WAGNER OF ALL TRADES! 2026 USAC MRA SPRINT CAR SEASON REVIEW
Jack Wagner, 2026 USAC Wholesale Batteries MRA Sprint Car champion. (John Lee Photo)
By: Ray Cunningham
Kansas City, Kansas (November 2, 2026)………Sometimes, it’s hard to put a finger on what leads to winning versus losing, good luck versus bad luck, etc. But when the situation feels right, and when you feel supreme confidence in your abilities, then a transformation occurs. In racing, that includes your car.
Lone Jack, Missouri’s Jack Wagner felt that in 2026, and it led to his best season ever driving a non-winged sprint car.
At the wheel of the Jesse Hockett/Wagner Boys Racing No. 77 affectionately known as “The Crow,” Wagner won the USAC Wholesale Batteries Midwest Racing Association Sprint Car championship. With seven victories, four second place finishes, and a fifth in 12 series starts, Wagner defeated Chase Howard by a 125-point margin.
In his previous five seasons of racing prior from 2021-2025, “Gentleman Jack” won the 2021 Weld Memorial, the 2023 POWRi WAR championship, and took runner-up in the 2025 MWRA vs. WAR Challenge Series. However, he didn’t win as many races in those five seasons combined (8) than he did in 2026 across all divisions (10).
So what was the difference? It’s a combination of things according to Wagner, including a great race team, and very good luck. But the other common dominator is his trusty ride, “The Crow.”
The Crow is a 2016 “Big Max” Maxim, a car that was looked down on by its original race team after it was ordered in 2016, and later another owned by another Missouri-based race team. In both cases, the car was looked at with disdain. It had repairs done by Maxim twice with its original owners and then received an entire new front clip with its second team. By the winter of 2020, it ended up with Jack.
Since then, according to Wagner, “I have had it, and have damaged it, and people have told me to get rid of it. Throw it away! It’s gonna get you hurt! That thing isn’t worth fixing!”
But Wagner has felt differently.
“Every time I fix it, the car comes back faster,” Wagner explained.
Maxim added another front clip over the winter of 2024, which in the age of the throwaway car, is very rare, but it is very much a part of what Wagner feels makes “The Crow” special. But after receiving some advice, Wagner took solace.
“Casey Shuman once told him me years ago that, in racing, it’s whatever makes you feel like Superman. The Crow makes me feel like Superman. To those who have doubted me keeping and racing this car, I say, ‘let them eat crow.”
Wagner also led all drivers with 172 laps led and six heat race wins, while adding three feature wins at Grain Valley, Missouri’s Valley Speedway in June, August, and October’s John Helm Memorial. He also added a pair of victories at Butler, Missouri’s Electric City Speedway in May and July. He also picked off July scores at Kansas City, Kansas’ Lakeside Speedway and Winston, Missouri’s I-35 Speedway.
Ricky Lewis won two of his three series starts, capturing victory in April’s season opener at Missouri’s Springfield Raceway with a last lap pass on Braydon Cromwell in a race that featured six lead changes in 25 laps. Lewis notched a second win in July at Valley.
Three more drivers posted one victory apiece. Wyatt Burks passed Jack Wagner with two laps remaining to win August’s Weld Memorial at Lakeside. Tom Curran collected his first career sprint car win after passing Jack Wagner for a June triumph at Valley. Wesley Smith also turned on the dramatics to pass Jack Wagner with two laps remaining to win in May at Valley.
Three USAC MRA non-points special events were held in 2026. In yet another dramatic finish for the series this season, Jadon Rogers passed Wesley Smith on the final lap to win May’s USAC MRA / Midwest Thunder 410 Sprint Car show at Red Hill Raceway in Sumner, Illinois.
Meanwhile, in late May at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway, the Avanti Windows & Doors Corn Belt Clash was held in conjunction with the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championships. USAC national champions Kyle Cummins and Brady Bacon each took victories during the two-night show.
There was a four-way tie in terms of drivers earning the most fast qualifying times in 2026. Braydon Cromwell, Bryson Smith, Wesley Smith, and Jack Wagner all tallied two.
