Lucas Oil Speedway Spotlight: Kenny Carroll turns back the clock with Hickamo Super Stocks success
2025-04-24 18:44
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WHEATLAND, MO. (April 24, 2025) - It was a blast from the past when Kenny Carroll zoomed around the top groove of Lucas Oil Speedway to capture the season-opening feature victory last month in the Hickamo Super Stocks division.
The 2015 track champion proved to himself he could still wheel it.
"I think it proved it to several people," Carroll said with a laugh. "But nobody was more surprised than me."
Carroll, one of the most-popular drivers over the years at Lucas Oil Speedway, hasn't raced much in recent years as the Super Stocks were not a weekly class. But the division returned for special events last year, including renewal of the late-season Big Buck 50 Presented by Whitetail Trophy Hunt. They are back as part of the Pitts Homes and Realty Weekly Racing Series with a special 25-lap, $750-to-win main event headlining this Saturday's program Presented by Encounter Ministries Inc.
Carroll, 48, might not chase track championships as he once did, but the 30-year racing veteran is clear with his mission after the successful start to the 2025 season. There's a lot of thrills awaiting on the horizon in the competitive Super Stock division.
"We're gonna take it week by week and have fun," Carroll said. "I'm really happy that we're not a 15 or 16 week season. I just want six or seven nights and the Big Buck 50 and go out and have fun.
Carroll said he's spent the last three seasons putting his focus on his business, Kenny Carroll Excavating based in his hometown of Camdenton. One of his projects was hauling in new dirt for the Lucas Oil Speedway racing surface prior to the 2024 season.
"I was getting to age and if I wanted to do grow my business that it was time to go and get it," he said. "And I was able to take those three years and make my company double in size.
"I take (the racing) as serious and I spend as much money, but I don't spend as much personal time on it as I used to."
It's even more fun as Carroll is getting to race alongside his 21-year-old son, J.T. in the Super Stock division. Father and son drive nearly identical looking Josh Franklin Motorsports No. 94 cars, with J.T.'s having the letter "C" alongside the number.
There is no special treatment given by either when the Carrolls find themselves racing for position. Quite the opposite.
"It's a good time," Kenny said of racing with J.T. "It's very special, but I know it's sometimes hard for his mama to watch. He runs you as hard as you want to be ran. I think whenever he sees my car coming he runs you about 20 percent harder, but that's the way it should be.
"If it wasn't for him and his crew, I wouldn't be there. It really should be considered one team."
While J.T. scored his first Lucas Oil Speedway feature win a couple of years ago, Kenny has the early bragging rights in 2025 after his dramatic win over Jared Hays in the opener. He went to the outside coming to the white flag to grab the win.
Three generations got to celebrate in victory lane with J.T. and his young son, Bryor Carroll, joining Kenny for the victory presentation.
"I was absolutely in shock when he went to the bottom," Carroll said of the race's finish, in which he overtook Hays. "I thought, 'it's mine to lose now.' It was pretty easy by that point. I only had to make it through two corners then. It was better than leading the whole race because I didn't have time to screw it up. This way, I didn't have time to get terribly excited.
"That Hays, that 4 car, he's a really good driver. I've raced with all those guys, Tony Anglin and some of the others. It used to be the only time you got to race with that many cars, of that caliber, is when we would go to Arkansas with the big races down there. That's what inspired us to do the Big Buck 50 in the first place.
"To have them up here somewhat regularly so far this early in the year, it is pretty phenomenal."
Carroll's sponsors include his own Kenny Carroll Excavating, Josh Franklin Motorsports, Alamo Arms, The Gravel Pile, Ray's Lake Service, Whitetail Trophy Hunt and Encounter Ministries.
Fans can catch a lot of racing for a $5 grandstand general admission this Saturday for Round 2 of the Pitts Homes and Realty Weekly Racing Series Presented by Encounter Ministry Inc. All five divisions will be in action, plus the rescheduled Easter Bowl Enduro 150 at the conclusion of the night's action.
Pits and grandstands will open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 and opening ceremonies at 7. General admission for all Weekly Racing Series events this season is $5 with 6-and-under free. Pit passes are $35.
RCR Junior Fan Club Pit Tour: The RCR Junior Fan Club Kids' Pit Tour continues with new Lucas Oil Speedway flagman Chris Loberg leading the way. Youngsters can sign up on the midway for the fan club before 5 p.m. and be a part of a drawing for a chance to join Loberg on a golf-car tour of the pits to meet drivers.
In addition Kids Power Wheel Races will be held during intermission.
For information on tickets or camping for any Lucas Oil Speedway event in 2025, contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 295-6043 or email her at nmcmillan@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.
CONTACT:
Danny Lorton
Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager
Office: (417) 282-5984
DLorton@lucasoilspeedway.com
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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 racing facilities in the nation. Located in Wheatland, Mo., approximately an hour from Springfield 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 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.
2025 Official Lucas Oil Speedway Marketing Partners
Bill Roberts Chevrolet
"The Official Truck" of Lucas Oil Speedway
Dixie Chopper
"The Official Mowers of Lucas Oil Speedway"
Iconic Apparel
"The Official Merchandise Provider 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
2025 Lucas Oil Speedway Supporters Include:
AM Pyrotechnics, Alliance Sport Marketing, Arctic Food Equipment, 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, Clear Creek Golf Cars, Clearlight Inn, Dixie Chopper, Eibach Springs, Encounter Ministry Inc., FSE Fire Systems, Fast Shafts by Axle Exchange, Foley Equipment-Cat Rental Store, Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare, Henry's Towing Service, Heritage Tractor, Hermitage Lumber, HICKAMO Country Store, Hobbytime Motorsports, Iconic Apparel, Impact Signs Awnings Wraps, In the Garden of Eden, 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, Outerwears Performance Products, Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr. Pepper, Ozarks Community Health Center, PEM, Pitts Homes, Pitts Realty, Pitts Cattle, 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, Summit Racing Equipment, Sunoco Race Fuels, Super 8 Bolivar Mo., Turn 1 Bar & Grill, US Army Corps of Engineers-Pomme de Terre, Vietti Marketing Group, WacoBill.com, Wheatland Motel, White's Marine Center, Wieland, Woods Supermarkets.