WHEATLAND, Mo. – The first special event of the Lucas Oil Speedway season arrives Friday and Saturday with the eighth annual Lucas Oil MLRA Spring Nationals Presented by RacingJunk.com, with some of the nation’s top national-touring late model drivers expected to drop in to mix it up with the regional regulars.

Added money to the purse plus a weekend off for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series should mean a big field of entrants for the MLRA season opener. Four-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion Earl Pearson Jr. and series regular Billy Moyer Jr. are among those listing the Spring Nationals on their schedules.

“Our first special of the year should be a good one and the weather forecast looks outstanding, which is even better,” Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager Danny Lorton said, noting that the MLRA Spring Nationals have not been contested since 2017. The event was rained out in 2018 and 2019 and COVID-19 canceled it last year.

Joining Pearson, Moyer and other likely national-series entrants will be reigning MLRA champion Jeremiah Hurst and past MLRA champion Chad Simpson and Will Vaught.

Lucas Oil MLRA Series Director Ernie Leftwich recently announced a significant purse increase for the Spring Nationals. The MLRA feature on Friday will pay $5,000 to win and $500 to start, with the April 10 winner earning $10,000 with $600 to start. The Spring Nationals winners’ shares originally were $3,000 and $5,000.