USAC Race Results & Press Releases
WEEKEND SWEEP!
CUMMINS COMPLETES PERFECT
USAC SPRINT WEEKEND AT TRI-STATE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Haubstadt, Indiana (May 10, 2025)………In Kyle Cummins’ USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car
National Championship career, he’d never before accumulated more than four wins
in an entire season’s worth of work.
In both 2022 and 2023, Cummins reached his previous highwater mark of four
scores. But as far as 2025, well, that’s an entirely different story.
In only his 11th start of the year, the Princeton, Indiana native notched his
fifth win of the USAC campaign during Saturday night’s 12th running of the
Spring Showdown at Haubstadt, Indiana’s Tri-State Speedway.
Aboard his Petty Performance Racing/Avanti Windows & Doors - Premier
Recycling/Mach-1/Stanton Chevy, the fourth starting Cummins chased down early
leader Hayden Reinbold by lap five and was never headed for the remainder of the
30-lap main event at the 1/4-mile dirt oval.
Cummins’ latest triumphant performance completed a weekend sweep after he
collected a victory 24 hours prior at Indiana’s Bloomington Speedway. In 22
previous instances of Bloomington and Tri-State sharing a back-to-backer dating
back to 2005, no driver had won both in a single weekend. That is, until Cummins
had his say so.
“It’s pretty exciting to win both of them last night and tonight,” Cummins
exclaimed. “This is a good Mother’s Day gift for my mom.”
The feat of capturing at least five wins within the first 11 events of a USAC
National Sprint Car season is a rarity. Among those who’ve done it are Larry
Dickson (7 starts in 1968), Don Branson (8 starts in 1959), Larry Dickson (8
starts in 1970), Don Branson (10 starts in 1960), Parnelli Jones (11 starts in
1961), Sammy Sessions (11 starts in 1971) and J.J. Yeley (11 starts in 2003).
Now you can add Kyle Cummins (11 starts in 2025).
Cummins’ seventh career USAC National Sprint Car win at Tri-State put him
within one of Kevin Thomas Jr.’s record of eight, and as fate played out, it
just so happened that it was those same two who crossed the finish line first
and second on Saturday night.
Overall, Cummins’ 25th career USAC National Sprint Car win placed him
squarely within the top-25 all-time. His win total of 25 now equals the number
also attained by the likes of Steve Butler, Jay Drake, Parnelli Jones and Logan
Seavey, all drivers who’ve previously captured USAC National Sprint Car
championships, a goal Cummins would like to achieve this year. After starting
this weekend with a two-point edge in the standings, Cummins’ lead now stands at
66.
With that said, Cummins has even more ambitious prospects for the 2025
season. Not only does he envision surpassing the single season USAC National
Sprint Car win record of 14 set by Tom Bigelow (1977) and Logan Seavey (2024),
he wants to obliterate it. The goal may sound quite lofty at first, but with how
the season has transpired thus far, don’t put it past him.
“I want 20 wins,” Cummins declared. “If I get 20 wins, I should win the
points. It’s a record that I think would be super hard to get. Logan (Seavey)
did unbelievable last year and that’s a goal we’ve set out to accomplish. There
are a couple goals, but I want to try to get 20 wins and at least put my name in
some kind of record book. I’m not really in anything. I’m like 50th or 30th or
whatever, but I want to have something that I can show my kids when I get older
that I was pretty good and I got something.”
Starting from the outside of the front row, leading series Rookie of the Year
contender Reinbold led the first four laps of his USAC National Sprint Car
career. Cummins slotted into second by the opening lap ahead of Mitchel Moles
who was aiming to complete a sweep of the night’s event after earlier setting
fast qualifying time and winning his heat race from the sixth starting spot.
By lap five, Cummins was draped all over Reinbold, and when the two hit turn
three, Cummins made his move by sliding underneath Reinbold on entry to take
over once and for all.
On lap nine, Cummins briefly got caught up in the high stakes game of racing
chess. Cummins became bogged down while attempting to work his way around 23rd
running Bryce Andrews, which in turn, created an accordion effect that caught
second running Reinbold up as well. In the shuffling madness, Moles spurted
under his teammate, Reinbold, to secure second and begin his pursuit toward
Cummins’ lead.
Meanwhile, seventh starting Kevin Thomas Jr. was flying, and on lap 15, he
swiped third from Reinbold around the outside of turn four. On a lap 21 restart
following a 360 degree spin by Jake Swanson (16th) created by contact with
Seavey (15th), Jadon Rogers briefly took third in turn four, but KTJ immediately
answered right back and retook the position by the time the two hit the second
turn a half lap later.
Thomas ultimately made his way into the second spot by getting a run under
Moles in turns one and two on the white flag lap to record his best finish of
the year in USAC competition.
But in the end, Cummins was too much, too fast, too strong for anybody to
make a play down the stretch. Cummins crossed the stripe 1.379 seconds ahead of
runner-up Kevin Thomas Jr. with Mitchel Moles third, Jadon Rogers a season best
fourth and Justin Grant rounding out the top-five.
For Cummins, he chalked up his successful night to being in the right
position at the right time and managing to capitalize on every facet from
qualifying to his heat race to the early laps of the feature where he
established himself as the one everybody was going to have to beat. Just the
same as he’d done time and time again this season.
“Track position is everything, and with the way the heat race worked out,
luckily I got out in front there,” Cummins explained. “With the way the feature
went, it was a little treacherous getting in there. I just went to the bottom
and kind of rolled around. I set my car up for that. On that last yellow, I
decided I was going to roll the bottom and just see what I could do.”
The two winningest drivers in Tri-State Speedway USAC National Sprint Car
history also had another thing in common. They were both driving the same
chassis, the only two of their kind that were entered in the 32-car field.
“Mach 1s ran one-two tonight and I think we both won our heat races too,”
Cummins correctly recalled. “With the Mach 1s around Tri-State Speedway, it
doesn’t matter who’s driving them. They’re fast.”
Furthermore, sixth place finisher Robert Ballou made his 528th career USAC
National Sprint Car feature start. That surpassed Brady Bacon for second on the
all-time list. Only Dave Darland remains ahead of Ballou with 797 career series
starts.
Meanwhile, Kale Drake made the biggest move of any driver in the feature,
advancing 13 positions from his 23rd starting spot to finish 10th. In 13 USAC
national starts between sprint cars and midgets in 2025, Drake has earned the
hard charger award an incredible six times.
It was a USAC National Sprint Car debut to remember for Eli Wilhelmus. The
sprint car racing newcomer and 2024 Midwest Mini Sprint Association champ raced
his way into the feature field with a last lap pass for the final transfer spot
in the semi-feature. That earned him Inferno Armor’s Fire Move of the Night.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: May 10, 2025 –
Tri-State Speedway – Haubstadt, Indiana – 1/4-Mile Dirt Track – Spring Showdown
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Mitchel Moles, 19AZ,
Reinbold/Underwood-13.003; 2. Gunnar Setser, 5G, KO-13.381; 3. Kyle Cummins, 3p,
Petty-13.452; 4. Briggs Danner, 39, Hogue-13.457; 5. Jadon Rogers, 66,
Amati-13.478; 6. Hayden Reinbold, 19, Reinbold/Underwood-13.541; 7. Kobe
Simpson, 21K, Simpson-13.703; 8. Justin Grant, 4, TOPP-13.713; 9. Chase Stockon,
92, Sertich-13.788; 10. Logan Seavey, 57, Abacus-13.804; 11. Robert Ballou, 12,
Ballou-13.805; 12. Kayla Roell, 4K, Roell-13.834; 13. C.J. Leary, 21AZ, Team
AZ/Curb-Agajanian-14.016; 14. Kevin Thomas Jr., 3R, Rock Steady-14.083; 15.
Brady Short, 61m, Edwards-14.141; 16. Carson Short, 21m, Edwards-14.177; 17.
Kendall Ruble, 17K, Ruble-14.184; 18. Eli Wilhelmus, 55, Wilhelmus-14.271; 19.
Donny Brackett, 4B, Brackett-14.306; 20. Jake Swanson, 5T,
Daming/Swanson-14.458; 21. Sam Scott, 7s, Scott-14.529; 22. Adyn Schmidt, 12s,
Schmidt-14.556; 23. Brandon Mattox, 28, Mattox-14.580; 24. Abby Hohlbein, 2A, 2B
Racing-14.588; 25. Carson Garrett, 15, BGE-14.776; 26.Collin Ambrose, 36,
Ambrose-14.916; 27. Bryce Andrews, 17, MSR-15.061; 28. Kale Drake 2B, 2B
Racing-15.068; 29. Aric Gentry, 10, Gentry-15.137; 30. Braydon Cromwell, 4x,
Boyd-15.201; 31. Steve Justis, 12J, Justis-15.685; 32. Colton Booten, 2J,
JAE-NT.
CAR IQ FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Mitchel Moles,
2. Chase Stockon, 3. Jadon Rogers, 4. Kendall Ruble, 5. C.J. Leary, 6. Aric
Gentry, 7. Sam Scott, 8. Carson Garrett. 2:15.481
K1 RACEGEAR SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Kevin
Thomas Jr., 2. Hayden Reinbold, 3. Gunnar Setser, 4. Adyn Schmidt, 5. Logan
Seavey, 6. Eli Wilhelmus, 7. Collin Ambrose, 8. Braydon Cromwell. 2:21.753
HOOSIER TIRE THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Kyle
Cummins, 2. Robert Ballou, 3. Brady Short, 4. Kobe Simpson, 5. Bryce Andrews, 6.
Brandon Mattox, 7. Steve Justis, 8. Donny Brackett. NT
COOK OUT FOURTH HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Carson
Short, 2. Justin Grant, 3. Jake Swanson, 4. Kale Drake, 5. Kayla Roell, 6.
Briggs Danner, 7. Abby Hohlbein, 8. Colton Booten. NT
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (12 laps, top-4 transfer to the
feature) 1. Briggs Danner, 2. Brandon Mattox, 3. Aric Gentry, 4. Eli Wilhelmus,
5. Carson Garrett, 6. Collin Ambrose, 7. Sam Scott, 8. Braydon Cromwell, 9.
Steve Justis, 10. Colton Booten, 11. Abby Hohlbein. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kyle Cummins (4), 2.
Kevin Thomas Jr. (7), 3. Mitchel Moles (6), 4. Jadon Rogers (3), 5. Justin Grant
(9), 6. Robert Ballou (13), 7. Chase Stockon (10), 8. Carson Short (12), 9.
Hayden Reinbold (2), 10. Kale Drake (23), 11. Kobe Simpson (1), 12. Kayla Roell
(14), 13. Briggs Danner (8), 14. Gunnar Setser (5), 15. Logan Seavey (11), 16.
C.J. Leary (15), 17. Jake Swanson (19), 18. Kendall Ruble (17), 19. Adyn Schmidt
(20), 20. Brady Short (16), 21. Brandon Mattox (21), 22. Bryce Andrews (22), 23.
Eli Wilhelmus (18), 24. Aric Gentry (24), 25. Carson Garrett (25-P). NT
(P) represents a provisional starter
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-4 Hayden Reinbold, Laps 5-30 Kyle Cummins.
**Jake Swanson flipped during qualifying. Donny Brackett flipped during the
third heat.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Kyle Cummins-818,
2-Justin Grant-752, 3-Mitchel Moles-633, 4-Logan Seavey-617, 5-Robert
Ballou-603, 6-Kale Drake-574, 7-Jake Swanson-572, 8-C.J. Leary-568, 9-Briggs
Danner-552, 10-Daison Pursley-543.
PARALLAX GROUP USAC NATIONAL PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Kale Drake-98, 2-C.J.
Leary-48, 3-Briggs Danner-41, 4-Robert Ballou-35, 5-Chase Stockon-31, 6-Jadon
Rogers-30, 7-Justin Grant-25, 8-Gunnar Setser-24, 9-Kyle Cummins-23, 10-Jake
Swanson-19.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: May 21, 2025 – Terre
Haute Action Track – Terre Haute, Indiana – 1/2-Mile Dirt Track – 55th Annual
Tony Hulman Classic
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: Jadon Rogers (13.192)
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: Mitchel Moles (13.003)
Car IQ First Heat Winner: Mitchel Moles
K1 RaceGear Second Heat Winner: Kevin Thomas Jr.
Hoosier Tire Third Heat Winner: Kyle Cummins
Cook Out Fourth Heat Winner: Carson Short
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Briggs Danner
Rod End Supply Hard Charger: Kale Drake (23rd to 10th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: Eli Wilhelmus
KENNY MILLER III ETCHES HIS WAY INTO BAPS HISTORY.
In the last 72 hours, more than 2 inches of rain fell onto the York Haven oval. However, Kolten Gouse and his staff were prepared for the challenge.
The old saying ruts and guts came to fruition as the BAPS Motor Speedway had a great character for the wingless warriors!
The thrilling heat races were won by Miller, Bruno, and Mark Smith.
23 cars were signed in for competition; however, after a few mishaps, a few were found vacant, and no consolation race was needed.
The redraw put the 23m on the pole.
The Innovative Machine and Technology 25-lap feature was set with a full field aboard.
When the green flag flew, it was Miller jumping into the lead, but Bruno ripped the bottom, making a challenge.
Back in the pack, it was Mark Smith making quick work of a few cars, charging his way to the top 5.
With 3 laps in, there were a few slow periods. Billy Ney lost an engine on a restart, Chilmonik disposed of a rear-end gear, and Steve Wilbur had a suspension issue, slowing the race down.
When the race roared back on, the competition heated up. The cars used all of the speedway's surface, high and low!
The red light came on at lap 3 for a tangle coming to lap 4. That tangle had Helmick, Emery, and a flipping Jason Cherry across the start-finish. All drivers were okay!
Lap 4 restart, and the race went on. Miller checked out after a few short sliders from Bruno. But the reigning champion, Drevicki, started to creep his way into the hunt! Drevicki had wrangled his way past Mark Smith, Ed Aikin, and Bobby Butler!
Upfront, Miller had caught a hornet's nest of lap traffic. Bruno and Drevicki were chomping at the bit to get to the rear bumper of the Weikel Racewear 23m. Miller was masterful in traffic.
Drevicki shot into the 2nd spot and marched to the rear bumper of the 23m with 4 to go. The duo switched lines and met traffic with 3 to go.
The race was on. Drevicki pulled up to the 23m a handful of times, but Morgantown, PA’s Miller was not to be denied. He scored his first USAC East Coast win of the season presented by Baer Den Farm.
Precision Lathing was a proud sponsor for the evening, and their entry of
Bobby Butler from Phillipsburg, NJ, scored a hard-charging 5th from his 7th
starting spot.
*Jake Galloway Made Hard Contact with the Outside Fence in Hotlaps Drawing a
Red*
USAC IMT EAST COAST SPRINT CARS PRESENTED BY BAER DEN FARMS RACE RESULTS: May 10, 2025 – BAPS Motorspeedway Newberrytown Pa
BDB GRAPHICS FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, all 5 transfer to the feature) 1. Kenny Miller III (#23m Miller), 2. Ronald Helmick (#22R Helmick), 3. Bobby Butler (#5B Butler), 4. Gary Hutson (#44 Hutson), DNF 5. Jordan Fulton(37 Fulton), 6. Scott Frack (39x Frack) (DNS) Jason Gindelsperger (Gindelsperger 76g) (DNS) Jake Galloway (#27g Galloway) NO TIME
E. SCHNEIDER & SONS SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, 5 transfer to the feature) 1. Christian Bruno (#17 Bruno), 2. Jason Cherry (#67 Cherry), 3. Billy Ney (#83 Ney) 4. Blaine Emery (#35 Thomas), 5. Steve Wilbur (#59 Prior), Brett Rose (#45R Rose Bros), 6. Lee Kauffman (#96 Kauffman), 7. Dirk Rimrott (#27 Rimrott). 2:27.976
PREMIER LATHING INC. THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, 5 transfer to the feature) 1. Mark Smith (#M1 Smith), 2. Steven Drevicki (#19 Drevicki) 3. Ed Aikin (#7 Aikin), 4. Tony Jackson (#340 Callahan), 5. Chris Allen (#71 Allen), 6. Patrick Chilmonik (#1 Chilmonick) 7. Hunter Fulton (#7H Fulton) 2.26.285
B-Main: Not needed due to scratches
FEATURE: (25 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. KENNY MILLER III(1), 2. Steven Drevicki(9), 3. Christan Bruno(2), 4. Ed Aikin(6), 5. Bobby Butler(7), 6. Mark Smith(8), 7. Chris Allen(15), 8. Tony Jackson(13), 9. Blaine Emery(11), 10. Lee Kauffman(18), 11. Jordan Fulton(13), 12. Gary Hudson(10), 13 Brett Rose(16), 14. Dirk Rimrott(20),(DNFs 15. Hunter Fulton(19), 16. Patrick Chilmonick(17), 17. Steve Wilbur(14), 18. Billy Ney(4), 19. Jason Cherry(5), 20. Ronald Helmick (3) (NO TIME)
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-25 Kenny Miller III.
NEXT USAC IMT EAST COAST SPRINT CARS PRESENTED BY BAER DEN FARMS RACE: May
31, 2025. Port Royal Speedway; Port Royal Penn
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Bitner Automotive Fast Time: Kenny Miller
BDB Graphic First Heat Winner: Kenny Miller
E. Schneider & Sons Second Heat Winner: Christian Bruno
Premier Lathing INC Third Heat Winner: Mark Smith
C & C Landscaping Hard Charger: Chris Allen (15th to 7th)
Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Poker Chip Draw: Dirk Rimrott
JPA Hard Luck Award: Scott Frack (Flipped leading heat #1)
SOUTHERN INDIANA SHOWCASE!
BLOOMINGTON & TRI-STATE UP NEXT FOR USAC SPRINTS MAY 9-10
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (May 8, 2025)………The Red Clay & The Class Track.
That’s two tracks located in southern Indiana that you can instantly
recognize simply by stating those two monikers.
This weekend’s USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship rounds take us to
Bloomington Speedway on Friday, May 9, for the Larry Rice Classic. The following
night, Haubstadt’s Tri-State Speedway will host the 12th running of the Spring
Showdown on Saturday, May 10.
Here’s a glance at the storylines on this annual Bloomington/Haubstadt Spring
Showcase for USAC Sprint Car racing!
DOUBLE DIPPIN’ IN SOUTHERN INDIANA
A combined 102 USAC National Sprint Car events have been held between
Bloomington Speedway and Tri-State Speedway since each track debuted on the
series schedule more than four decades ago.
Fourteen different drivers have won USAC National Sprint Car main events at
both tracks: Kevin Thomas Jr., Dave Darland, Brady Bacon, Tony Elliott, Chris
Windom, Kyle Cummins, Jay Drake, Tracy Hines, Rick Hood, Cory Kruseman, Hunter
Schuerenberg, Brady Short, Jon Stanbrough and J.J. Yeley.
However, no driver has ever won USAC National Sprint Car features at both
tracks on consecutive nights. There have been 22 such occasions that Bloomington
and Tri-State have been paired up on the same weekend, which has resulted in
exactly zero back-to-back winners.
In fact, only three drivers have won USAC National Sprint Car main events at
both tracks in a single season: J.J. Yeley (2003), Dave Darland (2018) and Kevin
Thomas Jr. (2017 & 2021)
KTJ’S RESUME OF SUCCESS
Kevin Thomas Jr. is the leader among active drivers at both tracks in USAC
National Sprint Car competition. In all, he’s been victorious four times in his
career with the series at Bloomington and a whopping eight occasions at
Tri-State, which ranks number one all-time.
This season certainly hasn’t been to his liking thus far as he currently sits
13th in USAC National Sprint Car points with an average finish of 12.4 in nine
starts.
However, the combination of Bloomington and Tri-State together on the same weekend could prove to be his honey hole. A breakout weekend very well could be in store for KTJ this weekend.
THE RACE TO THE TOP
Yes, it’s early. We know. But the points race is already an intriguing one
with the top-two of Kyle Cummins and Justin Grant virtually pulling away from
the rest of the pack. The early dominance between the two has them more than 100
points up on their nearest peer, defending series champion Logan Seavey in
third.
Cummins enters the weekend up by two points on Grant after the pair have
routinely matched each other by recording top-tens in all nine of their starts
thus far in 2025 to go along with eight top-fives. The only slight difference is
Cummins’ three victories to Grant’s two.
Overall, Cummins holds the upper hand at both tracks with six victories at
Tri-State and one Bloomington. Grant, on the other hand, has won three at
Tri-State, but is still vying for Bloomington win number one.
PHILLIPS BACK IN THE SADDLE
Steve and Carla Phillips’ black No. 71p has been absent from the USAC
National Sprint Car ranks since Cannon McIntosh piloted their car during the
summer of 2021.
But now, after a nearly four year absence, the team is returning for this
Friday’s Bloomington round with driver Chelby Hinton of Dubberly, Louisiana. The
event will mark his USAC Sprint Car debut after a few handful of appearances in
the Klatt Enterprises USAC Midget over the past few years.
Phillips owns 19 career USAC National Sprint Car feature victories as car
owners with Dave Darland and Jason McDougal. That ranks 32nd place all-time.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for the Phillips teams whose first USAC National
Sprint Car victory came in May of 2013 at Bloomington.
WINNING ON THE MENU
Several drivers have won at either Bloomington or Tri-State, while some are
shooting for their initial USAC score at both venues on this weekend’s docket.
C.J. Leary, Logan Seavey and Briggs Danner have all notched Bloomington USAC
National Sprint Car victories but have thus far come up empty handed in the win
column with USAC Sprint Cars at Tri-State. Interestingly, these same three all
own fast qualifying awards at Tri-State and have run up front, demonstrating the
fact that they have the capability to get that elusive first TSS USAC triumph
here shortly.
Conversely, Robert Ballou and Jadon Rogers are among the past Tri-State
winners who are aiming to put a first USAC victory together at Bloomington this
weekend. With that said, both drivers have experienced their fair share of wins
at Bloomington over the years outside of USAC.
Meanwhile, a string of current top-10 ranked USAC National Sprint Car drivers
are looking to make some noise this weekend with their first USAC victories of
the season. Mitchel Moles finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th in his three USAC starts at
Tri-State during the 2024 campaign. Jake Swanson has won multiple
non-USAC-sanctioned races at Bloomington in his career. Kale Drake has been
highly improved this season, and a first USAC Sprint win could be on the
horizon.
Meanwhile, series newcomers Hayden Reinbold, Gunnar Setser and Kayla Roell
all look to position themselves in the USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the
Year battle.
BUSCHHHHH!
Carson Garrett’s new look car struck a chord with many in the audience when
it was unveiled earlier this week. His BGE Motorsports No. 15 will sports the
mix of blue colors with sponsorship from Busch Light.
Garrett owns two career Midwest Sprint Car Series victories at Tri-State in
2023, and it was the same place in which he earned his first USAC top-10 finish
that same year. He’s finished within inches of his first USAC National Sprint
Car career in recent times and hopes this weekend could provide that big USAC
breakthrough.
Garrett will have a dual ride situation this weekend and will drive the Epperson Racing No. 2E on Friday at Bloomington and the BGE No. 15 on Saturday at Tri-State.
RACE DETAILS
Friday’s Larry Rice Classic on May 9 at Indiana’s Bloomington Speedway
features the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship and the Huntley’s
Hoosier Winged 360 Sprint Cars. Pits open at 4pm Eastern with the grandstands
opening at 5pm, drivers meeting at 5:45pm & cars on track at 6:30pm with
qualifying and racing to immediately follow. General Admission tickets are $30.
Ages 10 and under are free with proof of age. Pit passes are $35. Ages 10 and
under are $15.
Saturday’s Spring Showdown on May 10 at Haubstadt, Indiana’s Tri-State
Speedway presents the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship and the
Midwest Mini Sprint Association. Pits open at 3pm Central, grandstands at 4pm,
drivers meeting at 5:15pm and cars on track at 6pm followed immediately by
qualifying and racing. Adult general admission tickets are $30, students (ages
13-18) $20 & children 12 and under free.
Both events can be watched LIVE on FloRacing both nights at
https://flosports.link/usac.
=================
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Kyle Cummins-659,
2-Justin Grant-657, 3-Daison Pursley-543, 4-Logan Seavey-508, 5-Mitchel Moles-491, 6-Briggs Danner-480, 7-C.J. Leary-479, 8-Jake Swanson-478, 9-Robert Ballou-466, 10-Kale Drake-457.
SPRING USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINS AT BLOOMINGTON SPEEDWAY:
2-Bryan Clauson & Dave Darland
1-Brady Bacon, Chad Boespflug, Bobby East, Jack Hewitt, C.J. Leary, Logan Seavey, Kevin Thomas Jr. & Chris Windom
SPRING USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINNERS AT BLOOMINGTON SPEEDWAY:
1986: Jack Hewitt (5/2)
2011: Chris Windom (5/20)
2012: Bobby East (5/18)
2013: Dave Darland (5/17)
2015: Bryan Clauson (4/17)
2016: Bryan Clauson (4/15)
2017: Chad Boespflug (4/14)
2018: Dave Darland (4/27)
2019: Brady Bacon (4/12)
2021: Kevin Thomas Jr. (4/16)
2022: Rained Out
2023: C.J. Leary (4/14)
2024: Logan Seavey (5/10)
USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINS AT BLOOMINGTON SPEEDWAY:
5-Bryan Clauson
4-Kevin Thomas Jr.
3-Dave Darland
2-Brady Bacon, Kevin Briscoe, Tony Elliott, C.J. Leary & Chris Windom
1-A.J. Anderson, Emerson Axsom, Brent Beauchamp, Chad Boespflug, Jerry Coons
Jr., Kyle Cummins, Briggs Danner, Jay Drake, Bobby East, Brad Fox, Jack Hewitt,
Tracy Hines Rick Hood, Bob Kinser, Cory Kruseman, Sheldon Kinser, Larry Martin,
Hunter Schuerenberg, Logan Seavey, Brady Short, Jon Stanbrough, Kevin Thomas,
Rich Vogler & J.J. Yeley
=================
SPRING SHOWDOWN USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINS AT TRI-STATE SPEEDWAY:
3-Kevin Thomas Jr.
1-Brady Bacon, Daron Clayton, Kyle Cummins, Justin Grant, Stephen Schnapf, Hunter Schuerenberg, Chase Stockon & Chris Windom
SPRING SHOWDOWN USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINNERS AT TRI-STATE SPEEDWAY:
2012: Hunter Schuerenberg (5/12)
2013: Kevin Thomas Jr. (5/11)
2014: Daron Clayton (4/26)
2015: Brady Bacon (4/18)
2016: Chase Stockon (4/16)
2017: Chris Windom (4/15)
2018: Kevin Thomas Jr. (4/28)
2019: Rained Out
2020: Stephen Schnapf (6/14)
2021: Kyle Cummins (4/17)
2022: Rained Out
2023: Justin Grant (4/15)
2024: Kevin Thomas Jr. (5/11)
TRI-STATE SPEEDWAY USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINS:
8-Kevin Thomas Jr.
6-Kyle Cummins
5-Daron Clayton
4-Cory Kruseman
3-Justin Grant & Rick Hood
2-Brady Bacon, Robert Ballou, Hunter Schuerenberg, Brady Short, Jon
Stanbrough & Chase Stockon
1-Steve Butler, Dave Darland, Jay Drake, Tony Elliott, Blake Fitzpatrick, Damion Gardner, Tracy Hines, Kenny Jacobs, Levi Jones, Casey Riggs, Jadon Rogers, Stephen Schnapf, Carson Short, Chris Windom & J.J. Yeley
USAC SPRINTS ADD MISSOURI’S
LUCAS OIL SPEEDWAY TO SCHEDULE ON SEP. 6
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Wheatland, Missouri (May 8, 2025)………For the first time in nearly two decades,
the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship will be headed back to
Wheatland, Missouri’s Lucas Oil Speedway on Saturday night, September 6, 2025.
The addition of Lucas Oil Speedway’s Rod End Supply Diamond Dirt Duel to the
slate replaces the previously scheduled USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National
Championship event for September 6 at Odessa, Missouri’s I-70 Motorsports Park.
The I-70 event has been removed from the series schedule.
The 3/8-mile, semi-banked dirt oval previously hosted the series just once
back in September 2006 with Josh Wise scoring the victory in Tony Stewart
Racing’s No. 20.
The first weekend in September presents a double race weekend for the USAC
AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship on both sides of the Mississippi River.
On Friday night, September 5, the series returns to Tri-City Speedway in Granite
City, Illinois. The following evening, on Saturday night, September 6, the
series ventures back to Lucas Oil Speedway for the first time in 19 years.
The state of Missouri has hosted 23 previous USAC National Sprint Car events
dating back to 1970. The most recent of those was held at I-70 in 2022, won by
Robert Ballou.
Ballou will be one of many USAC National Sprint Car regulars on hand for the
event along with fellow series champions Justin Grant, Logan Seavey and C.J.
Leary, plus feature winning drivers Kyle Cummins, Jake Swanson, Briggs Danner,
Mitchel Moles, Kevin Thomas Jr., Jadon Rogers and many more.
Information on the race day schedule at Lucas Oil Speedway as well as additional details will be announced shortly. Stay tuned to USAC’s website at www.usacracing.com and on Lucas Oil Speedway’s website at https://www.lucasoilspeedway.com/.
MONTGOMERY SURGES LATE TO FIRST
USAC CRA WIN AT SANTA MARIA
By: Lance Jennings
Nipomo, California (May 3, 2025)………Kaleb Montgomery earned his first career
win with the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car Series on Saturday night
at Nipomo, California’s Santa Maria Speedway.
Driving his family-owned No. 3, Montgomery (Templeton, California) made his
winning move on lap 28 of the 30-lap feature when racelong leader Tommy Malcolm
swung wide off turn four. Montgomery shot underneath and the two banged wheels
in the process as they crossed past the flag stand.
After Montgomery surged ahead, he led the remaining three laps to capture his
initial series victory to become the 86th different winner with in series
history over Malcolm, A.J. Bender and Cody Williams with R.J. Johnson rounding
out the top-five. USAC CRA point leader Ricky Lewis finished seventh.
Brian Kittle of Kittle Motorsports donated $100 to the driver leading the
18th lap of the feature, which was Tommy Malcolm.
R.J. Johnson earned his 11th career Woodland Auto Display / WC Friend Company
Access Systems Fast Time Award and set a new track record in the process with a
time of 13.206 seconds.
David Gasper scored the In Honor of Wiley Miller Sr & Wiley Miller II /
Sexton Fire Protection First Heat race win. Austin Williams took the Silbermann
Solar / Factory Wraps Second Heat. Logan Williams topped the WC Friend Company
Systems / In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Third Heat.
Steve Lafond awarded Austin Williams a $100 hard charger bonus. The veteran driver raced from 17th to 8th in the main event.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: May 3, 2025 –
Santa Maria Speedway – Nipomo, California
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY / WC FRIEND COMPANY ACCESS SYSTEMS QUALIFYING: 1. R.J.
Johnson, 33p, Petty-13.206 (New Track Record); 2. Cody Williams, 44,
Williams-13.355; 3. Kaleb Montgomery, 3, Montgomery-13.363; 4. Bryce Eames, 50,
Abeytia-13.511; 5. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-13.552; 6. Blake Bower, 17x,
Dunkel-13.585; 7. Ricky Lewis, 8m, May-13.587; 8. Tommy Malcolm, 5x,
Napier-13.591; 9. Connor Lundy, 97, Lundy-13.660; 10. David Gasper, 18,
Kittle/Gasper-13.698; 11. Connor Speir, 57s, Speir-13.753; 12. Logan Williams,
5w, McCarthy-13.758; 13. Verne Sweeney, 98, Guerrero-14.001; 14. Elexa Herrera,
5E, Herrera-14.223; 15. Brecken Guerrero, 98B, Guerrero-14.349; 16. Blake
Hendricks, 14, Hendricks-14.389; 17. Austin Williams, 17w, Dunkel-16.110; 18.
Brody Wake, 78B, Wake-NT.
IN HONOR OF WILEY MILLER SR. & WILEY MILLER II / SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION FIRST
HEAT: (10 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. David Gasper, 2. R.J. Johnson,
3. Blake Hendricks, 4. Bryce Eames, 5. Ricky Lewis, 6. Verne Sweeney. NT
SILBERMANN SOLAR / FACTORY WRAPS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, all transfer to the
feature) 1. Austin Williams, 2. Tommy Malcolm, 3. Connor Speir, 4. A.J. Bender,
5. Cody Williams, 6. Elexa Herrera. NT
WC FRIEND COMPANY ACCESS SYSTEMS / IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER THIRD
HEAT: (10 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. Logan Williams, 2. Kaleb
Montgomery, 3. Blake Bower, 4. Connor Lundy, 5. Brody Wake, 6. Brecken Guerrero.
NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kaleb Montgomery
(5), 2. Tommy Malcolm (1), 3. A.J. Bender (3), 4. Cody Williams (7), 5. R.J.
Johnson (6), 6. David Gasper (10), 7. Ricky Lewis (8), 8. Austin Williams (17),
9. Logan Williams (12), 10. Connor Lundy (9), 11. Connor Speir (11), 12. Verne
Sweeney (13), 13. Elexa Herrera (14), 14. Blake Hendricks (16), 15. Brecken
Guerrero (15), 16. Blake Bower (2), 17. Bryce Eames (4), 18. Brody Wake (18). NT
**Bryce Eames flipped during lap 6 of the feature and was transported to a
local hospital.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-27 Tommy Malcolm, Laps 28-30 Kaleb Montgomery.
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER / TEAR-OFF HEAVEN FOTOS HARD CHARGER: Austin
Williams (17th to 8th)
KITTLE MOTORSPORTS LAP 18 LEADER: Tommy Malcolm
NEW AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Ricky Lewis-524,
2-R.J. Johnson-508, 3-A.J. Bender-440, 4-David Gasper-434, 5-Austin
Williams-433, 6-Cody Williams-433, 7-Charles Davis Jr.-380, 8-Tommy Malcolm-378,
9-Logan Williams-344, 10-Blake Bower-327.
NEXT AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: May 24, 2025 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, California – Salute to Indy
Drevicki Drills the Field in Delaware
The skies loomed in many of the hometowns of the Innovative Machine Technology USAC Racers. However south was where the sun was blaring and 85 degree weather was found. Southbound to nearly Maryland is the beautiful half mile of Delaware International.
11 of the best Wingless Talents found their way south.
Drevicki and Bruno were claimed as heat race winners.
The feature for the USAC East Coast Sprints presented by Baer Den Farm was the last race of the evening. That provided the warriors with a wide slick surface which the crews and drivers adjusted to.
Which looked to be a promising evening for Bruno. The 17B suffered a major brake failure causing the Bentley Truck Repair entry to elect to start at the tail.
Off the pole was Reading Pa native and reigning champion Steven Drevicki in the Degree Engineering 19. As the green flew, he was determined to win the race out of turn 2. Ed Aikin had other ideas as he rushed the Delaware Auto Glass 7 to the outside and wheeled side by side into turn 3. Drevicki found the line he was looking for and never looked back.
While the non-stop race roared on, eyes shifted to the Fraker 42, behind the controls was none other than “on the fence” Kyle Spence. The 42 was navigating high and low coming from his 7th starting spot. Kenny Miller also jockeyed his way from 4th to 2nd.
WINCHESTER USAC SILVER CROWN
POSTPONED TO JUNE 27
Winchester, Indiana (May 2, 2025)………A forecast of rain and cool temperatures
have forced postponement of this Sunday’s May 4 Rich Vogler Classic featuring
the USAC Silver Crown National Championship at Indiana’s Winchester Speedway.
The 100-lap USAC Silver Crown event on the 37 degree paved high banks of
Winchester will now take place on Friday, June 27, for the 33rd running of the
Rich Vogler Classic.
Winchester’s Silver Crown round will be the fifth appearance by the series at
the track since their debut in 2021. Justin Grant won the inaugural edition in
2021 while Kody Swanson will enter the event having won the past three USAC main
events at Winchester in 2022-2023-2024.
Times and more info regarding the June 27 USAC Silver Crown event at
Winchester will be available soon at www.usacracing.com and
www.winchester-speedway.com.
The 2025 USAC Silver Crown season will now resume on the dirt on Friday-Saturday, May 16-17, at the Belleville High Banks in Kansas with practice taking place on Friday and a full racing program on Saturday.
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!
#LETSRACETWO WITH USAC & WOO
AT ELDORA FRI-SAT
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Rossburg, Ohio (April 30, 2025)………It’s the best of both worlds!
There’s no place like Rossburg, Ohio’s Eldora Speedway. There’s no event like
#LetsRaceTwo. And there’s no place like home.
The legendary 1/2-mile dirt oval will be home to USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car
National Championship and NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint Car racing
with each series competing in a dream doubleheader on back-to-back nights,
Friday-Saturday, May 2-3.
$10,000 are on the line each night for the victor of the ninth running of the
event featuring a whole lot of USAC and a whole lot of wings!
Here’s some of the USAC storylines we’re watching at The Big E!
CUMMINS WANTS REVENGE
Kyle Cummins is off to a hot start during the 2025 USAC National Sprint Car
season, adding top-five finishes in seven of his eight starts, including three
victories. That blazing beginning has him atop the USAC National Sprint Car
points entering Eldora.
Cummins (Princeton, Indiana) has seemingly turned the corner at Eldora,
putting himself inside the top-five in three of his last four #LetsRaceTwo
starts dating back to 2022. But it’s the first night of 2024 at Eldora he wants
redemption on. Cummins led laps 23 through 29.99999 (with bar notation included)
until barely being nipped at the line by Robert Ballou while Cummins was .016
seconds behind at the line.
This time around, Cummins wants a first Eldora win for both himself and his
Petty Performance Racing team.
THE SITE OF THE MAD MAN’S COMEBACK
The man who got the job done on the opening night of 2024's #LetsRaceTwo was
Robert Ballou. On the 30th and final lap, he erased Cummins’ half-straightaway
lead. Then with grit and determination, willed his way to the finish line with a
high side ride to claim the improbable victory.
What’s not improbable is Ballou (Rocklin, California) winning during
#LetsRaceTwo. In fact, he’s tied for the lead with Justin Grant as the all-time
winningest driver in the event’s history, scoring four trophies in
2015-2017-2021-2024.
As a matter of fact, Ballou snared his first ever USAC National Sprint Car
win at Eldora in 2007. Overall, his seven USAC National Sprint Car wins at
Eldora rank tied for fourth all-time behind only Jack Hewitt (13), Larry Dickson
(9) and Tracy Hines (9), and equaled with Pancho Carter and Rich Vogler at
seven.
GRANT’S EARLY SEASON RAMPAGE
Tied with Robert Ballou as the #LetsRaceTwo all-time winningest USAC driver
is Justin Grant, a four-time winner of the event in 2015-2017-2023-2024.
Grant's most recent #LetsRaceTwo victory a year ago was as thrilling as it
was flabbergasting. Following an incredible duel for the win with eventual
series champ Logan Seavey, on the cooldown lap, Grant promptly stuffed his car
in the wall and flipped, joining J.J. Yeley, Kyle Larson and Dave Darland among
the USAC greats to get upside down…after the checkered flag.
So far in 2025, Grant has performed fantastically by winning in all three of
USAC’s national divisions faster than any driver in series history. He leads the
Silver Crown points and the National Midget points but currently resides 10
points out of the sprint car championship lead. Now Grant hopes to use this
weekend at Eldora to get out in front of his pursuit of a $500,000 USAC Triple
Crown prize.
A DOUBLE ORDER OF BACON
Brady Bacon has announced his intentions to pull double-duty both with and
without a wing this Friday-Saturday. He’ll be aboard both the Chris Dyson Racing
No. 20 with USAC and the TKH Motorsports #21H with the World of Outlaws.
Bacon (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma) has won in both disciplines at Eldora,
capturing a pair of USAC National Sprint Car events at The Big E, including the
2018 edition of #LetsRaceTwo. He also won with a wing during 2017 with the All
Star Circuit of Champions.
THE EMERGENCE OF KALE
Without question, the biggest progression of the USAC season can be
attributed to Kale Drake. Following a rough and tumble 2024 Rookie season, Drake
has been consistently fast and has consistently posted quality finishes
throughout the course of the 2025 USAC National Sprint Car campaign.
Thus far throughout eight USAC National Sprint Car starts this year, Drake
owns five top-tens and a pair of top-fives. Through 15 starts last year, he
corralled just one top-ten in his 2B Racing machine.
Over the past weekend, he charged from deep in the pack to finish inside the
top-five on back-to-back nights of USAC National Midget racing at Kokomo (Ind.)
Speedway. With the Kokomo sprint cars, he took third both nights behind such
stalwarts as Kevin Thomas Jr., Kyle Cummins and Robert Ballou over the two-night
span.
ELDORA DAWGS
In all, eight drivers have won the USAC portion of #LetsRaceTwo dating back
to its debut in 2015: Robert Ballou (4), Justin Grant (4), Tyler Courtney (3),
Brady Bacon (1), Chad Boespflug (1), Bryan Clauson (1), C.J. Leary (1) and Chris
Windom (1).
Half of those - Ballou, Grant, Bacon and Leary – will all be fighting for
more wins this weekend.
Furthermore, the likes of Logan Seavey and Matt Westfall, who have previously
won USAC National Sprint Car main events at Eldora, are seeking their first
#LetsRaceTwo wins this weekend. Both have recently run up front in the event
with Seavey finishing as the runner-up on night two in 2024 while Westfall
claimed fifth on night one.
Additionally, Mitchel Moles has already triumphed at Eldora in a USAC Silver
Crown car in 2024. Next up is his chance to tame The Big E behind the wheel of a
USAC National Sprint Car as well as Briggs Danner, Chase Stockon and Jadon
Rogers, all of whom own previous top-three results at Eldora in USAC
competition.
RACE DETAILS
#LetsRaceTwo features two-straight nights of full racing programs featuring
the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship and the NOS Energy Drink World
of Outlaws Sprint Cars on Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3.
On both days, ticket sales begin at the main gate, turn 4 and pit gate at 2pm
Eastern. The grandstands open at 2pm. The drivers meeting will take place at
5pm. Cars will be on track at 6pm with qualifying and racing for both divisions
immediately following.
Advance tickets are on sale now at www.eldoraspeedway.com. For ages 14 and
up, general admission tickets are $35 while reserved seats are $40. For ages 13
and under, general admission tickets are free while reserved seats are $10. Pit
passes are $45 each night.
The USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car portion of the event from Eldora can be
watched LIVE on FloRacing both nights at https://flosports.link/usac.
=======================
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Kyle Cummins-587,
2-Justin Grant-577, 3-Daison Purs-ley-543, 4-Logan Seavey-457, 5-Jake
Swanson-436, 6-C.J. Leary-425, 7-Briggs Danner-425, 8-Mitchel Moles-424,
9-Robert Ballou-400, 10-Kale Drake-398.
TRACK RECORDS FOR USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CARS AT ELDORA SPEEDWAY:
1 Lap - 9/22/2006 - Jerry Coons Jr. - 14.712 - 122.349 mph
4 Laps - 7/29/1962 - Don Davis - 1:22.39 - 87.389 mph
6 Laps - 6/19/2004 - Matt Westfall - 1:37.56 - 110.701 mph
8 Laps - 4/21/2012 - Robert Ballou - 2:05.51 - 114.732 mph
10 Laps - 8/6/2005 - Bill Rose - 2:40.19 - 112.367 mph
12 Laps - 4/1/2006 - Jay Drake - 3:10.23 - 113.547 mph
15 Laps - 8/7/2004 - Josh Wise - 4:42.31 - 95.640 mph
30 Laps - 5/9/2015 - Justin Grant - 8:26.25 - 106.667 mph
40 Laps - 6/10/1972 - Sam Sessions - 12:27.59 - 96.309 mph
50 Laps - 10/6/1974 - Pancho Carter - 16:57.72 - 88.433 mph
ALL-TIME #LETSRACETWO USAC SPRINT WINS:
4-Robert Ballou & Justin Grant
3-Tyler Courtney
1-Brady Bacon, Chad Boespflug, Bryan Clauson, C.J. Leary & Chris Windom
ALL-TIME #LETSRACETWO USAC SPRINT WINNERS:
2015: Robert Ballou (5/8) & Justin Grant (5/9)
2016: Bryan Clauson (5/6) & Chad Boespflug (5/7)
2017: Justin Grant (5/12) & Robert Ballou (5/13)
2018: Brady Bacon (5/11) & Chris Windom (5/12)
2019: Tyler Courtney (5/10) & Tyler Courtney (7/17)
2020: Not Held
2021: Tyler Courtney (5/8) & Robert Ballou (5/8)
2022: Rained Out
2023: Justin Grant (5/5) & C.J. Leary (5/6)
2024: Robert Ballou (5/3) & Justin Grant (5/4)
ALL-TIME ELDORA USAC SPRINT CAR WINS
13-Jack Hewitt
9-Larry Dickson & Tracy Hines
7-Pancho Carter & Rich Vogler
6-Robert Ballou, Rollie Beale, Tom Bigelow, Tyler Courtney & Bubby Jones
5-Dave Darland, Justin Grant & Jac Haudenschild
4-Steve Butler, Kevin Doty, Jay Drake, Tony Elliott, Kevin Huntley & Sammy
Sessions
3-Billy Cassella, Rob Chaney, Jerry Coons Jr., Rick Hood, Frankie Kerr,
Sheldon Kinser, Lee Kunzman, Jud Larson, Greg Weld & J.J. Yeley
2-Brady Bacon, Gary Bettenhausen, Don Branson, Larry Cannon, Derek Davidson,
Levi Jones, Bud Kaeding, Steve Kinser, C.J. Leary, Jan Opperman, Larry Rice,
Mickey Shaw, George Snider, Bruce Walkup & Chris Windom
1-Mario Andretti, Chad Boespflug, Stan Bowman, Bryan Clauson, Allen Crowe,
Dickie Gaines, Tray House, Jackie Howerton, Arnie Knepper, Kyle Larson, Eddie
Leavitt, Roger McCluskey, Thomas Meseraull, Don Nordhorn, Dave Peperak, Jerry
Poland, Bill Puterbaugh, Byron Reed, Boston Reid, Red Riegel, Johnny Rutherford,
Joe Saldana, Logan Seavey, Terry Shepherd, Jimmy Sills, Danny Smith, Jon
Stanbrough, Robbie Stanley, Tony Stewart, Brad Sweet, Clark Templeman, Brian
Tyler, Rick Ungar & Matt Westfall.
ALL-TIME ELDORA USAC SPRINT WINNERS:
1962: Stan Bowman (4/22) & Roger McCluskey (7/29)
1963: Allen Crowe (5/12)
1964: Johnny Rutherford (4/5) & Jud Larson (7/5)
1965: Jud Larson (4/18), Jud Larson (5/9), Red Riegel (7/3) & Don Branson
(10/17)
1966: Arnie Knepper (4/3), Larry Dickson (4/17), Don Branson (7/3) & Mario
Andretti (9/4)
1967: Rollie Beale (4/16), Mickey Shaw (7/2) & Rollie Beale (7/22)
1968: Rollie Beale (4/7), Larry Dickson (7/20) & Mickey Shaw (9/29)
1969: Tom Bigelow (4/6), Larry Cannon (6/8) & Greg Weld (7/26)
1970: Gary Bettenhausen (4/5), Greg Weld (5/2), Larry Dickson (7/25), Greg
Weld (8/15) & Larry Dickson (9/11)
1971: Gary Bettenhausen (4/4), Sammy Sessions (6/12), Larry Dickson (7/24) &
Bill Puterbaugh (9/19)
1972: Rollie Beale (4/2), Sammy Sessions (6/10), Lee Kunzman (7/22), Jerry
Poland (9/17), Sammy Sessions (10/22) & Don Nordhorn (10/22)
1973: George Snider (4/1), Sammy Sessions (4/29), Lee Kunzman (8/11), Pancho
Carter (9/16), Lee Kunzman (10/21) & Pancho Carter (10/21)
1974: Jan Opperman (3/31), Bruce Walkup (7/13), Pancho Carter (10/6) & Larry
Cannon (10/6)
1975: Tom Bigelow (4/13), Rollie Beale (6/21), Billy Cassella (7/12), Rollie
Beale (10/5) & Larry Dickson (10/5)
1976: Sheldon Kinser (3/28), Larry Dickson (4/11), Jackie Howerton (6/19),
Clark Templeman (6/20), Jan Opperman (7/10), Tom Bigelow (8/7), Pancho Carter
(9/19), Tom Bigelow (10/9), Pancho Carter (10/10) & Pancho Carter (10/10)
1977: Tom Bigelow (4/10), Bubby Jones (4/17), George Snider (4/17), Tom
Bigelow (6/18), Bruce Walkup (6/19), Pancho Carter (7/9), Bubby Jones (9/18),
Eddie Leavitt (10/9) & Bubby Jones (10/9)
1978: Joe Saldana (6/17) & Bubby Jones (9/17)
1979: Bubby Jones (4/29), Bubby Jones (6/2), Larry Rice (8/25), Billy
Cassella (10/14) & Billy Cassella (10/14)
1980: Rich Vogler (4/6), Larry Dickson (7/26), Sheldon Kinser (10/12) & Larry
Dickson (7/12)
1981: Dave Peperak (4/25), Sheldon Kinser (6/20), Rich Vogler (7/3) & Steve
Kinser (10/11)
1982: Jack Hewitt (4/24), Jac Haudenschild (7/17) & Steve Kinser (10/3)
1983: Rich Vogler (6/4) Jack Hewitt (8/2) & Jack Hewitt (9/25)
1984: Jac Haudenschild (4/1), Steve Butler (4/28), Rick Hood (7/14) & Jack
Hewitt (8/16)
1985: Jac Haudenschild (4/27), Rick Hood (4/28) & Larry Rice (10/6)
1986: Rich Vogler (4/5), Rick Hood (4/26) & Rich Vogler (9/28)
1987: Rich Vogler (3/28), Rick Ungar (4/25), Rich Vogler (6/13) & Tony
Elliott (9/27)
1988: Jac Haudenschild (3/27), Jack Hewitt (4/23), Jack Hewitt (5/14), Jack
Hewitt (6/18), Steve Butler (7/16) & Steve Butler (9/25)
1989: Steve Butler (9/24)
1990: Jack Hewitt (4/7) & Jack Hewitt (9/30)
1991: Jack Hewitt (9/22)
1992: Terry Shepherd (3/28) & Danny Smith (10/4)
1993: Robbie Stanley (3/27), Jack Hewitt (8/11) & Tony Elliott (10/3)
1994: Frankie Kerr (4/2), Tray House (6/25), Frankie Kerr (8/10) & Kevin Doty
(9/25)
1995: Kevin Doty (4/1), Byron Reed (8/9) & Tony Stewart (9/23)
1996: Frankie Kerr (8/7) & Jimmy Sills (9/28)
1997: Kevin Huntley (3/29), Kevin Huntley (6/22), Brian Tyler (8/6) & Jack
Hewitt (9/20)
1998: Kevin Doty (5/2), Dave Darland (5/24), Kevin Doty (6/20) & Jack Hewitt
(9/26)
1999: Derek Davidson (3/27), Derek Davidson (5/1), Tracy Hines (5/30), Tracy
Hines (7/28) & Dave Darland (9/25)
2000: Jay Drake (4/1), Dave Darland (4/29), Tony Elliott (5/28) & Tracy Hines
(9/30)
2001: Tracy Hines (4/28), Jay Drake (6/22), J.J. Yeley (6/23) & Bud Kaeding
(9/22)
2002: J.J. Yeley (5/26), Tony Elliott (6/22) & Bud Kaeding (9/21)
2003: Boston Reid (5/3), J.J. Yeley (5/25), Jon Stanbrough (6/21) & Jac
Haudenschild (9/20 – SE)
2004: Jay Drake (6/19), Kevin Huntley (8/7) & Dickie Gaines (9/25)
2005: Jay Drake (4/30), Rob Chaney (5/29), Kevin Huntley (6/18), Rob Chaney
(8/6) & Levi Jones (9/24)
2006: Jerry Coons Jr. (4/1), Rob Chaney (4/29), Matt Westfall (6/17) & Tracy
Hines (9/23)
2007: Robert Ballou (4/28) & Robert Ballou (9/22)
2008: Tracy Hines (5/10), Tracy Hines (6/14) & Brad Sweet (9/20)
2009: Jerry Coons Jr. (4/11) & Jerry Coons Jr. (9/26)
2010: Robert Ballou (5/12) & Levi Jones (9/25)
2011: Kyle Larson (9/24)
2012: Tracy Hines (4/21), Dave Darland (7/28) & Tracy Hines (9/22)
2013: Chris Windom (9/21)
2014: Dave Darland (4/19) & Brady Bacon (9/21)
2015: Robert Ballou (5/8), Justin Grant (5/9) & Thomas Meseraull (9/26)
2016: Bryan Clauson (5/6), Chad Boespflug (5/7) & Justin Grant (9/24)
2017: Justin Grant (5/12), Robert Ballou (5/13) & C.J. Leary (9/23)
2018: Brady Bacon (5/11), Chris Windom (5/12) & Tyler Courtney (9/22)
2019: Tyler Courtney (5/10), Tyler Courtney (7/17) & Tyler Courtney (9/28)
2021: Tyler Courtney (5/8), Robert Ballou (5/8) & Tyler Courtney (9/25)
2022: Justin Grant (9/24)
2023: Justin Grant (5/5), C.J. Leary (5/6) & Logan Seavey (9/23)
2024: Robert Ballou (5/3), Justin Grant (5/4) & Daison Pursley (9/21)
#LETSRACETWO USAC SPRINT RESULTS (2015-PRESENT):
2015 NIGHT #1 FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Robert Ballou, 2. Jon Stanbrough, 3. C.J.
Leary, 4. Thomas Meseraull, 5. Tracy Hines, 6. Jerry Coons Jr., 7. Dave Darland,
8. Shane Cottle, 9. Aaron Farney, 10. Chase Stockon, 11. Chris Windom, 12. Kevin
Thomas Jr., 13. Landon Simon, 14. Daron Clayton, 15. Matt Goodnight, 16. Brady
Bacon, 17. Chad Boespflug, 18. Dallas Hewitt, 19. Jake Simmons, 20. Kody
Swanson, 21. Justin Grant, 22. Dustin Smith. NT
2015 NIGHT #2 FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Justin Grant, 2. C.J. Leary, 3. Tracy
Hines, 4. Aaron Farney, 5. Robert Ballou, 6. Dave Darland, 7. Jon Stanbrough, 8.
Brady Bacon, 9. Chase Stockon, 10. Kevin Thomas Jr., 11. Chris Windom, 12.
Dallas Hewitt, 13. Landon Simon, 14. Kody Swanson, 15. Adam Cruea, 16. Brandon
Whited, 17. Tyler Hewitt, 18. Robert Bell, 19. Matt Goodnight, 20. Daron
Clayton, 21. Jerry Coons Jr. 8:26.25
2016 NIGHT #1 FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Bryan Clauson, 2. C.J. Leary, 3. Thomas
Meseraull, 4. Dallas Hewitt, 5. Brady Bacon, 6. Tyler Courtney, 7. Chad
Boespflug, 8. Shane Cottle, 9. Dave Darland, 10. Kody Swanson, 11. Max McGhee,
12. Chase Stockon, 13. Chris Windom, 14. Scotty Weir, 15. Kevin Thomas Jr., 16.
Kyle Cummins, 17. Justin Grant, 18. Aaron Farney, 19. Carson Short, 20. Jerry
Coons Jr., 21. Cody Gardner, 22. Robert Ballou, 23. Jarett Andretti, 24. Tony
DiMattia. NT
2016 NIGHT #2 FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Chad Boespflug, 2. Brady Bacon, 3. Thomas
Meseraull, 4. C.J. Leary, 5. Tyler Courtney, 6. Bryan Clauson, 7. Kody Swanson,
8. Carson Short, 9. Chase Stockon, 10. Scotty Weir, 11. Brandon Whited, 12.
Aaron Farney, 13. Dave Darland, 14. Shane Cottle, 15. Dallas Hewitt, 16. Tony
DiMattia, 17. Cole Ketcham, 18. Max McGhee, 19. Kyle Cummins, 20. Matt Westfall,
21. Landon Simon, 22. Chris Windom, 23. Robert Ballou. NT
2017 NIGHT #1 FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Justin Grant, 2. Dallas Hewitt, 3. Kevin
Thomas Jr., 4. Chase Stockon, 5. Thomas Meseraull, 6. Shane Cottle, 7. Robert
Ballou, 8. Brady Bacon, 9. Tyler Courtney, 10. Chris Windom, 11. Scotty Weir,
12. Aaron Farney, 13. C.J. Leary, 14. Jarett Andretti, 15. Chad Wilson, 16. Dave
Darland, 17. Chad Boespflug, 18. Josh Hodges, 19. Landon Simon, 20. Dustin
Smith, 21. Isaac Chapple, 22. Corey Smith, 23. Nick Bilbee. NT
2017 NIGHT #2 FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Robert Ballou, 2. Chris Windom, 3. Brady
Bacon, 4. Justin Grant, 5. Tyler Courtney, 6. Chase Stockon, 7. Stevie Sussex,
8. Dave Darland, 9. Scotty Weir, 10. Aaron Farney, 11. Chad Boespflug, 12. C.J.
Leary, 13. Kevin Thomas Jr., 14. Josh Hodges, 15. Isaac Chapple, 16. Corey
Smith, 17. Tyler Hewitt, 18. Mario Clouser, 19. Matt Goodnight, 20. Landon
Simon, 21. Kyle Simon, 22. Toby Alfrey. NT
2018 NIGHT #1 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Brady
Bacon (8), 2. Robert Ballou (1), 3. Chris Windom (2), 4. Justin Grant (10), 5.
Kevin Thomas Jr. (6), 6. Tyler Courtney (3), 7. Chase Stockon (5), 8. Dave
Darland (12), 9. C.J. Leary (4), 10. Kyle Cummins (11), 11. Joe Stornetta (9),
12. Nick Bilbee (14), 13. Dallas Hewitt (16), 14. Matt Westfall (15), 15. Chad
Wilson (18), 16. Paul Dues (17), 17. Isaac Chapple (13), 18. Chad Boespflug (7),
19. Carmen Perigo (19), 20. Matt Goodnight (20). 9:24.44
2018 NIGHT #2 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Chris
Windom (2), 2. Tyler Courtney (5), 3. Chase Stockon (3), 4. Brady Bacon (10), 5.
Robert Ballou (8), 6. Kevin Thomas Jr. (4), 7. C.J. Leary (6), 8. Matt Westfall
(12), 9. Kyle Cummins (15), 10. Dallas Hewitt (14), 11. Dave Darland (11), 12.
Paul Dues (20), 13. Chad Boespflug (9), 14. Carmen Perigo (18), 15. Chad Wilson
(17), 16. Isaac Chapple (13), 17. Riley VanHise (21), 18. Bill Rose (16), 19.
Matt Goodnight (19), 20. Joe Stornetta (1), 21. Justin Grant (7). NT
2019 NIGHT #1 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Tyler
Courtney (7), 2. C.J. Leary (6), 3. Brady Bacon (5), 4. Chris Windom (10), 5.
Carson Short (3), 6. Kevin Thomas Jr. (2), 7. Chase Stockon (4), 8. Justin Grant
(1), 9. Jason McDougal (12), 10. Isaac Chapple (18), 11. Ty Tilton (17), 12.
Nick Bilbee (20), 13. Matt Westfall (16), 14. Dustin Smith (21), 15. Carmen
Perigo (15), 16. Brian VanMeveren (23), 17. Matt Goodnight (22), 18. Dustin
Ingle (19), 19. Josh Hodges (14), 20. Timmy Buckwalter (9), 21. Chad Boespflug
(13), 22. Robert Ballou (8). 23. Dave Darland (11). NT
2019 NIGHT #2 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Tyler
Courtney (4), 2. C.J. Leary (5), 3. Brady Bacon (3), 4. Chase Stockon (2), 5.
Chris Windom (9), 6. Matt Westfall (10), 7. Tom Harris (18), 8. Kevin Thomas Jr.
(1), 9. Zane Hendricks (8), 10. Isaac Chapple (13), 11. Dallas Hewitt (19), 12.
Scotty Weir (17), 13. Carson Short (7), 14. Jason McDougal (11), 15. Dustin
Christie (14), 16. Dave Darland (15), 17. Brody Roa (12), 18. Matt Goodnight
(21), 19. Michael Fischesser (22), 20. Corey Smith (20), 21. Justin Grant (6),
22. Brian VanMeveren (23), 23. Kody Swanson (16). NT
2021 NIGHT #1 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Tyler
Courtney (1), 2. Robert Ballou (4), 3. Jadon Rogers (2), 4. Justin Grant (3), 5.
Chris Windom (9), 6. Brady Bacon (6), 7. Kevin Thomas Jr. (8), 8. Chase Stockon
(11), 9. Matt Westfall (10), 10. Logan Seavey (5), 11. C.J. Leary (7), 12. Isaac
Chapple (16), 13. Jake Swanson (14), 14. Paul Nienhiser (12), 15. Dallas Hewitt
(21), 16. Steven Drevicki (18), 17. Brandon Mattox (13), 18. Tanner Thorson
(17), 19. Stevie Sussex (15), 20. Carmen Perigo (19), 21. Korbyn Hayslett (20),
22. Ryan Barr (22). 10:06.253
2021 NIGHT #2 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Robert
Ballou (1), 2. Tyler Courtney (7), 3. Chris Windom (3), 4. Brady Bacon (5), 5.
Paul Nienhiser (8), 6. Justin Grant (2), 7. C.J. Leary (9), 8. Jake Swanson
(11), 9. Isaac Chapple (16), 10. Steven Drevicki (17), 11. Kevin Thomas Jr. (6),
12. Max Adams (14), 13. Paul Dues (22), 14. Matt Westfall (10), 15. Dallas
Hewitt (21), 16. Stevie Sussex (12), 17. Matt Goodnight (18), 18. Chris Phillips
(20), 19. Carmen Perigo (15), 20. Korbyn Hayslett (19), 21. Jadon Rogers (13),
22. Tanner Thorson (4). 9:30.305
2023 NIGHT #1 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Justin
Grant (6), 2. Brady Bacon (9), 3. Kyle Cummins (1), 4. Emerson Axsom (4), 5.
Kevin Thomas Jr. (11), 6. Scotty Weir (12), 7. C.J. Leary (2), 8. Kody Swanson
(17), 9. Jake Swanson (7), 10. Mitchel Moles (5), 11. Chase Stockon (20), 12.
Dallas Hewitt (14), 13. Robert Ballou (8), 14. Brandon Mattox (22), 15. Briggs
Danner (10), 16. Daison Pursley (15), 17. Matt Westfall (3), 18. Logan Seavey
(16), 19. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (21), 20. Jadon Rogers (19), 21. Carson Garrett
(23-P), 22. Max Adams (13), 23. Dalton Stevens (18). NT
2023 NIGHT #2 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. C.J.
Leary (2), 2. Jake Swanson (6), 3. Chase Stockon (3), 4. Mitchel Moles (5), 5.
Kyle Cummins (4), 6. Carson Garrett (20), 7. Emerson Axsom (1), 8. Kevin Thomas
Jr. (11), 9. Max Adams (12), 10. Robert Ballou (9), 11. Briggs Danner (13), 12.
Matt Westfall (24-P), 13. Daison Pursley (18), 14. Dallas Hewitt (8), 15. Kody
Swanson (14), 16. Jadon Rogers (19), 17. Logan Seavey (23-P), 18. Brady Bacon
(10), 19. Geoff Ensign (16), 20. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (21), 21. Keith Sheffer II
(22), 22. Justin Grant (7), 23. Zack Pretorius (15), 24. Scotty Weir (17). NT
2024 NIGHT #1 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Robert
Ballou (11), 2. Kyle Cummins (7), 3. Max Adams (9), 4. Briggs Danner (1), 5.
Matt Westfall (12), 6. Jadon Rogers (19), 7. Mitchel Moles (14), 8. Carson
Garrett (16), 9. Kevin Thomas Jr. (5), 10. Chase Stockon (22), 11. Logan Seavey
(4), 12. Chance Crum (21), 13. Todd Hobson (15), 14. Kody Swanson (17), 15.
Daison Pursley (2), 16. C.J. Leary (24), 17. Jake Swanson (8), 18. Hunter Maddox
(10), 19. Brady Bacon (13), 20. Joey Amantea (23), 21. Braxton Cummings (18),
22. Justin Grant (3), 23. Zack Pretorius (20), 24. Saban Bibent (6). NT
2024 NIGHT #2 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Justin Grant (5), 2. Logan Seavey (4), 3. Brady Bacon (7), 4. Kevin Thomas Jr. (1), 5. C.J. Leary (10), 6. Daison Pursley (3), 7. Mitchel Moles (2), 8. Carson Garrett (9), 9. Jake Swanson (15), 10. Briggs Danner (12), 11. Todd Hobson (17), 12. Matt Westfall (8), 13. Kyle Cummins (6), 14. Robert Ballou (13), 15. Jadon Rogers (19), 16. Max Adams (14), 17. Saban Bibent (20), 18. Korbyn Hayslett (21), 19. Chase Stockon (11), 20. Joey Amantea (22), 21. Chance Crum (24), 22. Matt Goodnight (18), 23. Paul Dues (23), 24. Hunter Maddox (16). NT
SUNDAY’S WINCHESTER USAC SILVER CROWN
ENTRY LIST REVEALED!
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Winchester, Indiana (April 30, 2025)………Three past Winchester Speedway winners
and a whole host of hungry others will take on the legendary high banks for this
Sunday’s May 4 USAC Silver Crown Rich Vogler Classic at the eastern Indiana
speed plant well-known for its high speeds, high intensity and high drama.
Among the 17 entries in the field are three drivers who have previously tamed
the 37-degree high banks in their career.
Kody Swanson enters as the winner of the past three USAC Silver Crown races
at Winchester in 2022-2023-2024 and has captured the pole position in all four.
Current series point leader Justin Grant scored the win in a photo finish over
Swanson in the inaugural Silver Crown round at Winchester in 2021. Brian Tyler
makes his return to the series following a three-year absence. He captured a
pair of USAC Sprint Car wins at the track in 1997-1998.
Another pair of drivers would like to jump over the hump after garnering
runner-up finishes in recent USAC Silver Crown outings at Winchester, including
Logan Seavey (2nd in 2022) and Bobby Santos (2nd in 2023 & 2024).
Previous Winchester USAC Silver Crown podium finishers Taylor Ferns (3rd in
2022) and C.J. Leary (3rd in 2024) will also take on the banks this Sunday as
will Kaylee Bryson (7th in 2023) and Jackson Macenko (10th in 2024).
Back in the field for Sunday are those who have previous Winchester Silver
Crown starts. The list includes Nathan Byrd (11th in 2022 & 2024), Matt Westfall
(13th in 2023), Gregg Cory (13th in 2024), Dakoda Armstrong (14th in 2024), Kyle
Steffens (15th in 2024), Dave Berkheimer (19th in 2021) and Tyler Roahrig (22nd
in 2024).
Meanwhile, Jake Trainor is the lone driver in Sunday’s lineup without
previous USAC Silver Crown experience at Winchester. However, earlier this week,
he partook in a test with his Klatt Enterprises team to get some laps under his
belt heading into race day.
RACE DETAILS
An open practice will be held for all teams on Saturday, May 3 from 1-4pm
Eastern.
On Sunday, May 4, USAC Silver Crown on-track action gets underway at 11:10am
Eastern with the first practice, followed by the second Silver Crown practice at
12:15pm. Silver Crown qualifying is scheduled for 1:30pm with an autograph
session at 2:45pm, opening ceremonies at 3:15pm and the 100-lap Silver Crown
main event slated for a 3:30pm green flag.
Tickets will be sold at the gate on race day. General admission tickets are
$30 (ages 18 and up), $10 (ages 13-17) and free (ages 12 and under).
Tickets are also available in advance at:
https://www.winchester-speedway.com/. Reserved seating is $35 (ages 12 and up),
$15 for children. A weekend camping spot is $30.
The 33rd running of the Rich Vogler Classic will feature the USAC Silver
Crown National Championship, plus Modifieds, Thunder Roadsters & Vintage Cars.
The event can be watched LIVE on FloRacing at https://flosports.link/usac.
SUNDAY, MAY 4 WINCHESTER USAC SILVER CROWN ENTRY LIST:
5 Dakoda Armstrong/New Castle, IN (C & A Motorsports)
6 (R) Jake Trainor/Medway, MA (Klatt Enterprises)
8 Kyle Steffens/St. Charles, MO (Steffens Motorsports)
21 C.J. Leary/Greenfield, IN (Team AZ-Petty-Rossi Racing)
22 Logan Seavey/Sutter, CA (Rice Motorsports-Abacus Racing)
26 Kaylee Bryson/Muskogee, OK (Sam Pierce Racing)
31 Dave Berkheimer/Mechanicsburg, PA (Dave Berkheimer Motorsports)
32 Gregg Cory/Shelbyville, IN (Williams-Cory Racing)
40 Nathan Byrd/Goodyear, AZ (Meyer Auto Research)
41 Tyler Roahrig/Plymouth, IN (Newman Racing)
54 Matt Westfall/Pleasant Hill, OH (4 Kings Racing)
55 Taylor Ferns/Shelby Township, MI (Taylor Ferns Racing)
77 Kody Swanson/Kingsburg, CA (Doran Binks Racing)
81 Brian Tyler/Parma, MI (BCR Group)
91 Justin Grant/Ione, CA (Hemelgarn Racing)
98 Bobby Santos/Franklin, MA (DJ Racing)
124 (R) Jackson Macenko/Cincinnati, OH (Brad Hayes Racing)
(R) represents a USAC Silver Crown Rookie
PAST USAC SILVER CROWN RESULTS AT WINCHESTER:
2021 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Justin Grant
(5), 2. Kody Swanson (1), 3. Bobby Santos (2), 4. Aaron Pierce (3), 5. Kyle
O'Gara (15), 6. Travis Welpott (7), 7. Matt Goodnight (8), 8. Kyle Robbins (11),
9. Derek Bischak (12), 10. David Byrne (6), 11. Logan Seavey (14), 12. Austin
Nemire (10), 13. Shane Cottle (9), 14. Nathan Byrd (13), 15. Eric Gordon (4),
16. Mike Haggenbottom (18), 17. Mike McVetta (16), 18. Patrick Lawson (17), 19.
Dave Berkheimer (19). 37:06.331
2022 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody Swanson
(1), 2. Logan Seavey (6), 3. Taylor Ferns (8), 4. C.J. Leary (19), 5. Brian
Tyler (12), 6. Derek Bischak (10), 7. Mike McVetta (14), 8. Kyle Robbins (7), 9.
Travis Welpott (13), 10. Kyle O’Gara (9), 11. Nathan Byrd (15), 12. Matt
Goodnight (11), 13. Mario Clouser (16), 14. Justin Grant (4), 15. Gregg Cory
(17), 16. Chris Windom (2), 17. Bobby Santos (3), 18. Eric Gordon (5), 19. Jake
Day (20), 20. Tom Paterson (18), 21. Dave Berkheimer (21). 35:44.816
2023 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody Swanson
(1), 2. Bobby Santos (5), 3. Derek Bischak (7), 4. C.J. Leary (6), 5. Davey
Hamilton Jr. (9), 6. Billy Wease (11), 7. Kaylee Bryson (13), 8. Caleb Armstrong
(4), 9. Mario Clouser (15), 10. Kyle O'Gara (14), 11. Travis Welpott (16), 12.
Logan Seavey (2), 13. Matt Westfall (18), 14. Kyle Robbins (8), 15. Taylor Ferns
(10), 16. Trey Burke (19), 17. Kyle Steffens (20), 18. Aaron Pierce (3), 19.
Mike McVetta (23), 20. Matt Goodnight (17), 21. Nathan Byrd (12), 22. Dave
Berkheimer (22), 23. Gregg Cory (21), 24. Tom Paterson (24). NT
2024 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody Swanson (1), 2. Bobby Santos (5), 3. C.J. Leary (6), 4. Jus-tin Grant (7), 5. Taylor Ferns (3), 6. Logan Seavey (4), 7. Davey Hamilton Jr. (14), 8. Kyle Robbins (12), 9. Trey Osborne (16), 10. Jackson Macenko (15), 11. Nathan Byrd (19), 12. Kaylee Bryson (11), 13. Gregg Cory (20), 14. Dakoda Armstrong (2), 15. Kyle Steffens (18), 16. Derek Bischak (8), 17. Mario Clouser (10), 18. Trey Burke (9), 19. Travis Welpott (13), 20. Dave Berkheimer (21), 21. Nathan Moore (22), 22. Tyler Roahrig (17). 36:25.647
USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS AT SANTA MARIA SATURDAY
By Lance Jennings
APRIL 28, 2025... After rain washed away last Saturday’s event at Perris, the
chase for the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car championship will head
to Santa Maria Speedway this Saturday, May 3rd. Now under new ownership, the
popular Central Coast facility will also feature Mini Stocks on the racing card.
Located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange at 1900 Hutton Road in Nipomo,
California, the pit booth at "The West's Best Short Track" will open at 1:00pm,
front gates open at 4:00pm, time trials at 5:00pm, and racing will begin at
6:00pm. For more information, visit the track’s website at
santamariaspeedway.net or call 310.493.4900.
NOTICE TO RACERS:
- ALL RACERS MUST PURCHASE THEIR USAC LICENSE / MEMBERSHIPS ONLINE PRIOR TO THE
EVENT AT USACRACING.COM OR USACLICENSE.COM. (If racers have a membership
question, contact Julie Tanaka at julietanaka@aol.com.)
- ENTRY FEE: There is an entry fee due at registration / pill pick.
- TRANSPONDERS: Transponders ARE MANDATORY and will be available to rent.
- ONE WAY RADIOS / RACECEIVERS: One way radios ARE MANDATORY.
- TIRE RULE: Hoosier tires ARE REQUIRED ON ALL FOUR CORNERS of the car.
- FRONT AXLE TETHER SYSTEMS: Front axle tether systems (2-Chassis, 1-King Pin to
King Pin) ARE MANDATORY.
- FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS: Full containment seats ARE MANDATORY.
- COCKPIT ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS: Cockpit adjustable shocks ARE ALLOWED.
- MUFFLER RULE: Mufflers ARE REQUIRED at Santa Maria Speedway.
- RULE BOOK: The series rule book is online at usacracing.com.
Santa Maria Speedway has been a popular stop for non-winged sprint car racing
since their opening night on May 31, 1964 when Hal Minyard took the checkered
flags with the original California Racing Association. Since 2005, the 1/3-mile
facility has held thirty-two (32) USAC/CRA Sprint Car events as Tommy “Thunder”
Malcolm, Braden Chiaramonte, and R.J. Johnson added Santa Maria to their win
list last season. Former champions, “The Demon” Damion Gardner and “The Pride of
Garden Grove” Brody Roa are tied for the series lead with four victories at “The
West’s Best Short Track” and “Bullet” Blake Miller set the 1-lap qualifying
record of 13.230 on June 14, 2008. The complete Santa Maria USAC/CRA win list is
at the end of this release.
Ricky Lewis of Oxnard, California sits atop the point standings and leads the
competition by thirty-one markers. Racing his #41 Coyote Candle Company /
Mesilla Valley Transportation DRC, Lewis has posted four feature wins, two heat
race victories, six top-10 finishes, and 102 feature laps led in the campaign.
With eight career USAC/CRA wins, Ricky primarily races in the Midwest and might
miss Saturday’s return to Santa Maria.
Defending champion, R.J. Johnson of Laveen, Arizona ranks second in the chase
for the USAC/CRA championship. Driving the Petty Performance Racing #33P Avanti
Windows & Doors / Apache Transport entry, Johnson has two Woodland Auto Display
/ WC Friend Company Access Systems Fast Time Awards, three heat race victories,
five top-10 finishes, and 3 feature laps led on the year. Currently tied with
“The Macho Man” Brady Bacon, “Dynamite” David Cardey, and Richard Vander Weerd
with nine wins, the multi-time Arizona Sprint Car Champion will have his sights
on returning to victory circle this Saturday night.
“Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. of Buckeye, Arizona sits third in the USAC/CRA
point standings. Piloting his #47 MP Environmental Services / RSS Industries
Triple X, Davis has one heat race victory, one Factory Wraps Semi-Main win, one
In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, five top-10 finishes, and
5 feature laps led on the season. With seven career USAC/CRA wins, the
multi-time Arizona Sprint Car Champion is expected to be heading to the Midwest
to battle with the USAC National Series.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams of Yorba Linda, California is fourth in
the point chase. Racing the Tom & Christy Dunkel #17W Inland Rigging / Maxima
Oil DRC, Williams has posted seven top-10 finishes on the season and is tied
with Matt Mitchell with eleven career USAC/CRA wins. This Saturday night, the
2009 Co-Rookie of the Year will be looking for his first victory of the season
at Santa Maria.
David Gasper of Goleta, California ranks fifth in the USAC/CRA championship
standings. Driving the Kittle Motorsports / Gasper Racing #18 Art Klee / Valley
Precision Products DRC, Gasper has recorded two feature wins, one Woodland Auto
Display / WC Friend Company Access Systems Fast Time Award, one Factory Wraps
Semi-Main win, four top-10 finishes, and 57 feature laps led in the campaign.
The 2024 Rookie of the Year has four career victories and will have his sights
on adding Santa Maria to his resume.
Brody Wake of Lake Havasu City, Arizona leads the chase for Rookie of the
Year honors over Connor Lundy, Cole Wakim, Lonnie Oliver, Connor Speir, Caleb
Stelzig, Blake Hendricks, Colt Treharn, and Justin Kierce.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are A.J. Bender, “The
Cadillac” Cody Williams, Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm, Logan Williams, Blake Bower,
Logan Calderwood, Brody Roa, Eddie Tafoya Jr., Verne Sweeney, Elexa Herrera,
“Shugah” Shane Sexton, and more.
TRIPLE PLAY!
GRANT’S WIN SETS USAC RECORD
AT KOKOMO MIDGET GP
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Kokomo, Indiana (April 27, 2025)………Over the course of the past three
weekends, Justin Grant has tallied a victory in every piece of machinery he’s
operated in USAC competition.
Sunday’s USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship triumph during
the second and final night of the Kokomo Grand Prix at Indiana’s Kokomo Speedway
was just the latest in a historic early season run for the Ione, California
native.
Grant’s Kokomo win comes on the heels of an April 12 USAC AMSOIL National
Sprint Car score at Lawrenceburg Speedway followed by a dominant USAC Silver
Crown performance at Toledo Speedway seven days later on April 19.
In the process, Grant set an all-time USAC record by winning in all three national divisions in a season faster than any driver ever has before…by one single, solitary day.
For the past 23 years, Dave Steele had held the record for the earliest date
any driver has accomplished the feat, doing so by April 28, 2002. Grant’s
race-winning triumvirate was completed on April 27, 2025.
Grant was in command from start to finish at Kokomo in his CB Industries/NOS
Energy Drink – PristineAuction.com – Mobil 1 – TRD/Spike/Speedway Toyota,
leading all 30 laps in just his second start for CBI after joining the reigning
championship winning team over the offseason.
As an aside, Grant’s winning ride provided the first USAC National Midget
feature win for a car numbered 87 since Danny McKnight captured the Turkey Night
Grand Prix aboard L.T. Caruthers No. 87 at Gardena, California’s Ascot Park a
half century ago.
Grant’s 18th career USAC National Midget win moved him into a tie for 40th
place all-time alongside Logan Seavey, and incidentally, Dave Steele. Overall,
it’s Grants’ 90th career USAC main event win, moving him past Tom Bigelow for
9th all-time. Furthermore, his 82nd USAC national victory pushed him past Bryan
Clauson for 7th place all-time.
But of most importance to Grant at the moment was the fact that Sunday’s
tally was his first ever in a USAC National Midget at Kokomo, the same scene in
which he’s the all-time record holder with 11 career USAC National Sprint Car
wins. This one was truly an important one.
“It’s really special to win a midget race here,” Grant beamed. “It feels like
it’s taken me forever to win one. I’ve been really close but I’ve never been
able to get it done. (Car owner) Chad (Boat) had this car absolutely dialed
tonight. I could move out to the middle. I could run the bottom. I could do
whatever I wanted. It was a ton of fun to drive; an awesome racecar. Chad’s got
a great team here with all the guys who work on this 87 and the other two cars
as well.”
Grant’s wins across the USAC spectrum also have him in contention for a
$500,000 reward posted for the driver who can capture the single season USAC
Triple Crown by winning all three USAC national titles. It’s a feat which has
only been achieved twice, first by Tony Stewart in 1995 and J.J. Yeley in 2003.
It would be a quite lucrative payday for Grant, and although there’s a ton of
season left on the plate, Grant feels he’s at the top of his game while
currently sitting at the top of the Silver Crown and Midget points, and second
in the Sprint standings.
“I’ve been trying for a long time,” Grant noted. “I feel like this is the
year I’ve got everything lined up the way it needs to be lined up. If there’s a
year to do it, this has got to be the one. I just have to take care of myself
and keep myself excited and I’ve got a lot of people taking the load off my
shoulders this year and letting me focus on driving racecars and doing my job.
I’m working really hard at focusing on that and not so much on the other stuff.”
Granted started his race from the outside of the front row and immediately
established the lead over pole sitter and series newcomer Steven Snyder Jr.
Snyder, the leading series Rookie in points following the first weekend of the
schedule, made his bid for the lead on lap five, sliding under Grant in turn
one. However, as Snyder four-wheel-drifted up the racetrack, Grant slipped back
under to retake the spot up front.
Throughout the goings, previous night’s winner Jacob Denney was matriculating
his way up through the field from his eighth place starting spot, swapping slide
jobs with Logan Seavey before taking over third in turns one and two just before
midway. With six to go, Denney had tracked down Snyder and trekked his way into
the second spot with a low line maneuver in turn four.
At that point, Grant’s lead held strong and had expanded to 2.7 seconds with
three laps remaining. That is until contact in turn three between multiple cars
resulted in the front end being knocked out on the car driven by 21st running
Dan Bennett, resulting in Bennett slithering to a stop in the middle of turn
three.
A caution on the ensuing restart for 11th running Cale Coons who stopped atop
turn two required his car to be towed away back to the pits, ending his evening
prematurely. As the field prepared to take the green for the lap 28 restart,
second running Denney's left rear tire had deflated, leaving him to drive the
final three laps on the rim as he free fell from a possible victory to a
disappointing 12th place finish.
In turn, that left Grant all by his lonesome to finish off the victory by a
2.096 second margin. Snyder crossed the stripe a distant second over Seavey who
nipped Cannon McIntosh at the line for third while Kale Drake rounded out the
top-five.
For Snyder, the second place finish was the best of his USAC National Midget
career so far through five starts. One night after earning his first career
series top-10, Snyder grabbed both his first career top-five result and his
first ever podium in his RMS Racing/EnviroFab – Vahlco Wheels – Rod End Supply –
MPV Logistics/Spike/Speedway Toyota.
It was a bounce back night for Logan Seavey. After enduring a rough opening
to his Kokomo Grand Prix the night before with an 11th place result, the
two-time series champ returned to the podium with a third place run in his
Abacus Racing/Indy Powersports – Prime 47 – CG CPAs – Mountain
Mechanical/Spike/Stanton SR-11x.
Kale Drake was a Rod End Supply Hard Charger on Saturday night. He repeated
the feat on Sunday with an even deeper run from 15th to fifth.
The Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night was awarded to Kyle Jones, who
experienced a bit of a frustration for the majority of Sunday night’s event. A
nagging mechanical issue prevented him from hot lapping, qualifying and
competing in his heat race. However, during the semi-feature, he advanced from
last (seventh) to first, thus transferring his way in winning fashion into the
main event.
Not only did CB Industries win the feature, they also swept both fast
qualifying times over the weekend with Justin Grant taking top honors on
Saturday and Drake Edwards topping the field on Sunday for his first career fast
qualifying time with the USAC National Midgets. It marked the first time in
which a single team opened the USAC National Midget season with two consecutive
fast qualifying times since Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports did so in 2016
with drivers Christopher Bell and Rico Abreu.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: April 27,
2025 – Kokomo Speedway – Kokomo, Indiana – 1/4-Mile Dirt Oval – Kokomo Grand
Prix
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Drake Edwards, 83, CBI-13.013; 2. Karter
Sarff, 21K, Sarff-13.066; 3. Logan Seavey, 57, Abacus-13.073; 4. Daison Pursley,
86, CBI-13.107; 5. Justin Grant, 87, CBI-13.143; 6. Steven Snyder Jr., 4,
RMS-13.194; 7. Cannon McIntosh, 71K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-13.212; 8. Thomas
Meseraull, 7x, Engler-13.214; 9. Kevin Thomas Jr., 14, 4 Kings-13.242; 10. Gavin
Miller, 97, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-13.280; 11. Jacob Denney, 67,
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-13.293; 12. Frankie Guerrini, 63G, F & F-13.378; 13. Hayden
Reinbold, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-13.393; 14. Kale Drake, 97K,
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-13.403; 15. Gunnar Setser, 43, Arnold-13.466; 16. Brecken
Reese, 00, Chandler-13.472; 17. Emerson Axsom, 67K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-13.485;
18. Cale Coons, 63, Dooling/Curb-Agajanian-13.492; 19. Sam Johnson, 72J,
Johnson-13.531; 20. Steve Buckwalter, 25, Buckwalter-13.555; 21. Chelby Hinton,
4B, Klatt-13.579; 22. Chris Baue, 36, Baue-14.002; 23. Bryan Stanfill, 75AU,
Griffiths-14.048; 24. Dan Bennett, X, Bennett-14.639; 25. Michael Magic, 5m,
Magic-14.697; 26. Jason Bennett, 29, Bennett-15.294; 27. Adam Taylor, 7T,
ATM-15.573; 28. Kyle Jones, 27x, Joyner-NT.
CAR IQ FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Kevin Thomas
Jr., 2. Justin Grant, 3. Emerson Axsom, 4. Hayden Reinbold, 5. Drake Edwards, 6.
Michael Magic, 7. Chelby Hinton. NT
K1 RACEGEAR SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Cale
Coons, 2. Karter Sarff, 3. Gavin Miller, 4. Steven Snyder Jr., 5. Kale Drake, 6.
Chris Baue, 7. Jason Bennett. 2:18.156
HOOSIER TIRE THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Jacob
Denney, 2. Cannon McIntosh, 3. Gunnar Setser, 4. Logan Seavey, 5. Sam Johnson,
6. Bryan Stanfill. 2:16.332
COOK OUT FOURTH HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Daison
Pursley, 2. Thomas Meseraull, 3. Steve Buckwalter, 4. Frankie Guerrini, 5.
Brecken Reese, 6. Dan Bennett, 7. Kyle Jones. 2:18.656
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (10 laps, top-4 transfer to the
feature) 1. Kyle Jones, 2. Chris Baue, 3. Dan Bennett, 4. Jason Bennett, 5.
Michael Magic, 6. Chelby Hinton, 7. Adam Taylor. 2:22.080
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Justin Grant (2), 2.
Steven Snyder Jr. (1), 3. Logan Seavey (4), 4. Cannon McIntosh (10), 5. Kale
Drake (15), 6. Kevin Thomas Jr. (7), 7. Daison Pursley (3), 8. Karter Sarff (5),
9. Drake Edwards (6), 10. Gavin Miller (12), 11. Hayden Reinbold (14), 12. Jacob
Denney (8), 13. Gunnar Setser (16), 14. Emerson Axsom (18), 15. Frankie Guerrini
(13), 16. Sam Johnson (19), 17. Brecken Reese (17), 18. Cale Coons (9), 19.
Thomas Meseraull (11), 20. Kyle Jones (24), 21. Dan Bennett (22), 22. Jason
Bennett (23), 23. Chris Baue (21), 24. Steve Buckwalter (20). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Justin Grant.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Justin
Grant-150, 2-Cannon McIntosh-144, 3-Daison Pursley-135, 4-Jacob Denney-128,
5-Steven Snyder Jr.-127, 6-Kale Drake-127, 7-Logan Seavey-119, 8-Karter
Sarff-117, 9-Drake Edwards-115, 10-Gavin Miller-108.
USAC PARALLAX GROUP NATIONAL PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Kale Drake-62, 2-C.J.
Leary-48, 3-Briggs Danner-36, 4-Jadon Rogers-26, 5-Chase Stockon-24, 6-Kyle
Cummins-19, 7-Robert Ballou-18, 8-Justin Grant-17, 9-Daison Pursley-17, 10-Jake
Swanson-17.
NEXT USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACES: May 16-17,
2025 – Belleville Short Track – Belleville, Kansas – 1/4-Mile Dirt Oval –
Huncovsky Classic
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: Karter Sarff (13.122)
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: Drake Edwards (13.013)
Car IQ First Heat Winner: Kevin Thomas Jr.
K1 RaceGear Second Heat Winner: Cale Coons
Hoosier Tire Third Heat Winner: Jacob Denney
Cook Out Fourth Heat Winner: Daison Pursley
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Kyle Jones
Rod End Supply Hard Charger: Kale Drake (15th to 5th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: Kyle Jones
Bruno Bottom Feeds to A Thrilling Port Royal Win
It was a rainy, dreary morning in Port Royal Pa. However the track crew and officials stuck it out and trusted the forecast was true. Port Royal was rewarded with some amazing sprint car action, and possibly the USAC IMT East Coast Wingless Sprints presented by Baer Den Farms race of the season!
20 entries for competition with heat wins being awarded to Briggs Danner and Chris Allen.
Christian Bruno from Deptford Nj enjoys Port Royal, now he loves Port Royal. Bruno started in 11th and scored a shocking victory! It was his 2nd Port Royal victory of his career.
Dale Schweikart in his 305 sprint drew the pole and was flanked by Ed Aikin and Briggs Danner breathing down his neck at the start.
At the drop of the green the gloves were off, Schweikart slid hard breaking the momentum of Aikin leaving a wide open door for Danner to lead lap 1.
As the race roared on Kenny Miller started a charge taking the reigning champ of Steven Drevicki with him, lap 10 the caution was thrown for a slowing Tony Jackson.
15 to go and the race started to fall into the hands of Kenny Miller, the 23m worked over Danner and drew even several times, but all eyes started to watch the potent Bentley Truck Service Inc. 17B.
Bruno started to wrap the bottom of the Speed Palace keeping a smooth and steady pace reeling in the top 3. With 7 to go it was an all-out war for the win.
3 to go the leaders caught traffic and it was Danner and Bruno dualing, Bruno used the lapped car as a pick and ran away to hide. Danner attempted the hay-maker on the last lap but was denied.
Bruno took the popular victory, over Danner, Kenny Miller III, Drevicki and Ed Aikin.
Next week the series looks to the first state of Delaware. Showcasing a 25 lap war at the Delaware International Raceway.
Feature Finish:
Bruno, Danner, K.Miller,Drevicki, Aikin, Cherry, Haggenbottom(hard charger), Spence, Kunsman, Allen, Galloway, Gladfelter, D’augustino, Schweikart, Fulton, Chilmonik, B. Buckwalter, Jackson, Ney, Helmick (dns)
DENNEY DEBUTS WITH KKM,
RUNS AWAY WITH USAC MIDGET
OPENER AT KOKOMO
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Kokomo, Indiana (April 26, 2025)………Jacob Denney’s tenure as a driver for
Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports couldn’t have possibly gotten off to any
better of a start than it did during Saturday night’s USAC NOS Energy Drink
Midget National Championship season opener at Indiana’s Kokomo Speedway.
Denney tracked down leader Kevin Thomas Jr. on the 13th lap and led the
remaining 18 circuits to earn his fourth career series victory. In fact, it was
Denney’s first series victory since May 2023 at Indiana’s Tri-State Speedway, a
winless drought that had endured for 48 events and nearly two full calendar
years!
Galloway, Ohio’s Denney migrated to the famed No. 67 during the offseason
after his previous team owned by Tom Malloy scaled back its racing activities
for the 2025 season. In his first run for KKM in a USAC event, Denney joined a
legion of drivers who have, likewise, achieved the same feat.
Five drivers prior to Denney had actually won the feature in their first ever
USAC National Midget start for the Columbus, Indiana KKM operation: Page Jones
(1992 Kokomo Speedway), Jerry Coons Jr. (2000 Hartford Speedway Park), Davey Ray
(2005 Gas City I-69 Speedway), Logan Seavey (2018 Southern Illinois Center) and
Ryan Timms (Red Dirt Raceway).
Denney became the sixth individual to join the elite group. Additionally, he
also provided Kunz his record-extending seventh season opening USAC National
Midget win as a car entrant, and his third in a row. Kunz’s three consecutive
opening night wins with the series are just one shy of equaling the record set
by Steve Lewis’ “Nine Cars” between 1997-2000.
For Denney and his JBL Audio – TRD – Toyota – Mobil 1/LynK/Speedway Toyota,
it’s so far, so good, so fast.
“We’ve been super-fast every night we’ve hit the track,” Denney said. “I feel
like we’ve had the car to win. Little things can go each way, and it’s just how
racing goes, but we have a great piece. Hopefully, the year continues like
this.”
Starting fifth, Denney quickly slotted into the second spot on lap one and
promptly began his pursuit of race leader and third starting Kevin Thomas Jr.
who grabbed the initial lead. Denney briefly slid his way into the lead past
Thomas in turn two on lap six, but Thomas countered and roared his way back past
Denney on the bottom of turn three to retake the spot a half lap later.
On the 13th go around, Denney recreated his turn two move from several laps
earlier, but this time, he made it stick as he surpassed Thomas for the spot at
the front of the pack. Denney led Thomas at the line by a wheel, then bounced
along the cushion in turns three and four as he simultaneously held onto his
saddle with one hand and his calf rope in the other as he went highwire through
the back half of the field.
“I didn’t think I was ever going to get around him,” Denney explained of his
pursuit of Thomas. “Every time I slid him, he’d either cross me over or I’d make
a mistake and he’d get back by me. This car was on rails, so once I got to the
front, I was hammer down the rest of the race.”
As a matter of fact, over the next several laps, Denney extended his
advantage to more than 4.8 seconds over Cannon McIntosh who had moved into the
runner-up position past Thomas after Denney overtook the lead. However, as
Denney attempted to put 11th running Hayden Reinbold a lap down entering turn
three on lap 29 of 30. A collision between Denney’s right rear wheel and
Reinbold’s left front sent Reinbold streaming nose first into the outside wall
before flipping over twice and coming to a rest. Reinbold walked away from his
heavily damaged racecar while Denney maintained his footing and continued on.
“I would like to apologize to Hayden,” Denney admitted. “That was completely
my fault. I thought he was going to the top because he was outside of a guy,
then he peeled to the middle. By that time, I committed and it was too late.”
Though the contact didn’t end his race, in another way, Denney felt that he
might have inadvertently cost himself dearly with an upcoming
green-white-checkered restart on the horizon.
“I thought I lost the race,” Denney explained. “I was waiting for somebody to
slide me on the restart, so I knew the restart was going to be critical. I was
sitting there under the red flag on the front stretch and I saw everybody else
on the back stretch. I was like, “dang I just blew a huge lead.”
Despite that fact, still nobody had anything to contend with the new zip code
Denney was continuously establishing. As Denney crossed the finish line, his
margin of victory stood at 1.555 seconds as he returned to Kokomo Speedway
victory lane for the first time since capturing a USAC Midwest Thunder SpeeD2
Midget feature in 2020.
McIntosh, the 2024 USAC National Midget season opening winner, finished as
the runner-up while Pursley took third on the final lap. Kale Drake passed under
the flag stand in fourth while Justin Grant rounded out the top-five.
Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Oklahoma) equaled his best career Kokomo Grand Prix
finish with a second place run right behind teammate Denney to make it a one-two
finish for team KKM.
It’s safe to say, Kale Drake (Collinsville, Oklahoma) likes Kokomo Speedway.
On this night, he advanced from 11th to 4th in the feature to earn Rod End
Supply Hard Charger honors. In his only other USAC National Midget start at
Kokomo in 2024, he finished fifth.
The Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night belongs to Cale Coons (Greencastle,
Indiana) who raced to a top-10 finish in his first career USAC National Midget
feature start at Kokomo. Similarly, his father, Jerry Coons Jr. finished with a
top-10 in his first Kokomo Speedway USAC National Midget start, a seventh place
result in 1991.
For the third consecutive year, Justin Grant set quick time in the USAC
National Midget season opener. He topped the Kokomo field this time with a lap
of 13.285 seconds in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. Furthermore, Grant is only
the second driver ever to go three-straight as Kevin Thomas Jr. did the same in
2019-20-21. Overall, it’s the 10th fast time of Grant’s USAC National Midget
career, tying him with George Amick, Pancho Carter and Allen Crowe for 64th
all-time.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: April 26,
2025 – Kokomo Speedway – Kokomo, Indiana – 1/4-Mile Dirt Oval – Kokomo Grand
Prix
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Justin Grant, 87, CBI-13.285; 2. Jacob
Denney, 67, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-13.320; 3. Drake Edwards, 83, CBI-13.330; 4.
Kevin Thomas Jr., 14, 4 Kings-13.355; 5. Logan Seavey, 57, Abacus-13.403; 6.
Cannon McIntosh, 71K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-13.451; 7. Daison Pursley, 86,
CBI-13.530; 8. Karter Sarff, 21K, Sarff-13.541; 9. Gavin Miller, 97,
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-13.556; 10. Kale Drake, 97K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-13.643; 11.
Steven Snyder Jr., 4, RMS-13.677; 12. Hayden Reinbold, 19AZ,
Reinbold/Underwood-13.702; 13. Frankie Guerrini, 63G, F & F-13.706; 14. Steve
Buckwalter, 25, Buckwalter-13.717; 15. Sam Johnson, 72J, Johnson-13.757; 16.
Cale Coons, 63, Dooling/Curb-Agajanian-13.826; 17. Kyle Jones, 27x,
Joyner-13.877; 18. Gunnar Setser, 43, Arnold-13.976; 19. Brecken Reese, 00,
Chandler-14.038; 20. Bryan Stanfill, 75AU, Griffiths-14.125; 21. Chelby Hinton,
4B, Klatt-14.360; 22. Chris Baue, 36, Baue-14.503; 23. Michael Magic, 5m,
Magic-14.590; 24. Dan Bennett, X, Bennett-14.657; 25. Jason Bennett, 29,
Bennett-14.684; 26. Adam Taylor, 7T, ATM-17.669.
CAR IQ FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. Daison Pursley,
2. Justin Grant, 3. Kevin Thomas Jr., 4. Cale Coons, 5. Kale Drake, 6. Frankie
Guerrini, 7. Brecken Reese, 8. Michael Magic. 2:15.808
K1 RACEGEAR SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. Steven
Snyder Jr., 2. Kyle Jones, 3. Jacob Denney, 4. Steve Buckwalter, 5. Karter
Sarff, 6. Logan Seavey, 7. Dan Bennett, 8. Bryan Stanfill. 2:16.159
HOOSIER TIRE / COOK OUT THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1.
Cannon McIntosh, 2. Gunnar Setser, 3. Drake Edwards, 4. Sam Johnson, 5. Gavin
Miller, 6. Hayden Reinbold, 7. Chris Baue, 8. Jason Bennett. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jacob Denney (5), 2.
Cannon McIntosh (1), 3. Daison Pursley (7), 4. Kale Drake (11), 5. Justin Grant
(6), 6. Gavin Miller (10), 7. Karter Sarff (9), 8. Drake Edwards (4), 9. Steven
Snyder Jr. (8), 10. Cale Coons (16), 11. Logan Seavey (2), 12. Kyle Jones (17),
13. Gunnar Setser (18), 14. Frankie Guerrini (13), 15. Sam Johnson (15), 16.
Steve Buckwalter (14), 17. Bryan Stanfill (20), 18. Brecken Reese (19), 19. Dan
Bennett (21), 20. Kevin Thomas Jr. (3), 21. Hayden Reinbold (12), 22. Jason
Bennett (22), 23. Michael Magic (23), 24. Chris Baue (24). NT
**Hayden Reinbold flipped on lap 29 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-12 Kevin Thomas Jr., Laps 13-30 Jacob Denney.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Jacob Denney-81,
2-Cannon McIntosh-76, 3-Daison Pursley-72, 4-Justin Grant-71, 5-Kale Drake-65,
6-Gavin Miller-59, 7-Drake Edwards-59, 8-Karter Sarff-56, 9-Steven Snyder
Jr.-54, 10-Cale Coons-48.
USAC PARALLAX GROUP NATIONAL PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Kale Drake-62, 2-C.J.
Leary-48, 3-Briggs Danner-36, 4-Jadon Rogers-26, 5-Chase Stockon-24, 6-Kyle
Cummins-19, 7-Robert Ballou-18, 8-Justin Grant-17, 9-Daison Pursley-17, 10-Jake
Swanson-17.
NEXT USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: April 27, 2025
– Kokomo Speedway – Kokomo, Indiana – 1/4-Mile Dirt Oval – Kokomo Grand Prix
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: Drake Edwards (13.324)
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: Justin Grant (13.285)
Car IQ First Heat Winner: Daison Pursley
K1 RaceGear Second Heat Winner: Steven Snyder Jr.
Hoosier Tire / Cook Out Third Heat Winner: Cannon McIntosh
Rod End Supply Hard Charger: Kale Drake (11th to 4th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: Cale Coons
MEET THE 14 USAC MIDGET FULL-TIMERS FOR 2025!
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (April 25, 2025)………It’s the time of the season! The 70th
year of USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship racing commences this
Saturday-Sunday, April 26-27, 2025, at Indiana’s Kokomo Speedway.
The list of those planning to compete on the full series trail this year
consists of 14 cars and 13 different drivers indicating their intentions to
contest the entire 29-race schedule.
The lineup consists of USAC national champions, many time feature winners,
those on the cusp of a breakthrough, longtime veterans and a Rookie crop looking
to ply their trade on the dirt tracks across the United States of America
throughout the year.
Here’s the full list of the full-timers for 2025!
VETERANS ON THE HUNT
Logan Seavey (Sutter, California) returns to the seat of the Abacus No. 57
for a third-straight season. The USAC career Triple Crown champion is eying a
third career USAC National Midget driving title following his 2018 and 2023
championships. Another title would put Seavey in rarified air as only five other
drivers have won three or more USAC National Midget championships in their
career: Mel Kenyon (7), Rich Vogler (5), Jimmy Davies (3), Jason Leffler (3) and
Shorty Templeman (3).
Justin Grant (Ione, California) is amidst his own pursuit to join the USAC
career Triple Crown Club after previously capturing the Silver Crown (2020) and
National Sprint Car (2022 & 2023) titles. The missing prong of the crown is the
midgets. This year, Grant has switched over from RMS Racing to CB Industries’
No. 87 for reigning series entrant champion Chad Boat.
Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Alabama) made several USAC National Midget starts
for 4 Kings Racing toward the latter half of 2024, scoring his best finish of
the year (2nd) during a BC39 prelim feature at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis
Motor Speedway. Now, he’ll have the wheel of the 4 Kings No. 14 for the full
season in pursuit of a first USAC national title.
Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports will have a familiar look for the 2025
USAC National Midget season with four full-time drivers, all of whom have
previously captured series wins, including Cannon McIntosh (#71K), Gavin Miller
(#97), Kale Drake (#97K) and team newcomer Jacob Denney (#67).
Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Oklahoma) is the most experienced and winningest of
the bunch as the nine-time series winner is back for his fourth full season with
KKM. Gavin Miller (Allentown, Pennsylvania) is ready for his fourth year at KKM
after an eighth place finish in the 2024 points. Kale Drake (Collinsville,
Oklahoma) is back for his second full campaign with KKM. Denney (Galloway,
Ohio), a three-time series winner who has been with Tom Malloy’s team for the
past two seasons, has transferred over to KKM for the new year.
RISING UP IN ‘25
Among the full-timers this year are a handful of drivers eying their first
career USAC National Midget victories and hunger a move up the standings in the
coming year.
Veteran racer Kyle Jones (Kennedale, Texas) and the Joyner Motorsports No.
27x have linked up once again to chase a full season of USAC National Midget
racing for the second year in a row.
Hayden Reinbold (Gilbert, Arizona) had been a USAC National Midget full-timer
in 2021-2022-2023, but after a partial schedule in 2024, he’s back on the trail
in 2025 in his family owned Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports No. 19AZ.
Drake Edwards (Peoria, Arizona) finished 2024 as the USAC Avanti Windows & Doors Western States Midget points runner-up and Rookie of the Year while driving for Petty Performance Racing. This year, he’s moved over to the CBI No. 83 for the full national schedule. CB Industries will feature a three-car lineup consisting of the aforementioned Justin Grant along with Edwards and the No. 86, which will compete in all of this year’s USAC National Midget events, but will utilize a rotating cast of racers.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR CONTENDERS
Three drivers will battle it out for Max Papis Innovations Bob Stroud USAC
National Midget Rookie of the Year honors in 2025.
Cale Coons (Greencastle, Indiana), a standout performer with the USAC Midwest
Thunder SpeeD2 Midgets and son of 2006 & 2007 USAC National Midget champion
Jerry Coons Jr., will take his first run at the series circuit in the Dooling
Autosports-Curb/Agajanian #63.
Steven Snyder Jr. (Rising Sun, Maryland) has taken over the RMS Racing seat
previously occupied by Justin Grant for the past four seasons. Snyder, one of
the top micro sprint drivers in the nation, will wheel the renumbered No. 4 as
he partakes the circuit for the first time.
Adam Bolyard (Rushville, Indiana) comes to USAC National Midget racing out of
the TQ Midget ranks. Bolyard made a handful of appearances throughout the 2024
USAC National Midget season during Indiana Midget Week. He’ll take on the 2025
season aboard his own Adam Bolyard Racing No. 4B.
2025 USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Apr 26: Kokomo Speedway || Kokomo, Indiana
Apr 27: Kokomo Speedway || Kokomo, Indiana
May 16: Belleville Short Track || Belleville, Kansas
May 17: Belleville Short Track || Belleville, Kansas
May 18: Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex || Sweet Springs, Missouri
Jun 3: Circle City Raceway || Indianapolis, Indiana
Jun 4: Paragon Speedway || Paragon, Indiana
Jun 5: Honest Abe Roofing Lincoln Park Speedway || Putnamville, Indiana
Jun 6: Bloomington Speedway || Bloomington, Indiana
Jun 7: Tri-State Speedway || Haubstadt, Indiana
Jun 8: Kokomo Speedway || Kokomo, Indiana
Jul 1: The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway || Speedway, Indiana
Jul 2: The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway || Speedway, Indiana
Jul 8: TBA || TBA
Jul 9: Mitchell County Fairgrounds || Beloit, Kansas
Jul 11: Jefferson County Speedway || Fairbury, Nebraska
Jul 12: Jefferson County Speedway || Fairbury, Nebraska
Aug 31: Angell Park Speedway || Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
Sep 1: TBA || TBA
Sep 18: Eldora Speedway || Rossburg, Ohio
Sep 20: Eldora Speedway || Rossburg, Ohio
Nov 14: Placerville Speedway || Placerville, California
Nov 15: Placerville Speedway || Placerville, California
Nov 19: TBA || TBA
Nov 21: Thunderbowl Raceway || Tulare, California
Nov 22: Merced Speedway || Merced, California
Nov 23: Merced Speedway || Merced, California
Nov 25: Bakersfield Speedway at Kern Raceway || Bakersfield, California
Nov 29: Ventura Raceway || Ventura, California
USAC KOKOMO MIDGET GP SHIFTS
TO SATURDAY-SUNDAY, APRIL 26-27
Kokomo, Indiana (April 24, 2024)………The dates for this weekend’s Kokomo Grand
Prix have been shifted by one day and will now run on Saturday and Sunday, April
26-27.
With forecasts calling for rain on the originally scheduled date of Friday,
the decision has been made to contest the complete event with two consecutive
nights of full programs for the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National
Championship at Indiana’s Kokomo Speedway.
The Kokomo Grand Prix will feature the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National
Championship and Kokomo Sprint Cars on each night at the 1/4-mile dirt oval. On
both nights, the pits will open at 3pm Eastern with the grandstands opening at
3pm. The drivers meeting is set for 5:30pm with cars hitting the track at 6pm
followed by hot laps, qualifying and racing.
Adult general admission tickets for each night of the Kokomo Grand Prix are
$30 with kids age 12 and under free. Pit passes are $40 for all ages each night.
The field will feature the likes of 2019 Kokomo Grand Prix winner Kevin
Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Ala.), plus 2022 Kokomo Indiana Midget Week winner Cannon
McIntosh (Bixby, Okla.) and 2024 Kokomo Indiana Midget Week winner Daison
Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.).
Pursley, the reigning series champ will also be joined in the field by 2023
champion Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) as well as 2020 USAC Silver Crown and
2022-2023 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Champion Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.),
just to name a few.
Past Kokomo Grand Prix feature winners include Rico Abreu (2014 twice),
Darren Hagen (2015), Brady Bacon (2017 twice), Tyler Courtney (2018-19), Kevin
Thomas Jr. (2019), Emerson Axsom (2021) and Chris Windom (2021).
Both nights of the event can be watched LIVE on FloRacing at https://flosports.link/usac.
2025 USAC HALL OF FAME TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Speedway, Indiana (April 22, 2025)………Join us for the 2025 USAC Hall of Fame
induction ceremony on Wednesday, July 2!
The event will take place at USAC Headquarters located at 4910 W 16th St.
Speedway, Indiana 46224.
A luncheon ticket is required to attend the event and must be reserved in
advance at https://usacracing.ticketspice.com/2025-hof-ceremony-. Tickets will
be available at will call.
The luncheon starts at noon Eastern. The hall of fame ceremony is slated to
begin after the luncheon at 1:00pm and is open to the public at this time.
USAC’s 12th hall of fame class includes driver/car owner Jack Bowsher, driver
Dave Darland, car owner/official Bob Estes, car owner/crew chief Bob Hampshire,
promoters Roger & Linda Holdeman, official Tommy Hunt and driver Gordon Johncock.
The 2025 USAC Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held between race days during the BC39 Presented by Avanti Windows & Doors featuring the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. USAC headquarters are located just across the street from the racetrack.
USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS RETURN TO ACTION SATURDAY AT PERRIS
By Lance Jennings
APRIL 21, 2025... The cars and stars of the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA
Sprint Cars will head to Perris Auto Speedway this Saturday, April 26th.
Promoted by Don Kazarian and presented by Heimark Distributors / Anheuser Busch,
the eighth championship point race will also feature the PAS Senior Sprint Cars,
PAS Young Gun Sprint Cars, PASSCAR Super Stocks, and PASSCAR Street Stocks.
Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris,
California, the Spectator Gates will open at 5:00pm and racing at "America's
Premier Dirt Track" will start at 7:00pm. For more event information, visit the
track’s website at perrisautospeedway.com or call 951.940.0134.
NOTICE TO RACERS:
- ALL RACERS MUST PURCHASE THEIR USAC LICENSE / MEMBERSHIPS ONLINE PRIOR TO THE
EVENT AT USACRACING.COM OR USACLICENSE.COM. (If racers have a membership
question, contact Julie Tanaka at julietanaka@aol.com.)
- ENTRY FEE: There is an entry fee due at registration / pill pick.
- TRANSPONDERS: Transponders ARE MANDATORY and will be available to rent.
- ONE WAY RADIOS / RACECEIVERS: One way radios ARE MANDATORY.
- TIRE RULE: Hoosier tires ARE REQUIRED ON ALL FOUR CORNERS of the car.
- FRONT AXLE TETHER SYSTEMS: Front axle tether systems (2-Chassis, 1-King Pin to
King Pin) ARE MANDATORY.
- FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS: Full containment seats ARE MANDATORY.
- COCKPIT ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS: Cockpit adjustable shocks ARE ALLOWED.
- MUFFLER RULE: Mufflers ARE REQUIRED at Perris Auto Speedway.
- RULE BOOK: The series rule book is online at usacracing.com.
Heading to Saturday’s action, Perris Auto Speedway has hosted 260 USAC/CRA
Sprint Car events since March 6, 2004. In all, forty-seven drivers have claimed
victory at their “home track,” led by ten-time champion, “The Demon” Damion
Gardner with fifty-one triumphs. During the last two visits, point leader Ricky
Lewis and last season’s rookie of the year, David Gasper took the checkered
flags at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds. Nic Faas set the 1-lap track record of
15.833 on February 25, 2012 and the complete Perris USAC/CRA win list is at the
end of this release.
Ricky Lewis of Oxnard, California sits atop the point standings and leads the
competition by thirty-one markers. Racing his #41 Coyote Candle Company /
Mesilla Valley Transportation DRC, Lewis won the Casa Grande debut on April 11th
and ran third the following night. To date, the young driver has posted four
feature wins, two heat race victories, six top-10 finishes, and 102 feature laps
led in the campaign. With eight career USAC/CRA wins, Ricky primarily races in
the Midwest and might miss Saturday’s race at Perris Auto Speedway.
Defending champion, R.J. Johnson of Laveen, Arizona has climbed to second in
the chase for the USAC/CRA championship. Driving the Petty Performance Racing
#33P Avanti Windows & Doors / Apache Transport entry, Johnson ran fifth and
second at Central Arizona Raceway. At press time, the multi-time Arizona Sprint
Car Champion has two Woodland Auto Display / WC Friend Company Access Systems
Fast Time Awards, three heat race victories, five top-10 finishes, and 3 feature
laps led on the year. Currently tied with “The Macho Man” Brady Bacon,
“Dynamite” David Cardey, and Richard Vander Weerd with nine wins, R.J. will have
his sights on returning to victory circle this Saturday night.
After running eighth and fifth at Casa Grande, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. of
Buckeye, Arizona has climbed to third in the USAC/CRA point standings. Piloting
his #47 MP Environmental Services / RSS Industries Triple X, Davis has one heat
race victory, one Factory Wraps Semi-Main win, one In Memory of Jim and Chet
Gardner Hard Charger Award, five top-10 finishes, and 5 feature laps led on the
season. With seven career USAC/CRA wins, the multi-time Arizona Sprint Car
Champion is expected to race this Saturday at Perris before heading to the
Midwest to battle with the USAC National Series.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams of Yorba Linda, California ranks fourth
in the point chase. Racing the Tom & Christy Dunkel #17W Inland Rigging / Maxima
Oil DRC, Williams finished tenth and seventh at the Pinal County Fairgrounds. At
press time, the 2009 Co-Rookie of the Year has posted seven top-10 finishes on
the season and is tied with Matt Mitchell with eleven career USAC/CRA wins. “The
Big Game Hunter” will be looking for his first victory of the season at Perris.
After racing sixth on April 11th and winning the following night, David
Gasper of Goleta, California is fifth in the USAC/CRA championship standings.
Driving the Kittle Motorsports / Gasper Racing #18 Art Klee / Valley Precision
Products DRC, Gasper has recorded two feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display /
WC Friend Company Access Systems Fast Time Award, one Factory Wraps Semi-Main
win, four top-10 finishes, and 57 feature laps led in the campaign. The 2024
Rookie of the Year has four career victories and will have his sights on another
win at Perris Auto Speedway.
Brody Wake of Lake Havasu City, Arizona leads the chase for Rookie of the
Year honors over Connor Lundy, Cole Wakim, Lonnie Oliver, Connor Speir, Caleb
Stelzig, Blake Hendricks, Colt Treharn, and Justin Kierce.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are A.J. Bender, “The
Cadillac” Cody Williams, Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm, Logan Williams, Blake Bower,
Logan Calderwood, Brody Roa, Eddie Tafoya Jr., Verne Sweeney, Elexa Herrera,
“Shugah” Shane Sexton, Jeff Dyer, Gary Marshall Jr., Grant Sexton, Brent Sexton,
and more.
Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake
Perris Drive in Perris, California. General admission tickets (13 & over) are
$35, Senior tickets (65 & over) are $30, Kids tickets (6 to 12) are $10, and
Children (5 and under) are FREE. The Lake Perris Fairgrounds charges $20 for
parking. Advance tickets are available online for an additional fee, and for
more event information, visit the track’s website at perrisautospeedway.com or
call 951.940.0134.
The Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks Factory Wraps,
The Gardner Family (In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner), In Honor of Wiley Miller
Sr. & Wiley Miller II, Sexton Fire Protection, Silbermann Solar, WC Friend
Company Access Systems, and Woodland Auto Display for their support.
For more information on the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car
Series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at usacracing.com and
the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the
USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
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AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS: 2004-Rip Williams,
2005-Damion Gardner, 2006-Cory Kruseman, 2007-Tony Jones, 2008-Mike Spencer,
2009-Mike Spencer, 2010-Mike Spencer, 2011-Mike Spencer, 2012-Mike Spencer,
2013-Damion Gardner, 2014-Damion Gardner, 2015-Damion Gardner, 2016-Damion
Gardner, 2017-Damion Gardner, 2018-Damion Gardner, 2019-Damion Gardner, 2020-NO
AWARD, 2021-Damion Gardner, 2022-Damion Gardner, 2023-Brody Roa, 2024-R.J.
Johnson.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 4-Ricky Lewis, 2-David
Gasper, 1-Jake Swanson.
PERRIS AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA 1-LAP QUALIFYING RECORD: Nic Faas –
15.833 (02/25/12)
PERRIS AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 51-Damion Gardner,
24-Mike Spencer, 19-Tony Jones, 17-Cory Kruseman, 10-Matt Mitchell, 9-Nic Faas,
8-David Cardey, 8-Richard Vander Weerd, 7-Brody Roa, 7-Rip Williams, 6-Bryan
Clauson, 6-Justin Grant, 6-Mike Kirby, 6-Danny Sheridan, 6-Austin Williams,
5-Brady Bacon, 5-Robert Ballou, 5-Rickie Gaunt, 4-Dave Darland, 4-Charles Davis
Jr., 4-R.J. Johnson, 4-Tommy Malcolm, 3-Garrett Hansen, 3-Kevin Thomas Jr.,
2-David Gasper, 2-Darren Hagen, 2-Jesse Hockett, 2-Levi Jones, 2-C.J. Leary,
2-Ricky Lewis, 1-Blake Miller, 2-Jake Swanson, 2-Cody Williams, 2-Chris Windom,
1-A.J. Bender, 1-Chad Boespflug, 1-Greg Bragg, 1-Daron Clayton, 1-Josh Ford,
1-Josh Hodges, 1-Bud Kaeding, 1-Adam Mitchell, 1-Johnny Rodriguez, 1-Hunter
Schuerenberg, 1-Chase Stockon, 1-Scotty Weir, 1-Jason York.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Ricky
Lewis-468, 2. R.J. Johnson-437, 3. Charles Davis Jr.-380, 4. Austin
Williams-376, 5. David Gasper-371, 6. A.J. Bender-369, 7. Cody Williams-363, 8.
Tommy Malcolm-304, 9. Jake Swanson-299, 10. Logan Williams-290, 11. Blake
Bower-289, 12. Logan Calderwood-286, 13. Brody Wake (R)-262, 14. Brody Roa-247,
15. Eddie Tafoya Jr.-236, 16. Connor Lundy (R)-230, 17. Braden Chiaramonte-204,
18. Verne Sweeney-183, 19. Elexa Herrera-142, 20. Cole Wakim (R)-127.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
February 15: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (RAIN)
February 22: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Winner: Jake Swanson)
March 1: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Ricky Lewis)
March 14: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA (Winner: Ricky Lewis)
March 15: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA (Winner: Ricky Lewis)
April 5: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: David Gasper)
April 11: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ Winner: Ricky Lewis)
April 12: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (Winner: David Gasper)
April 26: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
May 3: Santa Maria Speedway – Nipomo, CA
May 24: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Salute to Indy)
June 21: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
July 5: Santa Maria Speedway – Nipomo, CA
July 19: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
August 16: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
August 30: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
August 31: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 6: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
September 27: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
October 4: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ
October 18: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
October 24: *Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (Western World
Championships)
October 25: *Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (Western World
Championships)
November 1: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
November 8: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC National Sprint Cars.
This schedule is subject to change.
---------------------------------------------
KOKOMO GRAND PRIXVIEW!
USAC MIDGET SEASON BEGINS APRIL 25-26
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Kokomo, Indiana (April 22, 2025)………Finally, it has arrived! The 70th season of USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship competition gets underway this Friday-Saturday, April 25-26, at Indiana’s Kokomo Speedway.
What better way to kick it off than with the Kokomo Grand Prix, featuring two-straight nights of full programs featuring the midgets alongside Kokomo Speedway’s sprint car division.
The anticipation brings new combinations for the season, new hopes, renewed dreams and a slew of up and comers looking to mix it up with veterans all vying for the ultimate accomplishment of a championship.
The quest begins now. So, here are six storylines that we're watching this weekend.
QUICK AT KOKOMO
Three past Kokomo Speedway USAC National Midget winners are expected in this weekend’s Grand Prix lineup. Among them, Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Alabama) is the lone past Kokomo Grand Prix winner in the field, scoring a last lap thriller back in 2019. In fact, he’s a two-time Kokomo USAC Midget winner, also taking the Indiana Midget Week round in 2018.
Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Oklahoma) punctuated the Indiana Midget Week Kokomo round with a victory in 2022 while fellow Okie Daison Pursley (Locust Grove, Oklahoma) performed likewise, making a late-race charge to score the win in the series’ most recent round at Kokomo in 2024 en route to the series championship.
CBI RELOADS
Pursley will return to the CB Industries team for this weekend’s Kokomo Grand Prix in his familiar no. 86 with which he captured seven USAC National Midget wins and the championship a year ago. While Pursley doesn’t currently plan to compete for a repeat USAC title at press time, the CBI no. 86 will contest the entire 2025 schedule with a rotating cast of drivers.
Joining CBI for a full-time USAC championship run in 2025 is Justin Grant (Ione, California), an 11-time USAC National Sprint Car winner at Kokomo who is still on the hunt for his first USAC Midget win at the track. Upstart Drake Edwards (Peoria, Arizona), the 2024 USAC Western States Midget Rookie of the Year will go full-time nationally in a third CBI entry.
VETERAN LADEN KKM
Another perennial USAC National Midget championship contender, Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, will have a veteran, winning lineup in its full-time arsenal for 2025. All of which are pursuing a first career USAC National Midget driving title.
Cannon McIntosh is a previous USAC Midget winner at Kokomo in 2022. The nine-time series winner finished a career best runner-up in the standings a year ago. Meanwhile, three-time series winner Jacob Denney (Galloway, Ohio) captured a USAC Midwest Thunder SpeeD2 Midget victory at Kokomo back in 2020 as he moves from Tom Malloy’s team to the KKM squad.
One-time USAC winners Gavin Miller (Allentown, Pennsylvania) and Kale Drake (Collinsville, Oklahoma) seek to have a breakout season in the upcoming campaign
It’s also worth noting that the first of Keith Kunz’s record 150 USAC National Midget victories as an entrant came at Kokomo with driver Page Jones during the 1992 season.
RETURN OF THE J-MAC
Jason McDougal’s most recent USAC National Midget start came three seasons ago during the 2022 Turkey Night Grand Prix at southern California’s Ventura Raceway.
But with Thomas Meseraull unavailable to drive the Engler Machine No. 7x this weekend, McDougal (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma) has been tabbed for the ride at the Kokomo Grand Prix.
McDougal is a two-time USAC National Midget feature winner, having scored both back in 2019 at Nebraska’s Jefferson County Speedway and Indiana’s Tri-State Speedway. His best Kokomo performance to date came during the 2019 Grand Prix where he finished second to Tyler Courtney.
A NEW COONS ON THE SCENE
A new Coons will step in as a full-time USAC National Midget driver in 2025 for Dooling Autosports/Curb-Agajanian.
The son of USAC career Triple Crown champion Jerry Coons Jr. has a quality pedigree of his own, having won three points-paying USAC Midwest Thunder SpeeD2 Midget features between 2023-2024, plus a special event score.
Jerry owns seven career Kokomo Grand Prix starts between 2014-2019, finishing a best of fifth in 2017. Now Cale will aim to become the first son of a former Kokomo Grand Prix starter to also make a start himself in the event.
Cale will be at the wheel of the famed black no. 63, which has twice won at Kokomo, first in 2014 with driver Bryan Clauson then again in 2018 with Kevin Thomas Jr.
SEASON OPENING HISTORY
The Kokomo Grand Prix marks the start of the 70th season of USAC National Midget competition. This is the third occasion in which Kokomo will open the season, having previously done so in 2014 and 2015, with Rico Abreu and Darren Hagen winning, respectively.
Overall, Steve Lotshaw, Tony Stewart and Rich Vogler share the record for the most USAC National Midget season opening wins with three apiece. Justin Grant can equal that record this Friday after previously scoring in 2017 at the Southern Illinois Center and in 2022 at Florida’s Ocala Speedway.
In recent years, Cannon McIntosh (2024 at Belleville) and Logan Seavey (2018 at the Southern Illinois Center) have won season openers. Both aim to achieve a similar feat this Friday.
In nine instances, the season opening winner has gone on to win the USAC National Midget title later that same year: Mel Kenyon (1968), Rich Vogler (1978), Steve Lotshaw (1979), Jason Leffler (1999), Bryan Clauson (2011), Rico Abreu (2014), Logan Seavey (2018), Tyler Courtney (2019) and Buddy Kofoid (2021).
RACE DETAILS
The Kokomo Grand Prix will feature the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship and Kokomo Sprint Cars on each night at the 1/4-mile dirt oval. On both nights, the pits will open at 3pm Eastern with the grandstands opening at 3pm. The drivers meeting is set for 5:30pm with cars hitting the track at 6pm followed by hot laps, qualifying and racing.
Adult general admission tickets for each night of the Kokomo Grand Prix are $30 with kids age 12 and under free. Pit passes are $40 for all ages each night.
Both nights of the event can be watched LIVE on FloRacing at https://flosports.link/usac.
TRACK RECORDS FOR USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGETS AT KOKOMO SPEEDWAY:
1 Lap - 4/5/2019 - Dillon Welch - 12.665 - 71.062 mph
8 Laps - 6/20/2010 - Steve Buckwalter - 1:51.62 - 64.505 mph
10 Laps - 4/5/2019 - Tanner Carrick - 2:10.06 - 69.199 mph
12 Laps - 4/13/2018 - Holly Shelton - 2:46.01 - 65.056 mph
KOKOMO GRAND PRIX WINNERS:
2014: Rico Abreu (4/11) & Rico Abreu (4/12)
2015: Darren Hagen (4/11)
2016: Rained Out
2017: Brady Bacon (4/8) & Brady Bacon (4/9)
2018: Tyler Courtney (4/13)
2019: Tyler Courtney (4/5) & Kevin Thomas Jr. (4/6)
2020: Not Held
2021: Emerson Axsom (4/30) & Chris Windom (5/1)
2022: Rained Out
2023: Rained Out
KOKOMO GRAND PRIX WINS:
2-Rico Abreu, Brady Bacon & Tyler Courtney
1-Emerson Axsom, Darren Hagen, Kevin Thomas Jr. & Chris Windom
KOKOMO USAC NATIONAL MIDGET WINS:
7-Rich Vogler
6-Mel Kenyon
3-Rico Abreu, Brady Bacon, Bryan Clauson, Jimmy Davies, Bob Wente & Chris Windom
2-Chuck Arnold, Tyler Courtney, Bobby Grim, Page Jones, Mike McGreevy, Ken Schrader, Bob Tattersall & Kevin Thomas Jr.
1-Tommy Astone, Emerson Axsom, Spencer Bayston, Christopher Bell, Tom Bigelow, Bud Bogard, Frank Burany, Pancho Carter, Danny Caruthers, Jimmy Caruthers, Tommy Copp, Rex Easton, Tony Elliott, Billy Engelhart, Gene Force, Darren Hagen, Gene Hartley, Jack Hewitt, Tracy Hines, Brad Kuhn, Lee Kunzman, Kyle Larson, Critter Malone, Cannon McIntosh, Don Meacham, Jerry Nuckles, Forrest Parker, Michael Pickens, Daison Pursley, Ron Shuman, Graham Standring, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Mike Streicher, Dave Strickland, Len Sutton, Shorty Templeman, Tanner Thorson, Sleepy Tripp, Jerry Weeks & J.J. Yeley
KOKOMO USAC NATIONAL MIDGET WINNERS:
1956: Forrest Parker (7/28)
1957: Len Sutton (6/23) & Rex Easton (8/17)
1958: Frank Burany (5/24)
1959: Gene Force (5/29) & Shorty Templeman (7/12)
1960: Jimmy Davies (5/29), Bod Bogard (6/25), Gene Hartley (7/24) & Bob Wente (8/13)
1961: Jimmy Davies (5/29) & Jimmy Davies (7/30)
1962: Tommy Copp (6/30) & Bob Tattersall (7/29)
1964: Bob Wente (7/11)
1965: Mel Kenyon (5/30), Bobby Grim (6/26) & Bobby Grim (7/24)
1966: Chuck Arnold (5/29) & Bob Tattersall (8/27)
1967: Mike McGreevy (5/29), Chuck Arnold (6/17) & Mike McGreevy (7/22)
1968: Bob Wente (6/30) & Don Meacham (7/21)
1969: Lee Kunzman (5/31)
1970: Dave Strickland (5/30) & Tom Bigelow (8/1)
1971: Danny Caruthers (7/16) & Jimmy Caruthers (8/7)
1972: Pancho Carter (8/26)
1973: Billy Engelhart (7/14)
1975: Sleepy Tripp (7/9)
1976: Tommy Astone (7/7)
1977: Mel Kenyon (7/13)
1978: Ron Shuman (8/23) & Jerry Weeks (8/23)
1979: Mel Kenyon (6/14) & Mel Kenyon (7/11)
1980: Rich Vogler (6/11) & Rich Vogler (7/10)
1981: Rich Vogler (6/10) & Ken Schrader (7/8)
1982: Ken Schrader (6/10) & Mel Kenyon (7/7)
1983: Rich Vogler (6/8) & Rich Vogler (7/13)
1984: Jerry Nuckles (6/6)
1985: Rich Vogler (6/29)
1987: Mel Kenyon (6/24)
1988: Mike Streicher (6/22) & Rich Vogler (8/17)
1990: Graham Standring (8/8)
1991: Jack Hewitt (8/7)
1992: Page Jones (8/19)
1993: Critter Malone (8/11)
1994: Page Jones (7/27)
1995: Tony Elliott (8/23)
2000: Tracy Hines (8/27)
2003: J.J. Yeley (6/15)
2006: Brady Bacon (8/20)
2007: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (8/12)
2008: Bryan Clauson (8/10)
2009: Bryan Clauson (6/14)
2010: Brad Kuhn (6/20)
2011: Michael Pickens (6/12)
2012: Kyle Larson (6/17)
2013: Christopher Bell (6/16)
2014: Rico Abreu (4/11), Rico Abreu (4/12) & Bryan Clauson (6/15)
2015: Darren Hagen (4/11)
2016: Rico Abreu (6/5)
2017: Brady Bacon (4/8), Brady Bacon (4/9) & Spencer Bayston (6/11)
2018: Tyler Courtney (4/13) & Kevin Thomas Jr. (6/3)
2019: Tyler Courtney (4/5) & Kevin Thomas Jr. (4/6)
2020: Tanner Thorson (6/21) & Chris Windom (9/26)
2021: Emerson Axsom (4/30), Chris Windom (5/1) & Chris Windom (6/12)
2022: Cannon McIntosh (6/11)
2024: Daison Pursley (6/9)
PAST KOKOMO GRAND PRIX RESULTS
2014 NIGHT #1 FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Rico Abreu, 2. Dave Darland, 3. Christopher Bell, 4. Chris Windom, 5. Tracy Hines, 6. Kevin Thomas Jr., 7. Bryan Clauson, 8. Zach Daum, 9. Shane Hollingsworth, 10. Tanner Thorson, 11. Jerry Coons Jr., 12. Andrew Felker, 13. Parker Price-Miller, 14. Tyler Thomas, 15. Tyler Courtney, 16. Davey Ray, 17. Daniel Robinson, 18. Austin Brown, 19. Darren Hagen, 20. Shane Cottle, 21. Justin Peck, 22. Taylor Ferns, 23. Spencer Bayston, 24. Seth Motsinger, 25. Alex Bright, 26. Colten Cottle. NT
2014 NIGHT #2 FEATURE: (40 laps) 1. Rico Abreu, 2. Tanner Thorson, 3. Christopher Bell, 4. Tracy Hines, 5. Tyler Thomas, 6. Kevin Thomas Jr., 7. Andrew Felker, 8. Zach Daum, 9. Parker Price-Miller, 10. Shane Hollingsworth, 11. Colten Cottle, 12. Tyler Courtney, 13. Seth Motsinger, 14. Davey Ray, 15. Chris Windom, 16. Bryan Clauson, 17. Michael Pickens, 18. Darren Hagen, 19. Alex Bright, 20. Steve Buckwalter, 21. Jake Blackhurst, 22. Dave Darland, 23. Austin Brown, 24. Caleb Armstrong, 25. Brady Bacon, 26. Spencer Bayston. NT
2015 FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Darren Hagen, 2. Tracy Hines, 3. Tanner Thorson, 4. Steve Buckwalter, 5. Davey Ray, 6. Andrew Felker, 7. Dave Darland, 8. Tyler Thomas, 9. Jerry Coons Jr., 10. Tyler Courtney, 11. Shane Hollingsworth, 12. Gage Walker, 13. Zach Daum, 14. Isaac Chapple, 15. Spencer Bayston, 16. Justin Grant, 17. Jim Radney, 18. Tucker Klaasmeyer, 19. Ryan Greth, 20. Kevin Thomas Jr., 21. Alex Bright, 22. Justin Peck. NT
2017 NIGHT #1 FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Brady Bacon, 2. Spencer Bayston, 3. Tanner Thorson, 4. Kevin Thomas Jr., 5. Jerry Coons Jr., 6. Justin Grant, 7. Chris Windom, 8. Tyler Thomas, 9. Dave Darland, 10. Ryan Robinson, 11. Chad Boat, 12. Holly Shelton, 13. Gage Walker, 14. Alex Bright, 15. Tucker Klaasmeyer, 16. Jake Neuman, 17. Tanner Carrick, 18. Brayton Lynch, 19. Tyler Nelson, 20. Shane Golobic. NT
2017 NIGHT #2 FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Brady Bacon, 2. Tanner Thorson, 3. Tyler Courtney, 4. Rico Abreu, 5. Kevin Thomas Jr., 6. Spencer Bayston, 7. Dave Darland, 8. Shane Golobic, 9. Ryan Robinson, 10. Holly Shelton, 11. Davey Ray, 12. Jerry Coons Jr., 13. Alex Bright, 14. Tyler Thomas, 15. Tyler Nelson, 16. Jake Neuman, 17. Brayton Lynch, 18. Ryan Greth, 19. Chad Boat, 20. Justin Grant, 21. Chris Windom, 22. Chase Jones, 23. Tanner Carrick. NT
2018 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Tyler Courtney (5), 2. Chad Boat (8), 3. Brady Bacon (7), 4. Spencer Bayston (3), 5. Justin Grant (6), 6. Zeb Wise (12), 7. Logan Seavey (2), 8. Thomas Meseraull (16), 9. Ryan Robinson (4), 10. Kevin Thomas Jr. (1), 11. Holly Shelton (9), 12. Tucker Klaasmeyer (13), 13. Dave Darland (20), 14. Andrew Felker (17), 15. Jerry Coons Jr. (18), 16. Brayton Lynch (15), 17. Tanner Carrick (10), 18. Kyle Craker (14), 19. Gage Walker (23). 20. Alex Bright (21), 21. Tyler Thomas (11), 22. Chase Jones (22), 23. Kyle Schuett (19), 24. Matt Moore (24). NT
2019 NIGHT #1 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Tyler Courtney (6), 2. Jason McDougal (3), Chris Windom (4), 4. Zeb Wise (12), 5. Kevin Thomas Jr. (1), 6. Logan Seavey (8), 7. Thomas Meseraull (2), 8. Dillon Welch (7), 9. C.J. Leary (5), 10. Tanner Carrick (16), 11. Dave Darland (21), 12. Chad Boat (10), 13. Tyler Thomas (20), 14. Jesse Colwell (11), 15. Tucker Klaasmeyer (13), 16. Andrew Layser (15), 17. Holley Hollan (14), 18. Ethan Mitchell (24), 19. Cole Bodine (22), 20. Karsyn Elledge (23), 21. Zane Hendricks (18), 22. Jerry Coons Jr. (17), 23. Justin Peck (19), 24. Tony DiMattia (9). NT
2019 NIGHT #2 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Kevin Thomas Jr. (4), 2. Justin Grant (3), 3. Zeb Wise (6), 4. Jason McDougal (2), 5. C.J. Leary (8), 6. Chris Windom (1), 7. Tucker Klaasmeyer (12), 8. Logan Seavey (13), 9. Tyler Courtney (5), 10. Thomas Meseraull (10), 11. Jesse Colwell (15), 12. Chad Boat (7), 13. Jake Neuman (16), 14. Ace McCarthy (14), 15. Dillon Welch (11), 16. Andrew Layser (22), 17. Holley Hollan (17), 18. Jerry Coons Jr. (20), 19. Zane Hendricks (19), 20. Cole Bodine (21), 21. Tanner Carrick (9), 22. Sterling Cling (24), 23. Dave Darland (18), 24. Ethan Mitchell (23). NT
2021 NIGHT #1 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Emerson Axsom (2), 2. Cannon McIntosh (3), 3. Chris Windom (1), 4. Justin Grant (9), 5. Buddy Kofoid (8), 6. Daison Pursley (4), 7. Tanner Thorson (17), 8. Ethan Mitchell (12), 9. Kevin Thomas Jr. (13), 10. Thomas Meseraull (16), 11. Bryant Wiedeman (7), 12. Kyle Cummins (14), 13. Logan Seavey (10), 14. Clinton Boyles (15), 15. Hayden Reinbold (18), 16. Brandon Waelti (20), 17. Bryan Stanfill (19), 18. Chase Randall (5), 19. Brenham Crouch (6), 20. Jason McDougal (11). NT
2021 NIGHT #2 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Chris Windom (1), 2. Buddy Kofoid (8), 3. Kevin Thomas Jr. (13), 4. Tanner Thorson (7), 5. Emerson Axsom (6), 6. Justin Grant (5), 7. Logan Seavey (9), 8. Thomas Meseraull (11), 9. Brenham Crouch (16), 10. Kyle Cummins (4), 11. Cannon McIntosh (12), 12. Chase Randall (2), 13. Bryant Wiedeman (14), 14. Clinton Boyles (18), 15. Jason McDougal (15), 16. Ethan Mitchell (10), 17. Hayden Reinbold (17), 18. Brandon Waelti (20), 19. Daison Pursley (3), 20. Bryan Stanfill (19). NT
100TH START, 100 LAPS LED:
GRANT CONQUERS ALL
AT TOLEDO’S ROLLIE BEALE CLASSIC
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Toledo, Ohio (April 19, 2025)………There can’t possibly be a better way to
celebrate a 100th career USAC Silver Crown start the way Justin Grant did during
Saturday afternoon’s Hemelgarn Racing/Super Fitness Rollie Beale Classic at
Ohio’s Toledo Speedway.
Grant (Ione, California) started from the outside of the front row, but he
didn’t run second for very long. In fact, by turn one, Grant had taken a
stranglehold of the lead and never relented as he led all 100 laps en route to a
dominating 6.684 second margin of victory on the 1/2-mile paved oval in his
Hemelgarn Racing/NOS Energy Drink – Super Fitness – Hemelgarn
Enterprises/Beast/Speedway Ford.
In the process, Grant completed the 100 lap, 50 mile contest in caution free
fashion. In fact, his time for the distance of 26:38.254 (112.623 mph average)
set a brand new track record at Toledo, breaking the former mark of 27:07.40 by
nearly half a minute, which was set by Jerry Coons Jr. in 2012.
But this particular one hit differently. Grant, who has driven for Toledo
native Ron Hemelgarn’s team since 2017, had never finished better than third.
However, on Saturday, in the very same event that Hemelgarn has supported as a
sponsor for all these years, Ron’s day in the sun at his hometown track had
finally arrived.
“It’s incredible to pick up a win here at Toledo Speedway for Ron Hemelgarn,”
Grant exclaimed. “He’s been a great supporter of my career and he’s let me drive
this number 91 for eight or nine years now. Ron said he’s never won at Toledo.
It’s an honor for me to pull that off for him. It’s the least I can do to say
thanks for all the years he’s let me try.”
Overall, it was Grant’s eighth victory of his USAC Silver Crown career, tying
Chris Windom for 16th place all-time. Known primarily for his dirt success,
Grant’s score was his second in USAC Silver Crown competition on pavement. Back
in 2021, he captured a win at Indiana’s Winchester Speedway. It’s a persistence
that has paid off. Over the winter, Grant put a laser focus on bettering his
game on the blacktop.
“I really felt like I went to work this winter on the pavement stuff,” Grant
explained. “I bet I’ve watched Kody run 5,000 laps around Toledo, in the dead of
winter, and I really tried to study and get serious about this pavement stuff.
I’m just super glad it paid off.”
To start the day, the question pondered among those on hand was, “who’ll stop
the rain?” Early morning storms delayed the day’s activities by several hours.
After Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying, the question changed to, “who’ll stop the
reign?”
That, of course, refers to Kody Swanson, winner of the past six USAC Silver
Crown main events at Toledo dating back to 2018. In all, Swanson owns eight
Silver Crown wins at Toledo, and in qualifying, he added his ninth pole position
at Toledo, the 55th overall of his career.
However, Swanson, who had led 778 of the 1,200 total laps ever run in Silver
Crown competition at Toledo (64.8%) never led a lap on Saturday. Instead, Grant
got the advantage over him at the start and never looked back, an ideal
situation for Grant which went exactly to his plan.
“I’ve watched a lot of laps around here and the one thing I’ve learned was
that it’s tough to pass here, especially if they’re good,” Grant pointed out.
“You’ve got to wait for their car to fall off and you can’t count on that with
Kody. I knew it would make our life a heck of a lot easier if I could get the
jump on him. It’s 100 laps but I’d rather spend 100 trying to keep him behind me
than trying to get by him. He’s pretty good. He’s really good.”
Meanwhile, Tyler Roahrig moved forward to second from his fifth starting spot
after dueling side-by-side with Swanson for several laps before emerging into
the runner-up spot on lap 37. Seventh starting Dakoda Armstrong muscled past
Swanson on the bottom of turns three and four to wrestle away the third spot on
the 83rd lap.
All the while, Grant was setting a blistering pace, and shockingly, put
Swanson a lap down with an outside pass in turn four on lap 95. That left only
three cars on the lead lap at the finish line, a remarkable pace that placed
Grant into “untouchable” mode from start to finish in the car set up to
perfection by crew chief Dennis LaCava.
“Any advantage I could gain, that’s what I was looking for,” Grant admitted.
“I knew on practice day that I could run between 15.6 to 15.8 (seconds) on
really old tires. (Spotter Brian Karraker) kept me running 15.8s the whole race
and it felt like a Sunday drive. When these pavement cars are good, they’re
incredible. This might be one of the best racecars I’ve ever driven. This thing
was on rails. It was incredible.”
Six days after taking second on the dirt in the USAC Silver Crown season
opener at Indiana’s Terre Haute Action Track, Grant pummeled the Toledo field to
raise his point lead to 24 after the first pair of events.
Roahrig equaled his best career USAC finish with a second, which was the best
ever result for his Newman Racing team. The performance earned Roahrig the
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night.
Armstrong took third for his best performance yet at Toledo. Swanson crossed
the line in fourth, which equaled his worst Silver Crown outing in 12 career
series starts at Toledo after also garnering a fourth in 2012. C.J. Leary
rounded out the top-five in the one-of-a-kind, first ever traditional pavement
Silver Crown car built by DRC chassis.
In his first USAC Silver Crown start since 2023, Kyle O’Gara earned Rod End
Supply Hard Charger honors. O'Gara started 13th and finished seventh in what was
also the series debut for the #141 machine owned by Charles and Brandi Maxwell.
USAC SILVER CROWN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: April 19, 2025 – Toledo
Speedway – Toledo, Ohio – 1/2-Mile Paved Oval – Hemelgarn Racing/Super Fitness
Rollie Beale Classic
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Kody Swanson, 77, Doran Binks-15.223; 2.
Justin Grant, 91, Hemelgarn-15.244; 3. Kaylee Bryson, 26, Pierce-15.311; 4.
Mario Clouser, 22, Rice/Abacus-15.393; 5. Tyler Roahrig, 41, Newman-15.409; 6.
C.J. Leary, 21, Team AZ/Petty/Rossi-15.414; 7. Dakoda Armstrong, 5, C &
A-15.425; 8. Colton Bettis, 126, Pierce-15.429; 9. Bobby Santos, 98, DJ-15.481;
10. Jake Trainor, 6, Klatt-15.556; 11. Kyle Steffens, 8, Steffens-15.615; 12.
Jackson Macenko, 124, Hayes-15.697; 13. Kyle O'Gara, 141, Maxwell-15.726; 14.
Taylor Ferns, 55, Ferns-15.819; 15. Matt Westfall, 54, 4 Kings-15.831; 16. Gregg
Cory, 32, Williams/Cory-16.819; 17. Dave Berkheimer, 31, Berkheimer-19.155.
FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Justin Grant (2),
2. Tyler Roahrig (5), 3. Dakoda Armstrong (7), 4. Kody Swanson (1), 5. C.J.
Leary (6), 6. Bobby Santos (9), 7. Kyle O’Gara (13), 8. Mario Clouser (4), 9.
Kaylee Bryson (3), 10. Taylor Ferns (14), 11. Jackson Macenko (12), 12. Matt
Westfall (15), 13. Kyle Steffens (11), 14. Gregg Cory (16), 15. Colton Bettis
(8), 16. Jake Trainor (10), 17. Dave Berkheimer (17). 26:38.254 (New Track
Record)
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-100 Justin Grant.
USAC SILVER CROWN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Justin Grant-140, 2-C.J.
Leary-116, 3-Kody Swanson-95, 4-Kaylee Bryson-95, 5-Matt Westfall-91, 6-Logan
Seavey-70, 7-Tyler Roahrig-67, 8-Brady Bacon-64, 9-Dakoda Armstrong-64, 10-Dave
Berkheimer-64.
USAC NATIONAL PARALLAX GROUP PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Kale Drake-55, 2-C.J.
Leary-48, 3-Briggs Danner-36, 4-Jadon Rogers-26, 5-Chase Stockon-24, 6-Kyle
Cummins-19, 7-Robert Ballou-18, 8-Jake Swanson-17, 9-Justin Grant-16, 10-Kayla
Roell-15.
NEXT USAC SILVER CROWN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: May 4, 2025 – Winchester
Speedway – Winchester, Indiana – 1/2-Mile Paved Oval – Rich Vogler Classic
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Practice Fastest Driver: Kody Swanson (15.223)
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: Kody Swanson (15.223)
Rod End Supply Hard Charger: Kyle O’Gara (13th to 7th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Race: Tyler Roahrig
TOLEDO SHUFFLE!
USAC SILVER CROWN GOES TO
TOLEDO’S PAVEMENT APRIL 19
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Toledo, Ohio (April 16, 2025)………The USAC Silver Crown trail is a diverse one
with an array of dirt and pavement tracks each taking turns hosting the
behemoths of the USAC arsenal – the champ cars.
