Lucas Oil Speedway Spotlight: Hodges makes fast transition back to USRA Mods
2025-05-07 23:42
dirtFan website https://dirtfan.com/dirtfan/assets/graphics/dirtfan-200x200.jpg
WHEATLAND, MO. (May 7, 2025) - Dustin Hodges felt he had turned the corner and was making gains in his aspiring dirt Late Model career when the Lucas Oil MLRA Series he was following shut down during the offseason.
"I feel we were just getting past the point of getting our teeth kicked in every weekend," Hodges said. "We were starting to find some speed and a little rhythm. Unfortunately, things just didn't work out with the MLRA."
With other regional open Late Model tours a bit too far flung for his team to follow, Hodges has transitioned back to the USRA Modified division. The Centralia, Mo., driver certainly will be one to watch on Saturday when the Heartland Modified Tour stops at Lucas Oil Speedway for a 30-lap, $2,000-to-win feature.
The 2022 Arctic Food Equipment USRA Modified runner-up in the track championship chase at Lucas Oil Speedway, Hodges already has three top-five finishes in six Modified races in a rain-plagued 2025 season. The weather has made it difficult to everyone to find a consistent flow.
"We're just trying to get a good feel for it," Hodges said of a new VanderBuilt race car, built in partnership with Zack Vanderbeek and Tony Jackson Jr. "It made sense for us to get back to the Modified stuff. With the Heartland deal, it's a pretty neat thing they have going.
"It works out well for us to still be able to do a regional thing, by switching up our program a little bit."
Hodges already has posted a third-place in the early going at Lucas Oil Speedway where he's third in early season points. He won three times at the track in 2022 and fell just short of the championship while finishing third in USRA Modified national points.
Hodges, 36, then decided to focus on Late Models. He was seventh in MLRA points last season. As he's returned to Modified, the Late Model experience provide some things that translate.
"Just from being aggressive and with certain things you can do with the car, mainly from a set-up standpoint," Hodges said. "Plus the people I was able to meet and form a bond with. That's been a benefit to our Modified program."
Perhaps the biggest benefit since he last raced Modified is the Heartland Modified Tour, which debuted in 2024. Designed to grow car counts and add money to regional racers, the mission seems to be getting accomplished.
From the regionalized scheduling to the time-trial qualifying format to the purse structure, Hodges said it's helping to make the Modified scene a lot more healthy than when he left it. He credits Trenton Berry and Erick Chesterman for their work in getting the HMT up and running.
"It's phenomenal what Trenton and Erick have put together for the local guys, to have something to follow rather than the (USMTS) national tour or not being able to follow anything," Hodges said.
"I think they have a good thing going and hopefully more tracks will choose to come on board with it and they can pick facilities that work the best and keep putting together something better every year. I think the car counts speak for themselves."
Moms free courtesy Vietti Marketing: Vietti Marketing Group presents the Pitts Homes and Realty Weekly Racing Series with all Moms admitted free to commemorate Mother's Day Weekend. Four divisions of the weekly series will be in action, led by the Arctic Food Equipment USRA Modifieds, running under the Heartland Modified Series banner.
The O'Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars, Clear Creek Golf Car USRA B-Mods and Hermitage Lumber Late Models also will be in action with 20-lap main events. In addition, the O'Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars' rained out feature from March Full Body Madness will be made up on Saturday and lead off the racing program.
Grandstands open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 and opening ceremonies at 7. General admission is $5 for ages 6-and-over with Moms free. Pit passes are $35.
Kids Pit Tour and Power Wheel races: The Junior Fan Club Kids' Pit Tour continues this week with 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 ages 3-9. The youngsters can race their own 24-36V power wheels with awards to the top three.
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
# # #
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.