WHEATLAND, MO. (Jan. 24, 2023) – One year ago, Ryan Gillmore was entering a season of change with anticipation and uncertainty. The long-time successful USRA B-Mod driver from Springfield was debuting a new chassis and wasn’t sure what to expect.
After 15 overall features victories – including the Summit USRA Nationals B-Mod main event – plus a strong second-place finish in Lucas Oil Speedway Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod points the answer was a resounding success.
“I couldn’t be any happier with the end result,” Gillmore said of his performance in an Allen Autosports car. “It was a benchmark year, for sure, and something that is going to be hard to match this coming season.”
But Gillmore is itching to give it a shot. The 30-year-old is aiming high, with his sights set on a potential USRA National Championship run, something he won back in 2017.
“More of the same, right off the bat, and as the season rolls one I’d like to hit some money shows and win some traveling stuff to get my name out there a little more,” Gillmore said of 2023 goals. “I’d like to take a stab at a national championship. This last year we chased it kind of blindly.
“You never know how national points are going to shake out. There are so many variables. So, just get as many wins as I can and tear up the least possible.”
That’s kind of how the home stretch of 2022 went for Gillmore, who wound up fifth in USRA national points after winning 11 features from July 29th on last season.
Gillmore said it was as good as any stretch he’s had in his career and the culmination of collaborating with chassis builder Scotty Allen in fully figuring out the new ride.
“Right off the bat did well,” Gillmore said. “Then I got complacent on my own and didn’t think I was very good in the middle part of the season. Scotty and I worked together and found some things at the end of the season.
“I won a lot of big races at the end. The last three months, we were pretty well lights out everywhere we went. I was not really surprised, but was surprised at the same time. I really thought it was gonna take longer just to start figuring some things out with the car, but everything jelled like it was supposed to and it was all good.”
The confidence when man and machine are clicking is hard to describe.
“Everywhere we went, we were in definite contention for the win,” he said. “We had speed and no matter what I did, to mess anything up, it seemed like we were good. I knew every time I unloaded that I had confidence that we could win. That helped me mentally knowing that my car was good and I could back it up when I got on the race track.”
Gillmore called the USRA Nationals triumph, which completed a flawless week that included two other preliminary wins, perhaps the biggest of his career.
“It took me a couple of weeks to reflect on it and say, ‘I did it,’ ” Gillmore said. “After it first ended, it was like, ’what happened?’ The whole week was a big blur. I don’t know what we did to deserve that one, but everything just clicked perfect that whole week.”
Best of all, the car barely got a scratch on it and that’s made for a less-stressful offseason. The immediate challenge, Gillmore said, is finishing up a new race shop before engines fire up for competition in a little more than a month.
“We’re just gonna freshen up some things and hopefully start the season kind of where we ended,” he said. “Just give it a little bit of love before we get back on the road again.”
Gillmore’s race team sponsors return intact. Those include Choate Farms, Yeoman Race Engines, Allen Autosports, Metal Magic Auto Hail Repair, Chaney Doorworks, Ron Ron Motorsports, Vinyl Cup Records, Elena Rodgers Motorsports, Oz Designs, CPD Racing Shocks, McCoy’s Iron and Metal, Allen’s Automotive, Fast Shafts, Bud’s Tire & Wheel, Atnip Enterprises and Show-Me Dirt. Newcomers include C&M Gear Works, Carter’s Auto Glass and Polk County Glass.
“I’m proud of keeping the same people around year after year on the side of the car,” Gillmore said. That means a lot to me, taking care of them while they take care of me.”
Known for his engaging personality as well as his driving skills, fans can hear Gillmore’s Pit Shack Podcast weekly. He and co-host Trevor Drake talk to area drivers and racing figures with a new show out each Thursday or Friday.
“We’re trying to get a hold of different people in the region and let them tell their story,” Gillmore said. “Maybe not always the people who get the recognition or interview time. It’s fun to do and it’s fun to learn.
“We did it for year and a half, until late 2020, then got busy racing. We brought it back about two months ago. There are now 32 episodes total and I’m gonna try to keep it going through the summer, if our racing schedule allows.”
Season openers: Lucas Oil Speedway’s schedule begins with an open Test and Tune set for March 18 followed by the Big Adventure Weekly Racing Series Weekly Opener on March 25. Classes in action include the Hermitage Lumber Late Models, Cedar Creek Beef Jerky USRA Modifieds, O’Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars, and the Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods. The Hermitage Lumber Late Models will be running a special 25-lap $1,000-to-win featured event.
Major event ticket reminders: Fans are reminded that reserved three-day pass renewals for the 31st annual Show-Me 100 Presented by Protecttheharvest.com, May 25-27, are now available.
Three-day pass renewals for the event are $115 and can be purchased through the Lucas Oil Speedway office by calling Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or email her at nichole@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information. The renewals are available through Jan. 31. After that, the three-day reserved seats will be available for anyone to purchase. Each pass is for one reserved stadium-style seat, complete with high backs and armrests located in the top six rows of the main grandstand.
Fans also can now purchase online tickets for general admission for the Show-Me 100 and the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) race at Lucas Oil Speedway, scheduled for Aug. 17th. The SRX Thursday Night Thunder event will be the finale in the six-race series, which features some of racing’s biggest names.
Show-Me 100 general admission three-day tickets through Stubwire are $100 for adults, $91 seniors/military and $30 for youth. Those can be found at https://www.stubwire.com/event/31stannuallucasoilshowme100/lucasoilspeedway/wheatland/28138/
Tickets for the SRX event will be $35 in advance and $40 at the gate (ages 16 and over). Kids (ages 6-15) will be $20 with ages 5-and-under free. Advance tickets can now be purchased via Stubwire – https://www.stubwire.com/event/srxespnthursdaynightthunder/lucasoilspeedway/wheatland/28075/
Season Passes available: Season ticket holders also can insure they have a seat for all three nights of the Show-Me 100 and the SRX event by purchasing a season pass. Those prices are:
Adults (Age 16-61) – $650 (dirt-track only), $750 (all speedway events)
Seniors (Age 62 and up) – $550 (dirt track only), $650 (all speedway events)
Contact Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or email her at nichole@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.
CONTACT:
Danny Lorton
Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager
Office: (417) 282-5984