Darron Fuqua won the USRA Modified main event.

For Darron Fuqua, it felt like old times Saturday night as he returned to Lucas Oil Speedway victory lane.

Fuqua, of Mayetta, Kansas, passed R.C. Whitwell with two laps remaining to earn the Pitts Homes USRA Modified feature win, headlining the Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series program.

J.C. Morton was also a winner on Fan Appreciation Night presented by KY3 Digital/O-Zone.

Fuqua, who's raced a varied schedule in 2020, picked up his sixth overall win of the year but first in two attempts at Lucas Oil Speedway. He won eight times at the speedway in a memorable 2018 season, earning both track and USRA Modified National Championships.

"It took me a while to remember how to get around here," Fuqua said in victory lane, collecting a trophy and $1,000. "It was working me to death in there. The track had a lot of character, but it made it a lot of fun for racing."

Fuqua worked his way toward the front from an eighth starting position. But early on, it was shaping up as a duel between Whitwell and season points leader Robbie Reed.

By lap six, Reed and Whitwell had distanced themselves from the field by four seconds. Fourth-starting Whitwell sailed past Reed coming off turn four on lap nine to grab the lead - but things were soon to quickly change.

A caution the next time around brought the rest of the field back to the top pair with Fuqua lurking in third.

Things got wild two laps after the restart. Chase Jones rolled his car in a four-car incident on the front stretch, bringing out the red flag on lap 11. Mickey Burrell, Kirby Robe and Curt Drake also were involved and their cars had to be towed away but each driver walked away safely.

Just before that, Reed's car lost power just as Fuqua passed him for second.

After action resumed, Whitwell had built a 1.7-second lead over Fuqua when a lap-22 caution wiped out that margin and set the stage for an exciting finish.

Fuqua had a spectacular restart, using the momentum to slingshot past Whitwell in turn two. He led from there and finished just under one second in front of Whitwell, with Ryan Middaugh third, Kyle Thompson fourth and Chase Domer going from 20th to finish fifth.

"If I didn't get tight getting in there, I could get in the corner good. I tried the bottom where (Whitwell) was going a couple of times, but went across the race track with a shove," Fuqua said. "I learned after about two mistakes to quit doing that and just go around him and take his line down here, if I could."

Eventual winner Darron Fuqua (87) and runner-up R.C. Whitwell (96) battle it out in the closing laps in Saturday night's USRA Modified main event. (GS Stanek Racing Photography).

Fuqua hopes to use the event as a springboard for the USMTS Show-Me Shootout Presented by Foley Equipment next Saturday night.

"I want to thank all the fans for coming out and rooting us on tonight," Fuqua said.

Morton takes third USRA B-Mod win: J.C. Morton of Springfield led all 20 laps to take the Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod feature win, beating runner-up Eric Turner by three car lengths. It was Morton's third triumph of the Lucas Oil Speedway season.

It completed a long 24 hours for Morton. He and third-place finished Kris Jackson competed nearly 600 miles away on Friday night, at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wisconsin.

"We left there last night about 12:30 and got to Springfield about 11 this morning," Morton said. "We worked on the car because we tore it up and then came here. We've been on very little sleep."

Morton used the high groove and set sail over fellow front-row starter Jackson to opened a 3.5-second lead by lap six when the race's first caution waved.

Morton led from there as the race went caution-free. Turner got past Jackson on lap eight and he made a run at the winner when Morton got into lapped traffic with three laps to go.

"I got by (Jackson) and kind of cruised there for a little bit," Morton said. "Then near the end I got into lapped traffic and slowed up. I saw Eric Turner's nose down there and knew it was time to get back on the wheel and go."

J.C. Newell came home in fourth and Mitchell Franklin finished fifth.

USMTS next Saturday: The 11th Annual USMTS Slick Mist Show-Me Shootout presented by Foley Equipment is set for next Saturday night, August 8. Also on the program will be the Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods and the O'Reilly Auto Parts Street Stocks. Gates open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:05.

For ticket questions or information for any event at Lucas Oil Speedway, contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or email her at nichole@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Racing Association
Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series
Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, Mo.
Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver and hometown.

