By Richie Murray
Casa Grande, Arizona (October 21, 2025)………It’s Western World!
That’s all that needs to be said to introduce one of the most famed sprint car races in the United States, an Arizona racing tradition since 1968, and one that has been revitalized as the event celebrates its 58th edition this weekend, Friday-Saturday, October 24-25, 2025.
For the first time ever, the event comes to Casa Grande’s Central Arizona Raceway and offers a record purse of more than $115,000 throughout the weekend for the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship and Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Cars, an effort spearheaded by Avanti’s Jerry Petty to boost this great tradition to even greater heights.
A stunning entry list of 52 USAC drivers and cars, plus nearly 40 from the 360 Sprint Car ranks, the 2025 installment of the Western World Championships is one of the most highly anticipated events on the calendar.
The weekend also serves as the finale for USAC National Sprint Car racing in 2025, marking the final two shows of the season. Let’s take one last look at the storylines heading into a stellar weekend in the Grand Canyon State.
RECORD PURSE
A record $35,000-to-win is on the line for Saturday night’s USAC National/CRA Sprint Car portion of Western World, to go along with a minimum $1000-to-start.
The winner of Saturday’s feature event could potentially walk away with a $42,500 payday if he was to lead all 30 laps of the feature. An extra $15,000 in lap money has been kicked into the event with the leader of each lap pocketing $250 with $150 going to second and $100 to third.
A $7,500 prize will go to Friday night’s USAC National/CRA Sprint Car feature winner.
Also a part of Saturday night’s program will be the $5,000-to-win Underwood Dash presented by AME Electrical, a pursuit style event that will feature 10 cars competing for 12 laps in a winner-take-all special. The lineup will consist of the top-four finishers from Friday night’s feature starting at the front, followed by Saturday’s three qualifying race winners, followed by Saturday’s three qualifying race runner-up finishers.
The 12-lap dash will take place in four 3-lap segments. After each segment is completed, the last two cars running will be eliminated. Furthermore, if a car stops on the course for any reason, that car is also eliminated.
Also this weekend, the Lafond Jar of Change will be awarded to each night’s USAC hard charger. Thus far, the prize has already reached $1000 for Friday and $2000 for Saturday. The Jar of Change has been awarded since 1992. In 2024, J.J. Yeley earned a record $3,423.68, and this year’s award is poised to exceed that.
6-PACK OF WESTERN WORLD WINNERS
Six past Western World Championships feature winners are in this year’s field: Brady Bacon, Chase Stockon, Logan Seavey, Jake Swanson, Daison Pursley and Kyle Cummins.
Cummins enters as the defending race winner after scoring the victory in 2024 at Mohave Valley Raceway. Pursley swept both nights of the event at Cocopah Speedway in 2023. Swanson, meanwhile, swept the entire night in 2022 by setting quick time, winning his heat race, then going on to capture the feature win at Cocopah. Seavey clicked off his Western World score at Arizona Speedway in 2021 as did Stockon back in 2017.
Bacon has won five final night main events during Western World dating back to 2009 and 2010 with the ASCS Non-Wing Canyon 360 Sprint Cars at USA Raceway in Tucson. He added to his win list three more times at Arizona Speedway in San Tan Valley, with the USAC Southwest/West Coast 360 Sprint Cars in 2016 and 2018, then again in 2019 with the USAC National/Western States Midgets.
ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? THESE GUYS ARE
A total of 18 USAC sanctioned events have been held at Central Arizona Raceway over the years, mostly with the USAC Southwest Sprint Car division dating back to 2013. Seven drivers in this year’s Western World lineup have won with USAC at Central Arizona.
Native Arizonans Charles Davis Jr., R.J. Johnson and Stevie Sussex can all count themselves among the winners on that list. Davis has won six of those 18 events, while Johnson owns three and Sussex one. Kevin Thomas Jr. and C.J. Leary strayed away from their USAC national schedules to win at Central Arizona two times apiece.
In 2025, USAC CRA debuted at the track on back-to-back nights in April with Ricky Lewis and David Gasper each picking up the feature victories.
DOUBLIN’ UP
In addition to the USAC National/CRA 410 c.i. Sprint Car portion of the program this weekend, the 360s of the Sands Chevrolet Wild West Sprints will also be in competition both nights.
At press time, 13 drivers are expected to pull double-duty by competing in both divisions across the pair of nights.
Among the 13 are USAC Triple Crown champion J.J. Yeley, as well as 2025 USAC National Sprint Car champion Kyle Cummins, four-time USAC National Sprint Car titlist Brady Bacon and 2024 USAC National Midget champ Daison Pursley.
One of the top-five winningest USAC National Sprint Car drivers of all-time, Kevin Thomas Jr., is on the double-duty list as is 2024 USAC CRA Sprint Car champion and current series point leader R.J. Johnson.
