By: Richie Murray – USAC Media (Josh James Artwork Photo)
Speedway, Indiana (September 26, 2023)………The fifth running of the Driven2SaveLives BC39 is set to roll with 72 drivers in a field that consists of 19 past USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship feature winners and represents 20 different United States.
They’ll play in the dirt for four-straight nights on September 27-28-29-30 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the 1/4-mile oval located within the confines of the world famous 2.5-mile course.
The BC39 boasts the largest car count of the season, the highest stakes of the season and the highest payout of the season in an event which has already become one of the defining crown jewels in all of midget racing.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is already magic, but after laying a bit of dirt down, you’ve got magic.
We’ve also got six storylines for you to let sink in as we get ready for one of the marquee events on the entire USAC calendar.
AN ENORMOUS FIELD OF 72
Besides the on-track action, the annual car count for the BC39 makes plenty of headlines for itself. Of the 72 drivers, 20 different states are represented in the field from coast-to-coast: California (15), Indiana (13), Illinois (6), Oklahoma (6), Ohio (5), North Carolina (4), Texas (4), Arizona (2), Colorado (2), Kansas (2), Missouri (2), Pennsylvania (2), Wisconsin (2), Alabama (1), Connecticut (1), Delaware (1), Florida (1), Louisiana (1), Nevada (1) and Washington (1).
Over the first four editions of the BC39, three states have been represented in victory lane: Oklahoma’s Brady Bacon (2018), Indiana’s Zeb Wise (2019), California’s Kyle Larson (2021) and California’s Buddy Kofoid (2022).
Furthermore, of the 72, more than a quarter are previous USAC National Midget feature winners representing 155 total series wins: Tanner Thorson (29), Buddy Kofoid (24), Jerry Coons Jr. (19), Justin Grant (14), Logan Seavey (14), Thomas Meseraull (9), Brady Bacon (8), Cannon McIntosh (6), Kevin Thomas Jr. (6), Ryan Timms (5), Zach Daum (4), John Heydenreich (4), Jacob Denney (3), Mitchel Moles (3), Emerson Axsom (2), Daison Pursley (2), Gavin Miller (1), Keith Rauch (1) and Bryant Wiedeman (1).
But only one of those aforementioned drivers will be striving for a final night BC39 victory this year.
LONE BACON
Brady Bacon made the winning pass with nine laps to go to score a win in the very first BC39 in 2018. To the surprise of no one, he’s been a solid citizen annually in the event, finishing 3rd in 2021 and 8th in 2022.
Others have come similarly close. Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Ala.) finished 3rd in 2018 after leading a race-high 30 laps. Thomas Meseraull (San Joes, Calif.) led a combined 34 laps over a two-race span in 2019-21, then finished a best of 3rd in 2022.
Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) led a lap and finished 2nd in 2021, then scored a 4th in 2022, while Daison Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.) led for 16 circuits en route to a 4th place result in 2021. Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.), meanwhile, came home fifth in the 2019 race.
Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Okla.) waged a fascinating duel with Buddy Kofoid for the win in 2022, with McIntosh leading a race-high 20 laps before finishing 2nd behind Kofoid.
Speaking of Kofoid, you may be saying, “wait, he’s in this year’s field too.” Right you are. However, he will only be participating during Wednesday and Thursday’s programs before other racing duties will prevent him from competing on Saturday for a repeat BC39 victory.
SPLIT RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE
Not one, not two, not three but four nights of racing greet BC39 competitors in 2023, doubling the number of events held annually during the first four runnings.
Wednesday’s program will feature all cars on the track for practice, followed by the Stoops Pursuit race, a 25-lap race split into five-lap segments. The field consists of a total of 24 starters with the top-10 drivers in USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship points being locked into the event as are the 10 fastest during Wednesday night’s practice who are not already locked in. Up to four promoters options will be available to start the event.
The Stoops Pursuit starting lineup is inverted by fastest hot lap time, with promoter’s options starting at the rear. Any car involved in a caution is eliminated. Every five laps, a competition yellow flag will be displayed, and cars with a net loss in position will be called to exit the track.
A checkered flag ends the final segment, with the winner earning $1,500 plus $100 for each position gained. All race participants will receive a free right rear tire courtesy of Hoosier.