USRA MODIFIEDS

Heat #1:
1. (5) 5 Robbie Reed, Mexico, Mo.
2. (1) 87 Darron Fuqua, Mayetta, Kan.
3. (6) 134 Robert Heydenreich, Bolivar, Mo.
4. (2) 14 Kameron Grindstaff, Independence, Mo.
5. (7) 98D Paden Phillips, Chanute, Kan.
6. (9) 18 Curt Drake, Moran, Kan.
7. (8) 75 Gunner Martin, Independence, Mo.
8. (4) 7 Daniel Franklin, Berryville, Ark.
9. (10) 23 Lucas Dobbs, El Dorado Springs, Mo.
10. (3) 55 Colson Kirk, Urbana, Mo.

Heat #2:
1. (2) 38C Jason Pursley, Hermitage, Mo.
2. (7) 73 Mickey Burrell
3. (6) 0 Brody Robe, Wichita, Kan.
4. (9) 21W Tracy Wolf, Buffalo, Mo.
5. (1) 9E Evan Hubert, Pittsburg, Mo.
6. (3) 1 Kirby Robe, Wichita, Kan.
7. (4) 20 Bob Kerbs, Nevada, Mo.
8. (10) 75L Lane Whitney, Sturgeon, Mo.
9. (8) 227 Chase Domer, Nevada, Mo.
10. (5) 3B Nic Bidinger, Perry, Kan.

Heat #3:
1. (2) 96T R.C. Whitwell, Tucson, Ariz.
2. (1) 155 Terry Kirk, Urbana, Mo.
3. (3) 21 Ryan Middaugh, Fulton, Mo.
4. (8) 292 Kyle Thompson, Joplin, Mo.
5. (7) 90 Terry Schultz, Sedalia, Mo.
6. (4) 88 Jimmy Dowell, Boonville, Mo.
7. (9) 03 Chase Jones, El Dorado Springs, Mo.
8. (6) 21R Rusty Skaggs, Arcadia, Kan.
9. (5) 18JR Chase Sigg, Iola, Kan.
10. (10) 2+1/2 Khaled Graham, Joplin, Mo.

"B" Feature:
1. (4) 75 Gunner Martin, Independence, Mo.
2. (3) 03 Chase Jones, El Dorado Springs, Mo.
3. (14) 3B Nic Bidinger, Perry, Kan.
4. (12) 227 Chase Domer, Nevada, Mo.
5. (2) 88 Jimmy Dowell, Boonville, Mo.
6. (6) 7 Daniel Franklin, Berryville, Ark.
7. (8) 18JR Chase Sigg, Iola, Kan.
8. (1) 1 Kirby Robe, Wichita, Kan.
9. (7) 21R Rusty Skaggs, Arcadia, Kan.
10. (13) 55 Colson Kirk, Urbana, Mo.
11. (11) 23 Lucas Dobbs, El Dorado Springs, Mo.
12. (9) 2+1/2 Khaled Graham, Joplin, Mo.
13. (5) 20 Bob Kerbs, Nevada, Mo.
14. (10) 75L Lane Whitney, Sturgeon, Mo.

"A" Feature:
1. (8) 87 Darron Fuqua, Mayetta, Kan.
2. (4) 96T R.C. Whitwell, Tucson, Ariz.
3. (11) 21 Ryan Middaugh, Fulton, Mo.
4. (10) 292 Kyle Thompson, Joplin, Mo.
5. (20) 227 Chase Domer, Nevada, Mo.
6. (3) 38C Jason Pursley, Hermitage, Mo.
7. (14) 90 Terry Schultz, Sedalia, Mo.
8. (19) 3B Nic Bidinger, Perry, Kan.
9. (9) 155 Terry Kirk, Urbana, Mo.
10. (16) 9E Evan Hubert, Pittsburg, Mo.
11. (21) 88 Jimmy Dowell, Boonville, Mo.
12. (7) 21W Tracy Wolf, Buffalo, Mo.
13. (13) 98D Paden Phillips, Chanute, Kan.
14. (5) 134 Robert Heydenreich, Bolivar, Mo.
15. (12) 14 Kameron Grindstaff, Independence, Mo.
16. (6) 0 Brody Robe, Wichita, Kan.
17. (1) 5 Robbie Reed, Mexico, Mo.
18. (2) 73 Mickey Burrell
19. (15) 18 Curt Drake, Moran, Kan.
20. (24) 1 Kirby Robe, Wichita, Kan.
21. (18) 03 Chase Jones, El Dorado Springs, Mo.
22. (17) 75 Gunner Martin, Independence, Mo.
23. (22) 7 Daniel Franklin, Berryville, Ark.
24. (23) 18JR Chase Sigg, Iola, Kan.

