By Richie Murray
Speedway, Indiana (February 5, 2026)………It’s time once again to bust out of the frigid doldrums of winter and get into the swing of USAC Winter Dirt Games XVII Presented by Yokohama Tire, the official kick off to the 2026 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship season.
Everyone’s set with shiny new and refreshed machinery and an optimistic outlook at the season that lie ahead, beginning in Florida with six events across six nights at a pair of dirt tracks in the heart of the Sunshine State.
The 17th annual edition of Winter Dirt Games presents practice night at the 3/8-mile Ocala Speedway on Sunday, February 8, followed by the first two rounds of racing at Barberville’s 1/2-mile Volusia Speedway Park on Monday-Tuesday, February 9-10, while Ocala Speedway finishes out the week with four-straight evenings of racing on Wednesday-Thursday-Friday-Saturday, February 11-12-13-14.
Let’s get after it! Here are a few of the top-of-mind storylines entering the new year starting this week in FLA.
CUMMINS LAUNCHES TITLE DEFENSE
Kyle Cummins kickstarted his 2025 USAC National Sprint Car victory with an outstanding performance during Winter Dirt Games.
He was victorious in the opener at Volusia, taking the big gator home as the DIRTcar Nationals champion. He then won again four nights later at Ocala. In his six outings across six nights, never once did he finish outside the top-five, all of which propelled him to the Winter Dirt Games title.
With it, Cummins became the ninth driver in the 16-year history of the series to win a Winter Dirt Games race and the USAC National Sprint Car championship in the same year, joining Bryan Clauson (2013), Brady Bacon (2014), Robert Ballou (2015), Tyler Courtney (2018), C.J. Leary (2019), Brady Bacon (2020), Justin Grant (2022) and Logan Seavey (2024).
A BOAT LOAD OF FULL-TIMERS
No less than 14 drivers are set for full-time duty with the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship in 2025, and possibly more!
Among the group are past series champions Kyle Cummins (2025) in the Petty Performance Racing #3p; Logan Seavey (2024) in the Abacus Racing #57; Justin Grant (2022 & 2023) in the TOPP Motorsports #4; C.J. Leary (2019) in the Leary Racing #30; and Robert Ballou (2015) in the Ballou Motorsports #12.
Plus USAC National Sprint Car winners Kevin Thomas Jr. (Rock Steady Racing #3R), Chase Stockon (Tom & Laurie Sertich #92), Mitchel Moles (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports #19AZ), Jake Swanson (Daming Swanson Motorsports #5T) and Briggs Danner (Hogue Racing Enterprises #39).
Rising contender Hayden Reinbold (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports #19) is back in the full-time lineup as are Rookie of the Year contenders Cale Coons (Dooling Autosports/Curb-Agajanian #63) and Chelby Hinton (2B Racing #2B).
At least a couple more drivers are actively pursuing full-time efforts with the series but are not confirmed at press time. Both will race in Florida this month, including 2025 Rookie of the Year Gunnar Setser and USAC CRA Sprint Car points runner-up Ricky Lewis.
UPPING THE POINT FUND
Sunshine and a $24,000 point fund will greet USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship competitors at Winter Dirt Games XVII.
The champion of the series who accumulates the most total points throughout the six races on the docket will earn a $12,000 reward. A sum of $6,000 will go to the runner-up, $3,000 to third, $2,000 to fourth and $1,000 to fifth.
This is double the reward over 2025’s total purse of $12,000 throughout the top-five. In 2024, a Winter Dirt Games point fund did not exist.
Furthermore, the Volusia feature events will pay a winner’s share of $6,000 on Feb. 9 and $12,000 on Feb. 10. Ocala will pay out $6,000 on Feb. 11-12, $7,500 on Feb. 13 and $10,000 on Feb. 14.
“WINNER” DIRT GAMES
This year’s field is comprised of 26 career Winter Dirt Games victories, including Justin Grant (8), Brady Bacon (6), Kyle Cummins (3), Robert Ballou (2), C.J. Leary (2), Chase Stockon (1) and Kevin Thomas Jr. (1). Jake Swanson, meanwhile, also captured a non-points win at Volusia. These eight guys are back in the fold as they attempt to replicate their Florida success once more.
THE RETURN OF BALLOU
Robert Ballou will be back in the cockpit of a USAC National Sprint Car for the first time in more than five months when Winter Dirt Games begins.
The Mad Man’s 2025 season came to an abrupt end during the Indiana Sprint Week round at Bloomington Speedway last August when a flip injured his T2, T3 and T5 vertebrae, sidelining him for the time.
