The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and Big River Steel are coming together to boost the series’ championship purse and bring a new format to the championship.
The 2023 season will consist of a 29-race regular season that cuts off the playoffs for the top 15 regular season drivers at the annual Show Me 100. The first round will consist of 15 races and Lucas Oil Speedway will again serve as the cutoff, bringing the playoff drivers down to 12. There will be a 10-race second round cutting it to 8 drivers at Port Royal Speedway and a 8-race third round that will cutoff the remaining 4 drivers at the Pittsburgher.
That will leave a two-night weekend at Eldora Speedway to determine the champion.
Drivers will also receive bonuses for making each round:
“Following each round of eliminations, the teams advancing to the next round will be awarded the following cash bonuses:
- Sunoco Road to Wheatland: 1. $2,500, 2. $1,500, 3. $1,500, 4. $1,500, 5. $1,500, 6. $1,000, 7. $1,000, 8. $1,000, 9. $1,000, 10. $1,000, 11. $500, 12. $500, 13. $500, 14. $500, 15. $500 = $16,000
- Summit Racing Equipment Super Twelve: 1. $5,000, 2. $1,000, 3. $1,000, 4. $1,000, 5. $1,000, 6. $1,000, 7. $1,000, 8. $1,000, 9. $1,000, 10. $1,000, 11. $1,000, 12. $1,000 = $16,000
- UNOH Great Eight: 1. $7,500, 2. $1,500, 3. $1,500, 4. $1,500, 5. $1,500, 6. $1,500, 7. $1,500, 8. $1,500 = $18,000
- Big River Steel Big Four: 1. $10,000, 2. $2,000, 3. $2,000, 4. $2,000 = $16,000″
The point structure is still a bit of a question, but this is how the release reads it:
Drivers will continue to earn points at every event throughout the season based on the traditional championship point structure. At the season finale, points for the Big River Steel Big Four drivers will be consolidated. The first of the four drivers to cross the finish line in the 43rd Annual Dirt Track World Championship will be crowned the 2023 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion.
So, that could mean there are resets in other rounds, however it only guarantees that the points will be reset before Eldora. The first one to cross the line in that race will be the national champion.
2022 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Schedule:
| Date | Track | Event | Location | To Win |
| Jan 26 | Golden Isles Speedway | Super Bowl of Racing | Brunswick, GA | Practice |
| Jan 27 | Golden Isles Speedway | Super Bowl of Racing | Brunswick, GA | $10,000 |
| Jan 28 | Golden Isles Speedway | Super Bowl of Racing | Brunswick, GA | $12,000 |
| Jan 29 | Golden Isles Speedway | Super Bowl of Racing | Brunswick, GA | $15,000 |
| Jan 31 | Bubba Raceway Park | Winter Nationals | Ocala, FL | $10,000 |
| Feb 1 | Bubba Raceway Park | Winter Nationals | Ocala, FL | $10,000 |
| Feb 3 | All-Tech Raceway | Winter Nationals | Lake City, FL | $10,000 |
| Feb 4 | All-Tech Raceway | Winter Nationals | Lake City, FL | $12,000 |
| Feb 5 | All-Tech Raceway | Winter Nationals | Lake City, FL | $15,000 |
| Feb 6 | East Bay Raceway Park | 46th Annual Wrisco Winternationals Presented By Lucas Oil | Tampa, FL | Practice |
| Feb 7 | East Bay Raceway Park | 46th Annual Wrisco Winternationals Presented By Lucas Oil | Tampa, FL | $5,000 |
| Feb 8 | East Bay Raceway Park | 46th Annual Wrisco Winternationals Presented By Lucas Oil | Tampa, FL | $5,000 |
| Feb 9 | East Bay Raceway Park | 46th Annual Wrisco Winternationals Presented By Lucas Oil | Tampa, FL | $7,000 |
| Feb 10 | East Bay Raceway Park | 46th Annual Wrisco Winternationals Presented By Lucas Oil | Tampa, FL | $7,000 |
| Feb 11 | East Bay Raceway Park | 46th Annual Wrisco Winternationals Presented By Lucas Oil | Tampa, FL | $12,000 |
| Feb 12 | East Bay Raceway Park | 46th Annual Wrisco Winternationals Presented By Lucas Oil | Tampa, FL | $15,000 |
| Mar 11 | 411 Motor Speedway | The Tennessean | Seymour, TN | $10,000 |
| Mar 12 | 411 Motor Speedway | The Tennessean | Seymour, TN | $20,000 |
| Mar 18 | Atomic Speedway | Buckeye Spring 50 | Chillicothe, OH | $12,000 |
| Mar 19 | Brownstown Speedway | Indiana Icebreaker | Brownstown, IN | $15,000 |
| Apr 8 | Tyler County Speedway | 53rd Annual Hillbilly Hundred | Middlebourne, WV | $30,000 |
| Apr 9 | Hagerstown Speedway | Nininger Tribute | Hagerstown, MD | $15,000 |
| Apr 10 | Port Royal Speedway | River Valley 40 | Port Royal, PA | $10,000 |
| Apr 29 | Tri-City Speedway | Bullet Race Engines 50 | Granite City, IL | $12,000 |
| Apr 30 | Macon Speedway | Macon, IL | $15,000 | |
| May 6 | Ponderosa Speedway | 18th Annual John Bradshaw Memorial | Junction City, KY | $12,000 |