Just last Sunday, Terre Haute’s dirt 1/2-mile was the battlefield. Now, this
Saturday, April 19, the stage is paved with asphalt as the series takes on
Ohio’s Toledo Speedway for the 12th running of the Hemelgarn Racing/Super
Fitness Rollie Beale Classic Fueled by Marco’s Pizza.
The annual event remembers Toledo’s racing hero, 1973 USAC National Sprint
Car champion Rollie Beale, who also later became a highly respected USAC
official who served as the chief steward for both the Silver Crown and National
Sprint Car series for many years.
Here’s seven storylines to watch coming up this Saturday at Toledo!
WHO’LL STOP THE REIGN?
Creedence Clearwater Revival once asked us “Who’ll stop the rain?” Race fans
still wonder “Who’ll stop the reign…of Kody Swanson at Toledo?”
Swanson (Kingsburg, California) has raced to eight overall USAC Silver Crown
victories at Toledo in 2011-15-18-19-21-22-23-24, including six consecutive. The
eight victories are one shy of the record for most by any driver at a single
track in USAC Silver Crown history, one that he himself owns with nine scores at
Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Kody’s current run of six consecutive Silver Crown wins at Toledo does have
him at the top of another record for consecutive victories at one track. He set
the record during the 2024 running of the event in which he led all 100 laps en
route to the win after starting on the pole.
As the owner of eight poles and eight victories in Silver Crown competition
at Toledo, Swanson is the winningest USAC driver in the history of the track.
He’s also the only driver to have started all 11 previous USAC Silver Crown
events contested at Toledo dating back to 2010 and has now led 778 of the 1,200
total laps ever run in Silver Crown competition at Toledo for a percentage of
64.8%.
The eight-time USAC Silver Crown champion, however, is buried deep in the points entering Toledo following a 16th place result in last Sunday’s opener at Terre Haute which has him 16th in the standings with a lot of ground to cover.
THE 100 CLUB
Twenty drivers have reached the 100 career start mark with the USAC Silver
Crown series. Justin Grant (Ione, California) is poised to become the next this
Saturday.
Grant currently stands at 99 starts dating back to his 2012 series debut.
Other drivers in the 100 career start club include: Russ Gamester (218), Brian
Tyler (212), Dave Darland (201), Jerry Coons Jr. (190), Tracy Hines (172), Jack
Hewitt (163), Kody Swanson (154), Eric Gordon (153), Johnny Parsons (151), Tony
Elliott (147), George Snider (129), Gary Hieber (125), Chuck Gurney (115), Bud
Kaeding (113), Jimmy Sills (113), Dave Steele (111), John Heydenreich (110),
Aaron Pierce (106), A.J. Fike (105) and Larry Rice (100).
Grant has finished each of his last three Toledo starts inside the top-five with a 3rd in 2022, 4th in 2023 and another 4th in 2024.
MARIO'S NEW SPEEDWAGON
This past Sunday, Rice Motorsports-Abacus Racing captured the season opening
victory of the USAC Silver Crown campaign on the dirt of the Terre Haute Action
Track with Logan Seavey as the winning driver.
However, for the first time since 2019, the no. 22 will have a different
driver in the seat. Mario Clouser has been selected as the wheelman of the car
for Toledo. In the team’s four previous starts with Seavey, he collected a 10th,
4th, 5th and 7th.
Meanwhile, Clouser has progressively finished better in each of his three Toledo Silver Crown starts with a 9th in 2022, a 7th in 2023 and a 6th in 2024.
THE BOLT MAKES USAC HISTORY
At age 15, teenage sensation Colton Bettis will become the youngest driver to
compete in a USAC Silver Crown event this Saturday at Toledo. The Lutz, Florida
native will drive a second Sam Pierce Racing car at Toledo as a teammate to
Kaylee Bryson.
Bettis has been on quite a roll as of late, winning the 2024 Auburndale Pro
Late Model Championship and the 2024 BG Southern Sprint Car Series Championship.
Thus far in 2025, he’s won five of the first seven winged pavement sprint car
races in Florida in which he competed in.
Currently ranked second in the 2025 National Pavement Sprint Car rankings, Bettis is also the current BG Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series points leader.
BUSY IS THE WORD FOR BYRD
Perhaps no other driver will have a more diversified upcoming week of racing
than Nathan Byrd.
On Thursday, Byrd (Goodyear, Arizona) will compete with the 500 Sprint Car
Tour at Indiana’s Anderson Speedway. On Friday, he’s off to North Carolina’s
Rockingham Speedway to race with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. To cap off
his weekend on Saturday, he’ll wheel the Meyer Auto Research no. 40 Silver Crown
car at Toledo.
The first of Byrd’s two Silver Crown starts at Toledo was his best, finishing
sixth in 2021. His most recent appearance at the track netted a 16th in 2023.
LEARY DEBUTS NEW CAR
To kick off the week, C.J. Leary took his first ride in the Team
AZ-Petty-Rossi Silver Crown car, which he took to a 5th place finish at Terre
Haute’s dirt oval.
This weekend, the team will make a debut of another kind as they unveil the
first ever DRC pavement Silver Crown chassis. In a series dominated by Beast
chassis in the win column over the pavement for the past three decades, it will
be interesting to see how the new DRC design performs in its first race day.
Leary also has a bit of a score to settle at Toledo after a magnificent 2023 run which saw him lead a race-high 77 laps before finishing second to Kody Swanson. Leary’s most recent USAC Silver Crown win actually came on the pavement of Wisconsin’s Madison International Speedway in 2022.
FIRST THINGS FIRST FOR SANTOS
When it comes to USAC Silver Crown season openers on pavement, no driver has
won more often than Bobby Santos. Santos has captured the pavement opener on six
occasions in his career in 2012-13-17-18-22-23.
Back in 2017, Santos (Franklin, Mass.) raced around Kody Swanson just before
the midway point to score one in the win column for himself and the DJ Racing
team at Toledo Speedway. He’s also the only driver to win at Toledo in a USAC
Sprint, Midget and Silver Crown car in his career in addition to collecting a
King of the Wing Sprint Car victory there in 2017.
In six of his nine career Silver Crown starts at Toledo, Santos has placed on the podium, and he’s also taken the runner-up position four times in 2018-19-21-22.
RACE DETAILS
An open practice session will be held at Toledo Speedway on Friday, April 18.
USAC Silver Crown practice will take place from 4:15-5pm Eastern and again from
6:15-8pm in an alternating fashion along with the other divisions.
On Saturday, April 19, at Toledo Speedway, the Hemelgarn Racing/Super Fitness
Rollie Beale Classic features the USAC Silver Crown National Championship plus
the CRA Jegs All Star Tour & Factory Stocks.
USAC pit gates open at 8am Eastern. Spectator grates open at 10:30am with
practice set for 11:20am, followed by qualifying at 12:30pm, an autograph
session from 1:50-2:30pm. Pre-race ceremonies begin at 2:45pm followed by the
100-lap USAC Silver Crown feature at 3pm.
General admission tickets are $30. Kids age 6-12 are $5. Ages 5 & under are
free. Advance tickets are on sale now at http://www.toledospeedway.com/.
==================
2025 ROLLIE BEALE CLASSIC ENTRY LIST: (19)
5 DAKODA ARMSTRONG/New Castle, IN (C & A Motorsports)
6 JAKE TRAINOR/Greenfield, IN (Klatt Enterprises)
8 KYLE STEFFENS/St. Charles, MO (Steffens Motorsports)
18 TRAVIS WELPOTT/Pendleton, IN (Welpott Racing)
21 C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Team AZ-Petty-Rossi Racing)
22 MARIO CLOUSER/Sutter, CA (Rice Motorsports-Abacus Racing)
26 KAYLEE BRYSON/Muskogee, OK (Sam Pierce Racing)
31 DAVE BERKHEIMER/Mechanicsburg, PA (Berkheimer Racing)
32 GREGG CORY/Shelbyville, IN (Williams-Cory Racing)
40 NATHAN BYRD/Goodyear, AZ (Meyer Auto Research)
41 TYLER ROAHRIG/Plymouth, IN (Michael Newman)
54 MATT WESTFALL/Pleasant Hill, OH (4 Kings Racing)
55 TAYLOR FERNS/Shelby Township, MI (Taylor Ferns Racing)
77 KODY SWANSON/Kingsburg, CA (Doran-Binks Racing)
81 TREY OSBORNE/Columbus, OH (BCR Group)
91 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (Hemelgarn Racing)
98 BOBBY SANTOS/Franklin, MA (DJ Racing)
124 (R) JACKSON MACENKO/Cincinnati, OH (Brad Hayes Racing)
126 COLTON BETTIS/Lutz, FL (Sam Pierce Racing)
(R) represents a USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year contender
TRACK RECORDS FOR USAC SILVER CROWN AT TOLEDO SPEEDWAY:
1 Lap - 10/15/2011 - Kody Swanson - 14.809 - 121.548 mph
100 Laps - 6/29/2012 - Jerry Coons Jr. - 27:07.40 - 110.606 mph
TOLEDO USAC SILVER CROWN WINS:
8-Kody Swanson
2-Jerry Coons Jr.
1-Bobby Santos
TOLEDO USAC SILVER CROWN WINNERS:
2010: Jerry Coons Jr. (10/16)
2011: Kody Swanson (10/15)
2012: Jerry Coons Jr. (6/29)
2015: Kody Swanson (5/1)
2017: Bobby Santos (7/28)
2018: Kody Swanson (5/4)
2019: Kody Swanson (4/28)
2021: Kody Swanson (10/10)
2022: Kody Swanson (8/6)
2023: Kody Swanson (8/5)
2024: Kody Swanson (4/20)
PAST USAC SILVER CROWN RESULTS AT TOLEDO SPEEDWAY:
2010 FEATURE: (150 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jerry Coons
Jr. (1), 2. Kody Swanson (5), 3. Bobby East (6), 4. Bryan Clauson (10), 5. A.J.
Fike (8), 6. Brian Tyler (11), 7. Levi Jones (4), 8. Bud Kaeding (3), 9. Justin
Carver (15), 10. Zach Daum (14), 11. Dave Darland (19), 12. Russ Gamester (12),
13. Derek Hagar (18), 14. Zach Martini (20), 15. Tanner Swanson (9), 16. Tracy
Hines (7), 17. Shane Hollingsworth (13), 18. Jeff Swindell (16), 19. Troy
DeCaire (17), 20. Jacob Wilson (2). NT
2011 FEATURE: (150 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody Swanson
(1), 2. Bryan Clauson (6), 3. Bobby East (3), 4. Jerry Coons Jr. (2), 5. Darren
Hagen (7), 6. Brian Tyler (10), 7. Levi Jones (11), 8. Kyle Hamilton (12), 9.
Shane Hollingsworth (13), 10. Eric Gordon (4), 11. Tracy Hines (9), 12. David
Byrne (14), 13. Kyle Larson (15), 14. Derek Hagar (16), 15. A.J. Fike (18), 16.
Russ Gamester (8), 17. Jimmy Kite (19), 18. Tanner Swanson (5), 19. Doug
Berryman (17). 45:54.90
2012 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jerry Coons
Jr. (8), 2. Bobby East (1), 3. Bobby Santos (3), 4. Kody Swanson (2), 5. Tracy
Hines (4), 6. Kyle Hamilton (5), 7. Tanner Swanson (6), 8. A.J. Fike (10), 9.
Levi Jones (14), 10. Jacob Wilson (11), 11. Bud Kaeding (9), 12. Eric Gordon
(13), 13. Brian Tyler (12), 14. Doug Berryman (15), 15. Taylor Ferns (7).
27:07.40
2015 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody Swanson
(1), 2. Jacob Wilson (3), 3. A.J. Fike (17), 4. Jerry Coons Jr. (7), 5. Aaron
Pierce (5), 6. David Byrne (16), 7. Austin Nemire (15), 8. Dave Baumgartner
(11), 9. Tracy Hines (4), 10. Rex Norris III (10), 11. C.J. Leary (13), 12. Tim
Barber (14), 13. Jarett Andretti (9), 14. Jimmy McCune (12), 15. Tanner Swanson
(2), 16. Bobby Santos (8), 17. Kyle Hamilton (6), 18. Patrick Lawson (18). NT
2017 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Bobby Santos
(2), 2. Kody Swanson (1), 3. Chris Windom (4), 4. Jerry Coons Jr. (6), 5. Joe
Liguori (8), 6. Davey Hamilton (9), 7. Joe Axsom (11), 8. David Byrne (5), 9.
Annie Breidinger (12), 10. Justin Grant (7), 11. Troy Thompson (14), 12. Aaron
Pierce (3), 13. Joss Moffatt (15), 14. Damion Gardner (10), 15. Matt Goodnight
(13). 28:48.17
2018 FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Kody Swanson (9), 2. Bobby Santos (4), 3. David
Byrne (7), 4. Eric Gordon (16), 5. Aaron Pierce (6), 6. Austin Nemire (8), 7.
Cody Gerhardt (15), 8. Matt Goodnight (10), 9. Travis Welpott (11), 10. Justin
Grant (1), 11. Kyle Robbins (12, 12. Toni Breidinger (14), 13. Jerry Coons Jr.
(2), 14. Kyle Hamilton (3), 15. Chris Windom (5), 16. Dave Darland (13). NT
2019 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Kody Swanson
(1), 2. Bobby Santos (11), 3. Aaron Pierce (3), 4. Justin Grant (6), 5. Chris
Windom (10), 6. Kyle Hamilton (2), 7. Austin Nemire (20), 8. Derek Bischak (12),
9. Joey Schmidt (13), 10. Brian Gerster (19), 11. Russ Gamester (16), 12. Mike
Haggenbottom (22), 13. Cody Gerhardt (21), 14. Kyle Robbins (17), 15. Cody
Gallogly (18), 16. Chris Dyson (14), 17. Matt Goodnight (15), 18. Eric Gordon
(4), 19. David Byrne (7), 20. Jason Conn (9), 21. C.J. Leary (5), 22. Kevin
Thomas, Jr. (8). NT
2021 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody Swanson
(1), 2. Bobby Santos (4), 3. Brian Tyler (7), 4. David Byrne (3), 5. Davey
Hamilton Jr. (14), 6. Nathan Byrd (10), 7. Kyle O'Gara (6), 8. Austin Nemire
(15), 9. Taylor Ferns (5), 10. Logan Seavey (12), 11. Mike Haggenbottom (19),
12. Jake Day (21), 13. Tyler Roahrig (8), 14. Annie Breidinger (20), 15. Russ
Gamester (11), 16. Mike McVetta (17), 17. Justin Grant (2), 18. Jim Anderson
(13), 19. Travis Welpott (18), 20. Aaron Pierce (16), 21. Kyle Robbins (9), 22.
Dave Berkheimer (22). NT
2022 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody Swanson
(1), 2. Bobby Santos (4), 3. Justin Grant (3), 4. Logan Seavey (5), 5. Russ
Gamester (7), 6. Derek Bischak (19), 7. Kyle Robbins (6), 8. Brian Tyler (10),
9. Mario Clouser (9), 10. Nick Hamilton (8), 11. C.J. Leary (20), 12. Mike
McVetta (11), 13. Kaylee Bryson (15), 14. Kyle O’Gara (12), 15. Mike
Haggenbottom (17), 16. Gregg Cory (16), 17. Taylor Ferns (2), 18. Travis Welpott
(14), 19. Jake Day (21), 20. Austin Nemire (13), 21. Tom Paterson (18), 22. Dave
Berkheimer (22). 1:05:57.617
2023 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody Swanson
(1), 2. C.J. Leary (2), 3. Derek Bischak (5), 4. Justin Grant (3), 5. Logan
Seavey (7), 6. Kaylee Bryson (10), 7. Mario Clouser (9), 8. Taylor Ferns (17),
9. Russ Gamester (8), 10. Dakoda Armstrong (6), 11. Bobby Santos (20), 12. Billy
Wease (11), 13. Kyle Robbins (14), 14. Kyle O'Gara (12), 15. Matt Westfall (15),
16. Nathan Byrd (13), 17. Trey Burke (18), 18. Mike McVetta (19), 19. Travis
Welpott (16), 20. Davey Hamilton Jr. (4), 21. Tom Paterson (22), 22. Dave
Berkheimer (21). 28:35.61
2024 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody Swanson (1), 2. C.J. Leary (3), 3. Tyler Roahrig (2), 4. Justin Grant (5), 5. Bobby Santos (4), 6. Mario Clouser (9), 7. Logan Seavey (6), 8. Taylor Ferns (11), 9. Jerry Coons Jr. (14), 10. Davey Hamilton Jr. (10), 11. Kaylee Bryson (18), 12. Kyle Steffens (15), 13. Gregg Cory (12), 14. Jackson Macenko (7), 15. Travis Welpott (16), 16. Trey Burke (13), 17. Dakoda Armstrong (8), 18. Dave Berkheimer (17), 19. Nathan Moore (19). 28:00.63
Grant Ties Burg USAC Record, Wins Justin Owen Memorial
Richie Murray
April 12, 2025
Lawrenceburg, Indiana (April 12, 2025)………When a jubilant Justin Grant hoisted his helmet out of the top of his roll cage following his first career USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car victory at Indiana’s Lawrenceburg Speedway in 2012, little did anyone know that it was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to what he would go on to accomplish at the 3/8-mile dirt oval in the years to come.
On Saturday night, nearly 13 years later, Grant once again raised his helmet skyward on the cooldown lap, this time after tying Dave Darland as the winningest driver in USAC National Sprint Car history at Lawrenceburg, matching The Peoples Champ with his seventh score at the venue.
Moments later, Grant paid homage to the driver in which Saturday night’s event was honoring – Justin Owen – by bringing his car to a complete stop atop turn three, the same spot in which Owen lost his life two years earlier during a 2023 USAC Sprint Car qualifying crash.
“It’s big. It’s really, really big,” Grant reflected upon winning the second annual Justin Owen Memorial. “To tie Dave (Darland) here for all-time wins is great, and that’s special to me, but it’s really special to win this race in Justin’s memory. Admittedly, I didn’t know him very well but I raced with him down here back when I was in the (Mark Hery) 40 car. He was clearly special with as many people who support this race and with as many people who turn out and everybody doing things in his honor. It shows how special of a person he was to so many people.”
Furthermore, Grant’s personal USAC National Sprint Car win tally now stands at 56, which has him just six back of Darland’s record of 62 on the list of all-time winners and just three behind Brady Bacon’s who stands second with 59.
Starting outside the front row in his TOPP Motorsports/NOS Energy Drink – TOPP Industries – LA Poly/Maxim/Kistler Chevy, Grant gave way to pole sitter Chase Stockon for the initial pair of laps at the start until Australian Todd Hobson (17th) flipped in turn one and also collected Jadon Rogers (20th). Hobson climbed out and walked away from the wreckage, but after the car was towed to the Indy Metal Finishing Work Area, repairs were made and Hobson rejoined the field at the tail before ultimately finishing 19th.
From then on, it was a duel at the front between Stockon and Grant, who worked the high line while Stockon operated on the lower half of the track. On lap nine, Grant zipped to the inside of Stockon off turn four, out-dragging him into turn one to take over up front.
Thereafter, Grant refused to relent on the path in which he used to strike the decisive pass, maintaining a residence on the high line while Stockon gave chase in second. But Grant was a man with a plan, stating that he felt as if he might’ve channeled his days of driving the Hery no. 40 at Lawrenceburg in the early 2010s, recalling that it had been quite some time since he had been above the cushion anywhere. But he knew that if he could stick with it it was going to pay off in a major way.
“I could just make up so much speed off of two,” Grant explained. “The backstretch was slick and I was afraid about coming across the bottom. I’d get tight in the center and then just not get that run down the back stretch. It seemed like it was pretty sketchy into one. But once you got clear of that, it was really nice and smooth up there. Honestly, I was just trying to stay up where it was smooth. It just had that one spot, then I could carry so much momentum. I knew if I could keep it out of the fence getting into one and not get choked up on a restart there, I’d be in good shape.”
Grant’s quest was soon put to the test following lap 11 when Luke Hall (17th) biked in turn three and flipped upside down, necessitating a red flag and restart. Hall was able to climb out and walk away.
Throughout the middle stages, Stockon was able to pose a challenge to Grant for the lead, briefly pulling ahead of Grant on the low side of turn two. Yet, each time, Grant promptly rocketed off the top to retake the lead from Stockon.
While Grant and Stockon were up front engaging in their own war, the tussle between the third and fourth place cars driven by Mitchel Moles (3rd) and Robert Ballou (4th) was raging. As Moles and Ballou crossed the stripe to complete lap 15, Moles’ car appeared to slow up ever so briefly, which was met by front bumper to rear bumper contact between the pair.
When the same two reached turn two side-by-side, it got even more messy when the two connected wheels with the end result being Ballou’s right rear tire ramping over Moles’ left front, which sent Moles spinning backward to a stop. Moles’ night ended on the spot after he had completed two-thirds of a sweep after setting his 17th career fast time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying followed by a triumphant first heat race victory. Ballou, meanwhile, continued onward, and ultimately, finished on the podium.
Over the course of the final 10 laps of the 30-lap main, Stockon managed to sneak a peek on multiple occasions down underneath Grant, edging ahead just slightly on both laps 21 and 22 before giving way to the high-riding Grant who had momentum on his side as he blitzed past Stockon each time, and gradually built up a full two second lead.
In the end, Grant pushed his advantage to 2.678 seconds as he passed under the checkered flag for the second time during the 2025 USAC National Sprint Car season over Stockon, Ballou, Briggs Danner and C.J. Leary who completed the top-five.
In addition to Grant’s $7400 top prize, several more drivers collected a myriad of bonuses courtesy of the late Justin Owen’s friends and family as well as from a variety of sponsors and donations, which totaled more than $6,000 in additions to the purse.
Nick Bilbee took home $1354.00 in special race bonuses alone, plus money from Rod End Supply for earning hard charger honors by advancing from his 20th place feature starting spot to finish 11th in the feature.
Also, Carson Garrett picked up $604 as the first non-transfer from the semi-feature. Chase Stockon recorded the second fastest time in hot laps while Logan Seavey was the second quickest in qualifying, with both drivers earning a $404 reward. Briggs Danner pocketed an extra $264 as the fourth place feature finisher. An extra $26 apiece went to the fourth place finishers from each heat race: Shawn Westerfeld, Jadon Rogers, Austin Nigh and Jake Swanson.
C.J. Leary made the Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night. All in all, it was a bounce back night for the 2019 USAC National Sprint Car champ who finished his evening by winning his heat race, then racing to a top-five feature finish.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: April 12, 2025 – Lawrenceburg Speedway – Lawrenceburg, Indiana – 3/8-Mile Dirt Track – Justin Owen Memorial
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Mitchel Moles, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-14.267; 2. Logan Seavey, 57, Abacus-14.268; 3. Gunnar Setser, 5G, KO-14.307; 4. Robert Ballou, 12, Ballou-14.326; 5. Saban Bibent, 98, Wedgewood-14.335; 6. Shawn Westerfeld, 4J, Fischesser/Owen-14.413; 7. Justin Grant, 4, TOPP-14.430; 8. Chase Stockon, 92, Sertich-14.520; 9. Jake Swanson, 5T, Daming/Swanson-14.567; 10. Briggs Danner, 39, Hogue-14.660; 11. Kyle Cummins, 3p, Petty-14.678; 12. Kevin Thomas Jr., 3R, Rock Steady-14.685; 13. Hayden Reinbold, 19, Reinbold/Underwood-14.737; 14. Todd Hobson, 98H, Doran/Wedgewood-14.741; 15. Daison Pursley, 86, CBI-14.754; 16. Austin Nigh, 97, Nigh-14.762; 17. Max Adams, 17GP, Dutcher-14.766; 18. Luke Hall, 23s, Simon-14.794; 19. Kale Drake 2B, 2B Racing-14.821; 20. Nick Bilbee, 69, Bilbee/Hoffman-14.842; 21. C.J. Leary, 21AZ, Team AZ/Curb-Agajanian-14.848; 22. Carson Garrett, 2E, Epperson-14.883; 23. Jadon Rogers, 66, Amati-14.903; 24. Ryan Barr, 21B, Barr-15.027; 25. Kayla Roell, 4K, Roell-15.063; 26. Nate Carle, 14c, Carle-15.392; 27. Zach Lamb, 73, Lamb-15.491; 28. Braydon Cromwell, 4x, Boyd-NT.
CAR IQ FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Mitchel Moles, 2. Briggs Danner, 3. Todd Hobson, 4. Shawn Westerfeld, 5. Nate Carle, 6. Luke Hall, 7. Carson Garrett. NT
K1 RACEGEAR SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Daison Pursley, 2. Kale Drake, 3. Justin Grant, 4. Jadon Rogers, 5. Kyle Cummins, 6. Logan Seavey, 7. Zach Lamb. 2:01.73
HOOSIER TIRE THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Chase Stockon, 2. Nick Bilbee, 3. Kevin Thomas Jr., 4. Austin Nigh, 5. Gunnar Setser, 6. Ryan Barr, 7. Braydon Cromwell. 2:03.03
COOK OUT FOURTH HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. C.J. Leary, 2. Robert Ballou, 3. Hayden Reinbold, 4. Jake Swanson, 5. Kayla Roell, 6. Max Adams. 2:02.00
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (10 laps, top-4 transfer to the feature) 1. Max Adams, 2. Logan Seavey, 3. Ryan Barr, 4. Luke Hall, 5. Carson Garrett, 6. Zach Lamb, 7. Braydon Cromwell. 2:35:55
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Justin Grant (2), 2. Chase Stockon (1), 3. Robert Ballou (4), 4. Briggs Danner (11), 5. C.J. Leary (8), 6. Logan Seavey (9), 7. Kyle Cummins (12), 8. Jake Swanson (10), 9. Daison Pursley (7), 10. Gunnar Setser (5), 11. Nick Bilbee (20), 12. Kevin Thomas Jr. (13), 13. Kale Drake (19), 14. Hayden Reinbold (14), 15. Max Adams (17), 16. Ryan Barr (22), 17. Kayla Roell (23), 18. Shawn Westerfeld (3), 19. Todd Hobson (15), 20. Austin Nigh (16), 21. Mitchel Moles (6), 22. Luke Hall (18), 23. Nate Carle (24), 24. Jadon Rogers (21). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-8 Chase Stockon, Laps 9-30 Justin Grant.
**Saban Bibent flipped during qualifying. Todd Hobson flipped on lap 3 of the feature. Luke Hall flipped on lap 11 of the feature.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Kyle Cummins-587, 2-Justin Grant-577, 3-Daison Pursley-543, 4-Logan Seavey-457, 5-Jake Swanson-436, 6-C.J. Leary-425, 7-Briggs Danner-425, 8-Mitchel Moles-424, 9-Robert Ballou-400, 10-Kale Drake-398.
PARALLAX GROUP USAC NATIONAL PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Kale Drake-55, 2-C.J. Leary-44, 3-Briggs Danner-31, 4-Jadon Rogers-26, 5-Chase Stockon-24, 6-Kyle Cummins-19, 7-Robert Ballou-18, 8-Jake Swanson-17, 9-Kayla Roell-15, 10-Harley Burns-14.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACES: May 2-3, 2025 – Eldora Speedway – Rossburg, Ohio – 1/2-Mile Dirt Track – #LetsRaceTwo
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS:
April 12, 2025 – Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, Arizona
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY / WC FRIEND COMPANY ACCESS SYSTEMS QUALIFICATIONS: 1.
R.J. Johnson, 33P, Petty-15.730 (New Track Record); 2. Ricky Lewis, 41,
Lewis-15.758; 3. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-15.849; 4. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T,
Tafoya-15.866; 5. David Gasper, 18, Kittle/Gasper-15.904; 6. J.J. Yeley, 2,
Yeley-15.985; 7. Brody Wake, 78B, Wake-16.017; 8. Connor Lundy, 97,
Lundy-16.094; 9. Cody Williams, 44, Williams-16.098; 10. Matt Westfall, 11C,
Turner/Wheeler-16.187; 11. Austin Williams, 17W, Dunkel-16.234; 12. Brody Roa,
15, Bonneau-16.247; 13. Logan Williams, 5W, McCarthy-16.268; 14. Charles Davis
Jr., 47, Davis-16.272; 15. Connor Speir, 57S, Speir-16.409; 16. Blake Bower,
17X, Dunkel-16.432; 17. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-16.471; 18. Dayton Shelton, 4D,
Shelton-16.490; 19. Colt Treharn, 77, Seals-16.815; 20. Andrew Sweeney, 98A,
Guerrero-16.949; 21. Eugene Thomas, 10, Tellas-17.163; 22. Verne Sweeney, 98,
Guerrero-17.306; 23. Lonnie Oliver, 22AZ, Oliver-17.542; 24. Brecken Guerrero,
98B, Guerrero-18.048; 25. Elexa Herrera, 5E, Herrera-18.216; 26. Lonnie
Hochstetler, 31H, Hochstetler-18.362.
IN HONOR OF WILEY MILLER SR. & WILEY MILLER II / SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION FIRST
HEAT: (10 laps, All Cars Transfer To Feature) 1. R.J. Johnson, 2. Logan
Williams, 3. Brody Wake, 4. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 5. Matt Westfall, 6. Colt Treharn,
7. Verne Sweeney, 8. Elexa Herrera, 9. Blake Bower. NT.
SILBERMANN SOLAR / FACTORY WRAPS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, All Cars Transfer To
Feature) 1. A.J. Bender, 2. Charles Davis Jr., 3. Austin Williams, 4. Ricky
Lewis, 5. David Gasper, 6. Connor Lundy, 7. Andrew Sweeney, 8. Lonnie Oliver, 9.
Lonnie Hochstetler. NT.
WC FRIEND COMPANY ACCESS SYSTEMS / IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER THIRD
HEAT: (10 laps, All Cars Transfer To Feature) 1. Brody Roa, 2. Dayton Shelton,
3. Cody Williams, 4. Tommy Malcolm, 5. Connor Speir, 6. J.J. Yeley, 7. Eugene
Thomas, 8. Brecken Guerrero. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. David Gasper (2), 2. R.J.
Johnson (6), 3. Ricky Lewis (5), 4. J.J. Yeley (7), 5. Charles Davis Jr. (14),
6. Brody Roa (12), 7. Austin Williams (11), 8. Connor Lundy (8), 9. A.J. Bender
(17), 10. Dayton Shelton (18), 11. Blake Bower (16), 12. Logan Williams (13),
13. Verne Sweeney (22), 14. Eugene Thomas (21), 15. Lonnie Oliver (23), 16.
Elexa Herrera (25), 17. Brecken Guerrero (24), 18. Brody Wake (1), 19. Eddie
Tafoya Jr. (3), 20. Matt Westfall (10), 21. Cody Williams (9), 22. Connor Speir
(15), 23. Colt Treharn (19), 24. Tommy Malcolm (4), 25. Andrew Sweeney (20). NT.
----------------------------
**Cody Williams flipped during lap 18 of the feature. Brody Wake flipped during
lap 23 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 David Gasper.
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER / TEAR-OFF HEAVEN FOTOS / RICH’S AUTO HARD
CHARGER: Charles Davis Jr. (14 to 5)
NEW AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS:
NEXT AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: April 26 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, California
RICKY LEWIS ADDS CASA GRANDE USAC/CRA DEBUT TO WIN LIST
CASA GRANDE, ARIZONA – APRIL 11, 2025… Taking command from Brody Roa on the fifth circuit, Ricky Lewis (Oxnard, CA) sailed to his fourth Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car win of the campaign. Piloting his #41 Coyote Candle Company / Mesilla Valley Transportation DRC, the point leader ran at a torrid pace to escape from all challengers to win the USAC/CRA debut at Central Arizona Raceway. J.J. Yeley, A.J. Bender, Roa, and new track record holder R.J. Johnson rounded out the top-five.
Johnson opened the night by posting a new track record and earning the ninth Woodland Auto Display / WC Friend Company Fast Time Award of his career. Driving the Petty Performance Racing #33P Avanti Windows & Doors / Apache Transport entry, the defending champion topped the charts with a time of 15.810 seconds over the 30 cars at the Pinal County Fairgrounds.
Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm, Blake Bower, J.J. Yeley and Ricky Lewis raced to victory in their 10-lap heat races.
For his efforts, J.J. Yeley earned the $200 In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner / Tear-Off Heaven Fotos / Rich’s Auto Hard Charger Award with a second place run from tenth. We appreciate their support.
For more information on the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, visit usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
Tomorrow, the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will be back in action at Casa Grande’s Central Arizona Raceway.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: April 11, 2025 – Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, Arizona
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY / WC FRIEND COMPANY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. R.J. Johnson, 33P, Petty-15.810 (New Track Record); 2. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-15.816; 3. Charles Davis Jr., 47, Davis-15.977; 4. Ricky Lewis, 41, Lewis-16.049; 5. Caleb Stelzig, 21X, Stelzig-16.146; 6. Cody Williams, 44, Williams-16.160; 7. Brody Roa, 15, Bonneau-16.196; 8. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-16.212; 9. David Gasper, 18, Kittle/Gasper-16.223; 10. Connor Lundy, 97, Lundy-16.331; 11. J.J. Yeley, 2, Yeley-16.354; 12. Matt Westfall, 11C, Turner/Wheeler-16.494; 13. Brody Wake, 78B, Wake-16.515; 14. Austin Williams, 17W, Dunkel-16.578; 15. Logan Williams, 5W, McCarthy-16.599; 16. A.J. Hernandez, 72, Hernandez-16.738; 17. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-16.740; 18. Blake Bower, 17X, Dunkel-16.853; 19. Connor Speir, 57S, Speir-16.877; 20. Verne Sweeney, 98, Guerrero-16.893; 21. Lonnie Oliver, 22AZ, Oliver-16.955; 22. Shon Deskins, 20, Deskins-17.075; 23. Logan Calderwood, 6, Calderwood-17.151; 24. Andrew Sweeney, 98A, Guerrero-17.166; 25. Colt Treharn, 77, Seals-17.222; 26. Dayton Shelton, 4D, Shelton-17.435; 27. Lonnie Hochstetler, 31H, Hochstetler-17.570; 28. Justin Kierce, 43, Kierce-17.862; 29. Brecken Guerrero, 98B, Guerrero-17.958; 30. Elexa Herrera, 5E, Herrera-18.090.
IN HONOR OF WILEY MILLER SR. & WILEY MILLER II FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, Top 4 Cars Transfer To Feature) 1. Tommy Malcolm, 2. R.J. Johnson, 3. Brody Wake, 4. David Gasper, 5. Colt Treharn, 6. Lonnie Oliver, 7. Brecken Guerrero, 8. Caleb Stelzig. NT.
WC FRIEND COMPANY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, Top 4 Cars Transfer To Feature) 1. Blake Bower, 2. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 3. Shon Deskins, 4. Cody Williams, 5. Austin Williams, 6. Connor Lundy, 7. Dayton Shelton, 8. Elexa Herrera. NT.
SILBERMANN SOLAR THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, Top 4 Cars Transfer To Feature) 1. J.J. Yeley, 2. Logan Calderwood, 3. Connor Speir, 4. Brody Roa, 5. Charles Davis Jr., 6. Logan Williams, 7. Lonnie Hochstetler. NT.
SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION / IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER FOURTH HEAT: (10 laps, Top 4 Cars Transfer To Feature) 1. Ricky Lewis, 2. Andrew Sweeney, 3. A.J. Bender, 4. Matt Westfall, 5. Verne Sweeney, 6. Justin Kierce, 7. A.J. Hernandez. NT.
FACTORY WRAPS SEMI: (12 laps, Top 6 Cars Transfer To Feature) 1. Charles Davis Jr., 2. Connor Lundy, 3. Austin Williams, 4. Logan Williams, 5. Colt Treharn, 6. Dayton Shelton, 7. Lonnie Oliver, 8. Justin Kierce, 9. Verne Sweeney, 10. Lonnie Hochstetler, 11. Elexa Herrera, 12. Brecken Guerrero. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Ricky Lewis (4), 2. J.J. Yeley (10), 3. A.J. Bender (1), 4. Brody Roa (2), 5. R.J. Johnson (6), 6. David Gasper (8), 7. Cody Williams (3), 8. Charles Davis Jr. (7), 9. Brody Wake (12), 10. Austin Williams (13), 11. Connor Lundy (9), 12. Tommy Malcolm (15), 13. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (5), 14. Logan Williams (14), 15. Blake Bower (16), 16. Dayton Shelton (22), 17. Connor Speir (17), 18. Andrew Sweeney (20), 19. Matt Westfall (11), 20. Shon Deskins (18), 21. Logan Calderwood (19), 22. Colt Treharn (21). NT. ---------------------------- **Shon Deskins flipped during lap 6 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-4 Brody Roa, Laps 5-30 Ricky Lewis IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER / TEAR-OFF HEAVEN FOTOS / RICH’S AUTO HARD CHARGER: J.J. Yeley (10 to 2)
NEW AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS:
NEXT AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: April 12 – Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, Arizona
BILL MARVEL WOMEN’S CHARITY GOLF OUTING
ON MAY 21 TO BENEFIT USAC RACEAID
Indianapolis, Indiana (April 9, 2025)………Tee up for the 29th annual Bill
Marvel Women's Charity Golf Outing to benefit USAC RaceAid on Wednesday, May 21,
at the Eagle Creek Golf Club in Indianapolis, Ind.
Registration and breakfast for the golf scramble is set for 7:30am Eastern
with a shotgun start at 8:30am and will be followed by a luncheon, raffle and
silent auction at the course located at 8802 West 56th Street in Indy.
All skill levels are welcome. The price is $85 per player for the event.
Sponsors and teams can register for the event now at https://usacracing.redpodium.com/raceaid.
From there, click the button next to “Register For A RACEAID Event” then select
“RaceAid Golf Outing.”
Thanks to sponsors, golfers and partners, the annual golf outing has raised
more than $400,000 over the years. You can help make this year’s golf tournament
another success by partnering in any of the following ways: playing in the
tournament, sponsoring a hole or team, giving a financial donation, providing
door prizes or by donating auction items.
For any questions, or you would rather register with a check or cash, please
contact Nikki@usacnation.com or by calling the USAC office at 317-247-5151
(Extension 704).
Since 1959, the United States Auto Club Benevolent Foundation (now USAC
RaceAid) has provided financial aid to the families of auto racing participants
with ties to USAC who have been injured and/or need assistance. USAC RACEAID
also provides support to surviving family members with immediate and ongoing
expenses. Over the years, the foundation has provided millions of dollars to
help members and their families in times of need. The needs, whether small or
large, never cease.
To donate to USAC RaceAid, please visit www.RaceAid.Fund.
A New Era at Terre Haute Begins Sunday, Honest Abe Roofing Named Title
Sponsor
April 9, 2025
Terre Haute, Indiana (April 9, 2025)………The legendary Terre Haute Action Track is set to roar back to life for the 2025 season with its first race of the year this Sunday, April 13, ushering in a new era under the direction of the Wabash Valley Fair Association (WVFA).
Indiana’s only 1/2-mile dirt oval will host three USAC national events in 2025, starting Sunday, April 13 with the 21st running of the Sumar Classic 100-lap Silver Crown race. The USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship invades the Terre Haute dirt on Wednesday night, May 21, for the 55th annual Tony Hulman Classic. The USAC Sprint Cars return to Terre Haute on Thursday night, July 31, for the Don Smith Classic, part of the 38th annual NOS Energy Drink Indiana Sprint Week Presented by Honest Abe Roofing.
Advance tickets for all three events can be purchased now at www.ActionTrackTix.com.
After several years of inconsistent promotion, the WVFA – known for its dedication to community and motorsports – will now take the reins in promoting and managing the historic half-mile dirt oval.
Built in 1952 and nestled on the Vigo County Fairgrounds, the Terre Haute Action Track has been a cornerstone of Indiana dirt track racing for over 70 years. Throughout its storied history, it has played host to some of the sport’s greatest legends and unforgettable moments, earning its reputation as one of the most respected venues in the country.
This season marks a turning point for the track. In recent years, multiple promoters have struggled to maintain momentum and community trust. Now, the Wabash Valley Fair Association and its Board members, a not-for-profit organization, is stepping forward to manage the track directly. Their mission? To preserve and grow the legacy of Terre Haute Action Track while continuing to bring racing excitement—and economic investment—to the region.
“We believe in this track and what it means to our community,” said Brady Meadors, WVFA President. “It’s more than a race track; it’s a piece of Terre Haute’s identity. Though the financial challenges are real, we’re committed to keeping the lights on and the engines running.”
Supporting that mission is Honest Abe Roofing, the 2025 title sponsor. A proud Indiana-based company, Honest Abe Roofing brings both credibility and community spirit to the table. Their support underscores a shared commitment to local traditions, hard work, and lasting impact.
The first race of the season promises high-speed action, family fun, and a celebration of new beginnings. Fans can expect a full slate of events, talented drivers from across the country, and a refreshed sense of purpose at the track.
SUNDAY RACE DETAILS
The 21st running of the Sumar Classic features the USAC Silver Crown National Championship this Sunday, April 13, at the Terre Haute Action Track’s 1/2-mile dirt track in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Pits open at 2pm Eastern and grandstands open at 4pm with the drivers meeting at 4:15pm and cars on track at 5pm, followed immediately by qualifications and racing.
Advance tickets are on sale now at www.ActionTrackTix.com. Advance tickets are $30 for grandstand seating. Kids age 12 and under are free. General admission seats are not reserved and are on a first come basis. However, advance ticket holders will gain access through gates beginning 30 minutes prior to the published gate opening times.
Pit passes are $40. Grandstand seating is included as well as access to the controlled Pit Pass area. Signed waivers must be completed prior to access. Infield admission is $15, which allows for access to the grass infield of the Action Track through the tunnel at the far right (turn one side) of main grandstand.
Follow the Terre Haute Action Track on social media for updates, driver announcements, and more.
2025 USAC SCHEDULE AT THE TERRE HAUTE ACTION TRACK
Sunday, April 13 | USAC Silver Crown National Championship | Sumar Classic
Wednesday, May 21 | USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship | Tony Hulman Classic
Thursday, July 31 | USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship | Don Smith Classic / NOS Energy Drink Indiana Sprint Week Presented by Honest Abe Roofing
AN EVENING WITH JOHNNY RUTHERFORD
AT USAC ON MAY 8
Speedway, Indiana (April 8, 2025)………Save the date for Lone Star JR!
Enjoy an evening with Johnny Rutherford and special guest, author Bart Stevens, on Thursday night, May 8, 2025, from 7pm-9pm Eastern at USAC headquarters in Speedway, Indiana.
The special USAC RaceAid benefit will feature Rutherford, a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and 1965 USAC National Sprint Car champion, who will take part in a discussion and meet and greet.
Stevens will also be on hand to discuss everything from racing history to Johnny Rutherford to Sam Nunis and even Michael Jackson!
Rutherford has graciously joined this event in large part due to the fondness he has for USAC’s benevolent fund, and the assistance it has provided to his racing friends who have been injured and in need throughout the years.
Tickets are on sale for the event now and can be purchased at https://usacracing.redpodium.com/raceaid. From there, click the button next to “Register For A RACEAID Event” then select “An Evening with Johnny Rutherford.”
Light snacks and drinks are included in the ticket cost. Your ticket is a donation to RaceAid.
The event is a lead in to the Sonsio Grand Prix NTT INDYCAR Series event which takes place over the course of May 9-10 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located right across the street from USAC headquarters, which are located at 4910 W. 16th Street in Speedway, Indiana.
Since 1959, the United States Auto Club Benevolent Foundation (now USAC RaceAid) has provided financial aid to the families of auto racing participants with ties to USAC who have been injured and/or need assistance. USAC RACEAID also provides support to surviving family members with immediate and ongoing expenses. Over the years, the foundation has provided millions of dollars to help members and their families in times of need. The needs, whether small or large, never cease.
To donate to USAC RaceAid, please visit www.RaceAid.Fund.
32 ENTRIES FOR SUNDAY’S USAC SILVER CROWN
SUMAR CLASSIC AT TERRE HAUTE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Terre Haute, Indiana (April 7, 2025)………Thirty-two USAC Silver Crown entries are set for this Sunday’s 21st running of the 100-lap Sumar Classic on April 7 at western Indiana’s Terre Haute Action Track.
SUMAR PAST WINNERS
The event at the 1/2-mile dirt oval features five past winners: Kody Swanson (2014), Shane Cockrum (2015), C.J. Leary (2016), two-time victor Justin Grant (2018 & 2022) and defending winner Logan Seavey (2024).
SUMAR VETERANS
They’re among the 22 Sumar Classic veterans in the field along with
first-time winning hopeful and past runner-up Daison Pursley who finished 2nd in
the 2024 race. Fellow top-five Sumar Classic finishers in this Sunday’s lineup
include Brady Bacon (3rd in 2022), Chase Stockon (4th in 2024) and Matt Westfall
(5th in 2002-03). Meanwhile, Bill Rose (6th in 2022) and Briggs Danner (7th in
2024) also return to the Sumar Classic field.
Further returnees to the Sumar Classic lineup are Mario Clouser (12th in 2024), Travis Welpott (14th in 2022), Jimmy Light (16th in 2024), Kyle Steffens (18th in 2002), Gregg Cory (18th in 2024) and Nathan Moore (19th in 2024), plus Mitchel Moles (20th in 2024), Chase Dietz (22nd in 2024), Jake Swanson (24th in 2022), Trey Osborne (25th in 2024) and Kyle Wissmiller (26th in 2004), who is making his series comeback after a 21-year hiatus.
SUMAR ROOKIES
Nearly a third of this Sunday’s field belongs to Sumar Classic first-timers,
including late model star Ricky Thornton Jr. who is making his USAC Silver Crown
debut. USAC national winners Kaylee Bryson and Kyle Cummins also look to make
their first Sumar Classic start.
Also looking to crack the Sumar Classic feature starting lineup for the first time are Dave Berkheimer, Saban Bibent, Rob Caho Jr., Aric Gentry, Kenny Gentry, John Tosti and Korey Weyant, whose great uncle, Chuck Weyant, scored a AAA Midget feature victory at the Terre Haute Action Track in 1955.
RACE DETAILS:
The 21st running of the Sumar Classic features the USAC Silver Crown National
Championship this Sunday, April 13, at the Terre Haute Action Track’s 1/2-mile
dirt track in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Pits open at 2pm Eastern and grandstands open at 4pm with the drivers meeting
at 4:15pm and cars on track at 5pm, followed immediately by qualifications and
racing.
Advance tickets are on sale now at www.ActionTrackTix.com. Advance tickets
are $30 for grandstand seating. Kids age 12 and under are free. General
admission seats are not reserved and are on a first come basis. However, advance
ticket holders will gain access through gates beginning 30 minutes prior to the
published gate opening times.
Pit passes are $40. Grandstand seating is included as well as access to the
controlled Pit Pass area. Signed waivers must be completed prior to access.
Infield admission is $15, which allows for access to the grass infield of the
Action Track through the tunnel at the far right (turn one side) of main
grandstand.
Sunday’s Sumar Classic can be watched LIVE on FloRacing at https://flosports.link/usac.
2025 SUMAR CLASSIC ENTRY LIST: (32 ENTRIES)
Car # / Driver / Hometown / Car Owner
07 (R) JOHN TOSTI/High Ridge, MO (John Tosti)
08 KYLE STEFFENS/St. Charles, MO (Steffens Motorsports)
09 DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, OK (Chris Dyson Racing)
3 (R) ARIC GENTRY/Robards, KY (Tim Simmons)
6 JAKE SWANSON/Anaheim, CA (Klatt Enterprises)
9 BRADY BACON/Broken Arrow, OK (Chris Dyson Racing)
10 BRIGGS DANNER/Allentown, PA (DMW Motorsports)
18 TRAVIS WELPOTT/Pendleton, IN (Welpott Racing)
19 MITCHEL MOLES/Raisin City, CA (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
21 C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Team AZ Racing)
22 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Rice Motorsports-Abacus Racing)
24 KODY SWANSON/Kingsburg, CA (John Haggenbottom)
26 KAYLEE BRYSON/Muskogee, OK (Sam Pierce)
31 DAVE BERKHEIMER/Mechanicsburg, PA (Berkheimer Racing)
32 GREGG CORY/Shelbyville, IN (Williams-Cory Racing)
33 KYLE CUMMINS/Princeton, IN (Petty Performance Racing)
48 NATHAN MOORE/Kaufman, TX (Chip Thomas-Joe Moore)
54 MATT WESTFALL/Pleasant Hill, OH (Westfall Racing)
66 BILL ROSE/Plainfield, IN (Bill Rose Racing)
69 CHASE STOCKON/Fort Branch, IN (Pink 69 Racing)
78 (R) ROB CAHO JR./Mound, MN (Caho Racing)
81 TREY OSBORNE/Columbus, OH (BCR Group)
86 CHASE DIETZ/York, PA (Bruce Lee)
88 (R) SABAN BIBENT/Cincinnati, OH (Sammy & Mouren Fetter)
91 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (Hemelgarn Racing)
92 MARIO CLOUSER/Auburn, IL (Kazmark Motorsports)
97 SHANE COCKRUM/Benton, IL (Hans Lein)
99 KOREY WEYANT/Springfield, IL (Scott Weyant)
118 JIMMY LIGHT/West Springfield, PA (Wingo Brothers Racing)
121 (R) RICKY THORNTON JR./Chandler, AZ (Team AZ Racing)
144 (R) KYLE WISSMILLER/Saybrook, IL (Wissmiller Racing)
181 KENNY GENTRY/Henderson, KY (Gentry Motorsports)
USAC CRA SPRINT DOUBLE DEBUT
APRIL 11-12 AT CENTRAL ARIZONA
By: Lance Jennings
Casa Grande, Arizona (April 8, 2025)………After a torrid battle at Perris, the
Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Cars will make their first ever visit to
Central Arizona Raceway with two nights of action starting with the 525th event
in series history on Friday-Saturday, April 11-12.
The special Friday and Saturday doubleheader at the fast 3/8-mile oval in
Casa Grande, Arizona will also showcase Dirt Mini Late Models, IMCA Mod Lites,
and Pure Stocks.
Located at the Pinal County Fairgrounds, the Pit Gates at Central Arizona
Raceway will open at 2:00pm, the Spectator Gates will open at 5:00pm, and racing
is scheduled for 7:00pm. For more event information, visit the track’s website
at www.centralazraceway.com or call 602.292.7607.
For those that cannot be at the races, a live stream will be broadcast by www.FloRacing.com.
NOTICE TO RACERS:
- APPROVED/LEGAL MUFFLERS: MUFFLERS ARE REQUIRED at Central Arizona Raceway.
- FUEL WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE RACE TRACK.
- ALL RACERS MUST PURCHASE THEIR USAC LICENSE / MEMBERSHIPS ONLINE PRIOR TO
THE EVENT AT WWW.USACRACING.COM OR WWW.USACLICENSE.COM. (If racers have a
membership question, contact Julie Tanaka at julietanaka@aol.com.)
- ENTRY FEE: There is an entry fee due at registration / pill pick.
- TRANSPONDERS: Transponders ARE MANDATORY and will be available to rent.
- ONE WAY RADIOS / RACECEIVERS: One way radios ARE MANDATORY.
- TIRE RULE: Hoosier tires ARE REQUIRED ON ALL FOUR CORNERS of the car.
- FRONT AXLE TETHER SYSTEMS: Front axle tether systems (2-Chassis, 1-King Pin
to King Pin) ARE MANDATORY.
- FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS: Full containment seats ARE MANDATORY.
- COCKPIT ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS: Cockpit adjustable shocks ARE ALLOWED.
- RULE BOOK: The series rule book is online at www.usacracing.com.
- 360 BONUS: Thanks to Sands Chevrolet and Central Arizona Raceway, a bonus
will be given to the top three finishing 360 Sprint Cars. $500 for best, $300
for second best, and $200 for third best. Drivers must notify USAC CRA officials
at pill pick.
-HARD CHARGER BONUS: Photographer, Steve Lafond has donated $100 cash each night for the hard charger in the main event.
While new to USAC CRA, Central Arizona Raceway was a regular stop for the
Arizona based USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series. Between 2013 and 2019, the Pinal
County Fairgrounds hosted that group seventeen times with seven different
winners led by “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. with seven victories. While the track
has a new configuration, Logan Seavey set the 410 series record of 14.948 on
October 26, 2019 and R.J. Johnson established the 360 series record of 15.058 on
October 29, 2016.
After five championship point races, Ricky Lewis of Oxnard, California has
taken over the point lead. Racing his #41 Coyote Candle Company / Mesilla Valley
Transportation DRC, Lewis ran fifth last Saturday night at Perris Auto Speedway
and carries a 14-point advantage over the competition. To date, the young driver
has posted three feature wins, one heat race victory, four top-10 finishes, and
76 feature laps led on the season. With seven career USAC CRA wins, Ricky
primarily races in the Midwest and might miss the action at Central Arizona
Raceway.
Anaheim, California’s Jake Swanson is second in the chase for the
championship. The pilot of the Tom & Christy Dunkel #17X Inland Rigging / Maxima
Oil DRC skipped last Saturday’s event at Perris to prepare for a busy racing
schedule in the Midwest. At press time, the 2012 Rookie of the Year has one
feature win, one Woodland Auto Display / WC Friend Company Fast Time Award, four
top-10 finishes, and 31 feature laps led to his credit. With seven career USAC
CRA wins, the 2022 Western World Champion might also skip the doubleheader at
the Pinal County Fairgrounds.
After finishing fourth last Saturday night, R.J. Johnson of Laveen, Arizona
has climbed to third in the USAC CRA point chase. Driving the Petty Performance
Racing #33P Avanti Windows & Doors / Apache Transport entry, the defending
champion has posted two heat race victories, three top-10 finishes, and 3
feature laps led in the campaign. To date, the multi-time Arizona Sprint Car
Champion is currently tied with “The Macho Man” Brady Bacon, “Dynamite” David
Cardey, and Richard Vander Weerd with nine career series wins. Starting this
Friday, Johnson will have his sights on sweeping both races at Casa Grande.
“The Cadillac” Cody Williams of Corona, California ranks fourth in the
championship point standings. Piloting his #44 WC Friend Company / Get-Er Done
Racing DRC, Williams scored the twenty-second Woodland Auto Display / WC Friend
Company Fast Time Award of his career before finishing ninth in the Perris main
event. At press time, the former National Non-Wing Sprint Car Rookie of the Year
has two fast time awards, one heat race victory, and three top-10 finishes to
his credit. “The Cadillac” is tied with “Sunshine” Tyler Courtney, and Garrett
Hansen with five career USAC CRA wins and he will be looking to earn his first
triumph of the year.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams of Yorba Linda, California is fifth in
the USAC CRA point standings. Racing the Tom & Christy Dunkel #17W Inland
Rigging / Maxima Oil DRC, Williams placed seventh last Saturday night at Perris
Auto Speedway. At press time, the 2009 Co-Rookie of the Year has recorded five
top-10 finishes on the season and is currently tied with Matt Mitchell with
eleven career wins. “The Big Game Hunter” will have his sights on adding Central
Arizona Raceway to his win list.
After a driver membership audit, Connor Lundy of Peoria, Arizona leads the
chase for Rookie of the Year honors over Cole Wakim, Caleb Stelzig, Lonnie
Oliver, Brecken Guerrero, Blake Hendricks, and Connor Speir.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are “Chargin” Charles Davis
Jr., Logan Calderwood, A.J. Bender, David Gasper, Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm, Logan
Williams, Blake Bower, Eddie Tafoya Jr., Verne Sweeney, Elexa Herrera, Austin
Ervine, Grant Sexton, Brent Sexton, “The Rattlesnake” Andrew Sweeney, Matt
Westfall, Brody Wake, Justin Kierce, A.J. Hernandez, and more.
Central Arizona Raceway is located on the Pinal County Fairgrounds at 512 S.
Eleven Mile Corner Road in Casa Grande, Arizona. To get to the track, take Exit
194 from Interstate 10, then head east seven miles to the fairgrounds. Adult
Tickets are $25, Senior/Military Tickets are $20, Young Adult Tickets (12-17)
are $15, and Kids (11 and under) are FREE. For more event and ticket
information, visit www.centralazraceway.com or call 602.292.7607.
The Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car Series thanks Factory Wraps,
The Gardner Family (In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner), In Honor of Wiley Miller
Sr. & Wiley Miller II, Sexton Fire Protection, Silbermann Solar, WC Friend
Company, and Woodland Auto Display for their support.
For more information on the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car
Series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at www.usacracing.com
and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the
USAC CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS: 2004-Rip Williams,
2005-Damion Gardner, 2006-Cory Kruseman, 2007-Tony Jones, 2008-Mike Spencer,
2009-Mike Spencer, 2010-Mike Spencer, 2011-Mike Spencer, 2012-Mike Spencer,
2013-Damion Gardner, 2014-Damion Gardner, 2015-Damion Gardner, 2016-Damion
Gardner, 2017-Damion Gardner, 2018-Damion Gardner, 2019-Damion Gardner, 2020-NO
AWARD, 2021-Damion Gardner, 2022-Damion Gardner, 2023-Brody Roa, 2024-R.J.
Johnson.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 3-Ricky Lewis, 1-David
Gasper, 1-Jake Swanson.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Ricky
Lewis-313, 2. Jake Swanson-299, 3. R.J. Johnson-285, 4. Cody Williams-276, 5.
Austin Williams-273, 6. Charles Davis Jr.-258, 7. Logan Calderwood-256, 8. A.J.
Bender-245, 9. David Gasper-235, 10. Tommy Malcolm-225, 11. Logan Williams-208,
12. Blake Bower-206, 13. Braden Chiaramonte-204, 14. Eddie Tafoya Jr.-154, 15.
Connor Lundy (R)-134, ---. Verne Sweeney-134, 17. Cole Wakim (R)-127, 18. Brody
Roa-118, 19. Kevin Thomas Jr.-103, 20. Elexa Herrera-100.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
February 15: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (RAIN)
February 22: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Winner: Jake Swanson)
March 1: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Ricky Lewis)
March 14: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA (Winner: Ricky Lewis)
March 15: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA (Winner: Ricky Lewis)
April 5: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: David Gasper)
April 11: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ
April 12: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ
April 26: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
May 3: Santa Maria Speedway – Nipomo, CA
May 24: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Salute to Indy)
June 21: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
July 5: Santa Maria Speedway – Nipomo, CA
July 19: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
August 16: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
August 30: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
August 31: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 6: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
September 27: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
October 4: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ
October 18: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
October 24: *Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (Western World Championships)
October 25: *Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 1: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
November 8: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
* = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC National Sprint Cars.
This schedule is subject to change.
STARTING AGAIN AT LINCOLN PARK!
USAC SPRINT SEASON RESUMES APR 11
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Putnamville, Indiana (April 7, 2025)………Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville,
Indiana is set to host the resumption of the 2025 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car
National Championship this Friday night, April 11.
After nearly two months away from the racetrack, it’s time to get back up to
speed, on both the season at hand and this weekend’s upcoming action in the
Hoosier state.
It’s race number 51 for the USAC National Sprint Cars at Lincoln Park, with a
rare springtime date at the 5/16-mile Putnamville dirt oval to boot. In fact,
the last winner to emerge as a springtime Lincoln Park USAC Sprint Car winner
came 39 years ago!
Check it out and more in this edition of the storylines!
4-PEAT 4 SEAVEY
Defending series champion Logan Seavey has won each of the last three USAC
National Sprint Car feature events at Lincoln Park Speedway, including a sweep
of all three events in 2025 en route to a 14-win season.
Few drivers have ever reached the stratosphere of winning four or five
consecutive USAC National Sprint Car races at one track. As a matter of fact,
it’s just three. Jim Hurtubise (Terre Haute Action Track), Steve Chassey
(Winchester Speedway) and Tyler Courtney (Eldora Speedway) are the only drivers
to reach five-straight at one track.
Among those with four USAC National Sprint Car wins in a row at one track
include Bryan Clauson (Bloomington Speedway), Mike Bliss (Indianapolis Raceway
Park), Tracy Hines (Indianapolis Raceway Park), Robert Ballou (Perris Auto
Speedway), Bubby Jones (Terre Haute Action Track), Dave Steele (Winchester
Speedway) and Brady Bacon (Grandview Speedway).
CUMMINS ON A HOT STREAK
It’s been nearly two months since the most recent USAC National Sprint Car
events in Florida, but you could certainly say that Kyle Cummins is on a roll
heading into Lincoln Park.
Cummins (Princeton, Indiana) is the only two-time USAC National Sprint Car
feature winner so far this season, and recorded finishes of 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 5th,
1st & 3rd in his six starts down in the Sunshine State in February.
He’s won at Lincoln Park Speedway already in his USAC Sprint Car career,
taking top honors in July of 2019. In his most recent USAC Sprint start at the
track, he finished second to Seavey in July 2024. To boot, he was also
victorious in the only sprint car race held in Indiana thus far in 2025, the No
Way Out 40 in March at Paragon Speedway.
DAISON’S BEEN AMAZIN’ TOO
Speaking of drivers off to strong starts, Daison Pursley fits that category
to a T. Like Cummins, Pursley (Locust Grove, Oklahoma) has also finished all six
of his USAC National Sprint Car starts this season inside the top-five,
highlighted by a victory in the most recent round in February at Florida’s Ocala
Speedway.
It’s not entirely clear what Pursley and CB Industries plans are for the
remainder of the USAC Sprint Car season, but right now, Pursley is currently
tied atop the overall USAC National Sprint Car standings with Cummins, but
Cummins holds the tiebreaker with his two wins.
Pursley knows his way around Lincoln Park. In his most recent USAC Sprint
start at Lincoln Park last July, he finished sixth. Furthermore, he set quick
time in qualifying at the track in both USAC Sprints and Midgets in 2024.
SPRINGTIME SPRINGS EARLY IN ‘25
A springtime USAC National Sprint Car show at Lincoln Park is a rarity. In
fact, the last spring feature run at the track by the series came in May of
1986.
Overall, four Springtime USAC National Sprint Car races have been run at
Lincoln Park, all in May, won by Kelly Kinser (1983), Chuck Amati (1984),
Sheldon Kinser (1985) and Steve Butler (1986).
However, no USAC Sprint Car event has been run to completion at Lincoln Park
as early in the season as this Friday’s affair. On April 28, 2012, the scheduled
event was rained out. On April 27, 2013, another attempt was made with Bryan
Clauson setting fast time and Landon Simon winning the first heat race before
rain hit during the second heat, washing the remainder of the night out.
WINNERS ABOUND IN PUTNAMVILLE
Several past Lincoln Park Speedway USAC Sprint Car winners are expected to
compete in Friday night’s event, with at least 10 drivers in that group taking
part.
Among this group are three-time winners Robert Ballou and Logan Seavey, plus
two-time victor C.J. Leary. One-time winners in the fold include Shane Cottle,
Kyle Cummins, Justin Grant, Mitchel Moles, Chase Stockon, Jake Swanson and Kevin
Thomas Jr. to be precise.
Dave Darland holds the all-time record for USAC National Sprint Car feature
wins at Lincoln Park with six, ahead of five-time winner Sheldon Kinser and
four-time winner Brady Bacon.
A NEW REGIME
During the offseason, a long term agreement between Lincoln Park Speedway
track owner Dave Allison and USAC Promotions was put in place to assure long
term stability for the 5/16-mile dirt oval and its competitors and race fans.
Tommie Estes, a longtime racer himself, was named as the General Manager of
the track while his wife, Jen Estes, will serve as the track’s co-manager. On
the track operational side of the sport, Tommie previously oversaw the racing
operations at Dodge City Raceway Park in Kansas.
Furthermore, Tommie’s extensive background in motorsports management includes
serving as the Competition Director for the ASCS National Sprint Tour, the Chili
Bowl Nationals, and most recently, as the Competition Director for the USAC
Silver Crown National Championship, a role he’ll continue in alongside his
duties at Lincoln Park.
RACE DETAILS
Friday night’s April 11 event consists of the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National
Championship, plus 305 RaceSaver Sprint Cars. Pits open at 4pm Eastern with the
front gates opening at 5pm, the drivers meeting at 5:30 and cars on track at
6pm.
Advance tickets are on sale now at
https://usacracing.ticketspice.com/2025-lps-promotions. Advance tickets are $25
for grandstand seating. Kids age 12 and under are free. General admission seats
are not reserved and are on a first come basis. However, advance ticket holders
will gain access through gates beginning 30 minutes prior to the published gate
opening times.
Pit passes are $40. Grandstand seating is included as well as access to the
controlled Pit Pass area. Signed waivers must be completed prior to access.
Family 4 Pack tickets for grandstand seating are $90. Individual suite passes
are $50. A single night suite for 12 people is available for $500.
Both nights of the event can be watched LIVE on FloRacing at
https://flosports.link/usac.
======================
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Kyle Cummins-449,
2-Daison Pursley-449, 3-Justin Grant-425, 4-Brady Bacon-366, 5-Mitchel
Moles-344, 6-C.J. Leary-325, 7-Logan Seavey-324, 8-Jake Swanson-313, 9-Briggs
Danner-309, 10-Robert Ballou-295.
TRACK RECORDS FOR USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CARS AT LINCOLN PARK SPEEDWAY:
1 Lap - 7/5/2024 - Logan Seavey - 11.959 - 94.071 mph
6 Laps - 8/23/1997 - Bill Rose - 1:22.90 - 81.423 mph
8 Laps - 7/29/2001 - Bryon Walters - 1:46.75 - 84.309 mph
10 Laps - 7/5/2024 - Justin Grant - 2:08.53 - 87.528 mph
12 Laps - 7/14/2014 - Jon Stanbrough - 2:40.15 - 84.296 mph
ALL-TIME LINCOLN PARK SPEEDWAY USAC SPRINT CAR FEATURE WINS
6-Dave Darland
5-Sheldon Kinser
4-Brady Bacon
3-Robert Ballou & Logan Seavey
2-Steve Butler, Jerry Coons Jr., Jay Drake, Cory Kruseman C.J. Leary & Jon
Stanbrough
1-Chuck Amati, Chad Boespflug, Bryan Clauson, Shane Cottle, Tyler Courtney,
Kyle Cummins, Brad Fox, Dickie Gaines, Justin Grant, Jack Hewitt, Kelly Kinser,
Mitchel Moles, Brady Short, Chase Stockon, Jake Swanson, Kevin Thomas Jr. &
Tanner Thorson
ALL-TIME LINCOLN PARK SPEEDWAY USAC SPRINT CAR FEATURE WINNERS
1981: Sheldon Kinser (9/16)
1983: Kelly Kinser (5/25) & Sheldon Kinser (8/24)
1984: Chuck Amati (5/23) & Sheldon Kinser (7/18)
1985: Sheldon Kinser (5/4) & Steve Butler (9/7)
1986: Steve Butler (5/17) & Sheldon Kinser (8/23)
1997: Jack Hewitt (7/27) & Dave Darland (8/23)
1998: Dave Darland (7/26) & Brad Fox (8/15)
1999: Dave Darland (7/24)
2000: Jay Drake (7/29)
2001: Jon Stanbrough (7/21)
2002: Cory Kruseman (7/20)
2003: Jay Drake (7/19)
2004: Cory Kruseman (7/17)
2005: Dave Darland (7/19)
2010: Dickie Gaines (7/24) & Jon Stanbrough (9/10)
2012: Dave Darland (7/22)
2013: Chad Boespflug (7/4) & Bryan Clauson (7/18)
2014: Jerry Coons Jr. (7/4) & Robert Ballou (7/17)
2015: Jerry Coons Jr. (7/4) & Brady Bacon (7/16)
2016: Robert Ballou (7/1) & Brady Short (7/14)
2017: Robert Ballou (7/16)
2018: Tyler Courtney (7/6) & Dave Darland (7/26)
2019: Kyle Cummins (7/25)
2020: Shane Cottle (7/3), Brady Bacon (7/4), Chase Stockon (9/12) & Brady
Bacon (9/12)
2021: C.J. Leary (7/2), Kevin Thomas Jr. (7/3) & Tanner Thorson
2022: C.J. Leary (7/1), Justin Grant (7/2) & Mitchel Moles (7/28)
2023: Brady Bacon (7/3) & Jake Swanson (7/27)
2024: Logan Seavey (7/5), Logan Seavey (7/6) & Logan Seavey (7/26)
New Title and Presenting Sponsors for the 2025 USAC East Coast Sprint Cars
It has been a long off season for the Wingless Warriors, however, the USAC East Coast Staff has been hard at work looking to better the future of wingless sprint car racing in the northeast.
We are proud to announce our title sponsor for 2025, Innovative Machining Technology is on board and fully committed to the future of traditional sprint car racing in the northeast!
IMT is located in Boyertown Pa, its a family owned business since 1988. IMT
also has a sister company in Summerville SC.
IMT is a machine and fabrication shop with several CNC machines. They specialize
in producing OEM parts for power generation, such as turbines. The IMT team
works and fabricates with a lot of alloy steel, they machine product and
fabricate new and beautiful product to their consumer. IMT has been ISO
certified for 14 years and has product world-wide.
USAC EC racer Blaine Emery has served this company for over 26 years and is now the production manager over looking operations on a daily basis, USAC EC racer Ronald Helmick is also specialized in the machine shop as well.
"Everyone involved in the tour this season has been working hard to make it a great 2025 season, having IMT and all of the contingency sponsors joing is very exciting for the racers" series president Ed Aiken emphasized
A little more vocal work for the series announcer on race nights, It will be
the IMT USAC East Coast Sprint Cars presented by Baer Den Farms.
Baer Den Farms also joins the series at the presenting sponsor. Baer Den Farms
is located in New Tripoli Pa, the farm is owned by Todd Baer and family, a
former asphalt modified racer. Baer Den Farms takes pride in raising Angus beef.
Non vaccinated, no added medicines and all natural beef. You can follow their
Baer Den Farms Facebook page to learn more!
We now turn attention to the series opener at the Fabulous Lincoln Speedway on Saturday April 12th. Remember 305's, Crate Sprints, 358's and 360's are all welcome to lose the lid and join the IMT USAC East Coast Sprint Cars presented by Baer Den Farms on Saturday and all season long!
GOLOBIC GETS PLACERVILLE
USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET SCORE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Placerville, California (April 5, 2025)………At his self-described “favorite
racetrack in the world,” Shane Golobic was proficient yet again at California’s
Placerville Speedway.
The Fremont, California racer tracked down racelong leader T.J. Smith near
the halfway point of Saturday night’s 25-lap USAC Avanti Windows & Doors Western
States Midget feature. From there, the fourth place starting Golobic led the
final 12 circuits to take the checkered flag in his Matt Wood Racing machine.
For Golobic, it was his eighth career USAC Western States Midget main event
victory, tying him with Tracy Hines, Michael Lewis, Steve Paden, Alex Schutte
and Danny Stratton for 27th place all-time. It was also Golobic’s first series
triumph since the 2022 season.
Furthermore, Golobic became Placerville’s first three-time USAC Western
States Midget winner after previously picking up series victories in 2013 and
2017.
Smith (Fresno, California) led the opening 13 laps of the feature before
Golobic took over up front. Smith’s second place result has vaulted him into the
series point lead.
The night’s fastest qualifier, Tanner Carrick (Lincoln, California), took
third in the feature with Caden Sarale (Fresno, California) fourth and Jett
Yantis (Bakersfield, California) rounding out the top-five.
Carrick’s fast lap of 11.810 in time trials bested the field of 24 entries
around the 1/4-mile dirt oval. Heat race victories were collected by Sarale,
Brody Fuson (Bakersfield, California) and Golobic while the semi-feature win was
scored by Yantis.
The event was part of the Nor-Cal Challenge, a co-sanctioned event between USAC’s Western States Midgets, the Bay Cities Racing Association and Western Midget Racing.
USAC AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS WESTERN STATES MIDGET RACE RESULTS: April 5, 2025
– Placerville Speedway – Placerville, California – Co-Sanctioned by BCRA &
Western Midget Racing
QUALIFYING: 1. Tanner Carrick, 32T, Sarale-11.810; 2. Brody Fuson, 51,
Carlile-11.886; 3. T.J. Smith, 68, Six8-11.926; 4. Caden Sarale, 32,
Sarale-12.017; 5. Jett Yantis, 4, Carlile-12.077; 6. Shane Golobic, 17w,
Wood-12.121; 7. Broedy Graham, 66, BGR-12.184; 8. Connor Speir, 14JR,
Streeter/Graunstadt-12.383; 9. Todd Hawse, 18, Hawse-12.408; 10. Dale Johnston,
20J, Johnston-12.474; 11. C.J. Sarna, 20, Sarna-12.525; 12. Dane Culver, 50,
Knuckles Up-12.571; 13. Anthony Bruno, 9, Bruno-12.794; 14. Logan Mitchell, 96x,
Mitchell-12.983; 15. Blaine Craft, 57, Craft-13.335; 16. Ryan Carter, 7A,
Carter-13.369; 17. Adam Weisberg, 15, Weisberg-13.465; 18. Floyd Alvis, 18A,
Champion-13.476; 19. Dave Stoltz, 77, Stoltz-13.504; 20. Kelly Nichols, 2ND,
Nichols/Peckfelder-13.587; 21. Teddy Bivert, 35s, Bivert-13.671; 22. Kyle Hawse,
20x, Hawse-15.439; 23. Marvin Mitchell, 68m, Mitchell-15.930; 24. Jake
Andreotti, 00, Davis-15.930.
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature, starting positions in
parentheses) 1. Caden Sarale (5), 2. Broedy Graham (4), 3. Anthony Bruno (2), 4.
Tanner Carrick (6), 5. Dale Johnston (3), 6. Dave Stoltz (7), 7. Ryan Carter
(1), 8. Kyle Hawse. NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature, starting positions in
parentheses) 1. Brody Fuson (6), 2. Jett Yantis (5), 3. Logan Mitchell (2), 4.
Connor Speir (4), 5. C.J. Sarna (3), 6. Adam Weisberg (1), 7. Kelly Nichols (7),
8. Marvin Mitchell (8). NT
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature, starting positions in
parentheses) 1. Shane Golobic (5), 2. Dane Culver (3), 3. T.J. Smith (6), 4.
Todd Hawse (4), 5. Jake Andreotti (8), 6. Teddy Bivert (7), 7. Blaine Craft (2),
8. Floyd Alvis (1). NT
SEMI: (12 laps, top-4 transfer to the feature, starting positions in
parentheses) 1. Kelly Nichols (2), 2. Adam Weisberg (3), 3. Blaine Craft (5), 4.
Ryan Carter (6), 5. Marvin Mitchell (4), 6. Floyd Alvis (7), 7. C.J. Sarna (1).
NT
FEATURE: (25 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Shane Golobic (4),
2. T.J. Smith (2), 3. Tanner Carrick (8), 4. Caden Sarale (5), 5. Jett Yantis
(3), 6. Jake Andreotti (9), 7. Connor Speir (12), 8. Dane Culver (7), 9. Anthony
Bruno (10), 10. Todd Hawse (13), 11. Blaine Craft (19), 12. Ryan Carter (20),
13. Adam Weisberg (18), 14. Brody Fuson (6), 15. Kelly Nichols (17), 16. Dale
Johnston (16), 17. Teddy Bivert (15), 18. Dave Stoltz (14), 19. Broedy Graham
(1), 20. Logan Mitchell (11). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-13 T.J. Smith, Laps 14-25 Shane Golobic.
USAC AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINTS: 1-T.J. Smith-153,
2-Caden Sarale-148, 3-Dane Culver-126, 4-Todd Hawse-96, 5-Broedy Graham-75,
6-Dalten Gabbard-59, 7-Randi Pankratz-57, 8-Kyle Hawse-53, 9-Bryan
Drollinger-48, 10-Brody Fuson-48.
NEXT USAC AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS WESTERN STATES MIDGET RACE: April 26, 2025 – Plaza Park Raceway – Visalia, California
KODY SWANSON REVEALS
USAC SILVER CROWN PLANS FOR 2025
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (April 6, 2025)………Kody Swanson will chase after his ninth
career USAC Silver Crown national championship with a bit of a different team
setup throughout the 2025 season.
Swanson will once again return to the Doran Binks Racing No. 77 on the
pavement track portion of the schedule. On the dirt, the Kingsburg, California
native will be the new driver of the John Haggenbottom No. 24.
After competing full-time in the USAC Silver Crown series in 2023-2024 on
both the dirt and pavement for Doran Binks, the team has decided to focus its
efforts on its pavement programs.
“I started with the team as a pavement only program in 2021, so I feel like
we've come full circle again and will focus on the USAC Silver Crown pavement
events and the Little 500, just like we did at the beginning,” Swanson stated.
“I'm grateful that we were able to expand that effort the past two years to run
the entire series, and to score the championship together last season. I
definitely appreciate the chance we have to continue together on the pavement
this year.”
Left momentarily without a dirt ride, Swanson and Haggenbottom have teamed up
for the dirt races. While it is technically a new team for Swanson, in a way,
it’s a reunion of sorts to Swanson’s five-year run as the driver of the DePalma
Motorsports No. 63, a span which led to four Silver Crown titles and 21
victories.
Through Swanson and Haggenbottom’s mutual friendships with former DePalma
Motorsports stalwarts Bob Hampshire and Clark Lamme, they’ve gotten to know each
other and race against each other, and will now get the opportunity to race with
each other.
“It’s a neat opportunity to race together, and we’ll have car that is very
similar to the 63 that Hampshire and Lamme worked on together all those years
ago,” Swanson explained. “I’m also reunited with an engine that helped me win a
Silver Crown title a few years back and appreciate that Bob (Hampshire) and
Jesse (Himes) are still looking after it and keeping it in great shape.”
Competing for a championship with split teams is rare, but not unprecedented.
In fact, Swanson captured the 2021 USAC Silver Crown title while competing for
Doran on pavement and Chris Dyson Racing on dirt. One aspect Swanson notes as a
positive is that each team can come into an event fresh without having just been
out on the road running on the other surface.
“Racing has challenges in every way, even for us in the short track world
trying to run multiple divisions,” Swanson said. “You end up with different
teams as you try to cover different divisions. Having a split schedule can be a
challenge, but I’m looking forward to this. I’ve run on pavement with the Doran
Binks team for a long time, and the good part for me is I’ve had relationships
with a lot of these folks. Even if I haven’t raced the Haggenbottom no. 24, I’ve
been around those guys. We’ve got mutual friends, and for being a new situation,
I feel like there’s a lot of familiarity there.”
On dirt, Swanson will pilot the John Haggenbottom No. 24, utilizing a Maxim
chassis with a Hampshire Chevy while carrying sponsorship from Radio Hospital,
Belmont’s Garage, Kreider Manufacturing, John Venturella and TJ Forged Wheels.
On pavement, Swanson will be at the wheel of the Doran Binks No. 77, with a
Lanci Ford engine underneath the hood of a Beast chassis. Team principles
include Kevin Doran, Dan Binks and Ken Keilholz while sponsorship comes from
Mission Foods, Wilke Orthodontics, Glenn Farms, RMT and TJ Forged Wheels.
Swanson will make his debut in Haggenbottom’s car on Sunday, April 13, on the dirt at Indiana’s Terre Haute Action Track. The following weekend, on Saturday, April 19, Swanson will return to the cockpit of the Doran Binks Racing ride on the pavement of Ohio’s Toledo Speedway.
DAVID GASPER SPRINTS TO PERRIS VICTORY
PERRIS, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 5, 2025… Regaining the lead from R.J. Johnson on
lap 26, David Gasper of Goleta, California sailed to his first Avanti Windows
and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car victory of the year at Perris Auto Speedway.
Driving the Kittle Motorsports / Gasper Racing #18 Art Klee / Valley Precision
DRC, Gasper started third and led the first twenty-two circuits until Johnson
powered to the top spot. Gasper, the 2024 Rookie of the Year, found his rhythm
and was able to take command four laps later. Ryan Bernal, hard charger A.J.
Bender, Johnson, and Ricky Lewis followed Gasper to the checkered flags.
“The Cadillac” Cody Williams began the night by posting the twenty-second
Woodland Auto Display / WC Friend Company Fast Time Award of his career. Driving
his #44 WC Friend Company / Trench Shoring DRC, Williams placed on top of the
charts with a time of 16.379 seconds over the 24 cars in attendance.
Logan Calderwood, Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm, and A.J. Bender took the checkered
flags in their 10-lap heat races.
Bender also earned the In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award
with a third place run from twelfth.
For more information on the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car
Series, visit usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also
find exclusive content on the USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
The Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will make their first
ever visit at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, Arizona with two nights of
action starting on Friday, April 11th.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: April 5, 2025
– Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, California
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY / WC FRIEND COMPANY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Cody Williams,
44, Williams-16.379; 2. Austin Williams, 17W, Dunkel-16.531; 3. Ricky Lewis, 41,
Lewis-16.663; 4. David Gasper, 18, Kittle/Gasper-16.673; 5. R.J. Johnson, 33P,
Petty-16.720; 6. EddieTafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-16.755; 7. Charles Davis Jr., 47,
Davis-16.761; 8. Ryan Bernal, 17X, Dunkel-16.766; 9. Logan Williams, 5W,
McCarthy-16.827; 10. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-16.861; 11. Tommy Malcolm, 5X,
Napier-16.882; 12. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-16.937; 13. Cole Wakim, 73,
Ford-17.091; 14. Blake Bower, 17, Dunkel-17.231; 15. Blake Hendricks, 14,
Hendricks-17.263; 16. Logan Calderwood, 6, Calderwood-17.267; 17. Connor Lundy,
97, Lundy-17.421; 18. Brody Wake, 78B, Wake-17.575; 19. Verne Sweeney, 98,
Guerrero-17.741; 20. Jeff Dyer, 39, Cal-Sun-18.093; 21. Shane Sexton, 74,
Sexton-18.170; 22. Gary Marshall Jr., 23, Marshall-18.276; 23. Elexa Herrera,
5E, Herrera-19.215; 24. Brecken Guerrero, 98B, Guerrero-19.479.
IN HONOR OF WILEY MILLER SR. & WILEY MILLER II / SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION FIRST
HEAT: (10 laps, All Cars Transfer To Feature) 1. Logan Calderwood, 2. Charles
Davis Jr., 3. Cody Williams, 4. David Gasper, 5. Brody Roa, 6. Cole Wakim, 7.
Gary Marshall Jr., 8. Verne Sweeney. 3:02.91.
SILBERMANN SOLAR / FACTORY WRAPS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, All Cars Transfer To
Feature) 1. Tommy Malcolm, 2. Ryan Bernal, 3. R.J. Johnson, 4. Blake Bower, 5.
Austin Williams, 6. Jeff Dyer, 7. Elexa Herrera, 8. Connor Lundy. 3:02.58.
WC FRIEND COMPANY / IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, All
Cars Transfer To Feature) 1. A.J. Bender, 2. Logan Williams, 3. Ricky Lewis, 4.
Brody Wake, 5. Shane Sexton, 6. Brecken Guerrero, 7. Blake Hendricks, 8. Eddie
Tafoya Jr. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. David Gasper (3), 2. Ryan
Bernal (8), 3. A.J. Bender (12), 4. R.J. Johnson (2), 5. Ricky Lewis (4), 6.
Brody Roa (10), 7. Austin Williams (5), 8. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (7), 9. Cody
Williams (6), 10. Charles Davis Jr. (1), 11. Logan Williams (9), 12. Brody Wake
(17), 13. Logan Calderwood (16), 14. Blake Bower (14), 15. Cole Wakim (13), 16.
Blake Hendricks (15), 17. Gary Marshall Jr. (21), 18. Shane Sexton (20), 19.
Verne Sweeney (18), 20. Elexa Herrera (22), 21. Brecken Guerrero (23), 22. Tommy
Malcolm (11), 23. Jeff Dyer (19). NT.
----------------------------
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-22 David Gasper, Laps 23-25 R.J. Johnson, Laps 26-30
David Gasper.
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: A.J. Bender (12 to 3)
NEW AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS:
NEXT AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACES: April 11&12 – Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, Arizona
USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGETS TAKE ON
PLACERVILLE’S NOR-CAL CHALLENGE SATURDAY
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Placerville, California (April 3, 2025)………The Avanti Windows & Doors USAC
Western States Midgets get back to work this Saturday, April 5, at California’s
Placerville Speedway.
Round two of the season takes the series back to the 1/4-mile dirt oval for
the 14th time dating back to 1996. Michael Faccinto and Cade Lewis captured
victories in each of the series events at Placerville in 2024.
Jake Andreotti scored the series opening victory on March 8 at California’s
Ventura Raceway. By virtue of his runner-up finish at Ventura, Caden Sarale
leads the USAC Western States Midget point standings heading into Placerville.
Saturday’s event at Placerville presents the Nor-Cal Challenge, which brings
USAC’s Western States Midgets, the Bay Cities Racing Association and Western
Midget Racing all together this Saturday. Winged Sprint Cars are also on the
card along with Pure Stocks and Lightning Sprints.
Past USAC Western States Midget winners at Placerville include Jimmy Sills
(1996), Shane Golobic (2013 & 2017), Ronnie Gardner (2016), Gio Scelzi (2019),
Kyle Larson (2019), Austin Liggett (2021), Jake Andreotti (2022), Michael
Faccinto (2022 & 2024), Brody Fuson (2023) and Cade Lewis (2024).
Pit gates open at Noon Pacific. Grandstands open at 4:00pm. Cars on track at
5pm. Pit Passes are sold via Pit Pay or at the Pit Booth. Camping is available
and space can be reserved by calling the El Dorado County Fairgrounds & Event
Center at 530-621-5860. The El Dorado County Fairgrounds will charge $10 per
vehicle to park.
Tickets can be purchased in advance at https://www.eventsprout.com/event/psr040525.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINTS: 1-Caden Sarale-76, 2-T.J. Smith-76, 3-Dane Culver-70, 4-Dalten Gabbard-59, 5-Randi Pankratz-57, 6-Bryan Drollinger-48, 7-Todd Hawse-48, 8-Hailey Lambert-44, 9-Broedy Graham-43, 10-Brandt Twitty-43.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR
USAC SPRINT CAR RACE JULY 24 AT IMS
INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, April 3, 2025) – Tickets are on sale for the first USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship event at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the opener of the 38th annual USAC NOS Energy Drink Indiana Sprint Week Presented by Honest Abe Roofing series Thursday night, July 24, 2025.
Visit www.IMS.com to purchase tickets. Reserved seats start at $45. Parking, camping and pit passes also are available.
The event on the quarter-mile dirt oval inside Turn 3 at IMS will feature an invitational field as determined by several different categories. The $10,000-to-win Indiana Sprint Week race at IMS will pay appearance points toward the season-long USAC National Sprint Car standings, but no points will be offered toward the 2025 Indiana Sprint Week standings.
C.J. Leary captured the only previous visit by the USAC National Sprint Cars to The Dirt Track at IMS in September 2024, making the winning pass with nine laps remaining to score a 20-lap, non-points exhibition race victory.
USAC Indiana Sprint Week, a cornerstone of sprint car racing in the Hoosier State since 1988, has captivated fans for decades with its thrilling action and rich legacy. Indiana Sprint Week’s 2025 schedule consists of eight events at eight different racetracks across a 10-night span between July 24-Aug. 2.
IMS INDIANA SPRINT WEEK FIELD STIPULATIONS
ANNOUNCED FOR JULY 24 OPENER
Speedway, Indiana (March 27, 2025)………The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor
Speedway’s debut as the opener of the 38th annual USAC NOS Energy Drink Indiana
Sprint Week Presented by Honest Abe Roofing series on Thursday night, July 24,
2025, will feature an invitational field as determined by several different
categories.
Those who will be eligible to compete in the event at the 1/5-mile dirt oval
located inside of turn three at the world-famous IMS will have to fit in one of
the following categories:
1) Finished inside the top 30 of the 2024 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National
Championship point standings.
2) Finished inside the top 30 of the 2024 USAC Indiana Sprint Week point
standings.
3) Ranks inside the top 30 of the 2025 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National
Championship standings as of July 7.
4) Ranks inside the top 10 of the 2025 Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint
Car standings as of July 7.
5) Any currently active driver who has previously won an Indiana Sprint Week
main event. Drivers must have competed in at least one USAC national event in
either the 2024 or 2025 season.
6) Plus, two Indianapolis Motor Speedway promoters options.
Since its announcement, the event has instantly generated great anticipation
and excitement among drivers, teams and fans alike, but with the confines of the
event, parameters have been put into place to help ensure its success.
“We want to give this race the best opportunity to shine,” USAC series
director Kirk Spridgeon said. “We have limited time, space and track to ensure
the event can be efficient and of the highest quality. It’s great that this
event garners so much interest, and we wish we could open the gates and allow
everyone to compete, but that isn’t feasible at this time.”
The $10,000-to-win Indiana Sprint Week event at IMS will pay appearance
points toward the season-long USAC National Sprint Car standings. However, no
points will be offered toward the 2025 Indiana Sprint Week standings.
C.J. Leary captured the only previous visit by the USAC National Sprint Cars
to The Dirt Track at IMS in September 2024, making the winning pass with nine
laps remaining to score a 20-lap, non-points exhibition race victory.
USAC Indiana Sprint Week, a cornerstone of sprint car racing in the Hoosier
State since 1988, has captivated fans for decades with its thrilling action and
rich legacy. Indiana Sprint Week’s 2025 schedule consists of eight events at
eight different racetracks across a 10-night span between July 24-August 2.
The remainder of Indiana Sprint Week will retain the traditional USAC format.
Following the ISW kick off at The Dirt Track at IMS, the series continues at
Putnamville’s Lincoln Park Speedway on Friday, July 25, followed by Kokomo
Speedway on Saturday, July 26; Lawrenceburg Speedway on Sunday, July 27; Circle
City Raceway on Wednesday, July 30; the Terre Haute Action Track on Thursday,
July 31; Bloomington Speedway on Friday, August 1, and Haubstadt’s Tri-State
Speedway on Saturday, August 2.
Additional information regarding tickets, the format, event times, etc. for the ISW opener at IMS will be shared soon at www.usacracing.com.
USAC FAN FEST ON TAP
FOR FRIDAY, MARCH 28 IN SPEEDWAY!
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (March 27, 2024)………Meet USAC’s racing stars on Friday
night, March 28, at USAC Fan Fest presented by Marc Dailey Racing with support
from Greg Leffler of First Gear Engineering & Brad Kuhn Technology and Fish
Window Cleaning.
The doors open at 6pm Eastern at USAC headquarters, located at 4910 W 16th
St. in Speedway, Indiana, with the program running until 9pm.
The event is free to attend and also includes free food and refreshments.
While attendance is free, donations to RaceAid are appreciated in order to
assist members of the USAC racing community in need.
Meet USAC drivers such as champion Logan Seavey as well as Kale Drake, Gavin
Miller, Trey Osborne, Tye Mihocko, just to name a few, and more.
Furthermore, mingle with fellow race fans and racetrack representatives, and
win one of many raffle items, giveaways for the kids and silent auction pieces.
Among the prizes are tickets to USAC events at Eldora Speedway, Lucas Oil
Indianapolis Raceway Park, Lincoln Park Speedway, Bloomington Speedway as well
as racing shirts, memorabilia and more!
The USAC merchandise trailer will also be on hand for fans to purchase the
latest and greatest in USAC gear.
Since 1959, the United States Auto Club Benevolent Foundation (now USAC
RaceAid) has provided financial aid to the families of auto racing participants
with ties to USAC who have been injured and/or need assistance. USAC RACEAID
also provides support to surviving family members with immediate and ongoing
expenses. Over the years, the foundation has provided millions of dollars to
help members and their families in times of need. The needs, whether small or
large, never cease.
For more info and to make a donation to USAC RaceAid, please visit www.RaceAid.fund.
IMS Indiana Sprint Week Field Stipulations Announced for July 24 Opener
Richie Murray
March 27, 2025
Speedway, Indiana (March 27, 2025)………The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s debut as the opener of the 38th annual USAC NOS Energy Drink Indiana Sprint Week Presented by Honest Abe Roofing series on Thursday night, July 24, 2025, will feature an invitational field as determined by several different categories.
Those who will be eligible to compete in the event at the 1/5-mile dirt oval located inside of turn three at the world-famous IMS will have to fit in one of the following categories:
1) Finished inside the top 30 of the 2024 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship point standings.
2) Finished inside the top 30 of the 2024 USAC Indiana Sprint Week point standings.
3) Ranks inside the top 30 of the 2025 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship standings as of July 7.
4) Ranks inside the top 10 of the 2025 Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car standings as of July 7.
5) Any currently active driver who has previously won an Indiana Sprint Week main event. Drivers must have competed in at least one USAC national event in either the 2024 or 2025 season.
6) Plus, two Indianapolis Motor Speedway promoters options.
Since its announcement, the event has instantly generated great anticipation and excitement among drivers, teams and fans alike, but with the confines of the event, parameters have been put into place to help ensure its success.
“We want to give this race the best opportunity to shine,” USAC series director Kirk Spridgeon said. “We have limited time, space and track to ensure the event can be efficient and of the highest quality. It’s great that this event garners so much interest, and we wish we could open the gates and allow everyone to compete, but that isn’t feasible at this time.”
The $10,000-to-win Indiana Sprint Week event at IMS will pay appearance points toward the season-long USAC National Sprint Car standings. However, no points will be offered toward the 2025 Indiana Sprint Week standings.
C.J. Leary captured the only previous visit by the USAC National Sprint Cars to The Dirt Track at IMS in September 2024, making the winning pass with nine laps remaining to score a 20-lap, non-points exhibition race victory.
USAC Indiana Sprint Week, a cornerstone of sprint car racing in the Hoosier State since 1988, has captivated fans for decades with its thrilling action and rich legacy. Indiana Sprint Week’s 2025 schedule consists of eight events at eight different racetracks across a 10-night span between July 24-August 2.
The remainder of Indiana Sprint Week will retain the traditional USAC format. Following the ISW kick off at The Dirt Track at IMS, the series continues at Putnamville’s Lincoln Park Speedway on Friday, July 25, followed by Kokomo Speedway on Saturday, July 26; Lawrenceburg Speedway on Sunday, July 27; Circle City Raceway on Wednesday, July 30; the Terre Haute Action Track on Thursday, July 31; Bloomington Speedway on Friday, August 1, and Haubstadt’s Tri-State Speedway on Saturday, August 2.
Additional information regarding tickets, the format, event times, etc. for the ISW opener at IMS will be shared soon at www.usacracing.com.
THREE’S A CHARM FOR RICKY LEWIS
WITH USAC CRA SPRINTS AT IMPERIAL
By: Lance Jennings
Imperial, California (March 15, 2025)………Starting third, Ricky Lewis (Oxnard, California) took command from Jake Swanson on the seventh lap and sailed to his third consecutive Avanti Windows and Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car win of the season on Saturday night at California’s Imperial Valley Raceway.
Driving his No. 41 Coyote Candle Company / Mesilla Valley Transportation DRC, Lewis also claimed his third straight win at Imperial Valley Raceway and swept the historic California Mid-Winter Fair races over Braden Chiaramonte, Swanson, J.J. Yeley, and fast qualifier David Gasper.
Gasper began the night by setting the standard in Woodland Auto Display / WC Friend Company Time Trials by posting a time of 12.577 seconds over the 26-car roster. Piloting the Kittle Motorsports / Gasper Racing #18 Art Klee / Valley Precision Products DRC, last season’s Rookie of the Year now has two fast time awards in his career.
“The Cadillac” Cody Williams, defending series champion R.J. Johnson, and “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. took the checkered flags in their respective 10-lap heat races.
Gasper was also victorious in the 12-lap semi-main. Caleb Stelzig, Brent Sexton, Dayton Shelton, Lonnie Oliver, Austin Ervine, and Verne Sweeney earned the final transfer spots into the 30-lap feature. Driving an unfamiliar car regularly driven by Grant Sexton, A.J. Bender used a provisional as well as Blake Bower to make the 24-car field for the main event.
Logan Calderwood earned the In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award with a 17th to eighth place run in the feature. As a bonus, Logan will pocket an extra $100 cash from Steve Lafond / Tear-Off Heaven Fotos.
The non-winged USAC CRA Sprint Cars will take a short break in the schedule before returning to action at California’s Perris Auto Speedway on April 5.
The Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car Series thanks Factory Wraps, The Gardner Family (In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner), In Honor of Wiley Miller Sr. & Wiley Miller II, Sexton Fire Protection, Silbermann Solar, WC Friend Company, and Woodland Auto Display for their support.
For more information on the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car Series, visit www.usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC CRA Facebook, X, and Instagram pages.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: March 15, 2025 – Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, California – California Mid-Winter Fair
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY / WC FRIEND COMPANY QUALIFYING: 1. David Gasper, 18, Kittle/Gasper-12.577; 2. Braden Chiaramonte, 73B, OCC-12.976; 3. Tye Mihocko, 5, Mihocko-13.010; 4. Jake Swanson, 17x, Dunkel-13.040; 5. Ricky Lewis, 41, Lewis-13.108; 6. Tommy Malcolm, 5x, Napier-13.151; 7. Brody Wake, 78B, Wake-13.178; 8. J.J. Yeley, 2, Yeley-13.214; 9. Shon Deskins, 20, Deskins-13.373; 10. Austin Williams, 17w, Dunkel-13.386; 11. Brent Sexton, 44s, Sexton-13.389; 12. Caleb Stelzig, 21s, Stelzig-13.415; 13. Cody Williams, 44, Williams-13.443; 14. R.J. Johnson, 33p, Petty-13.513; 15. Charles Davis Jr., 47, Davis-13.593; 16. Connor Lundy, 97, Lundy-13.669; 17. Logan Calderwood, 6, Calderwood-13.676; 18. Elexa Herrera, 5E, Herrera-13.717; 19. Logan Williams, 5w, McCarthy-13.748; 20. Brecken Guerrero, 98B, Guerrero-13.806; 21. Lonnie Oliver, 22AZ, Oliver-13.936; 22. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-13.994; 23. Verne Sweeney, 98, Guerrero-14.042; 24. Austin Ervine, 21x, AJ-14.093; 25. Blake Bower, 17, Dunkel-14.136; 26. Dayton Shelton, 4D, Shelton-14.309.
SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION / IN HONOR OF WILEY MILLER SR. & WILEY MILLER II FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Cody Williams, 2. Austin Williams, 3. Connor Lundy, 4. Brody Wake, 5. Jake Swanson, 6. Logan Williams, 7. David Gasper, 8. Blake Bower, 9. A.J. Bender. NT
SILBERMANN SOLAR / FACTORY WRAPS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. R.J. Johnson, 2. Braden Chiaramonte, 3. Logan Calderwood, 4. Ricky Lewis, 5. J.J. Yeley, 6. Brent Sexton, 7. Brecken Guerrero, 8. Verne Sweeney, 9. Dayton Shelton. NT
WC FRIEND COMPANY / IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Charles Davis Jr., 2. Tye Mihocko, 3. Tommy Malcolm, 4. Elexa Herrera, 5. Shon Deskins, 6. Caleb Stelzig, 7. Austin Ervine, 8. Lonnie Oliver. NT
SEMI: (12 laps, top-7 transfer to the feature) 1. David Gasper, 2. Caleb Stelzig, 3. Brent Sexton, 4. Dayton Shelton, 5. Lonnie Oliver, 6. Austin Ervine, 7. Verne Sweeney, 8. Blake Bower, 9. A.J. Bender, 10. Logan Williams, 11. Brecken Guerrero. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Ricky Lewis (3), 2. Braden Chiaramonte (6), 3. Jake Swanson (4), 4. J.J. Yeley (8), 5. David Gasper (7), 6. Shon Deskins (9), 7. Brody Wake (1), 8. Logan Calderwood (17), 9. Austin Williams (10), 10. Tye Mihocko (5), 11. Charles Davis Jr. (15), 12. Cody Williams (13), 13. Connor Lundy (16), 14. Brent Sexton (11), 15. Dayton Shelton (22), 16. Verne Sweeney (20), 17. Tommy Malcolm (2), 18. Lonnie Oliver (19), 19. Caleb Stelzig (12), 20. Austin Ervine (21), 21. Blake Bower (24), 22. A.J. Bender (23), 23. R.J. Johnson (14), 24. Elexa Herrera (18). NT
**Brecken Guerrero flipped on lap 1 of the semi. R.J. Johnson flipped on lap 3 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-6 Jake Swanson, Laps 7-30 Ricky Lewis.
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: Logan Calderwood (17th to 8th)
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Jake Swanson-299, 2-Ricky Lewis-245, 3-Cody Williams-218, 4-R.J. Johnson-216, 5-Austin Williams-212, 6-Logan Calderwood-211, 7-Charles Davis Jr.-208, 8-Braden Chiaramonte-204, 9-Tommy Malcolm-194, 10-A.J. Bender-173.
NEXT AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: April 5, 2025 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, California
TWO-IN-A ROW FOR RICKY LEWIS
WITH USAC CRA SPRINTS AT IMPERIAL
By: Lance Jennings
Imperial, California (March 14, 2025)………Regaining the lead from Braden
Chiaramonte on lap 26, Ricky Lewis (Oxnard, California) earned his second Avanti
Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car win of the season.
Piloting his #41 Coyote Candle Company / Mesilla Valley Transportation DRC,
Lewis was running away from the field and Chiaramonte chased down the leader.
The pair sliced their way through heavy slower traffic and Braden grabbed the
top spot on the 23rd circuit.
With Chiaramonte out front, heavy traffic became a factor once again and
Lewis took the Friday night non-stop feature at Imperial Valley Raceway.
Chiaramonte, point leader Jake Swanson, Logan Calderwood, and “The Cadillac”
Cody Williams rounded out the top-five.
Williams opened the program by posting the 21st Woodland Auto Display / WC
Friend Company fast time award of his career. Driving his #44 WC Friend Company
/ Trench Shoring DRC, Williams earned the top spot on the charts with a time of
12.257 seconds over the 28-car roster.
Defending champion R.J. Johnson, A.J. Bender, “The Bull” Tye Mihocko, and
Brody Wake claimed the checkered flags in their 10-lap heat races.
After flipping in time trials, Blake Bower sliced his way to victory in the
12-lap semi-main. Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm, Grant Sexton, “Chargin” Charles Davis
Jr., Connor Lundy, and Shon Deskins earned the final transfer spots to the
30-lap feature.
Bower also earned the In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner hard charger award
with a ninth place run from 22nd. As a bonus, Blake earned an extra $100 cash
from Steve Lafond / Tear-Off Heaven Fotos.
On Saturday, March 15th, the USAC CRA Sprint cars are back at the historic
Imperial Valley Raceway during the California Mid-Winter Fair. The event goes
back to 1957 with the original California Racing Association (CRA).
For more information on the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car
Series, visit www.usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can
also find exclusive content on the USAC CRA Facebook, X and Instagram pages.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: March 14,
2025 – Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, California – California Mid-Winter
Fair
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY / WC FRIEND COMPANY QUALIFYING: 1. Cody Williams, 44,
Williams-12.257; 2. Braden Chiaramonte, 73B, OCC-12.373; 3. Ricky Lewis, 41,
Lewis-12.459; 4. Logan Calderwood, 6, Calderwood-12.550; 5. R.J. Johnson, 33p,
Petty-12.567; 6. J.J. Yeley, 2, Yeley-12.601; 7. Grant Sexton, 22,
Sexton-12.646; 8. Jake Swanson, 17x, Dunkel-12.705; 9. Austin Williams, 17w,
Dunkel-12.786; 10. Tommy Malcolm, 5x, Napier-12.811; 11. Dayton Shelton, 4D,
Shelton-12.811; 12. Caleb Stelzig, 21s, Stelzig-12.821; 13. Connor Lundy, 97,
Lundy-12.976; 14. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-12.989; 15. Tye Mihocko, 5,
Mihocko-13.047; 16. Charles Davis Jr., 47, Davis-13.069; 17. Logan Williams, 5w,
McCarthy-13.102; 18. David Gasper, 18, Kittle/Gasper-13.122; 19. Brent Sexton,
44s, Sexton-13.128; 20. Brody Wake, 78B, Wake-13.131; 21. Lonnie Oliver, 22AZ,
Oliver-13.384; 22. Shon Deskins, 20, Deskins-13.655; 23. Austin Ervine, 21x,
AJ-13.656; 24. Jeff Dyer, 39, Cal-Sun-13.708; 25. Elexa Herrera, 5E,
Herrera-13.823; 26. Verne Sweeney, 98, Guerrero-13.883; 27. Brecken Guerrero,
98B, Guerrero-14.119; 28. Blake Bower, 17, Dunkel-NT.
IN HONOR OF WILEY MILLER SR. & WILEY MILLER II FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, top 4
transfer to the feature) 1. R.J. Johnson, 2. Cody Williams, 3. Logan Williams,
4. Austin Williams, 5. Connor Lundy, 6. Lonnie Oliver, 7. Elexa Herrera. NT
WC FRIEND COMPANY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, top 4 transfer to the feature) 1.
A.J. Bender, 2. Braden Chiaramonte, 3. J.J. Yeley, 4. David Gasper, 5. Shon
Deskins, 6. Verne Sweeney, 7. Tommy Malcolm. NT
SILBERMANN SOLAR THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, top 4 transfer to the feature) 1. Tye
Mihocko, 2. Dayton Shelton, 3. Ricky Lewis, 4. Austin Ervine, 5. Brecken
Guerrero, 6. Grant Sexton, 7. Brent Sexton. NT
SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION / IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER FOURTH HEAT: (10
laps, top 4 transfer to the feature) 1. Brody Wake, 2. Caleb Stelzig, 3. Logan
Calderwood, 4. Jake Swanson, 5. Charles Davis Jr., 6. Blake Bower, 7. Jeff Dyer.
NT
FACTORY WRAPS SEMI: (12 laps, top 6 transfer to the feature) 1. Blake Bower,
2. Tommy Malcolm, 3. Grant Sexton, 4. Charles Davis Jr., 5. Connor Lundy, 6.
Shon Deskins, 7. Lonnie Oliver, 8. Verne Sweeney, 9. Elexa Herrera, 10. Brecken
Guerrero. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Ricky Lewis (4), 2.
Braden Chiaramonte (5), 3. Jake Swanson (8), 4. Logan Calderwood (3), 5. Cody
Williams (6), 6. R.J. Johnson (2), 7. Tye Mihocko (15), 8. A.J. Bender (14), 9.
Blake Bower (22), 10. Austin Williams (9), 11. Charles Davis Jr. (16), 12. Caleb
Stelzig (12), 13. David Gasper (18), 14. Brody Wake (19), 15. Connor Lundy (13),
16. Dayton Shelton (11), 17. Logan Williams (17), 18. Austin Ervine (21), 19.
Grant Sexton (7), 20. Tommy Malcolm (10), 21. J.J. Yeley (1), 22. Shon Deskins
(20). NT
**Blake Bower flipped during qualifying. Brent Sexton flipped during lap 1 of
the third heat. Jeff Dyer flipped on lap 1 of the fourth heat.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-22 Ricky Lewis, Laps 23-25 Braden Chiaramonte,
Laps 26-30 Ricky Lewis.
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: Blake Bower (22nd to 9th)
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Jake Swanson-228, 2-R.J.
Johnson-185, 3-Cody Williams-171, 4-Ricky Lewis-168, 5-Charles Davis Jr.-159,
6-Austin Williams-159, 7-Tommy Malcolm-158, 8-Logan Calderwood-156, 9-Logan
Williams-150, 10-A.J. Bender-150.
NEXT AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: March 15, 2025 – Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, California – California Mid-Winter Fair
USAC CRA SPRINTS HEADLINE IMPERIAL’S
CALIFORNIA MID-WINTER FAIR MARCH 14-15
By: Lance Jennings
Imperial, California (March 11, 2025)………The chase for the Avanti Windows &
Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car Championship heads to the historic California’s
Imperial Valley Raceway with two-straight nights of action on Friday, March 14,
and Saturday, March 15.
Held during the famed “California Mid-Winter Fair,” the Friday and Saturday
events will feature full racing programs each night. The SoCal Lightning Sprints
will also be on the event card.
Located at the Imperial Valley Expo at 200 East 2nd Street in Imperial
California, the pit gates at the fast 1/4-mile track below sea level will open
at 2:00pm Pacific on Friday and 1:00pm on Saturday.
The spectator gates will open at 5:30pm on Friday and 4:00pm on Saturday. The
Opening Ceremonies are scheduled for 7:00pm on Friday and 6:15pm on Saturday.
For more information, visit the Imperial Valley Raceway page on Facebook or
www.ivfairgrounds.com/tickets.html.
General Admission tickets for the special events are $10 (18 Years & Up) and FREE to those 17 and younger. For those that cannot make it to the races, the event will be live streamed on www.FloRacing.com.
NOTICE TO RACERS:
- APPROVED/LEGAL MUFFLERS: Mufflers ARE NOT REQUIRED at Imperial Valley
Raceway.
- FUEL & TIRES WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE AT THE RACE TRACK.
- ALL RACERS MUST PURCHASE THEIR USAC LICENSE / MEMBERSHIPS ONLINE PRIOR TO
THE EVENT AT USACRACING.COM OR USACLICENSE.COM. (If racers have a membership
question, contact Julie Tanaka at julietanaka@aol.com.)
- ENTRY FEE: There is an entry fee due at registration / pill pick.
- TRANSPONDERS: Transponders ARE MANDATORY and will be available to rent.
- ONE WAY RADIOS / RACECEIVERS: One way radios ARE MANDATORY.
- FRONT AXLE TETHER SYSTEMS: Front axle tether systems (2-Chassis, 1-King Pin
to King Pin) ARE MANDATORY.
- FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS: Full containment seats ARE MANDATORY.
- COCKPIT ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS: Cockpit adjustable shocks ARE ALLOWED.
- RULE BOOK: The series rule book is online at usacracing.com, appendix E.
Friday’s “California Mid-Winter Fair” race will be the third appearance for
the USAC/CRA Sprint Cars at the Imperial Valley Fairgrounds. David Gasper won
the October 18, 2024 debut and set the 1-lap track record of 11.770 the
following night on his way to Rookie of the Year honors. Ricky Lewis topped the
30-lap main event on Saturday, October 19th.
While new to USAC/CRA, Imperial Valley Raceway (often called “Imperial” or
“El Centro”) has been a historic stop dating back to 1957 for the original
California Racing Association (CRA) and the Sprint Car Racing Association
(SCRA). While the track has changed configurations over the years, Nick Valenta
drove the Lee Knox entry to victory at the first Imperial CRA race on March 9,
1957 and Jerry Meyer raced the family car to win the last CRA appearance on
October 20, 1991. “The Flying Shoe” Ron Shuman won SCRA’s Imperial debut for
Anne Wilkerson on February 26, 1994 and Mike Kirby topped the last SCRA visit on
March 7, 1998 for Wilkerson.
Heading to the third point race, Jake Swanson (Anaheim, California) holds a
twenty-seven point advantage over the competition. Driving the Tom & Christy
Dunkel #17W Inland Rigging / Maxima Oil DRC, the 2012 Rookie of the Year raced
from sixth to second at Perris Auto Speedway on March 1st. As this writing goes
to press, the 2022 Western World Champion has seven career USAC/CRA victories
and will be looking to add an Imperial victory to his resume.
Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm (Yucaipa, California) is second in the championship
points. Racing Dino Napier’s #5X Indiana Truck Salvage / B&B Powder Coating
Maxim, Malcolm placed eighth at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds on March 1st.
Currently tied with Robert Ballou, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., Jake Swanson,
and “KTJ” Kevin Thomas Jr. with seven career triumphs, Tommy will have his
sights on his first win of the season at Imperial.
Defending USAC/CRA Champion, R.J. Johnson (Laveen, Arizona) ranks third in
the point standings. Piloting the Petty Performance Racing #33P Avanti Windows &
Doors / Apache Transport entry, Johnson ran twelfth in the March 1st main event.
Currently tied with “The Macho Man” Brady Bacon, “Dynamite” David Cardey, and
Richard Vander Weerd with nine career wins, R.J. will be looking to sweep both
nights at the “California Mid-Winter Fair.”
“Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. (Buckeye, Arizona) has climbed to fourth in the
chase for the crown. Driving his #47 MP Environmental Services / Central Arizona
Raceway March 28 & 29 High Limit Race Triple X, Davis led five laps at Perris
before scoring fifth at the checkered flags. The multi-time Arizona Sprint Car
Champion is tied with Robert Ballou, Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm, Jake Swanson, and
“KTJ” Kevin Thomas Jr. with seven career wins and will have his sights on
celebrating a victory at Imperial.
Logan Williams (Yorba Linda, California) sits fifth in the championship point
chase. Racing John McCarthy’s #5W Flowdynamics Incorporated / Drinkpak DRC,
Williams charged from fourteenth to ninth at Perris Auto Speedway. The 2014
Rookie of the Year will have his sights on his first career win at Imperial
Valley Raceway.
Cole Wakim (Simi Valley, California) leads the chase for Rookie of the Year
honors over Connor Lundy, Connor Speir, Lonnie Oliver, Brody Wake, Blake
Hendricks, Brecken Guerrero, and Dayton Shelton.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are “The Big Game Hunter”
Austin Williams, Eddie Tafoya Jr., “The Cadillac” Cody Williams, Blake Bower,
A.J. Bender, Logan Calderwood, Verne Sweeney, Braden Chiaramonte, Elexa Herrera,
Jeff Dyer, Grant Sexton, Austin Ervine, Brent Sexton, Caleb Stelzig, and more.
Imperial Valley Raceway is located at the Imperial Valley Expo at 200 East
2nd Street in Imperial California. For more event information, visit the
Imperial Valley Raceway page on Facebook or ivfairgrounds.com/tickets.html.
General Admission tickets are $10 (18 Years & Up) and FREE to those 17 and
younger.
The Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks Factory Wraps,
The Gardner Family (In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner), In Honor of Wiley Miller
Sr. & Wiley Miller II, Sexton Fire Protection, Silbermann Solar, WC Friend
Company, and Woodland Auto Display for their support.
For more information on the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS: 2004-Rip Williams, 2005-Damion Gardner, 2006-Cory Kruseman, 2007-Tony Jones, 2008-Mike Spencer, 2009-Mike Spencer, 2010-Mike Spencer, 2011-Mike Spencer, 2012-Mike Spencer, 2013-Damion Gardner, 2014-Damion Gardner, 2015-Damion Gardner, 2016-Damion Gardner, 2017-Damion Gardner, 2018-Damion Gardner, 2019-Damion Gardner, 2020-NO AWARD, 2021-Damion Gardner, 2022-Damion Gardner, 2023-Brody Roa, 2024-R.J. Johnson.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 1-Ricky Lewis, 1-Jake Swanson.
IMPERIAL AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA 1-LAP QUALIFYING RECORD: David Gasper – 11.770 (10/19/24)
IMPERIAL AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 1-David Gasper, 1-Ricky Lewis.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS 1. Jake Swanson-159, 2. Tommy Malcolm-132, 3. R.J. Johnson-120, 4. Charles Davis Jr.-117, 5. Logan Williams-115, 6. Austin Williams-111, 7. Eddie Tafoya Jr.-103, --. Kevin Thomas Jr.-103, 9. Cody Williams-100, 10. Blake Bower-93, ---. A.J. Bender-93, 12. Cole Wakim (R)-91, 13. Ricky Lewis-88, 14. Logan Calderwood-86, 15. Brody Fuson-71, 16. Verne Sweeney-67, 17. Brody Roa-59, 18. David Gasper-47, 19. Braden Chiaramonte-46, ---. Connor Lundy (R)-46, ---. Connor Speir (R)-46.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
February 15: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (RAIN)
February 22: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Winner: Jake Swanson)
March 1: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Ricky Lewis)
March 14: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA (California Mid-Winter Fair)
March 15: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA (California Mid-Winter Fair)
April 5: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
April 11: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ
April 12: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ
April 26: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
May 3: Santa Maria Speedway – Nipomo, CA
May 24: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Salute to Indy)
June 21: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
July 5: Santa Maria Speedway – Nipomo, CA
July 19: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
August 16: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
August 30: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
August 31: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 6: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
September 27: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
October 4: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ
October 18: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
October 24: *Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (Western World Championships)
October 25: *Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 1: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
November 8: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
* = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC National Sprint Cars.
This schedule is subject to change.
USAC NIGHT WITH THE INDY FUEL
FIRES OFF THIS FRIDAY, MARCH 14
Fishers, Indiana (March 11, 2025)………Ice hockey meets USAC racing as the Indy
Fuel presents USAC Night at the Fishers Event Center on Friday night, March 14.
As the ECHL’s Indy Fuel takes the ice for their game against the Kalamazoo
Wings that night, USAC drivers will be on hand to battle it out on the ice and
meet and greet fans.
During the first intermission of the game, the stars of USAC will partake in
a battle on the ice. The on-ice entertainment thus far is undetermined, but last
year’s event was a trike relay race won by Kevin Thomas Jr. and Kaylee Bryson in
dramatic, wheel-banging fashion.
Furthermore, fans will have the opportunity to meet and greet the drivers
during a USAC autograph session and get an up-close look at real USAC racecars.
At press time, Thomas Jr. is confirmed to be on hand Friday as is Justin
Grant with more expected.
Doors open to the Fishers Event Center at 6pm Eastern while the puck drops at 7pm.
Tickets for the game are on sale now at https://indyfuelhockey.com/.
SPRING FORWARD!
ANDREOTTI WINS USAC WS MIDGET OPENER AT VENTURA
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Ventura, California (March 8, 2025)………When Jake Andreotti saw daylight, he
didn’t waste any time saving his winning move for later during Saturday night’s
USAC Avanti Windows & Doors Western States Midget season opener at southern
California’s Ventura Raceway.
Instead, the fourth place starting Andreotti (Castro Valley, California)
sprung forward with a lap six slider on Dane Culver in turns three and four,
then led the final 25 laps en route to victory aboard his Six8 Motorsports
machine.
For Andreotti, it was his fifth career USAC Western States Midget feature
victory, tying him with Tommy Astone, Bob Davison, Ronnie Day, Robert Dolacki,
Davey Hamilton, Tony Hunt, Robby Josett, Brad Kuhn and J.J. Yeley for 45th place
all-time.
Saturday’s score was Andreotti’s first with the series at Ventura since his
initial career series victory in October 2021. Furthermore, it’s his second
career season opening win with the series after previously achieving the feat at
California’s Placerville Speedway in March 2022.
It was a doubly good night for Andreotti as he followed up his 30-lap midget
main event triumph with another win in the accompanying USCS Sprint Car feature
about an hour later at the 1/5-mile dirt oval.
Andreotti was followed to the line in the midget feature by Caden Sarale
(Stockton, California) and Six8 Motorsports teammate T.J. Smith (Fresno,
California). Dane Culver (Riverside, California) led the first five laps before
finishing fourth while Dalten Gabbard (Peoria, Arizona) overcame early
mechanical issues to round out the top-five after starting 15th.
Series Rookie Broedy Graham (Bakersfield, California) took fast qualifying honors for the first time in his career with a lap of 12.438 seconds. Randi Pankratz (Atascadero, California) and Culver captured heat race victories.
USAC AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS WESTERN STATES MIDGET RACE RESULTS: March 8, 2025
– Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California
QUALIFYING: 1. Broedy Graham, 66, Graham-12.438; 2. T.J. Smith, 68,
Six8-12.516; 3. Brandt Twitty, 4B, Twitty-12.589; 4. Jake Andreotti, 68w,
Six8-12.630; 5. Caden Sarale, 32, Sarale-12.702; 6. Dane Culver, 50, Knuckles
Up-12.855; 7. Robby Josett, 20, Sarna-12.957; 8. Bryan Drollinger, 71D,
Drollinger-13.107; 9. Connor Speir, 14JR, Streeter/Graunstadt-13.236; 10. Todd
Hawse, 18, Hawse-13.287; 11. Randi Pankratz, 8, Pankratz-13.458; 12. Kyle Hawse,
20x, Hawse-13.559; 13. Hailey Lambert, 55, Lambert-13.712; 14. Joey Bishop, 45,
Bishop-13.766; 15. Dalten Gabbard, 77, Gabbard-NT.
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. Randi Pankratz, 2. Caden
Sarale, 3. Brandt Twitty, 4. Robby Josett, 5. Connor Speir, 6. Hailey Lambert,
7. Broedy Graham, 8. Dalten Gabbard. NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. Dane Culver, 2. T.J.
Smith, 3. Jake Andreotti, 4. Bryan Drollinger, 5. Kyle Hawse, 6. Joey Bishop, 7.
Todd Hawse. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jake Andreotti (4),
2. Caden Sarale (3), 3. T.J. Smith (6), 4. Dane Culver (2), 5. Dalten Gabbard
(15), 6. Robby Josett (1), 7. Connor Speir (10), 8. Randi Pankratz (7), 9. Todd
Hawse (11), 10. Bryan Drollinger (9), 11. Hailey Lambert (13), 12. Kyle Hawse
(12), 13. Joey Bishop (14), 14. Broedy Graham (8), 15. Brandt Twitty (5). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-5 Dane Culver, Laps 6-30 Jake Andreotti.
USAC AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS WESTERN STATES MIDGET POINTS: 1-Jake
Andreotti-79, 2-Caden Sarale-76, 3-T.J. Smith-76, 4-Dane Culver-70, 5-Robby
Josett-60, 6-Dalten Gabbard-59, 7-Randi Pankratz-57, 8-Connor Speir-56, 9-Todd
Hawse-48, 10-Bryan Drollinger-48.
NEXT USAC AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS WESTERN STATES MIDGET RACE: April 5, 2025 – Placerville Speedway – Placerville, California
VENTURA OPENS USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET SEASON
THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 8!
Ventura, California (March 6, 2025)………The 44th season of USAC Avanti Windows
& Doors Western States Midget competition gets underway this Saturday, March 8,
with the series season opener at California’s Ventura Raceway.
The event is the 163rd by the series since its debut at the 1/5-mile seaside
dirt oval since 1986 and marks the earliest event in series history at Ventura.
In fact, only three previous USAC Western States Midget races have been
contested at Ventura in the month of March.
March Ventura races have been won by Sleepy Tripp (1987), Billy Boat (1995)
and Cory Kruseman (2011), all of whom went on to win the USAC Western States
Midget series championship that very same season.
Caden Sarale (Stockton, Calif.) was victorious last July at Ventura and
intends to be among those chasing after victory this Saturday and hopes to
parlay that into a championship in 2025 just like Tripp, Boat and Kruseman did
in previous years.
Reigning series champion Cade Lewis (Bakersfield, California) and Jett Yantis
(Bakersfield, California) also captured USAC Western States Midget wins at
Ventura in 2025.Also on the card for the event are the USCS Sprint Cars, VRA
Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compacts and Motorcycles.
Gates open at 3pm Pacific with racing starting at 5:30pm. General admission
tickets are $25 for adults and $22 for seniors age 60 and older, military (with
ID) as well as students (with ID). Children age 12 and under are free.
FloRacing will have live coverage of the event at www.flosports.link/usac.
CORY KRUSEMAN APPOINTED DIRECTOR
OF USAC WEST COAST OPERATIONS
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (March 6, 2025)……….Cory Kruseman has been named the
Director of USAC West Coast operations, taking on a pivotal role in overseeing
all of the United States Auto Club's racing endeavors throughout the western
United States in addition to handling special projects.
Kruseman, a native of Ventura, California, brings decades of experience in
the sport. As a driver, his decorated career resulted in him being a 2023
inductee into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. As a car owner, he operates
a sprint car driving school and his own team has won numerous events on the west
coast.
With his wealth of experience in several facets of the sport, Kruseman is
poised to bring his perspective to his new role and make a significant impact on
the future of USAC on the west coast, emphasizing his desire to bridge the gap
between racers, racetracks, sponsors and the sport itself.
“I just want to be somebody who can help bring everyone together and figure
out what it’s going to take to help the sport thrive into the future,” Kruseman
explained. “There’s a lot of competition out here on the west coast, and I think
this is the right time to do everything we can to keep auto racing flourishing.”
Kruseman’s career behind the wheel includes such accolades as the 1999
Non-Wing World Sprint Car Champion, 2000 & 2004 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals
victories, 2002 & 2005 USAC Indiana Sprint Week titles, the 2006 USAC CRA Sprint
Car crown as well as the 2011 USAC Western States Midget championship, in
addition to winning more than 100 sprint car features between SCRA, USAC CRA and
USAC’s national series. For Kruseman, this new role feels like a natural next
step.
“Growing up with a dream to make a living in racing by becoming a driver, and
eventually a team owner for so many years and being able to fulfill that dream,
I want the next generation to have the same opportunities I had,” Kruseman said.
Kruseman believes it’s critical to support those coming up through the ranks,
especially as the economic landscape of racing continues to evolve.
“When people come through the driving school, there are a lot of new ideas
and marketing strategies that I’ve seen and heard that I can hopefully help
apply,” Kruseman stated. “I feel like if I don’t give it my all to help the
sport that allowed me to live my life as well I was able to, it might not be
here in 10-15 years for the next generation of racers to follow that same career
path.”
Among Kruseman’s first priorities is to meet and connect with the people who
make the sport what it is.
“I want to get in and meet the promoters and racers and just kind of get back
on the front line,” Kruseman explained. “I want to see how I can help facilitate
things, and I want them all to know that I’m here to help the sport.”
In addition to Kruseman’s appointment, Tony Jones will continue to lead the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car division while Malyssa Young will be at the helm of the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC Western States Midget series.
RICKY LEWIS SURGES TO PERRIS VICTORY
PERRIS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 1, 2025… Regaining the lead from “Chargin” Charles
Davis Jr. on lap eighteen, Ricky Lewis (Oxnard, CA) led the rest of the way to
earn the Saturday night victory at Perris Auto Speedway. Racing his #41 Coyote
Candle Company / Mesilla Valley Transportation DRC, Lewis shook free from late
race challenges by Jake Swanson and “KTJ” Kevin Thomas Jr. to earn the fifth
Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car win of his career. Swanson, Thomas,
“The Cadillac” Cory Williams, and Davis rounded out the top-five.
Swanson began the night by posting the twenty-third Woodland Auto Display /
WC Friend Company Fast Time Award of his career. The pilot of the Tom and
Christy Dunkel #17X DRC recorded a time of 16.271 seconds over the 25-car
roster.
Logan Calderwood, Lewis, and Logan Williams took the checkered flags in their
10-lap heat races.
The 2023 Champion, “The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa returned to series
action and earned the In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award with
a seventh place run from thirteenth.
On March 14th and 15th, the USAC/CRA Sprint Cars will make their only
appearances of the season at Imperial Valley Raceway. Held during the California
Mid-Winter Fair, the historic weekend goes back to 1957 with the original
California Racing Association (CRA).
For more information on the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car
Series, visit usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also
find exclusive content on the USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: March 1, 2025
– Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, California
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY / WC FRIEND COMPANY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Jake Swanson,
17X, Dunkel-16.271; 2. Kevin Thomas Jr., 15, Bonneau-16.308; 3. Cody Williams,
44, Williams-16.364; 4. Charles Davis Jr., 47, Davis-16.581; 5. R.J. Johnson,
33P, Petty-16.607; 6. David Gasper, 18, Kittle/Gasper-16.654; 7. Eddie Tafoya
Jr., 51T, Tafoya-16.688; 8. Ricky Lewis, 41, Lewis-16.726; 9. Tommy Malcolm, 5X,
Napier-16.764; 10. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-16.794; 11. Austin Williams, 17W,
Dunkel-16.806; 12. Cole Wakim, 73, Ford-16.827; 13. Logan Calderwood, 6,
Calderwood-16.922; 14. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-16.922; 15. Logan Williams, 5W,
McCarthy-17.090; 16. Jeff Dyer, 39, Cal-Sun-17.385; 17. Blake Bower, 17,
Dunkel-17.478; 18. Verne Sweeney, 98, Guerrero-17.588; 19. Connor Lundy, 97,
Lundy-17.601; 20. Blake Hendricks, 14, Hendricks-17.676; 21. Connor Speir, 57S,
Speir-17.928; 22. Shane Sexton, 74, Sexton-17.969; 23. Gary Marshall Jr., 23,
Bellegante-18.275; 24. Elexa Herrera, 5E, Herrera-18.433; 25. Brecken Guerrero,
98B, Guerrero-NT.
SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION / IN HONOR OF WILEY MILLER SR. & WILEY MILLER II FIRST
HEAT: (10 laps, Top 5 Cars Transfer To Feature) 1. Logan Calderwood, 2. Jake
Swanson, 3. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 4. Charles Davis Jr., 5. A.J. Bender, 6. Connor
Lundy, 7. Shane Sexton, 8. Jeff Dyer. 2:52.72.
SILBERMANN SOLAR / FACTORY WRAPS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, Top 5 Cars Transfer
To Feature) 1. Ricky Lewis, 2. Brody Roa, 3. Austin Williams, 4. Kevin Thomas
Jr., 5. Blake Bower, 6. R.J. Johnson, 7. Blake Hendricks, 8. Gary Marshall Jr.
2:50.98.
WC FRIEND COMPANY / IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, Top
5 Cars Transfer To Feature) 1. Logan Williams, 2. Tommy Malcolm, 3. Cole Wakim,
4. Connor Speir, 5. Elexa Herrera, .6 Cody Williams, 7. David Gasper, 8. Verne
Sweeney. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Ricky Lewis (2), 2. Jake
Swanson (6), 3. Kevin Thomas Jr. (5), 4. Cody Williams (7), 5. Charles Davis Jr.
(4), 6. Austin Williams (10), 7. Brody Roa (13), 8. Tommy Malcolm (1), 9. Logan
Williams (14), 10. Cole Wakim (11), 11. A.J. Bender (9), 12. R.J. Johnson (8),
13. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (3), 14. Blake Bower (16), 15. Connor Lundy (18), 16.
Connor Speir (20), 17. Shane Sexton (21), 18. Blake Hendricks (19), 19. Verne
Sweeney (17), 20. Gary Marshall Jr. (22), 21. Elexa Herrera (23), 22. Logan
Calderwood (12), 23. Jeff Dyer (15). NT.
----------------------------
**Brecken Guerrero flipped during qualifications. David Gasper flipped during
lap 6 of the third heat.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-12 Ricky Lewis, Laps 13-17 Charles Davis Jr.,
Laps 18-30 Ricky Lewis.
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: Brody Roa (13 to 7)
NEXT AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACES: March 14&15 – Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, California
TRIPLE CROWN PURSUIT!
GRANT JOINS CBI FOR 2025 USAC MIDGET SEASON
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (February 26, 2025)………Justin Grant has teamed up with CB
Industries to chase after a USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship
in 2025.
Grant (Ione, California) will pilot the CBI No. 87 Spike/Speedway Toyota
sponsored by NOS Energy Drink, TRD, PristineAuction.com and Avanti Windows &
Doors for the full tour, just one year after CBI collected the USAC National
Midget title with driver Daison Pursley who has departed full-time status with
the team.
Coming into a situation with a team that is fresh off a championship has
Grant aiming to become the next to add his name to the list.
“I’m very excited to be stepping into a championship caliber seat and I’m
hopeful that we can go win CB Industries another championship,” Grant exclaimed.
“(Team owner) Chad (Boat) has won a couple of them now with different guys and
I’m excited to go and try to add my name to that list and check off another
box.”
What Grant is referring to is the USAC Triple Crown. Grant has previously
checked off titles with the USAC Silver Crown series in 2020 and with the USAC
AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship in 2022-2023. Only eight drivers belong
to that club who have earned status as a career USAC Triple Crown champion:
Pancho Carter, Tony Stewart, Dave Darland, J.J. Yeley, Jerry Coons Jr., Tracy
Hines, Chris Windom and Logan Seavey.
Furthermore, the dynamic of Grant’s rides across the board also frees him up
to chase after the incomparable single season USAC Triple Crown in which a
driver can win all three USAC national titles in a single season, a feat
accomplished only twice before by Tony Stewart (1995) and J.J. Yeley (2003).
“I’ve been a lot more hands-on in the past with most all my rides,” Grant
explained. “This will be the first time that I just show up and drive in quite a
while. That’s something I’m excited about and it’s a big part of why I did this,
and why I wanted to go run for Chad. Obviously, his cars have the speed, and the
team has the capability to go and win a championship. But beyond that, it frees
me up to focus on driving and frees up some bandwidth across the board as well.
I feel like that will help me to continue to chase the Sprint Car and Silver
Crown titles by just freeing up some things off my plate.”
Grant comes to CBI after competing with RMS Racing for the 2021-2024 USAC
National Midget seasons, finishing as the runner-up in the standings in both
2022 and 2023, accumulating 12 feature wins, including the BC39, the Turkey
Night Grand Prix and the Hangtown 100.
“I’m grateful for the time I spent with RMS Racing these past four years,”
Grant reflected. “We were able to win some big races, accomplish many goals and
made a lot of great memories.”
It’s a bit of an unusual situation Grant finds himself in for 2025. After
all, he will also be entering his ninth consecutive year as the driver of the
Hemelgarn Racing Silver Crown ride and his eighth straight season as the driver
of the TOPP Motorsports sprint car. With that said, it also marks the first time
he’s changing midget teams since 2020.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had to put my seat in a different car,” Grant
revealed. “I’m not much of a bounce-arounder. I like to put my seat in and stay
awhile if I can. It’s definitely a new experience going in and trying to mesh
with a new team.”
However, Grant and CBI aren’t exactly starting from scratch. This past
January, the pairing made its debut at the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa,
Oklahoma, finishing fifth in the preliminary feature before taking 18th in the
Saturday night main. It was an experience to gain some knowledge, chemistry and
get some forward momentum heading into the USAC season.
“I would’ve liked to have run a little better at the Chili Bowl, but I felt
like we got along really well and had fun with Chad and the crew,” Grant said.
“I think our personalities meshed well and I feel like we’ll be able to work
well together to have a successful season.”
Grant enters the 2025 season with three career USAC national driving
championships, while ranking ninth in career national victories with 79.
Furthermore, his 86 career USAC victories (national and regional) have him just
14 shy of becoming just the eighth driver to reach 100 wins. Despite that, a
midget championship has eluded him, but he intends to change that in the coming
year.
“I want to win a USAC midget championship badly,” Grant stated. “But that’s
not the only reason I’m doing it. I enjoy racing midgets. I think they’re fun
and there’s a big part of me that really enjoys beating up and down the road
going racing. I get to drive really good racecars for really good teams and
that’s awesome. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. The goal is to go win a
championship and try to win some big races and complete a triple crown for
myself. This year, I feel like I’m in a good position to go try and chase some
of the championship bonuses as well.”
Grant begins his pursuit of a USAC National Midget title and the USAC Triple Crown as well as the Mike Curb USAC National Drivers Championship with the season opening USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship events on April 25-26 at Indiana’s Kokomo Speedway for the Kokomo Grand Prix.
2025 USAC HALL OF FAME CLASS REVEALED!
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (February 26, 2025)………The USAC Hall of Fame class of
inductees for 2025 has been revealed.
USAC’s 12th hall of fame class includes driver/car owner Jack Bowsher, driver
Dave Darland, car owner/official Bob Estes, car owner/crew chief Bob Hampshire,
promoters Roger & Linda Holdeman, official Tommy Hunt and driver Gordon Johncock.
The official 2025 USAC Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at
USAC headquarters in Speedway, Indiana on Wednesday afternoon, July 2, 2025,
during the BC39 festivities for the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Championship
at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
MEET THE NEW USAC HALL OF FAME CLASS:
JACK BOWSHER
Although he never earned a championship in USAC Stock Car competition, Jack
Bowsher was undoubtedly one of the preeminent figures of the sport.
Born in Harmony, Ohio on October 2, 1930, the U.S. Navy veteran’s USAC career
spanned more than two decades. Prior to tackling USAC full-time, Bowsher found
major success with three consecutive ARCA crowns in 1963-1964-1965.
His USAC resume ranks among the upper echelon. His 21 wins as a driver rank
seventh; his 32 pole positions as a driver place him third; his 162 starts as a
driver are eighth best; and his 38 car owner victories slot him third.
As a driver and car owner, Bowsher was equally proficient, finishing as the
runner-up in USAC entrant points on three-straight occasions in 1968-1969-1970,
while also placing two entries inside the top-five of the points in all three
seasons. In 1971, he took second in the standings as a driver, boosted by a
four-race winning streak.
Among those winning USAC Stock Car races in Jack Bowsher-owned cars are
Parnelli Jones and A.J. Foyt, the latter of whom won four times in Bowsher’s
ride en route to the 1968 driving title. Bowsher died on April 8, 2006, at age
75.
DAVE DARLAND
One of eight USAC career Triple Crown champions, by the time he hung up the
helmet in 2023, Dave Darland had amassed more USAC National Sprint Car victories
than any other driver.
Born on September 4, 1966, in Lincoln, Indiana, Darland earned his stripes by
becoming a force on the local Indiana sprint car circuit. In time, he’d take the
USAC world by storm, capturing four national driving titles: Silver Crown
(1997), Sprint (1999) and Midget (2001-2002).
The first of his 62 USAC National Sprint car triumphs arrived in 1993, and
proved to be the first of his 115 total USAC feature victories (nationally and
regionally), which also includes 30 National Midget triumphs and 14 Silver
Crown. He’s one of only seven drivers to surpass 100 career USAC wins.
His 1,334 USAC National starts rank number one all-time as do his 797 USAC
Sprint Car starts between 1986-2023. One of Darland’s greatest attributes is his
longevity of success. In fact, Darland scored at least one USAC national feature
victory in a record 24 consecutive seasons between 1993-2016. All these years
later, Darland has solidified his position as one of the all-time USAC greats, a
status he will retain for eternity.
BOB ESTES
As one of USAC’s founding fathers, Bob Estes was monumental in the club’s
formative years both on and off the track.
Born in Los Angeles, California on September 21, 1913, following a foray as a
driver himself, Estes’ focus soon shifted toward business and race team
ownership.
Following his service in World War II, Estes purchased a Lincoln-Mercury
dealership in Inglewood, California. With his dealership employee and car
builder Jud Phillips as his sidekick, Estes’ team captured AAA Midwest Sprint
Car championships in 1953-1954 with Pat O’Connor.
At USAC’s inception in 1955, Estes was elected as the national car owner
representative, a role he helmed until 1960. Later, he’d also serve USAC as its
western regional representative.
O’Connor and Estes earned the inaugural USAC Midwest Sprint Car title in
1956. With Don Branson in 1959, Estes’ team duplicated its USAC Midwest Sprint
championship. Estes also fielded several Indianapolis 500 entries, finishing a
best of third with Don Freeland in the 1956 race.
Aside from the ovals, Ken Miles captured victory during the 1959 USAC Road
Racing opener in Pomona, California, driving a Porsche RS Spyder owned by Estes.
Estes died on December 11, 2001, at the age of 88.
BOB HAMPSHIRE
Without question, Bob Hampshire was instrumental in two of the most dominant
eras by any driver in USAC history.
Born on September 25, 1946, Hampshire’s initial success as a USAC car owner
came with Jac Haudenschild, who corralled a pair of wins in 1982. Yet
Hampshire’s most iconic seasons came in association with Jack Hewitt. In all,
the pair teamed up for 22 USAC Sprint Car victories between 1985-1997.
That said, Hampshire and Hewitt’s success on the USAC Silver Crown trail was
simply dominant. Armed with their Challenger Chevy nicknamed “Gussie,” they
annihilated the competition, winning all six dirt races they entered in 1986. In
1987, they repeated as series champs.
Officially, Hampshire is credited with 14 USAC Silver Crown owner wins, which
once ranked as the most in series history. However, as a crew chief, Hampshire
has orchestrated a boatload of victories with Hewitt at 6R Racing and 21 more
with Kody Swanson at DePalma Motorsports between 2014-2018, a run which included
four series titles in a five-year span.
In 2014, Hampshire was named USAC’s Chief Mechanic of the Year, and in 2018,
his “63” became the first number officially retired for use in the USAC Silver
Crown series.
ROGER & LINDA HOLDEMAN
When Roger Holdeman purchased Indiana’s Winchester Speedway in 1970, the
1/2-mile, high-banked oval was already world famous for its breathtaking speed
and incomparable competition.
But in the years to follow, Holdeman took the hallowed grounds to another
level while hosting 123 races between USAC’s Sprint, Midget and Stock Car
divisions, many of which featured unique double and tripleheader formats along
with cornerstone events such as the Rich Vogler Classic, Sammy Sessions
Memorial, Border Wars and Oldtimers Weekend.
It was also a perfect match. Born and raised in Winchester, Roger graduated
in 1957 from Winchester High School where he served as class president. As
caretaker of Winchester Speedway, he oversaw a complete reconstruction of the
grandstands, multiple repaves, the creation of a tunnel and new track lights.
In 1988, Roger married Linda, who had served as the promoter at Oswego
Speedway. By 1989, the two were managing the track’s day-to-day duties and even
constructed their new home outside turn one. A year later, Roger and Linda were
named USAC’s Race Organizers of the Year for 1990.
Roger passed away at age 58 in 1996. Later that year, Linda was the recipient
of the Diana Fell Gilmore Woman Behind the Scenes award.
TOMMY HUNT
The Hunt family was born to be motorsports lifers, and Tommy Hunt certainly
fits the mold to a T.
Tommy’s father, Joe Hunt, was a magneto magnate and a longtime champ car team
owner, employing many of the greatest drivers of the era. Tommy’s son, Tony
Hunt, is a 10-time USAC driving champion in both rear engine machinery and
sprint car racing.
Tommy was entrenched in the sport from day one, serving on the crew for his
dad’s team. Eventually, Tommy became a driver himself, most notably scoring
three California Racing Association (CRA) Sprint Car feature wins, plus 1974
Most Improved Driver honors, while also running the family’s magneto business
until 1986.
Those experiences prepared Tommy for his role of 28 years at USAC between
1986-2013 in which he served as Vice President and the head of the series’ west
coast operations where he oversaw the Midget, Sprint Car, Supermodified
divisions, and was instrumental in introducing both the F2000 and Russell Pro
series to USAC as well as the introduction of the Ford Focus Midget series.
Serving the sport with integrity, professionalism and doing things the right
way, Tommy was honored with the Dick Jordan Award of Excellence in 2024.
GORDON JOHNCOCK
Gordon Johncock was a natural behind the wheel and became one of the premier
drivers of his era, and of any era.
Born on August 5, 1936, in Hastings, Michigan, Johncock initially made his
mark in supermodifieds, winning throughout the Midwest and as far east as New
York’s Oswego Speedway.
In sprint cars, Johncock scored the inaugural Williams Grove National Open in
1963. With USAC in 1964, he opened eyes by conquering Indiana’s daunting
Winchester Speedway, while also setting a new world record in qualifying, doing
so without brakes at an average speed of nearly 105 mph.
Finishing fifth as an Indianapolis 500 Rookie in 1965, Johncock carried
onward to his first Indy Car win at Milwaukee that same year, the first of his
20 career USAC National Championship victories. His defining moments came at
Indianapolis in the tragedy-marred 1973 race, and again in 1982, when his 0.16
second winning margin over Rick Mears proved to be the closest in race history
at the time. In 1976, he earned the series championship.
Johncock was adept at adapting to any setting, even winning a pair of USAC
Stock Car races in 1972 at Milwaukee and in 1973 at Texas World Speedway.
=====================
USAC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES:
2012: J.C. Agajanian, Mario Andretti, Gary Bettenhausen, Tom Binford, Jimmy
Bryan, Duane Carter, A.J. Foyt, Tony Hulman, Parnelli Jones, Mel Kenyon, Roger
McCluskey & Rich Vogler
2013: Earl Baltes, Henry Banks, Tony Bettenhausen, Tom Bigelow, Pancho
Carter, Jack Hewitt, Johnny Rutherford, Al Unser, Bobby Unser, A.J. Watson, Don
White & Bob Wilke
2014: Rollie Beale, George Bignotti, Don Branson, Larry Dickson, Gus Hoffman,
Jud Larson, Norm Nelson, Eddie Sachs, Don Smith, Bob Stroud, Rodger Ward & Bob
Wente
2015: Clint Brawner, Jimmy Caruthers, Butch Hartman, Lindsey Hopkins, Jim
Hurtubise, Don Kenyon, Sheldon Kinser, Fred Lorenzen, Roger Penske, Larry Rice,
Shorty Templeman & Sleepy Tripp
2016: Steve Butler, Russ Clendenen, Jimmy Davies, Willie Davis, Bob Higman,
Tommy Hinnershitz, Dick King, Rick Mears, Pat O’Connor, Kevin Olson, Tony
Stewart & Bob Tattersall
2017: Donald Davidson, Frankie DelRoy, Bob East, Chuck Gurney, Gene Hartley,
Steve Lewis, Howard Linne, Lloyd Ruby, Ken Schrader, Robbie Stanley, Steve Stapp
& Johnny Thomson
2018: Mike Devin, Tony Elliott, Paul Goldsmith, Jason Leffler, Bill Lipkey,
Troy Ruttman, Bob/Gene Shannon & Jimmy Sills
2019: Bryan Clauson, Johnny Capels, Dick Jordan & Dave Steele
2020: None
2021: None
2022: Doug Caruthers, Jay Drake, Galen Fox, Jeff Gordon, Dan Gurney, Ray
Nichels, Johnny Vance & Joe Shaheen
2023: Bobby East, Ted Halibrand, Tracy Hines, Terry Lingner, Bill Marvel &
The Wilke Family
2024: Gene Crucean, The Hoffman Family, Rickey Hood, Levi Jones, John
Mahoney, Tom Marchese & Jud Phillips
2025: Jack Bowsher, Dave Darland, Bob Estes, Bob Hampshire, Roger & Linda Holdeman, Tommy Hunt & Gordon Johncock
Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
PERRIS HOSTS USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS THIS SATURDAY
By Lance Jennings
FEBRUARY 24, 2025... After a successful opener at Mohave Valley, the Avanti
Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars will return to their “home track” this
Saturday, March 1st, at Perris Auto Speedway. Promoted by Don Kazarian, the
second championship point race will also feature the PAS Senior Sprint Cars, PAS
Young Gun Sprint Cars, PASSCAR Street Stocks, and PASSCAR American Factory
Stocks. Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in
Perris, California, the Spectator Gates will open at 5:00pm and racing at
"America's Premier Dirt Track" will start at 7:00pm. For more event information,
visit the track’s website at perrisautospeedway.com or call 951.940.0134.
NOTICE TO RACERS:
- ALL RACERS MUST PURCHASE THEIR USAC LICENSE / MEMBERSHIPS ONLINE PRIOR TO THE
EVENT AT USACRACING.COM OR USACLICENSE.COM. (If racers have a membership
question, contact Julie Tanaka at julietanaka@aol.com.)
- ENTRY FEE: There is an entry fee due at registration / pill pick.
- TRANSPONDERS: Transponders ARE MANDATORY and will be available to rent.
- ONE WAY RADIOS / RACECEIVERS: One way radios ARE MANDATORY.
- TIRE RULE: Hoosier tires ARE REQUIRED ON ALL FOUR CORNERS of the car.
- FRONT AXLE TETHER SYSTEMS: Front axle tether systems (2-Chassis, 1-King Pin to
King Pin) ARE MANDATORY.
- FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS: Full containment seats ARE MANDATORY.
- COCKPIT ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS: Cockpit adjustable shocks ARE ALLOWED.
- RULE BOOK: The series rule book is online at usacracing.com.
