By: Richie Murray – USAC Media (Rich Forman Photo)
Speedway, Indiana (November 8, 2022)………There was a time when Justin Grant nearly walked away from the sport.
Without a full-time sprint car ride and twin children on the way in 2016, Grant envisioned a life away from the track and leaving his racing dreams in the rearview mirror.
That’s when a voice from within the family, a voice from a National Sprint Car Hall of Famer, expressed to Grant that it would be something he’d soon regret, and promptly altered the course of his career and livelihood.
“I raced for a while, then things got pretty rough when I wasn’t having much success and I was getting pretty broke,” Grant recalled. “I about hung it up, but I’m sure glad I didn’t. My father-in-law, Bubby (Jones), told me that it would be the dumbest thing I ever did. Turns out he was right. He usually was.”
Six years later, in 2022, the resilient Ione, Calif. native finally became a USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Champion for the first time, and a USAC National titlist for the second time in his career following a Silver Crown championship in 2020.
By doing so, Grant became the 14th driver to capture both a USAC National Sprint Car and Silver Crown title in his career, joining Gary Bettenhausen, Steve Butler, Pancho Carter, Jerry Coons Jr. , Dave Darland, A.J. Foyt, Justin Grant, Tracy Hines, Rick Hood, Levi Jones, Ken Schrader, Tony Stewart, Chris Windom & J.J. Yeley.
He couldn’t help but recall the long, arduous journey that took him from 2010 USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year for Baldwin Brothers Racing to his 2016 comeback with Sam McGhee Motorsports and all the way to the mountaintop in 2022 and a championship reward worth $50,000, not counting his copious amounts of race winnings.
Grant’s mind goes back to a time in the days preceding that, when he just wanted a chance, any chance, to get behind the wheel and was willing to pitch in any way he could to get noticed and get his shot.
The post-race championship celebration at California’s Perris Auto Speedway seemed fitting for Grant, and the 31-year-old couldn’t help but realize the significance of the setting as he stood on the front straightaway following the final night of the year.
“I grew up coming to Perris and watching guys race sprint cars and I’d go down to scrape mud on Danny Sheridan’s car or whomever would let me hang around,” Grant recalled. “I never really thought I’d get the chance to drive one. I met Jeff Walker, went to work for him and he taught me a lot and, eventually, he let me drive one of his cars for a few nights.”
It wasn’t only Grant’s first rodeo as a USAC National Sprint Car champ, it was the first entrant title for Rochester, Indiana’s TOPP Motorsports, which had finished third in the standings in 2017-20-21.
The Grant/TOPP combo is the longest, continuously tenured team on the USAC tour, first teaming up for the start of the 2018 season. Along the way, the team has won 26 times, making it the fifth winningest driver/team pairing in USAC National Sprint Car history. The team has built upon its foundation, getting closer and closer to the top, adding pivotal pieces along the way, until reaching the pinnacle at last.
“We’ve spent the last couple of years working really hard trying to become a championship caliber team,” Grant explained. “Hiring (crew chief) “Paul Bunyan” Dylan Cook was huge, and we didn’t have a single DNF all year. I went to work pretty hard on myself trying to keep myself mentally sharp and keep my head in the game and in the right spot. (TOPP Motorsports owner) Kevin Birchmeier gives us everything we need go out and compete every night. We have plenty of fast cars and plenty of spares and there’s so many who contribute to this operation to make it possible for us to be prepared and ready to race as we are.”
It’s a full family effort for Grant who, for the second year in a row, has participated in every single event across USAC’s three national divisions (Silver Crown, Midget & Sprint), and there’s no way to make the hectic schedule operate like clockwork without assistance from all around.
“I’ve had so much help along the way, and I still have so much help,” Grant acknowledged. “There are so many people who I can lean on, and I’ve got a lot of great people in my corner. All my car owners and all my sponsors, they’re all some of my best friends. My wife, Ashley, makes it possible for me to do this and always has my back. She’s always pumping me up to keep me confident and I’m just so thankful. I’ve certainly worked hard to be here, but it wouldn’t have been possible without everybody around me and all the people who have supported me along the way.”
In 2022, Grant recorded an impeccable 37 top-ten finishes in 39 feature starts, which registers a top-10 rate of nearly 95 percent. Grant was still running at the checkered flag in all 39 races between February and November with nary a DNF throughout the yearlong quest. His six victories on the season came in many of the series’ most marquee events.
Grant scored in February during Winter Dirt Games at Florida’s Bubba Raceway Park and again in June at Pennsylvania’s Williams Grove Speedway. He added a $10,000 prize during July’s Bill Gardner Sprintacular at Indiana’s Lincoln Park Speedway. He captured the Indiana Sprint Week round at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway later that month and repeated at Kokomo in August during a preliminary night of Sprint Car Smackdown. Another $10 Grand went in his pocket following September’s 4-Crown Nationals at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway.
