Persistent rain and thunderstorms Wednesday evening forced the cancellation of the first night of the Driven2SaveLives BC39 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Gates will open at 4 p.m. ET Thursday at the quarter-mile dirt track inside Turn 3 of the IMS oval. All 72 cars entered in one of the most prestigious USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship events of the season will be eligible to participate Thursday, with the first practice at 5 p.m.
Among the events rained out Wednesday was the Stoops Pursuit race. IMS and USAC officials are working to find a slot in the remaining three days of on-track action Thursday through Saturday to stage the popular race, a 25-lap event split into five-lap segments in which cars with a net loss in position will be removed from the track after each segment.
The BC39 field represents the largest car count of the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship season, along with the biggest purse of the year for the 24 drivers competing in the feature Saturday night -- $20,039 to win. There are 19 past USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship feature winners and drivers from 20 American states in the overall event field, with California (15 drivers) and Indiana (13) leading the list.
The event will continue to honor late USAC champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 starter Bryan Clauson and increase awareness of and participation in the Indiana Donor Network and Driven2SaveLives.
Public gates open at 4 p.m. each of the three remaining days. The 39-lap feature race is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
Visit IMS.com to buy tickets and pit passes or for more information.
