Big, Elite Field Set To Race for Four Nights in BC39 at IMS 

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From IMS


 INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023) – Seventy-two drivers will compete for one of 24 spots in the feature race of the fifth running of the Driven2SaveLives BC39 on Sept. 27-30 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The BC39 field represents the largest car count of the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship season, along with the biggest purse of the year for the 39-lap feature Saturday night — $20,039 to win. There are 19 past USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship feature winners and drivers from 20 American states in the overall event field, with California (15 drivers) and Indiana (13) leading the list.
Two of the winners of the first four BC39 events are entered in one of the most prestigious events in midget racing – Brady Bacon of Oklahoma (2018) and Buddy Kofoid of California (2022). Bacon will be the only driver aiming to become the first two-time winner of the event, though, as other racing commitments will prevent Kofoid from competing in the feature Saturday night.
Five drivers in the field have won at least 10 USAC National Midget feature races during their respective careers – Tanner Thorson (29), Kofoid (24), Jerry Coons Jr. (19), Justin Grant (14) and Logan Seavey (14).
The event has expanded from two to four nights this year on the quarter-mile dirt oval inside Turn 3 of IMS, with a unique split-night format Thursday, Sept. 28 and Friday, Sept. 29.
All cars will be on track for practice Wednesday, Sept. 27, followed by the Stoops Pursuit race, a 25-lap race split into five-lap segments, with cars with a net loss in position will be removed from the track after each segment. The field consists of a total of 24 starters. The top-10 drivers in USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship points are locked into the event as are the 10 fastest during Wednesday night’s practice. Up to four promoter’s options will be available to start the event.
Once Wednesday’s program is complete, each car will compete either Thursday or Friday night before the feature night Saturday. Both preliminary night events Thursday and Friday will present full racing programs consisting of practice, heat races and qualifying races, the points of which will seed the lineups for that night’s C-Main (if needed), semi-feature and 30-lap feature event.
The top-three feature finishers from each preliminary night will be locked into the 39-lap, $20,039-to-win main event Saturday night, Sept. 30. All other finishers will seed the E-, D-, C- and B-Main lineups for Saturday night’s program based on their prelim night finishing position.
Seavey, from Sutter, California, is the favorite to earn his first BC39 victory in the No. 57 Abacus Racing entry. He has six feature wins in his last 14 starts and has recorded 14 consecutive top-five finishes in USAC National Midget competition entering this event, the most by any driver since Jason Leffler reeled off 21 straight in 1997. Seavey also just swept the USAC portion of the 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, joining only Jack Hewitt and Kyle Larson to achieve that feat.
While there are no NASCAR or NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers taking on the BC39 challenge this season, there will be a name in the field familiar to all IMS race fans. Adam Andretti, from Brownsburg, Indiana, will drive the No. 44 car fielded by Jeff Johnson. Andretti is the younger brother of 1983 USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year John Andretti, the son of Aldo Andretti and the nephew of 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner and 1978 Formula One World Champion Mario Andretti.
The event will continue to honor late USAC champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 starter Bryan Clauson and increase awareness of and participation in the Indiana Donor Network and Driven2SaveLives.
Public gates open at 4 p.m. ET each of the four days. Practice begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday, with hot laps starting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 6 p.m. Saturday. The 39-lap feature race is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
Visit IMS.com to buy tickets and pit passes or for more information.

BC39 Feature Winners: 2018-Brady Bacon, 2019-Zeb Wise, 2020-Not Held, 2021-Kyle Larson, 2022-Buddy Kofoid

Stoops Pursuit Winners: 2018-Zeb Wise, 2019-Kyle Larson, 2020-Not Held, 2021-Kyle Larson, 2022-Dominic Gorden

USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship Points: 1. Logan Seavey 1,297, 2. Bryant Wiedeman 1,088, 3. Justin Grant 1,066, 4. Ryan Timms 1,041, 5. Daison Pursley 1,037, 6. Jade Avedisian 1,031, 7. Jacob Denney 965, 8. Gavin Miller 945, 9 Cannon McIntosh 868, 10 Taylor Reimer 818.