ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Justin Grant, a USAC three-division standout, will be heading east to race in the Indoor Auto Racing Series races inside Boardwalk Hall over the Jan. 26-27 NAPA Auto Parts race weekend.
Grant will drive the highly regarded No. 59 Lou Cicconi/ Donny Preece owned TQ Midget.
The event will be broadcast live by SPEED SPORT.tv.
For the third consecutive season, and fourth time overall, the California native captured the $10,000 USAC National drivers championship. To do so he gathered more total points across the three USAC national divisions throughout the duration of last year’s campaign.
Grant was crowned the USAC National Sprint Car champion for a second straight year, finished second in the USAC National Midget Series standings and was third in the Silver Crown Series. Yet for all of his open wheel accomplishments, driving a TQ Midget indoors will be a first for him.
“Never raced a TQ Midget before but they look pretty wicked. To be able to do it with Lou, who knows so much about the cars and the track is a great opportunity,” Grant shared before competing at the Chili Bowl Indoor dirt Midget Car event in Tulsa, Okla. this past weekend.
Grant was blunt in his aspirations for the Atlantic City weekend.
“I don’t get in a race car with the intention of not winning,” he said.
To prepare Grant will fly in for practice on Thursday. Grant has not yet seen the Cicconi car but aware it was a top-10 finisher at the series opener in Allentown, Pa. with Jake Trainor driving.
“Thursday will be to get acquainted with the car and with the track. Friday afternoon, it’s about trying to find the speed. Will be figuring it out all night, what positions you can put yourself in, what you can’t get away with,” said Grant.
“But on Saturday, we should be ready to perform.”
With a new format this year, Grant will be able to compete in two separate and unique feature events.
On Jan. 27, the TQ Midgets will compete in the 22nd running the Gambler’s Classic. A traditional format of time trials, heat races and B-mains will lead up to the 40 lap A-Main on Saturday.
The night before, the inaugural running of the BlackJack 21 for the TQ Midgets will be held. The night will be closed out with a 21-lap, 21-car race paying $2,100 to the winner.