Since March 6, 2004, the Lake Perris Fairgrounds has held 258 USAC/CRA Sprint
Car events and forty-seven drivers have claimed victory. Ten-time champion, “The
Demon” Damion Gardner leads all drivers with 51 “home track” series wins and Nic
Faas set the 1-lap track record of 15.833 on February 25, 2012. The complete
Perris USAC/CRA win list is at the end of this release.
After winning last Saturday night at Mohave Valley, Jake Swanson (Anaheim,
California) holds a three point advantage over the competition. Driving the Tom
& Christy Dunkel #17W Inland Rigging / Maxima Oil DRC, the 2012 Rookie of the
Year qualified fifth overall, ran second in his heat race to teammate Blake
Bower, and led 25 feature laps. At press time, the 2022 Western World Champion
has seven career USAC/CRA victories and will be a favorite to watch at Perris.
Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm (Yucaipa, California) ranks second in the point
standings. Racing Dino Napier’s #5X Indiana Truck Salvage / B&B Powder Coating
Maxim, Malcolm was sixth quick in time trials, won the WC Friend Company Second
Heat Race, and placed second in the main event. Currently tied with Robert
Ballou, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., Jake Swanson, and “KTJ” Kevin Thomas Jr.
with seven career triumphs, Tommy will have his sights on winning this Saturday
night.
Defending USAC/CRA Champion, R.J. Johnson (Laveen, Arizona) is tied for
second in the point chase. Piloting the Petty Performance Racing #33P Avanti
Windows & Doors / Apache Transport entry, Johnson qualified second, ran second
to Tommy Malcolm in his heat race, and finished third in the feature after
starting sixth. Currently tied with “The Macho Man” Brady Bacon, “Dynamite”
David Cardey, and Richard Vander Weerd with nine career wins, R.J. will be
looking to top the main event at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds.
Brody Fuson (Bakersfield, California) returned to USAC/CRA action and sits
fourth in the championship standings. Driving the Bob & Toni Van Meter #51 Race
Pa Motorsports / W.E. Spike, Fuson was the night’s Woodland Auto Display / WC
Friend Company Fast Qualifier, scored eighth in his heat race, won the Factory
Wraps Semi-Main, and took fourth in the main event. Running a limited schedule,
the 2023 USAC Western States Midget Champion might miss the action at Perris.
Logan Williams (Yorba Linda, California) ranks fifth in the chase for the
championship. Racing John McCarthy’s #5W Flowdynamics Incorporated / Drinkpak
DRC, Williams was eighth fast in time trials, ran third in his heat race, and
claimed sixth in the main event. The 2014 Rookie of the Year will have his
sights on his first career win at Perris Auto Speedway.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are Eddie Tafoya Jr., Logan
Calderwood, Blake Bower, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., “The Big Game Hunter”
Austin Williams, A.J. Bender, Braden Chiaramonte, Verne Sweeney, David Gasper,
“The Cadillac” Cody Williams, Grant Sexton, Elexa Herrera, Jeff Dyer, “Shugah”
Shane Sexton, Brecken Guerrero, and more.
Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake
Perris Drive in Perris, California. General admission tickets (13 & over) are
$35, Senior tickets (65 & over) are $30, Kids tickets (6 to 12) are $10, and
Children (5 and under) are FREE. The Lake Perris Fairgrounds charges $20 for
parking. Advance tickets are available and for more event information, visit the
track’s website at perrisautospeedway.com or call 951.940.0134.
The Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks Factory Wraps,
The Gardner Family (In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner), In Honor of Wiley Miller
Sr. & Wiley Miller II, Sexton Fire Protection, Silbermann Solar, WC Friend
Company, and Woodland Auto Display for their support.
For more information on the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car
Series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at usacracing.com and
the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the
USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
-----------------------------------------------
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS: 2004-Rip Williams,
2005-Damion Gardner, 2006-Cory Kruseman, 2007-Tony Jones, 2008-Mike Spencer,
2009-Mike Spencer, 2010-Mike Spencer, 2011-Mike Spencer, 2012-Mike Spencer,
2013-Damion Gardner, 2014-Damion Gardner, 2015-Damion Gardner, 2016-Damion
Gardner, 2017-Damion Gardner, 2018-Damion Gardner, 2019-Damion Gardner, 2020-NO
AWARD, 2021-Damion Gardner, 2022-Damion Gardner, 2023-Brody Roa, 2024-R.J.
Johnson.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 1-Jake Swanson.
PERRIS AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA 1-LAP QUALIFYING RECORD: Nic Faas –
15.833 (02/25/12)
PERRIS AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 51-Damion Gardner,
24-Mike Spencer, 19-Tony Jones, 17-Cory Kruseman, 10-Matt Mitchell, 9-Nic Faas,
8-David Cardey, 8-Richard Vander Weerd, 7-Brody Roa, 7-Rip Williams, 6-Bryan
Clauson, 6-Justin Grant, 6-Mike Kirby, 6-Danny Sheridan, 6-Austin Williams,
5-Brady Bacon, 5-Robert Ballou, 5-Rickie Gaunt, 4-Dave Darland, 4-Charles Davis
Jr., 4-R.J. Johnson, 4-Tommy Malcolm, 3-Garrett Hansen, 3-Kevin Thomas Jr.,
2-Darren Hagen, 2-Jesse Hockett, 2-Levi Jones, 2-C.J. Leary, 2-Blake Miller,
2-Jake Swanson, 2-Cody Williams, 2-Chris Windom, 1-A.J. Bender, 1-Chad
Boespflug, 1-Greg Bragg, 1-Daron Clayton, 1-Josh Ford, 1-David Gasper, 1-Josh
Hodges, 1-Bud Kaeding, 1-Ricky Lewis, 1-Adam Mitchell, 1-Johnny Rodriguez,
1-Hunter Schuerenberg, 1-Chase Stockon, 1-Scotty Weir, 1-Jason York.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS
1. Jake Swanson-79, 2. Tommy Malcolm-76, --. R.J. Johnson-76, 4. Brody Fuson-71,
5. Logan Williams-61, 6. Eddie Tafoya Jr.-60, 7. Logan Calderwood-55, 8. Blake
Bower-54, 9. Charles Davis Jr.-51, 10. Austin Williams-50, 11. A.J. Bender-48,
12. Braden Chiaramonte-46, 13. Cole Wakim-42, 14. Verne Sweeney-41, 15. Andrew
Sweeney-30, 16. David Gasper-34, ---. Lonnie Oliver-34, 18. Brody Wake-33, ---.
Racin Silva-33, 20. Cody Williams-32.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
February 15: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (RAIN)
February 22: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Winner: Jake Swanson)
March 1: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
March 14: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA
March 15: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA
April 5: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
April 11: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ
April 12: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ
April 26: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
May 3: Santa Maria Speedway – Nipomo, CA
May 24: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Salute to Indy)
June 21: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
July 5: Santa Maria Speedway – Nipomo, CA
July 19: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
August 16: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
August 30: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
August 31: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 6: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
September 27: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
October 4: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ
October 18: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
October 24: *Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (Western World
Championships)
October 25: *Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (Western World
Championships)
November 1: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
November 8: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC National Sprint Cars.
This schedule is subject to change.
JAKE SWANSON WINS OPENING NIGHT AT MOHAVE VALLEY
MOHAVE VALLEY, ARIZONA – February 22, 2025… After problems forced early
leader Kevin Thomas Jr. to the work area during a lap six caution, Jake Swanson
(Anaheim, CA) led the rest of the way to claim victory at Mohave Valley Raceway.
Piloting Tom and Christy Dunkel’s #17X Inland Rigging / Maxima Racing Oils DRC,
Swanson fought off several challenges to earn his seventh career triumph with
the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series. Tommy “Thunder”
Malcolm, R.J. Johnson, Brody Fuson, and Eddie Tafoya Jr. followed the former
Western World Champion.
Fuson began the night by scoring the second Woodland Auto Display / WC Friend
Company Fast Time Award of his career. The pilot of the Bob & Toni Van Meter #51
Spike recorded a time of 13.997 seconds over the 31-car roster.
Blake Bower, Malcolm, Brody Wake, and “The Rattlesnake” Andrew Sweeney took
the checkered flags in their 10-lap heat races.
Fuson topped the 12-lap Factory Wraps Semi-Main as Logan Calderwood, Tafoya,
Grant Sexton, “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams, and Lonnie Oliver earned
the final transfer spots.
In his first USAC/CRA start, Lonnie Oliver earned the In Memory of Jim and
Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award with a fifteenth place run from twenty-second.
Next Saturday, March 1st, the USAC/CRA Sprint Cars will battle at Perris Auto
Speedway. Track promoter Don Kazarian has recently announced the addition of
November 1st as a make-up date for the February 15th rainout.
For more information on the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car
Series, visit usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also
find exclusive content on the USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: February 22,
2025 – Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, Arizona
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY / WC FRIEND COMPANY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Brody Fuson, 51,
Van Meter-13.997; 2. R.J. Johnson, 33P, Petty-14.063; 3. Cody Williams, 44,
Williams-14.071; 4. Charles Davis Jr., 47, Davis-14.075; 5. Jake Swanson, 17X,
Dunkel-14.089; 6. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-14.095; 7. Kevin Thomas Jr., 15,
Bonneau-14.118; 8. Logan Williams, 5W, McCarthy-14.290; 9. Blake Bower, 17,
Dunkel-14.299; 10. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-14.303; 11. Austin Williams,
17W, Dunkel-14.342; 12. Logan Calderwood, 6, Calderwood-14.342; 13. Grant
Sexton, 22, Sexton-14.398; 14. David Gasper, 18, Kittle/Gasper-14.418; 15. A.J.
Bender, 21, Bender-14.505; 16. Braden Chiaramonte, 73B, OCC-14.542; 17. Cole
Wakim, 73, Ford-14.604; 18. Jeff Dyer, 39, Cal-Sun-14.679; 19. Austin Ervine, 2,
Ervine-14.741; 20. Andrew Sweeney, 98A, Guerrero-14.746; 21. Racin Silva, 5S,
Silva-14.785; 22. Verne Sweeney, 98, Guerrero-14.788; 23. Brody Wake, 78B,
Wake-14.838; 24. Lonnie Oliver, 22AZ, Oliver-14.846; 25. Connor Speir, 57S,
Speir-14.892; 26. Connor Lundy, 97, Lundy-14.892; 27. Dayton Shelton, 4D,
Shelton-15.010; 28. Shane Sexton, 74, Sexton-15.329; 29. Brecken Guerrero, 98B,
Guerrero-15.775; 30. Ricky Lewis, 41, Lewis-NT; 31. Elexa Herrera, 5E,
Herrera-NT.
IN HONOR OF WILEY MILLER SR. & WILEY MILLER II FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, Top 4
Cars Transfer To Feature) 1. Blake Bower, 2. Jake Swanson, 3. Racin Silva, 4.
Cole Wakim, 5. Grant Sexton, 6. Connor Speir, 7. Brecken Guerrero, 8. Brody
Fuson. NT.
WC FRIEND COMPANY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, Top 4 Cars Transfer To Feature) 1.
Tommy Malcolm, 2. R.J. Johnson, 3. Verne Sweeney, 4. David Gasper, 5. Rcky
Lewis, 6. Connor Lundy, 7. Jeff Dyer. NT.
SILBERMANN SOLAR THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, Top 4 Cars Transfer To Feature) 1.
Brody Wake, 2. A.J. Bender, 3. Kevin Thomas Jr., 4. Cody Williams, 5. Austin
Williams, 6. Dayton Shelton, 7. Austin Ervine, 8. Elexa Herrera. NT.
SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION FOURTH HEAT: (10 laps, Top 4 Cars Transfer To Feature)
1. Andrew Sweeney, 2. Braden Chiaramonte, 3. Logan Williams, 4. Charles Davis
Jr., 5. Logan Calderwood, 6. Lonnie Oliver. NT.
FACTORY WRAPS SEMI: (12 laps, Top 6 Cars Transfer to Feature) 1. Brody Fuson,
2. Logan Calderwood, 3. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 4. Grant Sexton, 5. Austin Williams,
6. Lonnie Oliver, 7. Dayton Shelton, 8. Austin Ervine, 9. Elexa Herrera, 10.
Ricky Lewis, 11. Connor Lundy, 12. Brecken Guerrero, 13. Connor Speir, 14. Jeff
Dyer. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Jake Swanson (3), 2. Tommy
Malcolm (2), 3. R.J. Johnson (6), 4. Brody Fuson (7), 5. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (10),
6. Logan Williams (8), 7. Logan Calderwood (12), 8. Austin Williams (11), 9.
Blake Bower (9), 10. Charles Davis Jr. (4), 11. A.J. Bender (15), 12. Braden
Chiaramonte (16), 13. Cole Wakim (17), 14. Verne Sweeney (20), 15. Lonnie Oliver
(22), 16. Andrew Sweeney (18), 17. David Gasper (14), 18. Racin Silva (19), 19.
Brody Wake (21), 20. Grant Sexton (13), 21. Kevin Thomas Jr. (1), 22. Cody
Williams (5). NT.
----------------------------
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-2 Kevin Thomas Jr., Lap 3 Jake Swanson, Laps 4-6
Kevin Thomas Jr., Laps 7-30 Jake Swanson.
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: Lonnie Oliver (22 to 15)
NEW AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS:
NEXT AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: March 1 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, California
USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS RUMBLE AT MOHAVE VALLEY SATURDAY
By Lance Jennings
FEBRUARY 15, 2025... After rain washed out the event at Perris, the Avanti
Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car season will open at Mohave Valley Raceway
this Saturday, February 22nd. Promoted by Ron Meyer, the 520th event in series
history will also feature the Avanti Windows & Doors POWRi Southwest Ecotech
Midgets and Sport Compacts. Located at 2750 Laguna Road in Mohave Valley,
Arizona, the Pit Gates will open at 1:00pm, the Spectator Gates will open at
3:30pm, with Racing scheduled for 5:30pm. For more information, visit
mohavevalleyracceway.com or call 928.346.3000.
NOTICE TO RACERS:
- APPROVED/LEGAL MUFFLERS: Mufflers ARE NOT REQUIRED at Mohave Valley Raceway.
- ALL RACERS MUST PURCHASE THEIR USAC LICENSE / MEMBERSHIPS ONLINE PRIOR TO THE
EVENT AT USACRACING.COM OR USACLICENSE.COM. (If racers have a membership
question, contact Julie Tanaka at julietanaka@aol.com.)
- ENTRY FEE: There is an entry fee due at registration / pill pick.
- TRANSPONDERS: Transponders ARE MANDATORY and will be available to rent.
- ONE WAY RADIOS / RACECEIVERS: One way radios ARE MANDATORY.
- TIRE RULE: Hoosier tires ARE REQUIRED ON ALL FOUR CORNERS of the car.
- FRONT AXLE TETHER SYSTEMS: Front axle tether systems (2-Chassis, 1-King Pin to
King Pin) ARE MANDATORY.
- FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS: Full containment seats ARE MANDATORY.
- COCKPIT ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS: Cockpit adjustable shocks ARE ALLOWED.
- RULE BOOK: The series rule book is online at usacracing.com.
- FUEL WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE RACE TRACK. Text Randy at 928-530-1704 to place
large orders or with any questions.
- TIRES ARE NOT AVAILABLE AT THE RACE TRACK. Arrangements can be made in advance
for delivery with PRE 2.0 at 951.295.2997.
SPECIAL NOTICE AT MOHAVE VALLEY:
- CASH ONLY: Mohave Valley Raceway is a cash only facility.
- PIT AREA PARKING: Personal vehicles or side by sides, etc. are NOT allowed in
the pits. If it is not towing the race car/truck, on the trailer with the car,
or in the trailer with the car, then it will NOT be allowed. NO exceptions!
Since April 23, 2022, the fast 1/3-mile clay oval has held nine USAC/CRA
Sprint Car events and five different drivers have claimed victory. 2023
champion, “The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa, “KTJ” Kevin Thomas Jr., and
Ricky Lewis are tied with two Mohave Valley wins. “The Cadillac” Cody Williams
established the 1-lap track record of 13.923 seconds on April 1, 2023 and the
complete Mohave Valley win list is at the end of this release.
After posting strong finishes throughout the season, R.J. Johnson (Laveen,
Arizona) claimed the 2024 Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car
Championship. Starting the year in the Yeley Racing #2, R.J. switched to Ricky
and Michele Johnson’s #51 JUGO Superfoods / Avanti Windows & Doors Sherman and
became the first driver to earn Rookie of the Year honors (2005) and the series
championship. To his credit, the first Arizona racer to win the crown earned two
feature wins, three Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, three heat race
victories, one semi-main win, seventeen top-five finishes, twenty-one top-10
finishes, and 84 feature laps led on the season. The new pilot of the Petty
Performance Racing #33P backed by Avanti Windows & Doors has nine career wins
and will be looking start the season with his first Mohave Valley triumph.
Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm (Yucaipa, California) finished second in the USAC/CRA
point standings. Racing Dino Napier’s #5X Indiana Truck Salvage / B&B Powder
Coating Maxim, Malcolm led the series with four feature wins and also posted one
Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, six heat race victories, one In Memory of
Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, seven top-five finishes, eighteen
top-10 finishes, and 86 feature laps led in the campaign. Tommy is currently
tied with Robert Ballou, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., and “KTJ” Kevin Thomas Jr.
with seven career wins and he will have his sights on winning at Mohave Valley.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, California) placed third
in the USAC/CRA point chase. Piloting Tom & Christy Dunkel’s #17W Inland Rigging
/ Dunkel Farms DRC, Williams recorded six heat race victories, two In Memory of
Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Awards, ten top-five finishes, sixteen top-10
finishes, and 17 feature laps led on the year. At press time, the 2009 Co-Rookie
of the Year is tied with Matt Mitchell with eleven wins and will be looking to
start the season with the Saturday night victory.
A.J. Bender (San Diego, California) ran fourth in the chase for the USAC/CRA
championship. Racing the family owned #21 Bender Pool & Spa / Matrix
Construction Services DRC, Bender earned his first series last April at Perris
and posted seven heat race victories, one semi-main win, seven top-five
finishes, sixteen top-10 finishes, and 44 feature laps led in the campaign. The
2022 USAC Western States Midget Rookie of the Year will have his sights on his
first Arizona win.
David Gasper (Goleta, California) placed fifth in the championship points and
earned Rookie of the Year honors. Starting the year in the Josh Ford Motorsports
#73X, Gasper switched to the Kittle Motorsports & Gasper Racing #18 Art Klee /
Martin Roofing DRC and posted two feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display Fast
Time Award, one heat race victory, three Factory Wraps semi-main wins, five In
Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Awards, fourteen top-10 finishes,
and 59 feature laps led on the season. The two-time California Lightning Sprint
Champion will be looking to score his third career victory at the season opener.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are Logan Williams, “The
Cadillac” Cody Williams, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., Verne Sweeney, “The
Gunslinger” Austin Grabowski, Eddie Tafoya Jr., Elexa Herrera, Brent Sexton,
Logan Calderwood, Grant Sexton, Blake Bower, Jeff Dyer, “The Pride of Garden
Grove” Brody Roa, Stevie Rogers, “Flash” Jordan Hermansader, “The Rattlesnake”
Andrew Sweeney, Blake Hendricks, “Shugah” Shane Sexton, Tom Dunkel, 2024 PAS
Young Gun Champion Brecken Guerrero, and more.
Mohave Valley Raceway is located at 2750 Laguna Road in Mohave Valley,
Arizona. For more event information, visit the track’s website at
mohavevalleyracceway.com or call 928.346.3000. Mohave Valley Raceway is a cash
only facility and grandstand tickets are available online at the track’s website
and at the track on race day. Adult General Admission tickets are $25, Kids
General Admission Tickets are $15, and Children (5 & Under) are FREE. Outside
food, beverages, and ice chests are not permitted.
For more information on the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series,
visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at usacracing.com and the
social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the
USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
-----------------------------------------------
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS: 2004-Rip Williams,
2005-Damion Gardner, 2006-Cory Kruseman, 2007-Tony Jones, 2008-Mike Spencer,
2009-Mike Spencer, 2010-Mike Spencer, 2011-Mike Spencer, 2012-Mike Spencer,
2013-Damion Gardner, 2014-Damion Gardner, 2015-Damion Gardner, 2016-Damion
Gardner, 2017-Damion Gardner, 2018-Damion Gardner, 2019-Damion Gardner, 2020-NO
AWARD, 2021-Damion Gardner, 2022-Damion Gardner, 2023-Brody Roa, 2024-R.J.
Johnson.
MOHAVE VALLEY AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA 1-LAP QUALIFYING RECORD: Cody
Williams – 13.923 (04/01/23)
MOHAVE VALLEY AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 2-Ricky Lewis,
2-Brody Roa, 2-Kevin Thomas Jr., 1-Kyle Cummins, 1-Damion Gardner, 1-Chase
Johnson.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
February 15: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (RAIN)
February 22: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ
March 1: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
March 14: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA
March 15: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA
April 5: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
April 11: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ
April 12: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ
April 26: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
May 3: Santa Maria Speedway – Nipomo, CA
May 24: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Salute to Indy)
June 21: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
July 5: Santa Maria Speedway – Nipomo, CA
July 19: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
August 16: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
August 30: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
August 31: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 6: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
September 27: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
October 4: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ
October 18: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
October 24: *Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (Western World
Championships)
October 25: *Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (Western World
Championships)
November 8: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC National Sprint Cars.
This schedule is subject to change.
A MATTER OF TIME!
PURSLEY BUSTS THROUGH TO WIN OCALA’S
WINTER DIRT GAMES FINALE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Ocala, Florida (February 15, 2025)………Seemingly, it was only a matter of time
before Daison Pursley broke through the iron wall that had stood in his path to
victory throughout Winter Dirt Games.
Following finishes of 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 2nd and 2nd, and leading a total of 43
laps across the past five nights of USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship
racing in Florida, the Locust Grove, Oklahoma native finally hurdled the hump to
land a long-awaited victory during Saturday night’s Winter Dirt Games XVI finale
at Ocala Speedway.
Pursley collected $10,000 for his efforts in the 35-lap feature event at the
3/8-mile dirt oval as he picked his way to the lead past Mitchel Moles on the
21st circuit and led the remaining 15 trips in his CB Industries/Avanti Windows
& Doors – Pristine Auction – NOS Energy Drink/Spike/Stanton Chevy.
For Pursley, it was his third career USAC National Sprint Car points-paying
feature victory, and his first for the newly formed CB Industries team owned by
former series winning driver Chad Boat. Now, in the team’s first six races
together, they’ve yet to finish off the podium.
Although the team was so close to victory on each of the initial five nights,
it didn’t get them down. All it did was prove that they were apt to put
themselves in position to win at any given time they hit the racetrack, and that
soon, their time was going to come.
“As the week went on, we wanted to win more and more,” Pursley admitted.
“This is just a phenomenal racecar. It’s been a pleasure to drive, for sure, and
I’m just the one lucky enough to get to be in the seat.”
Starting third in the 24-car field, Pursley used traffic to his advantage on
lap 15 when second-running Brady Bacon became boxed in behind the 22nd place car
of Kobe Simpson in turns three and four. Pursley dove to the bottom, then sliced
between Bacon and Simpson on the front straightaway to become the new occupant
of the runner-up spot.
“I just felt like I was the only one, at least among those ahead of me, who
was moving around in one and two, and I knew that was going to be the place to
try to do something down the back straightaway with how (Moles) and Brady were
floating up,” Pursley explained. “I got lucky enough to where Brady decided to
try to run the top in three and four, and with lapped traffic, I was the one
actually getting to pounce on them.”
When the yellow flag was displayed for 14th place Hayden Reinbold’s flat
right rear tire on the 19th lap, it removed traffic from the equation while also
allowing Pursley free reign to discover which path fit to his liking.
On the first lap following the lap 19 restart, Pursley wound himself up on
the high side and was able to pull even alongside Moles on the back
straightaway. On the ensuing go around, Pursley modified his approach by diving
under Moles in turn one to swipe the lead away, albeit briefly.
Moles cut back under Pursley at the exit of turn two to reassume the top spot
as Pursley slipped back underneath Moles midway down the dogleg headed for turn
three when Pursley ramped his right front tire over Moles’ left rear. Pursley
landed on all fours to complete the pass on the inside of turn three to become
the new leader with 15 laps remaining.
“I just started moving around a little bit, and when Mitchel and I got to
racing, I knew his angle was so low in the middle of one and two that it was
going to shoot him up the track,” Pursley pointed out. “I kind of anticipated it
a little bit where I thought he was going to slide a little bit further, then I
ended up getting into his left rear a bit as we drag raced into three.”
With 10 laps to go, Pursley had established a 1.6 second lead as Bacon worked
on Moles for second. Ultimately, on lap 25, Bacon managed to charge around Moles
to corral second for good just prior to Logan Seavey (9th) slowing with a flat
right rear tire, which dropped the defending series champion to 18th in the
final running order.
Although Pursley’s lead was subsequently erased multiple times down the
stretch due to cautions, including for the final time with five laps to go, he
was the class of the field, crossing the finish line 0.351 seconds ahead of
Thursday Ocala winner Brady Bacon, Friday Ocala victor Kyle Cummins, Wednesday
Ocala winner Justin Grant and Mitchel Moles, who led a race high 20 laps before
falling back to fifth at the checkered.
It took a minute for everything to align the way Pursley hoped it would, and
after five close calls, the 2023 USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year was
able to close out the week on top.
“It was once again a phenomenal car by Chad and his crew,” Pursley praised.
“It’s been a pleasure to drive. This thing’s been really good and I’m excited
for the future here. What an amazing racetrack too. You could move around in one
and two and there was the typical, unique Bubba line in three and four that you
had to be good at. It took me all week to figure it out, but nonetheless, we
finally did.”
As a car owner, Chad Boat ranks 10th all-time in terms of USAC National
Midget wins with 41, a run which includes two series championships in 2020 and
again in 2024, the latter of which came with Pursley at the wheel. But it’s been
a long time since he’s been in the USAC National Sprint Car win column,
specifically July of 2009, when he raced to his second and final career triumph
during Indiana Sprint Week at Kokomo Speedway. Nearly 16 full seasons later,
it’s a welcome homecoming for the first-time USAC National Sprint Car winning
car owner.
“It’s definitely special,” Boat exclaimed. “These are the best in the
business in non-wing sprint car racing. To come out and race against Justin
Grant, Kyle Cummins, Brady Bacon and guys like that, it’s tough and it’s a
slugfest. These races are tough to win and I’m super proud of Daison. My guys
did an amazing job. It’s a new group of guys working together this year and we
came out of the box swinging, and I’m really proud of that.”
Kyle Cummins earned the 2025 Winter Dirt Games championship, earning an extra
$5,000 for his efforts throughout the six-race series, which included six
top-five finishes and two feature victories. In fact, he and Pursley both tied
for the number one spot at 449 points for the week, but Cummins held the
tiebreaker with his pair of victories at Volusia Speedway Park and Ocala.
Afterward, Cummins promptly proclaimed that he’s “going to Disney World.”
Jadon Rogers passed 39 cars throughout the six races in Florida to score the
Hughes Racing / Indiana Mafia / Flamingo Sandy Winter Dirt Games Passing Master
title and an $800 reward. It's the second such award of his career as he also
collected the same honor in 2022.
Sporting a Fu Manchu style “Moose-Stache” similar to his car owner, Tom
Sertich, Chase Stockon transformed his night after suffering a flat right rear
tire while leading his heat race, which required extensive repairs to the nerf
bar and torque tube of the Moosemobile. He started at the tail of the
semi-feature and transferred his way through, then earned hard charger honors by
advancing from 23rd to 13th in the main event. For that, he earned Inferno
Armor’s Fire Move of the Night.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: February 15, 2025
– Ocala Speedway – Ocala, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XVI – 3/8-Mile Dirt Track
ROD END SUPPLY FIRST QUALIFIER: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1.
C.J. Leary (#21AZ Team AZ/Curb-Agajanian), 2. Carson Garrett (#15 BGE), 3. Kale
Drake (#2B 2B Racing), 4. Kevin Thomas Jr. (#3R Rock Steady), 5. Harley Burns
(#16 Britt Aero), 6. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (#51T Tafoya), 7. Ricky Lewis (#74B Lewis)
, 8. Dustin Burtron (#51 Holston). 2:26.794
CAR IQ SECOND QUALIFIER: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Robert
Ballou (#12 Ballou), 2. Jake Swanson (#5T Daming Swanson), 3. Tom Harris (#84
Harris), 4. Briggs Danner (#39 Hogue), 5. Joey Amantea (#88J JPA), 6. Matt
Goodnight (#39G Goodnight), 7. Eddie Vancil (#7v Vancil), 8. Mark Smith (#M1
Smith). NT
K1 RACEGEAR THIRD QUALIFIER: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1.
Logan Seavey (Abacus #57), 2. Jadon Rogers (#66 Amati), 3. Hayden Reinbold (#19
Reinbold-Underwood), 4. Gunnar Setser (#5G KO), 5. Kayla Roell (#4K Roell), 6.
Chase Stockon (#92 Sertich), 7. Troy Carey (#45N Carey), 8. Kobe Simpson (#21K
Simpson). NT
FAST DASH: (6 laps) 1. Brady Bacon (#20 Dyson), 2. Mitchel Moles (#19AZ
Reinbold-Underwood), 3. Daison Pursley (#86 CBI), 4. Kyle Cummins (#3p Petty),
5. Justin Grant (#4 TOPP), 6. Logan Seavey, 7. Robert Ballou, 8. C.J. Leary.
1:27.767 (New Track Record)
ALSO AT THE TRACK: Oliver Akard (#32 Rase)
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (12 laps, top-4 transfer to the
feature) 1. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 2. Mark Smith, 3. Chase Stockon, 4. Kobe Simpson,
5. Ricky Lewis, 6. Eddie Vancil, 7. Matt Goodnight, 8. Dustin Burtron. NT
FEATURE: (35 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Daison Pursley (3),
2. Brady Bacon (1), 3. Kyle Cummins (4), 4. Justin Grant (5), 5. Mitchel Moles
(2), 6. Carson Garrett (9), 7. Robert Ballou (7), 8. C.J. Leary (8), 9. Kale
Drake (12), 10. Jake Swanson (10), 11. Jadon Rogers (11), 12. Briggs Danner
(16), 13. Chase Stockon (23), 14. Kevin Thomas Jr. (15), 15. Tom Harris (13),
16. Harley Burns (18), 17. Hayden Reinbold (14), 18. Logan Seavey (6), 19. Kayla
Roell (20), 20. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (21), 21. Kobe Simpson (24), 22. Gunnar Setser
(17), 23. Joey Amantea (19), 24. Mark Smith (22). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-20 Mitchel Moles, Laps 21-35 Daison Pursley.
**Troy Carey flipped during the third qualifier.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Kyle Cummins-449,
2-Daison Pursley-449, 3-Justin Grant-425, 4-Brady Bacon-366, 5-Mitchel
Moles-344, 6-C.J. Leary-325, 7-Logan Seavey-324, 8-Jake Swanson-313, 9-Briggs
Danner-309, 10-Robert Ballou-295.
USAC WINTER DIRT GAMES XVI POINTS: 1-Kyle Cummins-449, 2-Daison Pursley-449,
3-Justin Grant-425, 4-Brady Bacon-366, 5-Mitchel Moles-344, 6-C.J. Leary-325,
7-Logan Seavey-324, 8-Jake Swanson-313, 9-Briggs Danner-309, 10-Robert
Ballou-295.
USAC NATIONAL PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-C.J. Leary-32, 2-Kale Drake-31,
3-Jadon Rogers-26, 4-Chase Stockon-20, 5-Briggs Danner-19, 6-Robert Ballou-17,
7-Harley Burns-14, 8-Daison Pursley-13, 9-Kyle Cummins-11, 10-Jake Swanson-11.
HUGHES RACING / INDIANA MAFIA / FLAMINGO SANDY WINTER DIRT GAMES XVI SPRINT
CAR PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Jadon Rogers-39, 2-C.J. Leary-38, 3-Chase
Stockon-35, 4-Kale Drake-34, 5-Briggs Danner-30, 6-Robert Ballou-30, 7-Kyle
Cummins-29, 8-Daison Pursley-25, 9-Justin Grant-23, 10-Harley Burns-20.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: April 4, 2025 –
Paragon Speedway – Paragon, Indiana – 3/8-Mile Dirt Track
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Winter Dirt Games XVI Champion: Kyle Cummins
Winter Dirt Games XVI Hughes Racing / Indiana Mafia / Flamingo Sandy Passing
Master Champion: Jadon Rogers (39)
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: Justin Grant (14.346)
Rod End Supply First Qualifier Winner: C.J. Leary
Car IQ Second Qualifier Winner: Robert Ballou
K1 RaceGear Third Qualifier Winner: Logan Seavey
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Eddie Tafoya Jr.
Hard Charger: Chase Stockon (23rd to 13th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: Chase Stockon
PETTY THEFT!
CUMMINS STEALS WIN ON LATE RESTART AT OCALA
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Ocala, Florida (February 14, 2025)………For 25 consecutive laps, Kyle Cummins
stalked his prey in an attempt to reel his way toward victory through clean air,
through the throes of traffic and through the last desperate moment.
When Cummins (Princeton, Ind.) saw a little light around the outside of C.J.
Leary on a green-white-checker restart, he reached for it and came out the other
side of the tunnel as the first multi-time winner of the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car
National Championship season on Friday night at Florida’s Ocala Speedway.
In fact, Cummins was so clutch, he actually turned the fastest lap of the
race when he took over the lead on the very same lap 30 restart. It was not just
his personal best lap of the race, it was the best lap of anybody in the 24-car
field throughout the feature.
Cummins, who scored an opening night Winter Dirt Games XVI victory at
Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park on Monday, mesmerized the crowd with his daring
move aboard his Petty Performance Racing/Avanti Windows & Doors - Premier
Recycling/Mach-1/Stanton Chevy, which provided him with his 22nd career USAC
National Sprint Car win, tying him for 31st all-time alongside Rick Hood, Bubby
Jones and Sammy Sessions.
“On that white flag, I was going to try to sneak, and we probably would’ve
both crashed,” Cummins revealed. “I thought I was going sneak, but then they
called yellow, and I was all over the brakes. If (Leary) just would’ve moved up,
he would’ve won that. But he left me just enough room to get through.”
For Cummins, his third career series victory in Florida made him the first
driver to win Winter Dirt Games main events at both Ocala and Volusia, where he
also won at to begin the week.
Furthermore, Cummins’ Valentine’s Day victory made him the fourth driver ever
to win a USAC Sprint Car feature on February 14 following Chris Windom in 2019
and Brady Bacon in 2020, both at Ocala, and Daison Pursley during a 2023
non-points special event at Volusia.
Cummins began his quest from the fifth starting position at the 3/8-mile
egg-shaped dirt track, but before he could even really get going, the caution
was displayed for 10th running Joey Amantea who slammed the turn four wall and
rode along the top edge ala skateboarder Tony Hawk before coming to a rest on
all four wheels, ending his night prematurely.
On the resumption, pole sitter Leary established a lead that he ultimately
held for the majority of the race, a much-needed boost for him and his Team AZ /
Curb-Agajanian Racing team after finishing no better than eighth in their first
four starts together this week.
Quite quickly, however, Cummins had picked his way up to second by the fifth
lap as he streamed under Jadon Rogers in turn two, thus beginning his nearly
racelong pursuit of Leary up front.
By the halfway point, Leary began to work through traffic, first surpassing
Mark Smith to put him a lap down, followed by a slew of others. Yet Cummins was
able to match Leary each step of the way and finagled his way through the
gridlock as well without losing sizable ground, staying put roughly eighth
tenths of a second in arrears.
Cummins tried high and low as he inched forward toward Leary, cutting down
the interval to a miniscule couple of car lengths. But when Leary bobbled in
turn four on the 25th lap, Cummins was able to get right to Leary’s back bumper.
Seemingly, Cummins found a boost each time at the exit of turn two, which
enabled him to nearly pull even on the back straightaway on multiple occasions
within the final five laps.
“I kept showing the bottom down there and I knew he wasn’t really sure where
to go,” Cummins explained. “He had to be hearing that motor because, around the
backside there, once I could get up into it, I could really go.”
On what was thought to be the 30th and deciding lap, Cummins got the same
launch off turn two, which thrusted him right to the right rear of Leary midway
down the back straight. At the same moment of uncertainty for the lead, the
yellow flag was thrown for the stopped car of Kayla Roell (19th) who caught the
turn three wall before sliding to a stop.
Traffic was of no factor at this point with the field bunched up for the
final restart on lap 30. Cummins immediately went to the well again as he bolted
down the back straightaway with about a car width of space available between
Leary and the outside wall. Cummins made it through to the other side, and had
free reign on the top through turns three and four, which allowed him to shoot
past Leary off turn four to assume control with a single lap remaining.
One lap later, Cummins had finished off the most dramatic feature ending of
the season by .659 of a second to pocket another victory in front of an
appreciative and applauding crowd. Daison Pursley took second for his fifth
consecutive podium finish to start the season. Leary fell to third at the end
after leading 29 of the 31-lap distance. Wednesday night Ocala winner Justin
Grant crossed the stripe in fourth while Thursday night Ocala winner Brady Bacon
rounded out the top-five.
Cummins’ “worst” performance in his Winter Dirt Games stretch this past week
was a fifth on Thursday after the team experimented with a different setup
before soon rectifying that move when they found it not to be to their liking.
“We tried something new last night because we were too tight the first night,
so we went back to the same exact stuff we’d been running the whole time,”
Cummins stated. “We didn’t second guess ourselves and we had a pretty good car
tonight.”
Cummins has led the points leaving Florida before in 2016. But this year
feels different as he’s put his number 3p up front night-after-night for the
first five races without a single blemish outside the top-five to date. As far
as being a championship contender, although it’s certainly early in the journey,
Cummins points to the fact that they have now conquered events on differing
racetracks at venues they had struggled mightily at as recently as last year
when the foundation of the team was being constructed.
“It’s two different tracks – a big track and a small track,” Cummins
reflected after winning at Volusia’s 1/2-mile and Ocala’s 3/8-mile in the past
week. “We’ve struggled down here really bad. This is a tricky track, but you
could move around, and we were able to qualify good and go from fifth and pass
some cars and do it a little bit of the hard way.”
To add to his accolades, Cummins also collected the Inferno Armor Fire Move
of the Night for his winning pass.
Daison Pursley’s Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifying time to begin the night
was his third of the season through five races. It was also the 10th fast time
of his USAC National Sprint Car career, tying him with Sonny Ates, Jim
Hurtubise, Thomas Meseraull and Jake Swanson for 52nd all-time.
Meanwhile, Robert Ballou and crew had to replace the rear end on their
machine early in evening prior to the heat races. By the end of the night,
Ballou was moving forward as he went plus-six in the feature from 15th to 9th.
The performance earned him hard charger honors for the night.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: February 14, 2025
– Ocala Speedway – Ocala, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XVI – 3/8-Mile Dirt Track
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Daison Pursley, 86, CBI-14.041; 2. Kyle
Cummins, 3p, Petty-14.097; 3. Briggs Danner, 39, Hogue-14.128; 4. Justin Grant,
4, TOPP-14.139; 5. Jadon Rogers, 66, Amati-14.193; 6. C.J. Leary, 21AZ, Team
AZ/Curb-Agajanian-14.197; 7. Mitchel Moles, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-14.226; 8.
Jake Swanson, 5T, Daming/Swanson-14.231; 9. Logan Seavey, 57, Abacus-14.282; 10.
Brady Bacon, 20, Dyson-14.284; 11. Kevin Thomas Jr., 3R, Rock Steady-14.301; 12.
Chase Stockon, 92, Sertich-14.355; 13. Robert Ballou, 12, Ballou-14.358; 14.
Carson Garrett, 15, BGE-14.370; 15. Gunnar Setser, 5G, KO-14.411; 16. Nic
Harris, N2, Harris-14.463; 17. Hayden Reinbold, 19, Reinbold/Underwood-14.508;
18. Ricky Lewis, 74B, Lewis-14.561; 19. Kale Drake 2B, 2B Racing-14.571; 20.
Mark Smith, M1, Smith-14.626; 21. Joey Amantea, 88J, JPA-14.646; 22. Eddie
Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-14.673; 23. Harley Burns, 16, Britt Aero-14.695; 24.
Kayla Roell, 4K, Roell-14.718; 25. Kobe Simpson, 21K, Simpson-14.855; 26. Matt
Goodnight, 39G, Goodnight-14.895; 27. John Mollick, 4J, Clever-14.922; 28. Tom
Harris, 84, Harris-15.079; 29. Troy Carey, 45N, Carey-15.244; 30. Eddie Vancil,
7v, Vancil-15.464; 31. Dustin Burtron, 51, Holston-16.216; 32. Stevie Sussex, 5,
Baldwin/Fox-NT; 33. Oliver Akard, 32, Rase-NT.
ROD END SUPPLY FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Joey
Amantea, 2. Hayden Reinbold, 3. Logan Seavey, 4. Daison Pursley, 5. Jadon
Rogers, 6. Robert Ballou, 7. Kobe Simpson, 8. Troy Carey. 1:59.224
CAR IQ SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Brady Bacon,
2. Kyle Cummins, 3. Ricky Lewis, 4. Carson Garrett, 5. C.J. Leary, 6. Eddie
Tafoya Jr., 7. Matt Goodnight, 8. Eddie Vancil. 1:57.253
K1 RACEGEAR THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Kale
Drake, 2. Mitchel Moles, 3. Harley Burns, 4. Gunnar Setser, 5. Briggs Danner, 6.
Kevin Thomas Jr., 7. John Mollick, 8. Dustin Burtron. 1:58.297
HOOSIER TIRE FOURTH HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Chase
Stockon, 2. Justin Grant, 3. Jake Swanson, 4. Mark Smith, 5. Nic Harris, 6.
Kayla Roell, 7. Tom Harris. 1:58.365
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (12 laps, top-4 transfer to the
feature) 1. Robert Ballou, 2. Kevin Thomas Jr., 3. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 4. Kayla
Roell, 5. Tom Harris, 6. Matt Goodnight, 7. Kobe Simpson, 8. Troy Carey, 9.
Dustin Burtron, 10. John Mollick, 11. Eddie Vancil. NT
FEATURE: (31 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kyle Cummins (5), 2.
Daison Pursley (6), 3. C.J. Leary (1), 4. Justin Grant (3), 5. Brady Bacon (7),
6. Jadon Rogers (2), 7. Briggs Danner (4), 8. Chase Stockon (8), 9. Robert
Ballou (15), 10. Jake Swanson (12), 11. Mitchel Moles (11), 12. Logan Seavey
(13), 13. Kale Drake (9), 14. Kevin Thomas Jr. (14), 15. Carson Garrett (16),
16. Gunnar Setser (17), 17. Hayden Reinbold (19), 18. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (22), 19.
Harley Burns (23), 20. Kayla Roell (24), 21. Mark Smith (21), 22. Ricky Lewis
(20), 23. Nic Harris (18), 24. Joey Amantea (10). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-29 C.J. Leary, Laps 30-31 Kyle Cummins.
**John Mollick flipped during the semi.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Kyle Cummins-385,
2-Daison Pursley-379, 3-Justin Grant-364, 4-Brady Bacon-299, 5-Logan Seavey-297,
6-Mitchel Moles-286, 7-C.J. Leary-276, 8-Briggs Danner-270, 9-Jake Swanson-270,
10-Kale Drake-248.
USAC WINTER DIRT GAMES XVI POINTS: 1-Kyle Cummins-385, 2-Daison Pursley-379,
3-Justin Grant-364, 4-Brady Bacon-299, 5-Logan Seavey-297, 6-Mitchel Moles-286,
7-C.J. Leary-276, 8-Briggs Danner-270, 9-Jake Swanson-270, 10-Kale Drake-248.
USAC NATIONAL PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-C.J. Leary-32, 2-Kale Drake-28,
3-Jadon Rogers-26, 4-Robert Ballou-17, 5-Briggs Danner-15, 6-Harley Burns-12,
7-Daison Pursley-11, 8-Jake Swanson-11, 9-Kyle Cummins-10, 10-Chase Stockon-10.
HUGHES RACING / INDIANA MAFIA / FLAMINGO SANDY WINTER DIRT GAMES XVI SPRINT
CAR PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-C.J. Leary-38, 2-Jadon Rogers-37, 3-Kale Drake-31,
4-Robert Ballou-29, 5-Kyle Cummins-27, 6-Briggs Danner-26, 7-Justin Grant-22,
8-Daison Pursley-22, 9-Chase Stockon-20, 10-Ricky Lewis-20.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: February 15, 2025 –
Ocala Speedway – Ocala, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XVI – 3/8-Mile Dirt Track
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: C.J. Leary (14.202)
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: Daison Pursley (14.041)
Rod End Supply First Heat Winner: Joey Amantea
Car IQ Second Heat Winner: Brady Bacon
K1 RaceGear Third Heat Winner: Kale Drake
Hoosier Tire Fourth Heat Winner: Chase Stockon
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Robert Ballou
Hard Charger: Robert Ballou (15th to 9th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: Kyle Cummins
MACHO WIN!
BACON BAGS USAC SPRINT WIN #59 OCALA
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Ocala, Florida (February 13, 2025)………It’s a somewhat unfamiliar sight seeing
Brady Bacon wheel a car not adorned in the colors of the Dynamics, Inc. No. 69
in USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship competition.
One thing that is a familiar sight, however, is witnessing the four-time USAC
National Sprint Car champion from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma in victory lane.
Bacon, in just his fourth appearance with the series behind the wheel of the
Chris Dyson Racing/Concord American Flagpole – Macri Concrete/Triple X/Rider
Chevy No. 20, put it back in the circle at Florida’s Ocala Speedway for the
sixth time in his career during Thursday night’s round four of Winter Dirt Games
XVI.
For Chris Dyson Racing, the victory was their first USAC National Sprint Car
triumph in six years, seven months and 25 days, since a June 2018 score with
Thomas Meseraull at New York’s Weedsport Speedway.
One night after Justin Grant edged closer to Bacon for second place on the
all-time USAC National Sprint Car win list, Bacon gained one back in the win
column with his 59th career series victory. That puts Bacon just three wins
behind Dave Darland (62) for the number one spot on the list, and four ahead of
Grant (55) who ranks third.
Bacon is competing on a part-time USAC schedule this season, so there are
limited opportunities for him to make some headway in closing the gap on Darland
while maintaining his pace ahead of Grant. Nonetheless, Bacon took advantage of
the opportunity on Thursday night at the 3/8-mile, racing by racelong leader
Daison Pursley with 12 circuits remaining of the 30-lapper to earn his sixth
career Winter Dirt Games win at Ocala, second all-time behind Grant’s eight.
“We’ve got two more nights here in Florida and the rest of our schedule is on
tracks that we typically do pretty well on,” Bacon remarked regarding his
pursuit of becoming the winningest USAC National Sprint Car driver of all-time.
“It might be harder to keep Justin behind me than it is to catch Dave in front
of me. He’s probably going to have a good year too.”
Bacon’s latest victory also extended his record to 15 consecutive years of
winning at least one USAC National Sprint Car feature, a streak which dates back
to 2011. Furthermore, it’s only his ninth career USAC National Sprint Car win
not under the Dynamics, Inc. banner. Over the years, he’s picked off victories
with Brady Bacon Racing (5), Dooling-Hayward Motorsports (2), Kasey Kahne/Curb
Racing (1) and now Chris Dyson Racing (1).
An up-and-down week has been part and parcel for Bacon throughout Winter Dirt
Games. Bacon opened with a third and a ninth at Volusia before his first night
at Ocala was thwarted by a mag box issue while running third during the feature,
then later, a flat right rear tire, which relegated him to a 21st place result.
For the second straight evening, Pursley bolted out to the early lead from
his outside front row starting spot and remained there for the bulk of the
distance. Pursley kept pole starter Bacon at bay to the tune of four or five car
lengths throughout much of the first half of the event.
But on lap 19, while attempting to surge past the tail-end lead lap cars of
Jadon Rogers and Gunnar Setser, Pursley chose the higher lane to do so. In turn,
the bottom lane was left open for Bacon to get in a word edgewise. Bacon
sprinted past Pursley, and within a few laps, disposed of Rogers, Setser and
Stevie Sussex, to gain some valuable breathing room.
“(Daison) has been really fast all week but I knew we were really good;
traffic is really tough here; and the track changes really fast,” Bacon
explained. “The top of three and four was kind of going away to where you really
couldn’t get around traffic that way, so I was trying to experiment with lines
in one and two to get a better run down the back stretch.”
A slew of stoppages buffered Bacon’s vision of victory momentarily. The race
was halted for the first time on lap 23 when Tom Harris (22nd) slowed to a stop
atop turn four with a flat right rear tire. On lap 27, Ricky Lewis (17th) slowed
with a flat right rear tire. Then, on the lap 27 restart, Kale Drake (14th) went
for a wild ride, flipping over several times in turn three, but was able to walk
away.
All the incidents did was delay Bacon’s path to victory, and with a clear
track ahead of him for the final four laps, he never lost grip as he crossed the
stripe 0.926 seconds ahead of Pursley for the win. For Pursley, it was his
fourth consecutive podium finish to start off the USAC season. Justin Grant
grabbed third with Mitchel Moles fourth and series point leader Kyle Cummins
fifth.
“I’m just really happy for this new team, for me. We’ve raced a little bit
together in Silver Crown, but we’re new to sprint cars this year,” Bacon said.
“It hasn’t been the most fruitful week as of yet, but we’ve had a really fast
car, and we finally got it done tonight. I think we’ve had a car capable of
doing it for a few nights and we finally put all the pieces together.”
The event was held following a storm that rolled in just before hot laps,
dousing the surface with even more moisture than was already added in the normal
track preparation process. Bacon hit the sweet spot early on by qualifying well
and transferring through his heat race, which set him up for a prime position
come feature time.
“It’s a super tough field up front and qualifying is super tight,” Bacon
mentioned. “I think maybe going out as the second car in the second group, this
place gets a little grease on it for a couple cars. That hurt us but it was a
blessing in disguise as we got to start on the pole for the feature. You’ve got
to take them however you can get them with a lot of good cars, especially when
the track is this heavy, you’ll take the track position any day.”
Briggs Danner was back in fine form after an early race tangle knocked him
out of the previous night’s feature. After being buried 24th in the starting
lineup for Thursday’s feature, Danner steadily worked his way forward, and in
the end, his plus-13 performance to finish 11th led him to hard charger honors
for the night.
.010 seconds is all that separated Gunnar Setser from C.J. Leary at the end
of the semi-feature, which proved to be the closest finish of any race thus far
throughout the USAC National Sprint Car season. For his narrow win, Setser was
tabbed as the recipient of the Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: February 13, 2025
– Ocala Speedway – Ocala, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XVI – 3/8-Mile Dirt Track
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Justin Grant, 4, TOPP-13.911, 2. Kyle
Cummins, 3p, Petty-14.096, 3. Mitchel Moles, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-14.138, 4.
C.J. Leary, 21AZ, Team AZ/Curb-Agajanian-14.151, 5. Logan Seavey, 57,
Abacus-14.211, 6. Daison Pursley, 86, CBI-14.226, 7. Brady Bacon, 20,
Dyson-14.245, 8. Jake Swanson, 5T, Daming/Swanson-14.284, 9. Chase Stockon, 92,
Sertich-14.308, 10. Carson Garrett, 15, BGE-14.340, 11. Gunnar Setser, 5G,
KO-14.363, 12. Hayden Reinbold, 19, Reinbold/Underwood-14.364, 13. Kale Drake
2B, 2B Racing-14.384, 14. Kevin Thomas Jr., 3R, Rock Steady-14.472, 15. Robert
Ballou, 12, Ballou-14.545, 16. Harley Burns, 16, Britt Aero-14.567, 17. Joey
Amantea, 88J, JPA-14.611, 18. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-14.631, 19. Kobe
Simpson, 21K, Simpson-14.702, 20. Stevie Sussex, 5, Baldwin/Fox-14.735, 21. Mark
Smith, M1, Smith-14.737, 22. Matt Goodnight, 39G, Goodnight-14.745, 23. Tom
Harris, 84, Harris-14.756, 24. Ricky Lewis, 74B, Lewis-14.759, 25. Nic Harris,
N2, Harris-14.809, 26. Jadon Rogers, 66, Amati-14.839, 27. Briggs Danner, 39,
Hogue-15.065, 28. Kayla Roell, 4K, Roell-15.154, 29. Troy Carey, 45N,
Carey-15.228, 30. Kyle Jones, 79, Hall-15.695, 31. Eddie Vancil, 7v,
Vancil-16.200, 32. Oliver Akard, 32, Rase-NT.
ROD END SUPPLY FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Joey
Amantea, 2. Kale Drake, 3. Mark Smith, 4. Justin Grant, 5. Logan Seavey, 6. Troy
Carey, 7. Nic Harris, 8. Chase Stockon. 1:56.629
CAR IQ SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Carson
Garrett, 2. Kyle Cummins, 3. Daison Pursley, 4. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 5. Kevin
Thomas Jr., 6. Jadon Rogers, 7. Matt Goodnight, 8. Kyle Jones. 1:57.567
K1 RACEGEAR THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Kobe
Simpson, 2. Tom Harris, 3. Brady Bacon, 4. Mitchel Moles, 5. Briggs Danner, 6.
Gunnar Setser, 7. Eddie Vancil, 8. Robert Ballou. 1:58.787
HOOSIER TIRE FOURTH HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Stevie
Sussex, 2. Ricky Lewis, 3. Harley Burns, 4. Hayden Reinbold, 5. Jake Swanson, 6.
C.J. Leary, 7. Kayla Roell. NT
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (12 laps, top-4 transfer to the
feature) 1. Gunnar Setser, 2. C.J. Leary, 3. Robert Ballou, 4. Jadon Rogers, 5.
Chase Stockon, 6. Nic Harris, 7. Matt Goodnight, 8. Troy Carey, 9. Eddie Vancil,
10. Kyle Jones, 11. Oliver Akard. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Brady Bacon (1), 2.
Daison Pursley (2), 3. Justin Grant (6), 4. Mitchel Moles (4), 5. Kyle Cummins
(5), 6. Jake Swanson (12), 7. Logan Seavey (3), 8. C.J. Leary (11), 9. Carson
Garrett (7), 10. Kevin Thomas Jr. (16), 11. Briggs Danner (24), 12. Robert
Ballou (17), 13. Joey Amantea (8), 14. Hayden Reinbold (14), 15. Jadon Rogers
(23), 16. Stevie Sussex (10), 17. Harley Burns (18), 18. Gunnar Setser (13), 19.
Eddie Tafoya Jr. (19), 20. Tom Harris (21), 21. Kobe Simpson (9), 22. Kale Drake
(15), 23. Ricky Lewis (22), 24. Mark Smith (20). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-18 Daison Pursley, Laps 19-30 Brady Bacon.
**Kayla Roell flipped during the fourth heat. Kyle Jones flipped during the
semi. Kale Drake flipped on lap 27 of the feature.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Kyle Cummins-303,
2-Daison Pursley-301, 3-Justin Grant-293, 4-Logan Seavey-252, 5-Mitchel
Moles-238, 6-Brady Bacon-233, 7-Jake Swanson-221, 8-Briggs Danner-210, 9-C.J.
Leary-207, 10-Kale Drake-203.
USAC NATIONAL PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-C.J. Leary-32, 2-Kale Drake-28,
3-Jadon Rogers-26, 4-Briggs Danner-15, 5-Robert Ballou-11, 6-Chase Stockon-10,
7-Justin Grant-9, 8-Jake Swanson-9, 9-Ricky Lewis-9, 10-Kevin Thomas Jr.-8.
HUGHES RACING / INDIANA MAFIA / FLAMINGO SANDY WINTER DIRT GAMES XVI SPRINT
CAR PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-C.J. Leary-38, 2-Jadon Rogers-37, 3-Kale Drake-30,
4-Briggs Danner-25, 5-Robert Ballou-22, 6-Ricky Lewis-20, 7-Kyle Cummins-19,
8-Justin Grant-18, 9-Chase Stockon-17, 10-Daison Pursley-16.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACES: February 14-15, 2025
– Ocala Speedway – Ocala, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XVI – 3/8-Mile Dirt Track
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: Kyle Cummins (14.715)
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: Justin Grant (13.911)
Rod End Supply First Heat Winner: Joey Amantea
Car IQ Second Heat Winner: Carson Garrett
K1 RaceGear Third Heat Winner: Kobe Simpson
Hoosier Tire Fourth Heat Winner: Stevie Sussex
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Gunnar Setser
Hard Charger: Briggs Danner (24th to 11th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: Gunnar Setser
MR. OCALA!
GRANT GETS 8TH CAREER
WINTER DIRT GAMES SCORE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Ocala, Florida (February 12, 2025)………No driver has been more prolific and
successful around Florida’s Ocala Speedway in USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National
Championship competition than Justin Grant.
He’s the only driver to start all 38 USAC National Sprint Car features at the
3/8-mile dirt track dating back to 2011, and his record-extending eighth series
victory there during Winter Dirt Games XVI round three on Wednesday night
solidified that fact once more.
With five laps remaining in the 30-lap main, the sixth place starting Grant
utilized lapped traffic as a pick to sneak past racelong leader Daison Pursley
and collect his first USAC National Sprint Car feature victory of the season and
the 55th of his career, three wins shy of Brady Bacon for second on the all-time
list and just seven behind all-time leader Dave Darland at 62.
Grant chalked up his winning maneuver to his extensive Ocala experience,
which has seen him win three more features at the track than any other driver,
thus earning himself the unofficial moniker of Mr. Ocala.
“As the track slicked up, we got a little better,” Grant explained. “Some of
that in lapped traffic was just about having a little bit of knowledge of Ocala
Speedway, which paid off. I’ve got a lot of laps around here and I’ve been
coming here for a lot of years. There are some things you can get away with in
lapped traffic, and I was able to use some of that. Sometimes getting to be the
old guy pays off every once in a while.”
Grant and his TOPP Motorsports/NOS Energy Drink – TOPP Industries – LA
Poly/Maxim/Kistler Chevy began the evening by making some history. Grant (Ione,
Calif.) recorded his 35th career USAC National Sprint Car Fast Qualifying time,
tying the great Rich Vogler for 10th place on the all-time list.
Pursley was the force to reckon with for the majority of the distance as he
sought to provide his CB Industries team its first ever USAC Sprint Car triumph
with Chase Stockon and Brady Bacon in tow, both of whom would ultimately suffer
heartbreaking fates during their pursuit of victory.
However, the race quickly slowed to a halt on lap four when Mark Smith (13th)
and Briggs Danner (14th) tangled wheels off turn four, sending Danner spinning
into the front straightaway wall before sliding backwards to a stop. Danner’s
race ended on the spot while Smith was able to continue on.
By lap 13, the front runners had reached lapped traffic. Stockon took
advantage of the sudden onslaught of obstacles, and poked his nose under Pursley
off turn two to take over the race lead. However, at the same exact moment,
Bacon began to suddenly slow to a stop in between turns one and two to bring out
a yellow flag, the victim of a mag box gone rogue. The stoppage proved
unfortunate for Stockon, who was forced to relinquish his race lead over to
Pursley when the race reverted to the most recently scored lap. With that said,
Stockon’s misfortune wasn’t quite finished yet.
After eighth running Kobe Simpson drastically slowed before rolling to a stop
in turn one to necessitate a caution on lap 19, second place running Stockon
darted into the Indy Metal Finishing Work Area with a flat left rear tire.
Stockon returned in time to restart at the tail but managed only to finish 12th.
Following the caution, Grant went on the attack. On the lap 19 restart, Grant
pulled even with Pursley for the lead in turn two. Pursley stayed strong,
however, and fended off Grant for the moment as the remaining laps dwindled
down.
Yet, on lap 26, as Pursley and Grant approached the tail end lead lap car of
Simpson in turn two, Grant scooted underneath Pursley, then drifted to the
topside to shoot around the outside of Simpson. Pursley attempted to
counterpunch by sliding underneath Simpson at the entry of turn three, but
Pursley and Simpson touched tires, sending Pursley veering high into turn four,
thus allowing Cummins to shoot underneath and take over occupancy of the second
spot behind Grant.
A yellow flag tightened the field up once more with five laps remaining when
a lap 26 yellow flag was brought about after Bacon (15th) shredded a right rear
tire before coming to a stop along with Smith (14th) on the back straight.
Despite Grant possessing the lead in such a late stage of the race, his
pressure was intensified with the fact that Cummins was now right on his bumper.
Early on, it was imperative for Grant to get out in front of the third place
starting Cummins and remain put.
“I was most worried about Kyle, honestly,” Grant revealed. “I was able to get
him put away really early. He kind of got bottled up in some traffic there and I
was able to pounce and pocket him. I felt like that was what really won us the
race there. I was thinking that if I could get Kyle put away, I could go to work
on the other guys and drive by them if things worked into our favor.”
As it turned out, it did. Grant was able to close out the final four laps to
secure a commanding 1.482 second victory over Cummins with Pursley a distant
third. Both Cummins and Pursley have been stalwarts of the podium after having
finished inside the top-three in all three 2025 USAC National Sprint Car
features to date. Meanwhile, Mitchel Moles and Jake Swanson rounded out the
top-five in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Starting dead last on the grid didn't daunt Jadon Rogers one bit as he got up
on the horse and drove his Amati Racing number 66 to a 13th place finish. His
plus-11 was enough to earn himself hard charger honors for the night.
It was a career best USAC night for Englishman Tom Harris who tied his top
USAC National Sprint Car result. His seventh place run equaled the seventh he
achieved at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway back in 2019. That got him the Inferno Armor
Fire Move of the Night.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: February 12, 2025
– Ocala Speedway – Ocala, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XVI – 3/8-Mile Dirt Track
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Justin Grant, 4, TOPP-14.347; 2. Mitchel
Moles, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-14.373; 3. Brady Bacon, 20, Dyson-14.534; 4.
Kyle Cummins, 3p, Petty-14.608; 5. Daison Pursley, 86, CBI-14.610; 6. Logan
Seavey, 57, Abacus-14.635; 7. Chase Stockon, 92, Sertich-14.688; 8. Robert
Ballou, 12, Ballou-14.700; 9. Ricky Lewis, 74B, Lewis-14.717; 10. Mark Smith,
M1, Smith-14.776; 11. C.J. Leary, 21AZ, Team AZ/Curb-Agajanian-14.812; 12.
Briggs Danner, 39, Hogue-14.893; 13. Kale Drake 2B, 2B Racing-14.923; 14. Kevin
Thomas Jr., 3R, Rock Steady-14.939; 15. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-14.947;
16. Gunnar Setser, 5G, KO-14.965; 17. Nic Harris, N2, Harris-15.014; 18. Jake
Swanson, 5T, Daming/Swanson-15.034; 19. Kobe Simpson, 21K, Simpson-15.078; 20.
Hayden Reinbold, 19, Reinbold/Underwood-15.095; 21. Tom Harris, 84,
Harris-15.131; 22. Harley Burns, 16, Britt Aero-15.189; 23. Matt Goodnight, 39G,
Goodnight-15.237; 24. Carson Garrett, 15, BGE-15.251; 25. Trey Osborne, 6T,
Osborne-15.387; 26. Stevie Sussex, 5, Baldwin/Fox-15.403; 27. Jadon Rogers, 66,
Amati-15.451; 28. Joey Amantea, 88J, JPA-15.460; 29. Kyle Jones, 79,
Hall-15.543; 30. Kayla Roell, 4K, Roell-15.556; 31. John Mollick, 4J,
Clever-15.970; 32. Troy Carey, 45N, Carey-16.189; 33. Eddie Vancil, 7v,
Vancil-16.551; 34. Oliver Akard, 32, Rase-18.717.
ROD END SUPPLY FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Tom
Harris, 2. Justin Grant, 3. Kale Drake, 4. Nic Harris, 5. Daison Pursley, 6.
Ricky Lewis, 7. Trey Osborne, 8. Kyle Jones, 9. Eddie Vancil. 2:03.783
CAR IQ SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Jake Swanson,
2. Harley Burns, 3. Mark Smith, 4. Kevin Thomas Jr., 5. Mitchel Moles, 6. Logan
Seavey, 7. Stevie Sussex, 8. Kayla Roell. 1:58.602
K1 RACEGEAR THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Kobe
Simpson, 2. C.J. Leary, 3. Brady Bacon, 4. Chase Stockon, 5. Matt Goodnight, 6.
Eddie Tafoya Jr., 7. Jadon Rogers, 8. John Mollick. 2:02.354
HOOSIER TIRE FOURTH HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Hayden
Reinbold, 2. Briggs Danner, 3. Kyle Cummins, 4. Robert Ballou, 5. Carson
Garrett, 6. Gunnar Setser, 7. Joey Amantea, 8. Troy Carey. 1:59.911
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (12 laps, top-4 transfer to the
feature) 1. Ricky Lewis, 2. Logan Seavey, 3. Jadon Rogers, 4. Gunnar Setser, 5.
Eddie Tafoya Jr., 6. Trey Osborne, 7. Kyle Jones, 8. Kayla Roell, 9. Stevie
Sussex, 10. John Mollick, 11. Troy Carey, 12. Eddie Vancil. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Justin Grant (6), 2.
Kyle Cummins (3), 3. Daison Pursley (2), 4. Mitchel Moles (5), 5. Jake Swanson
(7), 6. Robert Ballou (12), 7. Tom Harris (10), 8. Logan Seavey (11), 9. C.J.
Leary (15), 10. Kale Drake (17), 11. Hayden Reinbold (9), 12. Chase Stockon (1),
13. Jadon Rogers (24), 14. Harley Burns (21), 15. Gunnar Setser (19), 16. Matt
Goodnight (22), 17. Nic Harris (20), 18. Kevin Thomas Jr. (18), 19. Kobe Simpson
(8), 20. Mark Smith (14), 21. Brady Bacon (4), 22. Carson Garrett (23), 23.
Ricky Lewis (13), 24. Briggs Danner (16). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-25 Daison Pursley, Laps 26-30 Justin Grant.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Kyle Cummins-233,
2-Daison Pursley-227, 3-Justin Grant-218, 4-Logan Seavey-194, 5-Kale Drake-173,
6-Mitchel Moles-168, 7-Briggs Danner-165, 8-Jake Swanson-162, 9-Brady Bacon-157,
10-Robert Ballou-154.
USAC NATIONAL PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-C.J. Leary-29, 2-Kale Drake-28,
3-Jadon Rogers-18, 4-Chase Stockon-10, 5-Ricky Lewis-9, 6-Daison Pursley-7,
7-Harley Burns-7, 8-Kyle Cummins-6, 9-Justin Grant-6, 10-Robert Ballou-6.
HUGHES RACING / INDIANA MAFIA / FLAMINGO SANDY WINTER DIRT GAMES XVI SPRINT
CAR PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-C.J. Leary-35, 2-Kale Drake-29, 3-Jadon Rogers-28,
4-Ricky Lewis-20, 5-Kyle Cummins-15, 6-Daison Pursley-14, 7-Justin Grant-13,
8-Harley Burns-13, 9-Robert Ballou-12, 10-Chase Stockon-12.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACES: February 13-14-15,
2025 – Ocala Speedway – Ocala, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XVI – 3/8-Mile Dirt
Track
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: Briggs Danner (15.004)
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: Justin Grant (14.347)
Rod End Supply First Heat Winner: Tom Harris
Car IQ Second Heat Winner: Jake Swanson
K1 RaceGear Third Heat Winner: Kobe Simpson
Hoosier Tire Fourth Heat Winner: Hayden Reinbold
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Ricky Lewis
Hard Charger: Jadon Rogers (24th to 13th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: Tom Harris
GATOR CHOMP!
SEAVEY SERVES NOTICE WITH VOLUSIA VICTORY
Barberville, Florida (February 11, 2025)………The night before at Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park, Logan Seavey did something most unusual of late in USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship competition. After starting on the front row of the feature, Seavey backed up to a sixth-place result.
After earning a front row starting spot once again on Tuesday night, Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) didn’t let the opportunity escape from his clutch as he led all 30 laps while dodging racelong challenges from Kyle Cummins and a bevy of cautions/restarts down the stretch to win night two of Winter Dirt Games XVI, part of the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals festivities.
Coming off a season in which he collected a record-tying 14 USAC National Sprint Car victories, plus the season championship, Seavey became the first driver to win three USAC feature events at Volusia. No other driver has won more than one.
Meanwhile, by virtue of a victory on Monday and a runner-up result on Tuesday, Cummins earned the Big Gator as the overall USAC champion of the 2025 DIRTcar Nationals. In fact, he and Tuesday’s third-place finisher Daison Pursley both tallied 157 points across the two nights. However, due to his Monday night win, Cummins held the tiebreaker over Pursley.
For Seavey, the victory was the 25th of his USAC National Sprint Car career, equaling him with Steve Butler, Jay Drake and Parnelli Jones for 25th place on the all-time series win list.
The 25-car feature field was greeted by a juiced up 1/2-mile dirt track courtesy of a brief rainstorm that moisturized the surface just prior to the feature, which was scheduled for 30 laps, five circuits more than Monday’s 25-lap affair.
Starting from the pole position, Seavey jetted out to the early lead on the opening lap in his Abacus Racing/Mountain Mechanical Contractors – Indy Power Sports/DRC/Stanton Chevy. The fourth starting Cummins slotted into second after racing past Jake Swanson on the opening lap, then zipped underneath Briggs Danner on the low side of turns three and four on lap two.
Seavey maintained a five car length lead over Cummins by the time the two reached the halfway mark at lap 15, leading a two-car breakaway into lapped traffic in the process. Through it all, Seavey managed to sprout his lead to 1.5 seconds over Cummins but still had a long line of tail-end lead lap cars to fight through on the battle front.
Nevertheless, the yellow flag was soon displayed for sixth running Robert Ballou who slowed to a stop atop turns one and two with a shredded right rear tire with 10 to go on lap 21. Ballou managed to restart at the tail and work his way through half the field to finish 13th. However, Seavey's 1.476 second lead had been erased with the field now bunched up following the caution.
Seavey kept the field at bay by nearly nine tenths of a second during the ensuing five laps until 20th running John Mollick slowed to a stop on the front straightaway on lap 26, necessitating another restart opportunity for Cummins to pounce on Seavey and another task for Seavey to face during the waning laps while tire wear weighed heavily on his mind.
“It's just chess,” Seavey admitted. “I’m trying different stuff, and he knows I’m going to do something different. He’s guessing and anticipating what I’m going to do. That’s just about going against a good racecar driver who is tough to defend on restarts. None of the cautions I really wanted to see. I was just nervous about the tires. I could feel how hard we were running on them. When you’re running on a big track like that, it’s super hard on them. Then to have a yellow where they cool off, shrink a bunch and move all the air, cautions make it even worse for tires for sure.”
Seavey successfully nailed the lap 26 restart along with the next 4.5 laps of action before the rug got yanked out from underneath his feet on the 30th, and seemingly, final go around. In turn, Joey Amantea (15th) stopped in the middle of the back straightaway to bring out the caution, thus setting up a second green-white-checker finish in as many nights to begin the 2025 campaign.
This time was different, however. Cummins was able to get in a word edgewise by pulling even with Seavey for the lead through turn two and turn four on the first lap of the restart. Despite that, Seavey counterpunched by entering turns one and three a lane higher on the final lap to ward off any last chance heroics from Cummins.
“I felt like, if I could get away from him down the back stretch, it would be okay as the runs were going on,” Seavey explained. “I just really had to protect going into one, but I didn’t want him to go up, get a big run and go by me too. It was kind of a sitting duck situation. I kept sliding myself as hard as I could, but he just kept getting better at sticking the middle. I just kept thinking that I could do my job better at getting across and he kept doing a better job and about passed me. So, I’d throw a big block into three and I’d get back going as fast as I could because he’s so good at racing and his car is obviously really good.”
Seavey successfully defeated the challenge, and Cummins, to the tune of 0.700 seconds as they crossed under the finish line. Daison Pursley took third for his second consecutive podium finish to open the season while Briggs Danner once again finished inside the top-five at Volusia with a fourth.
Kale Drake started 19th before working his way up to finish fifth in the feature. Not only was it his best career USAC National Sprint Car finish to date, his result also earned him hard charger honors for his plus-14 performance.
Harley Burns got the bottom line rolling in the semi-feature, and in doing so, he advanced his way from a ninth place starting spot to finish third and transfer his way into his first Volusia feature starting field. That alone earned him Inferno Armor’s Fire Move of the Night honors.
Early in the night, Pursley became the 12th USAC National Sprint Car driver ever to set fast time during the first two events of a season: Jud Larson (1965), Larry Dickson (1969), Bill Puterbaugh (1970), Lee Kunzman (1973), Tom Bigelow (1978), Eddie Leavitt (1981), Kelly Kinser (1983), Bubby Jones (1985), Max McGhee (2016), Carson Short (2019), Timmy Buckwalter (2021) and now Daison Pursley (2025).
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: February 11, 2025 – Volusia Speedway Park – Barberville, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XVI / Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals – 1/2-Mile Dirt Track
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Daison Pursley, 86, CBI-16.275; 2. Justin Grant, 4, TOPP-16.304; 3. Kyle Cummins, 3p, Petty-16.442; 4. Jake Swanson, 5T, Daming/Swanson-16.457; 5. Briggs Danner, 39, Hogue-16.552; 6. Logan Seavey, 57, Abacus-16.573; 7. Kevin Thomas Jr., 3R, Rock Steady-16.585; 8. Mitchel Moles, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-16.594; 9. Hayden Reinbold, 19, Reinbold/Underwood-16.603; 10. Brady Bacon, 20, Dyson-16.622; 11. Carson Garrett, 15, BGE-16.685; 12. Ricky Lewis, 41, Lewis-16.711; 13. Tom Harris, 84, Harris-16.776; 14. Chase Stockon, 92, Sertich-16.786; 15. Robert Ballou, 12, Ballou-16.870; 16. John Mollick, 4J, Clever-16.882; 17. Kale Drake 2B, 2B Racing-16.896; 18. Mark Smith, M1, Smith-16.899; 19. Matt Goodnight, 39G, Goodnight-16.917; 20. Joey Amantea, 88J, JPA-16.949; 21. Trey Osborne, 6T, Osborne-16.959; 22. Brian Ruhlman, 49, Ruhlman-17.053; 23. Stevie Sussex, 5, Baldwin/Fox-17.061; 24. Gunnar Setser, 5G, KO-17.088; 25. Jadon Rogers, 66, Amati-17.192; 26. Kobe Simpson, 21K, Simpson-17.336; 27. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-17.352; 28. Kayla Roell, 4K, Roell-17.392; 29. Harley Burns, 16, Britt Aero-17.407; 30. Mike Haggenbottom, 51, Hoagie-17.749; 31. Eddie Vancil, 7v, Vancil-17.969; 32. Troy Carey, 45N, Carey-18.033; 33. C.J. Leary, 21AZ, Team AZ/Curb-Agajanian-NT.
ROD END SUPPLY FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Daison Pursley, 2. Kale Drake, 3. Briggs Danner, 4. Hayden Reinbold, 5. C.J. Leary, 6. Tom Harris, 7. Trey Osborne, 8. Harley Burns, 9. Jadon Rogers
CAR IQ SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Mark Smith, 2. Brady Bacon, 3. Logan Seavey, 4. Chase Stockon, 5. Justin Grant, 6. Brian Ruhlman, 7. Kobe Simpson, 8. Mike Haggenbottom.
K1 RACEGEAR THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Robert Ballou, 2. Kevin Thomas Jr., 3. Stevie Sussex, 4. Kyle Cummins, 5. Carson Garrett, 6. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 7. Matt Goodnight, 8. Eddie Vancil.
HOOSIER TIRE FOURTH HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Gunnar Setser, 2. Ricky Lewis, 3. John Mollick, 4. Mitchel Moles, 5. Jake Swanson, 6. Joey Amantea, 7. Kayla Roell, 8. Troy Carey.
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (12 laps, top-4 transfer to the feature) 1. Tom Harris, 2. Brian Ruhlman, 3. Harley Burns, 4. Joey Amantea, 5. Kayla Roell, 6. Jadon Rogers, 7. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 8. Matt Goodnight, 9. Mike Haggenbottom, 10. Eddie Vancil, 11. Troy Carey, 12. Trey Osborne, 13. Kobe Simpson. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Logan Seavey (1), 2. Kyle Cummins (4), 3. Daison Pursley (6), 4. Briggs Danner (2), 5. Kale Drake (19), 6. Justin Grant (5), 7. Chase Stockon (17), 8. Jake Swanson (3), 9. Brady Bacon (13), 10. C.J. Leary (24), 11. Mitchel Moles (11), 12. Kevin Thomas Jr. (10), 13. Robert Ballou (7), 14. Carson Garrett (14), 15. Gunnar Setser (9), 16. Kayla Roell (25-P), 17. Mark Smith (8), 18. Hayden Reinbold (12), 19. Stevie Sussex (22), 20. Tom Harris (16), 21. Brian Ruhlman (21), 22. Joey Amantea (20), 23. John Mollick (18), 24. Harley Burns (23), 25. Ricky Lewis (15). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Logan Seavey.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Kyle Cummins-157, 2-Daison Pursley-157, 3-Logan Seavey-142, 4-Briggs Danner-135, 5-Justin Grant-135, 6-Brady Bacon-124, 7-Kale Drake-124, 8-Chase Stockon-104, 9-Kevin Thomas Jr.-100, 10-C.J. Leary-100.
USAC NATIONAL PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-C.J. Leary-23, 2-Kale Drake-21, 3-Chase Stockon-10, 4-Ricky Lewis-9, 5-Daison Pursley-7, 6-Jadon Rogers-7, 7-Kyle Cummins-5, 8-Joey Amantea-5, 9-Brady Bacon-4, 10-Kayla Roell-4.
HUGHES RACING / INDIANA MAFIA / FLAMINGO SANDY WINTER DIRT GAMES XVI SPRINT CAR PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-C.J. Leary-27, 2-Kale Drake-22, 3-Ricky Lewis-19, 4-Daison Pursley-14, 5-Jadon Rogers-14, 6-Kyle Cummins-11, 7-Chase Stockon-11, 8-Kayla Roell-9, 9-Brady Bacon-8, 10-Briggs Danner-8.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACES: February 12-13-14-15, 2025 – Ocala Speedway – Ocala, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XVI – 3/8-Mile Dirt Track
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
DIRTcar Nationals USAC Sprint Car Champion: Kyle Cummins
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: Daison Pursley (16.807)
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: Daison Pursley (16.275)
Rod End Supply First Heat Winner: Daison Pursley
Car IQ Second Heat Winner: Mark Smith
K1 RaceGear Third Heat Winner: Robert Ballou
Hoosier Tire Fourth Heat Winner: Gunnar Setser
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Tom Harris
Hard Charger: Kale Drake (19th to 5th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: Harley Burns
OPEN SEASON!
CUMMINS COMMANDS VOLUSIA USAC SPRINT OPENER
Barberville, Florida (February 10, 2025)………Of Kyle Cummins’ now 18 career USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship victories, none had ever come on a 1/2-mile dirt track, nor in a season opener, nor at Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park.
Cummins (Princeton, Ind.) checked off all those boxes in one fell swoop in a dominant romp to win Monday night’s Winter Dirt Games XVI round at Volusia, part of the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals festivities.
Starting fourth, Cummins made quick work of the field as he split between Logan Seavey and Mitchel Moles on the back straightway on the first lap, then chased down and swept around the outside of pole sitter Brady Bacon in turns three and four to occupy the lead, once and for all.
Cummins was never headed for the remainder of the 25-lap event, only losing ground due to a pair of late-race cautions which bunched up the field and evaporated his lead momentarily. Yet, when all was said and done, nobody was in the same stratosphere as Cummins and his Petty Performance Racing/Avanti Windows & Doors - Premier Recycling/Mach-1/Stanton Chevy.
“There at the beginning, the car was just great,” Cummins noted. “I felt like I was struggling there at the end and I didn’t know where to go. A caution when you’re coming to the checkered is like the most terrible thing ever, but we got it done and we’re pretty excited to chalk this one up. I’ve never won here before and it’s a big 1/2-mile. People say I can’t run 1/2-miles. I think we proved them wrong a little bit tonight.”
The victory was the second for Cummins in his Winter Dirt Games career following his triumph in February of 2023 at Ocala Speedway, and his second in the Sunshine State of Florida. Overall, it was his 18th career USAC National Sprint Car win, tying him with Parnelli Jones for 27th on the all-time list.
Furthermore, the win was the third in USAC National Sprint Car competition for the Petty team with Cummins as the driver after the two competed together on the full season tour in 2024. Whereas their first win together came in their 28th try in 2024, this one came right off the bat, swiftly and decisively, in the first opportunity they faced.
Among the items Cummins was eying redemption for was the first of two 2024 USAC National Sprint Car events at Volusia. In the first of those, Cummins led a race-high 14 laps before being surpassed by Seavey with 11 laps remaining. Seavey went on to celebrate the victory, and ultimately, the series championship at season’s end.
“Last year was rough,” Cummins admitted. “The team that we’ve got is like family. We’re jelling really well, and I knew after the first practice yesterday at Ocala, the car was as good as I’ve had down here in Florida. I’ve just got to give it up to (team owner) Jerry Petty for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. It took a year, and it was a lot of work. We’ve finally found a good balance and all the guys are working great together.”
Just prior to halfway, on lap 10, Cummins had upped his lead to more than two seconds with Bacon and Daison Pursley both in tow several car lengths behind. Cummins julienned, mashed and pureed his way in, out and between the rash of sudden traffic in order to keep Bacon and Pursley at bay, and successfully, he did just that.
“I ran that thing the first 10 laps, and I think I never lifted off the floor,” Cummins stated. “It was hooked up good.”
By lap 15, Cummins had pushed his lead to four seconds as Justin Grant rushed his way into third past Pursley in traffic. However, on the 20th lap, 17th running Kobe Simpson’s ride slowed to a halt in turn three surrounded in smoke with an apparent engine issue. Thus, Cummins' 4.235 second lead was stricken from the record, and now he had to firm up his grip on the steering wheel with the field on his rear bumper with just five laps remaining.
That was of no issue to Cummins who immediately separated himself from Bacon et al. to the tune of 1.096 seconds over the next four-plus laps and had a checkered flag just within his reach. However, moments after taking the white flag, the yellow flag was displayed for Jake Swanson (12th), who slowed dramatically on the final lap in the middle of turn four. His car limped to the pits, but he was able to refire and rejoin the field.
The stoppage necessitated a green-white-checker restart/finish. Once again, it proved to be no big thing for Cummins who once more stomped his competition by thumping them on the restart, stretching his advantage to 0.840 seconds by the time he crossed the line as the winner.
Meanwhile, coming to the white flag, Pursley stuck the bottom between turns three and four to zip past both Grant and Bacon in succession to climb from fourth to second, where he ultimately wound up in the final order. Bacon took third with Grant fourth and Briggs Danner rounding out the top-five.
Nic Harris of Atlanta, Illinois made his Winter Dirt Games debut a memorable one on this night at Volusia. He went seventh to fifth on the final lap of his heat race to gain the final transfer spot into the feature. That performance earned him the evening's Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night.
In CB Industries’ first outing as a USAC National Sprint Car team, Daison Pursley drove the team’s car to quick during Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. For Pursley, it was his eighth career fast time in USAC Sprint competition, tying Shane Cottle, Bubby Jones, Kelly Kinser, Pat O’Connor and Hunter Schuerenberg for 59th all-time. For Boat, it was his first participation with the USAC National Sprint Cars since competing as a driver in February of 2010 at California’s Perris Auto Speedway 15 years ago.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: February 10, 2025 – Volusia Speedway Park – Barberville, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XVI / Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals – 1/2-Mile Dirt Track
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Daison Pursley, 86, CBI-16.156; 2. Justin Grant, 4, TOPP-16.228; 3. Kyle Cummins, 3p, Petty-16.304; 4. Mitchel Moles, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-16.342; 5. Logan Seavey, 57, Abacus-16.379; 6. Brady Bacon, 20, Dyson-16.413; 7. Briggs Danner, 39, Hogue-16.440; 8. Kevin Thomas Jr., 3R, Rock Steady-16.531; 9. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-16.643; 10. Brian Ruhlman, 49, Ruhlman-16.667; 11. Hayden Reinbold, 19, Reinbold/Underwood-16.708; 12. Robert Ballou, 12, Ballou-16.718; 13. Kobe Simpson, 21K, Simpson-16.719; 14. Kale Drake 2B, 2B Racing-16.720; 15. Jake Swanson, 5T, Daming/Swanson-16.725; 16. Nic Harris, N2, Harris-16.751; 17. Trey Osborne, 6T, Osborne-16.763; 18. Chase Stockon, 92, Sertich-16.773; 19. Tom Harris, 84, Harris-16.779; 20. C.J. Leary, 21AZ, Team AZ/Curb-Agajanian-16.825; 21. Carson Garrett, 15, BGE-16.914; 22. Jadon Rogers, 66, Amati-16.958; 23. Joey Amantea, 88J, JPA-16.988; 24. Matt Goodnight, 39G, Goodnight-16.991; 25. John Mollick, 4J, Clever-17.013; 26. Mark Smith, M1, Smith-17.063; 27. Harley Burns, 16, Britt Aero-17.090; 28. Gunnar Setser, 5G, KO-17.155; 29. Kayla Roell, 4K, Roell-17.554; 30. Eddie Vancil, 7v, Vancil-17.942; 31. Troy Carey, 45N, Carey-18.276; 32. Mike Haggenbottom, 51, Hoagie-18.579; 33. Kyle Jones, 79, Hall-NT; 34. Ricky Lewis, 41, Lewis-NT.
ROD END SUPPLY FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Logan Seavey, 2. Carson Garrett, 3. Daison Pursley, 4. Kobe Simpson, 5. Kayla Roell, 6. John Mollick, 7. Eddie Tafoya Jr. 2:23.752
CAR IQ SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Chase Stockon, 2. Kale Drake, 3. Brady Bacon, 4. Justin Grant, 5. Jadon Rogers, 6. Ricky Lewis, 7. Mark Smith, 8. Brian Ruhlman, 9. Eddie Vancil. NT
K1 RACEGEAR THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Briggs Danner, 2. Kyle Cummins, 3. Joey Amantea, 4. Jake Swanson, 5. Hayden Reinbold, 6. Tom Harris, 7. Harley Burns, 8. Troy Carey. 2:22.162
HOOSIER TIRE FOURTH HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Robert Ballou, 2. C.J. Leary, 3. Mitchel Moles, 4. Kevin Thomas Jr., 5. Nic Harris, 6. Gunnar Setser, 7. Matt Goodnight, 8. Mike Haggenbottom. 2:20.744
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (12 laps, top-4 transfer to the feature) 1. Ricky Lewis, 2. Gunnar Setser, 3. Tom Harris, 4. Brian Ruhlman, 5. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 6. Mark Smith, 7. John Mollick, 8. Matt Goodnight, 9. Harley Burns, 10. Mike Haggenbottom, 11. Troy Carey, 12. Eddie Vancil. NT
FEATURE: (25 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kyle Cummins (4), 2. Daison Pursley (6), 3. Brady Bacon (1), 4. Justin Grant (5), 5. Briggs Danner (7), 6. Logan Seavey (2), 7. Kale Drake (14), 8. Kevin Thomas Jr. (10), 9. C.J. Leary (18), 10. Mitchel Moles (3), 11. Robert Ballou (8), 12. Chase Stockon (9), 13. Jadon Rogers (20), 14. Jake Swanson (15), 15. Ricky Lewis (24), 16. Joey Amantea (21), 17. Hayden Reinbold (12), 18. Carson Garrett (19), 19. Kayla Roell (23), 20. Brian Ruhlman (11), 21. Gunnar Setser (22), 22. Nic Harris (16), 23. Tom Harris (17), 24. Kobe Simpson (13). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Lap 1 Brady Bacon, Laps 2-25 Kyle Cummins.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Kyle Cummins-81, 2-Daison Pursley-79, 3-Brady Bacon-71, 4-Justin Grant-71, 5-Briggs Danner-66, 6-Logan Seavey-65, 7-Kale Drake-59, 8-Kevin Thomas Jr.-54, 9-C.J. Leary-53, 10-Mitchel Moles-52.
USAC NATIONAL PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-C.J. Leary-9, 2-Ricky Lewis-9, 3-Kale Drake-7, 4-Jadon Rogers-7, 5-Joey Amantea-5, 6-Daison Pursley-4, 7-Kayla Roell-4, 8-Kyle Cummins-3, 9-Briggs Danner-2, 10-Kevin Thomas Jr.-2.
HUGHES RACING / INDIANA MAFIA / FLAMINGO SANDY WINTER DIRT GAMES XVI SPRINT CAR PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Ricky Lewis-17, 2-C.J. Leary-9, 3-Kale Drake-8, 4-Kyle Cummins-7, 5-Jadon Rogers-7, 6-Daison Pursley-6, 7-Briggs Danner-6, 8-Kayla Roell-6, 9-Joey Amantea-5, 10-Gunnar Setser-5.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: February 11, 2025 – Volusia Speedway Park – Barberville, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XVI / Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals – 1/2-Mile Dirt Track
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: Justin Grant (16.556)
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: Daison Pursley (16.156)
Rod End Supply First Heat Winner: Logan Seavey
Car IQ Second Heat Winner: Chase Stockon
K1 RaceGear Third Heat Winner: Briggs Danner
Hoosier Tire Fourth Heat Winner: Robert Ballou
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Ricky Lewis
Hard Charger: C.J. Leary (18th to 9th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: Nic Harris
USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS HEADLINE PERRIS SEASON OPENER ON FEBRUARY 15
By Lance Jennings
FEBRUARY 8, 2025... The Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars are ready
to take their first green flag of the season on Saturday, February 15th, at
Perris Auto Speedway. Promoted by Don Kazarian, the opening night will also
feature the PAS Senior Sprint Cars, PAS Young Gun Sprint Cars, PASSCAR Super
Stocks, PASSCAR Street Stocks, and PASSCAR American Factory Stocks. Located on
the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris, California,
the Spectator Gates will open at 5:00pm and racing at "America's Premier Dirt
Track" will start 30 minutes earlier than usual at 6:30pm. For more event
information, visit the track’s website at perrisautospeedway.com or call
951.940.0134.
NOTICE TO RACERS:
- ALL RACERS MUST PURCHASE THEIR USAC LICENSE / MEMBERSHIPS ONLINE PRIOR TO THE
EVENT AT USACRACING.COM OR USACLICENSE.COM. (If racers have a membership
question, contact Julie Tanaka at julietanaka@aol.com.)
- ENTRY FEE: There is an entry fee due at registration / pill pick.
- TRANSPONDERS: Transponders ARE MANDATORY and will be available to rent.
- ONE WAY RADIOS / RACECEIVERS: One way radios ARE MANDATORY.
- TIRE RULE: Hoosier tires ARE REQUIRED ON ALL FOUR CORNERS of the car.
- FRONT AXLE TETHER SYSTEMS: Front axle tether systems (2-Chassis, 1-King Pin to
King Pin) ARE MANDATORY.
- FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS: Full containment seats ARE MANDATORY.
- COCKPIT ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS: Cockpit adjustable shocks ARE ALLOWED.
- RULE BOOK: The series rule book is online at usacracing.com.
Since March 6, 2004, the Lake Perris Fairgrounds has held 258 USAC/CRA Sprint
Car events and forty-seven drivers have claimed victory. Ten-time champion, “The
Demon” Damion Gardner leads all drivers with 51 “home track” series wins and Nic
Faas set the 1-lap track record of 15.833 on February 25, 2012. The complete
Perris USAC/CRA win list is at the end of this release.
After posting strong finishes throughout the season, R.J. Johnson (Laveen,
Arizona) claimed the 2024 Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car
Championship. Starting the year in the Yeley Racing #2, R.J. switched to Ricky
and Michele Johnson’s #51 JUGO Superfoods / Avanti Windows & Doors Sherman and
became the first driver to earn Rookie of the Year honors (2005) and the series
championship. To his credit, the first Arizona racer to win the crown earned two
feature wins, three Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, three heat race
victories, one semi-main win, seventeen top-five finishes, twenty-one top-10
finishes, and 84 feature laps led on the season. The new pilot of the Petty
Performance Racing #33P backed by Avanti Windows & Doors has nine career wins
and will be looking start his title defense with a Perris victory.
Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm (Yucaipa, California) finished second in the USAC/CRA
point standings. Racing Dino Napier’s #5X Indiana Truck Salvage / B&B Powder
Coating Maxim, Malcolm led the series with four feature wins and also posted one
Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, six heat race victories, one In Memory of
Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, seven top-five finishes, eighteen
top-10 finishes, and 86 feature laps led in the campaign. Tommy is currently
tied with Robert Ballou, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., and “KTJ” Kevin Thomas Jr.
with seven career wins and he will have his sights on winning the opening night
feature.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, California) placed third
in the USAC/CRA point chase. Piloting Tom & Christy Dunkel’s #17W Inland Rigging
/ Dunkel Farms DRC, Williams recorded six heat race victories, two In Memory of
Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Awards, ten top-five finishes, sixteen top-10
finishes, and 17 feature laps led on the year. At press time, the 2009 Co-Rookie
of the Year is tied with Matt Mitchell with eleven wins and will be looking to
start the season with a Lake Perris Fairgrounds triumph.
A.J. Bender (San Diego, California) ran fourth in the chase for the USAC/CRA
championship. Racing the family owned #21 Bender Pool & Spa / Matrix
Construction Services DRC, Bender earned his first series win on April 27th at
Perris and posted seven heat race victories, one semi-main win, seven top-five
finishes, sixteen top-10 finishes, and 44 feature laps led in the campaign. The
2022 USAC Western States Midget Rookie of the Year will have his sights on
another win at Perris Auto Speedway.
David Gasper (Goleta, California) placed fifth in the championship points and
earned Rookie of the Year honors. Starting the year in the Josh Ford Motorsports
#73X, Gasper switched to the Kittle Motorsports & Gasper Racing #18 Art Klee /
Martin Roofing DRC and posted two feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display Fast
Time Award, one heat race victory, three Factory Wraps semi-main wins, five In
Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Awards, fourteen top-10 finishes,
and 59 feature laps led on the season. The two-time California Lightning Sprint
Champion will be looking to score his third career victory at the season opener.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are Logan Williams, “The
Cadillac” Cody Williams, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., Verne Sweeney, “The
Gunslinger” Austin Grabowski, Eddie Tafoya Jr., Elexa Herrera, Brent Sexton,
Logan Calderwood, Grant Sexton, Blake Bower, Matt Mitchell, Jeff Dyer, “The
Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa, Stevie Rogers, Blake Hendricks, Gary Marshall
Jr., “Shugah” Shane Sexton, Tom Dunkel, 2024 PAS Young Gun Champion Brecken
Guerrero, and more.
Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake
Perris Drive in Perris, California. General admission tickets (13 & over) are
$35, Senior tickets (65 & over) are $30, Kids tickets (6 to 12) are $10, and
Children (5 and under) are FREE. The Lake Perris Fairgrounds charges $20 for
parking. Advance tickets are available and for more event information, visit the
track’s website at perrisautospeedway.com or call 951.940.0134.
For more information on the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car
Series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at usacracing.com and
the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the
USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
-----------------------------------------------
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS: 2004-Rip Williams,
2005-Damion Gardner, 2006-Cory Kruseman, 2007-Tony Jones, 2008-Mike Spencer,
2009-Mike Spencer, 2010-Mike Spencer, 2011-Mike Spencer, 2012-Mike Spencer,
2013-Damion Gardner, 2014-Damion Gardner, 2015-Damion Gardner, 2016-Damion
Gardner, 2017-Damion Gardner, 2018-Damion Gardner, 2019-Damion Gardner, 2020-NO
AWARD, 2021-Damion Gardner, 2022-Damion Gardner, 2023-Brody Roa, 2024-R.J.
Johnson.
PERRIS AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA 1-LAP QUALIFYING RECORD: Nic Faas –
15.833 (02/25/12)
PERRIS AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 51-Damion Gardner,
24-Mike Spencer, 19-Tony Jones, 17-Cory Kruseman, 10-Matt Mitchell, 9-Nic Faas,
8-David Cardey, 8-Richard Vander Weerd, 7-Brody Roa, 7-Rip Williams, 6-Bryan
Clauson, 6-Justin Grant, 6-Mike Kirby, 6-Danny Sheridan, 6-Austin Williams,
5-Brady Bacon, 5-Robert Ballou, 5-Rickie Gaunt, 4-Dave Darland, 4-Charles Davis
Jr., 4-R.J. Johnson, 4-Tommy Malcolm, 3-Garrett Hansen, 3-Kevin Thomas Jr.,
2-Darren Hagen, 2-Jesse Hockett, 2-Levi Jones, 2-C.J. Leary, 2-Blake Miller,
2-Jake Swanson, 2-Cody Williams, 2-Chris Windom, 1-A.J. Bender, 1-Chad
Boespflug, 1-Greg Bragg, 1-Daron Clayton, 1-Josh Ford, 1-David Gasper, 1-Josh
Hodges, 1-Bud Kaeding, 1-Ricky Lewis, 1-Adam Mitchell, 1-Johnny Rodriguez,
1-Hunter Schuerenberg, 1-Chase Stockon, 1-Scotty Weir, 1-Jason York.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
February 15: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
February 22: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ
March 1: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
March 14: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA
March 15: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA
April 5: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
April 11: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ
April 12: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ
April 26: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
May 3: Santa Maria Speedway – Nipomo, CA
May 24: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Salute to Indy)
June 21: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
July 5: Santa Maria Speedway – Nipomo, CA
July 19: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
August 16: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
August 30: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
August 31: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 6: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
September 27: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
October 4: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ
October 18: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
October 24: *Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (Western World)
October 25: *Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (Western World)
November 8: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC National Sprint Cars.
This schedule is subject to change.
SUNDAY’S BEST:
LEARY OPENS SEASON WITH NEW RIDE,
TOP SPEED IN PRACTICE AT OCALA
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Ocala, Florida (February 9, 2025)………C.J. Leary timed in quickest overall in
Sunday’s USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship practice day at Florida’s
Ocala Speedway.
Leary (Greenfield, Ind.) turned the top time of 15.347 seconds during the
afternoon session on the 3/8-mile dirt track, all of which is in preparation for
the start of the 2025 season and Winter Dirt Games XVI, which begins on February
10-11 at Volusia Speedway Park and February 12-15 at Ocala Speedway.
For Leary, it was his first outing of the season for the Team AZ/Curb-Agajanian
Racing team, which he joined late last year and competed in a pair of USAC CRA
Sprint Car events during the Western World Championships. Leary was victorious
in the most recent USAC National Sprint Car event at Ocala held in February 2024
for BGE Dougherty Motorsports.
Overall, 30 cars and 29 drivers took part in the practice. Daison Pursley
(Locust Grove, Okla.), also making his first run for the new CB Industries
sprint car team, was second overall at 15.389. Kyle Cummins (Princeton, Ind.)
was third at 15.428 for Petty Performance Racing.
Meanwhile, Chase Stockon (Fort Branch, Ind.) put two cars inside the top-five
of the final practice result. He took fourth in the primary Tom & Laurie Sertich
ride at 15.492, then rounded out the top-five at 15.621.
The USAC National Sprint Car season begins Monday, February 10, at Volusia.
The pits and grandstands open at 3pm Eastern. The drivers meeting commences at
4:30pm followed by engine heat at 5pm and hot laps at 5:30pm followed by
qualifying and racing.
Advance tickets are available at https://dirtcarnationals.com/tickets/. The
event can be watched LIVE on FloRacing at https://flosports.link/usac.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRACTICE RESULTS: February 9,
2025 – Ocala Speedway – Ocala, Florida – Winter Dirt Games XVI – 3/8-Mile Dirt
Track
PRACTICE: 1. C.J. Leary, 21AZ, Team AZ/Curb-Agajanian-15.347; 2. Daison Pursley, 86, CBI-15.389; 3. Kyle Cummins, 3p, Petty-15.428; 4. Chase Stockon, 92, Sertich-15.492; 5. Chase Stockon, 92m, Sertich-15.621; 6. Jake Swanson, 5T, Daming Swanson-15.695; 7. Robert Ballou, 12, Ballou-15.715; 8. Jadon Rogers, 66, Amati-15.728; 9. Kobe Simpson, 21K, Simpson-15.975; 10. Tom Harris, 84, Harris-16.072; 11. Harley Burns, 16, Britt Aero-16.103; 12. John Mollick, 4J, Clever-16.149; 13. Justin Grant, 4, TOPP-16.180; 14. Kale Drake 2B, 2B Racing-16.183; 15. Ricky Lewis, 41, Lewis-16.190; 16. Matt Goodnight, 39G, Goodnight-16.205; 17. Briggs Danner, 39, Hogue-16.228; 18. Oliver Akard, 32, Akard-16.256; 19. Kayla Roell, 4K, Roell-16.291; 20. Gunnar Setser, 5G, KO-16.313; 21. Kevin Thomas Jr., 3R, Rock Steady-16.362; 22. Kyle Jones, 79, Hall-16.391; 23. Logan Seavey, 57, Abacus-16.602; 24. Troy Carey, 45N, Carey-16.612; 25. Mike Haggenbottom, 51, Haggenbottom-16.681; 26. Nic Harris, N2, Harris-16.876; 27. Eddie Vancil, 7v, Vancil-17.187; 28. Carson Garrett, 15, BGE-20.265; 29. Hayden Reinbold, 19, Reinbold/Underwood-23.293; 30. Mitchel Moles, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-NT.
BC39 RETURNS TO THE DIRT TRACK AT IMS
ON JULY 1-2, 2025
INDIANAPOLIS (February 6, 2025) – One of the most prestigious events in dirt
racing is set to return this summer as the BC39 Presented by Avanti Windows &
Doors heads back to The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for its
seventh running on a new date, July 1-2, 2025.
The United States Auto Club (USAC) NOS Energy Drink Midget National
Championship will once again take center stage as drivers race for victory on
the quarter-mile dirt oval inside Turn 3 of IMS. This is the first time the BC39
has taken place in early July, as four of the previous events occurred in
September and the other two in August.
Action among the top Midget racers in the country will open with a full
program on Tuesday, July 1, which concludes with a feature. Wednesday night's
July 2 finale will culminate in a 39-lap feature. The event honors the memory of
Bryan Clauson, a three-time Indianapolis 500 starter and four-time USAC national
driving champion.
Ticket renewals and applications will be open from Feb. 11-21, with tickets
going on sale to the general public Wednesday, Feb. 26. Visit IMS.com for
complete details and to renew, apply for or buy tickets.
Cannon McIntosh took the lead with slightly more than one lap remaining to win the BC39 last September in an unforgettable finish. He joins a list of BC39 winners that includes NASCAR Cup Series champion and Brickyard 400 presented by PPG winner Kyle Larson and short-track stars Justin Grant, Buddy Kofoid, Zeb Wise and Brady Bacon. No driver has ever won this coveted race more than once.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
2025 USAC WINTER DIRT GAMES PREVIEW
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (February 6, 2025)………The time has come to exit hibernation
and enter excitation with anticipation of USAC Winter Dirt Games XVI, the
official kick off of the 2025 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship
season.
New rides, car combinations, an increased car count and the excitement of a
new season fill the air with six consecutive nights of racing action on the
docket in the state of Florida.
The 16th annual edition of Winter Dirt Games presents practice night at the
3/8-mile Ocala Speedway on Sunday, February 9, followed by the first two rounds
of racing at Barberville’s 1/2-mile Volusia Speedway Park on Monday-Tuesday,
February 10-11, while Ocala Speedway finishes out the week with four-straight
evenings of racing on Wednesday-Thursday-Friday-Saturday, February 12-13-14-15.
Let’s get after it! Here are a few of the top-of-mind storylines entering the new year starting this week in the Sunshine State.
SIX APPEAL
With six races in six nights, Winter Dirt Games is, for all intents and
purposes, a Florida Sprint Week. It’s a fairly significant chunk of the schedule
that greets competitors right off the bat, and there’s not much time to be
sluggish.
Setting the tone is imperative, and the 2024 edition produced in that
department. Logan Seavey, in his brand new sprint car ride with Abacus Racing,
took over the point lead during Winter Dirt Games at Volusia, and never relented
the remainder of the way en route to the USAC National Sprint Car championship.
He was just the latest in a long succession of drivers who’ve won in Florida
to start off the year, then go on to capture that season’s USAC National Sprint
Car title: Bryan Clauson (2013), Brady Bacon (2014), Robert Ballou (2015), Tyler
Courtney (2018), C.J. Leary (2019), Brady Bacon (2020), Justin Grant (2022) and
Logan Seavey (2024).
SEAVEY’S CHAMPIONSHIP DEFENSE
Speaking of Logan Seavey, his USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car championship
defense begins at the very same track where he and his Abacus Racing team began
its journey to becoming the juggernaut they were in 2024.
Last February at Volusia, Seavey became the first driver in 23 years to win
multiple USAC National Sprint Car features on the same day (Bud Kaeding at the
Terre Haute Action Track in 2001). It was a doubly incredible feat considering
the fact it was the first week of the team’s existence as a sprint car
operation.
Seavey and Abacus went on to score 14 USAC National Sprint Car wins in 2024, equaling the all-time record set by Tom Bigelow in 1977. The goal is within reach for Seavey if their prowess can be duplicated in 2025 as they aim for the record books while attempting to become the third consecutive back-to-back series champion of the decade following Brady Bacon (2020-2021) and Justin Grant (2022-2023).
OPEN SESAME
There’s no better way to begin a season for a driver and team than winning
right out of the box on opening night. One driver, Brady Bacon, could set a new
all-time USAC record if he were to capture the Monday, February 10, round at
Volusia.
Bacon currently owns three career USAC National Sprint Car season opening
victories, which is tied for the best all-time mark alongside Don Branson, Larry
Dickson, Rich Vogler and Damion Gardner. Bacon accomplished the feat in 2014,
2020 and 2023, all at Ocala.
Other drivers in this year’s Winter Dirt Games field who’ve won season
opening USAC Sprint Car features at Ocala include Robert Ballou (2015), Chase
Stockon (2018), Kevin Thomas Jr. (2021) and Justin Grant (2017 & 2024).
Another opening night win for Grant this year would tie him for the all-time
record. Furthermore, only five drivers have won back-to-back season openers: Don
Branson (1959-60), Jud Larson (1965-66), Sammy Sessions (1971-72), Rich Vogler
(1986-87) and Damion Gardner (2010-11-12).
FIRST IN FLORIDA
This year’s Florida field is chockfull of Winter Dirt Games winners, eight of
them in fact!
Justin Grant is the all-time Winter Dirt Games winner with seven career
victories, three of which came a year ago in Ocala. Brady Bacon has won five,
Robert Ballou three, C.J. Leary two, Logan Seavey two and Kevin Thomas Jr. two
while Kyle Cummins and Chase Stockon have each garnered one.
USAC racing and the Sunshine State have a history that dates back to the
decade of the 1950s. In fact, the first three USAC Sprint Car races ever held
took place in Florida in February of 1956. Bob Sweikert won the first such event
at Southland Speedway in West Palm Beach, followed by Chuck Weyant at
Jacksonville Speedway and Pat O’Connor at Medley Speedway in Miami.
Overall, 52 USAC National Sprint Car races have taken place in the state of Florida while 43 of them have been under the Winter Dirt Games banner dating back to its inaugural edition in 2010.
NEW COMBOS & ADDRESSES
In addition to the previously mentioned teams who are taking on the full USAC
National Sprint Car tour in 2025, among them are several new combinations to
keep an eye on throughout Winter Dirt Games.
Among the full-timers, 2019 USAC National Sprint Car champion C.J. Leary has
taken over the wheel of the Team AZ /Curb-Agajanian Racing No. 21AZ, which won a
non-points special event at Volusia in 2023 with driver Jake Swanson. Swanson,
meanwhile, has transferred over to the new Daming Swanson Motorsports No. 5T,
which appeared in a handful of USAC events a year ago.
Jadon Rogers appeared in several late season USAC Sprint Car events in 2024
with Amati Racing, with whom he returns to drive for throughout this season.
Amati’s No. 66 scored a Winter Dirt Games victory in 2016 with Thomas Meseraull.
Kale Drake is in a similar boat, picking up a ride with 2B Racing’s number 2B
last summer and will man the ride for the 2025 USAC season.
Gunnar Setser is the new wheelman of the KO Motorsports No. 5G, which was
formerly the No. 5s driven by Chase Stockon. Stockon will now strap into Tom &
Laurie Sertich’s Moose Racing No. 92 for the 2025 season. Stockon was a Winter
Dirt Games victor at Ocala in 2018.
Brady Bacon, a five-time Winter Dirt Games winner and four-time USAC National
Sprint Car champion, will run a scaled back USAC schedule this year aboard Chris
Dyson Racing’s No. 20.
Furthermore, Hayden Reinbold made his first seven USAC National Sprint Car starts in the latter half of the 2024 campaign, but will now be competing for series Rookie of the Year in 2025 at the controls of the Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports No. 19 as a teammate to Mitchel Moles.
QUALITY RETURNS
The dawn of a new USAC National Sprint Car season also presents many
questions and the anticipation of how the young crop of talent will develop
across the season.
Briggs Danner is one to keep an eye on following a three-win USAC National
Sprint Car season in 2024 which netted him USAC Most Improved Driver honors.
It's the same for Ricky Lewis as well as he too faces the full USAC schedule
for the first time in his career after a 25-win season made him the winningest
sprint car driver in the United States for 2024. But a first career USAC
national victory remains in his crosshairs.
“Tall” Trey Osborne returns to Florida for the first time since an
out-of-the-ballpark ride at Ocala in 2024 resulted in a back injury that
derailed his early season notions. Carson Garrett has been close to a first
career USAC victory, and is eager to take his shot while Joey Amantea led his
first laps with USAC at Ocala a year ago, and hopes to make a big showing in the
year to come.
RACE DETAILS:
FEB. 9 OCALA
Practice begins the return to Winter Dirt Games festivities on Sunday, February 9, from 1-4pm Eastern at Ocala Speedway. Grandstand admission is free while pit admission is $25.
FEB. 10-11 VOLUSIA
On both nights, the pits open at 3pmEastern with grandstands opening at 3pm,
the drivers meeting at 4:30pm, engine heat at 5pm and hot laps at 5:30 followed
by qualifying and racing. Advance tickets are available at
https://dirtcarnationals.com/tickets/.
Monday’s show will pay $6,000-to-win followed by Tuesday’s $10,000-to-win tilt.
FEB. 12-15 OCALA
For the first two nights of racing on Wednesday, February 12 and Thursday,
February 13 at Ocala, grandstand admission for ages 13 & up is $30 while kids
age 12 & under are free. Pit passes are $40 apiece for ages 6 & up. Pit passes
for ages 5 &under are free.
For Friday, February 14 and Saturday, February 15, at Ocala, grandstand
admission for ages 13 & up is $35 while kids age 12 & under are free. Pit passes
are $45 apiece for ages 6 & up. Pit passes for ages 5 & under are free.
On all four nights at Ocala, pits open at 2pm Eastern, front gates open at
5pm and cars hit the track at 6pm.
Wednesday and Thursday night’s programs will pay $6,000-to-win while Friday’s
event will pay $7,500 before culminating in Saturday’s $10,000-to-win grand
finale.
The Winter Dirt Games overall champion will earn a $5,000 reward.
COVERAGE
All six USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship events from Florida will
be streamed live and on-demand at https://flosports.link/usac.
2025 USAC WINTER DIRT GAMES XVI ENTRY LIST:
M1 Mark Smith/Sunbury, Pennsylvania
2B Kale Drake/Collinsville, Oklahoma
N2 Nic Harris/Atlanta, Illinois
3p Kyle Cummins/Princeton, Indiana
3R Kevin Thomas Jr./Cullman, Alabama
4 Justin Grant/Ione, California
4J John Mollick/Toronto, Ohio
4K Kayla Roell/Dillsboro, Indiana
5 Stevie Sussex/Tempe, Arizona
5G Gunnar Setser/Columbus, Indiana
5T Jake Swanson/Anaheim, California
6T Trey Osborne/Columbus, Ohio
7v Eddie Vancil/Olney, Illinois
12 Robert Ballou/Rocklin, California
15 Carson Garrett/Littleton, Colorado
16 Harley Burns/Brazil, Indiana
19 Hayden Reinbold/Gilbert, Arizona
19AZ Mitchel Moles/Raisin City, California
20 Brady Bacon/Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
21AZ C.J. Leary/Greenfield, Indiana
21K Kobe Simpson/Bonham, Texas
32 Oliver Akard/Fort Myers, Florida
39 Briggs Danner/Allentown, Pennsylvania
39G Matt Goodnight/Winchester, Indiana
41 Ricky Lewis/Camarillo, California
45N Troy Carey/Tullamore, New South Wales
49 Brian Ruhlman/Clarklake, Michigan (Volusia Only)
51 Mike Haggenbottom/Levittown, Pennsylvania (Volusia Only)
51T Eddie Tafoya Jr./Chino Hills, California
57 Logan Seavey/Sutter, California
66 Jadon Rogers/Worthington, Indiana
79 Kyle Jones/Kennedale, Texas
84 Tom Harris/Banbury, Oxfordshire
88J Joey Amantea/Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania
92 Chase Stockon/Fort Branch, Indiana
ALL-TIME USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINS AT OCALA:
7-Justin Grant
5-Brady Bacon
4-Bryan Clauson
3-Damion Gardner
2-Emerson Axsom, Robert Ballou, Tyler Courtney, Tracy Hines & C.J. Leary
1-Kyle Cummins, Dave Darland, Darren Hagen, Thomas Meseraull, Hunter Schuerenberg, Chase Stockon, Kevin Thomas Jr. & Chris Windom
USAC SPRINT CAR WINNERS AT OCALA SPEEDWAY:
2011: Damion Gardner (2/17), Bryan Clauson (2/18) & Damion Gardner (2/19)
2012: Damion Gardner (2/9) & Darren Hagen (2/11)
2013: Bryan Clauson (2/21), Tracy Hines (2/22) & Tracy Hines (2/23)
2014: Brady Bacon (2/20) & Bryan Clauson (2/22)
2015: Robert Ballou (2/19), Brady Bacon (2/20) & Dave Darland (2/21)
2016: Bryan Clauson (2/18), Robert Ballou (2/19) & Thomas Meseraull (2/20)
2017: Justin Grant (2/24) & Hunter Schuerenberg (2/25)
2018: Chase Stockon (2/15), Tyler Courtney (2/16) & Tyler Courtney (2/17)
2019: Chris Windom (2/14), Justin Grant (2/15) & C.J. Leary (2/16)
2020: Brady Bacon (2/14) & Brady Bacon (2/15)
2021: Kevin Thomas Jr. (2/11) & Justin Grant (2/12)
2022: Emerson Axsom (2/17), Justin Grant (2/18) & Emerson Axsom (2/19)
2023: Brady Bacon (2/16) & Kyle Cummins (2/18)
2024: Justin Grant (2/9), Justin Grant (2/10), Justin Grant (2/15) & C.J. Leary (2/16)
USAC SPRINT CAR WINS AT VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK:
Points Events:
2-Logan Seavey
Non-Points Special Events:
1-Daison Pursley & Jake Swanson
USAC SPRINT CAR WINNERS AT VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK:
Points Events:
2024: Logan Seavey (2/13) & Logan Seavey (2/13)
Non-Points Special Events:
2023: Jake Swanson (2/13) & Daison Pursley (2/14)
WINTER DIRT GAMES USAC SPRINT WINS:
7-Justin Grant
5-Brady Bacon & Damion Gardner
4-Bryan Clauson
3-Robert Ballou
2-Emerson Axsom, Tyler Courtney, Tracy Hines, C.J. Leary, Logan Seavey & Kevin Thomas Jr.
1-Kyle Cummins, Dave Darland, Darren Hagen, Thomas Meseraull, Hunter Schuerenberg, Chase Stockon & Chris Windom
FLORIDA USAC NATIONAL SPRINT POINTS WINS:
7-Justin Grant
5-Brady Bacon & Damion Gardner
4-Bryan Clauson
3-Robert Ballou
2-Emerson Axsom, Tyler Courtney, Larry Dickson, Tracy Hines, C.J. Leary, Logan Seavey & Kevin Thomas Jr.
1-Kyle Cummins, Dave Darland, Darren Hagen, Thomas Meseraull, Pat O’Connor, Hunter Schuerenberg, Chase Stockon, Bob Sweikert, Rich Vogler, Chuck Weyant & Chris Windom
FLORIDA USAC SPRINT NON-POINTS SPECIAL EVENT WINS:
1-Daison Pursley, Dave Steele & Jake Swanson
USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR TRACK RECORDS AT OCALA SPEEDWAY:
1 Lap - 2/15/2019 - Carson Short- 13.398
6 Laps - 2/19/2022 - Kyle Cummins- 1:32.62
8 Laps - 2/14/2019 - Robert Ballou - 1:50.920
10 Laps - 2/10/2024 - C.J. Leary- 2:31.170
12 Laps - 2/23/2013 - Robert Ballou - 2:52.770
30 Laps - 2/11/2021 - Kevin Thomas Jr. - 7:45.762
USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR TRACK RECORDS AT VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK:
1 Lap - 2/13/2024 - C.J. Leary - 16.151
8 Laps - 2/12/2024 - Justin Grant- 2:16.61
10 Laps - 2/14/2023 - Kevin Thomas Jr. - 2:57.95
12 Laps - 2/13/2023 - Daison Pursley - 3:34.33
30 Laps - 2/14/2023 - Daison Pursley - 9:00.65
MEET THE 14 USAC SPRINT CAR
FULL-TIMERS FOR 2025
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (February 3, 2025)………It’s time to go racing in 2025 with a
large and talented contingent of USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship
full-time competitors.
The field of 14 full-time drivers and teams is stacked and ready to hit the
road for the 53-race tour which hits the road for the first time in 2025 with
six February dates in Florida starting at Barberville’s Volusia Speedway Park on
February 10-11 followed by Ocala Speedway on February 12-13-14-15.
Here’s the full list of the 14 USAC National Sprint Car full-timers for 2025!
LOGAN SEAVEY | ABACUS RACING #57
In their first season together on the USAC National Sprint Car trail, Logan
Seavey and Abacus Racing made 2024 one of the finest seasons in series history
en route to the championship. A 14-win season a year ago tied Tom Bigelow for
the winningest single season in series history. Seavey’s goals include breaking
that record while also shooting to become the third back-to-back series champ of
the 2020s following Brady Bacon (2020-21) and Justin Grant (2022-23).
KEVIN THOMAS JR. | ROCK STEADY RACING #3R
Year one with Rock Steady Racing was an undisputed success for Kevin Thomas
Jr. on the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship tour in 2024. A five-win
campaign translated into KTJ’s best overall season with the series in three
years. When all was tallied up, KTJ finished fourth in the standings and rose up
into the top-10 all-time in terms of career USAC National Sprint Car victories.
Year two is on its way, and this combo will be a prime contender.
C.J. LEARY | TEAM AZ/CURB-AGAJANIAN RACING #21AZ
It’s an all-new formula for C.J. Leary on the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National
Championship circuit in 2025. After competing the last two seasons for
BGE-Dougherty Motorsports, the Greenfield, Indiana racer has swapped over to
Team Arizona / Curb-Agajanian Racing for a full run at the title. Leary, the
2019 USAC National Sprint Car champ takes over the helm of the 21AZ, which won
twice a year ago in USAC competition with Daison Pursley in the seat.
MITCHEL MOLES | REINBOLD-UNDERWOOD MOTORSPORTS #19AZ
For Mitchel Moles and Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports, it was all about
constructing a foundation throughout last year’s USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National
Championship slate. It was a process that rewarded Moles with his finest and
most successful season yet with the series as he recorded career highs across
the board in several categories along with an Eastern Storm title. The rise of
the Raisin City, California native was punctuated with his most consistent
season yet.
ROBERT BALLOU | BALLOU MOTORSPORTS #12
For nearly two decades, Robert Ballou has been a driving force in USAC AMSOIL
Sprint Car National Championship competition. In May of 2024, he was on the
winning side of the most electrifying finish of the year when he erased a
half-straightaway deficit on the last lap to win at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway. As a
privateer, he remains the winningest combined driver/entrant in series history,
an accolade he aims to add to in 2025.
KYLE CUMMINS | PETTY PERFORMANCE RACING #3P
With a brand new team starting from scratch, it’s quite normal to endure the
growing pains, the learning curve and the trial and error that naturally comes
along with it. Kyle Cummins and Petty Performance Racing’s 2024 season ran the
gamut of emotions, but by the end of the year, they were among the elite in USAC
AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship competition. This year, they look to
build upon it in their sophomore season.
JUSTIN GRANT | TOPP MOTORSPORTS #4
Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) experienced perhaps the strangest stat line in
the USAC National Sprint Car history by finishing ninth in points and winning
nine races! Inconsistency dogged him in 2024, but when the 2022-23 series champ
was on, he was on. He enters his eighth season as TOPP Motorsports’ driver at 54
career USAC National Sprint Car victories. Another nine-win campaign would
surpass Dave Darland’s 62 to make him the winningest driver in series history.
JAKE SWANSON | DAMING SWANSON MOTORSPORTS #5T
Jake Swanson, a seasoned driver with a proven track record of success, will
pilot a new entry during the 2025 USAC National Sprint Car season with Daming
Swanson Motorsports. It’s long been a dream for the Anaheim, California driver
to build a program capable of competing at the top level with USAC, and now that
dream is a reality. Additionally, the team is supported by a key partnership
with car owner and mechanic Doug Dougherty.
BRIGGS DANNER | HOGUE RACING ENTERPRISES #39
It was a breakout year in 2024 in which he won his initial three USAC
National Sprint Car features before going on to capture USAC National Most
Improved Driver honors. But now, the Allentown, Pennsylvania racer and his Hogue
Racing Enterprises team have stepped up to compete for a championship as a
full-time team on the circuit in 2025 following years of a partial national
schedule and a run at the USAC East Coast Sprint Car title.
JADON ROGERS | AMATI RACING #66
Jadon Rogers joined Amati Racing during the latter half of the 2024 season,
and quickly hit their stride, winning three times on the local Indiana level
while also garnering the inaugural Midwest Thunder Sprint Car championship. In
fact, Rogers is the winningest sprint car driver in Indiana during the decade
between 2020-2024 with 24 scores. Now, the team is back on the tour and hungry
for more.
JOEY AMANTEA | JPA RACING #88J
Joey Amantea showed flashes of brilliance on his debut run as a USAC National
Sprint Car full-timer in 2024. He led his first series laps down in Ocala,
Florida at the start of the year before going on to earn six top-10 results in
his family-owned ride. To add onto that, he also forged forward in several of
his starts, picking up hard charger honors on four occasions. This year, he eyes
becoming a consistent top-five runner as he vies for his first series win.
RICKY LEWIS | Ricky Lewis #41
No other sprint car driver in America can lay claim to the sheer amount of
success Ricky Lewis has accrued over the past couple of seasons. His 25 feature
victories led the nation in that category as he captured his second consecutive
Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series title. Now, he’s out on the USAC tour full-time for
the first time in his burgeoning career in his own ride, looking to translate
that success to his first career USAC triumph.
KALE DRAKE | 2B RACING #2B
Kale Drake’s first foray into sprint car racing of any kind came in USAC’s
Indiana Sprint Week during the summer of 2024. From there on, he was a regular
on the tour in Scott Benic’s 2B Racing machine, finishing out the season with 15
feature starts and a boatload of experiences to go along with it. The Oklahoman
has shown speed, and plenty of it, as he plans to translate that speed to
success for the team that captured a USAC National Sprint Car championship back
in 2005.
HAYDEN REINBOLD | REINBOLD-UNDERWOOD MOTORSPORTS #19
Hayden Reinbold is gunning for Rookie of the Year honors with the USAC National Sprint Cars in 2025. The veteran of five seasons of USAC Midget racing will wheel his family-owned Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports No. 19 as one-half of the only multi-car full-time team on the circuit alongside Mitchel Moles. The Gilbert, Arizona driver was able to get his feet wet with his first seven career starts with the season late last year. Now, he’s ready to take on the challenge.
MIKE CURB USAC NATIONAL DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP
ADDS $15K TO 2025 SEASON’S BEST
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (February 3, 2025)………The Mike Curb USAC National Drivers
Championship returns for 2025 with an increased $15,000 reward going to the
driver who accrues the most combined points throughout the USAC national season.
The honor encompasses attaining points throughout each and every
points-paying USAC Silver Crown, AMSOIL National Sprint Car and NOS Energy Drink
National Midget series event during the 2025 campaign. USAC’s 2025 national
schedule encompasses 95 events from coast-to-coast.
Over the past four seasons since 2021, the Mike Curb USAC National Drivers
Championship top prize has tripled from $5,000 to $15,000.
Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) punctuated his record-setting 2024 season by
earning the USAC National Drivers Championship a year ago. In all, he collected
a total of 5,130 combined points between the three USAC National series, most of
any driver.
The Mike Curb USAC National Drivers Championship celebrates its 27th
consecutive year in 2025. Previous champions include many of the greatest names
in USAC’s illustrious history, including five drivers who’ve won the award on at
least three different occasions.
Tracy Hines and Justin Grant have won the award more times than anybody else,
on four occasions. Hines collected top honors in 2000, 2008, 2013 and 2014 while
Grant accomplished the feat in 2017, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
The new Mike Curb USAC National Drivers Champion will be honored at USAC’s
Night of Champions in December of 2025.
MIKE CURB USAC NATIONAL DRIVERS CHAMPIONS:
1999: Dave Darland
2000: Tracy Hines
2001: J.J. Yeley
2002: J.J. Yeley
2003: J.J. Yeley
2004: Jay Drake
2005: Josh Wise
2006: Josh Wise
2007: Jerry Coons Jr.
2008: Tracy Hines
2009: Cole Whitt
2010: Bryan Clauson
2011: Bryan Clauson
2012: Bryan Clauson
2013: Tracy Hines
2014: Tracy Hines
2015: Dave Darland
2016: Brady Bacon
2017: Justin Grant
2018: Tyler Courtney
2019: Tyler Courtney
2020: Chris Windom
2021: Justin Grant
2022: Justin Grant
2023: Justin Grant
2024: Logan Seavey
USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGETS’
2025 SCHEDULE REVEALED
Speedway, Indiana (January 30, 2024)………The 44th season of Avanti Windows &
Doors USAC Western States Midget competition prepares for the 2025 campaign with
12 race dates at six different dirt ovals throughout the Golden State of
California.
The season opens and closes at the southern California seaside oval of
Ventura. The slate kicks off on March 8 at Ventura Raceway and closes out the
series season at the same 1/5-mile dirt venue on October 25. Sandwiched between
the bookmarks are another pair of Ventura events on June 14 and July 12.
Thereafter, Placerville Speedway hosts a duo of series rounds on April 5 and
again on July 5 at the northern California 1/4-mile dirt oval.
Two dates await the series at Nipomo, California’s Santa Maria Speedway as
competitors return to the 1/3-mile clay oval on both May 17 and August 9.
Visalia, California’s Plaza Park Raceway is back on the slate for the first
time since the series’ 2013 trip to the Central Valley 1/5-mile dirt track. The
Plaza Park return will take place on April 26 for its one and only series date
of the year.
The newly-rechristened Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway
welcomes the series on June 13. Also making single appearances on the tour in
the coming year are the fairgrounds of Merced Speedway on September 13 while
Antioch Speedway hosts the series on October 11.
Cade Lewis (Bakersfield, Calif.) enters 2025 as the reigning USAC Western
States Midget champion, a series which also boasts as its champions the likes of
Jeff Heywood, Sleepy Tripp, Robby Flock, Billy Boat, Jay Drake, Wally Pankratz,
Cory Kruseman, Ronnie Gardner and Michael Faccinto, just to name a few.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC WESTERN STATES MIDGET SCHEDULE:
Mar 8: Ventura Raceway | Ventura, California
Apr 5: Placerville Speedway | Placerville, California
Apr 26: Plaza Park Raceway | Visalia, California
May 17: Santa Maria Speedway | Nipomo, California
Jun 13: Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway | Bakersfield,
California
Jun 14: Ventura Raceway | Ventura, California
Jul 5: Placerville Speedway | Placerville, California
Jul 12: Ventura Raceway | Ventura, California
Aug 9: Santa Maria Speedway | Nipomo, California
Sep 13: Merced Speedway | Merced, California
Oct 11: Antioch Speedway | Antioch, California
Oct 25: Ventura Raceway | Ventura, California
2025 LINCOLN PARK SPEEDWAY SCHEDULE SET,
ESTES NAMED GENERAL MANAGER
Putnamville, Indiana (January 30, 2025)………Tommie Estes has been named the new
General Manager of Putnamville, Indiana’s Honest Abe Roofing Lincoln Park
Speedway, effective at the start of the 2025 racing season, which features 26
racing nights between April and September.
With a wealth of experience in the racing industry, Tommie brings over two
decades of leadership and hands-on knowledge to the role, positioning him to
continue the legacy of excellence at one of Indiana’s most beloved dirt racing
venues. Furthermore, Jen Estes will serve as the track’s co-manager.
Honest Abe Roofing will serve as the title sponsor of the 5/16-mile dirt
oval. Furthermore, a long term agreement between the track owner, Dave Allison,
and USAC Promotions is in place to assure long term stability for Lincoln Park
Speedway competitors and race fans.
“We are greatly appreciative to all the phenomenal groups that showed
interest in promoting Lincoln Park Speedway,” track owner Dave Allison said.
“After an extensive evaluation of all interested parties, we decided that the
best choice for the long-term stability, continued growth, expansion and
exposure for Lincoln Park Speedway would be to allow USAC to promote the LPS
facility. They will continue the tradition of local Saturday night racing at
LPS, and I’m confident in USAC’s ability to take the facility to the next level
of entertainment for our fans and race teams.”
Tommie’s extensive background in motorsports management and racing includes
serving as the Competition Director for the ASCS National Sprint Tour, the Chili
Bowl Nationals, and most recently, as the Competition Director for the USAC
Silver Crown National Championship, a role he’ll continue in alongside his
duties at Lincoln Park.
Furthermore, Tommie previously oversaw the racing operations at Dodge City
Raceway Park in Kansas, where he built a reputation for fostering competitive
environments and creating fan-friendly events. His work at Dodge City was marked
by strong organizational growth, the development of innovative racing programs,
and his ability to engage both drivers and spectators alike.
Tommie also served as a longtime American Sprint Car Series Director, where
he oversaw race operations, ensured compliance with sanctioning body rules, and
worked closely with teams to maintain fair competition.
A former driver himself, Tommie understands the sport from the perspective of
both competitors and fans, giving him a unique ability to create a balanced and
exciting racing environment. His passion for sprint car racing and his deep
connection to the dirt racing community are at the heart of his vision for
Lincoln Park Speedway.
“I’m honored to take on this role at Lincoln Park Speedway,” Tommie said.
“This is an iconic venue, and I’m excited to work with the great team here to
build upon the track’s rich history. My goal is to continue growing the track’s
reputation for thrilling racing while ensuring we deliver the best experience
for drivers, fans, and the local community. I’m looking forward to the
challenges and opportunities ahead.”
Lincoln Park Speedway, located about 50 miles southeast from downtown
Indianapolis, has been a staple in Indiana racing since its inception, hosting a
wide variety of events, including weekly racing series, special events, and
major regional sprint car races. The addition of Tommie as General Manager
signals a continued commitment to high-quality racing and fan engagement at the
track.
Tommie’s leadership is expected to usher in an exciting new chapter for
Lincoln Park Speedway, enhancing both the driver experience and fan experience.
His dedication to the sport, coupled with his vast industry knowledge, makes him
the ideal person to take the helm of this legendary track.
Tommie will begin his tenure immediately and is eager to meet with fans,
drivers, and staff as he works to further elevate Lincoln Park Speedway’s
standing as a premier destination for dirt track racing in the region.
Lincoln Park is set to host five USAC national events in 2025, including four
USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car shows starting on April 11 followed by the Bill
Gardner Sprintacular on July 4-5, plus NOS Energy Drink USAC Indiana Sprint Week
Presented By Honest Abe Roofing on July 25. The track welcomes the USAC NOS
Energy Drink Midget National Championship’s Indiana Midget Week on June 5.
Lincoln Park Speedway is located at 1051 U.S. Hwy 40, Putnamville, Indiana
46135. The track can be reached by phone at (765) 653-3485. For more info,
please visit www.LincolnParkSpeedway.com or via social media on Facebook at
www.Facebook.com/LincolnParkSpeedwayUSAC and on X at @RaceLincolnPark.
2025 HONEST ABE ROOFING LINCOLN PARK SPEEDWAY SCHEDULE
APRIL
Saturday, April 5 | Open Practice
Friday, April 11 | Opening Night (USAC Sprints & IMCA Racesaver Sprints Plus
Fireworks)
Saturday, April 12 | Weekly Racing (UMP Modifieds, Indiana Super Stocks &
Bombers)
Saturday, April 19 | Weekly Racing (410 Non-Wing Sprints, UMP Modifieds,
Super Stocks & Bombers)
Saturday, April 26 | Buckeye Bob 33 (410 Non-Wing Sprints, UMP Modifieds,
Indiana Super Stocks)
MAY
Saturday, May 3 | Weekly Racing (410 Non-Wing Sprints, IMCA Racesaver
Sprints, UMP Modifieds, Indiana Super Stocks & Bombers)
Saturday, May 10 | Weekly Racing (410 Non-Wing Sprints, UMP Modifieds,
Indiana Super Stocks & Bombers)
Saturday, May 17 | Weekly Racing (410 Non-Wing Sprints, UMP Modifieds,
Indiana Super Stocks & Bombers)
Saturday, May 24 | Weekly Racing (410 Non-Wing Sprints, UMP Modifieds,
Indiana Super Stocks & Bombers)
JUNE
Thursday, June 5 | USAC Indiana Midget Week (USAC NOS Energy Drink National
Midgets & 410 Non-Wing Sprints)
Saturday, June 7 | Weekly Racing (410 Non-Wing Sprints, UMP Modifieds,
Indiana Super Stocks & Bombers)
Saturday, June 14 | Weekly Racing (410 Non-Wing Sprints, UMP Modifieds,
Indiana Super Stocks, Bombers & MMSA Mini Sprints)
Friday, June 20 | (POWRi 410 Wing Sprints, UMP Modifieds, Indiana Super
Stocks & Bombers)
Saturday, June 28 | Weekly Racing (410 Non-Wing Sprints, UMP Modifieds,
Indiana Super Stocks & Bombers)
JULY
Friday, July 4 | Bill Gardner Sprintacular (USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars,
UMP Modifieds & Bombers Plus Fireworks)
Saturday, July 5 | Bill Gardner Sprintacular (USAC AMSOIL National Sprint
Cars, Indiana Super Stocks & IMCA Racesaver Sprints)
Saturday, July 12 | Weekly Racing & Kids Bike Night (410 Non-Wing Sprints,
UMP Modifieds, Indiana Super Stocks, Bombers & MMSA Mini Sprints)
Saturday, July 19 | Weekly Racing (410 Non-Wing Sprints, UMP Modifieds,
Indiana Super Stocks & Bombers)
Friday, July 25 | USAC Indiana Sprint Week (USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars)
AUGUST
Saturday, August 9 | Weekly Racing (410 Non-Wing Sprints, UMP Modifieds,
Indiana Super Stocks & Bombers)
Saturday, August 16 | Weekly Racing (410 Non-Wing Sprints, UMP Modifieds,
Indiana Super Stocks & Bombers)
Saturday, August 23 | Weekly Racing (UMP Modifieds, Indiana Super Stocks &
Bombers)
Saturday, August 30 | Weekly Racing (410 Non-Wing Sprints, UMP Modifieds,
Indiana Super Stocks & Bombers)
SEPTEMBER
Saturday, September 6 | Red Hayden Memorial (410 Non-Wing Sprints, UMP
Modifieds, Indiana Super Stocks & Bombers)
Saturday, September 13 | IMCA Racesaver Sprints, UMP Modifieds, Indiana Super
Stocks & Bombers
Saturday, September 20 | Weekly Racing (410 Non-Wing Sprints, UMP Modifieds,
Indiana Super Stocks, Bombers & USAC Midwest Thunder SpeeD2 Midgets)
Saturday, September 27 | Championship Night (410 Non-Wing Sprints, UMP Modifieds, Indiana Super Stocks & Bombers)
USAC RACING ANNOUNCES DON HAWK
AS NEW SILVER CROWN SERIES DIRECTOR
Indianapolis, IN – January 6, 2025 — The United States Auto Club (USAC)
Racing is pleased to announce that Don Hawk has been appointed as the new Series
Director for the USAC Silver Crown Division, effective immediately.
Hawk brings a wealth of experience, leadership, and a deep passion for
motorsports that aligns perfectly with USAC’s mission of fostering competitive
and exciting racing while upholding the traditions of this prestigious series.
With over 33 years of experience in motorsports management and event
operations, Hawk has earned a reputation for building strong relationships with
teams, drivers, and partners, while driving innovation and operational
excellence.
His extensive background includes a role as President of Dale Earnhardt Inc.,
Director of Regional Racing Development for NASCAR, Chief Racing Development
Officer and Executive Vice President for Speedway Motorsports Inc., and most
recently, the CEO of SRX, which positions him well to lead the Silver Crown
Division into its next chapter of growth and success.
“I am honored to join USAC Racing as the Series Director for the Silver Crown
Division,” said Hawk. “This series has a rich heritage, incredible talent and
dedicated fans. I look forward to working alongside the teams, officials,
Technical Director Tommie Estes and everyone in the USAC family to enhance the
competition and continue to build the excitement that makes Silver Crown racing
so special.”
Kevin Miller, President and CEO of USAC Racing, expressed confidence in
Hawk’s ability to lead the division. “Don’s experience, integrity, and
forward-thinking approach make him an excellent fit for this role. We are
thrilled to have him on board and are excited about the leadership he will bring
to one of the most iconic divisions in motorsports.”
The USAC Silver Crown Series remains a cornerstone of American open-wheel
racing, known for its long-distance events on both paved and dirt tracks. As
Series Director, Hawk will oversee all aspects of the division’s operations,
working closely with competitors, promoters, and sponsors to ensure continued
growth and success.
The 2025 Silver Crown season promises to deliver more action, more stories,
and more unforgettable moments as the series continues its proud tradition of
thrilling motorsports fans across the country.
For more information about USAC Racing and the Silver Crown Division, visit www.usacracing.com.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS
USAC CRA SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE RELEASED
By: Lance Jennings
Speedway, Indiana (December 21, 2024)………Series Director Tony Jones has announced the upcoming schedule for the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series. The traditional 410s will feature twenty-four (24) events at six (6) different racetracks in 2025. The highly anticipated season will open at Perris Auto Speedway on February 15th and the champion will be crowned at the Perris finale on November 8th.
Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds, Perris Auto Speedway will host twelve races on the schedule. Promoted by Don Kazarian, “America’s Premier Dirt Track” will showcase the USAC/CRA Sprints on February 15th, March 1st, April 5th, April 26th, May 24th “Salute to Indy,” June 21st, July 19th, August 16th, September 6th, September 27th, October 18th, and November 8th. Ten-time champion and newly announced inductee to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, “The Demon” Damion Gardner leads all series drivers with 51 “home track wins” on the 1/2-mile oval and Nic Faas set the 1-lap track record of 15.833 seconds on February 25, 2012. Perris Auto Speedway is located at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris, California and for more information, visit www.perrisautospeedway.com or call 951.940.0134.
Promoted by Ron Meyer, Mohave Valley Raceway has two races on the calendar. The non-winged 410s will headline the action at the 1/3-mile oval on February 22nd and October 4th. Ricky Lewis and 2023 Champion, “The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa lead all drivers with two Mohave Valley wins and “The Cadillac” Cody Williams set the 1-lap track record of 13.923 seconds on April 1, 2023. Mohave Valley Raceway is located at 2750 Laguna Road in Mohave Valley, Arizona and for more details, visit www.mohavevalleyraceway.com or call 928.346.3000.
Located at the Imperial Valley Expo, Imperial Valley Raceway will feature two events during the campaign. The USAC/CRA Sprint Cars will tackle the 1/4-mile oval for a special return on March 14th and 15th. Newly crowned Rookie of the Year, David Gasper and Ricky Lewis topped last season’s shows at the historic facility and Gasper established the 1-lap track record of 11.770 seconds on October 19th. Imperial Valley Raceway is located at 200 East 2nd Street in Imperial, California and for more information, visit the track’s social media at www.facebook.com/IVRaceway.
Located at the Pinal County Fairgrounds, Central Arizona Raceway has four dates on the schedule. After rain cancelled events in 2023, the USAC/CRA sprints will make their debut on the high-banked 3/8-mile oval on April 11th. The series will also be showcased on April 12th, and the “58th Western World Championships” on October 24th and 25th with the USAC National Sprint Cars. Central Arizona Raceway is located at 512 South Eleven Mile Corner Road in Casa Grande, Arizona and for more details, visit the track’s website at www.centralaazraceway.com or call 602.292.7607.
The popular Santa Maria Speedway will host two nights of action on the 2025 calendar. The series will headline the card at the 1/3-mile oval on May 3rd and July 5th. Former champions, “The Demon” Damion Gardner and “The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa lead all USAC/CRA drivers with four wins at “The West’s Best Short Track” and “Bullet” Blake Miller set the 1-lap track record of 13.230 seconds on June 14, 2008. Santa Maria Speedway is located at 1900 Hutton Road in Nipomo, California and for more information, visit the track’s website at www.santamariaspeedway.net or call 310.493.4900.
Located on the Napa County Fairgrounds, the scenic Calistoga Speedway will reopen and has returned to the USAC/CRA schedule in 2025. Promoted by Tommy Hunt and HMC Promotions, the “Louie Vermeil Classic” will feature the non-winged USAC/CRA and winged King of the West NARC Sprint Cars on October 30th and 31st. Rico Abreu, Ryan Bernal, and “The Demon” Damion Gardner are tied with three wins at the big 1/2-mile oval and Bernal set the track record of 18.869 on September 3, 2017. Calistoga Speedway is located at 1435 North Oak Street in Calistoga, California and for more details, call 916.773.7225.
The 2024 Awards Banquet for the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars will be held on Saturday, February 1st at Indian Hills Golf Club in Riverside, California. For information on the Awards Banquet and the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at www.usacracing.com and the USAC/CRA social media on Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram pages.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS: 2004-Rip Williams, 2005-Damion Gardner, 2006-Cory Kruseman, 2007-Tony Jones, 2008-Mike Spencer, 2009-Mike Spencer, 2010-Mike Spencer, 2011-Mike Spencer, 2012-Mike Spencer, 2013-Damion Gardner, 2014-Damion Gardner, 2015-Damion Gardner, 2016-Damion Gardner, 2017-Damion Gardner, 2018-Damion Gardner, 2019-Damion Gardner, 2020-NO AWARD, 2021-Damion Gardner, 2022-Damion Gardner, 2023-Brody Roa, 2024-R.J. Johnson.
2025 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
February 15: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
February 22: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ
March 1: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
March 14: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA
March 15: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA
April 5: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
April 11: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ
April 12: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ
April 26: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
May 3: Santa Maria Speedway – Nipomo, CA
May 24: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Salute to Indy)
June 21: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
July 5: Santa Maria Speedway – Nipomo, CA
July 19: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
August 16: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
August 30: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
August 31: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 6: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
September 27: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
October 4: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ
October 18: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
October 24: *Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (Western World)
October 25: *Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (Western World)
November 8: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
* = Co-Sanctioned event with the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship
This schedule is subject to change.
REINBOLD A FULL-TIMER
IN USAC SPRINTS & MIDGETS FOR 2025
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (December 19, 2024)………Hayden Reinbold is doubling up during
the 2025 season by going full-time with both the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National
Championship and the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship.
In both divisions, Reinbold (Gilbert, Ariz.) will be at the wheel of his
family-owned Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports machine as a Rookie of the Year
contender on the 50-race sprint car tour and returns for his fifth year on the
29-race midget campaign.
With the midgets, Reinbold will be facing stiff competition where he has
tallied 84 career feature starts. In sprint cars, he’s a relative newcomer,
having debuted in 2024 with seven USAC national starts among a handful of local
shows in Indiana.
“I’m super excited,” Reinbold exclaimed when looking ahead to his 2025 plans.
“I’ve been driving midgets for the last five years, learned a ton and had a
blast. Getting to add sprint cars next year is exciting and I’m thankful for the
opportunity.”
While the high majority of today’s competitors began their racing careers in
quarter midgets, micros, etc., etc., the now 20-year-old Reinbold began racing
three months after his 16th birthday in a USAC National Midget event at Tulsa,
Oklahoma’s Port City Raceway. That’s not just midgets. That was his first race
of any kind!
Jumping right into top-flight competition is no easy chore, but Reinbold has
done it before, time and time again. But his trial by fire has led to this point
in his career, and now he anticipates his yearly racing schedule to nearly
triple with full slates of midget and sprint car racing on his plate.
“The talent level,” Reinbold noted regarding the biggest challenge he
believes he’ll face in the coming season. “Racing against veterans is going to
be super challenging. The guys who’ve been doing it for a long time are really
good.”
On the sprint car side, he’ll have a veteran presence alongside him in a
two-car team effort. Mitchel Moles has been with Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports
since 2022 and is coming off his best year on the trail aboard the team’s AME
Electrical – Mesilla Valley Transportation sponsored machines.
“It helps a ton to race with a super talented racecar driver like Mitchel
Moles,” Reinbold praised. “He’s super-fast and I’m always learning from him.
He’s really helpful, lets me know his thoughts and what I can do better.”
Now that Reinbold has gotten to experience both spectrums of the USAC Sprint
Car and Midget world, he’ll now get his cup full of it. Bouncing back and forth
between the two disciplines often throughout the year requires versatility and
the ability to adapt to a variety of situations. Ready for the challenge,
Reinbold noted the primary differences in experiences.
“In a midget, I feel like you’re turning left a lot more, and it’s more
tighter of a racecar,” Reinbold noted. “In the sprint car, it’s like you’re
always turning right and it’s freer. A midget, you can drive pretty hard, and a
sprint car definitely has a lot more horsepower and a lot more speed, so you
just have to be very careful and thoughtful with your throttle foot. The sprint
car has been a lot of fun and it’s fun to learn a new car. I’ve been having a
blast running it.”
Reinbold has emerged as the leading contender to pick up USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year honors for 2025. His top midget accolades include a 2023 Xtreme Outlaw/POWRi victory at Oklahoma City’s I-44 Riverside Speedway, plus a fifth place run during the 2024 USAC Indiana Midget Week opener at Lawrenceburg Speedway.
LEARY DOUBLES UP WITH TEAM AZ
FOR 2025 USAC SPRINT & SILVER CROWN SEASON
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (December 19, 2024)………C.J. Leary is set to pull double,
full-season duty for Team AZ Racing on multiple USAC trails throughout 2025.
Leary (Greenfield, Ind.), the 2019 USAC National Sprint Car champion, will
compete on the 50-race USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship docket with
Team AZ in partnership with Curb-Agajanian. Furthermore, Leary will take on the
13-race USAC Silver Crown slate with Team AZ in association with Jerry Petty of
Avanti Windows & Doors.
