The entry list has hit 50 for the fourth running of the Driven2SaveLives BC39.
A New Zealand Midget champion and a past Chili Bowl Midget Nationals champion headline the latest entries filed for the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship event on August 3-4 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Kiwis, Michael Pickens and Travis Buckley, along with John Heydenreich and Michelle Decker have pushed the field over the half-century mark with less than a week until race day.
Auckland’s Pickens is a nine-time New Zealand Midget champion and four-time USAC National Midget feature winner, who will make his highly anticipated return to the United States following a three-year hiatus, driving the Shophouse Racing number 17. While fellow New Zealander Travis Buckley will make his BC39 debut in the seat of the BSL Racing number 7NZ.
Heydenreich (Bloomsburg, Pa.) comes in as a winner of both the Chili Bowl and the Hut 100 in his career and will pilot his own number 22 for the BC39 event. Decker (Guthrie, Okla.) was the first female to win a points championship at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds and is also a winner in USAC Western States Midget competition.
They’ll be joined by the likes of inaugural BC39 winner Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.), USAC Triple Crown champion J.J. Yeley, along with fellow USAC national champions Tyler Courtney (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.), plus Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman (South Bend, Ind.), 10-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car titlist Donny Schatz (Fargo, N.D.), NASCAR Cup Series winner Chase Briscoe (Mitchell, Ind.) and NASCAR Truck Series champion Sheldon Creed (Alpine, Calif.), along with many, many more.
How it Works
The BC39 officially gets underway on Tuesday, August 2 with team parking at Noon Eastern followed by the heat race position draft. 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.
On track action begins Wednesday, August 3, beginning with the drivers meeting in the IMS Media Room at 2pm Eastern. Public gates open at 3pm with cars hitting the track for practice at 4pm, followed by opening ceremonies at 7pm. Heat races and the incredibly exciting Stoops Pursuit feature race will conclude the night’s racing action.
The finale, on Thursday, August 4, will have the public gates opening at 3pm and cars on track for practice at 4pm, with qualifying races to follow at 5pm. Opening ceremonies are slated for 7:30pm and immediately followed by the main feature events, the semi-feature and the 39-lap main event.
