From Jim Hanks
Sprint car racing has been a big part of the 54-year-old history of Lucas Oil Raceway. The tradition will carry on thanks to Must See Racing. Must See Racing will bring their Engine Pro Must See Racing Supermodified Series and TRUFUEL Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Series for a huge double header of open wheel racing at Lucas Oil Raceway June 29.
There have been some pretty big sprint car events held at LOR over the years and we will take a look back at some of these events leading up to the June 29 Must See event.
With the announcement from the United States Auto Club (USAC) at the end of the 2011 season that there would be no asphalt sprint car racing in 2012, it appeared the rich and storied tradition of sprint car racing at LOR would also come to an end. That simply would not be the case as a MSRXSS event was added for 2012.
A good crowd was greeted with a strong field of cars and exciting racing last June. In addition, the event was televised nationally on a taped delayed basis for FOX Sports. The successful event opened the door for the return of Must See Racing in 2013 and Must See was able to contribute to the rich history of sprint car racing at LOR.
One of the bigger sprint car races in the history of LOR occurred nearly twenty-five years ago on July 7, 1988. USAC announced in the fall of 1987 that they were adding asphalt to their 1988 National Sprint Car Series with a 5 races to be contested at LOR, Winchester Speedway, and Salem Speedway. The announcement was huge given the fact that pavement sprint car racing across the country was dead. The Little 500, Copper World Classic in Phoenix, AZ, select pavement events sanctioned by the Tampa Bay Area Racing Association was basically all that remained pavement sprint car racing.
For that 1988 season, three of the five events were scheduled to be held at LOR and all three were scheduled to be televised live around the World on ESPN. They events would be part of the highly popular “Thursday Night Thunder” now defunct broadcasts. It was an experiment to say the least.
The events that transpired that night would lead to the revival of pavement sprint car racing. Within a year pavement sprint car racing was popping up everywhere. The All Star Circuit of Champions announced that they were adding pavement the following year. The World of Outlaws was also on pavement by 1990.
The July 1988 event featured some pretty big names and a huge crowd to boot. It would be the first time USAC had sanctioned a sprint car race in seven seasons. The event lured several pavement specialists, as well as a handful who had never competed on pavement before. Billy Vuckovich III, Gene Lee Gibson, Tony Elliott, Andy Hillenburg, Jeff Bloom, Benny Rapp, Rich Vogler, and Jim Childers were just a few of the drivers who participated. Bob Frey led wire-to-wire over a fast approaching Steve Butler who came from the tail after being involved in an earlier accident. The historical impact that July 7, 1988 event at LOR had on pavement sprint car racing may be bigger than most realize.
When Must See Racing returns to LOR June 29, it will also play into the timeline of sprint car racing at LOR. In addition, it will mark the first time a sprint car and super modified twin-bill of racing has occurred where both divisions competed in separate racing programs. This will also be the only time all season fans will have the opportunity to witness sprint car and supermodified action at LOR all season. It will also help to carry on the rich tradition of sprint car racing at LOR.
Several early entrants include: Jo Jo Helberg, Troy DeCiare, Jacob Wilson, Mike Larrison, Jimmy Kite, Jimmy McCune, Aaron Pierce, Brian Olson, Jeff Bloom, Dave McKnight, Brian Gingras, Kyle Edwards, and Brian Gerster among many others.
For more info on this event please log onto www.mustseeracing.com or www.lucasoilraceway.com