Christopher Sawyer of Buffalo had a solid fifth-place points finish in O'Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars last season at Lucas Oil Speedway. (GS Stanek Racing Photography)

The first season of USRA Stock Cars attracted a solid base of drivers to Lucas Oil Speedway that grew throughout the year and figures to continue expanding in 2022.

Christopher Sawyer of Buffalo is among those who gave the new class a try and liked it. Sawyer, after a decade driving Pure Stocks, finished fifth in the O’Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Car division at Lucas Oil Speedway and fourth at Dallas County Speedway.

Now he’s ready to do it again with upgraded equipment and a boost of optimism.

“Hopefully we’ll be a lot better,” Sawyer said. “I’m getting a brand new Allen (Autosports) car and we’ll have a fresh motor, so it should be a pretty good year. I’m looking forward to it.”

Sawyer wound up with nine top-10 finishes in 13 Lucas Oil Speedway races. His highlights at Dallas County Speedway in Urbana were a pair of top-three runs.

“It was pretty big coming from a Pure Stock,” Sawyer said of the learning curve. “There was a lot more you could change instead of just a spring. The (USRA Stock Cars) are fun to drive. There’s close racing. It’s fun and that’s appealing to me.”

Sawyer, 37, was bitten by the racing bug as a youngster when he attended races held on the pavement at Bolivar Speedway.

“Then later on I went to Bill Allen’s track (Dallas County Speedway) on Friday night and I was hooked,” Sawyer said. “I had a car three weeks later and started racing it toward the end of that season.”

Over his years in a Pure Stock, Sawyer’s notable accomplishments include a points championship at Lake Ozark Speedway and multiple runner-up finishes in the championship chase at Dallas County Speedway. He said his buddy Matt Darnell - who drove Sawyer’s Pure Stock last year and will be a Stock Cars teammate this season - beat him out a couple of times for the title.

Racing also is a family passion as Sawyer’s four kids, ages 13 through 18, often join him at the track. The one most likely to be found helping him work on the car is his 16-year-old daughter, Krislynn.

“She wants to (race) and I told her she had to learn to wrench them herself before she does,” Sawyer said with a laugh.

Goals for Sawyer this season include repeating top-five points finishes at both Lucas Oil Speedway and Dallas County Speedway “and I want to be top-15 in (USRA) national points.”

Team sponsors include Watson Metal Masters and Sheldon’s Mufflers in Buffalo and Springfield.

The Lucas Oil Speedway opens the season with a Test and Tune April 9 from 2-6 p.m. and another for April 16 from 4-6 p.m. The April 16 Test and Tune will be followed by the "Easter Bowl 150" Enduro race at 6:30 p.m.

The 9th annual Pitts Homes MLRA Spring Nationals are set for April 22-23. The Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series Spring Opener opener is scheduled for April 30.

For ticket information for any future event at Lucas Oil Speedway, contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 295-6043 or via email at nichole@lucasoilspeedway.com.

Visit usraracing.com for schedules, points, photos, souvenirs, videos and more. Follow our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Click here to get USRA news delivered to your inbox.

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USRA OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Beyea Headers, Chevrolet Performance, Christie Door Company, Fast Shafts, FK Rod Ends, K1 RaceGear by Ryan Bowers, KS Engineering, KSE Racing Products, Mesilla Valley Transportation, MSD, Nitroquest Media, PEM Racing Gears & Drivetrain, RacinDirt, Summit Racing Equipment, Sunoco Race Fuels.

USRA PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: ARMI Contractors, Boubin Tire & Automotive, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Day Motor Sports, Five1seven Designs, PBM Performance Products, Star 1 Roofing & Construction, Stealth Oilwell Services, TNT Auto Parts, YouDirt.com.

USRA CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Bryke Racing, BSB Manufacturing, Champ Pans, Edelbrock, Hooker Harness, Integra Racing Shocks & Springs, JE Pistons, Keyser Manufacturing, Landrum Performance Springs, Medieval Chassis, Performance Bodies & Parts, QA1, Race Smart Wraps, RacerWebsite.com, Real Racing Wheels, Swift Springs, Sybesma Graphics, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes Dealer Reconditioning Services, Four Seven Designs Salon & Boutique, Hi-Tek Paving, Jerovetz Motorsports Racing Parts, Penske Racing Shocks, S&S Fishing & Rental, Traeger Wood Pellet Grills by Elliott Motorsports.

USRA RACETRACKS: 67 Speedway of Texarkana, 81 Speedway, Alien Motor Speedway, Ark-La-Tex Speedway, Big O Speedway, Callaway Raceway, Caney Valley Speedway, Cedar Lake Speedway, Centerville Super Speedway, Chateau Speedway, Crawford County Speedway, Creek County Speedway, Cresco Speedway, Dallas County Speedway, Deer Creek Speedway, Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Diamond Park Speedway, Eagle Valley Speedway, Electric City Speedway, Fairmont Raceway, Fayette County Speedway, Gondik Law Speedway, Hamilton County Speedway, Humboldt Speedway, I-35 Speedway, I-70 Speedway, I-90 Speedway, Lake Ozark Speedway, Lakeside Speedway, Lawton Speedway, Lebanon Midway Speedway, Lonestar Speedway, Lucas Oil Speedway, Mason City Motor Speedway, Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Nevada Speedway, Pike County Speedway, Rapid Speedway, Red Dirt Raceway, Revolution Park, Rocket Raceway Park, Sabine Speedway, Sports Park Raceway, Springfield Raceway, Super Bee Speedway, Superbowl Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track, Tomahawk Speedway, Tri-State Speedway, Tulsa Speedway, Vado Speedway Park, West Texas Raceway, Winneshiek Raceway.