MACON, Il. (July 8, 2023) — Brady Bacon bounced back from a crash on Friday to win the finale of the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series portion of the Top Gun Weekend Saturday night at Macon Speedway. The win was Bacon’s second in the past three races and the 51st in United States Auto Club competition in the sprint car division.
After a torrid race for the lead that saw multiple three-wide exchanges, Bacon found something on the bottom of the racetrack that worked for him to hold onto the lead and the $10,000 top prize.
“I figured the top was going to be faster, I think we all thought the top was going to be faster for at least a good portion of the race,” said Bacon. “I got underneath (Leary) on a restart just kind of blocked Logan (Seavey) from kind of filling the hole and I noticed he was just struggling to get off the corner and I knew if I could just kept my tires under me that I could beat him down the straightaway. After that I knew if I hit the bottom on exit it was going to be really hard for someone to drive around me.”
Bacon and C.J. Leary started on the front row for the 50-lap main event. Leary and Bacon raced side by side on the opening lap before Leary took the lead on the second circuit. Behind Leary, Bacon found himself under fire from Logan Seavey and Kyle Cummins for the second position.
Leary, Bacon, Seavey, and Cummins managed to separate themselves from the rest of the field on the tight confines of Macon Speedway’s high banks in the early stages of the feature but started overtaking slower traffic on lap nine. One lap later the first caution flag of the event appeared when Shane Cottle slowed on the front stretch.
During the restart Leary, Bacon and Seavey raced three wide for the lead with Seavey and Leary splitting Bacon and Seavey leading lap 11. That was short lived though as the trio found themselves racing three wide for the lead again with Leary taking the top position.
This racing allowed Justin Grant to join in to create a four-car race for the lead.
Bacon was able to use the bottom of the racetrack to take the lead back from Leary on lap 13, only to have Leary take the top spot back on lap 14. Three laps later Bacon was able to drive by Leary coming off turn four to take the point and opened some breathing room.
After a pair of cautions on lap 19 for Garson Garrett stopping in turn four and Kevin Thomas Jr. spinning in turn four on lap 20, bacon was able to pull away as Grant drove to third and started pressuring Leary for second. Seavey and Cummins made this a four-car race for second on back until Grant made contact with the wall in turn four and flipped, ending his main event.
Bacon was able to check out again and drove away for the victory over Leary, Cummins, Mitchel Moles, and Seavey.
For Bacon, Saturday’s win at Macon continued a recent turnaround after some mid-season struggles on the USAC National Sprint Car Tour.
“Thanks to my guys for working hard,” said Bacon. “We’ve gone back to doing everything right, doing the basics right, and kind of had to put some different people together here and there to get us here. Thank you for all those people that kind of chipped in and helped us out.”
USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series
Top Gun Weekend
Macon Speedway
Macon, Illinois
Saturday, July 8, 2023
Feature:
1. 69-Brady Bacon
2. 15x C.J. Leary
3. 3R-Kyle Cummins
4. 19AZ-Mitchel Moles
5. 2B-Logan Seavey
6. 47BC-Emerson Axsom
7. 15-Carson Garrett
8. 12-Robert Ballou
9. 6-Mario Clouser
10. 5D-Zach Daum
11. 17GP-Max Adams
12. 42-Kevin Thomas Jr.
13. 5P-Daison Pursley
14. 56-Mitchell Davis
15. 5T-Todd Hobson
16. 4-Justin Grant
17. 21AZ-Jake Swanson
18. 8D-Colten Cottle
19. 29-Mitch Wissmiller
20. 77K-Shane Cottle