CLERMONT, Ind. – The return of non-winged sprint cars to Lucas Oil Raceway is generating a lot of excitement, as well as a large pool of potential entrants.
It has been nearly nine years since the last non-winged sprint car event at the .686-mile oval, an Aug. 18, 2011 USAC event won by Bobby Santos III. However, non-wing sprint cars will be back at LOR on June 20 for the inaugural Indy Summer Nationals.
It will be the first of three appearances of non-winged sprint cars at LOR in 2020, and the event will be streamed live to a worldwide audience via SPEED SPORT TV.
The June 20 event is projected to showcase one of the largest car counts for a pavement sprint car event found anywhere in the entire country this year, for a multitude of reasons.
The event will be sanctioned by the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series presented by Engine Pro as a non-points special event.
The event will feature an open tire policy, except for the series mandated American Racer right rear. This will allow virtually every competitor the chance to compete regardless of what sanctioning body he competes at regularly. They will be able to run the tire brand they normally use. They won’t be forced to buy tires for one race that they would never be able to use again, effectively making participation in this event cost effective.
This will therefore increase the pool of cars available to compete in this event, accommodating nearly every pavement sprint car available.
One of the biggest surprises to date has been the number of Must See Racing regulars already committed to this event. Thirteen full-time Must See Racing series competitors have stated they will be at LOR for the June 20 event.
This is surprising from the standpoint that many of these teams don’t compete in regularly or have never competed in non-winged pavement events. They also indicated this will be the only non-winged pavement sprint car event they will participate in all season.
Event promoter Michael Moore originally announced that he would start 30 cars in the feature event. Due to an overwhelming response he has received, Moore announced Tuesday he will start up to 40 cars in the feature, due to the larger size of the track.
As of May 20, there are currently 31 cars who plan on competing in this event. There are still numerous teams that have not yet officially announced they will participate in this event, and its very possible the final number of entries could be potentially closer to 40.
The event is shaping up to be one of the biggest pavement sprint car events of the entire 2020 season.
The June 20 Indy Summer Nationals will be the only visit Must See Racing non-wing sprint cars will make to LOR in 2020. Non-wing sprint cars will also be competing at LOR on July 3 and Aug. 22. The Aug. 22 event will be part of the Night Before the 500 event.
The other two events not sanctioned by Must See Racing will be unsanctioned races governed by Anderson Speedway officials, with Little 500 rules in place.
The Indy Summer Nationals will kick off with an open practice on Friday night, June 19. Racing activities will begin the following day and will also include the MSS winged Supermodifieds.
The MSR 30-lap feature will pay $4,000 to win and, in addition to being live streamed, will also be televised on MAVTV for a tape-delayed broadcast at a later date on the popular SPEED SPORT presented by Hendrick Automotive Group television series.
Due to current regulations in the state of Indiana, a limited number of spectators will be allowed to attend the event, with hands-free and social distancing procedures in effect.