SUMNER, Ill. — USAC heads back to Red Hill for a new event on the calendar – the Illinois Sprint Car Championship – for two-straight nights of action this weekend on June 5-6.
Friday’s feature will pay $6,000-to-win and Saturday’s winner takes home $10,000.
It’s only been two months since the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship last took on the third-mile dirt oval, but the feeling is still fresh.
Both nights of the event will be co-sanctioned by the Midwest Thunder 410 Sprints. Friday night’s program will utilize the Midwest Thunder format while Saturday night’s show will present the traditional USAC format.
GRANT’S MOMENTUM
Justin Grant was victorious in the most recent USAC National Sprint Car race held at Red Hill in the spring, back on April 3. It was also his most recent series victory.
Starting fifth that night, Grant chased down Robert Ballou on the 17th lap before leading the final 14 circuits.
Grant ranks second in USAC points, 88 out of the lead behind Kyle Cummins.
MOLES RACY
Back in April, Mitchel Moles set a new one-lap USAC National Sprint Car track record at Red Hill with a time of 14.327 seconds, which broke the mark formerly held by his Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports teammate, Hayden Reinbold.
In two outings at Red Hill, Moles finished fourth in 2025 and second in 2026. He currently ranks third in the standings, and a couple more good runs this weekend could help vault him back into the title race.
SEAVEY, ONE YEAR LATER
In June of 2025, Logan Seavey punctuated his first visit to Red Hill with a USAC National Sprint Car victory.
Seavey also owns the 8-lap USAC National Sprint Car track record at Red Hill with a time of 2:00.261, set during a heat race win in 2025.
Seavey’s last USAC National Sprint Car victory came all the way back in February, and a Red Hill score this weekend would be welcomed by the 2024 series champion.
NEW RIDE
C.J. Leary will drive the Hunter Maddox Racing No. 24x on both nights of racing at Red Hill this weekend. Maddox was the 2024 USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year.
Leary, the 2019 USAC National Sprint Car driving champion, was previously entered in Maddox’s car back in February on the final night of Winter Dirt Games at Florida’s Ocala Speedway.
In Leary’s two USAC appearances at Red Hill, he finished fifth in 2025 and 10th in April 2026.
Leary has driven the Fox Brothers-Brayden Fox Racing No. 53 in USAC competition since April, but the Leary-Fox combo is only slated to run a partial USAC schedule and will return on the July 3-4 Sprintacular weekend at Indiana’s Lincoln Park Speedway.
FRONT RUNNER
Robert Ballou’s strongest run of the 2026 USAC National Sprint Car season so far came at Red Hill back in April. There, he led the initial 16 laps en route to a fourth-place result in his Ballou Motorsports No. 12.
Now, the veteran owner/driver looks to reach USAC victory lane for the first time in 2026. The next victory would be the 40th of the Rocklin, California native’s career.
Ballou won a Midwest Thunder 410 Sprint A-Main at Red Hill in 2024.
ROGERS’ JAM
Jadon Rogers has already won at Red Hill this season, and it came in dramatic fashion.
In May, Rogers passed Wesley Smith on the last lap to win a USAC Wholesale Batteries MRA Sprint Car Series / Midwest Thunder 410 Sprint Car Series combined event.
Over the past three seasons, Rogers has won four sprint car features at Red Hill, all of which have come under the Midwest Thunder banner.
PASSING PHENOM
Cale Coons is not only the leading USAC National Sprint Car Rookie driver to this point in 2026. He also leads the USAC National Parallax Group Passing Master standings entering the month of June.
Coons has passed 49 cars in feature events this season, all of which he has completed in USAC National Sprint Car competition.
At Red Hill, he finished seventh in April of this year.
WINNERS
Six drivers in this weekend’s field have previously won at Red Hill.
Jadon Rogers has four wins at Red Hill, while Chase Stockon has two. Logan Seavey and Justin Grant each have one win apiece with USAC over the past two seasons. Robert Ballou and Wesley Smith have also added single Red Hill victories on their résumé.
Among the top-10 in the USAC standings, point leader Kyle Cummins is yet to win at Red Hill as are Moles, Briggs Danner, Jake Swanson, Kevin Thomas Jr. and Leary.