USRA B-MODS

Heat #1:
1. (5) 65 Kris Jackson, Lebanon, Mo.
2. (7) 99T Eric Turner, Hermitage, Mo.
3. (1) 10P Dayton Pursley, Hermitage, Mo.
4. (6) 46 Brice Gotschall, Nevada, Mo.
5. (8) 14T Quentin Taylor, Wheatland, Mo.
6. (3) 929 Garrett Thompson, Joplin, Mo.
7. (2) 15R Ryan Smith, Moran, Kan.
8. (4) 25G James Gish, El Dorado, Mo.
9. (9) 8 James Gates, Wheatland, Mo.

Heat #2:
1. (1) 98K Kenton Allen, Chanute, Kan.
2. (4) 4B Brayton Skaggs, Fort Scott, Kan.
3. (6) 15S Kody Bray, Archie, Mo.
4. (3) 160 Michael Maggard, Republic, Mo.
5. (8) 28B Wesley Briggs, Lebanon, Mo.
6. (7) 48M Rick Murcko, Iola, Kan.
7. (5) 21F Hannah Frazee, Wheatland, Mo.
8. (2) 2 Hagen Stevenson, Harrisonville, Mo.

Heat #3:
1. (5) 18 JC Morton, Springfield, Mo.
2. (3) 83 JC Newell, Buffalo, Mo.
3. (1) F1 Mitchell Franklin, Camdenton, Mo.
4. (2) 58M Jamie Mauk, Lebanon, Mo.
5. (8) 1BB Nick Artherton, Bartlesville, Okla.
6. (4) 12JR Olen Stephens, Warrensburg, Mo.
7. (6) 14 Sebastian Wolfenbarger, Blue Springs, Mo.
8. (7) 68 Craig Mintz, Humboldt, Kan.

Feature:
1. (2) 18 JC Morton, Springfield, Mo.
2. (3) 99T Eric Turner, Hermitage, Mo.
3. (1) 65 Kris Jackson, Lebanon, Mo.
4. (6) 83 JC Newell, Buffalo, Mo.
5. (9) F1 Mitchell Franklin, Camdenton, Mo.
6. (5) 4B Brayton Skaggs, Fort Scott, Kan.
7. (7) 15S Kody Bray, Archie, Mo.
8. (16) 48M Rick Murcko, Iola, Kan.
9. (8) 10P Dayton Pursley, Hermitage, Mo.
10. (10) 46 Brice Gotschall, Nevada, Mo.
11. (13) 1BB Nick Artherton, Bartlesville, Okla.
12. (17) 929 Garrett Thompson, Joplin, Mo.
13. (14) 58M Jamie Mauk, Lebanon, Mo.
14. (19) 15R Ryan Smith, Moran, Kan.
15. (12) 28B Wesley Briggs, Lebanon, Mo.
16. (20) 21F Hannah Frazee, Wheatland, Mo.
17. (18) 12JR Olen Stephens, Warrensburg, Mo.
18. (23) 68 Craig Mintz, Humboldt, Kan.
19. (11) 14T Quentin Taylor, Wheatland, Mo.
20. (22) 25G James Gish, El Dorado, Mo.
21. (21) 14 Sebastian Wolfenbarger, Blue Springs, Mo.
22. (24) 8 James Gates, Wheatland, Mo.
23. (15) 160 Michael Maggard, Republic, Mo.
DNS – 2 Hagen Stevenson, Harrisonville, Mo.
DQ – (4) 98K Kenton Allen, Chanute, Kan.