On Thursday and Friday, the field will be split with half the field competing on Thursday and the other half of the field competing on Friday. Both nights will feature a full program of racing consisting of 8-lap heat races and 10-lap qualifying races, followed by a 10-lap C-main (if needed), a 12-lap semi-feature and a 30-lap feature race paying $5,000-to-win with the top-3 feature finishers on each night’s prelim being locked into Saturday’s feature.
All USAC National Midget licensed drivers and entrants will receive 50 appearance points during each night of their participation on Thursday and Friday.
Saturday’s Championship Night program will consist of hot laps and main events only, starting with the E-Main, two D-Mains, two C-Mains, two semi-features and a last chance race. The 39-lap feature will have 22 starters, plus two USAC provisional starters (if applicable) and two IMS options.
All USAC National Midget licensed drivers and entrants will receive feature points only on Saturday based on their finishing position. All non-transfers will receive 10 points.
THE UNSTOPPABLE FORCE OF SEAVEY
Logan Seavey is seemingly the unstoppable force in the USAC National Midget ranks entering the BC39. He’s reeled off 14 consecutive top-fives with the series, the most since Jason Leffler’s championship season in 1997 in which he strung together 21 consecutive top-fives.
Seavey is also coming off a weekend in which he swept the USAC portion of the 4-Crown Nationals at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway, joining only Jack Hewitt and Kyle Larson in that regard.
At the BC39, Seavey is looking to up the ante even though he may be the odds-on favorite with six feature victories in his last 14 outings. His best result thus far in the event was a fifth in 2019.
CANNON & THE AXE
Two frontrunners find themselves in new rides for the event with Cannon McIntosh taking the reins of the CB Industries No. 86 while Emerson Axsom has slid over to the Keith Kunz Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports No. 68.
Between the two teams, they have won the past two BC39 main events, and in each of those two events, the two drivers have finished inside the top-five in each. Axsom scored a 5th in 2021 and McIntosh a close 2nd in 2022.
McIntosh arrives at CBI after competing on the USAC tour for the past three seasons on the Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports team. Axsom, meanwhile, has competed mainly for the Petry-Hayward Motorsports team throughout 2023.
Both McIntosh and Seavey know their way to USAC National Midget victory lane with McIntosh owning six series victories and Axsom six, but both are aiming for their first one of the season this week at The BC39, which would be a monumental breakthrough win for each respective driver.
A HOARD OF ROOKIES
Twenty-seven of the 72 drivers in this year’s BC39 lineup are race rookies who are taking on the event for the first time in their career.
Max Papis Innovations (MPI) will reward this year’s top Rookie drivers at the Driven2SaveLives BC39 with a bevy of bonuses and awards for their achievements. During both the Thursday and Friday night programs, the hard charger of the feature event will receive the MPI Up on the Wheel Award consisting of a trophy as well as a pair of MPI racing gloves and a $250 gift card to be used toward MPI products that can be redeemed directly through MPI.
During Saturday night’s finale, the MPI Rookie of the Race award will reward the highest finishing BC39 Rookie in the feature with a custom trophy, a custom MPI steering wheel, MPI racing gloves plus a $700 check and a custom lasered BC39 racing wheel.
Among the Rookies in this year’s BC39 field are a pair of USAC National Midget winners in Keith Rauch (Thornton, Colo.) and Gavin Miller (Allentown, Pa.). Rauch, a 13-time Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association champion, scored his lone USAC National win back in 1990. Miller gained his first series victory just this past June and is USAC’s leading Rookie driver in 2023.
Jake Andreotti (Castro Valley, Calif.) finished 2nd in the USAC National Midget season opener at Kansas’ Belleville Short Track and is among the top candidates to score the MPI prize. Daniel Whitley (Ferndale, Calif.) has run inside the top-five with the USAC National Midget series in 2023 and has been a winner with the Xtreme Outlaw series this summer.
Also joining the Rookie fray are 360 Sprint standout Jake Bubak (Arvada, Colo.) as well as USAC regional champion Mark McMahill (Peoria, Ill.) and USAC regional winners Preston Lattomus (Lewes, Del.), Wes Pinkerton (Reynolds, Ind.) and Zach Wigal (Belpre, Ohio), plus BCRA Midget titlist Robert Carson (Concord, Calif.).
Josh Bilicki (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) has competed in both the Brickyard 400 and on the road course with the NASCAR Cup series at IMS and will be in one of six RAMCO Speed Group entries for the BC39.
