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Jesse Hockett/Daniel
McMillin Memorial Thursday-Saturday!
by: Lonnie Wheatley
WHEATLAND, MO (September 20, 2011) - With the Lucas Oil ASCS presented by
K&N Filters National championship points race tightening up, the series
ventures to Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO, for the Jesse Hockett /
Daniel McMillin Memorial event this weekend.
And, for the first time, this year's Hockett / McMillin Memorial is a
two-night event at the "Diamond of Dirt Tracks" with a full slate of action
on both Friday night and Saturday night following a Thursday practice
session from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
This weekend's action marks the first time for the Hockett / McMillin
Memorial to be hosted by Lucas Oil Speedway. Jason Johnson topped the
initial three Daniel McMillin Memorial features from 2007 to 2009 before
Zach Chappell won last year's Hocktt / McMillin main event at Lake Ozark
Speedway.
While the Memorial event shifts to Lucas Oil Speedway for the first time,
the palace of dirt tracks has hosted the Lucas Oil ASCS National series
annually since 2006 with Tim Crawley cracking victory lane last September.
Leading the way into the weekend is Bixby, OK, native Shane Stewart, though
his substantial lead shriveled drastically during the series most recent
action at Minnesota's Jackson Nationals on August 19-20. While the 2009
series champion had held a 142-point lead, a rough weekend that included his
first DNF of the year allowed Albuquerque's Johnny Herrera to cut the gap to
just 78 points. Stewart's DNF in the Jackson Nationals finale ended a run of
21 consecutive Lucas Oil Sprint Car top-ten feature finishes dating back to
last year.
While Stewart spent this past weekend in Canada trying to defend his
Canadian Sprint Car Nationals title, Herrera has spent the past two weekends
abusing the ASCS Southwest forces with wins at Canyon Speedway Park and USA
Raceway. Tucson's USA Raceway will be the site of the season-ending Lucas
Oil Sprint Car event, the Western World Championships, on November 17-19.
While Herrera is 78 points behind Stewart in the title chase, he is also 78
points ahead of third-ranked Jeff Swindell of Bartlett, TX, with Broken
Arrow, Oklahoma's Brady Bacon up to fourth in points and Hooks, TX, ace Gary
Wright rounding out the current top five.
The balance of the current top ten in Lucas Oil Sprint Car points includes
last year's Lucas Oil Speedway feature winner Tim Crawley (Benton, AR), Seth
Bergman (Snohomish, WA), leading Brodix Rookie of the Year contender Aaron
Reutzel (Clute, TX), Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS) and Jason Johnson
(Eunice, LA). Just outside the top ten is Talala, Oklahoma's Zach Chappell,
last year's Hockett / Memorial feature event winner.
While Jason Johnson is tenth in driver points, his JJR No. 41 entry holds an
86-point edge over the Shane Stewart-driven Paul Silva No. 57 in the owner's
portion of the $60,000 championship points chase. After having Kyle Larson
and Jack Dover fill in for the initial four events of the season as Johnson
finished off Australian duties, "The Ragin' Cajun" has risen to the top of
the win charts with five National wins.
This weekend's action also awards Speedway Motors ASCS Warrior points on
both nights. Currently, 23-year-old Brad Loyet of Sunset Hills, MO, holds
the Warrior lead in his rookie Sprint Car campaign. Loyet holds a 227-point
advantage over four-time Warrior champ Randy Martin of California, MO, with
the rest of the Warrior top ten including Jonathan Cornell (Sedalia, MO),
Kyle Bellm (Nixa, MO), Mark Shirshekan (Farmington, MO), Cody Baker (Lone
Jack, MO), Josh Stephens (Buckner, MO), Tyler Blank (California, MO), Austin
Alumbaugh (Higginsville, MO) and Miranda Arnold (Sedalia, MO).
This weekend's Hockett / McMillin Memorial will mark just the second time
for Sprint Cars to hit the semi-banked, 3/8-mile Lucas Oil Speedway dirt
oval this year after Grain Valley, Missouri's Brian Brown rallied from 18th
to win a spirited ASCS Warrior main event in June.
