MADISON, Ill. — For the 13th time, USAC Silver Crown National Championship racing will take a trip to the biggest, boldest and fastest circuit on the series trail this Sunday, June 7.
The OutFront Route 66 Classic Presented by Welsch Heating & Cooling at World Wide Technology Raceway brings the series to the 66-lap, 82.5-mile extravaganza on the 1.25-mile paved oval.
It’s all part of NTT IndyCar Series weekend that includes Silver Crown, IndyCar and the Indy NXT Series.
This is the place where 180 mph speeds for USAC Silver Crown cars are the norm, and where drafting is a key factor in a discipline where that isn’t the norm.
PAST WINNERS
Three past WWT Raceway USAC Silver Crown winners will be in the field this Sunday: Bobby Santos, Davey Hamilton Jr. and Dakoda Armstrong.
Santos won the race on back-to-back occasions in 2013-2014. Hamilton got his first and only USAC Silver Crown victory to date at WWT back in 2023. Armstrong had the upper hand in 2024 as he raced to victory.
GRANT LEADS
Justin Grant enters Sunday’s race as the USAC Silver Crown point leader by three points.
However, he’s got some business to take care of following the heartbreak he experienced in May’s season opener on the dirt of Hutchinson, Kansas.
There, after leading the first 98 laps from the pole, his car ran out of fuel coming to the white flag. He hung on for second, but he is still the point leader after gaining six bonus points for capturing the pole and leading the most laps.
He’s been good at WWT over his first five starts, finishing sixth, fourth, third, second and fourth.
KAYLEE DEBUTS
Kaylee Bryson, the only woman to win a USAC Silver Crown event, returns to the series with a new team on Sunday.
Abacus Racing has partnered with Droplight to field Bryson in select USAC Silver Crown races on dirt and pavement under the banner of Abacus Racing Powered by Droplight.
Back in 2024, Bryson was terrific at WWT as she raced to a third-place result, her finest finish with the series on a pavement track.
QUARTER CENTURY
It’s been a quarter century since Michael Lewis last competed in a WWT Raceway USAC Silver Crown race. It’s been 21 years since he competed in a USAC race of any kind.
The Noblesville, Indiana, driver stepped away from the sport around that time two decades ago. But now, in 2026, Lewis is back in the game and will compete in all six pavement USAC Silver Crown events on the series schedule aboard the Klatt Enterprises No. 6.
Lewis’ résumé shows four career USAC National Sprint Car victories, plus an additional eight triumphs in USAC National Midget competition, all on pavement. However, a first USAC Silver Crown win would mean the world to him.
DANNER DOES
The Doran Racing No. 77 is a familiar sight at the front of the USAC Silver Crown field, especially on pavement tracks. The team won at WWT in 2022, then won again there in 2025.
But that was with Kody Swanson as the driver. The eight-time series champion has vacated the seat to take on the role of USAC Silver Crown Series Director for 2026, and will not compete with the series this year.
Stepping in the seat is Briggs Danner, a nine-time USAC National Sprint Car winner, who is taking on the full USAC Silver Crown series for the first time in 2026 on both dirt and pavement tracks. The team is now entered under Doran-Swanson Racing, named as such for Kevin Doran and the Mark Swanson Encore Team.
DUOS DUELING
Two car teams are a bit of a rarity in USAC Silver Crown racing. Of course, over the years, we’ve seen the Viceroy entries for Al Unser and Mario Andretti, as well as the Tony Stewart Racing cars for the likes of Levi Jones and Bobby East, just to name a couple.
There will be two multi-car teams competing at WWT this Sunday with full-time competitors C.J. Leary and Mario Clouser in a pair of Team AZ/Petty/Ross/Curb-Agajanian machines.
Pavement aces Colton Bettis and Jake Trainor will also be teamed up in twin AP Driver Development entries.
Clouser finished a best of 3rd at WWT in 2022 while Leary grabbed 4th in 2024. Trainor debuted at WWT in 2025, but an accident in turns one and two ended his night prematurely. Bettis will be making his WWT debut.
ROOKIES & VETS
Sunday’s lineup consists of three drivers making their WWT debuts: Briggs Danner, Colton Bettis and Brent Yarnal, who’ll be joined by 15 others who’ve experienced this place before in a USAC Silver Crown car.
Nathan Byrd finished fifth at WWT in 2022 as did Jackson Macenko, who earned his best career series result to date with a 5th in 2025. Kyle O’Gara raced to eighth in 2023. Gregg Cory took 13th in both 2024 and 2025. Dave Berkheimer, meanwhile, finished 16th in 2024.
