Dirt Track Racing News - Page 33
Read the latest dirt track racing news - find out what happened at the recent dirt track races and get to know about upcoming dirt track racing events.
- Abreu seizes Night 2 Kubota High Limit Diamond Classic win at Lucas Oil Speedway
WHEATLAND, MO. (June 27, 2025) - Rico Abreu took command on lap 11 and led the rest of the way to earn Friday night's Kubota High Limit Racing Diamond Classic feature win at Lucas Oil Speedway. Abreu, of St. Helena, Calif., picked up his series-leading sixth feature win of the season. He was the third and final leader of the event and beat Tyler Courtney of Indianapolis by just over one second at the checkers. "It's really good. Determination beats talent," Abreu said in victory lane, noting some recent struggles. "This sport becomes really humbling at times. You can get up top really easily and you can get beat down to the ground. "We get to race so many times a year that there are so many highs and lows. Things change. These four tires are the only things that touch the race track. You work with spring rates and things can change throughout the season and you have to stay up to pace with everything and not get too hard on yourself." Abreu started fourth and sat behind the early pace-setters as Ashton Torgerson beat Courtney to the lead as the race started. Those front-row starters were running 1-2 when the first caution flew after two lap, with Abreu in third. As action resumed, Courtney caught and passed Torgerson for the lead on lap eight, using an inside pass coming out of turn four. Abreu soon moved around Torgerson and set his sights on the lead and took on lap 11, sliding past Courtney on the inside of turn two. Abreu quickly opened a 1.3-second lead by lap 16 with Courtney a second clear of Torgerson. Abreu gradually expanded his lead, opening it to 1.6 seconds by lap 20, weaving his way through lapped traffic with no issues. It appeared Abreu was on his way to a comfortable win when a lap 26 caution, as Landon Crawley's motor went up in smoke, erased his 1.4-second lead. That left a four-lap sprint to the finish as Abreu led Courtney, Brent Marks, Tanner Thorson and Torgerson comprised the top five. Abreu was able to win that race to the finish, beating Courtney by 1.038 seconds at the finish. "I was pretty confident in my car there," Abreu said of the final restart. "I was running the bottom at the end of the race and knew the entries were getting quite free. You just have to hit your marks. This is a real momentum-based track and you have to keep this engine up on the pipe and that's what I wanted to do." Thorson, of Broken Arrow, Okla., backed up his runner-up finish on Thursday with a third. Marks finished fourth and Thursday winner Aaron Reutzel wound up fifth. "We're just missing a little bit, but we're close," Courtney said. "Rico has arguably been one of the best in the country all year, so a great rebound for us. We're good, we just can't quite get that top step yet but we've got 25 grand tomorrow and have put ourselves in great position for that." The top three finishers locked themselves into the heat races and will get to bypass qualifying ahead of the $25,000-to-win finale. Thorson, with back-to-back podium finishes, heads into the final night as confident as anyone in the pits. His last six High Limit finishes have been fourth, third, second, sixth, second and third. "I think we have probably the most-consistent race car in the country probably," Thorson said. "It's good. We've gained a lot over this year, especially the past couple of months and rewarding for me and everyone involved. We're gonna keep on trucking." Reutzel captured the Diamond Classic victory on Thursday night and just as he did on night one, set the fast qualifying lap with a circuit of 12.869. That was just off the track record of 12.829 set by Abreu on June 29, 2024. Grandstands open at 4 p.m. on Saturday with hot laps at 6:15 and qualifying to follow. Opening ceremonies are slated for 7:25 p.m. LUCAS OIL SPEEDWAY UNOFFICIAL RESULTS (June 27, 2025) 2nd annual Kubota High Limit Racing Diamond Classic A Feature - 1. 