THE FIELD IS SET AT 77 DRIVERS FOR BC39!
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Indianapolis, Indiana (August 13, 2021)………USAC stars. NASCAR stars. INDYCAR stars. International racing stars. The 77 driver entry list has it all for the August 18-19 USAC Driven2SaveLives BC39 Powered By NOS Energy Drink Midget event at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The final entries have been set following last night’s deadline expiring at midnight Eastern time with the largest car count of the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship season competing for a $15,000-to-win A-Main prize on the 1/4-mile dirt oval located inside turn three of the famed 2.5-mile paved oval, which will pay feature points only to all USAC National Midget licensed drivers and entrants.
Among the 77 BC39 entries are one NASCAR Cup Series title, and 42 NASCAR Cup Series wins among Chase Elliott (Dawsonville, Ga.), Kyle Larson (Elk Grove, Calif.) and Ryan Newman (South Bend, Ind.); two Indianapolis Motor Speedway NASCAR winners, Chase Briscoe (Mitchell, Ind.) on the road course with the Xfinity Series and Newman on the oval with the Cup series.
Forty laps led and two Indianapolis 500 top-10 finishes are in the BC39 field between Conor Daly (Noblesville, Ind.) and J.J. Yeley (Phoenix, Ariz.).
The BC39 field consists of a total of 23 total USAC National driving championships among Yeley, Chris Windom (Canton, Ill.), Jerry Coons Jr. (Tucson, Ariz.), Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Tyler Courtney (Indianapolis, Ind.), Tanner Thorson (Minden, Nev.), Russ Gamester (Peru, Ind.), Spencer Bayston (Lebanon, Ind.) and Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.), plus a New Zealand Midget champion in Hayden Williams (Auckland, N.Z.).
A staggering 205 combined USAC National Midget feature wins have been achieved by 25 members of the BC39 lineup: Larson, Newman, Yeley, Windom, Coons, Bacon, Courtney, Thorson, Gamester, Bayston and Seavey in addition to current series point leader Buddy Kofoid (Penngrove, Calif.), Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.), Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Ala.), Thomas Meseraull (San Jose, Calif.), John Heydenreich (Bloomsburg, Pa.), Zeb Wise (Angola, Ind.), Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Okla.), Zach Daum (Pocahontas, Ill.), Shane Cottle (Kansas, Ill.), Jason McDougal (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Emerson Axsom (Franklin, Ind.), Daison Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.), Kyle Cummins (Princeton, Ind.) and Corey Day (Clovis, Calif.).
Lastly, but not least of all, the field contains the only two previous BC39 feature winners in Brady Bacon (2018) and Zeb Wise (2019).
Three-time USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car champion and 2018 inaugural BC39 winner Bacon will be on hand as will Wise, who’ll wheel the Matt Wood Racing No. 37 in this year’s event and was victorious in the most recent BC39 held in 2019, making the winning pass seven laps from the finish to win the $15,000 event. He also scored the first midget victory of any kind at The Dirt Track at IMS during the Stoops Pursuit in 2018.
Larson, the NASCAR Cup Series superstar and 23-time USAC National Midget feature winner, will be behind the wheel of the CB Industries No. 86, the team with which he dominated with en route to the 2020 Indiana Midget Week title.
As one of four entrants out of the CB Industries stable, Larson will be joined by past USAC National Midget champions Windom and Bayston as well as race Rookie Ryan Timms (Oklahoma City, Okla.). Larson finished 9th in his lone BC39 feature start in 2019 but won the preceding night’s Stoops Pursuit in one of the most dramatic endings in motorsports history.
Windom the 2020 USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National champion, aims to make his third start in the event following a 3rd place finish in 2019. Bayston, the series’ 2017 king, will go after his second start in the event following a 20th place result in 2019. Seavey captured the 2018 series crown and will also be eying a third BC39 start after finishing a personal best 5th in 2019.
Yeley is one of the most decorated drivers in USAC history, capturing a total of five National championships with the club, including becoming the second driver to win all three USAC National titles in the same season in 2003 (Tony Stewart, 1995). Yeley is also the only driver to compete in the BC39, Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 in his career.
Thorson and Kofoid lead two of the top teams with the series and both are making their BC39 debuts this year. Thorson, the 2016 USAC National Midget champion, is one of three Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports entries along USAC Rookies Chase Randall (Waco, Texas) and Hayden Reinbold (Gilbert, Ariz.).
Kofoid is one of seven entries from the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports bunch, all of whom are BC39 Rookies, with Kofoid being joined by two-time series winner Pursley, Bryant Wiedeman (Colby, Kan.), Brenham Crouch (Lubbock, Texas), Kaylee Bryson (Muskogee, Okla.), Taylor Reimer (Bixby, Okla.) and Jonathan Shafer (Ashland, Ohio).
New Zealand midget champion Williams brings an international flair to the event in a BSL Racing machine while versatile wheelman Gary Taylor has filed his entry to compete for car owners Mike and Brian Dunlap.
