GRANT, KOFOID & SWANSON SHARE SPOTLIGHT AT 2022 USAC NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Indianapolis, Indiana (December 9, 2022).........USAC National driving champions Justin Grant, Buddy Kofoid and Kody Swanson shared the spotlight along with other 2022 USAC champions and special award recipients at Friday night’s 67th USAC Night of Champions celebration at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in downtown Indianapolis, Ind.
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
From the sunshine in the state of Florida back in February all the way until late November on the beach in southern California, and practically everywhere in between, 82 USAC National events were held from coast-to-coast during the 2022 USAC National season.
We were witnesses to monumental achievement in the USAC National ranks from start to finish – highlighted by the most prolific season in National Midget history to a first-time Sprint Car champion and the bar being raised even higher in the Silver Crown ranks. We saw a myriad of first-time winners as well as the rise of a number of talented women behind the wheel and turning the wrenches on their way to unprecedented success in the series.
Like all seasons, we have those particular moments that will forever live on in our memory banks. As another year closes, we celebrate the accomplishments of this year’s best, and we salute those who finished the yearlong journey with excellence.
AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT CAR 1ST PLACE DRIVER: Justin Grant, Ione, California
RICHARD HOFFMAN AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT CAR 1ST PLACE ENTRANT: TOPP Motorsports, Rochester, Indiana
The combination of driver Justin Grant and entrant TOPP Motorsports is the longest, continuously tenured team on the USAC National Sprint Car tour, and in their fifth consecutive season together, they finally reached the mountaintop in 2022.
This year, Grant recorded an impeccable 37 top-ten finishes and was running at the finish in all 39 races on the docket without a single DNF. His six victories on the season came in many of the series’ most marquee events, starting off at Winter Dirt Games, followed by an Eastern Storm round at Williams Grove, a W at the Bill Gardner Sprintacular, twice at Kokomo and, finally, in the 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora while grabbing top honors as a first-time Indiana Sprint Week champ.
Throughout the season, Grant was always in the thick of the hunt. That’s demonstrated by the fact that he was involved in the four closest finishes of the USAC National Sprint car season, winning three of them and finishing second in the other.
Grant previously captured a USAC Silver Crown championship in 2020 and now he’s a first-time USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National driving champion.
NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGET 1ST PLACE DRIVER: Buddy Kofoid, Penngrove, California
NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGET 1ST PLACE ENTRANT: Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, Columbus, Indiana
Driver Buddy Kofoid and entrant Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports put together one of the most spectacular seasons in USAC National Midget history and delivered a second driving title and a record-extending 12th entrant championship for his team.
In a dominant display, Kofoid became the first repeat driver champion since Bryan Clauson in 2010 and 2011. His 13 wins in 32 starts place his win percentage at 40.63 percent. That’s the highest winning percentage in series history in terms of a driver’s victories compared to the number of total events on the schedule. Furthermore, he’s now one of just five drivers to reach at least 13 triumphs in a season and the first since Rich Vogler in 1988.
In the spring, Kofoid became the first driver since Kyle Larson a decade ago to reel off four wins in a row. He captured Indiana Midget Week for second straight year, plus the BC39 and the Hangtown 100, and his final championship point margin of 203 points is the largest in 18 seasons.
SILVER CROWN 1ST PLACE DRIVER: Kody Swanson, Kingsburg, California
SILVER CROWN 1ST PLACE ENTRANT: Doran-Dyson Racing, Lebanon, Ohio / Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
In 51 years of USAC Silver Crown racing, the number 1 had never won the championship, but if there was anybody who was up to the task to alter that half-a-century narrative, it was Kody Swanson.
Swanson became just the third driver in USAC history to earn seven national championships within a single division along with A.J. Foyt & Mel Kenyon, and in 2022, he notched three wins on the pavement in succession at Winchester, Toledo and WWT Raceway where he turned the fastest lap in a tradition USAC Silver Crown car at nearly 147 miles per hour.
