Cherished Memories, Family Ties Keep Clauson’s Magic Legacy Alive through BC39

He’s been gone two years, but not a day goes by when his family doesn’t imagine what Bryan Clauson would have thought.

Parents Diana and Tim Clauson, as well as Bryan’s sister, Taylor McLean, smile during these reflective moments.

They can’t help but chuckle about how the late United States Auto Club champion would have reacted to having his name on Wednesday and Thursday’s Driven2SaveLives BC39 presented by NOS Energy Drink USAC P1 Insurance National Midget race at The Dirt Track at IMS.

“We say as a family on a regular basis, ‘Bryan is probably rolling his eyes at us right now,’” Diana said. “He would have said, ‘Oh, guys, you don’t need to name it after me.’”

It was the humble Clauson, a celebrated short-track champion with 112 career wins, who shared specific ideas for this race with IMS President Doug Boles. It wasn’t enough to just have a dirt track race, not at this famous venue.

Tim Clauson can still see his son and Boles walking over to the temporary dirt track constructed in Turn 3 of the Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval for exhibition runs by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and others in July 2016.

“He had Doug’s ear, and Doug had Bryan’s ear,” Tim said.

Clauson didn’t live to see it, dying about one month later, on Aug. 7, 2016, from injuries suffered in a Midget crash the day before in Belleville, Kansas.

But for a 27-year-old legend who called Noblesville, Indiana, home, his legacy lives on in the race he envisioned at his favorite track. A USAC-record 118 entries will compete for $70,000 in purse and incentives, including $15,000 for the winner, in the 39-lap feature event on the new, quarter-mile clay oval built in nearly the exact location as the temporary facility that Clauson loved in July 2016.

“Tim, Taylor and Di have continued to keep that passion of Bryan’s alive for short-track racing and for the Speedway,” Boles said. “They’ve been instrumental in helping us put this together.

“It’s definitely mixed emotions for all of us who loved the sport, especially those of us who grew up around short-track racing and knew what Bryan meant to it. The way that this has all come together, it feels like Bryan has been a part of it anyway. He may not be here, but it feels like Bryan has been doing some work behind the scenes.”

Bryan’s organ donations saved five lives and his tissue donation healed up to 75 people, hence the connection to Driven2SaveLives, with which his 25-year-old sister works as a community relations coordinator at Indiana Donor Network.

“It’s been really cool to be able to do this together as a family,” Taylor said. “I’ve grown up in the dirt. I remember going to every race with my family, trucking down the road with Bryan and dad, singing country music songs, doing the little things. Those are the things that I think we miss the most and we try to help each other through, those little moments.

“Everybody wishes Bryan was still here. The whole racing community wishes Bryan was still here.”

The worthy cause makes this fitting tribute even more meaningful.

“It was a dream of his to be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” Taylor said of her brother, who started three Indianapolis 500s. “It was a dream of his to make a living as a full-time dirt guy. So to bring both of those things together and give other drivers this opportunity is something that I know Bryan would be proud of and something Bryan would be behind 150 percent.

“It just really fits not only who he was within the sport but who he was as a person. He just wanted other guys like himself to have this opportunity. He wanted to be able to share two of his greatest loves, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and dirt-track racing, with the world.”

Because Bryan would have wanted it, the family has continued to race with other young drivers. But Bryan’s memory is on vivid display at the Clauson-Marshall Racing facility in Fishers, Indiana, which showcases his racing suits, trophies, helmets and gloves. There’s one of his first trophies from 1995 and an old racing suit from 2000.

“That’s about a quarter of what we have,” Diana said proudly.

Clauson was the youngest USAC feature winner at 16 and won the first of five national championships across two divisions at 21. His 112 career wins sanctioned by USAC rank fifth on the career list. He amassed a lot of hardware.

Immersed in memories from some of that memorabilia, Tim is particularly proud of picture taken of his son driving a Midget. The image conjures another reflective moment.

The photo is of the Midget that Bryan drove when besting two-time Brickyard winner Tony Stewart and Sarah Fisher on that temporary IMS dirt track. The fun “test” almost didn’t happen.

“We had come off a weekend before where we had crashed or blown up every engine we had, then we ran a Sprint Car the next weekend,” Tim said. “Bryan went to Kansas City to get his Outlaw team stuff figured out and get fitted in seats. We were all going to convene at the shop Tuesday morning to get a Midget together. He got delayed. We were trying to piece together something to go down (to IMS) with.

“The team was worn out. I was worn out. Bryan called from the airport and said he was running late. I was half-hoping he was calling to tell me to bag it.”

Not a chance.

“To this day, I’m so thankful we didn’t,” Tim said. “It truly was an incredible day out there.”

The fun culminated with Bryan having that chat with Boles, and the rest is history.

“It may have been the best day he ever spent at a racetrack,” Tim said.

Diana assures her emotions will be in check for this special race day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“I know I’ll have goosebumps,” she said. “It’s a happy thing. I’d be sad if we didn’t do something like this.

“Bryan is up there smiling because I know that he knows that we tried to get it done right.”