BANKS OPEN ON SUNDAY! WINCHESTER PRESENTS USAC SILVER CROWN RICH VOGLER CLASSIC ON JULY 19
(Chuck Reed Photo)
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Winchester, Indiana (July 18, 2026)………High banks, high speed, high drama!
The World’s Fastest Half-Mile returns the earth-pounding USAC Silver Crown Championship to Indiana’s Winchester Speedway for the 34th running of the Rich Vogler Classic this Sunday, July 19.
It’s big thrills on the hills, and this Sunday’s 100-lapper is sure to produce a bunch of them. It always does!
LEADING LEARY
C.J. Leary enters Sunday’s race as the USAC Silver Crown point leader in pursuit of his first career series title.
Interestingly, Leary’s first Winchester experience came in a CRA Super Series late model race back in 2011. Since then, he’s racked up four USAC Silver Crown starts there, finishing 4th, 4th, 3rd, and 9th. His 9th place finish in 2025 wasn’t indicative of his performance as he ran second until six laps to go when a flat tire ended his race.
This season, Leary hasn’t finished off the podium in four series starts. His two best results have come on pavement with a victory at World Wide Technology Raceway and a runner-up finish at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
STRONG ARM
Dakoda Armstrong has been victorious in his career at Winchester, scoring an ARCA Stock Car victory back in 2011.
He’s also been strong of late on the USAC Silver Crown tour, winning May’s Hoosier Hundred at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
One year ago, Armstrong had his strongest Winchester Silver Crown run, finishing 3rd. He crossed the line 5th with the 500 Sprint Car Tour at Winchester in June of this year.
BYRD’S VOGLER TRIBUTE
Nathan Byrd will sport a special paint scheme on his Silver Crown ride for this weekend’s Rich Vogler Classic.
Byrd’s car will be adorned with the look used by Rich Vogler during the 1988-1989 USAC National Midget seasons, the red number one owned by Nathan’s grandfather, Jonathan Byrd.
Vogler and J. Byrd teamed up for 19 career USAC National Midget feature victories (plus two special events) between 1986-1989, with four of those coming at Winchester. Overall, Vogler won 10 USAC races at Winchester, second most all-time.
At Winchester, Nathan finished 7th in the 2025 Vogler Classic and was a 4th place finisher in June with the 500 Sprint Car Tour.
SUNDAY DANNER
The Doran Racing USAC Silver Crown car has led the last 400 laps in a row at Winchester! Since 2021, the car has won the pole all five times and finished 2nd-1st-1st-1st-1st. All of that came with Kody Swanson at the wheel.
Briggs Danner looks to keep the run going this Sunday at the controls of the Doran-Swanson machine.
Danner’s pavement results of 10th and 17th with the series year are nowhere near how strong he’s actually been. He qualified and started 3rd at both WWT Raceway and IRP and was running inside the top five both times when a mechanical failure ended their race early.
GRANT’S CHARGE
Two-time and defending USAC Silver Crown champion Justin Grant scored the win in the inaugural Silver Crown round at Winchester in a 2021 photo finish over Kody Swanson.
He’s been 4th and 2nd in each of his past two USAC Silver Crown starts at Winchester in 2024 and 2025.
This year, he’s still aiming for his first Silver Crown victory on the 2026 calendar, ranking 2nd (Hutchinson), 8th (WWTR), 5th (IRP), and 4th (Terre Haute) in his four outings thus far, which has him second in the standings, 33 markers behind Leary.
NEWMANIUM
Ryan Newman, an 18-time NASCAR Cup Series winner and the 2008 winner of the Daytona 500, will take the reins of the Kazmark Motorsports No. 92 this Sunday.
Newman, the 1999 USAC Silver Crown champion, has experienced his share of USAC victories at Winchester, five in fact. He won four times in USAC Midget competition at Winchester between 1998-1999 and also added a USAC National Sprint Car victory in 1999.
Newman also swept both ends of the Rich Vogler Classic in 2000, which was a NAMARS sanctioned Sprint and Midget doubleheader that year, and is a past recipient of the Rich Vogler Memorial Scholarship. This race is special to him.
WINCHESTER & TYLER TWO
Brian Tyler has also been a winner twice in his career at Winchester in a USAC Sprint Car in 1997 and 1998.
The always exciting Tyler is a delight to watch on the high banks. He charged from 12th to 5th with the USAC Silver Crown series at the track in 2022, and in the 2025 race, made a miraculous save that kept him off the turn four wall.
This time, it’ll make it even more special as he gets the opportunity to race against his son, Robert Tyler, at the high banks Earlier in his career, Brian faced off against his brother, Bill Tyler, at Winchester. Bill was a USAC National Sprint Car winner at Winchester in 1996.
RACIN’ FOR RAPID RICH
This year marks the 34th edition of the Rich Vogler Classic, held annually since 1991 when Robbie Stanley (Sprint) and Don Schilling (Midget) took each end of the doubleheader.
He’s the winner of an all-time record 171 USAC feature events during his meteoric 20-year racing career with the United States Auto Club between 1971-1990. Vogler’s USAC accomplishments include championships in the National Sprint Car Series with car owner Don Siebert in 1980 and again in 1989 with the Hoffman Auto Racing/Dynamics, Inc. team.
