WHEATLAND, Mo.—The 4th of July Holiday Weekend will get off to a roaring start at Lucas Oil Speedway with a special Casey's General Stores Thursday Night Thunder edition of the Budweiser Weekly Championship Series.

Presented by KRBK Fox 5, all four classes will be in action and the night will conclude with one of the biggest fireworks shows in the area, courtesy of AM Pyrotechnics.

"It's become a tradition to have Thursday-night racing heading into the big Independence Day Weekend and it's quickly grown into one of our most-popular events of the season," Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager Dan Robinson said.

"When you combine the outstanding racing in all our divisions with the awesome job that AM Pyrotechnics does capping the evening, it's a perfect way for families to come out and kick off the big weekend," Robinson added.

The ALPS Food Store ULMA Late Models will be the featured class, running a 25-lap, $1,000-to-win feature courtesy of Rains Ice. It's the first leg of the 2016 ULMA Triple Crown Shootout - the first of four straight race nights for the ULMA Late Models.

After racing at Lucas Oil Speedway, the Late Models are at Lakeside Speedway on Friday, Randolph County Raceway in Moberly on Saturday and Central Missouri Speedway in Warrensburg on Sunday where the Jake Williams Memorial ULMA Triple Crown champion will be crowned.

For Thursday Night Thunder in Wheatland, visit participating area Casey's locations for $2 discount coupons to the night's activities, which also includes the Pitts Homes USRA Modifieds, the Carson's Corner NAPA Street Stocks and Ozark Golf Cars B-Mods.

As part of the evening's "Salute to America" all Veterans with ID and Scouts in uniform will be admitted free. The lake area's wildest fireworks show, courtesy of AM Pyrotechnics, will light up the night sky at the conclusion of the racing program as we celebrate our nation's independence.

Ticket prices for Thursday's program are:

Adults (16 and up) $12
Seniors (62 and up)/Military $9
Youth (6-15) $5
Veterans and Scouts in Uniform FREE
 Kids (5 and under) FREE
 Family Pass $25
 Pit Pass $25

To purchase tickets or to inquire about the availability of suites for upcoming races, contact admissions director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or via email at nichole@lucasoilspeedway.com.

In the featured ULMA Late Model division, points leader Aaron Marrant of Richmond will be looking to get back to victory lane after finishing second and third, respectively, in the last two races after winning four in a row. Marrant leads Robert James Penney of Lawson by 76 points.

The USRA Modified championship chase continues to tighten after Eric Turner of Hermitage took his second straight feature win last Saturday. Turner is within 33 points of Bolivar's Jeff Cutshaw, the reigning track champion.

Another tight race is taking place in the B-Mod class, with Springfield's J.C. Morton 45 clear of Lebanon's Kris Jackson. Morton has not finished lower than fourth in seven features while Jackson, contending for a win, had a late flat tire and wound up 16th last week.

The biggest runaway is in the Street Stocks where Derek Brown of Stoutland, after earning his seventh feature win in nine attempts, leads Eldon's Steve Beach by 145 points.

Lucas Oil Speedway is located at Highways 83 and 54 in Wheatland, Missouri. A campground with shower and bathroom facilities is also available. With it's 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 www.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.