By Richie Murray
Speedway, Indiana (September 23, 2024)………The driver roster for the Thursday night, September 26, inaugural Stoops Sprint Car Invitational at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been confirmed.
For the first time ever, USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars are coming to The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Stoops Sprint Car Invitational will take place on the 1/5-mile dirt oval located inside turn three of the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, September 26, during the opening night of the Driven2SaveLives BC39 Presented By Avanti Windows & Doors.
Invitations to compete in the first of its kind event were presented to top-10 drivers and entrants on the current 2024 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship point standings.
Entries were accepted by Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.), Daison Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.), C.J. Leary (Greenfield, Ind.), Kevin Thomas, Jr. (Cullman, Ala.), Mitchel Moles (Raisin City, Calif.), Robert Ballou (Rocklin, Calif.), Kyle Cummins (Princeton, Ind.), Carson Garrett (Littleton, Colo.), Chase Stockon (Fort Branch, Ind.) and Kale Drake (Collinsville, Okla.).
The invitation-only non-points special event for USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars at IMS will feature two heat races followed by a 20-lap main event. The Thursday night portion of the BC39 will feature both sprint cars as well as a full program for the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship.
Brady Bacon (second in points) and Justin Grant (ninth in points) were among the invitees. However, both politely declined invitations to compete in the sprint car exhibition. Both drivers will be competing in the midget portion of the BC39 throughout the weekend. The top-10 in current driver & entrant points were invited to compete. If the invitation was declined, the next ranked driver and/or entrant in the standings was offered a spot, which was Chase Stockon in 11th.
Spectator tickets are on sale for the event at www.TheBC39.com. Spectators are to enter the Indianapolis Motor Speedway via 30th Street. Competitors are to enter through the tunnel on 16th Street.
The BC39 will continue to honor the late USAC champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 starter, Bryan Clauson. It also will increase awareness of organ donation and encourage participation in the Indiana Donor Network Driven2SaveLives program, the title sponsor of the BC39 since the inaugural running in 2018.
The BC39 officially gets underway on Wednesday, September 25, with team parking. There will be no on-track activity on Wednesday, September 25. On track action starts Thursday, September 26, beginning with the drivers meeting in the IMS Media Room at 3pm Eastern followed by midget and sprint car racing. On Friday, September 27, night two of the BC39 will commence with a second full program featuring midget racing.
On both Thursday and Friday, the public gates will open at 4pm Eastern with hot laps set for 6pm, followed by opening ceremonies, heat races, qualifying races, the semi-feature and the feature event.
The finale of the BC39, on Saturday, September 28, will have the public gates opening at 4pm and midgets on track for practice at 6pm, followed by opening ceremonies at 7pm and the main events, starting with the D-Main, multiple C-Mains and Semi-Feature before concluding with the 39-lap Feature event paying $20,039-to-win.