Lucas Oil Modified Series

The Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink, will be bringing their high flying open wheel energy to the always challenging Tucson Raceway Park this Saturday night. By the time the 75 lap feature is over, the Rockstar 75 will likely have a major impact on one of the tightest points races in series' history.

As the series teams prepare to roll their car haulers towards Tucson, the top three drivers in the championship standings are tied at 130 points each with the driver in fourth only six points behind them. In fact, there are only 20 points separating the top seven drivers in the current standings. That's a shining example of how competitive this series has been as it approaches the halfway point of the season.

Riverside-California's Jim Mardis leads the three way tie at the top of the standings. Mardis won the season opener at the Lucas Oil I 10 Speedway and then followed that up with a second and a tenth in his #51 Rockstar Energy Drink sponsored modified.

Making the long commute from his native San Antonio-Texas to Tucson this weekend will be James Cole who also has 130 points based on three strong finishes this year in his #11 Screen Pro Graphics/Swenson racing modified. Cole is really looking forward to racing at the Tucson Raceway Park. It's three eighths of a mile size, along with its progressive banking, is perfectly suited to his style of driving and is very reminiscent of the speedways in his native Texas where he has won championships.

Doug Hamm is the third driver in the 130 points tie. From Las Vegas-Nevada Hamm, and his #4x Crispy Critters Pest Control team, is one of the most improved operations in the series. Hamm and company spent much of the 2009 season learning the intricate nature of the series and taking a lot of notes. It's apparent that they are being rewarded for that hard work this year.

Burbank-California's Tim Morse, in his #10 Morse Exhaust Systems ride, is fourth in the standings and only six points behind the trio of leaders. Morse has also been very consistent this year and many feel it's just a matter of time before he parks his car in the Sunoco Race Fuels victory lane.

Out of this entire group, the man to watch is Lake Havasu City-Arizona's Chris Gerchman who has won the last two series events in his family owned Peggy's Sunrise Cafe modified. Gerchman got off to a horrible start this year following a crash during the season opener that left him at the bottom of the points standings. But he has rebounded quickly and is a pre race favorite to win the Rockstar 75. He's fourth in the standings only 16 points from the leaders.

There's a lot more than just championship points on the line in Tucson this Saturday night. The Rockstar 75 is one of the most lucrative events on the series's schedule. The race has a $10,000 purse along with a $1,400 check for the winner. The size of Tucson Raceway Park will allow series officials to start 26 cars who are guaranteed at least $300 each for just taking the green flag.

The Tucson Raceway Park fans will also be big beneficiaries Saturday night. That's because of the highly competitive nature of this series which always seems to feature bumper to bumper and wheel to wheel action from the front all the way to the rear of the field. The fans will also be delighted to note that this race will live up to its name. The Rockstar 75 will be exactly that: 75 full green flag laps of racing, the yellow flag laps will not count.

When the checkered flag falls at the conclusion of the 75th lap one of those series drivers will earn the right to "party like a Rockstar."

Yet another reason why this series works so well is because of the support it receives from a highly potent marketing concept known as "Team Lucas." Team members include Lucas Oil Products, Magnaflow Exhaust Products, E3 Spark Plugs, General Tire, K&N Performance Filters, GEICO Power Sports, CANIDAE All Natural Pet Food, MAV-TV, Dart Machinery and Rockstar Energy Drink.

The Lucas Oil Modified Series, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink, is also enhanced by a series of associate sponsors that includes Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tire West, Budweiser, Blue Water Resort and Casino, Sunoco Race Fuels, Franks Radio, Racing Plus