EXCITING FORMAT PRESENTS ACTION TO TRIM FIELD FOR BC39 MAIN

September 2, 2019 | By Paul Kelly, Indianapolis Motor Speedway

With 88 drivers entered, the competition to make the field for the main during the Driven2SaveLives BC39 Powered by NOS Energy Drink will be almost as intense as that in the feature event Sept. 4-5 at The Dirt Track at IMS.

Only about a quarter of the entries for the USAC National Midget Championship race on the quarter-mile dirt oval inside Turn 3 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will qualify for the main event Thursday night, Sept. 5. So, the United States Auto Club (USAC) is using an action-packed format to trim the huge, star-studded field to the feature starting lineup.

The 39-lap feature race honors late USAC champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 starter Bryan Clauson and increases awareness of the Indiana Donor Network and its Driven2SaveLives campaign.

A look at the format to be used to form the field for the main at this race:

Wednesday, Sept. 4

The format for Wednesday's program will feature all cars on the track but not for qualifying as is usually done for the majority of USAC National events. Instead, all cars will draw randomly for heat race positions and hot lap with their heat race, only one round of hot laps.

While the race for victory will be paramount, the battle for points will be as essential and filled with pressure. Each car will gain points based on passes, which will determine starting position in the qualifying races Thursday night.

Heat races will be 10 laps each, with the starting lineups determined by the heat race “draft” Tuesday night, Sept. 3 at USAC headquarters in Speedway, Indiana. Points for the heats will be accumulated by finishing position and total number of positions gained or lost. Cars will be positioned into qualifying races Thursday based on the “passing points” accumulated in Wednesday's heats.

The Stoops Pursuit race Wednesday night is a 25-lap race split into five-lap segments. The field will include 24 starters – heat race winners plus the highest point earner in each heat are eligible, along with promoter’s options. The starting lineup is inverted by fastest heat race time, with promoter’s options starting at the rear. Every five laps, USAC will throw a competition flag, and cars with a net loss in position and the last-place car will be called to exit the track.

A checkered flag ends the final segment, with the winner earning $1,500 plus $100 for each position gained. All Stoops Pursuit participants also receive a free right-rear tire, courtesy of Hoosier.

Thursday, Sept. 5

All cars are eligible for Thursday's qualifying races, with up to 15 cars per race. Qualifying races will be 10 laps each, with top-six starting positions inverted, with the top point earner from Wednesday's heat races starting sixth.

Total points from the heat races and qualifying races will be added to set the feature starting lineup, along with transfers from the B-Main, C-Main and front of the D-Main races. The top 16 overall in accumulated points will start straight-up in the first eight rows of the feature.

E-Mains (if needed): 10 laps. Includes cars 77th and higher in points from the heat races Wednesday. The top two finishers from each E-Main transfer into the D-Main.

D-Mains: 12 laps. Includes cars 45-76 in points, plus the top two finishers from each E-Main. The top three finishers in each D-Main transfer into the C-Main.

C-Main: 15 laps. Includes cars 31-44 in points, plus the top three finishers from each D-Main. The top six finishers transfer to the B-Main.

B-Main (Semi-Feature): 20 laps. Includes cars ranked 17-30 in points, plus the top-six finishers from the C-Main. The top six finishers transfer to the night's A-Main feature event.

The 39-lap A-Main feature will have 22 starters, plus two USAC provisional starters (if applicable) and two IMS options.

The BC39 starts five consecutive days of racing at IMS, leading into the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard Powered by Florida Georgia Line weekend Sept. 6-8 on the 2.5-mile IMS oval. On-track action for the Indiana 250 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series takes place Friday, Sept. 6 and Saturday, Sept. 7, while the stars of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will be on track Saturday, Sept. 7 and Sunday, Sept. 8 for the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard Powered by Florida Georgia Line.

On track action for the BC39 begins Wednesday, Sept. 4, beginning with the drivers meeting in the IMS Media Room at 2pm.  Public gates open at 3pm with cars hitting the track for practice at 5pm, followed by opening ceremonies at 6:30pm.  Heat races and the Stoops Pursuit race will conclude the night’s racing action.