| May 7 | Florence Speedway | 36th Annual Ralph Latham Memorial | Union, KY | $15,000 |
| May 20 | 300 Raceway | Truck Country 50 | Farley, IA | $12,000 |
| May 21 | 34 Raceway | CRST, The Transportation Solution 50 | Burlington, IA | $15,000 |
| May 26 | Lucas Oil Speedway | 9th Annual Cowboy Classic | Wheatland, MO | $6,000 |
| May 27 | Lucas Oil Speedway | The Tribute to Don and Billie Gibson | Wheatland, MO | $6,000 |
| May 28 | Lucas Oil Speedway | 30th Annual Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 | Wheatland, MO | $50,000 |
| Jun 3 | West Virginia Motor Speedway | Historic 100 | Mineral Wells, WV | $15,000 |
| Jun 4 | West Virginia Motor Speedway | Historic 100 | Mineral Wells, WV | $50,000 |
| Jun 16 | Cherokee Speedway | 24th Annual Grassy Smith Memorial | Gaffney, SC | $10,000 |
| Jun 17 | Smoky Mountain Speedway | Mountain Moonshine Classic | Maryville, TN | $5,000 x 2 |
| Jun 18 | Smoky Mountain Speedway | Mountain Moonshine Classic | Maryville, TN | $50,000 |
| Jun 23 | Lernerville Speedway | 16th Annual Firecracker 100 Presented By Big River Steel | Sarver, PA | $6,000 |
| Jun 24 | Lernerville Speedway | 16th Annual Firecracker 100 Presented By Big River Steel | Sarver, PA | $6,000 |
| Jun 25 | Lernerville Speedway | 16th Annual Firecracker 100 Presented By Big River Steel | Sarver, PA | $50,000 |
| Jul 1 | Portsmouth Raceway Park | Independence 50 | Portsmouth, OH | $12,000 |
| Jul 2 | Muskingum County Speedway | 21st Annual July 3rd Race | Zanesville, OH | $3,000 x3 |
| Jul 3 | Muskingum County Speedway | 21st Annual July 3rd Race | Zanesville, OH | $30,000 |
| Jul 6 | Davenport Speedway | Davenport, IA | $10,000 | |
| Jul 7 | Deer Creek Speedway | NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 | Spring Valley, MN | $5,000 |
| Jul 8 | Deer Creek Speedway | NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 | Spring Valley, MN | $5,000 |
| Jul 9 | Deer Creek Speedway | NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 | Spring Valley, MN | $50,000 |
| Jul 14 | I-70 Speedway Park | Odessa, MO | $10,000 | |
| Jul 15 | Tri-City Speedway | NAPA Know How 50 | Granite City, IL | $12,000 |
| Jul 16 | Lucas Oil Speedway | 16th Annual Diamond Nationals | Wheatland, MO | $15,000 |
| Jul 19 | Huset’s Speedway | Brandon, SD | $10,000 | |
| Jul 21 | I-80 Speedway | Go 50 | Greenwood, NE | $12,000 |
| Jul 22 | I-80 Speedway | Imperial Tile Silver Dollar Nationals | Greenwood, NE | Prelim |
| Jul 23 | I-80 Speedway | Imperial Tile Silver Dollar Nationals | Greenwood, NE | $53,000 |
| Aug 11 | Florence Speedway | 40th Annual Sunoco North/South 100 | Union, KY | $5,000 x 2 |
| Aug 12 | Florence Speedway | 40th Annual Sunoco North/South 100 | Union, KY | $5,000 x 2 |
| Aug 13 | Florence Speedway | 40th Annual Sunoco North/South 100 | Union, KY | $75,000 |
| Aug 19 | Batesville Motor Speedway | 30th Annual COMP Cams Topless 100 Presented by Nutrien Ag Solutions | Batesville, AR | Prelim |
| Aug 20 | Batesville Motor Speedway | 30th Annual COMP Cams Topless 100 Presented by Nutrien Ag Solutions | Batesville, AR | $50,000 |
| Aug 26 | Port Royal Speedway | The Rumble by the River | Port Royal, PA | $5,000 x 2 |
| Aug 27 | Port Royal Speedway | The Rumble by the River | Port Royal, PA | $50,000 |
| Sep 3 | Portsmouth Raceway Park | River Days Rumble Presented by Pepsi | Portsmouth, OH | $15,000 |
| Sep 4 | Tyler County Speedway | 54th Annual Hillbilly Hundred | Middlebourne, WV | $30,000 |
| Sep 15 | Knoxville Raceway | Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals | Knoxville, IA | $7,000 |
| Sep 16 | Knoxville Raceway | Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals | Knoxville, IA | $7,000 |
| Sep 17 | Knoxville Raceway | Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals | Knoxville, IA | $50,000 |
| Sep 23 | Brownstown Speedway | Night Before the Jackson | Brownstown, IN | $10,000 |
| Sep 24 | Brownstown Speedway | 43rd Annual Jackson 100 | Brownstown, IN | $20,000 |
| Sep 30 | Raceway 7 | Great Lakes 50 | Conneaut, OH | $12,000 |
| Oct 1 | Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway | 34th Annual Pittsburgher | Imperial, PA | $20,000 |
| Oct 7 | Talladega Short Track | Eastaboga, AL | $12,000 | |
| Oct 8 | The Red Clay at Woodstock – Historic Dixie Speedway | Lucas Oil Dixie Shootout | Woodstock, GA | $15,000 |
| Oct 14 | Portsmouth Raceway Park | 42nd Annual Dirt Track World Championship | Portsmouth, OH | Prelim |
| Oct 15 | Portsmouth Raceway Park | 42nd Annual Dirt Track World Championship | Portsmouth, OH | $100,000 |