“It just makes sense having everything under one roof,” Leary stated. “When
(car owner) Mike (Burkhart) originally called me, he just wanted to do the
Silver Crown thing, and I was calling him to want to do the sprint car. I think
we found a way to make both work, but he was worried about being good at both
and not taking away from either program. It’s a lot of work doing both series
with one group of guys. I think it’s really good to get that chemistry once they
figure out what I like.”
Toward the end of the 2024 campaign, Leary had an opportunity to make his
first two USAC CRA Sprint Car starts for Team AZ/Curb-Agajanian Racing during
the Western World Championships at Arizona’s Mohave Valley Raceway, finishing
fourth and third across the two nights.
“Getting our feet wet was super beneficial to get those trial runs out of the
way before we roll into Florida where it’s a national points race,” Leary
explained. “I don’t feel like we’d have any time to learn each other (in
Florida). In Arizona, it was low pressure, and I’ve been friends with the 21AZ
guys for four or five years, but we’ve never raced together. There’s a little
bit of a learning curve there, and I think it went really smoothly those two
nights out there.”
The process of it was discovering what works and what doesn’t work between
the driver’s seat and the wrenches, all while figuring out how to work together,
communicate and become a team.
“We learned that I don’t like the same things Daison likes,” Leary revealed.
“But we have the same engine builder I’ve been using and the same cars. It
should be an easy jell coming together. The big thing is having a full circle
and surrounding myself with good people is really important. We’ve got good guys
working on the cars and good guys sponsoring the car, so hopefully, it’s going
to be a powerhouse team.”
Team AZ Racing, meanwhile, has captured six career USAC National Sprint Car
wins, four with Jake Swanson between 2021-2023, and two more in 2024 with Daison
Pursley at the wheel. Pursley’s late-race heroics also provided Team AZ its
first ever Silver Crown victory in June of 2024 at Pennsylvania’s Port Royal
Speedway.
Leary is one of the sport’s premier drivers, amassing 23 career USAC National
Sprint Car feature wins and 55 fast qualifying times. With the Silver Crown
series, Leary has compiled three career wins and seven pole positions. Now Leary
is ready get rolling into it, back to championship form.
“When we start racing, I think it’s going to be really good,” Leary foretold.
“I’ve driven for some good guys, but I haven’t had a full team where we have a
tire guy and a crew chief besides myself and where I don’t drive the truck and
trailer. Now I get to focus a little bit more on driving. That’s going to be
super helpful to me, where I can take some of the weight off my shoulders and
just drive.”
The quest for a USAC National Sprint Car championship begins in February 2025
with six consecutive events in Florida during Winter Dirt Games. Both Leary and
Team AZ have enjoyed victory in recent years during the Sunshine State tour.
Leary won in both 2019 and 2024 at Ocala Speedway while Team AZ scored at
Volusia Speedway Park with Jake Swanson in 2023.
The 2025 USAC Silver Crown season begins at Indiana’s Terre Haute Action
Track for the 21st running of the Sumar Classic. Leary’s first career USAC
national victory of any kind came during the 2016 edition of the Sumar.
Leary will be behind the wheel of the Curb Records/Apache Transport OakCraft
Elegant Cabinetry No. 21AZ Sprint Car powered by 1 Way Technologies between the
frame rails of a DRC Chassis on both dirt, as well as the first ever DRC
pavement chassis.
The Avanti Windows & Doors, Apache Transport, OakCraft Elegant Cabinetry No. 21 Silver Crown car driven by Leary will feature Stanton Racing Engines power under the hood of their DRC Chassis.
DANNER TIME!
BRIGGS SET TO RUN
THE FULL USAC SPRINT TOUR IN 2025
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (December 16, 2024)………Briggs Danner, the burgeoning racer
from Pennsylvania, is set to take on the full USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National
Championship schedule for the first time in his career aboard the Hogue Racing
Enterprises No. 39 in 2025.
Danner (Allentown, Pa.) comes into the new season following a dominating run
with the USAC Rapid Tire East Coast Sprint Car series where he won back-to-back
titles in 2022 and 2023 while accumulating a series-record 29 feature victories.
However, after dabbling with the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars
sporadically since 2021, Danner expanded his national horizons this past season
and was superb. He posted his first three career victories with the series in
2024. In June at Grandview, he became the first Pennsylvanian to win a USAC
National Sprint Car feature since Frankie Kerr 25 years earlier in 1999 and the
first Pennsylvanian to win a series race in his home state since Paul Pitzer at
Reading in 1979.
Now a threat to win anywhere and everywhere they go on the USAC National
Sprint Car tour, the feeling was mutual between Danner and the Hogues that the
time was right to chase after a national title.
“We have the opportunity to do it, and Tim and Fran (Hogue) are really
interested in making it happen,” Danner explained. “Right now is the perfect
time. We’ve been showing speed and the whole sprint car program is coming
together. I feel like we’re still learning, so we’re only going to get better.
We’re going to give it a shot and see what we can make happen.”
Danner and Hogue teamed up at the beginning of the 2023 season. Team owner
Fran Hogue and his younger brother, Tim Hogue, are veteran racers who’ve fielded
a team for many years on the east coast, first competing with USAC during
Eastern Storm 2015. Over the past couple of seasons, both Danner and the Hogues
have developed into contenders on the national scene. Now they’re prepared to
face the next challenge of visiting several new tracks and hitting the road
regularly away from the team’s Westampton, New Jersey base.
“We’ve definitely learned a lot,” Danner stated. “There were some nights
where we’re really good and then there were some nights we weren’t as good, and
we learned together while just trying to get each other figured out. Nine times
out 10, we’re on the same page now, and that’s usually when we’re good. I’m
looking forward to doing even more racing and trying to build on that and get
even better. You don’t get better by sitting on the couch.”
Not only did Danner win his first three USAC National Sprint Car races in
2024, but he easily could also have won six or seven in all if it hadn’t been
for such heartbreaking misfortune in races that he led. Danner went on to cement
his status as a winner outside the confines of the Keystone State as well by
capturing the Indiana Sprint Week finale in August at Bloomington and the
inaugural Greg Staab Memorial at Lawrenceburg in October.
In all, despite starting only 29 of the 44 series features, Danner ranked
inside the top-10 in laps led (113), top-fives (11) and top-tens (19), earning
him USAC’s National Most Improved Driver Award for 2024. While the first victory
was difficult to come by, it seemed as if he would begin to rack several up in
the win column. He eventually did, but nothing is handed to you when the
competition is so close and so tough, but Danner is up for the challenge.
“To get that first one out of the way, and for it to be at Grandview on the
first night of Eastern Storm, was awesome,” Danner reflected. “They always say
the first one is the hardest one to get. After the race at Kutztown, I think I
said it seems like the second one is the hardest to get. (This past year)
boosted my confidence a lot. We’ve always showed speed with the sprint car, but
I feel like we’re so much more consistent now, and that makes it a lot easier.
When you’re fast all the time. It makes a lot easier to pick off races because
not everything all goes your way.”
Danner began his career in quarter midgets at the age of five, and eventually
became a three-time champion in USAC’s .25 Midget series between 2013-14. Over
the years, the versatile Briggs has raced in, and won with, a wide variety of
racecars, including 600cc Micro Sprints, SpeedSTRs, Modifieds, TQ Midgets (on
pavement), ARDC Midgets, 360 Sprint Cars and 410 Sprint Cars.
The 23-year-old Danner was actually born on a day that no living person will
forget if they lived through that moment – September 11, 2001. The third
generation racer is the son of Roy Danner Jr., who competed frequently in
quarter midgets, karts and legend cars. Briggs grandfather, Roy Danner Sr.,
raced stock cars throughout Pennsylvania at venues such as Nazareth and Dorney
Park.
Danner also revealed that he’ll return to the seat of the DMW Motorsports No. 10 for all the dirt USAC Silver Crown events in 2025. He also plans to compete in a handful of USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship races as well.
SWANSON, SEAVEY & PURSLEY SHARE SPOTLIGHT
AT 2024 USAC NIGHT OF CHAMPIONSHIPS
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Indianapolis, Indiana (December 13, 2024).........USAC national driving champions Kody Swanson, Logan Seavey and Daison Pursley shared the spotlight along with other 2024 USAC champions and special award recipients at Friday night’s 69th USAC Night of Champions celebration at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in downtown Indianapolis, Ind.
USAC NATIONAL SERIES AWARDS
SILVER CROWN 1ST PLACE DRIVER: Kody Swanson
SILVER CROWN 1ST PLACE ENTRANT: Doran Binks Racing
Kody Swanson is accustomed to winning USAC Silver Crown championships. But 2024 may very well have been both his most challenging and most rewarding. An offseason accident resulted in a broken left foot and left his season in doubt. But the Kingsburg, Calif. native defied the odds to make his way back into the cockpit in time for the season opener.
Despite a slight limp in his gait, Swanson showed all the signs of the same ol’ Kody as he won five times in all at Toledo, Winchester, the Hoosier Hundred at IRP, the series debut at Jennerstown and he capped off the year with a victory and a championship in one fell swoop at IRP. Swanson also set a new single season series mark with seven pole position en route to becoming an eight-time USAC Silver Crown titlist, the most championships earned by any one driver in a USAC national series ever while also providing Doran Binks Racing the entrant title.
He’s the GOAT of all USAC Silver Crown drivers, and once again in 2024, he proved that even in the most challenging of circumstances, he can still overcome.
AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT CAR 1ST PLACE DRIVER: Logan Seavey
RICHARD HOFFMAN AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT CAR 1ST PLACE ENTRANT: Abacus Racing
In a span of two seasons, Logan Seavey and Abacus Racing went from being among the newest driver/team combinations in the sport to become USAC Triple Crown champions.
After Seavey and Abacus teamed up to capture the 2023 USAC Silver Crown and USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship titles, they added a sprint car to the arsenal and showed no signs of letting up in a historic USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car season from start to finish in 2024. Seavey led the series standings for an all-time record eight months and 13 days between February and October, amassing 14 victories along the way to tie Tom Bigelow’s single season win record of 14 in 1977.
In February at Volusia, Seavey became the first driver since Bud Kaeding at Terre Haute in 2001 to win two USAC National Sprint Car features in one night, and in July, he became the first driver since Rick Hood in 1985 to record four consecutive USAC National Sprint Car victories while also grabbing the Indiana Sprint Week crown and Lawrenceburg’s Fall Nationals.
Now the missing piece of the career Triple Crown belongs to Abacus Racing and Logan Seavey, the 2024 USAC National Sprint Car champs.
NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGET 1ST PLACE DRIVER: Daison Pursley
NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGET 1ST PLACE ENTRANT: CB Industries
A team of Disney writers couldn’t have produced a better script than the reality of Daison Pursley’s storybook USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship season in 2024. After suffering a major spinal cord injury in a 2021 racing accident, the 20-year-old Pursley endured a journey that so few could even comprehend.
Pursley and his CB Industries team compiled a series high seven USAC National Midget victories at Belleville, plus wins at Bloomington and Kokomo, which helped him notch an Indiana Midget Week title. He even ran his winning streak to three during the summer months at Red Dirt and Beloit, Kansas. In September, Pursley swept his way to back-to-back scores at Eldora.
All told, he led all drivers by leading 87 laps, capturing 11 heat race wins and producing 17 top-five finishes in 23 starts. In the process, Pursley provided CB Industries its first USAC National Midget entrant title and the second for team principal Chad Boat who scored a series championship as part of Tucker-Boat Motorsports in 2020.
It’s the comeback of all comeback seasons, and Daison Pursley is now a USAC national champion.
SILVER CROWN 2ND PLACE DRIVER: Justin Grant
SILVER CROWN 2ND PLACE ENTRANT: Hemelgarn Racing
When it came to dirt mile season, he had the field covered. At both Springfield and Du Quoin, he was picture perfect by setting the fastest pace in practice, scoring the pole position and going on to become the first driver to sweep to victories on both Illinois miles in a single season since Chris Windom in 2018. In the process, he completed his ninth consecutive season of finishing inside the top-five of the standings and his fourth time inside the top-two. They’re the runners-up for the USAC Silver Crown series in 2024 – the entrant is Hemelgarn Racing and the driver is Ione, California’s Justin Grant.
AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT CAR 2ND PLACE DRIVER: Brady Bacon
AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT CAR 2ND PLACE ENTRANT: Dynamics Inc.
For the third consecutive year, he finished as the runner-up in the USAC National Sprint Car standings, adding five wins to his credit, the 14th consecutive season he’s won a series feature, breaking the mark of 13-straight years set by Sheldon Kinser between 1974 and 1986. At Bridgeport, he became the winningest Eastern Storm driver of all-time, and at Texarkana, he earned his 50th series win as the driver of the legendary number 69. They’re the winningest combo in USAC National Sprint Car racing history. Your second place USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car entrant is Dynamics, Inc. and your second place driver is Broken Arrow, Oklahoma’s Brady Bacon.
NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGET 2ND PLACE DRIVER: Cannon McIntosh
NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGET 2ND PLACE ENTRANT: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports
This Okie added three victories on his way to a career best second place finish in the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget standings, including May’s season opener at the Belleville Short Track which ended a 616 day dry spell since his last series win. He also added wins at the the Firemen’s Nationals at Angell Park Speedway and the $20,039-to-win Driven2SaveLives BC39 Presented by Avanti Windows & Doors at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, while leading all drivers with 20 top-ten finishes in 23 starts. This year’s 2nd place entrant is Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports and the driver is Bixby, Oklahoma’s Cannon McIntosh.
SILVER CROWN 3RD PLACE DRIVER: Logan Seavey
SILVER CROWN 3RD PLACE ENTRANT: Rice Motorsports-Abacus Racing
Amid a season in which he won a total of 17 times across USAC’s national divisions, this driver had to wait patiently until he could taste victory once again with the USAC Silver Crown series. In October’s Sumar Classic at Terre Haute, he did just that to win a main event with the series for the fourth consecutive season while also continuing his streak of top-three points finishes to four years running. Additionally, he was the only driver to record a top-10 result in all 14 events on his 2024 campaign. Your 3rd place USAC Silver Crown entrant is Rice Motorsports/Abacus Racing and the 3rd place driver is Sutter, California’s Logan Seavey.
AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT CAR 3RD PLACE DRIVER: Daison Pursley
AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT CAR 3RD PLACE ENTRANT: Team Arizona/Curb-Agajanian Racing
He became a first-time USAC National Sprint Car points-paying feature winner after taking the checkered at Knoxville. Late in the season, he scored at another legendary dirt half-mile during the 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora Speedway. He also notched five fast qualifying times while making the greatest charge in series history when he started 23rd and finished 2nd, passing a series record 21 cars at Bloomington Speedway. At the conclusion of the year, this combo finished third in the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car standings. The entrant is Team Arizona/Curb-Agajanian Racing and the driver, Locust Grove, Oklahoma’s Daison Pursley.
NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGET 3RD PLACE DRIVER: Logan Seavey
NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGET 3RD PLACE ENTRANT: Abacus Racing
Continuing the theme, this two-time series champ tallied a pair of USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget wins at Missouri’s Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex and another during Indiana Midget Week at Tri-State Speedway. His four fast qualifying times made him the leader in the clubhouse with the series for 2024. His 8th place finish in the opener at Belleville set a new all-time USAC National Midget record with his 23rd consecutive top-10 finish dating back to last season, breaking the former mark held by Jason Leffler since 1997. Your 3rd place USAC National Midget entrant is Abacus Racing and the driver is once again Sutter, California’s Logan Seavey.
USAC INDIVIDUAL & SPECIAL AWARDS
MIKE CURB USAC NATIONAL DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Logan Seavey
After finishing second in each of the past two seasons, he finally shot to the top of the charts in 2024. He was one of three drivers to win in all three of USAC’s national divisions this season alongside Justin Grant and Daison Pursley, and he was the one and only driver to finish inside the top-3 of all three USAC national series’ point standings. The newest member of USAC’s Career Triple Crown club captured a $10,000 bonus by amassing the most total points across the three USAC national divisions in 2024. For the first time in his career, the Mike Curb USAC National Driver Champion for 2024 is Logan Seavey.
JOHNNY CAPELS “GOLDEN GREEK” USAC CHIEF MECHANIC OF THE YEAR: Kirk Simpson
Not only does his driver, Logan Seavey, get all the accolades. So too does the team manager for Abacus Racing who has successfully overseen and wrenched on three USAC national championship winning teams over the past two seasons. In 2023, the team captured both the USAC Silver Crown and USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget titles. This year, they completed the USAC career Triple Crown as AMSOIL National Sprint Car champs. The Johnny Capels “Golden Greek” award is reserved for a special individual in the trenches. At the forefront of this unprecedented success is USAC’s 2024 Chief Mechanic of the Year, Kirk Simpson.
BUBBY JONES MASTER OF GOING FASTER PRESENTED BY SPIRE SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT CHAMPION: Brady Bacon
But wait, there’s more! In 2024, Brady Bacon added another highlight to his impressive reel during the special 10-race miniseries known as the Bubby Jones Master of Going Faster series Presented By Spire Sports & Entertainment. Throughout it, he never had an “off night” by any measure, recording a victory at Port Royal, plus eight top-fives and a perfect 10 for 10 on top-tens. His performance netted him $10,000 and a custom trophy provided by Potter Metal Art for himself and $2500 for his crew chief, Matt Hummel. He’s now the first two-time Master of Going Faster champ.
PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER: Daison Pursley
Early this season, car owners Chad Boat and Michael Burkhart told this this driver that they predicted he would not repeat as USAC ProSource Passing Master in 2024. Not because they doubted him, but because he was making huge strides in becoming a better qualifier, thus earning better starting spots. Nonetheless, he was able to accomplish both! For the second straight season, no driver passed more cars throughout the USAC national season than this man right here, advancing a total of 209 positions in 72 feature starts. He’s back here again to take Buck’s money. For the second year in a row, your USAC ProSource Passing Master is Daison Pursley.
JASON LEFFLER AWARD: Patty Bateman
The Jason Leffler award goes to recognize an individual who exhibits the same standards upheld by the late Jason Leffler throughout his career, one who has a true appreciation, dedicational and passion for competing with USAC.
For as long as we can remember, the “Bateman” name has been a stalwart of the USAC Silver Crown series. For more than 40 years, the Batemans fielded an entry with the series whether it was dirt or pavement, a half-mile or one mile, the number 55 was always there to support the series through thick and thin, truly for the pure love of the sport. When driver Randy Bateman passed away from ALS in 2017, instead of folding the team, this strong woman carried on, racing in memory of her late husband and accruing much success, most recently with Jerry Coons Jr. before announcing the team’s retirement following the end of this past season.
Her team was so well respected, and their success in recent years was celebrated by all those in the sport. But right now, we get the chance to celebrate her. This year’s recipient of the Jason Leffler Award is Patty Bateman.
MAX PAPIS INNOVATIONS SILVER CROWN ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Trey Osborne
Continuing the trend of Ohio’s finest, this racer is USAC Silver Crown racing’s first top Rookie to hail from the Buckeye State since Matt Westfall in 2002. Despite missing a pair of events and suffering fractures to his vertebra in a crash early in the season, he still finished an impressive sixth in the standings, highlighted by a fourth on the pavement of Madison and a third on the dirt in Hutchinson. At 6 foot 8 inches tall, he’s undoubtedly the tallest MPI Rookie of the Year in USAC Silver Crown history. So, it seems fitting that he quickly became acclimated to USAC’s big cars. From Columbus, Ohio, he is Trey Osborne.
MAX PAPIS INNOVATIONS NATIONAL SPRINT CAR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Hunter Maddox
Whether it’s on two wheels or four, he’s apt to give it a whirl! For more than a decade, this driver’s racing exploits consisted of the dirt bike variety, specializing in Hare Scramble off-road events which vary in distance and time, and wind through wooded or other rugged natural terrain. In recent years, he turned his focus toward sprint car racing, and in 2024, he made 25 feature starts, finishing 18th in the overall standings, tops among all Rookies aboard his self-owned car. From Bedford, Indiana, your Max Papis Innovations USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year is Hunter Maddox.
MAX PAPIS INNOVATIONS BOB STROUD NATIONAL MIDGET ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Zach Wigal
It’s been 20 years since a Buckeye earned top Rookie honors with the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship. This driver is proud to wear that badge in 2024, following Teddy and Todd Beach as the latest Ohioan to earn the award. He checked off a pair of fast qualifying times at Lawrenceburg and Mitchell County while also gaining his initial feature victory with the series at Angell Park. Last year, he stood on the stage as USAC’s Midwest Thunder SpeeD2 Midget champ, and he’s back again as the Max Papis Innovations Bob Stroud USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year. From Belpre, Ohio, this is Zach Wigal.
NATIONAL MOST IMPROVED DRIVER: Briggs Danner
In recent years, he introduced himself to the USAC scene as a back-to-back USAC East Coast Sprint Car champion in 2022 and 2023. He competed more regularly on the USAC national scene in 2024 and was phenomenal, winning his first three career USAC National Sprint Car features at Grandview, Bloomington and Lawrenceburg while becoming the first Keystone State native to win a series event in a quarter century. He also added his first top-10 run with the USAC National Midgets and corralled back-to-back podiums with the USAC Silver Crown series. He’s the first Pennsylvanian to earn USAC Most Improved Driver since John Heydenreich in 2000. From Allentown, Pa., he’s Briggs Danner.
RACE ORGANIZER OF THE YEAR: Jerry Gappens
This man served in several facets of the sport, as a sprint car driver, then as an Advertising Specialist and Operations Manager at National Speed Sport News and even an ABC pit reporter at the Indianapolis 500, before heading south as Senior VP of Events and Marketing at Charlotte Motor Speedway, then to the northeast as the General Manager of New Hampshire International Speedway.
In recent years, he became re-integrated with his dirt track racing roots as the General Manager of Gas City I-69 Speedway, and most recently, as the GM at Eldora Speedway since 2022.
Those are his stats, but this man was so much more. His passion for motorsports was only topped by his passion for the people in the sport. It was a common sight to see him greet a racer on his way into the track one minute, then follow up a minute later by welcoming a race fan into the campground before grabbing a broom and sweeping the entry way of the racetrack.
He made you feel special, and what a special gift he was to all of us before his unexpected passing this past May following a medical procedure, leaving a void that is all too difficult to fill, and to comprehend.
Though he is no longer with us, his legacy in the sport lives on. Our 2024 USAC Race Organizer of the Year is the one and only Jerry Gappens.
USAC SPECIAL APPRECIATION (INDIVIDUAL): Jack Calabrase
Racing and racing people have forever been an integral part of Jack Calabrase’s life. As a longtime driver in the USAC National Midget ranks between 1967-1994, he experienced the joy of winning a pair of feature events with the series in 1988, including the prestigious Night Before the 500 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Later on, he was the head honcho of both NAMARS and the Auto Value Super Sprints. He’s put his heart and soul into the sport and has given back so much to it too. In recent years, he’s been the most steady and consistent contributor to USAC RaceAid events, which aids members of the racing community who are injured and/or in need of financial assistance. He understands the importance of family, and we’re incredibly grateful for his benefaction to the sport.
DICK JORDAN AWARD: Tommy Hunt
Tommy Hunt is a racing lifer. His father, Joe Hunt, was a magneto magnate and a longtime champ car team owner, employing many of the greatest drivers of their era. Tommy was there in those days, serving on the crew for his dad’s team. In time, Hunt became a driver himself, most notably scoring three CRA Sprint Car wins, plus 1974 Most Improved Driver honors. Those experiences prepared him for his role of 28 years at USAC in which he served as Vice President and the head of the series’ west coast operations. Fittingly, Hunt was among Dick Jordan’s closest friends, and both were in complete synchronization when it came to serving the sport with integrity, professionalism and doing things the right way. Furthermore, it was also announced that Hunt will be among the newest class of inductees into the USAC Hall of Fame in 2025.
ENGLER MACHINE & TOOL FAST PASS WINNER: Gregg Cory
Off track, he’s a high school Engineering & Technology instructor. On track, he has a resume of success in TQ Midgets, full-size midgets, thunder roadsters, sprints and modifieds throughout his 3-decade career. Among the contingency awards introduced to the USAC Silver Crown series over the past two seasons is one which rewards the driver who is first in the running order a lap down. This man grabbed 5 of those throughout the year, getting himself back on to the lead lap while earning a $5,000 prize – $2,500 to himself as the driver and $2,500 to his Williams-Cory Racing team. He’s your Engler Machine & Tool Fast Pass award winner. He’s Gregg Cory.
DIRT DRAFT MOST POPULAR DRIVER AWARDS: Kyle Steffens, Matt Westfall & Kale Drake
The Dirt Draft Most Popular Driver award winners this year were chosen based on who was selected most often by Dirt Draft contest participants in each USAC national division throughout the season. Drivers who were picked most often earned a bit of bonus money. Those winners are Kyle Steffens for the Silver Crown series, Matt Westfall for the Sprint Cars and Kale Drake in the Midgets.
REGIONAL SPRINT & MIDGET SERIES
USAC’s regional sprint car and midget divisions span from coast-to-coast with a 12 different states hosting a total of 79 events in 2024. The theme this season witnessed a handful of drivers break through after several previous close calls in the championship race, while elsewhere, series dominators once again flexed their muscles.
AMSOIL USAC CRA SPRINT CHAMPION DRIVER: R.J. Johnson
AMSOIL USAC CRA SPRINT CHAMPION ENTRANT: Ricky & Michele Johnson
His mantle is chockfull of USAC championship trophies, and between 2013-2017, he collected five-straight USAC Southwest Sprint Car crowns. But after 21 years of Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car racing, he finally broke through to the top on the strength of a duo of victories at Kern Raceway and Santa Maria. He’s the first Arizonian USAC CRA champion and is also the first former series Rookie of the Year to later claim the title. Overall, he’s now a six-time USAC driving titlist, but a first-time USAC CRA champ. Your driving champion is Laveen, Arizona’s R.J. Johnson, and the entrant champs are Ricky and Michele Johnson.
RAPID TIRE SERVICE EAST COAST SPRINT CHAMPION: Steven Drevicki
Six years ago, this racer became the first ever USAC East Coast Sprint Car champion. Since that time, he’s gone on to become the first two-time champ, the first three-time titlist, and now the first four-time king. In 2024, he prevailed once with a victory at New Jersey’s Bridgeport Motorsports Park, and throughout the course of the 12-race series, never once did he finish worse than fifth. Now, for the fourth time in his career, he stands tall as the 2024 USAC Rapid Tire East Coast Sprint Cars Presented By Capitol Custom Trailers champion. It’s Reading, Pennsylvania’s Steven Drevicki.
WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CHAMPION: Wyatt Burks
In 2020, 2022, 2023 and now 2024, this driver was the best of the bunch when it came to USAC Wholesale Batteries Midwest Wingless Racing Association competition in his native Kansas and neighboring Missouri. While his 2024 campaign resulted in only a single victory at Missouri’s Electric City Speedway, consistency was the key as he led all drivers with 10 top-fives, 11 top-tens and 5 heat race wins en route to the title. For those keeping score, that’s three-in-a-row for the plumber by trade, and he’s now a four-time USAC MWRA champ. From Topeka, Kansas, it’s Wyatt Burks.
WESTERN STATES MIDGET CHAMPION DRIVER: Cade Lewis
WESTERN STATES MIDGET CHAMPION ENTRANT: Dean Alexander
One year ago, he felt a major letdown after coming just 41 points shy of the title. This year, he made the climb to the next step from second to first. His father was a longtime Major League Baseball starting pitcher, and this teenage sensation also knows how to make a “quality start,” winning at Ventura and at Placerville while leading the standings from start to finish. At 17 years of age, he’s the youngest ever Avanti Windows & Doors USAC Western States Midget champion. The entrant champ is Dean Alexander, and the driver champ is! From Bakersfield, California, he’s Cade Lewis.
MIDWEST THUNDER SPEED2 MIDGET CHAMPION: Bryce Massingill
After coming just three points shy of the title a year ago, all this driver needed was some good fortune. After getting an opportunity of a lifetime to race in the BC39 on the same weekend as the USAC Midwest Thunder Midgets’ final two races, he resigned himself to the fact that his championship quest was over. But Mother Nature intervened and washed out the final two shows! That said, he more than earned his keep on the track by scoring top-10s in all 12 starts and winning two points races. He’s the new USAC Midwest Thunder SpeeD2 Midget champ for 2024. From Troy, Ohio, it’s Bryce Massingill.
SNOWMOBILE RACING
INTERNATIONAL SNOWMOBILE RACING DRIVER OF THE YEAR: Matt Goede
This man is no stranger to the open wheel side, having started his career in quarter midgets. But soon enough, he established himself as a premier talent in snowmobile racing. However, his journey has been defined by resilience, overcoming severe injuries early in his career to become one of the sport’s most decorated athletes. He earned five Vintage World Championships, and this year, secured his second consecutive World Championship at Eagle River, setting a new track record with his dominant performance. He’s your 2024 International Snowmobile Racing Driver of the Year, from New Germany, Minnesota, Matt Goede.
INTERNATIONAL SNOWMOBILE RACING RECORD BREAKER: Chris Baynes
In March of this year in International Falls, Minnesota, he set a brand new International Snowmobile Racing world record top speed for the 1000 foot distance. His first run of 201.70 miles per hours was the first snowmobile to ever post a legal run in excess of 200 miles per hour. On his second pass, he was even faster, resetting the record books with a staggering speed of 202.33 miles per hour at the controls of his new, Baynes Brothers Racing custom designed Speed Needle 2.0. The International Snowmobile Record Breaker for 2024 and for all-time, Chris Baynes.
NASCAR YOUTH SERIES .25 MIDGET CHAMPIONS
PAVEMENT CHAMPIONS
HEAVY WORLD FORMULA: Zeke Bergenty
UNRESTRICTED ANIMAL: Gavin Gardner
LIGHT WORLD FORMULA: Easton Loomis
HEAVY 160 PAVEMENT: Kaeston McNeill
HEAVY HONDA: Jase Murray
.25 MIDGET DIRT CHAMPIONS
LIGHT 160: Liam Ballard
JUNIOR 160: Blake Crooms
JUNIOR HONDA: Grayson Graham
JUNIOR ANIMAL: Carter Green
.25 MIDGET MULTIPLE CHAMPIONS
HEAVY HONDA DIRT & HEAVY WORLD FORMULA DIRT: Avery McMellen
JUNIOR HONDA PAVEMENT, JUNIOR 160 PAVEMENT & JUNIOR ANIMAL PAVEMENT: Frank Jirik
HEAVY 160 DIRT, UNRESTRICTED ANIMAL DIRT & MOD WORLD FORUMULA DIRT: Kaden Wenger
SENIOR HONDA DIRT, SENIOR ANIMAL DIRT & LIGHT WORLD FORMULA DIRT: Larry Kelleher
SENIOR HONDA PAVEMENT, LIGHT 160 PAVEMENT, SENIOR ANIMAL PAVEMENT & MOD WORLD FORMULA PAVEMENT: Case James
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Chris Jockish and Jockish Flowers provided the floral decorations for the USAC Night of Champions. Bob Baker, president of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum, provided a Hall of Fame membership to each of USAC’s 2024 champion drivers. Dave Olson served as the photographer for the evening’s event and Kristy Bemmes handled all on-stage interviews.
Among the awards each national driver and entrant champion received are championship rings as well as canvas artwork designed by Rich Forman and a free one-year subscription to FloRacing, the official media provider for USAC. Each USAC driving champion also received a jacket courtesy of Hoosier Racing Tire, the official tire of the United States Auto Club.
KYLE CUMMINS JOINS PETTY
FOR 2025 USAC SILVER CROWN RUN
Princeton, Indiana (December 13, 2024)………Petty Performance Racing is excited to announce the addition of a USAC Silver Crown car to their stable for the 2025 season.
This expansion marks a significant step forward for the team as they continue to diversify their presence in the racing world. The car will be driven by none other than Kyle Cummins, a proven force in dirt track racing.
Kyle Cummins, a highly accomplished driver with 20 career USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship victories and the recent title of 2024 Western World Champion, brings his proven talent and determination to this new challenge.
Although his experience in the Silver Crown Series is limited to just five career starts, his exceptional skill on dirt tracks positions him as a formidable contender ready to make a significant impact.
“We are incredibly excited to venture into the USAC Silver Crown Series and even more thrilled to have Kyle Cummins leading us in this new direction,” said Jerry Petty, owner of Petty Performance Racing. “This expansion reflects our commitment to growth, and we’re confident that Kyle’s talent, combined with our team’s dedication, will position us as strong competitors from the start.”
Cummins shared his excitement about the new venture.
“While my experience in the Silver Crown Series has been limited, I enjoyed my time competing and am excited to have the opportunity to return,” Cummins stated. “I look forward to the challenge ahead and am eager to leverage my previous experience with the full support of the Petty Performance Racing team.”
The team’s new venture into the Silver Crown Series aligns with their mission to push boundaries and embrace new challenges in the racing arena. The Silver Crown car will make its debut during the 2024 season, with specific race dates and additional details to be announced soon.
For updates and announcements, follow Petty Performance Racing on social media and visit their website at www.pettyperformanceracing.com.
WESTFALL & 4 KINGS GO FULL-TIME USAC SILVER CROWN RACING IN 2025
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Pleasant Hill, Ohio (December 13, 2024)………Matt Westfall and 4 Kings Racing
will compete full-time on the USAC Silver Crown National Championship tour in
2025.
4 Kings Racing, which debuted as USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National
Championship team in 2024, will field Pleasant Hill, Ohio’s Westfall for all 13
USAC Silver Crown events in the coming year.
The 48-year-old Westfall earned 2002 USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year
honors, and over the course of his career, has amassed 55 career series starts
with a best finish of second on four different occasions.
Most recently, in 2024, Westfall made five USAC Silver Crown starts,
compiling top-10 finishes in each and every one of his appearances, all of which
came on dirt for his family-owned team. His top result of the season came with a
fourth place run at Pennsylvania’s Port Royal Speedway.
Westfall began his racing career in karts at the age of five and has had a
very successful career ever since, winning championships in midgets, sprint
cars, late models and modifieds. His most recent victory came in October with
the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship at Oklahoma’s Red Dirt Raceway.
Westfall is one of the founders of 4 Kings Racing. Fellow team founder Rex
Turner is thrilled to add another full-time entry to the champ car series with
Westfall at the wheel.
“We are excited to see Matt’s expertise translate to Silver Crown and can’t
wait to watch his success,” Turner stated.
The 2025 USAC Silver Crown season begins on Sunday, April 13, at Indiana’s Terre Haute Action Track for the 21st running of the Sumar Classic.
KTJ SIGNS WITH 4 KINGS
FOR 2025 USAC MIDGET TITLE CHASE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Pleasant Hill, Ohio (December 13, 2024)………Kevin Thomas Jr. returns full-time
with the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship in 2025 for 4 Kings
Racing.
The pairing of KTJ and 4 Kings made six series starts during the latter part
of the 2024 season. Their season together showed success as they finished inside
the top-five in each of their three most recent starts.
At Rossburg, Ohio’s Eldora Speedway, this combo took 4th in the feature
followed by a runner-up result during a BC39 prelim at The Dirt Track at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway before closing with a 5th at IMS during the BC39
finale.
Thomas Jr. will compete in all the events aboard 4 Kings Racing’s No. 14,
sponsored by AccroSeal and Metalloid1 sponsored LynK chassis powered by a
Stanton engine.
“KJT felt like a missing puzzle piece when he joined the team,” team owner
Rex Tuner shared. “We know he can continue to expand on his success from 2024
and we are excited to see what he does in 2025.”
Thomas has established himself as a formidable force on the track. The
Cullman, Alabama native owns six career USAC National Midget feature victories
and 166 career feature starts. He finished a best of 3rd in the 2015 USAC
National Midget point standings. Back in 2014, he was named USAC National Midget
Rookie of the Year.
The 2025 USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship season begins on Friday-Saturday, April 25-26, with the Kokomo Grand Prix at Indiana’s Kokomo Speedway.
USAC INDIANA SPRINT WEEK 2025
OPENS AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Speedway, Indiana (December 13, 2024)………For the first time ever, the iconic
Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) will host the opening night of USAC NOS Energy
Drink Indiana Sprint Week Presented by Honest Abe Roofing during the summer of
2025.
The Dirt Track at IMS will feature the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National
Championship during the 38th annual ISW opener on Thursday night, July 24.
USAC Indiana Sprint Week, a cornerstone of sprint car racing in the Hoosier
State since 1988, has captivated fans for decades with its thrilling action and
rich legacy. Now, the addition of IMS as a host venue elevates the series to new
heights, bringing grassroots motorsports to the Racing Capital of the World and
its 1/5-mile dirt oval.
“Sprint car racing and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway share a deeply
intertwined history, and this event symbolizes the unification of two racing
traditions,” USAC President Kevin Miller shared. “USAC Sprint Cars at IMS will
be an unforgettable experience for fans and competitors alike.”
The event promises a unique spectacle, as the 900 horsepower USAC Sprint Cars
take to a specially designed dirt track within turn three of the IMS infield.
The evening will feature an exceptional lineup of drivers battling for glory at
one of the most revered venues in motorsports.
“We are thrilled to welcome USAC Racing to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,”
IMS President J. Douglas Boles added. “The addition of sprint cars to our
calendar highlights our commitment to showcasing the diversity of motorsports.
This is more than just a race; it’s a celebration of Indiana’s racing heritage.”
C.J. Leary (Greenfield, Ind.) captured victory in a September 2024 invite
only, special event race at IMS, the only previous occasion of USAC Sprint Cars
competing at IMS.
USAC’s Indiana Sprint Week schedule for 2025 consists of eight events at
eight different racetracks across a 10-night span between July 24-August 2.
Following the ISW kick off at The Dirt Track at IMS, the series continues at
Putnamville’s Lincoln Park Speedway on Friday, July 25, followed by Kokomo
Speedway on Saturday, July 26; Lawrenceburg Speedway on July 27; Circle City
Raceway on Wednesday, July 30; the Terre Haute Action Track on Thursday, July
31; Bloomington Speedway on Friday, August 1, and Haubstadt’s Tri-State Speedway
on Saturday, August 2.
Information regarding the debut of USAC Indiana Sprint Week at The Dirt Track
at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including event format, tickets, starting times
and more, will be made available soon at www.usacracing.com and www.IMS.com.
Don’t miss this historic moment as USAC Racing breaks new ground at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – where legends are made and history is written.
EDWARDS, AVANTI & CBI TO CHASE
FULL USAC MIDGET SEASON IN 2025
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (December 12, 2024)………Drake Edwards made a splash in his
debut season of midget racing in 2024 with success on the west coast along with
a smattering of solid appearances on the national scene.
Now for 2025, Edwards (Peoria, Ariz.) will have the opportunity to compete
full-time on the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship trail for
this past season’s championship team, CB Industries.
The 21-year-old Edwards earned USAC Avanti Windows & Doors Western States
Midget Rookie of the Year in 2024 on the strength of a pair of victories at
California’s Santa Maria Speedway and The Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern
Raceway while coming up just 11 points shy of the series title in a car owned by
Jerry Petty’s team, Petty Performance Racing,
“It definitely exceeded our goals,” Edwards admitted. “At the beginning of
the year, my goal and Jerry’s goal was to just get top-10 in the points and make
laps. We had no idea that it would be as great as it was. Luckily, we were able
to click off a couple of wins there, and the championship ended up being way
closer than I ever thought it was going to be. It would’ve been really cool to
get the championship, but all and all, it surpassed what I thought we could do.”
In just a handful of USAC National Midget starts in 2024 at tracks he’d never
laid eyes on before, Edwards was rock solid and proved to be a quick study. The
only new track he got a second crack at was Ohio’s Eldora Speedway during the
4-Crown Nationals where he proceeded to finish ninth.
What began as an impromptu, unplanned excursion to compete with the national
series turned out to pay major dividends when he came back “home” to race
afterward.
“The week before Indiana Midget Week, we ran at Ventura (Calif.) that
Saturday,” Edwards remembered. “Kyle Cummins was planning to take his cars to
Midget Week, so I called Jerry that night after we were done racing and I told
him that I’d love to go learn some stuff and be around those guys to see if we
can figure some things out to bring home with us setup-wise. I’m glad we did
because I ended up coming back from Midget Week, and the next weekend after, we
picked up our first win at Santa Maria. After that, Jerry saw how much that
improved me as a driver and with our setups after being around competition like
that. We were able to come back later in the season to race at Eldora, the BC39
and the western swing. So, I think that was a very good call with us to go back
east a little bit.”
Edwards wasn’t completely immune to the growing pains associated with a
Rookie season. There were plenty of ups, but also their fair share of downs
which led Edwards and his car owner, Jerry Petty, down a path to get an extra
set of eyes and wrenches on his ride to keep him consistent. In a roundabout
way, that led them to CB Industries car owner Chad Boat, and a new pairing was
born.
“I hadn’t formally met Chad until this recent western swing,” Edwards
revealed. “This whole deal came about just because we were struggling. It was
just my family and I maintaining our midgets on the west coast. I was trying to
figure out all the setup stuff and doing that on my own. I’d have really good
races and really bad races, and I couldn’t find a balance. Jerry really wanted
to find a crew chief to be able to run our own cars on the national deal, but he
couldn’t find anyone. So, he talked to Chad about getting me in a car. Our main
goal with this is to learn as much as I can about driving the car while also
learning what they do to make their cars fast under Chad, who is very
knowledgeable.”
Edwards’ full-time job during the day is maintaining and wrenching on the
Petty Performance Racing midgets and sprint cars, the latter of which is driven
full-time on the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship circuit by Kyle
Cummins, a role Edwards will continue to perform at the track and in the shop
when not behind the wheel of the CBI Midget throughout 2025.
Edwards’ father and uncle both raced frequently on the west coast, and if you
dig deep into the USAC archives, you’ll find his uncle, Chris Edwards, as a
top-10 finisher of a USAC Western States Midget feature in 2004 at California’s
Perris Auto Speedway.
Drake himself got bitten by the racing bug early on and was equipped with a
quarter midget by the time he was five, competing at that stage until he was age
12 or 13, he estimated. After taking a couple years off from the sport, by 2019,
Edwards was back in the cockpit, this time in a micro sprint owned by his
father. Ultimately, he’d eventually claim the title in the Class A and Outlaw
divisions at Central Arizona Raceway in what was practically the first time he’d
ever chased yearlong points.
Although his first actual competitive laps in a midget came years later,
Edwards’ first such experience in a midget didn’t go quite as well, but it did
end up making a connection with Jerry Petty, and a story to tell.
“I was helping Jack Yeley for a while, going to his house and helping him
work on midget and sprint car stuff,” Edwards explained. “Jack gave me the
opportunity to practice one of his midgets before they took it to Chili Bowl
because he didn’t have enough drivers to practice in all of the cars he wanted
to take! So, at our local track of Adobe Mountain Speedway (in Phoenix, Ariz.),
it was the first time I ever ran a midget, and when I came off the track, it
wouldn’t get out of gear and I almost ran Jerry over. He loves telling that
story of how we met. Since then, he’s helped me out with the micro and at the
Tulsa Shootout. After that, I pursued him for a midget deal for this past year
with the Western States series. He was all for it, and here we are now.”
Edwards and Avanti will remain teamed together as they join CB Industries for
2025. In fact, Boat hints that there is more to come in his new association with
Petty/Avanti with their role expanding to more than just the midget.
The 2025 USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship season begins with two-straight dates at Indiana’s Kokomo Speedway on April 25-26 for the Kokomo Grand Prix.
TRAINOR TABBED BY KLATT FOR ALL
6 PAVEMENT USAC SILVER CROWN SHOWS IN 2025
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (December 12, 2024)………Over the past handful of years, perhaps no short track driver’s stock has risen more quickly on the national level than Jake Trainor.
The 19-year-old Medway, Massachusetts native will now go USAC Silver Crown
racing in 2025 for all six pavement events as the driver of venerable Klatt
Enterprises No. 6.
The opportunity is a dream for Trainor who burst onto the national scene in
2023 with a victory in the 500-lap Little 500 Sprint Car race at Anderson (Ind.)
Speedway to go along with four midget victories at Lucas Oil Indianapolis
Raceway Park over the past couple of seasons.
“It’s awesome to get to drive the 6 car for Bob (East), Terry (Klatt), Dave (Brzozowski)
and everyone involved,” Trainor stated. “With all the history there, it’s really
to cool to be able to get this opportunity, and I’m super excited to get going
with it.”
Trainor’s midget and sprint car victories have come in cars owned by the
Seymour family, who have been a longtime mainstays in USAC racing for over a
half-century dating back to Boston Louie Seymour who fielded winning racecars
for the likes of Rich Vogler, Billy Cassella and Ken Schrader, just to name a
few.
Trainor joins the Klatt team after the ride was vacated by C.J. Leary who had
driven the car to a top-four points finish with the USAC Silver Crown series in
each of the past three seasons.
Attempting to make his USAC Silver Crown debut in the 2024 season finale at
IRP for the Pierce operation, Trainor took to the challenge quite successfully,
recording a top-six lap in practice before engine problems sidelined him for the
night before he ever really get going. The brief taste of USAC Silver Crown
competition has only whetted his appetite even more.
“We got a little taste of it and got teased a little bit there last October
at IRP,” Trainor recalled. “It was a great opportunity to run for Aaron
(Pierce), and I thought we were really good in practice and we would’ve timed in
pretty good in qualifying. I felt like after testing, we could have raced pretty
good with those guys. I don’t feel like we were far off. After running the
sprint car at IRP, and how many laps I have there now, it was pretty much the
perfect storm for a debut. I was super comfortable there, and I think we
could’ve been good.”
Trainor’s prowess at IRP has already been well established, but now he’ll get
the opportunity to travel a bit more and tackle a wider array of venues for the
first time in his career such as Toledo, Winchester, Salem and World Wide
Technology Raceway on the 2025 slate.
“I’m excited just to be able to get out more, especially with the prestigious
USAC Silver Crown series,” Trainor exclaimed. “It’s an honor and it’s really
neat to go to tracks like Winchester, Salem, WWT and Toledo. They’re just really
cool places with a lot of history behind them. The names that have been through
this series and have won at these places are incredible and it’s exciting to be
a part of it.”
Trainor is a first generation racer, with his introduction to the sport
coming from sitting in the stands with his dad as a six-year-old. Trainor
remembers a chance meeting at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway’s World Series
event in which a promotional booth for the Little T Quarter Midget Club was set
up in the midway. One thing led to another, and Jake’s father soon sold his
prized Corvette, and with the money, purchased a quarter midget, starting him on
the path toward a racing career.
After quarter midgets, Trainor steeped into Eastern Midget Association
competition by the time he was 11 at tracks based around the North Carolina
area, then began with the northeast United States based NEMA Lites series where
he eventually became a two-time series champion in 2021 and 2022.
Aside from his on-track duties, Trainor’s full-time job from day-to-day is
working on and building race cars out of the Matt Seymour Racing shop for whom
he also drives midgets and sprint cars for.
While Trainor will serve as the pavement specialist for the Klatt entry, the
dirt driver for the 2019 USAC Silver Crown championship winning team has yet to
be named.
The first USAC Silver Crown event for Klatt and Trainor on pavement will take place on Saturday, April 19, during the running of the Hemelgarn Racing/Super Fitness Rollie Beale Classic at Ohio’s Toledo Speedway.
THE DIRT & PAVED ROAD TO A CHAMPIONSHIP!
13 USAC SILVER CROWN RACES SET FOR 2025
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (December 11, 2024)………A docket featuring 13 events is on
the agenda in 2025 for the 55th season of the most diverse oval racing series on
the planet – the USAC Silver Crown National Championship!
Seven dirt and six pavement events await at venues ranging from half-miles to
1.25 miles and on tracks varying from semi-banked to high-banked across the
states of Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
BACK TO SALEM IN ‘25
The high banks of Indiana’s super-fast Salem Speedway welcome the USAC Silver
Crown series back to the .555-mile paved oval on Saturday, August 9.
Salem has previously hosted the series on six occasions, first in 1988 won by Bob Frey, and again each year from 2016 through 2020, all of which were won by Kody Swanson.
The southern Indiana speed plant is one of USAC’s most tradition-rich tracks,
hosting a total of 135 USAC national events dating back to 1956.
GETTING DIRTY EARLY
Dirt tracks open and close the 2025 USAC Silver Crown schedule with seven
dates spread between the months and April and September. Indiana’s lone
half-mile dirt oval, the Terre Haute Action Track, opens it up on Sunday, April
13, with the 21st installment of the Sumar Classic.
Mid-May brings the series to the thrill-a-second 1/2-mile Belleville (Kan.)
High Banks on Friday, May 16, for practice and Saturday, May 17, for race day in
a USAC doubleheader alongside the NOS Energy Drink National Midgets, who’ll
compete both nights on Belleville’s short track during the Huncovsky Classic.
Speaking of USAC doubleheaders, Eastern Storm delivers a mammoth one on
Saturday, June 15, at Pennsylvania’s Port Royal Speedway for a smorgasbord full
of star-studded action featuring both the USAC Silver Crown and AMSOIL Sprint
Car National Championship divisions at one venue on one night on the 1/2-mile.
It’s back to the Sunflower State on Friday, July 18, and Saturday, July 19,
for the second running of the Salt City 100 at the Kansas State Fairgrounds’
Salt City Speedway in Hutchinson. Friday presents practice for all teams leading
into Saturday’s 100-lapper on the 1/2-mile.
PAVED INTENTIONS
Six pavement events dot the 2025 USAC Silver Crown slate with the season
launching on the asphalt with the annual Hemelgarn Racing/Super Fitness Rollie
Beale Classic on Saturday, April 19, at Ohio’s Toledo Speedway.
A trip to the hallowed banks of Indiana’s Winchester Speedway follows with
the running of the 34th Rich Vogler Classic on Sunday, May 4. The Hoosier
Hundred brings the series once again to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on
Friday, May 23, for the 68th edition of the Hoosier Hundred.
Meanwhile, the largest and fastest track on the circuit, the 1.25-mile World
Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, moves to a new, earlier date on
Saturday, June 14, during NTT IndyCar Series weekend. For the first time since
2017, a July date awaits the USAC Silver Crown division on Wednesday night, July
23. Salem closes out the pavement portion of the schedule on Sunday, August 9.
3 ON DIRT TO DECIDE A CHAMP
The championship race will come down to a trio of the most tradition rich
USAC Silver Crown events, all of which will serve as the final three races of
the season in August and September.
The 62nd running of the Bettenhausen 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in
Springfield provides the first of two dirt-mile adventures this season on
Saturday, August 16. Fair season in the Land of Lincoln continues two weeks
later with the 71st running of the Ted Horn 100 at the Magic Mile of the Du
Quoin State Fairgrounds in southern Illinois.
The final dirt run of the new year is set for Friday-Saturday, September
19-20, as, for the 43rd time, the champ cars will compete in the 4-Crown
Nationals at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway. The event provides the only opportunity of
the year to witness all three USAC national divisions in one night, plus the
High Limit winged sprint cars.
2025 USAC SILVER CROWN SCHEDULE
Apr 13 | Terre Haute Action Track | Terre Haute, IN | Sumar Classic | 1/2
Mile Dirt
Apr 19 | Toledo Speedway | Toledo, OH | Rollie Beale Classic | 1/2 Mile
Pavement
May 4 | Winchester Speedway | Winchester, IN | Rich Vogler Classic | 1/2 Mile
Pavement
May 16-17 | Belleville High Banks | Belleville, KS | Huncovsky Classic | 1/2
Mile Dirt
May 23 | Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park | Brownsburg, IN | Hoosier
Hundred | .686 Mile Pavement
Jun 14 | World Wide Technology Raceway | Madison, IL | 1.25 Mile Pavement
Jun 21 | Port Royal Speedway | Port Royal, PA | 1/2 Mile Dirt
Jul 18-19 | Salt City Speedway | Hutchinson, KS | Salt City 100 | 1/2 Mile
Dirt
Jul 23 | Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park | Brownsburg, IN | .686 Mile
Pavement
Aug 9 | Salem Speedway | Salem, IN | .555 Mile Pavement
Aug 16 | Illinois State Fairgrounds | Springfield, IL | Bettenhausen 100 | 1
Mile Dirt
Aug 30 | Du Quoin State Fairgrounds | Du Quoin, IL | Ted Horn 100 | 1 Mile
Dirt
Sep 19-20 | Eldora Speedway | Rossburg, OH | 4-Crown Nationals | 1/2 Mile Dirt
GETTIN’ DIRTY!
2025 USAC MIDGET SCHEDULE REVEALS 28+ DATES
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (December 11, 2024)………The USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget
National Championship enters the 2025 season armed with 28 events on the
calendar from April through November at dirt tracks in California, Indiana,
Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
PARAGON BACK IN FOR USAC INDIANA MIDGET WEEK
Paragon Speedway returns to the USAC Indiana Midget Week slate for the first
time since 2021 as part of the 21st annual edition of the series across the
Hoosier State on Wednesday, June 4.
The IMW docket consists of six events in all, with the frenzied and action
packed week beginning at Circle City Raceway in Indianapolis on Tuesday, June 3,
before the aforementioned Paragon showdown on Wednesday, June 4.
From there, the series follows a path of familiar favorites at Putnamville’s Lincoln Park Speedway on Thursday, June 5; Bloomington Speedway on Friday, June 6; Haubstadt’s Tri-State Speedway on Saturday, June 7; with the finale set for Kokomo Speedway on
Sunday, June 8.
SEASON OPENERS IN KOKOMO
Opening the year are two consecutive nights of the Kokomo Grand Prix on
Friday-Saturday, April 25-26, at Indiana’s Kokomo Speedway, the lone track on
the 2025 schedule that was also on the calendar during USAC’s inaugural year of
1956.
TO MID-AMERICA & BEYOND!
USAC National Midget racing will also make its fair share of voyages to
Mid-America throughout the spring and summer months.
An early season weekend in Kansas and Missouri greets the series in mid-May.
The Belleville (Kan.) Short Track hosts the series on back-to-back nights on
Friday-Saturday, May 16-17. The event will be run in conjunction with the USAC
Silver Crown National Championship, which will contest its 50-lap main event on
Saturday evening. Rounding out the sensational weekend is a trip east to
Missouri’s Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex on Sunday, May 18.
Mid-America Midget Week goes full send in mid-July with four events during a
five-night span in three different states. First up is Meeker, Oklahoma’s Red
Dirt Raceway for Tuesday Night Thunder on July 8. One night later, it’s
northbound to Kansas for the Chad McDaniel Memorial at Beloit, Kansas’ Mitchell
County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, July 9.
The great state of Nebraska’s Jefferson County Speedway presents two nights
of racing to close out Mid-America Midget Week for the Midwest Midget
Championship on Friday-Saturday, July 11-12.
BADGERS & BUCKEYES
As summer comes to a close, way up north lies Wisconsin’s legendary Angell
Park Speedway which will hold the milestone 40th running of the Firemen’s
Nationals on Labor Day weekend, Sunday, August 31.
A changeup in the order of events now places the midgets on the opening night
of a three-day 4-Crown Nationals weekend at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway on Thursday,
September 18, in a USAC double with the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars. The
midgets return for a second showing at the Big E on Saturday, September 20, in
the only event of the year featuring all three of USAC’s national divisions –
Silver Crown, Sprint and Midget, plus High Limit’s winged sprint cars on the
same night at the same track.
THE WESTERN SWING
Placerville Speedway’s Hangtown 100 kicks off USAC’s annual end-of-year
voyage to the Golden State of California on Friday, November 14, and wraps up
the following night with the season’s only 100-lap event on Saturday, November
15.
Meanwhile, Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway returns with a new Friday date on
November 21, followed by two consecutive nights of Midget Madness at Merced
Speedway on November 22-23.
Bakersfield Speedway’s November Classic will serve as the penultimate round
of the Golden State tour on Tuesday, November 25 before closing out with the
granddaddy of them all, the 84th running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix at
Ventura Raceway on Saturday, November 29.
TO BE ANNOUNCED / DETERMINED
Three notable TBA designations can be found on the 2025 USAC National Midget
schedule. The seventh running of the Driven2SaveLives BC39 is a certainty for
2025 and will take place at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on
yet-to-be-determined dates. Furthermore, the Monday, September 1, and Wednesday,
November 19, slots remain TBA at press time.
2025 USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Apr 25 | Kokomo Speedway | Kokomo, IN | Kokomo Grand Prix | 1/4 Mile Dirt
Apr 26 | Kokomo Speedway | Kokomo, IN | Kokomo Grand Prix | 1/4 Mile Dirt
May 16 | Belleville Short Track | Belleville, KS | 1/4 Mile Dirt
May 17 | Belleville Short Track | Belleville, KS | 1/4 Mile Dirt
May 18 | Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex | Sweet Springs, MO | 1/6 Mile
Dirt
Jun 3 | Circle City Raceway | Indianapolis, IN | Indiana Midget Week | 1/4
Mile Dirt
Jun 4 | Paragon Speedway | Paragon, IN | Indiana Midget Week | 3/8 Mile Dirt
Jun 5 | Lincoln Park Speedway | Putnamville, IN | Indiana Midget Week | 5/16
Mile Dirt
Jun 6 | Bloomington Speedway | Bloomington, IN | Indiana Midget Week | 1/4
Mile Dirt
Jun 7 | Tri-State Speedway | Haubstadt, IN | Indiana Midget Week | 1/4 Mile
Dirt
Jun 8 | Kokomo Speedway | Kokomo, IN | Indiana Midget Week | 1/4 Mile Dirt
Jul 8 | Red Dirt Raceway | Meeker, OK | Tuesday Night Thunder | 1/4 Mile Dirt
Jul 9 | Mitchell County Fairgrounds | Beloit, KS | Chad McDaniel Memorial |
1/4 Mile Dirt
Jul 11 | Jefferson County Speedway | Fairbury, NE | Midwest Midget Championship | 1/5
Mile Dirt
Jul 12 | Jefferson County Speedway | Fairbury, NE | Midwest Midget
Championship | 1/5 Mile Dirt
Aug 31 | Angell Park Speedway | Sun Prairie, WI | Firemen's Nationals | 1/3
Mile Dirt
Sep 1 | TBA
Sep 18 | Eldora Speedway | Rossburg, OH | 4-Crown Nationals | 1/2 Mile Dirt
Sep 20 | Eldora Speedway | Rossburg, OH | 4-Crown Nationals | 1/2 Mile Dirt
Nov 14 | Placerville Speedway | Placerville, CA | Hangtown 100 | 1/4 Mile
Dirt
Nov 15 | Placerville Speedway | Placerville, CA | Hangtown 100 | 1/4 Mile
Dirt
Nov 19 | TBA
Nov 21 | Thunderbowl Raceway | Tulare, CA | 1/3 Mile Dirt
Nov 22 | Merced Speedway | Merced, CA | Midget Madness | 1/4 Mile Dirt
Nov 23 | Merced Speedway | Merced, CA | Midget Madness | 1/4 Mile Dirt
Nov 25 | Bakersfield Speedway | Bakersfield, CA | November Classic | 1/3 Mile
Dirt
Nov 29 | Ventura Raceway | Ventura, CA | Turkey Night Grand Prix | 1/5 Mile
Dirt
TBA | The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Speedway, IN | BC39 | 1/5 Mile Dirt
NIFTY 50!
USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR SLATE ARRIVES
WITH 50 SHOWS IN 2025
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (December 11, 2024)………Several new schedule additions
coupled with a myriad of traditional favorites line the 50-race calendar for the
2025 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship season.
NEW YEAR, NEW ADDITIONS
Seven new tracks appear on the 2025 slate after taking a sabbatical from the
schedule for a number of years while one venue in particular will make its debut
appearance.
Indiana’s Paragon Speedway will host its first USAC Sprint event since 2021
when the series converges on Friday, April 4. The following night, Red Hill
Raceway in Sumner, Ill. will welcome the series for the first time since 1998
during the Saturday, April 5, Salute to Levi Jones.
It’s been a long, long time since USAC has visited Ohio’s Fremont Speedway
and Millstream Speedway. Fremont’s Saturday, June 28, date marks the series’
first visit since the 2003 season. Meanwhile, the next night’s show at Findlay’s
Millstream Speedway on Sunday, June 29, brings USAC back after a 37-year
absence. Brad Doty was the most recent USAC Sprint Car victor at Millstream in
1988 with a wing!
Two tracks with long, storied histories have emerged on USAC’s setlist for
2025. For the first time since 2019, Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill. has
a date set with the series on Friday, September 5. The following night, the
wagons go west across the Mississippi River to Odessa, Missouri’s I-70
Motorsports Park, last treated to a USAC show in 2022.
For the first time ever, Central Arizona Raceway will be a stop on the USAC
National Sprint Car tour where it will host the 58th annual Western World
Championships on Friday-Saturday, October 24-25. The two season-closing events
are the first for the series in the Grand Canyon State since 2022.
BREAKING THE ICE AT WINTER DIRT GAMES
For the 16th consecutive season, the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National
Championship campaign will launch in the state of Florida during the month of
February. For the first time ever, the Sunshine State tour will feature six
events across six consecutive nights – the first two at Barberville, Florida’s
Volusia Speedway Park On February 10-11, and the final four at Ocala Speedway on
February 12-13-14-15.
BREWING UP AN EASTERN STORM
Levan Machine & Truck Equipment Eastern Storm, a fixture on the USAC Sprint
Car schedule since 2007, celebrates its 18th year of competition in 2025 with
six shows in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The east coast adventure starts on Tuesday, June 17, at Bechtelsville,
Pennsylvania’s 1/3-mile Grandview Speedway, followed by a Wednesday, June 18,
date across the border at New Jersey’s Bridgeport Motorsports Park. Then it’s
back to the Keystone State on Thursday, June 19, at Pottsville, Pennsylvania’s
Big Diamond Speedway.
Two historic 1/2-miles are on tap afterward with Williams Grove taking center
stage on Friday, June 20, while the second of the two 1/2-mile tracks on the
docket is slated for Saturday, June 21, at Port Royal Speedway. The diverse
schedule then takes the series to the Eastern Storm finale at the racy bullring
of Kutztown, Pennsylvania’s Action Track USA, which, at 1/6-mile in length, is
the smallest track on the 2025 schedule
SPRINT WEEK IN THE HOOSIER STATE
The 38th annual edition of USAC Indiana Sprint Week presents one of the most
intense weeks of racing of the season during the late July and early August
period.
Putnamville’s Lincoln Park Speedway is pegged as the opener of the series on
Friday, July 25. From there, the schedule travels to Kokomo Speedway on
Saturday, July 26; Lawrenceburg Speedway on July 27; Circle City Raceway on
Wednesday, July 30; the Terre Haute Action Track on Thursday, July 31;
Bloomington Speedway on Friday, August 1, and Haubstadt’s Tri-State Speedway on
Saturday, August .
STAPLES OF THE SERIES
Longtime, traditional USAC National Sprint car staples are prevalent on the
playlist for 2025. In addition to its Indiana Sprint Week date, Lawrenceburg
Speedway hosts three more, including the April 12 Justin Owen Memorial as well
as the October 10 Greg Staab Memorial and the $20,000-to-win October 11 Fall
Nationals.
Eldora Speedway has been a piece on USAC’s schedule each year since 1962, and
this year provides four more events starting with the May 2-3 #LetsRaceTwo
Weekend, plus two nights at the 4-Crown Nationals on September 18 and 20.
May’s crop of races is busy as all get out with an Indiana double weekend on
May 9 at Bloomington Speedway’s Larry Rice Classic and on May 10 at Tri-State
Speedway’s Spring Showdown. The series returns to Tri-State for the
$20,000-to-win Haubstadt Hustler on Saturday, September 13.
The 55th annual Tony Hulman Classic at Terre Haute is the most tradition-rich
USAC Sprint Car race of them all, and it once again returns to its Wednesday
date on May 21, with the Week of Indy resuming 24 hours later with the Circle
City Salute at Circle City Raceway on Thursday, May 22, where the series also
returns later in the year on Friday, September 12.
Iowa’s spectacular Knoxville Raceway is ready to go once again on National
Sprint Car Hall of Fame induction weekend during the Corn Belt Clash on May
30-31. Lincoln Park Speedway’s back-to-back nights during the Bill Gardner
Sprintacular showcases the series on July 4-5.
The richest series event of the season, Sprint Car Smackdown, is a veritable
feast of the most intoxicating racing action you’ll witness all year long, for
three-straight nights at Indiana’s Kokomo Speedway on August 21-22-23, with the
final night culminating in a $30,000-to-win prize.
2025 USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Feb 10 | Volusia Speedway Park | Barberville, FL | Winter Dirt Games | 1/2
Mile Dirt
Feb 11 | Volusia Speedway Park | Barberville, FL | Winter Dirt Games | 1/2
Mile Dirt
Feb 12 | Ocala Speedway | Ocala, FL | Winter Dirt Games | 3/8 Mile Dirt
Feb 13 | Ocala Speedway | Ocala, FL | Winter Dirt Games | 3/8 Mile Dirt
Feb 14 | Ocala Speedway | Ocala, FL | Winter Dirt Games | 3/8 Mile Dirt
Feb 15 | Ocala Speedway | Ocala, FL | Winter Dirt Games | 3/8 Mile Dirt
Apr 4 | Paragon Speedway | Paragon, IN | 3/8 Mile Dirt
Apr 5 | Red Hill Raceway | Sumner, IL | Salute to Levi Jones | 3/8 Mile Dirt
Apr 12 | Lawrenceburg Speedway | Lawrenceburg, IN | Justin Owen Memorial |
3/8 Mile Dirt
May 2 | Eldora Speedway | Rossburg, OH | #LetsRaceTwo | 1/2 Mile Dirt
May 3 | Eldora Speedway | Rossburg, OH | #LetsRaceTwo | 1/2 Mile Dirt
May 9 | Bloomington Speedway | Bloomington, IN | Larry Rice Classic | 1/4
Mile Dirt
May 10 | Tri-State Speedway | Haubstadt, IN | Spring Showdown | 1/4 Mile Dirt
May 21 | Terre Haute Action Track | Terre Haute, IN | Tony Hulman Classic |
1/2 Mile Dirt
May 22 | Circle City Raceway | Indianapolis, IN | Circle City Salute | 1/4
Mile Dirt
May 30 | Knoxville Raceway | Knoxville, IA | Corn Belt Clash | 1/2 Mile Dirt
May 31 | Knoxville Raceway | Knoxville, IA | Corn Belt Clash | 1/2 Mile Dirt
Jun 17 | Grandview Speedway | Bechtelsville, PA | Eastern Storm / Jesse
Hockett Classic | 1/3 Mile Dirt
Jun 18 | Bridgeport Motorsports Park | Swedesboro, NJ | Eastern Storm |
$6,000-to-Win 4/10 Mile Dirt
Jun 19 | Big Diamond Speedway | Pottsville, PA | Eastern Storm |
$6,000-to-Win 3/8 Mile Dirt
Jun 20 | Williams Grove Speedway | Mechanicsburg, PA | Eastern Storm | 1/2
Mile Dirt
Jun 21 | Port Royal Speedway | Port Royal, PA | Eastern Storm | 1/2 Mile Dirt
Jun 22 | Action Track USA | Kutztown, PA | Eastern Storm | 1/6 Mile Dirt
Jun 28 | Fremont Speedway | Fremont, OH | 1/3 Mile Dirt
Jun 29 | Millstream Speedway | Findlay, OH | 4/10 Mile Dirt
Jul 4 | Lincoln Park Speedway | Putnamville, IN | Bill Gardner Sprintacular |
5/16 Mile Dirt
Jul 5 | Lincoln Park Speedway | Putnamville, IN | Bill Gardner Sprintacular |
5/16 Mile Dirt
Jul 24 | TBA
Jul 25 | Lincoln Park Speedway | Putnamville, IN | Indiana Sprint Week | 5/16
Mile Dirt
Jul 26 | Kokomo Speedway | Kokomo, IN | Indiana Sprint Week | 1/4 Mile Dirt
Jul 27 | Lawrenceburg Speedway | Lawrenceburg, IN | Indiana Sprint Week | 3/8
Mile Dirt
Jul 30 | Circle City Raceway | Indianapolis, IN | Indiana Sprint Week | 1/4
Mile Dirt
Jul 31 | Terre Haute Action Track | Terre Haute, IN | Indiana Sprint Week /
Don Smith Classic | 1/2 Mile Dirt
Aug 1 | Bloomington Speedway | Bloomington, IN | Indiana Sprint Week / Kinser
Memorial | 1/4 Mile Dirt
Aug 2 | Tri-State Speedway | Haubstadt, IN | Indiana Sprint Week | 1/4 Mile
Dirt
Aug 21 | Kokomo Speedway | Kokomo, IN | Sprint Car Smackdown | 1/4 Mile Dirt
Aug 22 | Kokomo Speedway | Kokomo, IN | Sprint Car Smackdown | 1/4 Mile Dirt
Aug 23 | Kokomo Speedway | Kokomo, IN | Sprint Car Smackdown | 1/4 Mile Dirt
Sep 5 | Tri-City Speedway | Granite City, IL | 3/8 Mile Dirt
Sep 6 | I-70 Motorsports Park | Odessa, MO | 3/8 Mile Dirt
Sep 12 | Circle City Raceway | Indianapolis, IN | 1/4 Mile Dirt
Sep 13 | Tri-State Speedway | Haubstadt, IN | Haubstadt Hustler | 1/4 Mile
Dirt
Sep 18 | Eldora Speedway | Rossburg, OH | 4-Crown Nationals | 1/2 Mile Dirt
Sep 20 | Eldora Speedway | Rossburg, OH | 4-Crown Nationals | 1/2 Mile Dirt
Oct 10 | Lawrenceburg Speedway | Lawrenceburg, IN | Greg Staab Memorial | 3/8
Mile Dirt
Oct 11 | Lawrenceburg Speedway | Lawrenceburg, IN | Fall Nationals | 3/8 Mile
Dirt
Oct 17 | TBA
Oct 18 | TBA
Oct 24 | Central Arizona Raceway | Casa Grande, AZ | Western World
Championships | 3/8 Mile Dirt
Oct 25 | Central Arizona Raceway | Casa Grande, AZ | Western World Championships | 3/8 Mile Dirt
LEVAN MACHINE & TRUCK EQUIPMENT
PRESENTS 2025 USAC EASTERN STORM,
WITH $10,000 POINT FUND
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (December 9, 2024)………Levan Machine & Truck Equipment will
serve as the presenting sponsor of the 18th edition of USAC Eastern Storm in
June of 2025.
Six dates at six different dirt tracks will greet the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car
National Championship when the series travels east for the annual tour of
Pennsylvania and New Jersey with each event paying $6,000-to-win and featuring a
point fund totaling $10,000.
Eastern Storm 2025 begins on Tuesday, June 17, at Bechtelsville,
Pennsylvania’s 1/3-mile Grandview Speedway, which has hosted the opener each
year since the induction of the series.
On Wednesday, June 18, Eastern Storm travels across the boarder to New
Jersey’s Bridgeport Motorsports Park for the sixth time at the speedy 4/10-mile.
It’s back to the Keystone State on Thursday, June 19, as the series
competitors take on Pottsville, Pennsylvania’s Big Diamond Speedway for the
eighth time.
As the series hits the weekend, two historic 1/2-miles are on tap with
Williams Grove taking center stage on Friday, June 20. The Mechanicsburg,
Pennsylvania venue is one of the USAC originals, having hosted its first series
event in USAC’s inaugural season of 1956.
The second of the two 1/2-mile tracks on the docket is slated for Saturday,
June 21, at Port Royal Speedway in the penultimate round of Eastern Storm. The
event will also feature USAC’s Silver Crown National Championship.
Kutztown, Pennsylvania’s Action Track USA caps off a busy week of racing on
Sunday, June 22. The smallest track on the entire USAC National Sprint Car
schedule at 1/6-mile produces big excitement as evidenced by 2024’s photo finish
between Logan Seavey and Briggs Danner.
The Action Track USA event will pay full points toward the Eastern Storm
standings but will pay appearance points only toward the USAC National Sprint
Car tally.
USAC Eastern Storm began in 2007 and consisted of three events, all of which
were swept by Tony Stewart Racing team drivers Levi Jones and Ricky Stenhouse
Jr. Jones was the winner of the very first Eastern Storm feature event held on
June 6, 2007, at Grandview, and was also the first Eastern Storm champion.
In 2024, Mitchel Moles became a first-time Eastern Storm champion on the
strength of consistency. Ten different drivers have captured an Eastern Storm
title: Levi Jones (2007-2010-2011), Bryan Clauson (2012-2013-2016), Cole Whitt
(2008 & 2009), Robert Ballou (2015 & 2021), Chris Windom (2017 & 2018), Brady
Bacon (2014), C.J. Leary (2019), Logan Seavey (2022), Emerson Axsom (2023) and
Mitchel Moles (2024).
Feature events at Eastern Storm in 2024 were won by Briggs Danner
(Grandview), who became the first Pennsylvania native to win an Eastern Storm
feature. Brady Bacon (Bridgeport & Port Royal was the lone two-time winner of
the series.
Meanwhile, Logan Seavey (Big Diamond) became the latest driver to win both
Eastern Storm and the USAC National Sprint Car season, which has occurred on
nine previous occasions in the 17-year history of the series. Seavey (Action
Track USA) corralled the finale in perhaps the closest finish in Eastern Storm
history. Meanwhile, Kevin Thomas Jr. (Williams Grove) scored a dramatic last
lap, last turn victory on his birthday.
Sixty-nine (69) Eastern Storm events have been contested over the years with
Brady Bacon holding the all-time record with eight career series victories.
Twenty-eight (28) different drivers have won an Eastern Storm feature event:
Brady Bacon with eight. Bryan Clauson, Levi Jones and Chris Windom have each won
six. Robert Ballou owns five scores. Justin Grant, Logan Seavey and Kevin Thomas
Jr. have each tallied four. Cole Whitt has grabbed three. Emerson Axsom, Tyler
Courtney and Thomas Meseraull each have achieved two wins apiece.
The list of one-time Eastern Storm winners includes Chad Boat, Chad
Boespflug, Daron Clayton, Shane Cottle, Kyle Cummins, Briggs Danner, Dave
Darland, Bobby East, Damion Gardner, Jesse Hockett, Jason McDougal, Hunter
Schuerenberg, Jon Stanbrough, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chase Stockon and Jake
Swanson
About Levan Machine & Truck Equipment
Levan Machine and Truck Equipment is a full-service CNC machine shop and work
truck upfitter located just outside Reading, Pennsylvania. Since 1936, Levan
Machine and Truck Equipment has been your one-stop-shop for custom repair and
production machining, and driveline services, and they are known throughout the
East Coast for servicing commercial and fleet customers with custom work truck
builds. They are also your go-to for all your CTech needs! Additionally, Levan
Machine and Truck Equipment offers general truck repair and maintenance to help
you keep your commercial fleet in top condition throughout your busy work
schedule. You can find their website at https://www.levanmachine.com/.
2025 USAC EASTERN STORM SCHEDULE
Tuesday, June 17: Grandview Speedway | Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania
Wednesday, June 18: Bridgeport Motorsports Park | Swedesboro, New Jersey
Thursday, June 19: Big Diamond Speedway | Pottsville, Pennsylvania
Friday, June 20: Williams Grove Speedway | Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Saturday, June 21: Port Royal Speedway | Port Royal, Pennsylvania
Sunday, June 22: Action Track USA | Kutztown, Pennsylvania
BUCKEYE BEAST!
WIGAL IS OHIO’S FIRST
USAC MIDGET ROOKIE OF THE YEAR IN 20 YEARS
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (December 5, 2024)………It’s been 20 years since an Ohioan
earned top Rookie honors with the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National
Championship.
Zach Wigal is proud to wear that badge in 2024 after being named the Max
Papis Innovations Bob Stroud USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year.
The 17-year-old Wigal resides in Belpre, Ohio, but actually attends high
school across the border in Parkersburg, West Virginia. This year, Wigal became
the third USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year hailing from the Buckeye State
following Donnelsville, Ohio brothers Teddy Beach (2002) and Todd Beach (2004).
Prior to the season, Wigal estimated that his biggest challenge would be
visiting almost an entirely new slate of tracks he had never competed on before.
His expectations came to fruition during the opening three-race weekend in May
when he qualified in the back half of the field and failed to finish any of the
three features better than 13th.
However, during the fourth round of the campaign in June during the USAC
Indiana Midget Week opener at Lawrenceburg Speedway, Wigal turned the corner. He
set fast qualifying time and crossed under the checkered flag eighth in the
feature. In July, he repeated his qualifying feat with another quick time in his
first ever trip to Kansas’ Mitchell County Fairgrounds aboard his CB
Industries/Dave Knost Auto Outlet/Spike/Speedway Toyota No. 89.
Qualifying was among the chief concerns and priorities for Wigal entering the
2024 season, but ultimately, he passed his initial tests with flying colors when
facing off with the stopwatch.
“This year, I learned how to qualify a lot better,” Wigal admitted. “Where I
had been used to racing, it’s not a big deal. You start your night with a heat
race. That was biggest thing, going out there and putting down one really good
lap.”
By June’s Indiana Midget Week event at Tri-State Speedway, Wigal had reached
the top-five for the first time in his young USAC National Midget career.
However, Labor Day weekend in September at Sun Prairie, Wisconsin’s Angell Park
Speedway during the opening night of the 39th Firemen’s Nationals produced the
dream weekend he was longing for.
Within the first five laps, Wigal climbed from third to first, passing series
veterans Kevin Thomas Jr. and Zach Daum to take the lead. For the final 25 laps,
it was all Wigal who became USAC’s newest first-time winner, and afterward,
uttered one of the most memorable quotes of the season, stating, ”Some kids
dream of winning the Super Bowl or the NBA Finals, but my dream is to be
standing here.”
As Wigal reflects on the moment today, a flood of thoughts come to mind.
“I thought (a lot of money) was what you needed to have to get there, so I
never thought I’d even be able to race with these guys, let alone win a race,”
Wigal stated. “It’s just a surreal feeling to have gotten here and to have
success at this level.”
By Wigal’s side throughout the season were the helpful hands and watchful
eyes of car owner Chad Boat and teammate Daison Pursley. Boat owned cars
captured the 2020 USAC National Midget championship with Chris Windom as the
team’s driver while Pursley, of course, went on to score this year’s series
driving title.
As Wigal puts it, the more laps you get on different racetracks, the better
it makes you as a driver and even makes the car better. But having a duo like
Boat and Pursley there to help guide you along the way was a godsend for a
Rookie like Wigal out on the trail.
“They were the main reason for my progress this year,” Wigal revealed.
“Chad’s a master on the wrenches, and he’s proven that with the best cars at the
racetrack, while Daison helped me out a lot with the driving, which helped my
confidence. It was something different at every track; I’d go out there in hot
laps and run 25th, then they’d tell me something I could do to find a tenth or
two tenths and we’d go 10th quick. Being able to recognize what I did in just a
few laps, then telling me what to do and being able to change it and fix it to
go faster was such a huge help.”
Wigal is also a graduate of the USAC Midwest Thunder SpeeD2 Midget series,
having won its 2023 series championship. In his spare time from the USAC
National Midget schedule 2024, he still found time to participate with the
series in the family owned No. 18, starting 10 events and winning a series-high
three features.
Like Jacob Denney, a 2020 and 2021 USAC Midwest Thunder champion himself,
Wigal is beginning to make his mark on the USAC national circuit. Wigal credits
the series with honing his craft and preparing him for the next level of USAC
Midget competition.
“In my opinion, it’s the best developmental series there is,” Wigal
proclaimed. “It’s the same as a midget, just less power, plus it’s a lot cheaper
and there’s great quality drivers. I think Denney and I have proven that. He and
I won a lot, but it’s not like we absolutely dominated everybody. They’re really
affordable racecars, the racing’s great and it teaches you a lot.”
MPI BOB STROUD USAC NATIONAL MIDGET ROOKIES OF THE YEAR:
1969: Billy Engelhart, Madison, Wisconsin
1970: Danny Brown, Rossville, Illinois
1971: Danny Caruthers, Anaheim, California
1972: Tommy Astone, Fresno, California
1973: Mike Gregg, Fort Collins, Colorado
1974: Richard Powell, Enid, Oklahoma
1975: Larry Patton, Anaheim, California
1976: James McElreath, Arlington, Texas
1977: Lonnie Caruthers, Corona Del Mar, California
1978: Tommy Thomas, Dana Point, California
1979: Barry Butterworth, Auckland, New Zealand
1980: Trevor Boys, Calgary, Alberta
1981: Sherman Armstrong Jr., Winchester, Indiana
1982: Chris Maxson, McHenry, Illinois
1983: John Andretti, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
1984: Russ Gamester, Peru, Indiana
1985: Bobby Allen, Carmel, Indiana
1986: Steve Enlow, Tulsa, Oklahoma
1987: John Meyers, Oak Brook, Illinois
1988: Jim Keeker, Cicero, Indiana
1989: Jeff Gordon, Vallejo, California
1990: Dan Ford, Saint Peters, Missouri
1991: Doug Kalitta, Ypsilanti, Michigan
1992: Brian Gerster, Indianapolis, Indiana
1993: Chuck Leary, Greenfield, Indiana
1994: David Bridges, Indianapolis, Indiana
1995: Ryan Newman, South Bend, Indiana
1996: Carl Olsen, Auckland, New Zealand
1997: Nick Lundgreen, Franklin, Wisconsin
1998: Michael Lewis, Noblesville, Indiana
1999: A.J. Fike, Galesburg, Illinois
2000: Aaron Fike, Galesburg, Illinois
2001: Bobby East, Brownsburg, Indiana
2002: Teddy Beach, Donnelsville, Ohio
2002: Ron Gregory, Noblesville, Indiana
2003: Ryan Durst, Lincoln, Nebraska
2004: Todd Beach, Donnelsville, Ohio
2005: Darren Hagen, Riverside, California
2006: Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, Indiana
2007: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Olive Branch, Mississippi
2008: Chad Boat, Phoenix, Arizona
2009: Zach Daum, Pocahontas, Illinois
2010: Daniel Bedford, Brentwood, California
2011: Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, California
2012: Rico Abreu, Saint Helena, California
2013: Christopher Bell, Norman, Oklahoma
2014: Kevin Thomas Jr., Cullman, Alabama
2015: Spencer Bayston, Lebanon, Indiana
2016: Carson Macedo, Lemoore, California
2017: Tanner Carrick, Lincoln, California
2018: Logan Seavey, Sutter, California
2019: Andrew Layser, Collegeville, Pennsylvania
2020: Buddy Kofoid, Penngrove, California
2021: Chase Randall, Waco, Texas
2022: Mitchel Moles, Raisin City, California
2023: Gavin Miller, Allentown, Pennsylvania
2024: Zach Wigal, Belpre, Ohio
REPEAT!
PURSLEY GRABS 2024
USAC PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER TITLE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (December 5, 2024)………For the second consecutive season, no
driver passed more cars throughout the USAC national season than Daison Pursley
en route to the 2024 USAC ProSource Passing Master title.
Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.) advanced a total of 209 positions in 72 feature
starts across USAC’s Silver Crown, AMSOIL National Sprint Car and NOS Energy
Drink National Midget divisions throughout the 2024 campaign, which earned him a
$2,500 reward. He will be honored during the Friday night, December 13, 2024,
USAC Night of Champions at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis.
He becomes the second back-to-back winner of the season-long Passing Master
award which rewards the USAC nationally licensed driver who advanced the most
positions during feature events throughout the entirety of USAC’s 2024 national
season between Silver Crown, Sprint Cars and Midgets. Justin Grant also won the
award consecutively in 2021 and 2022.
Early on in the season, both of Pursley’s USAC car owners, Chad Boat (Midget)
and Michael Burkhart (Sprint & Silver Crown), made a prediction that Pursley
wouldn’t repeat the award in 2024. Not because they doubted him, but because
Pursley was expected to be a front runner in qualifying, which would set him up
with a quality starting spot come feature time. Instead, Pursley was able to
accomplish both.
“At the beginning of the year, both Chad and Michael told me, ‘you aren’t
going to win passing master this year.’” Pursley recalled. “We want to qualify
well and start up front, but I was like, ‘if I qualify that good, I’d still
start in the third row and would still have a chance at passing a lot of cars.’”
That he did, passing 10 more cars than he did a year ago during his first
passing master crown in addition to capturing the 2024 USAC National Midget
driving championship.
“Usually, if you win passing master, it means you started pretty far back,
which also means you didn’t qualify well,” Pursley explained. “But I thought I
did a good job this year at upping my qualifying game. I felt that had been one
of my weakest points. There’s times we started 15th or 18th or 20th on back, but
we were still able to finish inside the top-three. That allowed us to have a big
jump in the passing master points, and that’s what helps make those championship
runs when you can start that far back and still get a good result.”
Unquestionably, Pursley’s standout passing performance of the 2024 USAC
season came during May’s Larry Rice Classic for sprint cars at Indiana’s
Bloomington Speedway where he started 23rd on the grid before passing 21 cars,
cutting right through the middle of the 1/4-mile of red clay to finish second.
The performance set an all-time USAC National Sprint Car record for the biggest
advancement by a driver from start to finish in the series’ 68-year history.
“Bloomington’s small and sprint cars are tight at that place to begin with,”
Pursley noted. “There were a couple of people who made jokes to me, like ‘how do
you go from 23rd to 2nd and not win the race if the car was that good?’ That’s
exactly how I felt too. Everything went perfect, but when we got to second, it
was like, ‘what the heck? Why can’t I get to the lead?’ Nonetheless, it was a
special night. It felt like they were sitting still and my car was just hitting
on all cylinders.”
Pursley was one of three drivers to win in all three of USAC’s national
divisions in 2024, racking up a total of 10 wins across the board in Midgets
(7), Sprints (2) and Silver Crown (1). Furthermore, he routinely made up ground
by advancing forward from his original starting spot in 42 of the 72 features he
started during the year.
“I find a lot of enjoyment in passing cars and creating different lines and
developing stuff,” Pursley explained. “It’s something I felt like I’ve worked on
a lot in my career, maneuvering past cars whether that’s in lapped traffic or
whether I have to start in the back on a restart or anything like that. I felt
like I’ve done a pretty dang good job and studied to get better in some areas.
It’s something I enjoy, and I can make up a lot of time on restarts and by
passing those cars in the slowest parts of the racetrack, and that’s what I was
able to accomplish this year.”
Since 2020, longtime USAC supporter Buck Rice has offered the ProSource
Passing Master reward with past winners including Chris Windom (2020), Justin
Grant (2021 & 2022) and now Pursley (2023 & 2024). Pursley is deeply proud to
wear that badge of honor once again and is grateful for the man who posts the
reward year after year.
“Buck spends his hard earned money for us to do what we do,” Pursley praised.
“Buck likes a lot of passing just as we do and it’s super special for him to
allow us to chase our dreams and give us a little extra money to get up and down
the road. If it wasn’t for people like him, drivers wouldn’t be able to do what
we do. I’m forever thankful for people like Buck, and hopefully, I can continue
to pass a lot of cars and maybe get some more of his money down the road.”
USAC PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER CHAMPIONS:
2020: Chris Windom, Canton, Illinois
2021: Justin Grant, Ione, California
2022: Justin Grant, Ione, California
2023: Daison Pursley, Locust Grove, Oklahoma
2024: Daison Pursley, Locust Grove, Oklahoma
2024 USAC PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER STANDINGS:
209-Daison Pursley
204-Logan Seavey
164-Justin Grant
149-Robert Ballou
134-C.J. Leary
131-Kyle Cummins
126-Chase Stockon
121-Matt Westfall
120-Brady Bacon
107-Kevin Thomas Jr.
101-Jadon Rogers
98-Joey Amantea
97-Mitchel Moles
87-Ryan Timms
85-Carson Garrett
83-Zach Daum
82-Briggs Danner
75-Shane Cottle & Cannon McIntosh
73-Jake Swanson
68-Kale Drake
65-Ricky Lewis
64-Chance Crum
61-Gavin Miller
57-Jacob Denney
48-Jerry Coons Jr. & Zach Wigal
44-Kyle Jones
42-Alex Bright & Gregg Cory
41-Trey Osborne
38-Tye Mihocko
37-Hayden Reinbold
35-Jade Avedisian
28-Tom Harris
26-Hunter Maddox & Curtis Spicer
23-Carmen Perigo
22-Matt Goodnight, Danny Jennings & Brandon Mattox
21-Kaylee Bryson & Kyle Steffens
20-Max Adams & Nathan Moore
19-Kayla Roell
17-Chris Fetter & Russ Gamester
16-Todd Hobson & Bobby Santos
14-Nathan Byrd
13-Dave Berkheimer & Kendall Ruble
12-Mario Clouser & Ethan Mitchell
11-Jake Andreotti, Aric Gentry, Broedy Graham, Rylan Gray, Kip Hughes & Mark
Smith
10-Jackson Macenko, Kody Swanson & Joe Trenca
9-Mark Bitner, Trey Burke, Taylor Ferns & Wesley Smith
8-Don Droud Jr., Kyle Robbins & Korey Weyant
7-Davey Hamilton Jr.
6-Dakoda Armstrong, Gunnar Setser & Chris Urish
5-Xavier Doney & Adam Taylor
4-Danny Long
3-Brent Beauchamp, Saban Bibent, Blake Brannon, Shane Cockrum, Chase Dietz &
Mike Haggenbottom
2-Bryan Gossel, Thomas Meseraull & Brian Ruhlman
1-Tanner Berryhill, Chase Howard, Kenney Johnson, Jimmy Light, Kevin Newton, Travis Welpott & Daniel Whitley
SEAVEY HITS #1,
RECORDS 2024 MIKE CURB
USAC NATIONAL DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (December 5, 2024)………After finishing second in each of the
past two seasons, Logan Seavey finally popped to the top of the charts to earn
the 2024 Mike Curb USAC National Drivers Championship.
The newest member of USAC’s Career Triple Crown club captured the $10,000
reward by amassing more total points than any other driver across the three USAC
national divisions throughout the duration of the 2024 campaign.
Since his USAC Rookie season of 2018, Seavey has never strayed outside of the
top-10 in the Mike Curb USAC National Drivers Championship standings. However,
he’s never taken a step backwards in his pursuit, steadily climbing from 10th in
2018 to 9th in 2019 to 6th in 2020 and to 5th in 2021 before finishing as the
runner-up to Justin Grant in both 2022 and 2023.
Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) earned a total of 5130 points during the 2024
campaign, 602 better than runner-up Daison Pursley with Justin Grant finishing
just behind in third after capturing the Mike Curb title in each of the past
three years in 2021-2022-2023.
“I knew, coming into it, that I had to beat Justin (Grant) for the most part,
and that’s a tough guy to beat,” Seavey stated. “Ever since I’ve started racing
with USAC, the guys who’ve won it are the best of the best, and then you look
further back in history, it’s the same. It’s all the best guys of their eras.
I’ve been close the last few years, but I’m fortunate to be running three great
racecars and be close in all of them.”
In fact, Seavey pulled off the ultra-rare feat by achieving the Mike Curb
title with the same team across the board. Abacus Racing fields sprint cars and
midgets for Seavey while the Silver Crown car is a conjoined effort between
Abacus and Rice Motorsports.
After notching USAC’s National Midget and Silver Crown titles in 2023 with
Abacus, Seavey felt that if he could pick up the pace in sprint cars, he would
put himself right into contention across all three series. The addition of the
sprint car was a rousing success, netting Seavey 14 USAC national victories in
2024 to tie Tom Bigelow’s all-time record mark set in 1977.
“I figured over the last few years that if I could pick up my sprint car
program a little bit, I’d be a little closer and able to race Justin for this
championship,” Seavey said. “I knew I’d be close, but it finally came together
this year. It’s a cool award that I’ve always looked at and never really knew if
I’d even be able to do all the classes or how it would work out in my career.
But to be here now is pretty awesome.”
To go along with a pair of USAC National Midget wins and a Silver Crown
victory to boot, Seavey’s 17 USAC national feature scores in 2024 rank among the
all-time greatest seasons, and also ranked inside the top-three of the standings
in sprints (1st), midgets (3rd) and Silver Crown (3rd).
In fact, Seavey was one of three drivers to win across all three USAC
national divisions this past season alongside Daison Pursley and Justin Grant.
Along with Grant, Seavey was also one of only two drivers to start all 81
possible feature events during the 2024 season.
“It would’ve been even cooler to win the single season USAC Triple Crown and
back up what we did last year with the sprint car, but to do it with the same
group of guys is incredible,” Seavey praised. “These guys work well together and
have a lot of fun.”
Seavey and Abacus’ 2024 performance became the sixth occasion in which a
driver and entrant have regularly competed across all three USAC national
divisions en route to the Mike Curb USAC National Drivers Championship: Josh
Wise & Tony Stewart Racing (2005 & 2006), Tracy Hines & Tony Stewart Racing
(2008), as well as Bryan Clauson & Curb-Agajanian (2011 & 2012).
This year marked the 26th year of the Mike Curb USAC National Drivers
Championship. Curb has offered the reward annually since the 1999 USAC season to
honor USAC’s top overall points champion. Once known as the USAC Super License,
the title was rechristened as the National Drivers Championship in recent years
to more properly represent the accomplishment of achieving the feat, which so
few have done. Now Seavey will accept the honor during USAC’s Night of Champions
at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis on Friday night, December 13, 2024.
MIKE CURB USAC NATIONAL DRIVERS CHAMPIONS:
1999: Dave Darland, Lincoln, Indiana
2000: Tracy Hines, New Castle, Indiana
2001: J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, Arizona
2002: J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, Arizona
2003: J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, Arizona
2004: Jay Drake, Val Verde, California
2005: Josh Wise, Riverside, California
2006: Josh Wise, Riverside, California
2007: Jerry Coons Jr., Tucson, Arizona
2008: Tracy Hines, New Castle, Indiana
2009: Cole Whitt, Alpine, California
2010: Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, Indiana
2011: Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, Indiana
2012: Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, Indiana
2013: Tracy Hines, New Castle, Indiana
2014: Tracy Hines, New Castle, Indiana
2015: Dave Darland, Lincoln, Indiana
2016: Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
2017: Justin Grant, Ione, California
2018: Tyler Courtney, Indianapolis, Indiana
2019: Tyler Courtney, Indianapolis, Indiana
2020: Chris Windom, Canton, Illinois
2021: Justin Grant, Ione, California
2022: Justin Grant, Ione, California
2023: Justin Grant, Ione, California
2024: Logan Seavey, Sutter, California
2024 MIKE CURB USAC NATIONAL DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS:
PTS/DRIVER
5130-Logan Seavey
4528-Daison Pursley
4523-Justin Grant
3429-C.J. Leary
3365-Kevin Thomas Jr.
3142-Brady Bacon
2784-Mitchel Moles
2734-Kyle Cummins
2625-Robert Ballou
2105-Matt Westfall
2074-Chase Stockon
1801-Briggs Danner
1800-Carson Garrett
1616-Kale Drake
1559-Jake Swanson
1446-Cannon McIntosh
1432-Jadon Rogers
1401-Zach Daum
1322-Joey Amantea
1311-Ryan Timms
1285-Ricky Lewis
1283-Jacob Denney
1176-Gavin Miller
1085-Zach Wigal
1010-Shane Cottle
949-Hunter Maddox
904-Kody Swanson
796-Trey Osborne
718-Jade Avedisian
716-Jerry Coons Jr.
664-Kyle Jones
619-Alex Bright
594-Kaylee Bryson
593-Brandon Mattox
575-Jake Andreotti
528-Kyle Steffens
494-Chance Crum
476-Hayden Reinbold
475-Mario Clouser
452-Gregg Cory
433-Bobby Santos
429-Max Adams
420-Ethan Mitchell
402-Tom Harris
397-Thomas Meseraull
396-Nathan Moore
367-Kayla Roell
366-Dakoda Armstrong
360-Rylan Gray
353-Tye Mihocko
329-Dave Berkheimer
314-Wesley Smith
296-Saban Bibent & Taylor Ferns
275-Todd Hobson
243-Trey Burke & Nathan Byrd
231-Xavier Doney
227-Russ Gamester
200-Tyler Roahrig
192-Timmy Buckwalter
191-Curtis Spicer
184-Chris Fetter
180-Carmen Perigo
176-Daniel Whitley
168-Hank Davis
159-Adam Taylor
158-Ashton Torgerson
138-Matt Goodnight
132-Gunnar Setser
130-Davey Hamilton Jr.
127-Chase Howard & Jackson Macenko
126-Brian Ruhlman
123-Brent Beauchamp
108-Danny Jennings
105-Steven Snyder Jr.
98-Mark Smith
95-Kyle Robbins
93-Chase Dietz
88-Patrick Lawson
82-Bryan Gossel
78-Kip Hughes & Jimmy Light
76-Danny Long
68-Shane Butler & Nic Harris
63-Chris Urish
62-Mark Bitner
59-Blake Brannon
58-Travis Welpott
57-Korey Weyant
54-Broedy Graham
53-Shane Cockrum & Dave Peperak
51-Aric Gentry
46-Tom Savage
44-Adam Bolyard & Steve Gennetten
41-Derek Bischak & Mike Haggenbottom
39-Casey Buckman
35-Joe Trenca
33-Tanner Berryhill & Cody Gerhardt
24-Sterling Cling
23-Kenney Johnson & Brent Yarnal
20-Jason Cherry
19-Kevin Newton
16-Don Droud Jr.
10-Kenny Gentry, Will Hull, Joey Moughan, Ken Schrader & Jake Trainor
THE COMEBACK OF ALL COMEBACKS:
PURSLEY’S REMARKABLE 2024 SEASON NETS USAC MIDGET TITLE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (December 4, 2024)………A team of Disney writers couldn’t have
produced a better script than the reality of Daison Pursley’s storybook USAC NOS
Energy Drink Midget National Championship season in 2024.
From the depths of despair after suffering a major spinal cord injury during
a 2021 USAC Midget crash at Arizona Speedway to the highest mountaintop with his
championship clinching moment in 2024 at California’s Ventura Raceway, the now
20-year-old Pursley endured a journey that so few could even comprehend.
Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.) was diagnosed as an incomplete quadriplegic in
the immediate aftermath of his accident with paralysis from the neck down.
Throughout 2021-2022, he endured a rigorous rehabilitation program to aid his
recovery from his severely damaged C4-C5 vertebrae.
“I’m definitely sure there was doubt,” Pursley explained when asked if he
thought this day would come after what he had been through. “I would be lying if
I didn’t say that. There were always goals. At first, I just wanted to be
quote/unquote a normal person again and just live a normal life, which was just
walking, eating on my own and breathing on my own. Just all the little things
that we wake up and take for granted.”
Literally and figuratively, it was all about taking one step at a time. Soon
enough, steadily and surely, the thoughts of returning to the seat of a racecar
came creeping back into Pursley’s daily thoughts.
“It started out with accomplishing those little, but big things,” Pursley
noted. “Once I checked off all those goals, it was going to the rehab center to
run and ride a bike, then once those were checked off, I wanted to race again.
It was a big step not only to want to race, but to also race at the level I
wanted to. Once I got back in a micro sprint, after about five laps, I was
saying to myself, ‘this feels right. This feels like exactly what I want to do.’
I knew it was just going to take some time to get back to where I once was, but
I knew it was definitely something I wanted to pursue.”
By late 2022, Pursley was back behind the wheel. By 2023, he was regaining
his footing at the wheel. By the end of 2024, he was a champion, something that
was almost hard to imagine just three years ago. Three years definitely seems
like a long time in the world of a young racer, but as he reflects now, a USAC
national championship is something that happened a lot faster than he ever
could’ve imagined. It’s a feat he’ll forever be proud of and thankful for. It’s
a feeling of accomplishment that, after all the pain and emotional he’s been
through, he can proudly proclaim that’s he’s back.
“I don’t think it’s ever really going to sink in that I’m a USAC champion,”
the humbly confident Pursley stated. “It’s something that people dream of but
never get to accomplish. It’s something that I’m going to cherish forever and
always remember.”
In 2024, Pursley and his CB Industries/PristineAuction.com – NOS Energy Drink
– TRD/Spike/Speedway Toyota compiled a series high seven USAC National Midget
victories, while leading 87 laps, capturing 11 heat race wins and producing 16
top-five finishes in 23 feature starts. In the process, Pursley provided CB
Industries its first USAC National Midget entrant title, and the second for team
principal Chad Boat who scored a series championship as part of Tucker-Boat
Motorsports in 2020 with driver Chris Windom.
After a runner-up finish in the season opener, Pursley celebrated his 100th
career USAC National Midget start in style by winning the following night’s
feature at the Belleville (Kan.) Short Track, his first series victory since
August of 2021, three months prior to his injury. Before the end of spring, he
added two more scores at Bloomington Speedway and Kokomo Speedway, plus
top-three finishes in five successive starts to earn his first USAC Indiana
Midget Week crown by a record 74-point margin.
By midsummer, Pursley was still rolling, winning in his home state of
Oklahoma at Red Dirt Raceway, the location of his first career USAC National
Midget win in 2021. He followed up the next evening with a triumph during the
Chad McDaniel Memorial at Kansas’ Mitchell County Fairgrounds That put Pursley’s
win streak at three, which coincidentally, all came after he started seventh on
the grid.
In September, Pursley put together one of the most incredible runs in USAC
history by winning USAC National Midget features on back-to-back nights at
Ohio’s Eldora Speedway, followed by a USAC National Sprint Car victory before
leading the first 12 laps and finishing fourth in the USAC Silver Crown race,
all within a 27-hour span during the 4-Crown Nationals.
From the beginning, Pursley could tell his partnership with CB Industries was
going to be promising. After a slight setback buried Pursley in the Saturday
D-Main of his first ride with the team at the January 2024 Chili Bowl Midget
Nationals, Pursley proceeded to advance through the alphabet soup, passing 45
cars along the way en route to a fourth place finish in the A-Main. Furthermore,
when time allowed, Pursley stepped foot into CBI’s micro and proceeded to win
there as well.
As it turns out, this whole championship pursuit may not have even been
possible without Pursley’s friendship with Jesse Love, who was his teammate with
the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports USAC Midget team during the 2020
season. Toward the end of the 2023 season’s California swing for the series,
Love, who was driving for CBI at the time, chatted with Pursley in the pit area,
which led to a conversation with Boat regarding 2024 plans. One thing led to
another and Pursley had his plans set for 2024.
When Pursley clinched the USAC title with a third-place run in the
season-ending Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ventura, eyes were drawn to the embrace
between Daison and his father, a moment which represented so much more than just
a congratulatory bear hug. It meant the entire world.
“I absolutely owe everything to my mom and dad,” Pursley said of his parents,
Shawnda of Klint Pursley. “They’ve sacrificed so much for me and I can’t even
begin to imagine everything that they’ve done for me. I don’t quite understand
it because I’m not a parent by any means but I can’t imagine what they felt when
their kid was at his absolute lowest and now he’s at the absolute highest, all
within a three-year span. They are the best parents I could ever ask for and
they’ve taught me how to be the person that I am today.”
If there’s anybody who can attest to the highest of highs and the lowest of
lows in both motorsports and life, it’s Daison.
“Cherish all these moments and don’t get too high on yourself or too low when
things get rough and stay level-headed,” Pursley shared. “My parents have done a
great job in teaching me that. I’ve just been able to ride the wave – the good
and the bad – and definitely wouldn’t change anything that my parents have done
for me, and I’m forever grateful for them to travel up and down the road with
me, with my dad driving all the miles to get me to all these racetracks while I
sat in the passenger seat and slept. It’s just a very cool moment that I get to
share with my mom and dad, and even more special with all of them getting to be
there as well.”
Meanwhile, Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Okla.) added three victories on his way to
a career best second place finish in the standings, including May’s season
opener at the Belleville (Kan.) Short Track which ended a 616 day dry spell
since his last series win. He also added September’s Firemen’s Nationals at
Wisconsin’s Angell Park Speedway and the $20,039-to-win Driven2SaveLives BC39
Presented by Avanti Windows & Doors later that month at The Dirt Track at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, utilizing a pass on the white flag lap to secure
the big payday. He also led all drivers with 20 top-ten finishes in 23 starts.
Reigning series champion Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) finished third in
points after notching a pair of wins at Missouri’s Sweet Springs Motorsports
Complex in May before picking up another in June during Indiana Midget Week at
Tri-State Speedway. His four fast qualifying times during the season made him
the leader in the clubhouse with the series. His eighth place finish in the
opener at Belleville set a new all-time USAC record. The result marked his 23rd
consecutive top-10 USAC National Midget feature finish dating back to last
season, breaking the record held by Jason Leffler since 1997.
Ryan Timms (Oklahoma City, Okla.) followed likewise with a couple of wins
during the Indiana Midget Week opener in June at Lawrenceburg Speedway which
provided Mike Curb his milestone 200th USAC national victory as a car entrant.
Timms picked up another in July at Nebraska’s Jefferson County Speedway,
boosting him to his second consecutive fourth place finish in the standings. His
20th to 2nd run at Eldora in September resulted in the biggest charge of the
year with the series.
The Max Papis Innovations Bob Stroud Rookie of the Year battle was tight all
year long with Zach Wigal (Belpre, Ohio) edging Kale Drake (Collinsville, Okla.)
for the award. Wigal became the first Ohioan to win top Rookie honors with the
series since Todd Beach in 2004. Both were also feature winners during their
initial 2024 campaign as well with Wigal pocketing Angell Park in early
September and Drake hoisting the trophy during a BC39 prelim in late September
at IMS.
Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) checked off a USAC National Midget win for the
eighth consecutive season in July when he prevailed at Jefferson County. The
night also marked his 80th overall USAC feature win, one of just 12 drivers to
reach the mark along with Rich Vogler (171), A.J. Foyt (162), Sleepy Tripp
(161), Mel Kenyon (131), Dave Darland (115), Bryan Clauson (112), Damion Gardner
(106), Tracy Hines (98), Tom Bigelow (89), Gary Bettenhausen (82) and Brady
Bacon (80).
Meanwhile, a number of non-series-regulars arrived on the scene and raced
their way into victory lane: Emerson Axsom (Franklin, Ind.) in June at Lincoln
Park Speedway and Chase McDermand (Springfield, Ill.) in September for his first
career USAC National Midget win during a BC39 prelim.
The end-of-year five-race November California swing produced four different
winners with Corey Day (Clovis, Calif.) tallying a win at Merced Speedway in
which he utilized a 20-year-old Wirth Mopar engine that was older than Day
himself who turned 19 between his two victories. Furthermore, it was the first
USAC National Midget win of any kind for a Mopar powerplant since Brad Sweet 14
years earlier in 2010 Angell Park Speedway. Day capped the year by becoming the
youngest ever winner of the Turkey Night Grand Prix in the 83rd running at
Ventura Raceway.
Carson Macedo (Lemoore, Calif.) got his win in the series’ return to
Thunderbowl Raceway after a 14-year hiatus, while Kyle Larson (Elk Grove,
Calif.) was spectacular in winning at Merced. Tanner Thorson (Minden, Nev.)
wired all 30 laps at Bakersfield Speedway to become just the 14th driver to
reach 30 career USAC National Midget feature victories.
Jacob Denney (Galloway, Ohio) finished his season a career best fifth in the
standings while Zach Daum (Pocahontas, Ill.) started feature events for six
different teams on the path to a sixth place result in the points, his best
placing since grabbing fifth a decade ago in 2014. Gavin Miller (Allentown,
Pa.), fresh off Rookie of the Year accolades in 2023, followed up in his
sophomore season with the series with his second straight eighth place points
finish.
An all-time series record 10 drivers started all 23 feature events during the
2024 season. The previous record for the number of drivers starting all USAC
National Midget features in a season was eight in 2021. Drivers starting them
all in 2024 were Zach Daum, Jacob Denney, Kale Drake, Justin Grant, Cannon
McIntosh, Gavin Miller, Daison Pursley, Logan Seavey, Ryan Timms and Zach Wigal.
Overall, 110 drivers started a USAC National Midget feature in 2024, the most
in a single season since 119 competed eight years ago in 2016.
2024 USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGET STAT LEADERS
Driver Champion: Daison Pursley
Entrant Champion: CB Industries #86
Most Wins: 7-Daison Pursley
Rookie of the Year: Zach Wigal (9th)
Most Laps Led: 87-Daison Pursley
Most Top-Fives: 16-Daison Pursley
Most Top-Tens: 20-Cannon McIntosh
Most Fast Qualifying Times: 4-Logan Seavey
Most Heat Race Wins: 11-Daison Pursley
Most Feature Starts: 23-Zach Daum, Jacob Denney, Kale Drake, Justin Grant,
Cannon McIntosh, Gavin Miller, Daison Pursley, Logan Seavey, Ryan Timms & Zach
Wigal
Biggest Charge of the Year: Sep 21: Eldora Speedway – Ryan Timms (20th to
2nd)
2024 USAC MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE & RESULTS
May 17: Belleville Short Track - Belleville, KS
WINNER: Cannon McIntosh (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #71K)
May 18: Belleville Short Track - Belleville, KS
WINNER: Daison Pursley (CB Industries #86)
May 19: Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex - Sweet Springs, MO
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Abacus Racing #57)
Jun 5: (I) Lawrenceburg Speedway - Lawrenceburg, IN
WINNER: Ryan Timms (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #67)
Jun 6: (I) Lincoln Park Speedway - Putnamville, IN
WINNER: Emerson Axsom (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #67K)
Jun 7: (I) Bloomington Speedway - Bloomington, IN
WINNER: Daison Pursley (CB Industries #86)
Jun 8: (I) Tri-State Speedway - Haubstadt, IN
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Abacus Racing #57)
Jun 9: (I) Kokomo Speedway - Kokomo, IN
WINNER: Daison Pursley (CB Industries #86)
Jul 9: (M) Red Dirt Raceway - Meeker, OK
WINNER: Daison Pursley (CB Industries #86)
Jul 10: (M) Mitchell County Fairgrounds - Beloit, KS
WINNER: Daison Pursley (CB Industries #86)
Jul 12: (M) Jefferson County Speedway - Fairbury, NE
WINNER: Justin Grant (RMS Racing #2)
Jul 13: (M) Jefferson County Speedway - Fairbury, NE
WINNER: Ryan Timms (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #67)
Sep 1: Angell Park Speedway - Sun Prairie, WI
WINNER: Zach Wigal (CB Industries #89)
Sep 2: Angell Park Speedway - Sun Prairie, WI
WINNER: Cannon McIntosh (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #71K)
Sep 20: Eldora Speedway - Rossburg, OH
WINNER: Daison Pursley (CB Industries #86)
Sep 21: Eldora Speedway - Rossburg, OH
WINNER: Daison Pursley (CB Industries #86)
Sep 26: The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Speedway, IN
WINNER: Chase McDermand (Chase McDermand #40)
Sep 29: The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Speedway, IN
WINNER: Kale Drake (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #97K)
Sep 29: The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Speedway, IN
WINNER: Cannon McIntosh (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #71K)
Nov 20: Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA
WINNER: Carson Macedo (Dyson Motorsport #99AU)
Nov 24: Merced Speedway - Merced, CA
WINNER: Corey Day (Willie Kahne #4)
Nov 24: Merced Speedway - Merced, CA
WINNER: Kyle Larson (Silva Motorsports #1K)
Nov 27: Bakersfield Speedway - Bakersfield, CA
WINNER: Tanner Thorson (Tom Malloy #25m)
Nov 30: Ventura Raceway - Ventura, CA
WINNER: Corey Day (Willie Kahne #4)
------------------------ KEY DEFINITIONS -------------------------
(I) represents an Indiana Midget Week event
(M) represents a Mid-America Midget Week event
2024 USAC MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER POINT STANDINGS:
POS. PTS. DRIVER, HOMETOWN
1. 1505 Daison Pursley, Locust Grove, Oklahoma
2. 1446 Cannon McIntosh, Bixby, Oklahoma
3. 1355 Logan Seavey, Sutter, California
4. 1311 Ryan Timms, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
5. 1283 Jacob Denney, Galloway, Ohio
6. 1256 Zach Daum, Pocahontas, Illinois
7. 1210 Justin Grant, Ione, California
8. 1176 Gavin Miller, Allentown, Pennsylvania
9. 1085 (R) Zach Wigal, Belpre, Ohio
10. 1063 (R) Kale Drake, Collinsville, Oklahoma
11. 718 Jade Avedisian, Clovis, California
12. 664 Kyle Jones, Kennedale, Texas
13. 595 Kevin Thomas Jr., Cullman, Alabama
14. 575 Jake Andreotti, Castro Valley, California
15. 476 Hayden Reinbold, Gilbert, Arizona
16. 420 Ethan Mitchell, Mooresville, North Carolina
17. 412 Jerry Coons Jr., Tucson, Arizona
18. 397 Thomas Meseraull, San Jose, California
19. 277 (R) Ricky Lewis, Camarillo, California
20. 253 Kyle Cummins, Princeton, Indiana
21. 191 (R) Curtis Spicer, Marysville, Kansas
22. 176 Daniel Whitley, Ferndale, California
23. 168 (R) Hank Davis, Sand Springs, Oklahoma
24. 159 (R) Adam Taylor, Wheatfield, Indiana
25. 158 (R) Ashton Torgerson, Glendale, Arizona
26. 140 Kaylee Bryson, Muskogee, Oklahoma
27. 114 C.J. Leary, Greenfield, Indiana
28. 105 (R) Steven Snyder Jr., Rising Sun, Maryland
29. 100 (R) Kayla Roell, Dillsboro, Indiana
30. 60 (R) Gunnar Setser, Columbus, Indiana
31. 59 (R) Blake Brannon, Morgan Hill, California
32. 54 (R) Broedy Graham, Bakersfield, California
33. 44 (R) Adam Bolyard, Rushville, Indiana
34. 41 Matt Westfall, Pleasant Hill, Ohio
35. 23 (R) Kenney Johnson, Bethany, Connecticut
(R) = USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Rookie of the Year Contender
2024 USAC MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRANT POINT STANDINGS:
POS. PTS. ENTRANT, TEAM LOCATION
1. 1505 CB Industries, Mooresville, North Carolina (#86)
2. 1446 Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports , Columbus, Indiana (#71K)
3. 1355 Abacus Racing, Indianapolis, Indiana (#57)
4. 1311 Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports , Columbus, Indiana (#67)
5. 1283 Tom Malloy, Corona, California (#25)
6. 1210 RMS Racing, New Lenox, Illinois (#2)
7. 1176 Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports , Columbus, Indiana (#97)
8. 1085 CB Industries, Mooresville, North Carolina (#89)
9. 1063 Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports , Columbus, Indiana (#97K)
10. 1018 Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports , Columbus, Indiana (#71)
11. 782 4 Kings Racing, Battle Creek, Michigan (#14)
12. 723 Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports , Columbus, Indiana (#67K)
13. 664 Joyner Motorsports, Concordia, Kansas (#27x)
14. 661 RAMCO Speed Group, Fort Worth, Texas (#5d)
15. 476 Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports, Gilbert, Arizona (#19AZ)
16. 420 Bundy Built Motorsports, Mooresville, North Carolina (#19m)
17. 412 Central Motorsports, Edmond, Oklahoma (#85)
18. 403 4 Kings Racing, Battle Creek, Michigan (#54)
19. 397 Tim Engler, Princeton, Indiana (#7x)
20. 288 Mounce-Stout Motorsports, Collinsville, Oklahoma (#54)
21. 271 Mounce-Stout Motorsports, Collinsville, Oklahoma (#9)
22. 253 Glenn Styres Racing, Ohsweken, Ontario (#3G)
23. 233 Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, Columbus, Indiana (#25K)
24. 191 Spicer RaceCraft, Marysville, Kansas (#4s)
25. 187 RAMCO Speed Group, Fort Worth, Texas (#7m)
26. 177 Cornell Racing Stables, Monee, Illinois (#8)
27. 159 Adam Taylor Racing, Wheatfield, Indiana (#7T)
28. 59 Blake Brannon Racing, Morgan Hill, California (#40)
29. 44 Joyner Motorsports, Concordia, Kansas (#27)
30. 44 Adam Bolyard Racing, Arlington, Indiana (#4B)
31. 23 Jeff Johnson, Bethany, Connecticut (#46)
2024 USAC MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ROOKIE DRIVER POINT STANDINGS:
POS. PTS. DRIVER, HOMETOWN
1. 1085 Zach Wigal, Belpre, Ohio
2. 1063 Kale Drake, Collinsville, Oklahoma
3. 277 Ricky Lewis, Camarillo, California
4. 191 Curtis Spicer, Marysville, Kansas
5. 168 Hank Davis, Sand Springs, Oklahoma
6. 159 Adam Taylor, Wheatfield, Indiana
7. 158 Ashton Torgerson, Glendale, Arizona
8. 105 Steven Snyder Jr., Rising Sun, Maryland
9. 100 Kayla Roell, Dillsboro, Indiana
10. 60 Gunnar Setser, Columbus, Indiana
11. 59 Blake Brannon, Morgan Hill, California
12. 54 Broedy Graham, Bakersfield, California
13. 44 Adam Bolyard, Rushville, Indiana
14. 23 Kenney Johnson, Bethany, Connecticut
2024 USAC MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP STATISTICS
FEATURE WINS
7-Daison Pursley (May 18 at the Belleville Short Track, Jun 7 at Bloomington
Speedway, Jun 9 at Kokomo Speedway, Jul 9 at Red Dirt Raceway, Jul 10 at the
Mitchell County Fairgrounds, Sep 20 at Eldora Speedway & Sep 21 at Eldora
Speedway)
3-Cannon McIntosh (May 17 at the Belleville Short Track, Sep 2 at Angell Park
Speedway & Sep 29 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway)
2-Corey Day (Nov 24 at Merced Speedway & Nov 30 at Ventura Raceway)
2-Logan Seavey (May 19 at Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex & Jun 8 at
Tri-State Speedway)
2-Ryan Timms (Jun 5 at Lawrenceburg Speedway & Jul 13 at Jefferson County
Speedway)
1-Emerson Axsom (Jun 6 at Lincoln Park Speedway)
1-Kale Drake (Sep 29 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway)
1-Justin Grant (Jul 12 at Jefferson County Speedway)
1-Kyle Larson (Nov 24 at Merced Speedway)
1-Carson Macedo (Nov 20 at Thunderbowl Raceway)
1-Chase McDermand (Sep 26 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway)
1-Tanner Thorson (Nov 27 at Bakersfield Speedway)
1-Zach Wigal (Sep 1 at Angell Park Speedway)
FEATURE LAPS LED
87-Daison Pursley
70-Ryan Timms
69-Cannon McIntosh
64-Jacob Denney
58-Kale Drake
54-Carson Macedo
53-Justin Grant
51-Chase McDermand
45-Zach Wigal
40-Logan Seavey
30-Emerson Axsom & Tanner Thorson
24-Buddy Kofoid & Michael Pickens
22-Thomas Meseraull
21-Corey Day
18-Kyle Cummins
17-Kyle Larson
15-Jade Avedisian
7-Jake Andreotti & Zach Daum
6-Gavin Miller
3-Ashton Torgerson
1-Kyle Jones & Kevin Thomas Jr.
TOP-5 FEATURE FINISHES
16-Daison Pursley
15-Cannon McIntosh
11-Logan Seavey
10-Ryan Timms
8-Zach Daum & Jacob Denney
6-Justin Grant
5-Gavin Miller
4-Jade Avedisian
3-Corey Day, Kale Drake, Buddy Kofoid, Carson Macedo, Kevin Thomas Jr. & Zach
Wigal
2-Emerson Axsom, Jerry Coons Jr., Kyle Larson, Chase McDermand, Thomas
Meseraull & Tanner Thorson
1-Kyle Cummins, Kyle Jones, Michael Pickens, Taylor Reimer, Hayden Reinbold,
Karter Sarff & Chris Windom
TOP-10 FEATURE FINISHES
20-Cannon McIntosh
18-Daison Pursley & Logan Seavey
17-Jacob Denney & Ryan Timms
16-Zach Daum & Justin Grant
15-Gavin Miller
11-Kale Drake
9-Zach Wigal
8-Jade Avedisian
6-Chase McDermand & Kevin Thomas Jr.
5-Kyle Jones
4-Jerry Coons Jr., Buddy Kofoid & Tanner Thorson
3-Jake Andreotti, Kyle Cummins, Corey Day, Carson Macedo, Thomas Meseraull &
Ethan Mitchell
2-Emerson Axsom, Tanner Carrick, Kyle Larson, Taylor Reimer, Hayden Reinbold,
Karter Sarff, Ashton Torgerson & Chris Windom
1-Kaylee Bryson, Shane Cottle, Briggs Danner, Mitchell Davis, Drake Edwards,
Tyler Edwards, Kameron Key, Cade Lewis, Michael Pickens, Jadon Rogers, Jake
Swanson & Gary Taylor
HONEST ABE ROOFING FAST QUALIFYING TIMES
4-Logan Seavey
3-Daison Pursley
2-Zach Wigal
1-Tanner Carrick, Jacob Denney, Justin Grant, Kyle Jones, Carson Macedo,
Chase McDermand, Ethan Mitchell, Karter Sarff & Ryan Timms
2024 USAC NATIONAL MIDGET FAST QUALIFIERS
May 17: Belleville Short Track – Justin Grant (12.018)
May 18: Belleville Short Track – Ethan Mitchell (12.462)
May 19: Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex – Logan Seavey (11.474)
Jun 5: Lawrenceburg Speedway - Zach Wigal (14.578)
Jun 6: Lincoln Park Speedway - Daison Pursley (12.705)
Jun 7: Bloomington Speedway - Chase McDermand (12.143)
Jun 8: Tri-State Speedway - Daison Pursley (13.551)
Jun 9: Kokomo Speedway - Logan Seavey (13.318)
Jul 9: Red Dirt Raceway – Ryan Timms (13.032)
Jul 10: Mitchell County Fairgrounds – Zach Wigal (12.311)
Jul 11: Jefferson County Speedway – Kyle Jones (10.899)
Sep 1: Angell Park Speedway – Logan Seavey (14.427)
Sep 2: Angell Park Speedway – Daison Pursley (14.617)
Sep 20: Eldora Speedway – Logan Seavey (16.708)
Nov 20: Thunderbowl Raceway – Tanner Carrick (15.344)
Nov 24: Merced Speedway – Karter Sarff (11.993)
Nov 27: Bakersfield Speedway – Carson Macedo (12.380)
Nov 30: Ventura Raceway – Jacob Denney (12.072)
HEAT RACE / QUALIFYING RACE WINS: (Presented by Simpson Race Products, Rod
End Supply, T.J. Forged & Car IQ)
11-Daison Pursley
7-Logan Seavey
6-Zach Daum & Ryan Timms
4-Jake Andreotti, Jacob Denney, Kale Drake, Justin Grant, Cannon McIntosh &
Gavin Miller
3-Kevin Thomas Jr. & Zach Wigal
2-Jade Avedisian, Emerson Axsom, Jerry Coons Jr., Kyle Jones & Chase
McDermand
1-Brady Bacon, Kaylee Bryson, Trevor Cline, Shane Cottle, Tyler Courtney,
Kyle Cummins, Alex Karpowicz, Buddy Kofoid, Cade Lewis, Kaiden Manders, Caden
Sarale, Tanner Thorson, Daniel Whitley & J.J. Yeley
SEMI WINS: (Presented by Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts)
2-Chase McDermand
1-Jake Bubak, Jerry Coons Jr., Tyler Courtney, Jacob Denney, Tyler Edwards,
Drake Edwards, Justin Grant, Frankie Guerrini, Kaiden Manders, Hayden Reinbold,
Adam Taylor, Zach Wigal & Trey Zorn
FEATURE STARTS
23-Zach Daum, Jacob Denney, Kale Drake, Justin Grant, Cannon McIntosh, Gavin
Miller, Daison Pursley, Logan Seavey, Ryan Timms & Zach Wigal
16-Kyle Jones
15-Jake Andreotti & Jade Avedisian
13-Kevin Thomas Jr.
12-Chase McDermand, Ethan Mitchell & Hayden Reinbold
11-Drake Edwards
10-Thomas Meseraull
9-Emerson Axsom & Ricky Lewis
8-Jerry Coons Jr.
7-Curtis Spicer
6-Daniel Whitley
5-Kyle Cummins, Hank Davis, Corey Day, Buddy Kofoid, Michael Pickens, Taylor
Reimer, Tanner Thorson & Austin Torgerson
4-Kaylee Bryson, Tyler Courtney, Frankie Guerrini, Kyle Larson, Carson
Macedo, Karter Sarff & Trey Zorn
3-Lance Bennett, Steve Buckwalter, Briggs Danner, Ronnie Gardner, C.J. Leary,
Zack Merritt, Kayla Roell, Steven Snyder Jr., Adam Taylor & Ashton Torgerson
2-Will Armitage, Jakeb Boxell, Jake Bubak, Tanner Carrick, Shane Cottle, Dane
Culver, Mitchell Davis, Don Droud Jr., Mariah Ede, Tyler Edwards, Broedy Graham,
Rylan Gray, Luke Hall, Sam Johnson, Alex Karpowicz, Kameron Key, Cade Lewis,
Kaiden Manders, Mitchel Moles, Ashley Oerter, Caden Sarale, Brian Schwabauer,
Michael Smith, Jeff Stasa, Gary Taylor, Cameron Weishoff & Chris Windom
1-Brady Bacon, Chris Baue, Cody Beard, Adam Bolyard, Blake Brannon, Trevor
Cline, Andrew Deal, Travis DeGaton, Broc Elliott, Bradley Fezard, Brody Fuson,
Dalten Gabbard, Matt Goodnight, Kenney Johnson, Bryce Massingill, Jacob
McFarlin, Joel Myers Jr., Darin Naida, Kevin Newton, Keith Rauch, Davey Ray,
Branigan Roark, Jadon Rogers, Jeff Schindler, Gunnar Setser, Shaun Shapel, Bryan
Stanfill, Glenn Styres, Jake Swanson, Ricky Thornton Jr., Brandt Twitty, Brandon
Waelti, Matt Westfall & J.J. Yeley
HARD CHARGER OF THE RACE
May 17: Belleville Short Track – Logan Seavey (23rd to 8th)
May 18: Belleville Short Track – Zach Wigal (23rd to 13th)
May 19: Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex – Ryan Timms (11th to 2nd)
Jun 5: Lawrenceburg Speedway - Justin Grant (18th to 6th)
Jun 6: Lincoln Park Speedway - Gavin Miller (16th to 10th)
Jun 7: Bloomington Speedway - Cannon McIntosh (13th to 6th)
Jun 8: Tri-State Speedway - Cannon McIntosh (23rd to 11th)
Jun 9: Kokomo Speedway - Gavin Miller (23rd to 7th)
Jul 9: Red Dirt Raceway – Jerry Coons Jr. (21st to 8th)
Jul 10: Mitchell County Fairgrounds – Gavin Miller (16th to 7th)
Jul 11: Jefferson County Speedway – Jade Avedisian (20th to 5th)
Jul 12: Jefferson County Speedway – Zach Daum (13th to 2nd)
Sep 1: Angell Park Speedway – Frankie Guerrini (22nd to 14th)
Sep 2: Angell Park Speedway – Logan Seavey (22nd to 7th)
Sep 20: Eldora Speedway – Daison Pursley (7th to 1st)
Sep 21: Eldora Speedway – Ryan Timms (20th to 2nd)
Sep 26: The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Cannon McIntosh (8th
to 2nd)
Sep 29: The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Ethan Mitchell (18th
to 7th)
Sep 29: The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Kameron Key (24th to
9th)
Nov 20: Thunderbowl Raceway – Dane Culver (24th to 15th)
Nov 24: Merced Speedway – Kyle Larson (14th to 4th)
Nov 24: Merced Speedway – Zach Wigal (16th to 8th)
Nov 27: Bakersfield Speedway – Jacob Denney (14th to 7th)
Nov 30: Ventura Raceway – Tanner Carrick (19th to 10th)
DIRT DRAFT FASTEST HOT LAPS DRIVER
May 17: Belleville Short Track – Kale Drake (11.983)
May 18: Belleville Short Track – Ethan Mitchell (12.731)
May 19: Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex – Kevin Thomas Jr. (11.755)
Jun 5: Lawrenceburg Speedway - Zach Daum (14.661)
Jun 6: Lincoln Park Speedway - Daison Pursley (12.666)
Jun 7: Bloomington Speedway - Kyle Cummins (12.093)
Jun 8: Tri-State Speedway - Jake Andreotti (13.502)
Jun 9: Kokomo Speedway - Daison Pursley (13.083)
Jul 9: Red Dirt Raceway – Ryan Timms (12.775)
Jul 10: Mitchell County Fairgrounds – Daison Pursley (12.253)
Jul 11: Jefferson County Speedway – Jerry Coons Jr. (11.113)
Jul 12: Jefferson County Speedway – Ryan Timms (11.290)
Sep 1: Angell Park Speedway – Zach Wigal (14.604)
Sep 2: Angell Park Speedway – Daniel Whitley (14.925)
Sep 20: Eldora Speedway – Gavin Miller (16.764)
Sep 26: The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Daison Pursley
(11.930)
Sep 29: The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Zach Wigal (12.035)
Sep 29: The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Jacob Denney (12.302)
Nov 20: Thunderbowl Raceway – Daison Pursley (15.589)
Nov 24: Merced Speedway – Ryan Timms (12.130)
Nov 27: Bakersfield Speedway – Carson Macedo (12.669)
Nov 30: Ventura Raceway – Jacob Denney (12.204)
2024 USAC INFERNO ARMOR FIRE MOVE OF THE NIGHT
Jun 5: Lawrenceburg Speedway - Hayden Reinbold
Jun 6: Lincoln Park Speedway - Jade Avedisian
Jun 7: Bloomington Speedway - Logan Seavey
Jun 8: Tri-State Speedway - Adam Taylor
Jun 9: Kokomo Speedway - Michael Pickens
Jul 9: Red Dirt Raceway – Zach Daum
Jul 10: Mitchell County Fairgrounds – Thomas Meseraull
Jul 11: Jefferson County Speedway – Jade Avedisian
Jul 12: Jefferson County Speedway – Zach Daum
Sep 1: Angell Park Speedway – Zach Wigal
Sep 2: Angell Park Speedway – Logan Seavey
Sep 20: Eldora Speedway – Zach Daum
Sep 21: Eldora Speedway – Chris Windom
Sep 26: The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Daison Pursley
Sep 29: The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Alex Karpowicz
Sep 29: The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Jade Avedisian
Nov 20: Thunderbowl Raceway – Corey Day
Nov 24: Merced Speedway – Karter Sarff
Nov 24: Merced Speedway – Buddy Kofoid
Nov 27: Bakersfield Speedway – Zach Daum
Nov 30: Ventura Raceway – Dalten Gabbard
ALL-TIME USAC MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FEATURE WINS (1956-2024)
1. [111 wins] Mel Kenyon
2. [95 wins] Rich Vogler
3. [78 wins] Bob Wente
4. [63 wins] Bob Tattersall
5. [59 wins] Sleepy Tripp
6. [48 wins] Jimmy Davies
7. [38 wins] Bryan Clauson
8. [35 wins] Tracy Hines
9. [31 wins] Gene Hartley & Chuck Rodee
11. [30 wins] Dave Darland, Mike McGreevy, Johnny Parsons & Tanner Thorson
15. [29 wins] Kyle Larson
16. [27 wins] Gary Bettenhausen & Tony Stewart
18. [25 wins] Darren Hagen, Parnelli Jones & Dave Strickland
21. [24 wins] Billy Engelhart & Buddy Kofoid
23. [23 wins] Christopher Bell, Pancho Carter, Tommy Copp, Kevin Olson &
Billy Vukovich
28. [22 wins] Tom Bigelow, Bobby East & Shorty Templeman
31. [21 wins] Steve Cannon, Jimmy Caruthers, Rex Easton & Ken Schrader
35. [20 wins] A.J. Foyt
36. [19 wins] Jerry Coons Jr., Tyler Courtney, Stan Fox & Jason Leffler
40. [18 wins] Logan Seavey & Dave Steele
42. [17 wins] Jay Drake, Justin Grant & J.J. Yeley
45. [16 wins] Rico Abreu, George Amick, Billy Cantrell, Lee Kunzman, Bobby
Olivero & Henry Pens
51. [15 wins] Don Branson, Larry Rice & Chris Windom
54. [14 wins] Chuck Arnold, Jack Turner & Leroy Warriner
57. [13 wins] Steve Knepper, Don Meacham, Ryan Newman & Stevie Reeves
61. [12 wins] Danny Caruthers, Gene Force, Russ Gamester, Jeff Gordon, Bobby
Grim & Ron Shuman
67. [11 wins] Kasey Kahne, Jimmy Knight, Bob McLean, Johnny Moorhouse, Bobby
Santos & Brad Sweet
73. [10 wins] Allen Heath, Doug Kalitta, Brad Kuhn, Steve Lotshaw, Jerry
McClung, Thomas Meseraull & Chuck Weyant
80. [9 wins] Billy Boat, Chad Boat, Tony Elliott, Chuck Gurney, Cannon
McIntosh & Daison Pursley
86. [8 wins] Brady Bacon, Merle Bettenhausen, Tony Bettenhausen, Hank
Butcher, Kevin Doty, Dan Drinan, Ronnie Duman, Brian Gerster, Kenny Irwin Jr.,
Eddie Johnson, Michael Lewis, Andy Michner & Josh Wise
99. [7 wins] Tommy Astone, Jack Hewitt, Don Horvath, Page Jones, Kenneth
Nichols, Larry Patton, Les Scott, Len Sutton, Ryan Timms & Johnnie Tolan
109. [6 wins] Spencer Bayston, Donnie Beechler, George Benson, Dana Carter,
Bob Cicconi, Robby Flock, Nick Fornoro Jr., Arnie Knepper, Ricky Shelton, Mike
Streicher, Dave Strickland Jr., Kevin Thomas Jr. & Roger West
122. [5 wins] Mike Bliss, Lonnie Caruthers, Larry Dickson, Mike Fedorcak,
Burt Foland, Mack McClellan, Danny McKnight, Cliff Spalding, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
& Jerry Weeks
132. [4 wins] Caleb Armstrong, Teddy Beach, Johnny Boyd, Frank Burany, Russ
Congdon, Zach Daum, Ray Elliott, Aaron Fike, Danny Frye, Billy Garrett, Mike
Gregg, Jim Hettinger, John Heydenreich, Bubby Jones, Levi Jones, Andy Linden,
Bobby Marshman, Roger McCluskey, Bill Mehner, Ken Nichols, Jeff Nuckles, Jan
Opperman, Michael Pickens, Gary Ponzini, Davey Ray, Eddie Sachs, Don Schilling,
Sammy Sessions, George Snider, Dale Swaim, Kevin Swindell, Rodger Ward & Zeb
Wise
165. [3 wins] Emerson Axsom, John Batts, Gays Biro, Shane Cottle, Allen
Crowe, Corey Day, Jacob Denney, Bruce Field, A.J. Fike, Drew Fornoro, Gene
Gennetten, Rick Goudy, Bob Hare, Bob Hauck, Jeff Heywood, Bill Homeier, Sam
Isenhower, Jim Keeker, Jim McClean, Warren Mockler, Mitchel Moles, Dave Moses,
Earl Motter, Jerry Nuckles, Danny Oakes, Johnnie Parsons, Porky Rachwitz, Johnny
Riva, Johnny Roberts, Lowell Sachs, Billy Shuman, Tom Steiner, Bobby Unser &
Billy Wease
199. [2 wins] Al Alpern, Sonny Ates, Johnny Baldwin, Jim Beckley, Dean
Billings, Alan Brown, Jack Calabrase, Tanner Carrick, Johnny Cofer, Mel Cornett,
Cotton Farmer, Terry Farrar, Joe Garson, Chuck Gurney Jr., Kyle Hamilton, Bob
Hogle, Rick Hood, P.J. Jones, Carson Macedo, Critter Malone, Jimmy McCune, Jason
McDougal, Aaron Pollock, Barry Reed, Lloyd Ruby, Joe Saldana, Tom Sellberg, Tony
Simon, Danny Stratton, Kody Swanson, Steve Troxell, Don Vogler, Bruce Walkup,
Terry Wente, Johnny White, Tommy White & Cole Whitt
236. [1 win] John Andretti, Mario Andretti, Mike Appio, Dick Atkins, Paul
Bates, Harry Beck, Bud Bogard, Tony Bonadies, Dan Boorse, Don Boorse, Dwight
Brown, Steve Buckwalter, Barry Butterworth, Gary Byers, Larry Cannon, Tyce
Carlson, Ed Carpenter, Dane Carter, Billy Cassella, Bill Chennault, Bill
Clemons, Roy Cook Jr., Kyle Cummins, Kale Drake, Ryan Durst, Edgar Elder, Todd
Forbes, Joe Gaerte, Bradley Galedrige, Steve Gennetten, Elmer George, Potsy
Goacher, Shane Golobic, David Gough, Ron Gregory, Norm Hall, Bob Harkey, Vern
Harriman, Scott Hatton, Al Herman, Jordan Hermansader, Mike Hess, Jim Hines, Ted
Hines, Shane Hmiel, Dean Holden, Blake Hollingsworth, Chuck Hulse, Buddy Irwin,
Eddie Jackson, Van Johnson, Brent Kaeding, Bud Kaeding, Jimmy Kirk, Kevin Koch,
Randy Koch, Bill Kollman, Cory Kruseman, Michael Lang, Greg Leffler, Larry
McCloskey, Chase McDermand, Jim McElreath, Mel McGaughy, John Meyers, Gavin
Miller, J.R. Miller, Travis Miniea, Russ Moynagh, Richard Myhre, Dick Northam,
Hank Nykaza, Brian Olson, Danny O'Neill, Jim Packard, Wally Pankratz, Forrest
Parker, Gene Pastor, Gary Patterson, Danny Pens, Jiggs Peters, Dick Pole,
Richard Powell, Buddy Rackley, Keith Rauch, Dave Ray, Jimmy Reece, Bob Richards,
Bruce Robey, Johnny Rodriguez, Gene Roehl, Jack Runyon, Sammy Sauer, Gio Scelzi,
Dutch Schaefer, Ryan Scott, Frank Secrist, Jimmy Sills, Jigger Sirois, Lee
Smith, Ron Smoker, Ned Spath, J.P. Standley, Graham Standring, Jerry Stone,
Tanner Swanson, Buddy Taylor, Tyler Thomas, Randy Tolsma, Leo Tucker, Bob Veith,
Joe Walter, Bryant Wiedeman, Zach Wigal, Eric Wilkins, Mauri Wilson, Doug
Wolfgang & Billy Wood
ALL-TIME USAC MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FAST QUALIFYING TIMES (1956-2024)
1. (94) Mel Kenyon
2. (84) Rich Vogler
3. (77) Jimmy Davies
4. (74) Bob Wente
5. (45) Mike McGreevy
6. (38) Tracy Hines & Bob Tattersall
8. (37) Dave Strickland
9. (36) Johnny Parsons
10. (33) Chuck Rodee
11. (29) Tommy Astone & Jimmy Caruthers
13. (28) Kevin Olson
14. (27) Parnelli Jones
15. (26) Jason Leffler & Tanner Thorson
17. (25) Gary Bettenhausen
18. (24) Gene Hartley
19. (22) Don Branson, Stan Fox & Shorty Templeman
22. (21) Tony Stewart
23. (20) Bryan Clauson, Dan Drinan, Bobby East, Bobby Grim & Kyle Larson
28. (19) Jay Drake & Logan Seavey
30. (17) Dave Steele & Mike Streicher
32. (16) Rico Abreu, Billy Engelhart, Darren Hagen, Steve Lotshaw & Bobby
Olivero
37. (15) George Benson, Tom Bigelow, Billy Cantrell, Tyler Courtney & Les
Scott
42. (14) Jerry Coons Jr., Dave Darland, Jeff Gordon, Kenny Irwin Jr. & Bob
McLean
47. (13) Jimmy Knight & J.J. Yeley
49. (12) Don Meacham, Larry Rice & Josh Wise
52. (11) Brady Bacon, Danny Caruthers, Lonnie Caruthers, Russ Congdon, Tommy
Copp, Cannon McIntosh, Ryan Newman, Ken Schrader, Len Sutton, Brad Sweet, Sleepy
Tripp & Billy Vukovich
64. (10) George Amick, Pancho Carter & Allen Crowe
67. (9) A.J. Foyt, Justin Grant, Doug Kalitta, Larry Patton, Stevie Reeves,
Dave Strickland Jr., Kevin Thomas Jr. & Jerry Weeks
75. (8) Spencer Bayston, Christopher Bell, Dana Carter, Rex Easton, Russ
Gamester, Don Horvath, Kasey Kahne, Sammy Sessions, George Snider, Jack Turner &
Leroy Warriner
86. (7) Jade Avedisian, Mike Bliss, Ray Elliott, Allen Heath, Andy Michner,
Henry Pens, Lowell Sachs & Kody Swanson
94. (6) Chad Boat, Burt Foland, Brian Gerster, Mike Gregg, Kyle Hamilton,
Buddy Kofoid, Lee Kunzman, Jerry McClung, Bill Mehner, Daison Pursley, Ron
Shuman, Jimmy Sills, Don Vogler, Chris Windom & Billy Wood
109. (5) Merle Bettenhausen, Billy Boat, Gary Byers, Steve Cannon, Kevin
Doty, Ronnie Duman, Aaron Fike, Shane Golobic, Rick Goudy, Jeff Heywood, Eddie
Johnson, Steve Knepper, Brad Kuhn, Andy Linden, Ethan Mitchell, Bobby Santos,
Chris Shultz, Billy Shuman, Chuck Weyant & Mauri Wilson
129. (4) Johnny W. Anderson, Caleb Armstrong, Sonny Ates, Tanner Carrick,
Dane Carter, Joe Corrigan, Ray Crawford, Zach Daum, Mike Fedorcak, Robby Flock,
Joe Garson, Chuck Gurney, Jim Hettinger, Arnie Knepper, Chuck Marshall, Danny
McKnight, Mitchel Moles, Jeff Nuckles, Danny Oakes, Gary Ponzini, Richard
Powell, Porky Rachwitz, Taylor Reimer, Eddie Sachs, Ricky Shelton, Tom Steiner,
Bruce Walkup, Rodger Ward, Roger West & Zeb Wise
159. (3) Don "Spyder" Anderson, Harry Beck, Donnie Beechler, Tony
Bettenhausen, Dwight Brown, Steve Buckwalter, Hank Butcher, Jack Calabrase, Cole
Carter, Bob Cicconi, Mario Clouser, Larry Dickson, Tony Elliott, Bruce Field,
A.J. Fike, Gene Force, Danny Frye, Bob Hare, Ted Hines, P.J. Jones, Greg
Leffler, Carson Macedo, Grier Manning, Mack McClellan, Roger McCluskey, Thomas
Meseraull, Johnny Moorhouse, Kenneth Nichols, Jerry Nuckles, Tim Pangborn,
Forrest Parker, Johnnie Parsons, Johnny Roberts, Randy Roberts, Don Schilling,
Dale Swaim, Ryan Timms, Johnnie Tolan & Dillon Welch
198. (2) Sherman Armstrong Jr., Jack Bates, Gays Biro, Art Bisch, Dan Boorse,
Kaylee Bryson, Bill Chennault, Paul Clark, Bob Cortner, Chris Cumberworth, Bob
Davison, Corey Day, Jacob Denney, Edgar Elder, Todd Forbes, Nick Fornoro Jr.,
Gene Gennetten, Elmer George, Joe Giba, Ron Gregory, Ted Hartley, Mike Hess, Jim
Hines, Shane Hmiel, Eddie Jackson, Bubby Jones, Dick Jones, Page Jones, Ronnie
Kaplan, Johnny Kay, Walt Kennedy, Michael Lewis, Brad Loyet, Jim Mahoney, Jim
McClean, Sarah McCune, Warren Mockler, Earl Motter, Ken Nichols, Hank Nykaza,
Steve Paden, Danny Pens, Michael Pickens, Parker Price-Miller, Levi Roberts,
Johnny Rodriguez, Lloyd Ruby, Joe Saldana, Sammy Sauer, Ryan Scott, Tom
Sellberg, Jigger Sirois, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Danny Stratton, Russ Sweedler,
Buddy Taylor, George Tichenor, Bud Tingelstad, Steve Troxell, Bobby Unser, Billy
Wease, Ken Weiland, Cole Whitt, Zach Wigal & Carl Williams
263. (1) Bobby Allen, Al Alpern, Chuck Amati, John Andretti, Cap Arnold,
Chuck Arnold, Dick Atkins, Tony Ave, Emerson Axsom, Steve Barth, Dave Bartlett,
Todd Barton, John Batts, Jim Beckley, Daniel Bedford, Dick Betts, Jim Bob
Luebbert, Nick Bohanon, Tony Bonadies, Johnny Boyd, Alex Bright, Bob Burbridge,
Buddy Cagle, Larry Cannon, Roy Caruthers, Billy Cassella, Steve Chassey, Bill
Cheesbourg, Bud Clemons, Johnny Cofer, Maria Cofer, Duke Cook, Jay Cornell,
Chance Crum, A.J. Davis, Duke DeRosa, Danny Ebberts, Bob Ellingham, Dean
Erfurth, Russ Faucett, Sarah Fisher, Dan Ford, Josh Ford, Danny Frye Jr., Jim
Gates, Johnny Gavin, Roy Gillhamer, Roy Graham, Bob Gregg, Mike Groff, Gene
Gurney, Chuck Gurney Jr., Butch Haisman, Davey Hamilton, Garrett Hansen, Bob
Harkey, Alex Harris, Scott Hatton, Jac Haudenschild, Al Henderson, Jordan
Hermansader, Mike Hill, Larry Hillerud, Bob Hogle, Shane Hollingsworth, Bill
Homeier, Rick Hood, Wally Hostettler, Billy Hughes, Jeff Hunt, Tony Hunt, Gary
Irvin, Bob Jesser, Ronnie Johncox, Kyle Jones, Paul Jones, Jack Jordan, Brent
Kaeding, Gary Kanawyer, Jim Keeker, Harry Kern, Jimmy Kirk, Danny Kladis, George
Kladis, Clay Klepper, Kevin Koch, Randy Koch, Bill Kojis, Bill Kollman, Jim
Lauri IV, Buddy Lee, Donnie Lehmann, Bob Lithgow, Ed Loomis, Jesse Love, Dave
Lundy, Jim Malloy, Bobby Marshman, Larry McCloskey, Jimmy McCune, Chase
McDermand, Jason McDougal, Lealand McSpadden, Al Miller, J.R. Miller, Stephanie
Mockler, Davey Moses, Mike Mosley, Brad Noffsinger, Danny O'Neill, Ralph
Parkinson, Gary Patterson, Dick Pole, Bill Puterbaugh, Jon Rahe, Bill Randall,
Chase Randall, Norm Rapp, Keith Rauch, Dickie Reese, Bill Renshaw, Bob Richards,
Bruce Robey, Jack Runyon, Karter Sarff, John Sarna, Gio Scelzi, Chase Scott,
Shane Scully, Roy Seidenstricker, Holly Shelton, Dean Shirley, Tony Simon, C.L.
