Dirt racing continued to deepen its roots at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2025, delivering several memorable nights on the 1/5-mile Dirt Track inside Turn 3 of the famous IMS oval.
From a dramatic repeat victory in the BC39 Presented by Avanti Windows & Doors by Cannon McIntosh to an intense opening round of USAC Indiana Sprint Week, the clay oval again proved to be one of the most competitive and meaningful venues on the USAC calendar.
McIntosh headlined the summer slate by becoming the first two-time winner of the BC39 on July 2, completing a remarkable come-from-behind triumph befitting the event’s namesake, the late Bryan Clauson.
McIntosh, from Bixby, Oklahoma, survived an upside-down qualifying race crash earlier in the evening, then clawed his way into the main event by winning the Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts semi-feature. That left him starting 19th in the 24-car field, a seemingly insurmountable position.
But McIntosh methodically carved through traffic in his No. 71K Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports entry while early leader Justin Grant and Jacob Denney waged a tense battle at the front. Grant led the first 35 laps before contact with Denney while defending the lead left Grant with a flat tire. McIntosh took advantage, sliding into second before launching the winning move with just two laps remaining. As Denney and teammate Gavin Miller tangled behind him, McIntosh slipped away to repeat as champion, earning $20,039 and celebrating a victory he said was “all for Bryan.”
The Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian stable swept the podium, with Miller finishing second and Denney third. Earlier in the evening, Bryton Buoy led all 20 laps to win the Stoops Junior Sprint Invitational, while Owen Larson, son of reigning Brickyard 400 presented by PPG winner Kyle Larson, earned a top-five finish.
Later in the month, on July 24, Grant earned redemption with a commanding victory in the opening round of the 38th annual USAC NOS Energy Drink Indiana Sprint Week Presented by Honest Abe Roofing. Already a multiple IMS dirt winner, Grant leaned on that experience and a bit of aggressive instinct to charge from fifth to the lead in the 35-lap feature.
“It’s the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” Grant said. “I want to win at this place.”
Grant used both grooves of the dirt surface to track down early leader Robert Ballou, surging past with 16 laps to go in his No. 4 TOPP Motorsports machine. Ballou soon faded with mechanical issues, leaving Logan Seavey to challenge Grant. Seavey briefly nosed ahead with eight laps remaining, but Grant countered immediately down the backstretch and pulled away to claim the $10,000 prize.
Together, the BC39 and Indiana Sprint Week delivered another thrilling year of dirt competition at IMS a growing tradition that continues to honor the past while showcasing the next generation of open-wheel talent.
