By Richie Murray
Speedway, Indiana (April 29, 2026)………The Red Clay & The Class Track.
That’s two tracks located in southern Indiana that you can instantly recognize simply by stating those two monikers.
The first of this weekend’s USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship rounds take us to Bloomington Speedway on Friday, May 1, for the 19th running of the Larry Rice Classic.
The following night, Haubstadt’s Tri-State Speedway will host the 13th running of the Spring Showdown on Saturday, May 2.
Here’s a glance at the storylines on this annual Bloomington/Haubstadt Spring Showcase for USAC Sprint Car racing!
HOME-CUMMINS
Kyle Cummins won both the Larry Rice Classic and the Spring Showdown on the same weekend one year ago, becoming the first driver in USAC National Sprint Car history to win at Bloomington and Tri-State on consecutive evenings.
Those victories helped propelled the Princeton, Indiana native to the USAC National Sprint Car driving championship in 2025, and entering this weekend, he resides right at the top of the standings once again.
He’s won twice at Bloomington in his USAC career, and seven more times at Tri-State with USAC, and was victorious in his most recent USAC National Sprint Car start on April 12 at Indiana’s Terre Haute Action Track, part of his ongoing streak of seven consecutive top-five finishes with the series.
Cummins gives no indication of slowing down any time soon, winning last Sunday’s non-sanctioned Kokomo Speedway sprint car feature by a hefty margin.
LEARY LIKE A FOX
C.J. Leary’s past two USAC National Sprint Car starts have resulted in two of his best runs of the 2026 season, finishing 5th at both Lawrenceburg and Terre Haute. And he accomplished it at the wheel of the Fox Brothers/Brayden Fox Racing No. 53.
It’s the same team which won the Bloomington Speedway track championship with Brad Fox in 1997 and again in 2024 with Brad’s son, Brayden Fox, as the driver. Brad also won a USAC Indiana Sprint Week feature at Bloomington in 1997.
Leary reigned victorious in the 2023 Larry Rice Classic at Bloomington, and has come close to scoring a win at Tri-State’s Spring Showdown, finishing second and coming within four laps of winning in 2018. Leary also owns Bloomington’s USAC National Sprint Car track record of 10.685 seconds.
KTJ’s BREAD & BUTTER
Kevin Thomas Jr. possesses a whopping 13 career USAC National Sprint Car feature victories between Bloomington and Tri-State. He’s the all-time leading winner at Tri-State with nine, and has gathered four more at Bloomington in his career.
He’s also one of just four drivers to win both the Larry Rice Classic and Spring Showdown in his career, along with Brady Bacon, Chris Windom and Kyle Cummins.
In fact, his trio of Spring Showdown wins ranks number one all-time, grabbing the top prize in the event in 2013-2018-2024. He also added a Larry Rice Classic to his tally in 2021.
In 2026, however, KTJ remains on the hunt for his first USAC win of the season.
MILLER DEBUT AT BLOOMINGTON
Bloomington’s Larry Rice Classic also presents the first opportunity of the year to see the Team Arizona/Curb-Agajanian Racing No. 21AZ in USAC competition. It was announced earlier in the season that the team set forth a part-time USAC National Sprint Car schedule with drivers Gavin Miller and Jacob Denney sharing driving duties.
Miller will be first up as he gets the call to make his first career USAC National Sprint Car appearance at a track that is near and dear to his career. The Allentown, Pennsylvania native has won two career USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget features at Bloomington.
Just last week, Miller made an impressive sprint car debut for the team at Kokomo, finishing fourth and fifth in his first ever sprint car drivers versus a stout field that contained many USAC regulars.
Of note, the most recent driver to win in his very first career USAC National Sprint Car feature start was Tanner Swanson at Indiana’s Anderson Speedway in 2008.
FAST TIMIN’ MOLES
Mitchel Moles was the quickest qualifier for both the Larry Rice Classic and the Spring Showdown one year ago in 2025.
In fact, the Raisin City, California racer has been the fastest qualifier in each of his past four tries at the Haubstadt, Indiana track dating back to 2024. Last year, he tied the all-time mark with 15 USAC National Sprint Car fast qualifying times during the season, equaling Kevin Thomas Jr.’s mark from 2018.
But now, Moles is more than ready to break through to victory lane. He’s finished as the runner-up in two of his past three series starts this month at Red Hill and Terre Haute.
LARRY RICE CLASSIC HISTORY
The Larry Rice Classic began as a USAC National Midget event in 1993 and 1994 at Bloomington Speedway. The event transformed into an unsanctioned sprint car event for 1995 and 1996 before going under the USAC National Sprint Car banner in 1998, where it has remained since, albeit off and on for a number of years.
The event honors the legacy, the life and the memory of Rice, the three-time USAC national driving champion (1973 Midget and 1977 & 1981 Silver Crown) who later became a much-loved color commentator for ESPN’s Thunder Series of USAC races on national television. Rice passed away in 2009 at the age of 63.
Four past Larry Rice Classic winners will be in this Friday’s field at Bloomington: Kevin Thomas Jr. (2021), C.J. Leary (2023), Logan Seavey (2024) and Kyle Cummins (2025).
Ralph Potter (1993-1994) is the only multi-time winning Larry Rice Classic car owner. Three more teams have an opportunity to repeat their feat this Friday: 2B Racing (2012), Abacus Racing (2024) and Petty Performance Racing (2025).
SPRING SHOWDOWN HISTORY
The Spring Showdown began in 2012, and has affirmed its position as one of the early season staples of the USAC National Sprint Car schedule ever since.