Grant was one of three drivers to hit the six-win mark on the season along with Brady Bacon and Robert Ballou. That made it only the fourth time in series history that in which at least three different drivers have won six or more features in a season (1961, 1977, 2013 & 2022).
Also on Grant’s checklist for the 2022 season was an Indiana Sprint Week title, which he clinched for the first time in his career during midsummer after finishing inside the top-five of the annual series’ points in each of the prior three seasons.
In the end, Grant became the seventh individual to collect both Indiana Sprint Week and USAC National Sprint Car driving titles in the same year: J.J. Yeley (2003), Levi Jones (2009), Bryan Clauson (2013), Robert Ballou (2015), Brady Bacon (2016) and C.J. Leary (2019).
Thirteen different drivers won a USAC National Sprint Car feature in 2022, the most since 2017. Among them were Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.) who had a season that was highlighted by a first career Oval Nationals victory to conclude the slate in November at Perris and was worth $20,000.
Bacon padded his wallet by earning the inaugural Bubby Jones Master of Going Faster Presented By Spire Sports + Entertainment series title, a 10-race series within a series in which Bacon earned an extra $10,000 as the point champ.
Furthermore, Bacon extended his streak of consecutive seasons with a USAC National Sprint Car win to 12, which now stands only one behind the all-time mark of 13-straight set by Sheldon Kinser between 1974-86. Bacon’s 46th victory in the season finale moved him to fourth all-time on the series win list. He’s now one of only four drivers in the 40/40 club to have accumulated at least 40 series wins and 40 fast qualifying times in his career along with Dave Darland, Tom Bigelow and Tracy Hines.
Ballou (Rocklin, Calif.) posted his best result since his 2015 championship campaign by earning six wins, including the 52nd running of the Tony Hulman Classic at the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track in May, racing within the confines of the new guardrail surrounding the half-mile dirt oval, a guardrail which Ballou, himself, played a major role in instructing and installing.
Kyle Cummins (Princeton, Ind.) had his most successful single-season run with the series, tallying four wins and the best single-night payday of the year with a $35,000 triumph during Sprint Car Smackdown at Kokomo in August.
Emerson Axsom (Franklin, Ind.) took Rookie of the Year honors, a season which got off on the right foot with wins in two of his first three starts in February at Florida’s Bubba Raceway Park.
Axsom was one of four first-time USAC National Sprint Car feature winners during the season, which is the most since 2016. Mitchel Moles (Raisin City, Calif.) avenged a crash while leading the night before to win his first in July at the Huset’s Speedway USAC Nationals in South Dakota.
Moles’ eight fast qualifying times were the most ever in series history for a Rookie, breaking the mark set by Tanner Thorson in 2021. Incidentally, both Moles and Thorson were driving the same Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports No. 19AZ when they set their respective records.
USAC west coast standout Ryan Bernal (Hollister, Calif.) made just three starts during the season, but one of those three resulted in a first career series victory after more than a decade of trying. His win at Huset’s also provided event promoter Matt Wood with his first career series win as a car owner.
Jadon Rogers (Worthington, Ind.) had to slay a pair of giants en route to his first series victory during September’s $12,000-to-win Haubstadt Hustler at Tri-State Speedway, withstanding a barrage from the track’s two winningest USAC Sprint Car drivers during the final laps – Kevin Thomas Jr. and Kyle Cummins.
C.J. Leary (Greenfield, Ind.) won thrice, but his qualifying prowess was off the charts. His 12 fast times in 2022 rank as the third most all-time in a single season behind Kevin Thomas Jr.’s 15 in 2018 and Tom Bigelow’s 14 in 1978. After notching 11 fast times in 2019, Leary became the first driver in series history to hit double figures in that category on two separate occasions.
Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Ala.) was absent for practically the entire first half of the season but emerged with a force by reaching victory lane three times in a span of five starts during the latter stages of summer.
Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) won twice in June during the series’ swing through New Jersey and Pennsylvania. His spectacular week resulted in a first career Eastern Storm miniseries title.
Shane Cottle (Kansas, Ill.) led one lap and one lap only during the 2022 season. He made it the right one during July’s Indiana Sprint Week opener at Gas City I-69 Speedway. It was the second time in the last four years that Cottle had made a last lap effort to win the Gas City round of ISW.
Furthermore, the 50-year-old Cottle joined an exclusive club by becoming the seventh driver over the age of 50 to win a USAC National Sprint Car main event, putting him in the same company as Bob Kinser (54), Terry Pletch (52), Dean Shirley (51), Hank Lower (51), Dave Darland (51) and Jack Hewitt (50).
Jake Swanson (Anaheim, Calif.) endured a tumultuous up-and-down season that saw him injured during a July crash at Kokomo, which resulted in a hospital stay. Swanson finished the season with a flurry, collecting podium finishes in four of his last five starts to conclude the season.
