Lucas Oil Speedway Spotlight: Looney eager for return at CMH Diamond Nationals
2025-07-11 15:39
dirtFan website https://dirtfan.com/dirtfan/assets/graphics/dirtfan-200x200.jpg
WHEATLAND, MO. (July 9, 2025) - One of southwest Missouri's most-popular drivers - and one of only two home-state Show-Me 100 winners in the event's history - makes a return in front of the local fans this weekend.
It's in a big-time doubleheader, to boot.
Payton Looney of Republic, who's competed sparingly since 2021 due to work and family commitments, will take on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series heavyweights during the two-night, 19th annual CMH Diamond Nationals Presented by Wieland at Lucas Oil Speedway.
Looney has been named to drive a Capital Race Cars Late Model owned by Jefferson City's Tucker Cox, a regular in the Hermitage Lumber Late Model division in the Pitts Homes and Realty Weekly Racing Series. Cox, a long-time friend, has equipped the car with a Super Late Model motor.
"Tucker reached out to me a couple of months ago and said he was getting a super motor and asked if I'd be interested in driving it the first couple of nights," said Looney, who raced against Tucker Cox's dad, Chris, early in his racing career. "I said yeah and it all kind of worked out. We kind of planned it a couple of weeks back, so we're just gonna see what we can do Friday and Saturday."
Tucker Cox, with one of his three wins this season at Lucas Oil Speedway, said the two originally talked about putting Looney in the car for the Show-Me 100 in late May "and just didn't have enough time to get it all together with my work and everything."
Cox said Looney will drive the Capital that Cox drove last season in a handful of open events. Looney drove a Capital to the landmark 2020 Show-Me 100 win when he joined Springfield's Terry Phillips as the only Missourians to win that crown-jewel race.
Looney, 30, lost a hard-fought battle for the Lucas Oil MLRA championship that season. He cut back on his racing the next season to commit more time to wife Emilee and their two children - son Baylor (7) daughter Elliott (5) are involved in multiple sports.
With a busy job as an estimator for one of the area's largest roofing companies, Looney has been extra busy the last couple of months after widespread damage in the Springfield area from a pair of strong storms.
Highlights since the Show-Me 100 victory include an MLRA feature win at the 2022 Spring Nationals in Wheatland. He wound up 31st in the 2021 Show-Me 100, ran a solid eighth in 2022, was 29th in 2023 and did not qualify n 2024 when felled by mechanical issues.
This year, for the first time since 2017, he didn't enter the Show-Me 100 and has entered only one event, running 14th in March Madness at Springfield Raceway.
"It sucked," Looney said of sitting out the 2025 Show-Me 100. "I went Saturday and watched. We took my brothers and a couple of buddies and had a good time, but it's definitely not nearly as cool watching it as racing it, for sure."
Looney still had an impact on the outcome. Bobby Pierce found him in the pits and quizzed him about the Lucas Oil Speedway oval. Pierce wound up winning his second Show-Me 100 that night.
"They were struggling a little bit," Looney said, shrugging off any role he had in Pierce's win. "Wheatland is a little different. A lot of stuff that works at other places doesn't work at Wheatland. You've got to kind of go reverse there. I'd been chit-chatting with them and they asked for my opinion. We talked back and forth about an hour or so before the races and it all worked out for them."
Now Looney hopes things might work out for him, albeit in a different car than his usual yellow and white No. 15.
"My expectations are to try and make the race both nights," he said. "I haven't ran in a while and my goal would be to make the races both nights and see where that takes us."
Action is set for Friday and Saturday with winners of the Late Model features collecting $15,000 on Friday and $25,000 on Saturday. A red-hot championship battle between Ricky Thornton Jr. and Jonathan Davenport continues as Thornton holds a 20-point lead.
Davenport looks to close in at one of his favorite tracks. The 2024 Show-Me 100 winner is a four-time Diamond Nationals champ with eight feature wins at Lucas Oil Speedway since the spring of 2023. He finished second at the 2025 Show-Me 100 Presented by Missouri Division of Tourism.
More than $145,000 in purse money will be up for grabs at the Diamond Nationals, which was canceled last year due to rain.
Friday's feature payout: 1. $15,000, 2. $7,000, 3. $5,000, 4. $4,000, 5. $3,000, 6. $2,500, 7. $2,400, 8. $2,300, 9. $2,200, 10. $2,100, 11. $2,000, 12. $1,800, 13. $1,600, 14. $1,500, 15. $1,400, 16. $1,300, 17. $1,200, 18. $1,100, 19. $1,000, 20. $1,000, 21. $1,000, 22. $1,000, 23. $1,000, 24. $1,000. Total $63,400.
Saturday's feature payout: 1. $25,000, 2. $10,000, 3. $6,000, 4. $4,000, 5. $3,500, 6. $2,700, 7. $2,500, 8. $2,300, 9. $2,200, 10. $2,100, 11. $2,000, 12. $1,900, 13. $1,800, 14. $1,700, 15. $1,600, 16. $1,500, 17. $1,500, 18. $1,500, 19. $1,500, 20. $1,500, 21. $1,500, 22. $1,500, 23. $1,500, 24. $1,500. Total $82,800.
Hickamo Super Stocks also will be on the program both nights with features paying $650 and $1,000 to win, respectively.
'Beat the Heat' Suite Special: "Beat the Heat" Suite specials are being offered for both Friday and Saturday night's action on a first-come, first-served basis with payment required at the time of purchase. Tickets are $50 for Friday and $60 on Saturday and do not include access to the pits.
Contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-6119 or (417) 295-6043, or email her at nmcmillan@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.
Friday admission:
Adults (13 and up) - $25
Seniors (62 and up)/Military - $22
Youth (ages 6-12) - $10
Kids (5 and under) - FREE
Family Pass - $60
Pit pass - $45
2-day Pit pass - $90
Saturday admission:
Adults (13 and up) - $30
Seniors (62 and up)/Military - $27
Youth (ages 6-12) - $10
Kids (5 and under) - FREE
Family Pass - $780
Pit Pass - $45
CAMPING: DAILY RATES (Limited Availability)
Dry Camping $15/Night (up to 6 people) ($5 additional a night per person)
Reserve Dry $25/Night (up to 6 people $5 additional a night per person)
Reserved Electric & Water- $40/Night (up to 6 people) ($5 additional a night per person)
For information on admission or camping for any Lucas Oil Speedway event in 2025, contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-6119 or (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
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., US Army Corps of Engineers-Pomme de Terre, Vietti Marketing Group, WacoBill.com, Wheatland Motel, White's Marine Center, Wieland, Woods Supermarkets.