Also a familiar name to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, “Andretti,” will be in the BC39 lineup. Adam Andretti (Brownsburg, Ind.) recently competed on the IMS Road Course with the Trans Am Series Presented by Pirelli. Andretti is the younger brother of 1983 USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year John Andretti, the son of Aldo Andretti and the nephew of 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner, Formula 1 champion and four-time IndyCar champion Mario Andretti.
RACE DETAILS
The fifth running of the Driven2Save BC39 featuring the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship comes to The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for four consecutive nights on September 27-28-29-30.
The BC39 officially gets underway on Tuesday, September 26 with team parking at 3pm Eastern followed by a BC39 Welcome Party at 6pm at USAC Headquarters.
On track action starts Wednesday, September 27, beginning with the drivers meeting in the IMS Media Room at 3pm Eastern. Public gates open at 4pm with cars hitting the track for practice at 6pm, followed by the incredibly exciting Stoops Pursuit feature race which will conclude the night’s racing action at 9pm. In this event, 25 cars will start and compete in five, five-lap segments. If a driver gets passed in any segment, they are eliminated.
For Thursday and Friday, September 28-29, the field will be split into two with one half of the field competing on night one and the other half competing on night two. On both nights, public gates open at 4pm Eastern with hot laps at 6pm, followed by heat races, qualifying races, the C-Main, the Semi-Feature and the $5,000-to-win Feature event.
The finale, on Saturday, September 30, will have the public gates opening at 4pm with a driver meet and greet scheduled for 4pm in the midway and a public driver’s meeting at the USAC merchandise trailer at 4:45pm. Cars hit the track for practice at 6pm, followed by opening ceremonies at 7pm and the main events, starting with the D-Main, multiple C-Mains, Semi-Feature and the 39-lap Feature event paying $20,039-to-win.
There are three options for viewing the racing action and also having pit pass access. You can purchase a competitor pit pass only where no seat is included with limited viewing of the track. Secondly, you can purchase a competitor pit pass with reserved seating included, which are available in the lower level of the main grandstands. You may also purchase a grandstand seat from the IMS ticketing site with a pit pass upgrade. Competitors must enter IMS via the 16th Street tunnel.
Each entry filed will come with two VIP parking passes for inside parking at IMS, intended for driver and entrant. All others must either purchase inside parking or park outside of turns three and four of 2.5-mile paved oval track.
Spectator tickets are also available www.TheBC39.com. Spectators are to enter the Indianapolis Motor Speedway via 30th Street.
The event on the quarter-mile dirt oval inside turn three at IMS will continue to honor late USAC champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 starter Bryan Clauson and increase awareness of and participation in the Indiana Donor Network and Driven2SaveLives.
Brady Bacon (2018), Zeb Wise (2019), Kyle Larson (2021) and Buddy Kofoid (2022) have captured victories in the first four editions of the BC39.
All four days of the #BC39 can be watched LIVE on FloRacing at https://flosports.link/40w7aPg
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2023 DRIVEN2SAVELIVES BC39 ENTRIES
1 Kevin Thomas Jr./Cullman, AL (Crouch Motorsports)
1D (R) Landon Brooks/Rio Oso, CA (RAMCO Speed Group)
1G (R) Connor Wolf/Lafayette, IN (RAMCO Speed Group)
1z (R) Justin Zimmerman/Athens, TX (Justin Zimmerman)
2 Justin Grant/Ione, CA (RMS Racing)
4 (R) Chelby Hinton/Dubberly, LA (Klatt Enterprises)
5J Josh Hodge/Brownsburg, IN (Josh Hodge Racing)
5s Scott Orr/Columbia City, IN (Josh Hodge Racing)
6 Isaac Chapple/Willow Branch, IN (Doug Hall)
7c (R) Josh Bilicki/Menomonee Falls, WI (RAMCO Speed Group)