The stars of the ASCS National Tour make only one stop at the Diamond of
Dirt Tracks in 2011. September 22-24, 2011 the nations top sprint car
drivers will converge in Wheatland, Missouri to remember and honor the late
Jesse Hockett and Daniel McMillin.
Tickets are available now on Show Clix for the three day event.
Thursday night, September 22nd will kick off the three day event with an
open practice. Pits will be open at 3PM with practice from 6-9PM a pit pass
is $25. Grandstand gates will open at 5PM with FREE admission. Drivers and
fans are invited to join in a BBQ style dinner served following practice.
Dinner is free with a pit pass and only $10 for all others.
Throughout the event, chances for 2012 Lucas Oil Speedway Season Passes will
be available. One pair of 2012 Season Passes will be raffled off to benefit
the Annual Spookway Safe Trick or Treat Night and other kids activities. Two
chances are just $5, make sure to get entered for your chance to win this
weekend!
Racing action will hit the track Friday night featuring the Lucas Oil ASCS
National Tour presented by K&N and the area's best SportMods. Friday night
will be a complete show for both the ASCS and the SportMods. Grandstand
gates will open at 5PM, hot laps at 6:45PM, racing at 7:30PM.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 2011
Adults (16 and up) $20
Seniors (62 and up) $15
Youth (6 to 15) $5
Kids (5 and under) FREE
Family Pass $40
Pit Pass $30
Saturday night will cap off the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour's only visit to
Lucas Oil Speedway in 2011. The Pitts Homes A Modified's will run a full
show on Saturday in addition to the Sprint's. Grandstand gates will open at
4PM, hot laps at 5:45PM, racing at 6:30PM.
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2011
Adults (16 and up) $25
Seniors (62 and up) $20
Youth (6 to 15) $10
Kids (5 and under) FREE
Family Pass $50
Pit Pass $35
Saturday only, a donation of 6 non-perishable food items to Hickory County
Food Pantry at the gate will grant $2 off adult general admission tickets.
Help Lucas Oil Speedway serve our local community through the donation of
items to the food pantry.
Tickets available for purchase now on Show Clix.
The Lucas Oil Speedway is located at Highways 83 and 54 in Wheatland, MO. A
campground with shower and bathroom facilities is also available. With it's
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 www.LucasOilSpeedway.com for more information and detailed directions
to the speedway or call the Track Hotline at (417) 282-5984.
About Lucas Oil Speedway
The Lucas Oil Speedway is considered by Industry Insiders to be one of the
top five Race Tracks in the Nation. Located in Wheatland Missouri, about an
hour north of Springfield and only about an hour and a half from Kansas
City. It's called "The Diamond of Race Tracks" and it certainly lives up to
that title. Twenty one luxury suites, a giant HD Jumbo Tron Screen, Musco
Sports lighting, a Bose Stadium Sound System, Go Kart Track for all ages,
The Diamond Bar, the best track food in the country, and the nicest pits in
dirt track racing are just a few of the amenities that set us apart. New for
2011 will be Championship Drag Boat Racing at the Brand New Liquid Quarter
Mile scheduled for completion Mid-Summer 2011.
We host some of the largest dirt track events in the Midwest featuring some
of the biggest names in racing including: The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt
Series, POWRi Midget National Series, The Lucas Oil Pro-Pulling League,
Casey's General Stores USMTS Modifieds, Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series,
ASCS Sprint Cars, and The Lucas Oil MLRA.
In addition to the awesome special events, the Lucas Oil Speedway hosts the
"Rockstar Energy Drink Championship Series" of weekly racing featuring the
TNT Quick Shop Late Models, the Pitt's Homes A-Modifieds, and the Carson's
Corner Napa Factory Stocks. The National Race Media has called these shows,
"some of the Best Weekly Racin' in the Nation!"
Last season the speedway boasted over 7 Nationally Televised Events on MavTV,
SPEED CHANNEL and the Versus Network. CBS Sports comes on board for (3) huge
events this season including the 19th Annual DART Show-Me 100, the Lucas Oil
Pro Pulling League Truck and Tractor Pull, and the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Event
scheduled for July 2011. For complete information including this seasons
schedule, log on to www.LucasOilSpeedway.com
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