From Indianapolis Speedrome®
History and the record books are not just a place for the grizzled veterans of the racing world. Over the illustrious motorsports partnership between the United States Auto Club and the Indianapolis Speedrome®, there have been many talented and successful female racers along with the youngest of top talent making their mark at the famed fifth-mile, now in its 69th year of operation. More stories will be written this summer as the treasured sanctioning body and the landmark race track rekindle the flame on May 26th with the first of several events featuring four racing divisions. In this week’s newsletter, we look back on just some of the accomplishments made at the Speedrome in USAC Midget competition.
There is a very strong list of female USAC drivers who have made their mark on the Home of the World Figure 8®. It all began on July 24, 1986. That night a worldwide ESPN television audience saw lady speedster Bev Griffis become the first-ever female to win in sanctioning body history. She outdistanced feature runner-up and multiple-time Speedrome track champion Mack McClellan as well as the legendary Johnny Parsons in the 50-lap main event. Griffis is one of only two female feature winners in USAC Regional Midget history at the Speedrome.
2004 saw the addition of a new division to the USAC lineup at the eastside Indianapolis speedway, Ford Focus Midgets. On July 21st of that season, second-generation driver Stephanie Mockler became the world’s first female feature winner in the class. She would make history again by heading the pack just one year later on August 3, 2005. That amazing evening Mockler’s Focus feature victory led an all female podium, a Speedrome and USAC first. Stephanie was joined in the landmark result by runner-up Alison MacLeod and Erica Santos. The trio’s photo made racing publications around the globe.
On the championship side, two records and one cool fact was accomplished at the Indianapolis short track in 2004. Second-generation driver Sondi Eden scored the initial USAC season title for a female in any division when she topped the Regional Midget series standings. Her achievement was joined that evening by the youngest ever in USAC’s storied record book. 14-year-old Dakoda Armstrong captured the crown in the Speedrome Kenyon Midget series. And if that wasn’t enough, that campaigns Ford Focus championship was the first won by Brice Kenyon, son of USAC’s all-time wins leader Mel Kenyon. What a historic night!
The USAC Regional Midgets, Ford Focus Midgets, Ford Focus Young Guns, and Mopar .25 Midgets look to make more history at the Indianapolis Speedrome®. The dates, all Wednesday nights, for this heralded racing return are May 26th, June 2nd, June 9th, June 23rd, June 30th, and July 7th. Each event will see test drives and a driver school in the afternoon before preliminary heats begin at 7:15pm. The feature lineup is 40-laps for Ford Focus Midgets, main events for the Mopar .25 Midgets, a traditional 50-lapper for the Regional series, and the capper 30-laps for the new Ford Focus Young Gun cars. For more information, you can visit www.usacracing.com or www.speedrome.com.