7m Kyle Jones/Kennedale, TX (RAMCO Speed Group)
7p Zach Daum/Pocahontas, IL (RAMCO Speed Group)
7x Thomas Meseraull/San Jose, CA (RMS Racing)
8 Randi Pankratz/Atascadero, CA (Wally Pankratz)
8x Jeff Schindler/Evansville, IN (Jeff Schindler)
9 (R) Wes Pinkerton/Reynolds, IN (Wes Pinkerton)
9p (R) Kevin Cook/Winchester, IN (Kevin Cook)
10A (R) Tommy Colburn/New Berlin, WI (MWR Technology)
10c (R) Mark McMahill/Peoria, IL (MWR Technology)
11 Clinton Boyles/Greenwood, MO (Scott Beierle)
11L Aaron Leffel/Springfield, OH (Team Taylor Racing)
14 C.J. Leary/Greenfield, IN (Legacy Autosport)
17B Austin Barnhill/Wilmington, NC (Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports)
18N (R) Weston Gorham/Colleyville, TX (Kelly Gorham)
19 Daison Pursley/Locust Grove, OK (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
19AZ Hayden Reinbold/Gilbert, AZ (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
19m Ethan Mitchell/Mooresville, NC (Bundy Built Motorsports)
19T Mitchel Moles/Raisin City, CA (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
21D Justin Dickerson/Pittsboro, IN (Mike Dickerson)
21H Brady Bacon/Broken Arrow, OK (TKH Motorsports)
21J (R) Kameron Key/Warrensburg, MO (TKH Motorsports)
21K Karter Sarff/Mason City, IL (Jayme Sarff)
22 John Heydenreich/Bloomsburg, PA (John Heydenreich)
22p (R) Taylor Courtney/Indianapolis, IN (RAMCO Speed Group)
23 (R) Preston Lattomus/Lewes, DE (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
25 Jacob Denney/Galloway, OH (Tom Malloy)
25K Taylor Reimer/Bixby, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
25m (R) Jake Andreotti/Castro Valley, CA (Tom Malloy)
27 (R) Keith Rauch/Thornton, CO (Bourke Motorsports)
27B (R) Jake Bubak/Arvada, CO (Bourke Motorsports)
32 Gary Taylor/Snohomish, WA (Brian Dunlap)
36 Ian Creager/Covington, OH (Tod Creager)
40 Chase McDermand/Springfield, IL (Mounce-Stout Motorsports)
40B Blake Brannon/Morgan Hill, CA (Blake Brannon)
40x (R) Zach Wigal/Belpre, OH (Chase McDermand)
41 Oliver Akard/Fort Myers, FL (Team OMR)
44 (R) Adam Andretti/Brownsburg, IN (Jeff Johnson)
46 (R) Kenney Johnson/Bethany, CT (Jeff Johnson)
54 Matt Westfall/Pleasant Hill, OH (Steve Bordner)
55 (R) Trevor Cline/Mooresville, NC (Troy Cline)
55D Nick Drake/Mooresville, NC (Troy Cline)
56 (R) Mitchell Davis/Auburn, IL (Pat O’Dell)
57 Logan Seavey/Sutter, CA (Abacus Racing)
57A Daniel Robinson/Wayne City, IL (RAB Racing)
58 (R) Daniel Whitley/Ferndale, CA (Abacus Racing)
67 Ryan Timms/Oklahoma City, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
67K Buddy Kofoid/Penngrove, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
68 Emerson Axsom/Franklin, IN (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71 Jade Avedisian/Clovis, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71E Mariah Ede/Fresno, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71T (R) Kyler Johnson/Quinter, KS (Todd Henry)
75AU Bryan Stanfill/Bakersfield, CA (Griffiths Motorsports)
81 Bryant Wiedeman/Colby, KS (CB Industries)
85 Jerry Coons Jr./Tucson, AZ (Central Motorsports)
86 Cannon McIntosh/Bixby, OK (CB Industries)
88 Tanner Thorson/Minden, NV (Tanner Thorson Racing)
89 Kaylee Bryson/Muskogee, OK (CB Industries)
97 (R) Gavin Miller/Allentown, PA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
99 (R) Don O’Keefe Jr. /Union City, CA (LOK/Carson-Segur Racing)
99K (R) Robert Carson/Concord, CA (LOK/Carson-Segur Racing)
118 (R) Scott Evans/Rhome, TX (Scott Evans)
136 Chris Baue/Indianapolis, IN (Bill Baue)
(R) represents a BC39 Rookie
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BC39 FEATURE WINNERS: 2018-Brady Bacon, 2019-Zeb Wise, 2020-Not Held, 2021-Kyle Larson, 2022-Buddy Kofoid
STOOPS PURSUIT WINNERS: 2018-Zeb Wise, 2019-Kyle Larson, 2020-Not Held, 2021-Kyle Larson, 2022-Dominic Gorden
USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Logan Seavey-1297, 2-Bryant Wiedeman-1088, 3-Justin Grant-1066, 4-Ryan Timms-1041, 5-Daison Pursley-1037, 6-Jade Avedisian-1031, 7-Jacob Denney-965, 8-Gavin Miller-945, 9-Cannon McIntosh-868, 10-Taylor Reimer-818.