Ten drivers started all 12 points paying USAC MRA feature events during the year: Wyatt Burks, Braydon Cromwell, Dakota Earls, Chase Howard, Luke Howard, Justin Johnson, Jake Kouba, Jared McCarty, Jack Wagner, and Samuel Wagner.
Wyatt Burks took third in the standings over Jack’s brother, Samuel Wagner. Braydon Cromwell rounded out the top five.
======================
2026 USAC MIDWEST RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CAR STATS
STAT LEADERS:
Driver Champion: Jack Wagner
Most Wins: 7-Jack Wagner
Most Laps Led: 172-Jack Wagner
Most Top-Fives: 12-Jack Wagner
Most Top-Tens: 12-Jack Wagner
Most Heat Race Wins: 6-Jack Wagner
Most Fast Qualifying Times: 2-Braydon Cromwell, Bryson Smith, Wesley Smith & Jack Wagner
Most Feature Starts: 12-Wyatt Burks, Braydon Cromwell, Dakota Earls, Chase Howard, Luke Howard, Justin Johnson, Jake Kouba, Jared McCarty, Jack Wagner & Samuel Wagner
======================
DRIVER POINTS
Pos. Pts. Driver, Hometown
1 1769 Jack Wagner, Lone Jack, Missouri
2 1654 Chase Howard, Nesbit, Mississippi
3 1651 Wyatt Burks, Topeka, Kansas
4 1642 Samuel Wagner, Lone Jack, Missouri
5 1622 Braydon Cromwell, Lone Jack, Missouri
6 1546 Luke Howard, Overland Park, Kansas
7 1528 Dakota Earls, Independence, Missouri
8 1494 Justin Johnson, Parkville, Missouri
9 1490 Jake Kouba, Farmington, Minnesota
10 1458 Tyler Burton, Independence, Missouri
11 1400 Jared McCarty, Independence, Missouri
12 1206 Junior Parkinson, Wichita Falls, Texas
13 1154 Mark Lane, Grain Valley, Missouri
14 1146 Tom Curran, Kansas City, Missouri
15 1075 Charlie Burton, Independence, Missouri
16 1052 Bryson Smith, Nixa, Missouri
17 1019 Wesley Smith, Nixa, Missouri
18 888 Kyle Gorham, Blue Springs, Missouri
19 445 Ricky Lewis, Oxnard, California
20 282 Trey Osborne, Columbus, Ohio
21 226 Lance Silvers, Ottumwa, Iowa
22 133 Kobe Simpson, Bonham, Texas
======================
FEATURE WINNERS:
Apr 25: Springfield Raceway – Springfield, Missouri
WINNER: Ricky Lewis (Ricky Lewis Motorsports #41)
May 9: Red Hill Raceway – Sumner, Illinois (SE)
WINNER: Jadon Rogers (Jadon Rogers Racing #14)
May 15: Electric City Speedway – Butler, Missouri
WINNER: Jack Wagner (Jesse Hockett-Wagner Boys Racing #77)
May 23: Valley Speedway – Grain Valley, Missouri
WINNER: Wesley Smith (Wesley Smith Racing #44)
May 29: Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, Iowa (SE)
WINNER: Kyle Cummins (Petty Performance Racing #3p)
May 30: Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, Iowa (SE)
WINNER: Brady Bacon (Chris Dyson Racing #20)
Jun 19: Valley Speedway – Grain Valley, Missouri
WINNER: Jack Wagner (Jesse Hockett-Wagner Boys Racing #77)
Jun 20: Valley Speedway – Grain Valley, Missouri
WINNER: Tom Curran (Curran Racing #11x)
Jul 10: Lakeside Speedway – Kansas City, Kansas
WINNER: Jack Wagner (Jesse Hockett-Wagner Boys Racing #77)
Jul 11: Valley Speedway – Grain Valley, Missouri
WINNER: Ricky Lewis (Ricky Lewis Motorsports #41)
Jul 18: I-35 Speedway – Winston, Missouri
WINNER: Jack Wagner (Jesse Hockett-Wagner Boys Racing #77)
Jul 31: Electric City Speedway – Butler, Missouri
WINNER: Jack Wagner (Jesse Hockett-Wagner Boys Racing #77)
Aug 28: Lakeside Speedway – Kansas City, Kansas
WINNER: Wyatt Burks (Wyatt Burks Racing #11w)
Aug 29: Valley Speedway – Grain Valley, Missouri
WINNER: Jack Wagner (Jesse Hockett-Wagner Boys Racing #77)
Oct 3: Valley Speedway – Grain Valley, Missouri
WINNER: Jack Wagner (Jesse Hockett-Wagner Boys Racing #77)
======================
FEATURE WINNERS:
7-JACK WAGNER (May 15 at Electric City Speedway, Jun 19 at Valley Speedway, Jul 10 at Lakeside Speedway, Jul 18 at I-35 Speedway, Jul 31 at Electric City Speedway, Aug 29 at Valley Speedway & Oct 3 at Valley Speedway).