In the end, Swanson overcame a deficit to thrust himself into the point lead and to a championship in the season finale to become the first driver since 2016 to overtake the point leader for the title in the last race of the season.
In a unique partnership, Swanson wheeled entries for a pair of legendary sports car outfits that teamed up for left turns only, and it paid off with a seventh series driving championship for Swanson and a first entrant title for both Doran Racing and Dyson Racing.
AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT CAR 2ND PLACE DRIVER: Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT CAR 2ND PLACE ENTRANT: Dynamics Inc., Milford, Ohio
Brady Bacon was one of three drivers to hit the six-win mark on the 2022 USAC National Sprint Car trail. That extended his streak of consecutive seasons with a series win to 12, which now stands only one behind the all-time mark of 13 by Sheldon Kinser between 1974 and 1986. Bacon’s season was highlighted by a first career Oval Nationals victory at California’s Perris Auto Speedway.
This year, Bacon led all series drivers with 224 laps led, 27 top-fives and 11 heat race victories in 39 starts. His 46 career wins and 40 fast qualifying times make him one of only four drivers in series history to accumulate 40 in both categories along with Dave Darland, Tom Bigelow and Tracy Hines. Also, for an incredible 19th time, Dynamics, Inc. / Hoffman Auto Racing finished inside the top-two of the final series standings.
NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGET 2ND PLACE DRIVER: Justin Grant, Ione, California
NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGET 2ND PLACE ENTRANT: RMS Racing, Western Springs, Illinois
Justin Grant earned his best career points finish with the USAC National Midgets in 2022, garnering a runner-up placing in the end-of-year standings. In April, he etched his name into the books as the first driver to capture three consecutive series feature victories to begin a season.
To cap off the year, Grant and his RMS Racing team earned a hard-fought victory in the 81st running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix at California’s Ventura Raceway, making him just the seventh driver to win both the season opener and closer in the same year. In all, Grant and RMS posted five wins from coast-to-coast in Florida, Indiana, Oklahoma and California.
SILVER CROWN 2ND PLACE DRIVER: Logan Seavey, Sutter, California
SILVER CROWN 2ND PLACE ENTRANT: Rice Motorsports, Brownsburg, Indiana
For a time, Logan Seavey and Rice Motorsports led the USAC Silver Crown series title race late in the season by virtue of a series-best-tying three triumphs, the first of which came in a last-lap effort in the series’ first race at Pennsylvania’s Port Royal Speedway. In September, they posted two more, on the Magic Mile of the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds and for the second consecutive season at Eldora Speedway’s 4-Crown Nationals. The team’s acclimation to the pavement was among the most substantial improvements of any team in the series.
AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT CAR 3RD PLACE DRIVER: C.J. Leary, Greenfield, Indiana
AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT CAR 3RD PLACE ENTRANT: Michael Motorsports, Chino Valley, Arizona
Together, C.J. Leary and Michael Motorsports won on three occasions in 2022 at Terre Haute, Lincoln Park and Circle City, and their qualifying prowess was simply off the charts. Their 12 fast times in 2022 rank as the third most all-time in a single season. Their 20 top-fives and 30 top-ten finishes both ranked within the top-five in the series this season.
NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGET 3RD PLACE DRIVER: Thomas Meseraull, San Jose, California
NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGET 3RD PLACE ENTRANT: RMS Racing, Western Springs, Illinois
In 32 series events, Thomas Meseraull was the only one to lead a feature from start to finish all season long. In fact, he and his RMS Racing team passed more cars in 2022 USAC National Midget competition than this pairing with 120 positions advanced and 253 over the past two years.
Meseraull tallied a career-best three wins at Indiana’s Tri-State Speedway and twice more at Kansas’ Solomon Valley and California’s Bakersfield Speedway. Their nine heat race wins were also the most in the series. This year, Meseraull, the veteran of more than two decades with the series finished a career-best 3rd in the final standings.
