified feature and went on to capture the top prize of $4,000. Other winners were Jon Sheets in USRA B-Mods, Josh Cain in USRA Stock Cars, Oliver Monson in USRA Tuners and Jeremy Crimmins for the USRA Hobby Stocks.

Ninth-starting Chisholm of Osage, Iowa, seized the lead on lap 39 and drove away after a restart. He beat J.T. Wasmund and Nic Bidinger for the biggest victory of his rookie USRA Modified season.

Chisholm, 18, earned $4,000 for feature win No. 12 in 2024. He took the lead when dueling with USRA Modified national points leader Tyler Wolff as Wolff spun after he drifted too high in turn two.

11 - Fennewald collects bounty in Late Models: Johnny Fennewald of Appleton City led all 20 laps to capture the Hermitage Lumber POWRi Late Model feature Saturday night at Lucas Oil Speedway. Fennewald ended Justin Wells' feature win streak at six and claimed a $500 bounty in beating the reigning track champion.

Wells was involved in a lap-six incident and had to restart at the rear of the field. He wound up seventh - but the way Fennewald was on a rail throughout it probably would not have mattered. While the bounty money was nice, Fennewald said he wishes he could have won it by outrunning Wells.

"Honestly, I wouldn't even care if they paid me that bounty after this week; I want to race door-to-door and outrun him," Fennewald said of Wells, who would go on to win 11 features and another track championship.

12 - Logan Smith earns first win in unique format: Logan Smith of El Dorado Springs capitalized on a unique format and captured his first career feature victory in dominating fashion Saturday night. Smith, 20, ran away from the field to capture the second Twin 20 in the Clear Creek Golf Cars USRA B-Mods after veteran Jon Sheets of Nevada grabbed the first 20-lap win.

Both drivers took home $1,000 in the format which saw the 18 on the lead lap to finish the opener inverted, via fan vote, for the second feature.

Smith was ecstatic in victory lane after hugging the bottom line while leading all 20 laps for his landmark personal victory.

"I just tried to stay smooth and not slip up," Smith said.

One for the road - Sweet rolls in High Limit Racing makeup: Before the final week of action in the The Kubota High Limit Racing season arrived, Brad Sweet already had clinched the season championship. Now he's added a couple of exclamation points to his title while in the Show-Me State.

Sweet followed up his Tuesday-night triumph at I-70 Speedway in Odessa with a convincing feature victory on Wednesday at Lucas Oil Speedway's Diamond Classic. The Grass Valley, Calif., Winged Sprint veteran led 31 of 35 laps to earn $25,000 in the makeup of an event rained out at Wheatland on June 29th.

For ticket or camping information on any Lucas Oil Speedway event in 2025, contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 295-6043 or via email at nmcmillan@lucasoilspeedway.com.

It was recently announced that Pitts Home and Realty will become the title sponsor of the Weekly Racing Series in 2025 with admission to the weekly events $5 for all grandstand general admission.

For information about Lucas Oil Speedway, including schedules, point standings and other news, please visit LucasOilSpeedway.com.

CONTACT:
Danny Lorton
Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager
Office: (417) 282-5984
DLorton@lucasoilspeedway.com

Lucas Oil Speedway is located at Highways 83 and 54 in Wheatland, Missouri. A campground with shower and bathroom facilities is available. With its entrance located just outside the pit gate, this sprawling scenic camping facility will continue to enhance the racing experience.

For ticket and camping information and everything about the Show-Me 100 event, visit www.LucasOilSpeedway.com for all the 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 X, clicking "Like" at www.facebook.com/LucasOilSpeedway and on www.youtube.com/LucasOilSpeedway

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.

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, United States Modified Touring Series and the Lucas Oil MLRA,High Limit Sprint Racing Series, POWRi Sprint Cars and POWRi WAR Sprints.

In addition to the special events, the Lucas Oil Speedway Weekly Racing Series features the Late Models, USRA Modifieds, USRA Stock Cars, USRA B-Mods and Super Stocks.

2024 Official Lucas Oil Speedway Marketing Partners

Arizona Sport Shirts

"The Official Merchandise Provider" of Lucas Oil Speedway

Bill Roberts Chevrolet

"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

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

2024 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, Bolivar Auto Sales & Detailing, Bolivar Farmers Exchange-MFA, Boubin Tire/American Racer, Bridal Cave, BWI Sanitation, Candlelight Creations-Dick's Wild Root Horseradish, Casey's, Citizens Memorial Healthcare, City Magnet, Clearlight Inn, Dixie Chopper, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts by Axle Exchange, Foley Equipment-Cat Rental Store, Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare, Henry's Towing Service, Hermitage Lumber, HICKAMO Country Store, Hobbytime Motorsports, Iconic Apparel, Impact Signs Awnings Wraps, In the Garden of Eden, KC Bobcat, 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, Proboat, ProThings Apparel, RACEceiver, RacinDirt.com, RCR Designs, Real Racing Wheels, Rod End Supply, Rugged Radios, Ryan E. Murphy Law Firm LLC, SBU Athletics, Safety Kleen, Scott Furniture, Sidetrack RV Park, SMSI, Southwest Electric Cooperative, State Tech, Stillwater Resort, Summit Racing Equipment, Sunoco Race Fuels, Turn 1 Bar & Grill, US Army Corps of Engineers-Pomme de Terre, Vietti Marketing Group, Wheatland Motel, White's Marine Center, Wieland, Woods Supermarkets.

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