Mason Beck not only became a Lucas Oil Speedway track champion this season, the 20-year-old from nearby Urbana gave fans some of the biggest thrills of the season.

Multiple times in 2023, Beck pulled off winning passes on the final lap in the O’Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars division. He also prevailed coming to the checkers as the Pure Stocks were a guest class one week, bringing the fans to their feet.

It was part of a winning formula that propelled Beck to six feature wins at Lucas Oil Speedway and a 94-point margin over William Garner for the Stock Cars championship. Overall, he won 14 features with other tracks included.

Of the close finishes and coming out on top, Beck said “it’s a lot of luck” and that he wasn’t planning to wait until the final lap or even the final turn to make his winning moves.

“I try to save my car until the very end, but there was a couple of those races where I was trying to get to the front from the very beginning because I started deep,” Beck said. “As soon as I got the lead it was the last lap and I couldn’t wait around any longer and I had to go.”

Asked his favorite finish, Beck said he had two with a Stock Cars win over Garner and a Pure Stock pass of Robby Jones topping the list.

“Will Garner and me are really good buddies and that was cool,” Beck said. “I tried to pass him and pass him. We raced really clean and I finally got around him. And when I raced Pure Stock and passed Robby Jones on the last lap, that was cool, too.

“The more exciting one was Will Garner, but the better one was Robby Jones because I passed him with my dad’s old car. That was probably the better one.”

Beck said it’s hard for him to choose which is more fun, making the last-lap pass or leading all the way.

“It’s hard to tell. It’s nice to know you have a good race car and you can start out front and lead the whole time.” Beck said. “At the same time, leading all the way, every lap, I wouldn’t think would be as fun as coming from the back and having something exciting like that to talk about.”

Beck said racing for a track championship was his goal from the start after finishing third in Lucas Oil Speedway points in 2022.

“We’ve tried to run for points once before, but that was back when I played football in high school so by the end of the season I had to quit racing at Lebanon and go play football,” Beck said. “We thought we should have won it last yea, but we had two really bad nights. We still ended up third which was really good, but this year we felt like we could for sure win it if we just didn’t have bad nights.”

Beck said the title was special because his dad, Phillip Beck, won a Stock Cars championship at the old Wheatland Raceway just over 20 years ago.

“I’ve always wanted to win there since my Dad’s told me he won one there, before I was born, racing the same class,” Beck said. “It means quite a bit. Now I get to tell him that I’m even with him there. I’d like to go back-to-back. I’d definitely like to one up him.”

Chasing another championship is in the works as Beck looks ahead to 2024. With a few fewer Big Adventure Weekly Racing Series events, he also is eyeing some added-money events out-of-state. He's making a pre-Christmas trip to Texas to pick up some part to start prepping the cars for 2024.

"We'll freshen both of them up. I’d like to start earlier so I can sit around and look at it a little bit before it gets all dented and scratched up," Beck said.

“I just want to thank Ethan and Duane Mackey for giving me the opportunity to drive their car,” Beck said. “Also, my sponsors, Sniper Speed and Mid-State Machine. They’re the ones who put me in victory lane.”

Season pass renewals, gift cards available: Lucas Oil Speedway recently unveiled its tentative 2024 schedule with Open Test & Tune set to kick things off on March 30. The speedway has gift cards available for purchase as a Christmas-gift option and also has season pass renewals for the 2024 season available at a discount through the end of the year.

Season passes (dirt track only) for the 2024 season are available now at a $50 discount for renewals from 2023.

Season Pass Renewals before Dec. 29
Adults (ages 16-61) $700
Seniors (ages 62+) $600

Season Passes beginning Jan. 15, 2024
Adults (ages 16-61) $750
Senior (ages 62+) $650

Each season pass holder is entitled to one reserved stadium-style seat, complete with high backs and armrests located in the top six rows of the main grandstand of the dirt track.

Contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or email her at nmcmillan@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.

Meanwhile, Lucas Oil Speedway gift cards are available in any dollar amount. Gift cards can be used in all departments including in the ticket office, pit office, camp shack, concessions, gift shop, suites and the Diamond Bar.

Lorton added that the gift shop is remaining open year-round, during week-day business hours, for those interested in stopping by the track and shopping for items.