USAC National Sprint Car racing’s 2017 Rookie of the Year Stevie Sussex will be doing both as will David Gasper, a USAC CRA winner at Central Arizona in April, plus Wayne Siddle, Dayton Shelton, Elexa Herrera, Grant Sexton and Connor Lundy.
NOBODY BEATS THE WHIZ
Team AZ-Petty-Rossi will present The Whiz Kid Award, named for Arizona Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee and two-time Western World winning mechanic Eric Wilkins.
The Whiz Kid Award will reward multiple Rookies of the Year at the Western World in both the USAC National/CRA and the 360 divisions on Saturday night. At the conclusion of Saturday’s program, the Western World Rookie of the Year in each division will earn a $1,000 reward and a trophy for their efforts across the two-night event.
The Western World Rookies for 2025 consists of 14 drivers in the USAC portion of the program, including late model racing superstar Ricky Thornton Jr., plus USAC national feature winners Briggs Danner and Hayden Reinbold, plus standout Gunnar Setser.
Also making their first ever voyages to Western World are Marty Hawkins, Trey Osborne, Harley Burns, Blake Bower, Kobe Simpson, Connor Speir, Cole Wakim, Connor Lundy, Saban Bibent and Brecken Guerrero.
SETSER VS. REINBOLD FOR THE ROOKIE PRIZE
Speaking of Rookies, the USAC National Sprint Car MPI Rookie of the Year race comes down to these two final events, featuring Columbus, Indiana’s Gunnar Setser and Gilbert, Arizona’s Hayden Reinbold.
Setser owns a 14-point lead over Reinbold entering Western World in what has been among the closest Rookie battles in series history.
As far as their 2025 series statistics, both drivers have made 46 feature starts. Reinbold leads Setser five-to-two in terms of top-five finishes. However, Setser holds the upper hand in top-10 finishes with 21 over Reinbold’s 18.
All told, 154 points are up for grabs this weekend with a full program of 84 points available on Friday. Meanwhile, Saturday’s program offers 70 points as part of a feature points only program.
RACE DETAILS
The 58th Annual Avanti Windows & Doors Western World Championships on October 24-25 at Casa Grande’s Central Arizona Raceway hosts the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship / Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Cars, plus the Sands Chevrolet Wild West Sprints on back-to-back nights.
Racing festivities kick off at Western World with practice night from 6-9pm Mountain Standard Time on Thursday, October 23.
On Friday and Saturday, the pits open at 2pm Mountain Standard Time while the front gates open at 3pm with the drivers meeting set for 4pm and hot laps at 5pm.
Friday advance tickets are on sale now at: https://centralarizonaraceway.ticketspice.com/central-arizona-raceway-october-24
Saturday advance tickets are on sale now at: https://centralarizonaraceway.ticketspice.com/central-arizona-raceway-october-25-2025
Tickets will also be on sale at the gate on race day.
Both nights of the event can be watched LIVE on FloRacing at https://www.flosports.link/usac.
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WESTERN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS USAC SPRINT CAR ENTRY LIST
(52 cars & drivers)
0G KYLE SHIPLEY/Phoenix, AZ (Black Gold Racing)
OO7 WAYNE SIDDLE/Tucson, AZ (Wayne Siddle)
1 NATE SCHANK/Santa Rosa, CA (Nate Schank)
2 J.J. YELEY/Phoenix, AZ (Yeley Racing)