SILVER CROWN 3RD PLACE DRIVER: C.J. Leary, Greenfield, Indiana
SILVER CROWN 3RD PLACE ENTRANT: Klatt Enterprises, Hastings, Nebraska
In their first year together on the USAC Silver Crown trail, C.J. Leary and Klatt Enterprises captured a victory in one of the most dominant performances of the season at Wisconsin’s Madison International Speedway. Their 192 laps led ranked second with the series this season while recording 6 top-fives and 9 top-tens in 11 main events to go along with three fast qualifying awards. In fact, they were the only team this season to set quick time on both pavement and dirt surfaces.
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INDIVIDUAL & SPECIAL AWARDS
MIKE CURB USAC NATIONAL DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Justin Grant, Ione, California
Justin Grant had a special season on the USAC trail in 2022, and with it, comes the special awards too.
For the second consecutive year, no other driver started every USAC National event throughout the year like he did, and no driver accumulated more total points in the three national divisions during the course of the 82-race campaign.
In all, Grant totaled 4,991 points, more than a thousand markers over his nearest competition, to earn the $10,000 bonus. This is his third overall Mike Curb USAC National Drivers Championship after previously winning the award in 2017, 2021 and 2022.
JOHNNY CAPELS USAC CHIEF MECHANIC OF THE YEAR: Jarrett Martin of Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports
Beginning this season, USAC’s Chief Mechanic of the Year Award was named in honor of championship winning mechanic and USAC president, Johnny Capels. The Golden Greek Award is earned by the top mechanical achievement from USAC’s Silver Crown, AMSOIL National Sprint Car and NOS Energy Drink National Midget season.
In the history of USAC racing, only three others have been named the top chief mechanic multiple times. Nobody had ever won it in consecutive years. That is, until 2022 with Jarrett Martin.
It seems fitting that the most recent multi-time recipient prior to tonight’s ceremony is Keith Kunz. With Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, Martin has turned the wrenches on back-to-back USAC National Midget championships for driver Buddy Kofoid during one of the most historic and successful stretches in series history.
BUBBY JONES MASTER OF GOIN' FASTER CHAMPIONSHIP: Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
This year, USAC National Sprint Car racing added a new chapter with a 10-race “season within a season” throughout the year called the Bubby Jones Master of Going Faster series Presented by Spire Sports + Entertainment.
Brady Bacon won the opener. Brady Bacon won the closer.
With those two bookend victories at Lakeside and Perris, he accumulated the most points throughout the miniseries to earn the title by 34 markers, earning a custom trophy provided by Potter Metal Art along with a $10,000 dollar bonus.
PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER: Justin Grant, Ione, California
Justin Grant’s season required him to be on the horse and pass a ton of cars in order to become the ProSource Passing Master for the second year in a row.
In fact, no driver advanced more positions in USAC National Sprint, National Midget and Silver Crown racing than Grant throughout the entire season than him in 2022.
Adding it all up, Grant moved up a combined 213 positions in the 82 total feature events. In those 82 feature starts, Grant advanced forward from his starting spot in 43 of them.
BOB STROUD NATIONAL MIDGET ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Mitchel Moles, Raisin City, California
Mitchel Moles’ performance throughout the season earned him the 2022 Bob Stroud USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year award.
Moles was one of three first-time USAC National Midget winners who emerged during the 2022 season with victories coming in his first ever visits to Nebraska’s Jefferson County Speedway, Ohio’s Eldora Speedway and Illinois’ Wayne County Speedway at the Jason Leffler Memorial.
His sixth place finish in points was buoyed by eight top-five finishes and 109 laps led, and he was the only Rookie to start all 32 events. In fact, he’s the first Rookie since Lonnie Caruthers in 1977 to start as many series races in his first year.
SILVER CROWN ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Gregg Cory, Shelbyville, Indiana
Gregg Cory isn’t your average Rookie. He has a long track record of success in TQ Midgets, full-sized midgets, Thunder Roadsters and Sprint Cars where he was a past Paragon Speedway track champion.
Now, he’s the 2022 USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year.
