This past week is what makes the month of May oh so special here in the Hoosier State.
Not only were race fans blessed with a plethora of events to pick and choose, but were also treated to some events, especially the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500, that will be talked about for years to come.
Josef Newgarden’s triumph Sunday afternoon at Indianapolis put the exclamation point on what had already been an entertaining week. Personally I was torn as the laps wound down since it would also have been a feel-good story if Santino Ferruci could have piloted his A.J. Foyt Racing No. 14 into the hallowed ground of victory lane as it was the first Indy 500 since Foyt started competing that his wife, Lucy, was not in attendance after passing away earlier this year.
As it was, seeing the unbridled joy on Newgarden’s face as he exited his car and bound into the front stretch crowd was something to remember.
USAC
As part of a jam-packed month of events the United States Auto Club ventured west to Kansas to compete at the Belleville High Banks as well as the short track with the Silver Crown National Championship Series and the NOS Energy Drink National Midget Series last Tuesday and Wednesday.
On the big track, Brady Bacon outdueled Justin Grant, leading the final seven laps of the 50-lap event to score the season-opening win. With the laps winding down the duo were contesting the top spot with Bacon down low and Grant riding the rim. On the 47th lap the pair came together exiting turn four which resulted in Grant flipping down the front stretch and thwarting his hopes for the win. Kody Swanson, the winningest driver in series’ history, finished second after leading the first 27 circuits. Chase Stockon took third while former Kokomo and Gas City Speedway track champion Shane Cottle was fourth. Logan Seavey rounded out the top five.
In the midget portion of the twinbill, Ryan Timms and Zach Daum each recorded feature wins in the two-night show.
Timms ran up front throughout the 30-lap feature, snagging the lead on three different occasions, the final pass for the lead came on the 19th circuit when he got around Jake Andreotti in what turned out to be the race-winning pass. Andreotti held off Daum for second with Daison Pursley claiming fourth and Tanner Thorson fifth.
The next night Daum took the lead on the 27th lap of the 40-lap event en route to scoring the win. Jade Avedisian was second with Thomas Meseraull taking third. Jacob Denney and Grant rounded out the top five.
The series then moved down the road to the Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex for a Thursday show that saw Denney lead from green to checkered to score the win over Pursley in the 40 lap show. Meseraull was third, Taylor Reimer fourth and Bryant Weideman fifth.
The midgets return to action this weekend to kick off the annual running of Indiana Midget Week at Haubstadt on Sunday evening.
The Silver Crown Series returned to Indianapolis Raceway Park for the rain makeup of the Hoosier Hundred Friday night with pavement standout Bobby Santos III taking the lead from Kody Swanson on the 116th lap of the 146-lap event. Seavey proved to be as tough on pavement as he is on dirt with his second-place showing. Tyler Roahrig was third with Derek Bischak and Taylor Ferns rounding out the top five. Peru’s Russ Gamester finished 18th after running near the front for a bulk of the event.
The series gets back into action June 17 in Pennsylvania when it converges on the Port Royal Speedway.
The Circle City Raceway in Indianapolis was the site of the Amsoil National Sprint Car Series on Wednesday and Thursday and when the dust settled following the second night of action, Kyle Cummins showed why he could be considered a serious challenger for the series’ championship as he pretty much dominated Thursday’s $10,000-to-win finale.
Cummins, who simply made the Kokomo Speedway his own ATM last August during the Sprint Car Smackdown, led all but five laps in claiming the twin checkered flag. Jake Swanson finished second and Bacon third. Emerson Axsom, the talented second-year standout, was fourth and Matt Westfall fifth. Lincoln’s Dave Darland made his first start of the season, finishing 18th.
In Wednesday’s opener, Swanson picked up his first national points-paying event by getting around Robert Ballou on the 12th lap, then setting sail the rest of the 30-lap feature. Cummins was second, Bacon third, Grant fourth and Ballou fifth.
The series gets back into action this weekend at the Knoxville Raceway with Cummins sitting atop the standings with 621 points. Bacon is second with 599 markers while C.J. Leary is third with 589 points. Swanson (579) and Grant (572) round out the top five.
Kokomo Speedway
Mother Nature finally cooperated with the Kokomo Speedway as a healthy crowd was on hand Sunday night in the annual running of BC’s Indiana Double.
California driver Max Adams piloted his family-owned No. 5x to his first career win at the local oval in the 25-lap Kokomo Sprint Car feature. Jadon Rogers was second in the Baldwin Brothers/Fox Paving No. 5 while Jack Hoyer kicked off his second full year behind the wheel of a non-wing sprint with a stellar third-place run. Scotty Weir was fourth in the Honest Abe’s Roofing/Benic Enterprises No. 2B and Harley Burns fifth.
In the Modified main event, Nick Allen piloted his No. 21A to the 20-lap feature win over perennial standout Todd Sherman. Bradley Jameson rounded out the podium with his third-place run with his brother Garrett a spot behind. Bobby Stremme completed the top five.
Sheldon Oberle claimed the 15-lap win in the UMP Thunder Car finale. Travis Wolford was second, Ryan Coley third, David Hurst fourth and Trevor Bitterling fifth.