12/8/2020
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Jimmy Owens Named 2020 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion
Batavia, OHIO (December 8, 2020) – Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN clinched the 2020 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Championship, becoming only the second driver to have four Lucas Dirt Championships on his résumé. Owens became the fifth and final point leader of the series this year, after the final race of the Reopening Tour on May 27th at East Bay Raceway Park.
Due to challenges presented in trying to have a banquet during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 year-end banquet was cancelled. During the final series event, the Dirt Track World Championship, Owens and his team were celebrated by fellow competing teams, fans, and officials. Teams lined up on the track to show their respect for the four-time champion before he backed on the stage and was presented with championship hardware.
Owens will receive several cash and product awards for his Championship and other contingency programs, including: $75,000 cash for his Championship, $10,000 Lucas Oil Champion bonus, $500 Cash and $250 product award for Allstar Performance Most Laps Led, $1,000 cash for Big River Steel Most Podium Finishes, $5,000 cash for 2nd place in Arizona Sport Shirts and DirtonDirt.com Crown Jewel Cup, $10,000 cash for 1st place in the GEICO TV Challenge Points, $1,000 cash for 1st place in Midwest Sheet Metal Point Leader Spoiler Challenge, $1,000 cash and a product certificate for Penske Shocks Most Top Five Finishes, $500 cash and $500 product award for PFC Brakes Most Pole Awards, $500 cash and a new helmet for Simpson Race Products Most Heat Race Wins, $3,000 cash for winning the Sunoco Race for Gas Points, $2,500 Sunoco Race Fuels bonus for highest finishing Sunoco driver in the Lucas Oil Show-Me 100, $1,000 cash for winning the Wrisco Industries Most Feature Wins, and a product award from Swift Springs for winning the championship (grand total of $111,000 in cash-plus product awards and certificates).
Owens reached Victory Lane on 11 different occasions and finished the night with an appearance on the Big River Steel Podium 23 times at Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events, in 2020. In addition, Owens earned nine Lucas Oil Slick Mist Overall Fast Time Awards and eight Performance Friction Brakes Pole Awards - over the course of the year. The Ramirez Motorsports Rocket Chassis is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine.
“I would like to thank my crew, Cody Mallory, Jeff “Mullett” Strope, and Kurt Owens. I would also like to thank my family and friends; Melissa and Nathan, Gary Williams, Justin Talley, Chris Fox, Mike Hayes and the bunch in our souvenir trailer taking care of our swag. We really have a lot of great people behind us. I definitely have to thank Leon, Becky, and Dereck Ramirez and that bunch, they’ve made our dreams come true and make it possible for us to go racing. You can never understand what it takes from people like that to keep us going and to just put forth the sponsorship and confidence in someone”, stated Owens.
Owens’ Ramirez Motorsports Rocket Chassis is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and is sponsored by Reece Monument Company, Tommy Pope Construction, Boomtest Well Service, Sunoco Race Fuels, General Tire, Red Line Oil, Ohlins Shocks, Champion Spark Plugs, and Midwest Sheet Metal.
Tim McCreadie (NY) finished second, followed by Jonathan Davenport (GA), Josh Richards (WV), and Tyler Erb (TX) rounding out the top five in series standings. Sixth through fourteenth are: Shane Clanton (GA), Kyle Bronson (FL), Devin Moran (OH), Tanner English (KY), Earl Pearson, Jr. (FL), Billy Moyer Jr. (AR), Tyler Bruening (IA), Hudson O’Neal (IN), and Stormy Scott (NM).
Submitted By: Jeremy Shields