2-RICKY LEWIS (Apr 25 at Springfield Raceway & Jul 11 at Valley Speedway)
1-WYATT BURKS (Aug 28 at Lakeside Speedway)
1-TOM CURRAN (Jun 20 at Valley Speedway)
1-WESLEY SMITH (May 23 at Valley Speedway)
NON-POINTS SPECIAL EVENT WINS
1-BRADY BACON (May 30 at Knoxville Raceway)
1-KYLE CUMMINS (May 29 at Knoxville Raceway)
1-JADON ROGERS (May 9 at Red Hill Raceway)
======================
FEATURE LAPS LED:
172-Jack Wagner
27-Tom Curran
22-Braydon Cromwell
20-Xavier Doney
17-Ricky Lewis
14-Samuel Wagner
13-Trey Osborne
10-Bryson Smith
5-Wesley Smith
2-Wyatt Burks & Luke Howard
1-Chad Goff
======================
TOP 5 FEATURE FINISHES:
12-Jack Wagner
7-Samuel Wagner
6-Wyatt Burks, Braydon Cromwell & Chase Howard
4-Tom Curran, Luke Howard & Wesley Smith
3-Ricky Lewis & R.J. Miller
2-Trey Osborne
1-Xavier Doney, Chad Goff & Bryson Smith
======================
TOP 10 FEATURE FINISHES:
12-Jack Wagner
11-Wyatt Burks, Braydon Cromwell & Chase Howard
9-Samuel Wagner
8-Dakota Earls & Luke Howard
7-Justin Johnson
5-Tom Curran & Bryson Smith
4-Chad Goff, Jake Kouba, R.J. Miller & Wesley Smith
3-Ricky Lewis & Chris Parkinson
2-Tim Kent, Trey Osborne & Taylor Walton
1-Holden Ballinger, Tyler Burton, Xavier Doney, Junior Parkinson & Kobe Simpson
======================
HEAT RACE WINS:
6-Jack Wagner
5-Braydon Cromwell
4-Wyatt Burks & Wesley Smith
2-Tom Curran, Luke Howard, Ricky Lewis & Samuel Wagner
1-Chad Goff, Chase Howard, Jake Kouba, Trey Osborne, Chris Parkinson, Bryson Smith & Taylor Walton
======================
FAST QUALIFYING TIMES:
2-Braydon Cromwell, Bryson Smith, Wesley Smith & Jack Wagner
1-Xavier Doney, Chase Howard & Trey Osborne
======================
FEATURE STARTS:
12-Wyatt Burks, Braydon Cromwell, Dakota Earls, Chase Howard, Luke Howard, Justin Johnson, Jake Kouba, Jared McCarty, Jack Wagner & Samuel Wagner
11-Tyler Burton
10-Mark Lane & Junior Parkinson
9-Charlie Burton & Tom Curran
8-Kyle Gorham, Bryson Smith & Wesley Smith
5-Chad Goff
4-R.J. Miller & Taylor Walton
3-Holden Ballinger, Tim Kent, Tyler Kent, Ricky Lewis, Chris Parkinson & Chad Tye
2-Ronny Howard, Brennon Marshall, Trey Osborne, Lance Silvers & Jarrett Weyant
1-Jesse Bebee, Danny Billings, Blake Bowers, Xavier Doney, Taylor Forbes, Jonathan Hughes, Kyle Lewis, Kobe Simpson & James Turnbull
