8/25/2021
Lucas Oil Speedway
Lucas Oil Speedway Spotlight: USRA Stock Cars a winning fit as McMillin returns to the track
WHEATLAND, MO. (Aug. 25, 2021) - Even though he lives in Warrensburg, James McMillin says Lucas Oil Speedway always has been his home track.
“I actually raced there prior to it being Lucas Oil Speedway, years ago,” McMillin said. “I grew up in and went to high school in Weaubleau. My Mom and Dad still live about eight miles from the track, in Quincy. Toby Ott (veteran Lucas Oil Speedway racer from Wheatland) is my first cousin.”
McMillin has returned to racing in Wheatland - at least on a limited basis - and he’s been a big part of the storyline during the debut of the O’Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars division. McMillin has three feature wins in four attempts and will be looking for another at Saturday’s Rempfer Memorial Season Championship Night presented by Bill Roberts Chevrolet-Buick.
The 51-year-old McMillin has driven just about every sort of race car since he began racing in 1999. But this might be the most fun he’s had, piloting the highly competitive and closely bunched USRA Stock Cars.
“I think the rules are so that there’s not any huge advantage. The cars are pretty close,” McMillin said. “They’re a lot of fun to drive. As a driver, you feel like you can get up on the wheel and make a difference. That’s what I like about it.
“Of course, I’m old,” he added, with a laugh. “I’m an old man as far as racing goes. I’ve raced Late Models, Mods, B-Mods, Stock Cars all through my career. These are especially fun to drive. They’re a car you can manhandle and make go fast.”
McMillin said he started racing 22 years ago, when he and Toby Ott’s older brother, Rob, partnered up on a car.
“I drove it at Springfield most of the time and he drove it at Urbana on Friday nights for the first couple of years,” McMillin said. “Then I bought my own car. I started in Stock Cars and also have raced Super Stocks, Limited Late Models, an A Mod that I raced at Warrensburg and a ULMA Late Model and had a couple of wins in that.
“Then life got almost too busy to race, with three kids in high school and activities going on. That made it hard to get out and go race.”
McMillin said he decided to get back into racing this year after taking much of the last decade off as he and wife Melissa raised three teenagers. Now all the kids are out of high school, leaving him more time to devote to a race car.
Youngest son Blayne is a freshman football player at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg after an all-state high school career. Blayne returns on weekends, when his schedule allows, to help on the car.
“I have a little more time on my hands now, so I did the crazy thing and bought a race car,” McMillin said, of the Allen Autosports car he purchased last spring and finished preparing to race earlier this summer. Ironically, his most-memorable win this season came when he made a last-lap pass of Scotty Allen - who built the car - to win a Thursday Night Thunder feature.
Beyond this week’s action, McMillin said he’s looking forward to the Summit USRA Nationals Presented by MyRacePass, which wil be held at Lucas Oil Speedway for the first time, Oct. 7-9.
“We’re gonna come down and see how fast we are,” McMillin said. “We’re gonna give the USRA Nationals a whirl and see how it goes.”
Season champions will be crowned on Saturday night. Points leaders entering the final Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series program of the season are David Hendrix (O'Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars), Dillon McCowan (Cedar Creek Beef Jerky USRA Modifieds), Kris Jackson (Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods) and Cole Henson (ULMA Late Models).
All four features will go 20 laps with both the feature winner and season champion recognized in victory-lane ceremonies on the front straightaway.
The championship program is named to honor Harold "Rowdy" Rempfer and his wife, Julia, who were killed in an automobile accident three years ago. Rowdy was the mayor of Wheatland and he and Julia both worked at Lucas Oil Speedway.
Driver meet and greet prior to the action: Fans of all ages are encouraged to arrive early and participate in a drivers’ meet-and-greet on the midway. Drivers will bring their cars, sign autographs and meet the fans from 4-5:45 p.m. on the south end of the midway.
Gates open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:05.
Ticket prices:
Adults (16 and over) - $12
Seniors (62 and over)/Military - $9
Youth (ages 6-15) - $5
Kids (5 and under) - FREE
Family pass (2 adults and up to 3 youth) - $30
Pit pass - $30
For ticket information for any event during the 2021 Lucas Oil Speedway season, contact admissions director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or via email at Nichole@lucasoilspeedway.com. Fans also can use the online ticketing system.
CONTACT:
Danny Lorton
Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager
Office: (417) 282-5984
DLorton@lucasoilspeedway.com
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Complete Lucas Oil Speedway event information, archived race recaps, previews and driver features, along with ticket information and schedules can be found by visiting LucasOilSpeedway.com.
Lucas Oil Speedway is located at Highways 83 and 54 in Wheatland, Missouri. A campground with shower and bathroom facilities is also available. With its entrance located just outside the pit gate this sprawling scenic camping facility will continue to enhance the racing experience at the Diamond of Dirt Tracks.
Click LucasOilSpeedway.com for more information and detailed directions to the speedway or call the Track Hotline at (417) 282-5984.
