LUCAS OIL RACEWAY SUPERMODIFIED HISTORY DATES BACK TO 1960’S
When the Engine Pro Must See Racing Super Modified Series invades Lucas Oil Raceway this Saturday June 29, fans may be surprised to learn Supermodified racing dates back to the 1960’s at the storied .686- mile oval.
There have been very few Supermodified events staged at Lucas Oil Raceway over the years. In fact, Saturday’s event will mark the first appearance of Supermodifieds at Lucas Oil Raceway in over eighteen years, which will make Saturday night’s event even more special
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Many will be surprised to learn that the first-ever Supermodified event to take place at Lucas Oil Raceway occurred in the early 1960’s. The cars were very primitive looking and resembled nothing like the “Supers” we know today. They were basically cut-down coupes with wings. Grayson, KY driver Wayne McGuire won that long-ago event in a Pontiac powered machine.
In the 1970’s and early 1980’s, there were an handful of open competition non-winged sprint car events sanctioned by the American Speed Association (ASA) and International Competitive Auto Racing (ICAR) clubs that conducted events at Lucas Oil Raceway. These events included a few supermodifieds competing alongside the traditional upright sprint cars. Interestingly, Marv Carman won an ICAR event at Lucas Oil Raceway in 1982 driving an offset big block “Super” as we know them today.
The first-ever appearance of modern Supermodifieds at Lucas Oil Raceway took place on Thursday May 25, 1995. It was a co-sanctioned event between the New York based International Super Modified Association (ISMA) and the now defunct West Coast based Western Super Modified Racing Association (WSMRA). Rules were tweaked to make both clubs compatible and the inaugural East Versus West Supermodified Challenge took place. Bentley Warren captured the 35-lap event over Jeff Helton and Mike Ordway.A five car exhibition took place one year earlier to gauge fan interest.
Saturday’s event will ring in a new era of Supermodified racing at Lucas Oil Raceway. Must See Racing officials hope to make Lucas Oil Raceway a yearly event on their Supermodifed calendar. A full field of cars is expected in addition to a full program of racing for the TRUFUEL Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Series. It is anticipated that Davey Hamilton’s Supermodified track record that was set on May 25, 1995 will be lowered.
Engine Pro Must See Racing Super Modified drivers expected to compete include; Dave McNight, Kyle Edwards, Kyle Vanderpool, Jimmy McCune, Jim Paller, Mike McVetta, Larry Lehnert, Sondi Eden, Rod Sauter, Rich Reid, Ryan Litt, DJ Shullick, Don Johnson, AJ Liesicki, Shane Johnson, Kevin Shirey and Jon Henes.
For more information on this event log onto
www.lucasoilraceway or
www.mustseeracing.com