After healing up, the 2015 USAC National Sprint Car champ is back on the horse again where he’s a three time Winter Dirt Games winner in 2015-2016 at Ocala and the former East Bay Raceway Park.
LEARY’S BACK IN FAMILIARITY
C.J. Leary will jump back into a familiar ride down in Florida as he’ll drive his own Leary Racing No. 30 throughout the six-race trip.
The 2019 series champion from Greenfield, Indiana hasn’t driven his own car in USAC competition since the 2020 campaign. Leary also has another couple of rides with other teams lined up when the series gets into full swing starting in April.
Leary has won twice in Florida with the USAC National Sprint Cars at Ocala in 2019 and 2024. Additionally, he scored a triumph at Volusia with the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Cars in 2022.
FLORIDA DOMIN-GATORS
When it comes to Ocala and Volusia, two drivers stand strong as the all-time dominators at each venue.
Justin Grant has won a record eight times overall at Ocala, including four times over the past two seasons. On the other hand, Logan Seavey has cruised at Volusia, winning three of his four career USAC National Sprint Car starts there over the past couple of years.
Interestingly, neither driver has ever found themselves in victory lane at the other track. Grant has yet to win at Volusia while Seavey has come up short so far at Ocala. The two USAC National Sprint Car champions will both try to rectify that this time around.
OPENING NIGHT HISTORY
Brady Bacon, a six-time Winter Dirt Games winner at Ocala, returns for the week in Chris Dyson Racing’s No. 20. Bacon could set a new USAC record at Volusia if he could pull off the victory on Monday. He’s won the USAC National Sprint Car season opening race on three occasions in 2014-2020-2023.
Also tied with Bacon at the top of the list with three opener victories are Damion Gardner, Don Branson, Larry Dickson and Rich Vogler.
Kyle Cummins, the 2025 season opener winner, will attempt to become the first driver in 14 years to collect back-to-back season opening victories. The others to do it were Don Branson (1959-60), Jud Larson (1965-66), Sammy Sessions (1971-72), Rich Vogler (1986-87) and Damion Gardner (2010-11-12).
RACE DETAILS:
FEB. 8 OCALA
Practice begins the return to Winter Dirt Games festivities on Sunday, February 8, from 2-4pm Eastern at Ocala Speedway. Grandstand admission is free while pit admission is $25.
FEB. 9-10 VOLUSIA
On both Monday and Tuesday, February 9-10, the pits open at 3pm Eastern with grandstands opening at 4pm, the drivers meeting at 4:30pm, engine heat at 5pm and hot laps at 5:30 followed by qualifying and racing. Advance tickets are available at https://dirtcarnationals.com/tickets/.
FEB. 11-14 OCALA
For the first two nights of racing on Wednesday, February 11 and Thursday, February 12 at Ocala, grandstand admission for ages 13 & up is $30 while kids age 12 & under are free. Pit passes are $40 apiece for ages 6 & up. Pit passes for ages 5 &under are free.
For Friday, February 13 and Saturday, February 14, at Ocala, grandstand admission for ages 13 & up is $35 while kids age 12 & under are free. Pit passes are $45 apiece for ages 6 & up. Pit passes for ages 5 & under are free.
On all four nights at Ocala, pits open at 2pm Eastern, front gates open at 5pm and cars hit the track at 6pm.
COVERAGE
All six USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship events from Florida will be streamed live and on-demand at https://flosports.link/usac.