In 2022, Cory made his first foray into USAC Silver Crown racing and made it a successful one. He appeared at all 11 events on the schedule on both dirt and pavement and raced his way into a top-10 finish during May’s Carb Night Classic at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
NATIONAL SPRINT CAR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Emerson Axsom, Franklin, Indiana
This year’s USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year, Emerson Axsom, got off on the right foot with wins in two of his first three starts this season in February at Florida’s Bubba Raceway Park, then collected a third win late in the season in the series’ debut at Cocopah Speedway.
His three wins this season are the second most by a Rookie in series history and his fifth place finish in the standings made him just the second driver to finish inside the top five of the points in the past 18 years.
With 15 top-fives, 13 top-tens and three fast qualifying awards to his credit, he becomes the eighth teenager to win the award.
JASON LEFFLER AWARD: Bobby East
Bobby East was among the elite during his time with the series. Like Jason, Bobby was a multi-time USAC National champion, doing so with the Midgets in 2004 and twice in Silver Crown competition during back-to-back seasons in 2012-13.
The roots of the Leffler and East family run deep in USAC with Leffler scoring all four of his USAC titles with Bob East as his crew chief. East, meanwhile, captured 32 feature wins wrenched by his father. Jason was also a mentor to Bobby as he was rising up the ranks.
RACE ORGANIZER OF THE YEAR: Kasey Coler, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park
Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park has been one of the strongholds of the United States Auto Club since 1961 and has hosted a total of 336 series events on its oval, road course and it’s roval over the years.
In recent years, track General Manager Kasey Coler has spearheaded a complete revitalization of the westside Indy venue that has created a renewed interest among participants and fans for the first time in several years. He’s made America’s Great Race Place truly great once again, and now he’s the 2022 USAC Race Organizer of the Year.
INDIVIDUAL SPECIAL APPRECIATION: Trish Rowlett
By day, she’s a hair stylist and salon owner. By night, she’s the first person you see when you step up to the pit window at each and every USAC National race throughout the season.
In addition to operating a full-time business, she has sacrificed her time and effort behind the scenes, solely for the betterment of the USAC community. She’s served an integral role in the success of USAC for several years now and we’re thankful to have Trish Rowlett on the USAC team.
CORPORATE SPECIAL APPRECIATION: FloRacing
FloRacing has been a partner with USAC since 2019 and has since then grown by leaps and bounds to become the ultimate go-to source of video coverage of, not only USAC, but short tracks all across the United States. Flo’s coverage all began with USAC four seasons ago and has provided live coverage of every USAC National event since that point. With the on-track action, behind the scenes footage, documentaries and much more, the amount of coverage for USAC racing is now at an unprecedented level. This year’s recipient of the Corporate Special Appreciation Award is FloRacing.
NATIONAL MOST IMPROVED DRIVER: Kaylee Bryson, Muskogee, Oklahoma
Kaylee Bryson’s accolades from the 2022 season run the gamut as she helped raise the bar for women drivers in USAC competition with a numerous unprecedented feats. By doing so, she was named the 2022 USAC National Most Improved Driver – the first female recipient of the award.
In September, she finished as the runner-up at Gas City, marking the best ever finish by a woman in a dirt USAC National Midget race. In October, she became the first woman to lead a lap in a Silver Crown race, 72 of them to be exact, in the 100-mile Bettenhausen 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
Along the way, she tied for the best ever points finish by a woman (7th) in USAC National Midget history and surpassed all contemporaries to become the new all-time leader in USAC National Midget feature starts by a woman.
DICK JORDAN AWARD: Donald Davidson
Who truly could’ve predicted the sudden impact a 20-something cinema projectionist from South West England would soon have on the American auto racing landscape?
Donald Davidson traveled across the pond from his homeland to Indianapolis in 1964 where he transfixed all onlookers with his encyclopedic knowledge of the Indianapolis 500.
He was brought into the USAC fold in 1965 by Henry Banks and officially began his illustrious career as a statistician, publicist and historian at USAC, a position he held for more than three decades until 1997 when he was named the historian at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame & Museum.
