SPEEDWAY, Ind. — The time has come for one of the crown jewels in all of USAC NOS Energy National Midget racing to commence – the seventh running of the BC39 Presented by Avanti Windows & Doors at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
An entry list of 67 drivers and cars representing 19 different United States and two different countries (USA and England) will be vying for the $20,039-to-win championship prize on Wednesday night.
Both nights present a full slate of racing, leading into a 30-lap main on Tuesday and the 39-lap championship night finale on Wednesday at the fifth-mile dirt oval located inside of turn three at IMS, honoring the late, great USAC champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 starter Bryan Clauson.
THE WINNERS
Six years. Six winners. The BC39 has seen a new champion emerge in each and every year of its existence dating back to its inaugural edition in 2018.
In this year’s field, there are two drivers facing the opportunity to change that narrative. Justin Grant and Cannon McIntosh.
Grant won a barnburner back in 2023 while Cannon McIntosh took top honors in 2024 with a stunning last lap score for the win. Grant also picked off a prelim night win that same year in 2023.
Additionally, three more drivers have captured IMS wins during prelim nights, and are aiming to translate their experiences to a championship night victory.
Thomas Meseraull got it done in 2023, while Chase McDermand and Kale Drake both became first time USAC National Midget winners in each of the two prelims a year ago.
Following last year’s win, Drake has become one of the series’ premier drivers, having come off a USAC Indiana Midget Week title in early June of this year. For McDermand, a final night victory would be so meaningful after the devastating heartbreak that consumed last year’s finale when he led until the white flag.
THE ROOKIES
A staggering 31 of the 67 drivers are BC39 rookies, having never turned a lap in competition at the event in any previous year.
Among the names in the BC39 rookie camp are late model superstar Ricky Thornton Jr., 14-time USAC National Sprint Car winner Chase Stockon and winged sprint car racer Justin Peck, who possesses extensive midget racing experience from earlier in his career.
Cale Coons, the son of USAC Triple Crown winner Jerry Coons Jr., is entered for his first BC39 run as is 2025 top USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year contender Steven Snyder Jr., plus Jakeb Boxell and Corbin Rueschenberg, who turned heads with quality performances during the recent Indiana Midget Week series as well as Mike Hess, a USAC Midget winner in his own right who nowadays is the race director for High Limit Racing.
Also joining the Rookie crew for the 2025 BC39 are Brecken Reese, Kyle Simon, P.J. Gargiulo, Miles Doherty, Cooper Miller, Jeffrey Abbey, Kade Morton, Lane Goodman, Austin Wood, Cole Parker, Korbyn Hayslett, Cord Kisthardt, Christopher Hartman, Bradley Cox, Tyler Fitzpatrick, Dusty Young, Chris Sheil, Colton Robinson, Braxton Cummings, Carter Jensrud, Mack Leopard, Chris Andrews and Brandon Carr.
The BC39 Rookie of the Year will receive gift cards and a $700 bonus courtesy of Max Papis Innovations. Furthermore, the top finishing Rookie on Tuesday will receive a steering wheel trophy, while Wednesday’s top Rookie will be rewarded with an even larger steering wheel trophy from MPI.
THE VETERANS
Returning BC39 veterans in this year’s lineup include Kevin Thomas Jr. (2nd in 2024 prelim), as well as Logan Seavey (3rd in 2023 finale), Daison Pursley (3rd in 2024 prelim), Jacob Denney (4th in 2023 & 2024 prelim), Gavin Miller (5th in 2024 prelim) and Zach Daum (6th in 2022 finale), Kyle Cummins (9th in 2024 prelim), Zach Wigal (10th in 2024 prelim), Mitchel Moles (11th in 2023 prelim) and J.J. Yeley (13th in 2024 prelim), all of whom have previously captured USAC National Midget feature victories.
Kaylee Bryson (7th in 2022 finale) is the lone woman in this year’s BC39 field.
She’s joined by veterans Ethan Mitchell (7th in 2024 prelim), Briggs Danner (7th in 2024 prelim), Hayden Reinbold (10th in 2023 prelim), Dillon Welch (11th in 2019 finale), Kevin Newton (12th in 2024 prelim), Drake Edwards (14th in 2024 prelim), Chelby Hinton (16th in 2023 prelim), Clinton Boyles (16th in 2023 prelim), Gunnar Setser (16th in 2024 prelim), Frankie Guerrini (17th in 2024 prelim), Trevor Cline (17th in 2023 & 2024 prelim), Kyle Jones (17th in 2023 prelim) and Chris Baue (20th in 2024 prelim).
The list of veteran BC39 drivers who have previously competed at IMS but are vying for their first career feature starts at IMS consists of Josh Hodge, Jonathan Beason, Cody Weisensel, Devon Dobie, Connor Wolf, Rylan Gray and Lance Bennett.
THE POINTS
Interestingly, the top-three in the current USAC National Midget standings have all previously won BC39 feature events at IMS.
Justin Grant, a prelim and championship night winner in 2023, leads the standings by a 21-point margin over Kale Drake, a 2024 prelim night victor. Cannon McIntosh, last year’s championship night winner, stands third in the standings, 59 back from Grant.
As opposed to most traditional USAC National Midget events throughout the 2025 season, the BC39 will offer a different point structure due to the altered format. Feature points only will be offered toward the championship standings on each night of competition. All non-transfers will receive 10 points.