Swanson’s biggest success of the year arrived in the 55th Annual Western World Championships, held for the first time at Arizona’s Cocopah Speedway. Swanson’s performance on the final night consisted of a fast qualifying time, a heat race win and a feature victory, resulting in a $10,000 prize and the first complete “sweep” in the series since Tyler Courtney at Eldora in 2019.
Eight drivers appeared at all 39 series events in 2022: Axsom, Bacon, Ballou, Grant, Leary, Rogers, Seavey and Westfall. Five drivers started all 39 feature during the season: Axsom, Bacon, Ballou, Grant and Leary. The average car count across all events was 34.5 while 137 different drivers recorded at least one feature start.
Bacon led all drivers with 224 laps led, 27 top-five finishes and 11 heat race victories.
The most positions advanced in a single feature race throughout the year was +15 from Shane
Cottle (22nd to 7th) on July 25 at Circle City Raceway and by Logan Seavey (21st to 6th) on October 29 at Cocopah Speedway.
The series was saddened by the death of Terre Babb (Decatur, Ill.), who passed away from a heart attack while leading a winged sprint car feature in a non-USAC sanctioned event at Missouri’s Saint Francois County Raceway in July at the age of 55. Babb made his final USAC National Sprint Car appearance in June at Wisconsin’s Angell Park Speedway, finishing 13th. Babb qualified for eight USAC National Sprint Car feature events in his career, scoring a 14th in his debut at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill. in 1990. With the series in 2010 at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, Babb set quick time during qualifying and finished a career best 5th in the main event.
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2022 USAC AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT CAR STAT LEADERS
Driver Champion: Justin Grant
Entrant Champion: TOPP Motorsports #4
Most Wins: 6-Brady Bacon, Robert Ballou & Justin Grant
Rookie of the Year: Emerson Axsom
Most Laps Led: 224-Brady Bacon
Most Top-Fives: 27-Brady Bacon
Most Top-Tens: 37-Justin Grant
Most Fast Qualifying Times: 12-C.J. Leary
Most Heat Race Wins: 11-Brady Bacon
Most Feature Starts: 39-Emerson Axsom, Brady Bacon, Robert Ballou, Justin Grant & C.J. Leary
Biggest Charge of the Year: (+15) by Shane Cottle on Jul 25 at Circle City Raceway & by Logan Seavey on Oct 29 at Cocopah Speedway
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2022 USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER POINTS
POS. PTS. DRIVER, HOMETOWN
1 2,536 Justin Grant, Ione, Calif.
2 2,485 Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, Okla.
3 2,452 C.J. Leary, Greenfield, Ind.
4 2,369 Robert Ballou, Rocklin, Calif.
5 2,298 (R) Emerson Axsom, Franklin, Ind.
6 2,127 Logan Seavey, Sutter, Calif.
7 1,833 Matt Westfall, Pleasant Hill, Ohio
8 1,786 Jake Swanson, Anaheim, Calif.
9 1,736 Jadon Rogers, Worthington, Ind.
10 1,711 Chase Stockon, Fort Branch, Ind.
11 1,480 (R) Mitchel Moles, Raisin City, Calif.
12 1,423 Jason McDougal, Broken Arrow, Okla.
13 1,410 Kyle Cummins, Princeton, Ind.
14 1,074 Kevin Thomas Jr., Cullman, Ala.
15 1,039 Brandon Mattox, Terre Haute, Ind.
16 988 Thomas Meseraull, San Jose, Calif.
17 892 Shane Cottle, Kansas, Ill.
18 697 Max Adams, Loomis, Calif.
19 632 Briggs Danner, Allentown, Pa.
20 569 (R) Alex Banales, Lafayette, Ind.
21 454 Charles Davis Jr., Buckeye, Ariz.
22 431 Alex Bright, Collegeville, Pa.
23 332 Cole Bodine, Rossville, Ind.
24 327 (R) Xavier Doney, Odessa, Mo.
25 322 Brent Beauchamp, Fairland, Ind.
26 314 Sterling Cling, Tempe, Ariz.
27 280 Mario Clouser, Auburn, Ill.
28 248 Zach Daum, Pocahontas, Ill.
29 242 Carson Short, Marion, Ill.
30 238 Shane Cockrum, Benton, Ill.
31 220 (R) Kyle Shipley, Sun City, Ariz.
32 218 Wyatt Burks, Topeka, Kan.
33 216 (R) Ricky Lewis, Oxnard, Calif.
34 210 (R) Buddy Kofoid, Penngrove, Calif.
35 208 Brady Short, Bedford, Ind.
36 189 Steven Drevicki, Reading, Pa.
37 187 Tanner Thorson, Minden, Nev.
38 186 Dallas Hewitt, Troy, Ohio
39 172 (R) Harley Burns, Brazil, Ind.
40 156 (R) Jack Hoyer, Frankfort, Ind.
41 153 Brian Hayden, Fillmore, Ind.
42 143 (R) Brayden Fox, Avon, Ind.
43 129 Nick Bilbee, Indianapolis, Ind.