24-Rico Abreu[4]; 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[2]; 3. 88-Tanner Thorson[6]; 4. 19-Brent Marks[3]; 5. 87-Aaron Reutzel[8]; 6. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[1]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet[7]; 8. 13-Daison Pursley[5]; 9. 9-Kasey Kahne[11]; 10. 9R-Chase Randall[9]; 11. 19H-Kevin Thomas Jr[20]; 12. 42-Sye Lynch[15]; 13. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[14]; 14. 5-Brenham Crouch[13]; 15. 40-Howard Moore[19]; 16. 74-Xavier Doney[12]; 17. 26-Justin Peck[16]; 18. 21X-JJ Hickle[10]; 19. 20G-Noah Gass[21]; 20. 75-Tyler Blank[24]; 21. 77-Jack Wagner[23]; 22. 45X-Landon Crawley[17]; 23. 98P-Miles Paulus[22]; 24. 14-Spencer Bayston[18] B Main - 1. 20G-Noah Gass[1]; 2. 98P-Miles Paulus[3]; 3. 77-Jack Wagner[2]; 4. 75-Tyler Blank[4]; 5. 21-Brian Brown[5]; 6. 79-Gage Montgomery[8]; 7. 73-Samuel Wagner[7]; 8. 93-Taylor Walton[9]; 9. 5B-Kory Bales[6]; 10. 24D-Danny Sams III[10]; 11. 15-Jack Potter[11]; 12. 22M-Rees Moran[12]; 13. 12X-Kameron Key[13] Dash - 1. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[1]; 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[4]; 3. 19-Brent Marks[2]; 4. 24-Rico Abreu[6]; 5. 13-Daison Pursley[3]; 6. 88-Tanner Thorson[7]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet[8]; 8. 87-Aaron Reutzel[5] Heat 1 - 1. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[1]; 2. 9R-Chase Randall[2]; 3. 5-Brenham Crouch[3]; 4. 87-Aaron Reutzel[4]; 5. 45X-Landon Crawley[5]; 6. 98P-Miles Paulus[7]; 7. 21-Brian Brown[6]; 8. 93-Taylor Walton[8]; 9. (DNF) 12X-Kameron Key[9] Heat 2 - 1. 19-Brent Marks[2]; 2. 9-Kasey Kahne[1]; 3. 24-Rico Abreu[4]; 4. 42-Sye Lynch[8]; 5. 40-Howard Moore[3]; 6. 20G-Noah Gass[5]; 7. 73-Samuel Wagner[6]; 8. 15-Jack Potter[7] Heat 3 - 1. 13-Daison Pursley[1]; 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[4]; 3. 74-Xavier Doney[2]; 4. 26-Justin Peck[5]; 5. 14-Spencer Bayston[3]; 6. 75-Tyler Blank[8]; 7. 77-Jack Wagner[6]; 8. 24D-Danny Sams III[7] Heat 4 - 1. 88-Tanner Thorson[1]; 2. 21X-JJ Hickle[3]; 3. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[2]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet[4]; 5. 19H-Kevin Thomas Jr[5]; 6. 5B-Kory Bales[8]; 7. 79-Gage Montgomery[7]; 8. 22M-Rees Moran[6] Qualifying A - 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 00:12.869[4]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu, 00:13.086[13]; 3. 1A-Ashton Torgerson, 00:13.087[9]; 4. 9-Kasey Kahne, 00:13.087[1]; 5. 9R-Chase Randall, 00:13.108[3]; 6. 19-Brent Marks, 00:13.168[2]; 7. 5-Brenham Crouch, 00:13.323[16]; 8. 40-Howard Moore, 00:13.365[15]; 9. 45X-Landon Crawley, 00:13.376[7]; 10. 20G-Noah Gass, 00:13.402[10]; 11. 21-Brian Brown, 00:13.443[14]; 12. 73-Samuel Wagner, 00:13.543[5]; 13. 98P-Miles Paulus, 00:13.586[8]; 14. 15-Jack Potter, 00:13.603[11]; 15. 93-Taylor Walton, 00:13.731[6]; 16. 42-Sye Lynch, 00:27.939[17]; 17. 12X-Kameron Key, 00:27.939[12] Qualifying B - 1. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 00:13.077[6]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 00:13.207[11]; 3. 13-Daison Pursley, 00:13.220[14]; 4. 88-Tanner Thorson, 00:13.243[16]; 5. 74-Xavier Doney, 00:13.262[1]; 6. 3-Ayrton Gennetten, 00:13.295[2]; 7. 14-Spencer Bayston, 00:13.320[4]; 8. 21X-JJ Hickle, 00:13.405[9]; 9. 26-Justin Peck, 00:13.408[5]; 10. 19H-Kevin Thomas Jr, 00:13.456[7]; 11. 77-Jack Wagner, 00:13.520[3]; 12. 22M-Rees Moran, 00:13.538[13]; 13. 24D-Danny Sams III, 00:13.664[8]; 14. 79-Gage Montgomery, 00:13.723[12]; 15. 75-Tyler Blank, 00:13.808[10]; 16. 5B-Kory Bales, 00:14.084[15] Saturday Spectator Admission: Adults (13 and up) - $40 Seniors (62 and up)/Military - $37 Youth (age 6 to 12) - $10 Kids (age 5 and under) - FREE Family Pass - $90 Pit Pass - $45 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 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., US Army Corps of Engineers-Pomme de Terre, Vietti Marketing Group, WacoBill.com, Wheatland Motel, White's Marine Center, Wieland, Woods Supermarkets.