2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Elliott will make his BC39 debut this year. The driver with the most laps led in this year’s Indianapolis 500, Daly, will make his third consecutive appearance in the BC39. NASCAR Rookie of the Year contender Briscoe, the winner of the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard on the 2.439 mile road course in 2020, aims to make his second-straight BC39 feature start.
Newman (South Bend, Ind.), an 18-time NASCAR Cup Series winner, will compete in one of four Clauson Marshall Racing entries. Newman captured the 2008 Daytona 500 and the 2013 Brickyard 400 on the 2.5-mile paved oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and was a USAC National champion earlier in his career with the Silver Crown series in 1999.
Two-time USAC National champion and recent Kings Royal winner, Courtney, returns for a third BC39 start after finishing 4th in 2018 and charged from 20th to 2nd in the 2019 event. CMR teammates joining Newman and Courtney include the series’ youngest ever winner, Day, along with series veteran Cole Bodine (Rossville, Ind.).
The RMS Racing team of reigning USAC Silver Crown champion Grant and Meseraull, a two-time winner in the USAC National Midget division this year, is entered for the BC39 while Terry Klatt and Bob East have entered a car for multi-time USAC National Midget feature winner McDougal.
USAC career Triple Crown champion and 2018 ninth-place BC39 finisher Coons Jr. is entered along with 1989 USAC National Midget champion Gamester who is making his third-straight appearance in the event.
Two-time 2021 USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget feature winner Axsom will get his first taste of BC39 experience this year. Cottle has won twice on the USAC Regional Midget trail in 2021 and seeks his first BC39 start since 2018 while 1987 Hut 100 and 1990 Chili Bowl winner Heydenreich will make his third appearance in the event.
McIntosh is one of the top young guns on the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget trail, having won three times in his career. He made his BC39 debut in 2019, garnering the last transfer spot in the semi-feature and finishing 18th in the feature after flipping with nine laps remaining.
The BC39 will continue to honor late USAC champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 starter Bryan Clauson and increase awareness of and participation in the Indiana Donor Network and Driven2SaveLives.
Spectator tickets can be purchased directly at https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/events/usac/buy-tickets. Spectators are to enter the Indianapolis Motor Speedway via 30th Street.
The USAC Driven2SaveLives BC39 powered by NOS Energy Drink gets amped up on Tuesday, August 17, with the BC39 Draft Party where drivers will choose their heat race positions for the opening night of the BC39. The Draft Party will be held at the Brickyard Crossing located at 4400 W. 16th Street in Indianapolis, Ind.
The BC39 officially gets underway on Tuesday, August 17, with team parking at Noon Eastern. On track action begins Wednesday, August 18, beginning with the drivers meeting in the IMS Media Room at 2pm Eastern. Public gates open at 3pm with cars hitting the track for practice at 4pm, followed by opening ceremonies at 7pm. Heat races and the incredibly exciting Stoops Pursuit feature race will conclude the night’s racing action.
The finale, on Thursday, August 19, will have the public gates opening at 3pm and cars on track for practice at 4pm, with qualifying races to follow at 5pm. Opening ceremonies are slated for 7:30pm and immediately followed by the main feature events, starting with multiple D-Mains and C-Mains, the semi-feature and the 39-lap main event.
This year’s Driven2SaveLives BC39 Powered by NOS Energy Drink also will be the conclusion of nearly a week of exciting action on the road course and The Dirt Track at IMS. The NASCAR-INDYCAR tripleheader takes place Aug. 13-15, with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and NASCAR Xfinity Series conducting separate races Saturday, Aug. 14 and the NASCAR Cup Series racing on the IMS road course for the first time Sunday, Aug. 15.
Spectator tickets can be purchased directly at https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/events/usac/buy-tickets. Spectators are to enter the Indianapolis Motor Speedway via 30th Street.
Visit www.IMS.com for more information on tickets to all IMS events in 2021.
