CASA GRANDE, Ariz. — Seventy-five sprint cars are pre-entered for the 59th annual running of the Western World Championships at Central Arizona Raceway Oct. 22-24.
Thirty-nine USAC AMSOIL National and Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA 410 Sprint Cars are expected to compete in the three-night event on three-eighths-mile dirt oval. The 410s will be competing for $7,500-to-win on both Thursday and Friday night.
Saturday’s grand finale will pay $35,000-to-win and a minimum of $1,000-to-start, plus another $20,000 in lap leader money for the top three in the running order on each lap: 1. $250, 2. $150, 3. $100. That means the winner could walk away with a grand total of $43,750 by night’s end with lap money factored in.
Furthermore, 36 USAC Avanti Windows Southwest 360 sprint cars are signed in for Western World. A $3,000 winner’s share is up for grabs on Thursday and Friday. Saturday’s weekend capper pays $5,000-to-win and a minimum of $1,000-to-start.
Both divisions will be competing on all three nights with a complete program for both divisions on each of the three evenings.
SEAVEY REPEAT?
Logan Seavey and Abacus Racing enter the event as the defending Western World champions after winning both nights of the event one year ago at Central Arizona Raceway.
Seavey is the lone two-time winner of the event in this week’s field after also capturing victory in the 2021 race.
The three-time 2026 USAC National Sprint Car winner started the year on a high note in Florida and aims to finish up the year on a similarly high note in Arizona.
CUMMINS CLINCHING
Kyle Cummins holds a commanding 199-point lead over Justin Grant with just three events remaining in the race for his second consecutive USAC National Sprint Car driving title, all this week at Central Arizona Raceway.
Cummins could clinch the championship as early as Thursday if his lead is at least 154 points by evening’s end. A maximum total of 238 points are available throughout the final three nights (84 on Thursday, 84 on Friday, and 70 on Saturday).
The Princeton, Indiana native won the Western World Championships finale in 2024.
4 PAST WINNERS
Four past Western World Championships champions are slated to compete in this year’s edition of the event.
Logan Seavey is a two-time WW winner, scoring in 2021 at Arizona Speedway and in 2025 at Central Arizona Raceway. Chase Stockon reached Western World glory in 2017 at Arizona Speedway.
Jake Swanson earned a complete sweep of the Western World finale in 2022 at Cocopah Speedway after picking up fast qualifying honors, winning his heat race, then capturing the feature. Kyle Cummins was the dominant figure at the 2024 Western World.
TWO CROWNS
Not only is the USAC National Sprint Car championship up for the taking this weekend, but so are both the USAC CRA 410 and USAC Southwest 360 Sprint Car crowns as well.
R.J. Johnson leads both standings by commanding margins with a 287-point USAC CRA lead and a 134-point advantage in the Southwest series.
For Johnson, it would be his third consecutive USAC CRA championship and his sixth overall USAC Southwest title, and he could become the first driver ever to win both crowns in the same season. The Arizona native is also among those eying his first Western World Championship.
LATE MODEL ACE
Late model star Ricky Thornton Jr. was spectacular in his USAC National Sprint Car debut one year ago at Western World aboard a Petty Performance Racing machine.
He finished fourth in his prelim night feature, then capped off the finale with a fifth-place result to earn Western World Rookie of the Year honors.
This weekend, he’ll be pulling double duty in both a PPR 410 and 360 sprint car.
DOUBLE-DUTY
Fourteen drivers will be in double-duty mode by competing in both the 410 and 360 sprint car portions of the event at Western World.
The list includes Ryan Bernal, Briggs Danner, Charles Davis Jr., Jacob Denney, David Gasper, Elijah Gile, R.J. Johnson, Ricky Lewis, Gavin Miller, Daylin Perreira, Dayton Shelton, Ricky Thornton Jr., J.J. Yeley, and Kevin Thomas Jr.
Interesting, the list includes three Rookies (Denney, Gile & Miller). Furthermore, all 14 are trying to become a first-time Western World Championships titlist.
WHIZ KIDS & ROOKIES
The Western World field also includes a myriad of event Rookies attempting to chase after the Whiz Kid Award, named in honor of Eric Wilkins and posted up by Team AZ Racing.
The prize consists of a $1,000 bonus for the top rookie in the 410 sprint car portion and another $1,000 bonus to the top rookie in the 360 sprint car portion.
The 410 rookie class includes Elijah Gile, Gavin Miller, Tyler Cato, Cale Coons, Alex Peck, and Jacob Denney.
The 360 rookie class includes Elijah Gile, Gavin Miller, Mick Gile Jr., Austin Cato, Elijah Loper, Koen Crawford, Preston Norbury, Jacob Denney, Grant Schaadt and Andrew Sweeney.
NEW SCENERY
Western World also features a bit of ride shuffling as a handful of top USAC performers have stepped into new rides for the week.
The band is back together as C.J. Leary returns to the Michael Motorsports No. 77m for the first time in four years. This combo won eight USAC National Sprint Car feature events between 2021-2022.
Robert Ballou will take the wheel of the Rex Calderwood Racing No. 6, which had been driven earlier this year by Logan Calderwood.
Jadon Rogers will pilot the Baldwin-Fox Racing No. 5, a ride which won Western World
in 2016 and 2017 with Chris Windom and again in 2021 with Logan Seavey.
UNDERWOOD DASH
Arizona based Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports will once again post $5,000-to-win for the Underwood Dash presented by AME Electrical to be held during Saturday’s Western World program.
The Underwood Dash is a pursuit style event that will feature 10 cars competing for 12 laps in a winner-take-all special. The dash will take place in four 3-lap segments. After each segment, the last two cars running will be eliminated.
Furthermore, if a car stops on the course for any reason, that car is also eliminated. Double-file restarts will be utilized for each segment.
Saturday’s four qualifying race winners will start at the tail of the Underwood Dash. The top 6 in points after Friday’s program will be locked into the dash.