The Dick Jordan award is presented this year to the man who was instrumental in bringing Jordan to USAC in the first place back in 1968. Along the way, these two became great friends and spent countless days, hours and years working alongside one another.
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REGIONAL SPRINT & MIDGET SERIES
USAC’s Regional Sprint Car and Midget series hit dirt tracks from coast-to-coast throughout 2022, producing five USAC champions. It’s a group that includes its share of individuals returning tonight as multi-time USAC titlists as well as a first-time champion.
AMSOIL USAC CRA SPRINT CHAMPION: Damion Gardner, Concord, California
The undisputed king of the AMSOIL USAC CRA Sprint Cars, Damion Gardner, led every statistical category with the division in 2022 on his way to the series title.
This year saw another championship performance with six feature wins, starting the season off with a three-race sweep at Arizona’s Cocopah Speedway while adding two more at California’s Perris Auto Speedway and yet another at Arizona’s Mohave Valley Raceway.
Gardner’s 10 USAC CRA titles trail only A.J. Foyt in terms of overall career USAC driving championships, and he’s now captured an unprecedented nine-in-a-row since 2014.
WESTERN STATES MIDGET CHAMPION: Michael Faccinto, Hanford, California
Even though he was not in attendance at all the events, it didn’t deter Michael Faccinto from scoring his second career USAC Western States Midget title in 2022.
In 11 starts, he accrued 11 top-five results, which includes a victories at California’s Placerville Speedway, Ventura Raceway and Santa Maria Raceway. His 87 laps led and seven heat race wins also trounced his closest competition this season as he backed up his 2018 title with another one.
RAPID TIRE SERVICE EAST COAST SPRINT CHAMPION: Briggs Danner, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Briggs Danner prevailed in his quest for the 2022 USAC Rapid Tire East Coast Sprint Car championship with an amazing 12 victories in 21 starts in the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Virginia. His 20 top-five finishes and 21 top-tens led all drivers in each category on the trail.
The versatile wheelman has conquered most anything with four tires and a steering wheel, you name it. In all, it marks his fifth career USAC driving championship between quarter midgets, SpeedSTRs and now sprint cars.
WHOLESALE BATTERIES MIDWEST WINGLESS RACING ASSOCIATION SPRINT CHAMPION: Wyatt Burks, Topeka, Kansas
Wyatt Burks put together a terrific season in 2022 to capture his second career USAC Midwest Wingless Racing Association Sprint Car title after previously scoring top honors in 2020.
With multiple victories in Kansas at 81 Speedway and Lakeside Speedway, Burks recorded finishes inside the top-five in all nine of his series starts this year. His output thrusted him to the top of the standings where he became the first two-time champion of the series.
WEST COAST SPRINT CHAMPION: Trent Carter, Porterville, California
Despite no victories on the season, Trent Carter utilized consistency to his advantage en route to the 2022 USAC West Coast Sprint Car championship.
In eight feature appearances, he finished inside the top-five a series-leading seven times, capitalized by a season-best performance in the series opener at The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park in California where he gathered a second place result.
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USAC DEVELOPMENTAL SERIES
Five developmental Midget series, plus the Midwest Mini Sprint Association, took part in a total of 73 events spanning 15 different states in 2022 from the Northeast to the East Coast to the Midwest and the West Coast, producing six champions.
MIDWEST MINI SPRINT ASSOCIATION CHAMPION: Brad Strunk, Mason, Ohio
Pure domination. That’s the story of Brad Strunk’s season on the Midwest Mini Sprint Association circuit. He finished the 18-race slate with an astonishing 14 top-two finishes, including eight feature triumphs at Indiana’s Tri-State, Lincoln Park and Bloomington Speedway as well as across the border in at Wayne County Speedway in Illinois. He even strung together an incredible five-race winning streak from May to July to capture the 2022 Midwest Mini Sprint Association champion.
EASTERN FOCUS MIDGET CHAMPION: Hunter Wise, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Hunter Wise is highly familiar with USAC success in his young career, and this year, he’s added the 2022 USAC Eastern Focus Midget championship to his resume.