44 127 Dustin Clark, Washington, Ind.
45 95 (R) Braxton Cummings, Bedford, Ind.
46 91 (R) Daison Pursley, Locust Grove, Okla.
47 89 (R) Brandon Morin, Jasonville, Ind.
48 88 Landon Simon, Tipp City, Ohio
49 74 Kendall Ruble, Vincennes, Ind.
50 64 Chad Boespflug, Hanford, Calif.
51 62 Davey Ray, Davenport, Iowa
52 55 (R) Saban Bibent, Cincinnati, Ohio
53 33 Kent Schmidt, Owensville, Ind.
54 26 Carmen Perigo, Stoystown, Pa.
55 10 (R) Nate McMillin, Rosedale, Ind.
(R) represents a USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Rookie
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2022 USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRANT POINTS
POS. PTS. ENTRANT, TEAM LOCATION
1 2,536 TOPP Motorsports, Rochester, Ind. (#4)
2 2,485 Dynamics, Inc., Milford, Ohio (#69)
3 2,452 Michael Motorsports, Chino Valley, Ariz. (#77m)
4 2,369 Ballou Motorsports, Tipton, Ind. (#12)
5 2,298 Clauson Marshall Newman Racing, Fishers, Ind. (#47BC)
6 1,833 Ray Marshall Motorsports, Forest, Ohio (#33m)
7 1,736 The Engler Family, Princeton, Ind. (#14)
8 1,711 KO Motorsports, Owensville, Ind. (#5s)
9 1,667 Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports, Gilbert, Ariz. (#19AZ)
10 1,647 Baldwin-Fox Racing, West Lafayette, Ind. (#5)
11 1,574 Team AZ Racing, Phoenix, Ariz. (#21AZ)
12 1,336 KO Motorsports, Owensville, Ind. (#5m)
13 1,302 Rock Steady Racing, Dupont, Ind. (#3R)
14 1,039 Brandon Mattox Racing, Brazil, Ind. (#28)
15 731 Michael Dutcher Motorsports, Cicero, Ind. (#17GP)
16 658 Epperson Racing, Camby, Ind. (#2E)
17 632 Heffner Racing Enterprises South, Hellertown, Pa. (#5G)
18 611 Hodges Motorsports, Albuquerque, N.M. (#74x)
19 569 Baldwin-Fox Racing, West Lafayette, Ind. (#5x)
20 455 Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, Columbus, Ind. (#67)
21 454 Charles Davis Jr., Buckeye, Ariz. (#47)
22 421 Hummer Motorsports, Belvidere, N.J. (#20)
23 416 2B Racing, Marion, Ind. (#2B)
24 351 Chris Dyson Racing, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (#20m)
25 314 Sterling Cling Racing, Tempe, Ariz. (#34)
26 311 Lotier-Nemeth Motorsports, Douglassville, Pa. (#7)
27 295 Doney-Lawson Racing, Odessa, Mo. (#74)
28 281 Hogue Enterprises, Westampton, N.J. (#39)
29 270 Eberhardt-Zirzow Racing, Greenfield, Wis. (#6)
30 248 Daum Motorsports, Greenville, Ill. (#5d)
31 248 DCT Racing-Lynn Crow-Kevin Bodine, Rossville, Ind. (#57B)
32 238 Amati Racing, Marion, Ill. (#66)
33 218 Wyatt Burks Racing, Topeka, Kan. (#11w)
34 217 Lauren Beauchamp, Needham, Ind. (#11)
35 208 Randy Edwards, Evansville, Ind. (#61m)
36 189 DeGre Engineering, Birdsboro, Pa. (#19)
37 162 Harley Burns, Brazil, Ind. (#16)
38 153 RCM Motorsports, Marion, Ill. (#21x)
39 153 Brian Hayden Racing, Fillmore, Ind. (#2H)
40 143 Fox Brothers Racing, Avon, Ind. (#53)
41 129 Bilbee Motorsports, Martinsville, Ind. (#17B)
42 127 Dustin Clark Racing, Washington, Ind. (#75)
43 125 Jerry Burton, Bloomington, Ind. (#04)
44 117 Landon Simon Racing, Avon, Ind. (#24)
45 114 DCT Racing-Lynn Crow-Kevin Bodine, Rossville, Ind. (#57c)
46 112 On The Gass Racing, Advance, Ind. (#17)
47 110 Travis Sturgeon Racing, Indianapolis, Ind. (#77s)
48 95 Bub & Amanda Cummings, Bedford, Ind. (#71B)
49 89 Brandon Morin Racing, Jasonville, Ind. (#98)
50 88 Scott Adams, Marion, Ind. (#5A)
51 75 Jennifer Hewitt, Fletcher, Ohio (#21)
52 74 Jerry Ruble, Vincennes, Ind. (#17K)
53 67 KO Motorsports, Owensville, Ind. (#5K)
54 41 Tibbitts-Stensland-Halley Motorsports, Bright, Ind. (#43)
55 26 John Stehman, Halifax, Pa. (#21p)
56 10 Kenny McMillin, Rosedale, Ind. (#24)
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2022 USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ROOKIE DRIVER POINTS
POS. PTS. DRIVER, HOMETOWN
1 2,298 Emerson Axsom, Franklin, Ind.
