Lucas Oil Speedway Preseason Spotlight: Allison ready for busier Late Model season
2024-02-08 18:53
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WHEATLAND, MO. (Feb. 6, 2024) - After one of the most-consistent seasons of any Lucas Oil Speedway driver, in any of the four Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series divisions, Bryon Allison is ready for even bigger things in 2024.
Allison wound up second in the Hermitage Lumber Late Model class last season, 104.5 points behind track champion Justin Wells. While Allison did not win a feature, the veteran driver from Marshall posted 11 top-five finishes in 14 points races at Lucas Oil Speedway.
"It was good," Allison said of his season. "We haven't got to race a lot over the last few years and the technology has changed quite a bit with the springs and stuff. We've been trying to get back up to speed with all of that stuff and as the year went on, we got consistently faster. The end of the year wound up really well. We'll just keep working on things."
This year, Allison is excited about the opportunity to expand his role for the Moon Brothers Racing team out of Sedalia. Along the Black Diamond that Allison is set to drive in the Hermitage Lumber POWRi Late Models division, the team has added a newer Rocket chassis for Allison to do some open Late Model racing in Lucas Oil MLRA and Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events visiting Wheatland.
"Any time you get back into an open car, it's a lot of fun," said Allison, who has some past experience racing in the MLRA series. "It's exciting to get to race against some of the big teams. It's gonna be a fun year. Hopefully everything works out."
Allison started his racing career in 1993 at Sedalia in the Street Stock division and after a couple of years moved into Super Stocks and began winning races.
"Then I moved into Late Models and ran at Sedalia quite often and also ran at Wheatland Raceway, before it was Lucas Oil Speedway," Allison said. "For a few years we ran some MLRA stuff and finished top 10 in the MLRA several years ago. We've primarily just been running Late Models ever since."
Allison ran the full season in 2023, racing 23 times overall after entering only 13 races combined the previous six seasons. The runner-up finish to Wells was an impressive season, all things considered.
"Justin's tough," Allison said. "I've raced against him years ago in MLRA. He's smooth and he's good. Just a tough competitor. I like racing against him. He'll make you a better racer. He makes you think. You're gonna have to get up on the wheel to beat that guy."
This winter has been spent preparing the cars, including getting a Durham Race Engines motor refreshed. Andy Durham, like Allison is a Marshall native. Durham is now based in North Carolina and has gone on to become one of the nation's top motor builders.
"I've known Andy since he was a young kid," Allison said. "His family still lives here in Marshall. I talk to his dad and brother quite regularly and I've known Andy since way before he got started building engines. Everybody around here is proud of him. He's done a tremendous job for a kid building motors in a single garage to where he is now."
Allison said another exciting thing in the season ahead is the racing debut of his 7-year-old grandson, Jackson Burton, who is going to start racing micro-sprints.
"My wife is gonna have to split time between our racing and our grandson's," Bryon said. "This will be his first year and we're really excited about that."
The 2024 Lucas Oil Speedway schedule begins with an Open Test & Tune on Saturday, March 30, from 2-6 p.m. Contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 295-6043 or email her at nmcmillan@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information on season passes for any event on the schedule.
High Limit Racing Diamond Classic tickets on sale: Reserved-seat tickets plus two-day passes for one of the most-anticipated racing events on the Lucas Oil Speedway 2024 schedule, the inaugural Lucas Oil Speedway High Limit Racing Diamond Classic, are now on sale.
The High Limit Diamond Classic is set for June 28-29 when the High Limit Racing Series makes their first ever appearance at Lucas Oil Speedway. The High Limit Sprint Car Series is co-owned by Brad Sweet and Kyle Larson and features top 410 sprint car drivers from around the country.
Support class for the The High Limit Racing Diamond Classic is the Modified Invitational featuring the Heartland Modified Tour. An invitational format will be used to select 24 modified drivers to compete alongside the High Limit Racing Sprint Cars both nights.
Show-Me 100 3-day passes on sale: All reserved seats and remaining 3-day passes for the 32nd annual Show-Me 100 are now on sale. The 3-day passes are $115 apiece and do not include pit passes. Those must be purchased separately if access to the pit area is desired.
Campground reservations also are now being accepted for the Show-Me 100, which features the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and Lucas Oil MLRA.
Fans can contact McMillan at (417) 295-6043 or via email at nmcmillan@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information about any event on the 2024 Lucas Oil Speedway scheduled.
CONTACT:
Danny Lorton
Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager
Office: (417) 282-5984
DLorton@lucasoilspeedway.com
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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.
2024 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
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-Buick, Bolivar Auto Sales & Detailing, Bolivar Farmers Exchange-MFA, Boone's BBQ Barn, 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, 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, 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, Rains Ice Company, Real Racing Wheels, 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, Turn 1 Bar & Grill, US Army Corps of Engineers-Pomme de Terre, Vietti Marketing Group, Wheatland Motel, White's Marine Center, Wieland, Wild Animal Safari, Woods Supermarkets.