He captured eight USAC .25 titles between 2016 and 2019, and this year, he’s added a new division to his racing portfolio. With three victories at Virginia’s South Boston Speedway and Dominion Raceway as well as North Carolina’s Tri-County Speedway, he catapulted to the top of the standings in 2022.
RADICAL FOCUS MIDGET CHAMPION: Kyle Tellstrom, Boise, Idaho
Kyle Tellstrom has excelled as a champion in west coast modified racing. Now, he’s risen to the top in the open wheel discipline. In six feature starts this season, he won twice in back-to-back fashion in his home state of Idaho at Meridian Speedway. He collected five top-fives and six top-tens en route to his first career USAC title with the USAC Radical Focus Midgets in 2022.
MIDWEST THUNDER SPEED2 MIDGET CHAMPION: Stratton Briggs, Anna, Ohio
Stratton Briggs can finally breathe a sigh of relief. For he is finally a USAC Midwest Thunder SpeeD2 Midget champion.
In a five-season span between 2017 and 2021, Briggs’ points finishes with the series have been 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, 2nd and 2nd. This year, he cemented his quest for a first title right from the get-go, totaling two wins at Indiana’s Montpelier Motor Speedway and Ohio’s Moler Raceway Park, leading a series-high 70 laps in the process and finished each of his first 17 starts inside the top-five. His worst finish in 20 starts was a 6th.
DMA SPEED2 MIDGET CHAMPION: Seth Carlson, Stafford Springs, Connecticut
The decade of the 2020s has belonged to Seth Carlson in USAC Dirt Midget Association competition, and for the third consecutive year, he’s your USAC DMA king.
He added four more victories to his tally this year, all coming at the series’ home track of Bear Ridge Speedway in Bradford, Vermont. In 12 starts, he went unblemished by recording 12 top-fives and 12 top-tens.
ENGLER MACHINE IMRA SPEED2 MIDGET CHAMPION: Mark McMahill, Peoria, Illinois
How can you possibly top a championship season from the year before? Well, Mark McMahill did just that with a rare undefeated season.
In six starts, he won six times on Illinois soil – three at Spoon River Speedway, two more at Adams County Speedway and once at Champaign County Speedway all while leading 97 of the 110 laps run throughout the year. He calls Peoria, Illinois home and he’s now a back-to-back USAC Engler Machine Illinois Midget Racing Association champion. He’s Mark McMahill!
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ACTION TRACK USA TRACK CHAMPIONS:
Action Track USA in Kutztown, Pennsylvania served as host to a myriad of events throughout the summer, culminating with four divisional champions in 2022.
ALL STAR SLINGSHOT CHAMPION: Brett Bieber, Oley, Pennsylvania
Brett Bieber punctuated his 2022 All Star Slingshot season with four victories at the always-tough Action Track USA. Hailing from Oley, Pennsylvania, he scored titles in 2015, 2021 and now 2022 and is now a three-time All Star Slingshot champion.
SPEEDWAY ENTERTAINMENT ALL PRO SPEEDSTR CHAMPION: Timmy Buckwalter, Douglassville, Pennsylvania
Timmy Buckwalter is one of the most versatile drivers in the United States. He’s driven and won in midgets, sprint cars, micros, big block modifieds and at the friendly confines of Action Track USA and he’s now a four-time USAC champion after three previous Action Track USA crowns between 2015 and 2017 and mastered Action Track USA once more in 2022 as this season’s SpeedSTR champion.
JUNIOR SLINGSHOT CHAMPION: Weston Doklan, Hellertown, Pennsylvania
Weston Doklan wrapped his first career Junior Slingshot title in 2022 by virtue of a pair of runner-up finishes and a pair of thirds this season at the Action Track USA bullring.
HYPER RACING 600 WINGLESS SPRINT CHAMPION: Christian Bruno, Deptford, New Jersey
Earlier in his career, Christian Bruno stood on the stage as three-time USAC .25 Midget National Championship on the Senior Animal and Light World Formula Dirt circuits in 2016 and 2017. This year, followed up with three victories at the Kutztown Fairgrounds and corralled the Hyper Racing 600 Wingless Sprint champion for 2022.
