USAC Sprint Cars To Race Thursday at IMS in Indiana Sprint Week Opener

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From IMS. Additional information from my story yesterday.

  INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, July 22, 2025) – The 38th annual USAC NOS Energy Drink Indiana Sprint Week Presented by Honest Abe Roofing will open with a historic event Thursday night, July 24 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
An invitational field of 40 drivers will compete in a 35-lap feature for a $10,000 winner’s purse. This race on the 1/5th-mile clay oval inside Turn 3 of IMS will pay appearance points toward the season-long USAC National Sprint Car standings but not offer points toward the 2025 Indiana Sprint Week standings.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. The 2025 Indiana Sprint Week schedule consists of eight events at eight different racetracks across a 10-night span between July 24-Aug. 2.
C.J. Leary captured the only previous visit by the USAC National Sprint Cars to The Dirt Track at IMS in September 2024, a 20-lap, non-points exhibition race during the BC39 Presented by Avanti Windows & Doors. Leary raced from seventh to first, making the winning pass with nine laps remaining.
Public gates open at 5 p.m. ET Thursday. Engine heat will start at 6 p.m., with hot laps and group qualifying at 6:30 p.m. That will be followed by heat races, a C-Main, a feature redraw and the semi-feature, with the night concluding with the 35-lap feature main event.
To buy tickets or for more information, visit IMS.com. Spectators must enter IMS via Gate 10 off 30th Street to access The Dirt Track. No entrance will be allowed through Gate 2.
2025 USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK INDIANA SPRINT WEEK EVENT AT THE DIRT TRACK AT IMS ENTRIES(As of July 21, 2025)
0G KYLE SHIPLEY/Phoenix (Black Gold Racing)
1 J.J. YELEY/Phoenix (Petty Performance Racing)
2B KALE DRAKE/Collinsville, Oklahoma (2B Racing)
2E CARSON GARRETT/Littleton, Colorado (Epperson Racing)
3p KYLE CUMMINS/Princeton, Indiana (Petty Performance Racing)3R KEVIN THOMAS JR./Cullman, Alabama (Rock Steady Racing)
4 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, California (TOPP Motorsports)4x BRAYDON CROMWELL/Lone Jack, Missouri (Boyd Racing)
5G GUNNAR SETSER/Columbus, Indiana (KO Motorsports)
5T JAKE SWANSON/Anaheim, California (Daming Swanson Motorsports)
6 LOGAN CALDERWOOD/Goodyear, Arizona (Josh Ford Motorsports)6R BILL ROSE/Plainfield, Indiana (Bill Rose Racing)
6T TREY OSBORNE/Columbus, Ohio (Trey Osborne Racing)
12 ROBERT BALLOU/Rocklin, California (Ballou Motorsports)
16 HARLEY BURNS/Brazil, Indiana (Britt Aero Racing)
19 HAYDEN REINBOLD/Gilbert, Arizona (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
19AZ MITCHEL MOLES/Raisin City, California (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
20 BRADY BACON/Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (Chris Dyson Racing)
21AZ C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, Indiana (Team AZ-Curb-Agajanian Racing)
21K KOBE SIMPSON/Bonham, Texas (Kevin Simpson)
21m CARSON SHORT/Marion, Illinois (Randy Edwards)
24 THOMAS MESERAULL/San Jose, California (Landon Simon Racing)
24m HUNTER MADDOX/Bedford, Indiana (Hunter Maddox Racing)
28 BRANDON MATTOX/Terre Haute, Indiana (Brandon Mattox Racing)
33p R.J. JOHNSON/Laveen, Arizona (Petty Performance Racing)
34 SHANE COTTLE/Kansas, Illinois (Jeff Olson)
39 BRIGGS DANNER/Allentown, Pennsylvania (Hogue Racing Enterprises)
41 RICKY LEWIS/Camarillo, California (Ricky Lewis Motorsports)
44 WESLEY SMITH/Nixa, Missouri (Wesley Smith Racing)
47 CHARLES DAVIS JR./Buckeye, Arizona (Charles Davis Jr.)
57 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, California (Abacus Racing)
61m BRADY SHORT/Bedford, Indiana (Randy Edwards)
63 JERRY COONS JR./Tucson, Arizona (Dooling Autosports-Curb-Agajanian)
66 JADON ROGERS/Worthington, Indiana (Amati Racing)
77 TODD HOBSON/Clyde, Australia (Wingo Brothers Racing)
83c CHANCE CRUM/Snohomish, Washington (Crum Racing)
86 DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, Oklahoma (CB Industries
)88J JOEY AMANTEA/Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania (JPA Racing)
92 CHASE STOCKON/Fort Branch, Indiana (Tom & Laurie Sertich)
96 RYLAN GRAY/Greenfield, Indiana (Ted Slinkard) 