2 1,480 Mitchel Moles, Raisin City, Calif.
3 569 Alex Banales, Lafayette, Ind.
4 327 Xavier Doney, Odessa, Mo.
5 220 Kyle Shipley, Sun City, Ariz.
6 216 Ricky Lewis, Oxnard, Calif.
7 210 Buddy Kofoid, Penngrove, Calif.
8 172 Harley Burns, Brazil, Ind.
9 156 Jack Hoyer, Frankfort, Ind.
10 143 Brayden Fox, Avon, Ind.
11 95 Braxton Cummings, Bedford, Ind.
12 91 Daison Pursley, Locust Grove, Okla.
13 89 Brandon Morin, Jasonville, Ind.
14 55 Saban Bibent, Cincinnati, Ohio
15 10 Nate McMillin, Rosedale, Ind.
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2022 USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE & RESULTS
Feb 17: Ocala, FL – Bubba Raceway Park
WINNER: Emerson Axsom (Clauson Marshall Newman Racing #47BC)
Feb 18: Ocala, FL – Bubba Raceway Park
WINNER: Justin Grant (TOPP Motorsports #4)
Feb 19: (F) Ocala, FL – Bubba Raceway Park
WINNER: Emerson Axsom (Clauson Marshall Newman Racing #47BC)
Apr 16: Atomic Speedway | Chillicothe, OH
WINNER: Brady Bacon (Dynamics, Inc. #69)
May 12: (W) Lakeside Speedway | Kansas City, KS
WINNER: Brady Bacon (Dynamics, Inc. #69)
May 14: (W) I-70 Motorsports Park | Odessa, MO
WINNER: Robert Ballou (Ballou Motorsports #12)
May 20: Terre Haute Action Track | Terre Haute, IN
WINNER: C.J. Leary (Michael Motorsports #77m)
May 22: Terre Haute Action Track | Terre Haute, IN
WINNER: Robert Ballou (Ballou Motorsports #12)
Jun 14: (E) Grandview Speedway | Bechtelsville, PA
WINNER: Brady Bacon (Dynamics, Inc. #69)
Jun 15: (E) Bridgeport Motorsports Park | Swedesboro, NJ
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Baldwin-Fox Racing #5)
Jun 17: (E) Williams Grove Speedway | Mechanicsburg, PA
WINNER: Justin Grant (TOPP Motorsports #4)
Jun 18: (E) Port Royal Speedway | Port Royal, PA
WINNER: Logan Seavey (Baldwin-Fox Racing #5)
Jun 19: (E) Bloomsburg Fair Raceway | Bloomsburg, PA
WINNER: Brady Bacon (Dynamics, Inc. #69)
Jun 26: Angell Park Speedway | Sun Prairie, WI
WINNER: Robert Ballou (Ballou Motorsports #12)
Jul 1: (M) (A) Lincoln Park Speedway | Putnamville, IN
WINNER: C.J. Leary (Michael Motorsports #77m)
Jul 2: (M) Lincoln Park Speedway | Putnamville, IN
WINNER: Justin Grant (TOPP Motorsports #4)
Jul 8: (A) Huset’s Speedway | Brandon, SD
WINNER: Robert Ballou (Ballou Motorsports #12)
Jul 9: (A) Huset’s Speedway | Brandon, SD
WINNER: Ryan Bernal (Matt Wood Racing #17w)
Jul 10: (A) Huset’s Speedway | Brandon, SD
WINNER: Mitchel Moles (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
Jul 22: (I) Gas City I-69 Speedway | Gas City, IN
WINNER: Shane Cottle (Hodges Motorsports #74x)
Jul 25: (I) Circle City Raceway | Indianapolis, IN
WINNER: C.J. Leary (Michael Motorsports #77m)
Jul 26: (I) Kokomo Speedway | Kokomo, IN
WINNER: Justin Grant (TOPP Motorsports #4)
Jul 28: (I) Lincoln Park Speedway | Putnamville, IN
WINNER: Mitchel Moles (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports #19AZ)
Jul 29: (I) Bloomington Speedway | Bloomington, IN
WINNER: Kyle Cummins (Rock Steady Racing #3R)
Jul 30: (I) Tri-State Speedway | Haubstadt, IN
WINNER: Robert Ballou (Ballou Motorsports #12)
Aug 25: Kokomo Speedway | Kokomo, IN
WINNER: Justin Grant (TOPP Motorsports #4)
Aug 26: Kokomo Speedway | Kokomo, IN
WINNER: Kevin Thomas Jr. (BGE Dougherty Racing #15K)
Aug 27: (F) Kokomo Speedway | Kokomo, IN
WINNER: Kyle Cummins (Rock Steady Racing #3R)
Sep 16: Circle City Raceway | Indianapolis, IN
WINNER: Kevin Thomas Jr. (BGE Dougherty Racing #15K)
