Lucas Oil Speedway Spotlight: Gillmore flashes winning form after challenging stretch
2025-05-14 20:37
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WHEATLAND, MO. (May 14, 2025) - Ryan Gillmore posted his 70th feature victory since 2020 last Saturday night, when he prevailed in a thriller over Jon Sheets in the Clear Creek Golf Cars USRA B-Mod main event at Lucas Oil Speedway.
It might not have been the most-prestigious or largest-paying win of Gillmore's career, but considering the challenging offseason and the bit of speed Gillmore had been missing to start this season, this trip to victory lane had some special qualities.
Plus, considering the competition level, it's always meaningful when one wins in the USRA B-Mod class.
"There's some serious contenders," Gillmore said of the division. "There's some guys that if they got an opportunity to go to the next step, they're more than capable. When they're racing and their stuff is right, they're hard to out-run. You have to be up on the wheel every lap."
Gillmore, a former USRA B-Mod national champion, had been stinging from a DNF a couple of weeks earlier that puts his Lucas Oil Speedway season championship plans in a deep hole. He wasn't particularly happy with how his new Allen Autosports car was running in the heat race.
But the 32-year-old from Springfield, with help from crewman Jaren Martin, found and fixed his issues. Sometimes, it just takes clearing your head and channeling your focus.
"We just found some stuff wrong with the car, right after the head race," Gillmore said. "I've been busy with a lot of different things and haven't had time to give it what it needs and just overlooked a couple of pieces. It wasn't anything really time consuming to fix, it was just an overlook.
"Once we got that taken care of, the car was back the way it was supposed to be the whole time. It wasn't anybody's fault but mine. Life has just been very busy lately. Too many coals in the fire."
Gillmore can be excused for feeling a little bit behind to start the season. His wife, Ashley, had a double breast mastectomy in March after a high-risk lesion was detected. All has gone well in Ashley's recovery and the prognosis for the future is excellent.
Still, Gillmore said it put racing and everything else in life in proper perspective. The diagnosis and subsequent surgery came quickly and put the race car, understandably, on the back burner.
"She's going through the final leg of surgery on June 5, but there have been no hiccups along the way," he said of Ashley. "She was able to go to the races with me on Saturday and recovery is going good. We're waiting on that and then we should be able to resume with our lives and hopefully that's the end of that kind of thing."
And with his return to victory lane, Gillmore is looking to frequent it often the rest of the season as he continues to fine-tune the Dennis Choate-owned car built by Scotty Allen.
"We just missed a couple of things on the car, but we're over that, I hope," Gillmore said. "It was 100 percent different taking the green in the feature on Saturday that it had been.
"It is a new car and it's a new design from Scotty. There was a little bit of anxiousness at the beginning of the year because the last car had been so good and this one started out good. I got behind a little bit. Me and JC Newell have new (Allen) cars and me and him are going back and forth with ideas. He drives different than I do, but we're working hard to get it comfortable for us and for everyone else that has one."
Gillmore looked the part in his late-race battle with Sheets, taking the lead with one lap to go after the two had spent several laps going back and forth. Asked if the entertaining racing was fun or stressful from inside the car, Gillmore affirmed that it was a blast.
"In hindsight, when everything pans out and there are no accidents or anything, win or lose that was gonna be fun," Gillmore said. "There's a group of people that … you can race hard and be respectful with. Jon is one of them."
Gillmore is getting crew help from his long-time friend Austin Roberts, but only every other week due to Roberts' work schedule. Martin has been filling in and doing an admirable job.
"I raced with his dad when I started and he was 12 or 13," Gillmore said of Martin. "He has been helping me the last couple of weeks. We've been around one another a long time. He went on to work with Jason Hughes and John Allen on the road for a while. I have full trust in him. He knows his stuff and we work well together and it's been fun."
Gillmore's sponsors include Choate Farms, Yeoman Racing Engines, Allen Autosports, Metal Magic Auto Hail Repair, Blind Spot Outdoors, C&M Gear Works, Polk County Glass, McCoy's Iron and Metal, Ron Ron Motor Sports, CPD Racing Shocks, Bud's Tire & Wheel, Swift Springs, Oz Designs and Poolside Cabanas by Rachel Choate.
It's Public Safety Appreciation Night at the Races on Saturday night will find all police, fire and rescue personnel admitted free with ID. The Clear Creek Golf Cars USRA B-Mods will headline the racing with a 25-lap, $750-to-win feature. The Hickamo Super Stocks, Arctic Food Equipment Modifieds and O'Reilly Auto Parts Stock Cars also will be in action.
The Hickamo Super Stocks feature rained out on April 27 will be made up, resuming with running order at the time the race was halted under caution, and run as the first race on the program. Grandstands and pits open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 and opening ceremonies at 7.
As usual throughout the 2025 season, grandstand admission for the Weekly Racing Series program is $5 for ages 6-and-over with kids 5-and-under free. Pit passes are $35.
At the Off Road course: UTV Short-Course Off Road racing returns for Round 2 with practice and qualifying on Friday and racing on Saturday. Race classes will include Vet NA & Turbo, Women's N & Turbo, 700 CC, Mini Stock, Sportsman NA, Mini Limited, Pro-Am NA, Sportsman Turbo, Youth 1000, Pro NA, Mini Modified, Pro-Am Turbo and Pro Turbo.
Racing is tentatively set to begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday with practice sessions starting at 1 p.m. Friday and qualifying at 3:50.
Friday Off Road Grandstand Admission:
Ages 6 and over - $15
Kids (5 and under) - FREE
Adult (13 & up) 2-Day - $35
Youth Ages (6-12) - 2-Day $25
(All tickets include access to the Off-Road pit area)
(2-Day tickets include entry to the Dirt Track Event on Saturday night)
Saturday Off Road Grandstand Admission:
Adults (13 and up) - $20
Youth (age 6 to 12) - $10
Kids (age 5 and under) - FREE
(All tickets include access to the off road pit area)
(Saturday tickets include entry to the Dirt Track event Saturday night)
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.