07/14/2026
Hats off to Lucas Oil Speedway!
What a fantastic weekend for the fans at Lucas Oil Speedway featuring the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series! The program moved along at an incredible pace, which meant I couldn’t quite get to everything I had planned—but honestly, that’s a good problem to have.
I know the weekend didn’t go the way every team had hoped, but as former podcast guest Gordy Gundaker Racing told me Saturday night, “That’s racing.”
One of the best parts of the weekend was catching up with so many former Mid America Dirt Podcast guests. It was especially great to see Justin Wells Racing back behind the wheel for the first time in 2026. While visiting Justin’s pit, I also had the chance to visit with Ken Essary’s daughter, Karen, and hear more about the upcoming Flyin’ Farmer Pit Stop, which is expected to open this fall.
I also enjoyed catching up with Colton Brown Racing and his dad, Eddie, to hear how Colton’s first full season in a Modified has been going. Had a very brief chat with Clay Stuckey Racing, pictured below, one of my favorite people to catch up with at the racetrack, along with the Chevy Boyer Racing crew. Even though Chevy was busy, I enjoyed spending a few minutes with his dad and the team.
Another great visit was with Tyler Kuykendall Racing and his crew. Tyler currently leads the COMP Cams All-American Super Dirt Series Rookie of the Year standings. It was also good to see Glen Powell, who was there enjoying the races as a fan.
A big shoutout goes to Chris Davis with Midwest Sheet Metal Company for making my last two trips to Wheatland such memorable experiences.
I also had the opportunity to say hello to several racers I’ve had the privilege of interviewing at the track including Chase Junghans, Dan Culp, Kyle Bronson, Ryan Johnson, Brian Shirley, Dennis Schoenfeld Jr., Lila Miller, and Brenden Smith. If I missed anyone, I apologize—there were a lot of great people to catch up with!
And finally, congratulations once again to Dillon McCowan Racing on an incredible weekend sweep!
Weekends like this remind me why I love this sport. The racing is outstanding, but it’s the people and relationships that truly make dirt racing special. Thanks to everyone who took a few minutes to visit—I can’t wait to do it again.