Smith, Bob Spoo, J.P. Standley, Gig Stephens, Tanner Swanson, Kevin Swindell,
Kevin Thomas, Al Unser, Don Weaver, Terry Wente, Gene Weyant, Johnny White, Newt
White, Bryant Wiedeman, Eric Wilkins & Don Wilson
ALL-TIME USAC NATIONAL MIDGET DRIVER CHAMPIONS
1956: Shorty Templeman, 1957: Shorty Templeman, 1958: Shorty Templeman, 1959:
Gene Hartley, 1960: Jimmy Davies, 1961: Jimmy Davies, 1962: Jimmy Davies, 1963:
Bob Wente, 1964: Mel Kenyon, 1965: Mike McGreevy, 1966: Mike McGreevy, 1967: Mel
Kenyon, 1968: Mel Kenyon, 1969: Bob Tattersall, 1970: Jimmy Caruthers, 1971:
Danny Caruthers, 1972: Pancho Carter, 1973: Larry Rice, 1974: Mel Kenyon, 1975:
Sleepy Tripp, 1976: Sleepy Tripp, 1977: Mel Kenyon, 1978: Rich Vogler, 1979:
Steve Lotshaw, 1980: Rich Vogler, 1981: Mel Kenyon, 1982: Kevin Olson, 1983:
Rich Vogler, 1984: Tom Bigelow, 1985: Mel Kenyon, 1986: Rich Vogler, 1987: Kevin
Olson, 1988: Rich Vogler, 1989: Russ Gamester, 1990: Jeff Gordon, 1991: Mike
Streicher, 1992: Stevie Reeves, 1993: Stevie Reeves, 1994: Tony Stewart, 1995:
Tony Stewart, 1996: Kenny Irwin Jr., 1997: Jason Leffler, 1998: Jason Leffler,
1999: Jason Leffler, 2000: Kasey Kahne, 2001: Dave Darland, 2002: Dave Darland,
2003: J.J. Yeley, 2004: Bobby East, 2005: Josh Wise, 2006: Jerry Coons Jr.,
2007: Jerry Coons Jr., 2008: Cole Whitt, 2009: Brad Kuhn, 2010: Bryan Clauson,
2011: Bryan Clauson, 2012: Darren Hagen, 2013: Christopher Bell, 2014: Rico
Abreu, 2015: Tracy Hines, 2016: Tanner Thorson, 2017: Spencer Bayston, 2018:
Logan Seavey, 2019: Tyler Courtney, 2020: Chris Windom, 2021: Buddy Kofoid,
2022: Buddy Kofoid, 2023: Logan Seavey, 2024: Daison Pursley
ALL-TIME USAC NATIONAL MIDGET ENTRANT CHAMPIONS
1956: Ashley Wright, 1957: Lloyd Rahn, 1958: Lloyd Rahn, 1959: Ray Bolander,
1960: Jimmy Davies, 1961: Howard Linne, 1962: Jimmy Davies, 1963: Robert
Shadday, 1964: Willard Coil, 1965: Mel & Don Kenyon, 1966: Mel & Don Kenyon,
1967: Mel & Don Kenyon, 1968: Mel & Don Kenyon, 1969: Jack Stroud, 1970: Doug
Caruthers, 1971: Doug Caruthers, 1972: Shannon Brothers, 1973: Doug Caruthers,
1974: 3-K Racing Enterprises, 1975: Sleepy Tripp, 1976: Sleepy Tripp, 1977:
Sherman Armstrong, 1978: Doug & Dana Caruthers, 1979: 3-K Racing Enterprises,
1980: 3-K Racing Enterprises, 1981: 3-K Racing Enterprises, 1982: Nick Gojmeric,
1983: Streicher Racing, 1984: Wilke Racing, 1985: 3-K Racing Enterprises, 1986:
Jonathan Byrd, 1987: Jonathan Byrd, 1988: Wilke Racers, 1989: George & Gary
Gamester, 1990: Streicher Racing, 1991: Streicher Racing, 1992: Ralph Potter,
1993: Steve Lewis, 1994: Ralph Potter, 1995: Steve Lewis, 1996: Steve Lewis,
1997: Pete Willoughby, 1998: Steve Lewis, 1999: Steve Lewis, 2000: Steve Lewis,
2001: Steve Lewis, 2002: Steve Lewis, 2003: Steve Lewis, 2004: Steve Lewis,
2005: Wilke-Pak Racers, 2006: Keith Kunz Motorsports, 2007: Wilke-Pak Racers,
2008: Keith Kunz Motorsports, 2009: RW Motorsports, 2010: Corey Tucker
Racing/Keith Kunz Motorsports/BCI, 2011: Corey Tucker Racing/BCI/Curb-Agajanian,
2012: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, 2013: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian
Motorsports, 2014: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, 2015: Keith
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, 2016: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports,
2017: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, 2018: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian
Motorsports, 2019: Clauson Marshall Racing, 2020: Tucker-Boat Motorsports, 2021:
Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, 2022: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian
Motorsports, 2023: Abacus Racing, 2024: CB Industries
ALL-TIME USAC NATIONAL MIDGET ROOKIES OF THE YEAR
1969: Billy Engelhart, 1970: Danny Brown, 1971: Danny Caruthers, 1972: Tommy
Astone, 1973: Mike Gregg, 1974: Richard Powell, 1975: Larry Patton, 1976: James
McElreath, 1977: Lonnie Caruthers, 1978: Tommy Thomas, 1979: Barry Butterworth,
1980: Trevor Boys, 1981: Sherman Armstrong, 1982: Chris Maxson, 1983: John
Andretti, 1984: Russ Gamester, 1985: Bobby Allen, 1986: Steve Enlow, 1987: John
Meyers, 1988: Jim Keeker, 1989: Jeff Gordon, 1990: Dan Ford, 1991: Doug Kalitta,
1992: Brian Gerster, 1993: Chuck Leary, 1994: David Bridges, 1995: Ryan Newman,
1996: Carl Olsen, 1997: Nick Lundgreen, 1998: Michael Lewis, 1999: A.J. Fike,
2000: Aaron Fike, 2001: Bobby East, 2002: Teddy Beach & Ron Gregory, 2003: Ryan
Durst, 2004: Todd Beach, 2005: Darren Hagen, 2006: Bryan Clauson, 2007: Ricky
Stenhouse Jr., 2008: Chad Boat, 2009: Zach Daum, 2010: Daniel Bedford, 2011:
Kyle Larson, 2012: Rico Abreu, 2013: Christopher Bell, 2014: Kevin Thomas Jr.,
2015: Spencer Bayston, 2016: Carson Macedo, 2017: Tanner Carrick, 2018: Logan
Seavey. 2019: Andrew Layser, 2020: Buddy Kofoid, 2021: Chase Randall, 2022:
Mitchel Moles, 2023: Gavin Miller, 2024: Zach Wigal
2024 USAC NATIONAL MIDGET DRIVER & TEAM ROSTER
A
JAKE ANDREOTTI/Castro Valley, CA (Pete Davis #00) & (4 Kings Racing #14)
WILL ARMITAGE/Athens, IL (Fatt Right Foot Racing #83)
JADE AVEDISIAN/Clovis, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #71)
EMERSON AXSOM/Franklin, IN (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #67K)
B
BRADY BACON/Broken Arrow, OK (TKH Motorsports #21H)
CHRIS BAUE/Indianapolis, IN (Bill Baue #36)
CODY BEARD/Huntingburg, IN (Beard Racing #7B)
LANCE BENNETT/Aurora, CO (Cappy Mason #91)
ADAM BOLYARD/Rushville, IN (Adam Bolyard Racing #4)
JAKEB BOXELL/Zanesville, IN (4 Kings Racing #44)
BLAKE BRANNON/Morgan Hill, CA (Brannon Motorsports #40)
KAYLEE BRYSON/Muskogee, OK (Joyner Motorsports #27) & (Abacus Racing #58)
JAKE BUBAK/Arvada, CO (Bourke Motorsports #27B)
STEVE BUCKWALTER/Royersford, PA (Brian Buckwalter #0) & (Brian Buckwalter
#25B)
KYLE BUSCH/Las Vegas, NV (Kyle Busch Motorsports #51B)
C
TANNER CARRICK/Lincoln, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #98)
ROBERT CARSON/Concord, CA (LOK Enterprises #99K)
TREVOR CLINE/Mooresville, NC (Troy Cline #55)
KEVIN COOK/Winchester, IN (Kevin Cook #77)
CALE COONS/Greencastle, IN (Joe Dooling #63)
JERRY COONS JR./Tucson, AZ (Central Motorsports #85)
SHANE COTTLE/Kansas, IL (4 Kings Racing #44)
TYLER COURTNEY/Indianapolis, IN (Silva Motorsports #23c)
DANE CULVER/Riverside, CA (Knuckles Up Racing #50)
KYLE CUMMINS/Princeton, IN (Glenn Styres Racing #3G)
D
BRIGGS DANNER/Allentown, PA (John Schneider #98)
ZACH DAUM/Pocahontas, IL (RAMCO Speed Group-Daum Motorsports #5d), (RAMCO
Speed Group #7m), (RAMCO Speed Group #7p), (Trifecta Motorsports #7u), (Royal
Power Sports #16), (Pat O'Dell #17) & (Beilman Motorsports #31B)
HANK DAVIS/Sand Springs, OK (Bob Chandler #00), (Cornell Racing Stables #8) &
(John LeVecque #60x)
MITCHELL DAVIS/Auburn, IL (Pat O'Dell #56)
COREY DAY/Clovis, CA (Wille Kahne #4)
ANDREW DEAL/Caney, KS (Mike Deal #15D)
TRAVIS DeGATON/Sacramento, CA (Troy DeGaton #39T)
TROY DeGATON/Wickenburg, AZ (Troy DeGaton #39T)
JACOB DENNEY/Galloway, OH (Tom Malloy #25)
JUSTIN DICKERSON/Pittsboro, IN (Mike Dickerson #21D)
DEVON DOBIE/Wapakoneta, OH (Dennis Dobie #23)
KALE DRAKE/Collinsville, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #97K)
NICK DRAKE/Mooresville, NC (Troy Cline #55D)
BRYAN DROLLINGER/San Pedro, CA (Drollinger Bros. Racing #71D)
DON DROUD JR./Lincoln, NE (Mark Burch #22T)
TOM DUNKEL/Menifee, CA (Josh Ford Motorsports #17A)
E
MARIAH EDE/Fresno, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #67K) & (Keith
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #71E)
DRAKE EDWARDS/Peoria, AZ (Petty Performance Racing #3p)
TYLER EDWARDS/Salina, OK (Mounce-Stout Motorsports #14s)
BROC ELLIOTT/California, MO (Broc Elliott #0)
F
MICHAEL FACCINTO/Hanford, CA (Graunstadt-Streeter Racing #14)
ANDREW FELKER/Carl Junction, MO (Cooper & Hudson Felker #11A)
BRADLEY FEZARD/Bonnerdale, AR (V & H Racing #938)
BRODY FUSON/Bakersfield, CA (Rusty Carlile #51)
G
DALTEN GABBARD/Peoria, AZ (Dalten Gabbard #77)
RONNIE GARDNER/Corona, CA (Six8 Motorsports #68)
TY GIBBS/Charlotte, NC (CB Industries #81)
MATT GOODNIGHT/Winchester, IN (Kyle Simon #23)
WESTON GORHAM/Colleyville, TX (Mike Dickerson #18N)
BROEDY GRAHAM/Bakersfield, CA (BGR Racing #66)
JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (RMS Racing #2)
RYLAN GRAY/Greenfield, IN (RMS Racing #87)
FRANKIE GUERRINI/San Rafael, CA (Cornell Racing Stables #8) & (F & F Racing
#63)
H
LUKE HALL/Ludlow Falls, OH (Kyle Heitmeyer #74)
KYLE HAWSE/Las Vegas, NV (Hawse Racing #20x)
TODD HAWSE/Simi Valley, CA (Todd Hawse #18)
TODD HOBSON/Clyde, VIC (Griffiths Motorsports #75) & (Griffiths Motorsport
#75AU)
ABBY HOHLBEIN/Cloverdale, OH (Joyner Motorsports #27) & (Lambert Motorsports
#55)
J
KENNEY JOHNSON/Bethany, CT (Jeff Johnson #46)
SAM JOHNSON/St. Peters, MO (Joe Johnson #72J)
KYLE JONES/Kennedale, TX (Joyner Motorsports #27x)
K
ALEX KARPOWICZ/Spring Branch, TX (Mounce-Stout Motorsports #19)
KAMERON KEY/Warrensburg, MO (TKH Motorsports #21J)
JOHN KLABUNDE/Fort Calhoun, NE (John Klabunde #77)
BUDDY KOFOID/Penngrove, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #71)
L
CAMERON LA ROSE/Phoenix, AZ (Petty Performance Racing #3J)
KYLE LARSON/Elk Grove, CA (Silva Motorsports #1K)
C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Dennis Hart #15) & (4 Kings Racing #54)
CADE LEWIS/Bakersfield, CA (Dean Alexander #101)
RICKY LEWIS/Camarillo, CA (4 Kings Racing #4) & (4 Kings Racing #54)
M
CARSON MACEDO/Lemoore, CA (Dyson Motorsport #99AU)
KAIDEN MANDERS/Perth, WAU (RAMCO Speed Group #7m)
BRYCE MASSINGILL/Troy, OH (Chase McDermand #40x)
CHASE McDERMAND/Springfield, IL (Josh Ford Motorsports #8w) & (Chase
McDermand #40)
JACOB McFARLIN/Sedalia, MO (Branigan Roark Racing #33)
CANNON MCINTOSH/Bixby, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #71K)
ZACK MERRITT/Greeley, CO (Ryan Oerter #43)
THOMAS MESERAULL/San Jose, CA (Tim Engler #7x)
GAVIN MILLER/Allentown, PA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #97)
ETHAN MITCHELL/Mooresville, NC (Bundy Built Motorsports #19m)
MITCHEL MOLES/Raisin City, CA (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports #19A)
JOEL MYERS JR./Santa Rosa, CA (Leighton Crouch #1)
N
DARIN NAIDA/Adrian, MI (Dan Binks #3R)
KEVIN NEWTON/Farmersburg, IN (Second Law Motorsports #16TH)
TERRY NICHOLS/Delano, CA (Nichols-Peckfelder Motorsports #1p)
O
ASHLEY OERTER/Ellicott, CO (Ryan Oerter #44)
P
RANDI PANKRATZ/Atascadero, CA (Wally Pankratz #8)
DEAN PARKER/Newburgh, IN (Brian & Deidre Martin #11p)
PETER PAULSON/Woodland, CA (El Toro Racing #Q32)
MICHAEL PICKENS/Auckland, NZ (Mounce-Stout Motorsports #54NZ) & (Keith
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #67K)
LOGAN PRICKETT/Shelbyville, IN (MKP Racing #37)
DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, OK (CB Industries #86)
R
MATHEW RADISICH/Auckland, NZ (Graunstadt-Streeter Racing #14T)
KEITH RAUCH/Denver, CO (Bourke Motorsports #27K)
DAVEY RAY/Davenport, IA (Jeff Wimmenauer #15J)
TAYLOR REIMER/Bixby, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #25K)
HAYDEN REINBOLD/Gilbert, AZ ( Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports #19AZ)
BRANIGAN ROARK/Lincoln, MO (Branigan Roark Racing #44)
KAYLA ROELL/Dillsboro, IN (Kayla Roell Racing #4K)
JADON ROGERS/Worthington, IN (RAMCO Speed Group #7m)
S
CADEN SARALE/Stockton, CA (Caden Sarale #32)
KARTER SARFF/Mason City, IL (Karter Sarff #21K) & (Beilman Motorsports #31)
C.J. SARNA/Palm Desert, CA (Sarna Motorsports #20)
JEFF SCHINDLER/Evansville, IN (Giddy Up Racing #8x)
STEPHEN SCHNAPF/Newburgh, IN (Brian & Deidre Martin #11) & (Brian & Deidre
Martin #11s)
BRIAN SCHWABAUER/Hastings, NE (Murphy Racing #9B)
LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Abacus Racing #57)
GUNNAR SETSER/Columbus, IN (Kevin Arnold #43)
SHAUN SHAPEL/Wichita, KS (Phil Shapel #84s)
MICHAEL SMITH/Delta, PA (Tom Savage #76)
T.J. SMITH/Fresno, CA (Caden Sarale #32) & (Caden Sarale #32x)
STEVEN SNYDER JR./Rising Sun, MD (Royal Power Sports #16)
CURTIS SPICER/Marysville, KS (Spicer RaceCraft #4s)
BRYAN STANFILL/Bakersfield, CA (Griffiths Motorsport #75AU)
JEFF STASA/Kingman, KS (Mark Stasa #91)
GLENN STYRES/Ohsweken, ON (Glenn Styres Racing #0G)
STEVIE SUSSEX/Tempe, AZ (Crown Jewel Racing #20AZ)
JAKE SWANSON/Anaheim, CA (Beilman Motorsports #31)
T
ADAM TAYLOR/Wheatfield, IN (Adam Taylor Motorsports #7T)
GARY TAYLOR/Snohomish, WA (Mike & Brian Dunlap #32)
KEVIN THOMAS JR./Cullman, AL (Mounce-Stout Motorsports #9), (4 Kings Racing
#14), (Mounce-Stout Motorsports #14s) & (Abacus Racing #57KT)
RICKY THORNTON JR./Chandler, AZ (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #67K)
TANNER THORSON/Minden, NV (Tom Malloy #25m)
RYAN TIMMS/Oklahoma City, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #67)
ASHTON TORGERSON/Glendale, AZ (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #67K)
AUSTIN TORGERSON/Glendale, AZ (Mounce-Stout Motorsports #88A)
BRANDT TWITTY/Bakersfield, CA (Kevin Twitty #4B)
V
BARRIE VALENTINO/Brisbane, AU (El Toro Racing #Q23)
JIM VANZANT/Prescott, AZ (Jim & Bonnie Vanzant #3v)
W
BRANDON WAELTI/Sun Prairie, WI (Martin Family Racing #3w)
COLE WAKIM/Simi Valley, CA (Josh Ford Motorsports #73)
CAMERON WEISHOFF/Sun Prairie, WI (Weishoff Motorsports #55)
MATT WESTFALL/Pleasant Hill, OH (4 Kings Racing #54)
DANIEL WHITLEY/Ferndale, CA (RAMCO Speed Group #7m), (RAB Racing #57A) &
(John LeVecque #60x)
ZACH WIGAL/Belpre, OH (CB Industries #89)
CHRIS WINDOM/Canton, IL (CB Industries #89x)
Y
J.J. YELEY/Phoenix, AZ (Petty Performance Racing #3J)
Z
TREY ZORN/Russell, KS (Bob Chandler #00z)
ONE SPOT BETTER!
DAY BECOMES TURKEY NIGHT’S YOUNGEST WINNER,
PURSLEY IS USAC MIDGET CHAMP
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Ventura, California (November 30, 2024)………Corey Day’s first try at the ARP
Turkey Night Grand Prix Presented by the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall
of Fame in 2023 marked a grand entrance to the event for the Clovis, Calif.
native.
In his encore performance on Saturday night at California’s Ventura Raceway,
Day rose to the occasion quite literally and figuratively as he made the winning
move 17 laps from the finish line to earn $15,000 and become a first-time winner
of the 83rd running of the prestigious event.
In doing so, Day became the youngest winner in the history of the Turkey
Night Grand Prix after celebrating his 19th birthday just two days earlier.
Caleb Armstrong was the previous record holder, having won the 2011 event at the
age of 19 years, 3 months and 8 days.
Furthermore, Day secured the fifth consecutive Turkey Night USAC Midget
feature victory for a driver from the state of California, following in the
footsteps of Kyle Larson (2019), Logan Seavey (2021), Justin Grant (2022) and
Kyle Larson (2023).
Meanwhile, Daison Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.) finished off a remarkable
personal comeback from injury to capture the 2024 USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget
National Championship for himself and his CB Industries team with a third-place
showing in the season finale.
Less than a week after supplying car owner Willie Kahne his first career USAC
National Midget triumph at California’s Merced Speedway, Day delivered once more
in the 98-lap event at Ventura’s 1/5-mile dirt oval with a 20-year-old
powerplant – a full year older than Day himself – at the wheel of his Durst –
Four CCCC’s Construction – Sander Engineering/Triple X/Wirth Mopar.
“Hats off to Willie Kahne, Will Durst and Bob Wirth for giving me a good
motor that no one thought would work, and it does,” Day praised.
Day also admitted that he’d never before capped off a season with a victory.
To do it in one of the most prestigious motorsports events on the calendar,
that’s icing on the cake for the driver who was a regular with the Kubota High
Limit Series throughout the year and also made a handful of NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series starts.
“This was my last race of the year, and I’ve never ended the year with a win
in all my years racing,” Day remarked. “To do that feels really, really good. I
look forward to this swing so much, and to just be able to come race and almost
relax. It’s not as high pressure as the normal stuff I’m doing and I’m just
really glad Willie and I could get a couple wins down here, and I’m glad to be
one spot better here this year.”
Starting eighth, Day steadily moved forward and had worked himself into the
top-five by the midway point on the 49th lap. Jacob Denney flexed his muscles
early by leading the initial 25 laps as he exchanged the low and high lines with
constant pursuer Pursley.
As the front runners worked a gauntlet of traffic, Buddy Kofoid advanced his
way to the head of the herd as he worked under Pursley for second on lap 23, and
shortly thereafter, went to the high side to travel around Denney for the race
lead on the 26th circuit.
Suddenly, four-time Turkey Night winner Kyle Larson appeared in the frame as
he slotted into fifth by lap 44 after starting in the 10th position. However,
just three trips later on lap 47, Larson’s reign, for all intents and purposes,
ended when a chain reaction starting from Pursley to Larson to Day resulted in
rear bumper contact from Day to Larson. That chrome to chrome contact sent
Larson into a 360 degree spin in turn two. By rule, Larson had to restart the
race from the tail where he managed only to get back to the 20th spot after
dropping out with 21 laps remaining, his first Turkey Night finish outside the
top-five in 12 starts.
Following the restart, Tanner Thorson emerged as a contender and was able to
slide Kofoid the lead, albeit briefly, in turns three and four on the 49th lap
before Kofoid cut back under to reassume the lead. While those two duked it out
up top, Denney was constantly crawling the infield berm. After Thorson slammed
the turn two cushion with his right rear tire on lap 50 and dropped back to
fourth, Denney disposed of Thorson, then surpassed Kofoid to retake the number
one spot.
When Kofoid bounced off the back straightaway wall on lap 55, Day took
advantage of his fellow competitor’s white wall misfortune to grab second, then
set his sights on Denney who patrolled the low line as the leader with 43 to go.
As the rubber began to become a prominent streak around the inner perimeter, Day
stalked Denney from a mere single car length behind.
“I knew that the rubber was going to come in, unfortunately,” Day explained.
“With so many laps on this place, you just really can’t keep it off it. I knew
it was going to come in; it was just a matter of when it was. I tried the bottom
and then I’d move up, then I kept trying the bottom just to see. I saw Denney
down there get by a couple of cars, so I knew it was in. I knew I needed to get
down there and get my tires worked in for it.”
On lap 82, Denney drifted ever so slightly off the bottom line and opened the
door for Day to pounce. Pulling even with Denney exiting turn two and down the
back straightaway, Day slipped past for the lead entering turn three before
crossing the line, with Denney just behind, to complete the lap just as seventh
running Cannon McIntosh slowed with a flat right rear tire, which necessitated a
yellow flag, ending any sliver of title hopes he held on to.
From the lap 83 restart onward, Day was untouchable as he pulled out to a
full second lead almost instantaneously. At that moment, Denney began to fade as
Kofoid (lap 84) and Pursley (lap 87) followed suit past him into second and
third, respectively. Yet, the field bunched one final time on lap 90 after
Rookie Broedy Graham (18th) spun to a stop in turn one. During the caution
period, Thorson (5th) slowed with a shredded right rear tire.
Despite seeing his one second lead evaporate with the yellow, Day got back on
the horse and rode it to the finish line over the final nine laps to score a
1.009 second margin of victory over Buddy Kofoid and Daison Pursley with Jacob
Denney fourth and Logan Seavey rounding out the top-five.
After finishing second in the 2021 Turkey Night Grand Prix, Buddy Kofoid
(Penngrove, Calif.) collected his second career runner-up result in the event
after leading 24 laps in his Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports/Mobil 1 – TRD
– Curb Records – IWX/Lynk/Speedway Toyota.
Daison Pursley capped his championship season with a third-place finish, far
outlasting his best previous Turkey Night results of 19th and 14th in 2019 and
2023, respectively, in his CB Industries/PristineAuction.com – NOS Energy Drink
– TRD/Spike/Speedway Toyota.
It was a big night for Pursley’s CBI teammate Zach Wigal (Belpre, Ohio) who
doubled up the honors on Saturday night. His 11th place result made him the 2024
Don Basile Rookie of the Race. Adding to the accolades, Wigal also finished the
year by locking up the Max Papis Innovations USAC National Midget Rookie of the
Year award.
Tanner Carrick’s (Lincoln, Calif.) return to Turkey Night after a three-year
hiatus was a solid one. After starting 19th, Carrick advanced +9 to finish 10th,
which earned him hard charger honors for the evening.
On Friday, Dalten Gabbard (Peoria, Ariz.) found himself upside down on the
track’s exit ramp following a flip during practice. After thrashing to get the
car repaired overnight, he transferred his way into his first career USAC
National Midget start on Saturday night at Ventura. That earned him the Inferno
Armor Fire Move of the Night.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: November 30,
2024 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California – 1/5-Mile Dirt Oval – 83rd ARP
Turkey Night Grand Prix Presented By The West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall
of Fame
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: (Top-10 locked into the feature) 1. Jacob
Denney, 25, Malloy-12.072; 2. Daison Pursley, 86, CBI-12.206; 3. Buddy Kofoid,
71, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.238; 4. Tanner Thorson, 25m, Malloy-12.254; 5. Kevin
Thomas Jr., 57KT, Abacus-12.286; 6. Cannon McIntosh, 71K,
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.295; 7. Kale Drake, 97K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.299; 8.
Corey Day, 4, Kahne-12.313; 9. Gavin Miller, 97, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.345; 10.
Kyle Larson, 1K, Silva-12.364; 11. Jake Swanson, 31, Beilman-12.369; 12. Justin
Grant, 2, RMS-12.382; 13. Logan Seavey, 57, Abacus-12.385; 14. Zach Wigal, 89,
CBI-12.480; 15. Tyler Courtney, 23c, Silva-12.484; 16. Tanner Carrick, 98,
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.498; 17. Emerson Axsom, 67K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.505;
18. Chase McDermand, 8w, Ford-12.507; 19. Carson Macedo, 99AU, Dyson-12.513; 20.
Dalten Gabbard, 77, Gabbard-12.601; 21. Kaylee Bryson, 58, Abacus-12.606; 22.
Ryan Timms, 67, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.615; 23. Ronnie Gardner, 68, Six8-12.624;
24. C.J. Leary, 15, Hart-12.628; 25. Jake Andreotti, 00, Davis-12.630; 26. Cade
Lewis, 101, Alexander-12.659; 27. T.J. Smith, 32x, Sarale-12.673; 28. Zach Daum,
31B, Beilman-12.675; 29. Kyle Busch, 51B, Busch-12.676; 30. Broedy Graham, 66,
BGR-12.704; 31. Brody Fuson, 51, Carlile-12.715; 32. Drake Edwards, 3p,
Petty-12.722; 33. Ty Gibbs, 81, CBI-12.750; 34. Michael Faccinto, 14,
Graunstadt/Streeter-12.780; 35. Austin Torgerson, 88A, Mounce/Stout-12.829; 36.
Caden Sarale, 32, Sarale-12.830; 37. Alex Karpowicz, 19, Mounce/Stout-12.846;
38. Stevie Sussex, 20AZ, Crown Jewel-12.904; 39. Dane Culver, 50, Knuckles
Up-12.935; 40. Cale Coons, 63, Dooling-12.982; 41. Randi Pankratz, 8,
Pankratz-12.990; 42. C.J. Sarna, 20, Sarna-13.051; 43. Cole Wakim, 73,
Ford-13.054; 44. Abby Hohlbein, 55, Lambert-13.151; 45. Mathew Radisich, 14T,
Graunstadt/Streeter-13.174; 46. Kyle Hawse, 20x, Hawse-13.380; 47. Peter
Paulson, Q32, El Toro-13.387; 48. Todd Hawse, 18, Hawse-13.530; 49. Jim Vanzant,
3v, Vanzant-13.670; 50. Bryan Drollinger, 71D, Drollinger-13.719; 51. Barrie
Valentino, Q23, El Toro-13.741; 52. J.J. Yeley, 3J, Petty-16.766.
SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS FIRST QUALIFYING RACE: (12 laps, top-4 transfer to the
feature) 1. Zach Wigal, 2. Jake Swanson, 3. Dalten Gabbard, 4. Emerson Axsom, 5.
Cade Lewis, 6. Ronnie Gardner, 7. Austin Torgerson, 8. Kyle Busch, 9. Randi
Pankratz, 10. Stevie Sussex, 11. Drake Edwards, 12. Abby Hohlbein, 13. Bryan
Drollinger, 14. Peter Paulson. NT
ROD END SUPPLY SECOND QUALIFYING RACE: (12 laps, top-4 transfer to the
feature) 1. Tyler Courtney, 2. Justin Grant, 3. Kaylee Bryson, 4. C.J. Leary, 5.
Chase McDermand, 6. Caden Sarale, 7. Broedy Graham, 8. T.J. Smith, 9. C.J.
Sarna, 10. Dane Culver, 11. Ty Gibbs, 12. Mathew Radisch, 13. Todd Hawse, 14.
Barrie Valentino. 2:35.259
T.J. FORGED/CAR IQ THIRD QUALIFYING RACE: (12 laps, top-4 transfer to the
feature) 1. Logan Seavey, 2. Ryan Timms, 3. Tanner Carrick, 4. Zach Daum, 5.
Jake Andreotti, 6. Carson Macedo, 7. Brody Fuson, 8. Alex Karpowicz, 9. Cale
Coons, 10. Michael Faccinto, 11. J.J. Yeley, 12. Kyle Hawse, 13. Jim Vanzant.
2:40.057
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (15 laps, top-4 transfer to the
feature) 1. Chase McDermand, 2. Cade Lewis, 3. Ronnie Gardner, 4. Broedy Graham,
5. Caden Sarale, 6. Austin Torgerson, 7. Dane Culver, 8. T.J. Smith, 9. Brody
Fuson, 10. Michael Faccinto, 11. C.J. Sarna, 12. Randi Pankratz, 13. Stevie
Sussex, 14. Cale Coons, 15. Alex Karpowicz, 16. Kyle Busch, 17. Jake Andreotti.
NT
FEATURE: (98 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Corey Day (8), 2.
Buddy Kofoid (3), 3. Daison Pursley (2), 4. Jacob Denney (1), 5. Logan Seavey
(13), 6. Gavin Miller (9), 7. Justin Grant (15), 8. Kale Drake (7), 9. Jake
Swanson (14), 10. Tanner Carrick (19), 11. Zach Wigal (11), 12. Cannon McIntosh
(6), 13. Tyler Courtney (12), 14. Tanner Thorson (4), 15. Zach Daum (21), 16.
Cade Lewis (23), 17. C.J. Leary (20), 18. Dalten Gabbard (17), 19. Broedy Graham
(25), 20. Kyle Larson (10), 21. Emerson Axsom (26), 22. Kevin Thomas Jr. (5),
23. Ronnie Gardner (24), 24. Chase McDermand (22), 25. Kaylee Bryson (18), 26.
Ryan Timms (16). NT
**Jake Andreotti flipped during the semi.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-25 Jacob Denney, Laps 26-49 Buddy Kofoid, Laps
50-81 Jacob Denney, Laps 82-98 Corey Day.
FINAL USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Daison
Pursley-1505, 2-Cannon McIntosh-1446, 3-Logan Seavey-1355, 4-Ryan Timms-1311,
5-Jacob Denney-1283, 6-Zach Daum-1256, 7-Justin Grant-1210, 8-Gavin Miller-1176,
9-Zach Wigal-1085, 10-Kale Drake-1063.
FINAL USAC NATIONAL PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Daison Pursley-209,
2-Logan Seavey-204, 3-Justin Grant-164, 4-Robert Ballou-149, 5-C.J. Leary-134,
6-Kyle Cummins-131, 7-Chase Stockon-126, 8-Matt Westfall-121, 9-Brady Bacon-120,
10-Kevin Thomas Jr.-107.
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: Jacob Denney (12.204)
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: Jacob Denney (12.072)
Simpson Race Products First Qualifying Race Winner: Zach Wigal
Rod End Supply Second Qualifying Race Winner: Tyler Courtney
T.J. Forged/Car IQ Third Qualifying Race Winner: Logan Seavey
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Chase McDermand
Hard Charger: Tanner Carrick (19th to 10th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: Dalten Gabbard
Don Basile Rookie of the Race: Zach Wigal (11th)
DENNEY DASHES TO FASTEST TIME
IN FRIDAY’S USAC TURKEY NIGHT G.P. PRACTICE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Ventura, California (November 29, 2024)………Jacob Denney laid down the fastest
lap during Friday night’s USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship
practice at California’s Ventura Raceway.
The four practice sessions were held in preparation for the series’ season
finale on Saturday night, November 30 – the $15,000-to-win 83rd running of the
ARP Turkey Night Grand Prix Presented by the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports
Hall of Fame.
Denney (Galloway, Ohio) paced the 50 cars that took time with a lap of 12.016
seconds around the 1/5-mile dirt oval in his Tom Malloy/Trench Shoring – Rodela
Specialty Fabrication – Race for Chase/LynK/Ed Pink Toyota.
Following Denney was the 2023 Don Basile Rookie of the Race, Corey Day
(Clovis, Calif.), in second with a 12.039. USAC National Midget point leader
Daison Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.) was third at 12.118, just ahead of his
primary championship challenger, Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Okla.), in fourth at
12.190. Buddy Kofoid (Penngrove, Calif.) rounded out the top-five at 12.355.
Other notables include four past Turkey Night winners. Four-time victor Kyle
Larson (Elk Grove, Calif.) was ninth overall in practice while Logan Seavey was
11th and Tanner Thorson (Minden, Nev.) was 23rd. Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) did
not participate in practice.
Two Turkey Night Rookies and NASCAR Cup Series regulars took their first laps
at Ventura on Friday. Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch (Las Vegas,
Nev.) was 31st in practice while NASCAR Xfinity titlist Ty Gibbs (Charlotte,
N.C.) was 32nd.
Two drivers flipped during the night in very similar fashion. Tyler Edwards (Salina, Okla.) clipped the turn three cushion and flipped several times before landing on all four wheels in the pit exit ramp. Later on, Dalten Gabbard (Peoria, Ariz.) clipped the wall and flipped several times before he too landed in the exit ramp. Both drivers walked away.
RACE DETAILS:
On Saturday, November 30, the grandstands open at 3pm Pacific with cars on
track at 3:30pm featuring the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship
and the Ultimate Sprint Car Series.
The Turkey Night Grand Prix will be streamed live on FloRacing at https://flosports.link/usac.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: November 30,
2024 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California – 1/5-Mile Dirt Oval – 83rd ARP
Turkey Night Grand Prix Presented By The West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall
of Fame
PRACTICE: 1. Jacob Denney, 25, Malloy-12.016; 2. Corey Day, 4, Kahne-12.039;
3. Daison Pursley, 86, CBI-12.118; 4. Cannon McIntosh, 71K,
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.190; 5. Buddy Kofoid, 71, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.355; 6.
Ryan Timms, 67, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.367; 7. Emerson Axsom, 67K,
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.405; 8. Tyler Courtney, 23c, Silva-12.422; 9. Kyle
Larson, 1K, Silva-12.430; 10. Tanner Carrick, 98, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.462;
11. Logan Seavey, 57, Abacus-12.472; 12. J.J. Yeley, 3J, Petty-12.481; 13.
Kaylee Bryson, 58, Abacus-12.512; 14. Zach Wigal, 89, CBI-12.551; 15. Caden
Sarale, 32, Sarale-12.599; 16. Gavin Miller, 97, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.627; 17.
Kevin Thomas Jr., 57KT, Abacus-12.648; 18. Carson Macedo, 99AU, Dyson-12.654;
19. Chase McDermand, 8w, Ford-12.657; 20. Cade Lewis, 101, Alexander-12.675; 21.
Kale Drake, 97K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.702; 22. Broedy Graham, 66, BGR-12.718;
23. Tanner Thorson, 25m, Malloy-12.783; 24. Jake Andreotti, 00, Davis-12.868;
25. Stevie Sussex, 20AZ, Crown Jewel-12.911; 26. Ronnie Gardner, 68,
Six8-12.934; 27. Michael Faccinto, 14T, Graunstadt/Streeter-12.945; 28. T.J.
Smith, 32x, Sarale-12.956; 29. Drake Edwards, 3p, Petty-13.008; 30. Tyler
Edwards, 14s, Mounce/Stout-13.013; 31. Kyle Busch, 51B, Busch-13.067; 32. Ty
Gibbs, 81, CBI-13.098; 33. Austin Torgerson, 88A, Mounce/Stout-13.176; 34. C.J.
Sarna, 20, Sarna-13.183; 35. Jake Swanson, 31, Beilman-13.191; 36. Dalten
Gabbard, 77, Gabbard-13.193; 37. Alex Karpowicz, 19, Mounce/Stout-13.194; 38.
Dane Culver, 50, Knuckles Up-13.200; 39. Zach Daum, 31B, Beilman-13.202; 40.
Brody Fuson, 51, Carlile-13.242; 41. Abby Hohlbein, 55, Lambert-13.274; 42. Cale
Coons, 63, Dooling-13.280; 43. C.J. Leary, 15, Hart-13.331; 44. Mathew Radisich,
14, Graunstadt/Streeter-13.342; 45. Todd Hawse, 18, Hawse-13.406; 46. Cole Wakim,
73, Ford-13.544; 47. Ben Covich, 65NZ, Covich-13.617; 48. Bryan Drollinger, 71D,
Drollinger-13.724; 49. Kyle Hawse, 20x, Hawse-13.895; 50. Jim Vanzant, 3v,
Vanzant-13.995.
**Tyler Edwards flipped during practice. Dalten Gabbard flipped during
practice.
NEXT USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: November 30, 2024 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California – 1/5-Mile Dirt Oval – 83rd ARP Turkey Night Grand Prix Presented By The West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame
27 ROOKIE OF THE RACE CONTENDERS
PREPARE FOR TURKEY NIGHT 2024
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Ventura, California (November 28, 2024)………The ARP Turkey Night Grand Prix
Presented by the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame annually presents
the Don Basile Rookie of the Race Award, honoring the top performance by a
first-time feature starter in the 98-lap classic each year.
The 2024 crop of 27 Turkey Night Rookies arrive to stake their claim and make
their initial mark on the great race featuring USAC’s NOS Energy Drink Midget
National Championship, which will take place for the 83rd time this Saturday
night, November 30, at California’s Ventura Raceway.
No Rookie has won the race since Warren Mockler’s last lap heroics in 1986.
Corey Day topped the field of Turkey Night debut starters in the 2023 race,
finishing a close second.
Nearly half of this year’s 57-car field is among the abundance of Rookie of
the Race contenders. In this year’s group are two-time NASCAR Cup Series
champion Kyle Busch (Las Vegas, Nev.), plus USAC National Midget newcomer Cale
Coons (Greencastle, Ind.) who was three times a winner with the USAC Midwest
Thunder SpeeD2 Midgets in 2024 and is the son of 2012 Turkey Night runner-up
finisher Jerry Coons Jr.
Zach Wigal (Belpre, Ohio) leads the overall USAC National Midget MPI Rookie
of the Year standings going into the event and will be making his first Turkey
Night appearance. A pair of 2024 USAC Western States Midget winners – Drake
Edwards (Peoria, Ariz.) and Caden Sarale (Stockton, Calif.).
Stevie Sussex (Tempe, Ariz.), the 2017 USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the
Year, will also be eying a first career Turkey Night start as will Karter Sarff
(Mason City, Ill.), T.J. Smith (Fresno, Calif.) and Dalten Gabbard (Peoria,
Ariz.) along with returnees Terry Nichols (Delano, Calif.), Jim Vanzant
(Prescott, Ariz.) and Bryan Drollinger (San Pedro, Calif.), all looking to crack
the Turkey Night starting field for the first time.
International flair in the Rookie class belongs to New Zealanders Mathew
Radisich (Auckland, N.Z.) and Ben Covich (Auckland, N.Z.) while Aussie Barrie
Valentino (Brisbane, Australia) will also make the trip up.
First time Turkey Night midget participants in 2024 include Adam Teves
(Concord, Calif.), Tom Dunkel (Menifee, Calif.), Todd Hawse (Simi Valley,
Calif.), Alex Karpowicz (Spring Branch, Texas), Kyle Hawse (Las Vegas, Nev.),
Peter Paulson (Woodland, Calif.), Troy DeGaton (Wickenburg, Ariz.), Dane Culver
(Riverside, Calif.), Abby Hohlbein (Cloverdale, Ohio), Broedy Graham
(Bakersfield, Calif.), Cole Wakim (Simi Valley, Calif.) and Austin Torgerson
(Glendale, Ariz.).
The award, named in memory of track owner, promoter and 1999 National Sprint
Car Hall of Fame inductee Don Basile, made its debut in 1998 with Kasey Kahne
the first recipient.
Over the years, the Don Basile Rookie of the Race honors at Turkey Night have
been awarded to some of the most talented young racers in America. A glance at
the list reveals some of the top names from the sport over the past two decades,
including two race winners – Kyle Larson (2011) & Tanner Thorson (2013 – and
four others who’ll be in this year’s field: Carson Macedo (2016), Cannon
McIntosh (2019), Jake Andreotti (2022) and Corey Day (2023).
RACE DETAILS:
This year’s Turkey Night weekend will also host the Ultimate Sprint Car
Series for both nights of on-track action on November 29-30.
On Friday, November 29, the grandstands open at 3pm Pacific with cars on
track at 3:30pm featuring midget practice, plus sprint car racing.
On Saturday, November 30, the grandstands open at 3pm Pacific with cars on
track at 3:30pm featuring midget and sprint car racing.
Advance tickets can be purchased now at www.venturaraceway.com. Additional
information is available at 805-648-7223.
Both nights of the Turkey Night Grand Prix will be streamed live on FloRacing
at https://flosports.link/usac.
=======================
2024 TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX MIDGET ROOKIES: (27)
1p TERRY NICHOLS/Delano, CA (Nichols-Peckfelder Motorsports)
3p DRAKE EDWARDS/Peoria, AZ (Petty Performance Racing)
3v JIM VANZANT/Prescott, AZ (Jim & Bonnie Vanzant)
10 ADAM TEVES/Concord, CA (Dana & Robin Craig)
14 MATHEW RADISICH/Auckland, NZ (Graunstadt-Streeter Racing)
17A TOM DUNKEL/Menifee, CA (Josh Ford Motorsports)
18 TODD HAWSE/Simi Valley, CA (Todd Hawse)
19 ALEX KARPOWICZ/Spring Branch, TX (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
20AZ STEVIE SUSSEX/Tempe, AZ (Crown Jewel Racing)
20x KYLE HAWSE/Las Vegas, NV (Hawse Racing)
Q23 BARRIE VALENTINO/Brisbane, AU (El Toro Racing)
31 KARTER SARFF/Mason City, IL (Beilman Motorsports)
32 CADEN SARALE/Stockton, CA (Caden Sarale)
Q32 PETER PAULSON/Woodland, CA (El Toro Racing)
32x T.J. SMITH/Fresno, CA (Caden Sarale)
39T TROY DeGATON/Wickenburg, AZ (Troy DeGaton)
50 DANE CULVER/Riverside, CA (Knuckles Up Racing)
51B KYLE BUSCH/Las Vegas, NV (Kyle Busch Motorsports)
55 ABBY HOHLBEIN/Cloverdale, OH (Lambert Motorsports)
63 CALE COONS/Greencastle, IN (Joe Dooling)
65NZ BEN COVICH/Auckland, NZ (Covich Motorsports)
66 BROEDY GRAHAM/Bakersfield, CA (Graham Racing)
71D BRYAN DROLLINGER/San Pedro, CA (Drollinger Bros. Racing)
73 COLE WAKIM/Simi Valley, CA (Josh Ford Motorsports)
77 DALTEN GABBARD/Peoria, AZ (Dalten Gabbard)
88A AUSTIN TORGERSON/Glendale, AZ (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
89 ZACH WIGAL/Belpre, OH (CB Industries)
PAST DON BASILE TURKEY NIGHT ROOKIES OF THE RACE:
1998: Kasey Kahne – Finished 5th
1999: Dave Steele – Finished 5th
2000: Aaron Pollock – Finished 7th
2001: Bobby East – Finished 10th
2002: Jerome Rodela – Finished 9th
2003: Ryan Durst – Finished 10th
2004: Brad Loyet – Finished 9th
2005: Kevin Swindell – Finished 11th
2006: Kody Swanson – Finished 2nd
2007: Mike Murgoitio – Finished 4th
2008: Nic Faas – Finished 13th
2009: Levi Roberts – Finished 2nd
2010: Dalton Armstrong – Finished 3rd
2011: Kyle Larson – Finished 4th
2012: Ryan Bernal – Finished 3rd
2013: Tanner Thorson – Finished 10th
2014: Isaac Chapple – Finished 13th
2015: Robert Dalby – Finished 14th
2016: Carson Macedo – Finished 3rd
2017: Zeb Wise – Finished 5th
2018: Jason McDougal – Finished 8th
2019: Cannon McIntosh – Finished 2nd
2020: No Race
2021: Mitchel Moles – Finished 3rd
2022: Jake Andreotti – Finished 4th
2023: Corey Day – Finished 2nd
FEAST ON THIS!
TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX
CLOSES USAC MIDGET SEASON WITH A BANG ON NOV 30
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Ventura, California (November 26, 2024)………The crown jewel of all crown
jewels!
The 2024 ARP Turkey Night Grand Prix Presented By the West Coast Stock
Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame enters its 83rd edition on Saturday night, November
30, at the scenic Ventura Raceway, the racy 1/5-mile dirt oval nestled right
along the Pacific Ocean in southern California.
It’s the United States of America’s longest running midget racing tradition,
and a victory in one of these events instantly goes right to the top of every
driver’s racing resume. At press time, 55 midget drivers are entered for the
event with a couple more surprises expected to enter in time for race day.
Four drivers in this year’s Agajanian Promotions Turkey Night field have
experienced that feeling in recent years, all of whom are once again chasing the
increased winner’s share of $15,000 in the 98-lap main event.
Kyle Larson has captured four Turkey Night midget victories in 2012-16-19-23,
second most all-time behind Ron Shuman’s eight. One-time winners Justin Grant
(2022), Logan Seavey (2021) and Tanner Thorson (2015) are also all hungry to add
another triumph to the collection.
Four more drivers have previously finished as a Turkey Night runner-up and
are now vying for a first victory in the event. J.J. Yeley returns to the race
after a 19-year hiatus and finished second on the pavement when the show was
held at Irwindale Speedway in 2001. Cannon McIntosh led extensively in 2019
before coming home second. Buddy Kofoid closed out his 2021 series title season
with a second. Corey Day earned Rookie of the Race honors a year ago in 2023
with a stellar second place drive.
Carson Macedo took third in both 2016 and 2023 while Zach Daum returns to
Turkey Night for the first time in 10 years after placing fourth in each of his
two most recent starts in 2013 and 2014. Jake Andreotti scored a career best
fourth in 2022 while Ronnie Gardner (2013), Tyler Courtney (2018), Jacob Denney
(2023) and Kaylee Bryson (2021) each crossed the line with a best performance of
fifth. Bryson also became the first woman to start on the pole of Turkey Night
in 2021.
Looking to top their previous top-10 Turkey Night performances are Emerson
Axsom (6th in 2023) and Tanner Carrick who finished 6th after starting from the
pole position in 2018. USAC Western States Midget champions held their own in
their home state – Michael Faccinto (10th in 2017) and Cade Lewis (10th in
2023).
Turkey Night veterans returning to the lineup include wheelmen Gavin Miller
(13th in 2023), two-time Turkey Night sprint car winner Ryan Timms (14th in
2022), series point leader Daison Pursley (14th in 2023) and Kale Drake (16th in
2023). Chase McDermand (17th in 2023) is back as is Randi Pankratz (19th in
2015), C.J. Leary (20th in 2018), C.J. Sarna (21st in 2019), Brody Fuson (24th
in 2022) and Tyler Edwards (26th in 2017).
This year’s race is chockfull of Don Basile Rookie of the Race contenders, 26
in fact, who’ve not yet started a Turkey Night Grand Prix midget feature. USAC
Midget newcomer, and two-time NASCAR Cup Series titlist, Kyle Busch will make
his first Turkey Night run as will Cale Coons, son of USAC Career Triple Crown
champ Cale Coons and leading USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year contender
Zach Wigal.
USAC Western States Midget feature winners Drake Edwards and Caden Sarale
will also attempt to make their first Turkey Night field as will Stevie Sussex,
Karter Sarff, Terry Nichols, Jim Vanzant, Mathew Radisich, Tom Dunkel, cousins
Todd Hawse and Kyle Hawse, plus Alex Karpowicz, Barrie Valentino, Peter Paulson,
T.J. Smith, Troy DeGaton, Dane Culver, Abby Hohlbein, Ben Covich, Bryan
Drollinger, Cole Wakim, Dalten Gabbard, Austin Torgerson and Broedy Graham.
Nine states and three countries are represented on this year’s entry list so
far: California (24), Arizona (7), Oklahoma (6), Indiana (4), Illinois (3),
Nevada (3), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (1) and Texas (1). The United States is
represented by 52 of the 55 drivers while New Zealand has two and Australia one.
Three women drivers will also compete in the race: four-time starter Randi
Pankratz, two-time starter Kaylee Bryson and Rookie Abby Hohlbein.
RACE DETAILS:
This year’s Turkey Night weekend will also host the Ultimate Sprint Car
Series for both nights of on-track action on November 29-30.
On Friday, November 29, the grandstands open at 3pm Pacific with cars on
track at 3:30pm featuring midget practice, plus sprint car racing.
On Saturday, November 30, the grandstands open at 3pm Pacific with cars on
track at 3:30pm featuring midget and sprint car racing.
Advance tickets can be purchased now at www.venturaraceway.com. Additional
information is available at 805-648-7223.
Both nights of the Turkey Night Grand Prix will be streamed live on FloRacing
at https://flosports.link/usac.
2024 TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX USAC MIDGET ENTRY LIST: (55)
00 JAKE ANDREOTTI/Castro Valley, CA (Pete Davis)
1K KYLE LARSON/Elk Grove, CA (Silva Motorsports)
1p (R) TERRY NICHOLS/Delano, CA (Nichols-Peckfelder Motorsports)
2 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (RMS Racing)
3J J.J. YELEY/Phoenix, AZ (Petty Performance Racing)
3p (R) DRAKE EDWARDS/Peoria, AZ (Petty Performance Racing)
3v (R) JIM VANZANT/Prescott, AZ (Jim & Bonnie Vanzant)
4 COREY DAY/Clovis, CA (Wille Kahne)
8 RANDI PANKRATZ/Atascadero, CA (Wally Pankratz)
8w CHASE McDERMAND/Springfield, IL (Josh Ford Motorsports)
14 (R) MATHEW RADISICH/Auckland, NZ (Graunstadt-Streeter Racing)
14s TYLER EDWARDS/Salina, OK (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
14T MICHAEL FACCINTO/Hanford, CA (Graunstadt-Streeter Racing)
15 C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Dennis Hart)
17A (R) TOM DUNKEL/Menifee, CA (Josh Ford Motorsports)
18 (R) TODD HAWSE/Simi Valley, CA (Todd Hawse)
19 (R) ALEX KARPOWICZ/Spring Branch, TX (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
20 C.J. SARNA/Palm Desert, CA (Sarna Motorsports)
20AZ (R) STEVIE SUSSEX/Tempe, AZ (Crown Jewel Racing)
20x (R) KYLE HAWSE/Las Vegas, NV (Hawse Racing)
Q23 (R) BARRIE VALENTINO/Brisbane, AU (El Toro Racing)
23c TYLER COURTNEY/Indianapolis, IN (Silva Motorsports)
25 JACOB DENNEY/Galloway, OH (Tom Malloy)
25m TANNER THORSON/Minden, NV (Tom Malloy)
31 (R) KARTER SARFF/Mason City, IL (Beilman Motorsports)
31B ZACH DAUM/Pocahontas, IL (Beilman Motorsports)
32 (R) CADEN SARALE/Stockton, CA (Caden Sarale)
Q32 (R) PETER PAULSON/Woodland, CA (El Toro Racing)
32x (R) T.J. SMITH/Fresno, CA (Caden Sarale)
39T (R) TROY DeGATON/Wickenburg, AZ (Troy DeGaton)
50 (R) DANE CULVER/Riverside, CA (Knuckles Up Racing)
51 BRODY FUSON/Bakersfield, CA (Rusty Carlile)
51B (R) KYLE BUSCH/Las Vegas, NV (Kyle Busch Motorsports)
55 (R) ABBY HOHLBEIN/Cloverdale, OH (Lambert Motorsports)
57 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Abacus Racing)
58 KAYLEE BRYSON/Muskogee, OK (Abacus Racing)
63 (R) CALE COONS/Greencastle, IN (Joe Dooling)
65NZ (R) BEN COVICH/Auckland, NZ (Covich Motorsports)
66 (R) BROEDY GRAHAM/Bakersfield, CA (Graham Racing)
67 RYAN TIMMS/Oklahoma City, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
67K EMERSON AXSOM/Franklin, IN (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
68 RONNIE GARDNER/Corona, CA (Six8 Motorsports)
71 BUDDY KOFOID/Penngrove, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71D (R) BRYAN DROLLINGER/San Pedro, CA (Drollinger Bros. Racing)
71K CANNON MCINTOSH/Bixby, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
73 (R) COLE WAKIM/Simi Valley, CA (Josh Ford Motorsports)
77 (R) DALTEN GABBARD/Peoria, AZ (Dalten Gabbard)
86 DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, OK (CB Industries)
88A (R) AUSTIN TORGERSON/Glendale, AZ (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
89 (R) ZACH WIGAL/Belpre, OH (CB Industries)
97 GAVIN MILLER/Allentown, PA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
97K KALE DRAKE/Collinsville, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
98 TANNER CARRICK/Lincoln, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
99AU CARSON MACEDO/Lemoore, CA (Dyson Motorsport)
101 CADE LEWIS/Bakersfield, CA (Dean Alexander)
(R) Don Basile Rookie of the Race Contenders
TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX MIDGET WINS: (1934-2023)
8-Ron Shuman
4-Kyle Larson
3-Christopher Bell & Billy Boat
2-Gary Bettenhausen, Bryan Clauson, Dave Darland, Billy Engelhart, Stan Fox,
A.J. Foyt, Perry Grimm, Chuck Gurney, Ronney Householder, Parnelli Jones, Mel
Kenyon, Jason Leffler, Roy Russing, Dave Steele & Bob Swanson
1-George Amick, Caleb Armstrong, Dick Atkins, George Benson, Tony Bettenhausen, Billy Cantrell, Jay Drake, Bobby East, Edgar Elder, Joe Garson, Rick Goudy, Justin Grant, Mel Hansen, Jordan Hermansader, Bubby Jones, Brent Kaeding, Michael Lewis, Johnny McDowell, Danny McKnight, Warren Mockler, Danny Oakes, Kevin Olson, Johnnie Parsons, Gary Patterson, Bobby Santos, Logan Seavey, Sammy Sessions, Tony Simon, Ted Sizemore, Tony Stewart, Tanner Thorson, Bill Vukovich, Billy Wease & Bill Zaring
TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX MIDGET WINNERS: (1934-2023)
1934: Bob Swanson | Gilmore Stadium
1935: Ted Sizemore | Gilmore Stadium
1936: Ronney Householder | Gilmore Stadium
1937: Ronney Householder | Gilmore Stadium
1938: Bob Swanson | Gilmore Stadium
1939: Mel Hansen | Gilmore Stadium
1940: Roy Russing | Gilmore Stadium
1941: Roy Russing | Gilmore Stadium
1942: No Race
1943: No Race
1944: No Race
1945: Danny Oakes | Gilmore Stadium
1946: Perry Grimm | Gilmore Stadium
1947: Johnny McDowell | Gilmore Stadium
1948: Bill Vukovich | Gilmore Stadium
1949: Perry Grimm | Gilmore Stadium
1950: Bill Zaring | Gilmore Stadium
1951: No Race
1952: No Race
1953: No Race
1954: No Race
1955: Johnnie Parsons | Gardena Stadium
1956: Edgar Elder | Gardena Stadium
1957: George Amick | Gardena Stadium
1958: Joe Garson | Gardena Stadium
1959: Tony Bettenhausen | Gardena Stadium
1960: A.J. Foyt | Ascot Park
1961: A.J. Foyt | Ascot Park
1962: Billy Cantrell | Ascot Park
1963: Mel Kenyon | Ascot Park
1964: Parnelli Jones | Ascot Park
1965: Dick Atkins | Ascot Park
1966: Parnelli Jones | Ascot Park
1967: Gary Bettenhausen | Ascot Park
1968: Sammy Sessions | Ascot Park
1969: George Benson | Ascot Park
1970: Gary Bettenhausen | Ascot Park
1971: Billy Engelhart | Ascot Park
1972: Tony Simon | Ascot Park
1973: Billy Engelhart | Ascot Park
1974: Danny McKnight | Ascot Park
1975: Mel Kenyon | Speedway 605
1976: Bubby Jones | Ascot Park
1977: Gary Patterson | Ascot Park
1978: Rick Goudy | Ascot Park
1979: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1980: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1981: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1982: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1983: Kevin Olson | Ascot Park
1984: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1985: Brent Kaeding | Ascot Park
1986: Warren Mockler | Ascot Park
1987: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1988: Chuck Gurney | Ascot Park
1989: Chuck Gurney | Ascot Park
1990: Stan Fox | Ascot Park
1991: Stan Fox | Saugus Speedway
1992: Ron Shuman | Bakersfield Speedway
1993: Ron Shuman | Bakersfield Speedway
1994: Jordan Hermansader | Bakersfield Speedway
1995: Billy Boat | Bakersfield Speedway
1996: Billy Boat | Perris Auto Speedway
1997: Billy Boat | Ventura Raceway
1998: Jay Drake | Bakersfield Speedway
1999: Jason Leffler | Irwindale Speedway
2000: Tony Stewart | Irwindale Speedway
2001: Dave Steele | Irwindale Speedway
2002: Michael Lewis | Irwindale Speedway
2003: Dave Steele | Irwindale Speedway
2004: Bobby East | Irwindale Speedway
2005: Jason Leffler | Irwindale Speedway
2006: Billy Wease | Irwindale Speedway
2007: Dave Darland | Irwindale Speedway
2008: Bobby Santos | Irwindale Speedway
2009: Bryan Clauson | Irwindale Speedway
2010: Bryan Clauson | Irwindale Speedway
2011: Caleb Armstrong | Irwindale Speedway
2012: Kyle Larson | Perris Auto Speedway
2013: Dave Darland | Perris Auto Speedway
2014: Christopher Bell | Perris Auto Speedway
2015: Tanner Thorson | Perris Auto Speedway
2016: Kyle Larson | Ventura Raceway
2017: Christopher Bell | Ventura Raceway
2018: Christopher Bell | Ventura Raceway
2019: Kyle Larson | Ventura Raceway
2020: No Race
2021: Logan Seavey | Ventura Raceway
2022: Justin Grant | Ventura Raceway
2023: Kyle Larson | Ventura Raceway
30 FOR 30:
THORSON LEADS ALL 30
AT BAKERSFIELD FOR 30TH USAC MIDGET WIN
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Bakersfield, California (November 27, 2024)………Over the past 69 years of USAC
NOS Energy Drink National Midget racing, only 14 drivers have amassed 30 or more
victories during their career.
Tanner Thorson is now one of those elite few following his wire-to-wire
winning performance during Wednesday night’s 8th annual November Classic at
California’s Bakersfield Speedway.
Starting from the pole in his Tom Malloy/Trench Shoring – Rodela Specialty
Fabrication – Race for Chase/LynK/Ed Pink Toyota, Thorson (Minden, Nev.) was
never headed from start to finish, leading the entire 30-lap distance to earn
his 30th career USAC National Midget feature victory – his first at Bakersfield.
The 2016 USAC National Midget driving champion joins the 30+ win club, which
only 13 previous drivers have achieved: Mel Kenyon (111), Rich Vogler (95), Bob
Wente (78), Bob Tattersall (63), Sleepy Tripp (59), Jimmy Davies (48), Bryan
Clauson (38), Tracy Hines (35), Gene Hartley (31), Chuck Rodee (31), Dave
Darland (30), Mike McGreevy (30) and Johnny Parsons (30).
“(The track) was tricky; it was definitely a race where you wanted to start
on the front row,” Thorson said of the juiced up 1/3-mile clay oval which had
been doused by rain the previous two days. “Hats off to my guys for not giving
up. I was pretty terrible in that heat race, so we just threw a bunch of stuff
at it and it stuck. This was as comfortable as it could get and it could go
anywhere I wanted. I think it helped in that situation because it’s easy to lose
races when you’re out there by yourself.”
The victory was also Thorson’s first since his two-month-old daughter,
Blakelee, was born. Furthermore, Thorson’s latest USAC National Midget victory
was his second in the state of California, and his first in the Golden State
since 2020 at Merced Speedway just after he was hired for a late-season run in
Malloy’s same No. 25m nearly four years to the day earlier.
“It’s cool to get back here in victory lane with (Tom Malloy),” Thorson
stated. “He and (crew chief) Jerome (Rodela) gave me a shot back in 2020 when I
didn’t have a ride. I told him we were going to park it at least one time this
week.”
Thorson established the top spot early over fellow front row starter Cannon
McIntosh, who slipped back to fourth as fellow Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian
Motorsports teammates Ryan Timms and Buddy Kofoid scurried into second and
third, respectively.
By lap nine, Thorson had already reached the tail end of the field, building
a 1.7 second lead in the process over Timms and Kofoid who found themselves
mired behind a wall of lapped traffic.
However, the front running order was shaken up on lap 13 when the lapped car
of Alex Karpowicz checked up behind Timms on the bottom of turn two. At that
same moment, Kofoid was skating the low groove and clipped the left rear tire of
Karpowicz, which sent Kofoid spiraling upside down to bring out the red flag,
finishing Kofoid’s night in the process.
On the ensuing lap 13 restart, fifth running Carson Macedo biked on his entry
into turn one, sending him flipping over three times into the outside wall and
billboards, ending his race in abrupt fashion. Earlier in the evening, Macedo
had set fast time during Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying for the for third time in
his USAC National Midget career, and for the first time since 2021.
During the red flag, 17th running Kyle Larson, the 2019 November Classic
victor, peeled off to the pits and did not return and was scored 23rd.
From the second attempt at a lap 13 restart through the balance of the 30-lap
main, Thorson was the dominant force as he quickly muscled his way to an eight
car length lead by the midway point and increasingly built his advantage over
the field as the race wore on, even as he was forced to maneuver around from top
to bottom in order to work his way through traffic.
“I don’t really think I had a doubt,” Thorson confidently noted. “My car was
just so good. It sounds cocky, but I was letting it drive itself and it where it
went.”
Thorson ultimately powered across the finish line 3.082 seconds ahead of the
competition in front of the KKM triumvirate of Ryan Timms, Cannon McIntosh and
Gavin Miller while Beilman Motorsports’ Zach Daum rounded out the top-five.
Finally, it was no more tens for Timms (Oklahoma City, Okla.) on his
California swing during the month of November. In his first three outings of the
trip over the past week, Timms had finished 10th at Thunderbowl Raceway followed
by a pair of 10th place performances at Merced Speedway. On this night at
Bakersfield, he finished a solid second in his Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian
Motorsports/JBL Audio – TRD – Toyota – Mobil 1/LynK/Speedway Toyota, his best
performance to date with the USAC National Midgets at Bakersfield.
McIntosh (Bixby, Okla.), meanwhile, scored a third place result in his Keith
Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports/GearWrench – Mobil 1 – TRD/LynK/Speedway Toyota
for his ninth podium finish in his last 11 starts. His latest top-three run at
Bakersfield shaved off 24 more points from 12th place finisher Daison Pursley’s
USAC National Midget point lead. McIntosh now heads to California’s Ventura
Raceway on Saturday just 30 points behind Pursley in the race for the title.
Jacob Denney (Galloway, Ohio) has put together a solid California swing with
top-seven finishes in all four of his starts. Despite starting 14th at
Bakersfield, the Buckeye advanced his way up to a seventh place finish to earn
hard charger honors for the night.
It's been a rough and tumble Cali swing for Zach Daum. After placing 12th,
12th and 16th this past week, he got back into the groove at Bakersfield with a
lap pass to win his heat race, then went on to grab fifth in the main event. For
those two drives, he certainly made tonight's Inferno Armor Fire Move of the
Night.
Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch made his USAC National Midget
debut at Bakersfield. A promising night in which he qualified 18th out of 36
cars before leading the first two laps of his heat race came to an abrupt halt
with a battery connection issue, forcing him to drop out. Starting 10th in the
semi-feature, Busch worked his way up to fifth, but fell one spot short of the
final transfer spot.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: November 27,
2024 – Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, California – 1/3-Mile Dirt Oval – 8th
November Classic
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Carson Macedo, 99AU, Dyson-12.380; 2. Gavin
Miller, 97, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.436; 3. Buddy Kofoid, 71,
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.472; 4. Ryan Timms, 67, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.579; 5.
Ronnie Gardner, 68, Six8-12.596; 6. Drake Edwards, 3p, Petty-12.633; 7. Chase
McDermand, 8w, Ford-12.635; 8. Cannon McIntosh, 71K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.704;
9. Tanner Thorson, 25m, Malloy-12.774; 10. Zach Daum, 31B, Beilman-12.777; 11.
Corey Day, 4, Kahne-12.779; 12. Kale Drake, 97K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.783; 13.
Jacob Denney, 25, Malloy-12.785; 14. Daison Pursley, 86, CBI-12.803; 15. Emerson
Axsom, 67K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.828; 16. Kyle Larson, 1K, Silva-12.862; 17.
Karter Sarff, 31, Beilman-12.869; 18. Kyle Busch, 51B, Busch-12.921; 19. Zach
Wigal, 89, CBI-12.967; 20. Brandt Twitty, 4B, Twitty-12.996; 21. Justin Grant,
2, RMS-13.001; 22. Austin Torgerson, 88A, Mounce/Stout-13.006; 23. Logan Seavey,
57, Abacus-13.041; 24. Cade Lewis, 101, Alexander-13.088; 25. Brody Fuson, 51,
Carlile-13.115; 26. Broedy Graham, 66, Graham-13.181; 27. Alex Karpowicz, 19,
Mounce/Stout-13.260; 28. Abby Hohlbein, 55, Lambert-13.456; 29. Troy DeGaton,
39T, DeGaton-13.460; 30. Todd Hawse, 18, Hawse-13.460; 31. Kaylee Bryson, 58,
Abacus-13.558; 32. T.J. Smith, 32, Sarale-14.021; 33. Kyle Hawse, 20x,
Hawse-14.499; 34. Terry Nichols, 1p, Nichols/Peckfelder-15.562; 35. Tyler
Courtney, 23c, Silva-NT; 36. Cale Coons, 63, Dooling-NT.
SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1.
Justin Grant, 2. Jacob Denney, 3. Tanner Thorson, 4. Brody Fuson, 5. Carson
Macedo, 6. Kyle Hawse, 7. Troy DeGaton, 8. Ronnie Gardner, 9. Karter Sarff. NT
ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Zach
Daum, 2. Daison Pursley, 3. Gavin Miller, 4. Austin Torgerson, 5. Broedy Graham,
6. Todd Hawse, 7. Terry Nichols, 8. Kyle Busch, 9. Drake Edwards. NT
T.J. FORGED THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Logan
Seavey, 2. Corey Day, 3. Zach Wigal, 4. Emerson Axsom, 5. Buddy Kofoid, 6. Alex
Karpowicz, 7. Kaylee Bryson, 8. Chase McDermand. 2:11.097
CAR IQ FOURTH HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Cade Lewis, 2. Ryan
Timms, 3. Cannon McIntosh, 4. Kale Drake, 5. Kyle Larson, 6. Brandt Twitty,
7. T.J. Smith, 8. Abby Hohlbein. 2:09.421
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (12 laps, top-4 transfer to the
feature) 1. Chase McDermand, 2. Drake Edwards, 3. Brandt Twitty, 4. Alex
Karpowicz, 5. Kyle Busch, 6. Kaylee Bryson, 7. T.J. Smith, 8. Abby Hohlbein, 9.
Todd Hawse, 10. Kyle Hawse, 11. Terry Nichols, 12. Cale Coons. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Tanner Thorson (1),
2. Ryan Timms (3), 3. Cannon McIntosh (2), 4. Gavin Miller (5), 5. Zach Daum
(7), 6. Justin Grant (8), 7. Jacob Denney (14), 8. Cade Lewis (10), 9. Logan
Seavey (9), 10. Kale Drake (13), 11. Zach Wigal (18), 12. Daison Pursley (15),
13. Emerson Axsom (16), 14. Chase McDermand (12), 15. Brody Fuson (21), 16.
Drake Edwards (11), 17. Austin Torgerson (20), 18. Alex Karpowicz (23), 19.
Broedy Graham (24), 20. Brandt Twitty (19), 21. Buddy Kofoid (4), 22. Carson
Macedo (6), 23. Kyle Larson (17), 24. Corey Day (24). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Tanner Thorson.
**Cale Coons flipped during practice. Ronnie Gardner flipped during the first
heat. Troy DeGaton flipped during the first heat. Buddy Kofoid flipped on lap 13
of the feature. Carson Macedo flipped on lap 13 of the feature.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Daison
Pursley-1436, 2-Cannon McIntosh-1406, 3-Logan Seavey-1297, 4-Ryan Timms-1288,
5-Zach Daum-1223, 6-Jacob Denney-1216, 7-Justin Grant-1158, 8-Gavin Miller-1121,
9-Zach Wigal-1044, 10-Kale Drake-1014.
USAC NATIONAL PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Daison Pursley-209, 2-Logan
Seavey-196, 3-Justin Grant-156, 4-Robert Ballou-149, 5-Kyle Cummins-131, 6-C.J.
Leary-131, 7-Chase Stockon-126, 8-Matt Westfall-121, 9-Brady Bacon-120, 10-Kevin
Thomas Jr.-107.
NEXT USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: November 30,
2024 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California – 1/5-Mile Dirt Oval – 83rd ARP
Turkey Night Grand Prix Presented By The West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall
of Fame
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: Carson Macedo (12.669)
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: Carson Macedo (12.380)
Simpson Race Products First Heat Winner: Justin Grant
Rod End Supply Second Heat Winner: Zach Daum
T.J. Forged Third Heat Winner: Logan Seavey
Car IQ Fourth Heat Winner: Cade Lewis
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Chase McDermand
Hard Charger: Jacob Denney (14th to 7th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: Zach Daum
BAKERSFIELD USAC MIDGETS
POSTPONED TO WEDNESDAY, NOV. 27
Bakersfield, California (November 25, 2024)………A forecast calling for rain
throughout the next two days has forced postponement of the Tuesday night,
November 26, November Classic at California’s Bakersfield Speedway.
The Bakersfield event featuring the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National
Championship will now be held on Wednesday night, November 27, at the 1/3-mile
dirt oval.
The penultimate round of the USAC season will feature an expected field of 36
cars and drivers. The eighth annual November Classic brings three past event
winners in NASCAR Cup champ Kyle Larson (2019), plus two-time USAC National
Midget titlists Logan Seavey (2018 & 2023) and Buddy Kofoid (2020 & 2021) as
well as a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Kyle Busch, who will be making
his midget racing debut.
Joining the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship will be the
California Lightning Sprints. Pits open at 2pm Pacific with the gates opening at
4pm, the drivers meeting at 4:30pm and cars on track at 5pm.
Adult general admission tickets are $25. Kids 6-12 general admission tickets
are $15. Kids 5 and under general admis-sion tickets are free. Ages 65+ and
military (ID required) general admission tickets are $22. Pit passes are $50
($45 for USAC members).
Advance tickets are available now at https://tickethoss.com/event/687.
USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midgets and California’s Bakersfield Speedway
have a history that dates back six decades. Davey Moses won the first trip by
the USAC National Midgets in the summer of 1959. Over that period, 25 series
races have been held at the lightning-quick track that has been both paved and
dirt throughout its history.
The November Classic from Bakersfield will also be streamed live on FloRacing at https://flosports.link/usac.
FINALLY!
LARSON BREAKS THROUGH
TO WIN USAC MIDGET MADNESS AT MERCED
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Merced, California (November 24, 2024)………Of all the California dirt tracks
Kyle Larson has competed on in his USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National
Championship career, there had been just one that he’d been unable to conquer
prior to Sunday night’s Midget Madness finale.
That place was Merced Speedway.
Finally, in his sixth attempt, Larson (Elk Grove, Calif.) broke through the
barrier, chasing down Logan Seavey for the lead just prior to the midway point
of the 30-lap feature, then led the remaining 17 trips around the 1/4-mile dirt
oval to score his first USAC National Midget win of the year, and his fourth in
his last five series appearances dating back to 2023.
Larson’s relatively troublesome spot of Merced has resulted in uncommon
results for him over the years in USAC National Midget competition. In 2020, he
took ninth and fourth across the two nights, and in 2021, missed the feature on
opening night, then scored a 24th the following evening.
However, 10 of his 29 career triumphant performances with the series have
come in his home state of California: Placerville (4), Ventura (3), Bakersfield
(1) and Perris (1). However, for whatever rhyme or reason, Merced had escaped
his grip.
”We’ve been really good whenever we’ve ran the midget at all these California
tracks except for Merced,” Larson acknowledged. “I feel like we’ve been average
at best at Merced, and then we had a couple races where we were really bad.”
Despite capturing the accompanying winged 360 sprint car race just prior to
the midget feature, Larson still felt a bit of trepidation entering the midget
main in his Silva Motorsports/FloRacing – HendrickCars.com – Durst – K & C
Drywall – JVI Group/Eagle/Speedway.
“I was a bit nervous going into that feature just because the sprint cars go
through the holes way easier than the midgets,” Larson explained. “In a midget,
just because you’re sideways, you’re bouncing a lot. I was nervous with the
track slickening up and I felt like we were going to have to run through the
holes more, which we did. But my car could handle it there, which was nice.”
Larson started his race from the third slot, and remained there for the
initial 10 laps as Logan Seavey headed the field with Karter Sarff sandwiched in
between the two in second. Larson ultimately overtook Sarff for second on the
11th lap, then set course to track down Seavey who had sprinted out to a
commanding 1.471 second lead.
However, Seavey’s wide advantage was wiped out on the 13th lap when afternoon
feature winner Corey Day’s car suddenly slowed to a stop atop the turn two
banking. Running seventh at the time, Day restarted at the tail, but only
managed to make it back to 17th at the checkered.
With the field bunched up following the restart, Larson swiftly swiped the
lead away from Seavey in turn one on the 14th lap. However, Seavey turned down
off turn two and raced his way back on by to retain the top spot for the time
being. Moments later, trouble found third running Sarff who was in a prime spot
to accrue his best career USAC National Midget finish. In the end, it was not to
be as Sarff slowed, then pulled off, out of the race with a 24th place finish in
the 24 car field.
The interruption of Larson’s pursuit was merely temporary as Larson jumped
right back on the horse, diving under and driving past Seavey in turn one on the
lap 14 restart to take over the race lead once and for good.
“(Seavey) was pretty committed to running and exiting above the cushion,”
Larson recalled. “We had that restart and I got by him, then the caution came
out. He actually got back by me, then went to the bottom of three and four, and
I was like ‘dang.’ We got the caution and he was running where I wanted to be.
So I just felt like on the restart that, if I exited four close enough to him, I
needed to try a slide job or whatever into one. It had a lot of grip for me
across the center. I caught the cushion just right off of two and could
protect.”
Meanwhile, Kofoid was hustling his way up the chart as well, and on the 20th
lap, made his move underneath Seavey in turn four to slot into second. In a
moment’s notice, he was within arm's reach of Larson for the lead with less than
10 laps to go amid a bevy of traffic, and Larson could feel his presence.
“I felt pretty good for a while, then caught traffic,” Larson replayed. “My
momentum slowed down quite a bit in three and four and I couldn’t really see my
line in one and two. I thought I saw somebody poke their nose into one, so I
figured they were building a run off the top of three and four. I moved back up
there and felt better, and I just needed to keep my momentum up better.”
Nonetheless, Larson never allowed Kofoid to get close enough to attempt to
clear him, and Larson was able to help ease the stress by gapping Kofoid with a
lapped car separating the two at the very end. At the stripe, Larson was 0.791
seconds better than Kofoid who finished as the runner-up while Logan Seavey
completed an all northern California top-three. Tanner Thorson and Carson Macedo
rounded out the top-five.
Buddy Kofoid (Penngrove, Calif.) and his miraculous streak at Merced
continued with a third place result in his Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian
Motorsports/Mobil 1 – TRD – Curb Records – IWX/Lynk/Speedway Toyota. Kofoid has
now finished on the podium in nine consecutive USAC National Midget starts at
Merced dating back to 2020. Since that point in time, his Merced finishes have
included a 2nd-3rd-1st-2nd-1st-2nd-3rd-3rd-2nd. As the lone driver to finish on
the podium in both features on Sunday, he earned the Inferno Armor Fire Move of
the Night award.
Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) jumped back on the podium with a third place
run after pacing the opening 13 laps of the feature in his Abacus Racing/McVey
Trucking – Indy Custom Stone – Factory QRC – Prime 47/Spike/Stanton SR-11x. It's
Seavey’s first top-three with the series since scoring a third in September at
Ohio’s Eldora Speedway.
Zach Wigal (Belpre, Ohio) has pulled out to a 30 point lead over Kale Drake
in the race for 2024 USAC National Midget Bob Stroud/Max Papis Innovations
Rookie of the Year honors. Wigal helped his cause in a big way with a 16th to
8th feature run which earned him hard charger honors for the night.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: November 24,
2024 – Merced Speedway – Merced, California – 1/4-Mile Dirt Oval – Midget
Madness
SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1.
Tanner Thorson (#25m Malloy), 2. Tyler Courtney (#23c Silva), 3. Corey Day (#4
Kahne), 4. Karter Sarff (#31 Beilman), 5. Zach Wigal (#89 CBI), 6. Jake
Andreotti (#00 Davis), 7. Peter Paulson (#Q32 El Toro). 1:37.39
ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Kale
Drake (#97K Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 2. Hayden Reinbold (#19AZ Reinbold-Underwood),
3. Ryan Timms (#67 Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 4. Carson Macedo (#99AU Dyson), 5.
Logan Seavey (#57 Abacus), 6. Drake Edwards (#3p Petty), 7. Barrie Valentino
(#Q23 El Toro). 1:37.07
T.J. FORGED THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Caden
Sarale (#32 Sarale), 2. Gavin Miller (#97 Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 3. Buddy Kofoid
(#71 Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 4. Daison Pursley (#86 CBI), 5. Jacob Denney (#25
Malloy), 6. Ronnie Gardner (#68 Six8), 7. Kyle Hawse (#20x Hawse). 1:36.74 (New
Track Record)
CAR IQ FOURTH HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Emerson Axsom
(#67K Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 2. Zach Daum (#31B Beilman), 3. Justin Grant (#2
RMS), 4. Cannon McIntosh (#71K Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 5. Kyle Larson (#1K Silva),
6. Travis DeGaton (#39T DeGaton), 7. Terry Nichols (#1p Nichols-Peckfelder).
1:37.38
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (8 laps, top-4 transfer to the
feature) 1. Drake Edwards, 2. Jake Andreotti, 3. Ronnie Gardner, 4. Travis
DeGaton, 5. Peter Paulson, 6. Barrie Valentino, 7. Kyle Hawse, 8. Terry Nichols.
NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kyle Larson (3), 2.
Buddy Kofoid (4), 3. Logan Seavey (1), 4. Tanner Thorson (7), 5. Carson Macedo
(5), 6. Jacob Denney (11), 7. Daison Pursley (14), 8. Zach Wigal (16), 9. Cannon
McIntosh (12), 10. Ryan Timms (13), 11. Emerson Axsom (10), 12. Justin Grant
(18), 13. Kale Drake (8), 14. Caden Sarale (9), 15. Tyler Courtney (19), 16.
Zach Daum (15), 17. Corey Day (6), 18. Gavin Miller (17), 19. Hayden Reinbold
(22), 20. Drake Edwards (20), 21. Ronnie Gardner (23), 22. Jake Andreotti (21),
23. Travis DeGaton (24), 24. Karter Sarff (2). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-13 Logan Seavey, Laps 14-30 Kyle Larson.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Daison
Pursley-1390, 2-Cannon McIntosh-1336, 3-Logan Seavey-1243, 4-Ryan Timms-1211,
5-Zach Daum-1157, 6-Jacob Denney-1157, 7-Justin Grant-1095, 8-Gavin Miller-1049,
9-Zach Wigal-997, 10-Kale Drake-966.
USAC NATIONAL PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Daison Pursley-206, 2-Logan
Seavey-196, 3-Justin Grant-154, 4-Robert Ballou-149, 5-Kyle Cummins-131, 6-C.J.
Leary-131, 7-Chase Stockon-126, 8-Matt Westfall-121, 9-Brady Bacon-120, 10-Kevin
Thomas Jr.-107.
NEXT USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: November 26,
2024 – Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, California – 1/3-Mile Dirt Oval – 8th
Annual November Classic
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Simpson Race Products First Heat Winner: Tanner Thorson
Rod End Supply Second Heat Winner: Kale Drake
T.J. Forged Third Heat Winner: Caden Sarale
Car IQ Fourth Heat Winner: Emerson Axsom
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Drake Edwards
Hard Charger: Zach Wigal (16th to 8th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: Buddy Kofoid
IT’S DAY’S AFTERNOON
AT MERCED’S USAC MIDGET MADNESS
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Merced, California (November 24, 2024)………For nearly the entire duration of
the first feature event during Sunday afternoon’s Midget Madness doubleheader at
California’s Merced Speedway, Corey Day followed the top-two every step of the
way around the 1/4-mile dirt oval, just waiting for his window of opportunity to
arrive.
When that exact moment arrived with five laps remaining as the frontrunners
contested lapped traffic, Day pounced, going from third to second, then from
second to first in a two-lap span to score his first USAC NOS Energy Drink
Midget National Championship feature victory in nearly three-and-a-half years.
Day’s second career USAC victory was the first for car owner Willie Kahne and
his Durst – Four CCCC’s Construction – Sander Engineering/Triple X/Worth Mopar.
It is believed to be the first USAC National Midget feature victory for a Mopar-powered
machine since Brad Sweet’s triumph on July 4, 2010, at Sun Prairie, Wisconsin’s
Angell Park Speedway more than 14 years ago.
Despite having to race his way to the front late in the going, Day (Clovis,
Calif.) actually began his quest from the pole position, but quickly fell to
third by the second lap as both Carson Macedo and Buddy Kofoid moved on by to
occupy first and second while Day sought to find his footing.
“I just kind of stumbled off the original start,” Day admitted. “I wasn’t
going to be the guy to blow it into turn one on the first lap and flip over
while leading, so I just felt it out there for a while. I felt where we were
good and where we weren’t.”
Day and Kofoid exchanged the runner-up spot several times before Kofoid took
control by the seventh circuit while last Wednesday night’s Thunderbowl Raceway
winner Macedo set a torrid pace around the high side, establishing a
half-straightaway advantage by the halfway point.
Just mere moments later, while attempting to put 17th running Dane Culver a
lap down in between turns three and four, Macedo and Culver connected wheels,
sending Culver veering over the turn four cushion before slamming broadside into
the outside wall, resulting in extensive right side damage to Culver’s machine
while Macedo marched on. Culver was able to climb out and walk away.
On the ensuing restart, Macedo stretched his lead to five car lengths over
Kofoid, and once again, faced the throes of traffic which simultaneously plugged
the top, bottom and middle, challenging the mental and physical reflexes of the
frontrunners down the stretch.
Day slipped through a crack in the door to slot into second in turn one on
lap 25 as Kofoid worked the lapped cars of Emerson Axsom and Jake Andreotti.
Maintaining a residence on the low groove, one lap later, Day spurted past
Macedo for the lead in turns three and four as Macedo attempted to navigate his
way past Caden Sarale.
“I knew that in clear air, the diamond line in one and two was really, really
good,” Day explained. “You could make a lot of speed off two and down the back
straightaway, but I also knew there was a thin groove you had to get down to off
two or else you’d hit the rough stuff and get all messed up. I knew if I could
beat those guys at the exit of two, they’d have no run after I cut them off.
Luckily I got Buddy there before we got to traffic, then we got to traffic and
Carson messed up sliding a car in three and four, which allowed us to get to
him.”
From there on, Day possessed a slight gap between himself and the next wave
of traffic, and thus, was able to expand his lead with relative ease en route to
a 0.902 second victory, his first with the series since a 2021 USAC Indiana
Midget Week triumph at Circle City Raceway.
Carson Macedo crossed the line in second with Buddy Kofoid third, a hard
charging Kyle Larson in fourth and Karter Sarff rounding out the top-five.
Carson Macedo (Lemoore, Calif.) led a race-high 26 of 30 laps on his way to a
second place finish in his Dyson Motorsport/Complete Parts & Equipment – Tarlton
& Son – Empire/King/Speedway Toyota, just missing out on becoming the second
two-time Midget Madness feature winner after scoring at Merced in 2022.
Buddy Kofoid (Penngrove, Calif.), who remains the only two-time Merced USAC
Midget winner, continued his incredible run of success at Merced at the wheel of
his Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports/Mobil 1 – TRD – Curb Records –
IWX/Lynk/Speedway Toyota. His third place result made it eight consecutive
podium finishes for himself with the series at Merced dating back to 2020.
Kyle Larson (Elk Grove, Calif.) was buried deep in the field, starting from
the 14th spot. But he was on the move quickly, advancing 10 spots in all to
finish fourth and earn hard charger honors. The fourth place result equaled his
best career Merced USAC Midget finish to that point.
Prior to this weekend, Karter Sarff (Mason City, Ill.) had never laid eyes on
Merced Speedway. During the day's first program, he set his first career USAC
fast time during the Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying session before equaling his
best career USAC National Midget result of fifth. With that performance, he was
the honored with the Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: November 24,
2024 – Merced Speedway – Merced, California – 1/4-Mile Dirt Oval – Midget
Madness
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Karter Sarff, 31, Beilman-11.993; 2. Cannon
McIntosh, 71K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.094; 3. Buddy Kofoid, 71,
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.125; 4. Ryan Timms, 67, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.170; 5.
Carson Macedo, 99AU, Dyson-12.173; 6. Corey Day, 4, Kahne-12.174; 7. Tanner
Thorson, 25m, Malloy-12.191; 8. Daison Pursley, 86, CBI-12.218; 9. Logan Seavey,
57, Abacus-12.261; 10. Jacob Denney, 25, Malloy-12.263; 11. Tyler Courtney, 23c,
Silva-12.301; 12. Gavin Miller, 97, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.327; 13. Kyle Larson,
1K, Silva-12.360; 14. Emerson Axsom, 67K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.383; 15. Zach
Daum, 31B, Beilman-12.383; 16. Jake Andreotti, 00, Davis-12.389; 17. Caden
Sarale, 32, Sarale-12.432; 18. Zach Wigal, 89, CBI-12.497; 19. Justin Grant, 2,
RMS-12.521; 20. Dane Culver, 50, Knuckles Up-12.570; 21. Hayden Reinbold, 19AZ,
Reinbold/Underwood-12.609; 22. Drake Edwards, 3p, Petty-12.614; 23. Kale Drake,
97K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.645; 24. Ronnie Gardner, 68, Six8-13.142; 25. Peter
Paulson, Q32, El Toro-13.164; 26. Barrie Valentino, Q23, El Toro-13.272; 27.
Travis DeGaton, 39T, DeGaton-13.300; 28. Kyle Hawse, 20x, Hawse-13.307; 29.
Terry Nichols, 1p, Nichols/Peckfelder-NT; 30. Alex Karpowicz, 19,
Mounce/Stout-NT; 31. Chase McDermand, 8w, Ford-NT; 32. Austin Torgerson, 88A,
Mounce/Stout-NT.
SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1.
Logan Seavey, 2. Kyle Larson, 3. Carson Macedo, 4. Karter Sarff, 5. Caden
Sarale, 6. Hayden Reinbold, 7. Peter Paulson, 8. Terry Nichols. 1:38.85
ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Jacob
Denney, 2. Cannon McIntosh, 3. Zach Wigal, 4. Drake Edwards, 5. Corey Day, 6.
Emerson Axsom, 7. Barrie Valentino. 1:39.12
T.J. FORGED THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Buddy
Kofoid, 2. Kale Drake, 3. Justin Grant, 4. Tanner Thorson, 5. Zach Daum, 6.
Tyler Courtney, 7. Travis DeGaton. 1:39.54
CAR IQ FOURTH HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Jake
Andreotti, 2. Daison Pursley, 3. Ryan Timms, 4. Gavin Miller, 5. Dane Culver, 6.
Ronnie Gardner, 7. Kyle Hawse. 1:43.70
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (10 laps, top-4 transfer to the
feature) 1. Tyler Courtney, 2. Emerson Axsom, 3. Hayden Reinbold, 4. Ronnie
Gardner, 5. Travis DeGaton, 6. Peter Paulson, 7. Barrie Valentino, 8. Kyle
Hawse. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Corey Day (1), 2.
Carson Macedo (2), 3. Buddy Kofoid (4), 4. Kyle Larson (14), 5. Karter Sarff
(6), 6. Logan Seavey (7), 7. Jacob Denney (8), 8. Cannon McIntosh (5), 9. Tanner
Thorson (10), 10. Ryan Timms (3), 11. Daison Pursley (11), 12. Zach Daum (16),
13. Zach Wigal (18), 14. Kale Drake (23), 15. Gavin Miller (13), 16. Justin
Grant (19), 17. Tyler Courtney (12), 18. Drake Edwards (22), 19. Caden Sarale
(17), 20. Emerson Axsom (15), 21. Jake Andreotti (9), 22. Hayden Reinbold (21),
23. Dane Culver (20), 24. Ronnie Gardner (24). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-26 Carson Macedo, Laps 27-30 Corey Day.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Daison
Pursley-1338, 2-Cannon McIntosh-1290, 3-Logan Seavey-1179, 4-Ryan Timms-1168,
5-Zach Daum-1126, 6-Jacob Denney-1102, 7-Justin Grant-1056, 8-Gavin Miller-1022,
9-Zach Wigal-948, 10-Kale Drake-929.
USAC NATIONAL PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Daison Pursley-199, 2-Logan
Seavey-196, 3-Robert Ballou-149, 4-Justin Grant-148, 5-Kyle Cummins-131, 6-C.J.
Leary-131, 7-Chase Stockon-126, 8-Matt Westfall-121, 9-Brady Bacon-120, 10-Kevin
Thomas Jr.-107.
NEXT USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: November 24,
2024 – Merced Speedway – Merced, California – 1/4-Mile Dirt Oval – Midget
Madness
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: Ryan Timms (12.130)
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: Karter Sarff (11.993)
Simpson Race Products First Heat Winner: Logan Seavey
Rod End Supply Second Heat Winner: Jacob Denney
T.J. Forged Third Heat Winner: Buddy Kofoid
Car IQ Fourth Heat Winner: Jake Andreotti
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Tyler Courtney
Hard Charger: Kyle Larson (14th to 4th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: Karter Sarff
MERCED’S USAC MIDGET MADNESS POSTPONED,
DOUBLE FEATURES ON SUNDAY
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Merced, California (November 23, 2024)………Saturday night’s scheduled Midget
Madness opener featuring the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship
at California’s Merced Speedway has been postponed.
The event will now be run as part of a doubleheader program on Sunday,
November 24, which will present two complete, full events for the series
consisting of a pair of 30-lap features at the 1/4-mile dirt oval.
Heavy and steady overnight on Friday and Saturday rain doused the track with
moisture. Despite yeoman’s work by the track crew all day, the surface was
unable to smoothed out into a safe and raceable condition. Thirty-three drivers
and cars were signed in for the event.
Sunday’s event at Merced will now see the front gates opening at Noon Pacific
time with the drivers meeting also set for noon and hot laps at 12:30pm.
The racing program on Sunday will run a full program for the USAC National
Midgets, consisting of two-lap qualifying, heat races, a semi-feature and a
30-lap feature event.
Following the conclusion of the first program, a second event will occur with
a bit of a twist on the format. No qualifying will be held, but instead, heat
race lineups will be based on the finishing order of the first feature. The
first feature winner will receive the one seed with the second-place finisher
getting the second seed, and so on, which will, in essence, act as the official
qualifying time.
The number one seed will line up in the 6th position of Saturday night’s heat
race one and the number two seed will line up in the 6th position of heat race
two, and so forth. From there on, the “traditional” USAC format for heat races
will take over with the top-six transferring/getting their qualifying time back
from each of the heat races, etc.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: November 23,
2024 – Merced Speedway – Merced, California – 1/4-Mile Dirt Oval –Midget Madness
DRIVERS & CARS IN ATTENDANCE: (33) Jake Andreotti (#00 Davis), Kyle Larson
(#1K Silva), Terry Nichols (#1p Nichols-Peckfelder), Justin Grant (#2 RMS),
Drake Edwards (#3p Petty), Corey Day (#4 Kahne), Chase McDermand (#8w Ford),
Santino Ferrucci (#16 Abacus), Alex Karpowicz (#19 Mounce-Stout), Hayden
Reinbold (#19AZ Reinbold-Underwood), Kyle Hawse (#20x Hawse), Tyler Courtney
(#23c Silva), Barrie Valentino (#Q23 El Toro), Jacob Denney (#25 Malloy), Tanner
Thorson (#25m Malloy), Karter Sarff (#31 Beilman), Zach Daum (#31B Beilman),
Caden Sarale (#32 Sarale), Peter Paulson (#Q32 El Toro), Travis DeGaton (#39T
DeGaton), Dane Culver (#50 Knuckles Up), Logan Seavey (#57 Abacus), Ryan Timms
(#67 Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), Emerson Axsom (#67K Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), Ronnie
Gardner (#68 Six8), Buddy Kofoid (#71 Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), Cannon McIntosh
(#71K Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), Daison Pursley (#86 CBI), Austin Torgerson (#88A
Mounce-Stout), Zach Wigal (#89 CBI), Gavin Miller (#97 Kunz/Curb-Agajanian),
Kale Drake (#97K Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), Carson Macedo (#99AU Dyson).
EVENT CANCELED DUE TO WET TRACK CONDITIONS
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Daison
Pursley-1290, 2-Cannon McIntosh-1229, 3-Ryan Timms-1116, 4-Logan Seavey-1116,
5-Zach Daum-1083, 6-Jacob Denney-1042, 7-Justin Grant-1019, 8-Gavin Miller-984,
9-Zach Wigal-905, 10-Kale Drake-887.
USAC NATIONAL PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Daison Pursley-199, 2-Logan
Seavey-195, 3-Robert Ballou-149, 4-Justin Grant-145, 5-Kyle Cummins-131, 6-C.J.
Leary-131, 7-Chase Stockon-126, 8-Matt Westfall-121, 9-Brady Bacon-120, 10-Kevin
Thomas Jr.-107.
NEXT USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACES: November 24, 2024 – Merced Speedway – Merced, California – 1/4-Mile Dirt Oval – Midget Madness
PENULTIMATE CHALLENGE!
USAC MIDGET NOVEMBER CLASSIC
HITS BAKERSFIELD NOV. 26
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Bakersfield, California (November 22, 2024)………The California roads lead the
USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship to Bakersfield Speedway for
the penultimate round of the season on Tuesday night, November 26.
The eighth annual November Classic brings three past event winners in NASCAR
Cup champ Kyle Larson (2019), plus two-time USAC National Midget titlists Logan
Seavey (2018 & 2023) and Buddy Kofoid (2020 & 2021) as well as a two-time NASCAR
Cup Series champion, Kyle Busch, making his midget racing debut.
Thirty-six (36) entries are expected to sign in for the event at the 1/3-mile
clay oval, which first hosted USAC National Midget racing in 1959.
Among the 36 are Emerson Axsom, twice a Bakersfield runner-up finisher in
2021 and 2023. In both of those same years, Justin Grant finished third each
time. Tyler Courtney, the 2019 USAC National Midget champion, took third at
Bakersfield back in 2021.
The 2016 series king, Tanner Thorson, collected a fast qualifying time and a
third place result in 2017. Cannon McIntosh also set fast time in 2021 before
coming home fourth in the feature at Bako in 2022 and 2023 while Carson Macedo,
a victor last Wednesday at Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway, scored a fifth in 2023.
At press time, Daison Pursley leads the 2024 USAC National Midget standings
and enters the event with a best Bakersfield performance of 6th in 2023. Jacob
Denney raced to a 9th in 2023 while Hayden Reinbold rounded out the top-10 in
2023.
Also returning to the Bakersfield lineup are six-time Bakersfield USAC
Western States Midget winner Ronnie Gardner, a 16th place finisher with the USAC
National Midgets there in 2017. Cade Lewis is a Bakersfield native and was this
year’s USAC Western States Midget champion. He finished 16th in the 2023
November Classic. Lewis’ car owner, Dean Alexander, scored a USAC Western States
Midget win at Bakersfield back in 2019.
Another Bakersfield native, Brody Fuson, captured a USAC West Coast Sprint
Car victory at his hometown track in 2022. Furthermore, he finished 17th with
the USAC National Midgets there in 2022. Jake Andreotti took 11th in the 2023
November Classic and also captured a USAC Micro Sprint win at Bako in 2016. USAC
National Midget feature winners Gavin Miller and Ryan Timms each notched a 13th
in the event in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Exactly one-half of the field is looking to make their first Bakersfield USAC
National Midget feature starts. Among them are Drake Edwards and Terry Nichols,
each of whom have been victorious with the Western Midget Racing series at
Bakersfield in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Two others, Corey Day and Cale Coons, have fathers who’ve experienced their
fair share of success at Bakersfield. Corey’s father, Ronnie Day, scored four
Bako victories with the BCRA Midgets, NARC Sprint Cars and USAC Western States
Midgets between 1992-2002. Cale, son of Jerry Coons Jr., will be making his USAC
National Midget debut. Jerry finished third with the USAC National Midgets at
Bakersfield in 1998.
Additional first-time Bakersfield USAC Midget starting hopefuls include
two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch in his USAC debut. Four USAC
National Midget winners are set for Bakersfield: Zach Daum and Chase McDermand,
plus top series Rookies Kale Drake and Zach Wigal.
They’ll be joined in the Bakersfield lineup by Stevie Sussex, Karter Sarff,
Brandt Twitty, cousins Todd Hawse and Kyle Hawse, Alex Karpowicz, Troy DeGaton,
Abby Hohlbein and Austin Torgerson, all eying first Bakersfield USAC National
Midget feature starts.
RACE DETAILS
The Tuesday, November 26, running of the November Classic at California’s
Bakersfield Speedway features the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National
Championship and the California Lightning Sprints.
Pits open at 2pm Pacific with the gates opening at 4pm, the drivers meeting
at 4:30pm and cars on track at 5pm.
Adult general admission tickets are $25. Kids 6-12 general admission tickets
are $15. Kids 5 and under general admission tickets are free. Ages 65+ and
military (ID required) general admission tickets are $22. Pit passes are $50
($45 for USAC members).
Advance tickets are available now at https://tickethoss.com/event/687.
USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midgets and California’s Bakersfield Speedway
have a history that dates back six decades. Davey Moses won the first trip by
the USAC National Midgets in the summer of 1959. Over that period, 25 series
races have been held at the lightning-quick 1/3-mile that has been both paved
and dirt throughout its history.
The November Classic from Bakersfield will be streamed live on FloRacing at
https://flosports.link/usac.
BAKERSFIELD USAC MIDGET ENTRY LIST: (36)
00 JAKE ANDREOTTI/Castro Valley, CA (Pete Davis)
1K KYLE LARSON/Elk Grove, CA (Silva Motorsports)
1p TERRY NICHOLS/Delano, CA (Nichols-Peckfelder Motorsports)
2 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (RMS Racing)
3p DRAKE EDWARDS/Peoria, AZ (Petty Performance Racing)
4 COREY DAY/Clovis, CA (Wille Kahne)
4B BRANDT TWITTY/Bakersfield, CA (Kevin Twitty)
8w CHASE McDERMAND/Springfield, IL (Josh Ford Motorsports)
18 TODD HAWSE/Simi Valley, CA (Todd Hawse)
19 ALEX KARPOWICZ/Spring Branch, TX (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
19AZ HAYDEN REINBOLD/Gilbert, AZ (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
20AZ STEVIE SUSSEX/Tempe, AZ (Crown Jewel Racing)
20x KYLE HAWSE/Las Vegas, NV (Hawse Racing)
23c TYLER COURTNEY/Indianapolis, IN (Silva Motorsports)
25 JACOB DENNEY/Galloway, OH (Tom Malloy)
25m TANNER THORSON/Minden, NV (Tom Malloy)
31 KARTER SARFF/Mason City, IL (Beilman Motorsports)
31B ZACH DAUM/Pocahontas, IL (Beilman Motorsports)
39T TROY DeGATON/Wickenburg, AZ (Troy DeGaton)
51 BRODY FUSON/Bakersfield, CA (Rusty Carlile)
51B KYLE BUSCH/Las Vegas, NV (Kyle Busch Motorsports)
55 ABBY HOHLBEIN/Cloverdale, OH (Lambert Motorsports)
57 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Abacus Racing)
63 CALE COONS/Greencastle, IN (Joe Dooling)
67 RYAN TIMMS/Oklahoma City, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
67K EMERSON AXSOM/Franklin, IN (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
68 RONNIE GARDNER/Corona, CA (Six8 Motorsports)
71 BUDDY KOFOID/Penngrove, CA (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71K CANNON MCINTOSH/Bixby, OK (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
86 DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, OK (CB Industries)
88A AUSTIN TORGERSON/Glendale, AZ (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
89 ZACH WIGAL/Belpre, OH (CB Industries)
97 GAVIN MILLER/Allentown, PA (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
97K KALE DRAKE/Collinsville, OK (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
99AU CARSON MACEDO/Lemoore, CA (Dyson Motorsport)
101 CADE LEWIS/Bakersfield, CA (Dean Alexander)
TRACK RECORDS FOR USAC NATIONAL MIDGETS AT BAKERSFIELD SPEEDWAY:
1 Lap - 11/16/2021 - Cannon McIntosh - 12.347 - 97.092 mph
6 Laps - 11/23/1991 - Lynn Carter - 1:26.460 - 83.192 mph
8 Laps - 11/17/2018 - Tyler Courtney - 1:43.590 - 92.580 mph
10 Laps - 11/17/2020 - Jonathan Beason - 2:03.059 - 97.417 mph
12 Laps - 11/16/2021 - Chase Randall - 2:31.417 - 95.077 mph
15 Laps - 11/25/1993 - Sleepy Tripp - 3:25.910 - 87.678 mph
100 Laps - 11/23/1995 - Billy Boat - 26:58.12 - 74.086 mph
BAKERSFIELD USAC NATIONAL MIDGET WINS:
3-Jay Drake & Billy Vukovich
2-Buddy Kofoid, Logan Seavey, Ron Shuman & Sleepy Tripp
1-Brady Bacon, Billy Boat, Dave Darland, Terry Farrar, Jordan Hermansader,
Page Jones, Kyle Larson, Thomas Meseraull, Davey Moses, Frank Secrist & Rich
Vogler
BAKERSFIELD USAC NATIONAL MIDGET WINNERS:
1959: Davey Moses (8/2)
1966: Frank Secrist (8/14) & Billy Vukovich (9/11)
1967: Billy Vukovich (7/2) & Billy Vukovich (7/16)
1974: Sleepy Tripp (11/24)
1988: Rich Vogler (11/11)
1989: Sleepy Tripp (11/18)
1990: Terry Farrar (11/17)
1991: Page Jones (11/23)
1992: Ron Shuman (11/26)
1993: Ron Shuman (11/25)
1994: Jordan Hermansader (11/24)
1995: Billy Boat (11/23)
1997: Jay Drake (11/22)
1998: Jay Drake (11/26)
1999: Dave Darland (11/20)
2000: Jay Drake (11/18)
2017: Brady Bacon (11/18)
2018: Logan Seavey (11/17)
2019: Kyle Larson (11/23)
2020: Buddy Kofoid (11/17)
2021: Buddy Kofoid (11/16)
2022: Thomas Meseraull (11/15)
2023: Logan Seavey (11/14)
BAKERSFIELD SPEEDWAY USAC NATIONAL MIDGET RESULTS:
1959 FEATURE: 1. Davey Moses, 2. Joe Garson, 3. Billy Cantrell, 4. Norm Rapp,
5. Cal Niday, 6. Johnny Wood, 7. Leroy Neumayer, 8. Gene Gurney, 9. Johnny
Melton, 10. Jim Gilchrist, 11. Johnnie Tolan, 12. Chuck Booth, 13. Dempsey
Wilson, 14. Joe Soares, 15. Norm Hall, 16. Don Staudinger. NT
1966 FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Frank Secrist, 2. George Benson, 3. Duane Sears,
4. Tom Trader, 5. Johnny Moorhouse, 6. Larry Ferrua, 7. Jimmy Caruthers, 8. Jim
Bob Luebbert, 9. Bernie Schechter, 10. Al Henderson, 11. Ned Spath, 12. Clark
Templeman, 13. Ed Johns, 14. Joe Garson, 15. Walt Kennedy, 16. Paul Jones, 17.
Porky Rachwitz, 18. Jack Sachse. NT
1966 FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Billy Vukovich, 2.Al Henderson, 3. George Benson,
4. Rick Henderson, 5. Jimmy Caruthers, 6. Don Melton, 7. Billy Wilkerson, 8.
Dickie Deis, 9. Bruce Walkup, 10. Johnny Moorhouse, 11. Tom Trader, 12. Ed
Johns, 13. Ron Hughes, 14. Mike Mosley, 15. Paul Jones, 16. Frank Secrist, 17.
George Todd, 18. Larry Ferrua.
1967 FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Billy Vukovich, 2. Duane Sears, 3. Mike McGreevy,
4. Hank Butcher, 5. Johnny Moorhouse, 6. George Benson, 7. Jan Opperman, 8. Dave
Strickland, 9. Herman Hutton, 10. Walt Kennedy, 11. Billy Wilkerson, 12. Gil
Alcala, 13. Don Sparks, 14. Henry Rossi, 15. Don White, 16. Ray Lattie, 17. Ed
Johns, 18. Dickie Deis. NT
1967 FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Billy Vukovich, 2. Walt Kennedy, 3. George Benson,
4. Johnny Moorhouse, 5. Larry Ferrua, 6. Dickie Deis, 7. Ray Lattie, 8. Ron
Hughes, 9. Jerry Welton, 10. Clark Templeman, 11. Tom McCoy, 12. Jim Vaughan,
13. Sonny White, 14. Dennis Johansen, 15. Jack Yeley, 16. Porky Rachwitz, 17.
Johnny Parsons, 18. Billy Wilkerson. NT
1974 FEATURE: (30 laps), 1. Sleepy Tripp, 2. Chuck Gurney, 3. Pancho Carter,
4. Mel Kenyon, 5. Jimmy Caruthers, 6. Jerry Weeks, 7. Danny O'Neill, 8. Bill
Weingarten, 9. Danny McKnight, 10. Larry Rice, 11. Johnny Anderson, 12. Jim
Beckley, 13. Gary Irvin, 14. Mark Alderson, 15. Wheeler Gresham, 16. Hank
Butcher, 17. Roger Mears, 18. Bobby Tripp, 19. Jeff Heywood, 20. George Snider.
1988 FEATURE (40 laps) 1. Rich Vogler, 2. Darryl Haugh, 3. Wally Pankratz, 4.
Kevin Olson, 5. Dave Strickland Jr., 6. Ken Nichols, 7. Mario Bringetto Jr., 8.
Tommy White, 9. Chuck West, 10. Floyd Alvis, 11. Johnny Cofer, 12. Rick Zermani,
13. Rusty Rasmussen, 14. Jim Berg, 15. Larry Derwin, 16. Joe Winters, 17. Sleepy
Tripp, 18. Robby Flock, 19. P.J. Jones, 20. Frank Pedregon, 21. John Starks, 22.
Terry Wente. NT
1989 FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Sleepy Tripp, 2. Mario Bringetto Jr., 3. Jimmy
Sills, 4. Terry Farrar, 5. Kevin Olson, 6. Wally Pankratz, 7. Dirk VanCott, 8.
Kevin Doty, 9. Bob Davison, 10. Dennis Hart, 11. Terry Tarditi, 12. Ray Derby,
13. Hank Butcher, 14. Jeff Gordon, 15. P.J. Jones, 16. Ron Hughes Jr., 17. Rick
Taylor, 18. Tommy White, 19. Dan Drinan, 20. Frank Pedregon. NT
1990 FEATURE: (40 laps) 1. Terry Farrar, 2. Dave Strickland Jr., 3. Sleepy
Tripp, 4. Ricky Gray, 5. P.J. Jones, 6. Jeff Gordon, 7. Russ Gamester, 8. Mike
Streicher, 9. Robby Flock, 10. Rick Taylor, 11. John McLaughlin, 12. George Ito,
13. Terry Tarditi, 14. Ray Derby, 15. Kevin Doty, 16. Mike Appio, 17. Lee
Yetter, 18. Frank Pedregon, 19. Kevin Olson, 20. Stephen Lewis.
1991 FEATURE: (40 laps) 1. Page Jones, 2. P.J. Jones, 3. Stevie Reeves, 4.
Robby Flock, 5. Doug Kalitta, 6. Mike Streicher, 7. Johnny Cofer, 8. Tony
Elliott, 9. Andy Pierce, 10. Jordan Hermansader, 11. Tyce Carlson, 12. Critter
Malone, 13. Terry Tarditi, 14. John Kaiser, 15. Stan Fox, 16. Doug Silva, 17.
Wally Pankratz, 18. Ricky Gray, 19. George Ito, 20. Keith Rauch. NT
1992 FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Ron Shuman, 2. Tony Elliott, 3. Stevie Reeves, 4.
Hank Butcher, 5. Chuck Gurney, 6. Stan Fox, 7. John Heydenreich, 8. George Ito,
9. Brent Kaeding, 10. Brett Horrobin, 11. Keith Chrisco, 12. Jordan Hermansader,
13. Mike Streicher, 14. Glenn Carson, 15, Joe Gaerte, 16. Lealand McSpadden, 17.
Jimmy Sills, 18. Jason Jonkman, 19, John Harkrader, 20. Page Jones, 21. Billy
Garcia, 22. Sleepy Tripp, 23. Billy Boat, 24. Terry Tarditi. NT
1993 FEATURE: (100 laps): 1. Ron Shuman, 2. Robby Flock, 3. Johnny Cofer, 4.
George Ito, 5. Jay Drake, 6. Wally Pankratz, 7. Tony Stewart, 8. Jordan
Hermansader, 9. Keith Rauch, 10. Stan Fox, 11. Ron Hazelton, 12. Keith Chrisco,
13. Chuck Gurney, 14. Hank Butcher, 15. Rick Hendrix, 16. Richard Griffin, 17.
Stevie Reeves, 18. Page Jones, 19. Jimmy Sills, 20. Robert Dolacki, 21. Ronnie
Day, 22. Sleepy Tripp, 23. Cary Faas, 24. Billy Boat. NT
1994 FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Jordan Hermansader, 2. Hank Butcher, 3. Kenny
Irwin Jr., 4. Billy Boat, 5. Tracy Hines, 6. Danny Lasoski, 7. Johnny Cofer, 8.
George Ito, 9. Jack Runyon, 10. Sleepy Tripp, 11. Robby Flock, 12. Robert
Dolacki, 13. Ronnie Day, 14. Tony Elliott, 15. Jay Drake, 16. Ronnie Johncox,
17. Jimmy Sills, 18. Jason Leffler, 19. Rick Hendrix, 20. Wally Pankratz, 21.
Tony Stewart, 22. Lealand McSpadden, 23. Donnie Beechler, 24. Andy Michner.
25:56.85
1995 FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Billy Boat, 2. Kenny Irwin Jr., 3. Kevin Doty, 4.
Richard Griffin, 5. Rick Hendrix, 6. George Ito, 7. Tony Stewart, 8. Jimmy
Sills, 9. Andy Michner, 10. Ron Shuman, 11. Hank Butcher, 12. Larry Brown, 13.
Shane Scully, 14. J.J. Ercse, 15. Frankie Kerr, 16. Jeremy Sherman, 17. Danny
Lasoski, 18. Jason Leffler, 19. Wally Pankratz, 20. Jim Keene, 21. Jay Drake,
22. Brian Gerster, 23. Johnny Cofer, 24. J.R. Lawson. 26:58.12
1997 FEATURE: (100 laps) 1. Billy Boat, 2. Jay Drake, 3. Jimmy Sills, 4.
Wally Pankratz, 5. Tracy Hines, 6. Ricky Shelton, 7. Jerry Coons Jr., 8. Clay
Klepper, 9. Craig Brady, 10. Dwayne Marcum, 11. Rick Hendrix, 12. Shane Scully,
13. Steve Paden, 14. Cory Kruseman, 15. Larry Brown, 16. Jason Leffler, 17. Nick
Lundgreen, 18. Steve Barth, 19. John Heydenreich, 20. Danny Lasoski, 21. Dave
Darland, 22. Kevin Thomas, 23. Robert Dolacki, 24. Marc DeBeaumont. NT
1998 FEATURE: (100 laps - Held Nov. 26) 1. Jay Drake, 2. Jason Leffler, 3.
Jerry Coons, Jr., 4. Dave Darland, 5. Kasey Kahne, 6. Dan Boorse, 7. Jimmy
Sills, 8. Ricky Shelton, 9. Keith Rauch, 10. Brian Tyler, 11. Robby Flock, 12.
Michael Lewis, 13. Ronnie Day, 14. Rick Hendrix, 15. Aaron Fiscus, 16. Dane
Carter, 17. Kevin Doty, 18. Scott Hansen, 19. Steve Paden, 20. Brian Stanfill,
21. Shane Scully, 22. Jordan Hermansader, 23. John Starks, 24. Donnie Beechler.
NT
1999 FEATURE: (50 Laps) 1. Dave Darland, 2. Jay Drake, 3. Michael Lewis, 4.
Travis Welpott (#8), 5. Marc DeBeaumont, 6. Wally Pankratz, 7. Clay Klepper, 8.
Glenn Carson, 9. Bobby Boone, 10. Steve Paden, 11. Dane Carter, 12. Rick Vaughn,
13. Dave Stoltz, 14. A.J. Felker (MCI), 15. Jerry Coons, Jr., 16. Bryan
Stanfill, 17. Ed Carpenter, 18. Dwayne Marcum, 19. Derrick Hearron, 20. Ryan
Newman, 21. Dean Alexander, 22. Tracy Hines, 23. Bud Kaeding, 24. Bruce
Donaldson, 25. Thomas Meseraull. NT
2000 FEATURE: (50 laps) 1. Jay Drake, 2. Kasey Kahne, 3. Aaron Fike, 4. Tracy
Hines, 5. Ronnie Day, 6. Bud Kaeding, 7. Thomas Meseraull, 8. Steve Paden, 9.
Keith Rauch, 10. Bryan Stanfill, 11. Jimmy Sills, 12. John Nervo, 13. Jimmy
Christian, 14. Dwayne Marcum, 15. A.J. Johnson, 16. Sarah McCune, 17. Derrick
Hearron, 18. Ryan Scott, 19. Wally Pankratz (#37x), 20. Rick Hendrix, 21. Dave
Darland, 22. Marc DeBeaumont, 23. Shane Scully, 24. Michael Lewis. NT
2017: 1. Brady Bacon, 2. Spencer Bayston, 3. Tanner Thorson, 4. Tyler
Courtney, 5. Justin Grant, 6. Shane Golobic, 7. Ryan Robinson, 8. Alex Schutte,
9. Michael Faccinto, 10. Tanner Carrick, 11. Frankie Guerrini, 12. Chad Boat,
13. Courtney Crone, 14. Matt Mitchell, 15. David Prickett, 16. Ronnie Gardner,
17. Michael Pickens, 18. Cory Elliott, 19. Zeb Wise, 20. Robert Dalby, 21. Mason
Daniel, 22. Holly Shelton, 23. Dustin Golobic, 24. Shannon McQueen. NT
2018: (starting position in parentheses) 1. Logan Seavey (1), 2. Rico Abreu
(2), 3. Shane Golobic (6), 4. Spencer Bayston (11), 5. Chad Boat (7), 6. Tanner
Carrick (13), 7. Brady Bacon (4), 8. Holly Shelton (25), 9. Jason McDougal (21),
10. Tucker Klaasmeyer (9), 11. Jerry Coons, Jr. (22), 12. Cole Bodine (23), 13.
Cody Swanson (17), 14. Sam Johnson (8), 15. Dustin Golobic (3), 16. Robert Dalby
(24), 17. Alex Schutte (16), 18. Holley Hollan (18), 19. C.J. Sarna (26), 20.
Zeb Wise (5), 21. Ryan Robinson (10), 22. Tyler Courtney (15), 23. Sterling
Cling (19), 24. Michael Faccinto (14), 25. Justin Grant (12), 26. Michael
Pickens (20). NT
2019: (starting position in parentheses) 1. Kyle Larson (6), 2. Michael
Pickens (1), 3. Rico Abreu (12), 4. Tyler Courtney (10), 5. Jesse Colwell (4),
6. Jason McDougal (2), 7. Gio Scelzi (9), 8. Thomas Meseraull (20), 9. Jerry
Coons, Jr. (5), 10. Tanner Carrick (16), 11. Tucker Klaasmeyer (21), 12. Chase
Johnson (13), 13. Buddy Kofoid (15), 14. Kevin Thomas, Jr. (11), 15. Carson
Macedo (14), 16. Chris Windom (19), 17. Ethan Mitchell (18), 18. Spencer Bayston
(3), 19. Daison Pursley (23), 20. Cory Elliott (25), 21. Robert Dalby (24), 22.
Aaron Reutzel (7), 23. Logan Seavey (8), 24. Cannon McIntosh (22), 25. Zeb Wise
(17). NT
2020 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Buddy Kofoid
(5), 2. Kyle Larson (2), 3. Tyler Courtney (3), 4. Chase Johnson (1), 5. Spencer
Bayston (4), 6. Chris Windom (20), 7. Tanner Thorson (6), 8. Cannon McIntosh
(16), 9. Justin Grant (14), 10. Carson Macedo (21), 11. Jonathan Beason (8), 12.
Emerson Axsom (12), 13. Clinton Boyles (10), 14. Ethan Mitchell (11), 15. Kaylee
Bryson (7), 16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (9), 17. Andrew Layser* (24), 18. Michael
Faccinto (13), 19. Tanner Carrick (15), 20. Cole Bodine* (23), 21. Bryant
Wiedeman (19), 22. Frankie Guerrini (22), 23. Thomas Meseraull (18), 24. Daison
Pursley (17). NT
2021 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Buddy Kofoid
(2), 2. Emerson Axsom (1), 3. Justin Grant (4), 4. Tanner Thorson (5), 5. Cannon
McIntosh (11), 6. Cory Eliason (8), 7. Chris Windom (7), 8. Bryant Wiedeman (3),
9. Kevin Thomas Jr. (9), 10. Logan Seavey (17), 11. Thomas Meseraull (22), 12.
Tanner Carrick (20), 13. Brenham Crouch (15), 14. Kaylee Bryson (19), 15. Ryan
Timms (13), 16. Tony Gomes (18), 17. Taylor Reimer (16), 18. Chase Randall (12),
19. Jade Avedisian (6), 20. Carson Macedo (10), 21. Ethan Mitchell (14), 22.
Michael Faccinto (21). NT
2022 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Thomas
Meseraull (3), 2. Michael Pickens (4), 3. Buddy Kofoid (6), 4. Cannon McIntosh
(5), 5. Logan Seavey (7), 6. Justin Grant (10), 7. Brenham Crouch (16), 8.
Emerson Axsom (8), 9. Chance Crum (14), 10. Spencer Bayston (21), 11. Bryant
Wiedeman (13), 12. Kaylee Bryson (15), 13. Gavin Miller (17), 14. Jake Andreotti
(11), 15. Jade Avedisian (9), 16. Dominic Gorden (22), 17. Alex Bright (18), 18.
Mitchel Moles (2), 19. Hayden Reinbold (20), 20. Cade Lewis (24-P), 21. Daison
Pursley (12), 22. Taylor Reimer (1), 23. Jacob Denney (23-P), 24. Jason McDougal
(19). NT
2023 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Logan Seavey (9), 2. Emerson Axsom (1), 3. Justin Grant (2), 4. Cannon McIntosh (5), 5. Carson Macedo (7), 6. Daison Pursley (8), 7. Taylor Reimer (6), 8. Jade Avedisian (14), 9. Jacob Denney (13), 10. Hayden Reinbold (17), 11. Jake Andreotti (10), 12. Bryant Wiedeman (16), 13. Ryan Timms (18), 14. Buddy Kofoid (4), 15. Mitchel Moles (21), 16. Cade Lewis (12), 17. Brody Fuson (22), 18. Chance Crum (20), 19. Shannon McQueen (15), 20. Mariah Ede (19), 21. Gavin Miller (3), 22. Michael Faccinto (11). NT
$25,000 TITLE PRIZE AWAITS
USAC INDIANA SPRINT WEEK COMPETITORS IN 2025
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (November 21, 2024)………USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National
Championship competitors will battle for a $25,000 championship prize during the
2025 edition of NOS Energy Drink USAC Indiana Sprint Week Presented By Honest
Abe Roofing.
The 38th annual event will consist of seven events at seven different Hoosier
state dirt tracks between July 25 and August 2. Furthermore, each of the seven
feature events will pay $8,000-to-win during the traditional summer event, which
debuted in 1988.
“Indiana Sprint Week, as a whole, is a crown jewel of the USAC Sprint Car
schedule, and this takes it to that level with the championship payoff,” USAC’s
Kirk Spridgeon said. “This is a credit to the support of our returning partners
who have been able to quadruple the Indiana Sprint Week payoff in a four-year
timeframe.”
Putnamville’s Lincoln Park Speedway will host the opener of the series on
Friday, July 25. From there, the schedule travels to Kokomo Speedway on
Saturday, July 26, then it’s onto Lawrenceburg Speedway on Sunday, July 27, to
complete the first weekend.
After a two-day break from on-track action, the series resumes at Circle City
Raceway in Indianapolis on Wednesday, July 30, before venturing over to the
Terre Haute Action Track on Thursday, July 31. Bloomington Speedway’s annual
Friday night round is set for Friday, August 1 with the series finale heading to
Tri-State Speedway on Saturday, August 2.
The inaugural Indiana Sprint Week took place in 1988 and has been sanctioned
by USAC starting with the 1996 season. The 2025 edition will mark 30 years under
the USAC banner.
Logan Seavey captured the most recent USAC Indiana Sprint Week title in 2024. The list of past series champions includes Randy Kinser (1988), Chuck Amati (1989 & 1990-co), Gary Trammell (1990-co), Bob Kinser (1991), Kevin Thomas (1992, 1993, 1995 & 1996), Kelly Kinser (1994), J.J. Yeley (1997 & 2003), Dave Darland (1998, 2001 & 2007), Tony Elliott (1999), Jay Drake (2000), Cory Kruseman (2002 & 2005), Levi Jones (2004, 2008, 2009 & 2012), Jon Stanbrough (2006 & 2010), Chris Windom (2011 & 2018), Bryan Clauson (2013 & 2014), Robert Ballou (2015), Brady Bacon (2016 & 2023), Kevin Thomas Jr. (2017 & 2021), C.J. Leary (2019), Chase Stockon (2020) and Justin Grant (2022).
MERCED’S USAC MIDGET MADNESS
SHIFTS TO SATURDAY-SUNDAY, NOV. 23-24
Merced, California (November 21, 2024)………The USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget
National Championship weekend at California’s Merced Speedway has been shifted
to a Saturday-Sunday schedule to be held on November 23-24.
Rain has forced cancellation of the originally scheduled Friday, November 22,
program. Instead, Tarlton & Sons Presents Midget Madness will now take place at
the high-banked 1/4-mile dirt oval with two complete programs on
Saturday-Sunday, November 23-24.
Thirty-three drivers have announced their intentions of competing at Merced,
including past Midget Madness winners Buddy Kofoid, Logan Seavey, Carson Macedo,
Tanner Thorson and Justin Grant, plus NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson,
Indianapolis 500 veteran Santino Ferrucci and many more.
On Saturday, pits will open at 2pm Pacific with the drivers meeting set for
4:30pm, the grandstands opening at 5pm, and hot laps at 5:30pm. The program will
feature the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship, plus 360 winged
sprint cars and the BCRA Lightning Sprints.
On Sunday, pits will open at 1pm Pacific with the drivers meeting set for
3:30pm, the grandstands opening at 4pm and hot laps at 4:30pm. The program will
feature the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship, plus 360 winged
sprint cars.
Both nights, tickets are $30 for ages 16 and up and $15 for ages 6-15. Ages 5
and under are admitted for free. Pit passes are $50 ($45 for USAC members).
Pre-purchased tickets for Friday’s originally scheduled event will be
refunded.
Tickets are available online at www.mercedspeedway.net and will also be
available to purchase at the front gate.
Camping for this event is available and for those fans looking to do so, all
arrangements need to me made directly through the Merced County Fairgrounds.
Merced Speedway is located at 900 Martin Luther King Drive Merced, CA 95341.
HERE’S CARSON!
TIMELY BOOST & LATE RACE HEROICS
NET MACEDO TULARE USAC MIDGET WIN
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Tulare, California (November 20, 2024)………Sometimes, when you feel like you’re
down and out, the one thing you really need to keep you going is a little boost.
Carson Macedo knows the feeling after a frantic late-race sequence saw him
leading on one lap, then thinking his race was over the next lap before getting
hit by another car, then charging his way back to the front and into victory
lane during Wednesday night’s USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship
feature event at Tulare, California’s Thunderbowl Raceway.
The ringer Macedo (Lemoore, Calif.) persevered through came during a
three-lap span late in the going of the 30-lap main event at the 1/3-mile dirt
oval. However, for the first 25 circuits, Macedo was in full control in what was
his first appearance of the series season aboard his Dyson Motorsport/Complete
Parts & Equipment – Tarlton & Son – Empire/King/Speedway Toyota, an Australian
based team with a car built by a New Zealand based chassis company.
As Macedo rounded turns three and four along the inside berm with five laps
remaining, his car inexplicably, and suddenly, stalled. As he began to coast,
the lapped car of Dane Culver banged into the back end of Macedo’s car. As flame
flickered from the headers, miraculously, Macedo’s car regained power and
continued on its merry way.
“Before the race started, it was kind of spitting and sputtering,” Macedo
revealed. “I was nervous that something wasn’t going right. Then we fired off
and it felt good, and then the lap before that, I actually lifted on the bottom
and it just died. I came around the next lap and thought, ‘man, maybe that was
just a weird deal,’ then it did it again really badly. I actually didn’t get
refired until the guy behind me ran into the back of me!”
When the yellow flag was displayed a split second later, the moment was not
all lost for Macedo. The caution was deemed an inadvertent yellow, thus,
according to Section 1406, Part I of the USAC National Midget rulebook, “a car
that an inadvertent yellow is displayed for will be positioned in order of
positions lost.”
As Jacob Denney scooted underneath Macedo for the lead in turn four on lap
26, Denney became the new leader while Macedo was relegated back to second,
which is where he was running when the yellow was displayed.
On the ensuing restart, Macedo wound it up on the high line, and on lap 27,
used his momentum off turn four to slingshot under Denney entering turn one.
Macedo’s first attempt was unsuccessful as he slid in front of Denney on the
entry to turn one, but was unable to make the move stick as Denney darted back
under Macedo off turn two. However, on lap 28, Macedo reloaded and stuck the
move on the second try, then raced away over the final 3.5 laps to victory by a
1.178 second margin.
“When he went to the lead, I thought, if he’s running the top, I’m going to
be in trouble, especially in one and two, but he cheated it down there and I was
able to get a run,” Macedo recalled. “I knew he was going to the bottom in three
and four, so I just figured I’m not going to win if I follow him down there. I
might as well give it everything I’ve got and it worked out.”
For car owner Sean Dyson, it’s the third year in a row his team has won a
USAC National Midget feature with the first two coming at California’s Merced
Speedway with Macedo in 2022 and Spencer Bayston in 2023.
“I really had to get up on the wheel and earn that win,” Macedo explained. “I
was excited there after the race. I know these races are hard to win, and it
just felt really special racing with my buddy Sean Dyson. He ships this car all
the way over from Australia. It’s a lot of money and a lot of work and a lot of
effort, so it feels good to reward him with a win.”
Crossing the finish line behind Macedo on this night at Tulare for the
series’ first visit since 2010 were runner-up Jacob Denney and third-place
finisher Cannon McIntosh while Corey Day came home fourth and Logan Seavey
rounded out the top-five.
Not that Macedo needed any more motivation, but seeing his name in a mid-pack
tier in an online picking contest provided him some extra ammo going into the
night. When all was said and done, Macedo swept the night at Tulare where he had
won his most recent visit this past September with the World of Outlaws. This
time, he was twice victorious, winning both the Kings of Thunder 360 Sprint Car
feature followed by the USAC National Midget main.
“I had some motivation going into tonight,” Macedo pointed out after his
second career USAC National Midget score. “I was looking at the pool and saw I
was in group C and I thought man, I’ve got to get up in the seat. I know these
midget guys are really good, especially the guys who run them all year long and
are really comfortable in these cars. It felt good to be comfortable tonight.
This track is a little bigger, so I can move around and run it more like a
winged sprint car.”
Jacob Denney (Galloway, Ohio) turned in his best result of the year, leading
two laps late en route to a runner-up result in his Tom Malloy/Trench Shoring –
Rodela Specialty Fabrication – Race for Chase/LynK/Ed Pink Toyota. With it, the
Ohioan earned his best finish of the USAC National Midget season.
Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Okla.) raced his way to a third-place finish, thus
marking his eighth podium result in his last nine USAC National Midget feature
starts in his Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports/GearWrench – Mobil 1 –
TRD/LynK/Speedway Toyota.
Dane Culver's first career USAC National Midget feature start went superbly.
After starting 24th, the Riverside, California racer advanced his way up to a
15th place finish. The +9 performance made him the evening’s hard charger.
Corey Day (Clovis, Calif.) put on a show in his 11th to 4th feature run. The
two-time Trophy Cup champ at Tulare picked up where he left off following a
second place result in his most recent USAC National Midget start at Ventura
(Calif.) Raceway in 2023. For that, he was the recipient of the Inferno Armor
Fire Move of the Night.
Tanner Carrick (Lincoln, Calif.) set fast time and a new track record during
Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. His lap of 15.344 seconds surpassed the former
USAC National Midget record at Tulare of 15.628 set by Bryan Clauson in 2010. It
was Carrick’s fourth career fast time with the series, three of which have come
in his home state of California during the month of November.
Zach Daum (Pocahontas, Ill.) performed likewise, setting a new eight lap
Tulare track record for USAC National Midgets with a time of 2:07.597. Of the 24
drivers on hand, he was the lone driver who also competed in the series’ only
other visit to Tulare back in 2010.
Throughout the night, one driver got upside down. Tyler Courtney, making his
first series start in two years, got into the berm between turns three and four
while running 16th, sending him flipping three times before coming to a rest on
lap 11 of the feature. The 2019 USAC National Midget champion was able to walk
away.
Also of note, of the 24 drivers signed in at Tulare, 18 had previously won at
least one USAC National Midget feature. With 75 percent of the field being a
feature winner, it ranks among the most successful gathering for an event in
series history.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: November 20,
2024 – Thunderbowl Raceway – Tulare, California – 1/3-Mile Dirt Oval
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Tanner Carrick, 98,
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-15.344 (New Track Record); 2. Justin Grant, 2, RMS-15.417;
3. Tanner Thorson, 25m, Malloy-15.580; 4. Daison Pursley, 86, CBI-15.585; 5.
Logan Seavey, 57, Abacus-15.614; 6. Carson Macedo, 99AU, Dyson-15.632; 7. Jacob
Denney, 25, Malloy-15.698; 8. Corey Day, 4, Kahne-15.701; 9. Drake Edwards, 3p,
Petty-15.720; 10. Emerson Axsom, 67K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-15.731; 11. Kale
Drake, 97K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-15.738; 12. Buddy Kofoid, 71,
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-15.755; 13. Zach Wigal, 89, CBI-15.771; 14. Ryan Timms, 67,
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-15.801; 15. Zach Daum, 31B, Beilman-15.805; 16. Tyler
Courtney, 23c, Silva-15.816; 17. Cannon McIntosh, 71K,
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-15.854; 18. Jake Andreotti, 00, Davis-15.913; 19. Gavin
Miller, 97, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-15.946; 20. Karter Sarff, 31, Beilman-15.948;
21. Austin Torgerson, 88A, Mounce/Stout-16.200; 22. Chase McDermand, 8w,
Ford-16.265; 23. Hayden Reinbold, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-16.352; 24. Dane
Culver, 50, Knuckles Up-16.384.
SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1.
Zach Wigal, 2. Jacob Denney, 3. Tyler Courtney, 4. Emerson Axsom, 5. Tanner
Carrick, 6. Chase McDermand, 7. Daison Pursley, 8. Gavin Miller. 2:10.237
ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. Cannon
McIntosh, 2. Ryan Timms, 3. Corey Day, 4. Justin Grant, 5. Logan Seavey, 6. Kale
Drake, 7. Hayden Reinbold, 8. Karter Sarff. NT
T.J. FORGED / CAR IQ THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1.
Zach Daum, 2. Tanner Thorson, 3. Buddy Kofoid, 4. Carson Macedo, 5. Drake
Edwards, 6. Jake Andreotti, 7. Dane Culver, 8. Austin Torgerson. 2:07.597 (New
Track Record)
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Carson Macedo (2),
2. Jacob Denney (1), 3. Cannon McIntosh (9), 4. Corey Day (11), 5. Logan Seavey
(3), 6. Tanner Thorson (4), 7. Tanner Carrick (6), 8. Buddy Kofoid (15), 9.
Justin Grant (5), 10. Ryan Timms (16), 11. Daison Pursley (10), 12. Zach Daum
(8), 13. Gavin Miller (19), 14. Zach Wigal (7), 15. Dane Culver (24), 16. Kale
Drake (14), 17. Drake Edwards (12), 18. Hayden Reinbold (23), 19. Jake Andreotti
(18), 20. Tyler Courtney (17), 21. Chase McDermand (22), 22. Emerson Axsom (13),
23. Karter Sarff (20), 24. Austin Torgerson (21). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-25 Carson Macedo, Laps 26-27 Jacob Denney, Laps
28-30 Carson Macedo.
**Tyler Courtney flipped on lap 11 of the feature.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Daison
Pursley-1290, 2-Cannon McIntosh-1229, 3-Ryan Timms-1116, 4-Logan Seavey-1116,
5-Zach Daum-1083, 6-Jacob Denney-1042, 7-Justin Grant-1019, 8-Gavin Miller-984,
9-Zach Wigal-905, 10-Kale Drake-887.
USAC NATIONAL PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Daison Pursley-199, 2-Logan
Seavey-195, 3-Robert Ballou-149, 4-Justin Grant-145, 5-Kyle Cummins-131, 6-C.J.
Leary-131, 7-Chase Stockon-126, 8-Matt Westfall-121, 9-Brady Bacon-120, 10-Kevin
Thomas Jr.-107.
NEXT USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACES: November
22-23, 2024 – Merced Speedway – Merced, California – 1/4-Mile Dirt Oval – Midget
Madness
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: Daison Pursley (15.589)
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: Tanner Carrick (15.344)
Simpson Race Products First Heat Winner: Zach Wigal
Rod End Supply Second Heat Winner: Cannon McIntosh
T.J. Forged / Car IQ Third Heat Winner: Zach Daum
Hard Charger: Dane Culver (24th to 15th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: Corey Day
JOIN THE DIRT DRAFT
USAC WEST COAST SWING FANTASY CONTEST!
Tulare, California (November 20, 2024)………Get ready, USAC fans!
Dirt Draft is thrilled to announce the USAC West Coast Leaderboard Contest,
bringing you closer to the action and giving you a shot at claiming the top spot
among USAC fans from across the country.
Your race knowledge and lineup skills will be put to the test! Every position
counts as you climb the leaderboard. Reach the top and you’ll not only score
incredible prizes but also earn the ultimate Dirt Draft and USAC bragging
rights.
Here's how it works:
New Subscribers: Visit www.DirtDraft.com or download the DirtDraft app to
subscribe. New Subscribers receive the following:
-Free T-Shirt. Select from a USAC, High Limit, Flo Racing or a DirtDraft
t-shirt shipped directly to you.
-$50 promo code to Deatherage Optics
-$20 promo code for MyRacePass All Access
-$10 promo code for GottaRace.com
-$10 promo code for HuntTheFront.com
Draft Your Team: Log into your account and draft your team for the opening
round this Wednesday at Thunderbowl Speedway and for each of the remaining four
events on the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget Series Schedule. Contests lock just
before the first heat race takes the green flag. The nightly contest winner will
receive:
-$50 promo code to Deatherage Optics
The Leaderboard: The leaderboard will be updated after each event. Prizes
will be awarded to the top 25 in the overall USAC West Coast Leaderboard.
1st: Custom Dirt Draft USAC Trophy + Prize Pack and Promo Codes
2nd: USAC Merchandise Prize Pack + Promo Codes
3rd: USAC T-Shirt + Promo Codes
4th -25th :
i. $50 promo code to Deatherage Optics
ii. $20 promo code for MyRacePass All Access
iii. $10 promo code for GottaRace.com
iv. $10 promo code for HuntTheFront.com
Whether you're new to USAC or a seasoned pro, this is the perfect chance to
show what you've got! Are you ready to dominate the USAC West Coast Fantasy
Leaderboard? This is your shot – bring your A-game and let's see who really
knows their USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget Series racing!
2024 USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGET CALIFORNIA SWING SCHEDULE:
Nov 20: Thunderbowl Raceway – Tulare, California
Nov 22: Merced Speedway – Merced, California
Nov 23: Merced Speedway – Merced, California
Nov 26: Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, California
Nov 30: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California
DOUBLE DOSE!
USAC MIDGET MADNESS HITS MERCED NOV. 22-23
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Merced, California (November 18, 2024)………California’s Merced Speedway has
become an annual stop on USAC’s NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship
swing through California since the beginning of the decade of the roaring 2020s.
What’s also become an annual staple is Merced producing some of the most
scintillating and sensational series races of the season. There’s a reason they
call this one “Midget Madness.”
It all comes to fruition once more, for the fifth consecutive year, for
two-straight nights on the high-banked 1/4-mile dirt oval Friday-Saturday,
November 22-23. It’s full programs each night that conclude with 30-lap feature
events.
Thirty-three drivers have made their intentions to compete in the event, and
five of those 34 have already bagged a USAC National Midget victory in their
career at Merced.
Buddy Kofoid (Penngrove, Calif.) is the lone multi-time Merced USAC National
Midget winner at Merced, having scored during his series championships of 2021
and 2022. He’ll pilot one of seven entries out of the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian
Motorsports stable.
In fact, the eventual USAC National Midget driving champion has won at Merced
in three consecutive years. Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) and Abacus Racing
continued that trend in 2023 by notching victory on the second of two nights a
year ago.
Carson Macedo (Lemoore, Calif.) notched his first and only career USAC
National Midget win to date at Merced back in 2022. As a matter of fact, both of
his Australia-based Dyson Motorsport team’s USAC victories have come at Merced.
Tanner Thorson (Minden, Nev.) collected a dramatic Merced midget victory
during the first ever weekend of series action there back in 2020. For November,
the 2016 USAC National Midget champ has reunited with the Tom Malloy-owned team
for whom he won that race four years earlier.
Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) and RMS Racing posted a convincing and dominant
Merced triumph back in 2021, leading the final 25 laps in record-setting style.
His 30-lap run of 6:14.350 remains the series record for a 30-lap distance, the
second fastest 30-lap race in series history.
The past Merced midget winners will be flanked by a slew of contenders,
including Tanner Carrick (2nd in 2020), Cannon McIntosh (3rd in 2020), Tyler
Courtney (3rd in 2020) and Kyle Larson (4th in 2020). However, it should be
noted that Larson plans to compete in only the Saturday portion of the Merced
event.
Furthermore, this weekend’s field will also consist of the likes of Emerson
Axsom (4th in 2021), Ryan Timms (4th in 2023), Jacob Denney (5th in 2022), Corey
Day (7th in 2015) and Jake Andreotti (8th in 2015).
Stunningly, in five previous Merced starts, current USAC National Midget
point leader Daison Pursley hasn’t finished better than his 11th place result in
2023. Hayden Reinbold (11th in 2023) and Gavin Miller (18th in 2022) are also
back to take on Merced.
Vying for their first USAC National Midget starts at Merced include Rookie of
the Year contenders Zach Wigal and Kale Drake, plus 2024 USAC Western States
Midget Rookie of the Year Drake Edwards, USAC National Midget winners Zach Daum
and Chase McDermand, plus USAC five-time USAC Western States titlist Ronnie
Gardner.
Also on the list of first-timers are Karter Sarff, Dalten Gabbard, Austin
Torgerson, Terry Nichols, Brandt Twitty, cousins Todd Hawse and Kyle Hawse, as
well as Alex Karpowicz, Barrie Valentino, Peter Paulson and Troy DeGaton.
RACE DETAILS:
On Friday night, the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship is
joined by the IMCA Northern Sport Mods and Hobby Stocks. Tickets are $25 for
adults age 18 and up and $10 for ages 6-17. Ages 5 and under are admitted for
free.
On Saturday night, USAC National Midgets headline an all open wheel show
alongside winged 360 sprint cars. Tickets are $30 for adults age 18 and up and
$15 for ages 6-17. Ages 5 and under are admitted for free.
Both nights, pit gates will open at 2pm Pacific with grandstands opening at
5pm, the drivers meeting at 5pm and cars on track at 5:45pm.
Tickets are available online at www.mercedspeedway.net and will also be
available to purchase at the front gate.
Camping for this event is available and for those fans looking to do so, all
arrangements need to me made directly through the Merced County Fairgrounds.
Merced Speedway is located at 900 Martin Luther King Drive Merced, CA 95341.
EXPECTED ENTRY LIST FOR MERCED SPEEDWAY: (34)
CAR # / DRIVER / HOMETOWN / CAR ENTRANT
00 JAKE ANDREOTTI/Castro Valley, CA (Pete Davis)
1K KYLE LARSON/Elk Grove, CA (Silva Motorsports) (Saturday Only)
1p TERRY NICHOLS/Delano, CA (Nichols-Peckfelder Motorsports)
2 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (RMS Racing)
3p DRAKE EDWARDS/Peoria, AZ (Petty Performance Racing)
4 COREY DAY/Clovis, CA (Wille Kahne)
4B BRANDT TWITTY/Bakersfield, CA (Kevin Twitty)
8w CHASE McDERMAND/Springfield, IL (Josh Ford Motorsports)
18 TODD HAWSE/Simi Valley, CA (Todd Hawse)
19 ALEX KARPOWICZ/Spring Branch, TX (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
19AZ HAYDEN REINBOLD/Gilbert, AZ (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
20x KYLE HAWSE/Las Vegas, NV (Hawse Racing)
23c TYLER COURTNEY/Indianapolis, IN (Silva Motorsports)
Q23 BARRIE VALENTINO/Brisbane, AU (El Toro Racing)
25 JACOB DENNEY/Galloway, OH (Tom Malloy)
25m TANNER THORSON/Minden, NV (Tom Malloy)
31 KARTER SARFF/Mason City, IL (Beilman Motorsports)
31B ZACH DAUM/Pocahontas, IL (Beilman Motorsports)
Q32 PETER PAULSON/Woodland, CA (El Toro Racing)
39T TROY DeGATON/Wickenburg, AZ (Troy DeGaton)
57 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Abacus Racing)
67 RYAN TIMMS/Oklahoma City, OK (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
67K EMERSON AXSOM/Franklin, IN (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
68 RONNIE GARDNER/Corona, CA (Six8 Motorsports)
71 BUDDY KOFOID/Penngrove, CA (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71K CANNON MCINTOSH/Bixby, OK (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
77 DALTEN GABBARD/Peoria, AZ (Dalten Gabbard)
86 DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, OK (CB Industries)
88A AUSTIN TORGERSON/Glendale, AZ (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
89 ZACH WIGAL/Belpre, OH (CB Industries)
97 GAVIN MILLER/Allentown, PA (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
97K KALE DRAKE/Collinsville, OK (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
98 TANNER CARRICK/Lincoln, CA (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
99AU CARSON MACEDO/Lemoore, CA (Dyson Motorsport)
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET FEATURE WINS AT MERCED SPEEDWAY:
2-Buddy Kofoid
1-Spencer Bayston, Justin Grant, Carson Macedo, Thomas Meseraull, Logan
Seavey & Tanner Thorson
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET FEATURE WINNERS AT MERCED SPEEDWAY:
2020: Thomas Meseraull (11/20) & Tanner Thorson (11/21)
2021: Justin Grant (11/23) & Buddy Kofoid (11/24)
2022: Carson Macedo (11/22) & Buddy Kofoid (11/23)
2023: Spencer Bayston (11/21) & Logan Seavey (11/22)
TRACK RECORDS FOR USAC NATIONAL MIDGETS AT MERCED SPEEDWAY:
1 Lap - 11/22/2023 - Jade Avedisian - 11.417
10 Laps - 11/21/2023 - Jesse Love - 1:54.98
12 Laps - 11/21/2023 - Jade Avedisian - 2:18.06
30 Laps - 11/23/2021 - Justin Grant - 6:14.350
MERCED SPEEDWAY USAC NATIONAL MIDGET FEATURE RESULTS:
2020 NIGHT #1 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Thomas
Meseraull (6), 2. Tanner Carrick (2), 3. Cannon McIntosh (5), 4. Carson Macedo
(8), 5. Tanner Thorson (15), 6. Shane Golobic (3), 7. Ryan Bernal (9), 8.
Spencer Bayston (11), 9. Kyle Larson (19), 10. Emerson Axsom (14), 11. Mitchel
Moles (7), 12. Buddy Kofoid (21), 13. Logan Seavey (16), 14. Tyler Courtney
(23-P), 15. Chris Windom (22), 16. Justin Grant (17), 17. Colby Copeland (18),
18. Kaylee Bryson (13), 19. Chase Randall (20), 20. Daison Pursley (1), 21. Zeb
Wise (12), 22. Michael Faccinto (10), 23. Cole Bodine (24-P), 24. Jesse Love
(4). NT
2020 NIGHT #2 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Tanner
Thorson (4), 2. Buddy Kofoid (1), 3. Tyler Courtney (2), 4. Kyle Larson (6), 5.