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PAST BC39 FEATURE RESULTS:
2018 FEATURE: (39 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Brady Bacon (7), 2. Chad Boat (10), 3. Kevin Thomas, Jr. (1), 4. Tyler Courtney (2), 5. Christopher Bell (17), 6. Alex Bright (8), 7. Justin Grant (6), 8. Holly Shelton (9), 9. Jerry Coons, Jr. (5), 10. Ryan Robinson (3), 11. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (11), 12. Chris Windom (22), 13. Logan Seavey (23), 14. Zeb Wise (14), 15. Shane Cottle (13), 16. Jason McDougal (25), 17. Maria Cofer (24), 18. Terry Babb (20), 19. Brayton Lynch (4), 20. David Budres (19), 21. Brian Karraker (21), 22. Tyler Thomas (18), 23. Tucker Klaasmeyer (15), 24. Jake Neuman (16), 25. Dillon Welch (12), 26. Dave Darland (26). NT
2019 FEATURE: (39 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Zeb Wise (5), 2. Tyler Courtney (20), 3. Chris Windom (6), 4. Chad Boat (16), 5. Logan Seavey (14), 6. Jesse Colwell (24), 7. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (15), 8. Kevin Thomas, Jr. (3), 9. Kyle Larson (12), 10. Justin Grant (11), 11. Dillon Welch (8), 12. Tanner Carrick (23), 13. Michael Pickens (4), 14. Gio Scelzi (9), 15. Christopher Bell (17), 16. Brady Bacon (10), 17. Jason McDougal (7), 18. Cannon McIntosh (22), 19. Thomas Meseraull (1), 20. Spencer Bayston (2), 21. Tyler Thomas (13), 22. Tucker Klaasmeyer (18), 23. Jerry Coons, Jr. (19), 24. Chase Briscoe (21), 25. Jake Neuman (26), 26. C.J. Leary (25). NT
2021 FEATURE: (39 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kyle Larson (4), 2. Justin Grant (1), 3. Brady Bacon (6), 4. Daison Pursley (3), 5. Emerson Axsom (19), 6. Ryan Timms (2), 7. Tanner Thorson (21-P), 8. Tyler Courtney (7), 9. Jerry Coons Jr. (9), 10. Buddy Kofoid (13), 11. Chase Briscoe (22), 12. Spencer Bayston (14), 13. Kevin Thomas Jr. (11), 14. Zeb Wise (25-P), 15. Logan Seavey (20), 16. Cole Bodine (12), 17. Kyle Cummins (16), 18. Karter Sarff (17), 19. Kaylee Bryson (18), 20. Chase Randall (24-P), 21. Chris Windom (8), 22. Cannon McIntosh (10), 23. Hayden Williams (23), 24. Thomas Meseraull (5), 25. Corey Day (15). NT
2022 FEATURE: (39 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Buddy Kofoid (6), 2. Cannon McIntosh (1), 3. Thomas Meseraull (11), 4. Justin Grant (18), 5. Kyle Larson (10), 6. Zach Daum (3), 7. Kaylee Bryson (15), 8. Brady Bacon (5), 9. Dominic Gorden (8), 10. Brenham Crouch (23-U), 11. Bryant Wiedeman (14), 12. Chris Windom (9), 13. Emerson Axsom (19), 14. Taylor Reimer (24-U), 15. Trey Gropp (7), 16. Jason McDougal (21), 17. Tyler Courtney (25-P), 18. Chase McDermand (17), 19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (22), 20. Karter Sarff (13), 21. Chase Briscoe (26-P), 22. Michael Pickens (16), 23. Mitchel Moles (2), 24. Jacob Denney (12), 25. Ethan Mitchell (4), 26. Kyle Cummins (20). NT
