INDIANAPOLIS – It took a while for Wednesday night’s Midwest Sprint Car Series feature at Circle City Raceway to get into a rhythm, but once it did there was no stopping Brady Bacon.
Bacon drove the Wedgewood Motorsports No. 98 to the front at the newly built, quarter-mile dirt oval, then drove away from the field to the tune of 5.658 seconds at the checkered flag.
After sliding race-long leader Brent Beauchamp for the top spot in turn three on a lap-11 restart, there was no stopping Bacon from cruising to his first sprint car win during USAC Indiana Midget Week.
“This feels pretty good,” said Bacon. “It was yellow after yellow after yellow there, so every time we had a shot to make the pass for the lead, it didn’t work. I was getting a little frustrated, but thankfully we snuck by him before the last one came out … and from there I just stayed out of trouble.
“We had a really good car,” Bacon added. “I knew the track could go away, so I wanted to get the move done and get it out of the way. Plus, I knew I had T-Mez (Thomas Meseraull) behind me and I didn’t want to lose my opportunity to make a move. If I messed up making the move, he’d have been there.”
A total of six cautions in the first 10 laps of the 25-lap MSCS main event created a very segmented feel to the race, but the last of those – for a big flip by Ricky Lewis in turn four – was what Bacon needed to make his winning move.
He stayed with Beauchamp off turn two on the restart, then pitched his car to the bottom of turn three to clear the red No. 34, leading lap 11 just as a yellow was called for the slowing car of Brandon Morin.
The lap was declared complete, giving Bacon a lead he wouldn’t relinquish, and he carved through the field after that by lapping all but the top nine cars at the finish and winning by nearly a half lap.
Thomas Meseraull and Logan Seavey filled out the podium, giving the top three positions to drivers who competed in the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Series feature that rounded out the night.
Beauchamp faded to fourth ahead of defending MSCS champion Chase Stockon.
The finish:
1. 98-Brady Bacon, 2. 47-Thomas Meseraull, 3. 5L-Logan Seavey, 4. 34b-Brent Beauchamp, 5. 5s-Chase Stockon, 6. 34-Sterling Cling, 7. 5-Tye Mihocko, 8. 10-Aric Gentry, 9. 5n-Paul Nienhiser, 10. 15ko-Carson Garrett, 11-38 Chet Williams, 12. 47-Charles Davis Jr., 13. 16-Harley Burns, 14. 33-Jake Scott, 15. 36-Collin Ambrose, 16. 34f-Parker Frederickson, 17. 5x-Alex Banales, 18. 11-Ricky Lewis, 19. 98-Brandon Morin, 20. 24-Landon Simon, 21. 16k-Ben Knight, 22. 17gp-Jason McDougal, 23. 41-Cole Ketcham.