USRA Awards Banquet set for Jan. 27: The United States Racing Association (USRA) and United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) will host a joint awards banquet on Saturday, Jan. 27, inside the 9,792-square-foot Nevada Ballroom at the Harrah's Kansas City Hotel & Casino to celebrate the 2023 racing season for both organizations.

Tickets include a luxurious dinner featuring a plentiful selection of fine food and a succulent dessert bar. A cash bar will also be available. The cost is $65 per person and can be purchased by calling (515) 832-6000 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tickets sales are available through Friday, Dec. 22, at 12 noon, and then resume on Wednesday, Jan. 3, after the holiday break. The deadline to purchase tickets to the awards banquet is Friday, Jan. 12, at 4 p.m.

A limited number or hotel rooms have been reserved for banquet attendees. Call Harrah's at 800-427-7247 or book online and mention the Group Code “S01US24” to receive the special Group Rate.

Harrah's Kansas City Hotel & Casino offers one of the most exciting hotels and casinos in the heart of America, blending small-town charm with big-city amenities with over 390+ luxurious rooms, a collection of gourmet dining experiences and the area's hottest gaming and entertainment. Visit Harrahs.com for more information.

Alternatively, you can book rooms at Ameristar Kansas City, which is located just minutes from Harrah's. Use Group Code “USRA23” and call (816) 414-7000.

For more than two decades, the United States Racing Association 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. During the 2023 Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series, more than 60 of America's finest dirt ovals hosted more than 1,000 nights of racing.

To learn more about the USRA, check out USRAracing.com. Follow our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. To get USRA news and exclusive promotions delivered to your inbox, click here.

USRA competitors can register for the 2024 Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series online at USRAracing.com/Register or call (515) 832-6000 to register by phone. You can also download the application at USRAracing.com/Downloads and then submit your completed form by email at office@usraracing.com or fax at (515) 832-7958.

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

USRA PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Allen Autosports Race Cars, ARMI Contractors, Boubin Tire & Automotive, Brodix Cylinder Heads, DAY Motorsports, Duvall Electric, Gunshepherd.com, Innovative AutoGlass & Window Tint, PBM Performance Products, Star 1 Roofing & Construction, Stealth Thru Tubing, Texas Locomotive Solutions, TNT Auto Parts, YouDirt.com.

USRA CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Bryke Racing, BSB Manufacturing, Champ Pans, Edelbrock, Hooker Harness, Hyperco, Integra Racing Shocks & Springs, JE Pistons, K1 RaceGear by Ryan Bowers, Keyser Manufacturing, Landrum Performance Springs, MD3, Medieval Chassis, MSD, Performance Bodies & Parts, QA1, Quarter Master, QuickCar Racing Products, RacerWebsite.com, Real Racing Wheels, Swift Springs, Sybesma Graphics, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes.

USRA RACETRACKS: 81 Speedway, Alien Motor Speedway, Ark-La-Tex Speedway, Arrowhead Speedway, Bolivar Speedway, Boothill Speedway, Callaway Raceway, Caney Valley Speedway, Cedar Lake Speedway, Crawford County Speedway, Cresco Speedway, Dallas County Speedway, Deer Creek Speedway, Diamond Park Speedway, Eagle Valley Speedway, Electric City Speedway, Elk City Motorsports Park, Fairmont Raceway, Fayette County Speedway, Gondik Law Speedway, Hamilton County Speedway, Humboldt Speedway, Hunt County Raceway, I-35 Speedway, I-90 Speedway, Lakeside Speedway, Lawton Speedway, Legacy Speedway, Longdale Speedway, Lucas Oil Speedway, Mason City Motor Speedway, Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Monett Raceway, Northwest Missouri State Fairgrounds, Ogilvie Raceway, Outlaw Motor Speedway, Rapid Speedway, Red Cedar Speedway, Red Dirt Raceway, Rocket Raceway Park, Route 66 Motor Speedway, RPM Speedway, Sabine Speedway, Salina Highbanks Speedway, Sandia Speedway, Sports Park Raceway, Springfield Raceway, Super Bee Speedway, Texarkana 67 Speedway, Thunder Valley Speedway, Tomahawk Speedway, Tri-State Speedway, Tulsa Speedway, US 36 Raceway, Vado Speedway Park, West Texas Raceway, Winneshiek Raceway.