Beck wants to earn it on the track


Prior to this Saturday night’s Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series program, Lucas Oil Speedway midseason champions will be recognized on the front stretch.

Mason Beck would have preferred to claim his O’Reilly Auto Parts Medieval USRA Stock Car trophy after a night of racing. But it didn’t work out that way as last weekend’s Midseason Championship event was rained out.

Beck, of Urbana, was two points ahead of Lebanon’s Rob White.

“We didn’t want to win it that way, but two years in a row, it feels pretty good,” Beck said. “It’s kind of a sucky deal. We wanted to beat him on the race track, plain and simple. It just didn’t feel right winning it like that.”

Beck, 20, will now set his sights on the season championship. He fully realizes there’s a long way to go and that White along with Will Garner will be doing all they can to leave him again holding the midseason trophy and nothing else.

Last season, Beck came into the final night of the points season two behind and got caught up in an early wreck. He finished 15th and had to settle for third in points.

“We felt like we kind of got the championship taken away from us last year,” Beck said. “I had bad luck the last night. But both of them (track champ Bryan White and Rob White) beat me fair and square - just like I want to do this year. I want to be everybody fair and square and win the championship without any controversy.”

White resumes his pursuit on Saturday night, as USRA Stock Cars will be the evening's featured class running for $750 to win the 25-lap main event. Cedar Creek Beef Jerky USRA Modifieds and Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods will also be in action along with Hermitage Lumber Late Models.

In just his second full season of USRA Stock Cars, Beck feels that he continues to learn behind the wheel of a Sniper chassis. He credits veteran driver Derek Brown, with whom he splits seat time in a Pure Stock, with helping with set-ups and information.

“The equipment helps, definitely, but it’s the knowledge and experience,” Beck said. “Those are probably the two biggest things. It helps with knowing what to do with the car and the experience of racing around certain drivers. You follow them lap after lap and you know how to pass them and you just learn a lot.

“With experience you pick things up a lot quicker than you do in years previous.”

Beck said things have been more rough-and-tumble in the Stock Car division this season. He said balancing defensive and aggressive driving is a delicate balance at times and he’s not certain some opponents know the difference.

“I’ve always been a defensive driver, but this year it’s gotten really rough,” Beck said. “It’s halfway through the year. Everybody’s car has been torn up at least once. I’ve been on the defensive all year and it’s to the point where I’m starting to give it back to them a little bit and I don’t like it.

“There is definitely a line you can go over, but if they don’t want to race me with any respect, I’m not gonna show them any back. Respect goes a long way in this class. This year it feels like I’m not getting raced with much respect and nobody else is either. There’s a lot of taking and not giving any back.”

Beck said he’s eager to visit victory lane more often the second half of the season. He has one victory in eight Lucas Oil Speedway features to go with two second-place finishes and three thirds. Redraws haven't always gone his way, which has been frustrating when Beck has come up just short of victory.

“We’re trying to win as many as we can and the points will take care of themselves,” he said. “I feel like if we show up every week and beat the 5 car (Rob White) and the 7 car (Garner), we’ll stand pretty good in points. It’s us three every week starting from the start and going to the front. If we can beat them and have a little luck on our side, we’ll be fine by the end of the year.”


​Mason Beck of Urbana, Mo., has an April feature victory and five other top-three finishes en route to his Lucas Oil Speedway midseason championship in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Medieval USRA Stock Car division

The other Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series midseason champions—Ryan Middaugh (USRA Modifieds) and Bobby Williams (USRA B-Mods)—had sizable cushions in the points in their divisions. They’ll join Beck for pre-race recognition on Saturday.

An added attraction during intermission will be the fourth round of Kids Power Wheel races of the season. For ages 3-9, the races will be on the front straightaway with the youngsters navigating a course outlined by orange cones.

The kids can enter their own battery-powered Power Wheel cars by signing up for the Frogs Jr. Fan Club on the south end of the Midway prior to the races. Other remaining Kids Power Wheel nights are scheduled for July 29 and Aug. 26 when a mini-season-champion will crowned along with the four regular Weekly Racing Series classes.

One Kids Power Wheel class will be the 6-12 volt cars and another will be for the 24-36 volt class. No power or speed enhancement modifications will be allowed. The youngsters can bring their Power Wheels to the Frogs Jr Fan Club sign-in, or drop them off at the pit gate and the Power Wheels will be brought to the front stretch at intermission.

Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and grandstands at 5, with hot laps set for 6:30 and racing at 7:05 p.m.

Saturday night dirt track admission:
FREE with drag boat two-day or Saturday ticket
Advance discount tickets online only (16+) $12
Adults (16+) $15
Seniors/Military (62 and up) $12
Youth (6-15) $5
Kids (5 & Under) FREE
Family Pass $35
Pit Pass $35

Drag boats Saturday and Sunday: The speed and power of the Kentucky Drag Boat Association returns to Lucas Oil Speedway on Saturday and Sunday for the KDBA Summer Thunder on Lake Lucas.

Ten KDBA divisions will be in action on Lake Lucas, with pits scheduled to open at 7 a.m. Saturday and Sunday with spectator games opening at 8 a.m. both days. Qualifying round are set to begin at 9 a.m. Saturday and eliminations getting underway at 9 on Sunday.

Fans purchasing drag boat tickets, either two-day passes or for Saturday, will receive free admission to the dirt track action on Saturday night. Drag boat tickets include access to the drag boat pits where spectators can see the boats up close, visit with the drivers and take photos.

KDBA Summer Thunder on Lake Lucas
Saturday admission:

Two-day and Saturday tickets include FREE admission to dirt track Saturday night
Adult 2-Day GA/Pit Pass $40
Seniors (62+)/Military 2-day GA/Pit Pass $34
Youth (ages 6-15) 2-day GA/Pit Pass $15
Adults (16+) $25
Seniors (62+)/Military $22
Youth (6-15) $10
Kids (5 & Under) FREE
Sunday admission:
Adults (16+) $15
Seniors (62+)/Military $12
Youth (6-15) $5
Kids (5 & Under) FREE

SRX tickets remain on sale: General admission tickets for the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) race scheduled for Aug. 17 at Lucas Oil Speedway remain on sale. Some of the biggest names in racing will be on hand as the SRX Thursday Night Thunder event will be the finale in the six-race series. All SRX races will air live on ESPN.

Drivers announced for the Wheatland event include Tony Stewart, Kenny Wallace, Hailie Deegan, Brad Keselowski, Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman, Helio Castroneves, Clint Bowyer, reigning SRX Champion Marco Andretti, Paul Tracy and Ryan Hunter-Reay.

Tickets for the SRX event are $35 in advance and $40 at the gate (ages 16 and over). Kids (ages 6-15) will be $20 with ages 5-and-under free. Advance tickets can now be purchased via Stubwire. Pit passes are $50 and must be purchased the day of the event.

For information about any event at Lucas Oil Speedway in 2023 call Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or email nichole@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.

For more than two decades, the USRA has attracted more and more racetracks and dirt track racers each year through fair, logical and cost-effective rules accompanied by an organization that puts the racers, racetracks and their fans first. In the 2023 Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series, as many as 60 of America’s finest dirt ovals plan to host more than 1,000 nights of racing.

USRA competitors can register online at MyRacePass today. Alternatively, you can call (515) 832-6000 to register by phone, or submit a completed USRA License Application by email at office@usraracing.com or fax (515) 832-7958. You can download the application at usraracing.com/downloads.

To learn more, check out 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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