- Good Night with a Rough Ending for Brody Roa
Cypress, CA - June 26, 2025 — It's not often that a race car driver crashes out of a race but still considers the night a success. That was the case for Brody Roa last Saturday night when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars visited Perris Auto Speedway. Despite an unfortunate finish, the positives of the evening far outweighed the negatives, and the 2023 series champion is already looking forward to his next appearance at the historic Southern California oval on July 19. The race marked Roa's fourth appearance at Perris in 2025. With the same chassis he used to claim the 2023 series title and a Dash 12 engine purchased last year by his uncle, the team had been searching for the right combination through the first three races at The PAS this season. While his overall performances weren't terrible—finishing fifth, sixth, and eighth—the results weren't up to his usual standards. So, what do you do when you're searching for past successes? You return to the setup that got you there in the past. Roa and his team, led by his father Brett and crewman Joe Gibb, made some adjustments, and the improvement was evident from the start. In qualifying, Roa placed fourth with a lap time of 16.727, showing that he was on the right track. "The car was definitely better on Saturday," Roa said. "To be honest, we just went back to basics. I think the first couple of races I was so in my head, maybe about not having the horsepower we used to have. On Saturday, I said, 'This is not working. Let's just go back to basics.' And it worked. It was comfortable, carried speed, and I felt good in the car. That is what we have been striving for." "To start the year, I was trying to free the car up enough to let the engine get up and run," the second-generation driver continued. "We did not have a good balance on the car setup. We went back to stock and put a good balance on the car to what I was feeling from a few years ago. Everything started clicking again." Starting fifth in the opening eight-lap heat race, Roa, behind the wheel of his bright green #91R, made quick progress, moving up to finish fourth. This performance secured him a starting position in the first three rows of the main event, giving him an opportunity to challenge for the win. With high hopes after a strong qualifying and heat race, Roa lined up on the outside of row two for the 30-lap main. From the drop of the green flag, he wasted no time, moving into second place. By lap three, he was in the lead, charging off turn two with confidence. However, things turned sour in a hurry. "I can make excuses all day about how I got in there, but the end of the story is I got her too sideways, locked the engine up, and it didn't turn back over again," Roa commented about his early exit. "I collected Matt Mitchell in that mistake. That is not what we were looking to do. When we fired off, I ran a lap on the bottom behind Eddie (early race leader Eddie Tafoya Jr.). I hate running the bottom. I went to the top and started cleaning it off. Matt got by me for a couple of laps. I got the top comfortable and rolling and got back by him. I got outside of Eddie for the lead in one and two, and he went to the top in three and four. I went to cut back across three in four, hit some moisture in four, and got in the rough stuff, and it jumped sideways and stopped." Despite the early ending, Roa and his team are focused on refining their setup even more and building on the momentum from the positive strides made on Saturday. While the crash was disappointing, the performance up until that point showed that Roa and the team are on the verge of breaking through. "That is the speed we are used to, to be honest," he said. "Not that we were bad the first few races, but you cannot start 12th, 13th, or 14th. We put the car back to what I am used to. To put me starting sixth, seventh, eighth or ninth, you can win from there. But when you start 12th, by the time you get past some of the midpack guys, the leader is gone. Saturday was a definite step forward." Stay tuned as Brody Roa looks to continue his quest to reclaim the top spot at Perris Auto Speedway on July 19. Roa would like to thank his 2025 sponsors, "Biker" Bruce Fischer, Burris Racing, ALR Virtual Services, Caltrol, Molecule, and Wilwood Disc Brakes. If you would like to be a marketing partner with the team in 2025, contact Roa using the information at the top of this release. Brody Roa's 2025 Race Results 3/1/25 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 5th A Main 4/5/25 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main 4/11/25 Central Arizona Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 11th A Main 4/12/25 Central Arizona Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main 5/24/25 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th A Main 6//7/25 Bakersfield Speedway USCS Sprint Cars 7th A Main 6/21/25 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 17th A Main @roygamityanauctioneer @burris_racing_usa @mikeburrisoc @csishocks @theoriginalloosebruce @alrvirtualservices @simpsonracegear @moleculesports @rodendsupply @baldwinfilters @ngkracing @originalngksparkplugs @usacnation @usac_cra @perrisautospeedway @b_roa91 @tai_xoxo_roa @joegibb83, @caltrolinc @drivenracingoil This release was produced by Scott Daloisio Sports (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com
- Career Of Mitch Smith Honored Friday With 37th Smith Memorial - Williams Grove again honors legendary wheelman as part of Speedweek