The finale, on Thursday, Sept. 5, will have the public gates opening at 3pm and cars on track for practice at 4:30pm, with qualifying races to follow at 5:30pm.  Opening ceremonies are slated for 7pm and immediately followed by the main feature events, starting with multiple D-Mains, C-Main, the semi-feature and the 39-lap main event.

Spectator tickets and any competitors still looking to buy seats in the competitor section can purchase through www.ims.com/usac.

The BC39 officially gets underway on Tuesday, Sept. 3 with team parking at noon.  From 4-6pm, catch five USAC icons at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum’s USAC Stars: From the Dirt Track to the Brickyard series.  The event will feature legends Don and Mel Kenyon, and current drivers Michael Pickens, Chris Windom and Chad Boat.  Pat Sullivan, longtime USAC public address announcer, historian, and author, will emcee this evening of entertaining banter and thrilling stories.

Tickets are available to Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum members for $15 and non-members for $20.  Limited seating.  Tickets must be purchased in advance.  For more information or to buy tickets, contact Kelly Hartman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Following the event, make your way to USAC headquarters, just across the street from the IMS Administration office at 4910 W. 16th Street, for the BC39 Draft Party from 5:30pm to 8:30pm Eastern where drivers will draw for their heat race positions.  All cars entered will be randomized into a draft order for the heat race draft.  Teams will be able to pick their heat race spot, either in person with a representative, or remotely through USAC officials.  Any unrepresented team will be given the first available spot.  The heat race position draft is open to the public with team members getting priority into the new USAC worldwide headquarters.  Food and beverages will be available.

BC39 ENTRY LIST (88 Drivers)

00 LUKE HOWARD/Overland Park, KS (Jay Mounce)

08 CANNON McINTOSH/Bixby, OK (Dave Mac Motorsports)

1 KARSYN ELLEDGE/Mooresville, NC (Tucker/Boat Motorsports)

1BR CHASE JONES/Greenwood, IN (SFH Racing Development)

1K BRAYTON LYNCH/Springfield, IL (Rusty Kunz Racing)

1NZ MICHAEL PICKENS/Auckland, NZ (RMS LLC)

1ST ALEX BRIGHT/Collegeville, PA (Daryl Saucier)

2 RYAN HALL/Midlothian, TX (Mark Bush)

2J J.J. YELEY/Phoenix, AZ (Jeff Taylor)

2x MATT LINDER/Hoschton, GA (Mark Bush)

3 RICH DRANGMEISTER/Hobart, IN (Rich Drangmeister)

3N JAKE NEUMAN/New Berlin, IL (Jim Neuman)

4A JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (RAMS Racing)

4D ROBERT DALBY/Anaheim, CA (Ken Dalby)

5 KEVIN THOMAS, JR./Cullman, AL (Petry Motorsports)

5B CHASE BRISCOE/Mitchell, IN (Chase Briscoe Racing)

5D ZACH DAUM/Pocahontas, IL (Daum Motorsports)

7 CRITTER MALONE/Pittsboro, IN (Seven LLC)

7BC TYLER COURTNEY/Indianapolis, IN (Clauson/Marshall Racing)

7u KYLE JONES/Kennedale, TX (Trifecta Motorsports)

7x THOMAS MESERAULL/San Jose, CA (RMS LLC)

8 RANDI PANKRATZ/Atascadero, CA (Wally Pankratz)

9 CHRIS BAUE/Indianapolis, IN (Chris Baue)

9B CLINTON BOYLES/Greenwood, MO (Jay Mounce)

9H EMILIO HOOVER/Broken Arrow, OK (James Hoover)

10 LANCE BENNETT/Aurora, CO (Olivia Bennett)

10A MICHAEL KLEIN/Elsmere, KY (Mike Wallace)

11L AARON LEFFEL/Springfield, OH (Chuck Taylor)

11m KENDALL RUBLE/Vincennes, IN (Martin Motorsports)

11T TOMMY KOUNS/Lebanon, IN (Chuck Taylor)

12 BILLY WEASE/Noblesville, IN (Amanda Wease)

15 DAVE DARLAND/Lincoln, IN (Petry Motorsports)

15DJ DAVID PRICKETT/Fresno, CA (Neverlift Motorsports)

15J JEFF WIMMENAUER/Indianapolis, IN (Jeff Wimmenauer)

15s SHANNON McQUEEN/Bakersfield, CA (Broc Garrett)