IMS Kicks off Indiana Sprint Week

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Thursday, July 24, Indiana Sprint begins with a program at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time The event is an appearance points only race Indiana Sprint week officially begins Friday night at Putnamville and runs through August 2nd

The IMS schedule:

6:30 PM

USAC Sprint Car Hot Laps

Group qualifying, by Heat Race group

7:45 PM

USAC Sprint Week Opening Ceremonies

8:00 PM

USAC Sprint Car Heat Races

10 Laps

Top 3 Transfer

9:00 PM

USAC Sprint Car C Main

12 Laps

Top 4 transfer

9:30 PM

USAC Sprint Car Semi-Feature

15 Laps

Top 4 transfer

10:00 PM

USAC Sprint Car Feature

35 Laps

The 40 car entry list has many veterans and some winners of the BC39 midget programs that runs at the IMS dirt oval

Quick Thoughts- Toronto

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Pato O’Ward won the race by stopping. His Arrow McLaren team called him in to ditch the alternate tires on the early caution on lap 3. The strategy put him in position to take the lead on lap 57, then assume it again on lap 62 after everyone else cycled through their final stops. O’Ward dodged the colliding cars of David Malukas and Felix Rosenqvist on lap 88. I thought he may have had slight contact with one of them.

O’Ward has won two of the last three races and has cut Alex Palou’s lead in the championship to 99 points with four races to go.

The 90 lap race was one of the best of the year. Three cautions in the first 30 laps scrambled pit strategies and made it a thinking man’s race, but in between the yellows, fans saw some excellent racing. There were many battles throughout the field. I don’t recall ever seeing Toronto as racy as it was today.

New Faces on the Podium

Rinus VeeKay returned to the podium for the first time in three years. He finished second after O’Ward won the pit stop battle. The result isvindication for VeeKay, who could not find a ride until just before the season began. It is also a win for Dale Coyne Racing. DCR cars usually hover near the Leaders’ Circle cut line, but VeeKay has the 18 solidly in 11th place. VeeKay has recorded seven top 10s and two top fives in 2025.

Kyfffin Simpson has come close, but today he finally earned the elusive podium. Simpson drove from 13th to third as he held off Colton Herta, who had fresher tires. Simpson has had a solid season. He is 14th in points in his sophomore campaign.

A Tale of Two Seasons

From the opener at St. Pete through the Indianapolis 500, IndyCar races were as uninteresting as I ever remember, There were few cautions, and they all occurred very early in the races. The racing was processional, and drama came only when there was a pit stop miscue.

At Detroit, someone finally remembered to turn on the IndyCar racing switch. The last seven races have been amazing. Timely and untimely cautions, incredible racing for position, and victories in doubt until the end have produced a great summer of action.

There are sadly just four races left for 2025, and let’s hope the trend continues.

FOX

While the network pulled out all the stops for the Indianapolis 500, I am finding their broadcasts a bit tedious. Today a they were once again in commercial when a major crash happened, important pit stops were missed, and not much mention was made of O’Ward’s near miss at the end.

Towards the end of the race there was a one lap break between commercials.

The last two weekends we have seen a tiny peek at a pit stop timer. I saw it once today. If you have it, use it consistently. I would rather the pit stop timer overused than the current overuse of onboard cameras. I wnt to see side by side racing, not the view from a cockpit.