Mechanicsburg - When Williams Grove Speedway races this week on July 4, it will do so for the 37th year in a row in honor of a famed sprint car great, the late Mitch Smith of Linglestown. The oval will host the J & S Classics 37th annual Mitch Smith Memorial as part of Pennsylvania Speedweek on July 4 at 7:30 pm. And the race to honor Smith will pay a lucrative $20,000 to win out of a total purse worth almost $50,000. Richard D. "Mitch" Smith was the original "Mr. Excitement" of Pennsylvania sprint car lore. At Williams Grove Speedway alone he ended his four-decade long career in 1978 with 27 sprint car wins and nine super modified victories. But overall on his career, his checkered flags added up to 179. The name Mitch Smith became cemented nationally when in 1971 the "Little Guy" from Linglestown trounced the boasting stars of the United States Auto Club, not once, but three times when they towed into the region. In 1971, USAC was to sprint car racing what the World of Outlaws is today. USAC competition was the way to Indy. The USAC circuit groomed its drivers to sit on the Indy 500 starting grid. And start they did. But on June 19 and September 25 at Williams Grove Speedway in 1971 and again on July 17 at Selinsgrove Speedway, Mitch Smith used a rarely doled out temporary racing permit issued by USAC to just a few local drivers to beat the traveling band badly. The USAC stars were furious. Protests were lodged and tear-downs were performed. All was legal. Smith had beaten the unquestionable best in the sprint car business not once, not twice but three times. The word went out. "The Linglestown Leadfoot" Mitch Smith, had trounced USAC in Central Pennsylvania. Smith retired from the sport in 1978 and in 1988 at the age of 58 was felled by a massive heart attack. In 1995 Mitch Smith was inducted posthumously into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Iowa. It is the legacy left behind and the impact that Smith had on the sport in the region and at Williams Grove Speedway that the oval honors again this year with the running of the 37th annual Mitch Smith Memorial on Friday night. Anthony Macri is the defending winner of the prestigious Mitch Smith Memorial. Lance Dewease is the winningest driver in Smith Memorial history, having scored wins in 1992, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2018 and in 2021. Fred Rahmer has four Smith Memorials to his credit along with the late Greg Hodnett. Stevie Smith won the inaugural event in 1989.
Mechanicsburg - Persistent mist and drizzle forced cancellation of the scheduled opener of Pennsylvania Speedweek for 410 sprint cars at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday night. The decision was made just after 6:30 pm. Some 36 Lawrence Chevrolet 410 sprints were signed into the pits to compete in the series opener. The track will host the prestigious Mitch Smith Memorial as part of Pennsylvania Speedweek next Friday night, July 4 at 7:30 pm. The coveted event pays the winner $20,000 for his efforts. Fireworks are part of the Independence Day show. Speedweek now kicks off at the Lincoln Speedway on June 28. Keep up to date on all the latest speedway news and information by visiting the oval's official website at www.williamsgrove.com (http://www.williamsgrove.com)or by visiting the oval on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. RacingJunk.com is the Official Classifieds for Williams Grove Speedway.
- 37th Annual Mitch Smith Memorial Is Friday At Williams Grove - Sprint show offers $20,000 to win, total purse worth nearly 50K
Mechanicsburg - Williams Grove Speedway will present the crown jewel of Pennsylvania Speedweek this Friday night, July 4 when it spins off the J & S Classics 37th annual Mitch Smith Memorial for Lawrence Chevrolet 410 sprint cars at 7:30 pm. The Mitch Smith Memorial will pay a hefty $20,000 to win out of a total purse worth nearly $50,000. The J & S Classics Mitch Smith Memorial honors the late, great Richard "Mitch" Smith of Linglestown who succumbed to a massive heart attack in 1988, some 10 years after retiring. Smith left the sport in 1978 after a four-decade long career wherein he scored 27 sprint car wins and nine super modified victories at Williams Grove alone to go along with 179 overall checkered flags. Time trials will set the starting grids for the Friday Smith Memorial with the main event going 30-laps in distance. The fastest driver in qualifying time trials will earn the $300 Fast Tees Fast Time Award, courtesy of Fast Tees Screenprinting of Thompsontown. The Smith Memorial will be another race in the 2025 Hoosier Diamond Series at the track. The special speedweek event will be a stand-alone sprint car program, highlighting the speedweek 410 sprint cars. Fireworks will also be part of the Independence Day show. Adult general admission for the race is set at $30 with youth ages 13 - 20 admitted for $15. Kids ages 12 and under are always admitted for FREE at Williams Grove Speedway First run in 1989, Stevie Smith won the very first Mitch Smith Memorial before returning for wins again in 2012 and 2014. No driver owns more wins in the speedweek race than six-time event champion Lance Dewease. Anthony Macri is the defending Mitch Smith Memorial champion. Among others, previous winners have included Joey Allen, Alan Krimes, Daryn Pittman, Trey Starks, Don Kreitz Jr. Fred Rahmer, Greg Hodnett, Brent Marks and Danny Dietrich. There will be no racing at Williams Grove on July 11 as the track takes a Summer Break. Adult general admission for July 4 is $30 with students ages 13-20 admitted for just $15. Kids ages 12 and under are always admitted for FREE at Williams Grove Speedway. Keep up to date on all the latest speedway news and information by visiting the oval's official website at www.williamsgrove.com or by visiting the oval on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. RacingJunk.com is the Official Classifieds for Williams Grove Speedway.