Spencer Bayston (3), 6. Logan Seavey (5), 7. Carson Macedo (8), 8. Cannon
McIntosh (10), 9. Justin Grant (7), 10. Mitchel Moles (11), 11. Shane Golobic
(14), 12. Daison Pursley (13), 13. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (12), 14. Colby Copeland
(15), 15. Emerson Axsom (16), 16. Tanner Carrick (21), 17. Chris Windom (18),
18. Kaylee Bryson (23-P), 19. Zeb Wise (19), 20. Bryant Wiedeman (20), 21.
Robert Dalby (24-P), 22. Ben Worth (17), 23. Chance Crum (22), 24. Chase Johnson
(9). 7:18.810
2021 NIGHT #1 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Justin
Grant (2), 2. Tanner Thorson (1), 3. Buddy Kofoid (3), 4. Emerson Axsom (6), 5.
Cannon McIntosh (5), 6. Shane Golobic (7), 7. Mitchel Moles (4), 8. Logan Seavey
(11), 9. Carson Macedo (10), 10. Jason McDougal (14), 11. Chris Windom (9), 12.
Zeb Wise (12), 13. Tanner Carrick (16), 14. Thomas Meseraull (13), 15. Ryan
Bernal (18), 16. Kaylee Bryson (8), 17. Kevin Thomas Jr. (17), 18. Ryan Timms
(21), 19. Jade Avedisian (19), 20. Maria Cofer (20), 21. Chase Johnson (22), 22.
Brenham Crouch (15), 23. Bryant Wiedeman (23-P), 24. Hayden Reinbold (24-P).
6:14.35
2021 NIGHT #2 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Buddy
Kofoid (6), 2. Chris Windom (2), 3. Justin Grant (17), 4. Jade Avedisian (1), 5.
Logan Seavey (5), 6. Emerson Axsom (9), 7. Bryant Wiedeman (11), 8. Shane
Golobic (12), 9. Tanner Thorson (8), 10. Ryan Timms (16), 11. Taylor Reimer
(13), 12. Kevin Thomas Jr. (23-P), 13. Maria Cofer (18), 14. Chance Crum (24-P),
15. Jake Andreotti (20), 16. Cannon McIntosh (4), 17. Mitchel Moles (14), 18.
Kaylee Bryson (19), 19. Brenham Crouch (15), 20. Carson Macedo (3), 21. Thomas
Meseraull (21), 22. Tanner Carrick (7), 23. Jason McDougal (22), 24. Kyle Larson
(10). NT
2022 NIGHT #1 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Carson
Macedo (5), 2. Buddy Kofoid (14), 3. Justin Grant (4), 4. Chance Crum (1), 5.
Logan Seavey (6), 6. Mitchel Moles (3), 7. Kaylee Bryson (7), 8. Cannon McIntosh
(19), 9. Tanner Thorson (13), 10. Brenham Crouch (23-P), 11. Spencer Bayston
(15), 12. Thomas Meseraull (17), 13. Ryan Timms (9), 14. Tanner Carrick (12),
15. Bryant Wiedeman (8), 16. Emerson Axsom (22), 17. Jade Avedisian (10), 18.
Michael Faccinto (18), 19. Jacob Denney (16), 20. Daniel Whitley (11), 21.
Taylor Reimer (20), 22. Daison Pursley (21), DQ. Jake Andreotti (2). NT
2022 NIGHT #2 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Buddy
Kofoid (3), 2. Spencer Bayston (1), 3. Jason McDougal (7), 4. Jade Avedisian
(5), 5. Jacob Denney (14), 6. Carson Macedo (4), 7. Cannon McIntosh (15), 8.
Kevin Thomas Jr. (11), 9. Mitchel Moles (6), 10. Tanner Carrick (17), 11. Justin
Grant (16), 12. Thomas Meseraull (23-P), 13. Ryan Timms (9), 14. Chance Crum
(24-P), 15. Taylor Reimer (12), 16. Brenham Crouch (10), 17. Tanner Thorson
(21), 18. Gavin Miller (20), 19. Jake Andreotti (13), 20. Kaylee Bryson (19),
21. Logan Seavey (8), 22. Bryant Wiedeman (18), 23. Daniel Whitley (2), 24.
Dylan Bloomfield (22). NT
2023 NIGHT #1 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1.
Spencer Bayston (1), 2. Buddy Kofoid (5), 3. Tanner Carrick (4), 4. Logan Seavey
(12), 5. Jesse Love (8), 6. Tanner Thorson (10), 7. Carson Macedo (9), 8. Jacob
Denney (14), 9. Ryan Timms (16), 10. Jade Avedisian (11), 11. Daison Pursley
(6), 12. Justin Grant (22), 13. Corey Day (18), 14. Bryant Wiedeman (17), 15.
Hayden Reinbold (19), 16. Taylor Reimer (23-P), 17. Cannon McIntosh (13), 18.
Braden Chiaramonte (15), 19. Emerson Axsom (3), 20. Jake Andreotti (7), 21.
Chance Crum (20), 22. Gavin Miller (2), 23. Mitchel Moles (21). NT
2023 NIGHT #2 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Logan Seavey (2), 2. Justin Grant (10), 3. Buddy Kofoid (4), 4. Ryan Timms (7), 5. Carson Macedo (11), 6. Jade Avedisian (6), 7. Corey Day (15), 8. Jake Andreotti (1), 9. Spencer Bayston (8), 10. Emerson Axsom (12), 11. Hayden Reinbold (13), 12. Bryant Wiedeman (21), 13. Daison Pursley (14), 14. Taylor Reimer (20), 15. Jacob Denney (19), 16. Tanner Carrick (16), 17. Braden Chiaramonte (17), 18. Brody Fuson (9), 19. Michael Faccinto (18), 20. Tanner Thorson (3), 21. Jesse Love (5), 22. Thomas Meseraull (22). NT
50+ USAC MIDGETS ENTERED
FOR NOV. 30 TURKEY NIGHT GP AT VENTURA
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Ventura, California (November 18, 2024)………Fifty-three (53) USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship drivers and cars will compete in the 83rd running of the ARP Turkey Night Grand Prix Presented By the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame.
They’ll all converge on California’s Ventura Raceway on Saturday night, November 30, for the 2024 installment of the longest-running midget race of them all, a tradition which dates back to 1934.
At least four past Turkey Night Grand Prix winners are included in the driver lineup, headlined by four-time event winner Kyle Larson (2012-2016-2019-2023), plus one-time winners Justin Grant (2022), Logan Seavey (2021) and Tanner Thorson (2015).
They’re among the 21 USAC National Midget feature winners in the field, 17 of which are vying for a first Turkey Night midget triumph. It’s a list which includes five USAC National Midget champions, including Logan Seavey (2018 & 2023), Buddy Kofoid (2021 & 2022), Tyler Courtney (2019), Tanner Thorson (2016) and J.J. Yeley (2003).
To date, nine different drivers have won USAC National Midget races during the 2024 campaign, seven of which are vying for a first career Turkey Night triumph. Daison Pursley has won seven while Cannon McIntosh owns three scores. Logan Seavey has picked up a pair of wins as has Ryan Timms, himself a two-time Turkey Night Sprint Car winner in 2022-2023. Single scores belong to Emerson Axsom, Kale Drake, Justin Grant, Chase McDermand and Zach Wigal.
Wigal is one of at least 25 Don Basile Rookie of the Race contenders in the 2024 lineup, which includes its share of headlining names. Jumping off the list is two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, who will be making his USAC Midget debut during the series’ November tour through the Golden State.
Also included on the Rookie list is Cale Coons, son of USAC Career Triple Crown champion Jerry Coons Jr. USAC Western States Midget front runner Drake Edwards is vying for top Rookie glory as are veteran drivers, and Turkey Night newcomers, Stevie Sussex and Karter Sarff, plus international flair from New Zealand’s Ben Covich and Mathew Radisch.
Overall, six past Turkey Night Rookies of the Race will be in the field: Kyle Larson (2011), Tanner Thorson (2013), Carson Macedo (2016), Cannon McIntosh (2019), Jake Andreotti (2022) and Corey Day (2023).
This year’s Turkey Night weekend will also host the Ultimate Sprint Car Series for both nights of on-track action on November 29-30.
SCHEDULE:
Friday, November 29: Grandstands open at 3pm Pacific. Cars on track at 3:30pm. Midget practice, plus sprint car racing.
Saturday, November 30: Grandstands open at 3pm Pacific. Cars on track at 3:30pm. Sprint car racing, plus midget hot laps, qualifying, last chance qualifiers, semis and the 98-lap feature.
Advance tickets can be purchased now at www.venturaraceway.com. Additional information is available at 805-648-7223.
2024 TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX USAC MIDGET ENTRY LIST:
00 JAKE ANDREOTTI/Castro Valley, CA (Pete Davis)
1K KYLE LARSON/Elk Grove, CA (Silva Motorsports)
1p (R) TERRY NICHOLS/Delano, CA (Nichols-Peckfelder Motorsports)
2 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (RMS Racing)
3J J.J. YELEY/Phoenix, AZ (Petty Performance Racing)
3p (R) DRAKE EDWARDS/Peoria, AZ (Petty Performance Racing)
3v (R) JIM VANZANT/Prescott, AZ (Jim & Bonnie Vanzant)
4 COREY DAY/Clovis, CA (Wille Kahne)
8 RANDI PANKRATZ/Atascadero, CA (Wally Pankratz)
8w CHASE McDERMAND/Springfield, IL (Josh Ford Motorsports)
14F (R) MATHEW RADISCH/Auckland, NZ (Graunstadt-Streeter Racing)
14s TYLER EDWARDS/Salina, OK (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
14T MICHAEL FACCINTO/Hanford, CA (Graunstadt-Streeter Racing)
15 C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Dennis Hart)
17A (R) TOM DUNKEL/Menifee, CA (Josh Ford Motorsports)
18 (R) TODD HAWSE/Simi Valley, CA (Todd Hawse)
19 (R) ALEX KARPOWICZ/Spring Branch, TX (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
20 C.J. SARNA/Palm Desert, CA (Sarna Motorsports)
20AZ (R) STEVIE SUSSEX/Tempe, AZ (Crown Jewel Racing)
20x (R) KYLE HAWSE/Las Vegas, NV (Hawse Racing)
Q23 (R) BARRIE VALENTINO/Brisbane, AU (El Toro Racing)
23c TYLER COURTNEY/Indianapolis, IN (Silva Motorsports)
25 JACOB DENNEY/Galloway, OH (Tom Malloy)
25m TANNER THORSON/Minden, NV (Tom Malloy)
31 (R) KARTER SARFF/Mason City, IL (Beilman Motorsports)
31B ZACH DAUM/Pocahontas, IL (Beilman Motorsports)
32 (R) CADEN SARALE/Stockton, CA (Caden Sarale)
Q32 (R) PETER PAULSON/Woodland, CA (El Toro Racing)
39T (R) TROY DeGATON/Wickenburg, AZ (Troy DeGaton)
50 (R) DANE CULVER/Riverside, CA (Knuckles Up Racing)
51 BRODY FUSON/Bakersfield, CA (Rusty Carlile)
51B (R) KYLE BUSCH/Las Vegas, NV (Kyle Busch Motorsports)
55 (R) ABBY HOHLBEIN/Cloverdale, OH (Lambert Motorsports)
57 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Abacus Racing)
58 KAYLEE BRYSON/Muskogee, OK (Abacus Racing)
63 (R) CALE COONS/Greencastle, IN (Joe Dooling)
65NZ (R) BEN COVICH/Auckland, NZ (Ben Covich)
67 RYAN TIMMS/Oklahoma City, OK (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
67K EMERSON AXSOM/Franklin, IN (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
68 RONNIE GARDNER/Corona, CA (Six8 Motorsports)
71 BUDDY KOFOID/Penngrove, CA (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71D (R) BRYAN DROLLINGER/San Pedro, CA (Drollinger Bros. Racing)
71K CANNON MCINTOSH/Bixby, OK (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
73 (R) COLE WAKIM/Simi Valley, CA (Josh Ford Motorsports)
77 (R) DALTEN GABBARD/Peoria, AZ (Dalten Gabbard)
86 DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, OK (CB Industries)
88A (R) AUSTIN TORGERSON/Glendale, AZ (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
89 (R) ZACH WIGAL/Belpre, OH (CB Industries)
97 GAVIN MILLER/Allentown, PA (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
97K KALE DRAKE/Collinsville, OK (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
98 TANNER CARRICK/Lincoln, CA (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
99AU CARSON MACEDO/Lemoore, CA (Dyson Motorsport)
101 CADE LEWIS/Bakersfield, CA (Dean Alexander)
(R) represents a Don Basile Rookie of the Race candidate
KYLE BUSCH TO MAKE USAC MIDGET DEBUT
AT BAKERSFIELD & VENTURA
Speedway, Indiana (November 14, 2024)………Two-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion
Kyle Busch will make his USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship in
California during the month of November.
Busch (Las Vegas, Nev.) will compete with USAC during the Tuesday, November
26, event at Bakersfield Speedway’s 1/3-mile dirt oval. He will then take on
Ventura Raceway’s 1/5-mile dirt oval on Saturday, November 30, for the 83rd
running of the ARP Turkey Night Grand Prix Presented By the West Coast Stock Car
Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Busch will carry the number 51 on his Kyle Busch Motorsports owned midget
which will be in partnership with FloSports and carry sponsorship from Lucas
Oil.
Also included in the announcement is that Busch will compete in the 39th
annual Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink on January 13-18, 2025,
at the SageNet Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Furthermore, it was also revealed that
he will be driving alongside his son Brexton at the Tulsa Shootout from December
31 through January 4.
All of these events will be streamed exclusively on FloRacing, making it the
essential home to watch Kyle Busch get behind the wheel during the NASCAR
offseason.
“The Cup season may be over, but the racing season is still in full swing
with the biggest events on dirt taking place over the next couple of months,”
Busch stated.
To purchase tickets and find out more event info on the upcoming USAC events, please visit www.BakersfieldSpeedway.com and www.VenturaRaceway.com.
KYLE LARSON ADDS FOUR
USAC MIDGET RACES TO HIS SCHEDULE IN NOVEMBER
Speedway, Indiana (November 14, 2024)………The racing season isn't over yet for
NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Larson.
Fresh off the season finale at Phoenix Raceway this past weekend, Larson (Elk
Grove, Calif.) has confirmed that he'll be behind the wheel for four upcoming
USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship events during the month of
November in California.
Larson will team up with Silva Motorsports to compete in Midget Madness at
Merced Speedway on November 22-23, the November Classic at Bakersfield Speedway
on November 26 and the 83rd running of the ARP Turkey Night Grand Prix Presented
by the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame at Ventura Raceway on
November 30.
For all three of these events, Larson will be teammates with fellow sprint
car star Tyler Courtney, who recently announced he'll be driving for Paul Silva
during the final seven USAC Midget races of the season as well as the Chili Bowl
Nationals in January.
Larson owns three career victories at Merced Speedway with all three wins
coming in a sprint car during the traditional November event at the track. This
month, he will be making his first start at Merced since 2021.
Larson will enter the race at Bakersfield Speedway with an average finish of
1.5 in his two previous November Classic starts. He won the event in 2019 before
finishing second one year later in 2020.
To round out the November swing, Larson will be seeking a fourth career
victory in the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ventura Raceway. In addition to his
win in the race last year, he also won the race in 2012, 2016 and 2019.
Following the completion of the three USAC National Midget Series events on
his schedule, Larson will travel to Australia to join Kubota High Limit Racing
for three nights of racing on December 28-30.
Race fans can watch all of these events live on FloRacing. If you're not already a FloRacing subscriber, sign up today at www.FloRacing.com.
HATS OFF TULARE!
USAC MIDGETS RETURN TO THUNDERBOWL NOV. 20
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Tulare, California (November 12, 2024)………It’s been 14 years since the USAC
NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship last paid a visit to Tulare,
California’s Thunderbowl Raceway.
For the first time since that night in 2010, the series returns for round two
of the seven-race California swing on Wednesday, November 20.
Just one driver from that night’s lineup all those years ago is expected to
be among this year’s crop of contenders. That’s Zach Daum, a seventh place
feature finisher with the series at Tulare in 2010.
However, while a majority of the field possesses minimal to zero racing
experience at Tulare’s 1/3-mile dirt oval, several others in this weekend’s
field not only have made extensive laps in a sprint car at the track but have
also been frequent winners.
One-time USAC National Midget feature winner Corey Day (Clovis, Calif.)
enters the event after capturing each of the past two Trophy Cup titles at
Tulare in 2023-2024 aboard a winged sprint car. Buddy Kofoid (Penngrove,
Calif.), himself a 2021-2022 USAC National Midget titlist, corralled the Trophy
Cup crown in 2021.
Tyler Courtney, the 2019 USAC National Midget champ, scored a feature victory
during Trophy Cup in 2022 as did Ryan Timms in 2021-2022. Carson Macedo
(Lemoore, Calif.) reigned victorious at Tulare in September with the World of
Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars. Tanner Carrick (Lincoln, Calif.),
likewise, was a victor at Tulare as recently as this past October when he
captured a Sprint Car Challenge Tour win.
Newly crowned USAC Career Triple Crown champion Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.)
nearly had his day in the sun at Tulare in 2023. After winning a Trophy Cup
feature, his car was deemed underweight in post-race tech, which erased his
short-lived victory. Seavey now eyes a bit of redemption this time around.
Also joining this group is a flock of Tulare experienced wheelman, including
three-time USAC national champion Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.), who finished
fourth with the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship at the track in
2010. Tanner Thorson (Minden, Nev.), the 2016 USAC National Midget king, ran
second during a Trophy Cup feature in 2017.
Furthermore, Jake Andreotti (Castro Valley, Calif.) and Terry Nichols
(Delano, Calif.) each have competed in USAC Western States Midget competition at
Tulare. Andreotti took 4th with the series in 2021 while Nichols grabbed a
top-five result in 2015. Austin Torgerson (Glendale, Ariz.) notched an 11th at
Tulare with the Kings of Thunder Sprint Cars in 2023.
The list of Tulare first-timers is also quite extensive, a list that includes
the likes of current USAC National Midget point leader Daison Pursley (Locust
Grove, Okla.), plus series feature winners Chase McDermand (Springfield, Ill.),
Jacob Denney (Galloway, Ohio), Emerson Axsom (Franklin, Ind.), Cannon McIntosh
(Bixby, Okla.), Zach Wigal (Belpre, Ohio), Gavin Miller (Allentown, Pa.) and
Kale Drake (Collinsville, Okla.).
Also visiting Tulare for the first-time are first-time USAC National Midget
winning hopefuls Drake Edwards (Peoria, Ariz.), Hayden Reinbold (Gilbert, Ariz.)
and Karter Sarff (Mason City, Ill.).
USAC national racing has made four previous treks to Tulare over the years.
USAC National Midgets made its aforementioned only previous trip in 2010 with
Tracy Hines as the winner. USAC National Sprint Cars have taken on Tulare on
three occasions with Garrett Hansen (2009), Jon Stanbrough (2009) and Bud
Kaeding (2010) all taking top honors.
RACE DETAILS
The front gates for the Wednesday night, November 20, event will open at 4pm
Pacific with the drivers meeting set for 4:30pm and cars on track at 5pm. The
USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship will be joined by the Kings
of Thunder Winged 360 Sprint Car Series.
Grandstand tickets for the event are $35 for adults, $33 for seniors, $18 for
kids 6-12, and free for kids 6 and under. Bleacher tickets are $30 for adults,
$28 for seniors, $15 for kids 6-12, and free for kids 5 and under. Adult pit
passes are $45.
The track is located at East Bardsley Avenue, & S K St, Tulare, CA 93274. The
track can be reached via phone at (559) 688-0909. For more info, visit
https://www.thunderbowlraceway.com/.
If you can’t make it to the track in person, the full event can be watched
live on FloRacing at https://www.flosports.link/usac.
EXPECTED TULARE USAC NATIONAL MIDGET ENTRIES:
00 JAKE ANDREOTTI/Castro Valley, CA (Pete Davis)
1p TERRY NICHOLS/Delano, CA (Nichols-Peckfelder Motorsports)
2 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (RMS Racing)
3p DRAKE EDWARDS/Peoria, AZ (Petty Performance Racing)
4 COREY DAY/Clovis, CA (Wille Kahne)
8w CHASE McDERMAND/Springfield, IL (Josh Ford Motorsports)
19AZ HAYDEN REINBOLD/Gilbert, AZ (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
23c TYLER COURTNEY (Silva Motorsports)
25 JACOB DENNEY/Galloway, OH (Tom Malloy)
25m TANNER THORSON/Minden, NV (Tom Malloy)
31 KARTER SARFF/Mason City, IL (Beilman Motorsports)
31B ZACH DAUM/Pocahontas, IL (Beilman Motorsports)
57 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Abacus Racing)
67 RYAN TIMMS/Oklahoma City, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
67K EMERSON AXSOM/Franklin, IN (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71 BUDDY KOFOID/Penngrove, CA (Keith Kunz-Curb/Agajanian Motorsports)
71K CANNON MCINTOSH/Bixby, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
86 DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, OK (CB Industries)
88A AUSTIN TORGERSON/Glendale, AZ (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
89 ZACH WIGAL/Belpre, OH (CB Industries)
97 GAVIN MILLER/Allentown, PA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
97K KALE DRAKE/Collinsville, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
98 TANNER CARRICK/Lincoln, CA (Keith Kunz-Curb/Agajanian Motorsports)
99AU CARSON MACEDO/Lemoore, CA (Dyson Motorsport)
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Daison
Pursley-1244, 2-Cannon McIntosh-1157, 3-Ryan Timms-1066, 4-Logan Seavey-1052,
5-Zach Daum-1036, 6-Jacob Denney-968, 7-Justin Grant-963, 8-Gavin Miller-946,
9-Zach Wigal-862, 10-Kale Drake-853.
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET WINS AT THUNDERBOWL RACEWAY:
1-Tracy Hines
USAC NATIONAL MIDGET WINNERS AT THUNDERBOWL RACEWAY:
2010: Tracy Hines (11/13)
TRACK RECORDS FOR USAC NATIONAL MIDGETS AT THUNDERBOWL RACEWAY:
1 Lap - 11/13/2010 - Bryan Clauson - 15.628
THUNDERBOWL RACEWAY USAC NATIONAL MIDGET FEATURE RESULTS:
2010 FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Tracy Hines, 2. Jerry Coons Jr., 3. Bryan Clauson, 4. Alex Schutte, 5. Brad Kuhn, 6. Bobby East, 7. Zach Daum, 8. Henry Clarke, 9. Levi Roberts, 10. Cody Swanson, 11. Evan Margeson, 12. Matt Streeter, 13. Randi Pankratz, 14. Scott Pierovich, 15. Jake Swanson, 16. Brad Loyet, 17. Chris Ennis, 18. Cory Kruseman, 19. Levi Jones, 20. Robby Josett, 21. Sean Dodenhoff, 22. Troy Rutherford, 23. Danny Faria Jr., 24. Dave Darland, 25. Kody Swanson, 26. Shannon McQueen. NT
LEWIS PREVAILS AT PERRIS
USAC CRA SEASON FINALE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Perris, California (November 9, 2024)………Ricky Lewis doesn’t always compete in
the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car Series, but when he does, he
prefers to win.
For the third time in less than a month, the Camarillo, Calif. racer came
away with a USAC CRA victory, this time doing so in the series’ season finale on
Saturday night at California’s Perris Auto Speedway.
Lewis led early, late and often. After starting from the pole, Lewis paced
the opening the eight laps before giving up the top spot to his teammate, Jake
Swanson, a third of the way through the 30-lap event.
Swanson held control for a 14 circuit span from laps 9-22 before Lewis raced
his way back on by on lap 23, then led the final eight trips around the 1/2-mile
dirt oval en route to victory, the fourth overall of his USAC CRA career and his
nation-leading 22nd sprint car win of the 2024 season across all series and
divisions.
Lewis’ first career Perris Auto Speedway triumph was extra special. He and
his parents used to frequent the southern California venue to watch USAC CRA
racing while he was growing up.
Furthermore, Lewis led a one-two Tom & Christy Dunkel Racing sweep as his
teammate, Jake Swanson (Anaheim, Calif.) finished second after starting the
night as the Woodland Auto Display Fast Qualifier, the 22nd of his career over
the 30 drivers on hand with a time of 16.066 seconds. Swanson now ranks third
overall on the list behind Damion Gardner (106) and Mike Spencer (63).
Tenth starting David Gasper (Goleta, Calif.), the 2024 USAC CRA Rookie of the
Year, crossed the line in third while series champion R.J. Johnson (Laveen,
Ariz.) took fourth.
Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Ala.) rounded out the top-five by earning hard
charger honors in memory of Jim & Chet Gardner, advancing 11 spots after
starting back in the 16th position. Thomas also captured the FlowDynamics Inc. /
Sexton Fire Protection / In Honor of Wiley Miller Sr and Wiley Miller II First
Heat Race.
Stevie Sussex (Tempe, Ariz.) won the Perris BillsJerky.net / Factory Wraps
Second Heat Race. Tommy Malcolm (Corona, Calif.) scored the Perris WC Friend
Company / In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Third Heat Race.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: November 9,
2024 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, California
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFYING: 1. Jake Swanson, 17x, Dunkel-16.066; 2.
Cody Williams, 44, Williams-16.072; 3. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-16.256; 4.
Logan Calderwood, 6, Calderwood-16.260; 5. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-16.330;
6. R.J. Johnson, 51, Johnson-16.381; 7. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-16.413; 8. Ricky
Lewis, 17, Dunkel-16.439; 9. Logan Williams, 5w, McCarthy-16.446; 10. David
Gasper, 18, Kittle/Gasper-16.477; 11. Matt Westfall, 11c, Turner/Wheeler-16.488;
12. Austin Williams, 17w, Dunkel-16.532; 13. Charles Davis Jr., 47,
Davis-16.536; 14. Tye Mihocko, 5, Wilson-16.578; 15. James Turnbull II, 2J,
Turnbull-16.616; 16. Kevin Thomas Jr., 15, Bonneau-16.662; 17. Stevie Sussex, 4,
Calderwood-16.690; 18. Tommy Malcolm, 5x, Napier-16.741; 19. Jordan Hermansader,
71, Martin-17.083; 20. Austin Grabowski, 72, Grabowski-17.113; 21. Blake
Hendricks, 14, Hendricks-17.136; 22. Verne Sweeney, 98, Guerrero-17.298; 23.
Mark Henry Jr., 39R, Henry-17.634; 24. Jonas Reynolds, 0, Reynolds-17.656; 25.
Gary Marshall Jr., 23, Bellegante-17.661; 26. Dan Taylor, T5, Taylor-17.730; 27.
Hayden Reinbold, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-17.832; 28. Bryan Drollinger, 71D,
Drollinger/Sweeney-17.880; 29. Heath Holdsclaw, 33, Holdsclaw-17.913; 30. Elexa
Herrera, 5E, Herrera-18.199.
FLOWDYNAMICS INCORPORATED / SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION / IN HONOR OF WILEY MILLER
SR. & WILEY MILLER II FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to feature) 1. Kevin
Thomas Jr., 2. Charles Davis Jr., 3. Jake Swanson, 4. A.J. Bender, 5. David
Gasper, 6. Logan Calderwood, 7. Verne Sweeney, 8. Jordan Hermansader, 9. Gary
Marshall Jr., 10. Bryan Drollinger. 2:50.71
BILLSJERKY.NET / FACTORY WRAPS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to
feature) 1. Stevie Sussex, 2. Ricky Lewis, 3. Tye Mihocko, 4. Cody Williams, 5.
Austin Grabowski, 6. Matt Westfall, 7. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 8. Mark Hendry Jr., 9.
Heath Holdsclaw. 2:53.77
WC FRIEND COMPANY / IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER THIRD HEAT: (10 laps,
top-5 transfer to feature) 1. Tommy Malcolm, 2. R.J. Johnson, 3. Austin
Williams, 4. Matt Mitchell, 5. Logan Williams, 6. James Turnbull II, 7. Jonas
Reynolds, 8. Elexa Herrera, 9. Blake Hendricks, 10. Hayden Reinbold. 2:54.15
FACTORY WRAPS SEMI: (12 laps, top-7 transfer to feature) 1. Eddie Tafoya Jr.,
2. Matt Westfall, 3. Logan Calderwood, 4. James Turnbull II, 5. Verne Sweeney,
6. Jordan Hermansader, 7. Jonas Reynolds, 8. Hayden Reinbold, 9. Mark Henry Jr.,
10. Bryan Drollinger, 11. Blake Hendricks, 12. Elexa Herrera, 13. Heath
Holdsclaw, 14. Gary Marshall Jr. 4:37.01
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Ricky Lewis (1), 2.
Jake Swanson (6), 3. David Gasper (10), 4. R.J. Johnson (3), 5. Kevin Thomas Jr.
(16), 6. Logan Williams (9), 7. Tommy Malcolm (18), 8. A.J. Bender (2), 9. Tye
Mihocko (14), 10. Charles Davis Jr. (13), 11. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (8), 12. James
Turnbull II (15), 13. Austin Grabowski (20), 14. Verne Sweeney (21), 15. Matt
Westfall (11), 16. Elexa Herrera (23), 17. Jordan Hermansader (19), 18. Cody
Williams (5), 19. Austin Williams (12), 20. Matt Mitchell (4), 21. Stevie Sussex
(17), 22. Logan Calderwood (7), 23. Jonas Reynolds (22). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-8 Ricky Lewis, Laps 9-22 Jake Swanson, Laps 23-30
Ricky Lewis.
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: Kevin Thomas Jr. (16th to 5th)
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-R.J. Johnson-1509, 2-Tommy Malcolm-1324, 3-Austin Williams-1271, 4-A.J. Bender-1256, 5-David Gasper-1251, 6-Logan Williams-1145, 7-Cody Williams-1133, 8-Charles Davis Jr.-990, 9-Verne Sweeney-948, 10-Austin Grabowski-926.
TALL TASK!
OSBORNE NAMED 2024
USAC SILVER CROWN ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (November 7, 2024)………Prior to first strapping into a USAC
Silver Crown car late last season, Trey Osborne estimated that his big track
experience was limited to running a sprint car at the 3/8-mile Paragon (Ind.)
Speedway.
Just a little over a year later, after a full season of competing at tracks
all larger in size, Osborne has been honored as the 2024 Max Papis Innovations
USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year.
With his accomplishment, Osborne (Columbus, Ohio) becomes the first Buckeye
State native in 22 years, and seventh overall, to earn USAC Silver Crown Rookie
of the Year honors, joining Jack Hewitt (1981), Dave Blaney (1984), Kenny Jacobs
(1986), Gene Lee Gibson (1988), Todd Kane (1998) and Matt Westfall (2002).
Despite missing a pair of events, Osborne finished a solid sixth in the
overall series point standings after starting 12 of the 14 events on the 2024
calendar. His season was highlighted by a pair of top-five finishes, one each on
pavement and dirt, in his BCR Group/Flint Trucking – Duncan Oil – QS Components
Kercher Chevy, featuring a Maxim chassis on dirt and a Beast on pavement.
“It’s definitely very cool to see my name on that list,” Osborne remarked
when looking at the names of the past recipients. “I couldn’t do it without
(crew chief) Malcolm Lovelace. He took a chance on me, and I think, overall, it
was a pretty good year. I don’t know if we really had a goal for a points
finish. Malcolm and I had talked about winning Rookie of the Year, but his
biggest thing was that we kept improving every race, and not to plateau. We’re
in a pretty good spot and I’m pretty bummed that the season ended. I wish we
could keep going.”
After getting his feet wet with the team by making two series starts in late
2023, Osborne signed on for a full season USAC Silver Crown run in 2024. But the
best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
In February, Osborne was injured during a flip over the turn three wall
during a USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship feature event at Florida’s
Ocala Speedway, resulting in a broken vertebra in his back, plus a compression
fracture in two more vertebrae while shearing off the top of a fourth vertebra.
Sidelined with a back brace and a bevy of checkups, X-rays and MRIs, Osborne
eagerly awaited the start of the season which was more than two months away.
After returning to the racetrack, Osborne estimated that he didn’t really
feel like himself again until late in the season and had been racing with the
pain on his mind all along. With that said, Lovelace, a former USAC Sprint Car
competitor himself in the 1970s-80s, never wavered in his support for Osborne
and even extended a helping hand to his other racing exploits.
“Without Malcolm, a lot of my sprint car season wouldn’t have even been
possible because he kept me not only motivated, but he also helped me out by
getting me a new seat after it got destroyed in Florida,” Osborne revealed. “A
lot of my stuff was actually on those sprint cars, and all of it got destroyed.
So, Malcolm helped me out with some new equipment and we talked multiple times a
week about setups and thinking through ideas.”
Outside of Eldora, IRP and just a handful of practice laps at Du Quoin, the
entirety of the 2024 USAC Silver Crown track slate was entirely new for Osborne.
Five of his six top-ten results on the year came on pavement, three of which
came at tracks in which he was visiting for the first time, including his fourth
place run at Wisconsin’s Madison International Speedway in June. His next time
out in July resulted in his best performance to date, a third place finish
during the series debut at Hutchinson, Kansas’ Salt City Speedway.
“That really did a lot for our season, especially the third in Hutchinson,”
Osborne remembered. “We worked for that, and I was pretty happy with that
performance. We actually had an overheating issue and we weren’t really able to
figure it out. We tried everything, then Malcolm said, ‘just run it.’ So we ran
it, but unfortunately, we killed a motor doing that. But we did get a good
finish out of it, so that was definitely a fun trip. The ride home definitely
isn’t bad when you have a run like that.”
Osborne has undergone a meteoric rise in recent years, from a midget racer
under the tutelage of USAC Hall of Famers Mel and Don Kenyon where he ultimately
became a USSA Kenyon Midget titlist. Thereafter, he began competing in dirt
sprint cars at local Indiana dirt tracks in 2022, opening many eyes with a trio
of victories in 2023 before an impressive performance during Sprint Car
Smackdown at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway with USAC late that summer. Osborne is now
at a point where he can contrast and compare the various ways to approach
anything that’s thrown his way, and with a year under his belt in the champ
cars, he’s absorbed it all.
“In Silver Crown racing, it’s pretty much all half-miles and mile or bigger
tracks,” Osborne explained. “That was definitely a lot to get used to, but I
really like them now. It definitely takes a different driving style to run a
Silver Crown car, but with the longer tracks and the longer races, you’ve got to
go about it a little bit differently and just keep yourself within range whereas
with the sprint car, you’ve just got to be on attack the whole time. You still
have to be on attack with the Silver Crown car, but if it takes you a couple
more laps to pass a car, that’s better than potentially wrecking the car. That’s
especially true with only having 14 races a year. A DNF and a bad points night
can really kill your whole season’s points run.”
At 6’8”, Osborne is undoubtedly the tallest Rookie of the Year honoree in
USAC Silver Crown history. So, it seems fitting that he quickly became
acclimated to the biggest cars in USAC’s arsenal. Now, he’s prepared to run it
back, with even more gusto, for the same team in full season number two in 2025.
“At every race, I was able to build off what I’ve already learned,” Osborne
acknowledged. “You just keep adding from race-to-race as you learn something.
Next year, I’ll learn even more and I’ll be able to look back at the end of the
season to where I’m at right now and go, ‘wow, I could’ve done things a lot
differently.’ But as long as that keeps happening, I know I’m still getting
better; that’s what really matters.”
2024 USAC SILVER CROWN ROOKIE DRIVER POINT STANDINGS:
POS. PTS. DRIVER, HOMETOWN
1. 468 Trey Osborne, Columbus, Ohio
2. 396 Nathan Moore, Kaufman, Texas
3. 305 Daison Pursley, Locust Grove, Okla.
4. 302 Briggs Danner, Allentown, Pa.
5. 223 Mitchel Moles, Raisin City, Calif.
6. 127 Jackson Macenko, Cincinnati, Ohio
7. 108 Danny Jennings, Norman, Okla.
8. 93 Chase Dietz, York, Pa.
9. 78 Kip Hughes, North Enid, Okla.
10. 62 Mark Bitner, Columbus, N.J.
11. 53 Dave Peperak, Clinton, Ind.
12. 51 Aric Gentry, Robards, Ky.
13. 50 Saban Bibent, Cincinnati, Ohio
14. 49 Alex Bright, Collegeville, Pa.
15. 46 Tom Savage, Red Lion, Pa.
16. 44 Steve Gennetten, Gravois Mills, Mo.
17. 35 Joe Trenca, Phoenix, N.Y.
18. 33 Tanner Berryhill, Bixby, Okla.
19. 23 Brent Yarnal, Phoenix, Ariz.
20. 19 Kevin Newton, Farmersburg, Ind.
21. 16 Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, Neb.
22. 10 Jake Trainor, Medway, Mass.
USAC SILVER CROWN ROOKIES OF THE YEAR:
1981: Jack Hewitt, Troy, Ohio
1982: Keith Kauffman, Mifflintown, Pa.
1983: Rick Hood, Memphis, Tenn.
1984: Dave Blaney, Hartford, Ohio
1985: Steve Butler, Kokomo, Ind.
1986: Kenny Jacobs, Holmesville, Ohio
1987: Jeff Swindell, Memphis, Tenn.
1988: Gene Lee Gibson, Richwood, Ohio
1989: Jimmy Sills, Placerville, Calif.
1990: Eric Gordon, Greenfield, Ind.
1991: Stevie Reeves, Indianapolis, Ind.
1992: Jim Keeker, Cicero, Ind.
1993: Randy Tolsma, Meridian, Idaho
1994: Kenny Irwin Jr. , Indianapolis, Ind.
1995: Chuck Leary, Greenfield, Ind.
1996: Ryan Newman, South Bend, Ind.
1997: Jimmy Kite, Stockbridge, Ga.
1998: Todd Kane, Powell, Ohio
1999: Paul White, Temple, Texas
2000: Kasey Kahne, Enumclaw, Wash.
2001: Aaron Fike, Galesburg, Ill.
2002: Matt Westfall, Pleasant Hill, Ohio
2003: Ron Gregory, Noblesville, Ind.
2004: Aaron Pierce, Muncie, Ind.
2005: Josh Wise, Riverside, Calif.
2006: Mat Neely, Robinson, Ill.
2007: Cameron Dodson, Greenfield, Ind.
2008: Steve Arpin, St. Francis, Ont.
2009: Kody Swanson, Kingsburg, Calif.
2010: Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, Ind.
2011: Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, Calif.
2012: Kyle Hamilton, Danville, Ind.
2013: Chris Windom, Canton, Ill.
2014: Caleb Armstrong, New Castle, Ind.
2015: C.J. Leary, Greenfield, Ind.
2016: Casey Shuman, Tempe, Ariz.
2017: Joss Moffatt, Columbus, Ind.
2018: Kyle Robbins, New Castle, Ind.
2019: Derek Bischak, Angola, Ind.
2020: Bryan Gossel, Fort Collins, Colo.
2021: Logan Seavey, Sutter, Calif.
2022: Gregg Cory, Shelbyville, Ind.
2023: Kaylee Bryson, Muskogee, Okla.
2024: Trey Osborne, Columbus, Ohio
FROM 2 WHEELS TO 4!
HUNTER MADDOX CLAIMS MPI
USAC SPRINT ROOKIE OF THE YEAR HONORS
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (November 6, 2024)………Whether it’s on two wheels or four,
Hunter Maddox is apt to give it a whirl.
After more than a decade of dirt bike racing, the Bedford, Indiana native
turned his focus toward the dirt ovals in recent years. The 29-year-old’s
efforts in the four-wheel variety were rewarded in 2024 by being named the Max
Papis Innovations USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship Rookie of the
Year.
To join a Rookie of the Year list that includes eventual series champions
such as Tony Stewart, J.J. Yeley, Tracy Hines, Josh Wise, Justin Grant, C.J.
Leary, Tyler Courtney and Logan Seavey as a USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of
the Year, the accomplishment means the world to Maddox.
“It gives me chills,” Maddox admitted. “This is just the end of my third year
of racing sprint cars. It’s a true honor and it’s something that I set out to do
since the beginning of the year. I thought it might be possible, so I just tried
to stay very persistent and not give up.”
Maddox made 25 feature starts with the series throughout the 2024 season en
route to an 18th place finish in the overall standings. Furthermore, he was one
of only 11 drivers to compete in all 44 events on the slate in his Hunter Maddox
Racing/TJD Roofing - Air-Master Heating & Air Conditioning/DRC/Cummings Chevy.
“I can officially say that I’ve made it to every single round of the tour,
which is phenomenal since I don’t think I’ve had perfect attendance since
elementary school,” Maddox quipped. “I’ve sacrificed a lot to be able to do it,
but it was a goal that I had set. I’m a very determined person and I’m very
driven, so when somebody tells me I can’t do something or whenever I tell myself
I can do something, I’m going to make it happen. To be able to make it happen
and be on the list with some of the greatest drivers of all-time, I don’t know
if it’ll ever set in.”
Maddox’s background before entering the USAC Sprint Car world is quite
different than the common path most partake, most often quarter midgets, micro
sprints and the like at a young age. Maddox didn’t even begin racing of any sort
until the age of 16, ultimately winning championships on the local level before
traveling nationally and specializing in Hare Scramble racing, which is a form
of off-road motorcycle competition that varies in distance and time, with riders
completing multiple laps around a marked course through wooded or other rugged
natural terrain.
These days, Maddox has curtailed his dirt bike racing to just a handful of
events per year. In fact, the morning after the USAC National Sprint Car season
finale at Meeker, Oklahoma’s Red Dirt Raceway, Maddox endured an all night
drive/ride back to Indiana in order to make it to the starting line in time for
a Hare Scramble event.
“As soon as the feature was over, I hightailed it east for a race at 10am in
Greencastle, Indiana for the final round of the national series for off road
racing – the Ironman GNCC,” Maddox explained. “I had to be back on the starting
line at 10am with a warmed up bike. It’s about a 10-hour trek (and we lost an
hour due to the change in time zones), so we had about 12 hours to make the
10-hour trek. Then it takes about an hour to get changed and get on the starting
line.”
Beyond that, Maddox has now made sprint car racing his priority in the
spring, summer, fall, and on occasion, in the winter. Once the feeling of a
nearly 900 horsepower sprint car grabbed him, it was instant. Soon after, he
knew this is what he was going to do.
“(Dirt bike racing) is a sport I truly love, but when I got into a sprint
car, it was a whole new level that I hadn’t felt in many years,” Maddox
admitted. “I love the challenge of sprint cars and I love the challenge of the
bike, and I still enjoy doing both. Nothing really translates except for the
mentality. I know from my years of racing dirt bikes, you’ve just got to stay
calm, cool and collected if you want a good result.”
Maddox chalks up his highlight moment of the 2024 campaign as winning his
first career heat race with the series during the USAC NOS Energy Drink Indiana
Sprint Week Presented By Honest Abe Roofing round near his hometown track at
Bloomington Speedway. The cherry on top was the fact that he defeated USAC
National Sprint Car feature winners Chase Stockon, Logan Seavey, Jadon Rogers
and Briggs Danner to achieve the feat.
Among the top things Maddox reflected on following the season was the
relationships he made. Chief among them was his right hand man Butch Mundy as
well as the bond he formed with the BGE Dougherty Motorsports group and drivers
Carson Garrett and C.J. Leary. It was a common sight to see Maddox’s No. 24m
parked alongside Garrett and Leary in the pit area at each event. At a couple
points during the year, Maddox even lent Garrett a car to drive in a pair of
USAC races.
It’s an uncommon story of how Maddox and Garrett’s friendship was sparked.
During Winter Dirt Games at Florida’s Ocala Speedway in 2023, unknown to each
other at the time, they happened to pit alongside one another. Thereafter,
Garrett’s team suddenly had a bit of a problem. Somehow, someway, a flashlight
was dropped inside their fuel tank. Upon hearing about the issue, Maddox came to
the rescue, retrieving his fishing pole from the trailer and literally fished
the flashlight out of the fuel tank to save the day.
In return, when Maddox had a question regarding how the pre-race four-wide
salute worked, Garrett drew it out on a piece of paper and demonstrated it for
him.
“The entire team played an instrumental part the entire year for me last year
and this year with USAC,” Maddox complimented. “I really don’t think that I
could’ve gotten to this point or had as many decent runs as I’ve had. It was
also really cool to be able to become friends with C.J. this year. He’s one of
the greatest of all-time in the sport. Even though he’s a year younger than me,
I look up to him. But there’s a lot of really good people here. If you keep the
good ones by your side, they’ll steer you on the right path.”
2024 USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ROOKIE DRIVER POINT
STANDINGS:
POS. PTS. DRIVER, HOMETOWN
1. 949 Hunter Maddox, Bedford, Ind.
2. 553 Kale Drake, Collinsville, Okla.
3. 494 Chance Crum, Snohomish, Wash.
4. 360 Rylan Gray, Greenfield, Ind.
5. 328 Trey Osborne, Columbus, Ohio
6. 314 Wesley Smith, Nixa, Mo.
7. 275 Todd Hobson, Clyde, Vic.
8. 267 Kayla Roell, Dillsboro, Ind.
9. 246 Saban Bibent, Cincinnati, Ohio
10. 127 Chase Howard, Nesbit, Miss.
11. 72 Gunnar Setser, Columbus, Ind.
12. 68 Shane Butler, Bushnell, Fla.
13. 68 Nic Harris, Atlanta, Ill.
14. 20 Jason Cherry, Blandon, Pa.
15. 10 Will Hull, Plainfield, Vt.
USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR ROOKIES OF THE YEAR:
1971: Darl Harrison, Tiffin, Ohio
1972: Billy Cassella, Weirton, W.Va.
1973: Rich Leavell, Elwood, Ind.
1974: Lee Osborne, Lebanon, Pa.
1975: Marvin Carman, Union City, Mich.
1976: Roger Rager, Mound, Minn.
1977: Eddie Leavitt, Kearney, Mo.
1978: Tim Richmond, Ashland, Ohio
1979: Jerry Carman, Burlington, Mich.
1980: Frank Riddle, Tampa, Fla.
1981: Steve Long, Indianapolis, Ind. (co)
1981: Johnny Coogan, Alexandria, Ind. (co)
1982: Danny Milburn, Indianapolis, Ind.
1983: Dean Shirley, Middletown, Ill.
1984: Jerry Russell, Springfield, Ill.
1985: Terry Shepherd, Warsaw, Ind.
1986: Kenny Jacobs, Holmesville, Ohio
1987: Rick Ungar, Garrettsville, Ohio
1988: Dean Jacobs, Fredericksburg, Ohio
1989: Eric Gordon, Greenfield, Ind.
1990: Rick Howerton, Indianapolis, Ind.
1991: Tony Stewart, Columbus, Ind.
1992: Gary Cameron II, Tulsa, Okla.
1993: Kenny Irwin Jr., Indianapolis, Ind.
1994: Bobby Smith, Martinsville, Ind.
1995: Mark Cassella, Weirton, W.Va.
1996: Gus Wasson, Bloomdale, Ohio
1997: J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, Ariz.
1998: Tracy Hines, New Castle, Ind.
1999: Ryan Newman, South Bend, Ind.
2000: Bud Kaeding, Campbell, Calif.
2001: Ed Carpenter, Indianapolis, Ind.
2002: Boston Reid, Logansport, Ind.
2003: Michael Lewis, Noblesville, Ind. (co)
2003: Mat Neely, Robinson, Ill. (co)
2004: Josh Ford, Camarillo, Calif. (co)
2004: Josh Wise, Riverside, Calif. (co)
2005: Darren Hagen, Riverside, Calif.
2006: Scotty Weir, Marion, Ind.
2007: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Olive Branch, Miss.
2008: Chad Boat, Phoenix, Ariz.
2009: Henry Clarke, Villa Park, Calif.
2010: Justin Grant, Ione, Calif.
2011: Coleman Gulick, Binghamton, N.Y.
2012: C.J. Leary, Greenfield, Ind.
2013: Tyler Courtney, Indianapolis, Ind.
2014: Jarett Andretti, Mooresville, N.C.
2015: Aaron Farney, Brookston, Ind.
2016: Isaac Chapple, Willow Branch, Ind.
2017: Stevie Sussex, Tempe, Ariz.
2018: Timmy Buckwalter, Douglassville, Pa. (co)
2018: Logan Seavey, Sutter, Calif. (co)
2019: Dustin Clark, Washington, Ind.
2020: Jadon Rogers, Worthington, Ind.
2021: Tanner Thorson, Minden, Nev.
2022: Emerson Axsom, Franklin, Ind.
2023: Daison Pursley, Locust Grove, Okla.
2024: Hunter Maddox, Bedford, Ind.
JIMMY SILLS & RON SHAVER
NAMED CO-GRAND MARSHALS
FOR 2024 TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX
Ventura, California (November 5, 2024)………Motorsports legends Jimmy Sills and
Ron Shaver have been named co-grand marshals of the 83rd running of the ARP
Turkey Night Grand Prix Presented by the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall
of Fame at California’s Ventura Raceway on Saturday night, November 30.
Sills, of Placerville, Calif., was USAC's first three-time Silver Crown
champion, in 1990, 1994 and 1996. Until surpassed by Dave Steele, he was the
all-time lap leader in Silver Crown history. A six-time champion of the
prestigious Dirt Cup at Washington’s Skagit Speedway, Sills also won the 1978
Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic in Australia and is a former champion of the
famed Oval Nationals in 1996 at California’s Perris Auto Speedway.
In 1982, Sills won the championship at Baylands Speedway in Fremont, Calif.,
and the following year, scored a significant opening night win at the Knoxville
Nationals in Iowa.
The leader of one of America's most renowned Sprint Car Racing Schools, Sills
was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2006, the Knoxville
Raceway Hall of Fame in 2007 and the USAC Hall of Fame in 2018.
Over the past 30 years, Shaver has been one of the leading engine builders
for many championship winning teams with USAC, the World Of Outlaws, the All
Star Circuit of Champions, NARC, CRA, SCRA, NCRA, NHRA and SCORE.
The Shaver family has been involved in motorsports since the 1930s when
Offenhauser racing engines came to them for manufacturing and machining and
continuing through the 1950s with drag racing engine work for Drake Engineering.
In 1976, Shaver began development for his first sprint car engine built for
Tommy Hunt of Hunt Magnetos, and later, Dean Thompson and Bruce Bromme.
He and his Shaver Racing Engine teams compiled over 30 open wheel
championships throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Now, in the 21st century, Shaver
Engines have proven themselves time and time again by claiming victories at the
most prestigious races across the country, including the Knoxville Nationals,
Kings Royal, World 100, Gold Cup, Dirt Cup and at the Syracuse Mile in New York.
Agajanian Promotions presents the 2024 Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ventura
(Calif.) Raceway, which begins on Friday, November 29, with midget practice,
plus USCS Sprint Car racing.
On Saturday, November 30, the Turkey Night Grand Prix final night consists of
midget hot laps, qualifying, last chance qualifiers, semis and the 98-lap
feature, plus sprint car semis and main events.
Advance tickets can be purchased at www.venturaraceway.com. Additional information is available at 805-648-7223.
TOP OF THE WORLD!
CUMMINS WINS WESTERN WORLD AT MOHAVE VALLEY,
JOHNSON CLINCHES USAC CRA TITLE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Mohave Valley, Arizona (November 2, 2024)………One night after pacing the middle
stages of the feature before seeing the lead slip through his fingers, Kyle
Cummins bounced back quite nicely during Saturday night’s 57th Western World
Championships finale Presented By Avanti Windows & Doors at Arizona’s Mohave
Valley Raceway.
This time around, once Cummins (Princeton, Ind.) assumed control, he never
relented after leading the final 25 laps to earn a $10,500 reward as well as his
first career Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car Series feature victory
in his Petty Performance Racing No. 3p.
In what was nearly a carbon copy of Friday’s Western World opener, USAC CRA
point leader R.J. Johnson was the driver all others were chasing during the
opening laps. Johnson paced the first eight of Friday’s feature, and on
Saturday, led the opening five circuits of the 30-lap affair.
Each time, however, it was the fourth-place starting Cummins who surged by
Johnson for the lead. On Saturday, Cummins went topside in turn four to clear
Johnson for the top spot by the sixth lap mark.
Moments later, on the 10th lap, the most unexpected of all twists and turns
took place when a brief power outage submerged the 1/3-mile dirt oval in
darkness amid a green flag run. After only two minutes, the track lights began
to shine again, the red flag was lifted and racing was able to resume.
Just as he did the previous night, Friday winner Kevin Thomas Jr. emerged
into the second spot past R.J. Johnson thereafter. However, this time, by the
time he did so, only nine laps remained and a full straightaway separated
himself and Cummins for the race lead.
Going green the rest of the way, Cummins went unchallenged the remainder of
the way, outside of navigating lapped traffic, to earn the victory with Kevin
Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Ala.) taking second and Woodland Auto Display Fast
Qualifier C.J. Leary (Greenfield, Ind.) finishing third.
R.J. Johnson (Laveen, Ariz.) finished in the fourth spot after leading the
initial five laps, and his points gained throughout the night allowed him to
clinch his first career USAC CRA Sprint Car championship.
J.J. Yeley (Phoenix, Ariz.) rounded out the top-five after starting 18th on
the grid. His +13 advancement earned him hard charger honors presented in memory
of Jim and Chet Gardner. Furthermore, Yeley pocketed the coveted Lafond Jar of
Change, which totaled $3423.68, raised through donations from the racing
community.
Cody Williams (Norco, Calif.) won the FlowDynamics Incorporated / In Honor of
Wiley Miller Sr and Wiley Miller II First Heat Race. Matt Westfall (Pleasant
Hill, Ohio) captured the WC Friend Company Second Heat Race. Kyle Cummins scored
the win in the BillsJerky.net / Silbermann Solar Third Heat Race. J.J. Yeley was
the victor of the Sexton Fire Protection Fourth Heat Race. A.J. Bender (San
Diego, Calif.) raced to the win in the Factory Wraps Semi.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: November 2,
2024 – Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, Arizona – 57th Annual Western
World Championships presented by Avanti Windows & Doors
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFYING: 1. C.J. Leary, 21AZ, Team
AZ/Curb-Agajanian-14.089; 2. Kevin Thomas Jr., 15, Bonneau-14.172; 3. Kyle
Cummins, 3p, Petty-14.252; 4. Stevie Sussex, 5, Baldwin-14.379; 5. R.J. Johnson,
51, Johnson-14.399; 6. Ricky Lewis, 17, Dunkel-14.429; 7. Logan Calderwood, 6,
Calderwood-14.477; 8. Tye Mihocko, 5T, Wilson-14.518; 9. Jake Swanson, 17x,
Dunkel-14.592; 10. Charles Davis Jr., 47, Davis-14.644; 11. David Gasper, 18,
Kittle/Gasper-14.671; 12. Tommy Malcolm, 5x, Napier-14.725; 13. Cody Williams,
44, Williams-14.746; 14. Austin Williams, 17w, Dunkel-14.760; 15. Jordan
Hermansader, 71, Martin-14.801; 16. James Turnbull II, 2J, Turnbull-14.807; 17.
Logan Williams, 5w, McCarthy-14.819; 18. Austin Grabowski, 72, Grabowski-14.872;
19. Cameron La Rose, 13p, Petty-14.879; 20. J.J. Yeley, 2, Yeley-14.907; 21.
Bryan Drollinger, 71, Drollinger/Sweeney-14.913; 22. Matt Westfall, 11c,
Turner/Wheeler-14.941; 23. Troy Treharn, 7x, Treharn-14.977; 24. Verne Sweeney,
98, Guerrero-15.085; 25. Kaleb Montgomery, 4J, Calderwood-15.108; 26. Dayton
Shelton, 9, Shelton-15.111; 27. Grant Sexton, 22, Sexton-15.142; 28. Jeff Dyer,
39, Cal-Sun-15.169; 29. Don Grable, 45x, Budlong-15.195; 30. A.J. Bender, 21,
Bender-15.241; 31. Jayme Barnes, 9x, Barnes-15.266; 32. Shon Deskins, 20,
Deskins-15.281; 33. Racin Silva, 5s, Silva-15.363; 34. Mark Henry Jr., 39R,
Henry-15.429; 35. Colt Treharn, 77, Treharn-15.628; 36. Brent Sexton, 44s,
Sexton-15.634; 37. Blake Hendricks, 14, Hendricks-15.737; 38. Brody Wake, 78B,
Wake-15.927; 39. Camie Bell, 29c, Bell-16.305; 40. Elexa Herrera, 5E,
Herrera-18.610; 41. Todd Pratt, 17F, Pratt-NT; 42. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T,
Tafoya-NT.
FLOWDYNAMICS INCORPORATED / IN HONOR OF WILEY MILLER SR. & WILEY MILLER II
FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Cody Williams, 2. C.J.
Leary, 3. R.J. Johnson, 4. Jake Swanson, 5. Kaleb Montgomery, 6. Logan Williams,
7. Don Grable, 8. Mark Henry Jr., 9. Bryan Drollinger. NT
WC FRIEND COMPANY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1.
Matt Westfall, 2. Ricky Lewis, 3. Charles Davis Jr., 4. Kevin Thomas Jr., 5.
Austin Williams, 6. A.J. Bender, 7. Austin Grabowski, 8. Colt Treharn, 9. Dayton
Shelton. NT
BILLSJERKY.NET / SILBERMANN SOLAR THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the
feature) 1. Kyle Cummins, 2. Cameron La Rose, 3. David Gasper, 4. Logan
Calderwood, 5. Shon Deskins, 6. Troy Treharn, 7. Brent Sexton, 8. Jordan
Hermansader, 9. Grant Sexton. NT
SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION FOURTH HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature)
1. J.J. Yeley, 2. Tommy Malcolm, 3. Tye Mihocko, 4. Stevie Sussex, 5. Jeff Dyer,
6. Verne Sweeney, 7. Racin Silva, 8. Blake Hedricks, 9. James Turnbull II. NT
FACTORY WRAPS SEMI: (12 laps, top-4 transfer to the feature) 1. A.J. Bender,
2. Logan Williams, 3. Austin Grabowski, 4. Grant Sexton, 5. Colt Treharn, 6.
Verne Sweeney, 7. Don Grable, 8. Brody Wake, 9. Racin Silva, 10. Brent Sexton,
11. Jordan Hermansader, 12. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 13. Mark Henry Jr., 14. Elexa
Herrera, 15. Troy Treharn, 16. Dayton Shelton, 17. Bryan Drollinger, 18. Blake
Hendricks, 19. Todd Pratt, 20. Camie Bell, 21. James Turnbull II. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kyle Cummins (4), 2.
Kevin Thomas Jr. (5), 3. C.J. Leary (6), 4. R.J. Johnson (2), 5. J.J. Yeley
(18), 6. Ricky Lewis (1), 7. Matt Westfall (19), 8. Tye Mihocko (8), 9. Jake
Swanson (9), 10. Austin Williams (14), 11. Stevie Sussex (3), 12. David Gasper
(11), 13. Charles Davis Jr. (10), 14. Cody Williams (13), 15. A.J. Bender (23),
16. Cameron La Rose (17), 17. Kaleb Montgomery, 18. Tommy Malcolm (12), 19.
Austin Grabowski (16), 20. Shon Deskins (24), 21. Jeff Dyer (2), 22. Verne
Sweeney (25-P), 23. Grant Sexton (21), 24. Logan Calderwood (7), 25. Eddie
Tafoya Jr. (26-P), 26. Logan Williams (15). NT
(P) represents a provisional starter
**Jayme Barnes flipped during qualifying.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-5 R.J. Johnson, Laps 6-30 Kyle Cummins.
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: J.J. Yeley (18th to 5th)
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-R.J. Johnson-1440,
2-Tommy Malcolm-1264, 3-Austin Williams-1240, 4-A.J. Bender-1202, 5-David
Gasper-1183, 6-Cody Williams-1096, 7-Logan Williams-1086, 8-Charles Davis
Jr.-940, 9-Verne Sweeney-912, 10-Austin Grabowski-885.
NEXT AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: November 9, 2024 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, California
KTJ SCORES WESTERN WORLD OPENER
AT MOHAVE VALLEY
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Mohave Valley, Arizona (November 2, 2024)………Entering Friday night, Kevin
Thomas Jr.’s most recent visit to Arizona’s Mohave Valley Raceway back in April
of this year resulted in a victory.
The Cullman, Ala. kept the winning ways rolling during the opening night of
the 57th annual Western World Championships Presented by Avanti Windows & Doors.
For KTJ, it was his eighth career Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car
feature victory, and his second of the season for the Bonneau Motorsports team.
Thomas was one of three different leaders in the 30-lap feature, and was the
final of the bunch, as he raced around the outside of fellow USAC AMSOIL Sprint
Car National Championship competitor Kyle Cummins in turn two on lap 18, then
led the remaining 13 laps en route to victory on the first of two nights of
Western World.
USAC CRA point leader R.J. Johnson paced the first eight laps from the pole
position before being overtaken by Cummins who started third. Thomas then raced
his way into the lead on lap 18 from the sixth starting position after kicking
off the night as the Woodland Auto Display Fast Qualifier.
At the checkered flag, Thomas was followed to the line by R.J. Johnson
(Laveen, Ariz.), Kyle Cummins (Princeton, Ind.), C.J. Leary (Greenfield, Ind.)
and Ricky Lewis (Camarillo, Calif.).
USAC CRA top Rookie David Gasper (Goleta, Calif.) was the feature’s hard
charger presented in memory of Jim and Chet Gardner after advancing from 20th to
12th. Gasper also notched a win in the Factory Wraps Semi-Feature.
Verne Sweeney (Lomita, Calif.) won the FlowDynamics Incorporated / In Honor
of Wiley Miller Sr and Wiley Miller II First Heat Race. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (Chino
Hills, Calif.) captured the WC Friend Company Second Heat Race. R.J. Johnson
scored the win of the BillsJerky.net / Silbermann Solar Third Heat Race. Tommy
Malcolm (Corona, Calif.) was the victor of the Sexton Fire Protection Fourth
Heat Race.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: November 1,
2024 – Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, Arizona – 57th Annual Western
World Championships presented by Avanti Windows & Doors
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFYING: 1. Kevin Thomas Jr., 15, Bonneau-14.010; 2.
J.J. Yeley, 2, Yeley-14.300; 3. C.J. Leary, 21AZ, Team AZ/Curb-Agajanian-14.421;
4. Kyle Cummins, 3p, Petty-14.454; 5. Stevie Sussex, 5B, Baldwin-14.482; 6. Jake
Swanson, 17x, Dunkel-14.564; 7. R.J. Johnson, 51, Johnson-14.591; 8. A.J.
Bender, 21, Bender-14.621; 9. Ricky Lewis, 17, Dunkel-14.623; 10. Tye Mihocko,
5, Mihocko-14.632; 11. Charles Davis Jr., 47, Davis-14.634; 12. Cody Williams,
44, Williams-14.689; 13. Kaleb Montgomery, 4J, Calderwood-14.691; 14.691; 14.
Matt Westfall, 11c, Turner/Wheeler-14.704; 15. Grant Sexton, 22, Sexton-14.750;
16. Tommy Malcolm, 5x, Napier-14.751; 17. Verne Sweeney, 98, Guerrero-14.754;
18. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-14.842; 19. Logan Calderwood, 6,
Calderwood-14.847; 20. Austin Williams, 17w, Dunkel-14.851; 21. David Gasper,
18, Kittle/Gasper-14.862; 22. Austin Grabowski, 72, Grabowski-14.895; 23.
Cameron La Rose, 13P, Petty-14.940; 24. Dayton Shelton, 9, Shelton-15.048; 25.
Colt Treharn, 77, Treharn-15.111; 26. Jeff Dyer, 39, Cal-Sun-15.120; 27. James
Turnbull II, 2J, Turnbull-15.124; 28. Jordan Hermansader, 71, Martin-15.218; 29.
Troy Treharn, 7x, Treharn-15.222; 30. Don Grable, 45x, Budlong-15.226; 31. Logan
Williams, 5w, McCarthy-15.262; 32. Braden Chiaramonte, 73B, OCC-15.322; 33.
Jayme Barnes, 9, Barnes-15.406; 34. Blake Hendricks, 14, Hendricks-15.406; 35.
Stevie Rogers, 11, Rogers-14.479; 36. Shon Deskins, 20, Deskins-15.493; 37.
Brent Sexton, 44s, Sexton-15.595; 38. Racin Silva, 5s, Silva-15.696; 39. Mark
Henry Jr., 39R, Henry-15.698; 40. Jim Vanzant, 3v, Vanzant-15.815; 41. Elexa
Herrera, 5E, Herrera-16.093; 42. Todd Pratt, 17F, Pratt-16.238; 43. Brody Wake,
78B, Wake-16.430; 44. Bryan Drollinger, 71D, Drollinger/Sweeney-17.118; 45.
Camie Bell, 29c, Bell-17.122.
FLOWDYNAMICS INCORPORATED / IN HONOR OF WILEY MILLER SR. & WILEY MILLER II
FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Verne Sweeney, 2. Ricky
Lewis, 3. Kevin Thomas Jr., 4. Colt Treharn, 5. Stevie Sussex, 6. Kaleb
Montgomery, 7. Jayme Barnes, 8. David Gasper, 9. Troy Treharn. NT
WC FRIEND COMPANY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1.
Eddie Tafoya Jr., 2. Matt Westfall, 3. J.J. Yeley, 4. Tye Mihocko, 5. Austin
Grabowski, 6. Jeff Dyer, 7. Don Grable, 8. Blake Hendricks, 9. Jake Swanson. NT
BILLSJERKY.NET / SILBERMANN SOLAR THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the
feature) 1. R.J. Johnson, 2. Charles Davis Jr., 3. C.J. Leary, 4. Logan
Calderwood, 5. Cameron La Rose, 6. Logan Williams, 7. Grant Sexton, 8. James
Turnbull II, 9. Stevie Rogers. NT
SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION FOURTH HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature)
1. Tommy Malcolm, 2. Austin Williams, 3. A.J. Bender, 4. Kyle Cummins, 5. Cody
Williams, 6. Shon Deskins, 7. Braden Chiaramonte, 8. Jordan Hermansader, 9.
Dayton Shelton. NT
FACTORY WRAPS SEMI: (12 laps, top-4 transfer to the feature) 1. David Gasper,
2. Jake Swanson, 3. Kaleb Montgomery, 4. Jeff Dyer, 5. Troy Treharn, 6. Jayme
Barnes, 7. Jordan Hermansader, 8. Logan Williams, 9. Don Grable, 10. James
Turnbull II, 11. Braden Chiaramonte, 12. Dayton Shelton, 13. Shon Deskins, 14.
Mark Henry, 15. Racin Silva, 16. Elexa Herrera, 17. Brody Wake, 18. Brent
Sexton, 19. Jim Vanzant, 20. Bryan Drollinger, 21. Todd Pratt, 22. Blake
Hendricks, 23. Camie Bell, 24. Grant Sexton. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kevin Thomas Jr.
(6), 2. R.J. Johnson (1), 3. Kyle Cummins (3), 4. C.J. Leary (4), 5. Ricky Lewis
(9), 6. Stevie Sussex (2), 7. Charles Davis Jr. (11), 8. A.J. Bender (8), 9.
Jake Swanson (7), 10. J.J. Yeley (5), 11. Matt Westfall (14), 12. David Gasper
(20), 13. Logan Calderwood (18), 14. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (17), 15. Cameron La Rose
(22), 16. Cody Williams (12), 17. Tye Mihocko (10), 18. Austin Williams (19),
19. Kaleb Montgomery (13), 20. Verne Sweeney (16), 21. Austin Grabowski (21),
22. Elexa Herrera (26), 23. Tommy Malcolm (15), 24. Jeff Dyer (24), 25. Colt
Treharn (23), 26. Grant Sexton (25). NT
**Stevie Rogers flipped on lap 4 of the third heat.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-8 R.J. Johnson, Laps 9-17 Kyle Cummins, Laps
18-30 Kevin Thomas Jr.
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: David Gasper (20th to 12th)
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-R.J. Johnson-1371,
2-Tommy Malcolm-1230, 3-Austin Williams-1193, 4-A.J. Bender-1165, 5-David
Gasper-1138, 6-Logan Williams-1060, 7-Cody Williams-1053, 8-Charles Davis
Jr.-897, 9-Verne Sweeney-889, 10-Austin Grabowski-858.
NEXT AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: November 2, 2024 – Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, Arizona – 57th Annual Western World Championships presented by Avanti Windows & Doors
LEARY, TEAM AZ, PETTY & ROSSI TEAM UP
FOR 2025 USAC SILVER CROWN SEASON
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (November 1, 2024)………C.J. Leary will drive full-time on the
USAC Silver Crown National Championship trail throughout the 2025 season in a
joint effort between Team Arizona Racing, Petty Performance Racing and Phil
Rossi.
Leary (Greenfield, Ind.) is coming off a season in which he finished fourth
in the USAC Silver Crown standings, his third consecutive top-four points finish
with the series. The 2015 USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year owns three wins
in the series, at Terre Haute (2016), Eldora (2018) and Madison (2022).
Team AZ Racing entered the champ car racing world in 2024 and flourished in a
dirt only schedule with drivers Daison Pursley and Mario Clouser. In just the
team’s second series start, Pursley raced the team’s car to a last lap victory
at Pennsylvania’s Port Royal Speedway.
Leary has competed in the series for Klatt Enterprises full-time since 2022.
Now he’ll take the reins of the series’ newest full-time team on dirt and
pavement in pursuit of his first ever USAC Silver Crown title aboard the Avanti
Windows & Doors, Apache Transport, OakCraft Elegant Cabinetry No. 21 DRC chassis
powered by Stanton Racing Engines.
“I’m extremely excited for this new endeavor,” Leary stated. “(Car owner)
Mike Burkhart, Craig (Burkhart), Jerry (Petty) and everybody seems to be putting
together a super team. It’s going to be pretty cool. Hopefully we come out of
the gates swinging. Obviously, their sprint car program has been really good.
We’ve raced against them for the last handful of years and it definitely seems
like they know what’s going on. They’ve got a notebook now with Daison and
Clouser, so I’m super excited.”
Leary and Team AZ’s first foray together will come this weekend when the team
travels out to Arizona’s Mohave Valley Raceway for the 57th annual Western World
Championships. There, Leary will wheel the team’s machine for the two-night
Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car Series event on Friday-Saturday,
November 1-2. Team AZ has won each of the last three Western World features with
Jake Swanson (2022) and Daison Pursley (2023).
“Originally, I was going to drive for Bill Michael out there, then the Silver
Crown deal came about,” Leary revealed. “We just wanted to work together and
just feel each other out a little bit and try to build on that notebook a little
bit for next year. Hopefully, we can win two races.”
Leary’s USAC accolades also include the AMSOIL National Sprint Car
championship, the Eastern Storm title and the Indiana Sprint Week crown, all of
which he earned in 2019. In 2012, Leary was named USAC National Sprint Rookie of
the Year, and in 2023, earned the Bubby Jones Master of Going Faster
Championship Presented By Spire Sports + Entertainment.
The 2025 USAC Silver Crown schedule will be announced in December.
SEAVEY SECURES USAC CAREER TRIPLE CROWN!
2024 USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR REVIEW
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (October 31, 2024)………In a span of two seasons, Logan Seavey
and Abacus Racing went from being among the newest driver/team combinations in
the sport to becoming USAC Career Triple Crown champions.
After Seavey and Abacus teamed up to capture the 2023 USAC Silver Crown and
USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship titles, they added a sprint
car to the arsenal and showed no signs of letting up in a historic USAC AMSOIL
Sprint Car National Championship season from start-to-finish in 2024.
Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) is now one of only eight drivers who can lay claim to
being a member of the USAC career Triple Crown club alongside Pancho Carter,
Tony Stewart, Dave Darland, J.J. Yeley, Jerry Coons Jr., Tracy Hines and Chris
Windom.
Meanwhile, Noblesville, Indiana based Abacus Racing became just the second
entrant to post championships in USAC’s Silver Crown, National Sprint Car and
National Midget divisions, a feat previously only accomplished by the duo of
Mike Curb & Cary Agajanian.
On his path to a 107-point edge in the final championship tally along with a
$50,000 title prize, Seavey led the points for 42 of the 44 events – a span of
eight months and 13 days between February 13 and October 26, both of which are
all-time series records for the duration of holding the point lead.
Along the way, Seavey totaled 14 series victories in 2024, equaling the
all-time USAC National Sprint Car season record set by Tom Bigelow in 1977.
Furthermore, in July, Seavey became the first driver in 39 years to record four
consecutive USAC National Sprint Car feature victories, a feat that hadn’t been
achieved since Rick Hood’s similarly impressive 1985 campaign.
The 2024 USAC National Sprint Car season was the second busiest on record
with 44 events, second only to the 51 held in 1977. During the run, Seavey led
the series in feature wins (14), laps led (364), top-fives (31) and top-tens
(38).
What makes this season all the more impressive is the fact that this was
Seavey and Abacus Racing’s first foray into sprint cars together. Just as their
first season in USAC Silver Crown and Midgets wound up, the Sprint Car too
resulted in a resoundingly dominant performance and a title by year’s end.
“It’s unbelievable,” Seavey stated. “That’s the goal we set when starting
this sprint car team, but we surely didn’t expect it to come in the first year.
There’s hundreds of people who play a part in making these things go around to
run the whole season, and to come out on top is unbelievable.”
Guided by Team Principal Brent Cox, Team Manager Kirk Simpson, Crew Chief
Ronnie Gardner, plus Daniel Whitley, Trevor Reed, Liam Haigh, Johnny Cofer,
Chris Mansell, Chad Vermeil, Missy Vermeil and partners, John Lunsford and Ken
Gauze, the team found comfort right away and the chemistry was perfectly
composed.
In February at Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park, despite engine troubles and a
timely weather delay, Seavey and Abacus persevered to sweep the night and become
the first to win multiple USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship features
in a single night for the first time since Bud Kaeding at Terre Haute more than
22 years earlier in 2001. To add to that, Abacus became the first entrant to win
their first two USAC National Sprint Car main events on the same day since Max
Dowker at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway in 1975.
“Heading to Florida, we were optimistic, but wanted to be realistic,” Cox
explained. “After two podium finishes to start the season (at Ocala), we ran
into engine troubles on night three. Luckily, rain saved us and we could make
the engine change and be ready for both races at Volusia to be run on the same
night. Without a third engine in the trailer, we won them both after an
energetic conversation between Logan and I earlier that day when he said, ‘we
are in a hole.’ Well, I said, ‘we are not in the hole; we are standing next to
it.’ I will remember that conversation for the rest of my life. It was hard
because, as a team, we were not prepared as maybe we should have been. We are
not the biggest team, and likely never will be. We work hard to take the
resources we have to make it work. I always say, ‘I don’t want to be the
biggest; I want to be the best.’”
With the point lead now securely in their hands, Seavey and Abacus continued
their winning ways at Indiana’s Bloomington Speedway, Terre Haute Action Track
and Circle City Raceway during the month of May, the latter of which was the
earliest in a season (May 23) that any driver had picked up his fifth win of the
year since Larry Dickson on May 10, 1970.
Seavey carried his winning ways in Pennsylvania during June’s Eastern Storm
by winning at Big Diamond Speedway one year removed from missing out on a
transfer spot there. To close out the week, Seavey scored a photo finish triumph
over Briggs Danner at the smallest track on the schedule – the 1/5-mile Action
Track USA.
Seavey began his streak of four-straight USAC Sprint wins at Illinois’ Macon
Speedway on the final weekend of June before landing three-straight at Indiana’s
Lincoln Park Speedway to kick off July, the last of which served as the opening
night of NOS Energy Drink USAC Indiana Sprint Week Presented By Honest Abe
Roofing. Seavey very nearly became the first driver since Parnelli Jones in 1961
to run his win streak to five with the series but came up a car length short to
Kyle Cummins at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway.
Seavey added wins at Lawrenceburg Speedway and Circle City Raceway en route
to his first Indiana Sprint Week title. At Lawrenceburg, he started 11th on his
way to winning a race featuring seven lead changes among four drivers, tied for
the most lead swaps ever in a USAC Indiana Sprint Week feature.
With 13 wins in the books, Seavey and Abacus had to wait another 11 races
across two-and-a-half months before hitting paydirt again in October at
Lawrenceburg’s $20,000-to-win Fall Nationals, tying Bigelow’s single season
mark. Although coming up just shy of the win record, the team was able to clinch
the championship one night early in the penultimate round at Oklahoma’s Red Dirt
Raceway.
It was a surreal moment for the young and hungry team who has already reached
heights in their two-year span that so few others have even come close to
accomplishing.
“They put a lot of faith and belief in me that we could come out here and do
this,” Seavey praised. “All the parts and pieces, and all the hard work that
goes into coordinating a race team, it’s pretty unbelievable to only go
full-time in this sport for two seasons and have three championships on their
end. All the press in on me for the Triple Crown, and I’m obviously super
excited about that, but the team definitely deserves the praise too.”
It certainly aids the situation when a driver can cross over to three
different series with essentially the same supporting cast surrounding him,
especially when that group has clicked as successfully as this one.
“Just having Ronnie and Kirk to work on this thing gives me so much
confidence,” Seavey reiterated. “I’ve raced with Ronnie in the past on a few
other cars, and getting to work with Kirk this year, he’s been a huge part of
this effort to keep us on our toes and making us think a little bit differently
on things, and was a key to help us in places where Ronnie and I may have
struggled in the past. I already had confidence to go into the tracks where
we’ve already been good at in the past. I feel like it really filled the void of
the places I hadn’t been good at. Just having two guys over there that are
really smart and really good at what they do was the key to what we had going on
this year.”
Elsewhere, for the first time since 2012, each driver finishing inside the
top-10 of the series standings also won at least one feature event: Logan
Seavey, Brady Bacon, Daison Pursley, Kevin Thomas Jr., C.J. Leary, Mitchel
Moles, Robert Ballou, Kyle Cummins, Justin Grant and Matt Westfall.
For the third consecutive year, Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.) finished as
the runner-up in the standings, adding five wins to his credit. In May at Circle
City, he made it 14 consecutive seasons with a USAC National Sprint Car feature
win, breaking the mark of 13-straight years set by Sheldon Kinser between
1974-1986. In June at New Jersey’s Bridgeport Motorsports Park, he became the
winningest Eastern Storm driver of all-time with victory number seven. He
followed up with his first win at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway in a decade as well
as his first Indiana Sprint Week win in three years at Terre Haute in July.
In September at Arkansas’ Texarkana 67 Speedway, Bacon earned his 50th series
win as a driver for the Dynamics, Inc./Hoffman Auto Racing in the same state
where he earned win number one for the team. Bacon capped the year by capturing
a $10,000 bonus as the first two-time champion in the three-year history of the
10-race Bubby Jones Master of Going Faster series presented by Spire Sports +
Entertainment. He also netted his crew chief, Matt Hummel, $2,500 as the
champion.
Third-place points finisher Daison Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.) made,
perhaps, the most impressive drive of any non-winner with the series in 2024,
advancing a series record 21 positions in a 23rd to 2nd charge at Bloomington
(Ind.) Speedway in May. He also notched his first two career points-paying USAC
National Sprint Car wins at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway in June and at Ohio’s
Eldora Speedway during the 4-Crown Nationals.
En route to fourth in the standings, Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Ala.) won
five times with the series, including the inaugural Justin Owen Memorial at
Lawrenceburg in April for his first series win in 19 months. He became the
fourth different driver for Rock Steady Racing to score the Spring Showdown at
Indiana’s Tri-State Speedway in May. He was triumphant on his 33rd birthday in
June at Pennsylvania’s Williams Grove Speedway after Briggs Danner ran out of
fuel on the last corner of the last lap. KTJ added a Smackdown prelim night
score at Kokomo in August before bagging a $20,000 payday in September after
becoming the first five-time winner of the Haubstadt Hustler at Tri-State.
Five years to the day after his most recent Ocala victory, C.J. Leary
(Greenfield, Ind.) won again at the D-shaped Florida oval in February. For good
measure, the fifth-place points finishing driver also was standing tall as the
winner of the non-points inaugural Stoops Sprint Car Invitational at The Dirt
Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 10-car, 20-lap invitational. Leary once
again led all series drivers with 10 fast qualifying times, the third time he
has achieved the feature, and the only driver to do so more than once.
Mitchel Moles’ season was highlighted by an Eastern Storm title in which he
recorded five top-five results in a six-night span. Furthermore, one year after
becoming the first ever USAC National Sprint Car winner at Illinois’ Macon
Speedway, the Raisin City, California native became the first ever repeat series
winner at the 1/5-mile dirt oval for his only series win of the year on the road
to a sixth place finish in points.
Robert Ballou (Rocklin, Calif.) was on the winning side of the most
electrifying finish of the year when he erased a half-straightaway deficit to
Kyle Cummins on the last lap to win the opening night of #LetsRaceTwo in May at
Eldora. His first series win in 18 months proved to be the closest finish of the
USAC season – .016 seconds. In June, Ballou also became the third driver to
surpass 500 career USAC National Sprint Car feature starts, joining Dave Darland
and Brady Bacon.
Joining the brand new Petty Performance Racing team for 2024, Kyle Cummins
(Princeton, Ind.) progressively jelled to become a consistent frontrunner. After
calling his shot in July by declaring over the PA system, “we’re going to win at
Kokomo,” he did just that 24 hours later for the team’s first win. Cummins and
company added one more win on Friday the 13th in September at Circle City.
Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) experienced perhaps the strangest stat line in
the history of USAC National Sprint Car racing by finishing ninth in points
despite winning nine times! Inconsistency plagued his bid for a third-straight
series title, but when he was on, he was on. He won the opening two rounds of
the season in Ocala and rounded out the year with a win in the season finale at
Red Dirt to become just the fourth driver in USAC Sprint Car history to win both
the opener and the closer in a season, joining the likes of Pat O’Connor (1956),
Steve Butler (1986) and Brady Bacon (2020).
In May, Grant bewildered the crowd by winning at Eldora, then promptly
stuffing his car into the turn three wall and flipping over on his cooldown lap.
He then won his 50th career USAC National Sprint Car race in May at Knoxville as
well as the Indiana Sprint Week round at Tri-State. He picked up the prelim
opener of Smackdown at Kokomo, then became the first 4-time Smackdown
championship night winner two nights later with a lucrative $35,000 top prize.
Matt Westfall (Pleasant Hill, Ohio) snuck into 10th in points on the final
weekend of the year after making the biggest charge to win during the 2024
series season. Starting 13th on the grid at Red Dirt, Westfall patrolled the
bottom to the lead and to a highly popular win. Amid the process, it was the
furthest back any driver had started and won a race with the series since Kevin
Thomas Jr.’s 14th to 1st charge at Indiana’s Lincoln Park Speedway in 2021.
Briggs Danner (Allentown, Pa.) posted his first three victories of the USAC
National Sprint Car season in 2024. In June at Grandview, he became the first
Pennsylvanian to win a USAC National Sprint Car feature since Frankie Kerr 25
years earlier in 1999 and the first Pennsylvanian to win a series race in his
home state since Paul Pitzer at Reading in 1979. Danner went on to cement his
status as a winner outside the confines of the Keystone State as well by
capturing the Indiana Sprint Week finale in August at Bloomington and the
inaugural Greg Staab Memorial at Lawrenceburg in October.
Hunter Maddox (Bedford, Indiana) raced his way to Rookie of the Year honors
with the USAC National Sprint Cars in 2024. Maddox, who cut his racing teeth on
dirt bikes, made 25 feature starts and finished 18th in the standings.
2024 USAC AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT CAR STAT LEADERS
Driver Champion: Logan Seavey
Entrant Champion: Abacus Racing #57
Most Feature Wins: 14-Logan Seavey
Rookie of the Year: Hunter Maddox
Most Laps Led: 364-Logan Seavey
Most Top-Fives: 31-Logan Seavey
Most Top-Tens: 38-Logan Seavey
Most Fast Qualifying Times: 10-C.J. Leary
Most Heat Race Wins: 13-Robert Ballou
Most Feature Starts: 44-Brady Bacon, Robert Ballou, Kyle Cummins, Justin
Grant, C.J. Leary, Mitchel Moles, Daison Pursley, Logan Seavey & Kevin Thomas
Jr.
Biggest Charge of the Year: May 10: Bloomington Speedway – Daison Pursley
(23rd to 2nd)
2024 USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER POINT STANDINGS:
(TOP-10)
POS. PTS. DRIVER, HOMETOWN
1. 2987 Logan Seavey, Sutter, Calif.
2. 2880 Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, Okla.
3. 2718 Daison Pursley, Locust Grove, Okla.
4. 2645 Kevin Thomas Jr., Cullman, Ala.
5. 2625 C.J. Leary, Greenfield, Ind.
6. 2561 Mitchel Moles, Raisin City, Calif.
7. 2550 Robert Ballou, Rocklin, Calif.
8. 2481 Kyle Cummins, Princeton, Ind.
9. 2476 Justin Grant, Ione, Calif.
10. 1804 Matt Westfall, Pleasant Hill, Ohio
11. 1800 Carson Garrett, Littleton, Colo.
12. 1768 Chase Stockon, Fort Branch, Ind.
13. 1559 Jake Swanson, Anaheim, Calif.
14. 1499 Briggs Danner, Allentown, Pa.
15. 1432 Jadon Rogers, Worthington, Ind.
16. 1322 Joey Amantea, Mount Pocono, Pa.
17. 1008 Ricky Lewis, Camarillo, Calif.
18. 949 (R) Hunter Maddox, Bedford, Ind.
19. 890 Shane Cottle, Kansas, Ill.
20. 593 Brandon Mattox, Terre Haute, Ind.
21. 570 Alex Bright, Collegeville, Pa.
22. 553 (R) Kale Drake, Collinsville, Okla.
23. 494 (R) Chance Crum, Snohomish, Wash.
24. 429 Max Adams, Loomis, Calif.
25. 402 Tom Harris, Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK
26. 360 (R) Rylan Gray, Greenfield, Ind.
27. 353 Tye Mihocko, Peoria, Ariz.
28. 328 (R) Trey Osborne, Columbus, Ohio
29. 314 (R) Wesley Smith, Nixa, Mo.
30. 275 (R) Todd Hobson, Clyde, Vic.
31. 267 (R) Kayla Roell, Dillsboro, Ind.
32. 246 (R) Saban Bibent, Cincinnati, Ohio
33. 231 Xavier Doney, Odessa, Mo.
34. 192 Timmy Buckwalter, Douglassville, Pa.
35. 127 (R) Chase Howard, Nesbit, Miss.
36. 126 Zach Daum, Pocahontas, Ill.
37. 123 Brent Beauchamp, Fairland, Ind.
38. 114 Mario Clouser, Auburn, Ill.
39. 72 (R) Gunnar Setser, Columbus, Ind.
40. 68 (R) Shane Butler, Bushnell, Fla.
41. 68 (R) Nic Harris, Atlanta, Ill.
42. 46 Kody Swanson, Kingsburg, Calif.
43. 24 Sterling Cling, Tempe, Ariz.
44. 20 (R) Jason Cherry, Blandon, Pa.
45. 10 (R) Will Hull, Plainfield, Vt.
2024 USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRANT POINT STANDINGS:
(TOP-10)
POS. PTS. ENTRANT, TEAM LOCATION
1. 2987 Abacus Racing, Noblesville, Ind. (#57)
2. 2880 Dynamics Inc., Milford, Ohio (#69)
3. 2718 Team AZ/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Brownsburg, Ind. (#21AZ)
4. 2645 Rock Steady Racing, Dupont, Ind. (#3R)
5. 2625 BGE Dougherty Motorsports, Evansville, Ind. (#15x)
6. 2561 Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports, Gilbert, Ariz. (#19AZ)
7. 2550 Ballou Motorsports, Tipton, Ind. (#12)
8. 2481 Petty Performance Racing, Litchfield Park, Ariz. (#3p)
9. 2476 TOPP Motorsports, Rochester, Ind. (#4)
10. 1875 2B Racing, Marion, Ind. (#2B)
11. 1804 Ray Marshall Motorsports, Forest, Ohio (#33m)
12. 1800 BGE Dougherty Motorsports, Evansville, Ind. (#15)
13. 1768 KO Motorsports, Owensville, Ind. (#5s)
14. 1471 Hogue Racing Enterprises, Westampton, N.J. (#39)
15. 1322 JPA Racing, Cresco, Pa. (#88J)
16. 1008 Stensland Motorsports, Fort Wayne, Ind. (#41)
17. 949 Hunter Maddox Racing, Bloomington, Ind. (#24m)
18. 935 Michael Dutcher Motorsports, Cicero, Ind. (#17GP)
19. 890 Epperson Racing, Camby, Ind. (#2E)
20. 722 Baldwin-Fox Racing, West Lafayette, Ind. (#5)
21. 583 Brandon Mattox Racing, Cory, Ind. (#28)
22. 570 Heffner Racing Enterprises, Hellertown, Pa. (#27)
23. 484 Crum Racing, Mooresville, Ind. (#26)
24. 402 Tom Harris Motorsport, Tipton, Ind. (#84)
25. 360 Gray Brothers, Greenfield, Ind. (#06)
26. 310 KO Motorsports, Owensville, Ind. (#5K)
27. 246 Wedgewood Motorsports, Lebanon, Ohio (#98)
28. 241 Dave Wilson Special, Brownsburg, Ind. (#5T)
29. 231 Doney-Lawson Racing, Odessa, Mo. (#74)
30. 212 Trey Osborne Racing, Indianapolis, Ind. (#11T)
31. 192 Hummer Motorsports, Belvidere, N.J. (#20)
32. 187 Daming-Swanson Motorsports, Danville, Ind. (#5T)
33. 128 Paul Hazen, Columbia City, Ind. (#57H)
34. 127 Ronny Howard, Nesbit, Miss. (#13)
35. 126 Daum Motorsports, Greenville, Ill. (#5d)
36. 123 Lauren Beauchamp, Needham, Ind. (#11)
37. 114 Mario Clouser Motorsports, Chatham, Ill. (#6)
38. 86 On The Gass Racing, Advance, Ind. (#17)
39. 68 Landon Butler Racing, Bushnell, Fla. (#18)
40. 68 Nic Harris, Atlanta, Ill. (#N2)
41. 27 Cheney Racing, Arcadia, Calif. (#42)
42. 24 Sterling Cling Racing, Franklin, Ind. (#34)
43. 20 Cherry Motorsports, Blandon, Pa. (#67c)
44. 10 Sy Allen, Plainfield, Vt. (#7s)
2024 USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ROOKIE DRIVER POINT
STANDINGS: (TOP-10)
POS. PTS. DRIVER, HOMETOWN
1. 949 Hunter Maddox, Bedford, Ind.
2. 553 Kale Drake, Collinsville, Okla.
3. 494 Chance Crum, Snohomish, Wash.
4. 360 Rylan Gray, Greenfield, Ind.
5. 328 Trey Osborne, Columbus, Ohio
6. 314 Wesley Smith, Nixa, Mo.
7. 275 Todd Hobson, Clyde, Vic.
8. 267 Kayla Roell, Dillsboro, Ind.
9. 246 Saban Bibent, Cincinnati, Ohio
10. 127 Chase Howard, Nesbit, Miss.
11. 72 Gunnar Setser, Columbus, Ind.
12. 68 Shane Butler, Bushnell, Fla.
13. 68 Nic Harris, Atlanta, Ill.
14. 20 Jason Cherry, Blandon, Pa.
15. 10 Will Hull, Plainfield, Vt.
2024 USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE & RESULTS
Feb 9: Ocala Speedway – Ocala, FL
WINNER: Justin Grant (TOPP Motorsports #4)
Feb 10: Ocala Speedway – Ocala, FL
WINNER: Justin Grant (TOPP Motorsports #4)
Feb 13: Volusia Speedway Park – Barberville, FL
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Abacus Racing #57)
Feb 13: Volusia Speedway Park – Barberville, FL
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Abacus Racing #57)
Feb 15: Ocala Speedway – Ocala, FL
WINNER: Justin Grant (TOPP Motorsports #4)
Feb 16: Ocala Speedway – Ocala, FL
WINNER: C.J. Leary (BGE-Dougherty Motorsports #15x)
Apr 13: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Lawrenceburg, IN
WINNER: Kevin Thomas Jr. (Rock Steady Racing #3R)
May 3: Eldora Speedway – Rossburg, OH
WINNER: Robert Ballou (Ballou Motorsports #12)
May 4: Eldora Speedway – Rossburg, OH
WINNER: Justin Grant (TOPP Motorsports #4)
May 10: Bloomington Speedway – Bloomington, IN
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Abacus Racing #57)
May 11: Tri-State Speedway – Haubstadt, IN
WINNER: Kevin Thomas Jr. (Rock Steady Racing #3R)
May 21: Terre Haute Action Track – Terre Haute, IN
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Abacus Racing #57)
May 22: Circle City Raceway – Indianapolis, IN
WINNER: Brady Bacon (Dynamics, Inc. #69)
May 23: Circle City Raceway – Indianapolis, IN
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Abacus Racing #57)
May 31: Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA
WINNER: Justin Grant (TOPP Motorsports #4)
Jun 1: Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA
WINNER: Daison Pursley (Team AZ Racing #21AZ)
Jun 11: (E) Grandview Speedway | Bechtelsville, PA
WINNER: Briggs Danner (Hogue Racing Enterprises #39)
Jun 12: (E) Bridgeport Motorsports Park | Swedesboro, NJ
WINNER: Brady Bacon (Dynamics, Inc. #69)
Jun 13: (E) Big Diamond Speedway | Pottsville, PA
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Abacus Racing #57)
Jun 14: (E) Williams Grove Speedway | Mechanicsburg, PA
WINNER: Kevin Thomas Jr. (Rock Steady Racing #3R)
Jun 15: (E) Port Royal Speedway | Port Royal, PA
WINNER: Brady Bacon (Dynamics, Inc. #69)
Jun 16: (E) Action Track USA | Kutztown, PA
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Abacus Racing #57)
Jun 28: Macon Speedway – Macon, IL
WINNER: Mitchel Moles (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports #19AZ)
Jun 29: Macon Speedway – Macon, IL
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Abacus Racing #57)
Jul 5: Lincoln Park Speedway – Putnamville, IN
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Abacus Racing #57)
Jul 6: Lincoln Park Speedway – Putnamville, IN
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Abacus Racing #57)
July 26: Lincoln Park Speedway | Putnamville, IN
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Abacus Racing #57)
July 27: Kokomo Speedway | Kokomo, IN
WINNER: Kyle Cummins (Petty Performance Racing #3p)
July 30: Lawrenceburg Speedway | Lawrenceburg, IN
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Abacus Racing #57)
July 31: Circle City Raceway | Indianapolis, IN
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Abacus Racing #57)
August 1: Terre Haute Action Track | Terre Haute, IN
WINNER: Brady Bacon (Dynamics Inc. #69)
August 3: Tri-State Speedway | Haubstadt, IN
WINNER: Justin Grant (TOPP Motorsports #4)
August 4: Bloomington Speedway | Bloomington, IN
WINNER: Briggs Danner (Hogue Racing Enterprises #39)
Aug 22: Kokomo Speedway – Kokomo, IN
WINNER: Justin Grant (TOPP Motorsports #4)
Aug 23: Kokomo Speedway – Kokomo, IN
WINNER: Kevin Thomas Jr. (Rock Steady Racing #3R)
Aug 24: Kokomo Speedway – Kokomo, IN
WINNER: Justin Grant (TOPP Motorsports #4)
Sep 7: (AE) Texarkana 67 Speedway – Texarkana, AR
WINNER: Brady Bacon (Dynamics Inc. #69)
Sep 13: Circle City Raceway – Indianapolis, IN
WINNER: Kyle Cummins (Petty Performance Racing #3p)
Sep 14: Tri-State Speedway – Haubstadt, IN
WINNER: Kevin Thomas Jr. (Rock Steady Racing #3R)
Sep 21: Eldora Speedway – Rossburg, OH
WINNER: Daison Pursley (Team AZ Racing #21AZ)
Sep 26: (SE) The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Speedway, IN
WINNER: C.J. Leary (BGE-Dougherty Motorsports #15x)
Oct 11: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Lawrenceburg, IN
WINNER: Briggs Danner (Hogue Racing Enterprises #39)
Oct 12: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Lawrenceburg, IN
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Abacus Racing #57)
Oct 25: (AE) Red Dirt Raceway – Meeker, OK
WINNER: Matt Westfall (Ray Marshall Motorsports #33m)
Oct 26: (AE) Red Dirt Raceway – Meeker, OK
WINNER: Justin Grant (TOPP Motorsports #4)
------------------ KEY DEFINITIONS ------------------
(AE) represents an event co-sanctioned by ASCS Elite Non-Wing
(E) represents an Eastern Storm event
(I) represents an Indiana Sprint Week event
(F) represents an event awarding feature points only
(A) represents an event awarding appearance points only
(SE) represents a non-points, special event
2024 USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP STATISTICS
FEATURE WINS
14-Logan Seavey (Feb 13 at Volusia Speedway Park, Feb 13 at Volusia Speedway
Park, May 10 at Bloomington Speedway, May 21 at the Terre Haute Action Track,
May 23 at Circle City Raceway, Jun 13 at Big Diamond Speedway, Jun 16 at Action
Track USA, Jun 29 at Macon Speedway, Jul 5 at Lincoln Park Speedway, Jul 6 at
Lincoln Park Speedway, Jul 26 at Lincoln Park Speedway, Jul 30 at Lawrenceburg
Speedway, Jul 31 at Circle City Raceway & Oct 12 at Lawrenceburg Speedway)
9-Justin Grant (Feb 9 at Ocala Speedway, Feb 10 at Ocala Speedway, Feb 15 at
Ocala Speedway, May 4 at Eldora Speedway, May 31 at Knoxville Raceway, Aug 3 at
Tri-State Speedway, Aug 24 at Kokomo Speedway, Aug 26 at Kokomo Speedway & Oct
26 at Red Dirt Raceway)
5-Brady Bacon (May 22 at Circle City Raceway, Jun 12 at Bridgeport
Motorsports Park, Jun 15 at Port Royal Speedway, Aug 1 at the Terre Haute Action
Track & Sep 7 at Texarkana 67 Speedway)
5-Kevin Thomas Jr. (Apr 13 at Lawrenceburg Speedway, May 11 at Tri-State
Speedway, Jun 14 at Williams Grove Speedway, Aug 25 at Kokomo Speedway & Sep 14
at Tri-State Speedway)
3-Briggs Danner (Jun 11 at Grandview Speedway, Aug 4 at Bloomington Speedway
& Oct 11 at Lawrenceburg Speedway)
2-Kyle Cummins (Jul 27 at Kokomo Speedway & Sep 13 at Circle City Raceway)
2-Daison Pursley (Jun 1 at Knoxville Raceway & Sep 21 at Eldora Speedway)
1-Robert Ballou (May 3 at Eldora Speedway)
1-C.J. Leary (Feb 16 at Ocala Speedway)
1-Mitchel Moles (Jun 28 at Macon Speedway)
1-Matt Westfall (Oct 25 at Red Dirt Raceway)
NON-POINTS SPECIAL EVENT WINS:
1-C.J. Leary (Sep 26 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway)
FEATURE LAPS LED
364-Logan Seavey
190-Kevin Thomas Jr.
177-Justin Grant
133-Kyle Cummins
131-Brady Bacon
114-Mitchel Moles
113-Briggs Danner
83-Daison Pursley
20-Jake Swanson
19-Carson Garrett
12-Robert Ballou
10-Max Adams & C.J. Leary
9-Shane Cottle & Chase Stockon
7-Matt Westfall
5-Stevie Sussex
3-Joey Amantea & Jadon Rogers
1-Brayden Fox
TOP-FIVE FEATURE FINISHES
31-Logan Seavey
26-Brady Bacon
21-Daison Pursley
20-Kevin Thomas Jr.
19-C.J. Leary
18-Justin Grant
17-Robert Ballou
16-Mitchel Moles
14-Kyle Cummins
11-Briggs Danner
5-Chase Stockon
4-Carson Garrett & Jake Swanson
3-Shane Cottle
2-Alex Bright, Ricky Lewis, Jadon Rogers & Matt Westfall
1-Max Adams, Rylan Gray & Chase Johnson
TOP-TEN FEATURE FINISHES
38-Logan Seavey
37-Brady Bacon
35-Daison Pursley
33-Mitchel Moles & Kevin Thomas Jr.
32-C.J. Leary
31-Robert Ballou
30-Kyle Cummins
29-Justin Grant
19-Briggs Danner
17-Chase Stockon
14-Jake Swanson
12-Shane Cottle, Carson Garrett, Ricky Lewis & Jadon Rogers
9-Matt Westfall
6-Joey Amantea
5-Alex Bright
4-Wesley Smith
2-Max Adams, Nick Bilbee, Rylan Gray, Anton Hernandez & J.J. Yeley
1-Chance Crum, Xavier Doney, Kale Drake, Steven Drevicki, Chase Johnson, Kyle
Jones, Tye Mihocko, Brady Short, Stevie Sussex & Paul White
FAST QUALIFYING TIMES
10-C.J. Leary
7-Logan Seavey
5-Mitchel Moles & Daison Pursley
4-Brady Bacon & Kevin Thomas Jr.
3-Kyle Cummins
1-Robert Ballou, Alex Bright, Briggs Danner, Geoff Ensign, Carson Garrett,
Justin Grant & Chase Stockon
HEAT RACE / QUALIFYING RACE WINS (Presented by Simpson Race Products, Rod End
Supply, T.J. Forged & Car IQ)
13-Robert Ballou
12-Justin Grant
11-Brady Bacon & Kyle Cummins
10-Kevin Thomas Jr.
9-C.J. Leary, Logan Seavey & Matt Westfall
8-Mitchel Moles & Chase Stockon
7-Daison Pursley
6-Jadon Rogers
5-Jake Swanson
4-Carson Garrett & Ricky Lewis
3-Joey Amantea, Briggs Danner, Kale Drake & Anton Hernandez
2-Alex Bright, Charles Davis Jr. & Stevie Sussex
1-Max Adams, Saban Bibent, Nick Bilbee, Wyatt Burks, Harley Burns, Mario
Clouser, Shane Cottle, Xavier Doney, Steven Drevicki, Tom Harris, Jack Hoyer,
Chase Johnson, Hunter Maddox, Tye Mihocko, Trey Osborne, Kyle Shipley, Carson
Short, Wesley Smith & Scotty Weir
SEMI WINS (Presented by Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts)
2-Robert Ballou, Carson Garrett, Todd Hobson, C.J. Leary, Ricky Lewis, Daison
Pursley & Kevin Thomas Jr.
1-Alex Bright, Brayden Clark, Shane Cottle, Kyle Cummins, Charles Davis Jr.,
Kale Drake, Weston Gorham, Justin Grant, Korbyn Hayslett, Brandon Mattox,
Mitchel Moles, Jadon Rogers, Kendall Ruble, Nate Schank, Logan Seavey, Kyle
Shipley, Kobe Simpson, Jake Swanson, Scotty Weir & Matt Westfall
FEATURE STARTS
44-Brady Bacon, Robert Ballou, Kyle Cummins, Justin Grant, C.J. Leary,
Mitchel Moles, Daison Pursley, Logan Seavey, Kevin Thomas Jr.
42-Matt Westfall
41-Carson Garrett
36-Chase Stockon
34-Joey Amantea & Jadon Rogers
33-Jake Swanson
29-Briggs Danner
25-Hunter Maddox
20-Ricky Lewis
17-Shane Cottle
16-Brandon Mattox
15-Charles Davis Jr. & Kale Drake
14-Anton Hernandez
13-Chance Crum
12-Alex Bright & Tom Harris
11-Max Adams
10-Harley Burns
9-Tye Mihocko & Trey Osborne
8-Korbyn Hayslett & Kobe Simpson
7-Hayden Reinbold & Wesley Smith
6-Saban Bibent, Nick Bilbee, Rylan Gray, Todd Hobson & Stevie Sussex
5-Timmy Buckwalter, Jack Hoyer, J.J. Hughes, Kayla Roell, Kyle Shipley &
Scotty Weir
4-Zach Daum, Xavier Doney, J.T. Ferry, Brayden Fox & Frankie Guerrini
3-Brent Beauchamp, Geoff Ensign, Matt Goodnight, Weston Gorham, Chase Howard,
Kyle Jones, Carmen Perigo, Zack Pretorius, Brady Short, Shawn Westerfeld & Paul
White
2-Dustin Beck, Donny Brackett, Shane Butler, Logan Calderwood, Craig Carroll,
Mario Clouser, Colten Cottle, Aric Gentry, Nic Harris, Hayden Harvey, Chase
Johnson, R.J. Miller, Kendall Ruble, Brian Ruhlman, Nate Schank, Adyn Schmidt,
Eric Schulz, Gunnar Setser, Matt Sherrell, Carson Short, Mark Smith, Cooper
Sullivan & J.J. Yeley
1-Garrett Abrams, Ryan Barr, Robert Bell, Wyatt Burks, Rhett Butler, Brayden
Clark, Sterling Cling, Brock Cottrell, Braxton Cummings, Steven Drevicki, Paul
Dues, Dakota Earls, Nate Ervin, Scott Frack, Gabriel Gilbert, Ivan Glotzbach,
Sam Hinds, Ronny Howard, Jason Howell, Ty Hulsey, Keith Martin, John Mollick,
Evan Mosley, Anthony Nicholson, Seth Parker, Kody Swanson, Colt Treharn, Cody
Williams, Joe Wood Jr. & Justin Zimmerman
2024 USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR FAST QUALIFIERS
Feb 9: Ocala Speedway – Kevin Thomas Jr. (13.858)
Feb 10: Ocala Speedway – Chase Stockon (14.075)
Feb 13: Volusia Speedway Park – C.J. Leary (16.173)
Feb 13: Volusia Speedway Park – C.J. Leary (16.151)
Feb. 15: Ocala Speedway – Logan Seavey (13.925)
Feb. 16: Ocala Speedway – Kevin Thomas Jr. (13.914)
Apr 13: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Daison Pursley (14.026)
May 3: Eldora Speedway – Kevin Thomas Jr. (16.151)
May 4: Eldora Speedway – C.J. Leary (15.286)
May 10: Bloomington Speedway – Geoff Ensign (11.496)
May 11: Tri-State Speedway – Justin Grant (13.226)
May 21: Terre Haute Action Track – Logan Seavey (20.152)
May 22: Circle City Raceway – Robert Ballou (12.679)
May 23: Circle City Raceway – C.J. Leary (12.371)
May 31: Knoxville Raceway – C.J. Leary (18.807)
Jun 1: Knoxville Raceway – Brady Bacon (19.708)
Jun 11: Grandview Speedway – Brady Bacon (13.341)
Jun 12: Bridgeport Motorsports Park – Mitchel Moles (14.685)
Jun 13: Big Diamond Speedway – Alex Bright (14.799)
Jun 14: Williams Grove Speedway – Logan Seavey (19.659)
Jun 15: Port Royal Speedway – C.J. Leary (18.205)
Jun 16: Action Track USA – Kyle Cummins (10.539)
Jun 28: Macon Speedway – Daison Pursley (10.335)
Jun 29: Macon Speedway – Logan Seavey (10.268)
Jul 5: Lincoln Park Speedway – Logan Seavey (11.959)
Jul 6: Lincoln Park Speedway – Daison Pursley (12.050)
Jul 26: Lincoln Park Speedway – Logan Seavey (12.078)
Jul 27: Kokomo Speedway – Kyle Cummins (12.687)
Jul 30: Lawrenceburg Speedway – C.J. Leary (13.952)
Jul 31: Circle City Raceway – C.J. Leary (11.957)
Aug 1: Terre Haute Action Track – Mitchel Moles (19.639)
Aug 2: Bloomington Speedway – Carson Garrett (11.455)
Aug 3: Tri-State Speedway – Briggs Danner (13.193)
Aug 4: Bloomington Speedway – Brady Bacon (11.755)
Aug 24: Kokomo Speedway – Kevin Thomas Jr. (12.782)
Aug 25: Kokomo Speedway – Mitchel Moles (12.626)
Sep 6: Texarkana 67 Speedway – Brady Bacon (14.110)
Sep 7: Texarkana 67 Speedway – Logan Seavey (13.985)
Sep 13: Circle City Raceway – Mitchel Moles (12.228)
Sep 14: Tri-State Speedway – Mitchel Moles (13.216)
Sep 21: Eldora Speedway – C.J. Leary (15.536)
Oct 11: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Daison Pursley (14.049)
Oct 12: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Daison Pursley (14.213)
Oct 25: Red Dirt Raceway – Kyle Cummins (12.832)
Oct 26: Red Dirt Raceway – C.J. Leary (12.935)
HARD CHARGER OF THE RACE
Feb 9: Ocala Speedway – Robert Ballou (10th to 4th)
Feb 10: Ocala Speedway – Alex Bright (18th to 6th)
Feb 13: Volusia Speedway Park – Robert Ballou (24th to 11th)
Feb 13: Volusia Speedway Park – Tye Mihocko (23rd to 11th)
Feb. 15: Ocala Speedway – Kevin Thomas Jr. (14th to 7th)
Feb. 16: Ocala Speedway – Joey Amantea (20th to 11th)
Apr 13: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Mitchel Moles (18th to 9th)
May 3: Eldora Speedway – Jadon Rogers (19th to 6th)
May 4: Eldora Speedway – Jake Swanson (15th to 9th)
May 10: Bloomington Speedway – Daison Pursley (23rd to 2nd)
May 11: Tri-State Speedway – Robert Ballou (16th to 7th)
May 21: Terre Haute Action Track – Joey Amantea (19th to 11th)
May 22: Circle City Raceway – Carson Garrett (24th to 12th)
May 23: Circle City Raceway – Chance Crum (23rd to 14th)
May 31: Knoxville Raceway – J.J. Yeley (23rd to 10th)
Jun 1: Knoxville Raceway – J.J. Yeley (17th to 10th)
Jun 11: Grandview Speedway – Joey Amantea (20th to 9th)
Jun 12: Bridgeport Motorsports Park – Logan Seavey (23rd to 15th)
Jun 13: Big Diamond Speedway – Ricky Lewis (25th to 10th)
Jun 14: Williams Grove Speedway – Justin Grant (12th to 5th)
Jun 15: Port Royal Speedway – Daison Pursley (13th to 4th)
Jun 16: Action Track USA – Joey Amantea (20th to 10th)
Jun 28: Macon Speedway – Kyle Cummins (22nd to 15th)
Jun 29: Macon Speedway – C.J. Leary (11th to 5th)
Jul 5: Lincoln Park Speedway – Kevin Thomas Jr. (18th to 10th)
Jul 6: Lincoln Park Speedway – Chase Stockon (23rd to 11th)
Jul 26: Lincoln Park Speedway – Jadon Rogers (23rd to 10th)
Jul 27: Kokomo Speedway – Shane Cottle (23rd to 8th)
Jul 30: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Ricky Lewis (19th to 6th)
Jul 31: Circle City Raceway – Briggs Danner (12th to 5th)
Aug 1: Terre Haute Action Track – Daison Pursley (17th to 9th)
Aug 3: Tri-State Speedway – Kevin Thomas Jr. (24th to 7th)
Aug 4: Bloomington Speedway – Mitchel Moles (20th to 7th)
Aug 24: Kokomo Speedway – Ricky Lewis (24th to 10th)
Aug 25: Kokomo Speedway – Jadon Rogers (24th to 9th)
Aug 26: Kokomo Speedway – Matt Westfall (24th to 15th)
Sep 7: Texarkana 67 Speedway – Kyle Jones (22nd to 10th)
Sep 13: Circle City Raceway – Shane Cottle (12th to 5th)
Sep 14: Tri-State Speedway – Kendall Ruble (24th to 11th)
Sep 21: Eldora Speedway – Mitchel Moles (24th to 15th)
Oct 11: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Kyle Cummins (16th to 9th)
Oct 12: Lawrenceburg Speedway – (21st to 10th)
Oct 25: Red Dirt Raceway – Matt Westfall (13th to 1st)
Oct 26: Red Dirt Raceway – Cooper Sullivan (23rd to 18th)
DIRT DRAFT FASTEST HOT LAPS DRIVER
Feb 9: Ocala Speedway – C.J. Leary (14.054)
Feb 10: Ocala Speedway – Justin Grant (14.556)
Feb 12: Volusia Speedway Park – Timmy Buckwalter (16.994)
Feb 13: Volusia Speedway Park – Justin Grant (16.711)
Feb. 15: Ocala Speedway – Logan Seavey (13.946)
Feb. 16: Ocala Speedway – Briggs Danner (14.202)
Apr 13: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Daison Pursley (14.140)
May 3: Eldora Speedway – C.J. Leary (16.341)
May 4: Eldora Speedway – C.J. Leary (15.629)
May 10: Bloomington Speedway – C.J. Leary (11.688)
May 11: Tri-State Speedway – Justin Grant (13.179)
May 21: Terre Haute Action Track – C.J. Leary (20.157)
May 22: Circle City Raceway – Shane Cottle (12.551)
May 23: Circle City Raceway – Logan Seavey (12.447)
May 31: Knoxville Raceway – Chase Stockon (19.086)
Jun 1: Knoxville Raceway – Daison Pursley (19.918)
Jun 11: Grandview Speedway – Mitchel Moles (13.409)
Jun 12: Bridgeport Motorsports Park – Kyle Cummins (15.164)
Jun 13: Big Diamond Speedway – Kevin Thomas Jr. (14.784)
Jun 14: Williams Grove Speedway – C.J. Leary (20.667)
Jun 15: Port Royal Speedway – Brady Bacon (18.245)
Jun 16: Action Track USA – C.J. Leary (10.563)
Jun 28: Macon Speedway – C.J. Leary (10.448)
Jun 29: Macon Speedway – Mitchel Moles (10.358)
Jul 5: Lincoln Park Speedway – Robert Ballou (11.942)
Jul 6: Lincoln Park Speedway – Justin Grant (12.319)
Jul 26: Lincoln Park Speedway – Chance Crum (12.265)
Jul 27: Kokomo Speedway – Carson Garrett (12.799)
Jul 30: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Logan Seavey (14.489)
Jul 31: Circle City Raceway – Brady Bacon (12.058)
Aug 1: Terre Haute Action Track – Mitchel Moles (19.967)
Aug 2: Bloomington Speedway – Daison Pursley (11.552)
Aug 3: Tri-State Speedway – Kevin Thomas Jr. (13.068)
Aug 4: Bloomington Speedway – Carson Garrett (11.846)
Aug 24: Kokomo Speedway – Logan Seavey (13.042)
Aug 25: Kokomo Speedway – C.J. Leary (12.865)
Aug 26: Kokomo Speedway – Justin Grant (13.008)
Sep 6: Texarkana 67 Speedway – C.J. Leary (14.523)
Sep 7: Texarkana 67 Speedway – Mitchel Moles (14.710)
Sep 13: Circle City Raceway – Mitchel Moles (12.168)
Sep 14: Tri-State Speedway – Logan Seavey (13.214)
Sep 21: Eldora Speedway – C.J. Leary (15.709)
Oct 11: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Daison Pursley (14.246)
Oct 12: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Shawn Westerfeld (14.454)
Oct 25: Red Dirt Raceway – C.J. Leary (12.867)
Oct 26: Red Dirt Raceway – Daison Pursley (13.220)
INFERNO ARMOR FIRE MOVE OF THE NIGHT
Jun 11: Grandview Speedway – Robert Ballou
Jun 12: Bridgeport Motorsports Park – Anton Hernandez
Jun 13: Big Diamond Speedway – Joey Amantea
Jun 14: Williams Grove Speedway – Charles Davis Jr.
Jun 15: Port Royal Speedway – Alex Bright
Jun 16: Action Track USA – Ricky Lewis
Jun 28: Macon Speedway – Jake Swanson
Jun 29: Macon Speedway – Kyle Cummins
Jul 5: Lincoln Park Speedway – Chase Stockon
Jul 6: Lincoln Park Speedway – Ricky Lewis
Jul 26: Lincoln Park Speedway – C.J. Leary
Jul 27: Kokomo Speedway – Joey Amantea
Jul 30: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Robert Ballou
Jul 31: Circle City Raceway – Todd Hobson
Aug 1: Terre Haute Action Track – Nate Schank
Aug 3: Tri-State Speedway – Kevin Thomas Jr.
Aug 4: Bloomington Speedway – Rylan Gray
Aug 24: Kokomo Speedway – Briggs Danner
Aug 25: Kokomo Speedway – Brandon Mattox
Aug 26: Kokomo Speedway – Brayden Clark
Sep 7: Texarkana 67 Speedway – Kyle Cummins
Sep 13: Circle City Raceway – Gunnar Setser
Sep 14: Tri-State Speedway – Robert Ballou
Sep 21: Eldora Speedway – Logan Seavey
Oct 11: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Kayla Roell
Oct 12: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Chase Stockon
Oct 25: Red Dirt Raceway – Paul White
Oct 26: Red Dirt Raceway – R.J. Miller
C-MAIN WINS (Presented by Trailer Alarms)
3-Hunter Maddox
1-Max Adams, Brayden Clark, Kyle Johnson, Kevin Newton & Kyle Shipley
ALL-TIME USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR STATS
ALL-TIME USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR DRIVER FEATURE WINS (1956-2024)
1. [62 wins] Dave Darland
2. [58 wins] Brady Bacon
3. [54 wins] Justin Grant
4. [52 wins] Tom Bigelow
5. [47 wins] Tracy Hines
6. [46 wins] Jack Hewitt
7. [45 wins] Larry Dickson
8. [44 wins] Kevin Thomas Jr.
9. [42 wins] Pancho Carter
10. [41 wins] Bryan Clauson
11. [40 wins] Gary Bettenhausen
12. [38 wins] Robert Ballou
13. [37 wins] Sheldon Kinser
14. [35 wins] Jon Stanbrough & Rich Vogler
16. [32 wins] Rollie Beale
17. [31 wins] Tyler Courtney
18. [30 wins] Chris Windom
19. [28 wins] Don Branson, A.J. Foyt, Levi Jones & J.J. Yeley
23. [26 wins] Tony Elliott & Dave Steele
25. [25 wins] Steve Butler, Jay Drake & Parnelli Jones
28. [24 wins] Logan Seavey
29. [23 wins] C.J. Leary & Roger McCluskey
31. [22 wins] Rick Hood, Bubby Jones & Sammy Sessions
34. [21 wins] Greg Weld
35. [20 wins] Kyle Cummins
36. [17 wins] Jerry Coons Jr., Jim Hurtubise & Bud Kaeding
39. [16 wins] Damion Gardner & Jud Larson
41. [15 wins] Bobby East, Cory Kruseman & Brian Tyler
44. [14 wins] Billy Cassella, Lee Kunzman, Chase Stockon & Bruce Walkup
48. [13 wins] Steve Chassey
49. [12 wins] Eric Gordon
50. [11 wins] Daron Clayton, Elmer George, Tommy Hinnershitz & Greg Leffler
54. [10 wins] Thomas Meseraull, Eddie Sachs, Tony Stewart & Johnny Thomson
58. [9 wins] Mario Andretti, Pat O'Connor, Hunter Schuerenberg & Robbie
Stanley
62. [8 wins] Mike Bliss, Chet Fillip, Johnny Rutherford & Joe Saldana
66. [7 wins] Kevin Doty, Darren Hagen, Kenny Irwin Jr., Doug Kalitta, Jim
Keeker, Bobby Santos, Brady Short, Kevin Thomas, Bobby Unser & Josh Wise
76. [6 wins] Emerson Axsom, Chad Boespflug, Kevin Briscoe, Shane Cottle, Jac
Haudenschild, Jason McCord, Jan Opperman, Tom Sneva, George Snider, Jake Swanson
& Dick Tobias
87. [5 wins] Larry Cannon, Dana Carter, Derek Davidson, Gene Lee Gibson, Jeff
Gordon, Chuck Gurney, Shane Hmiel, Kevin Huntley, Frankie Kerr, Kelly Kinser,
Eddie Leavitt, Jim Mahoney, Andy Michner, Johnny Parsons, Bill Puterbaugh,
Tanner Thorson & Cole Whitt
104. [4 wins] Rob Chaney, Cary Faas, Jesse Hockett, Van Johnson, Steve
Kinser, Michael Lewis, Ralph Liguori, Mitchel Moles, Don Nordhorn, Lee Osborne,
Red Riegel, Ken Schrader, Al Smith & Danny Smith
118. [3 wins] Chuck Amati, Sonny Ates, Joe Barzda, Jeff Bloom, Mark Cassella,
Jerry “Scratch” Daniels, Briggs Danner, Bob East, Bob Frey, Dickie Gaines, Wayne
Hammond, Tray House, Kenny Jacobs, Tony Jones, Kyle Larson, Andy Linden, Charlie
Masters, Mike Mosley, Larry Rice, Ron Shuman, Mitch Smith, Matt Westfall & Doug
Wolfgang
141. [2 wins] Chad Boat, Marvin Carman, Ed Carpenter, Brad Doty, Ed Elisian,
Nic Faas, Cy Fairchild, Brad Fox, Arnie Knepper, Danny Lasoski, Mack McClellan,
Jason McDougal, James McElreath, Lealand McSpadden, Jim McWithey, Danny Milburn,
Mat Neely, Ryan Newman, Fred “Jiggs” Peters, Jerry Poland, Daison Pursley, Casey
Riggs, Bill Rose, Mickey Shaw, Terry Shepherd, Dean Shirley, Brad Sweet, Bob
Sweikert, Kevin Swindell, Sammy Swindell, Mike Spencer, Bud Tingelstad, Billy
Vukovich, Mike Ward & Carl Williams
176. [1 win] Donnie Adams, A.J. Anderson, Brad Armstrong, Tony Armstrong,
Tommy Astone, Dick Atkins, Brent Beauchamp, Ryan Bernal, Jeff Bland Jr., Stan
Bowman, Alan Brown, Karl Busson, Johnny Capels, David Cardey, Bob Cicconi, Henry
Clarke, Troy Cline, Duke Cook, Mel Cornett, Allen Crowe, Billy Engelhart, Cotton
Farmer, Aaron Farney, Gary Fedewa, Blake Fitzpatrick, Pat Flaherty, Joe Gaerte,
Russ Gamester, Rickie Gaunt, Brian Gerster, Todd Gibson, Ron Gregory, Richard
Griffin, Garrett Hansen, Jerry Hansen, Jim Hemmings, Josh Hodges, Bob Hogle,
Jackie Howerton, Chuck Hulse, Logan Jarrett, Marc Jessup, Gordon Johncock, Chet
Johnson, Page Jones, Bob Kinser, Mike Kirby, Fred Linder, Steve Long, Hank
Lower, Brett Mann, Bobby Marshman, Larry Martin, Mike Martin, Brad Marvel,
Justin Marvel, Rusty McClure, Bob McCoy, Jim McElreath, Charlie Musselman, Bobby
Olivero, Jim Packard, Gary Patterson, Billy Pauch, Dave Peperak, Aaron Pierce,
Paul Pitzer, Terry Pletch, Billy Puterbaugh Jr., Bud Randall, Byron Reed, Boston
Reid, Rodney Ritter Jr., Brody Roa, David Roahrig, Jadon Rogers, Stephen
Schnapf, Carson Short, Billy Shuman, Jimmy Sills, Smokey Snellbaker, Wib
Spalding, Greg Staab, Randy Standridge, Ron Standridge, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.,
Kody Swanson, Tanner Swanson, Mike Sweeney, Jeff Swindell, Clark Templeman,
Tyler Thomas, Bill Tyler, Rick Ungar, Lennie Waldo, Tyler Walker, Scotty Weir,
Kenny Weld, Bob Wente, Chuck Weyant, Johnny White, Rip Williams, Jacob Wilson &
Eddie Wirth
ALL-TIME USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR FAST QUALIFYING TIMES (1956-2024)
1. (65) Tom Bigelow
2. (62) Dave Darland
3. (60) Tracy Hines
4. (55) C.J. Leary
5. (53) Brady Bacon
6. (40) Kevin Thomas Jr.
7. (39) Levi Jones
8. (37) Larry Dickson
9. (36) Bryan Clauson
10. (35) Rich Vogler
11. (34) Justin Grant
12. (33) Chase Stockon
13. (31) Sheldon Kinser
14. (30) Pancho Carter
15. (29) Don Branson
16. (27) Dave Steele
17. (26) Jay Drake
18. (24) Gary Bettenhausen & J.J. Yeley
20. (23) Jon Stanbrough
21. (22) Steve Butler
22. (21) A.J. Foyt
23. (20) Jerry Coons Jr., Tony Elliott & Roger McCluskey
26. (19) Greg Weld
27. (18) Parnelli Jones
28. (17) Kyle Cummins
29. (16) Rollie Beale, Jack Hewitt & Doug Kalitta
32. (15) Kenny Irwin Jr., Mitchel Moles, Logan Seavey, Sammy Sessions & Brian
Tyler
37. (14) Billy Cassella, Tyler Courtney & Damion Gardner
40. (13) Bobby East & Bruce Walkup
42. (12) Robert Ballou, Steve Chassey, Elmer George, Rick Hood, Jud Larson,
Bill Puterbaugh, Joe Saldana & Chris Windom
50. (11) Jim McWithey & George Snider
52. (10) Sonny Ates, Jim Hurtubise, Thomas Meseraull & Jake Swanson
56. (9) Eddie Leavitt, Johnny Rutherford & Josh Wise
59. (8) Shane Cottle, Bubby Jones, Kelly Kinser, Pat O’Connor & Hunter
Schuerenberg
64. (7) Marvin Carman, Mark Cassella, Cary Faas, Bud Kaeding, Jim Keeker,
Cory Kruseman, Lee Kunzman, Johnny Parsons, Daison Pursley, Larry Rice, Eddie
Sachs, Carson Short, Mike Spencer, Johnny Thomson, Tanner Thorson, Bud
Tingelstad & Bobby Unser
81. (6) Mike Bliss, Daron Clayton, Derek Davidson, Eric Gordon, Richard
Griffin, Jac Haudenschild, Tray House, James McElreath & Ken Schrader
90. (5) Chad Boespflug, Cy Fairchild, Blake Fitzpatrick, Bob Frey, Tommy
Hinnershitz, Andy Michner, Jan Opperman, Boston Reid, Tom Sneva, Robbie Stanley
& Kevin Thomas
101. (4) Jeff Bloom, Kevin Briscoe, Timmy Buckwalter, Billy Engelhart, Chet
Fillip, Darren Hagen, Chuck Hulse, Kenny Jacobs, Van Johnson, Ralph Liguori, Jim
McElreath, Don Nordhorn, Dave Peperak, Billy Puterbaugh Jr., Joey Saldana, Terry
Shepherd, Ron Shuman, Mitch Smith, Brad Sweet & Bob Wente
121. (3) Tommy Astone, Emerson Axsom, Brent Beauchamp, Dave Blaney, Karl
Busson, Kevin Doty, Brian Gerster, Todd Gibson, Jeff Gordon, Gary Gray, John
Heydenreich, Gordon Johncock, Greg Leffler, Andy Linden, Steve Long, Larry
Martin, Justin Marvel, Jason McCord, Larry Moore, Mat Neely, Ryan Newman, Lee
Osborne, Brandon Petty, Jerry Poland, Bob Pratt, Jadon Rogers, Brady Short,
Danny Smith, Tony Stewart, Dean Thompson, Dick Tobias, Scotty Weir, Cole Whitt &
John Wolfe
155. (2) Jarett Andretti, Mario Andretti, Chad Boat, Keith Bloom Jr., Chuck
Booth, Don Brown, Duke Cook, Allen Crowe, Briggs Danner, Nic Faas, Brayden Fox,
Larry Gates, Gene Lee Gibson, Bobby Grim, Coleman Gulick, Dave Hanna, Darl
Harrison, Shane Hmiel, Josh Hodges, Marc Jessup, Brad Marvel, Jason McDougal,
Max McGhee, Kevin Miller, Dustin Morgan, Charlie Musselman, Brad Noffsinger,
Gary Patterson, Fred “Jiggs” Peters, Byron Reed, Jerry Richert, Dave Roahrig,
Jimmy Sills, Al Smith, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Greg Stephens, Stevie Sussex, Kody
Swanson, Tanner Swanson, Tyler Thomas, Bob Veith, Jerry Weeks, Johnny White,
Carl Williams & Jacob Wilson
200. (1) Pat Abold, Donnie Adams, Bobby Adamson, Mark Alderson, Chuck Amati,
Chuck Arnold, Dick Atkins, Terry Babb, Joe Barzda, Ryan Bernal, Nick Bilbee, Lee
Brewer Jr., Alex Bright, Bill Brown, Dale Burton, Gary Cameron, Larry Cannon,
Billy Cantrell, Dana Carter, Rob Chaney, Bob Cicconi, Bob Cleberg, Leon Clum,
Peter Cozzolino, Don Davis, Doc Dawson, Brad Doty, Steven Drevicki, Rex Easton,
Geoff Ensign, Al “Cotton” Farmer, Dave Feese, Braylon Fitzpatrick, Brad Fox,
Jared Fox, Joe Gaerte, Carson Garrett, Harry Garrett, Rickie Gaunt, Chuck
Gurney, Norm Hall, Jerry Hansen, Brian Hayden, Jonathan Hendrick, Hank Henry,
Tyler Hewitt, Ted Hines, Jesse Hockett, Bob Hogle, Danny Holtsclaw, Kevin
Huntley, Gary Irvin, Mike Johnson, Dee Jones, Page Jones, Todd Kane, Ray Kenens
Jr., Joey Kerr, Russ Klar, Buddy Kofoid, Rich Leavell, Jason Leffler, Michael
Lewis, Ricky Lewis, John Logan, Ed Lynch Jr., Critter Malone, Louie Mann, Mike
Mann, Charlie Masters, Rusty McClure, Nick McCormick, Wes McIntyre, Bob McLean,
Blake Miller, Jerry Miller Jr., Ron Milton, Hal Minyard, Matt Mitchell, Warren
Mockler, Mike Mosley, Mike Murgoitio, Aaron Pierce, Paul Pitzer, Gary Ponzini,
Ande Possman, Roger Rager, Davey Ray, Rex Records, Jerry Richert Jr., Red
Riegel, Travis Rilat, Manny Rockhold, Hank Rogers, Bill Rose, Joe Roush, Jerry
Russell, Bobby Santos, Don Schilling, John Sernett, Neil Shepherd, Jeremy
Sherman, Dean Shirley, Eric Shively, Randy Smith, Wib Spalding, Ned Spath, Greg
Staab, Steve Stapp, Richard Summers, Bob Sweikert, Jeff Swindell, Kevin
Swindell, Sammy Swindell, Tom Tepe, Leon Thickstun, Ryan Thomas, Richard Vander
Weerd, Jonathan Vennard, Billy Vukovich, Billy Vukovich III, Lennie Waldo,
Buster Warke, Gus Wasson, Shawn Westerfeld, Matt Westfall, Chuck Weyant, Tony
Weyant, Austin Williams, Rip Williams, Eddie Wirth & Mitch Wissmiller
ALL-TIME USAC SPRINT CAR DRIVER CHAMPIONS:
1956: Pat O'Connor (Midwest) & Tommy Hinnershitz (Eastern), 1957: Elmer George (Midwest) & Bill Randall (Eastern), 1958: Eddie Sachs (Midwest) & Johnny Thomson (Eastern), 1959: Don Branson (Midwest) & Tommy Hinnershitz (Eastern), 1960: Parnelli Jones (Midwest) & A.J. Foyt (Eastern), 1961: Parnelli Jones, 1962: Parnelli Jones, 1963: Roger McCluskey, 1964: Don Branson, 1965: Johnny Rutherford, 1966: Roger McCluskey, 1967: Greg Weld, 1968: Larry Dickson, 1969: Gary Bettenhausen, 1970: Larry Dickson, 1971: Gary Bettenhausen, 1972: Sammy Sessions, 1973: Rollie Beale, 1974: Pancho Carter, 1975: Larry Dickson, 1976: Pancho Carter, 1977: Sheldon Kinser, 1978: Tom Bigelow, 1979: Greg Leffler, 1980: Rich Vogler, 1981: Sheldon Kinser, 1982: Sheldon Kinser, 1983: Ken Schrader, 1984: Rick Hood, 1985: Rick Hood, 1986: Steve Butler, 1987: Steve Butler, 1988: Steve Butler, 1989: Rich Vogler, 1990: Steve Butler, 1991: Robbie Stanley, 1992: Robbie Stanley, 1993: Robbie Stanley, 1994: Doug Kalitta, 1995: Tony Stewart, 1996: Brian Tyler, 1997: Brian Tyler, 1998: Tony Elliott, 1999: Dave Darland, 2000: Tony Elliott, 2001: J.J. Yeley, 2002: Tracy Hines, 2003: J.J. Yeley, 2004: Jay Drake, 2005: Levi Jones, 2006: Josh Wise, 2007: Levi Jones, 2008: Jerry Coons Jr., 2009: Levi Jones, 2010: Levi Jones (Dirt) & Shane Hmiel (Pavement), 2011: Levi Jones (Dirt) & Bobby Santos (Pavement), 2012: Bryan Clauson, 2013: Bryan Clauson, 2014: Brady Bacon, 2015: Robert Ballou, 2016: Brady Bacon, 2017: Chris Windom, 2018: Tyler Courtney, 2019: C.J. Leary, 2020: Brady Bacon, 2021: Brady Bacon, 2022: Justin Grant, 2023: Justin Grant, 2024: Logan Seavey
ALL-TIME USAC SPRINT CAR ENTRANT CHAMPIONS:
1961: Sterling Plumbing & Heating, 1962: Bruce Homeyer, 1963: Bruce Homeyer,
1964: Jud Phillips, 1965: Jack Colvin, 1966: Anderson Products, 1967: Rufus
Gray, 1968: Ray Smith, 1969: Willie Davis, 1970: Kenny Lay, 1971: Willie Davis,
1972: Mauri Amerling, 1973: R-B Racing Associates, 1974: Conger & Stapp Racing,
1975: Ernie Ensign, 1976: Steve Stapp Racing, 1977: Sherman Armstrong, 1978:
Sherman Armstrong, 1979: Lloyd Weaver, 1980: Gohr Distributing Co., 1981: Ben
Leyba, 1982: Ben Leyba, 1983: Damon Fortune, 1984: Damon Fortune, 1985: Damon
Fortune, 1986: Phil Poor, 1987: Jeff Stoops, 1988: Jeff Stoops, 1989: Dynamics,
Inc., 1990: Johnny Vance Racing Team, Inc., 1991: Ron Stanley, 1992: Dynamics,
Inc., 1993: Dynamics, Inc., 1994: Utopia Services, Inc., 1995: Niebel Engines,
Inc., 1996: Dynamics, Inc., 1997: Dynamics, Inc., 1998: Vance-Walker Racing,
1999: Dynamics, Inc., 2000: Walker-Lamers Racing, 2001: Walker-Gratton Racing,
2002: Dynamics, Inc., 2003: Tony Stewart Racing, 2004: Dynamics, Inc., 2005: 2B
Racing, 2006: Tony Stewart Racing, 2007: Tony Stewart Racing, 2008: Dynamics,
Inc., 2009: Tony Stewart Racing, 2010: Tony Stewart Racing, 2011: Tony Stewart
Racing, 2012: CTR/BCI/Curb-Agajanian, 2013: Tony Stewart Racing/Curb-Agajanian,
2014: Dynamics, Inc., 2015: Robert Ballou, 2016: Dynamics, Inc., 2017: Baldwin
Brothers Racing, 2018: Clauson Marshall Newman Racing, 2019: Reinbold-Underwood
Motorsports, 2020: Dynamics, Inc., 2021: Dynamics, Inc., 2022: TOPP Motorsports,
2023: TOPP Motorsports, 2024: Abacus Racing
ALL-TIME USAC SPRINT CAR ROOKIES OF THE YEAR
1971: Darl Harrison, 1972: Billy Cassella, 1973: Rich Leavell, 1974: Lee
Osborne, 1975: Marvin Carman, 1976: Roger Rager, 1977: Eddie Leavitt, 1978: Tim
Richmond, 1979: Jerry Carman, 1980: Frank Riddle, 1981: Steve Long & Johnny
Coogan, 1982: Danny Milburn, 1983: Dean Shirley, 1984: Jerry Russell, 1985:
Terry Shepherd, 1986: Kenny Jacobs, 1987: Rick Ungar, 1988: Dean Jacobs, 1989:
Eric Gordon, 1990: Rick Howerton, 1991: Tony Stewart, 1992: Gary Cameron II,
1993: Kenny Irwin Jr., 1994: Bobby Smith, 1995: Mark Cassella, 1996: Gus Wasson,
1997: J.J. Yeley, 1998: Tracy Hines, 1999: Ryan Newman, 2000: Bud Kaeding, 2001:
Ed Carpenter, 2002: Boston Reid, 2003: Michael Lewis & Mat Neely, 2004: Josh
Ford & Josh Wise, 2005: Darren Hagen, 2006: Scotty Weir, 2007: Ricky Stenhouse
Jr., 2008: Chad Boat, 2009: Henry Clarke, 2010: Justin Grant, 2011: Coleman
Gulick, 2012: C.J. Leary, 2013: Tyler Courtney, 2014: Jarett Andretti, 2015:
Aaron Farney, 2016: Isaac Chapple, 2017: Stevie Sussex, 2018: Timmy Buckwalter &
Logan Seavey, 2019: Dustin Clark, 2020: Jadon Rogers, 2021: Tanner Thorson,
2022: Emerson Axsom, 2023: Daison Pursley, 2024: Hunter Maddox
2024 USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR DRIVER & TEAM ROSTER:
A
GARRETT ABRAMS/Rushville, IN (Garrett & Tony Abrams #32)
MAX ADAMS/Loomis, CA (F & F Racing #63)
JOEY AMANTEA/Mount Pocono, PA (JPA Racing #88J)
COLLIN AMBROSE/Owensboro, KY (Lynn Ambrose #36)
B
BRADY BACON/Broken Arrow, OK (Dynamics, Inc. #69)
ROBERT BALLOU/Rocklin, CA (Ballou Motorsports #12)
WILL BARNETT/Brazil, IN (Will Barnett #88)
RYAN BARR/Piqua, OH (Barr Family #21B)
STAN BEADLES/Owensville, IN (Beadles Racing #84)
BRENT BEAUCHAMP/Fairland, IN (Lauren Beauchamp #11)
DUSTIN BECK/Petersburg, IN (Henson-Rupp #75)
ROBERT BELL/Colfax, IA (Robert Bell #71)
(R) SABAN BIBENT/Cincinnati, OH (Wedgewood Motorsports #98)
NICK BILBEE/Indianapolis, IN (Bilbee Motorsports #17)
JAKE BLAND/Bloomington, IN (Hunter Maddox Racing #24x)
JAMES BOICE/Summitville, IN (James Boice #69x)
COLTEN BOOTEN/Marion, IL (Jeff Pritchett #2J)
JAMES BOYD/Villa Park, IL (James Boyd #16B)
DONNY BRACKETT/Fort Branch, IN (Tony Brackett #4B)
ALEX BRIGHT/Collegeville, PA (Heffner Racing Enterprises #27)
TIMMY BUCKWALTER/Douglassville, PA (Hummer Motorsports #20)
WYATT BURKS/Topeka, KS (Wyatt Burks Racing #11w)
HARLEY BURNS/Brazil, IN (Britt Aero Racing #16) & (Knight Racing #16K)
(R) SHANE BUTLER/Bushnell, FL (Landon Butler Racing #18)
RHETT BUTLER/San Angelo, TX (Rhett Butler #34R)
C
LOGAN CALDERWOOD/Goodyear, AZ (Josh Ford Motorsports #4c) & (Josh Ford
Motorsports #73)
TROY CAREY/Tullamore, NSW (Troy Carey Motorsports #45N)
NATE CARLE/West Harrison, IN (Jeff Carle #14c)
CRAIG CARROLL/Collinsville, OK (Dena Risley #24c)
DAYLAN CHAMBERS/Bowling Green, IN (Daylan Chambers Racing #4c)
JASON CHERRY/Blandon, PA (Cherry Motorsports #67c)
BRAYDEN CLARK/Tipton, IN (Clark Racing #4BC)
STERLING CLING/Tempe, AZ (Sterling Cling #34)
MARIO CLOUSER/Auburn, IL (Mario Clouser Motorsports #6)
CALE COONS/Greencastle, IN (Baldwin-Fox Racing #5)
AUSTIN CORY/Morristown, IN (Cory Racing #00)
SHANE COTTLE/Kansas, IL (Epperson Racing #2E)
COLTEN COTTLE/Kansas, IL (KCBJ Motorsports #8D)
BROCK COTTRELL/Fletcher, OK (Derek Cottrell #5B)
BRAYDON CROMWELL/Lone Jack, MO (Mike Cromwell #4x)
(R) CHANCE CRUM/Snohomish, WA (Crum Racing #26)
BRAXTON CUMMINGS/Bedford, IN (Bub & Amanda Cummings #71B)
KYLE CUMMINS/Princeton, IN (Petty Performance Racing #3p)
D
LEE DAKUS/Edmonton, AB (Dakus Open Wheel Motorsports #21x)
BRIGGS DANNER/Allentown, PA (KO Motorsports #5D) & (Hogue Racing Enterprises
#39)
MICHAEL DAUGHERTY/Evansville, IN (Michael Daugherty #3.14)
ZACH DAUM/Pocahontas, IL (Daum Motorsports #5d)
AARON DAVIS/Windfall, IN (Jeff Davis #11)
CHARLES DAVIS JR./Buckeye, AZ (Charles Davis Jr. #47)
XAVIER DONEY/Odessa, MO (Doney-Lawson Racing #74)
(R) KALE DRAKE/Collinsville, OK (2B Racing #2B)
STEVEN DREVICKI/Reading, PA (Drevicki Racing #19)
BRYCE DUES/Russia, OH (Bryce Dues Racing #23D)
PAUL DUES/Minster, OH (Dues Racing #87)
E
DAKOTA EARLS/Independence, MO (Jason Earls #15E)
TOM ELLER/Pleasant Prairie, WI (Tom Eller #29OG)
GEOFF ENSIGN/Sebastopol, CA (On The Gass Racing #17) & (Ensign Motorsports
#44E)
NATE ERVIN/Reelsville, IN (Nevil Algieo #11)
F
J.T. FERRY/Drums, PA (J.T. Ferry #18J)
BRAYDEN FOX/Avon, IN (Fox Brothers Racing #53)
SCOTT FRACK/Gilbertsville, PA (Scott Frack #39x)
MAX FRANK/Williamston, MI (Middle Class Motorsports #25)
PARKER FREDERICKSON/Kokomo, IN (Parker Frederickson #34)
G
CARSON GARRETT/Littleton, CO (BGE Dougherty Motorsports #15)
DAVID GASPER/Goleta, CA (Jerry Burton #04)
ARIC GENTRY/Robards, KY (Larry Gentry #10)
GABRIEL GILBERT/Greenwood, IN (Gabriel Gilbert Racing #10G)
IVAN GLOTZBACH/Fillmore, IN (Brian Hayden Racing #2H)
MATT GOODNIGHT/Winchester, IN (Goodnight Racing #39G)
WESTON GORHAM/Colleyville, TX (Gorham Racing #71w)
JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (TOPP Motorsports #4)
TYLER GRAVES/Chariton, IA (Graves Motorsports #T4)
(R) RYLAN GRAY/Greenfield, IN (Gray Brothers #06)
COLIN GRISSOM/Anderson, IN (Colin Grissom #00)
FRANKIE GUERRINI/San Rafael, CA (Jerry Burton #04), (F & F Racing #G3) & (F &
F Racing #63)
H
MIKE HAGGENBOTTOM/Levittown, PA (Tin Hoagie Customs #51)
LUKE HALL/Ludlow Falls, OH (Simon Racing #23s)
(R) NIC HARRIS/Atlanta, IL (Nic Harris #N2)
TOM HARRIS/Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK (Tom Harris Motorsport #84)
HAYDEN HARVEY/Warrensburg, IL (Judy Smith-Terry Robertson #8)
AUSTIN HAWKINS/Sumner, IL (Austin Hawkins #5A)
KORBYN HAYSLETT/Troy, OH (Kim & Dave Hayslett #1H)
BRIAN HEITKAMP/North Star, OH (Brian Heitkamp #22)
ANTON HERNANDEZ/Arlington, TX (Baldwin-Fox Racing #5)
TYLER HEWITT/Marion, IN (Abby Hewitt #97)
SAM HINDS/Westfield, IN (Steve Hinds #71H)
(R) TODD HOBSON/Clyde, VIC (Jerry Burton #04), (Jason Soudrette Racing #44) &
(Wingo Brothers Racing #77)
(R) CHASE HOWARD/Nesbit, MS (Ronny Howard #13)
RONNY HOWARD/Nesbit, MS (Howard Racing #44)
JASON HOWELL/Fort Worth, TX (Pack Rat Racing #72)
JACK HOYER/Frankfort, IN (Chris Hoyer #11) & (Paul Hazen #57H)
J.J. HUGHES/Jasper, IN (John Hughes #76)
(R) WILL HULL/Plainfield, VT (Sy Allen #7s)
TY HULSEY/Owasso, OK (Dena Risley #24H)
I
STEVE IRWIN/Fenton, MI (Flying Zero Racing #0)
J
JACK JAMES/Harlan, IN (Jack James #99)
A.J. JOHNSON/Oskaloosa, IA (Rick Germar #93)
CHASE JOHNSON/Penngrove, CA (Josh Ford Motorsports #4J)
KYLE JOHNSON/Greencastle, IN (Mike Johnson #99J)
R.J. JOHNSON/Laveen, AZ (Tyler Sturgeon Racing #77s)
KYLE JONES/Kennedale, TX (Ryan Hall Racing #79x)
L
MIKE LARRISON/Avon, IN (American Dream Racing #06L)
C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (BGE Dougherty Motorsports #15x)
RICKY LEWIS/Camarillo, CA (Stensland Motorsports #41)
M
(R) HUNTER MADDOX/Bedford, IN (Hunter Maddox Racing #24m) & (Hunter Maddox
Racing #36)
BRENNON MARSHALL/Edgewood, TX (Miller Racing #43)
KEITH MARTIN/Clayburn, TX (Ryan Hall Racing #79)
BRANDON MATTOX/Terre Haute, IN (Brandon Mattox Racing #28)
JUSTIN MENEELY/Brazil, IN (Justin Meneely #100)
TYE MIHOCKO/Peoria, AZ (Dave Wilson Special #5T), (Jamie Paul #24p) & (Cheney
Racing #42)
R.J. MILLER/Edgewood, TX (Miller Racing #34)
MITCHEL MOLES/Raisin City, CA (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports #19AZ)
JOHN MOLLICK/Toronto, OH (Scott Clever #4J)
EVAN MOSLEY/Lapel, IN (Chris Barkdull #27)
TODD MOULE/Heathcote, VIC (Moule Racing #26AU)
N
KEVIN NEWTON/Farmersburg, IN (2nd Law Motorsports #14N) & (2nd Law
Motorsports #16TH)
ANTHONY NICHOLSON/Arlington, TN (Nicholson Motorsports #16)
O
(R) TREY OSBORNE/Columbus, OH (Baldwin-Fox Racing #5), (Trey Osborne Racing
#6T), (Trey Osborne Racing #11T) & (Larry Ebert #11T)
P
SETH PARKER/West Terre Haute, IN (Seth & Mike Parker #38p)
CARMEN PERIGO/Stoystown, PA (John Stehman #21)
ANDREW PRATHER/Martinsville, IN (Knight Racing #16K)
ZACK PRETORIUS/Yorktown, IN (Jeff Pretorius #9z)
DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, OK (Team AZ-Curb-Agajanian Racing #21AZ)
R
HAYDEN REINBOLD/Gilbert, AZ (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports #19)
(R) KAYLA ROELL/Dillsboro, IN (KO Motorsports #5K)
JADON ROGERS/Worthington, IN (Michael Dutcher Motorsports #17GP) & (Amati
Racing #66)
KENDALL RUBLE/Vincennes, IN (Jerry Ruble #17)
BRIAN RUHLMAN/Clarklake, MI (Brian Ruhlman #49)
S
NATE SCHANK/Santa Rosa, CA (Nate Schank #1)
ADYN SCHMIDT/Haubstadt, IN (Adam Schmidt #12s)
STEPHEN SCHNAPF/Newburgh, IN (Three Chet's Racing #39F)
ERIC SCHULZ/Sioux Falls, SD (Miles Grein #38)
SAM SCOTT/Patoka, IN (Sam Scott #7s)
JAKE SCOTT/Morgantown, IN (Jeff Miller #33)
NATHAN SEALE/Fort Branch, IN (Nathan Seale #1s)
LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Abacus Racing #57)
(R) GUNNAR SETSER/Columbus, IN (KO Motorsports #5G)
KEITH SHEFFER II/Jerome, MI (Sheffer Racing #86)
MATT SHERRELL/Owasso, OK (Graham Motorsports #15m)
KYLE SHIPLEY/Phoenix, AZ (AJR Motorsports #4u)
BRADY SHORT/Bedford, IN (Randy Edwards #61m)
CARSON SHORT/Marion, IL (Randy Edwards #21m)
JAKE SIMMONS/New Palestine, IN (Jake Simmons #7s)
KOBE SIMPSON/Bonham, TX (Kevin Simpson #21K)
(R) WESLEY SMITH/Nixa, MO (2B Racing #2B)
MARK SMITH/Sunbury, PA (Terry Witherspoon #43m)
WESLEY SMITH/Nixa, MO (Wesley Smith Racing #44)
CHASE STOCKON/Fort Branch, IN (KO Motorsports #5s)
COLBY STUBBLEFIELD/Seagoville, TX (Glen Stubblefield #2)
COOPER SULLIVAN/Lawton, OK (Fry Family Motorsports #79F)
STEVIE SUSSEX/Tempe, AZ (Baldwin-Fox Racing #5) & (Tyler Sturgeon Racing
#77s)
JAKE SWANSON/Anaheim, CA (2B Racing #2B), (Daming-Swanson Motorsports #5T),
(Landon Simon Racing #24) & (Tom Eades #47)
KODY SWANSON/Kingsburg, CA (Doran Racing #77)
T
KEVIN THOMAS JR./Cullman, AL (Rock Steady Racing #3R)
TRAVIS THOMPSON/Brazil, IN (Travis Thompson #7)
MATT THOMPSON/Bloomington, IN (Matt Thompson #26T)
COLT TREHARN/Los Lunas, NM (Treharn Racing #77)
W
SCOTTY WEIR/Marion, IN (2B Racing #2x), (Mark Hery #21) & (Tom Eades #47x)
SHAWN WESTERFELD/Guilford, IN (Fischesser-Owen Racing #4J) & (Fischesser-Owen
Racing #44J)
MATT WESTFALL/Pleasant Hill, OH (Ray Marshall Motorsports #33m)
PAUL WHITE/Temple, TX (Greg Wade #1)
NOAH WHITEHOUSE/Greenfield, IN (Scott Whitehouse #00)
DANIEL WHITLEY/Ferndale, CA (Jerry Burton #04)
REED WHITNEY/Jasper, IN (Whitney Racing #87)
CODY WILLIAMS/Rensselaer, IN (Cody Williams #26)
CODY WILLIAMS/Norco, CA (Tom & Laurie Sertich #92)
MITCH WISSMILLER/Saybrook, IL (RNB Motorsports #29)
JOE WOOD JR./Newcastle, OK (Joe Wood #03)
Y
J.J. YELEY/Phoenix, AZ (Yeley Racing #2)
USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS READY TO BATTLE AT MOHAVE VALLEY’S “57th WESTERN
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS”
By Lance Jennings
OCTOBER 29, 2024... Starting this Friday, November 1st, the battle for the
Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Championship will head to Mohave
Valley Raceway for two nights of action. Promoted by Ron Meyer, the “57th
Western World Championships presented by Avanti Windows & Doors” will also
showcase the Spring Family Motorsports Mini Dwarfs. Located at 2750 Laguna Road
in Mohave Valley, Arizona, the Pit Gates will open at 2:30pm, the Spectator
Gates will open at 5:00pm, with Racing scheduled for 7:00pm. For more
information, visit mohavevalleyracceway.com or call 928.346.3000.