2J JAMES TURNBULL II/Indio, CA (James Turnbull II)
2x JOSHUA SHIPLEY/Surprise, AZ (Joshua Shipley)
3m (R) MARTY HAWKINS/Santa Rosa, CA (Hawkins Motorsports)
3p KYLE CUMMINS/Princeton, IN (Petty Performance Racing)
3R KEVIN THOMAS JR./Cullman, AL (Rock Steady Racing)
3v JIM VANZANT/Prescott, AZ (Jim & Bonnie Vanzant)
4 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (TOPP Motorsports)
4c BRADY BACON/Broken Arrow, OK (Calderwood Racing)
4D DAYTON SHELTON/Prescott, AZ (Shelton Motorsports)
5 TYE MIHOCKO/Peoria, AZ (Tim Mihocko)
5E ELEXA HERRERA/New Cuyama, CA (James Herrera)
5G (R) GUNNAR SETSER/Columbus, IN (KO Motorsports)
5T JAKE SWANSON/Anaheim, CA (Daming Swanson Motorsports)
6 LOGAN CALDERWOOD/Goodyear, AZ (Calderwood Racing)
6T (R) TREY OSBORNE/Columbus, OH (Larry Ebert)
6w ISAAC CHAPPLE/Willow Branch, IN (Chapple-Hall Racing Team)
11c MATT WESTFALL/Pleasant Hill, OH (Kevin Turner & Greg Wheeler)
14 (R) HARLEY BURNS/Brazil, IN (Tom Hendricks)
17 RYAN BERNAL/Hollister, CA (Tom & Christy Dunkel)
17GP STEVIE SUSSEX/Tempe, AZ (Michael Dutcher Motorsports)
17w AUSTIN WILLIAMS/Yorba Linda, CA (Tom & Christy Dunkel)
17x (R) BLAKE BOWER/Brentwood, CA (Tom & Christy Dunkel)
18 DAVID GASPER/Goleta, CA (Kittle Motorsports & Gasper Racing)
19 (R) HAYDEN REINBOLD/Gilbert, AZ (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
19AZ MITCHEL MOLES/Raisin City, CA (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
20RT (R) RICKY THORNTON JR./Chandler, AZ (Petty Performance Racing)
21AZ C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Team AZ-Curb-Agajanian Racing)
21K (R) KOBE SIMPSON/Bonham, TX (Kevin Simpson)
21x A.J. BENDER/San Diego, CA (Kim & Richard Bender)
22 GRANT SEXTON/Lakeside, CA (Brent Sexton)
33p R.J. JOHNSON/Laveen, AZ (Petty Performance Racing)
39 (R) BRIGGS DANNER/Allentown, PA (Hogue Racing Enterprises)
41 RICKY LEWIS/Oxnard, CA (Ricky Lewis)
42 MAX ADAMS/Loomis, CA (Cheney Racing)
44 BRENT SEXTON/Lakeside, CA (Brent Sexton)
47 CHARLES DAVIS JR./Buckeye, AZ (Charles Davis Jr.)
51T EDDIE TAFOYA JR./Chino Hills, CA (Eddie Tafoya)
57 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Abacus Racing)
57x (R) CONNOR SPEIR/Fillmore, CA (Keith Speir)
73 (R) COLE WAKIM/Simi Valley, CA (Josh Ford Motorsports)
73B BRADEN CHIARAMONTE/El Cajon, CA (OCC Motorsports)
78 BRODY WAKE/Lake Havasu City, AZ (Ryan Wake)
86 DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, OK (CB Industries)
92 CHASE STOCKON/Fort Branch, IN (Tom & Laurie Sertich)
97 (R) CONNOR LUNDY/Peoria, AZ (Matt Lundy)
98 (R) SABAN BIBENT/Cincinnati, OH (Wedgewood Motorsports)
98B (R) BRECKEN GUERRERO/Westminster, CA (Rachel Guerrero)
98v VERNE SWEENEY/Lomita, CA (Rachel Guerrero)
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USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Kyle Cummins-3219, 2-Mitchel Moles-2867, 3-Logan Seavey-2823, 4-Kevin Thomas Jr.-2775, 5-Justin Grant-2690, 6-Briggs Danner-2623, 7-C.J. Leary-2559, 8-Jake Swanson-2548, 9-Chase Stockon-2164, 10-Gunnar Setser-2098.
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USAC PARALLAX GROUP NATIONAL PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Kale Drake-213, 2-Gunnar Setser-157, 3-Briggs Danner-147, 4-C.J. Leary-141, 5-Kevin Thomas Jr.-135, 6-Justin Grant-124, 7-Logan Seavey-122, 8-Kyle Cummins-116, 9-Hayden Reinbold-112, 10-Chase Stockon-110.
