Drivers are down to the final days of finishing touches and last-minute preparations before a new racing season roars to life on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Speedway.

The Hermitage Lumber Late Models will be in the spotlight, running a special $1,000-to-win 25-lap feature as the 2023 season lifts off with the Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series Spring Opener. Joining the Late Models will be the Cedar Creek Beef Jerky USRA Modifieds, Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods and O'Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars.

Gates are scheduled to open at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:05.

The Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series divisions find Lebanon's Kris Jackson returning after earning his fourth straight and seventh overall USRA B-Mod track title in 2022. The closest points race a year ago came in the USRA Stock Cars, where Lebanon's Bryan White edged his father, Rob White, by just eight points.

There will be a new track champion in the USRA Modifieds this season after Urbana's Dillon McCowan, who won the last two, has plans to move into open Late Models this season. McCowan has indicated his plans to chase the Lucas Oil MLRA Rookie of the Year with that circuit kicking off March 31-April 1 at Lucas Oil Speedway for the 10th annual MLRA Spring Nationals.

Weekly Racing Series ticket information:
Advance discount tickets (online only, ages 16 and up) - $12
Adults (16 and up) - $15
Seniors (62 and up)/Military - $12
Youth (6-15) - $5
Kids (5 and under) - FREE
Family Pass (two adults up to three youth) - $35
Pit Pass - $35

Drivers must register for the upcoming season and may do so on the Drivers Dashboard at LucasOilSpeedway.com. The driver forms link will allow drivers to find both their membership and license application along with driver/owner W9 and driver medical form.

Downloading those forms and filling them out ahead of time and returning to Office Manager Laurie Looney at llooney@lucasoilspeedway.com before opening night is preferred. The forms also can be printed and dropped by the office at the Test and Tune or prior to opening night.

Young fans a big part of opening night: Over the last several seasons, Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager Danny Lorton and flagman Mike Striegel have made a priority of getting youngsters more involved in the sport in a variety of ways.

That will continue in 2023 with the second season of Kids Power Wheels racing scheduled for intermission of Saturday's season-opening program. For ages 3-9, the races will be on the front straightaway during intermission, navigating a course outlined by orange cones.

“Involving the kids is something that has been extremely popular and we want to continue making even bigger and better,” Lorton said. “I think this is another way to spark their interest in the sport and give them a little more fun and an early taste of being involved in the sport in a safe way.”

The youngsters can enter their own battery-powered Power Wheels cars by signing up for the Frogs Jr. Fan Club on the south end of the Midway prior to the races. Other Kids Power Wheel nights are scheduled for April 29, May 13, June 17, 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.

This also will mark Year Four of the Frogs Jr Fan Club Pit Tour. Prior to each dirt-track racing program this season, Striegel will lead a pit tour on a large golf cart for youngsters ages 5-12 with the youngsters signing up for a drawing each week to be a part of the tour.

Striegel will drive them through the pits and stop and visit with various drivers where the youngsters can see the race cars up close, take pictures, collect autographs and talk to the drivers.

Announcing crew seeks info for MAVTV telecasts: The announcing crew for Lucas Oil Speedway and MAVTV Motorsports Network need the drivers' help in gathering driver information for the upcoming season. If you plan on racing at Lucas Oil Speedway, please take a few minutes and fill in the Driver Profile Electronic form. It will help in promoting you, your sponsors, and the sport.

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

Continuing to crush it: Year after year, the USRA continues to attract more racetracks and dirt track racers through fair, logical and cost-effective rules accompanied by an organization that puts the racers, racetracks and their fans first. In the 2022 Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series, more than 50 of America’s finest dirt ovals host over 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.

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, Boothill Speedway, Callaway Raceway, Caney Valley Speedway, Cedar Lake Speedway, Chateau Speedway, Crawford County Speedway, Cresco Speedway, Dallas County Speedway, Deer Creek Speedway, Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Diamond Park Speedway, Eagle Valley Speedway, Elk City Motorsports Park, Fairmont Raceway, Fayette County Speedway, Hamilton County Speedway, Humboldt Speedway, I-35 Speedway, I-90 Speedway, Lakeside Speedway, Lawton Speedway, Longdale Speedway, Lucas Oil Speedway, Mason City Motor Speedway, Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Moberly Motorsports Park, Monett Raceway, 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.