By Richie Murray
Speedway, Indiana (July 21, 2026)………Thirty-seven (37) drivers and cars will tackle The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this Thursday night, July 23, for the kickoff to the 39th annual edition of USAC NOS Energy Drink Indiana Sprint Week Presented by K & N Filters.
The event will feature an invitational field as determined by distinct parameters. Those eligible to compete in the event at the 1/5-mile dirt oval inside of turn three at the world-famous IMS fit into one of the following categories:
1) Finished inside the top 30 of the 2025 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship point standings.
2) Finished inside the top 30 of the 2025 USAC Indiana Sprint Week point standings.
3) Ranks inside the top 30 of the 2026 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship standings as of July 5.
4) Ranks inside the top 10 of the 2026 Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car standings as of July 5.
5) Any currently active driver who has previously won an Indiana Sprint Week main event.
6) Plus, two Indianapolis Motor Speedway promoters options.
The IMS event was a rousing success in 2025, but with the confines of the event, parameters have been put into place to help ensure its success.
The $10,000-to-win Indiana Sprint Week event at IMS will pay appearance points toward the season-long USAC National Sprint Car standings. However, no points will be offered toward the 2026 Indiana Sprint Week standings.
Justin Grant captured The Dirt Track at IMS’ debut appearance on the Indiana Sprint Week schedule in 2025, charging from fifth to the lead just after the midway point of the 35-lap main event.
C.J. Leary also won a USAC National Sprint Car exhibition at The Dirt Track at IMS in September 2024, racing his way from seventh to first.
Among the drivers chasing the 2026 USAC Indiana Sprint Week title are past ISW champions Robert Ballou (2015), Brady Bacon (2016 & 2023), Kevin Thomas Jr. (2017 & 2021), C.J. Leary (2019), Chase Stockon (2020), Justin Grant (2022), and Logan Seavey (2024) along with recent ISW feature winners Kyle Cummins, Mitchel Moles, Briggs Danner, and Jake Swanson, along with many more.
USAC Indiana Sprint Week, a cornerstone of sprint car racing in the Hoosier State since 1988, has captivated fans for decades with its thrilling action and rich legacy. Indiana Sprint Week’s 2026 schedule consists of nine events at nine different racetracks across a 10-night span between July 23-August 1.
The remaining eight events of Indiana Sprint Week following IMS will retain the traditional USAC format, with open entry to all and paying full points toward both the 2026 USAC National Sprint Car and Indiana Sprint Week standings.
Following Thursday’s ISW kick off at The Dirt Track at IMS, the series continues at Putnamville’s Lincoln Park Speedway on Friday, July 24, followed by Kokomo Speedway on Saturday, July 25; Lawrenceburg Speedway on Sunday, July 26; Circle City Raceway on Monday, July 27; Paragon Speedway on Wednesday, July 29; the Terre Haute Action Track on Thursday, July 30; Bloomington Speedway on Friday, July 31; and Haubstadt’s Tri-State Speedway on Saturday, August 1.
Indiana Sprint Week was established in 1988 and enters its 39th year in 2026. USAC began sanctioning Indiana Sprint Week in 1996. Since 1988, 228 Indiana Sprint Week events have been contested, and 196 under the USAC banner. Dave Darland is the all-time winningest driver in Indiana Sprint Week history with 20 victories. Levi Jones and Kevin Thomas own the most Indiana Sprint Week titles with four apiece.
RACE DETAILS
On Thursday at IMS, grandstands open at 4pm Eastern with the drivers’ meeting set for 5pm at the BMW Building in the infield at the north end of the track. Engine heat will take place at 6pm while hot laps / group qualifying is set for 6:30pm followed by heat races, a C-Main, a feature redraw, the semi-feature and the 35-lap feature main event.
Tickets for the event at IMS are on sale now at https://ims.com/events/sprint-cars.
THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2026, IMS USAC SPRINT CAR ENTRY LIST: (37 DRIVERS & CARS)
1 RYLAN GRAY/Greenfield, IN (Gray Motorsports)
2E TODD MOULE/Heathcote, VIC (Epperson Racing)
3p KYLE CUMMINS/Princeton, IN (Petty Performance Racing)
3R HUNTER SCHUERENBERG/Sikeston, MO (Rock Steady Racing)
4 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (TOPP Motorsports)
4x BRAYDON CROMWELL/Lone Jack, MO (Rachel Cromwell-Boyd Racing)
G5 GUNNAR SETSER/Columbus, IN (Jason Setser)
5T JAKE SWANSON/Anaheim, CA (Daming Swanson Motorsports)
6 LOGAN CALDERWOOD/Goodyear, AZ (Rex Calderwood Racing)
6T TREY OSBORNE/Columbus, OH (Trey Osborne Racing)
9z ZACK PRETORIUS/Yorktown, IN (Jeff Pretorius)
10 ARIC GENTRY/Robards, KY (Larry Gentry)
12 ROBERT BALLOU/Rocklin, CA (Ballou Motorsports)
14 JADON ROGERS/Worthington, IN (Jadon Rogers)
15 KEVIN THOMAS JR./Cullman, AL (BBI Motorsports)
16 HARLEY BURNS/Brazil, IN (Britt Aero Racing)
19 HAYDEN REINBOLD/Gilbert, AZ (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
19AZ MITCHEL MOLES/Raisin City, CA (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
21AZ (R) GAVIN MILLER/Allentown, PA (Team AZ-Curb-Agajanian Racing)
21K KOBE SIMPSON/Bonham, TX (Kevin Simpson)
24 THOMAS MESERAULL/San Jose, CA (Landon Simon Racing)
24m HUNTER MADDOX/Bedford, IN (Hunter Maddox Racing)
27 J.J. YELEY/Phoenix, AZ (Shawn Wood)
28 BRANDON MATTOX/Terre Haute, IN (Brandon Mattox Racing)
34 SHANE COTTLE/Kansas, IL (Jeff Olson)
39 BRIGGS DANNER/Allentown, PA (Hogue Racing Enterprises)
41 RICKY LEWIS/Oxnard, CA (Ricky Lewis)
45N (R) TROY CAREY/Tullamore, NSW (Troy Carey Motorsports)
47 CHARLES DAVIS JR./Buckeye, AZ (Charles Davis Jr.)
53 C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Fox Brothers-Brayden Fox Racing)
57 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Abacus Racing)
61m CARSON GARRETT/Littleton, CO (Randy Edwards)
63 (R) CALE COONS/Greencastle, IN (Dooling Autosports-Curb-Agajanian)
77 TODD HOBSON/Clyde, VIC (Wingo Bishop Racing)
77s (R) DAVID GASPER/Goleta, CA (Tyler Sturgeon Racing)
83c CHANCE CRUM/Snohomish, WA (Crum Racing)
92 CHASE STOCKON/Fort Branch, IN (Tom & Laurie Sertich)
® USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year Contender