4/14/2021
Lucas Oil Speedway
Lucas Oil Speedway Spotlight: JC Newell looks to parlay first USRA B-Mod win in to more success
WHEATLAND, MO. (April 14, 2021) - Coming off a 2020 season in which he came up just short of victory lane numerous times, JC Newell wasted little time enjoying the spoils of first place on opening night of the Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series at Lucas Oil Speedway.
Newell earned the Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod feature win by leading the final six laps, after perennial championship contenders JC Morton and Kris Jackson tangled ahead of him.
“I kind of had a feeling something was gonna happen,” Newell said of the battle playing out in front of him. “I was trying pretty hard to stay in third and put ourselves in position. It worked out for us.”
For the 24-year-old from Buffalo, who’s won dozens of races over the years on dirt and pavement, it marked his first-ever feature win at Lucas Oil Speedway.
“It meant a lot. It’s something we’ve been trying for the last three or four years now,” Newell said of winning at Wheatland. “To finally have that off our list really feels good.”
It also was his first win on the dirt, period, in a couple of years after seven second-place finishes last season at Dallas County Speedway and four top-fives in his first full season running at Lucas Oil Speedway.
Newell goes for another one this Saturday night when the USRA B-mods are the headliner of $uper $aver $pecial Night at Lucas Oil Speedway, chasing $750-to-win the 25-lap main event courtesy of Clearlight Inn. Fans arriving before 5:30 p.m. will receive four admissions, four hot dogs and four 20-ounce Coca-Cola products for just $30.
Newell wound up fifth in Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod points last season at Lucas Oil Speedway. With a year of running weekly at the track under his belt, plus being a part of the new Allen Autosports “alliance,” he feels better prepared to win this year.
Newell is in a new modified designed and built by his father-in-law, Scotty Allen. At least four other drivers are driving Allen B-Mods as well, including veterans JC Morton and Eric Turner, with the intent of sharing information to make all the more competitive in the highly competitive division.
“We learned a lot getting to run there a full season last year,” Newell said. “We have some really good teammates this year that are working with us and they really helped us a ton.
“It’s a huge,” he added, of the veteran teammates. “They’ve been great to work with and a lot of fun. I’ looking forward to the rest of the summer with them.”
Newell is one of the more-acclaimed young short-track racers in the Ozarks. The Stoutland native and third-generation racer was a track and state champion as a 19-year-old on the pavement in the NASCAR Whelan Series at Lebanon I-44 Speedway. He won five Pro Late Model features that season and often traveled out-of-state to find big races to compete in.
A desire to remain closer to home led him back down a dirt-racing path, where he once won 17 times in 28 attempts before moving to pavement and now B-Mods.
“We really had a good notebook from the last two years with the old car and Scotty designed this new one. Working together with the other teams, I really feel we’re on a good track,” Newell said. “We hope to just keep winning some more races. It would be neat to try and win a championship over at Lucas, but we don’t want to set our hopes too high yet.
“You know when you pull in every week there’s 10-15 B-Mods that could win any night. Just being up front and running with those guys is saying something.”
Newell’s dad, Ben, still runs a Midwest Mod at Dallas County Speedway and could hit some of the B-Mod events at Lucas later this year. Ben was named as an inductee for the Ozarks Area Racer Foundation Hall of Fame and will be inducted next January. “Big” JC Newell - Ben’s dad and JC’s grandfather, was an Ozarks Racers Hall of Famer in the mid-2000s.
“We’re very excited,” JC Newell said. “Grandpa went into the Hall of Fame in about 2004 or ’05 and now for Dad to go in, it’s really neat.”
Meanwhile, little brother Dayton plans to compete in JC’s old B-Mod later this spring.
JC Newell’s sponsors include newcomer Prime Trucking, along with Allen Autosports, Los Hermano’s Mexican Restaurant in Buffalo, KC Hooks, Pomme Plumbing, Royal Heating & Air, Scotty’s Signs and Wraps, RCR Designs and Chris Claunch Media.
Ozarks FOX Presents the Week 2 program, which also includes the Missouri Metal Buildings ULMA Late Models, Cedar Creek Beef Jerky Modifieds and O'Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars also will be racing for points and the Pure Stocks will join the action as a special guest class with a $300-to-win feature.
Gates will open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:05.
Get a Suite view: Fans can take in Saturday's action from a VIP Suite on the third level overlooking the front straightaway, as individual tickets are available price at $24. All VIP Suite seats must be pre-paid and can be reserved by calling Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984.
The suite offers prime viewing from inside, where the temperature is climate-controlled, or an outside seating area. Food and drinks are not included in the ticket price, though a host/hostess will be available to take food and drink orders throughout the evening.
Frogs Jr Fan Club Pit Tour: Fans arriving early - particularly those with youngsters - also can sign up for the Frogs Jr Fan Club Pit Tour. Kids ages 5-12 can sign up on the midway, behind the main grandstands, before 5 p.m. with eight names drawn for a special pit-area tour at 5:15 with flag man Mike Striegel.
They will get to meet some of the drivers, see the cars up close and attend the drivers' meeting prior to return to the midway. Each of the eight will receive a Frogs Jr Fan Club T-Shirt, checkered flag and a gift bag sponsored by RaceGear Unlimited to put items in they receive from the drivers.