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PAST WESTERN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS WINNERS
MANZANITA SPEEDWAY – PHOENIX, ARIZONA
1968: Bob Cleberg (Non-Winged Sprint)
1969: Bob Huebner (Non-Winged Sprint)
1970: Jerry McClung (Non-Winged Sprint)
1971: Jan Opperman (Non-Winged Sprint)
1972: Jan Opperman (Non-Winged Sprint)
1973: Earl Wagner (Non-Winged Sprint)
1974: Rick Ferkel (Non-Winged Sprint)
1975: Ron Shuman (Non-Winged Sprint)
1976: Bubby Jones (Non-Winged Sprint)
1977: Ron Shuman (Non-Winged Sprint)
1978: Lealand McSpadden (World of Outlaws/CRA Non-Winged Sprint)
1979: Tim Green (World of Outlaws/CRA Non-Winged Sprint)
1980: Jeff Swindell (Non-Winged Sprint)
1981: Ron Shuman (Non-Winged Sprint)
1982: Steve Kinser (Non-Winged Sprint)
1983: Steve Kinser (Non-Winged Sprint)
1984: Ron Shuman (Non-Winged Sprint)
1985: Steve Kinser (Non-Winged Sprint) & Lealand McSpadden (Mighty Midgets of Arizona)
1986: Bobby Davis Jr. (Winged Sprint) & Ron Shuman (Mighty Midgets of Arizona)
1987: Steve Kinser (Winged Sprint) & Lealand McSpadden (Mighty Midgets of Arizona)
1988: Mark Kinser (USA Winged Sprint) & Jack Yeley (Mighty Midgets of Arizona)
1989: Sammy Swindell (USA Winged Sprint) & Gary Faucett (Arizona Midget Racing Association)
1990: Steve Kinser (Winged Sprint) & Rip Williams (CRA Sprint)
1991: Danny Lasoski (Winged Sprint), Wayne Bennett (360 Non-Winged Sprint) & Ron Shuman (Arizona Midget Racing Association)
1992: Steve Kinser (Winged Sprint) & Bob Ream Jr. (360 Non-Winged Sprint) & Bob Brosemann (Arizona Midget Racing Association)
1993: Lealand McSpadden (CRA Sprint)
1994: Ron Shuman (SCRA Sprint)
1995: Lealand McSpadden (SCRA Sprint), Ricky Johnson (Arizona Non-Winged 360 Sprint) & Josh Pelkey (Midget)
1996: Steve Kinser (World of Outlaws Sprint)
1997: Mark Kinser (World of Outlaws Sprint)
1998: Tyler Walker (World of Outlaws Sprint)
1999: Donny Schatz (World of Outlaws Sprint)
2000: Jay Drake (SCRA Sprint)
2001: Jeremy Sherman (SCRA Sprint)
2002: Bud Kaeding (SCRA Sprint) & Jeremy Sherman (360 Non-Winged Sprint)
2003: Tony Elliott (SCRA Sprint) & Jeremy Sherman (360 Non-Winged Sprint)
2004: Bud Kaeding (USAC National/CRA Sprint) & Josh Ford (360 Non-Winged Sprint)
2005: Dave Darland (USAC National/CRA Sprint) & Cory Kruseman (360 Non-Winged Sprint)
2006: Josh Wise (USAC National/CRA Sprint) & Cory Kruseman (360 Non-Winged Sprint)
2007: Jerry Coons Jr. (USAC National/CRA Sprint) & Cory Kruseman (ASCS Non-Wing Canyon 360 Sprint)
2008: Kevin Swindell (USAC National/CRA Sprint) & Jesse Hockett (ASCS Non-Wing Canyon 360 Sprint)
USA RACEWAY – TUCSON, ARIZONA
2009: Brady Bacon (ASCS Non-Wing Canyon 360 Sprint) & Sammy Swindell (ASCS Winged 360 Sprint)
2010: Brady Bacon (ASCS Non-Wing Canyon 360 Sprint) & Donny Schatz (ASCS Winged 360 Sprint)
2011: Tracy Hines (ASCS Non-Wing Canyon 360 Sprint) & Donny Schatz (ASCS Winged 360 Sprint)
CANYON SPEEDWAY PARK – PEORIA, ARIZONA
2012: Bryan Clauson (ASCS Non-Wing Canyon 360 Sprint) & Wayne Johnson (ASCS Winged 360 Sprint)
2013: Bryan Clauson (USAC Southwest/West Coast Sprint) & Bryan Clauson (USAC National/Western States Midget)
2014: Matt Rossi (USAC Southwest/West Coast Sprint) & Darren Hagen (USAC National/Western States Midget)
USA RACEWAY – TUCSON, ARIZONA
2015: Bryan Clauson (USAC National/CRA Sprint) & Brody Roa (USAC Southwest/West Coast 360 Sprint)
ARIZONA SPEEDWAY – SAN TAN VALLEY, ARIZONA
2016: Chris Windom (USAC National/CRA Sprint) & Brady Bacon (USAC Southwest/West Coast Sprint)
2017: Chase Stockon (USAC National/CRA Sprint) & Chris Windom (USAC Southwest/West Coast Sprint)
2018: Tyler Courtney (USAC National/CRA Sprint) & Brady Bacon (USAC Southwest/West Coast Sprint)
2019: Tyler Courtney (USAC National/CRA Sprint) & Brady Bacon (USAC National Midget/Western States)
2020: Buddy Kofoid (USAC National Midget) & Tyler Courtney (USAC CRA/Southwest Sprint)
2021: Logan Seavey (USAC National/CRA Sprint) & Chris Windom (USAC National Midget)
COCOPAH SPEEDWAY – SOMERTON, ARIZONA
2022: Jake Swanson (USAC National/CRA Sprint)
2023: Daison Pursley (USAC CRA Sprint)
MOHAVE VALLEY RACEWAY – MOHAVE VALLEY, ARIZONA
2024: Kyle Cummins (USAC CRA Sprint)