Notes

Finally, a good result for Marcus Ericsson. Ericsson finished fifth, between teammates Herta and Kyle Kirkwood. The 2023 500 winner has had a tough year with disqualifications and unfortunate happenings on track.

Tam Penske’s dismal season continues. Scott McLaughlin left the pits with the left rear wheel not mounted properly and crashed in turn 3 on the out lap. It is the third time this season he has been the first car out of the race. Josef Newgarden once again got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, as he ended up underneath the car of Jacob Abel. Will Power finished 11th, but he had several incidents of contact throughout the day.

David Malukas salvaged a top 10 after a disastrous final pit stop and a collision with two laps to go. Malukas began to exit the pits before the right rear tire had been secured. He stopped and the crew pulled him back, but the time lost nearly ruined the day.

Kirkwood thought that he threw away the pole yesterday. Today he may have thrown away a win. Team strategy had him in a good spot to contend, but he was spun coming in for his last stop and had to fight his way back to sixth. While he regained third place in the standings Kirkwood is 173 points behind Palou.

Results

Thanks for following along this weekend. One more race this month, then a short break.

Toronto Tire Selections, Warm Up Results

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I’m surprised at how many drivers are starting on the primary tire.

In the Warmup, Santino Ferrucci crashed heavily in turn 7 destroying the car’s left side suspension. He slid down the track top turn 8 where the right side made contact with the tire barrier.

Late word is that Ferrucci was seen by IndyCar medical but not cleared to drive. Will keep you posted as this story is updated.

Race broadcast begins at noon Eastern on Fox, with he green flag at 12:22 pm.

IndeyCar Radio coverage begins at 11:30 am Eastern.

The Streets Belong to Andretti

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Colton Herta took pole at Toronto for the second straight year and the third time in his career as Andretti Global completed an amazing qualifying record across all four street races for the IndyCar season.

The team has had a presence on the front row at every street course event. Herta started second at St. Pete, Kyle Kirkwood and Herta locked out the front row at Long Beach, Herta won pole at Detroit and starts first again tomorrow for the Ontario Honda dealers Toronto Indy.

Qualifying began as a battle between Kirkwood and Will Power for the pole as they traded the top spot in round 1. Herta, Marcus armstrong, and Alex Palou then became the main contenders as the fast 12 came to a close. In the Fast Six, Herta and Palou were left to slug it out as Kirkwood had a wild slide on his hot lap and Power could not improve on his first lap. Just 27 hu8ndredths of a second was the difference between Herta and Palou. The Fast Six had a separation of just seven tenths of a second.

Notes

Louis Foster is becoming a Fast Six and Fast 12 regular in the second half of the season.

Five different teams made the Fast Six, and eight different teams advanced to round 2.

Marcus Armstrong backed up his podium last Sunday at Iowa with a third place result in today’s qualifying.

Nolan Siegel qualified 13th, a respectable return after sitting out last Sunday’s race.

The cars of Pato O’Ward and Christian Lundgaard will undergo engine changes this afternoon. Both new powerplants are approved, and no penalties will be assessed for the changes.

Scott Dixon will start 17th due to an engine penalty.

Results

Toronto Practice 1

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Low grip and bumps were the main concerns for drivers in Practice 1 for the Ontario Honda Dealers Toronto Indy. Kyle Kirkwood led the practice session after Will Power led the way in the all car portion and his group. Nine drivers turned laps under 62 seconds.

It appears as if the race is trending toward running primary tires as the preferred rubber in what should be a three stop race.

Results

INDYCAR Announces Streets of Toronto Grid Penalty

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 INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, July 18, 2025) – INDYCAR has announced a six-position starting grid penalty for the entry of No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing for an unapproved engine change following the Sunday, July 13 race at Iowa Speedway.
The entry was in violation of:Rule 16.1.2.3.2. A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points if a Full Season Entrant has completed the Full Season Entrant Engine Mileage with its first four (4) Engines. Otherwise, a fifth (5th) or more Engine does not earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Unapproved Engine change-out.
According to Rule 16.1.6.1.2., the penalty is a six-position starting grid penalty on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next event, which is the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto Sunday, July 20 on the Streets of Toronto.