For those that cannot make it to the races, the event will be live streamed
at FloRacing (floracing.com).
NOTICE TO RACERS:
- APPROVED/LEGAL MUFFLERS: Mufflers ARE NOT REQUIRED at Mohave Valley Raceway.
- ALL RACERS MUST PURCHASE THEIR USAC LICENSE / MEMBERSHIPS ONLINE PRIOR TO THE
EVENT AT USACRACING.COM OR USACLICENSE.COM. (If racers have a membership
question, contact Julie Tanaka at julietanaka@aol.com.)
- ENTRY FEE: There is an entry fee due at registration / pill pick.
- TRANSPONDERS: Transponders ARE MANDATORY and will be available to rent.
- ONE WAY RADIOS / RACECEIVERS: One way radios ARE MANDATORY.
- FRONT AXLE TETHER SYSTEMS: Front axle tether systems (2-Chassis, 1-King Pin to
King Pin) ARE MANDATORY.
- FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS: Full containment seats ARE MANDATORY.
- COCKPIT ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS: Cockpit adjustable shocks ARE ALLOWED.
- RULE BOOK: The series rule book is online at usacracing.com, appendix E.
- FUEL WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE RACE TRACK.
- TIRES ARE NOT AVAILABLE AT THE RACE TRACK.
SPECIAL NOTICE AT MOHAVE VALLEY:
- CASH ONLY: Mohave Valley Raceway is a cash only facility.
- PIT AREA PARKING: Personal vehicles or side by sides, etc. are NOT allowed in
the pits. If it is not towing the race car/truck, on the trailer with the car,
or in the trailer with the car, then it will NOT be allowed. NO exceptions!
Noted as an Arizona tradition since 1968 when Bob Cleberg took the checkered
flags at the Manzanita Speedway, the “Western World Championships” has been a
premier event for sprint car racing. While the headline divisions and host
tracks may have changed, some of the most notable names in the sport have
claimed victory at the Western World. Hall of Fame racers like Jan Opperman,
Rick Ferkel, Ron Shuman, Bubby Jones, Lealand McSpadden, Sammy Swindell, and
Steve Kinser have stood atop the podium. Last year, Daison Pursley claimed his
first Western World Championship and the winner’s list along with the 2024
pre-entry list is at the end of this release.
Since April 23, 2022, the fast 1/3-mile clay oval has held seven USAC/CRA
Sprint Car events and five different drivers have claimed victory. Defending
champion, “The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa and Ricky Lewis are tied with
two Mohave Valley wins. “KTJ” Kevin Thomas Jr. topped the April 6th event, while
Lewis claimed victory on October 12th. “The Cadillac” Cody Williams established
the 1-lap track record of 13.923 seconds on April 1, 2023 and the complete
Mohave Valley win list is at the end of this release.
After scoring fourth at Imperial Valley Raceway on October 19th, R.J. Johnson
(Laveen, Arizona) holds a commanding 97-point lead over the competition. Driving
Ricky and Michele Johnson’s #51 JUGO Superfoods / Avanti Windows & Doors
Sherman, Johnson has two feature wins, three Woodland Auto Display Fast Time
Awards, two heat race victories, one semi-main win, eighteen top-10 finishes,
and 71 feature laps led on the season. The multi-time Arizona Sprint Car
Champion is currently tied with “The Macho Man” Brady Bacon, “Dynamite” David
Cardey, and Richard Vander Weerd with nine feature wins to his credit and will
be looking to add the Western World to his resume.
Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm (Yucaipa, California) is second in the chase for the
USAC/CRA championship. Racing Dino Napier’s #5X Indiana Truck Salvage / B&B
Powder Coating Maxim, Malcolm scored ninth in the October 19th feature at
Imperial Valley Raceway. To date, Tommy “Thunder” has four feature wins, one
Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, four heat race victories, one In Memory
of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, seventeen top-10 finishes, and 86
feature laps led in the campaign. Tommy is tied with Robert Ballou, “Chargin”
Charles Davis Jr., and “KTJ” Kevin Thomas Jr. with seven series wins and will
have his sights on gaining valuable points with Mohave Valley victories.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, California) ranks third
in the championship point standings. Piloting Tom & Christy Dunkel’s #17W Inland
Rigging / Dunkel Farms DRC, Williams placed fifth at Imperial Valley Raceway on
October 19th. At press time, the 2009 Co-Rookie of the Year has six heat race
victories, two In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Awards, fifteen
top-10 finishes, and 17 feature laps led on the year. “The Big Game Hunter” is
tied with Matt Mitchell with eleven series wins and will be looking for his
first USAC/CRA victory of 2024 at the Western World Championships.
A.J. Bender (San Diego, California) sits fourth in the battle for the
USAC/CRA championship. Racing the family owned #21 Bender Pool & Spa / Matrix
Construction Services DRC, Bender raced from tenth to sixth in the October 19th
main event. To date, the former 360 Sprint Car Turkey Night Grand Prix Winner
has one feature win, seven heat race victories, fourteen top-10 finishes, and 44
feature laps led in the campaign. The 2022 USAC Western States Midget Rookie of
the Year will be looking for the second USAC/CRA win of his career at Mohave
Valley.
Leading rookie contender, David Gasper (Goleta, California) has climbed to
fifth in the championship point chase. Driving the Kittle Motorsports & Gasper
Racing #18 Art Klee / Martin Roofing DRC, Gasper won the Friday feature at
Imperial and ran ninth on October 19th. At press time, the two-time California
Lightning Sprint Champion has two feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display Fast
Time Award, one heat race victory, two Factory Wraps semi-main wins, four In
Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Awards, fourteen top-10 finishes,
and 59 feature laps led. David will have his sights on his third win of the
campaign at Mohave Valley.
While David Gasper (Goleta, California) leads the chase for Rookie of the
Year honors. Elexa Herrera, Brent Sexton, Blake Bower, Braden Chiaramonte, Jon
DeWees, Joey Bishop, Mark Henry, Tyler Hatzikian, Camie Bell, Aaron Altaffer,
Jacob Tuttle, Heath Holdsclaw, Blake Hendricks, and Tom Dunkel are also in
contention.
Mohave Valley Raceway is located at 2750 Laguna Road in Mohave Valley,
Arizona. For more event information, visit the track’s website at
mohavevalleyracceway.com or call 928.346.3000. Mohave Valley Raceway is a cash
only facility and grandstand tickets are available online at the track’s website
and at the track on race day. Adult General Admission tickets are $25, Kids
General Admission Tickets are $15. Outside food, beverages, and ice chests are
not permitted.
The Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks BillsJerky.net,
Factory Wraps, Flowdynamics Incorporated, The Gardner Family (In Memory of Jim
and Chet Gardner), In Honor of Wiley Miller Sr. and Wiley Miller II, Sexton Fire
Protection, WC Friend Company, and Woodland Auto Display, for their support.
For more information on the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car
Series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at usacracing.com and
the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the
USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
-----------------------------------------------
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS: 2004-Rip Williams,
2005-Damion Gardner, 2006-Cory Kruseman, 2007-Tony Jones, 2008-Mike Spencer,
2009-Mike Spencer, 2010-Mike Spencer, 2011-Mike Spencer, 2012-Mike Spencer,
2013-Damion Gardner, 2014-Damion Gardner, 2015-Damion Gardner, 2016-Damion
Gardner, 2017-Damion Gardner, 2018-Damion Gardner, 2019-Damion Gardner, 2020-NO
AWARD, 2021-Damion Gardner, 2022-Damion Gardner, 2023-Brody Roa.
WESTERN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS SPRINT CAR WINNERS: 1968-Bob Cleberg; 1969-Bob
Huebner; 1970-Jerry McClung; 1971-Jan Opperman; 1972-Jan Opperman; 1973-Earl
Wagner; 1974-Rick Ferkel; 1975-Ron Shuman; 1976-Bubby Jones; 1977-Ron Shuman;
1978-Lealand McSpadden; 1979-Tim Green; 1980-Sammy Swindell; 1981-Ron Shuman;
1982-Steve Kinser; 1983-Steve Kinser; 1984-Ron Shuman; 1985-Steve Kinser;
1986-Bobby Davis Jr.; 1987-Steve Kinser; 1988-Mark Kinser; 1989-Sammy Swindell;
1990-Steve Kinser; 1991-Danny Lasoski; 1992-Steve Kinser; 1993-Lealand
McSpadden; 1994-Ron Shuman; 1995-Lealand McSpadden; 1996-Steve Kinser; 1997-Mark
Kinser; 1998-Tyler Walker; 1999-Donny Schatz; 2000-Jay Drake; 2001-Jeremy
Sherman; 2002- Bud Kaeding; 2003-Tony Elliott; 2004-Bud Kaeding; 2005-Dave
Darland; 2006-Josh Wise; 2007-Jerry Coons Jr.; 2008-Kevin Swindell; 2009-Sammy
Swindell; 2010-Donny Schatz; 2011-Donny Schatz; 2012-Wayne Johnson; 2013-Bryan
Clauson; 2014-Matt Rossi, 2015-Bryan Clauson, 2016-Chris Windom, 2017-Chase
Stockon, 2018-Tyler Courtney, 2019-Tyler Courtney, 2020-Tyler Courtney,
2021-Logan Seavey, 2022-Jake Swanson, 2023-Daison Pursley.
WESTERN WORLD PRE-ENTRIES: 2-J.J. Yeley, 2J-James Turnbull II, 3P-Kyle
Cummins, 3V- Jim Vanzant, 4G-Chris Gansen, 5-Tye Mihocko, 5B-Stevie Sussex,
5E-Elexa Herrera, 5S-Racin Silva, 5W-Logan Williams, 5X-Tommy Malcolm, 7X-Troy
Treharn, 9-Dayton Shelton, 9X-Jayme Barnes, 11-Stevie Rogers, 11C-Matt Westfall,
12B-Joel Rayborne, 13P-Cameron La Rose, 14-Blake Hendricks, 14X-Tom Hendricks,
15-Kevin Thomas Jr., 17-Ricky Lewis, 17T-Todd Pratt, 17W-Austin Williams,
17X-Jake Swanson, 18-David Gasper, 20-Shon Deskins, 21-A.J. Bender, 21X-Caleb
Stelzig, 22-Grant Sexton, 29C-Camie Bell, 39-Jeff Dyer, 39E-Kyle Edwards,
39R-Mark Henry Jr., 44-Cody Williams, 44S-Brent Sexton, 45X-Don Grable,
47-Charles Davis Jr., 51-R.J. Johnson, 51T-Eddie Tafoya Jr., 71-Jordan
Hermansader, 71D-Bryan Drollinger, 72-Austin Grabowski, 74-Shane Sexton, 77-Colt
Treharn, 78B-Brody Wake, 98-Verne Sweeney.
2024 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. R.J.
Johnson 1296, 2. Tommy Malcolm 1199, 3. Austin Williams 1159, 4. A.J. Bender
1110, 5. David Gasper (R) 1095, 6. Logan Williams 1050, 7. Cody Williams 1018,
8. Verne Sweeney 858, 9. Charles Davis Jr. 838, 10. Austin Grabowski 831, 11.
Eddie Tafoya Jr. 673, 12. Elexa Herrera (R) 599, 13. Brent Sexton (R) 501, 14.
Grant Sexton 423, 15. Logan Calderwood 410, 16. Ricky Lewis 403, 17. Blake Bower
366, 18. Matt Mitchell 328, 19. Brody Roa 307, 20. Jeff Dyer 278. The complete
point standings can be found at usacracing.com.
2024 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 4-Tommy Malcolm,
2-Charles Davis Jr., 2-David Gasper, 2-R.J. Johnson, 2-Ricky Lewis, 2-Matt
Mitchell, 2-Cody Williams, 1-A.J. Bender, 1-Braden Chiaramonte, 1-Kevin Thomas
Jr.
MOHAVE VALLEY AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA 1-LAP QUALIFYING RECORD: Cody
Williams – 13.923 (04/01/23)
MOHAVE VALLEY AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 2-Brody Roa,
2-Ricky Lewis, 1-Damion Gardner, 1-Chase Johnson, 1-Kevin Thomas Jr.
2024 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
February 24: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Matt Mitchell)
March 16: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: David Gasper)
March 23: Cocopah Speedway – Somerton, AZ (Winner: Charles Davis Jr.)
April 6: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Winner: Kevin Thomas Jr.)
April 27: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: A.J. Bender)
May 25: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Matt Mitchell)
June 8: Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway – Bakersfield, CA (Winner:
R.J. Johnson)
June 22: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Tommy Malcolm)
July 6: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA (Winner: Tommy Malcolm)
July 13: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Tommy Malcolm)
August 10: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA (Winner: Braden Chiaramonte)
August 17: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Cody Williams)
August 31: Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway – Bakersfield, CA (Winner:
Tommy Malcolm)
September 7: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA (Winner: R.J. Johnson)
September 21: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Charles Davis Jr.)
September 28: Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway – Bakersfield, CA
(Winner: Cody Williams)
October 12: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Winner: Ricky Lewis)
October 18: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA (Winner: David Gasper)
October 19: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA (Winner: Ricky Lewis)
November 1: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Western World
Championships)
November 2: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Western World
Championships)
November 9: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
---------------------------------------------
TBA = To Be Announced.
This schedule is subject to change.
Leary, Team AZ, Petty & Rossi Team Up for 2025 USAC Silver Crown Season
Richie Murray
October 27, 2024
Speedway, Indiana (October 27, 2024)………C.J. Leary will drive full-time on the USAC Silver Crown National Championship trail throughout the 2025 season in a joint effort between Team Arizona Racing, Petty Performance Racing and Phil Rossi.
Leary (Greenfield, Ind.) is coming off a season in which he finished fourth in the USAC Silver Crown standings, his third consecutive top-four points finish with the series. The 2015 USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year owns three wins in the series, at Terre Haute (2016), Eldora (2018) and Madison (2022).
Team AZ Racing entered the champ car racing world in 2024 and flourished in a dirt only schedule with drivers Daison Pursley and Mario Clouser. In just the team’s second series start, Pursley raced the team’s car to a last lap victory at Pennsylvania’s Port Royal Speedway.
Leary has competed in the series for Klatt Enterprises full-time since 2022. Now he’ll take the reins of the series’ newest full-time team on dirt and pavement in pursuit of his first ever USAC Silver Crown title aboard the Avanti Windows & Doors, Apache Transport, OakCraft Elegant Cabinetry No. 21 DRC chassis powered by Stanton Racing Engines.
“I’m extremely excited for this new endeavor,” Leary stated. “(Car owner) Mike Burkhart, Craig (Burkhart), Jerry (Petty) and everybody seems to be putting together a super team. It’s going to be pretty cool. Hopefully we come out of the gates swinging. Obviously, their sprint car program has been really good. We’ve raced against them for the last handful of years and it definitely seems like they know what’s going on. They’ve got a notebook now with Daison and Clouser, so I’m super excited.”
Leary and Team AZ’s first foray together will come this weekend when the team travels out to Arizona’s Mohave Valley Raceway for the 57th annual Western World Championships. There, Leary will wheel the team’s machine for the two-night Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car Series event on Friday-Saturday, November 1-2. Team AZ has won each of the last three Western World features with Jake Swanson (2022) and Daison Pursley (2023).
“Originally, I was going to drive for Bill Michael out there, then the Silver Crown deal came about,” Leary revealed. “We just wanted to work together and just feel each other out a little bit and try to build on that notebook a little bit for next year. Hopefully, we can win two races.”
Leary’s USAC accolades also include the AMSOIL National Sprint Car championship, the Eastern Storm title and the Indiana Sprint Week crown, all of which he earned in 2019. In 2012, Leary was named USAC National Sprint Rookie of the Year, and in 2023, earned the Bubby Jones Master of Going Faster Championship Presented By Spire Sports + Entertainment.
The 2025 USAC Silver Crown schedule will be announced in December.
GRANT FINALE!
JG FINISHES WITH A FLOURISH
IN RED DIRT USAC SPRINT CLOSER
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Meeker, Oklahoma (October 26, 2024)………After earning back-to-back USAC AMSOIL
Sprint Car National Championships in 2022 and 2023, Justin Grant had become
accustomed to finishing the season on a high note.
However, after an admittedly uneven and inconsistent year featuring a
multitude of highs and lows, the Ione, Calif. native still managed to strike the
right chord to wrap up the 2024 campaign during Saturday night’s season finale
for the series at Meeker, Oklahoma’s Red Dirt Raceway.
Far out of the championship equation this time around, Grant’s sole focus was
zeroed in on securing the bag in the $10,000-to-win event aboard his TOPP
Motorsports/NOS Energy Drink – Bow Foundation – TOPP Industries/Maxim/Kistler
Chevy.
That he did, capping a season with nine feature wins, and remarkably, a ninth
place finish in the series’ final standings. His nine victories mark the second
best output of his career following an 11-win splurge in 2023.
If you stay away from the point tally, and instead, focus on the win column,
it looked like any other typical Justin Grant kind of year. Saturday also proved
to be yet another performance you’ve come to expect from Grant as he slid past
Robert Ballou for the lead on a restart just prior to the halfway point of the
30-lapper before going on to lead the final 19 laps en route to his 54th career
series win, third on the all-time list.
“We’ve won nine races but it’s been a heck of a struggle this year,” Grant
acknowledged. “It’s been really tough, but we’ve finally hit on some things that
gave me some feel and started to give me some comfort in the car. (Jeff Walker)
and Nic (Mansker) have been working their tails off. I’ve been driving J-Dub
nuts all year just trying to get comfortable. Tires change and things change,
and I just lost the feel for the car. We could win races but it was only when
the track kind of fell into our favor. Tonight is really what we had struggled
with all year – slick to a curb on the wall, which is what I love to do, so
that’s been super frustrating. I’ve been beating my head against the wall, and
it feels like we’ve finally figured it out in time to roll into next year.”
In the process, Grant became just the fourth driver in USAC Sprint Car
history to win both the season opener and the season closer, joining the likes
of Pat O’Connor (1956), Steve Butler (1986) and Brady Bacon (2020).
Furthermore, he also became the eighth driver to win the final race of the
USAC Sprint Car season in back-to-back seasons. The list includes Pat O’Connor
(1956-57), Pancho Carter (1973-74), Tom Bigelow (1975-76 & 1979-80), Steve
Butler (1988-89), Tracy Hines (1999-2000), Bryan Clauson (2014-15) and Kevin
Thomas Jr. (2017-18).
Early on, the pace was controlled by another past USAC National Sprint Car
champion, Robert Ballou. Starting from the pole, Ballou broke away from the pack
while Logan Seavey slotted into the second spot before being overhauled by
Daison Pursley for the position on the second go around on the 1/4-mile dirt
oval.
By lap 10, Ballou had already reached the tail end of the 25-car field. From
there, he sliced, diced and julienned a pathway through two and three-wide
traffic to escape Pursley’s pursuit for the time being. At that moment, fourth
starting Grant emerged in the hunt. At the exit of turn four on the 11th lap,
Grant and Pursley made wheel-to-wheel contact. Pursley took the brunt of it and
dropped to third while Grant stepped up another spot in the running order to
third.
“It was pretty tight and it was awfully slick across there,” Grant explained.
“It was hard to get much of a drive to really clear a guy. As soon as you peeled
off the wall, they’d start driving back away from you. When you’re trying to
throw sliders on a guy who’s getting away from you into the corner, it’s
difficult to get them cleared. I got into Daison a little bit there; I think I
got the back bumper, but they were close. There were a couple of them there
where I about killed the motor coming across and some of the sliders on lappers
were pretty sketchy coming across there.
Moments later, after the completion of the lap by the leaders, 24th running
Matt Sherrell spun to a stop at the edge of the infield between turns three and
four, thus, bringing out the yellow flag, while also making the path void of
traffic and placing Grant right on the rear bumper of Ballou for the ensuing
restart.
Grant spared little time in getting right to work as he slid Ballou in turn
one to take over the lead once and for all while Ballou was faced with having to
shake off the hounding pursuit of Pursley in the tussle for second.
“He started the race so slow down there that I thought he was going to stay
in the moisture down the front stretch and slide himself into one,” Grant
concluded of Ballou. “He took off from the moisture and fired right into the
slick under the flag stand, and you’re just a sitting duck at that point. I
wasn’t really planning on sliding him into one. I was going to get up and follow
him. I didn’t want to get caught in the melee and get drug back into the scrum.
When he did that, I thought, well, if you’re going to tee it up, I’m going to
hit it.”
Around 10 to go, Grant now found himself in the throngs of gridlocked lap
traffic. At first, he was at ease as he used the high side to move around and
ahead of the tail-enders. However, a bevy of high/low traffic awaited on his
route. Those compounding factors allowed Ballou to reel himself back into
contention, to within four car lengths of Grant with just eight laps to go.
Grant’s swift split second slide job on the lapped car of Cooper Sullivan in
turns one and two on lap 25 proved decisive in two fashions. First, it provided
Grant a clear coast on the back straightaway. Secondly, Ballou became entrapped,
stifled and suppressed behind Sullivan momentarily, allowing Grant to break the
race open with just five-and-a-half laps remaining.
The fact is, neither Grant nor Ballou ever totally completely escaped their
plight in traffic. They managed their way through successfully, but when all was
said and done, Grant reached the stripe 1.688 seconds ahead of Ballou with
Pursley third, USAC National Sprint Car champion Logan Seavey fourth and C.J.
Leary fifth.
“The big move of the race I feel like was getting by Daison,” Grant
explained. “Daison is a heck of a racecar driver and he’s obviously good here at
Meeker. I was happy to get him put away pretty early, and then after that, I
just went to work. It was a heck of a lot of fun. I wanted to go win a race. I
never have been accused of making a lot of friends out here in this deal. If
you’re going to get berated for it, you might as well throw it and make some
money while you’re at it.”
One night following his first win of the USAC National Sprint Car season,
Matt Westfall (Pleasant Hill, Ohio) closed out the weekend as the ProSource
Passing Master for the Red Dirt weekend. Westfall passed a total of 15 cars over
the course of both nights this weekend to earn a $500 bonus.
Also this weekend, Cooper Sullivan (Lawton, Okla.) was making his debut in
USAC National Sprint Car competition. To close out the second of two nights, he
earned Hard Charger honors by virtue of advancing from 23rd to 18th in the
feature.
R.J. Miller (Edgewood, Texas) not only made his first USAC National Sprint
Car start on Saturday night, but he also cemented 2024 his ASCS Elite Non-Wing
Sprint Car title in the process during the co-sanctioned show. For that, Miller
earned recognition for the Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night.
To open the night, C.J. Leary (Greenfield, Ind.) collected his 55th career
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifying time with the USAC National Sprint Cars. By
doing so, he became just the fifth driver in series history to reach 10 or more
fast times in a season. Of the seven occasions this feat has been accomplished
throughout the 69-year history of the series, Leary has done it himself three of
those times with 11 in 2019, 12 in 2022 and now 10 in 2024. Others to do it
include Kevin Thomas Jr. (15 in 2018), Tom Bigelow (14 in 1978), Rich Vogler (10
in 1989) and Bryan Clauson (2012).
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: October 26, 2024 –
Red Dirt Raceway – Meeker, Oklahoma – 1/4-Mile Dirt Oval – Co-Sanctioned by the
ASCS Elite Non-Wing Sprints Series
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. C.J. Leary, 15x, BGE Dougherty-12.935; 2.
Kevin Thomas Jr., 3R, Rock Steady-13.030; 3. Justin Grant, 4, TOPP-13.118; 4.
Logan Seavey, 57, Abacus-13.127; 5. Daison Pursley, 21AZ, Team
AZ/Curb-Agajanian-13.160; 6. Robert Ballou, 12, Ballou-13.207; 7. Xavier Doney,
74, Doney/Lawson-13.217; 8. Kyle Cummins, 3p, Petty-13.242; 9. Matt Westfall,
33m, Marshall-13.300; 10. Kobe Simpson, 21K, Simpson-13.310; 11. Wesley Smith,
2B, 2B Racing-13.372; 12. Mitchel Moles, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-13.400; 13.
Carson Garrett, 15, BGE Dougherty-13.401; 14. Hayden Reinbold, 19,
Reinbold/Underwood-13.432; 15. Brady Bacon, 69, Dynamics-13.445; 16. Kyle Jones,
79, Hall-13.478; 17. Hunter Maddox, 24m, Maddox-13.517; 18. Weston Gorham, 71w,
Gorham-13.559; 19. Colt Treharn, 77, Treharn-13.741; 20. Matt Sherrell, 15m,
Graham-13.745; 21. R.J. Miller, 34, Miller-13.808; 22. Wyatt Burks, 11w,
Burks-13.826; 23. Ty Hulsey, 24H, Risley-13.914; 24. Joe Wood Jr., 03,
Wood-13.979; 25. Paul White, 1, Wade-13.980; 26. Cooper Sullivan, 79F,
Fry-14.029; 27. Craig Carroll, 24c, Risley-14.044; 28. Brock Cottrell, 5B,
Cottrell-14.115; 29. Brennon Marshall, 43, Miller-14.575.
SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1.
Matt Westfall, 2. Daison Pursley, 3. C.J. Leary, 4. Hunter Maddox, 5. R.J.
Miller, 6. Paul White, 7. Carson Garrett. 2:14.442 (New Track Record)
ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1.
Robert Ballou, 2. Weston Gorham, 3. Hayden Reinbold, 4. Kevin Thomas Jr., 5.
Cooper Sullivan, 6. Wyatt Burks, 7. Kobe Simpson. NT
T.J. FORGED THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Brady
Bacon, 2. Justin Grant, 3. Xavier Doney, 4. Wesley Smith, 5. Ty Hulsey, 6. Craig
Carroll, 7. Colt Treharn. 2:17.425
CAR IQ FOURTH HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Mitchel
Moles, 2. Logan Seavey, 3. Kyle Cummins, 4. Kyle Jones, 5. Matt Sherrell, 6. Joe
Wood Jr., 7. Brock Cottrell. 2:19.896
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (8 laps, top-4 transfer to the
feature) 1. Kobe Simpson, 2. Joe Wood Jr., 3. Paul White, 4. Craig Carroll, 5.
Colt Treharn, 6. Brock Cottrell. 1:55.343 (New Track Record)
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Justin Grant (4), 2.
Robert Ballou (1), 3. Daison Pursley (2), 4. Logan Seavey (3), 5. C.J. Leary
(6), 6. Kevin Thomas Jr. (5), 7. Brady Bacon (9), 8. Kyle Cummins (11), 9.
Wesley Smith (12), 10. Matt Westfall (7), 11. Xavier Doney (10), 12. Mitchel
Moles (8), 13. Kyle Jones (14), 14. Kobe Simpson (16), 15. Hunter Maddox (15),
16. Ty Hulsey (20), 17. Joe Wood Jr. (21), 18. Cooper Sullivan (23), 19. Weston
Gorham (17), 20. Craig Carroll (24), 21. Hayden Reinbold (13), 22. R.J. Miller
(19), 23. Paul White (22), 24. Matt Sherrell (18), 25. Carson Garrett (25-P). NT
(P) represents a provisional starter
**Carson Garrett flipped over the turn three wall during the first heat.
Wyatt Burks flipped into the front straightaway catchfence during the second
heat.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-11 Robert Ballou, Laps 12-30 Justin Grant.
FINAL USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Logan
Seavey-2987, 2-Brady Bacon-2880, 3-Daison Pursley-2718, 4-Kevin Thomas Jr.-2645,
5-C.J. Leary-2625, 6-Mitchel Moles-2561, 7-Robert Ballou-2550, 8-Kyle
Cummins-2481, 9-Justin Grant-2476, 10-Matt Westfall-1804.
USAC NATIONAL PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Daison Pursley-199, 2-Logan
Seavey-195, 3-Robert Ballou-149, 4-Justin Grant-145, 5-Kyle Cummins-131, 6-C.J.
Leary-131, 7-Chase Stockon-126, 8-Brady Bacon-120, 9-Matt Westfall-119, 10-Kevin
Thomas Jr.-109.
FINAL RED DIRT PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Matt Westfall-15, 2-Kyle
Cummins-14, 3-Cooper Sullivan-12, 4-Paul White-11, 5-Justin Grant-10, 6-Wesley
Smith-10, 7-Brady Bacon-9, 8-Logan Seavey-7
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: Daison Pursley (13.220)
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: C.J. Leary (12.935)
Simpson Race Products First Heat Winner: Matt Westfall
Rod End Supply Second Heat Winner: Robert Ballou
T.J. Forged Third Heat Winner: Brady Bacon
Car IQ Fourth Heat Winner: Mitchel Moles
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Kobe Simpson
Hard Charger: Cooper Sullivan (23rd to 18th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: R.J. Miller
ProSource Red Dirt Passing Master Champion: Matt Westfall (15)
ProSource Top ASCS Elite Non-Wing Finisher: Wesley Smith (9th)
ProSource Top ASCS Elite Non-Wing Two-Night Average Finish: Wesley Smith (9.5)
WESTFALL SHOCKS & AWES WITH RED DIRT WIN,
SEAVEY CLINCHES USAC SPRINT TITLE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Meeker, Oklahoma (October 25, 2024)………”It’s a dream come true to be able to
win some USAC races.”
Matt Westfall has now achieved this highlight three times in his long career,
but his latest triumph was undoubtedly his most incredible during Friday night’s
USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship debut at Meeker, Oklahoma’s Red
Dirt Raceway.
Meanwhile, third-place finishing Logan Seavey clinched the USAC National
Sprint Car driving title. In doing so, he became the eighth member of the USAC
Career Triple Crown Club by capturing championships in all three of USAC’s
national divisions: Midget (2018 & 2023), Silver Crown (2023) and Sprint (2024).
It’s a feat previously accomplished by only Pancho Carter, Tony Stewart, Dave
Darland, J.J. Yeley, Jerry Coons Jr., Tracy Hines and Chris Windom.
Starting 13th on the grid, Westfall (Pleasant Hill, Ohio) found his way to
the front by sticking to the bottom and controlling the throttle with precision
and perfection. After all, starting as far back as he did and running the line
that he chose, Westfall had to be every bit of perfect as humanly possible for
30-straight laps in his Ray Marshall Motorsports/Buckeye Machine – Hempy Water/DRC/Gressman
Chevy.
After swiping the lead away from the rim-riding Kyle Cummins with seven laps
remaining, Westfall cruised to his first USAC National Sprint Car win of the
season. Amid the process, it was the furthest back any driver had started and
won a race with the series since Kevin Thomas Jr.’s 14th to 1st charge at
Indiana’s Lincoln Park Speedway in 2021.
Perhaps most miraculous of all was the fact that Westfall’s run to the front
came after starting on the pole of the semi-feature and running second. It was a
bounce back for the ages for the driver who hadn’t finished inside the top-five
of a USAC National Sprint Car feature in nearly six months, back in May at
Ohio’s Eldora Speedway.
“We sucked all night,” Westfall admitted. “We qualified decent but we weren’t
very good. We made wholesale changes there for the feature and it slowed down
enough to where we could idle the bottom and nobody else could hold it down
there.”
At the start, it was pole starting Kevin Thomas Jr. who broke out to lead the
opening four laps, fending off repeated slider attempts from Justin Grant along
the way. However, Kyle Cummins was fiercely on the move. The sixth starting
driver was contending for the lead by lap four, and by lap five, he was up front
after slipping under Thomas for the top spot in turn two.
Within a few laps, Cummins had strung his lead out to a full-straightaway,
and his powerhouse performance thus far appeared to all onlookers as if he was a
shoo-in for the win, especially after already corralling Honest Abe Roofing Fast
Qualifier honors followed by a dominant heat race victory.
Within a few laps, Cummins was already slicing his way through the back end
of traffic. As the focus turned to the battles beyond the lead, there was a
yellow streak crawling along the bottom of the track driven by Westfall. At
first, some might’ve misconstrued it as a lapped car until noticing that it was
picking off the cars in front of it at will.
By lap eight, Westfall was running 10th, and that’s when he really began to
rally. He was eighth by lap nine, sixth by lap 10, fifth by lap 11 and third by
lap 12. Finally, on lap 17, Westfall cleared Grant for second after Grant became
entrapped behind a flurry of traffic on the high line of turns three and four.
Though the track could be deemed technical, for Westfall’s style and liking,
this place fit him like a glove.
“I call this red ice; there was no grip,” Westfall explained. “There was just
one little patch around the bottom that we could get ahold of. Everybody was
pretty even and we were pretty good there on the bottom.”
Although his deficit remained nearly three seconds behind Cummins at that
juncture, the momentum seemed to be on the side of Westfall. However, once
Westfall encountered his share of lapped cars on the low line, he figured his
surge to the front was in danger. However, none of those cars were able to stick
to the bottom quite like he could. As they slid up, Westfall swiftly drove by
them all while keeping his car as straight as an arrow through the turns.
Suddenly, Cummins' lead had dwindled from a full-straightaway to a
half-straightaway.
Westfall’s 1.812 second deficit to Cummins was dramatically cut on lap 20
when 23rd running Hunter Maddox spun to a stop in turn one to bring out the
yellow flag, thus, bunching up the field and removing the equation of lapped
traffic for the final 10 laps.
On the ensuing restart, Cummins stayed true to the top while Westfall
occupied the bottom. Lap after lap after lap, it was the true definition of a
high-low battle as the pair remained side-by-side all the way around the
1/4-mile dirt oval. On lap 24, Westfall’s persistence paid off as he emerged
from turn four to nip Cummins at the line by a wheel at the conclusion of the
24th lap.
From that point onward, Westfall successfully inched away bit by bit to cross
the finish line as a winner in the return of USAC National Sprint Cars to
Oklahoma for the first time since Jay Drake’s victory 20 years ago at the Tulsa
Fairgrounds in 2004.
Kyle Cummins finished as the runner-up 1.948 seconds behind Westfall after
leading a race high 19 laps. New series champion Logan Seavey took third with
Justin Grant fourth and Kevin Thomas Jr. fifth.
Not only was Westfall the feature winner, but he also earned hard charger
honors for his +12 performance. While doing so, he became the first driver since
Brady Bacon at Wisconsin’s Wilmot Raceway in 2023 to score both the hard charger
award and the feature win on the same evening.
It was also a big night for Paul White. The Texan earned his best career USAC
National Sprint Car result. His 17th to 7th run made him the recipient of
Inferno Armor’s Fire Move of the Night. He also picked up an extra $100 from
ProSource as the best finishing ASCS Elite Non-Wing Sprints Series driver.
To begin the night, Kyle Cummins established Red Dirt’s USAC National Sprint
Car track record of 12.832 seconds. His 17th career fast time with the series
moved him past Rollie Beale, Jack Hewitt and Doug Kalitta for sole possession of
28th place all-time.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: October 25, 2024 –
Red Dirt Raceway – Meeker, Oklahoma – 1/4-Mile Dirt Oval – Co-Sanctioned by the
ASCS Elite Non-Wing Sprints Series
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Kyle Cummins, 3p, Petty-12.832 (New Track
Record); 2. C.J. Leary, 15x, BGE Dougherty-12.946; 3. Mitchel Moles, 19AZ,
Reinbold/Underwood-13.018; 4. Logan Seavey, 57, Abacus-13.042; 5. Justin Grant,
4, TOPP-13.087; 6. Kevin Thomas Jr., 3R, Rock Steady-13.148; 7. Brady Bacon, 69,
Dynamics-13.186; 8. Robert Ballou, 12, Ballou-13.235; 9. Kyle Jones, 79,
Hall-13.245; 10. Carson Garrett, 15, BGE Dougherty-13.284; 11. Daison Pursley,
21AZ, Team AZ/Curb-Agajanian-13.356; 12. Matt Westfall, 33m, Marshall-13.361;
13. Hayden Reinbold, 19, Reinbold/Underwood-13.420; 14. Xavier Doney, 74,
Doney/Lawson-13.457; 15. Wesley Smith, 2B, 2B Racing-13.471; 16. Paul White, 1,
Wade-13.566; 17. Weston Gorham, 71w, Gorham-13.597; 18. Kobe Simpson, 21K,
Simpson-13.602; 19. Hunter Maddox, 24m, Maddox-13.695; 20. Wyatt Burks, 11w,
Burks-13.817; 21. Matt Sherrell, 15m, Graham-13.902; 22. Cooper Sullivan, 79F,
Fry-13.920; 23. Colt Treharn, 77, Treharn-13.931; 24. Craig Carroll, 24c,
Risley-14.019; 25. Brock Cottrell, 5B, Cottrell-14.044; 26. Ty Hulsey, 24H,
Risley-14.094; 27. R.J. Miller, 34, Miller-14.102; 28. Brennon Marshall, 43,
Miller-14.798; 29. Joe Wood Jr., 03, Wood-14.090.
SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1.
Kyle Cummins, 2. Justin Grant, 3. Hayden Reinbold, 4. Matt Sherrell, 5. Kyle
Jones, 6. Weston Gorham, 7. Brock Cottrell, 8. Joe Wood Jr. 2:17.610
ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Kevin
Thomas Jr., 2. Xavier Doney, 3. C.J. Leary, 4. Kobe Simpson, 5. Carson Garrett,
6. Cooper Sullivan, 7. Ty Hulsey. 2:17.053 (New Track Record)
T.J. FORGED THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Daison
Pursley, 2. Wesley Smith, 3. Brady Bacon, 4. Mitchel Moles, 5. Colt Treharn, 6.
R.J. Miller, 7. Hunter Maddox. NT
CAR IQ FOURTH HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Wyatt Burks,
2. Craig Carroll, 3. Logan Seavey, 4. Robert Ballou, 5. Paul White, 6. Matt
Westfall, 7. Brennon Marshall. 2:25.578
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (10 laps, top-4 transfer to the
feature) 1. Weston Gorham, 2. Matt Westfall, 3. Brock Cottrell, 4. Cooper
Sullivan, 5. Ty Hulsey, 6. Hunter Maddox, 7. Brennon Marshall, 8. R.J. Miller,
9. Joe Wood Jr. 2:23.814
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Matt Westfall (13),
2. Kyle Cummins (6), 3. Logan Seavey (3), 4. Justin Grant (2), 5. Kevin Thomas
Jr. (1), 6. Brady Bacon (9), 7. Paul White (17), 8. Daison Pursley (7), 9.
Mitchel Moles (4), 10. Wesley Smith (16), 11. C.J. Leary (5), 12. Robert Ballou
(10), 13. Wyatt Burks (8), 14. Xavier Doney (15), 15. Kyle Jones (11), 16.
Cooper Sullivan (21), 17. Carson Garrett (12), 18. Weston Gorham (18), 19. Matt
Sherrell (20), 20. Hunter Maddox (25-P), 21. Kobe Simpson (19), 22. Hayden
Reinbold (14), 23. Colt Treharn (22), 24. Brock Cottrell (24), 25. Craig Carroll
(23). NT
(P) represents a provisional starter
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-4 Kevin Thomas Jr., Laps 5-23 Kyle Cummins, Laps
24-30 Matt Westfall.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Logan Seavey-2916,
2-Brady Bacon-2820, 3-Daison Pursley-2645, 4-Kevin Thomas Jr.-2580, 5-C.J.
Leary-2555, 6-Mitchel Moles-2514, 7-Robert Ballou-2474, 8-Kyle Cummins-2426,
9-Justin Grant-2395, 10-Carson Garrett-1777.
USAC NATIONAL PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Daison Pursley-199, 2-Logan
Seavey-195, 3-Robert Ballou-149, 4-Justin Grant-142, 5-C.J. Leary-130, 6-Kyle
Cummins-128, 7-Chase Stockon-126, 8-Matt Westfall-119, 9-Brady Bacon-118,
10-Kevin Thomas Jr.-109.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: October 26, 2024 –
Red Dirt Raceway – Meeker, Oklahoma – 1/4-Mile Dirt Oval
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: C.J. Leary (12.867)
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: Kyle Cummins (12.832)
Simpson Race Products First Heat Winner: Kyle Cummins
Rod End Supply Second Heat Winner: Kevin Thomas Jr.
T.J. Forged Third Heat Winner: Daison Pursley
Car IQ Fourth Heat Winner: Wyatt Burks
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Weston Gorham
Hard Charger: Matt Westfall (13th to 1st)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: Paul White
ProSource Top ASCS Elite Non-Wing Finisher: Paul White
TITLE TOWN!
TWO FINAL ROUNDS TO DECIDE
THE USAC SPRINT CROWN AT RED DIRT OCT 25-26
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Meeker, Oklahoma (October 24, 2024)………Championship weekend at Meeker,
Oklahoma’s Red Dirt Raceway presents both the closing of one chapter and the
beginning of another for the 2024 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship
season.
The series’ debut visit to the 1/4-mile dirt oval marks the first visit fort
the series to the Sooner State in 20 years and will host the crowning of a
champion and the final two events of the season on Friday-Saturday, October
25-26.
We’ve witnessed how the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midgets have performed
here before in this land. But we’ve never seen anything like this before – USAC
National Sprint Cars spraying red dirt of the Oklahoma kind for two consecutive
nights to close out the season in style.
Here are the storylines to keep your noggin glued to when USAC Sprint Cars
come to call this weekend for $6,000-to-win on Friday night and a $10,000-to-win
finale on Saturday evening.
SEAVEY’S CHAMPIONSHIP SCENARIO
With two full-points programs on tap this weekend, Logan Seavey’s point lead
currently stands at 84 over Brady Bacon. A maximum of 84 points are on the line
each night, which means that if Seavey is able to gain one point on Bacon during
Friday’s event, Seavey will clinch the title ahead of schedule.
A Sprint Car title would be a major boon for Seavey personally, but even more
so in terms of USAC history. After previously claiming a pair of USAC National
Midget championships (2018 & 2023) and a USAC Silver Crown title (2023), a
National Sprint Car title would make Seavey a USAC career Triple Crown champion.
Only seven drivers can lay claim to being a member of the USAC career Triple
Crown club for the moment: Pancho Carter, Tony Stewart, Dave Darland, J.J.
Yeley, Jerry Coons Jr., Tracy Hines and Chris Windom. Seavey could make it eight
before the year is out.
On top of that, Yeley will be competing in the event in his father’s (Jack
Yeley) owned No. 2, making it a rare possibility that multiple USAC career
Triple Crown champs will be in the field at the same time.
SEAVEY’S QUEST FOR 15
In addition to the championship hunt, Logan Seavey’s quest to break the
single season USAC National Sprint Car win record is just within his reach.
Seavey’s most recent victory two weekends ago at Indiana’s Lawrenceburg
Speedway was his 14th score on the season, tying Tom Bigelow’s single season
mark set in 1977. With one more victory, Seavey would stand alone at the top of
the record book.
RED DIRT RAIDERS
Six previous USAC National Midget events have been held at Red Dirt Raceway
dating back to 2018. Two of those past winners will be in this weekend’s field.
Back in 2021, Daison Pursley earned his first career USAC National Midget win
at Red Dirt, sweeping both features, in fact, after also earning a micro victory
that very same evening. This past July, he was back in victory lane at Red Dirt
following another USAC Midget triumph.
In 2019, Logan Seavey earned a USAC National Midget score at Red Dirt and
also finished as the runner-up there in 2018. In fact, Seavey led the first
seven laps of this past July’s race before mechanical problems sidelined him.
Furthermore, Justin Grant went 13th to 2nd with the midgets at Red Dirt back
in 2021 and was 2nd again in 2022. Bacon grabbed a 5th in 2018 while Mitchel
Moles (Raisin City, Calif.) tallied a 9th in 2022.
BACON THE STATESMAN
No driver in this weekend’s field has won a USAC National Sprint Car race in
the state of Oklahoma. Brady Bacon would certainly like to make it happen this
weekend in his home state.
Back in June of this year at New Jersey’s Bridgeport Motorsports Park, Bacon
extended his record of different United States he’s won a USAC National Sprint
Car race in to 15 throughout his career.
Going even further, Bacon has never won a USAC national race of any kind in
Oklahoma. This one, however, marks his chance to add a special one to his
laundry list of motorsports accomplishments.
THE SOONER THE BETTER – USAC IS BACK IN OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma is a rare territory for the USAC National Sprint Cars to set up
camp. Just seven previous appearances have been made by the series since 1966.
In fact, the series’ most recent visit to Oklahoma came 20 years ago in 2004
with a victory by Jay Drake at the Tulsa Fairgrounds Motorplex.
Eventual three-time series champ Larry Dickson conquered the debut in July of
1966 in Tulsa while Roger McCluskey took the next night in Muskogee. In 1967,
Ralph Liguori scored the weekend opener at Tulsa while Greg Weld prevailed in
the weekend capper at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds.
After a nearly two decade wait, USAC Sprints returned to the Sooner State in
1985 as part of the USAC vs. CRA Challenge. CRA’s Mike Sweeney was the
triumphant party in the first of two Oklahoma dates at Lawton Speedway while,
one night later, USAC’s Rick Hood cashed in at OKC, kicking off a string of
four-straight series victories, a feat which hadn’t been duplicated until Logan
Seavey achieved it this year.
Funny enough, each of the last pair of USAC National Sprint Car races held in
Oklahoma both came down to a late-race pass for the win. Such was the case for
Rick Hood at OKC in 1985 as he charged by Denny Donaldson with two to go for the
win. Drake performed likewise, capitalizing on Josh Ford’s late-race misfortune
before crossing the line, albeit with a flat right rear tire.
There’s one particular thread in common for all the previous years in which
the series stopped by to race in Oklahoma. In every single one of those years,
the eventual USAC National Sprint Car champion was among the feature winners.
It’s an omen that either Logan Seavey or Brady Bacon would love to continue this
weekend at Red Dirt.
CLOSING TIME
The end of the USAC National Sprint Car season is here and that means that
several achievements are on the line.
Only three drivers have won both the season opening points race and the
finale in the same year: Pat O’Connor (1956), Rich Vogler (1986) and Brady Bacon
(2020). Justin Grant, an Ocala, Florida opener winner in February of 2024, will
try to add his name to the list.
Grant and Logan Seavey have already won at the same track on consecutive
evenings during the 2024 USAC Sprint season. If one of the two could pull off a
sweep of the Red Dirt weekend, he’d become just the fourth driver to achieve
consecutive wins at a particular track twice in the same season. Pancho Carter
pulled off the feat at Winchester and Eldora in 1976; Tom Bigelow doubled up
twice at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in 1977; and Brady Bacon pulled it off at
Knoxville and Perris in 2019.
“Walking off” with a feature victory and a championship on the same night has
only been accomplished 11 previous times: Eddie Sachs (1958), Tommy Hinnershitz
(1959), Parnelli Jones (1960), Pancho Carter (1974), Sheldon Kinser (1977 &
1982), Steve Butler (1988), Josh Wise (2006), Levi Jones (2011), Brady Bacon
(2020) and Justin Grant (2023). Either Seavey or Bacon are poised to become the
next this time around.
Additionally, on eight occasions, a driver has won multiple USAC National
Sprint Car features to close out the season. That list includes Roger McCluskey
(1962), Sheldon Kinser (1982), Jack Hewitt (1997), Tracy Hines (2000), Josh Wise
(2006), Jerry Coons Jr. (2007), Kevin Swindell (2008) and Tyler Courtney (2019).
Hines (2000) remains the lone driver to win each of the last three to close out
a season. Logan Seavey currently rides a one-race winning streak entering Red
Dirt.
RACE DETAILS
USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship (co-sanctioned by ASCS Elite
Non-Wing Sprints) will compete at Meeker, Oklahoma’s Red Dirt Raceway for two
consecutive nights of competition on Friday-Saturday, October 25-26.
A practice night will begin the weekend on Thursday, October 26, from 6-8pm
Central. Grandstand admission is free while pit passes are $20 apiece.
On Friday, October 25, the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship
(co-sanctioned by ASCS Elite Non-Wing Sprints) will be joined by Factory Stocks
and Non-Wing Micros. Pit gates open at 2pm Central with the grandstands opening
at 4pm, the drivers meeting at 5pm, cars on track at 5:30pm with qualifying and
racing immediately following.
On Saturday, October 26, the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship
(co-sanctioned by ASCS Elite Non-Wing) will be joined by Sport Modifieds/B-Mods
and Non-Wing Micros. Pit gates open at Noon Central with the grandstands opening
at 4pm, the drivers meeting at 5pm and cars on track at 5:30pm with qualifying
and racing immediately following.
General admission tickets are $30. High school students and younger are $10.
Tickets are available online at www.reddirtraceway.com under the “Buy Tickets”
tab and will be sold the day of the show as well. All access passes (pit access
& reserved seat) are available as well for $40 and available at the pit gate on
the day of the show only. Pit passes for ages 5 & under are $10. Tailgate area
is $150 per carload (up to 8 people per car).
Both nights of racing at Red Dirt can be watched LIVE on FloRacing at
https://www.flosports.link/usac.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Logan Seavey-2843,
2-Brady Bacon-2759, 3-Daison Pursley-2588, 4-Kevin Thomas Jr.-2513, 5-C.J.
Leary-2503, 6-Mitchel Moles-2459, 7-Robert Ballou-2430, 8-Kyle Cummins-2345,
9-Justin Grant-2325, 10-Chase Stockon-1768.
ASCS ELITE NON-WING SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-R.J. Miller-727, 2-Paul White-686,
3-Jason Howell-668, 4-Rhett Butler-519, 5-Mason Smith-480, 6-Joshua Hanna-447,
7-Justin Zimmerman-445, 8-Keith Martin-419, 9-Josh Hawkins-400, 10-Raven
Culp-338.
USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINNERS IN OKLAHOMA:
7-16-1966: Larry Dickson at the Tulsa Fairgrounds (George Nesler #29)
7-17-1966: Roger McCluskey at Muskogee Speedway (Mutt Anderson #51)
7-8-1967: Ralph Liguori at the Tulsa Fairgrounds (Carl Forberg #15)
7-9-1967: Greg Weld at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds (Ward Dunseth-Paul
Leffler #92)
5-11-1985: Mike Sweeney at Lawton Speedway (Joe Kasparoff #5c)
5-12-1985: Rick Hood at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds (Damon Fortune #39)
9-17-2004: Jay Drake at the Tulsa Fairgrounds Motorplex (Tony Stewart Racing #20)
8TH WONDER:
SWANSON OVERCOMES INJURY
TO SNARE 2024 USAC SILVER CROWN TITLE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (October 22, 2024)………At his family’s home on Christmas
morning of 2023, Kody Swanson’s upcoming season and the entirety of his racing
future hung in the balance.
MRIs, CT scans and multiple surgeries on his broken left foot came and went
in the months to come, with Swanson having plates and screws installed shortly
thereafter. The most positive prognosis had Swanson possibly returning to the
cockpit by June at the earliest.
While still utilizing crutches, Swanson maintained a rigorous rehabilitation
and physical therapy program. By March 4, just a little over two months since
the accident, he took his first unaided steps without crutches. Therapy
continued into the Spring, and ultimately, the walking boot finally came off
just in time for the start of the USAC Silver Crown season on April 20 at Ohio’s
Toledo Speedway, plenty of time ahead of schedule. But the question remained –
was he ready?
How did Swanson respond? Similar to Pancho Carter’s heroic comeback to kick
off the 1978 season, Swanson showed no signs of wear, tear or rust. Despite a
slight limp in his gait, Swanson showed all the signs of the same ol’ Kody as he
led the day off by taking the top time in practice, then laid down the fastest
lap in qualifying and concluded the afternoon with a masterpiece driving
performance in which he led all 100 laps in succession for his eighth career
Silver Crown victory at Toledo, and sixth straight.
“I don’t know if I should’ve even raced this year,” Swanson remarked. “I
shattered my foot pretty well over the winter and I can’t believe that God put
so many special people in my life to give me a chance to walk like I can, to
race again and to even make it back in time for the first race in the spring.”
As an encore, two weeks later at the Rich Vogler Classic on the high banks of
Indiana’s Winchester Speedway, Swanson once again established the fastest time
in practice before capturing the pole and going on to lead all 100 laps en route
to his third consecutive Winchester USAC Silver Crown victory, the first driver
to win three USAC features in a row at Winchester since Ryan Newman in 1999.
Swanson’s winning ways continued into the fourth round of the season in May
as he once again led all 100 laps from the pole to earn a $26,000 payday and his
fifth career Hoosier Hundred, his first on the pavement of Lucas Oil
Indianapolis Raceway Park after scoring his first four on the dirt of the now
shuttered Indiana State Fairgrounds in 2014-15-16-18.
In early August, Swanson had yet another surgery to remove two screws from
his foot. In his first race back, during the series debut at Pennsylvania’s
Jennerstown Speedway, Swanson was perfect once again, leading all 100 laps in
succession from the pole.
Gripping a mere six-point edge in the standings over Justin Grant heading
into October’s season finale at IRP, all Swanson needed was a top-three run to
secure the title. However, yet again, he went above and beyond. Despite winning
the pole position for an all-time single season series record seventh time,
“domination” wasn’t exactly part of the equation. After leading early, Swanson
fell back to third, then regrouped and worked his way back to the front to lead
the final 38 laps on a record-setting night in which he became the track’s
all-time winningest Silver Crown driver with his ninth win. To boot, his nine
wins there are more than any other driver in series history at any single track.
Swanson’s eighth USAC Silver Crown title (2014-15-17-18-19-21-22-24) set a
new record in terms of total championships earned by any one driver in a USAC
national series. He had previously been tied with A.J. Foyt’s seven Indy Car
crowns under the USAC banner as well as Mel Kenyon’s seven USAC National Midget
championships.
The 2024 campaign also represented the fourth time in which Kody won both the
season finale and the USAC Silver Crown title on the same day. He's now
accomplished this feat in 2014-2015-2021-2024. Nobody else has done it more than
twice.
In the process, Swanson drove the Doran Binks Racing team’s No. 77 to the
entrant championship. Utilizing a Maxim/Hampshire Chevy combo on dirt and a
Beast/Lanci Ford package on pavement, their Mission Foods – Wilke Orthodontics –
Glenn Farms entry earned five wins in totality on the season en route to a
21-point spread between him and runner-up Grant in the final championship tally.
For Kevin Doran, it’s his second USAC Silver Crown entrant title while, for Dan
Binks, it’s his first.
“I’ve got an Army behind me, and I’m so fortunate for each and every one of
them,” Swanson praised. “My wife, Jordan, she does so much for me personally as
a wife, as a teammate and as a spotter.”
The 14 USAC Silver Crown events held in 2024 were the most since the 2006
season, and the second most all-time behind only the 1999 schedule which
contested 15 races. For Swanson, it was a grueling task to master, but seemingly
no matter how short or long the season is, Swanson is always there at the end
with this being his 11th consecutive top-two finish in the series standings.
“This was a 14-race Silver Crown schedule and this was the first time we’ve
completed that many races in my career,” Swanson noted. “It was a grueling year,
and there were a lot of really strong contenders. I think of C.J. (Leary) having
four podiums in a row at the beginning before trouble befell him, and Logan
(Seavey) and Justin (Grant) doing the same. Each of those guys had great runs
and were a part of the title fight. We had some unfortunate things on our end
too, but it seemed like we were never out of it. I’m so thankful that certain
things fell our way, and on other ones, we were able to overcome and just keep
digging. With three races to go, running heads up and being in a really close
title fight, coming out second on the two dirt miles was great except for Justin
sweeping them both.”
Outside of Swanson, the 2024 season will be remembered for the emergence of
five first-time USAC Silver Crown winners, the most in a single year with the
series since 2010. Unquestionably, one of the most major of all milestones
occurred in mid-May at the Belleville High Banks in Kansas when Kaylee Bryson
became the first woman to win a USAC nationally sanctioned event in the 69-year
history of the organization.
In just his second career USAC Silver Crown start, Daison Pursley scored,
perhaps, the most exhilarating victory of the year. Pursley erased a two-plus
second deficit over the final few laps in June at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway,
then took over the lead with a highwire high side pass of Justin Grant off the
fourth and final turn on the 50th and final lap.
Dakoda Armstrong’s journey to a first career USAC national victory included
its share of twists, turns and excursions that took him down a variety of paths
throughout the past two decades of his career behind the wheel. During the final
12 laps of June’s round at Wisconsin’s Madison International Speedway, he went
from being on the verge of his first career top-five finish with the series to
leading his first ever laps to becoming the 2024 season’s third first-time USAC
Silver Crown race winner after racelong leader C.J. Leary fell out due to a flat
left rear tire on lap 89.
After five career runner-up finishes in USAC Silver Crown competition, Kevin
Thomas Jr. had no desire for any more “second” thoughts during USAC’s inaugural
run at Hutchinson, Kansas’ Salt City Speedway in July. In a late-race battle for
the lead, he and C.J. Leary touched wheels, resulting in Leary toppling over
while Thomas continued onward to victory to become the third-straight first-time
Silver Crown winner on the season.
To finish first, you must first survive. Mitchel Moles did just that during
September’s 4-Crown Nationals at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway where he was practically
the last one standing during the 50-lap race, overcoming a near devastating
accident with a lapped car and flat tire after flat tire for his competition
down the stretch. In what was the 100th USAC Silver Crown race ever held on a
1/2-mile dirt track, Moles became the fifth and final first-time series winner
of the season.
Less than two months after becoming a first-time Silver Crown winner, Dakoda
Armstrong made himself a two-time series winner on the biggest and fastest track
on the circuit, the 1.25-mile paved oval of World Wide Technology Raceway in
Madison, Ill. While running second to Kody Swanson with two laps remaining,
Swanson’s engine suddenly expired. Given the reins to the lead, Armstrong felt
he might’ve been running out of fuel but managed to fend off the field on a late
restart to make it to the finish line first once more.
When it came to dirt mile season in August, Justin Grant had the field
covered. At both Springfield and Du Quoin, Grant was picture perfect by setting
the fastest pace in practice, scoring the pole position, then going on to lead
every lap in both features to become the first driver to sweep to victories on
both Illinois miles in a single season since Chris Windom in 2018.
In a year in which he had won 15 times across USAC’s National Sprint Car and
Midget divisions to that point, Logan Seavey had to wait patiently until he
could taste victory once again with the USAC Silver Crown series in October’s
Sumar Classic at Indiana’s Terre Haute Action Track.
Furthermore, Kody Swanson’s qualifying run of 30.239 seconds at WWT Raceway
set a new speed record average of 148.814 mph, the fastest lap ever turned by a
traditional USAC Silver Crown car in the 54-year history of the series. On the
run, Swanson bested the former mark of 146.699 mph, set by none other than
himself in 2022 at the same track.
Kody Swanson led all drivers with 466 laps led and seven fast qualifying
times. Swanson and Justin Grant notched 10 top-five finishes apiece, best in the
series. Logan Seavey, meanwhile, finished inside the top-10 in all 14 events.
Five drivers started all 14 events: Justin Grant, C.J. Leary, Nathan Moore,
Logan Seavey and Kody Swanson.
C.J. Leary advanced more positions in a single race than any other driver
throughout the season. His 22nd to 3rd run at IRP in May came in an unfamiliar
car borrowed from fellow competitor Bryan Gossel. In fact, Leary advanced 18 or
more positions in three different races throughout the Silver Crown season, just
the second driver to do so in series history after Brian Tyler in 2004. Leary
also traveled from 20th to 2nd at Belleville and 24th to 6th at Terre Haute.
With a pair of top-five finishes on dirt (3rd at Salt City) and pavement (4th
at Madison), 6’8” tall Trey Osborne finished sixth in series points to earn
Rookie of the Year honors with the series.
Meanwhile, Gregg Cory earned the Engler Machine Fast Pass title for the 2024
USAC Silver Crown season. The first car running a lap down received a fast pass
and their lap back at each race on the schedule. Cory earned five fast passes in
all, which earned him a $5,000 reward – $2,500 to him as a driver and $2,500 for
his Williams-Cory Racing team.
Kyle Steffens, a longtime veteran of the modified ranks, posted a career-best
fifth in Silver Crown points after scoring five top-10 results, including a best
of 7th at both Salt City and Du Quoin.
After 42 seasons of competition, the Bateman Racing team bid farewell
following the 2024 season. Originally driven by Randy Bateman, the team
continued on after his death from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in 2017,
led by his wife, Patty, and several friends. In 2024, the team was stellar with
driver Jerry Coons Jr. at the controls, recording four top-10 finishes in all
four of the team’s starts.
=======================
2024 USAC SILVER CROWN STAT LEADERS:
Most Wins: 5-Kody Swanson
Driver Champion: Kody Swanson
Entrant Champion: Doran Binks Racing #77
Rookie of the Year: Trey Osborne (6th)
Most Laps Led: 466-Kody Swanson
Most Top-Fives: 10-Justin Grant & Kody Swanson
Most Top-Tens: 14-Logan Seavey
Most Fast Qualifying Times: 7-Kody Swanson
Most Feature Starts: 14-Justin Grant, C.J. Leary, Nathan Moore, Logan Seavey
& Kody Swanson
Best Finish By A Rookie: Jun 15: Port Royal Speedway – Daison Pursley (1st) &
Sep 21: Eldora Speedway – Mitchel Moles (1st)
Most Positions Advanced in a Race: (19) May 25: Lucas Oil Indianapolis
Raceway Park – C.J. Leary (22nd to 3rd)
=======================
2024 USAC SILVER CROWN SCHEDULE & RESULTS
Apr 20: (P#) Toledo Speedway – Toledo, OH
WINNER: Kody Swanson (Doran Binks Racing #77)
May 5: (P#) Winchester Speedway – Winchester, IN
WINNER: Kody Swanson (Doran Binks Racing #77)
May 18: (D) Belleville High Banks - Belleville, KS
WINNER: Kaylee Bryson (Sam Pierce #26)
May 25: (P#) Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park - Brownsburg, IN
WINNER: Kody Swanson (Doran Binks Racing #77)
Jun 15: (D) Port Royal Speedway - Port Royal, PA
WINNER: Daison Pursley (Team AZ Racing #21)
Jun 21: (P) Madison International Speedway - Oregon, WI
WINNER: Dakoda Armstrong (C & A Motorsports #5)
Jul 20: (D) Salt City Speedway – Hutchinson, KS
WINNER: Kevin Thomas Jr. (Chris Dyson Racing #9)
Aug 10: (P) Jennerstown Speedway – Jennerstown, PA
WINNER: Kody Swanson (Doran Binks Racing #77)
Aug 16: (P) World Wide Technology Raceway – Madison, IL
WINNER: Dakoda Armstrong (C & A Motorsports #5)
Aug 17: (D#) Illinois State Fairgrounds - Springfield, IL
WINNER: Justin Grant (Hemelgarn Racing #91)
Aug 31: (D#) Du Quoin State Fairgrounds - Du Quoin, IL
WINNER: Justin Grant (Hemelgarn Racing #91)
Sep 21: (D) Eldora Speedway - Rossburg, OH
WINNER: Mitchel Moles (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports #119)
Oct 6: (D) Terre Haute Action Track – Terre Haute, IN
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Rice Motorsports-Abacus Racing #22)
Oct 19: (P) Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park - Brownsburg, IN
WINNER: Kody Swanson (Doran Binks Racing #77)
------------------------ KEY DEFINITIONS -------------------------
(D) represents a dirt event
(P) represents a pavement event
# represents a daytime event
=======================
2024 USAC SILVER CROWN DRIVER POINT STANDINGS:
POS. PTS. DRIVER, HOMETOWN
1. 858 Kody Swanson, Kingsburg, Calif.
2. 837 Justin Grant, Ione, Calif.
3. 788 Logan Seavey, Sutter, Calif.
4. 690 C.J. Leary, Greenfield, Ind.
5. 528 Kyle Steffens, Saint Charles, Mo.
6. 468 (R) Trey Osborne, Columbus, Ohio
7. 454 Kaylee Bryson, Muskogee, Okla.
8. 452 Gregg Cory, Shelbyville, Ind.
9. 433 Bobby Santos, Franklin, Mass.
10. 396 (R) Nathan Moore, Kaufman, Texas
11. 366 Dakoda Armstrong, New Castle, Ind.
12. 361 Mario Clouser, Auburn, Ill.
13. 329 Dave Berkheimer, Mechanicsburg, Pa.
14. 306 Chase Stockon, Fort Branch, Ind.
15. 305 (R) Daison Pursley, Locust Grove, Okla.
16. 304 Jerry Coons Jr., Tucson, Ariz.
17. 302 (R) Briggs Danner, Allentown, Pa.
18. 296 Taylor Ferns, Shelby Township, Mich.
19. 262 Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, Okla.
20. 260 Matt Westfall, Pleasant Hill, Ohio
21. 243 Trey Burke, Alvin, Texas
22. 243 Nathan Byrd, Goodyear, Ariz.
23. 227 Russ Gamester, Peru, Ind.
24. 223 (R) Mitchel Moles, Raisin City, Calif.
25. 200 Tyler Roahrig, Plymouth, Ind.
26. 184 Chris Fetter, Troy, Mo.
27. 180 Carmen Perigo, Stoystown, Pa.
28. 138 Matt Goodnight, Winchester, Ind.
29. 130 Davey Hamilton Jr., Boise, Idaho
30. 127 (R) Jackson Macenko, Cincinnati, Ohio
31. 126 Brian Ruhlman, Clarklake, Mich.
32. 125 Kevin Thomas Jr., Cullman, Ala.
33. 120 Shane Cottle, Kansas, Ill.
34. 108 (R) Danny Jennings, Norman, Okla.
35. 98 Mark Smith, Sunbury, Pa.
36. 95 Kyle Robbins, New Castle, Ind.
37. 93 (R) Chase Dietz, York, Pa.
38. 88 Patrick Lawson, Edwardsville, Ill.
39. 82 Bryan Gossel, Fort Collins, Colo.
40. 78 (R) Kip Hughes, North Enid, Okla.
41. 78 Jimmy Light, West Springfield, Pa.
42. 76 Danny Long, Bonne Terre, Mo.
43. 75 Robert Ballou, Rocklin, Calif.
44. 63 Chris Urish, Elkhart, Ill.
45. 62 (R) Mark Bitner, Columbus, N.J.
46. 58 Travis Welpott, Pendleton, Ind.
47. 57 Korey Weyant, Springfield, Ill.
48. 53 Shane Cockrum, Benton, Ill.
49. 53 (R) Dave Peperak, Clinton, Ind.
50. 51 (R) Aric Gentry, Robards, Ky.
51. 50 (R) Saban Bibent, Cincinnati, Ohio
52. 49 (R) Alex Bright, Collegeville, Pa.
53. 46 (R) Tom Savage, Red Lion, Pa.
54. 44 (R) Steve Gennetten, Gravois Mills, Mo.
55. 41 Derek Bischak, Angola, Ind.
56. 41 Mike Haggenbottom, Levittown, Pa.
57. 39 Casey Buckman, Chandler, Ariz.
58. 35 (R) Joe Trenca, Phoenix, N.Y.
59. 33 (R) Tanner Berryhill, Bixby, Okla.
60. 33 Cody Gerhardt, Fresno, Calif.
61. 23 (R) Brent Yarnal, Phoenix, Ariz.
62. 19 Zach Daum, Pocahontas, Ill.
63. 19 (R) Kevin Newton, Farmersburg, Ind.
64. 16 (R) Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, Neb.
65. 10 Joey Moughan, Springfield, Ill.
66. 10 Ken Schrader, Fenton, Mo.
67. 10 Kenny Gentry, Henderson, Ky.
68. 10 (R) Jake Trainor, Medway, Mass.
(R) represents a USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year contender
=======================
2024 USAC SILVER CROWN ENTRANT POINT STANDINGS:
POS. PTS. ENTRANT, TEAM LOCATION
1. 858 Doran Binks Racing, Lebanon, Ohio (#77)
2. 837 Hemelgarn Racing, LaSalle, Mich. (#91)
3. 788 Rice Motorsports-Abacus Racing, Brownsburg, Ind. (#22)
4. 636 Klatt Enterprises, Hastings, Neb. (#6)
5. 528 Steffens Motorsports, Saint Charles, Mo. (#08)
6. 468 BCR Group, Springfield, Ohio (#81)
7. 454 Sam Pierce, Daleville, Ind. (#26)
8. 452 Williams-Cory Racing, Shelbyville, Ind. (#32)
9. 433 DJ Racing, Boca Raton, Fla. (#98)
10. 396 Chip Thomas-Joe Moore, Kaufman, Texas (#48)
11. 387 Legacy Autosport-Robert Wilson Racing, Pittsboro, Ind. (#60)
12. 366 C & A Motorsports, New Castle, Ind. (#5)
13. 346 Team AZ Racing , Brownsburg, Ind. (#21)
14. 338 Chris Dyson Racing, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (#9)
15. 329 Berkheimer Racing, Mechanicsburg, Pa. (#31)
16. 309 John Haggenbottom, Bristol, Pa. (#24)
17. 306 Pink 69 Racing, Evansville, Ind. (#69)
18. 302 DMW Motorsports, Phoenix, Ariz. (#10)
19. 296 Taylor Ferns Racing, Shelby Township, Mich. (#555)
20. 260 Westfall Racing, Pleasant Hill, Ohio (#54)
21. 243 Legacy Autosport-Robert Wilson Racing, Pittsboro, Ind. (#40)
22. 227 Gamester Racing, Peru, Ind. (#51)
23. 223 Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports, Gilbert, Ariz. (#119)
24. 223 Patty Bateman, Murphysboro, Ill. (#55)
25. 200 Michael Newman, Snohomish, Wash. (#41)
26. 184 Chris Fetter, Troy, Mo. (#15)
27. 180 John Stehman, Halifax, Pa. (#52)
28. 158 Kazmark Motorsports, Joliet, Ill. (#92)
29. 136 Bryan Gossel, Fort Collins, Colo. (#06)
30. 128 Hans Lein, Edgerton, Wis. (#97)
31. 127 Jackson Macenko, Cincinnati, Ohio (#124)
32. 126 Brian Ruhlman, Clarklake, Mich. (#49)
33. 108 David Grace Motorsports, Norman, Okla. (#61)
34. 101 Davey Hamilton Racing, Jamestown, Ind. (#14)
35. 98 B & S Racing, Sunbury, Pa. (#01)
36. 95 Legacy Autosport-Robert Wilson Racing, Pittsboro, Ind. (#19)
37. 95 KR Racing, New Castle, Ind. (#7)
38. 93 Bruce Lee, Abbottstown, Pa. (#86)
39. 88 Patrick Lawson, Edwardsville, Ill. (#2)
40. 78 Wingo Brothers Racing, Pittsboro, Ind. (#118)
41. 78 Kip Hughes, North Enid, Okla. (#160)
42. 76 Danny Long, Bonne Terre, Mo. (#44)
43. 70 Five Three Motorsports, Joliet, Ill. (#53)
44. 63 Chris Urish, Elkhart, Ill. (#177)
45. 62 Henry Yeska, Columbus, N.J. (#4)
46. 58 Welpott Racing, Pendleton, Ind. (#18)
47. 57 Scott Weyant, Springfield, Ill. (#199)
48. 53 Dave Peperak Motorsports, Clinton, Ind. (#777)
49. 51 Tim Simmons, Cabot, Ark. (#3)
50. 50 Sammy & Mouren Fetter, Bridgeton, Mo. (#88)
51. 49 TwoC Racing, Liberal, Kan. (#12)
52. 46 Tom Savage, Red Lion, Pa. (#38)
53. 44 Steve Gennetten, Gravois Mills, Mo. (#03)
54. 41 Derek Bischak, Indianapolis, Ind. (#131)
55. 39 C-Buck Motorsports/Eddie Sachs Jr., Chandler, Ariz. (#25)
56. 35 Karlsen Racing, Phoenix, N.Y. (#166)
57. 29 Bill Rose Racing, Crawfordsville, Ind. (#66)
58. 23 Brent Yarnal, Phoenix, Ariz. (#29)
59. 21 Mark Swanson Encore Team, West Des Moines, Iowa (#121)
60. 19 A.J. Felker Racing, Jeffersonville, Ind. (#37)
61. 19 Armstrong Racing, New Palestine, Ind. (#99)
62. 16 Cornell Racing Stables, Monee, Ill. (#8)
63. 15 John Tosti, High Ridge, Mo. (#07)
64. 13 McQuinn Motorsports, Springfield, Ill. (#114)
65. 10 MSP Motorsports, Springfield, Ill. (#129)
66. 10 Gentry Motorsports, Henderson, Ky. (#188)
67. 10 Sam Pierce, Daleville, Ind. (#126)
=======================
2024 USAC SILVER CROWN ROOKIE DRIVER POINT STANDINGS:
POS. PTS. DRIVER, HOMETOWN
1. 468 Trey Osborne, Columbus, Ohio
2. 396 Nathan Moore, Kaufman, Texas
3. 305 Daison Pursley, Locust Grove, Okla.
4. 302 Briggs Danner, Allentown, Pa.
5. 223 Mitchel Moles, Raisin City, Calif.
6. 127 Jackson Macenko, Cincinnati, Ohio
7. 108 Danny Jennings, Norman, Okla.
8. 93 Chase Dietz, York, Pa.
9. 78 Kip Hughes, North Enid, Okla.
10. 62 Mark Bitner, Columbus, N.J.
11. 53 Dave Peperak, Clinton, Ind.
12. 51 Aric Gentry, Robards, Ky.
13. 50 Saban Bibent, Cincinnati, Ohio
14. 49 Alex Bright, Collegeville, Pa.
15. 46 Tom Savage, Red Lion, Pa.
16. 44 Steve Gennetten, Gravois Mills, Mo.
17. 35 Joe Trenca, Phoenix, N.Y.
18. 33 Tanner Berryhill, Bixby, Okla.
19. 23 Brent Yarnal, Phoenix, Ariz.
20. 19 Kevin Newton, Farmersburg, Ind.
21. 16 Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, Neb.
22. 10 Jake Trainor, Medway, Mass.
=======================
RACE WINS:
5-Kody Swanson (Apr 20 at Toledo Speedway, May 5 at Winchester Speedway, May
25 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Aug 10 at Jennerstown Speedway & Oct
19 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park)
2-Dakoda Armstrong (Jun 21 at Madison International Speedway & Aug 16 at
World Wide Technology Raceway)
2-Justin Grant (Aug 17 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds & Aug 31 at the Du
Quoin State Fairgrounds)
1-Kaylee Bryson (May 18 at the Belleville High Banks)
1-Mitchel Moles (Sep 21 at Eldora Speedway)
1-Daison Pursley (Jun 15 at Port Royal Speedway)
1-Logan Seavey (Oct 6 at the Terre Haute Action Track)
1-Kevin Thomas Jr. (Jul 20 at Salt City Speedway)
=======================
LAPS LED:
466-Kody Swanson
187-Justin Grant
117-Brady Bacon
103-C.J. Leary
85-Kevin Thomas Jr.
77-Logan Seavey
55-Dakoda Armstrong
51-Bobby Santos
38-Mitchel Moles
16-Kaylee Bryson
13-Daison Pursley
CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT!
SWANSON SCORES IRP FINALE,
SECURES 8TH USAC SILVER CROWN TITLE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Brownsburg, Indiana (October 19, 2024)………It couldn’t have been a more perfect
Championship Saturday for Kody Swanson and his Doran Binks Racing team in the
USAC Silver Crown season finale at Brownsburg, Indiana’s Lucas Oil Indianapolis
Raceway Park.
That is, outside of “only” leading 49 of the 100 laps.
Swanson (Kingsburg, Calif.) shook off a near racelong battle with Bobby
Santos, and for a brief stretch with Tyler Roahrig, before taking the lead for
good on lap 63 to score the win at the .686-mile paved oval while also notching
his record-extending eighth career series championship in his Doran Binks
Racing/Mission Foods – Wilke Orthodontics – Glenn Farms/Beast/Lanci Ford.
Where do we possibly begin with the accolades the 36-year-old racer earned in
one night? Swanson’s eighth USAC Silver Crown title (2014-15-17-18-19-21-22-24)
set a new record in terms of total championships earned by any one driver in a
USAC national series. He had previously been tied with A.J. Foyt’s seven Indy
Car crowns under the USAC banner as well as Mel Kenyon’s seven USAC National
Midget championships.
Furthermore, Kody’s ninth career IRP Silver Crown victory set a new record
for wins in the series at the track. Of all people, he surpassed the record of
eight that he had previously shared with his brother, Tanner Swanson. With his
latest win, Kody also moved to the top line in terms of overall USAC sanctioned
wins at IRP with his 15th, tying Tracy Hines and Bobby Santos for number one
all-time.
In fact, Kody’s dominance of IRP extends even further. He is now the record
holder for most wins by any driver at any track in USAC Silver Crown history.
His ninth at IRP surpassed Jack Hewitt’s eight at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway and
Tanner Swanson’s aforementioned eight at IRP.
To begin the night, Kody even earned his seventh pole position of 2024,
setting a new USAC Silver Crown single season mark in the process. Who’s record
did he break, you might ask? Of course, it was his own record that he broke. He
earned six pole positions in both the 2015 and 2023 seasons.
This night also marked the fourth time in which Kody won both the season
finale and the USAC Silver Crown title on the same day. He's now accomplished
this feat in 2014-2015-2021-2024. Nobody else has done it more than twice,
including Al Unser (1973), Bobby Olivero (1979), Gary Bettenhausen (1980), Jack
Hewitt (1986), Steve Butler (1992), Jimmy Sills (1996), J.J. Yeley (2002-03),
Bobby East (2012) and Chris Windom (2016).
Needless to say, Swanson has firmly established himself as the king of USAC
Silver Crown racing. We already knew that, but he proved it once again on
Saturday night in earning himself yet another driving crown while also securing
the Doran Binks Racing partnership its first ever series entrant championship.
For Doran Racing, it’s their second career USAC Silver Crown title with Swanson
after previously winning it all in 2022 in a split effort with Chris Dyson
Racing. That year, Doran handled the pavement side of the team while Dyson
spearheaded the dirt portion. For 2024, the Doran Binks combo was a true all-in
performance by the team on both dirt and pavement.
As far as the race itself is concerned, unlike May’s Hoosier Hundred where he
led 100 laps from start to finish, Kody found himself chasing the rabbit
throughout the majority of the 100-lap, 68.6-mile distance en route to his 45th
career USAC Silver Crown win. Carrying a nine-point lead over Justin Grant into
the race, a third-place finish or better was a deal-sealer for Kody and his
title hopes, and that’s exactly where he fell to for a time during the early
stages of the race.
Initially, six-time IRP Silver Crown winner Santos got the upper hand around
the outside of Swanson to edge him for the lead by the length of his chrome
front bumper at the conclusion of lap one. However, Swanson muscled his way back
by Santos as he worked the middle groove underneath Santos in turns three and
four to slot himself into the lead by lap two.
A yellow flag brought about by the stopped car of 21st running Nathan Moore
necessitated a caution and a restart in which Santos took full advantage of. One
lap after the resumption on the 13th circuit, Santos surged back around the
outside of Swanson in turns three and four to once again reclaim the top spot.
Soon, it became a three-car tussle at the front as Santos, Swanson and the
emerging Tyler Roahrig all ran nose-to-tail. Roahrig made his run at Swanson on
the 19th lap when he powered past in turns one and two to gain the second the
second position and then went to work on Santos for the race lead. The pair went
side-by-side for multiple laps on the 28th and 29th go around with mere inches
separating the two as they crossed the stripe. Both Santos and Roahrig had
already tasted victory on the night with Santos capturing the accompanying
Brown’s Oil Service Midget feature and Roahrig pocketing the 500 Sprint Car Tour
main.
With the championship weighing on his mind, Swanson had to teeter on that
delicate balance between racing for points and racing for the win. Swanson
freely acknowledged that, in that moment, it was practically impossible to
discard any thoughts on the points aspect.
“When your helmet’s on, your only job is to try and win the race,” Swanson
confessed. “But I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that those thoughts are in
there and I try to be aware.”
Additionally, in Silver Crown racing, three bonus points are issued to the
driver and team leading the most laps. So getting to the lead and staying there
was just as imperative in both the race and the title fight for Swanson.
“I tried really hard to get the lead because I wanted the lead,” Swanson
stated. “I hope I left Bobby enough room. I was trying to do that, and I was
still trying to race hard for it. He got a great run after that restart, and he
got a great entry into three, so I was going to have to be second for a little
while. After that, Tyler came up through there, and at that point, I knew it
would be hard to get the lead. Bobby is a champion racer and he’s not going to
give you the lead for nothing. I don’t blame him. We race really hard a lot and
I have great respect for him.”
The battle at the front was stifled on lap 30 when fifth running Dakoda
Armstrong slowed to a stop in turn three. However, the upcoming lap 34 restart
proved to be most detrimental to second place running Roahrig. As the field was
rolling through turn four with the green flag in sight, Roahrig’s car failed to
take off and began to coast down the straightaway before completely stopping in
turn one. The culprit was a magneto issue, which ended Roahrig’s bid for a first
career USAC Silver Crown victory.
For the next nearly 30 laps, Santos remained in control with Swanson lurking
in the shadows a few car lengths behind. By lap 62, Swanson was in position to
make a move. Pulling even with Santos in turns one and two, the two remained in
lockstep throughout the entirety of the lap with Santos nipping Swanson at the
stripe by a half car length. Less than a half lap later, Swanson had fully moved
ahead as he cleared Santos for the number one spot for good by the time the pair
exited turn two.
From that point forward, Swanson burst away from Santos to the tune of two to
three seconds while defending series champ Logan Seavey made a late surge from
fifth to second between laps 67-75 to earn himself a runner-up finish 2.362
seconds behind Swanson at the finish line. Santos came home third with C.J.
Leary fourth and Grant rounding out the top-five but coming up 21 points short
in the final championship tally.
In the end, Swanson didn’t get those three bonus points for most laps led
after pacing the field for 49 while Santos controlled the pace for 51 of the
100. Nonetheless, Swanson led the laps that led him to another historic night.
“I just had to hope that maybe the race would go long enough that it would
swing back in our favor,” Swanson explained. “Luckily, on a longer run, we were
really good. Logan was coming late, and the beauty of Silver Crown racing is
that my wife (and spotter) does a great job on keeping me up to speed on what’s
happening and let me know that I had a little gap there to be careful through
that lapped traffic at the end to make sure we finished it. I sure didn’t want
to waste it, and I appreciate the chance just to give it a shot.”
Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) once again equaled his best career pavement
USAC Silver Crown result with a second in his Rice Motorsports-Abacus
Racing/DiaEdge Mitsubishi Materials – STIDA.com/Beast/Felker Chevy. At IRP
alone, it’s his third career runner-up finish with the series at the track, and
the third time he’s done so in his four most recent starts.
En route to a third place result, Bobby Santos (Franklin, Mass.) led a race
high 51 laps in his DJ Racing/Brown & Miller Racing Solutions – Simpson Race
Products/Beast/Speedway Chevy. For that, he earned the Inferno Armor Fire Move
of the Night. Despite not notching a series victory for the first time since
2021, Santos was, perhaps, the most consistent driver in the series with seven
top-fives in seven starts, all on the pavement.
Trey Osborne (Columbus, Ohio) had quite a night for himself and his BCR
Group/Flint Trucking & Truck Service – Duncan Oil – QS Components/Beast/Kercher
Chevy. First, he raced from 12th to 6th to earn a $200 bonus as the Hard Charger
courtesy of Hoosier Auto Racing Fans in memory of the late Eleanor Vogler who
recently passed away. Osborne also wrapped up USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the
Year honors for 2024.
USAC SILVER CROWN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: October 19, 2024 –
Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park – Brownsburg, Indiana – .686-Mile Paved Oval
– Championship Saturday
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Kody Swanson, 77, Doran/Binks-20.892; 2.
Bobby Santos, 98, DJ-21.120; 3. Tyler Roahrig, 41, Newman-21.147; 4. Justin
Grant, 91, Hemelgarn-21.169; 5. Logan Seavey, 22, Rice/Abacus-21.189; 6. C.J.
Leary, 6, Klatt-21.278; 7. Dakoda Armstrong, 5, C & A-21.282; 8. Nathan Byrd,
40, Legacy/Wilson-21.395; 9. Russ Gamester, 51, Gamester-21.413; 10. Kaylee
Bryson, 26, Pierce-21.621; 11. Kyle Steffens, 08, Steffens-21.648; 12. Trey
Osborne, 81, BCR-21.672; 13. Jake Trainor, 126, Pierce-21.728; 14. Kyle Robbins,
7, KR-21.752; 15. Cody Gerhardt, 14, Hamilton-21.928; 16. Gregg Cory, 32,
Williams/Cory-23.224; 17. Nathan Moore, 48, Thomas/Moore-24.799; 18. Dave
Berkheimer, 31, Berkheimer-NT.
FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody Swanson (1),
2. Logan Seavey (5), 3. Bobby Santos (2), 4. C.J. Leary (6), 5. Justin Grant
(4), 6. Trey Osborne (12), 7. Nathan Byrd (8), 8. Russ Gamester (9), 9. Kyle
Robbins (13), 10. Kaylee Bryson (10), 11. Gregg Cory (15), 12. Tyler Roahrig
(3), 13. Dakoda Armstrong (7), 14. Kyle Steffens (11), 15. Cody Gerhardt (14),
16. Dave Berkheimer (17), 17. Nathan Moore (16). 42:40.183
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Lap 1 Bobby Santos, Laps 2-12 Kody Swanson, Laps 13-62
Bobby Santos, Laps 63-100 Kody Swanson.
FINAL USAC SILVER CROWN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Kody Swanson-858,
2-Justin Grant-837, 3-Logan Seavey-788, 4-C.J. Leary-690, 5-Kyle Steffens-528,
6-Trey Osborne-468, 7-Kaylee Bryson-454, 8-Gregg Cory-452, 9-Bobby Santos-366,
10-Nathan Moore-367.
USAC NATIONAL PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Daison Pursley-199, 2-Logan
Seavey-195, 3-Robert Ballou-149, 4-Justin Grant-142, 5-C.J. Leary-130, 6-Chase
Stockon-126, 7-Kyle Cummins-124, 8-Brady Bacon-115, 9-Matt Westfall-109,
10-Kevin Thomas Jr.-107.
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Practice Fastest Driver: Kody Swanson (21.074)
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: Kody Swanson (20.892)
Hoosier Auto Racing Fans Hard Charger in Memory of Eleanor Vogler: Trey
Osborne (12th to 6th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Race: Bobby Santos
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS:
October 19, 2024 – Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, California – “3rd
Annual Heritage Fall Classic”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. David Gasper, 18,
Kittle/Gasper-11.770 (New Track Record); 2. Ricky Lewis, 17, Dunkel-11.952; 3.
R.J. Johnson, 51, Johnson-11.955; 4. Cody Williams, 44, Williams-12.018; 5,
Logan Calderwood, 6, Calderwood-12.048; 6. Austin Williams, 17W, Dunkel-12.142;
7. Blake Bower, 17X, Dunkel-12.174; 8. Charles Davis Jr., 47, Davis-12.191; 9.
Shon Deskins, 20, Deskins-12.200; 10. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-12.248; 11. A.J.
Bender, 21, Bender-12.286; 12. Tye Mihocko, 5, Mihocko-12.338; 13. Jeff Dyer,
39, Cal-Sun-12.349; 14. Austin Grabowski, 72, Grabowski-12.372; 15. Logan
Williams, 5W, McCarthy-12.414; 16. Verne Sweeney, 98, Guerrero-12.443; 17. Grant
Sexton, 22, Sexton-12.469; 18. Jonas Reynolds, 0, Reynolds-12.602; 19. Stevie
Rogers, 11, Rogers-12.619; 20. Dayton Shelton, 9, Shelton-12.709; 21. Jon DeWees,
63D, DeWees-12.819; 22. Brent Sexton, 44S, Sexton-12.827; 23. Elexa Herrera, 5E,
Herrera-12.977; 24. Blake Hendricks, 14, Hendricks-13.080; 25. Todd Pratt, 17T,
Pratt-13.772.
FLOWDYNAMICS INCORPORATED / SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION / IN HONOR OF WILEY MILLER
SR. & WILEY MILLER II FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, Top 5 Transfer to Feature) 1. Verne
Sweeney, 2. Tommy Malcolm, 3. Cody Williams, 4. Blake Bower, 5. David Gasper, 6.
Brent Sexton, 7. Stevie Rogers, 8. Jeff Dyer, 9. Todd Pratt. NT.
BILLSJERKY.NET / FACTORY WRAPS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, Top 5 Transfer to
Feature) 1. Charles Davis Jr., 2. Grant Sexton, 3. Ricky Lewis, 4. A.J. Bender,
5. Logan Calderwood, 6. Elexa Herrera, 7. Dayton Shelton, 8. Austin Grabowski.
NT.
WC FRIEND COMPANY / IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, Top
5 Transfer to Feature) 1. Tye Mihocko, 2. Logan Williams, 3. Austin Williams, 4.
R.J. Johnson, 5. Jon DeWees, 6. Jonas Reynolds, 7. Blake Hendricks, 8. Shon
Deskins. NT.
FACTORY WRAPS SEMI: (12 laps)
Scratched after #39 Jeff Dyer was unable to make the call. The remaining 8 cars
started the feature.
FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Ricky Lewis (5), 2. Charles
Davis Jr. (8), 3. Tye Mihocko (11), 4. R.J. Johnson (4), 5. Austin Williams (1),
6. A.J. Bender (10), 7. Logan Williams (13), 8. Tommy Malcolm (9), 9. David
Gasper (6), 10. Verne Sweeney (14), 11. Grant Sexton (15), 12. Dayton Shelton
(18), 13. Brent Sexton (20), 14. Austin Grabowski (12), 15. Elexa Herrera (21),
16. Jon DeWees (19), 17. Blake Hendricks (22), 18. Todd Pratt (23), 19. Stevie
Rogers (17), 20. Logan Calderwood (2), 21. Jonas Reynolds (16), 22. Cody
Williams (3), 23. Blake Bower (7). NT.
----------------------------
**Blake Bower flipped during lap 1 of the feature. Jonas Reynolds flipped during
lap 19 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-3 Tye Mihocko, Laps 4-28 R.J. Johnson, Laps 29-30
Ricky Lewis.
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: Tye Mihocko (11 to 3)
NEW AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS:
NEXT AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACES: November 1&2 – Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, Arizona – “57th Western World Championships presented by Avanti Windows & Doors”
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS:
October 18, 2024 – Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, California – “3rd
Annual Heritage Fall Classic”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. R.J. Johnson, 51, Johnson-11.976
(New Track Record); 2. Cody Williams, 44, Williams-11.984; 3. Austin Grabowski,
72, Grabowski-12.008; 4. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-12.033; 5. Ricky Lewis, 17,
Dunkel-12.092; 6. Tye Mihocko, 5, Mihocko-12.113; 7. Austin Williams, 17W,
Dunkel-12.178; 8. Logan Williams, 5W, McCarthy-12.190; 9. David Gasper, 18,
Kittle/Gasper-12.238; 10. Shon Deskins, 20, Deskins-12.319; 11. Charles Davis
Jr., 47, Davis-12.326; 12. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-12.373; 13. Verne Sweeney,
98, Guerrero-12.376; 14. Grant Sexton, 22, Sexton-12.508; 15. Jeff Dyer, 39,
Cal-Sun-12.543; 16. Mark Henry Jr., 39R, Henry-12.567; 17. Stevie Rogers, 11,
Rogers-12.641; 18. Jonas Reynolds, 0, Reynolds-12.705; 19. Dayton Shelton, 9,
Shelton-12.722; 20. Blake Bower, 17X, Dunkel-12.742; 21. Jon DeWees, 63D,
DeWees-12.835; 22. Elexa Herrera, 5E, Herrera-12.886; 23. Tom Dunkel, 17A,
Dunkel-13.369; 24. Todd Pratt, 17T, Pratt-13.466; 25. Brent Sexton, 44S,
Sexton-13.927.
FLOWDYNAMICS INCORPORATED / SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION / IN HONOR OF WILEY MILLER
SR. & WILEY MILLER II FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, Top 5 Transfer to Feature) 1. R.J.
Johnson, 2. Shon Deskins, 3. Verne Sweeney, 4. Austin Williams, 5. Dayton
Shelton, 6. Tommy Malcolm, 7. Mark Henry Jr., 8. Elexa Herrera, 9. Brent Sexton.
NT.
BILLSJERKY.NET / FACTORY WRAPS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, Top 5 Transfer to
Feature) 1. Grant Sexton, 2. Charles Davis Jr., 3. Logan Williams, 4. Stevie
Rogers, 5. Blake Bower, 6. Cody Williams, 7. Tom Dunkel, 8. Ricky Lewis. NT.
WC FRIEND COMPANY / IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, Top
5 Transfer to Feature) 1. A.J. Bender, 2. David Gasper, 3. Tye Mihocko, 4.
Austin Grabowski, 5. Jon DeWees, 6. Jonas Reynolds, 7. Todd Pratt, 8. Jeff Dyer.
NT.
FACTORY WRAPS SEMI: (12 laps, Top 7 Transfer to Feature) 1. Cody Williams, 2.
Tommy Malcolm, 3. Jeff Dyer, 4. Jonas Reynolds, 5. Elexa Herrera, 6. Mark Henry
Jr., 7. Brent Sexton, 8. Todd Pratt, 9. Tom Dunkel, 10. Ricky Lewis. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. David Gasper (1), 2. Austin
Williams (3), 3. R.J. Johnson (6), 4. Tye Mihocko (4), 5. Shon Deskins (9), 6.
Tommy Malcolm (8), 7. A.J. Bender (11), 8. Charles Davis Jr. (10), 9. Verne
Sweeney (12), 10. Blake Bower (19), 11. Austin Grabowski (5), 12. Cody Williams
(7), 13. Brent Sexton (22), 14. Jeff Dyer (14), 15. Elexa Herrera (21), 16.
Stevie Rogers (16), 17. Jonas Reynolds (17), 18. Logan Williams (2), 19. Mark
Henry Jr. (15), 20. Jon DeWees (20), 21. Grant Sexton (13), 22. Dayton Shelton
(18). NT.
----------------------------
**Ricky Lewis flipped during lap 1 of the semi. Dayton Shelton flipped during
lap 5 of the feature. Mark Henry Jr. flipped on lap 17 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-2 David Gasper, Laps 3-16 Tye Mihocko, Lap 17-22
Austin Williams, Laps 23-30 David Gasper.
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: Blake Bower (19 to 10)
NEW AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS:
NEXT AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: October 19 – Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, California – “3rd Annual Heritage Fall Classic”
SWANSON VS. GRANT!
IT’S A DUEL FOR THE USAC SILVER CROWN
TITLE SATURDAY AT IRP!
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Brownsburg, Indiana (October 17, 2024)………The 2024 USAC Silver Crown National
Championship battle comes down to two drivers, one race and just six points of
separation this Saturday, October 19, at Brownsburg, Indiana’s Lucas Oil
Indianapolis Raceway Park.
One-hundred laps are all that remain on the season. One-hundred laps are all
that remain in deciding the champion for 2024. After a year’s worth of work, you
couldn’t really ask for more.
Now, let’s check the storylines that we’re keen on this weekend for
Championship Saturday at the .686-mile paved oval!
SWANSON & GRANT DUKE IT OUT FOR THE TITLE
Point leader Kody Swanson (Kingsburg, Calif.) is eying an unprecedented
eighth career USAC Silver Crown driving title (2014-15-17-18-19-21-22) while
Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) is seeking a second after previously capturing the
championship in 2020.
For all intents and purposes, IRP has been Swanson’s playground over the
years as he’s scored eight career victories at the track located just west of
the Indianapolis. The eight victories are tied for the all-time lead alongside
his brother, Tanner Swanson. Kody’s 10 Silver Crown pole positions at IRP are a
record and his 14 overall USAC victories at IRP rank as the second most
all-time.
Grant, meanwhile, owns four top-five finishes at IRP with a best result of
third in October 2023. He has won on the pavement with the USAC Silver Crown
series before, capturing the 2021 Rich Vogler Classic at Winchester (Ind.)
Speedway by the blink of an eye over – you guessed it – Swanson.
WALK OFF HOMERS
Kody Swanson and Justin Grant are also wanting to end the season on a doubly
impressive high note by winning both the race and the Silver Crown championship
in one fell swoop on the final night of the season.
Swanson is among the 10 drivers in series history to accomplish the feat and is the only one to do so on three different occasions. The others to achieve it at least once are Al Unser (1973), Bobby Olivero (1979), Gary Bettenhausen (1980), Jack Hewitt (1986), Steve Butler (1992), Jimmy Sills (1996), J.J. Yeley (2002-03), Bobby East (2012), Kody Swanson (2014-15-21) and Chris Windom (2016).
SANTOS ON THE CUSP OF AN IRP RECORD
Bobby Santos is on the brink of a record-setting performance this Saturday at
IRP. The Franklin, Massachusetts native’s 15 career USAC victories at the track
are tied for first place all-time alongside Tracy Hines.
In fact, Santos has won in all three USAC national divisions in his career at
IRP (Silver Crown, Sprint & Midget). The exclusive list of nine to do that
includes Santos, Kody Swanson, Mike Bliss, Bobby East, Tracy Hines, Kenny Irwin
Jr., Jim Keeker, Dave Steele and Tony Stewart.
Santos owns six career USAC Silver Crown wins at IRP dating back to 2009.
More than anything, he’d just like to get back to victory lane for the first
time with the series in 2024 after five starts have produced five top-five
finishes, including runner-up performances at both Winchester and Madison.
DAKODA ARM-STRONGER
I think it’s safe to say that Dakoda Armstrong’s most recent visit to IRP in
May marked the turning point for his USAC Silver Crown program following no
finishes better than 10th in 2023.
That day, the New Castle, Ind. racer earned accolades as the top Hoosier
Hundred Rookie by finishing sixth. Since that point, he hasn’t finished outside
the top-two in series competition with a first career Silver Crown victory at
Madison followed by a second at Jennerstown and another triumphant score at
World Wide Technology Raceway.
He’s no dark horse anymore. He’s a contender and will be among those to keep
an eye on to play spoiler on the championship party come Saturday.
TRAINOR WHEELS A BIG CAR
Finally, Jake Trainor will get his shot at the USAC Silver Crown division
where he’ll make his series debut this Saturday in a second machine for car
owner Sam Pierce as a teammate to Kaylee Bryson.
The 19-year-old Trainor (Medway, Mass.) has been spectacular in the few
showings he’s already had at IRP over the past couple of seasons. He captured
victory at the Carb Night Classic midget race in both 2023 and 2024, and this
past August, added an Ecotec Midget feature score at IRP.
Trainor has already proven he’s the real deal in midgets and sprint cars on
pavement with his successes at IRP as well as winning the Little 500 at Anderson
(Ind.) Speedway as a Rookie in 2023. Now we get to see him take his shot at the
big cars.
TRIPLETS & QUADRUPLETS
At least five drivers are set to perform at least triple duty in Silver
Crown, Sprint Cars and Midgets during Championship Saturday at IRP, and there’s
even one individual who’ll take on four different types of machinery!
Jake Trainor will have his own personal pavement 4-Crown as he tackles all
three, plus the Ecotec All Star Midget event. Meanwhile, Kody Swanson, Bobby
Santos, Dakoda Armstrong and Nathan Byrd (Goodyear, Ariz.) will compete in the
Silver Crown, Sprint Car and Midget races.
As a fan, with four divisions, you’ll certainly get your money’s worth. For
these particular racers, they’ll get a full workout!
RACE DETAILS
Championship Saturday on October 19 features the USAC Silver Crown National
Championship, plus the 500 Sprint Car Tour and Pavement Midgets at Brownsburg,
Indiana’s Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
The main gate and pit gates open at 9am Eastern. The drivers meeting will
take place at 11:30am and the front gates open at Noon. 500 Sprint Car Tour
Practice #1 begins at 12:30pm followed by Midget Practice #1 at 12:55pm, USAC
Silver Crown Practice #1 at 1:20, All-Star Pavement Midget Practice #1 at 1:50,
500 Sprint Car Tour Practice #2 at 2:15pm, Midget Practice #2 at 2:40 and USAC
Silver Crown Practice at 3:05pm.
After practice, 500 Sprint Car Tour Qualifying commences at 3:35pm, followed
by Midget Qualifying at 4pm, USAC Silver Crown Qualifying at 4:20pm, All-Star
Midget Practice #2 and Qualifying at 5pm, Opening Ceremonies at 5:20pm, the
40-lap 500 Sprint Car Tour Feature at 5:30pm, the 30-lap Midget Feature at
6:05pm, the 20-lap All-Star Midget Feature at 6:35pm and the 100-lap USAC Silver
Crown Feature at 7:10pm.
Advance tickets are on sale now at www.raceIRP.com. Tickets will also be on
sale at the gate on race day. Tickets for Championship Saturday are $25 and is
general admission seating. Kids 12 & under are FREE with an adult present. Pit
passes are $35 apiece.
USAC SILVER CROWN ENTRY LIST: (18)
08 KYLE STEFFENS/St. Charles, MO (Steffens Motorsports)
5 DAKODA ARMSTRONG/New Castle, IN (C & A Motorsports)
6 C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Klatt Enterprises)
7 KYLE ROBBINS/New Castle, IN (KR Racing)
14 CODY GERHARDT/Fresno, CA (Davey Hamilton Racing)
22 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Rice Motorsports-Abacus Racing)
26 KAYLEE BRYSON/Muskogee, OK (Sam Pierce)
31 DAVE BERKHEIMER/Mechanicsburg, PA (Berkheimer Racing)
32 GREGG CORY/Shelbyville, IN (Williams-Cory Racing)
40 NATHAN BYRD/Goodyear, AZ (Legacy Autosport-Robert Wilson Racing)
41 TYLER ROAHRIG/Plymouth, IN (Michael Newman)
48 (R) NATHAN MOORE/Kaufman, TX (Chip Thomas-Joe Moore)
51 RUSS GAMESTER/Peru, IN (Gamester Racing)
77 KODY SWANSON/Kingsburg, CA (Doran-Binks Racing)
81 (R) TREY OSBORNE/Columbus, OH (BCR Group)
91 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (Hemelgarn Racing)
98 (R) BOBBY SANTOS/Franklin, MA (DJ Racing)
126 (R) JAKE TRAINOR/Medway, MA (Sam Pierce)
(R) represents a USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year contender
Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS DEBUT AT IMPERIAL VALLEY DOUBLEHEADER
By Lance Jennings
OCTOBER 15, 2024... For the first time in series history, the Avanti Windows
& Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars will battle at Imperial Valley Raceway with two
nights of action starting this Friday, October 18th. The “3rd Annual Heritage
Fall Classic” will also feature the Southwest Ecotech Midgets, and SoCal
Lightning Sprints. Sport Compacts will join the Saturday show. Located at the
Imperial Valley Expo at 200 East 2nd Street in Imperial California, the pit
gates at the 1/4-mile track will open at 2:00pm, the spectator gates will open
at 5:00pm, with racing scheduled for 7:00pm. For more information, visit the
Imperial Valley Raceway page on Facebook or https://cmwfheritagefoundation.ticketspice.com/3rd-annual-heritage-fall-classic.
For those that cannot make it to the races, the event will be live streamed
at FloRacing.com
NOTICE TO RACERS:
- APPROVED/LEGAL MUFFLERS: Mufflers ARE NOT REQUIRED at Imperial Valley Raceway.
- ALL RACERS MUST PURCHASE THEIR USAC LICENSE / MEMBERSHIPS ONLINE PRIOR TO THE
EVENT AT USACRACING.COM OR USACLICENSE.COM. (If racers have a membership
question, contact Julie Tanaka at julietanaka@aol.com.)
- ENTRY FEE: There is an entry fee due at registration / pill pick.
- TRANSPONDERS: Transponders ARE MANDATORY and will be available to rent.
- ONE WAY RADIOS / RACECEIVERS: One way radios ARE MANDATORY.
- FRONT AXLE TETHER SYSTEMS: Front axle tether systems (2-Chassis, 1-King Pin to
King Pin) ARE MANDATORY.
- FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS: Full containment seats ARE MANDATORY.
- COCKPIT ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS: Cockpit adjustable shocks ARE ALLOWED.
- RULE BOOK: The series rule book is online at usacracing.com, appendix E.
- FUEL WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE AT THE RACE TRACK.
While new to USAC/CRA, Imperial Valley Raceway (often called Imperial or El
Centro) has been a historic stop dating back to 1957 for the California Racing
Association (CRA) and later the Sprint Car Racing Association (SCRA). Driving
for Lee Knox, Nick Valenta won the first Imperial CRA race on March 9, 1957 and
Jerry Meyer raced the family car to victory at the last CRA appearance on
October 20, 1991. “The Flying Shoe” Ron Shuman won SCRA’s Imperial debut for
Anne Wilkerson on February 26, 1994 and Mike Kirby topped the last SCRA visit on
March 7, 1998 for Wilkerson. Shuman set the old 3/8-mile track record of 15.83
on March 26, 1994 in Anne Wilkerson’s #11 entry.
Heading to the “fastest 1/4-mile under sea level,” R.J. Johnson (Laveen,
Arizona) holds a 66-point lead over the competition. Driving Ricky and Michele
Johnson’s #51 JUGO Superfoods / Avanti Windows & Doors Sherman, Johnson finished
third last Saturday night at Mohave Valley. To date, the multi-time Arizona
Sprint Car Champion has two feature wins, two Woodland Auto Display Fast Time
Awards, one heat race victory, one semi-main win, sixteen top-10 finishes, and
46 feature laps led on the season. The 2005 Rookie of the Year is currently tied
with “The Macho Man” Brady Bacon, “Dynamite” David Cardey, and Richard Vander
Weerd with nine feature wins to his credit. This Friday and Saturday, Johnson
will be looking to continue his championship bid by adding Imperial Valley to
his win list.
Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm (Yucaipa, California) ranks second in the point
standings. Racing Dino Napier’s #5X Indiana Truck Salvage / B&B Powder Coating
Maxim, Malcolm scored a ninth place finish at Mohave Valley Raceway. At press
time, the veteran driver has four feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display Fast
Time Award, four heat race victories, one In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard
Charger Award, fifteen top-10 finishes, and 86 feature laps led in the campaign.
Tommy “Thunder” is currently tied with Robert Ballou, “Chargin” Charles Davis
Jr., and “KTJ” Kevin Thomas Jr. with seven series wins and will have his sights
on winning at Imperial Valley.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, California) is third in
the championship point chase. Piloting Tom & Christy Dunkel’s #17W Inland
Rigging / Dunkel Farms DRC, Williams placed tenth last Saturday night at
Imperial Valley. To date, the 2009 Co-Rookie of the Year has six heat race
victories, two In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Awards, thirteen
top-10 finishes, and 11 feature laps led on the year. “The Big Game Hunter” is
tied with Matt Mitchell with eleven series wins and will be looking for victory
circle at Imperial Valley.
A.J. Bender (San Diego, California) sits fourth in the battle for the
USAC/CRA championship. Racing the family owned #21 Bender Pool & Spa / Matrix
Construction Services DRC, Bender raced from thirteenth to finish sixth in last
Saturday’s 30-lap main event. At press time, the former USAC West Coast 360
Sprint Car Turkey Night Grand Prix Winner has one feature win, six heat race
victories, twelve top-10 finishes, and 44 feature laps led in the campaign. At
Imperial Valley, the 2022 USAC Western States Midget Rookie of the Year will
have his sights on the second USAC/CRA win of his career.
After charging from ninth to second at Mohave Valley, leading rookie
contender David Gasper (Goleta, California) has climbed to fifth in the chase
for the championship. Driving the Kittle Motorsports / Gasper Racing #18 DRC
backed by Art Klee and Valley Precision Products, Gasper has one feature win,
one heat race victory, two semi-main wins, four In Memory of Jim and Chet
Gardner Hard Charger Awards, twelve top-10 finishes, and 49 feature laps led to
his credit. The two-time California Lightning Sprint Champion will be looking to
add Imperial Valley wins to his resume.
While Gasper leads the chase for Rookie of the Year honors. Elexa Herrera,
Brent Sexton, Blake Bower, Braden Chiaramonte, Stevie Rogers, Jon DeWees, Joey
Bishop, Mark Henry, Tyler Hatzikian, Camie Bell, Aaron Altaffer, Jacob Tuttle,
Heath Holdsclaw, Blake Hendricks, and Tom Dunkel are also in contention.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are Logan Williams, “The
Cadillac” Cody Williams, Verne Sweeney, “The Gunslinger” Austin Grabowski,
“Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., Eddie Tafoya Jr., Logan Calderwood, Grant Sexton,
Ricky Lewis, Brody Roa, Jeff Dyer, “Flash” Jordan Hermansader, “Shugah” Shane
Sexton, Jonas Reynolds, and more.
Imperial Valley Raceway is located at the Imperial Valley Expo at 200 East
2nd Street in Imperial California. For more event information, visit the
Imperial Valley Raceway page on Facebook or
https://cmwfheritagefoundation.ticketspice.com/3rd-annual-heritage-fall-classic.
General Admission tickets (18 Years & Up) are $10, 17 years to 13 years are $5,
with 13 years and under are FREE.
The Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks BillsJerky.net,
Factory Wraps, Flowdynamics Incorporated, The Gardner Family (In Memory of Jim
and Chet Gardner), In Honor of Wiley Miller Sr. and Wiley Miller II, Sexton Fire
Protection, WC Friend Company, and Woodland Auto Display, for their support.
For more information on the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car
Series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at usacracing.com and
the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the
USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
-----------------------------------------------
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS: 2004-Rip Williams,
2005-Damion Gardner, 2006-Cory Kruseman, 2007-Tony Jones, 2008-Mike Spencer,
2009-Mike Spencer, 2010-Mike Spencer, 2011-Mike Spencer, 2012-Mike Spencer,
2013-Damion Gardner, 2014-Damion Gardner, 2015-Damion Gardner, 2016-Damion
Gardner, 2017-Damion Gardner, 2018-Damion Gardner, 2019-Damion Gardner, 2020-NO
AWARD, 2021-Damion Gardner, 2022-Damion Gardner, 2023-Brody Roa.
2024 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. R.J.
Johnson-1148, 2. Tommy Malcolm-1082, 3. Austin Williams-1022, 4. A.J.
Bender-990, 5. David Gasper (R)-962, 6. Logan Williams-958, 7. Cody
Williams-938, 8. Verne Sweeney-755, 9. Austin Grabowski-745, 10. Charles Davis
Jr.-707, 11. Eddie Tafoya Jr.-673, 12. Elexa Herrera (R)-529, 13. Brent Sexton
(R)-423, 14. Logan Calderwood-381, 15. Grant Sexton-344, 16. Matt Mitchell-328,
17. Ricky Lewis-310, 18. Brody Roa-307, 19. Blake Bower (R)-291, 20. Matt
McCarthy-254.
The complete point standings can be found at usacracing.com.
2024 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 4-Tommy Malcolm,
2-Charles Davis Jr., 2-Matt Mitchell, 2-R.J. Johnson, 2-Cody Williams, 1-A.J.
Bender, 1-Braden Chiaramonte, 1-David Gasper, 1-Ricky Lewis, 1-Kevin Thomas Jr.
2024 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
February 24: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Matt Mitchell)
March 16: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: David Gasper)
March 23: Cocopah Speedway – Somerton, AZ (Winner: Charles Davis Jr.)
April 6: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Winner: Kevin Thomas Jr.)
April 27: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: A.J. Bender)
May 25: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Matt Mitchell)
June 8: Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway – Bakersfield, CA (Winner:
R.J. Johnson)
June 22: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Tommy Malcolm)
July 6: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA (Winner: Tommy Malcolm)
July 13: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Tommy Malcolm)
August 10: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA (Winner: Braden Chiaramonte)
August 17: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Cody Williams)
August 31: Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway – Bakersfield, CA (Winner:
Tommy Malcolm)
September 7: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA (Winner: R.J. Johnson)
September 21: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Charles Davis Jr.)
September 28: Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway – Bakersfield, CA
(Winner: Cody Williams)
October 12: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Winner: Ricky Lewis)
October 18: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA
October 19: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA
November 1: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Western World
Championships)
November 2: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Western World
Championships)
November 9: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
---------------------------------------------
TBA = To Be Announced.
This schedule is subject to change.
USAC SILVER CROWN ENTRY LIST
FOR SATURDAY’S IRP SEASON FINALE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Brownsburg, Indiana (October 16, 2024)………The final countdown. The last waltz.
The season finale.
However you call it, it’s the championship round of the 2024 USAC Silver
Crown season, and it commences this Saturday, October 19, at Brownsburg,
Indiana’s Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
The aptly named Championship Saturday will feature a field of 18 USAC Silver
Crown drivers and cars on the .686-mile paved oval.
Among them are championship contenders Kody Swanson and Justin Grant. Swanson
holds a six-point edge over Grant in the series standings entering the final
event of the season.
Swanson (Kingsburg, Calif.) has won eight USAC Silver Crown races at IRP in his career, tied with his brother, Tanner Swanson, for the most all-time. This past May at IRP, he earned his 10th career USAC Silver Crown pole position at the track before leading all 100 laps en route to victory.
Meanwhile, Grant (Ione, Calif.) owns four top-five finishes at IRP with a best result of third
in October 2023. He has won on the pavement with the USAC Silver Crown series
before, scoring the 2021 Rich Vogler Classic at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway.
Among the drivers in the Silver Crown lineup for Saturday are three past IRP
Silver Crown winners, including Swanson (8), plus six-time winner Bobby Santos
(Franklin, Massachusetts) as well as Russ Gamester (Peru, Ind.), a winner with
the series at IRP in 2000.
Three more drivers have been knocking on the door of late for a win at IRP.
Tyler Roahrig (Plymouth, Ind.) was a runner-up finisher at IRP in 2021. So too
was C.J. Leary (Greenfield, Ind.) who collected a second place result in 2022.
Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.), the most recent USAC Silver Crown winner two
weeks ago at Terre Haute, has twice finished second at IRP in 2023 and again in
2024.
Returning to the lineup are a slew of past top-10 Silver Crown performers at
IRP. Chief among them are Nathan Byrd (Goodyear, Ariz.) and Dakoda Armstrong
(New Castle, Ind.), each of whom have finished sixth in 2023 and 2024,
respectively.
Recently crowned Trans Am SGT champion Kaylee Bryson (Muskogee, Okla.) is
back in the IRP lineup following a 7th in 2023. She’s joined by the 2024
season’s top USAC Silver Crown Rookie, Columbus, Ohio’s Trey Osborne (9th in
2024). New Castle, Indiana’s Kyle Robbins (10th in 2019), Shelbyville, Indiana’s
Gregg Cory (10th in 2022) and St. Charles, Missouri’s Kyle Steffens (10th in
2024) have all had solid finishes at IRP.
Also back in the field are Fresno, California’s Cody Gerhardt (13th in 2018),
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania’s Dave Berkheimer (21st in 2022), Kaufman, Texas’
Nathan Moore (21st in 2024) and Silver Crown newcomer Jake Trainor (Medway,
Mass.) who already owns three midget wins at IRP between 2023-24. Trainor, the
2023 Little 500 winner, will make his USAC Silver Crown debut behind the wheel
of Sam Pierce’s #126 as a teammate to Bryson.
Race Details
Championship Saturday on October 19 features the USAC Silver Crown National
Championship, plus the 500 Sprint Car Tour and Pavement Midgets at Brownsburg,
Indiana’s Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
The main gate and pit gates open at 9am Eastern. The drivers meeting will
take place at 11:30am and the front gates open at Noon. 500 Sprint Car Tour
Practice #1 begins at 12:30pm followed by Midget Practice #1 at 12:55pm, USAC
Silver Crown Practice #1 at 1:20, All-Star Pavement Midget Practice #1 at 1:50,
500 Sprint Car Tour Practice #2 at 2:15pm, Midget Practice #2 at 2:40 and USAC
Silver Crown Practice at 3:05pm.
After practice, 500 Sprint Car Tour Qualifying commences at 3:35pm, followed
by Midget Qualifying at 4pm, USAC Silver Crown Qualifying at 4:20pm, All-Star
Midget Practice #2 and Qualifying at 5pm, Opening Ceremonies at 5:20pm, the
40-lap 500 Sprint Car Tour Feature at 5:30pm, the 30-lap Midget Feature at
6:05pm, the 20-lap All-Star Midget Feature at 6:35pm and the 100-lap USAC Silver
Crown Feature at 7:10pm.
Advance tickets are on sale now at www.raceIRP.com. Tickets will also be on
sale at the gate on race day. Tickets for Championship Saturday are $25 and is
general admission seating. Kids 12 & under are FREE with an adult present. Pit
passes are $35 apiece.
USAC SILVER CROWN ENTRY LIST: (18)
08 KYLE STEFFENS/St. Charles, MO (Steffens Motorsports)
5 DAKODA ARMSTRONG/New Castle, IN (C & A Motorsports)
6 C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Klatt Enterprises)
7 KYLE ROBBINS/New Castle, IN (KR Racing)
14 CODY GERHARDT/Fresno, CA (Davey Hamilton Racing)
22 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Rice Motorsports-Abacus Racing)
26 KAYLEE BRYSON/Muskogee, OK (Sam Pierce)
31 DAVE BERKHEIMER/Mechanicsburg, PA (Berkheimer Racing)
32 GREGG CORY/Shelbyville, IN (Williams-Cory Racing)
40 NATHAN BYRD/Goodyear, AZ (Legacy Autosport-Robert Wilson Racing)
41 TYLER ROAHRIG/Plymouth, IN (Michael Newman)
48 (R) NATHAN MOORE/Kaufman, TX (Chip Thomas-Joe Moore)
51 RUSS GAMESTER/Peru, IN (Gamester Racing)
77 KODY SWANSON/Kingsburg, CA (Doran-Binks Racing)
81 (R) TREY OSBORNE/Columbus, OH (BCR Group)
91 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (Hemelgarn Racing)
98 (R) BOBBY SANTOS/Franklin, MA (DJ Racing)
126 (R) JAKE TRAINOR/Medway, MA (Sam Pierce)
(R) represents a USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year contender
USAC SILVER CROWN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Kody Swanson-785, 2-Justin
Grant-779, 3-Logan Seavey-721, 4-C.J. Leary-629, 5-Kyle Steffens-493, 6-Trey
Osborne-413, 7-Kaylee Bryson-411, 8-Gregg Cory-411, 9-Nathan Moore-367, 10-Bobby
Santos-366.
TRACK RECORDS FOR USAC SILVER CROWN AT INDIANAPOLIS RACEWAY PARK:
1 Lap - 5/20/2000 - Jason Leffler - 20.298 - 121.667 mph
10 Laps - 8/2/2001 - Derek Davidson - 3:35.06 - 104.789 mph
15 Laps - 5/22/2003 - Chet Fillip - 5:16.38 - 117.087 mph
20 Laps - 8/2/1995 - Eric Gordon - 7:14.71 - 113.621 mph
25 Laps - 7/11/1987 - Jim Childers - 9:51.91 - 104.306 mph
100 Laps - 5/12/2001 - Mike Bliss - 35:41.40 - 115.326 mph
146 Laps - 5/26/2023 - Bobby Santos - 1:13:52.03 - 81.354 mph
150 Laps - 7/11/1987 - Jeff Bloom - 1:02:32.109 - 98.728 mph
USAC SILVER CROWN WINS AT IRP:
8-Kody Swanson & Tanner Swanson
6-Bobby Santos
5-Mike Bliss
3-Bobby East
2-Kenny Irwin Jr., Jim Keeker, Jason Leffler & Ken Schrader
1-Pat Abold, Jeff Bloom, David Byrne, Bob Cicconi, Jay Drake, Bruce Field,
Russ Gamester, Kyle Hamilton, Tracy Hines, Rick Hood, Kasey Kahne, Jason McCord,
Ryan Newman, Johnny Parsons, George Snider, Dave Steele, Tony Stewart, Brian
Tyler & J.J. Yeley
USAC SILVER CROWN WINNERS AT IRP:
1985: Rick Hood (7/13)
1986: Ken Schrader (7/13)
1987: Jeff Bloom (7/11)
1988: Bruce Field (7/9)
1989: Bob Cicconi (7/8) & Ken Schrader (7/8)
1990: George Snider (6/30)
1991: Johnny Parsons (6/29)
1992: Jim Keeker (6/27)
1993: Mike Bliss (6/26)
1994: Mike Bliss (8/4)
1995: Jim Keeker (8/2)
1996: Mike Bliss (5/18) & Kenny Irwin Jr. (7/31)
1997: Pat Abold (5/17) & Kenny Irwin Jr. (7/30)
1998: Tony Stewart (5/16) & Jason Leffler (7/29)
1999: Ryan Newman (5/22) & Dave Steele (8/4)
2000: Jason Leffler (5/20) & Russ Gamester (8/6)
2001: Mike Bliss (5/12) & Kasey Kahne (8/2)
2002: Mike Bliss (8/1)
2003: J.J. Yeley (5/22) & Jason McCord (7/31)
2004: Jay Drake (8/5)
2005: Bobby East (8/4)
2006: Brian Tyler (8/3)
2007: Bobby East (7/26)
2008: Bobby East (7/24)
2009: Bobby Santos (7/23)
2010: Tracy Hines (7/22)
2011: Kody Swanson (7/28)
2012: Bobby Santos (5/19) & Bobby Santos (7/26)
2013: Tanner Swanson (7/27)
2014: Tanner Swanson (5/17) & David Byrne (7/24)
2015: Tanner Swanson (5/23) & Tanner Swanson (7/23)
2016: Tanner Swanson (5/27) & Kody Swanson (7/21)
2017: Kody Swanson (5/26) & Bobby Santos (7/20)
2018: Kody Swanson (5/25)
2019: Kyle Hamilton (5/24) & Kody Swanson (9/7)
2020: Tanner Swanson (8/21)
2021: Kody Swanson (5/29) & Kody Swanson (8/14)
2022: Bobby Santos (5/27) & Tanner Swanson (10/22)
2023: Bobby Santos (5/26) & Tanner Swanson (10/15)
2024: Kody Swanson (5/25)
USAC SILVER CROWN RESULTS AT INDIANAPOLIS RACEWAY PARK:
JULY 13, 1985 FEATURE: (150 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Rick
Hood (5), 2. Ken Schrader (2), 3. Dave Blaney (4), 4. Larry Rice (21), 5. Gary
Bettenhausen (13), 6. Joe Saldana (18), 7. Bruce Field (6), 8. John Andretti
(12), 9. Rich Vogler (1), 10. Sheldon Kinser (3), 11. John Batts Jr. (24), 12.
Jac Haudenschild (16), 13. Tom Bigelow (7), 14. Jerry Nemire (10), 15. Kramer
Williamson (22), 16. Ken Hamilton (8), 17. Billy Engelhart (11), 18. Mark
Alderson (23), 19. George Snider (9), 20. Gary Irvin (15), 21. Steve Chassey
(17), 22. Doug Saunier (20), 23. Danny Milburn (19), 24. Johnny Parsons (14).
1:07:16.06
JULY 13, 1986 FEATURE: (150 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Ken
Schrader (2), 2. Steve Butler (15), 3. Rick Hood (9), 4. Dave Blaney (7), 5.
Billy Engelhart (3), 6. Jack Hewitt (21), 7. George Snider (5), 8. Gary
Bettenhausen (1), 9. Warren Mockler (16), 10. Bob Frey (12), 11. Tom Bigelow
(10), 12. Larry Dickson (13), 13. Jeff Bloom (20), 14. Manny Rockhold (23), 15.
Greg Staab (19), 16. Steve Chassey (18), 17. Duke Cook (17), 18. Taylor Andrews
(24), 19. Larry Rice (4), 20. Nick Fornoro Jr. (11), 21. Bruce Field (6), 22.
Gary Irvin (8), 23. Johnny Parsons (22), 24. Mark Alderson (14). 1:03:15.05
JULY 11, 1987 FEATURE: (150 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jeff
Bloom (3), 2. Jack Hewitt (17), 3. Steve Butler (2), 4. Rick Hood (16), 5. Jeff
Swindell (14), 6. Bruce Field (12), 7. Steve Chassey (13), 8. Warren Mockler
(19), 9. Mark Alderson (7), 10. Tony Elliott (26), 11. Kenny Jacobs (9), 12.
Duke Cook/Ken Schrader (18), 13. Larry Rice (21), 14. Jim Childers (15), 15.
Terry Kawell (24), 16. Manny Rockhold (20), 17. Gary Bettenhausen (11), 18. Bob
Frey (8), 19. Bob Cicconi (6), 20. Rich Vogler (1), 21. Andy Hillenburg (10),
22. Ron Dunstan (23), 23. Kelly Kinser (22), 24. Mike Bliss (25), 25. Ken
Schrader (4), 26. Dave Blaney (5). 1:02:32.109
JULY 9, 1988 FEATURE: (150 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Bruce
Field (6), 2. Steve Butler (17), 3. Bob Frey (16), 4. George Snider (15), 5.
Steve Chassey (9), 6. Tray House (14), 7. Billy Vukovich III (3), 8. Gene Lee
Gibson (1), 9. Jack Hewitt (19), 10. Jerry Russell (23), 11. Larry Rice (10),
12. Jim Keeker (21), 13. Kenny Jacobs (11), 14. Palmer Crowell (5), 15. Gary
Bettenhausen (4), 16. Andy Hillenburg (8), 17. Ray Joe Fager (25), 18. Mark
Alderson (13), 19. Ken Schrader (7), 20. Johnny Parsons (2), 21. Gary Irvin
(18), 22. Gary Hieber (22), 23. Tony Elliott (24), 24. Bob Cicconi (20), 25.
Rich Vogler (26), 26. Jeff Bloom (12). NT
JULY 8, 1989 FEATURE: (75 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Bob
Cicconi (6), 2. Ken Schrader (2), 3. Bruce Field (9), 4. Gary Bettenhausen (12),
5. Mark Alderson (4), 6. Johnny Parsons (13), 7. Bob Frey (3), 8. Larry Rice
(14), 9. Rusty Rasmussen (8), 10. Walt Kennedy (23), 11. George Snider (19), 12.
Andy Hillenburg (15), 13. Tony Elliott (10), 14. Tom Bigelow (21), 15. Wayne
Hammond (11), 16. Warren Mockler (22), 17. Gene Lee Gibson (20), 18. Gary Hieber
(17), 19. Steve Butler (5), 20. Manny Rockhold (7), 21. Jim Mahoney (16), 22.
Steve Chassey (18), 23. Rich Vogler (1), 24. Jeff Bloom (24). NT
JULY 8, 1989 FEATURE: (75 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Ken
Schrader (2), 2. Gary Bettenhausen (4), 3. Bob Cicconi (1), 4. Andy Hillenburg
(12), 5. Bruce Field (3), 6. Wayne Hammond (15), 7. Mark Alderson (5), 8. Rusty
Rasmussen (9), 9. Johnny Parsons (6), 10. Jeff Bloom (20), 11. George Snider
(11), 12. Larry Rice (8), 13. Warren Mockler (16), 14. Tom Bigelow (14), 15.
Rick Tomasik (24), 16. Gary Hieber (18), 17. Danny Milburn (21), 18. Tony
Elliott (13), 19. Mike Thomas (23), 20. Lyn McIntosh (22), 21. Bob Frey (7), 22.
Gene Lee Gibson (17), 23. Walt Kennedy (10), 24. Jim Mahoney (19). NT
JUNE 30, 1990 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1.
George Snider (16), 2. Ken Schrader (11), 3. Eric Gordon (2), 4. Bob Frey (10),
5. Brent Kaeding (3), 6. Jeff Gordon (6), 7. Jack Hewitt (15), 8. Davey Hamilton
(9), 9. Wally Pankratz (7), 10. Andy Hillenburg (17), 11. Bob Cicconi (5), 12.
Warren Mockler (1), 13. Chuck Gurney (13), 14. Roy Caruthers (14), 15. Rusty
McClure (23), 16. Wayne Hammond (12), 17. Jimmy Sills (18), 18. Steve Butler
(19), 19. Tray House (20), 20. Gary Hieber (21), 21. Rich Vogler (8), 22. Stan
Fox (4), 23. Tony Elliott (22), 24. Bentley Warren (25), 25. Manny Rockhold
(24). NT
JUNE 29, 1991 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1.
Johnny Parsons (1), 2. Eric Gordon (6), 3. Jim Keeker (15), 4. Steve Butler
(16), 5. Wally Pankratz (5), 6. Russ Gamester (8), 7. Chuck Gurney (9), 8. Steve
Chassey (11), 9. Larry Dickson (14), 10. Tony Elliott (21), 11. Tray House (20),
12. Gary Hieber (18), 13. Andy Hillenburg (13), 14. Mike Fedorcak (22), 15. Greg
Staab (19), 16. Jerry Nemire (23), 17. Gene Lee Gibson (10), 18. Jeff Gordon
(3), 19. Brad Marvel (24), 20. Robbie Stanley (12), 21. Stan Fox (4), 22. Bob
Cicconi (17), 23. Jimmy Sills (2), 24. George Snider (7). 42:09.55
JUNE 27, 1992 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jim
Keeker (1), 2. Johnny Parsons (2), 3. Jimmy Sills (7), 4. Mike Bliss (4), 5. Jim
Mahoney (11), 6. Tony Stewart (5), 7. Steve Butler (8), 8. Stevie Reeves (17),
9. Chip Thomas (9), 10. Russ Gamester (6), 11. Eric Gordon (13), 12. Joe Gaerte
(10), 13. Wally Pankratz (3), 14. Tony Elliott (20), 15. Larry Dickson (23), 16.
Tray House (22), 17. Greg Staab (24), 18. Cary Faas (18), 19. Page Jones (14),
20. Jack Hewitt (15), 21. Tyce Carlson (16), 22. Mike Fedorcak (19), 23. Davey
Hamilton (12), 24. Warren Mockler (21). NT
JUNE 26, 1993 FEATURE: (60 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Mike
Bliss (3), 2. Johnny Parsons (2), 3. George Snider (4), 4. Stevie Reeves (9), 5.
Eric Gordon (16), 6. Ron Shuman (14), 7. Jim Keeker (11), 8. Steve Butler (6),
9. Tony Elliott (10), 10. Jim Mahoney (8), 11. Gary Hieber (12), 12. Bob Cicconi
(21), 13. Ronnie Burke (19), 14. Bob Frey (20), 15. Greg Staab (18), 16. Wally
Pankratz (5), 17. Bill Baue (24), 18. Jimmy Sills (1), 19. Tray House (22), 20.
Larry Dickson (13), 21. Tyce Carlson (15), 22. Chip Thomas (17), 23. Tony
Stewart (7), 24. Gary Cameron II (23). NT
AUGUST 4, 1994 FEATURE: (60 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Mike
Bliss (4), 2. P.J. Jones (1), 3. Johnny Parsons (3), 4. Kenny Irwin Jr. (8), 5.
Jimmy Sills (12), 6. Tony Elliott (6), 7. Ron Shuman (15), 8. George Snider
(20), 9. Randy Tolsma (14), 10. Chuck Gurney (17), 11. Jack Runyon (19), 12.
Wally Pankratz (13), 13. Kenneth Nichols (24), 14. Rocky Hodges (23), 15.
Bentley Warren (10), 16. Jack Hewitt (21), 17. Chuck Leary (16), 18. Rusty
McClure (11), 19. Andy Michner (2), 20. Gary Hieber (18), 21. Page Jones (5),
22. Eric Gordon (7), 23. Russ Gamester (9), 24. Dave Steele (22). NT
AUGUST 2, 1995 FEATURE: (60 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Jim
Keeker (1), 2. Tony Stewart (2), 3. Kenny Irwin Jr. (11), 4. Mike Bliss (3), 5.
Davey Hamilton (12), 6. Dave Darland (7), 7. Eric Gordon (5), 8. Dave Steele
(13), 9. Johnny Parsons (9), 10. Dan Drinan (15), 11. Bentley Warren (22), 12.
Jack Runyon (14), 13. Lee Brewer Jr. (24), 14. Gary Hieber (17), 15. Jimmy Sills
(8), 16. Jack Hewitt (4), 17. Chuck Gurney (6), 18. Tyce Carlson (20), 19. Randy
Tolsma (18), 20. Jimmy Kite (23), 21. Kevin Doty (19), 22. Andy Michner (16),
23. Chuck Leary (21), 24. Rocky Hodges (10). NT
MAY 18, 1996 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Mike
Bliss (7), 2. Kenny Irwin Jr. (4), 3. Dave Blaney (2), 4. Kevin Doty (5), 5.
Dave Steele (3), 6. Jim Keeker (6), 7. Johnny Parsons (17), 8. Chuck Gurney (8),
9. Chet Fillip (22), 10. Dave Darland (24), 11. Jack Hewitt (9), 12. Russ
Gamester (13), 13. Wally Pankratz (14), 14. Chip Thomas (27), 15. Jimmy Sills
(29), 16. Sammy Swindell (11), 17. Ryan Newman (12), 18. Pat Abold (16), 19.
Robby Flock (1), 20. Tony Elliott (26), 21. Jim Mahoney (19), 22. Frankie Kerr
(10), 23. Jackie Burke (23), 24. Chuck Leary (15), 25. John Heydenreich (20),
26. Bill Baue (21), 27. Kenneth Nichols (25), 28. Bill Rose (30), 29. Eric
Gordon (18), 30. Bentley Warren (28). NT
JULY 31, 1996 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kenny
Irwin Jr. (1), 2. Jimmy Sills (2), 3. Mike Bliss (11), 4. Robby Flock (8), 5.
Eric Gordon (24), 6. Davey Hamilton (7), 7. Jack Hewitt (14), 8. Dave Darland
(15), 9. Andy Michner (13), 10. Pat Abold (10), 11. Donnie Beechler (23), 12.
Paul Durant (27), 13. Kenneth Nichols (29), 14. Steve Barth (12), 15. Chuck
Gurney (20), 16. Randy Tolsma (21), 17. Gary Hieber (30), 18. Rocky Hodges (5),
19. Tracy Hines (19), 20. Tony Stewart (3), 21. Ryan Newman (9), 22. Dan Drinan
(6), 23. Jackie Burke (18), 24. Bill Baue (28), 25. Gary Irvin (17), 26. Brian
Tyler (22), 27. Dave Steele (4), 28. Tony Elliott (26), 29. Jim Keeker (16), 30.
Bill Rose (25). NT
MAY 17, 1997 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Pat
Abold (4), 2. Jimmy Kite (8), 3. Jack Hewitt (6), 4. Donnie Beechler (28), 5.
Jim Keeker (1), 6. Davey Hamilton (2), 7. Kenny Irwin Jr. (7), 8. Chuck Leary
(9), 9. Andy Michner (11), 10. Russ Gamester (16), 11. Chuck Gurney (13), 12.
Bentley Warren (12), 13. Brian Tyler (23), 14. Eric Gordon (29), 15. Dave
Darland (27), 16. Ronnie Burke (26), 17. Rocky Hodges (19), 18. Joe Gosek (30),
19. Cory Kruseman (18), 20. Bill Baue (25), 21. Todd Thomas (20), 22. Tracy
Hines (17), 23. Ryan Newman (14), 24. Robby Flock (15), 25. Jimmy Sills (5), 26.
Kevin Thomas (10), 27. Brian Gerster (3), 28. Jason McCord (24), 29. Jay Drake
(22), 30. Dave Steele (21). NT
JULY 30, 1997 FEATURE: (100 Laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kenny
Irwin Jr. (28), 2. Mike Bliss (12), 3. Dan Drinan (13), 4. Pat Abold (9), 5.
Bentley Warren (26), 6. Chet Fillip (8), 7. Tracy Hines (19), 8. Jimmy Kite (5),
9. Jim Keeker (15), 10. Jeff Mitrisin (30), 11. Jason McCord (23), 12. Joe Gosek
(29), 13. Jason Leffler (21), 14. Dave Darland (14), 15. Andy Michner (27), 16.
Russ Gamester (1), 17. Robby Flock (18), 18. Ryan Newman (11), 19. Davey
Hamilton (10), 20. Jack Hewitt (3), 21. Donnie Beechler (22), 22. J.J. Yeley
(20), 23. Tony Stewart (2), 24. Jay Drake (4), 25. Brian Gerster (6), 26. Doug
Kalitta (24), 27. Ronnie Burke (25), 28. John Heydenreich (16), 29. Paul Durant
(7), 30. Chuck Leary (17). NT
MAY 16, 1998 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Tony
Stewart (2), 2. Pat Abold (5), 3. Dave Steele (13), 4. Russ Gamester (3), 5.
Jason Leffler (1), 6. Doug Didero (7), 7. Tracy Hines (21), 8. Brian Tyler (19),
9. Chet Fillip (11), 10. Jimmy Sills (6), 11. Ryan Newman (26), 12. Bentley
Warren (18), 13. Gary Hieber (25), 14. Kevin Thomas (15), 15. J.J. Yeley (27),
16. Ronnie Day (22), 17. John Heydenreich (20), 18. Eric Gordon (16), 19. Jason
McCord (10), 20. Mike Brooks (12), 21. Lou Cicconi Jr. (28), 22. Dave Darland
(14), 23. Donnie Beechler (4), 24. Troy Regier (30), 25. Jay Drake (9), 26. Todd
Kane (23), 27. Chuck Leary (8), 28. Ken Hamilton (24), 29. Bill Rose (29), 30.
Robby Flock (17). 44:57.26
JULY 29, 1998 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jason
Leffler (1), 2. Dave Steele (2), 3. Russ Gamester (3), 4. Ryan Newman (4), 5.
Tony Stewart (21), 6. Brian Tyler (6), 7. Robby Flock (11), 8. Jack Hewitt (9),
9. Eric Gordon (16), 10. Dan Drinan (12), 11. Dave Darland (18), 12. Pat Abold
(15), 13. Tracy Hines (22), 14. Billy Puterbaugh Jr. (14), 15. Donnie Beechler
(17), 16. Bentley Warren (23), 17. Jimmy Sills (10), 18. Gary Hieber (20), 19.
Brad Armstrong (27), 20. John Heydenreich (7), 21. Chet Fillip (19), 22. Mike
Brooks (24), 23. Mike Bliss (5), 24. Derek Davidson (26), 25. Doug Didero (25),
26. Bill Baue (29), 27. Brian Gerster (13), 28. Lou Cicconi Jr. (30), 29. Dave
Blaney (8), 30. Johnny Parsons (28). NT
MAY 22, 1999 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Ryan
Newman (1), 2. Tracy Hines (5), 3. Brian Tyler (14), 4. Russ Gamester (7), 5.
Pat Abold (9), 6. Robby Flock (20), 7. Jason McCord (16), 8. Tony Elliott (8),
9. Doug Didero (4), 10. Derek Davidson (12), 11. Chet Fillip (17), 12. Jack
Hewitt (21), 13. Billy Puterbaugh Jr. (25), 14. Bentley Warren (18), 15. J.J.
Yeley (29), 16. Gary Hieber (2), 17. Kipp Beard (15), 18. Ken Hamilton (19), 19.
Jimmy McCune (22), 20. Dane Carter (23), 21. Mike Ordway (26), 22. Bill Tyler
(28), 23. Tim Cox (30), 24. Jay Drake (11), 25. Brad Noffsinger (10), 26. Jason
Leffler (#2) (13), 27. Paul White (27), 28. Dave Darland (3), 29. Jimmy Sills
(6), 30. Bill Baue (24). NT
AUGUST 4, 1999 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Dave
Steele (4), 2. Kenny Irwin Jr. (2), 3. Chuck Leary (1), 4. Ryan Newman (3), 5.
Russ Gamester (7), 6. Jack Hewitt (8), 7. Gary Hieber (12), 8. Jason Leffler
(5), 9. Tracy Hines (11), 10. Jay Drake (9), 11. Mike Bliss (21), 12. Bentley
Warren (24), 13. Dave Darland (13), 14. Brian Paulus (26), 15. Rebel Jackson Jr.
(10), 16. Eric Gordon (25), 17. Chet Fillip (19), 18. Jason McCord (23), 19.
J.J. Yeley (16), 20. Brad Noffsinger (6), 21. Jimmy Sills (17), 22. Rick
Treadway (28), 23. Rich Tobias Jr. (29), 24. Brian Gerster (30), 25. Tony
Elliott (18), 26. Tom Capie (20), 27. Brian Tyler (14), 28. Jimmy McCune (22),
29. Dane Carter (27), 30. Paul White (15). 41:00.18
MAY 20, 2000 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jason
Leffler (1), 2. Ryan Newman (10), 3. Jimmy McCune (3), 4. Kasey Kahne (27), 5.
Brian Tyler (13), 6. Brian Paulus (14), 7. Dave Darland (24), 8. Russ Gamester
(16), 9. Tony Elliott (19), 10. Jack Hewitt (26), 11. Dave Steele (2), 12. John
Heydenreich (4), 13. Pat Abold (29), 14. Paul White (17), 15. Jimmy Sills (20),
16. Jay Drake (21), 17. Bobby McMahan (22), 18. Brad Noffsinger (18), 19. Billy
Whittaker (6), 20. Eric Gordon (23), 21. J.J. Yeley (15), 22. Gary Hieber (7),
23. Ed Carpenter (8), 24. Todd Kane (28), 25. Jason McCord (5), 26. Chet Fillip
(9), 27. Tracy Hines (11), 28. Bud Kaeding (12), 29. A.J. Fike (25), 30. Bentley
Warren (30). NT
AUGUST 6, 2000 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Russ
Gamester (5), 2. J.J. Yeley (1), 3. Chet Fillip (10), 4. Dave Steele (12), 5.
John Heydenreich (13), 6. Jason McCord (8), 7. Jason Leffler (4), 8. Brad
Noffsinger (7), 9. Tony Stewart (2), 10. Jimmy McCune (24), 11. Brian Tyler
(20), 12. Dave Darland (23), 13. Kasey Kahne (9), 14. Ed Carpenter (26), 15.
Eric Gordon (27), 16. Tracy Hines (16), 17. A.J. Fike (17), 18. Pat Abold (21),
19. Derek Davidson (25), 20. Jack Hewitt (11), 21. Ryan Newman (3), 22. Bud
Kaeding (6), 23. Rich Tobias Jr. (28), 24. Dane Carter (22), 25. Gary Hieber
(15), 26. Brian Paulus (18), 27. Bill Rose (19), 28. Tony Elliott (30), 29.
Chuck Leary (29), 30. Paul White (14). 39:07.17
MAY 12, 2001 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Mike
Bliss (5), 2. Russ Gamester (6), 3. Tracy Hines (1), 4. Derek Davidson (12), 5.
Paul White (2), 6. Ed Carpenter (19), 7. Jason McCord (20), 8. Kasey Kahne (3),
9. Dave Darland (8), 10. Chet Fillip (7), 11. J.J. Yeley (9), 12. Jay Drake
(10), 13. Brian Tyler (21), 14. Dane Carter (4), 15. Brad Noffsinger (15), 16.
