SPEEDWAY, Ind. — It’s a racing junkie’s dream!
Six nights at six different race tracks await the USAC Midget National Championship for the 22nd annual edition of USAC Indiana Midget Week on June 9-14.
The IMW docket consists of six events in all, with the frenzied and action-packed week beginning at Circle City Raceway in Indianapolis on Tuesday, June 9, then it’s on to Paragon on Wednesday, June 10, and to Putnamville’s Lincoln Park Speedway on Thursday, June 11.
Bloomington Speedway starts the weekend on Friday, June 12; Haubstadt’s Tri-State Speedway on Saturday, June 13; with the finale set for Kokomo Speedway on Sunday, June 14.
USAC Indiana Midget Week is the hottest ticket in town with sprint cars also serving as the support class each and every night.
A plethora of drivers will be jumping back-and-forth between the two machines throughout the night in double-duty mode.
The Indiana Midget Week champion will earn a prize of $15,000 for their efforts in a week that truly tests the physical, mental and mechanical abilities of each driver, crew and machine.
CHAMPIONSHIP CREDENTIALS
Kale Drake enters this week as the defending Indiana Midget Week champion. Just three drivers previously have captured back-to-back IMW titles: Shane Cottle (2005 & 2006), Rico Abreu (2014 & 2015) and Buddy Kofoid (2021 & 2022).
Drake won the Circle City opener a year ago, and finished every race of the week on the podium for Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports.
This year, though, Drake will drive the RMS Racing No. 4, which has won twice in Indiana Midget Week competition in 2021 and 2022 with Thomas Meseraull at the wheel. Drake has finished eighth and sixth in his two USAC starts this year.
Overall, two USAC Indiana Midget Week champions will be in the field this week with Drake joining two-time champ Logan Seavey, who captured titles in both 2019 and 2023, and also possesses four IMW feature victories.
DENNEY LEADS THE CHARGE
Jacob Denney was the only multi-time winner of Indiana Midget Week in 2025, scoring victories at both Paragon and Kokomo.
Denney enters the week as the USAC National Midget point leader by a single marker over Kevin Thomas Jr. after Denney was triumphant in the most recent series event at Kokomo in April.
After gaining his first USAC national win in 2022 at Lincoln Park, Denney owns four overall IMW feature triumphs. His best IMW points finish to date is a third in both 2022 and 2025.
Throughout the history of IMW, just four drivers have entered as the USAC National point leader and went on to win the Indiana Midget Week championship: Jerry Coons Jr. (2007), Darren Hagen (2012), Rico Abreu (2014) and Buddy Kofoid (2021).
Four of the last five Indiana Midget Week champs have also captured the USAC National Midget title in the same season: Buddy Kofoid (2021-22), Logan Seavey (2023) and Daison Pursley (2024).
VETERAN ACES
Justin Grant is among the drivers who’ve come so close to an Indiana Midget Week titles over the years, finishing as the runner-up in 2022, 2023 and 2025. Grant’s one and only IMW win to date came seven years ago in 2019! He won the 2026 season opener at Kokomo in April for CB Industries, and stands just one point out of the lead in the USAC National Midget standings.
Kevin Thomas Jr. is in a similar boat. His most recent Indiana Midget Week win came in 2018! Last year, he finished a career best fourth in Indiana Midget Week points with consistent finishes in his 4 Kings Racing ride. He’s run inside the top-four in both of his USAC National Midget starts this year, and now aims to put 4 Kings in USAC victory lane for the first time.
RETURN OF CANNON
Reigning USAC National Midget champion Cannon McIntosh returns to the seat of the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports No. 71k to compete at Indiana Midget Week in 2026.
McIntosh has been absent with the series so far this year, but will take on all six nights of action this week.
The Bixby, Oklahoma racer last won an Indiana Midget Week race in 2022, and tallied a best IMW points finish of 3rd back in 2024.
SHARK WEEK
Karter Sarff will be the pilot of the Paul May Motorsports No. 71m throughout the entirety of Indiana Midget Week.
The Mason City, Illinois racer was impressive in IMW action in 2025, finishing fifth in the standings with top finishes of third at Circle City and sixth at Paragon. He was also the fastest qualifier at both Paragon and Kokomo.
Nicknamed “The Shark,” Sarff captured the POWRi Midget championship in 2023 and was named the Turkey Night Grand Prix Rookie of the Year in 2025.
YOUNG GUNS
The thing that makes Indiana Midget Week exciting is the unpredictability, and the prospect of up-and-coming drivers making big impressions throughout the week.
Gavin Miller did just that in 2023 when he became a first-time USAC National Midget feature winner at Bloomington. Hayden Reinbold and Drake Edwards have already won USAC National Midget main events, but a first Indiana Midget Week win could very well be on the horizon this week.
Another group of young guns looking to become first-time USAC National Midget winners during Indiana Midget Week include Jakeb Boxell, Zach Wigal, Colton Robinson, Gunnar Setser, Brecken Reese and Trevor Cline.
Another new name, Drew Sherman, the son of standout racer Jeremy Sherman, will also be making his USAC debut in a second Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports entry.
#100 ON THE HORIZON
If all goes according to plan, Indiana Midget Week will celebrate its 100th event during the upcoming series this week.
With 98 events taking place dating back to its 2005 origins, the Paragon Speedway round on Wednesday, June 10, is slated to be the 100th event run in the series’ 22-year history at press time.
USAC Hall of Famer Jay Drake won the inaugural feature race held at Lawrenceburg Speedway on August 18, 2005. Since then, 254 different drivers have started an Indiana Midget Week feature.
Bryan Clauson owns the most Indiana Midget Week championships with three in 2009-11-16. Clauson and Kyle Larson are the winningest drivers in Indiana Midget Week history with nine apiece.
Larson and Rico Abreu have clocked in with the most top qualifying times in IMW history with nine each. Jerry Coons Jr. has recorded the most career IMW feature starts (64) and top-10 results (42). Meanwhile, Clauson collected 28 top fives in his IMW career, which still ranks No. 1 all-time.