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PORT CITY RACEWAY MICRO SPRINT CHAMPIONS
The state of Oklahoma has consistently delivered its share of USAC champions – from the likes of Christopher Bell to Brady Bacon. Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Port City Raceway is a place where many of today’s rising stars cut their racing teeth. In 2022, the 1/8-mile dirt oval celebrated its fourth season under the USAC banner with five drivers being crowned tonight.
JUNIOR SPRINT CHAMPION: Brody Stewart, Edmond, Oklahoma
With 8 wins, 21 top-fives and 28 top-tens to his credit, Brody Stewart was a consistent frontrunner in nearly all his 31 starts this season at Port City. By virtue of his performance, he’s your Junior Sprint titlist for 2022.
SPORTSMAN CHAMPION: Darren Stewart, Edmond, Oklahoma
The surname “Stewart” is synonymous with Port City Raceway, and 2022 is no exception. In 30 starts, Darren Stewart racked up a whopping 12 feature victories during his Sportsman championship campaign.
Along the way, he won the Pete Frazier Memorial and led all drivers in every statistical category with 27 top-fives and 27 top-tens to claim his first USAC title.
NON-WING CHAMPION: Kris Carroll, Claremore, Oklahoma
This season unfolded much the same way as it did a year ago for Kris Carroll at Port City Raceway with total domination. In 28 feature starts, he totaled 11 feature victories 19 top-fives and 25 top-tens, and for the second consecutive season, he’s the king of non-wing as a back-to-back Port City Non-Wing Micro champion.
A-CLASS CHAMPION: Jake Rosario, Guthrie, Oklahoma
For Jake Rosario, a feature victory wasn’t in the cards, but an A-Class championship run at Port City sure was! He combined 16 top-fives and 19 top-tens in 22 starts throughout a consistently impressive campaign that made him the class of the field by 26 points in 2022.
RESTRICTED CHAMPION: Brody Brown, Lawton, Oklahoma
Title time arrived for Brody Brown in 2022. With 3 wins, 17 top-fives and 21 top-tens in 29 starts, he became a first-time USAC champion during the 2022 season as Port City Raceway’s Restricted Micro champ.
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USAC .25 MIDGET SERIES CHAMPIONS
PAVEMENT
JUNIOR HONDA PAVEMENT CHAMPION: Hudson Andrews
JUNIOR 160 PAVEMENT CHAMPION: Gage Pio
LIGHT 160 PAVEMENT CHAMPION: Case James
HEAVY 160 PAVEMENT CHAMPION: Gunnar Pio
JUNIOR ANIMAL PAVEMENT CHAMPION: Cap Curry
SENIOR ANIMAL PAVEMENT CHAMPION: Jace Hale
LIGHT WORLD FORMULA PAVEMENT CHAMPION: Lincoln Smith
SENIOR HONDA PAVEMENT & MOD WORLD FORMULA PAVEMENT CHAMPION: Jackson Diehl
HEAVY HONDA, UNRESTRICTED ANIMAL & HEAVY WORLD FORMULA PAVEMENT CHAMPION: Max Reaves
.25 MIDGET DIRT CHAMPIONS
JUNIOR HONDA DIRT CHAMPION: Liam Ballard
SENIOR HONDA DIRT CHAMPION: Larry Kelleher
JUNIOR 160 DIRT CHAMPION: Henry Schneider
HEAVY WORLD FORMULA DIRT CHAMPION: J.T. Bierman
JUNIOR ANIMAL DIRT CHAMPION: Logan Koester
LIGHT 160 DIRT & SENIOR ANIMAL DIRT CHAMPION: Quinlan Pio
LIGHT WORLD FORMULA DIRT & MOD WORLD FORMULA DIRT CHAMPION: Lukas Kostic
HEAVY HONDA DIRT, HEAVY 160 DIRT & UNRESTRICTED ANIMAL DIRT CHAMPION: Peyton Knecht