John Heydenreich (17), 17. Bud Kaeding (13), 18. Tony Elliott (23), 19. Jerry
Coons Jr. (27), 20. Gary Hieber (18), 21. Michael Lewis (25), 22. Bobby McMahan
(30), 23. Jimmy McCune (28), 24. Eric Gordon (22), 25. Dave Steele (11), 26.
Brian Paulus (16), 27. Billy Puterbaugh Jr. (24), 28. Carl Edwards (26), 29.
Tyler Walker (14), 30. Rich Tobias Jr. (29) 35:41.40
AUGUST 2, 2001 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1.
Kasey Kahne (9), 2. Brian Tyler (1), 3. Brad Noffsinger (3), 4. J.J. Yeley (7),
5. Michael Lewis (5), 6. Tracy Hines (8), 7. Paul White (6), 8. P.J. Jones (15),
9. Tyler Walker (2), 10. Russ Gamester (4), 11. Bud Kaeding (11), 12. Jason
McCord (10), 13. Dave Steele (17), 14. Derek Davidson (22), 15. Jonathan Vennard
(30), 16. Tony Elliott (28), 17. Ed Carpenter (20), 18. Aaron Fike (19), 19.
Jerry Coons Jr. (14), 20. Carl Edwards (24), 21. Cory Kruseman (13), 22. Billy
Puterbaugh Jr. (25), 23. Tom Capie (29), 24. John Heydenreich (21), 25. Jay
Drake (18), 26. Rich Tobias Jr. (26), 27. Mike Bliss (23), 28. Tony Stewart
(16), 29. Dave Darland (#135) (27). (Dane Carter car disqualified for failing to
pass post-race technical inspection) (12). 38:33.06
AUGUST 1, 2002 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Mike
Bliss (1), 2. Russ Gamester (3), 3. Jason Leffler (6), 4. J.J. Yeley (2), 5.
Tracy Hines (8), 6. Carl Edwards (16), 7. Dave Steele (12), 8. John Heydenreich
(20), 9. Brian Tyler (7), 10. Tony Stewart (22), 11. Aaron Pollock (9), 12. Ed
Carpenter (18), 13. Tyler Walker (25), 14. Dave Darland (14), 15. Derek Davidson
(11), 16. Tony Elliott (31), 17. Paul White (19), 18. Teddy Beach (27), 19.
Jimmy Kite (30), 20. P.J. Jones (15), 21. Aaron Fike (5), 22. Jerry Coons Jr.
(29), 23. Brad Noffsinger (17), 24. David Gough (28), 25. Jason McCord (24), 26.
Jonathan Vennard (13), 27. Chet Fillip (4), 28. Jay Drake (26), 29. Kasey Kahne
(21), 30. Rich Tobias Jr. (23), 31. Bobby East (10). 44:55.65
MAY 22, 2003 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. J.J.
Yeley (4), 2. Dave Steele (1), 3. Brian Tyler (11), 4. Dave Darland (19), 5.
Tracy Hines (6), 6. Chet Fillip (21), 7. A.J. Fike (18), 8. John Starks (10), 9.
Tyler Walker (2), 10. Michael Lewis (20), 11. Jason McCord (22), 12. Russ
Gamester (7), 13. Bobby East (9), 14. Jay Drake (13), 15. Teddy Beach (26), 16.
Paul White (25), 17. Dane Carter (30), 18. Matt Westfall (23), 19. Donny Schatz
(16), 20. Ron Gregory (5), 21. Ed Carpenter (15), 22. Aaron Pierce (8), 23. John
Heydenreich (31), 24. Levi Jones (27), 25. Brad Noffsinger (28), 26. Lance
Kobusch (14), 27. Bentley Warren (29), 28. Jason Leffler (3), 29. Jimmy McCune
(17), 30. Aaron Fike (24), 31. Bud Kaeding (12). NT
JULY 31, 2003 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Jason
McCord (15), 2. J.J. Yeley (1), 3. Carl Edwards (4), 4. Dave Darland (12), 5.
Dave Steele (2), 6. Bobby East (3), 7. Tony Elliott (18), 8. Paul White (7), 9.
Dane Carter (24), 10. Brad Noffsinger (13), 11. Jimmy McCune (17), 12. Jonathan
Vennard (30), 13. David Bridges (27), 14. John Starks (16), 15. Rich Tobias Jr.
(25), 16. Aaron Pierce (28), 17. Tyler Walker (14), 18. Ron Gregory (10), 19.
Jason Leffler (8), 20. John Heydenreich (19), 21. Eric Butze (11), 22. Jimmy
Kite (23), 23. Levi Jones (29), 24. Kasey Kahne (26), 25. Tracy Hines (6), 26.
Brian Tyler (5), 27. Mike Bliss (9), 28. Michael Lewis (22), 29. Aaron Fike
(20), 30. Chet Fillip (21), 31. Eric Gordon (31). NT
AUGUST 5, 2004 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jay
Drake (1), 2. Dave Darland (6), 3. Jason McCord (10), 4. Eric Gordon (21), 5.
Dave Blaney (7), 6. Chet Fillip (26), 7. Jerry Coons Jr. (12), 8. Bobby Santos
(13), 9. Bobby East (11), 10. Aaron Pierce (19), 11. Dave Steele (22), 12. Bud
Kaeding (3), 13. Dane Carter (4), 14. Russ Gamester (14), 15. Ron Gregory (25),
16. Aaron Fike (29), 17. P.J. Jones (18), 18. Boston Reid (15), 19. Paul White
(5), 20. John Heydenreich (30), 21. Brian Tyler (17), 22. Tony Elliott (28), 23.
Jeff Gardner (23), 24. Jimmy Kite (20), 25. Mike Bliss (2), 26. Tracy Hines
(27), 27. Wayne Reutimann Jr. (8), 28. Tyler Walker (9), 29. Michael Lewis (16),
30. Aaron Pollock (24). 44:35.25
AUGUST 4, 2005 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Bobby
East (4), 2. Jason Leffler (1), 3. Josh Wise (5), 4. Jason McCord (22), 5. Tracy
Hines (9), 6. Eric Gordon (21), 7. Chet Fillip (16), 8. Jimmy Kite (24), 9.
Michael Lewis (23), 10. Dave Steele (8), 11. Ryan Durst (14), 12. Stevie Reeves
(27), 13. Ron Gregory (12), 14. Tim Barber (17), 15. Todd Beach (25), 16. John
Heydenreich (32), 17. Brian Tyler (29), 18. Dave Darland (10), 19. Kasey Kahne
(3), 20. Teddy Beach (15), 21. Carl Edwards (13), 22. Jerry Coons Jr. (18), 23.
Marc Jessup (6), 24. Tyler Walker (7), 25. Paul White (19), 26. Jay Drake (2),
27. Kyle Nicholas (28), 28. Wayne Reutimann Jr. (11), 29. Brad Armstrong (30),
30. Kevin Swindell (26), 31. Mike Bliss (20), 32. Russ Gamester (31). 40:07.731
AUGUST 3, 2006 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1.
Brian Tyler (3), 2. Carl Edwards (5), 3. Dave Steele (4), 4. Aaron Pierce (7),
5. Bryn Gohn (12), 6. Wayne Reutimann Jr. (10), 7. Thiago Medeiros (9), 8. Josh
Wise (1), 9. Mat Neely (8), 10. Jay Drake (6), 11. Bud Kaeding (2), 12. Bobby
Santos (13), 13. Tim Barber (11), 14. Rodney Weesner (14). 42:43.281
JULY 26, 2007 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Bobby
East (2), 2. Pablo Donoso (7), 3. Tim Barber (5), 4. Cameron Dodson (3), 5. Mike
Murgoitio (9), 6. Jerry Coons Jr. (11), 7. Bud Kaeding (12), 8. Jason Leffler
(1), 9. Brian Tyler (15), 10. Billy Wease (10), 11. A.J. Fike (4), 12. Mat Neely
(8), 13. Wayne Reutimann Jr. (16), 14. Aaron Pierce (6), 15. Marc Jessup (14),
16. Paul White (17), 17. Brad Armstrong (18), 18. P.J. Jones (13). 47:41.509
JULY 24, 2008 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Bobby
East (2), 2. Ryan Newman (3), 3. Chet Fillip (4), 4. Dave Darland (17), 5. Jerry
Coons Jr. (9), 6. Aaron Pierce (11), 7. Levi Jones (6), 8. A.J. Fike (13), 9.
Wayne Reutimann Jr. (12), 10. Mike Murgoitio (8), 11. Brian Tyler (14), 12. Eric
Gordon (5), 13. Jacob Wilson (20), 14. Shane Hmiel (1), 15. Tracy Hines (7), 16.
Steve Arpin (21), 17. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (24), 18. Michael Annett (25), 19.
Brad Armstrong (22), 20. Ryan Smith (19), 21. Zach Schiff (16), 22. Mario
Marietta (15), 23. Shane Hollingsworth (18), 24. Tom Capie (26), 25. Cameron
Dodson (23), 26. Shane Cottle (10). 42:46.92
JULY 23, 2009 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Bobby
Santos (2), 2. Bobby East (3), 3. Bud Kaeding (4), 4. Chet Fillip (1), 5. Tyler
Walker (10), 6. Kody Swanson (19), 7. Eric Gordon (6), 8. Ryan Newman (9), 9.
Cameron Dodson (20), 10. Tracy Hines (12), 11. Josh Wise (21), 12. Dakoda
Armstrong (5), 13. Mike Lichty (11), 14. Davey Hamilton (23), 15. Mario Marietta
(16), 16. Levi Jones (14), 17. A.J. Fike (15), 18. Jerry Coons Jr. (8), 19.
Jacob Wilson (7), 20. Brian Tyler (18), 21. Aaron Pierce (27), 22. Zach Daum
(25), 23. Shane Hmiel (17), 24. Ryan Smith (28), 25. Brad Armstrong (26), 26.
Tony Hunt (22), 27. Russ Gamester (13), 28. Dave Darland (24), 29. Patrick Bruns
(29), 30. Rodney Weesner (30). 37:41.05
JULY 22, 2010 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Tracy
Hines (3), 2. Levi Jones (7), 3. Jacob Wilson (8), 4. Brad Sweet (1), 5. Bobby
East (10), 6. Bobby Santos (13), 7. Bud Kaeding (11), 8. Shane Hmiel (16), 9.
Jerry Coons Jr. (9), 10. Troy DeCaire (30), 11. Bryan Clauson (14), 12. Brian
Tyler (17), 13. Eric Gordon (15), 14. Mario Marietta (20), 15. A.J. Fike (5),
16. Justin Carver (24), 17. Aaron Pierce (22), 18. Shane Hollingsworth (25), 19.
Mike Larrison (23), 20. Tanner Swanson (6), 21. Coleman Gulick (28), 22. Derek
Hagar (27), 23. Kody Swanson (4), 24. Ryan Newman (2), 25. Mike Lichty (26), 26.
Russ Gamester (19), 27. Zach Daum (12), 28. Jason Leffler (18), 29. Zach Martini
(29), 30. Tyler Walker (21). NT
JULY 28, 2011 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody
Swanson (6), 2. Tracy Hines (1), 3. Tanner Swanson (5), 4. Levi Jones (4), 5.
Bobby Santos (19), 6. Bryan Clauson (12), 7. Jerry Coons Jr. (7), 8. Ryan Newman
(8), 9. Bobby East (3), 10. Eric Gordon (9), 11. Brian Tyler (11), 12. Aaron
Pierce (18), 13. Bud Kaeding (17), 14. Josh Wise (14), 15. Jacob Wilson (15),
16. A.J. Fike (13), 17. Russ Gamester (16), 18. Dave Steele (22), 19. Kyle
Larson (10), 20. Zach Daum (21), 21. Jimmy Kite (28), 22. Todd Kane (29), 23.
Mike Larrison (24), 24. David Byrne (20), 25. Derek Hagar (27), 26. John
Heydenreich (26), 27. Jason Leffler (2), 28. Ryan Smith (23), 29. Brian Gerster
(25). NT
MAY 19, 2012 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Bobby
Santos (3), 2. Kody Swanson (1), 3. Bud Kaeding (2), 4. Tanner Swanson (4), 5.
Jacob Wilson (5), 6. Tracy Hines (11), 7. Eric Gordon (14), 8. Levi Jones (7),
9. A.J. Fike (8), 10. Russ Gamester (19), 11. Bobby East (6), 12. Kyle Hamilton
(12), 13. Zach Daum (15), 14. Jerry Coons Jr. (10), 15. Jimmy Kite (17), 16.
Doug Berryman (16), 17. David Byrne (13), 18. Brian Tyler (9), 19. Donnie
Beechler (18). 47:57.38
JULY 26, 2012 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Bobby
Santos (1), 2. Kody Swanson (4), 3. Bobby East (11), 4. Kyle Larson (3), 5.
Tanner Swanson (2), 6. Jerry Coons Jr. (6), 7. Eric Gordon (7), 8. Russ Gamester
(9), 9. Levi Jones (14), 10. Bud Kaeding (16), 11. Jacob Wilson (12), 12. Kyle
Hamilton (10), 13. Brian Tyler (8), 14. A.J. Fike (15), 15. Taylor Ferns (13),
16. Tracy Hines (5), 17. Aaron Pierce (17), 18. Jimmy Kite (18). 36:48.05
JULY 27, 2013 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1.
Tanner Swanson (4), 2. Kody Swanson (1), 3. David Byrne (6), 4. Chris Windom
(3), 5. Tracy Hines (5), 6. Jacob Wilson (8), 7. Bobby East (11), 8. Aaron
Pierce (13), 9. Brian Tyler (15), 10. Taylor Ferns (9), 11. Russ Gamester (12),
12. Frank D’Alonso (17), 13. Randy Bateman (16), 14. Jerry Coons Jr. (2), 15.
Jarett Andretti (14), 16. Bobby Santos (7), 17. Shane Hollingsworth (10). NT
MAY 17, 2014 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Tanner
Swanson (1), 2. Kody Swanson (18), 3. David Byrne (3), 4. Tracy Hines (2), 5.
Bobby Santos (5), 6. Chris Windom (8), 7. Kyle O’Gara (9), 8. Jacob Wilson (4),
9. Bobby East (12), 10. A.J. Fike (11), 11. Taylor Ferns (6), 12. Cale Thomas
(14), 13. Christopher Bell (17), 14. Jarett Andretti (10), 15. John Hunt (16),
16. Caleb Armstrong (7), 17. Shane Cockrum (13), 18. Davey Ray (15), 19. Dave
Darland (19). NT
JULY 24, 2014 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. David
Byrne (4), 2. Tanner Swanson (1), 3. Kody Swanson (5), 4. Ryan Newman (2), 5.
Bobby Santos (3), 6. Chris Windom (8), 7. Jacob Wilson (9), 8. Bobby East (10),
9. Jarett Andretti (14), 10. Ken Schrader (12), 11. Davey Hamilton Jr. (18), 12.
Chris Phillips (20), 13. Jerry Coons Jr. (7), 14. Davey Ray (22), 15. Patrick
Lawson (24), 16. Kyle O’Gara (13), 17. Caleb Armstrong (11), 18. Cale Thomas
(16), 19. Tracy Hines (6), 20. C.J. Leary (15), 21. Ryan Litt (17), 22. John
Heydenreich (19), 23. A.J. Fike (21), 24. Jarid Blondel (23). NT
MAY 23, 2015 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Tanner
Swanson (1), 2. Kody Swanson (5), 3. Bobby Santos (4), 4. Jerry Coons Jr. (7),
5. Aaron Pierce (8), 6. A.J. Fike (2), 7. Tracy Hines (3), 8. David Byrne (10),
9. C.J. Leary (9), 10. Austin Nemire (12), 11. Jarett Andretti (11), 12. Rex
Norris III (13), 13. Jacob Wilson (6), 14. Dave Baumgartner (14), 15. Patrick
Lawson (15), 16. Davey Ray (18), 17. Tad Roach (16), 18. Jimmy Parsons (17).
40:23.16
JULY 23, 2015 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1.
Tanner Swanson (4), 2. Kody Swanson (3), 3. Ryan Newman (2), 4. Bobby Santos
(5), 5. Chris Windom (9), 6. Aaron Pierce (1), 7. David Byrne (7), 8. Jerry
Coons Jr. (6), 9. A.J. Fike (10), 10. Austin Nemire (11), 11. Rex Norris III
(13), 12. Joe Axsom (14), 13. Jarett Andretti (15), 14. Tim Barber (16), 15.
Patrick Lawson (18), 16. C.J. Leary (12), 17. Jacob Wilson (8), 18. Jimmy McCune
(17), 19. Tad Roach (19). 37:25.11
MAY 27, 2016 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Tanner
Swanson (4), 2. Kody Swanson (2), 3. Chris Windom (7), 4. Robert Stout (5), 5.
Aaron Pierce (6), 6. Justin Grant (12), 7. David Byrne (9), 8. Joe Axsom (11),
9. Shane Cockrum (16), 10. Joe Liguori (10), 11. Austin Nemire (13), 12. Casey
Shuman (14), 13. Shane Cottle (15), 14. Jacob Wilson (8), 15. Bobby Santos (1),
16. Jerry Coons Jr. (3), 17. Patrick Lawson (17). 51:38.838
JULY 21, 2016 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody
Swanson (1), 2. Tanner Swanson (4), 3. Jerry Coons Jr. (3), 4. Bobby Santos (5),
5. Chris Windom (6), 6. Ryan Newman (2), 7. Justin Grant (9), 8. Jacob Wilson
(8), 9. Joe Axsom (10), 10. Joe Liguori (11), 11. Casey Shuman (15), 12. Austin
Nemire (12), 13. Kevin Studley (17), 14. David Byrne (7), 15. Patrick Lawson
(16), 16. Shane Cottle (13), 17. Shane Cockrum (14). 45:52.428
MAY 26, 2017 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody
Swanson (1), 2. Bobby Santos (3), 3. Tanner Swanson (2), 4. Chris Windom (6), 5.
Aaron Pierce (9), 6. David Byrne (7), 7. Kevin Studley (15), 8. A.J. Russell
(11), 9. Jerry Coons Jr. (5), 10. Patrick Lawson (17), 11. Toni Breidinger (13),
12. Joss Moffatt (14), 13. Troy Thompson (20), 14. Justin Grant (4), 15. Davey
Hamilton Jr. (8), 16. Bill Rose (18), 17. Joe Liguori (16), 18. Joe Axsom (10),
19. J.C. Bland (19), 20. Cody Gerhardt (12). 47:17.986
JULY 20, 2017 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Bobby
Santos (3), 2. Tanner Swanson (1), 3. Aaron Pierce (4), 4. Kody Swanson (2), 5.
Chris Windom (10), 6. Justin Grant (5), 7. Jerry Coons Jr. (7), 8. David Byrne
(8), 9. Davey Hamilton Jr. (12), 10. Annie Breidinger (18), 11. Kevin Studley
(13), 12. Tyler Courtney (17), 13. Joss Moffatt (16), 14. Matt Goodnight (21),
15. Patrick Lawson (14), 16. Joe Liguori (20), 17. Joe Axsom (11), 18. Ryan
Newman (6), 19. Bill Rose (15), 20. Damion Gardner (9), 21. Shane Cottle (19).
47:34.181
MAY 25, 2018 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody
Swanson (1), 2. Tanner Swanson (22), 3. Aaron Pierce (6), 4. Bobby Santos (2),
5. Chris Windom (4), 6. Justin Grant (5), 7. David Byrne (3), 8. Jim Anderson
(8), 9. Eric Gordon (9), 10. Kyle Hamilton (21), 11. Travis Welpott (17), 12.
Patrick Lawson (16), 13. Cody Gerhardt (14), 14. Dave Darland (13), 15. Kyle
Robbins (11), 16. Toni Breidinger (15), 17. Matt Goodnight (12), 18. Bill Rose
(18), 19. Jerry Coons Jr. (7), 20. Derek Bischak (20), 21. Austin Blair (10),
22. Mike Haggenbottom (19). 40:54.232
MAY 24, 2019 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Kyle
Hamilton (2), 2. Tanner Swanson (17), 3. Bobby Santos (4), 4. Justin Grant (3),
5. Eric Gordon (16), 6. David Byrne (6), 7. Brian Gerster (9), 8. Kevin Thomas
Jr. (10), 9. Austin Nemire (12), 10. Cody Gallogly (8), 11. Kyle Robbins (11),
12. John Heydenreich (15), 13. Mike Haggenbottom (14), 14. Chris Windom (5), 15.
Derek Bischak (7), 16. Kody Swanson (1), 17. Matt Goodnight (13). NT
SEPTEMBER 7, 2019 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1.
Kody Swanson (2), 2. Tanner Swanson (1), 3. Kyle Hamilton (6), 4. Jim Anderson
(10), 5. James Davison (9), 6. David Byrne (5), 7. Bobby Santos (3), 8. Justin
Grant (4), 9. Chris Windom (11), 10. Kyle Robbins (20), 11. Joe Liguori (12),
12. Patrick Lawson (18), 13. Annie Breidinger (22), 14. Austin Nemire (14), 15.
Matt Goodnight (15), 16. Eric Gordon (8), 17. Mike Haggenbottom (19), 18. John
Heydenreich (21), 19. Ryan Newman (7), 20. Cameron Dodson (17), 21. Derek
Bischak (23), 22. Cody Gallogly (16), 23. Brian Gerster (13), 24. Dave
Berkheimer (24). 50:56.46
AUGUST 21, 2020 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1.
Tanner Swanson (2), 2. Aaron Pierce (7), 3. Kyle Hamilton (4), 4. Bobby Santos
(5), 5. Justin Grant (3), 6. Eric Gordon (6), 7. Patrick Lawson (21), 8. Russ
Gamester (8), 9. Chris Windom (10), 10. Kody Swanson (1), 11. Shane Cottle (13),
12. Austin Nemire (14), 13. Matt Goodnight (15), 14. Travis Welpott (18), 15.
Mike Haggenbottom (20), 16. Toni Breidinger (17), 17. Kyle Robbins (19), 18.
Derek Bischak (11), 19. Kyle O’Gara (12), 20. John Heydenreich (9), 21. Bryan
Gossel (22), 22. Jim Anderson (16), 23. Dave Berkheimer (24), 24. Brent Yarnal
(23). 50:44.343
MAY 29, 2021 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody
Swanson (1), 2. Bobby Santos (2), 3. David Byrne (3), 4. Justin Grant (4), 5.
Taylor Ferns (8), 6. Jim Anderson (5), 7. Logan Seavey (12), 8. Shane Cottle
(6), 9. Patrick Lawson (17), 10. Austin Nemire (13), 11. Kyle Robbins (10), 12.
Kyle O'Gara (14), 13. Bryan Gossel (16), 14. Mike Haggenbottom (19), 15. Eric
Gordon (11), 16. Matt Goodnight (15), 17. Annie Breidinger (18), 18. Jake Day
(21), 19. Tanner Swanson (23), 20. Travis Welpott (9), 21. Nathan Byrd (7), 22.
Dave Berkheimer (22), 23. Brent Yarnal (20). NT
AUGUST 14, 2021 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1.
Kody Swanson (1), 2. Tyler Roahrig (7), 3. Bobby Santos (3), 4. Tanner Swanson
(2), 5. David Byrne (6), 6. Kyle O'Gara (11), 7. Austin Nemire (16), 8. Logan
Seavey (9), 9. Russ Gamester (10), 10. Travis Welpott (13), 11. Mike
Haggenbottom (23), 12. Annie Breidinger (22), 13. Aaron Pierce (12), 14. Eric
Gordon (14), 15. Nathan Byrd (18), 16. Bryan Gossel (24), 17. Derek Bischak (4),
18. Justin Grant (8), 19. Jake Day (25), 20. Ryan Newman (5), 21. Kyle Robbins
(20), 22. Shane Cottle (15), 23. Joe Liguori (19), 24. Taylor Ferns (17), 25.
Patrick Lawson (21), 26. Dave Berkheimer (26). 57:28.825
MAY 27, 2022 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Bobby
Santos (1), 2. Kody Swanson (3), 3. Taylor Ferns (10), 4. C.J. Leary (6), 5.
Logan Seavey (8), 6. Brian Tyler (13), 7. Mario Clouser (24), 8. Davey Hamilton
Jr. (22), 9. Eric Gordon (21), 10. Gregg Cory (18), 11. Kyle O’Gara (11), 12.
Nathan Byrd (14), 13. Justin Grant (12), 14. Bryan Gossel (20), 15. Nick
Hamilton (5), 16. Tanner Swanson (7), 17. Travis Welpott (25), 18. Ryan Newman
(2), 19. Russ Gamester (9), 20. Kyle Robbins (16), 21. Austin Nemire (15), 22.
Mike McVetta (19), 23. Patrick Lawson (17), 24. Derek Bischak (4), 25. Dave
Berkheimer (23). 50:50.044
OCTOBER 22, 2022 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1.
Tanner Swanson (2), 2. C.J. Leary (10), 3. Tyler Roahrig (9), 4. Kody Swanson
(1), 5. Davey Hamilton Jr. (12), 6. Justin Grant (6), 7. Bobby Santos (4), 8.
Nathan Byrd (8), 9. Mario Clouser (7), 10. Nick Hamilton (5), 11. Brian Tyler
(13), 12. Travis Welpott (19), 13. Gregg Cory (17), 14. Kyle Robbins (16), 15.
Jake Day (20), 16. Bryan Gossel (15), 17. Mike McVetta (14), 18. Russ Gamester
(11), 19. Kaylee Bryson (18), 20. Logan Seavey (3), 21. Dave Berkheimer (21).
40:52.622
MAY 26, 2023 FEATURE: (146 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Bobby
Santos (1), 2. Logan Seavey (15), 3. Tyler Roahrig (10), 4. Derek Bischak (6),
5. Taylor Ferns (13), 6. Nathan Byrd (8), 7. Tanner Swanson (3), 8. Justin Grant
(4), 9. Mario Clouser (18), 10. Mike McVetta (20), 11. Bryan Gossel (27), 12.
Jerry Coons Jr. (23), 13. Casey Buckman (19), 14. Wayne Johnson (24), 15. Kaylee
Bryson (30), 16. Travis Welpott (26), 17. Gregg Cory (28), 18. Russ Gamester
(9), 19. Kody Swanson (2), 20. Kyle Steffens (22), 21. Trey Burke (21), 22.
Patrick Lawson (11), 23. Matt Westfall (25), 24. C.J. Leary (5), 25. Kyle O'Gara
(16), 26. Brent Yarnal (29), 27. Dave Berkheimer (32), 28. Emerson Axsom (7),
29. Billy Wease (14), 30. Kyle Robbins (17), 31. Davey Hamilton Jr. (12), 32.
Tom Paterson (31). 1:13:52.03 (New Track Record)
OCTOBER 15, 2023 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1.
Tanner Swanson (3), 2. Bobby Santos (2), 3. Justin Grant (4), 4. Kody Swanson
(1), 5. C.J. Leary (8), 6. Logan Seavey (5), 7. Kaylee Bryson (11), 8. Davey
Hamilton Jr. (9), 9. Mario Clouser (6), 10. Dakoda Armstrong (12), 11. Kyle
O’Gara (10), 12. Trey Osborne (19), 13. Kyle Steffens (16), 14. Bryan Gossel
(17), 15. Travis Welpott (20), 16. Gregg Cory (18), 17. Derek Bischak (13), 18.
Trey Burke (15), 19. Russ Gamester (7), 20. Tanner Berryhill (14), 21. Tom
Paterson (21). 44:04.426
MAY 25, 2024 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody Swanson (1), 2. Logan Seavey (2), 3. C.J. Leary (#06) (22), 4. Russ Gamester (8), 5. Bobby Santos (3), 6. Dakoda Armstrong (4), 7. Taylor Ferns (6), 8. Nathan Byrd (12), 9. Trey Osborne (9), 10. Kyle Steffens (20), 11. Justin Grant (5), 12. Tyler Roahrig (7), 13. Patrick Lawson (11), 14. Jerry Coons Jr. (10), 15. Tanner Berryhill (16), 16. Gregg Cory (17), 17. Casey Buckman (15), 18. Trey Burke (13), 19. Kaylee Bryson (14), 20. Brent Yarnal (18), 21. Nathan Moore (19), 22. Dave Berkheimer (21). 42:34.898
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS:
October 12, 2024 – Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, Arizona
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Logan Calderwood, 6,
Calderwood-14.520; 2. Cody Williams, 44, Williams-14.636; 3. Verne Sweeney, 98,
Guerrero-14.690; 4. R.J. Johnson, 51, Johnson-14.716; 5. Ricky Lewis, 17,
Dunkel-14.729; 6. Austin Grabowski, 72, Grabowski-14.761; 7. Charles Davis Jr.,
47, Davis-14.770; 8. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-14.783; 9. David Gasper, 18,
Kittle/Gasper-14.922; 10. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-15.007; 11. Jordan
Hermansader, 71, Martin-15.078; 12. Austin Williams, 17W, Dunkel-15.114; 13. A.J.
Bender, 21, Bender-15.247; 14. Logan Williams, 5W, McCarthy-15.477; 15. Racin
Silva, 5S, Silva-15.529; 16. Blake Bower, 17X, Dunkel-15.692; 17. Elexa Herrera,
5E, Herrera-16.167; 18. Stevie Rogers, 11, Rogers-16.393; 19. Todd Pratt, 17T,
Pratt-16.759; 20. Caleb Stelzig, 21X, Stelzig-NT.
FLOWDYNAMICS INCORPORATED / SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION / IN HONOR OF WILEY MILLER
SR. & WILEY MILLER II FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, all cars transfer to feature) 1.
R.J. Johnson, 2. Charles Davis Jr., 3. A.J. Bender, 4. Logan Calderwood, 5.
Tommy Malcolm, 6. Blake Bower, 7. Todd Pratt. NT.
BILLSJERKY.NET / FACTORY WRAPS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, all cars transfer to
feature) 1. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 2. Ricky Lewis, 3. Logan Williams, 4. Cody
Williams, 5. Jordan Hermansader, 6. Elexa Herrera. NT.
WC FRIEND COMPANY / IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, all
cars transfer to feature) 1. Austin Williams, 2. David Gasper, 3. Verne Sweeney,
4. Racin Silva, 5. Austin Grabowski, 6. Stevie Rogers. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Ricky Lewis (2), 2. David
Gasper (9), 3. R.J. Johnson (3), 4. Cody Williams (5), 5. Charles Davis Jr. (1),
6. A.J. Bender (13), 7. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (8), 8. Austin Grabowski (7), 9. Tommy
Malcolm (10), 10. Austin Williams (12), 11. Logan Calderwood (6), 12. Logan
Williams (14), 13. Verne Sweeney (4), 14. Jordan Hermansader (11), 15. Racin
Silva (15), 16. Elexa Herrera (17), 17. Stevie Rogers (18), 18. Todd Pratt (19),
19. Blake Bower (16). NT.
----------------------------
**Stevie Rogers flipped during lap 4 of the feature.
.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Ricky Lewis.
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: David Gasper (9 to 2)
NEW AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS:
NEXT AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACES: October 18&19 – Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, California
REDEMPTION AT THE BURG!
DANNER CAPITALIZES LATE
TO SCORE STAAB MEMORIAL
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Lawrenceburg, Indiana (October 11, 2024)………”It’s not really the way we want
to do it, but we’ll take them any way we can get them.”
On a smattering of occasions throughout the 2024 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car
National Championship season, Briggs Danner wound up in the unenvious position
of having the proverbial rug pulled out from underneath him while leading late
in a race.
One of those particular instances came during July’s USAC Indiana Sprint Week
round at Lawrenceburg Speedway where he was leading the field in the latter
stages of the race before an engine issue forced him to the sidelines.
Upon his return to the 3/8-mile dirt oval during Friday night’s inaugural
Greg Staab Memorial, Danner just so happened to be on the opposite side of a
similar ordeal. On the final lap, racelong leader Mitchel Moles’ bid for victory
was snuffed just one turn away from the finish line when a caution was displayed
for an incident in turn one involving Kyle Shipley and Kale Drake.
Under the yellow, Moles’ car developed an unusual and unexpected malady. With
his engine’s RPMs suddenly rising, Moles wore out his brakes just trying to keep
his car whoa’d down under the yellow flag periodi. When Moles pulled off the
racing surface, Danner took over control of the race, then fended off Robert
Ballou for the final two circuits to gather a look-what-I-found victory in his
Hogue Racing Enterprises/E. Schneider & Sons – Boulevard Truck Repair/DRC/Rider
Chevy.
Even with the lap 30 yellow flag, Danner (Allentown, Pa.) felt he still had a
chance to make a run at Moles. As it turned out, good fortune for himself and
devastating heartbreak for Moles was negated that scenario before it could even
be put to the test.
“I feel really bad for Mitchel,” Danner admitted. “I knew he had something
going on. I think his throttle was sticking. I don’t really want to win a race
in that manner, but I still think we had a shot with two laps to go there. He
was running through the bottom of one and two and I felt really good up top. I
think we could’ve pushed the issue.”
Despite gaining all three of his career USAC National Sprint Car feature wins
in 2024 at Pennsylvania’s Grandview Speedway as well as Indiana’s Bloomington
and Lawrenceburg Speedways, Danner has also quite often been on the other side
of the equation more times than he’d prefer with a boatload of near misses.
At Williams Grove, Danner ran out of fuel while leading coming off the final
turn on the last lap. At Port Royal, he smacked the wall and subsequently
dropped out while leading with eight laps to go. At Action Track USA, he came up
on the short end of a photo finish, losing out to Logan Seavey by .043 second.
And of course, there was the aforementioned Lawrenceburg race in midsummer, but
this time around, Danner was determined not to let another one slip away.
While Danner slotted into third for the start of the 73rd USAC national event
of the year during the 73rd ever visit by the USAC National Sprint Cars at
Lawrenceburg, Moles was lined up directly in front of him on the pole position.
Moles levied no mercy on the 24-car field as he rushed out to a near two second
lead and stayed put throughout much of the first half of the race.
On lap 13, however, Moles nearly met catastrophe as he and Todd Hobson
collided off the exit of turn two as Moles was attempting to put Hobson a lap
down. Wheels touched as a result, sending Hobson airborne while Moles’ momentum
briefly got stifled. Nonetheless, both continued onward seemingly void of any
lasting effects for the moment.
The torrid pace went caution free for the initial 26 laps until 11th running
Kale Drake initiated the first yellow flag after performing a 360-degree spin in
turn four, thus erasing Moles’ 1.6 second advantage. While Moles’ interval had
been slashed, on the same token, it did clear a path for him to race his way to
the finish line for the final four laps without the hindrance of traffic.
For the third-running Danner, it was “good riddance” to traffic, and thus,
made it one less task to take away from his ultimate focus of getting to the
front. With that said, time was running short.
“It was getting tough because I was pushing it really hard,” Danner
explained. “We got in traffic and I knew we’d be slowing down a little bit. Guys
like Brady (Bacon) would be able to keep up. He was showing his nose, but I
wasn’t going to let it faze me. I just tried not to look at him and kept
pushing. I was able to get by Robert (Ballou) there, and luckily, that was a big
move to be able to win this.”
While many eyes were affixed to Moles leading the pathway, the intriguing
battle for the second position proved to be critical. Danner chased Ballou, then
successfully slid underneath him in turn three to grab the second position at a
crucial juncture with just three laps to go.
Although Danner managed to close to within three to four car lengths of Moles
as the front two swept through turns three and four for the final time, it
seemed as if the sand in the hourglass had run out. But, just in the nick of
time for Danner’s sake, Shipley bounced through turn one and nearly toppled over
before coming to a halt. Drake, like Shipley, also running just beyond mid-pack
at the moment, was unable to avoid Shipley and slid sideways, nerf bar first,
into Shipley’s ride. Both drivers were okay, but unable to restart.
In a shocking development, under the yellow flag, Moles stopped at the edge
of the infield, then was pushed to the pits with a possible stuck throttle. That
made Danner the leader of the pack for the race that was extended to 31 laps due
to the “overtime” period.
Although Ballou took run after run to slide up in front, Danner never
flinched and never wavered as he crossed the stripe 0.593 seconds ahead of the
field. Ballou came home a close second while Bacon collected third, Daison
Pursley fourth and Kevin Thomas Jr. fifth.
Danner’s victory allowed him to become the first native Pennsylvanian to win
three or more USAC National Sprint Car feature events in a season since National
Sprint Car Hall of Famer Mitch Smith do so in 1971.
Robert Ballou (Rocklin, Calif.) came narrowly close to scoring his first USAC
victory at Lawrenceburg since 2011. In the end, he finished with his second
top-two series result in his past three starts aboard his Ballou
Motorsports/Suburban Subaru – Mountain Mechanical Contractors/DRC/Ott Chevy.
Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.) kept the train-a-rollin’ as he finished
third to grab his 19th consecutive top-10 finish of the USAC National Sprint Car
season in his Dynamics, Inc./Tom Hoffman Construction – Spankins
Motorsports/Triple X/Rider Chevy.
Mired back in the 16th starting spot, Kyle Cummins (Princeton, Ind.) went to
work and raced his way up to a ninth place result in the feature. That earned
him the evening’s hard charger honors.
Kayla Roell (Dillsboro, Ind.) furiously fought her way into the main event. Starting sixth in the semi-feature, she moved her way up to the fourth and final transfer spot to put herself in the big show. For that, she's the honoree of Inferno Armor USA’s Fire Move of the Night
In Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying, Daison Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.)
captured his sixth career USAC National Sprint Car quick time, which tied him
for 80th on all-time list with Mike Bliss, Daron Clayton, Derek Davidson, Eric
Gordon, Richard Griffin, Jac Haudenschild, Tray House, James McElreath and Ken
Schrader.
Meanwhile, Danner’s third career USAC National Sprint Car victory placed him
118th on the all-time series feature winners list alongside Chuck Amati, Sonny
Ates, Joe Barzda, Jeff Bloom, Mark Cassella, Jerry “Scratch” Daniels, Bob East,
Bob Frey, Dickie Gaines, Wayne Hammond, Tray House, Kenny Jacobs, Tony Jones,
Kyle Larson, Andy Linden, Charlie Masters, Mike Mosley, Larry Rice, Ron Shuman,
Mitch Smith and Doug Wolfgang.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: October 11, 2024 –
Lawrenceburg Speedway – Lawrenceburg, Indiana – 3/8-Mile Dirt Oval – Greg Staab
Memorial
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Daison Pursley, 21AZ, Team
AZ/Curb-Agajanian-14.049; 2. Logan Seavey, 57, Abacus-14.076; 3. Brady Bacon,
69, Dynamics-14.085; 4. Briggs Danner, 39, Hogue-14.169; 5. Kale Drake, 2B, 2B
Racing-14.256; 6. Carson Garrett, 15, BGE Dougherty-14.266; 7. Robert Ballou,
12, Ballou-14.369; 8. Mitchel Moles, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-14.387; 9. Justin
Grant, 4, TOPP-14.441; 10. Matt Westfall, 33m, Marshall-14.537; 11. Jadon
Rogers, 66, Amati-14.552; 12. Kyle Cummins, 3p, Petty-14.618; 13. Kyle Shipley,
4u, AJR-14.700; 14. Kevin Thomas Jr., 3R, Rock Steady-14.709; 15. Chase Stockon,
5s, KO-14.724; 16. J.J. Hughes, 76, Hughes-14.730; 17. Nick Bilbee, 17,
Bilbee-14.786; 18. Joey Amantea, 88J, JPA-14.862; 19. Brandon Mattox, 28,
Mattox-14.951; 20. C.J. Leary, 15x, BGE Dougherty-14.953; 21. Hayden Reinbold,
19, Reinbold/Underwood-14.971; 22. Shawn Westerfeld, 44J,
Fischesser/Owen-15.010; 23. Todd Hobson, 44, Soudrette-15.106; 24. Kayla Roell,
5K, KO-15.304; 25. Ryan Barr, 21B, Barr-15.355; 26. Hunter Maddox, 24m,
Maddox-15.633; 27. Dakota Earls, 15E, Earls-15.736; 28. Braxton Cummings, 71B,
Cummings-15.948; 29. Brian Heitkamp, 22, Heitkamp-16.394; 30. Saban Bibent, 98,
Wedgewood-NT.
SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1.
Nick Bilbee, 2. Kyle Shipley, 3. Hayden Reinbold, 4. Justin Grant, 5. Daison
Pursley, 6. Ryan Barr, 7. Brian Heitkamp, 8. Kale Drake. NT
ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Kevin
Thomas Jr., 2. Shawn Westerfeld, 3. Matt Westfall, 4. Joey Amantea, 5. Logan
Seavey, 6. Carson Garrett, 7. Hunter Maddox. 1:57.869
T.J. FORGED THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Chase
Stockon, 2. Robert Ballou, 3. Todd Hobson, 4. Brady Bacon, 5. Jadon Rogers, 6.
Brandon Mattox, 7. Dakota Earls. 1:59.526
CAR IQ FOURTH HEAT: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. C.J. Leary, 2.
Kyle Cummins, 3. Mitchel Moles, 4. J.J. Hughes, 5. Briggs Danner, 6. Braxton
Cummings, 7. Kayla Roell. 1:59.479
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (12 laps, top-4 transfer to the
feature) 1. Kale Drake, 2. Carson Garrett, 3. Brandon Mattox, 4. Kayla Roell, 5.
Braxton Cummings, 6. Hunter Maddox, 7. Dakota Earls, 8. Brian Heitkamp, 9. Ryan
Barr. NT
FEATURE: (31 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Briggs Danner (3),
2. Robert Ballou (2), 3. Brady Bacon (4), 4. Daison Pursley (6), 5. Kevin Thomas
Jr. (7), 6. Chase Stockon (8), 7. C.J. Leary (10), 8. Justin Grant (13), 9. Kyle
Cummins (16), 10. Logan Seavey (5), 11. Nick Bilbee (9), 12. Carson Garrett
(12), 13. Joey Amantea (19), 14. J.J. Hughes (18), 15. Brandon Mattox (20), 16.
Todd Hobson (23), 17. Kayla Roell (24), 18. Hayden Reinbold (21), 19. Mitchel
Moles (1), 20. Kale Drake (11), 21. Kyle Shipley (17), 22. Shawn Westerfeld
(22), 23. Jadon Rogers (15), 24. Matt Westfall (14). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-29 Mitchel Moles, Laps 30-31 Briggs Danner.
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Logan Seavey-2762,
2-Brady Bacon-2697, 3-Daison Pursley-2510, 4-C.J. Leary-2472, 5-Kevin Thomas
Jr.-2468, 6-Mitchel Moles-2383, 7-Robert Ballou-2374, 8-Kyle Cummins-2275,
9-Justin Grant-2266, 10-Carson Garrett-1711.
USAC NATIONAL PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Daison Pursley-196, 2-Logan
Seavey-188, 3-Robert Ballou-145, 4-Justin Grant-138, 5-C.J. Leary-128, 6-Chase
Stockon-126, 7-Kyle Cummins-124, 8-Brady Bacon-112, 9-Kevin Thomas Jr.-105,
10-Matt Westfall-104.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: October 12, 2024 –
Lawrenceburg Speedway – Lawrenceburg, Indiana – 3/8-Mile Dirt Oval – Fall
Nationals
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: Daison Pursley (14.246)
Honest Abe Roofing/Greg Staab Memorial Fast Qualifier: Daison Pursley
(14.049)
Simpson Race Products First Heat Winner: Nick Bilbee
Rod End Supply Second Heat Winner: Kevin Thomas Jr.
T.J. Forged Third Heat Winner: Chase Stockon
Car IQ Fourth Heat Winner: C.J. Leary
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Kale Drake
Greg Staab Memorial First Non-Transfer: Braxton Cummings
Greg Staab Memorial Hard Charger: Kyle Cummins (16th to 9th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: Kayla Roell
Greg Staab Memorial Best Lawrenceburg Regular: Nick Bilbee (11th)
Greg Staab Memorial Not in Show Bonus: Ryan Barr
USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS RUMBLE AT MOHAVE VALLEY SATURDAY
By Lance Jennings
OCTOBER 8, 2024... The chase for the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint
Car Championship will resume this Saturday, October 12th at Mohave Valley
Raceway. Promoted by Ron Meyer, the seventeenth point race and tune-up for
November’s “57th Western World Championships” will also feature the Southwest
EcoTech Midgets, Dwarf Cars, and Spring Family Motorsports Mini Dwarfs. Located
at 2750 Laguna Road in Mohave Valley, Arizona, the Pit Gates will open at
2:30pm, the Spectator Gates will open at 5:00pm, with Racing scheduled for
7:00pm. For more information, visit mohavevalleyracceway.com or call
928.346.3000.
For those that cannot make it to the races, the event will be live streamed
at Dirt Race Central, (drc.tv).
NOTICE TO RACERS:
- APPROVED/LEGAL MUFFLERS: Mufflers ARE NOT REQUIRED at Mohave Valley Raceway.
- ALL RACERS MUST PURCHASE THEIR USAC LICENSE / MEMBERSHIPS ONLINE PRIOR TO THE
EVENT AT USACRACING.COM OR USACLICENSE.COM. (If racers have a membership
question, contact Julie Tanaka at julietanaka@aol.com.)
- ENTRY FEE: There is an entry fee due at registration / pill pick.
- TRANSPONDERS: Transponders ARE MANDATORY and will be available to rent.
- ONE WAY RADIOS / RACECEIVERS: One way radios ARE MANDATORY.
- FRONT AXLE TETHER SYSTEMS: Front axle tether systems (2-Chassis, 1-King Pin to
King Pin) ARE MANDATORY.
- FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS: Full containment seats ARE MANDATORY.
- COCKPIT ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS: Cockpit adjustable shocks ARE ALLOWED.
- RULE BOOK: The series rule book is online at usacracing.com, appendix E.
- FUEL WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE RACE TRACK.
- TIRES ARE NOT AVAILABLE AT THE RACE TRACK.
SPECIAL NOTICE AT MOHAVE VALLEY:
- CASH ONLY: Mohave Valley Raceway is a cash only facility.
- PIT AREA PARKING: Personal vehicles or side by sides, etc. are NOT allowed in
the pits. If it is not towing the race car/truck, on the trailer with the car,
or in the trailer with the car, then it will NOT be allowed. NO exceptions!
Since April 23, 2022, the fast 1/3-mile clay oval has held six USAC/CRA
Sprint Car events and five different drivers have claimed victory. Defending
champion, “The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa leads all drivers with two
Mohave Valley wins and “KTJ” Kevin Thomas Jr. topped the April 6th event. “The
Cadillac” Cody Williams established the 1-lap track record of 13.923 seconds on
April 1, 2023 and the complete Mohave Valley win list is at the end of this
release.
After finishing third at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway Dirt Track
(Bakersfield, CA) on September 28th, R.J. Johnson (Laveen, Arizona) holds a
41-point lead over the competition. Driving Ricky and Michele Johnson’s #51 JUGO
Superfoods / Avanti Windows & Doors Sherman, Johnson has two feature wins, two
Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, one semi-main win, fifteen top-10
finishes, and 46 feature laps led on the season. The multi-time Arizona Sprint
Car Champion is currently tied with “The Macho Man” Brady Bacon, “Dynamite”
David Cardey, and Richard Vander Weerd with nine feature wins to his credit. The
2005 Rookie of the Year will be looking to extend his point lead with his first
series win at Mohave Valley.
Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm (Yucaipa, California) ranks second in the point
standings. Racing Dino Napier’s #5X Indiana Truck Salvage / B&B Powder Coating
Maxim, Malcolm scored sixteenth at Kern Raceway after suffering damage earlier
in the night. To date, Tommy “Thunder” has four feature wins, one Woodland Auto
Display Fast Time Award, four heat race victories, one In Memory of Jim and Chet
Gardner Hard Charger Award, fourteen top-10 finishes, and 86 feature laps led in
the campaign. Tommy is tied with Robert Ballou, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., and
“KTJ” Kevin Thomas Jr. with seven series wins. The veteran driver will have his
sights on gaining valuable points by adding a Mohave Valley win to his resume.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, California) sits third in
the chase for the championship. Piloting Tom & Christy Dunkel’s #17W Inland
Rigging / Dunkel Farms DRC, Williams placed seventh at Kevin Harvick’s Kern
Raceway. At press time, the 2009 Co-Rookie of the Year has five heat race
victories, two In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Awards, twelve
top-10 finishes, and 11 feature laps led on the year. “The Big Game Hunter” is
tied with Matt Mitchell with eleven series wins and will have his sights on his
first USAC/CRA victory of 2024 on Saturday.
A.J. Bender (San Diego, California) is fourth in the battle for the USAC/CRA
championship. Racing the family owned #21 Bender Pool & Spa / Matrix
Construction Services DRC, Bender raced from twelfth to sixth in the September
28th main event. To date, the former 360 Sprint Car Turkey Night Grand Prix
Winner has one feature win, six heat race victories, eleven top-10 finishes, and
44 feature laps led in the campaign. The 2022 USAC Western States Midget Rookie
of the Year will be looking for the second USAC/CRA win of his career at Mohave
Valley.
Logan Williams (Yorba Linda, California) ranks fifth in the championship
point standings. Driving John McCarthy’s #5W Flowdynamics Incorporated /
Drinkpak DRC, Williams finished tenth in the Kern Raceway main event. At press
time, the 2014 Rookie of the Year has one heat race victory, one In Memory of
Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, thirteen top-10 finishes, and 21
feature laps led to his credit. Logan will have his sights on earning the first
USAC/CRA victory of his career this Saturday night.
Driving the Kittle Motorsports / Gasper Racing #18 DRC backed by Art Klee and
Martin Roofing, David Gasper (Goleta, California) leads the chase for Rookie of
the Year honors. Elexa Herrera, Brent Sexton, Blake Bower, Braden Chiaramonte,
Jon DeWees, Joey Bishop, Mark Henry, Tyler Hatzikian, Camie Bell, Aaron
Altaffer, Jacob Tuttle, Heath Holdsclaw, Blake Hendricks, and Tom Dunkel are
also in contention.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are “The Cadillac” Cody
Williams, Verne Sweeney, “The Gunslinger” Austin Grabowski, “Chargin” Charles
Davis Jr., Eddie Tafoya Jr., Grant Sexton, Logan Calderwood, “Flash” Jordan
Hermansader, and more.
Mohave Valley Raceway is located at 2750 Laguna Road in Mohave Valley,
Arizona. For more event information, visit the track’s website at
mohavevalleyracceway.com or call 928.346.3000. Mohave Valley Raceway is a cash
only facility and grandstand tickets are available on race day. General
Admission tickets (including Seniors) are $25, Children tickets (6 to 12) are
$15, and Children (5 and under) are FREE. Outside food, beverages, and ice
chests are not permitted.
The Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks BillsJerky.net,
Factory Wraps, Flowdynamics Incorporated, The Gardner Family (In Memory of Jim
and Chet Gardner), In Honor of Wiley Miller Sr. and Wiley Miller II, Sexton Fire
Protection, WC Friend Company, and Woodland Auto Display, for their support.
For more information on the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car
Series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at usacracing.com and
the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the
USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
-----------------------------------------------
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS: 2004-Rip Williams,
2005-Damion Gardner, 2006-Cory Kruseman, 2007-Tony Jones, 2008-Mike Spencer,
2009-Mike Spencer, 2010-Mike Spencer, 2011-Mike Spencer, 2012-Mike Spencer,
2013-Damion Gardner, 2014-Damion Gardner, 2015-Damion Gardner, 2016-Damion
Gardner, 2017-Damion Gardner, 2018-Damion Gardner, 2019-Damion Gardner, 2020-NO
AWARD, 2021-Damion Gardner, 2022-Damion Gardner, 2023-Brody Roa.
2024 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. R.J.
Johnson-1073, 2. Tommy Malcolm-1032, 3. Austin Williams-971, 4. A.J. Bender-929,
5. Logan Williams-913, 6. David Gasper (R)-888, 7. Cody Williams-867, 8. Verne
Sweeney-708, 9. Austin Grabowski-691, 10. Charles Davis Jr.-642, 11. Eddie
Tafoya Jr.-613, 12. Elexa Herrera (R)-495, 13. Brent Sexton (R)-423, 14. Grant
Sexton-344, 15. Logan Calderwood-329, 16. Matt Mitchell-328, 17. Brody Roa-307,
18. Blake Bower (R)-263, 19. Matt McCarthy-254, 20. Ricky Lewis-233. The
complete point standings can be found at usacracing.com.
2024 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 4-Tommy Malcolm,
2-Charles Davis Jr., 2-Matt Mitchell, 2-R.J. Johnson, 2-Cody Williams, 1-A.J.
Bender, 1-Braden Chiaramonte, 1-David Gasper, 1-Kevin Thomas Jr.
MOHAVE VALLEY AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA 1-LAP QUALIFYING RECORD: Cody
Williams – 13.923 (04/01/23)
MOHAVE VALLEY AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 2-Brody Roa,
1-Damion Gardner, 1-Chase Johnson, 1-Ricky Lewis, 1-Kevin Thomas Jr.
2024 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
February 24: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Matt Mitchell)
March 16: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: David Gasper)
March 23: Cocopah Speedway – Somerton, AZ (Winner: Charles Davis Jr.)
April 6: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Winner: Kevin Thomas Jr.)
April 27: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: A.J. Bender)
May 25: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Matt Mitchell)
June 8: Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway – Bakersfield, CA (Winner:
R.J. Johnson)
June 22: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Tommy Malcolm)
July 6: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA (Winner: Tommy Malcolm)
July 13: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Tommy Malcolm)
August 10: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA (Winner: Braden Chiaramonte)
August 17: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Cody Williams)
August 31: Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway – Bakersfield, CA (Winner:
Tommy Malcolm)
September 7: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA (Winner: R.J. Johnson)
September 21: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Charles Davis Jr.)
September 28: Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway – Bakersfield, CA
(Winner: Cody Williams)
October 12: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ
October 18: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA
October 19: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA
November 1: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Western World
Championships)
November 2: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Western World
Championships)
November 9: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
---------------------------------------------
TBA = To Be Announced.
This schedule is subject to change.
THE BATTLEGROUND AWAITS!
TWO NIGHTS & $20,000 IN SIGHT
FOR USAC SPRINTS AT THE BURG OCT 11-12
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Lawrenceburg, Indiana (October 9, 2024)………As if the Fall Nationals could get
any better!
The event has doubled in size for 2024 to host not one, but two-straight
nights of USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship racing this
Friday-Saturday, October 11-12, at southeastern Indiana’s Lawrenceburg Speedway.
To say much is on the line this weekend would certainly be an understatement.
Not only has the USAC National Sprint Car title race hit the final four-race
stretch of the season, drivers and teams will also be chasing after a grand
prize of $20,000 during Saturday night’s 30-lap grand culmination.
Furthermore, Brady Bacon leads a trail of hopefuls aiming to claim a $10,000
bonus in the finale of the 10-race Bubby Jones Master of Goin’ Faster series
presented by Spire Sports + Entertainment.
Additionally, Robert Ballou is staring in the face of a $10,000 bonus of his
own if he can finish Saturday’s round with a podium finish to complete the NOS
Energy Drink Hoosier Trifecta for 2024.
Time has come today. Can’t put it off another day. So, in the meantime,
here’s six Fall Nationals storylines to watch for this weekend at the
battleground of The Burg.
FALL NATTY HEROES
No less than six past Fall Nationals winners are expected to compete in this
weekend’s event. Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) has captured the event twice, first
in 2018 and did so again for the second time in the most recent edition in 2023.
Robert Ballou (Rocklin, Calif.) scored the first two Fall Nationals wins in
2007 and 2008. One-time Fall Nationals winners in the field include Chase
Stockon (Fort Branch, Ind.) who claimed his very first career USAC victory in
the 2012 event as well as Broken Arrow, Oklahoma’s Brady Bacon (2020) and
Princeton, Indiana’s Kyle Cummins (2022).
Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Ala.) is the winningest driver in Fall Nationals
history, having won the event a staggering three times in 2017-2019-2021.
On the flip side are those who’ve won USAC National Sprint Car races at
Lawrenceburg but are still vying for a first career Fall Nationals win this
Saturday. Among them are C.J. Leary (Greenfield, Ind.) who has won a pair of
USAC National Sprint Car races at The Burg in 2017 and 2020 and was also a track
champion in 2013. Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) is another won, having won twice
at Lawrenceburg with the USAC Sprint Cars in 2021, and most recently, in July of
2024. His prowess at Lawrenceburg extends to feature victories in both USAC
National Sprint Car and National Midgets.
SPEAKING OF KTJ
Kevin Thomas Jr. has routinely displayed his mastery of Lawrenceburg Speedway
in USAC National Sprint Car competition over the years.
His three Fall Nationals triumphs are an all-time record, and furthermore, he
now stands just one win away this weekend from equaling the great Dave Darland
as the winningest driver in USAC National Sprint Car history at Lawrenceburg
Speedway. Darland owns seven of them while Thomas picked up his most recent this
past April.
Both the driver and his Rock Steady Racing team have previously won the Fall
Nationals (2022 with Kyle Cummins), and they’ve been solid of late, finishing
inside the top-two in three of their past four USAC starts.
PURSUING A “MASTERS” DEGREE
A Bubby Jones Master of Goin' Faster Series Presented By Spire Sports +
Entertainment champion will be crowned on Saturday night.
The finale of the 10-race series within a series arrives this weekend at
Lawrenceburg with 2022 Master of Going Faster titlist Brady Bacon standing atop
the points by a mere six-point margin over Kevin Thomas Jr. At stake is a
$10,000 bonus for the champion driver plus a $2500 bonus to the crew chief
champion.
With a maximum of 84 points up for grabs on race night (6 for the fast
qualifier, 8 for each heat race winner & 70 for the feature winner),
technically, seven drivers remain eligible to take home the top prize this
Saturday with Daison Pursley (-27) in third followed by C.J. Leary (-29), Logan
Seavey (-33), Kyle Cummins (-57) and Mitchel Moles (-81).
Winners of the Bubby Jones races thus far in 2024 include two-time winners
Logan Seavey (Volusia & Terre Haute), Daison Pursley (Knoxville & Eldora), Kevin
Thomas Jr. (Williams Grove & Tri-State) and one-timers Justin Grant (Eldora),
Brady Bacon (Port Royal) and Kyle Cummins (Kokomo).
TRIPLE CROWN WATCH FOR SEAVEY
Logan Seavey has four races left to set a USAC National Sprint Car record and
also to become just the eighth USAC career Triple Crown champion.
Seavey’s torrid pace throughout the spring and summer months placed him at 13
career USAC National Sprint Car wins, putting him one victory shy of Tom
Bigelow’s single season record set in 1977. While Seavey has remained
consistently within the top-five, his pursuit continues as he’s gone winless in
his past 10 series starts.
Things are looking up for Seavey entering Lawrenceburg. He was victorious in
his most recent USAC Silver Crown start at Indiana’s Terre Haute Action Track
last Sunday. Furthermore, his most recent visit to Lawrenceburg with the USAC
National Sprint Cars in July also resulted in a win.
Seavey’s 86-point lead in the series championship race has held steady since
February, and a victory (or two) at Lawrenceburg this weekend would go to
further cement his championship ideals and place him squarely in the record
books in multiple manners.
BALLOU TRYIN’ FOR A TRIFECTA
Robert Ballou will enter this Saturday’s race at Lawrenceburg as the only
driver in contention to collect a $10,000 payday for the NOS Energy Drink
Trifecta.
Ballou (Rocklin, Calif.) finished third during July’s USAC Indiana Sprint
Week round at Kokomo Speedway, then took second during September’s Haubstadt
Hustler at Tri-State Speedway to put him in prime position. A third-place result
or better in the Trifecta finale at Lawrenceburg on Saturday would earn him a
$10,000 bonus.
The 2015 USAC National Sprint Car champion would love to accomplish the feat
in style, however, by winning the whole deal. Ballou scored wins in the first
two editions of the Fall Nationals back in 2007 and 2008 when the event was
sanctioned by the Midwest Sprint Car Series. His most recent USAC victory at
Lawrenceburg was notched during Indiana Sprint Week in 2011.
One year ago at the Fall Nationals, Ballou led the initial eight laps and
finished as the runner-up.
DOG DAY AFTERNOON (AND NIGHT)
This Friday will definitely be a “Dog Day” at The Burg.
The inaugural Greg Staab Memorial honors the life and memory of the five-time
Lawrenceburg Speedway sprint car track champion in 1982-1983-1984-1985-1987.
Nicknamed "Dog," Staab was a longtime USAC driver and car owner who also
served as the promoter of Lawrenceburg Speedway and was later a USAC National
Sprint Car Competition Director.
As part of the event, the winner’s share will be $6,444, in recognition of
the familiar No. 44 that he campaigned for several years on USAC’s Midget and
Sprint Car trails as well as on the local Indiana/Ohio sprint car scene.
Staab scored one USAC National Sprint Car victory in his career, a memorable
feat in 1988 on the pavement of Indianapolis Raceway Park that was shown live on
ESPN. Staab passed away in 2017 at the age of 68.
RACE DETAILS
On Friday night, October 11, it’s the inaugural Greg Staab Memorial featuring
the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship, plus Pure Stocks and Hornets.
Pits open at 3pm Eastern, grandstands open at 5pm, drivers meeting at 5:30pm and
hot laps at 6:30pm with qualifying and racing immediately following. Advance
tickets are on sale now at https://www.myracepass.com/tracks/1889/tickets.
General admission tickets are $25 for ages 13 & up. General admission tickets
for kids age 7-12 are $5. General admission tickets for kids age 6 & under are
free. Pit passes are $40 for ages 11 & up. Pit passes for ages 10 & under are
$15. Backstretch/pit parking is $15.
On Saturday night, October 12, the 17th running of the Fall Nationals
features the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship, plus Modifieds. Pits
open at 2pm Eastern, grandstands open at 4pm, drivers meeting at 5:15pm and hot
laps at 6pm with qualifying and racing immediately following. Advance tickets
are on sale now at https://www.myracepass.com/tracks/1889/tickets. General
admission tickets are $35 for ages 13 & up. General admission tickets for kids
age 7-12 are $5. General admission tickets for kids age 6 & under are free. Pit
passes are $45 for ages 11 & up. Pit passes for ages 10 & under are $15.
Backstretch/pit parking is $15.
The Lawrenceburg Fall Nationals can be watched LIVE on FloRacing at
https://www.flosports.link/usac.
==========================
USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Logan Seavey-2710, 2-Brady Bacon-2624, 3-Daison Pursley-2439, 4-C.J. Leary-2412, 5-Kevin Thomas Jr.-2402, 6-Mitchel Moles-2352, 7-Robert Ballou-2300, 8-Kyle Cummins-2222, 9-Justin Grant-2212, 10-Carson Garrett-1668.
BUBBY JONES MASTER OF GOIN’ FASTER PRESENTED BY SPIRE SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT
POINTS: 1-Brady Bacon-604, 2-Kevin Thomas Jr.-598, 3-Daison Pursley-577, 4-C.J.
Leary-575, 5-Logan Seavey-571, 6-Kyle Cummins-547, 7-Mitchel Moles-523, 8-Robert
Ballou-518, 9-Justin Grant-486, 10-Chase Stockon-410.
FALL NATIONALS WINNERS AT LAWRENCEBURG SPEEDWAY:
2007: Robert Ballou (MSCS)
2008: Robert Ballou (MSCS)
2009: Damion Gardner (USAC) & Jon Stanbrough (MSCS)
2010: Rained Out
2011: Levi Jones (USAC)
2012: Chase Stockon (USAC)
2013: Bryan Clauson (USAC)
2014: Bryan Clauson (USAC)
2015: Thomas Meseraull (USAC)
2016: Josh Hodges (USAC)
2017: Kevin Thomas Jr. (USAC)
2018: Justin Grant (USAC)
2019: Kevin Thomas Jr. (USAC)
2020: Brady Bacon (USAC)
2021: Kevin Thomas Jr. (USAC)
2022: Kyle Cummins (USAC)
2023: Justin Grant (USAC)
TRACK RECORDS FOR USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CARS AT LAWRENCEBURG SPEEDWAY:
1 Lap - 7/9/2008 - Levi Jones - 12.926 - 104.441 mph
8 Laps - 9/28/2013 - Tracy Hines - 1:51.91 - 96.506 mph
10 Laps - 7/10/2008 - Cole Whitt - 2:18.199 - 7.692 mph
12 Laps - 10/1/2016 - Stevie Sussex - 2:51.399 - 4.521 mph
30 Laps - 10/1/2016 - Josh Hodges - 7:21.09 - 91.818 mph
USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINS AT LAWRENCEBURG SPEEDWAY:
7-Dave Darland
6-Justin Grant & Kevin Thomas Jr.
5-Jon Stanbrough
4-Jack Hewitt
3-Brady Bacon, Kevin Briscoe, Bryan Clauson & Rick Hood
2-Tony Elliott, Levi Jones, C.J. Leary, Danny Milburn, Logan Seavey & Brian
Tyler
1-Robert Ballou, Jeff Bland Jr., Mark Cassella, Jerry Coons Jr., Tyler Courtney, Kyle Cummins, Kevin Doty, Jay Drake, Dickie Gaines, Damion Gardner, Josh Hodges, Logan Jarrett, Thomas Meseraull, Rodney Ritter Jr., Brady Short, Chase Stockon, Kevin Thomas, Chris Windom, Josh Wise & J.J. Yeley
USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINNERS AT LAWRENCEBURG SPEEDWAY:
1983: Danny Milburn (9/18)
1984: Rick Hood (6/9) & Danny Milburn (9/16)
1985: Rick Hood (6/8)
1986: Rick Hood (6/7)
1988: Jack Hewitt (6/4)
1989: Rodney Ritter Jr. (7/1)
1992: Kevin Thomas (8/8)
1993: Jack Hewitt (7/10)
1994: Jon Stanbrough (6/18)
1995: Jack Hewitt (7/1)
1996: Mark Cassella (8/31)
1997: Brian Tyler (7/19) & Brian Tyler (8/30)
1998: Kevin Doty (5/30), Dave Darland (7/18) & Dave Darland (8/29)
1999: Kevin Briscoe (6/5), Jack Hewitt (7/22) & Tony Elliott (8/28)
2000: Kevin Briscoe (7/22) & Tony Elliott (8/26)
2001: Dave Darland (7/26)
2002: Kevin Briscoe (7/25)
2003: J.J. Yeley (5/31), Jay Drake (6/1) & Jon Stanbrough (7/24)
2004: Jon Stanbrough (7/22)
2005: Dickie Gaines (7/21)
2006: Jon Stanbrough (4/22)
2007: Levi Jones (4/21), Jon Stanbrough (7/11) & Dave Darland (7/12)
2008: Jeff Bland Jr. (7/9) & Brady Short (7/10)
2009: Josh Wise (4/18), Dave Darland (7/10), Jerry Coons Jr. (8/22 Special
Event) & Damion Gardner (10/2)
2010: Jerry Coons Jr. (4/17) & Dave Darland (7/9)
2011: Robert Ballou (7/10), Levi Jones (10/1)
2012: Justin Grant (7/15) & Chase Stockon (9/29)
2013: Kevin Thomas Jr. (4/6), Kevin Thomas Jr. (7/14) & Bryan Clauson (9/28)
2014: Justin Grant (4/5) & Bryan Clauson (9/27)
2015: Logan Jarrett (4/4), Brady Bacon (7/12) & Thomas Meseraull (10/3)
2016: Dave Darland (4/2), Bryan Clauson (7/10) & Josh Hodges (10/1)
2017: Chris Windom (4/1), C.J. Leary (7/9) & Kevin Thomas Jr. (9/30)
2018: Tyler Courtney (7/22) & Justin Grant (9/29)
2019: Justin Grant (7/21) & Kevin Thomas Jr. (10/5)
2020: C.J. Leary (7/26) & Brady Bacon (10/3)
2021: Brady Bacon (4/3), Logan Seavey (7/25) & Kevin Thomas Jr. (10/2)
2022: Kyle Cummins (10/1)
2023: Justin Grant (7/24) & Justin Grant (10/7)
2024: Kevin Thomas Jr. (4/13) & Logan Seavey (7/30)
FALL NATIONALS USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR RESULTS AT LAWRENCEBURG SPEEDWAY
2007 FEATURE: 1. Robert Ballou, 2. Kevin Swindell, 3. Dave Darland, 4. Casey
Shuman, 5. A.J. Anderson, 6. Shane Cottle, 7. Dakoda Armstrong, 8. Kyle
Wissmiller, 9. Jeff Bland Jr., 10. Kevin Thomas Jr., 11. Derek Franks, 12. Ricky
Williams, 13. Brady Bacon, 14. Sammy Imel, 15. Kevin Briscoe, 16. Darren Hagen,
17. Matt Westfall, 18. Alex Shanks, 19. Kyle Cummins, 20. Joss Moffatt, 21.
Jerry Coons Jr., 22. Kent Christian, 23. Brett Burdette, 24. Chris Windom.
2008 FEATURE: 1. Robert Ballou, 2. Jon Stanbrough, 3. Dave Darland, 4. Daron
Clayton, 5. Joss Moffatt, 6. Ricky Williams, 7. Chris Windom, 8. Damion Gardner,
9. Jeff Bland Jr., 10. J. J. Yeley, 11. Lance Grimes, 12. Logan Hupp, 13. Ryan
Pace, 14. Critter Malone, 15. John Memmer, 16. Dickie Gaines, 17. Bobby Stines,
18. Kyle Cummins, 19. Kurt Gross, 20. Kevin Thomas Jr., 21. Hunter Schuerenberg,
22. Brett Burdette, 23. Kyle Robbins, 24. Josh Clemons.
2009 NIGHT ONE FEATURE: 1. Damion Gardner, 2. Cole Whitt, 3. Chris Windom, 4.
Jon Stanbrough, 5. Kyle Cummins, 6. Levi Jones, 7. Jerry Coons Jr., 8. Tracy
Hines, 9. Hunter Schuerenberg, 10. Scotty Weir, 11. Dave Darland, 12. Jeff Bland
Jr., 13. Nic Faas, 14. Bobby East, 15. Darren Hagen, 16. Casey Riggs, 17. Brady
Short, 18. Bryan Clauson, 19. Jesse Hockett, 20. Brady Bacon, 21. John Memmer,
22. Chad Boat, 23. Robert Ballou, 24. Chase Stockon.
2009 NIGHT TWO FEATURE: 1. Jon Stanbrough, 2. Chris Windom, 3. Damion
Gardner, 4. Shane Cottle, 5. Tracy Hines, 6. Chad Boat, 7. Brady Bacon, 8. Brady
Short, 9. Jeff Bland Jr., 10. Dave Darland, 11. Robert Ballou, 12. Coleman
Gulick, 13. Casey Riggs, 14. Jonathan Hendrick, 15. Ty Deckard, 16. Ricky
Williams, 17. Shawn Westerfeld, 18. Blake Fitzpatrick, 19. Hud Cone, 20. Scotty
Weir, 21. Jesse Hockett, 22. Hunter Schuerenberg, 23. Jerry Coons Jr., 24. Joss
Moffatt.
2010 FEATURE: Rained Out
2011 FEATURE: 1. Levi Jones, 2. Chris Windom, 3. Hunter Schuerenberg, 4.
Casey Riggs, 5. Tracy Hines, 6. Jon Stanbrough, 7. Jerry Coons Jr., 8. Ted
Hines, 9. Bobby East, 10. Bryan Clauson, 11. Jac Haudenschild, 12. Brady Short,
13. Chad Boespflug, 14. Blake Fitzpatrick, 15. Damion Gardner, 16. Matt
Westfall, 17. Logan Hupp, 18. Chase Stockon, 19. Jonathan Hendrick, 20. Brady
Bacon, 21. Coleman Gulick, 22. Justin Grant, 23. Robert Ballou, 24. Critter
Malone. NT
2012 FEATURE: 1. Chase Stockon, 2. Chris Windom, 3. Damion Gardner, 4. Bryan
Clauson, 5. Hunter Schuerenberg, 6. Thomas Meseraull, 7. Shane Cottle, 8. Tracy
Hines, 9. Kevin Thomas Jr., 10. Jerry Coons Jr., 11. Jon Stanbrough, 12. Bobby
East, 13. Logan Hupp, 14. C.J. Leary, 15. Robert Ballou, 16. Scotty Weir, 17.
Brady Short, 18. Wes McIntyre, 19. Dave Darland, 20. Jonathan Hendrick, 21.
Dakota Jackson, 22. Daron Clayton, 23. Coleman Gulick.
2013 FEATURE: 1. Bryan Clauson, 2. Chase Stockon, 3. Dave Darland, 4. Kevin
Thomas Jr., 5. Justin Grant, 6. Gary Taylor, 7. Jerry Coons Jr., 8. Chad
Boespflug, 9. Brady Bacon, 10. Chris Windom, 11. Shawn Westerfeld, 12. Daron
Clayton, 13. Kyle Cummins, 14. Robert Ballou, 15. Jarett Andretti, 16. Aaron
Farney, 17. Joss Moffatt, 18. C.J. Leary, 19. Ted Hines, 20. Scotty Weir, 21.
Tyler Courtney, 22. Tracy Hines, 23. Matt Westfall.
2014 FEATURE: 1. Bryan Clauson, 2. Brady Bacon, 3. Tracy Hines, 4. Justin
Grant, 5. Jerry Coons Jr., 6. Chase Stockon, 7. Jon Stanbrough, 8. Robert
Ballou, 9. Chris Windom, 10. Dave Darland, 11. Jac Haudenschild, 12. Hunter
Schuerenberg, 13. Chad Boespflug, 14. Daron Clayton, 15. Jarett Andretti, 16.
Scotty Weir, 17. Kevin Thomas Jr., 18. Thomas Meseraull, 19. C.J. Leary, 20.
Logan Jarrett, 21. Landon Simon, 22. Shane Cottle. NT
2015 FEATURE: 1. Thomas Meseraull, 2. Kevin Thomas Jr., 3. C.J. Leary, 4.
Brady Bacon, 5. Chris Windom, 6. Kody Swanson, 7. Chase Stockon, 8. Scotty Weir,
9. Jon Stanbrough, 10. Robert Ballou, 11. Tracy Hines, 12. Chad Boespflug, 13.
Justin Grant, 14. Jarett Andretti, 15. Dave Darland, 16. Aaron Farney, 17. Max
McGhee, 18. Jerry Coons Jr., 19. Dustin Ingle, 20. Logan Jarrett, 21. Garrett
Abrams, 22. Kyle Cummins.
2016 FEATURE: 1. Josh Hodges, 2. Chris Windom, 3. Dave Darland, 4. Kyle
Cummins, 5. Justin Grant, 6. Tyler Courtney, 7. Jon Stanbrough, 8. Stevie
Sussex, 9. Brady Bacon, 10. Jarett Andretti, 11. Chase Stockon, 12. Kevin Thomas
Jr., 13. Carson Short, 14. Bret Mellenberndt, 15. Nick Bilbee, 16. A.J. Hopkins,
17. C.J. Leary, 18. Chad Boespflug, 19. Isaac Chapple, 20. Aaron Farney, 21.
Joss Moffatt, 22. Landon Simon, 23. Drew Abel. 7:21.09 (NTR)
2017 FEATURE: 1. Kevin Thomas Jr., 2. C.J. Leary, 3. Justin Grant, 4. Robert
Ballou, 5. Tyler Courtney, 6. Brady Bacon, 7. Chris Windom, 8. Josh Hodges, 9.
Jerry Coons Jr., 10. Jon Stanbrough, 11. Nick Bilbee, 12. Scotty Weir, 13. Joss
Moffatt, 14. Chase Stockon, 15. Kyle Robbins, 16. Isaac Chapple, 17. Garrett
Abrams, 18. J.J. Hughes, 19. Tony McVey, 20. Dave Darland, 21. Aric Gentry, 22.
Shawn Westerfeld, 23. Chad Boespflug. NT
2018 FEATURE: 1. Justin Grant (2), 2. Brady Bacon (4), 3. Tyler Courtney (7),
4. Chris Windom (18), 5. Kevin Thomas Jr. (5), 6. Dave Darland (1), 7. Jarett
Andretti (11), 8. Chase Stockon (3), 9. Isaac Chapple (8), 10. Josh Hodges (9),
11. Dallas Hewitt (19), 12. Tyler Thomas (20), 13. Dakota Jackson (13), 14. Nick
Bilbee (16), 15. Matt Westfall (14), 16. Justin Peck (15), 17. Jason McDougal
(12), 18. Shane Cottle (10), 19. Dickie Gaines (17), 20. Brandon Spithaler (21),
21. C.J. Leary (6). NT
2019 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Kevin Thomas Jr.
(5), 2. Tyler Courtney (6), 3. Justin Grant (1), 4. C.J. Leary (3), 5. Chris
Windom (8), 6. Nick Bilbee (10), 7. Brady Bacon (2), 8. Jarett Andretti (13), 9.
Scotty Weir (14), 10. Chase Stockon (4), 11. Josh Hodges (7), 12. Dustin Clark
(16), 13. Mario Clouser (15), 14. Isaac Chapple (17), 15. Max Adams (9), 16.
Dustin Smith (11), 17. J.J. Hughes (19), 18. Tyler Kendall (21), 19. Justin Owen
(18), 20. Garrett Abrams (20), 21. Kyle Cummins (12), 22. Aric Gentry (22). NT
2020 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Brady Bacon
(2), 2. Kevin Thomas Jr. (9), 3. Chris Windom (1), 4. C.J. Leary (5), 5. Robert
Ballou (19), 6. Kyle Cummins (11), 7. Justin Grant (3), 8. Dave Darland (18), 9.
Jake Swanson (6), 10. Cole Bodine (8), 11. Scotty Weir (14), 12. Max Adams (10),
13. Shane Cottle (12), 14. Tye Mihocko (16), 15. Chase Stockon (22), 16. Carson
Short (17), 17. J.J. Hughes (7), 18. Logan Seavey (15), 19. Nick Bilbee (21),
20. Mario Clouser (13), 21. Joss Moffatt (20), 22. Tyler Courtney (4) (Courtney
was initially declared the winner but was repositioned to 22nd for being 15
pounds underweight in post-race tech inspection.) NT
2021 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kevin Thomas
Jr. (3), 2. Chris Windom (8), 3. Tanner Thorson (6), 4. Brady Bacon (11), 5.
Jake Swanson (10), 6. Justin Grant (14), 7. Logan Seavey (4), 8. Max Adams (9),
9. Chase Stockon (7), 10. C.J. Leary (5), 11. Thomas Meseraull (16), 12. Brandon
Mattox (19), 13. Dallas Hewitt (20), 14. Saban Bibent (1), 15. Jadon Rogers
(15), 16. Ryan Thomas (12), 17. Emerson Axsom (2), 18. Justin Owen (18), 19.
Shane Cottle (22), 20. Robert Ballou (13), 21. J.J. Hughes (17), 22. Jason
McDougal (21). NT
2022 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kyle Cummins
(2), 2. Logan Seavey (1), 3. Justin Grant (4), 4. Mitchel Moles (10), 5. Brady
Bacon (11), 6. Anton Hernandez (3), 7. Thomas Meseraull (5), 8. Chase Stockon
(8), 9. Robert Ballou (12), 10. Max Adams (14), 11. Emerson Axsom (7), 12. C.J.
Leary (6), 13. Jake Swanson (18), 14. Jadon Rogers (19), 15. Matt Westfall (16),
16. Keith Sheffer II (21), 17. Brandon Mattox (22), 18. Kevin Thomas Jr. (15),
19. Jason McDougal (9), 20. Saban Bibent (13), 21. Tripp Gerrald (20), 22. J.J.
Hughes (17). NT
2023 FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Justin Grant (7), 2. Robert Ballou (1), 3. Jake Swanson (3), 4. Logan Seavey (5), 5. Jadon Rogers (12), 6. C.J. Leary (6), 7. Briggs Danner (8), 8. Mitchel Moles (15), 9. Emerson Axsom (14), 10. Kyle Cummins (21), 11. Nick Bilbee (20), 12. Carson Garrett (11), 13. Chase Stockon (18), 14. Sterling Cling (16), 15. Daison Pursley (19), 16. Garrett Abrams (17), 17. Max Adams (2), 18. Thomas Meseraull (4), 19. Brady Bacon (10), 20. Saban Bibent (13), 21. Nathan Carle (22), 22. Chance Crum (9). NT
2025 USAC SPRINT CAR SEASON LAUNCHES
WITH 6 FLORIDA RACES IN FEBRUARY
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (October 8, 2024)………For the 16th consecutive season, the
USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship campaign will launch in the state
of Florida during the month of February.
In 2025, USAC National Sprint Cars’ trip to Florida will feature six events
across six consecutive nights – the first two at Barberville, Florida’s Volusia
Speedway Park and the final four at Ocala Speedway, culminating in a point fund
of at least $10,000.
Leading off the 2025 season is a practice for all teams at Ocala Speedway
early on Sunday, February 9. The first race of the 16th annual edition of Winter
Dirt Games arrives at Volusia Speedway Park as part of the DIRTcar Nationals on
Monday-Tuesday, February 10-11, at the 1/2-mile dirt oval. The first night of
racing in Volusia on Monday will pay $6,000-to-win while Tuesday night’s round
will pay $10,000-to-win.
USAC National Sprint Car action then moves west to Ocala Speedway on
Wednesday-Thursday-Friday-Saturday night, February 12-13-14-15, for four
consecutive nights of racing on the 3/8-mile D-shaped dirt track. Wednesday and
Thursday’s events will both pay $6,000-to-win. Friday’s round will reward the
winner with $7,500 while the victor of Saturday’s finale will earn
$10,000-to-win.
All six races in Florida will offer full points toward the 2025 USAC AMSOIL
Sprint Car National Championship. Additionally, a point fund will be up for
grabs with $5,000 going to the driver gaining the most points throughout the
six-race series. A sum of $2,000 will go to the runner-up, $1,500 to third,
$1,000 to fourth and $500 to fifth.
Additional information on times and ticket prices for the events will be made
available in the coming months.
Thirty-seven previous USAC National Sprint Car events have been held at Ocala
Speedway since 2011. Justin Grant won three features and C.J. Leary one across
the four nights of action back in February of 2024 in Ocala. Meanwhile, Logan
Seavey swept both ends at Volusia in February of 2024.
Grant is the all-time winningest USAC National Sprint Car driver in the state
of Florida with seven victories, all of which have come at Ocala Speedway.
USAC racing and the “Sunshine State” have a history that dates back to the
decade of the 1950s. In fact, the first three USAC Sprint Car races ever held
took place in Florida in February of 1956. Bob Sweikert won the first such event
at Southland Speedway in West Palm Beach, followed by Chuck Weyant at
Jacksonville Speedway and Pat O’Connor at Medley Speedway in Miami.
2025 WINTER DIRT GAMES SCHEDULE:
Sunday, February 9: Ocala Speedway | Ocala, Florida (Practice Only)
Monday, February 10: Volusia Speedway Park | Barberville, Florida
($6,000-to-win)
Tuesday, February 11: Volusia Speedway Park | Barberville, Florida
($10,000-to-win)
Wednesday, February 12: Ocala Speedway | Ocala, Florida ($6,000-to-win)
Thursday, February 13: Ocala Speedway | Ocala, Florida ($6,000-to-win)
Friday, February 14: Ocala Speedway | Ocala, Florida ($7,500-to-win)
Saturday, February 15: Ocala Speedway | Ocala, Florida ($10,000-to-win)
2025 WINTER DIRT GAMES POINT FUND:
1st: $5,000
2nd: $2,000
3rd: $1,500
4th: $1,000
5th: $500
SEAVEY SEES VICTORY,
BREAKS THROUGH TO WIN SUMAR CLASSIC
AT TERRE HAUTE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Terre Haute, Indiana (October 6, 2024)………In a year in which he had topped all
drivers with 15 USAC national feature wins, Logan Seavey entered the weekend
with one notable exception on his 2024 resume – a victory with the USAC Silver
Crown series.
Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) took care of that on Sunday night during the 20th
running of the Sumar Classic at Indiana’s Terre Haute Action Track. The
defending Silver Crown champ took control from racelong leader Brady Bacon after
the halfway mark of the 100-lapper and led the final 46 laps to earn his 16th
USAC national victory of the season and his first with the series on the famed
1/2-mile dirt oval.
Despite the enormous success Seavey has accrued throughout the year, his
triumph was his first with USAC since the month of July, more than two months
ago during an AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship event at Indianapolis,
Indiana’s Circle City Raceway.
Seavey’s win also allowed him to become the third driver this season to win
in all three USAC national division, joining Daison Pursley and Justin Grant,
each of whom joined him on the podium as fellow top-three finishers at Terre
Haute.
Seavey’s latest victory was the ninth of his USAC Silver Crown career, moving
him past 2016 champion Chris Windom and into a tie for 14th place all-time
alongside 2000 series titlist Tracy Hines.
Meanwhile, the win also marked the continuation of Seavey’s streak of winning
at least one USAC Silver Crown race to four consecutive seasons dating back to
2021. But this particular win required patience as it came in the 13th event of
the 14-race season, just in the nick of the time, at the wheel of his Rice
Motorsports-Abacus Racing/Bloomington Bison – DiaEdge – STIDA.com/DRC/Felker
Chevy.
“It’s been a struggle,” Seavey admitted. “At the tracks we normally go to and
feel like we’re going to win when we show up, we’ve had some issues. Those ones
hurt. But I’ve been so blessed to never have issues with this car. We just put
everything together tonight; we had a great car and (crew chief) Ronnie
(Gardner) did a great job setting it up. (The crew) worked really hard all day
to get us here and (engine builder) A.J. Felker comes to all the races to make
sure this thing runs in tip-top shape, and it really did tonight.”
Before it all began, Seavey had a premonition of how the race was going to
unfold as he prepared to start from the ninth position in the 25-car field, the
deepest a Sumar Classic winner has emerged from since Chris Windom in 2017.
“It was a tricky track, but I told Ronnie before we started, I think we’re
going to see 100 laps of running the cushion and that’s what we got,” Seavey
explained. “Ninety of those laps were sprint car laps. That’s not what you
normally get with Silver Crown racing but that was fun and exciting. I really
love that style of racing.”
Despite starting on the inside of row four, Seavey found himself among the
front runners fairly quickly, slotting into the top-three by lap 15 behind front
row starters Brady Bacon and Daison Pursley.
“I got to third there quickly,” Seavey acknowledged. “I could see Brady, and
I ran down the top-two really easily. I was just trying to be patient and make
sure that I made moves at the right time.”
On lap 40, Seavey powered to the second spot as he dove and drove under
Pursley at the entry to turn one before sliding up and securing the position.
Recent Eldora Silver Crown winner Mitchel Moles followed suit into third a half
lap later in turns three and four as he too slid past Pursley.
In short order, Seavey soon found himself right on the rear bumper of Bacon
for the lead. Lap after lap in his shadow, Seavey made what turned out to be the
winning move on the 55th lap when he dove to the bottom of turn one and slid job
his way past the nose of Bacon. As Bacon chocked up on the binders to avoid
contact with the rear bumper of Seavey in turn two, his speed was scrubbed and
Moles pounced by driving past Bacon for the runner-up spot moments later in turn
three.
Initially , Seavey anticipated a different approach to working his way past
Bacon, but when he saw an opening, he went for it in patented Terre Haute
fashion to secure the lead.
“I knew running above (the cushion) was better,” Seavey acknowledged. “If I
got up there and really got to Brady, I figured he was going to do the same
thing and then it would be tough to pass. I think maybe he thought rubber was
coming, so he moved down and I got a big run and was able to go by him.”
Soon thereafter, Pursley, as well as two-time and defending Sumar Classic
winner Justin Grant, were on the move. Both drivers charged past Bacon on lap 64
to slot into third and fourth, respectively, while Bacon fell to fifth. At the
same time, however, Seavey was stepping away from the field to the tune of 2.6
seconds over Moles.
The running order soon shuffled when second running Moles’ engine went up in
smoke 14 laps from the finish line, forcing him into the infield and out of the
race. With Moles out of the equation, Seavey's lead extended even further to
five seconds over new second place occupant Pursley.
A yellow flag on lap 91 for 13th running Carmen Perigo, who performed a
half-spin in the middle of the pack, brought out the yellow flag, thus deleting
Seavey’s commanding advantage. A crash on the subsequent lap 95 restart saw
Shane Cottle (10th) contact the turn one outside guardrail, which extended the
caution period and necessitated a green-white-checker finish to button things
up.
Nonetheless, Seavey kept the field at bay during the final two-lap stretch to
prevail by a 0.953 second margin over Pursley, Grant, Chase Stockon and Bacon
who led a race high 54 laps before crossing the line in fifth.
Overall, it was Seavey’s third career USAC victory at the Terre Haute Action
Track after previously scoring National Sprint Car wins at the joint in 2021,
and most recently in May of this year. To put it succinctly, Seavey is a fan of
the Action Track.
“I just love this place,” Seavey exclaimed. “I love coming here, and I love
Silver Crown racing, especially racing like that.”
Daison Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.) made his first Sumar Classic appearance
a good one as he started second and finished second as the top series Rookie
performer in the field aboard his Team AZ Racing/Avanti Windows & Doors – Apache
Transportation – OakCraft Elegant Cabinetry/DRC/Stanton Chevy.
After winning the Sumar Classic in each of his past two attempts in 2018 and
2022, Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) came up just a bit short on Sunday with a
third-place result in his Hemelgarn Racing/NOS Energy Drink – Super Fitness –
Hemelgarn Enterprises/DRC/Speedway Chevy. With Kody Swanson’s 10th place finish
at Terre Haute, Grant will enter the series finale at Lucas Oil Indianapolis
Raceway Park on Saturday, October 19, with a deficit of only six points.
In what was his first Sumar Classic start since 2015, more than nine years
ago, Chase Stockon (Fort Branch, Ind.) was stellar. He officially started 16th
and brought it home fourth in the seat of his Pink 69 Racing/Lucas Oil Center –
True Brand Fuel Juels – N-Saine Graphix/Maxim/SPEC Chevy. The plus-12
performance earned him the night’s Hard Charger award.
After mechanical issues sidelined him early, C.J. Leary (Greenfield, Ind.)
was relegated to using a provisional just to be able to start the feature in his
Klatt Enterprises/Wilwood Disc Brakes – Brown & Miller Racing Solutions – Penske
– Hoosier Tire/Beast/Ford. In advancing from his 24th starting spot to finish
sixth, Leary was ineligible for the hard charger award due to the use of a
provisional. Nonetheless, it didn’t deter him from being honored as the
recipient of the Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night.
===============
USAC SILVER CROWN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: October 6, 2024 – Terre
Haute Action Track – Terre Haute, Indiana – 1/2-Mile Dirt Oval – 20th Sumar
Classic
HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: (Top-16 locked into the feature) 1. Brady
Bacon, 9, Dyson-21.414; 2. Daison Pursley, 21, Team AZ-21.474; 3. Kody Swanson,
77, Doran/Binks-21.576; 4. Mario Clouser, 60, Legacy/Wilson-21.714; 5. Chase
Dietz, 86, Lee-21.871; 6. Mitchel Moles, 119, Reinbold/Underwood-21.890; 7.
Justin Grant, 91, Hemelgarn-22.074; 8. Kyle Steffens, 08, Steffens-22.092; 9.
Logan Seavey, 22, Rice/Abacus-22.103; 10. Jerry Coons Jr., 55, Bateman-22.274;
11. Matt Westfall, 54, Westfall-22.368; 12. Chase Stockon, 69, Pink 69-22.655;
13. Trey Osborne, 81, BCR-22.715; 14. Shane Cottle, 66, Rose-22.752; 15. Brian
Ruhlman, 49, Ruhlman-22.755; 16. Briggs Danner, 10, DMW-22.824; 17. Jimmy Light,
118, Wingo-22.984; 18. Carmen Perigo, 52, Stehman-23.009; 19. Matt Goodnight,
24, Haggenbottom-23.483; 20. Kevin Newton, 99, Armstrong-23.517; 21. Mark Smith,
01, B & S-23.679; 22. Chris Fetter, 15, Fetter-24.536; 23. Nathan Moore, 48,
Thomas/Moore-24.728; 24. Dave Peperak, 777, Peperak-25.164; 25. Dave Berkheimer,
31, Berkheimer-25.480; 26. C.J. Leary, 6, Klatt-26.171; 27. Gregg Cory, 32,
Williams/Cory-26.391; 28. Aric Gentry, 3, Simmons-27.534; 29. Kenny Gentry, 18,
Gentry-NT.
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS QUALIFYING RACE: (12 laps, top-8 transfer
to the feature) 1. Matt Goodnight, 2. Jimmy Light, 3. Mark Smith, 4. Carmen
Perigo, 5. Kevin Newton, 6. Nathan Moore, 7. Chris Fetter, 8. Gregg Cory, 9.
Dave Peperak, 10. Dave Berkheimer, 11. Kenny Gentry. NT
FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Logan Seavey (9),
2. Daison Pursley (2), 3. Justin Grant (7), 4. Chase Stockon (16), 5. Brady
Bacon (1), 6. C.J. Leary (24-P), 7. Briggs Danner (14), 8. Matt Westfall (11),
9. Jerry Coons Jr. (10), 10. Kody Swanson (3), 11. Mark Smith (18), 12. Mario
Clouser (4), 13. Carmen Perigo (19), 14. Brian Ruhlman (13), 15. Matt Goodnight
(16), 16. Jimmy Light (17), 17. Shane Cottle (13), 18. Gregg Cory (23), 19.
Nathan Moore (21), 20. Mitchel Moles (6), 21. Kyle Steffens (8), 22. Chase Dietz
(5), 23. Chris Fetter (22), 24. Kevin Newton (20), 25. Trey Osborne (25).
53:17.590
(P) represents a provisional starter
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-54 Brady Bacon, Laps 55-100 Logan Seavey.
USAC SILVER CROWN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Kody Swanson-785, 2-Justin
Grant-779, 3-Logan Seavey-721, 4-C.J. Leary-629, 5-Kyle Steffens-493, 6-Trey
Osborne-413, 7-Kaylee Bryson-411, 8-Gregg Cory-411, 9-Nathan Moore-367, 10-Bobby
Santos-366.
USAC NATIONAL PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Daison Pursley-194, 2-Logan
Seavey-188, 3-Robert Ballou-145, 4-Justin Grant-133, 5-C.J. Leary-125, 6-Chase
Stockon-124, 7-Kyle Cummins-117, 8-Brady Bacon-111, 9-Matt Westfall-104,
10-Kevin Thomas Jr.-103.
NEXT USAC SILVER CROWN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: October 19, 2024 – Lucas
Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park – Brownsburg, Indiana – .686-Mile Paved Oval –
Championship Saturday
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Practice Fastest Driver: Brady Bacon (21.063)
Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: Brady Bacon (21.414)
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Matt Goodnight
Hard Charger: Chase Stockon (16th to 4th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Race: C.J. Leary
AL KAMEL SYSTEMS LAUNCHES
AL KAMEL NORTH AMERICA,
USAC NAMED FIRST CUSTOMER
Speedway, Indiana (October 7, 2024)………As a leader in motorsport timing and
innovative technologies, Al Kamel North America is establishing a brand new
presence with its new headquarters in Speedway, Indiana, just steps away from
the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
A new partnership with the United States Auto Club will bring
state-of-the-art technology and services to elevate several USAC championships.
Al Kamel Systems currently provides services to important American championships
and circuits, including IMSA, Circuit of the Americas and Ferrari Challenge
North America.
According to Jose Luis García, CEO of Al Kamel Systems: "Our company has
always aimed to expand into the American market, but in recent months, we've
gained the momentum that has motivated us to establish a physical presence
there. Our existing agreement with IMSA, coupled with our recent partnership
with COTA, sparked increased interest from American clients. However, the final
decision to enter the U.S. market was driven by a new agreement with USAC to
provide services for several of their championships, as well as interest from
various permanent circuits."
The primary goal of Al Kamel Systems is to bring their high level of
technological innovation and excellence, which they are known for globally, to a
market that is distinguished by its constant pursuit of cutting-edge
advancements in the world of sports. Al Kamel is committed to enhancing the
American motorsport landscape with their state-of-the-art solutions and
unrivaled expertise.
Al Kamel North America will operate autonomously while benefiting from the
support and synergies of Al Kamel Systems. In addition to the Indianapolis
office, the new location will feature a fully equipped remote services facility
offering timing, TV graphics, track limits management, Race Control solutions
and more. The availability of local offices, storage, materials, and staff will
position Al Kamel Systems as a more competitive player in the American market,
facilitating brand growth and the expansion of its current services.
Al Kamel Systems is renowned for providing services to some of the world's most prestigious international championships, including FIA Formula E, FIA WEC, 24 Hours of Le Mans, IMSA, European Le Mans Series, Extreme E / Extreme H, E1 Series, Asian Le Mans Series, Ferrari Challenge, Porsche Cup, EuroCup3, and Peter Auto. The company also supports iconic circuits such as Paul Ricard Circuit, Barcelona Circuit, Losail Circuit, Motorland, Estoril Circuit, Jerez Circuit, Sokol Circuit, Circuit of the Americas, Navarra Circuit, and Monza Circuit.
BOYS OF SUMAR!
USAC SILVER CROWN GOES 100 LAPS
SUNDAY AT TERRE HAUTE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Terre Haute, Indiana (October 3, 2024)………Iconic race cars and an iconic
American dirt track are the setting for the final dirt race of the USAC Silver
Crown National Championship season this Sunday, October 6, at western Indiana’s
Terre Haute Action Track for the 20th running of the Sumar Classic.
Twenty-nine competitors, ranging from the wise and experienced veterans to
the brash and bold upstarts encompass the field who are vying for the glory of
becoming a champ car winner at the hallowed grounds of Terre Haute.
The Sumar Classic began in 1995, and the anticipation for this Sunday’s event
is at a fever pitch for the 100-lap, 50-miler named after the wives of Terre
Haute businessmen and Sumar Special car owners Chapman Root and Don Smith (Sue
and Mary).
Now, it’s time to meet the storylines of what you’re just about to witness on
what looks to be a beautiful Autumn Sunday – a beautiful day for a motor car
race any way you slice it.
THREE-PEAT IN PLAY FOR GRANT
Justin Grant’s two-race winning streak at the Sumar Classic spans across
multiple generations! Well, not quite, but it sure seems like it.
Grant’s first Sumar Classic triumph came in 2018 and his second arrived in
2022. In that six-year span, only those two races have been run due to a series
of rainouts and COVID-outs.
Both of Grant’s Sumar Classic wins came in dramatic fashion. He endured a
duel with Kody Swanson before leading the final 17 laps to prevail in 2018. In
2022, he defeated Jerry Coons Jr. on a restart with four laps remaining to score
once more.
No driver has won the Sumar Classic three times in a row, let alone three times overall. Grant, who has already won twice on the dirt with the series this year, takes his shot this Sunday.
A TRIO OF PAST SUMAR WINNER
Three past Sumar Classic winners are among the bunch in this Sunday’s field
with Justin Grant, C.J. Leary and Kody Swanson in the lineup. They’re among the
group of 14 different race winners in the past 16 runnings of the event dating
back to 1999.
Grant (Ione, Calif.) broke the string of consecutive different Sumar Classic
champions by becoming the first repeat winner in the history of the event in
2022. He’s now one of three two-time Sumar winners alongside Donnie Beechler
(1995 & 1997) and Tony Elliott (1998 & 2002) and will now attempt to become the
first three-time victor. Grant, the 2020 Silver Crown champion, has made five
career starts in the event, winning his first one in 2018.
C.J. Leary (Greenfield, Ind.) made the winning move to capture his first
career Silver Crown victory during the 2016 Sumar Classic and has finished
inside the top-ten in all five of his Sumar Classic starts with a pair of
runners-up in 2015 and 2017, plus a 5th in 2018. In 2022, he led the first 45
laps before a flat tire relegated him to a 10th place result.
Point leader Kody Swanson (Kingsburg, Calif.) goes for a second career Sumar
Classic triumph after capturing his first dirt 1/2-mile victory with the series
back in 2014. The seven-time series champion has finished inside the top-10 in
all eight of his Sumar starts, taking 7th in 2022 after starting from the pole
position following previous top-flight runs of 2nd in 2018 and a pair of 3rds in
2016-2017.
A FIRST-TIMER STREAK ON THE DIRT HALVES
Wildly enough, every single half-mile dirt oval race during the 2024 USAC
Silver Crown season has featured a first-time series winner.
Kaylee Bryson (Belleville), Daison Pursley (Port Royal), Kevin Thomas Jr.
(Salt City) and Mitchel Moles (Eldora) have all scored first career USAC Silver
Crown wins this season, all on dirt 1/2-miles.
Over the years, five drivers have won their first career USAC Silver Crown race during the Sumar Classic: Sunday’s grand marshal Donnie Beechler (1995), Kevin Thomas (1996), Tony Elliott (1998), Josh Wise (2005) and C.J. Leary (2016).
TRANSLATING THE SUCCESS
All of these individuals who’ve made previous starts in the Sumar Classic –
Brady Bacon, Logan Seavey and Chase Stockon – have all tasted the sweetness of a
Terre Haute Action Track victory in USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car competition
and remain on the prowl for a first Sumar score.
At the Sumar, Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.) has made five starts, finishing a
best of 3rd in 2022 after starting all the way back in the 16th spot. Stockon’s
most recent, and only, Sumar start came in 2015, finishing 11th. Meanwhile, USAC
Silver Crown racing’s championship runner-up in 2021-22, Seavey (Sutter,
Calif.), made a successful Sumar Classic debut run in 2022, finishing 4th.
All three have been strong in USAC Silver Crown competition this year, but Sunday’s Terre Haute race presents their final opportunity to win one in 2024.
THE ROOKIE RACE
The majority of this weekend’s field belongs to Sumar Classic first-timers.
Among them are Silver Crown Rookies and race winners Daison Pursley (Locust
Grove, Okla.) and Mitchel Moles (Raisin City, Calif.).
In fact, much of the year has belonged to seeing new faces in Silver Crown
victory lane. Of the seven drivers to win a Silver Crown race in 2024, four of
them are first-time winners, begging the question of ‘who could be next?’
Briggs Danner (Allentown, Pa.) is coming off consecutive 3rd place finishes
at Du Quoin and Eldora. Leading 2024 USAC Silver Crown Rookie Trey Osborne
(Columbus, Ohio) has finished on the podium this year and looks to contend with
the likes of Pennsylvania winged sprint car regular Chase Dietz (York, Pa.) who
has finished a best of 2nd in his USAC Silver Crown career on the 1/2-mile at
Port Royal as well as the always fast Mario Clouser (Auburn, Ill.).
As far as the USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year race goes, Osborne leads
Nathan Moore (Kaufman, Texas) by 53 markers with two races remaining.
BATEMAN FOREVER
Sunday also presents one final hurrah for the Bateman Racing team. Forty-two
years since their 1982 series debut with the series, the team will make its last
USAC Silver Crown appearance.
Jerry Coons Jr. (Tucson, Ariz.), the 2008 series champion, will drive the
familiar number 55, led by Patty Bateman and crew.
Terre Haute hits close to home for Coons and Bateman. In 2022, it’s where the
team came closest to victory, leading with four laps to go before being passed
for the win on the final restart. Despite the heartbreak, the runner-up finish
was the best in Bateman Racing history.
In three starts this season, Coons has driven the Bateman car to 6th at Belleville, a 4th at Springfield and another 4th at Du Quoin. On Sunday, they eye a first ever Bateman Racing Silver Crown win in their 83rd career start.
RACE DETAILS:
The 20th running of the Sumar Classic features the USAC Silver Crown National
Championship this Sunday night, October 6, at the Terre Haute Action Track’s
1/2-mile dirt track in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Pits open at 2pm Eastern, grandstands open at 4pm and practice is set to
begin at 5pm followed immediately by qualifications and racing.
Advance general admission tickets are on sale now at www.usactickets.com.
Advance grandstand tickets are $20 for ages 13 and up while kids age 12 and
under are free. Infield tickets are just $10 for ages 13 & up while kids age 12
and under are free. On the day of the race, the price is $5 higher for all
tickets for ages 13 & up.
Sunday’s Sumar Classic can be watched LIVE on FloRacing at
https://flosports.link/usac.
========================
USAC SILVER CROWN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Kody Swanson-742, 2-Justin
Grant-715, 3-Logan Seavey-651, 4-C.J. Leary-574, 5-Kyle Steffens-471, 6-Kaylee
Bryson-411, 7-Trey Osborne-395, 8-Gregg Cory-384, 9-Bobby Santos-366, 10-Nathan
Moore-342.
========================
SUMAR CLASSIC ENTRY LIST: (29 DRIVERS & CARS)
01 MARK SMITH/Sunbury, PA (L & M Motorsports)
6 C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Klatt Enterprises)
9 BRADY BACON/Broken Arrow, OK (Chris Dyson Racing)
10 (R) BRIGGS DANNER/Allentown, PA (DMW Motorsports)
15 CHRIS FETTER/Troy, MO (Chris Fetter)
18 KENNY GENTRY/Henderson, KY (Kenny Gentry)
21 (R) DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, OK (Team AZ Racing/Curb-Agajanian)
22 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Rice Motorsports-Abacus Racing)
24 MATT GOODNIGHT/Winchester, IN (John Haggenbottom)
31 DAVE BERKHEIMER/Mechanicsburg, PA (Berkheimer Racing)
32 GREGG CORY/Shelbyville, IN (Williams-Cory Racing)
48 (R) NATHAN MOORE/Kaufman, TX (Chip Thomas-Joe Moore)
49 BRIAN RUHLMAN/Clarklake, MI (Brian Ruhlman)
52 CARMEN PERIGO/Stoystown, PA (John Stehman)
54 MATT WESTFALL/Pleasant Hill, OH (Westfall Racing)
55 JERRY COONS JR./Tucson, AZ (Bateman Racing)
60 MARIO CLOUSER/Auburn, IL (Legacy Autosport-Robert Wilson Racing)
66 SHANE COTTLE/Kansas, IL (Bill Rose Racing)
69 CHASE STOCKON/Fort Branch, IN (Pink 69 Racing)
77 KODY SWANSON/Kingsburg, CA (Doran-Binks Racing)
81 (R) TREY OSBORNE/Columbus, OH (BCR Group)
86 (R) CHASE DIETZ/York, PA (Bruce Lee)
91 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (Hemelgarn Racing)
99 (R) KEVIN NEWTON/Farmersburg, IN (Armstrong Racing)
118 JIMMY LIGHT/West Springfield, PA (Wingo Brothers Racing)
119 (R) MITCHEL MOLES/Raisin City, CA (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
777 (R) DAVE PEPERAK/Clinton, IN (Dave Peperak Motorsports)
(R) represents a USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year contender
========================
USAC SILVER CROWN WINNERS AT THE TERRE HAUTE ACTION TRACK:
1980: Gary Bettenhausen (11/2)
1995: Donnie Beechler (7/7)
1996: Kevin Thomas (7/5)
1997: Donnie Beechler (7/4)
1998: Tony Elliott (7/3)
1999: Jack Hewitt (9/17)
2002: Tony Elliott (6/1)
2003: J.J. Yeley (6/14)
2004: Brian Tyler (6/5)
2005: Josh Wise (6/4)
2006: Bud Kaeding (8/5)
2008: Dave Darland (7/23)
2010: Levi Jones (10/9)
2012: Bobby East (10/13)
2014: Kody Swanson (4/6)
2015: Shane Cockrum (7/2)
2016: C.J. Leary (4/3)
2017: Chris Windom (4/2)
2018: Justin Grant (4/29)
2022: Justin Grant (5/1)
========================
USAC SILVER CROWN WINS AT THE TERRE HAUTE ACTION TRACK:
2-Donnie Beechler, Tony Elliott & Justin Grant
1-Gary Bettenhausen, Shane Cockrum, Dave Darland, Bobby East, Jack Hewitt,
Levi Jones, Bud Kaeding, C.J. Leary, Kody Swanson, Kevin Thomas, Brian Tyler,
Chris Windom, Josh Wise & J.J. Yeley
========================
TRACK RECORDS FOR USAC SILVER CROWN AT THE TERRE HAUTE ACTION TRACK:
1 Lap - 6/4/2005 - Josh Wise - 20.139 - 89.379 mph
10 Laps - 7/3/1998 - Derek Davidson - 3:40.40 - 81.670 mph
15 Laps - 6/5/2004 - Cary Faas - 5:47.78 - 77.635 mph
100 Laps - 4/3/2016 - C.J. Leary - 44:20.125 - 67.666 mph
========================
PAST SUMAR CLASSIC RESULTS:
1980 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Gary
Bettenhausen (2), 2. Johnny Parsons (11), 3. Ken Schrader (1), 4. Larry Dickson
(12), 5. Pancho Carter (6), 6. Rich Vogler (20), 7. Larry Rice (14), 8. Sheldon
Kinser (9), 9. Jim McElreath (5), 10. Tom Bigelow (3), 11. Steve Cannon (15),
12. Steve Chassey (7), 13. Jerry Weeks (22), 14. Larry Gates (18), 15. Billy
Engelhart (17), 16. Joe Saldana (8), 17. Eddie Leavitt (13), 18. Steve Kinser
(4), 19. Chris Cumberworth (19), 20. Bobby Olivero (10), 21. Paul Pitzer (16),
22. Kramer Williamson (21). 50:37.20
1995 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Donnie
Beechler (15), 2. Jack Hewitt (17), 3. Jimmy Sills (6), 4. Rocky Hodges (19), 5.
Kenny Irwin Jr. (24), 6. Tony Stewart (3), 7. Richard Griffin (14), 8. Chuck
Gurney (4), 9. Robby Flock (1), 10. Cary Faas (20), 11. Eric Gordon (10), 12.
Brian Hayden (23), 13. Jack Runyon (9), 14. Dave Darland (16), 15. Lee Dunn
(21), 16. Kevin Thomas (2), 17. Jon Stanbrough (11), 18. Brad Noffsinger (8),
19. Tony Elliott (5), 20. Ron Shuman (18), 21. Kevin Doty (13), 22. Mark
Cassella (12), 23. Johnny Parsons (22), 24. Dan Drinan (7). 50:41.55
1996 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kevin Thomas
(12), 2. Jimmy Sills (11), 3. Tony Stewart (7), 4. Tony Elliott (8), 5. Cory
Kruseman (3), 6. Chuck Gurney (13), 7. Dave Darland (17), 8. Kevin Doty (15), 9.
Jon Stanbrough (23), 10. Jim Keeker (24), 11. Richard Griffin (21), 12. Brad
Marvel (19), 13. Kenny Irwin Jr. (2), 14. Johnny Parsons (18), 15. Rip Williams
(22), 16. Kenny Jacobs (6), 17. Mark Cassella (14), 18. Jack Hewitt (16), 19.
Donnie Beechler (1), 20. John Heydenreich (20), 21. Bill Rose (9), 22. Cary Faas
(3), 23. Bill Baue (4), 24. Robby Flock (10). NT
1997 FEATURE (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Donnie Beechler
(1), 2. Kevin Thomas (9), 3. Jimmy Sills (3), 4. Dave Darland (17), 5. Russ
Gamester (13), 6. Brian Tyler (24), 7. Robby Flock (12), 8. Brian Gerster (4),
9. Derek Davidson (21), 10. Wally Pankratz (7), 11. Brian Hayden (11), 12. Tony
Elliott (18), 13. Chuck Leary (15), 14. Tony Stewart (8), 15. Tim Clark (6), 16.
Ryan Newman (23), 17. Jack Hewitt (19), 18. Jason Leffler (14), 19. Terry Pletch
(10), 20. Cary Faas (2), 21. Jimmy Kite (5), 22. J.J. Yeley (16), 23. Chuck
Gurney (20), 24. Johnny Parsons (22). NT
1998 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Tony Elliott
(2), 2. J.J. Yeley (3), 3. Brian Tyler (5), 4. Billy Puterbaugh Jr. (4), 5. Todd
Kane (11), 6. Ryan Newman (18), 7. Wally Pankratz (10), 8. Kevin Doty (14), 9.
Robby Flock (7), 10. Jerry Coons Jr. (20), 11. Derek Davidson (15), 12. Jason
Leffler (12), 13. Dave Darland (9), 14. Lou Cicconi Jr. (21), 15. Kenneth
Nichols (24), 16. Tracy Hines (6), 17. Jimmy Sills (16), 18. Jack Hewitt (1),
19. Eric Gordon (19), 20. Bill Rose (23), 21. Kevin Thomas (22), 22. Russ
Gamester (8), 23. Donnie Beechler (13), 24. Aaron Mosley (17). NT
1999 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jack Hewitt
(3), 2. Dave Darland (7), 3. Jimmy Sills (9), 4. Greg Wilson (23), 5. Brad
Noffsinger (1), 6. Tony Elliott (4), 7. Todd Kane (15), 8. Ryan Newman (21), 9.
Brad Fox (20), 10. Jay Drake (13), 11. Tracy Hines (8), 12. Dave Steele (12),
13. Paul White (22), 14. Cory Kruseman (10), 15. Eric Gordon (16), 16. Craig
Dori (25), 17. Brian Tyler (17), 18. Tom Capie (24), 19. Russ Gamester (5), 20.
Dane Carter (26), 21. J.J. Yeley (2), 22. Jason Leffler (19), 23. Bill Rose
(14), 24. Donnie Beechler (6), 25. Rick Treadway (11), 26. Johnny Parsons (18).
55:58.18
2002 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Tony Elliott
(14), 2. J.J. Yeley (4), 3. Tracy Hines (3), 4. Kevin Huntley (18), 5. Matt
Westfall (17), 6. Rich Tobias Jr. (11), 7. John Starks (21), 8. Gary Hieber
(19), 9. Jason McCord (6), 10. Jonathan Vennard (13), 11. Jerry Coons Jr. (2),
12. Randy Bateman (20), 13. Dave Darland (9), 14. John Heydenreich (16), 15.
Dave Steele (12), 16. Derek Davidson (1), 17. Russ Gamester (15), 18. Kyle
Steffens (5), 19. Dane Carter (22), 20. Jay Drake (10), 21. Nick Lundgreen (8),
22. Jack Hewitt (24), 23. Paul White (25), 24. Aaron Fike (7), 25. Jim Mills
(23), 26. Jason Leffler (26). NT
2003 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. J.J. Yeley
(3), 2. Kevin Huntley (2), 3. Dave Darland (6), 4. Paul White (16), 5. Matt
Westfall (19), 6. Dave Steele (18), 7. Brian Tyler (15), 8. Levi Jones (9), 9.
Jason McCord (17), 10. Rich Tobias Jr. (7), 11. Tyler Walker (14), 12. Teddy
Beach (10), 13. Eric Gordon (5), 14. Jerry Nemire (22), 15. Jay Drake (1), 16.
David Bridges (26), 17. Tracy Hines (4), 18. Jerry Coons Jr. (8), 19. Jonathan
Vennard (12), 20. Daryl Campbell (24), 21. Craig Dori (23), 22. John Heydenreich
(13), 23. Nick Lundgreen (21), 24. Brad Noffsinger (11), 25. Russ Gamester (20),
26. Tony Elliott (25). NT
2004 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Brian Tyler
(22), 2. Levi Jones (1), 3. Dave Darland (3), 4. Cory Kruseman (23), 5. Bud
Kaeding (4), 6. Donnie Beechler (12), 7. Dave Steele (20), 8. Tony Elliott (10),
9. Jon Stanbrough (2), 10. Jay Drake (16), 11. John Heydenreich (25), 12. Rob
Chaney (11), 13. Shane Hollingsworth (19), 14. Russ Gamester (9), 15. Boston
Reid (15), 16. Tom Capie (26), 17. Wayne Reutimann Jr. (28), 18. Jim Moughan
(27), 19. Paul White (17), 20. Aaron Fike (5), 21. Jason McCord (24), 22. Aaron
Pierce (7), 23. Matt Westfall (6), 24. Tracy Hines (8), 25. Rich Tobias Jr.
(13), 26. Kyle Wissmiller (29), 27. Teddy Beach (14), 28. Kevin Huntley (18),
29. Cary Faas (21). NT
2005 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Josh Wise (1),
2. Brian Tyler (20), 3. Dave Darland (2), 4. Jon Stanbrough (7), 5. Jesse
Hockett (3), 6. Levi Jones (8), 7. Bud Kaeding (9), 8. Kevin Huntley (15), 9.
Aaron Pierce (10), 10. Jerry Coons Jr. (4), 11. Jay Drake (5), 12. Tom Capie
(25), 13. Teddy Beach (19), 14. Russ Gamester (24), 15. Nick Lundgreen (13), 16.
Wayne Reutimann Jr. (27), 17. Paul White (17), 18. John Heydenreich (14), 19.
Rich Tobias Jr. (16), 20. Matt Westfall (23), 21. Dave Steele (21), 22. Tom
Hessert III (12), 23. Jason McCord (6), 24. Shane Hollingsworth (18), 25. Mat
Neely (22), 26. Tony Elliott (11), 27. Kyle Steffens (26). NT
2006 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Bud Kaeding
(2), 2. Shane Cottle (3), 3. Levi Jones (11), 4. Dickie Gaines (9), 5. Tom Capie
(26), 6. Chris Urish (23), 7. Jay Drake (14), 8. Cole Carter (24), 9. Justin
Allgaier (19), 10. Shane Hollingsworth (10), 11. Aaron Pierce (17), 12. Wayne
Reutimann Jr. (25), 13. Mat Neely (5), 14. Ron Gregory (6), 15. Jon Stanbrough
(13), 16. Russ Gamester (15), 17. Jerry Coons Jr. (4), 18. John Heydenreich (1),
19. Dave Darland (8), 20. Mitch Wissmiller (22), 21. Josh Wise (7), 22. Donnie
Beechler (12), 23. Brian Tyler (16), 24. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (20), 25. Jeff
Swindell (21), 26. Steve Buckwalter (18). NT
2008 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Dave Darland
(1), 2. Jerry Coons Jr. (3), 3. Shane Cottle (11), 4. Brian Tyler (13), 5. Mat
Neely (17), 6. Levi Jones (6), 7. Jesse Hockett (15), 8. Tom Capie (21), 9.
Chris Urish (20), 10. Patrick Bruns (22), 11. Russ Gamester (19), 12. Craig Dori
(18), 13. Kevin Huntley (16), 14. Shane Hollingsworth (5), 15. Rex Norris III
(23), 16. Bud Kaeding (10), 17. Darren Hagen (14), 18. Jon Stanbrough (4), 19.
Tyler Walker (8), 20. Cole Whitt (12), 21. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (7), 22. Tracy
Hines (2), 23. Chris Windom (9). NT
2010 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Levi Jones
(2), 2. Bryan Clauson (5), 3. Shane Cottle (19), 4. Terry Babb (18), 5. Kody
Swanson (24), 6. Shane Hollingsworth (10), 7. Bobby East (6), 8. Tom Capie (9),
9. Jeff Swindell (13), 10. Dave Darland (3), 11. A.J. Fike (12), 12. Kellen
Conover (28), 13. Tanner Swanson (21), 14. Todd Kane (20), 15. Bud Kaeding (4),
16. Jon Stanbrough (1), 17. Brian Tyler (7), 18. Russ Gamester (25), 19. Tracy
Hines (11), 20. Zach Daum (16), 21. Matt Westfall (14), 22. John Heydenreich
(15), 23. Mike Hess (23), 24. Jerry Coons Jr. (8), 25. Justin Carver (17), 26.
Derek Hagar (22), 27. Randy Bateman (26), 28. Donnie Beechler (27). NT
2012 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Bobby East
(2), 2. Jerry Coons Jr. (5), 3. Russ Gamester (11), 4. Bud Kaeding (7), 5. Tracy
Hines (4), 6. Bryan Clauson (1), 7. Brian Tyler (9), 8. Robert Ballou (3), 9.
Kody Swanson (6), 10. Tanner Swanson (13), 11. Rich Tobias Jr. (12), 12. Dave
Darland (10), 13. Shane Hollingsworth (8), 14. Shane Cottle (14). NT
2014 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody Swanson
(2), 2. Tracy Hines (1), 3. Jerry Coons Jr. (6), 4. Bobby East (3), 5. Zach Daum
(10), 6. Shane Cockrum (4), 7. Dave Darland (9), 8. A.J. Fike (12), 9. John Hunt
(17), 10. Joe Liguori (13), 11. Jacob Wilson (14), 12. Patrick Lawson (20), 13.
Chris Windom (5), 14. Aaron Pierce (7), 15. Caleb Armstrong (8), 16. Christopher
Bell (11), 17. Davey Ray (15), 18. Dakota Jackson (16), 19. Taylor Ferns (18),
20. Jake Simmons (21), 21. Jarett Andretti (19). NT
2015 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Shane Cockrum
(2), 2. C.J. Leary (5), 3. Jerry Coons Jr. (4), 4. Shane Cottle (6), 5. Brady
Bacon (3), 6. Justin Grant (7), 7. Kody Swanson (1), 8. Chris Windom (10), 9.
Tracy Hines (11), 10. Kevin Thomas Jr. (9), 11. Chase Stockon (18), 12. Tyler
Courtney (15), 13. A.J. Fike (13), 14. Jacob Wilson (17), 15. Patrick Lawson
(20), 16. Terry James (21), 17. Rex Norris III (19), 18. Dave Darland (22), 19.
Joey Moughan (16), 20. Aaron Pierce (12), 21. Russ Gamester (14), 22. Kent
Wolters (23), 23. Austin Nemire (24), 24. Steve Buckwalter (8). NT
2016 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. C.J. Leary
(2), 2. Justin Grant (1), 3. Kody Swanson (4), 4. Brady Bacon (6), 5. Chris
Windom (5), 6. Shane Cottle (7), 7. Shane Cockrum (9), 8. Bryan Clauson (14), 9.
Jerry Coons Jr. (3), 10. Dave Darland (8), 11. Robert Ballou (13), 12. Casey
Shuman (16), 13. David Byrne (15), 14. Billy Puterbaugh Jr. (11), 15. Neil
Shepherd (20), 16. Terry James (17), 17. Austin Nemire (19), 18. Terry Babb
(12), 19. Steve Buckwalter (10), 20. J.C. Bland (18). 44:20.125 (New Track
Record)
2017 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Chris Windom
(9), 2. C.J. Leary (5), 3. Kody Swanson (1), 4. Hunter Schuerenberg (11), 5.
Jerry Coons Jr. (16), 6. Brady Bacon (6), 7. Dave Darland (20), 8. Damion
Gardner (19), 9. Dakota Jackson (13), 10. Joss Moffatt (22), 11. Johnny
Petrozelle (12), 12. Joe Liguori (14), 13. Patrick Bruns (15), 14. David Byrne
(3), 15. Austin Nemire (23), 16. Bill Rose (21), 17. Steve Buckwalter (10), 18.
Shane Cockrum (4), 19. Mark Smith (17), 20. Aaron Pierce (8), 21. Shane Cottle
(18), 22. Justin Grant (7), 23. J.C. Bland (24), 24. Casey Shuman (2). 49:16.103
2018 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Justin Grant
(3), 2. Kody Swanson (18), 3. Tyler Courtney (1), 4. Chris Windom (13), 5. C.J.
Leary (4), 6. Shane Cockrum (7), 7. Jerry Coons Jr. (2), 8. Joe Liguori (21), 9.
Johnny Petrozelle (12), 10. Neil Shepherd (23), 11. Mike Haggenbottom (24), 12.
Austin Nemire (25), 13. Kyle Robbins (19), 14. Shane Cottle (8), 15. Jacob
Wilson (10), 16. Casey Shuman (11), 17. Steve Buckwalter (20), 18. Aaron Pierce
(6), 19. Travis Welpott (14), 20. David Byrne (17), 21. Joss Moffatt (16), 22.
Matt Goodnight (22), 23. Coleman Gulick (9), 24. Austin Mundie (15), 25. Brady
Bacon (5). NT
2022 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Justin Grant (3), 2. Jerry Coons Jr. (12), 3. Brady Bacon (16), 4. Logan Seavey (5), 5. Emerson Axsom (13), 6. Bill Rose (17), 7. Kody Swanson (1), 8. Carmen Perigo (10), 9. Terry Babb (22), 10. C.J. Leary (2), 11. Dallas Hewitt (15), 12. Brian Ruhlman (19), 13. Austin Nemire (18), 14. Travis Welpott (24), 15. Kyle Robbins (4), 16. Shane Cottle (11), 17. Casey Buckman (23), 18. Buddy Kofoid (8), 19. Kyle Steffens (20), 20. Jason McDougal (14), 21. Shane Cockrum (9), 22. Brian Tyler (26-P), 23. Matt Westfall (7), 24. Jake Swanson (6), 25. Tommy Nichols (25), 26. Davey Ray (21), 27. Eric Gordon (27). NT
28 ENTRIES
FOR SUNDAY’S USAC SILVER CROWN
SUMAR CLASSIC AT TERRE HAUTE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Terre Haute, Indiana (October 1, 2024)………Twenty-eight USAC Silver Crown
entries are set for this Sunday’s 20th running of the 100-lap Sumar Classic on
October 6 at western Indiana’s Terre Haute Action Track.
The event at the 1/2-mile dirt oval features three past winners: series point
leader Kody Swanson (2014), C.J. Leary (2016) and two-time victor Justin Grant
(2018 & 2022).
They’re among the 13 Sumar Classic veterans in the field along with
first-time winning hopefuls and past runner-up Jerry Coons Jr. of Tucson,
Arizona (2nd in 2008-12-22). Fellow top-five Sumar Classic finishers in this
weekend’s lineup include Broken Arrow, Oklahoma’s Brady Bacon (3rd in 2022),
Sutter, California’s Logan Seavey (4th in 2022) and Pleasant Hill, Ohio’s Matt
Westfall (5th in 2002-03).
Like Coons, Bacon and Seavey before, Fort Branch, Indiana’s Chase Stockon (11th in 2015) is among the group of Terre Haute USAC National Sprint Car winners vying for a first career Terre Haute USAC Silver Crown tri
umph.
Meanwhile, Stoystown, Pennsylvania’s Carmen Perigo (8th in 2022), Sunbury,
Pennsylvania’s Mark Smith (19th in 2017) and Winchester, Indiana’s Matt
Goodnight (22nd in 2018) return to the Sumar Classic field.
Meanwhile, two drivers who’ve spent a large portion of their careers with
fenders in late models and modifieds are making their return to the Sumar
Classic in open wheel machinery: St. Charles, Missouri’s Kyle Steffens (18th in
2002) and Clarklake, Michigan’s Brian Ruhlman (12th in 2022).
However, the majority of this weekend’s field belongs to Sumar Classic
first-timers. Three of them own USAC national feature wins on their resume:
Daison Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.), plus Briggs Danner (Allentown, Pa.) and
Mitchel Moles (Raisin City, Calif.). Pursley (Port Royal) and Moles (Eldora)
have each won their first career USAC Silver Crown races in 2024 on dirt
half-miles. Danner is coming off a 3rd place finish at Eldora.
Leading 2024 USAC Silver Crown Rookie Trey Osborne (Columbus, Ohio) looks to
make his first Sumar Classic main event start along with fellow Silver Crown
Rookies Nathan Moore (Kaufman, Texas), Chase Dietz (York, Pa.), Aric Gentry
(Robards, Ky.) and Dave Peperak (Clinton, Ind.), a former USAC National Sprint
Car track record holder at Terre Haute.
Veterans of the Silver Crown ranks making their first visit to the Sumar
Classic include Mario Clouser (Auburn, Ill.), Chris Fetter (Troy, Mo.), Dave
Berkheimer (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), Gregg Cory (Shelbyville, Ind.), Kenny Gentry
(Henderson, Ky.), Jimmy Light (West Springfield, Pa.) and Kevin Newton
(Farmersburg, Ind.), whose one and only career USAC Silver Crown start came
during the 2003 Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, 21 years ago.
RACE DETAILS:
The 20th running of the Sumar Classic features the USAC Silver Crown National
Championship this Sunday night, October 6, at the Terre Haute Action Track’s
1/2-mile dirt track in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Pits open at 2pm Eastern, grandstands open at 4pm and practice is set to
begin at 5:30pm followed immediately by qualifications and racing.
Advance general admission tickets are on sale now at www.usactickets.com.
Advance grandstand tickets are $20 for ages 13 and up while kids age 12 and
under are free. Infield tickets are just $10 for ages 13 & up while kids age 12
and under are free.
Sunday’s Sumar Classic can be watched LIVE on FloRacing at
https://flosports.link/usac.
==================
SUMAR CLASSIC ENTRY LIST: (28 DRIVERS & CARS)
01 MARK SMITH/Sunbury, PA (L & M Motorsports)
6 C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Klatt Enterprises)
9 BRADY BACON/Broken Arrow, OK (Chris Dyson Racing)
10 (R) BRIGGS DANNER/Allentown, PA (DMW Motorsports)
15 CHRIS FETTER/Troy, MO (Chris Fetter)
18 KENNY GENTRY/Henderson, KY (Kenny Gentry)
21 (R) DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, OK (Team AZ Racing/Curb-Agajanian)
22 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Rice Motorsports-Abacus Racing)
24 MATT GOODNIGHT/Winchester, IN (John Haggenbottom)
31 DAVE BERKHEIMER/Mechanicsburg, PA (Berkheimer Racing)
32 GREGG CORY/Shelbyville, IN (Williams-Cory Racing)
48 (R) NATHAN MOORE/Kaufman, TX (Chip Thomas-Joe Moore)
49 BRIAN RUHLMAN/Clarklake, MI (Brian Ruhlman)
52 CARMEN PERIGO/Stoystown, PA (John Stehman)
54 MATT WESTFALL/Pleasant Hill, OH (Westfall Racing)
55 JERRY COONS JR./Tucson, AZ (Bateman Racing)
60 MARIO CLOUSER/Auburn, IL (Legacy Autosport-Robert Wilson Racing)
69 CHASE STOCKON/Fort Branch, IN (Pink 69 Racing)
77 KODY SWANSON/Kingsburg, CA (Doran-Binks Racing)
81 (R) TREY OSBORNE/Columbus, OH (BCR Group)
86 (R) CHASE DIETZ/York, PA (Bruce Lee)
91 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (Hemelgarn Racing)
99 (R) KEVIN NEWTON/Farmersburg, IN (Armstrong Racing)
118 JIMMY LIGHT/West Springfield, PA (Wingo Brothers Racing)
119 (R) MITCHEL MOLES/Raisin City, CA (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
777 (R) DAVE PEPERAK/Clinton, IN (Dave Peperak Motorsports)
(R) represents a USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year contender
CANNON BOOMS!
MCINTOSH’S LATE RACE BC39 HEROICS
NET $20,039 USAC MIDGET SCORE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (September 29, 2024)………After finishing as the runner-up on
three different occasions in his USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National
Championship career at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Cannon
McIntosh found himself at the right place, at the right time in the right moment
for a breakthrough during Sunday night’s sixth running of the Driven2SaveLives
BC39 Presented By Avanti Windows & Doors.
In 2022, McIntosh (Bixby, Okla.) finished as the runner-up and was leading
just five laps from the finish line before being passed by Buddy Kofoid.
Furthermore, in both 2023 and just this past Thursday, he came home a close
second during prelim feature nights with victory just barely eluding his grasp.
McIntosh seized the moment on Sunday night when he took advantage of a
bouncing Chase McDermand through turns three and four as the front runners
arrived at the white flag. McIntosh swung to the outside, nipped McDermand at
the line to lead lap 38 before McDermand slid him back in turn one. McIntosh cut
back under McDermand in turns one and two on the final lap to secure the top
spot, the thrill of victory, a place in the history books and a $20,039 prize.
With his efforts, McIntosh became the sixth different BC39 winner in as many
races while also becoming the driver who led the least amount of laps en route
to victory in the history of the event – two – in his Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian
Motorsports/GearWrench – Mobil 1 – TRD/LynK/Speedway Toyota.
McIntosh’s 0.191 second margin of victory is the closest in BC39 history, but
he’s been used to close calls at the 1/5-mile dirt oval over the years. This
time around, however, he was finally the one who prevailed.
“We’ve been so close to winning here, even on prelim nights, and we just
hadn’t gotten it done,” McIntosh remarked. “I don’t think I’ve ever been that
excited crossing the line. I think this is definitely number one. To be able to
win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and to put my name in the history books,
is pretty special. I’m so thankful to do this in honor of Bryan (Clauson) who
was a legend in this sport and a hero. To do this in his name with (Bryan’s
father) Tim (Clauson) here, it’s a really cool feeling to be able to do this,
and I’m just so grateful to be able to race here.”
The sixth starting McIntosh lay in wait throughout much of the 39-lap
distance as he ran fifth as late as nine laps to go. Outside front row starter
Daison Pursley set the pace for the first two circuits before pole sitter and
Thursday night BC39 prelim feature winner Chase McDermand flexed his muscles by
surging to the front on the low line of turn three and remained there for much
of the night.
For the majority of the race, it appeared all the breaks were going
McDermand’s way. Each time he came close to approaching lapped traffic, the
caution was displayed for an incident, first on lap 18 and then again on the
31st circuit.
In that same timeframe, fifth-starting Jade Avedisian came to life on the top
side after falling back to eighth early in the going. Shortly after reaching the
top-five on lap 20, she collided with defending BC39 winner Justin Grant in
turns one and two, which sent Grant tumbling over and also collected Jacob
Denney (8th). Avedisian continued on while Grant restarted at the tail and
Denney went to the sideline for the remainder of the night.
All eyes were now on Avedisian as she threaded the needle between Kale Drake
and McIntosh on lap 28 to go from fifth to third. With nine to go, Avedisian and
her KKM teammate, Drake, met wheel to wheel in the battle for third. Drake took
the brunt of the misfortune as his left rear tire went flat moments later,
sending him coasting to a stop after nearly flipping over in turn three. Drake
was relegated to 18th at the finish, but still earned the Max Papis Innovations
BC39 Rookie of the Race, scoring a custom designed trophy and $700 for his
efforts.
With just eight laps to go and a clear track ahead of him, McDermand seemed
destined for the big payday. But Avedisian as well as McIntosh had their say in
the matter. One lap after the ensuing restart on the 32nd go around, Avedisian
charged past Pursley for second on the back straight, then pulled even to the
outside of McDermand in turn two and appeared poised to race her way into the
lead. However, just as that was happening, Shane Cottle (9th) spun to a stop in
turn four, meaning that the running order reverted back to the last completed
lap, thus relegating Avedisian back to third for the restart.
The final eight laps to the finish witnessed a scramble of epic proportions
among the frontrunners. First, McIntosh established his presence as he advanced
from fourth to second past Avedisian and Pursley in turn one on lap 33.
Avedisian promptly took third from Pursley at the exit of turn four a half lap
later and began to test McIntosh for the runner-up spot as she ran the top and
McIntosh cruised the bottom.
“I knew I was good enough there, but it was hard to get a rhythm with all the
holes and finding your way,” McIntosh revealed regarding the low line. “When
someone got a good run on the outside, I had to move around a little bit. I
stayed patient and I knew I had the car to do it.”
With all that said, McDermand was in total control at the front of the field
with a four car length lead on the back straight with the white flag in sight.
But as McDermand entered the bottom of turn three on lap 38, the axis of the
Earth seemingly tilted, sending McDermand biking on two wheels through the
corner. When he landed on all fours in turn four, his front bumper was facing
toward the infield.
McDermand recovered in time to beat McIntosh into turn one on the final lap,
but without the proper angle, McDermand slid up the racetrack and McIntosh slid
under. Simultaneously, Avedisian bolted around the outside of McDermand to
occupy second. With McIntosh working the bottom and Avedisian the middle/top,
McIntosh beat her to the line by less than two car lengths. McDermand took
third, another couple car lengths behind Avedisian. Pursley came home fourth
while Kevin Thomas Jr. rounded out the top-five.
“I knew I was good down there and didn’t want to move, but then the
opportunity presented itself coming to the white,” McIntosh explained. “I
actually didn’t know it was the white until he messed up and I saw it. I thought
about driving down there and chopping his nose but I just stuck to the line I
had. He went in and drifted in front of me, but I just waited patiently and
drove back under him and protected into three.”
In the end, the top-three finishers carried a range of emotions, all with
tears in their eyes for varying reasons. One for their greatest triumph; one for
coming up just short of their defining moment thus far; and one for letting one
slip away from their grasp in crunch time.
Jade Avedisian (Clovis, Calif.) was that close to becoming the first woman to
win a USAC National Midget feature. Her end result was the fourth runner-up
finish of her career with the series aboard the Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian
Motorsports/Mobil 1 – TRD – Toyota – Peelz/Lynk/Speedway Toyota. Earlier in the
evening, she also finished third in the prelim feature, but despite two podium
finishes in one day and earning the Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night, she
was anything but satisfied.
“It’s super, super heartbreaking,” Avedisian admitted. “I wanted this one so
bad. You do it for these kinds of races, and when you’re in a spot to capitalize
and it just doesn’t fall your way, it’s heartbreaking. I could cry right now.
I’m going to think about this one for a long time. I wanted to kiss those bricks
really badly, but it didn’t happen and I gave my best effort and the team gave
their best effort. I was willing to either flip it or win it. On the four-wide,
I was telling myself that I’m either going to end up over the fence or I’m going
to have a good shot to win this thing. That’s just what this race means to me
and what this whole event means to me. I’d be willing to do whatever it takes to
win.”
Chase McDermand (Springfield, Ill.) went from the highest of highs in winning
his first career USAC National Midget feature on Thursday to seeing the biggest
payday of his career vanish in the blink of an eye on Sunday night. Although
there isn’t much consolation to offer after what transpired, a weekend in which
he recorded his two best career USAC National Midget results can’t be all bad.
But this is one that truly got away after he led a race high 35 of 39 laps in
his Chase McDermand/Mulch Express of Wisconsin – McDermand
Plumbing/Spike/Stanton SR-11x.
“I ran 38 decent laps, and one really, really bad one. It stings. It really
stings,” McDermand lamented. “But coming out of this weekend with a first and a
third, we probably shouldn’t hang our heads too much, but there’s nothing really
I can say that will help all of us these next few days.”
This night marked Kameron Key's first championship night start during the
BC39. Starting all the way back in 24th in the feature, he went +15 to finish a
solid ninth. That earned the Warrensburg, Missouri racer hard charger honors for
the night.
===============
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: September
29, 2023 – The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Speedway, Indiana –
1/5-Mile Dirt Track – Driven2SaveLives BC39
FIRST ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (12 laps, top-5 transfer to the
feature) 1. Jacob Denney (#25 Malloy), 2. Gavin Miller (#97
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 3. Kyle Cummins (#3G Styres), 4. Shane Cottle (#44 4
Kings), 5. Jerry Coons Jr. (#85 Central), 6. Zach Wigal (#89 CBI), 7. Mitchel
Moles (#19A Reinbold-Underwood), 8. Bryce Massingill (#40x McDermand), 9.
Stephen Schnapf (#11s Martin), 10. Hayden Reinbold (#19AZ Reinbold-Underwood),
11. Gunnar Setser (#43 Arnold), 12. Frankie Guerrini (#63 F & F), 13. Glenn
Styres (#0G Styres), 14. Kameron Key (#21J TKH), 15. Briggs Danner (#98
Schneider), 16. Brady Bacon (#21H TKH), 17. Drake Edwards (#3p Petty), 18. Todd
Hobson (#75AU Griffiths), 19. Kevin Cook (#77 Cook), 20. Karter Sarff (#21K
Sarff), 21. Jeff Schindler (#8x Giddy Up). NT
SECOND ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (12 laps, top-5 transfer to
the feature) 1. Justin Grant (#2 RMS), 2. Thomas Meseraull (#7x Engler), 3.
Logan Seavey (#57 Abacus), 4. Ethan Mitchell (#19m Bundy Built), 5. Ryan Timms
(#67 Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 6. Tyler Edwards (#14s Mounce-Stout), 7. Darin Naida
(#3R Binks), 8. Kaylee Bryson (#58 Abacus), 9. Emerson Axsom (#67K
Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 10. Kevin Newton (16TH Second Law), 11. C.J. Leary (#54 4
Kings), 12. Zach Daum (#7u Trifecta), 13. Joel Myers Jr. (#1 Crouch), 14. Alex
Karpowicz (#19 Mounce-Stout), 15. Cody Beard (#7B Beard), 16. Adam Taylor (#7T
ATM), 17. Cameron La Rose (#3J Petty), 18. Kyle Jones (#27x Joyner), 19. Davey
Ray (#15J Wimmenauer). 2:33.837
ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS LAST CHANCE QUALIFIER: (15 laps, top-8
transfer to the feature) 1. Zach Wigal, 2. Mitchel Moles, 3. Emerson Axsom, 4.
Tyler Edwards, 5. Kaylee Bryson, 6. C.J. Leary, 7. Zach Daum, 8. Kameron Key, 9.
Bryce Massingill, 10. Frankie Guerrini, 11. Kevin Newton, 12. Gunnar Setser, 13.
Hayden Reinbold, 14. Joel Myers Jr., 15. Briggs Danner, 16. Alex Karpowicz, 17.
Cody Beard, 18. Glenn Styres, 19. Darin Naida, 20. Stephen Schnapf. NT
ALSO AT THE TRACK: Chris Baue (#36 Baue)
FEATURE: (39 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Cannon McIntosh (6),
2. Jade Avedisian (5), 3. Chase McDermand (1), 4. Daison Pursley (2), 5. Kevin
Thomas Jr. (4), 6. Logan Seavey (12), 7. Gavin Miller (9), 8. Thomas Meseraull
(10), 9. Kameron Key (24), 10. Tyler Edwards (20), 11. Jerry Coons Jr. (15), 12.
Zach Daum (23), 13. Ryan Timms (16), 14. C.J. Leary (22), 15. Zach Wigal (17),
16. Kyle Cummins (11), 17. Emerson Axsom (19), 18. Kale Drake (3), 19. Justin
Grant (8), 20. Mitchel Moles (18), 21. Kaylee Bryson (21), 22. Ethan Mitchell
(14), 23. Shane Cottle (13), 24. Kyle Jones (25-P), 25. Jacob Denney (7), 26.
Hayden Reinbold (26-P). NT
(P) represents a provisional starter
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-2 Daison Pursley, Laps 3-37 Chase McDermand, Laps
38-39 Cannon McIntosh.
**Justin Grant flipped on lap 25 of the feature.
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Daison
Pursley-1244, 2-Cannon McIntosh-1157, 3-Ryan Timms-1066, 4-Logan Seavey-1052,
5-Zach Daum-1036, 6-Jacob Denney-968, 7-Justin Grant-963, 8-Gavin Miller-946,
9-Zach Wigal-862, 10-Kale Drake-853.
USAC NATIONAL PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Daison Pursley-194, 2-Logan
Seavey-180, 3-Robert Ballou-145, 4-Justin Grant-129, 5-C.J. Leary-125, 6-Kyle
Cummins-117, 7-Chase Stockon-112, 8-Brady Bacon-111, 9-Kevin Thomas Jr.-103,
10-Matt Westfall-101.
NEXT USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: November 15,
2024 – Placerville Speedway – Placerville, California – 1/4-Mile Dirt Oval –
Hangtown 100
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
Dirt Draft Hot Laps Fastest Driver: Jacob Denney (12.302)
First Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Jacob Denney
Second Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Justin Grant
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Last Chance Qualifier Winner: Zach Wigal
Hard Charger: Kameron Key (24th to 9th)
Inferno Armor Fire Move of the Night: Jade Avedisian
Max Papis Innovations Rookie of the Race: Kale Drake (18th)
BC39 RESUMES SUNDAY AFTERNOON
WITH USAC MIDGET DOUBLEHEADER AT IMS
INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024) – Track preparation is underway at The
Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 29, as the
Driven2SaveLives BC39 presented by Avanti Windows & Doors is scheduled to be the
highlight this evening of a doubleheader for the USAC NOS Energy Drink National
Midget Championship.
Rain from Hurricane Helene forced the postponement of all action Friday and
Saturday on the quarter-mile dirt oval inside Turn 3 of the famed IMS paved
oval.
Friday’s originally scheduled program will take place first, starting with
hot laps at 3 p.m., weather permitting. Heat races, qualifying races, a B main
will follow, capped by a 30-lap feature at 5 p.m.
The BC39 program will start at 6:30 p.m. with hot laps, followed by the C and
B Mains and Last Chance Race. The 39-lap BC39 feature is scheduled to start at 9
p.m., with the winner earning $20,039.
Parking opens at 12:30 p.m., with public gates open at 1:30 p.m.
All Saturday products (tickets, pit passes and parking) are valid today.
Customers with only Friday products (tickets, pit passes and parking) were
contacted by the IMS Ticket Office with options. Tickets for today are available
for purchase on IMS.com. Customers with questions may contact the IMS Ticket
Office at tickets@brickyard.com.
The Driven2SaveLives BC39 presented by Avanti Windows Doors continues to honor late USAC champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 starter Bryan Clauson. In addition, it increases awareness of the Indiana Donor Network and its Driven2SaveLives campaign, sponsors of the event since its inception in 2018.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS:
September 28, 2024 – The Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway – Bakersfield, California
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Cody Williams, 44, Williams-14.771; 2. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-14.864; 3. R.J. Johnson, 51, Johnson-14.913; 4. Ryan Timmons, 29T, Timmons-15.033; 5. Charles Davis Jr., 47, Davis-15.110; 6. David Gasper, 18, Kittle/Gasper-15.117; 7. Austin Williams, 17W, Dunkel-15.122; 8. Austin Grabowski, 72, Grabowski-15.134; 9. Logan Williams, 5W, McCarthy-15.139; 10. Verne Sweeney, 98, Guerrero-15.180; 11. Brody Fuson, 51B, Van Meter-15.293; 12. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-15.295; 13. Blake Bower, 17, Dunkel-15.360; 14. Tanner Boul, 99T, Boul-15.971; 15. Elexa Herrera, 5E, Herrera-16.291; 16. Aaron Altaffer, 84, Altaffer-16.478.
FLOWDYNAMICS INCORPORATED / BILLSJERKY.NET / IN HONOR OF WILEY MILLER SR. & WILEY MILLER II FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, all cars transfer to feature) 1. Brody Fuson, 2. R.J. Johnson, 3. Charles Davis Jr., 4. Cody Williams, 5. Austin Williams, 6. Blake Bower, 7. Elexa Herrera, 8. Logan Williams. NT.
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER / WC FRIEND COMPANY / SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION / FACTORY WRAPS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, all cars transfer to feature) 1. Verne Sweeney, 2. Ryan Timmons, 3. David Gasper, 4. A.J. Bender, 5. Austin Grabowski, 6. Tanner Boul, 7. Aaron Altaffer, 8. Tommy Malcolm. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Cody Williams (6), 2. Brody Fuson (11), 3. R.J. Johnson (5), 4. David Gasper (2), 5. Charles Davis Jr. (3), 6. A.J. Bender (12), 7. Austin Williams (1), 8. Verne Sweeney (10), 9. Ryan Timmons (4), 10. Logan Wiliams (9), 11. Austin Grabowski (8), 12. Tanner Boul (14), 13. Blake Bower (13), 14. Elexa Herrera (15), 15. Aaron Altaffer (16), 16. Tommy Malcolm (7). NT. ---------------------------- **Aaron Altaffer flipped on lap 22 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-19 David Gasper, Laps 20-30 Cody Williams IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: Brody Fuson (11 to 2)
NEW AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS: NEXT AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACES: October 12 – Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, Arizona
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