BC39 FORMAT EXPLAINED
With 72 drivers entered, the competition to make the field for the USAC Driven2SaveLives BC39 Powered By NOS Energy Drink will be almost as intense as that in the feature event August 18-19 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Only about a third of the entries for the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship race on the quarter-mile dirt oval inside Turn 3 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will qualify for the main event on Thursday night (Aug. 19).
The United States Auto Club (USAC) is using an action-packed format to trim the huge, star-studded field to the feature starting lineup paying $15,000-to-win.
The main event will award feature points only toward the season-long USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship standings for all licensed drivers and entrants.
The 39-lap feature race honors late USAC champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 starter Bryan Clauson. In addition, it increases awareness of the Indiana Donor Network and its Driven2SaveLives campaign.
Take a look at the format:
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18:
The format for Wednesday's program will feature all cars on the track. However, this will not be for qualifying as is usually done for the majority of USAC National events. Instead, all cars will draw randomly for heat race positions and do a hot lap with their heat. There will only one round of hot laps.
While the race for victory will be paramount, the battle for points will be just as essential and filled with pressure. Each car will gain points based on passes and their finishing position, which will determine starting position in the qualifying races on Thursday night.
Each of the eight (8) heat races will be 10 laps in length with the starting lineups determined by the heat race “draft” on Tuesday night at the Brickyard Crossing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Points for the heats will be accumulated by finishing position and total number of positions gained or lost. Cars will be positioned into qualifying races Thursday based on the “passing points” accumulated in Wednesday's heats.
The Stoops Pursuit race Wednesday night is a 25-lap race split into five-lap segments. The field will include 24 starters – heat race winners plus the highest point earner in each heat are eligible, along with promoter’s options. The starting lineup is inverted by fastest heat race time, with promoter’s options starting at the rear. Every five laps, USAC will throw a competition flag, and cars with a net loss in position will be called to exit the track.
A checkered flag ends the final segment, with the winner earning $1,500 plus $100 for each position gained.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 19:
All cars are eligible for Thursday's six qualifying races. Qualifying races will be 10 laps each with top-six starting positions inverted and the top point earner from Wednesday's heat races starting sixth.
Total points from the heat races and qualifying races will be added to set the feature starting lineup, along with transfers from the B-Main, C-Main and front of the D-Main races. The top-16 overall in accumulated points will start straight-up in the first eight rows of the feature.
D-Mains: 12 laps. Includes cars 45-76 in points. The top three finishers in each D-Main transfer into the C-Main.
C-Main: 15 laps. Includes cars 31-44 in points, plus the top three finishers from each D-Main. The top six finishers transfer to the B-Main.
B-Main (Semi-Feature): 20 laps. Includes cars ranked 17-30 in points, plus the top-six finishers from the C-Main. The top six finishers transfer to the night's A-Main feature event.
The 39-lap A-Main feature will have 22 starters, plus two USAC provisional starters (if applicable) and two IMS options.
THE DETAILS
The event on the quarter-mile dirt oval inside Turn 3 at IMS 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.
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. from 6-9pm ET. FloRacing will have live coverage of the draft beginning at 7pm.
On track action for the BC39 begins Wednesday, August 18, starting with pits/registration opening at 10am Eastern, followed by the drivers meeting in the IMS Media Room at 2pm Eastern. Public gates open at 3pm with cars hitting the track for practice at 5pm and opening ceremonies at 6:30pm. Heat races will begin at 7:30pm and the incredibly exciting Stoops Pursuit feature race will conclude the night’s racing action at 9pm.
The finale, on Thursday, August 19, will have pits/registration opening at 10am Eastern, public gates opening at 3pm and cars on track for practice at 4:30pm, with qualifying races to follow at 5:30pm. Opening ceremonies are slated for 7pm and immediately followed by the main feature events, starting with multiple 12-lap D-Mains, the 15-lap C-Main, the 20-lap semi-feature and the 39-lap main event.
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.
Every lap of the BC39 will be aired live on FloRacing at https://bit.ly/2ZpafUr.