Sep 17: (M) (A) Tri-State Speedway | Haubstadt, IN
WINNER: Jadon Rogers (The Engler Family #14)
Sep 22: Gas City I-69 Speedway | Gas City, IN
WINNER: Kevin Thomas Jr. (BGE Dougherty Racing #15K)
Sep 24: Eldora Speedway | Rossburg, OH
WINNER: Justin Grant (TOPP Motorsports #4)
Sep 30: (F) Kokomo Speedway | Kokomo, IN
WINNER: Kyle Cummins (Rock Steady Racing #3R)
Oct 1: Lawrenceburg Speedway | Lawrenceburg, IN
WINNER: Kyle Cummins (Rock Steady Racing #3R)
Oct 28: (C) Cocopah Speedway | Somerton, AZ
WINNER: Emerson Axsom (Clauson Marshall Newman Racing #47BC)
Oct 29: (C) Cocopah Speedway | Somerton, AZ
WINNER: Jake Swanson (Team AZ Racing #21AZ)
Nov 3: (C) Perris Auto Speedway | Perris, CA
WINNER: Brady Bacon (Dynamics, Inc. #69)
Nov 4: (C) Perris Auto Speedway | Perris, CA
WINNER: Robert Ballou (Ballou Motorsports #12)
Nov 5: (C) (F) Perris Auto Speedway | Perris, CA
WINNER: Brady Bacon (Dynamics, Inc. #69)
—————— KEY DEFINITIONS ——————
(M) represents an event co-sanctioned by MSCS
(E) represents an Eastern Storm event
(I) represents an Indiana Sprint Week event
(C) represents an event with the USAC CRA AMSOIL Sprint Cars
(F) represents a race awarding feature points only
(A) represents a race awarding appearance points only
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2022 USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP STATISTICS
FEATURE WINS
6-Brady Bacon (Apr 16 at Atomic Speedway, May 12 at Lakeside Speedway, Jun 14 at Grandview Speedway, Jun 19 at Bloomsburg Fair Raceway, Nov 3 at Perris Auto Speedway & Nov 5 at Perris Auto Speedway)
6-Robert Ballou (May 14 at I-70 Motorsports Park, May 22 at the Terre Haute Action Track, Jun 26 at Angell Park Speedway, Jul 8 at Huset’s Speedway, Jul 30 at Tri-State Speedway & Nov 4 at Perris Auto Speedway)
6-Justin Grant (Feb 18 at Bubba Raceway Park, June 17 at Williams Grove Speedway, Jul 2 at Lincoln Park Speedway, Jul 26 at Kokomo Speedway, Aug 25 at Kokomo Speedway & Sep 24 at Eldora Speedway)
4-Kyle Cummins (Jul 29 at Bloomington Speedway, Aug 27 at Kokomo Speedway, Sep 30 at Kokomo Speedway & Oct 1 at Lawrenceburg Speedway)
3-Emerson Axsom (Feb 17 at Bubba Raceway Park, Feb 19 at Bubba Raceway Park & Oct 28 at Cocopah Speedway)
3-C.J. Leary (May 20 at the Terre Haute Action Track, Jul 1 at Lincoln Park Speedway & Jul 25 at Circle City Raceway)
3-Kevin Thomas Jr. (Aug 26 at Kokomo Speedway, Sep 16 at Circle City Raceway & Sep 22 at Gas City I-69 Speedway)
2-Mitchel Moles (Jul 10 at Huset’s Speedway & Jul 28 at Lincoln Park Speedway)
2-Logan Seavey (Jun 15 at Bridgeport Motorsports Park & Jun 18 at Port Royal Speedway)
1-Ryan Bernal (Jul 9 at Huset’s Speedway)
1-Shane Cottle (Jul 22 at Gas City I-69 Speedway)
1-Jadon Rogers (Sep 17 at Tri-State Speedway)
1-Jake Swanson (Oct 29 at Cocopah Speedway)
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FEATURE LAPS LED
224-Brady Bacon
200-Robert Ballou
144-Justin Grant
107-Mitchel Moles
106-Kevin Thomas Jr.
93-Emerson Axsom & Kyle Cummins
60-Logan Seavey
40-Jadon Rogers
35-C.J. Leary
32-Thomas Meseraull & Jake Swanson
30-Chase Stockon
17-Briggs Danner
8-Ryan Bernal
6-Davey Ray
4-Jason McDougal
2-Carson Short
1-Mario Clouser, Shane Cottle & Xavier Doney
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TOP-FIVE FEATURE FINISHES
27-Brady Bacon
24-Justin Grant
22-Robert Ballou
20-C.J. Leary
15-Emerson Axsom
14-Kyle Cummins
13-Chase Stockon
11-Logan Seavey
9-Jake Swanson
7-Jason McDougal
6-Mitchel Moles
5-Kevin Thomas Jr.