15x CARSON GARRETT/Littleton, CO (Broc Garrett)

17 RICKY STENHOUSE, JR./Olive Branch, MS (Clauson/Marshall Racing)

17BC CHRIS WINDOM/Canton, IL (Clauson/Marshall Racing)

19 SPENCER BAYSTON/Lebanon, IN (Brodie Hayward)

19m ETHAN MITCHELL/Mooresville, NC (Bundy Built Motorsports)

20 CODY WEISENSEL/Sun Prairie, WI (Kevin Weisensel)

21 CHRISTOPHER BELL/Norman, OK (Keith Kunz Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian)

21D JUSTIN DICKERSON/Pittsboro, IN (Mike Dickerson)

21FS JONATHAN BEASON/Broken Arrow, OK (Team Ripper)

21KS C.J. LEARY/Greenfield, IN (Team Ripper)

21mc MARIA COFER/Macdoel, CA (Team Ripper)

22 JOHN HEYDENREICH/Bloomsburg, PA (John Givens)

23m DAVID BUDRES/Beloit, WI (Manic Racing)

25 JERRY COONS, JR./Tucson, AZ (Petry Motorsports)

25B STEVE BUCKWALTER/Royersford, PA (Steve Buckwalter)

27 TUCKER KLAASMEYER/Paola, KS (Keith Kunz Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian)

28 ACE McCARTHY/Tahlequah, OK (Jim Neuman)

31 TRAVIS BERRYHILL/American Canyon, CA (Manic Racing)

32J CHRIS JAGGER, JR./Warsaw, IN (Chris Jagger, Jr.)

35 CONOR DALY/Noblesville, IN (Petry Motorsports)

39BC ZEB WISE/Angola, IN (Clauson/Marshall Racing)

41 OLIVER AKARD/Ft. Myers, FL (Dan Akard)

43 BRENT BEAUCHAMP/Avon, IN (Kevin Arnold)

46 RUSS GAMESTER/Peru, IN (Gamester Racing)

47BC ANDREW LAYSER/Collegeville, PA (Clauson/Marshall Racing)

50 TONY DiMATTIA/Malvern, PA (Tony DiMattia Motorsports)

54 MATT WESTFALL/Pleasant Hill, OH (Steve Bordner)

54m RAY SEACH/Beloit, WI (Manic Racing)

55 NICK DRAKE/Mooresville, NC (Troy Cline)

56AP COLTEN COTTLE/Kansas, IL (Travis Young)

56x MARK CHISHOLM/Cheyenne, WY (Mark Chisholm)

57D DANIEL ROBINSON/Ewing, IL (McCreery Motorsports)

57K KEVIN STUDLEY/Plainfield, IN (Kevin Studley)

61 TREY OSBORNE/Columbus, OH (Mel Kenyon)

67 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Keith Kunz Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian)

67F KYLE O’GARA/Beech Grove, IN (SFH Racing Development)

67K HOLLEY HOLLAN/Broken Arrow, OK (Keith Kunz Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian)

71 JESSE COLWELL/Red Bluff, CA (Keith Kunz Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian)

71B ROBERT BELL/Colfax, IA (Robert Bell)

71K TANNER CARRICK/Lincoln, CA (Keith Kunz Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian)

71s CODY SWANSON/Norco, CA (Marcie Campbell)

72 SAM JOHNSON/St. Peters, MO (Joe Johnson)

76 KEN DRANGMEISTER/Hobart, IN (Ken Drangmeister)

76E BRADY BACON/Broken Arrow, OK (FMR Racing)

76m JASON McDOUGAL/Broken Arrow, OK (FMR Racing)

77B BLAZE BENNETT/Parker, CO (Olivia Bennett)

81 DILLON WELCH/Carmel, IN (Tucker/Boat Motorsports)

84 CHAD BOAT/Phoenix, AZ (Tucker/Boat Motorsports)

85 GIO SCELZI/Fresno, CA (Tucker/Boat Motorsports)

88 TYLER NELSON/Olathe, KS (Tyler Nelson)

91T TYLER THOMAS/Collinsville, OK (Brian Thomas)

97 KYLE LARSON/Elk Grove, CA (Keith Kunz Motorsports/Curb-Agajanian)

97A AUSTIN O’DELL/Rochester, IL (Patrick O’Dell)