WHEATLAND, MO. (Aug. 18, 2021) – Derek Tidd was a willing participant when a friend suggested they attend the first event on Lucas Oil Speedway’s new off road track, back in 2017.
“I had no idea,” Tidd said of what he expected from the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series visit to the 1.3-mile track.
“I didn’t know anything about it or that this sort of stuff even existed. We had bought side by sides (ATVs) just to play around. My buddy said, Let’s go check this out.’ ”
What Tidd saw made quite the impression.
“It’s basically motocross in a car,” said Tidd, who had raced motocross shortly after high school. “I was like, ‘We’ve got to try it.’ ”
Just three years after watching his first off road race, the Olathe, Kansas, resident found himself on the podium at Lucas Oil Speedway. He wound up third last August in the Turbo UTV class, finishing behind multi-time champion Corry Weller and Ronnie Anderson, but ahead some of those same drivers he watched at that memorable 2017 trip to Wheatland.
Tidd returns on Saturday with the Kansas City Off Road Association in the Pro Turbo division. Mini Stock Trucks, Sportsman, Women, Youth 1000, Youth 570, Youth 170 Mod and Youth 170 classes are on the schedule.
A big Saturday racing doubleheader is scheduled at Lucas Oil Speedway, with the KCORRA set for its first heat race at noon. Feature races and awards are expected to wrap up by 5 p.m. Spectators purchasing Off Road tickets will be admitted free to Saturday night’s Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series program on the dirt track.
Based on his past success, Tidd figures to be a driver to keep an eye on.
“I’m excited to be back down there,” Tidd said. “One, it’s close to home. It’s just big, wide open, super flowing. That track is just hard to beat. That track is a lot bigger than most. There’s really nothing to compare to it to.”
Tidd called his podium run against some of the sport’s elite drivers last summer a career highlight.
“That meant a lot,” he said. “Racing against people that I hadn’t gone against before, coming from the Midwest … other than Kyle Chaney who I had run against before. I knew he was fast. I had only seen Corry Weller and some of the others on TV. When I got the opportunity to race against them, I was excited and thrilled that we were able to keep up and, not only that, but be up top.
“That was a big win for us. Plus being so close to home, only being an hour and a half from the track, that was even sweeter getting to do it in front of friends and family.”
Tidd said his first love was dirt bikes, but he quickly found out that, “I got hurt too often to work and continue riding them. So I put a cage around myself and started running the side by sides.”
But he didn’t dream of bumping it to a higher level until that summer race in 2017, watching from the grandstands.
“Every time you start something new, you’re so gung-ho,” Tidd said. “You watch on TV and think ‘I can do that.’ You’re humbled real quick when you get out there and you’re door to door with these guys. I got humbled my first year and spent a lot of time over the next winter trying to figure out where we could make up time and what we could do to the car.
“Last year, when we wound up on the podium at Wheatland, we learned quite a bit. It’s definitely a lot of work. I didn’t think it would be this much work.”
While the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is no more, Tidd is racing about once a month with a couple of Midwest-based organizations, including KCORRA. He built a new vehicle last offseason that he hopes does well in its Wheatland debut this weekend.
“It took us four or five races to work all the kinks out of it,” Tidd said. “We’re finally starting to get it dialed in. Of course, it’s past halfway through the season, but we’ve got it to where it’s working real good and we’re not having to fight it all the time.
“I would imagine we’ll have eight to 10 real solid guys show up and put on a good show,” Tidd added of Saturday’s Turbo class. “I’m looking forward to getting back down there.”
Off Road preregistration is set for 5-10 p.m. Friday. Pit gates open at 8 a.m. on Saturday with spectator gates opening at 9 a.m., registration 8-10, drivers’ meeting at 9:30, practice at 10 and heat races at noon.
Find out more about the Kansas City Off Road Racing Association at kcorra.com.
Saturday night at the dirt oval, it will be Public Safety Appreciation Night at the Races Presented by KOLR with all police, fire and rescue personnel admitted FREE with ID. The Cedar Creek Beef Jerky USRA Modifieds, Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods and O’Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars also will be in action.
The featured ULMA Late Model class will have a $1,000-to-win, 25-lap main event.
Gates for the dirt track open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:05.
Frogs Jr Fan Club Pit Tour: As is a weekly tradition at Lucas Oil Speedway, young fans arriving early for the dirt track races are invited to 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 flagman Mike Striegel.
They will get to meet some of the drivers, see the cars up close and attend the drivers’ meeting prior to returning 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.
Off Road Admission
Racers – $35
Adults (16 and over) – $25
Seniors (62 and over)/Military – $22
Youth (ages 6-15) – $10
Kids (5 and under) – FREE
Family pass (2 adults and up to 3 youth) – $60
*All tickets include Off Road pit pass and FREE Saturday dirt-track admission
Dirt Track Admission
(Police, fire and rescue personnel admitted FREE)
Adults (16 and over) – $12
Seniors (62 and over)/Military – $9
Youth (ages 6-15) – $5
Kids (5 and under) – FREE
Family pass (2 adults and up to 3 youth) – $30
Pit pass – $30
*FREE admission with Off Road ticket
For ticket information for any event during the 2021 Lucas Oil Speedway season, contact 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