- Reutzel captures Kubota High Limit Diamond Classic opener at Lucas Oil Speedway
WHEATLAND, MO. (June 26, 2025) - There was nothing fluky about Aaron Reutzel's victory in the 2nd annual Kubota High Limit Racing Diamond Classic opener on Thursday night at Lucas Oil Speedway. Reutzel was fast all night, from setting quick time in qualifying to driving to the 30-lap feature victory - though he had to withstand a frantic charge from Tanner Thorson over the final three laps. "Just a super cool weekend and great way to get it started," Reutzel said in victory lane. "I'm not gonna call it a dominant performance by any means. He made me work for it, for sure." Reutzel, a Texan who now lives in Knoxville, Iowa, took the lead on lap 12 and held off Thorson in a frantic finish by a scant .101 seconds. He picked up the win on a program that was part of High Limit Racing's Roto Rooter Midweek Series and grabbed the season lead there. It was Reutzel's fourth High Limit victory of the season and he drew within four points of Brad Sweet for the High Limit championship lead. Thorson, of Broken Arrow, Okla., came from 10th to make it a thriller at the end. "It comes down to having a really good race car," Thorson said of his night. "Hats off to our guys. I can't thank those guys enough for the effort they put into this thing." Tyler Courtney started outside row one and grabbed the early lead, firing out to a two-second command over third-starting Reutzel by lap five. Courtney was closing on lapped cars by lap 10 as Reutzel was on the move, closing within a half-second. Two laps later, Reutzel blew past Courtney on the outside of turn two for the lead. Right after that, Kasey Kahne suffered a flat tire and slowed on the speedway to bring out the first caution. Reutzel continued to roll after the restart, pushing his lead to one second by lap 16. He was .846 seconds clear of Courtney on lap 21 when Courtney slowed as Ashton Torgerson rolled to a stop in turn four for the race's second caution. Thorson quickly moved into second after the restart and caught the leader with three to go and pulling alongside on the white flag lap. But Reutzel would not be denied, holding off Thorson's final-turn slider for the win by .101 seconds at the checkers. "Reutzel was getting tight down there and I was able to make up a lot of ground off of (turn) two," Thorson said. "I wasn't able to clear him and pass him, but I knew I had to try to because of how tight he was getting in the turns. Hats off to those guys. He drove a hell of a race." Reutzel said he was fortunate not to spin when the last caution flew and stay in position to win. "It was nice to have our speed in qualifying, like we've been having," Reutzel said. "I don't think our car is where it needs to be to come from 10th or so to win, but we're getting close. We were really, really good tonight early. I started struggling at the end. "I saw the big screen and saw the 88 (Thorson) coming and I went as hard as I could the last three. I wasn't surprised to see the 88 coming. I told Tanner today that I hope he doesn't figure out qualifying because that car has been bad-fast race-wise. He's really, really good right now." Sweet, the reigning High Limit Racing champion, drove from 11th to third with Randall finishing fourth and NASCAR champion Kyle Larson, who started ninth, rallying to fifth. Sweet called it "a good start to the weekend. We've struggled the last couple of weeks. We've had struggles in qualifying and struggled tonight to get the balance right but when it mattered, in the A-Main, we were pretty close." Reutzel set fast qualifying time at 13.308 seconds. It was about a half-second shy of the track record of 12.829, set by Rico Abreu on June 29, 2024. Action continues on Friday with grandstand gates opening at 4 p.m., hot laps at 6:15 and qualifying to follow. Opening ceremonies are set for 7:25 p.m. LUCAS OIL SPEEDWAY UNOFFICIAL RESULTS (June 26, 2025) 2nd annual Kubota High Limit Racing Diamond Classic A Feature - 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel[3]; 2. 88-Tanner Thorson[10]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet[11]; 4. 9R-Chase Randall[4]; 5. 57-Kyle Larson[9]; 6. 19-Brent Marks[7]; 7. 13-Daison Pursley[1]; 8. 20G-Noah Gass[8]; 9. 19H-Kevin Thomas Jr[5]; 10. 24-Rico Abreu[20]; 11. 26-Justin Peck[14]; 12. 74-Xavier Doney[13]; 13. 14-Spencer Bayston[12]; 14. 5-Brenham Crouch[18]; 15. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[16]; 16. