Excitement Builds For This Year’s USAC Kokomo Grand Prix

Column By: NICK FILLMAN / RPW – KOKOMO, IN – After freezing temperatures were predicted for the Kokomo, IN area Friday, USAC & track officials decided to push this weekend’s Kokomo Grand Prix back by a day. The event will now be held on Sunday.

Regardless of the temperatures, the racing on the track will be hot and the field will be stacked for the first outdoor points-paying race for the USAC National Midget Series.

Canton, IL’s Chris Windom swept the USAC weekend last time out, winning both the Sprint Car feature on saturday and the Silver Crown event on Sunday. Windom is no stranger to the Kokomo Speedway and was the latest feature winner in a Midget last October.

Current point leader and winner indoors DuQuoin, Justin Grant, leads the stable from Clauson-Marshall Racing (CMR). Grant won the season-opening event for the USAC Sprint Car Series in Florida, and collected a preliminary night feature win at the 2017 Chili Bowl Nationals.

Grant is joined at CMR by teammate and second place point man Shane Golobic. Golobic will be looking for his second win in a Midget this season after winning the USAC Western Midget event at Placersville, a track in his home state of California.

At the most recent USAC National Midget event held at Kokomo, Rico Abreu was able to collect the win after mounting a charge late in the event. However, the leader for the majority of that race was Arizona’s Chad Boat. Boat finished the season second in points and will be looking to rebound this season by gravving the win.

Defending Series Champion Tanner Thorson leads the charge for Keith Kunz Motorsports, which will be looking to keep up their dominance of the USAC Midget Series after their performance last season. Thorson will be joined by teammates Spencer Bayston, Ryan Robinson, Holly Shelton, and rookie Tanner Carrick.

Collegeville, PA driver Alex Bright is fresh off a winning performance in the USAC Eastern Midget Series / ARDC opener this past saturday. Look for Bright to debut a brand new BOSS Chassis entry this weekend as he launches his effort for the national title.

Two drivers who are succeessful at Kokomo behind the wheel of anything they drive are Jerry Coons Jr. and Dave Darland. Both will be on the list of stout drivers trying to content for the victory during this weekend’s program.

The possible winners list doesn’t stop there, with drivers like Brady Bacon, Tyler Thomas, Tony DiMattia, and Tyler Courtney all expected to be in competition.

The midgets will be joined by a great field of weekly sprint car competitors both days, which will be sure to include a number of drivers pulling double duty. The events can be purchased on PPV at speedshiftTV.