The son of two-time USAC National Midget winner Don Vogler, Rich’s run of five USAC National Midget series titles began in 1978 with car owner Doug Caruthers. During a late May/early June stretch that same season, Vogler reeled off a series record five consecutive feature wins.
Subsequent USAC National Midget crowns arrived in 1980 and again in 1983 with Jim Streicher. He captured his final two series championship in 1986 and 1988 for car owner Jonathan Byrd. Furthermore, he was dominant in USAC Regional Midget competition at the Indianapolis Speedrome, taking the brass ring in 1985 for Bob Lowe.
The Glen Ellyn, Illinois native scored 134 National feature wins (4 in Silver Crown, 35 in Sprints and 95 in Midgets). In five career Indianapolis 500 starts, his best finish was an eight in 1989.
Fittingly, Vogler won the last race he ever started, scoring the Joe James-Pat O’Connor Memorial at Indiana’s Salem Speedway on July 21, 1990, just five days prior to his 40th birthday. He was leading while on his way to taking the white flag when he was fatally injured during a turn four accident. The race reverted to the last completed lap in which Vogler was declared the winner.
Vogler is also a member of the National Sprint Car and Midget Halls of Fame and is also an inductee of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.
RACE DETAILS
The Sunday, July 19, racing program at Indiana’s Winchester Speedway presents the 34th running of the Rich Vogler Classic featuring the USAC Silver Crown Championship, plus VCTS and the Winchester Old Timers Club.
Pits open at 8am Eastern with the drivers meeting at 10:30am and grandstands opening at 10:30am. USAC Silver Crown on-track action gets underway at 11:10am 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 2:15pm, opening ceremonies at 2:45pm and the 100-lap Silver Crown main event slated for an estimated 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.myracepass.com/tracks/1893/tickets/1524852. Reserved seating is $35 (ages 12 and up), $15 for children. A weekend camping spot is $30.
The event can be watched LIVE on FloRacing at https://flosports.link/usac2026.
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USAC SILVER CROWN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-C.J. Leary-284, 2-Justin Grant-251, 3-Mario Clouser-227, 4-Kyle Steffens-183, 5-Briggs Danner-167, 6-Gregg Cory-167, 7-Hayden Reinbold-147, 8-Dave Berkheimer-144, 9-Bobby Santos-122, 10-Mitchel Moles-121.
USAC SILVER CROWN TRACK RECORDS AT WINCHESTER SPEEDWAY:
1 Lap – 7/22/2021 – Kody Swanson – 14.459 – 124.490 mph
100 Laps – 7/21/2022 – Kody Swanson – 35:44.816 – 83.923 mph
RICH VOGLER CLASSIC WINNERS:
(Winchester Speedway)
1991: Robbie Stanley (Sprint) & Don Schilling (Midget)
1992: Jim Mahoney (Sprint) & Kenny Irwin, Jr. (Midget)
1993: Robbie Stanley (Sprint) & Stevie Reeves (Midget)
1994: Robbie Stanley (Sprint) & Mike Bliss (Midget)
1995: Kenny Irwin, Jr. (Sprint) & Mike Bliss (Midget)
1996: Andy Michner (Sprint) & Tracy Hines (Midget)
1997: Andy Michner (Sprint) & Tracy Hines (Midget)
1998: Chet Fillip (Sprint) & Ricky Shelton (Midget)
1999: Dave Steele (Sprint)
2000: Ryan Newman (Sprint) & Ryan Newman (Midget)
2001: Dane Carter (Midget)
2002: Dave Steele (Sprint)
2003: Michael Lewis (Sprint)
(Indianapolis Speedrome)
2004: Teddy Beach (Midget) & Bryan Clauson (Kenyon Midget)
(Winchester Speedway)
2005: Dave Darland (Sprint)
2006: Bryan Clauson (Sprint)
2007: Marc Jessup (Sprint)
2008: Darren Hagen (Sprint)
2009: Tracy Hines (Sprint)
2010: Shane Hmiel (Sprint)
2011: Tracy Hines (Sprint)
(Indianapolis Raceway Park)
2012: Bobby Santos (Silver Crown) & Tracy Hines (Midget)
2013: Tanner Swanson (Silver Crown) & Tracy Hines (Midget)
2014: David Byrne (Silver Crown)
2015: Tanner Swanson (Silver Crown)
2016: Kody Swanson (Silver Crown)
2017: Bobby Santos (Silver Crown)
2019: Kody Swanson (Silver Crown)
2020: Not Held
(Winchester Speedway)
2021: Justin Grant (Silver Crown)
2022: Kody Swanson (Silver Crown)
2023: Kody Swanson (Silver Crown)
2024: Kody Swanson (Silver Crown)
2025: Kody Swanson (Silver Crown)
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. Justin 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
2025 FEATURE: (100 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kody Swanson (1), 2. Justin Grant (3), 3. Dakoda Armstrong (6), 4. Bobby Santos (5), 5. Ryan Newman (7), 6. Taylor Ferns (12), 7. Nathan Byrd (17), 8. Kyle Steffens (16), 9. C.J. Leary (2), 10. Matt Westfall (8), 11. Gregg Cory (18), 12. Tyler Roahrig (13), 13. Brian Tyler (11), 14. Colton Bettis (9), 15. Jackson Macenko (14), 16. Jake Trainor (15), 17. Kyle Robbins (4), 18. Logan Seavey (10), 19. Dave Berkheimer (19). 37:54.547