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[2]; 17. 79-Gage Montgomery[24]; 18. 42-Sye Lynch[21]; 19. 45X-Landon Crawley[23]; 20. 21-Brian Brown[15]; 21. 9-Kasey Kahne[6]; 22. 21X-JJ Hickle[22]; 23. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[19]; 24. 22M-Rees Moran[17] B Main - 1. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[2]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu[1]; 3. 42-Sye Lynch[3]; 4. 21X-JJ Hickle[6]; 5. 45X-Landon Crawley[8]; 6. 79-Gage Montgomery[5]; 7. 24D-Danny Sams III[4]; 8. 93-Taylor Walton[11]; 9. 98P-Miles Paulus[10]; 10. 75-Tyler Blank[9]; 11. 5B-Kory Bales[12]; 12. 12X-Kameron Key[7] Dash - 1. 13-Daison Pursley[2]; 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[1]; 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel[3]; 4. 9R-Chase Randall[4]; 5. 19H-Kevin Thomas Jr[5]; 6. 9-Kasey Kahne[6] Heat 1 - 1. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[2]; 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel[4]; 3. 57-Kyle Larson[1]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet[5]; 5. 74-Xavier Doney[3]; 6. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[6]; 7. 42-Sye Lynch[7]; 8. 79-Gage Montgomery[9]; 9. 45X-Landon Crawley[8]; 10. 98P-Miles Paulus[10] Heat 2 - 1. 19H-Kevin Thomas Jr[1]; 2. 19-Brent Marks[2]; 3. 88-Tanner Thorson[5]; 4. 9R-Chase Randall[4]; 5. 26-Justin Peck[3]; 6. 22M-Rees Moran[6]; 7. 24D-Danny Sams III[9]; 8. 21X-JJ Hickle[7]; 9. 75-Tyler Blank[8]; 10. 93-Taylor Walton[10] Heat 3 - 1. 9-Kasey Kahne[1]; 2. 20G-Noah Gass[2]; 3. 13-Daison Pursley[4]; 4. 14-Spencer Bayston[3]; 5. 21-Brian Brown[8]; 6. 5-Brenham Crouch[7]; 7. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[6]; 8. 12X-Kameron Key[9]; 9. 24-Rico Abreu[5]; 10. 5B-Kory Bales[10] Qualifying - 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 00:13.308[9]; 2. 9R-Chase Randall, 00:13.337[21]; 3. 13-Daison Pursley, 00:13.343[20]; 4. 57-Kyle Larson, 00:13.344[13]; 5. 19H-Kevin Thomas Jr, 00:13.364[24]; 6. 9-Kasey Kahne, 00:13.420[17]; 7. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 00:13.424[8]; 8. 19-Brent Marks, 00:13.462[1]; 9. 20G-Noah Gass, 00:13.467[11]; 10. 74-Xavier Doney, 00:13.487[15]; 11. 26-Justin Peck, 00:13.503[5]; 12. 14-Spencer Bayston, 00:13.504[22]; 13. 49-Brad Sweet, 00:13.566[2]; 14. 88-Tanner Thorson, 00:13.566[10]; 15. 24-Rico Abreu, 00:13.574[27]; 16. 3-Ayrton Gennetten, 00:13.609[25]; 17. 22M-Rees Moran, 00:13.628[3]; 18. 1A-Ashton Torgerson, 00:13.642[23]; 19. 42-Sye Lynch, 00:13.648[19]; 20. 21X-JJ Hickle, 00:13.709[14]; 21. 5-Brenham Crouch, 00:13.713[28]; 22. 45X-Landon Crawley, 00:13.739[12]; 23. 75-Tyler Blank, 00:13.846[16]; 24. 21-Brian Brown, 00:13.869[29]; 25. 79-Gage Montgomery, 00:13.871[30]; 26. 24D-Danny Sams III, 00:13.880[4]; 27. 12X-Kameron Key, 00:13.885[6]; 28. 98P-Miles Paulus, 00:13.902[18]; 29. 93-Taylor Walton, 00:14.112[26]; 30. 5B-Kory Bales, 00:14.383[7] Ticket info: Two-day packages, as well as single-day tickets, are available for purchase online. Lucas Oil Speedway also offers Family Passes, Senior and Military pricing. Single-day or multi-day pit passes can be purchased at both the ticket and pit offices at the track. Ticket prices increase by $5 when purchased on-site. Some "Beat the Heat" Suite tickets are available for each remaining night, at $75 each. That price will include a pit pass. Tickets will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis with payment at the time of request, according to Lucas Oil Speedway Admissions Director Nichole McMillan. Contact McMillan at (417) 282-6119 or (417) 295-6043, or email her at nmcmillan@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information. For more information about Kubota High Limit Racing, including archived stories, standings and schedules, visit highlimitracing.com. Kubota High Limit Diamond Classic tickets: Friday Spectator Admission: 2-Day Reserved Seat Ticket $80 Adults (13 and up) - $30 Seniors (62 and up)/Military = $27 Youth (age 6 to 12) - $10 Kids (age 5 and under) - FREE Family Pass - $70 Pit Pass - $40 2-Day Pit Pass - $85 Saturday Spectator Admission: Adults (13 and up) - $40 Seniors (62 and up)/Military - $37 Youth (age 6 to 12) - $10 Kids (age 5 and under) - FREE Family Pass - $90 Pit Pass - $45 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 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., US Army Corps of Engineers-Pomme de Terre, Vietti Marketing Group, WacoBill.com, Wheatland Motel, White's Marine Center, Wieland, Woods Supermarkets.