Admission prices
$uper $aver $pecial (before 5:30 p.m.) - $30 for 4 admissions, 4 hot dogs and 4 Coca-Cola products
Adults (16 and over) - $12
Seniors (62 and over)/Military - $9
Youth (ages 6-15) - $5
Kids (5 and under) - FREE
Family pass - $30
Pit pass - $30
For ticket information for any event during the 2021 Lucas Oil Speedway season, contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or via email at Nichole@lucasoilspeedway.com. Fans also can use the online ticketing system.
CONTACT:
Danny Lorton
Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager
Office: (417) 282-5984
DLorton@lucasoilspeedway.com
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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.
Lucas Oil Speedway is located at Highways 83 and 54 in Wheatland, Missouri. A campground with shower and bathroom facilities is also available. With its entrance located just outside the pit gate this sprawling scenic camping facility will continue to enhance the racing experience at the Diamond of Dirt Tracks.
Click LucasOilSpeedway.com for more 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 Twitter, clicking "Like" at www.facebook.com/LucasOilSpeedway and on www.youtube.com/LucasOilSpeedway
About Lucas Oil Speedway
Lucas Oil Speedway is considered by fans, drivers and industry insiders to be one of the top five racing facilities in the nation. Located in Wheatland, Missouri, approximately an hour from Springfield, Missouri, 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 ninth season for the Liquid Quarter Mile Drag Racing Lake, "Lake Lucas." New for 2017 was all-purpose built Off Road facility featuring the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series as well as a host of other 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, POWRi Midget National Series, Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League, United States Modified Touring Series, ASCS Sprint Cars and the Lucas Oil MLRA.
In addition to the special events, the Lucas Oil Speedway Weekly Racing Series features the ULMA Late Models, USRA Modifieds, USRA Stock Cars and USRA B-Mods.
2021 Official Lucas Oil Speedway Marketing Partners
Bill Roberts Chevrolet-Buick
"The Official Truck" of Lucas Oil Speedway
Dixie Chopper
"The Official Mowers of Lucas Oil Speedway"
General Tire
"The Official Tire" of Lucas Oil Speedway
Lucas Oil Products
"The Official Oil" of Lucas Oil Speedway
MAVTV
"The Official Television Network" of Lucas Oil Speedway
Optima Batteries
"The Official Battery" of Lucas Oil Speedway
Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr. Pepper
"The Official Soft Drink" of Lucas Oil Speedway
RacingJunk.com
"The Official Classifieds" of Lucas Oil Speedway
Rugged Radios
"The Official 2-Way Communications Provider" of Lucas Oil Speedway
Sunoco Race Fuels
"The Official Fuel" of Lucas Oil Speedway
Super Clean
"The Official Sponsor" of Lucas Oil Speedway
2021 Lucas Oil Speedway Supporters Include:
Advanced Automotive Repair, AM Pyrotechnics, Angler's Resort, Arizona Sport Shirts, Ash Grove Aggregates, Ball Tree Service, Benton County Tire, Berry Tractor and Equipment Co., Big Adventure RV, Bill Roberts Chevrolet-Buick, Bolivar Auto Sales & Detailing, Bolivar Farmers Exchange-MFA, Boone's BBQ Barn, Boubin Tire/American Racer, Branstetter & Lightfoot LLC, Bridal Cave, BWI Sanitation, Camden on the Lake Resort, Candlelight Creations-Dick's Wild Root Horseradish, Casey's General Stores, Cedar Creek Beef Jerky, Central Life Sciences, Citizens Memorial Healthcare, City Magnet, Clearlight Inn, Comfort Inn-Bolivar,DirtonDirt.com, Dixie Chopper, Eibach Springs, Evans Pipe & Steel Co., Farmers Insurance Agent Kristy Reynolds, Fast Shafts by Axle Exchange, Foley Equipment-Cat Rental Store, Frog Signs, Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare, Heritage Tractor Inc., Hermitage Lumber, HICKAMO Country Store, Highway 54 RV Park, Hobbytime Motorsports, Hoosier Race Tires, Impact Signs Awnings Wraps, In the Garden of Eden, Kettle Treats, Keyser Manufacturing, Kluhsman Racing Components, Kona Ice, LimeBank, Lucas Cattle Company, Merck Animal Health, Midwest Sheet Metal, Miller Welding, Missouri Metal Buildings, Missouri Welding Institute (MWI), MyRacePass, Nemo Quarry, NMI/VMG Marketing Group, OakStar Bank, O'Bannon Bank, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Ozark Golf Cars, Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr. Pepper, Ozarks Community Health Center, PFI Western Store, Pitts Homes, Pitts Realty, Pitts Cattle, ProThings Apparel, RACEceiver, Racinboys.com, RacinDirt.com, RacingJunk.com, Rains Ice Company, Real Racing Wheels, Rod End Supply, Ron Jenkins Accounting & Tax Service, Rugged Radios, Ryan E. Murphy Law Firm LLC, SBU Athletics, Safety Kleen, Schlesselman Fencing, Scott Furniture, Sidetrack RV Park, Southwest Electric Cooperative, Stillwater Resort, Stover Milling, Sunoco Race Fuels, Sunflower Resort, Superior Products, TA/PETRO, US Army Corps of Engineers-Pomme de Terre, Wheatland Motel, White's Marine Center, Wild Animal Safari, Windsor Livestock Auction, Woods Supermarkets, Wrisco Industries, ZINPRO Performance Minerals.
Article Credit: By Lyndal Scranton, Lucas Oil Speedway
