The Lucas Oil Little 500 Presented by UAW is set for its 75th Annual Running
Little 500 trophies (Scott McIlwain photo)
The 75th Annual Lucas Oil Little 500 presented by UAW is set to take place in its traditional Memorial Day Weekend slot on Saturday, May 27th. Running in consecutive years beginning in 1949, the Little 500 has become a mainstay in pavement short track racing and a tradition for families from all over the world. This year, the diamond anniversary of the sprint car classic will surely be one to remember.
The 75th Little 500 will not run short of storylines before the checkered flag drops. From prominent rookies to multi-time champions, a slew of top short track racers will once again go wheel to wheel for a grueling 500 laps. The top storyline of the week will be if Tyler Roahrig can once again defend his Little 500 Championship and become only the third driver in Little 500 history to have three consecutive victories.
75th Annual Lucas Oil Little 500 Entry List
With four former winners entered into this year’s event, including Roahrig, suspense will loom large over Anderson Speedway as fans wait to see if a new winner will emerge from the 33 car field or if a former winner will continue to grow their legacy. Jeff Bloom and Kody Swanson both enter into the week with three Little 500 victories while Roahrig enters with two and Bobby Santos III enters with his lone victory in 2020. With each driver looking to add their name to a new Little 500 “Club” and their competitors looking to join the club of first time winners, intensity will be high.
Notable drivers looking for their first Little 500 victory are Kyle O’Gara, Dakoda Armstrong, Caleb Armstrong, Billy Wease, and Brian Gerster. O’Gara has gone to victory lane at Anderson Speedway twice since July of 2022 when competing with the Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Part Stores 500 Sprint Car Tour. His victory in the Glen Niebel Classic in early April 2023 set the tone for his season and made him an early favorite to compete for a Little 500 victory. Dakoda Armstrong finished the 2022 Little 500 in second place after an inspiring drive. The New Castle, Indiana driver also became a fan favorite after a second place finish in the 500 Sprint Car Tour points standings in 2022 and looks to claim his elusive first victory. Armstrong’s cousin, Caleb, has proven to be fast during Little 500 qualifications with multiple pole position victories. He too looks to claim a win in the historic event that has eluded him for so long. Wease showed consistency during his 2022 campaign with the 500 Sprint Car Tour and competed for wins on a weekly basis. Competing as a family owned team, he and his wife Amanda look to their consistency once again as their expectations of winning the Little 500 continue to grow. Gerster, a mainstay at the Little 500 for many years, is coming off his best qualifying effort in 2022 after qualifying on the inside of row one. After getting more experience up front and leading laps, Gerster is prepared to put it all together and win his first Little 500.
Other notable entries for this year’s event are Davey Hamilton Jr, Logan Seavey, Emerson Axsom, Tanner Swanson, CJ Leary, and Jake Trainor. Hamilton Jr enters the week after having held a nine race win streak during the winter months and looks to add another win to his 2023 resume. Seavey, a USAC Silver Crown front runner, claimed victory in the Chili Bowl Nationals early in 2023 and will attempt to be the only driver in history to win the Chili Bowl Nationals and the Little 500 in the same year. Axsom, Swanson, and Leary have all performed well on Anderson’s ¼ mile oval in the past and expect to perform well again as they all chase their first Little 500 victories. Jake Trainor will be in a car that is familiar to Little 500 fans as it was previously driven by NASCAR star Ken Schrader. Trainor, a Little 500 rookie, brings his talents to the midwest from Massachusetts and will compete at Anderson for the first time in what is sure to be a quick car.
The 75th Annual Lucas Oil Little 500 presented by UAW is set to be run on Saturday, May 27th at 8:00pm. Practice for teams begins on Wednesday, May 24 from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. CB Fabricating Pole Day is scheduled for Thursday, May 25 from 11:30am – 3:30pm. Final practice and Bump Day is set for Friday, May 26 from 11:30am to 3:30pm. Grandstand admission is free for fans Wednesday through Friday and race day tickets are reserved seating only and are $45 each. Tickets for the 75th Annual Lucas Oil Little 500 presented by UAW are on sale now and can be purchased by calling (765) 642-0206 ex. 121 or by stopping by the ticket office. Fans can also stream the event live via MAVTV on Floracing by clicking here to subscribe or stream.