Even though it didn't work out at planned, J.C. Morton is glad he ventured out and tried a new racing opportunity last season.

"If I hadn't, I'd have sat here and kicked myself in the butt saying I regret this and I regret that," Morton said of driving for a team based in northern Arkansas. Morton and his wife, Destiny, even moved there for most of 2017.

"Some things don't work out and you learn from them," Morton said. "So I'm glad I tried it. But I'm glad to be back home."

Morton is back at home in Springfield and scheduled to return to his racing home at Lucas Oil Speedway. He plans to race weekly in the Out-Pace USRA B-Mods, a division in which he won the track championship in 2016. That also was a springboard to his Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series National Championship that season.

"I'm definitely excited about being back home," Morton said this week. "Last year we raced two hours away (from Springfield) every weekend. It was a struggle for Dad (his crew chief Gene Morton) and the family to get down there. Dad's the backer for just about everything for me as far as making sure we're ready to race. It wasn't very much fun without him for a lot of the races.

"I'm ready to get back into the Lucas swing. The publicity and the competitiveness there ... you have 8-10 cars that are capable of winning on a given night and 40-50 cars for a typical weekly show. I'm just ready to get back to what I know."

Even before the Lucas Oil Speedway Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series opener on April 7, Morton already is showing championship form. He captured the Iron Man Challenge for Out-Pace USRA B-Mods last weekend at Humboldt Speedway in Kansas.

Driving a new Phoenix-chassis car, Morton recorded three top-four feature finishes three straight nights, including a wire-to-wire triumph in the $1,000-to-win finale.

"It's been a pretty good car right out of the box," Morton said of the Phoenix, which is built in Nevada, Missouri. "They called me during the winter and we talked back and forth for about two months and came to an agreement."

Morton, 28, said he doesn't have a master plan to chase another USRA B-Mod National Championship. Time will tell whether that chance presents itself.

"The national points deal usually doesn't come into play until a month is left in the season and you see yourself in the top three or four," Morton said. "That's when you really pursue it.

"You just get yourself ready to go and try to win races every week," added Morton.

Morton's sponsors on the No. 18 car include Phoenix Race Car, Yeoman Race Engines, Midwest Sheet Metal, Troop 4 Shocks, Lucas Gibbs Racing, Chris Claunch Photography, R&R Graphics and Fast Shafts.

The Lucas Oil Speedway dirt track roars to life on March 31 with an open test and tune from 2-6 p.m. The season begins on April 7 with the Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series opener with action in the Pitts Homes USRA Modifieds, Warsaw Auto Marine & RV ULMA Late Models, Big O Tires Street Stocks and Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods.

For ticket information for any event in 2018, including general admission or three-day reserved seats for the 26th annual Show-Me 100 presented by ProtecttheHarvest.com, contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or via email at nichole@lucasoilspeedway.com.

Complete Lucas Oil Speedway event information, archived stories, ticket information and 2018 schedule can be found by visiting www.lucasoilspeedway.com. Fans also can purchase general admission tickets for any 2018 event on the web or call the track hotline at (417) 282-5984. In addition, fans can get social with Lucas Oil Speedway by following @LucasSpeedway on Twitter, clicking "Like" at www.facebook.com/LucasOilSpeedway and on www.youtube.com/LucasOilSpeedway.

Lucas Oil Speedway is located at Highways 83 and 54 in Wheatland, Missouri. A campground with shower and bathroom facilities is also available. With its entrance located just outside the pit gate this sprawling scenic camping facility will continue to enhance the racing experience at the Diamond of Dirt Tracks.