Two of the most
successful race series on the west coast will join forces in 2019. The
Lucas Oil Modified Series and the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series will both
operate under the guidance and sanction of the SRL for 2019 and beyond.
“I’ve been with
the Modifieds since the series started in 2006, and I’ve enjoyed every
minute of it,” stated Lucas Oil Modified Director, Greg
Scheidecker. “These teams are like family to me, and I’m proud of what
we’ve accomplished with the support of Lucas Oil over the past 12 years.”
“But, for the past
few years I’ve been trying to slow down, and take a look at retirement, but
I wanted to leave the Modified Series in good hands. I wasn’t going
anywhere until I knew the series and teams were going to be taken care of.”
From the first
thought of Greg’s retirement, the management of the SPEARS Southwest Tour
Series was on the top of his list to take over his “pride and joy” and be
at the helm of the Modified Series.
“We’ve had a
long-standing relationship with both Greg and Lucas Oil, and when Greg
shared his thoughts about retirement, we understood how hard it would be
for him to walk away. However, we were willing to step in and try to fill
Greg’s shoes, if that was indeed what he thought was best for his series.”
stated the SRL’s Larry Collins.
The talks between
the two parties really accelerated during the summer months, with Lucas
Oil’s Director of Racing Operations, Ritchie Lewis and Lucas Oil Executive
Vice President Bob Patison both joining the conversation. An agreement
in concept was finalized on October 23rd.
"We are now
proud to announce that for 2019, the Lucas Oil Modified Series, will be
under the new title sponsorship of Spears Manufacturing, and will be
officially known as the “Spears Manufacturing Modified Series presented by
Lucas Oil,” said Collins.
With the support
of both Spears Manufacturing and Lucas Oil, the Modified Series will
continue to be the powerhouse of west coast racing that it has been for
over a decade. The 2019 schedule of events will see both the SPEARS
Southwest Tour Series and the Spears Manufacturing Modified Series
presented by Lucas Oil compete together on the same weekends throughout the
year, with six events for both series being nationally televised by MAVTV.
“We look forward
to keeping the Modified Series strong and moving forward,” stated
Collins. “Our approach with the SPEARS Southwest Tour has always been
to listen to the teams and never rest in making improvements to the series,
and we will take this same approach with the Modifieds.”
The 2019
championship points season for the Modifieds will begin at Kern County
Raceway on February 2nd at the Fifth Annual Winter Showdown and will
conclude at the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on November
16th. Other host racetracks in 2019 will include, Irwindale Speedway,
Madera Speedway, Havasu Speedway and one more to be announced.
"What may be
the best part of this entire deal is that Greg Scheidecker will be with us
at every event. Not only do I really like hanging out with Greg, it
goes without saying that having him onboard this year is invaluable to
everyone involved.” Collins concluded.
There will be a
Modified Team Owner’s meeting held on Friday, November 16th at 7:15pm at
the Bullring to further share plans for the upcoming 2019 season.
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About SPEARS MANUFACTURING:
Spears Manufacturing is a world leader in plastic pipe
products. SPEARS’ maintains over one million square feet of
manufacturing facilities in four states and sixteen distribution centers
across the USA for worldwide distribution. For more information go to http://www.spearsmfg.com.
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