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ENTRY LIST: 2021 DRIVEN2SAVELIVES BC39 POWERED BY NOS ENERGY DRINK
(77 entries)
01 BRYANT WIEDEMAN/Colby, KS (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
08 CANNON McINTOSH/Bixby, OK (Dave Mac Motorsports)
1NZ HAYDEN WILLIAMS/Auckland, NZ (BSL Racing)
2c TREVOR CASEY/Altoona, IA (Casey Racing)
2J JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (RMS Racing)
2MD CARSON KVAPIL/Mooresville, NC (Marc Dailey Racing)
3G KYLE CUMMINS/Princeton, IN (Glenn Styres Racing)
4 JASON McDOUGAL/Broken Arrow, OK (Klatt Enterprises)
4K KAMERON GLADISH/Indianapolis, IN (Gladish Motorsports)
5 KEVIN THOMAS JR./Cullman, AL (Petry Motorsports)
5B CHASE BRISCOE/Mitchell, IN (Chase Briscoe Racing)
6BC RYAN NEWMAN/South Bend, IN (Clauson Marshall Racing)
7BC TYLER COURTNEY/Indianapolis, IN (Clauson Marshall Racing)
7x THOMAS MESERAULL/San Jose, CA (RMS Racing)
8 RANDI PANKRATZ/Atascadero, CA (Wally Pankratz)
9 CHASE ELLIOTT/Dawsonville, GA (Paul May Motorsports)
9m ZACH DAUM/Pocahontas, IL (Bundy Built Motorsports)
10 KEVIN WOODY JR./Victor, NY (Dave Mac Motorsports)
11 JEFF SCHINDLER/Evansville, IN (Brian & Deidre Martin)
11c GLENN WATERLAND/Christchurch, NZ (Glenn & Hayley Waterland)
11L AARON LEFFEL/Springfield, OH (Team Taylor Racing)
11m AIDEN PURDUE/Clinton, IL (Brian & Deidre Martin)
15 EMERSON AXSOM/Franklin, IN (Petry Motorsports)
15J JEFF WIMMENAUER/New Whiteland, IN (Jeff Wimmenauer)
15x CARSON GARRETT/Littleton, CO (Broc Garrett)
17 TANNER BERRYHILL/Bixby, OK (Berryhill Family Racing)
17B AUSTIN BARNHILL/Wilmington, NC (Sam Johnson Racing)
17L BILLY LAWLESS/Fresno, CA (Lawless Racing)
19A CHASE RANDALL/Waco, TX (Petry Motorsports)
19AZ HAYDEN REINBOLD/Gilbert, AZ (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
19K RILEY KREISEL/Warsaw, MO (Ron Cox)
19M ETHAN MITCHELL/Mooresville, NC (Bundy Built Motorsports)
19T TANNER THORSON/Minden, NV (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
21D JUSTIN DICKERSON/Pittsboro, IN (Mike Dickerson)
21H BRADY BACON/Broken Arrow, OK (TKH Motorsports)
21K KARTER SARFF/Mason City, IL (Karter Sarff Racing)
22 JOHN HEYDENREICH/Bloomsburg, PA (John Givens)
25 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Tom Malloy)
25K TAYLOR REIMER/Bixby, OK (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
25v BEN VARNER/Harbor Springs, MI (Gladish Motorsports)
26 CHANCE CRUM/Snohomish, WA (Rudeen Racing)
32 GARY TAYLOR/Snohomish, WA (Mike & Brian Dunlap)
35 JACOB DENNEY/Galloway, OH (Petry Motorsports)
36 IAN CREAGER/Covington, OH (Tod Creager)
37 ZEB WISE/Angola, IN (Matt Wood Racing)
38 CHASE McDERMAND/Springfield, IL (Craig Dori)
39BC COLE BODINE/Rossville, IN (Clauson Marshall Racing)
40 BLAKE BRANNON/Morgan Hill, CA (Brannon Corporation)
41 OLIVER AKARD/Fort Myers, FL (OMR Motorsports)
43 RONNIE GARDNER/Corona, CA (Kevin Arnold)
46 RUSS GAMESTER/Peru, IN (R & G, Inc.)
47BC COREY DAY/Clovis, CA (Clauson Marshall Racing)
47D CONOR DALY/Noblesville, IN (DiaEdge Racing)
49 JOE B. MILLER/Millersville, MO (Chris Lewis)
51 J.J. YELEY/Phoenix, AZ (Rick Ware Racing)
57 MARIA COFER/Macdoel, CA (Abacus Racing)
57D DANIEL ROBINSON/Ewing, IL (Daniel Robinson)
63 FRANKIE GUERRINI/San Rafael, CA (F & F Racing)
67 BUDDY KOFOID/Penngrove, CA (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
67K JONATHAN SHAFER/Ashland, OH (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71 KAYLEE BRYSON/Muskogee, OK (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71B ROBERT BELL/Colfax, IA (Robert Bell)
71K DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, OK (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71T ZAC TAYLOR/Green River, WY (Todd Henry)
72 SAM JOHNSON/St. Peters, MO (Sam Johnson Racing)
75AU BRYAN STANFILL/Bakersfield, CA (Griffiths Motorsport)
81G RYLAN GRAY/Greenfield, IN (Gray Racing)
84 SPENCER BAYSTON/Lebanon, IN (CB Industries)
85 JERRY COONS JR./Tucson, AZ (Central Motor Sports)
85T RYAN TIMMS/Oklahoma City, OK (CB Industries)
86 SHANE COTTLE/Kansas, IL (Danny Stamper)
86x KYLE LARSON/Elk Grove, CA (CB Industries)
88 TYLER NELSON/Olathe, KS (Tyler Nelson Racing)
89 CHRIS WINDOM/Canton, IL (CB Industries)
97 BRENHAM CROUCH/Lubbock, TX (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
98 TOMMY KOUNS/Lebanon, IN (Tommy Kouns)
116 SCOTT EVANS/Rhome, TX (Scott Evans)