2026 WINTER DIRT GAMES SCHEDULE:
Sunday, February 8: Ocala Speedway || Ocala, Florida (Practice Only from 2-4pm Eastern)
Monday, February 9: Volusia Speedway Park || Barberville, Florida ($6,000-to-win)
Tuesday, February 10: Volusia Speedway Park || Barberville, Florida ($12,000-to-win)
Wednesday, February 11: Ocala Speedway || Ocala, Florida ($6,000-to-win)
Thursday, February 12: Ocala Speedway || Ocala, Florida ($6,000-to-win)
Friday, February 13: Ocala Speedway || Ocala, Florida ($7,500-to-win)
Saturday, February 14: Ocala Speedway || Ocala, Florida ($10,000-to-win)
ALL-TIME USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINS AT OCALA:
8-Justin Grant
6-Brady Bacon
4-Bryan Clauson
3-Damion Gardner
2-Emerson Axsom, Robert Ballou, Tyler Courtney, Kyle Cummins, Tracy Hines & C.J. Leary
1-Dave Darland, Darren Hagen, Thomas Meseraull, Daison Pursley, Hunter Schuerenberg, Chase Stockon, Kevin Thomas Jr. & Chris Windom
USAC SPRINT CAR WINNERS AT OCALA SPEEDWAY:
2011: Damion Gardner (2/17), Bryan Clauson (2/18) & Damion Gardner (2/19)
2012: Damion Gardner (2/9) & Darren Hagen (2/11)
2013: Bryan Clauson (2/21), Tracy Hines (2/22) & Tracy Hines (2/23)
2014: Brady Bacon (2/20) & Bryan Clauson (2/22)
2015: Robert Ballou (2/19), Brady Bacon (2/20) & Dave Darland (2/21)
2016: Bryan Clauson (2/18), Robert Ballou (2/19) & Thomas Meseraull (2/20)
2017: Justin Grant (2/24) & Hunter Schuerenberg (2/25)
2018: Chase Stockon (2/15), Tyler Courtney (2/16) & Tyler Courtney (2/17)
2019: Chris Windom (2/14), Justin Grant (2/15) & C.J. Leary (2/16)
2020: Brady Bacon (2/14) & Brady Bacon (2/15)
2021: Kevin Thomas Jr. (2/11) & Justin Grant (2/12)
2022: Emerson Axsom (2/17), Justin Grant (2/18) & Emerson Axsom (2/19)
2023: Brady Bacon (2/16) & Kyle Cummins (2/18)
2024: Justin Grant (2/9), Justin Grant (2/10), Justin Grant (2/15) & C.J. Leary (2/16)
2025: Justin Grant (2/12), Brady Bacon (2/13), Kyle Cummins (2/14) & Daison Pursley (2/15)
USAC SPRINT CAR WINS AT VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK:
Points Events:
3-Logan Seavey
1-Kyle Cummins
Non-Points Special Events:
1-Daison Pursley & Jake Swanson
USAC SPRINT CAR WINNERS AT VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK:
Points Events:
2024: Logan Seavey (2/13) & Logan Seavey (2/13)
2025: Kyle Cummins (2/10) & Logan Seavey (2/11)
Non-Points Special Events:
2023: Jake Swanson (2/13) & Daison Pursley (2/14)
WINTER DIRT GAMES USAC SPRINT WINS:
8-Justin Grant
6-Brady Bacon
5-Damion Gardner
4-Bryan Clauson
3-Robert Ballou, Kyle Cummins & Logan Seavey
2-Emerson Axsom, Tyler Courtney, Tracy Hines, C.J. Leary & Kevin Thomas Jr.
1-Dave Darland, Darren Hagen, Thomas Meseraull, Daison Pursley, Hunter Schuerenberg, Chase Stockon & Chris Windom
FLORIDA USAC NATIONAL SPRINT POINTS WINS:
8-Justin Grant
6-Brady Bacon
5-Damion Gardner
4-Bryan Clauson
3-Robert Ballou, Kyle Cummins & Logan Seavey
2-Emerson Axsom, Tyler Courtney, Larry Dickson, Tracy Hines, C.J. Leary, & Kevin Thomas Jr.
1-Dave Darland, Darren Hagen, Thomas Meseraull, Pat O’Connor, Daison Pursley, Hunter Schuerenberg, Chase Stockon, Bob Sweikert, Rich Vogler, Chuck Weyant & Chris Windom
FLORIDA USAC SPRINT NON-POINTS SPECIAL EVENT WINS:
1-Daison Pursley, Dave Steele & Jake Swanson
USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR TRACK RECORDS AT OCALA SPEEDWAY:
1 Lap – 2/15/2019 – Carson Short- 13.398
6 Laps 2/15/2025 – Brady Bacon – 1:27.767
8 Laps – 2/14/2019 – Robert Ballou – 1:50.92
10 Laps – 2/10/2024 – C.J. Leary- 2:31.17
12 Laps – 2/23/2013 – Robert Ballou – 2:52.77
30 Laps – 2/11/2021 – Kevin Thomas Jr. – 7:45.762
USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR TRACK RECORDS AT VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK:
1 Lap – 2/13/2024 – C.J. Leary – 16.151
8 Laps – 2/12/2024 – Justin Grant- 2:16.61
10 Laps – 2/14/2023 – Kevin Thomas Jr. – 2:57.95
12 Laps – 2/13/2023 – Daison Pursley – 3:34.33
30 Laps – 2/14/2023 – Daison Pursley – 9:00.65