4-Shane Cottle
3-Thomas Meseraull, Jadon Rogers & Matt Westfall
2-Alex Bright, Briggs Danner, Buddy Kofoid & Tanner Thorson
1-Ryan Bernal
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TOP-TEN FEATURE FINISHES
37-Justin Grant
33-Brady Bacon
32-Robert Ballou
31-Emerson Axsom & C.J. Leary
22-Logan Seavey
21-Chase Stockon
19-Kyle Cummins, Mitchel Moles & Jake Swanson
17-Jason McDougal
16-Jadon Rogers
14-Matt Westfall
12-Thomas Meseraull
9-Kevin Thomas Jr.
8-Shane Cottle
7-Briggs Danner
4-Max Adams
3-Alex Bright, Buddy Kofoid, Carson Short & Ryan Timms
2-Brent Beauchamp, Ryan Bernal, Mario Clouser, Xavier Doney, Steven Drevicki, Tye Mihocko & Tanner Thorson
1-Nick Bilbee, Timmy Buckwalter, Dustin Clark, Shane Cockrum, Braydon Cromwell, Dave Darland, Anton Hernandez, R.J. Johnson, Critter Malone, Davey Ray, Eddie Tafoya Jr., Scotty Weir & Cody Williams
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FAST QUALIFYING TIMES (Presented by Fatheadz Eyewear)
12-C.J. Leary
8-Mitchel Moles
4-Jake Swanson
3-Emerson Axsom, Kyle Cummins & Chase Stockon
1-Brady Bacon, Robert Ballou, Justin Grant, Buddy Kofoid & Ryan Thomas
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HEAT RACE / QUALIFYING RACE WINS (Presented by Simpson Race Products, Competition Suspension Inc., Pit Stop USA & Rod End Supply)
11-Brady Bacon
10-Jadon Rogers & Chase Stockon
9-Robert Ballou & C.J. Leary
7-Thomas Meseraull, Jake Swanson & Kevin Thomas Jr.
5-Emerson Axsom, Kyle Cummins, Charles Davis Jr., Justin Grant, Jason McDougal & Logan Seavey
4-Mitchel Moles
3-Shane Cottle
2-Briggs Danner, Dave Darland, Brayden Fox, Anton Hernandez, R.J. Johnson & Matt Westfall
1-Max Adams, Brent Beauchamp, Ryan Bernal, Nick Bilbee, Timmy Buckwalter, Wyatt Burks, Mario Clouser, Zach Daum, Xavier Doney, Steven Drevicki, Damion Gardner, Carson Garrett, A.J. Hopkins, Ricky Lewis, Brandon Mattox, Tye Mihocko, Matt Mitchell, Brandon Morin, Brody Roa, Kyle Shipley, Brady Short, Carson Short, Mark Smith, Dalton Stevens, Eddie Tafoya Jr., Tanner Thorson, Ryan Timms & Cody Williams
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SEMI WINS
3-Justin Grant & Mitchel Moles
2-Emerson Axsom, Robert Ballou, C.J. Leary, Logan Seavey & Jake Swanson
1-Max Adams, Cody Baker, Wyatt Burks, Mario Clouser, Shane Cockrum, Kyle Cummins, Briggs Danner, Charles Davis Jr., Tommy Malcolm, Tye Mihocko, Daison Pursley, Chase Stockon, Scotty Weir & Matt Westfall
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C-MAIN WINS
2-Max Adams & Brody Roa
1-Alex Banales, Cole Bodine, Alex Bright, Dustin Clark, Xavier Doney, Geoff Ensign, Carson Garrett, Korbyn Hayslett, Evan Mosley, Sam Scott, Verne Sweeney & Josh Turner
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D-MAIN WINS
1-Seth Parker
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DASH WINS
1-Kyle Cummins & Justin Grant
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FEATURE STARTS
39-Emerson Axsom, Brady Bacon, Robert Ballou, Justin Grant & C.J. Leary
38-Logan Seavey & Matt Westfall
36-Jadon Rogers
32-Jake Swanson
30-Chase Stockon
27-Jason McDougal & Mitchel Moles
26-Brandon Mattox
21-Kyle Cummins
20-Kevin Thomas Jr.
19-Thomas Meseraull
17-Shane Cottle
13-Max Adams
12-Charles Davis Jr.
11-Briggs Danner
10-Alex Banales
9-Alex Bright & Dave Darland
8-Brody Roa & Eddie Tafoya Jr.
