Lucas Oil series to run this weekend at LVMS

The most heard words this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be "Lucas Oil."

The company's racing division brings two of its newest racing series to the massive speedway.

The 2-year-old Lucas Oil Off Road Series will run today through Sunday on the 1.1-mile stadium course that Lucas built in February. The event will feature the biggest names in short-course, off-road racing for the second time this year, with a third visit scheduled for Nov. 6 and 7.

On Saturday night, the Lucas Oil Modified Series -- formerly the SuperClean Modified Series -- will stage a 75-lap feature race as part of the regular NASCAR All-American Series at the speedway's Bullring.

Forest Lucas, founder of the oil and fuel additive company, is a diverse supporter of American racing, along with being the title-rights sponsor of Lucas Oil Stadium, home to the NFL's Colts in Indianapolis.

After initially backing tractor pulls in the Midwest more than a decade ago, Lucas has expanded to nearly every form of racing: drags, off road, drag boats, motocross, stock cars, open wheel, asphalt and dirt circle tracks and stunt airplanes.

In addition to owning a two-car Top Fuel drag racing team and sponsoring the NHRA's national Sportsman division series, Lucas backs one of the Sam Schmidt Motorsports entries in the Indy Racing League's Firestone Indy Lights series.

The Lucas Oil AMA National Outdoor motocross season opens this weekend in Sacramento, Calif.

Jeremy McGrath, a seven-time Supercross season champion, has been racing off road in 850-horsepower trucks for three years. He appreciates Lucas' involvement in the off-road series.

"Forest Lucas definitely has a vision. He pushes forward as hard as he can to see that vision through," said McGrath, 30, who will move up a class this weekend to race a new Pro 4-wheel drive Toyota truck owned by StrongHold Motorsports.

Several local modified drivers are benefiting from Lucas' support of the open-wheel division.

Doug Hamm, a former Bullring champion, is fourth in the series after three races. He is entered in Saturday night's feature, which will pay a $10,000 purse, with 31 other drivers, including Southern Nevadans Tom Lovelady, Dylan Kwasniewski and Chris Clyne.

Contact reporter Jeff Wolf at jwolf@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0247.