- Racing icon Bert Emick passes away
FLORIDA - The dirt track racing community lost an icon Thursday, June 26. Former head of the All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series Bert Emick passed away at Halifax Hospital in Daytona, Florida after a brief illness. He was 84-years-old. Emick was surrounded by his loving wife Brigitte, whom he married in 1962, and his daughter Kristi. Bert often said his greatest accomplishment in life was taking care of "his girls." His heart was filled with gratitude for the love and respect of the racing community and he was so looking forward to attending the All Star reunion in September and he will be watching from above. Born in Columbus, Ohio, to Betty and Bert "Pop" Emick Sr., Bert became interested in auto racing through his father who enjoyed racing photography as a hobby. Bert later joined his father as a photographer by the time he was in his early 20s. Bert began his working career in the automobile service industry, eventually owning his own muffler shop in 1975. Because of his upbringing, Bert and Brigitte were regulars at races in Ohio and the surrounding states in the 1960s and 1970s. Bert and Brigitte had racing photo stands at tracks in Ohio and West Virginia in the mid-to-late 1970s. The All Star Circuit of Champions was formed in 1970 by C.H. "Bud" Miller with partners Paul Waite, William Baieri and George Yobe. Eleven races were run in 1970, mostly 100 lappers on Wednesday nights in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, each paying $1,000 to win. Ralph Quarterson won the first All Star point title over Bobby Allen, Lee Osborne and Lou Blaney. Due to Miller's business commitments, no All Star events were contested in 1971 or 1972. However another season began in 1973 with 11 shows scheduled with Jan Opperman winning the series title. Because of those early All Star successes and the renewed enthusiasm in "outlaw" sprint car racing generated by Ted Johnson's World of Outlaws in 1978, racing photographer friends Jerry Clum and Emick decided to start their own series in 1979. Five events under the Midwest Outlaw Super Series (MOSS) were held in Ohio and West Virginia with Dub May winning the point title. Bert got involved because of his admiration for the grass-roots, low budget traveling racers. Bert's goal was to help these type of racers out with good purses without a lot of travel. By 1980 the MOSS series was growing quickly with 22 events scheduled and the addition of a MOSS late model series. Bert sold his muffler shop that year. MOSS events paid $2,000 to win with a point fund champion taking $10,000 claimed by Bobby Allen and Jim Dunn taking the late model title. However, unbeknownst to Bert and Jerry, a track promoter who had booked MOSS events in 1980, copyrighted the name and following an unsuccessful battle in court, the duo lost the MOSS name. Bert rededicated himself to the sport and the All Star Circuit of Champions moniker was used again starting in 1981 for both the sprint car and late model series. An All Star Board of Directors was created with Bert and Brigitte at the helm. As the series grew, Bert turned over the day-to-day operations of the late model series to Bill Moore in 1982. The late models series declined in the early 1990s before being disbanded in 1993. In 1983 Ohio Sprint Speedweek was started featuring six races in six nights under the All Star Circuit of Champions banner. The brainchild of Eldora's Earl Baltes, speedweek has been imitated in several other regions. In fact, Attica Raceway Park kicks off the annual Ohio Sprint Speedweek with the Bert and Brigitte Emick Classic each year. Bert gives all the credit for the growth in purses and points funds for the All Stars over the years to his wife, Brigitte who worked tirelessly on financials, statistics and running the series souvenir trailer. She was always at Bert's side. Bert was loved and respected by drivers, car owners, track promoters and the fans. He was voted the inaugural recipient of the National Sprint Car Poll's Outstanding Contribution to the Sport Award in 1985 and has been ranked in the top five of the most influential leaders in the sport every year since the poll's inception in 1991. He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Fremont Speedway Hall of Fame in 2012. A memorial will be held at a later date and a full obituary is pending.
- Jason Feger, Michael Ledford Capture Summer Nationals Feature Wins at Farmer City Raceway
Known as the “High Side Hustler” in the dirt Late Model world, Jason Feger reminded everyone why he earned the nickname on Friday night at Farmer City Raceway. In a quest for his second DIRTcar Summer ...
- Stambaugh Prevails in Thrilling GLSS Champion’s Duel at Tri-City Motor Speedway
Many drivers in the MacAllister CAT Great Lakes Super Sprints Presented by PERFIT & ARP pit area had been looking for an opportunity to race a smooth, technical track this season. So far, many weekend visits have been hammer down and "pony up". But Tri-City Motor Speedway was just what the Doctor ordered.
- WRAY WINS USCS RACE #1,000 AT PENTON RACEWAY
Conner Wray of Olive Branch, MS, took the win in a milestone race for the United Sprint Car Series Presented By Hoosier Racing Tire on Friday night at Penton Raceway in La Fayette, AL. The 25-lap Feature Race was the 1,000th race for USCS since its inception in 1997.
- David Gravel Dominates Cedar Lake for 10th Victory of 2025
David Gravel appeared to be cruising toward victory on Friday at Cedar Lake Speedway, but then an issue put the win in jeopardy.The nose wing on the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 was knocked askew as the laps wound down. A hungry Carson Macedo was behind him, and trailing Macedo was the hottest driver on the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series tour, Michael "Buddy" Kofoid.
- Abreu Becomes Third Different Leader at Lucas Oil to Claim Diamond Classic Preliminary Win
Even after an afternoon downpour that put the night in jeopardy, Lucas Oil Speedway still salvaged the surface and proved once again why it is called "The Diamond of Dirt Tracks." Coming from the fourth position, Rico Abreu became the third different leader in Friday's 30-lapper en route to winning for the first time at the Wheatland, Missouri facility.
- Max Guilford takes IRA checkers at Bloomington
Max Guilford piloted the Greg Wheeler #16c to victory in the 30 lap Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association feature on the red clay of Bloomington Speedway Friday night. Following Guilford was Scotty Neitzel, Emerson Axsom, Jake Blackhurst and Jordan Goldsberry.
- Henry capitalizes on Andrews’ misfortune for Attica win
Henry, the defending Attica 410 Callie's Performance Products champion, inherited the lead with just three laps to go when race-long leader Chris Andrews slid off the cushion in turns one and two and spun. Henry, from Republic, Ohio, drove to his fourth win of the year at Attica, his sixth overall victory of 2025 and the 24th of his career at the track.
- Heavy Rain Postpones Dirt Down in T-Town Weekend at Tulsa Speedway
Due to heavy Saturday morning rain that has flooded the property at Tulsa Speedway, American Sprint Car Series and track officials have agreed to postpone the third annual Dirt Down in T-Town weekend ...
- BC39 set for return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The BC39 brings dirt track racing back to the grounds of Indianapolis Motor Speedway next week, starting on Tuesday July 1 and continuing through Wednesday July 2. Motorsports broadcaster Dillon Welch ...
- Thunderstorms Cancel Friday Portion of Dirt Down in T-Town at Tulsa Speedway
Due to thunderstorms rolling through the Tulsa area Friday afternoon, bringing heavy rain that has soaked the property at Tulsa Speedway, American Sprint Car Series and track officials have canceled ...
- Elite USAC Midget Field Set To Race July 1-2 in BC39 at IMS
A field of more than 70 cars is expected to compete July 1-2 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for one of the most prestigious prizes in the United States Auto Club NOS Energy Drink ...
- Racing icon Bert Emick passes away
The dirt track racing community lost an icon Thursday, June 26. Former head of the All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series Bert Emick passed away at Halifax Hospital in Daytona, Florida after a brief illness. He was 84-years-old.
- BC39 FORMAT REVEALED FOR JULY 1-2 USAC MIDGET EVENT AT IMS
A new two-night format at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will welcome competitors to the seventh running of the BC39 Presented by Avanti Windows & Doors featuring the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship on July 1-2, 2025.
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