INDIANAPOLIS — Open-wheel racing veteran Aaron Pierce will return to USAC Silver Crown competition this Thursday night at the Winchester (Va.) Speedway alongside Sam Pierce Racing teammate and Silver Crown championship contender Kaylee Bryson.
Crew Chiefs Dave Newman and Chris Santucci will call the shots for the two-car effort.
Pierce’s return to the cockpit will mark two years since the central Indiana legend wheeled one of his potent SamPierceChevy.com / Logical Systems Racing Champ cars at the 2021 Rich Vogler Classic on the High Banks, leading 25 laps midway through the 100-lap feature before tire failure relegated the multi-time open-wheel champion to a respectable fourth place finish.
Since then, Pierce has launched his AP Driver Development program primarily focused on protégé Bryson, in support of her promising career. Bryson has raced in nine different disciplines this season including pavement and dirt midget cars, sprint cars (winged and non-wing), Silver Crown and Trans Am Series Corvettes and Camaros helping her hone her race craft.
Team SPR tested at Winchester on Monday with Bryson in her primary No. 26 AP Driver Development / SamPierceChevy.com / Logical Systems Racing Chevy Beast and Mitchell Moles in her backup car. Both drivers were able to get up to race pace lap times early in the day and build confidence at speed on the High Banks. Neither driver had ever seen Winchester Speedway before. It was Moles’ first time on pavement as well.
With both drivers up to speed and comfortable and both cars on point for Thursday’s race, Pierce jumped in the backup car and immediately went to the top of the day’s speed chart.
“It felt really good and comfortable to be back in the car at speed here at Winchester, and I love this place so much, that I just figured I’ll run the backup car on race day and maybe help her from a different perspective here rather than the spotter’s stand,” said Pierce.
Pierce has three USAC Silver Crown Series wins, was the 2004 rookie of the year, the 2006 most improved driver and owns the fastest lap in Silver Crown history at 175.012 mph set at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2006. Pierce finished a career-best of third in national points (2006) with three other seasons in the top ten (2015, 2017 and 2020).