In addition, fans can get social with Lucas Oil Speedway by following @LucasSpeedway on Twitter, clicking "Like" at www.facebook.com/LucasOilSpeedway and on www.youtube.com/LucasOilSpeedway
About Lucas Oil Speedway
Lucas Oil Speedway is considered by fans, drivers and industry insiders to be one of the top five racing facilities in the nation. Located in Wheatland, Missouri, approximately an hour from Springfield, Missouri, and just an hour and a half from the Kansas City metro area, the "Diamond of Dirt Tracks" lives up to its title.
Twenty-One VIP Luxury Suites, HD Jumbo-Tron Screen, Stadium Style Musco Sports Lighting, a Bose Sound System, Go-Kart Slick Track, The Diamond Bar, Track Treasures Gift Shop, the best track food in the country and paved pits are a few of the spectacular amenities setting the Diamond of Dirt apart. This year marks the ninth season for the Liquid Quarter Mile Drag Racing Lake, "Lake Lucas." New for 2017 was all-purpose built Off Road facility featuring the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series as well as a host of other regional events.
Lucas Oil Speedway's dirt oval track plays host to some of the largest and most-popular events in the Midwest with national and regional touring series appearing frequently including: The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, POWRi Midget National Series, Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League, United States Modified Touring Series, ASCS Sprint Cars and the Lucas Oil MLRA.
In addition to the special events, the Lucas Oil Speedway Weekly Racing Series features the ULMA Late Models, USRA Modifieds, USRA Stock Cars and USRA B-Mods.
2021 Official Lucas Oil Speedway Marketing Partners
Bill Roberts Chevrolet-Buick
"The Official Truck" of Lucas Oil Speedway
Dixie Chopper
"The Official Mowers of Lucas Oil Speedway"
General Tire
"The Official Tire" of Lucas Oil Speedway
Lucas Oil Products
"The Official Oil" of Lucas Oil Speedway
MAVTV
"The Official Television Network" of Lucas Oil Speedway
Optima Batteries
"The Official Battery" of Lucas Oil Speedway
Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr. Pepper
"The Official Soft Drink" of Lucas Oil Speedway
RacingJunk.com
"The Official Classifieds" of Lucas Oil Speedway
Rugged Radios
"The Official 2-Way Communications Provider" of Lucas Oil Speedway
Sunoco Race Fuels
"The Official Fuel" of Lucas Oil Speedway
Super Clean
"The Official Sponsor" of Lucas Oil Speedway
2021 Lucas Oil Speedway Supporters Include:
Advanced Automotive Repair, AM Pyrotechnics, Angler's Resort, Arizona Sport Shirts, Ash Grove Aggregates, Ball Tree Service, Benton County Tire, Berry Tractor and Equipment Co., Big Adventure RV, Bill Roberts Chevrolet-Buick, Bolivar Auto Sales & Detailing, Bolivar Farmers Exchange-MFA, Boone's BBQ Barn, Boubin Tire/American Racer, Branstetter & Lightfoot LLC, Bridal Cave, BWI Sanitation, Camden on the Lake Resort, Candlelight Creations-Dick's Wild Root Horseradish, Casey's General Stores, Cedar Creek Beef Jerky, CED Electric, Central Life Sciences, Citizens Memorial Healthcare, City Magnet, Clearlight Inn, Comfort Inn-Bolivar,DirtonDirt.com, Dixie Chopper, eBay Motors, Eibach Springs, Evans Pipe & Steel Co., Farmers Insurance Agent Kristy Reynolds, Fast Shafts by Axle Exchange, Foley Equipment-Cat Rental Store, Frog Signs, Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare, Heritage Tractor Inc., Hermitage Lumber, HICKAMO Country Store, Highway 54 RV Park, Hobbytime Motorsports, Hoosier Race Tires, Impact Signs Awnings Wraps, In the Garden of Eden, Kettle Treats, Keyser Manufacturing, Kluhsman Racing Components, Kona Ice, LimeBank, Lucas Cattle Company, McCoy Logging LLC, Merck Animal Health, Midwest Sheet Metal, Miller Welding, Missouri Land Co. LLC, Missouri Welding Institute (MWI), MyRacePass, Nemo Quarry, NMI/VMG Marketing Group, Nutrien Ag Solutions, OakStar Bank, O'Bannon Bank, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Ozark Golf Cars, Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr. Pepper, Ozarks Community Health Center, PFI Western Store, Pitts Homes, Pitts Realty, Pitts Cattle, ProThings Apparel, RACEceiver, Racinboys.com, RacinDirt.com, RacingJunk.com, Rains Ice Company, Real Racing Wheels, Rod End Supply, Ron Jenkins Accounting & Tax Service, Rugged Radios, Ryan E. Murphy Law Firm LLC, SBU Athletics, Safety Kleen, Schlesselman Fencing, Scott Furniture, Sidetrack RV Park, Southwest Electric Cooperative, Square B Ranch, Stillwater Resort, Stover Milling, Sunoco Race Fuels, Sunflower Resort, Superior Products, TA/PETRO, Transportation Distribution Co. (TDC), US Army Corps of Engineers-Pomme de Terre, Wheatland Motel, White's Marine Center, Wild Animal Safari, Windsor Livestock Auction, Woods Supermarkets, Wrisco Industries, ZINPRO Performance Minerals.
Article Credit: By Lyndal Scranton, Lucas Oil Speedway
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