By Richie Murray
Speedway, Indiana (September 3, 2025)………This weekend presents a pair of long-awaited returns to Midwest racetracks on each side of the Mississippi River in Illinois and Missouri.
First up is a date with Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois on Friday, September 5, for the series’ first visit to the 3/8-mile dirt oval since 2019. That’s followed up the next night by the series’ return to Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri on Saturday, September 6, for the first time since 2006!
THE TRI-CITY REPORT
Twenty previous points-paying USAC National Sprint Car races have been held at Tri-City over the years, with wings, without wings, under its 1/2-mile configuration between 1967-2006, and on its current 3/8-mile layout since 2018.
It’s a winner’s list that boasts such series champions as Greg Weld, Rick Hood, Steve Butler, Tony Stewart, Jay Drake, Josh Wise, Tyler Courtney and Chris Windom.
Among the top-tier of the current series point standings, the majority have achieved previous success at Tri-City to varying degrees.
Kevin Thomas Jr. owns the one-lap USAC National Sprint Car track record at Tri-City with a 14.316 and finished the feature 2nd in 2018 and 3rd in 2019. Logan Seavey took 2nd with the USAC Midgets there in 2019. Justin Grant ran on the podium with the USAC National Midgets there in both 2019 and 2022. C.J. Leary raced to a 4th with the USAC Sprints in 2019. Hayden Reinbold collected a 7th with the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets in 2023 while Mitchel Moles checked in with a 14th in 2022.
THE WHEATLAND FILES
USAC National Sprint Car racing’s only previous visit to Lucas Oil Speedway came all the way back in 2006. While the field will look entirely different than it did 19 years ago, plenty of today’s frontrunners have competed at the venue in recent years.
USAC National Sprint Car point leader Kyle Cummins dominated his way to a 2018 Hockett-McMillin Memorial victory with the POWRi WAR Sprint Cars. Logan Seavey has won a total of five times at Lucas Oil, including a three-night sweep of the Hockett-McMillin in 2017, an ASCS River Region Winged Sprint Car score in 2018, plus a POWRi Midget win in 2019.
Justin Grant kept the winning ways rolling with a POWRi WAR Sprint Car triumph at Lucas Oil in 2017. Hayden Reinbold dominated in a POWRi Midget victory at the track in 2024. Gunnar Setser finished 3rd in the same event. Kevin Thomas Jr. was 9th with High Limit there earlier this year. Clinton Boyles, who will jump in the Brad Wyatt ride this Saturday, won with the POWRi WAR Sprint Cars at LOS in 2017.
TITLE WAVE
Kyle Cummins retains command of the USAC National Sprint Car standings by a whopping 258-point margin. With a maximum of 84 points up for grabs each night, Cummins essentially has a three-race lead on the entire field. Cummins has finished 2nd in each of his past three USAC National Sprint Car starts, all at Kokomo Speedway during Smackdown.
WANT ADS
Among the top-10 in the standings, Mitchel Moles, Jake Swanson and Kale Drake have all yet to win a USAC National Sprint Car race in 2025.
All have come close and have finished as the runner-up in a feature at one point or another in this year’s season. They all want to erase that donut from the win column this weekend.
ROOKIE FIGHT
Outside the top-10, just 49 points separate Hayden Reinbold and Gunnar Setser from USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year honors in 2025.
Both have been relatively even all year long, with Reinbold accumulating 1448 points while garnering 3 top-fives and 11 top-tens in 33 series starts. Meanwhile, Setser has gathered 1399 points with a tally of 1 top-five and 11 top-tens in 33 starts.
Both drivers are vying for their first career USAC National Sprint Car victory this weekend.
RACE DETAILS
On Friday, September 5, the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship heads to Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois. POWRi 410 Winged Sprints are on the event card as are Restricted Micros & Junior Sprints, both of which will take place on the small track. Pits open at Noon Central. Front gates open at 4:30pm. Hot laps start at 6:30pm followed by qualifying and racing. General admission tickets are $30 for ages 13 & up. General admission tickets are free for ages 12 & under. Pit passes are $45 for ages 13 & up. Pit passes are $15 for ages 6-12. Pit passes are free for ages 5 & under.
On Saturday, September 6, the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship takes on Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri for the Rod End Supply Diamond Dirt Duel featuring the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship, plus the Hickamo Super Stocks. Pits open at 3pm Central. Front gates open at 4pm. Hot laps start at 6:30pm followed by qualifying and racing. General admission tickets are $28 for ages 13-61. General admission tickets are $25 for ages 62 & up plus military. General admission tickets are $10 for ages 6-12. General admission tickets are free for ages 5 & under. A family pass is $66. Pit passes are $45.
The events can be watched live on FloRacing at https://flosports.link/usac.
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USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Kyle Cummins-2317, 2-Mitchel Moles-2059, 3-Logan Seavey-2041, 4-Kevin Thomas Jr.-1953, 5-Justin Grant-1901, 6-Briggs Danner-1899, 7-C.J. Leary-1812, 8-Jake Swanson-1771, 9-Robert Ballou-1693, 10-Kale Drake-1653.
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USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR TRACK RECORDS AT TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY:
1 Lap – 8/31/2018 – Kevin Thomas Jr. – 14.316
8 Laps – 8/31/2018 – Jason McDougal – 1:59.12
USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINS AT TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY:
(2) Jay Drake, Jack Hewitt, Danny Smith, Greg Weld & Doug Wolfgang
(1) Steve Butler, Tyler Courtney, Rick Hood, Kelly Kinser, Ralph Liguori, Troy Rutherford (SE), Randy Standridge, Tony Stewart, Sammy Swindell, Chris Windom & Josh Wise
(SE) = Non-Points, Special Event
USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINNERS AT TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY:
1967: Greg Weld (6/24) & Ralph Liguori (9/1)
1968: Greg Weld (8/19)
1984: Rick Hood (9/1)
1985: Randy Standridge (8/31)
1988: Kelly Kinser (9/3)
1989: Steve Butler (9/2)
1990: Sammy Swindell (5/5) & Jack Hewitt (9/1)
1991: Danny Smith (4/1 & 5/26), Doug Wolfgang (6/12 & 6/12) and Jack Hewitt (8/31)
1995: Tony Stewart (9/3)
2000: Jay Drake (5/6)
2003: Troy Rutherford (Special Event on 8/16)
2005: Jay Drake (8/24)
2006: Josh Wise (8/6)
2018: Tyler Courtney (8/31)
2019: Chris Windom (5/17)
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USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR TRACK RECORDS AT LUCAS OIL SPEEDWAY:
1 Lap – 9/8/2006 – Brady Bacon – 15.159
8 Laps – 9/8/2006 – Bryan Clauson – 2:06.26
USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINS AT LUCAS OIL SPEEDWAY:
1-Josh Wise
USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINNERS AT LUCAS OIL SPEEDWAY:
2006: Josh Wise (9/8)