SPEEDWAY, Ind. — A three-race weekend was scheduled for the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship on Labor Day weekend, but one of those races was canceled on Thursday afternoon.
Friday’s event slated for Illinois’ Wayne County Speedway was canceled because of a high heat warning issued for the area.
As a result the series will race on Sunday and Monday, beginning with the 41st running of one of midget racing’s most prestigious events, the $10,000-to-win Firemen’s Nationals at the legendary third-mile Angell Park Speedway dirt track in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
Labor Day Monday night, September 7, presents a re-do for USAC’s debut at Coles County Speedway. The Lake Land College King of Coles was rained out twice in August but will now take place for one night only at the Mattoon, Illinois, fifth-mile dirt oval.
Both races will run 40 laps in distance. Forty-lap USAC National Midget races have been won in 2026 by Gavin Miller (Sweet Springs) and Kale Drake (Jefferson County).
DENNEY THE FRONT RUNNER
Jacob Denney is heating up as the season has gone on and has translated a 21-point deficit into a 68-point lead in the USAC National Midget championship race.
Over his past five series starts, he’s laid down five consecutive podium finishes with a 3rd-3rd-1st-1st-2nd stretch aboard his Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports No. 67.
It’s the Ohioan’s third different stint as the series point leader during the 2026 season. Over his past five years in the series, he’s tallied points finishes of 40th in 2021, 8th in 2022, 7th in 2023, 5th in 2024, and 4th in 2025.
HEATING UP
Likewise, Kale Drake is hitting his sweet spot. Over his past five USAC National Midget starts, Kale Drake has put together a stretch of 5th-4th-3rd-5th-1st in that time frame.
He’s the most recent USAC National Midget winner, taking July’s Midwest Midget Championship at Fairbury, Nebraska’s Jefferson County Speedway. That proved to be his first USAC win since joining RMS Racing at the start of the 2026 campaign.
This recent stretch has risen Drake from sixth to third in the season long standings, just seven points behind Kevin Thomas Jr. for second. Adding to it, he swept to victory on back-to-back nights with POWRi at Sweet Springs just one week ago.
MILLER’S TIME
Gavin Miller has come ultra close to winning his first USAC National Sprint Car race in recent months. He’s been a winner on the USAC National Midget trail this season at Sweet Springs, but another one or three this weekend would be mighty fine for him.
He enters this weekend as the defending Firemen’s Nationals winner at Angell Park, after charging past Brecken Reese on lap three to win the race. The last driver to win back-to-back Firemen’s Nationals events was Scott Hatton in 2004-2005.
The Allentown, Pa., driver is averaging a 4th place result across his six past series starts.
GRANT’S SMACKDOWN
Justin Grant is fresh off yet another Chili’s Sprint Car Smackdown score at Kokomo last weekend, his sixth at the event.
His USAC National Midget season thus far has him third in the standings with three victories, as he is embroiled in a tight race for the runner-up spot at the moment.
Not one to shy away from many USAC milestone in his career, Grant could very well match or exceed another one this weekend. He currently stands at 111 career USAC wins across all divisions, just one behind Bryan Clauson for sixth place all-time at 112.
RISING & EMERGING
Nine different drivers have already reached victory lane throughout the 2026 USAC National Midget season.
Jacob Denney and Justin Grant have each won three USAC National Midget main events apiece thus far this season.
Possessing one USAC National Midget score thus far in 2026 are Briggs Danner, Kale Drake, Hayden Reinbold, Karter Sarff, Logan Seavey, Kevin Thomas Jr. and Gavin Miller.
There are a myriad of other drivers waiting in the wings to pick off USAC win No. 1 this weekend, namely Jakeb Boxell (6th in points), Brecken Reese (9th), and Colton Robinson (10th), all of whom reside inside the top 10 of the standings, along with series veterans Ethan Mitchell, Gunnar Setser, Kyle Jones and Mack Leopard.
