INDIANAPOLIS, IN (23 July 2025) – A high-octane chapter in dirt racing history will be written this Thursday night, as the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) plays host to the opening round of the 38th annual USAC NOS Energy Drink Indiana Sprint Week, presented by Honest Abe Roofing.
Taking place on 24 July, this landmark event marks the official return of the USAC National Sprint Cars to The Dirt Track at IMS, a tight 1/5-mile clay oval located inside Turn 3 of the world-famous circuit. A field of 40 elite drivers, selected by strict invitational criteria, will battle it out in a 35-lap feature race for a winner’s purse of $10,000 USD.
While the race will contribute appearance points to the 2025 USAC National Sprint Car standings, it will not count toward the Indiana Sprint Week championship itself – a format decision aimed at ensuring a streamlined, high-quality showcase.
Strict Selection, Star-Studded Grid
The 40-driver field was drawn from an invite list of 64, with eligibility determined by recent championship standings and historical performance in USAC competition. Drivers qualified based on results from the 2024 and 2025 USAC National Sprint Car and Indiana Sprint Week championships, as well as top performers from the USAC CRA Sprint Car series. Prior Indiana Sprint Week main event winners also qualified, provided they’d competed in recent seasons.
“We want to give this race the best opportunity to shine,” said USAC series director Kirk Spridgeon. “We’ve had to put parameters in place due to time, space and track constraints, and although demand is overwhelming, it simply isn’t feasible to open it up to all.”
A Return to Racing’s Sacred Ground
The only prior USAC Sprint Car outing at IMS took place in September 2024 during the BC39 event, where C.J. Leary delivered a dramatic drive from seventh to victory in a 20-lap non-points exhibition. Leary, driving for Team AZ-Curb-Agajanian Racing, is among the headliners returning this week in pursuit of another IMS triumph.
Australian fans will also have reason to tune in, with Todd Hobson of Clyde, Victoria, flying the flag for Australia as part of Wingo Brothers Racing.
The event kicks off a packed Indiana Sprint Week calendar, with seven further events to follow across eight venues in just ten nights, a gruelling test of endurance, skill and mechanical stamina that has become a beloved tradition since the series’ inception in 1988.
Event Schedule – Thursday 24 July at IMS
- Public Gates Open: 5:00pm (ET)
- Drivers’ Meeting: 5:00pm at the BMW Building
- Engine Heat: 6:00pm
- Hot Laps & Group Qualifying: 6:30pm
- Racing to Follow: Heat Races, C-Main, Feature Redraw, Semi-Feature, then 35-lap Feature Final
Entry List Highlights
Among the star-studded entry list are:
- Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK) – four-time USAC National Sprint Car Champion
- Justin Grant (Ione, CA) – 2020 USAC Silver Crown Champion
- Logan Seavey (Sutter, CA) – one of the sport’s most versatile young talents
- Thomas Meseraull, Robert Ballou, and Jake Swanson – all crowd favourites known for aggressive driving styles
- Todd Hobson – the sole Aussie in the field, looking to make a mark on American soil
Looking Ahead
Following the IMS showcase, Sprint Week heads to Lincoln Park Speedway (Putnamville) on Friday 25 July, before making stops at Kokomo, Lawrenceburg, Circle City, Terre Haute, Bloomington, and Haubstadt’s Tri-State Speedway to round out the series on 2 August.
Tickets for the IMS event are still available at IMS.com/Sprintweek. Attendees must enter via Gate 10 off 30th Street, as no access will be permitted through Gate 2.
For fans of high-speed drama on dirt, Thursday night promises to be a spectacle not to be missed, blending the raw energy of sprint car racing with the historic grandeur of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