Four past Spring Showdown champions are excepted to compete in this weekend’s 13th running, including three-time winner Kevin Thomas Jr., two-time victor Kyle Cummins, plus one-time winners Justin Grant and Chase Stockon.
RACE DETAILS
Friday’s Larry Rice Classic on May 1 at Indiana’s Bloomington Speedway features the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship and Super Stocks. Pits open at 4pm Eastern with the grandstands opening at 5pm, drivers meeting at 5:45pm & cars on track at 6:30pm with qualifying and racing to immediately follow.
General Admission tickets are $30 for ages 13 and up, and free for ages 12 and under. Pit passes are $40 for ages 11 and up and $15 for ages 10 and under. Advance tickets on sale now at https://www.myracepass.com/tracks/1175/tickets/1514850.
Saturday’s Spring Showdown on May 2 at Haubstadt, Indiana’s Tri-State Speedway presents the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship and the Midwest Mini Sprint Association. Pits open at 3pm Central, grandstands at 4pm, drivers meeting at 5:15pm and cars on track at 6pm followed immediately by qualifying and racing. Adult general admission tickets are $30, students (ages 13-18) $20 & children 12 and under free.
Both events can be watched LIVE on FloRacing both nights at https://flosports.link/usac2026.
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TRACK RECORDS FOR USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CARS AT BLOOMINGTON SPEEDWAY
1 Lap – 4/12/2019 – C.J. Leary – 10.685
6 Laps – 7/25/2003 – Kent Christian – 1:13.96
8 Laps – 7/18/2008 – Jesse Cramer – 1:36.63
10 Laps – 4/14/2017 – Kevin Thomas Jr. – 1:51.72
12 Laps – 4/14/2017 – Chase Stockon – 2:20.84
30 Laps – 4/12/2019 – Brady Bacon – 6:47.18
LARRY RICE CLASSIC WINS
2-Tony Elliott
1-A.J. Anderson, Brady Bacon, Kevin Briscoe, Kyle Cummins, Dave Darland, Derek Davidson, Jay Drake, Bobby East, Cory Kruseman, C.J. Leary, Logan Seavey, Tony Stewart, Kevin Thomas, Kevin Thomas Jr., Chris Windom & J.J. Yeley
LARRY RICE CLASSIC WINNERS
1993: Tony Elliott
1994: Tony Stewart
1995: Kevin Thomas
1996: Derek Davidson
1998: Tony Elliott
1999: Cory Kruseman
2000: Jay Drake
2001: A.J. Anderson
2002: Kevin Briscoe
2003: J.J. Yeley
2011: Chris Windom
2012: Bobby East
2013: Dave Darland
2019: Brady Bacon
2021: Kevin Thomas Jr.
2023: C.J. Leary
2024: Logan Seavey
2025: Kyle Cummins
BLOOMINGTON SPEEDWAY USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINS:
5-Bryan Clauson
4-Kevin Thomas Jr.
3-Dave Darland
2-Brady Bacon, Kevin Briscoe, Kyle Cummins, Tony Elliott, C.J. Leary, Logan Seavey & Chris Windom
1-A.J. Anderson, Emerson Axsom, Brent Beauchamp, Chad Boespflug, Jerry Coons Jr., Briggs Danner, Jay Drake, Bobby East, Brad Fox, Jack Hewitt, Tracy Hines, Rick Hood, Bob Kinser, Sheldon Kinser, Cory Kruseman, Larry Martin, Hunter Schuerenberg, Brady Short, Jon Stanbrough, Kevin Thomas, Rich Vogler & J.J. Yeley
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TRACK RECORDS FOR USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CARS AT TRI-STATE SPEEDWAY
1 Lap – 7/30/2000 – Levi Jones – 12.644
6 Laps – 7/17/2005 – Hud Cone – 1:20.59
8 Laps – 7/15/2006 – Shane Hollingsworth – 1:49.65
10 Laps – 9/2/2006 – Dave Darland – 2:09.02
12 Laps – 9/14/2013 – Chase Stockon – 2:42.02
30 Laps – 7/18/2015 – Brady Short – 7:31.50
SPRING SHOWDOWN USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINS
3-Kevin Thomas Jr.
2-Kyle Cummins
1-Brady Bacon, Daron Clayton, Justin Grant, Stephen Schnapf, Hunter Schuerenberg, Chase Stockon & Chris Windom
SPRING SHOWDOWN USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINNERS
2012: Hunter Schuerenberg (5/12)
2013: Kevin Thomas Jr. (5/11)
2014: Daron Clayton (4/26)
2015: Brady Bacon (4/18)
2016: Chase Stockon (4/16)
2017: Chris Windom (4/15)
2018: Kevin Thomas Jr. (4/28)
2020: Stephen Schnapf (6/14)
2021: Kyle Cummins (4/17)
2023: Justin Grant (4/15)
2024: Kevin Thomas Jr. (5/11)
2025: Kyle Cummins (5/10)
TRI-STATE SPEEDWAY USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINS
9-Kevin Thomas Jr.
7-Kyle Cummins
5-Daron Clayton
4-Cory Kruseman
3-Justin Grant & Rick Hood
2-Brady Bacon, Robert Ballou, Hunter Schuerenberg, Brady Short, Jon Stanbrough & Chase Stockon
1-Steve Butler, Dave Darland, Jay Drake, Tony Elliott, Blake Fitzpatrick, Damion Gardner, Tracy Hines, Kenny Jacobs, Levi Jones, Casey Riggs, Jadon Rogers, Stephen Schnapf, Logan Seavey, Carson Short, Chris Windom & J.J. Yeley