7-Anton Hernandez & Scotty Weir
6-Brent Beauchamp, Cole Bodine, Mario Clouser, Xavier Doney & Carson Garrett
5-Wyatt Burks, Shane Cockrum, Zach Daum, Steven Drevicki, Damion Gardner, Dallas Hewitt, R.J. Johnson, Tommy Malcolm & Tye Mihocko
4-Joey Amantea, Timmy Buckwalter, Sterling Cling, Braydon Cromwell, Geoff Ensign, Chad Frewaldt, Korbyn Hayslett, Ricky Lewis, Matt Mitchell, Brady Short, Carson Short, Austin Williams & Cody Williams
3-Koby Barksdale, Ryan Bernal, Clinton Bruns, Harley Burns, Austin Graby, Jack Hoyer, J.J. Hughes, Chase Johnson, Buddy Kofoid, Cam Schafer, Alex Schriever, Eric Schulz, Landon Simon, Wesley Smith, Tanner Thorson, Ryan Timms & Logan Williams
2-Collin Ambrose, Dustin Beck, Nick Bilbee, Dustin Clark, Braxton Cummings, Brayden Fox, Chris Gansen, Aric Gentry, Austin Grabowski, Brian Hayden , Matt McDonald, Brandon Morin, Zack Pretorius, Daison Pursley, Kendall Ruble, Brian Ruhlman, Kory Schudy, Kyle Shipley, Mark Smith, Dalton Stevens, Verne Sweeney & Daniel Whitley
1-Bryce Andrews, Terry Babb, Cody Baker, Keith Baxter, Stan Beadles, Brian Beebe, A.J. Bender, Saban Bibent, J.D. Black, Chad Boespflug, Isaac Chapple, Zach Clark, Colten Cottle, Derek Crane, Nathan Crane, Josh Davis, Kyle Edwards, Tom Eller, Parker Frederickson, Tripp Gerrald, Tom Harris, A.J. Hopkins, Chase Howard, William Huck, Steve Irwin, Jordan Kinser, Critter Malone, Michael Markey, Ryan Marshall, Evan Mosley, Chris Parkinson, Carmen Perigo, Davey Ray, Tony Rustad, Adyn Schmidt, Kent Schmidt, Jake Scott, Keith Sheffer II, John Sluss, Brandon Smith, Chad Tye, Mitch Wissmiller, Rece Wommack & Justin Zimmerman
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2022 USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR FAST QUALIFIERS
Feb 17: Bubba Raceway Park – Justin Grant
Feb 18: Bubba Raceway Park – Buddy Kofoid
Apr 16: Atomic Speedway – C.J. Leary
Apr 29: Bloomington Speedway – Jake Swanson
May 12: Lakeside Speedway – Robert Ballou
May 14: I-70 Motorsports Park – Emerson Axsom
May 20: Terre Haute Action Track – C.J. Leary
May 22: Terre Haute Action Track – C.J. Leary
Jun 14: Grandview Speedway – C.J. Leary
Jun 15: Bridgeport Motorsports Park – C.J. Leary
Jun 17: Williams Grove Speedway – Jake Swanson
Jun 18: Port Royal Speedway – C.J. Leary
Jun 19: Bloomsburg Fair Raceway – Jake Swanson
Jun 26: Angell Park Speedway – C.J. Leary
Jul 1: Lincoln Park Speedway – Ryan Thomas
Jul 2: Lincoln Park Speedway – Chase Stockon
Jul 8: Huset’s Speedway – Emerson Axsom
Jul 9: Huset’s Speedway – Emerson Axsom
Jul 22: Gas City I-69 Speedway – Mitchel Moles
Jul 24: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Mitchel Moles
Jul 25: Circle City Raceway – Mitchel Moles
Jul 26: Kokomo Speedway – C.J. Leary
Jul 28: Lincoln Park Speedway – Brady Bacon
Jul 29: Bloomington Speedway – Mitchel Moles
Jul 30: Tri-State Speedway – Mitchel Moles
Aug 25: Kokomo Speedway – Kyle Cummins
Aug 26: Kokomo Speedway – Kyle Cummins
Sep 16: Circle City Raceway – Mitchel Moles
Sep 17: Tri-State Speedway – Chase Stockon
Sep 22: Gas City I-69 Speedway – Kyle Cummins
Sep 24: Eldora Speedway – Chase Stockon
Sep 30: Kokomo Speedway – Mitchel Moles
Oct 1: Lawrenceburg Speedway – C.J. Leary
Oct 28: Cocopah Speedway – C.J. Leary
Oct 29: Cocopah Speedway – Jake Swanson
Nov 3: Perris Auto Speedway – C.J. Leary
Nov 4: Perris Auto Speedway – C.J. Leary
Nov 5: Perris Auto Speedway – Mitchel Moles
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GSP QUALITY DRIVING PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGHT
Feb 17: Bubba Raceway Park – Brady Short
Feb 18: Bubba Raceway Park – Buddy Kofoid
Feb 19: Bubba Raceway Park – Braxton Cummings
Apr 16: Atomic Speedway – Robert Ballou
Apr 29: Bloomington Speedway – Braxton Cummings
May 12: Lakeside Speedway – Zach Clark
May 14: I-70 Motorsports Park – Brian Beebe
May 20: Terre Haute
