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Lucas Oil Speedway Champions Spotlight: Consistency propels Bobby Williams to first USRA B-Mod crown

WHEATLAND, MO. (Dec. 7, 2023) - Never in his wildest dreams at the beginning of the 2023 season did Bobby Williams envision himself bringing home a Lucas Oil Speedway track championship.

Especially if you’d have told Williams he would not win a feature race along the way.

But the 24-year-old from Hermitage used relentless consistency to claim his first Lucas Oil Speedway track championship, edging out JC Morton for the Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod points title in the Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series.

“It’s pretty cool,” Williams said this week. “I never thought I’d ever win one there. We struggled all season just winning a race there. Coming out with a championship without winning a race is pretty insane.”

Williams used eight top-five finishes and 14 top-10s in 15 features to finish just five points clear of Morton.

“We ran really strong weekly,” Williams said. “For me and that track, a lot of things have to line up perfect. You have to stay out of trouble. It’s just a tough race track to win at.”

But once he opened an early points lead, Williams never gave it up. It got to the point that by midseason, it was clear that the title was his to claim and that it was a matter of finishing. The outcome went down to the final lap on the final night of the regular season.

“It felt like ‘well, we’ll keep racing here and maybe we’ll come up with the points championship.’ The intentions never were really to have a points championship. We just wanted to try and win races,” he said, noting that he never wavered from the goal of chasing the checkers.

“I guess showing up every weekend and being consistent, we ended up with a championship … but I just went out there and drove and we just tried to win every weekend.”

The final night of the points season saw Williams score the best 10th-place finish of his career. Just before the midpoint of the main event, it appeared that Williams' title chances were slim when on a lap-seven restart, Williams was caught up in a multi-car wreck that sent him to the pits for repairs.

Williams made it back on the track, but at the back of the field in 15th and far behind fourth-running Morton, whom he needed to stay within four positions to win the championship. As the laps clicked by, Morton lost two spots and Williams made steady gains. By lap 17, Williams was 11th and Morton seventh.

Meanwhile, there was action at the front on the final lap with a caution leaving a one-lap shootout. Williams and Morton both gained one spot and that was enough for Williams and team to celebrate the championship.

A few weeks later, Williams ended his winless drought at Lucas Oil Speedway with a USRA Nationals preliminary-night feature win.

“That’s probably my biggest win of my career in my book,” Williams said. “It was pretty insane. All the fast guys were in there, too. It was really cool.”

Williams added a few more wins to the season total and finished with 11 overall in 51 attempts. He went 3-for-3 in wins at Nevada Speedway and he won five features in seven tries at Lebanon Midway Speedway.

Now he’s turned his attention to 2024, getting his J2 Race Car ready to roll and perhaps achieve a title repeat with some wins mixed in.

“That’s the plan. We’re planning on running Lucas every weekend again, since we won points this last season, and give it another run,” Williams said. “I don’t know. All of this is still just setting in.”

Williams gave special shout-outs to his dad, Jim, and uncle, Aaron, for their support, plus Kris Jackson of J2 and Jim Ruble Race Engines.

“They’re the money backers behind all of it,” Williams said of Jim and Aaron. “They believe in me and I’m grateful to have them behind me. Plus, Kris Jackson and Jim Ruble. They keep the car fast.”

Team sponsors, in addition to J2 and Ruble Race Engines, include White’s Marine Center, Aaron White Racing, Miller’s Body Shop, J Williams Contracting, Bear Trailers, Campbell Buildings & Metal Sales and Don Howe Gravel and Dirt.”

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 for the 2024 season are available now at a $50 discount for renewals from 2023. Contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or email her at nmcmillan@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.

Season Pass Renewals before Dec. 29th, 2023:

Adults (Age 16-61) $700 (dirt-track only)

Seniors (Age 62 and up) $600 (dirt-track only)

Season Passes beginning Jan. 15th, 2024:

Adults (Age 16-61) $750 (dirt-track only)

Senior (Age 62 and up) $650 (dirt track only)

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.

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.

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

CONTACT:

Danny Lorton

Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager

Office: (417) 282-5984

DLorton@lucasoilspeedway.com

? 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. The Lucas Oil Speedway EZ Texting number is (417) 804-4141.

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 12th season for the Liquid Quarter Mile Drag Racing Lake, "Lake Lucas." New for 2017 was all-purpose built Off Road facility featuring a host of 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 Late Models, USRA Modifieds, USRA Stock Cars and USRA B-Mods.

2023 Official Lucas Oil Speedway Marketing Partners

Arizona Sport Shirts
"The Official Merchandise Provider" of Lucas Oil Speedway

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

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

Summit Racing Equipment
"The Official Sponsor" of Lucas Oil Speedway

Sunoco Race Fuels
"The Official Fuel" of Lucas Oil Speedway

Super Clean
"The Official Sponsor" of Lucas Oil Speedway

2023 Lucas Oil Speedway Supporters Include:
AM Pyrotechnics, Alliance Sport Marketing, Arctic Food Equipment, Arizona Sport Shirts, 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, Cedar Creek Beef Jerky, Citizens Memorial Healthcare, City Magnet, Clearlight Inn, Dirt Track Specialist, Dixie Chopper, Eagle Vision Paving LLC, Eibach Springs, Farmers Insurance Agent Kristy Reynolds, Fast Shafts by Axle Exchange, Foley Equipment-Cat Rental Store, Frog Signs, Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare, Hermitage Lumber, HICKAMO Country Store, Hobbytime Motorsports, Impact Signs Awnings Wraps, In the Garden of Eden, KC Bobcat, Kettle Treats, Keyser Manufacturing, Kluhsman Racing Components, Kona Ice, Lucas Cattle Company, MD3, Midwest Sheet Metal, Miller Welding, Missouri Division of Tourism, MyRacePass, Nutrien Ag Solutions, OakStar Bank, O'Bannon Bank, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Ozark Golf Cars, Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr. Pepper, Ozarks Community Health Center, PEM, Pitts Homes, Pitts Realty, Pitts Cattle, Pomme de Terre Resort, ProThings Apparel, RACEceiver, Racinboys.com, RacinDirt.com, RacingJunk.com, Rains Ice Company, Real Racing Wheels, Reed Environmental, River's End Motel & RV Park, Rod End Supply, Ron Jenkins Accounting & Tax Service, Rugged Radios, Ryan E. Murphy Law Firm LLC, SBU Athletics, Safety Kleen, Scott Furniture, Sidetrack RV Park, Simpson Racing Products, SMC, Southwest Electric Cooperative, State Tech, Stillwater Resort, Summit Racing Equipment, Sunoco Race Fuels, US Army Corps of Engineers-Pomme de Terre, Vietti Marketing Group, Wasoba Seed & Trucking, Wheatland Motel, White's Marine Center, Wieland, Wild Animal Safari, Woods Supermarkets.

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