USAC Sprint leader Cummins aims for more Lucas Oil Speedway magic at Rod End Supply Diamond Dirt Duel
2025-09-06 14:20
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WHEATLAND, MO. (Sept. 4, 2025) - When Kyle Cummins makes just his second appearance at Lucas Oil Speedway on Saturday, the Indiana native can only hope things go as well as his previous time on the Wheatland dirt.
It was 2018 when Cummins drove to victory in the non-winged portion of the Jesse Hockett-Daniel McMillin Memorial. That remains one of the memorable wins that Cummins, 38, has picked up during his successful open-wheel racing career.
"We ran like third or fourth on our prelim night and then won the finale," Cummins said. "I have not been there since, but definitely looking forward to seeing how things go this time. That's a very, very nice place with everything. The pits, the grandstands. It's a nice facility.
"We didn't take many notes back in the day, but hopefully we have a little bit of thought. At least I've ran there once so I know a little bit how the track works."
Cummins continues his pursuit of a USAC AMSOIL National Sprint championship on Saturday when USAC returns to Wheatland for the first time since 2006 for the Rod End Supply Diamond Dirt Duel. The 30-lap feature will pay $6,000 to the winner.
Cummins, a second-generation open-wheel racer from Princeton, Ind., leads the championship standings by 258 points over Mitchel Moles of Raisin City, California. Logan Seavey, of Cutter, California., is third 276 behind Cummins.
After a fast start to the season, with a feature win in the opener at Volusia Speedway Park and five feature wins in the first 11 events, Cummins has put himself in great position to win his first USAC championship in his second season with Petty Performance Racing.
"We started the season really strong and kind of had some bad luck here and there," Cummins said. "We've got the monkey off our back a little bit of late and found some stuff with the car. We're on car number three now. We've tore up some stuff and kind of learning this one.
"All in all we're pretty excited about how things are going and looking forward to finishing these last 15 races strong and trying to get a couple of more wins and have a good finish to the season."
Following in the footsteps of his father, Mark Cummins, since opening in open karts at age nine, Kyle Cummins developed into one of the top sprint car racers in the Midwest. He's the all-time winningest driver of the Midwest Sprint Car Series and a five-time champion in that series.
It wasn't until a fast start to the USAC National Tour in 2023 that Cummins began to think about chasing a national championship. He faded that season and realized that upgrades were needed to pursue such an endeavor.
"The last two years we've decided to run for it and be fully prepared, have all the stuff ready," Cummins said. "We built this new team with Petty Performance and that's been the goal. Last year was kind of a building season, to take some notes and do a lot of trial and error, working some stuff with the car to give us a really good baseline.
"We started out this season really strong and that's been the goal from the get-go, from at least 2024 that was the plan, to win the championship."
Cummins said the competition level on the USAC National series is rugged. There's no such thing as resting on your laurels, even with a sizable points lead.
"It seems like the top 8-10 guys could win any night. It's definitely tough," Cummins said. "Everyone has the same goal, they all want to win. It's like all sports, any one can win on a given night and you just give it your best shot and see how things go.
"We have a decent-sized lead. We just need to finish out strong and not let up and hopefully the last couple of races we won't have any pressure and can just go out and have fun."
Cummins won the 2018 Hockett-McMillin by leading all 30 laps of the feature, outlasting Wyatt Burks and Colton Cottle for the win. While he didn't know Jesse Hockett well, that win remains a special one.
"I know a lot of people have come there trying to win it and for us to show up the first time and win it, that was pretty exciting," Cummins said. "To kind of look back over your career and see some of those more prestigious wins, that makes it a little more special."
INEX Legends in for Super Stocks as support class: A late schedule switch will see INEX Legends running as support class on Saturday. In April, Lucas Oil Speedway had the opportunity to add the USAC National Sprints and, at that time, it was decided that the Hickamo Super Stocks would be the support division. This was scheduled not knowing it conflicted with Nevada Speedway's Lehmann Memorial.
Lucas Oil Speedway feels it's important for all local tracks to be mindful of their neighbors' special events, so the Hickamo Super Stocks will not run this Saturday with those competitors encouraged to support Nevada Speedway.
Lucas Oil Speedway's pit gates open at 3 p.m. Saturday with grandstands at 4 p.m., hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:05.
Grandstand General Admission:
Adults (13 and up) - $28
Seniors (62 and over & military) - $25
Youth (ages 6-12) - $10
Kids (5 and under) - FREE
Family pass (two adults and up to three youth) - $66
Pit pass - $45
(Credit/debit card fees will be applied at time of purchase at gates)
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:
Casey Shuman
Lucas Oil Speedway Assistant General Manager
Office: (417) 282-5984
Email: CShuman@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.
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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.
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
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Summit Racing Equipment
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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.