SPEEDWAY, Ind. — This weekend’s USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship doubleheader takes the series to Bloomington Speedway on Friday for the Larry Rice Classic. The following night, Haubstadt’s Tri-State Speedway will host the 12th running of the Spring Showdown.
DOUBLE DIPPIN’
A combined 102 USAC National Sprint Car events have been held between Bloomington Speedway and Tri-State Speedway since each track debuted on the series schedule more than four decades ago.
Fourteen different drivers have won USAC National Sprint Car main events at both tracks: Kevin Thomas Jr., Dave Darland, Brady Bacon, Tony Elliott, Chris Windom, Kyle Cummins, Jay Drake, Tracy Hines, Rick Hood, Cory Kruseman, Hunter Schuerenberg, Brady Short, Jon Stanbrough and J.J. Yeley.
However, no driver has ever won USAC National Sprint Car features at both tracks on consecutive nights. There have been 22 such occasions that Bloomington and Tri-State have been paired up on the same weekend, which has resulted in exactly zero back-to-back winners.
Only three drivers have won USAC National Sprint Car main events at both tracks in a single season: J.J. Yeley (2003), Dave Darland (2018) and Kevin Thomas Jr. (2017 & 2021)
RESUME OF SUCCESS
Kevin Thomas Jr. is the leader among active drivers at both tracks in USAC National Sprint Car competition. He’s been victorious four times in his career with the series at Bloomington and a whopping eight occasions at Tri-State, which ranks No. 1 all-time.
This season certainly hasn’t been to his liking thus far as he currently sits 13th in USAC National Sprint Car points with an average finish of 12.4 in nine starts.
However, the combination of Bloomington and Tri-State together on the same weekend could prove to be his honey hole. A breakout weekend very well could be in store for KTJ this weekend.
RACE TO THE TOP
It’s early, but the points race is already an intriguing one with the top-two of Kyle Cummins and Justin Grant virtually pulling away from the rest of the pack. The early dominance between the two has them more than 100 points up on their nearest peer, defending series champion Logan Seavey in third.
Cummins enters the weekend up by two points on Grant after the pair have routinely matched each other by recording top 10s in all nine of their starts thus far in 2025 to go along with eight top fives.
The only slight difference is Cummins’ three victories to Grant’s two.
Cummins holds the upper hand at both tracks with six victories at Tri-State and one Bloomington. Grant, on the other hand, has won three at Tri-State, but is still vying for Bloomington win No. 1.
BACK IN THE SADDLE
Steve and Carla Phillips’ black No. 71p has been absent from the USAC National sprint car ranks since Cannon McIntosh piloted their car during the summer of 2021.
After a nearly four-year absence, the team is returning for this Friday’s Bloomington round with driver Chelby Hinton of Dubberly, Louisiana. The event will mark his USAC Sprint Car debut after a few handful of appearances in the Klatt Enterprises USAC Midget over the past few years.
Phillips owns 19 career USAC National Sprint Car feature victories as car owners with Dave Darland and Jason McDougal. That ranks 32nd place all-time. It’s a homecoming of sorts for the Phillips teams whose first USAC National Sprint Car victory came in May of 2013 at Bloomington.
THE MENU
Several drivers have won at either Bloomington or Tri-State, while some are shooting for their initial USAC score at both venues on this weekend’s docket.
C.J. Leary, Logan Seavey and Briggs Danner have all notched Bloomington USAC National Sprint Car victories but have thus far come up empty handed in the win column with USAC Sprint Cars at Tri-State.
Interestingly, these same three all own fast qualifying awards at Tri-State and have run up front, demonstrating the fact that they have the capability to get that elusive first TSS USAC triumph here shortly.
Conversely, Robert Ballou and Jadon Rogers are among the past Tri-State winners who are aiming to put a first USAC victory together at Bloomington this weekend. With that said, both drivers have experienced their fair share of wins at Bloomington over the years outside of USAC.
Meanwhile, a string of current top-10 ranked USAC National Sprint Car drivers are looking to make some noise this weekend with their first USAC victories of the season. Mitchel Moles finished second, third and fourth in his three USAC starts at Tri-State during the 2024 campaign.
Jake Swanson has won multiple non-USAC-sanctioned races at Bloomington in his career. Kale Drake has been highly improved this season, and a first USAC sprint win could be on the horizon.
Series newcomers Hayden Reinbold, Gunnar Setser and Kayla Roell all look to position themselves in the USAC National Sprint Car rookie-of-the-year battle.
NEW COLORS
Carson Garrett’s new look car struck a chord with many in the audience when it was unveiled earlier this week. His BGE Motorsports No. 15 will sports the mix of blue colors with sponsorship from Busch Light.
Garrett owns two career Midwest Sprint Car Series victories at Tri-State in 2023, and it was the same place in which he earned his first USAC top-10 finish that same year. He’s finished within inches of his first USAC National Sprint Car career in recent times and hopes this weekend could provide that big USAC breakthrough.
Garrett will have a dual ride situation this weekend and will drive the Epperson Racing No. 2e on Friday at Bloomington and the BGE No. 15 on Saturday at Tri-State.
