Five consecutive nights of action for the Lucas Oil MLRA will get underway on Tuesday night at I-80 Speedway. The weekend wraps up on Saturday with the 13th Annual Slocum 50.
Media Contact: Billy Rock
Wheatland, Missouri (April 12, 2021) – Mother nature may have spoiled the Lucas Oil MLRA’s season opening plans slated for last weekend, but the series will look to get back on track in a big way starting on Tuesday with five consecutive nights of action. Drivers will be chasing a potential $30,555 over the course of the week, while also looking to get a leg up on the 2021 series championship battle.
Action will get underway with a rare Tuesday night event on April 13th, at the I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Nebraska. The “Tuesday Tickler” will be the first $5,000 to win race of the week and it will also mark the first time for the MLRA series at the Kosiski family’s 4/10 mile facility since 2017. After struggling to find the right fit on the schedule the past couple of seasons, series and track officials found the start of the upcoming five-day swing to be enticing to many race teams already in the area, and are hopeful it will parlay into a large field of high caliber late models.
Two time MLRA series champion Chad Simpson captured the checkered in the series last visit to I-80 in August of 2017, and continued that success one year ago when he came home 3rd in the $53,000 to win “Silver Dollar Nationals”. 2016 Lucas Oil MLRA Rookie of the Year Tad Pospisil from nearby Norfolk, Nebraska is also expected to contend for the top spot in search of his second career MLRA victory.
Wednesday will find action moving east to Mike Van Genderen’s Stuart International Speedway in Stuart, Iowa. The mid-week battle will mark the second ever appearance for the MLRA at the ¼ mile facility, and has been a highly anticipated date amoung many of the MLRA drivers since the 2021 schedule was released. In 2019 Bobby Pierce scored the inaugural win at Stuart, coming from deep in the field to take the lead with just eleven laps remaining over Iowan’s Chris Simpson and Tyler Bruening.
Thanks to additional sponsorship Van Genderen recently announced that the original $3,000 to win event would be increased to $5,000 to win and $500 to start. Wednesday night’s action is presented by Choice Inc., Conrad’s Pillow Pets, RaceXR, and Karl Chevrolet of Stuart.
The half-way point of the week will come on Thursday night April 15th when the series makes their first of two annual stops at the Davenport Speedway. The first stop of the season is traditionally contested on the facilities historic half-mile lay out, but both events slated for the 2021 season will take place on the inner quarter-mile facility.
Thursday nights $5,000 to win event promoted by DRT Trak Racing Inc. will be almost two years to the day since the MLRA made their last stop at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds facility, after losing both shows one year ago due to the Covid pandemic. Chase Junghans captured the win in 2019, his first and only Lucas Oil MLRA win to date, with that win coming on the ½ mile. The most recent winner on the ¼ mile was Mt. Vernon, Iowa’s Chad Simpson who took the top spot in 2018.
The grueling five-day swing will finish out with one of the series marquee events, on Friday and Saturday April 16th – 17th at the 34 Raceway in West Burlington, IA. The 13th Annual “Slocum 50” Presented by The Outpost Bar & Grill, expands in 2021 to a new two-day format, with complete shows each night. The inaugural Friday night “Prelude to the Slocum” will put a $5,000 to win teaser on the line, leading up to Saturday nights annual $10,555 to win and $750 to start “Slocum 50”, honoring the life of late model racer Brent Slocum.
Bobby Pierce continued his dominance in the annual event in 2020 by scoring his second consecutive triumph and fourth all time. Pierce is expected to once again contend for the top spot along with other former Slocum 50 winners including Shannon Babb 18’, Chris Simpson 17’, and Ryan Unzicker 15’.
The Brent Slocum Foundation recently launched a new website at www.SlocumRace.com offering more information and history on the annual event and ways in which the foundation is giving back in honor of Slocum.
I-80 Speedway: Greenwood, NE (Tuesday Tickler)–Tuesday 4/13/21
Gates: 5:30 PM
Racing: Hot Laps – 6:30 PM, Racing – 7:00 PM
Admission: Adults GA $25, Kids 6-12 GA $5, 5-Under FREE
Support Classes: Bragging Rights Late Models, Modifieds
Website: www-i-80speedway.com
Stuart International Speedway: Stuart, IA (Race Day Info)–Wednesday 4/14/21
Gates: 5:00 PM
Racing: Hot Laps – 6:45 PM, Racing to follow
Support Classes: IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Sport Compacts, & IMCA Hobby Stocks
Website: www.StuartSpeedway.net
Davenport Speedway: Davenport, IA (Race Day Info)–Thursday 4/15/21
Gates: 5:00 PM
Racing: Hot Laps – 6:00 PM, Racing to follow
Admission: Adults $20, Teens & Seniors $17, 12 & Under FREE w/ Paid Adult
Support Classes: Modifieds, Sport Modifieds, A.I.R.S
Website: www.DrtTrakRacing.com
34 Raceway: W. Burlington, IA (Prelude to the Slocum)–Friday 4/16/21
Gates: 5:00 PM
Racing: Time Trials 6:15 PM & Racing to Follow
Admission: Adults $20, Students/Seniors $18, Kids (10 & Under) FREE
Support Classes: 305 Sprints – Winged, Mini Hauler
Website: www.34Raceway.com
34 Raceway: W. Burlington, IA (Slocum 50)–Saturday 4/17/21
Gates: 4:00 PM
Racing: Time Trials 6:15 PM & Racing to Follow
Admission: Adults $25, Students/Seniors $20, Kids (10 & Under) FREE
Support Classes: 305 Sprints – Winged, Stock Cars