INDIANAPOLIS – Heading from one legendary race track to the next, the AMSOIL USAC iRacing Challenge presented by NOS Energy Drink motors on to Williams Grove Speedway for the penultimate round of the series.
The virtual NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midgets will make their return Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET on FloRacing.
Returning to the field after triumphs one week ago are Clauson-Marshall Racing’s Aiden Purdue, who tamed Knoxville Raceway in a sprint car, while Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports’ Daison Pursley persevered in a midget at Fairbury American Legion Speedway to bring home the biggest prize in USAC iRacing history.
It’s been wild, it’s been unpredictable, and a new face has emerged as the winner each time out. So who’s next at the Grove, which first saw USAC racing in the club’s debut year in 1956?
Eight USAC national champions have signed on for Thursday’s race, including four drivers who’ve reached victory lane at Williams Grove under USAC sanction.
Chris Windom has won twice, first in 2016 with the Silver Crown Series and again in 2018 with the AMSOIL National Sprint Cars. Brady Bacon was victorious in 2017 with the USAC/ARDC midgets and, most recently, in Silver Crown action in 2019.
Spencer Bayston won in USAC/ARDC midget competition in 2017, while Kevin Thomas Jr. notched a National Sprint Car score in 2017.
Windom, Bacon and Bayston are among eight USAC champions entered for Thursday’s iRace, along with Triple Crown champion J.J. Yeley, 2013 USAC National Midget champion and 2017 NASCAR Truck Series titlist Christopher Bell, 2018 AMSOIL National Sprint Car and 2019 NOS Energy Drink National Midget champion Tyler Courtney, 2016 USAC National Midget champion Tanner Thorson and 2018 USAC National Midget king Logan Seavey.
Along with Thomas Jr., also competing on the virtual half-mile are USAC feature winners Justin Grant, Thomas Meseraull, Zeb Wise, Jason McDougal, Tanner Carrick, Shane Hmiel, Cannon Mcintosh, Brody Roa, Brady Short, Tyler Thomas, Billy Wease and Matt Westfall.
NASCAR Xfinity Series front-runner and winner Chase Briscoe is entered, as well as World of Outlaws Sprint Car Rookie of the Year Carson Macedo, reigning USAC Western States Midget champion Robert Dalby, five-time USAC Western States Midget champion Ronnie Gardner, multi-time USAC Western Sprint champion Ryan Bernal, 2017 USAC West Coast Sprint Car champion Jake Swanson, and National Midget rookie leader Buddy Kofoid.
AMSOIL USAC iRacing Challenge Entry List – Williams Grove Speedway
01 – Korbyn Hayslett (Indy Racing Images)
08 – Cannon McIntosh (Keith Kunz Motorsports)
1A – Carson Macedo (KLR)
2 – J.J. Yeley (Triple Crown Racing)
3 – Jake Neuman (Jake Neuman Racing)
4A – Justin Grant (TOPP Motorsports)
4D – Robert Dalby (Robert Dalby Motorsports)
5 – Kevin Thomas Jr. (Petry Motorsports)
5A – Anton Hernandez (Baldwin Brothers Racing)
5B – Chase Briscoe (Chase Briscoe Racing)
6 – Mario Clouser (Clouser Motorsports)
7BC – Tyler Courtney (Clauson-Marshall Racing)
7x – Thomas Meseraull (RMS Racing)
9 – Daison Pursley (Daison Pursley Racing)
12 – Trey Robb (TUHB E-Sports)
12w – Billy Wease (Team Big Talking Racing)
13 – Dennis Gile (Gene Gile Racing)
14 – Ronnie Gardner (Robert Dalby Motorsports)
15 – Carson Garrett (Carson Garrett Racing)
17 – Jake Swanson (Team AZ/JFM)
19 – Tanner Thorson (Hayward Motorsports)
19AZ – Logan Seavey (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
19m – Ethan Mitchell (Bundy Built Motorsports)
21 – Christopher Bell (CB Industries)
21K – Karter Sarff (Sarff Motorsports)
22 – Connor Leoffler (Connor Leoffler Racing)
25 – Chase Johnson (Tom Malloy Motorsports)
28 – Ace McCarthy (Dave Mac Motorsports)
31 – David Budres (Manic Racing)
32 – Trey Marcham (TUHB E-Sports)
33 – Ronnie Wuerdeman (GFR)
35 – Tanner Carrick (Petry Motorsports)
36 – Brady Short (Short Racing)
38 – Colby Johnson (Colby Johnson)
39 – Matt Goodnight (Goodnight Racing)
39BC – Aiden Purdue (Clauson Marshall Racing)
41 – Oliver Akard (OMR Racing)
51 – Austin Yarbrough (Bobby D. Earnhardt Legacy eSports)
52 – Isaac Chapple (Grim Sim)
53 – Brayden Fox (Brayden Fox Racing)
54 – Matt Westfall (Westfall Racing)
54G – Trey Gropp (MSW)
55 – Nick Drake (Sam Hunt Racing)
56 – Shane Hmiel (Five-Six, Inc.)
61 – Stephen Schnapf (Edwards Motorsports)
67 – Buddy Kofoid (Keith Kunz Motorsports)
69 – Brady Bacon (Hoffman Auto Racing)
69x – Jason McDougal (TUHB E-Sports)
71 – Zeb Wise (Keith Kunz Motorsports)
72 – Sam Johnson (Sam Johnson Racing)
77 – Joe Wirth (Wirth Racing)
82 – Andrew Layser (Tucker-Boat Motorsports)
87 – Ryan Bernal (Ryan Bernal Motorsports)
88 – Kaidon Brown (CB Industries)
89 – Chris Windom (Tucker-Boat Motorsports)
91 – Tyler Thomas (Tyler Thomas Motorsports)
91R – Brody Roa (BR Performance)
97 – Spencer Bayston (Spencer Bayston Racing)
98 – Brandon Morin (Morin Sim Sport)
98x – Clinton Boyles (Tim’s Sims Racing)