12/11/2020
RacinBoys
Lucas Oil Speedway Championship Spotlight: Derek Brown savors memorable Street Stocks season
By Lyndal Scranton (Wheatland, MO) -- What turned out to be the final season for Street Stocks at Lucas Oil Speedway before the transition to O’Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars in 2021 was a memorable one for Derek Brown.
From the drop of the green flag on opening night until the final checkers as the Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series concluded, the Stoutland driver dominated for his second Lucas Oil Speedway championship.
PHOTO CREDIT: GS Stanek Racing Photography
Brown won the first three features of the season and finished with six victories and three runner-up finishes in 12 starts. He didn’t finish worse than second until August and wound up 97 points in front of Wheatland’s Toby Ott in the points chase.
“It was pretty decent,” Brown said of the season. “A few nights could have went a little better, but for the most part it was pretty good.
“We just started off with a good car and kept going with it,” Brown added of his red-hot first few weeks.
The start of the season was delayed about six weeks due to the COVID19 pandemic. Those extra weeks of preparation turned out to be a blessing for Brown.
“If we had started (the season) on time, I wouldn’t have made it,” Brown said after his third straight feature win. “We didn’t end up getting (the car) finished until about a week before we started.”
Brown said he began experimenting a bit with the comfortable points lead and that might have cost him a couple of more wins.
“You’re always trying to go out and win, but I started trying some new stuff and seeing what works and what doesn’t,” he said.
The season was comparable to 2016, when he won the Lucas Oil Speedway championship with nine feature wins.
“I was probably more dominant in 2016,” he said. “About everywhere I went then, I won. It was probably a more-consistent car. I think I won one more race overall in 2016.”
Making this year more special, Derek and wife Rachel became parents early in the season. New son Kade joined them in victory lane just a few days after his birth.
About the only downside was a struggle at the Street Stocks Big Buck 50 in the finale.
“I really wanted to make a better showing in the Buck 50,” Brown said. “But that happens, I guess. I struggled there, then won our last two races of the year at North Central Arkansas and Legit Speedway. So it was a pretty good year.”
Brown said he’s planning to run his same car next season and travel around, hitting some of the bigger Street Stock shows around the region.
Season passes, gift cards available: Season passes for the 2021 season are available now and those who had them in 2020 can renew at a $50 discount through the end of the year. Contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or email her at nichole@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.
Meanwhile, Lucas Oil Speedway gift cards also are available, in any dollar amount. They can be redeemed in any department at the speedway or used toward tickets for any event on next year’s schedule.
The renewal rate with the $50 discount is available through Dec. 31, 2020.
Season Pass renewal by Dec. 31 will cost the following:
Dirt Track: Adults (ages 16-61) $450; Seniors (62 and over) $350.
All-Events: Adults (ages 16-61) $550; Seniors (62 and over) $450.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, Season Passes will cost the following:
Dirt Track: Adults (ages 16-61) $500; Seniors (62 and over) $400.
All-Events: Adults (ages 16-61) $600; Seniors (62 and over) $500.
Each season pass holder is entitled to one reserved stadium-style seat, complete with high backs and armrests located in the top six rows of the main grandstand of the dirt track.
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott
