BROWNSTOWN

The stage is set for the 66th year of competition at Brownstown Speedway.

The nation’s top drivers will take the spotlight Saturday night as the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series headlines the season-opening festivities.

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Opening night at the speedway actually is scheduled for Friday night with super late models, Indiana Pro Late Models, pure stocks and hornets on the docket.

Following Friday night’s event, the Lucas tour will take the main stage Saturday night for the 21st annual Indiana Icebreaker. It’s the first of two scheduled stops for the series at the speedway this year. Supporting divisions for the event will be modifieds and super stocks.

“We are all systems go for this weekend’s events,” promoter Jim Price said. “The weather hasn’t played in our favor the past few years, but I feel like this year will be the year we get this deal in.”

Last season’s Indiana Icebreaker was postponed due to weather and was made up in September. Newport, Tennessee, driver Jimmy Owens rose victorious over Devin Gilpin in the 30-lap main event.

After a podium finish in last year’s Jackson 100, Hudson O’Neal comes into the Indiana Icebreaker as one of the favorites at his home track, where he has scored multiple feature wins in both super late model and Indiana Pro Late Model competition.

“It feels like I’ve been out of the seat forever,” said O’Neal, who lives in Martinsville.

O’Neal’s most recent race was Feb. 24 at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Florida, where he finished third in the Crate Winter Nationals.

O’Neal, son of Hall of Fame driver Don O’Neal, earned Rookie of the Year honors last season with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in his first full season of competition with the national traveling series.

The elder O’Neal, who was the 2014 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion, is a five-time Indiana Icebreaker champion and has multiple other wins at Brownstown Speedway.

Both O’Neals will be in competition this weekend at Brownstown in their PEAK Antifreeze-sponsored machines.

Other local favorites expected are Gilpin, Jared Bailey, Jeremy Hines, Adam Bowman, Kent Robinson and Skyller Lewis.

After nine events, Jonathan Davenport sits atop the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series point standings over reigning champion Josh Richards. Davenport has one win to his credit at Brownstown Speedway, the 2015 running of the Jackson 100.

The Blairsville, Georgia, driver dominated the dirt late model scene in 2015, collecting more than $700,000 in earnings and winning the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series title.

General admission pricing for Friday night’s event is $20 for adults. Children 12 and younger will be admitted free with a paying adult. Ticket prices for Saturday’s Lucas Oil event are $30 for adults and $10 for children. Hot laps are set to begin at 6 p.m. both days.

The Lucas tour will compete Friday at Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe, Ohio, before making its way to Brownstown on Saturday for the Indiana Icebreaker. Both events pay $12,000 to the winner.