Even during his teenage years there was something unusual about Brady Bacon.
His level of composure was remarkable for one so young and, as his peers soon learned, his unflappable nature served him well. There is nothing inherently wrong with being fiery and keyed up when engaged in an athletic endeavor.
Nonetheless, history seems to suggest those whose actions are guided by intellect and reason generally grab the most important trophies at the end of a long year.
Four times Brady Bacon has been crowned the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car champion. Most observers felt it was inevitable that he would join Levi Jones as the only five-time series king and ultimately surpass that mark. However, for the past two seasons Justin Grant has blocked Bacon’s path into the USAC record book.
The 2023 campaign was a study of contrasts. On the plus side, Bacon scored his first World of Outlaws win at Indiana’s Tri-State Speedway in April. Several months later, he took another $20,000 home after a USAC date at the same track. On that very night he moved into sole possession of second place on the club’s list of all-time feature winners.
With those two results alone, it is no surprise Bacon says that on the financial front it was a good year. Yet, just when another championship seemed within his grasp it slipped through his fingers.
He doesn’t spend much time dwelling on the past. He recognizes that Grant’s late season surge spelled the difference. That he can accept. What was more difficult to stomach was how things unraveled in his camp. He acknowledges his own mistakes, which over the course of his career have been rare.
However, this is Bacon’s team, and it is up to him and his wife, Xia Xianna, to put all the pieces together. It’s hard work. Because the buck stops with him, when there are problems in the overall operation it demands his attention.
The debacle during the 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora Speedway has been well-documented and there was an unacceptable mechanical failure at Lawrenceburg Speedway. Bacon knows these are visible manifestations of deeper issues that thwarted his championship run.
“I made a couple of mistakes on my own,” he said. “At Circle City I hit an (infield) tire and that almost cost me the Sprint Week title. I also crashed at Texarkana. I was one lap away from going back to the bottom and giving up, then I caught a lap car and made a mistake. Circle City was one thing because I was going for the win and just clipped it wrong, but Texarkana was pretty frustrating especially with the momentum I had coming off a win at Devil’s Bowl.”
Bacon pauses and offers one of the most important observations of all. As he recounted the mishaps that cost him money and a possible championship he added, “You don’t think it is related to other things but when you aren’t able to prepare and focus like normal, or not prepare and relax you make mistakes. There were points last year where I was driving the motorhome, loading the T-shirt trailer, figuring out what car wash the truck needed to go to and it was just too much. You can do it for a little while, but it is not sustainable.”
A few years ago, Bacon observed his driving style lent itself to winning championships. Still, over the course of any season bad things happen. While it sounds odd, this has also been a source of strength. Bacon’s team always seemed to respond when under pressure. The most dramatic example came in 2021 when he nearly set an altitude record exiting the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track, rolled out a backup car and finished third in the feature.
By the dog days of the 2023 season, Bacon knew things were a bit askew, and when he lost a longtime crew member he was forced to scramble.
It was one thing to be down on help, but Indiana Sprint Week was ahead. Most USAC regulars would concur with Bacon’s observation that “it is the toughest time of the year.”
Considering all the possibilities he put in a call to Dave Estep, who leads the RMS midget team on the USAC trail. Bacon was interested in obtaining the services of car chief Lacey Doyle. The irony is that Doyle worked directly with Bacon’s sprint car rival Justin Grant. There were no schedule conflicts and Estep had no objection, so Bacon called Doyle.
“She is extremely professional,” Bacon said. “But she was a little unsure about working on sprint cars. We assured her that sprint cars were way easier than midgets. There are a few less components, they are bigger and easier to work on. The routine and the culture are just a little different. She helped us get through Sprint Week, which is when things can fall apart. She stepped up and really filled a void.”
While all of this seems straightforward, in that same period Grant also lost a crew member. He too reached out to Doyle. The problem was that he was a day late. Laughing as he remembers how all this transpired, Bacon said, “It worked out for him because he got Jeff Walker. It was interesting because we had identical issues, but we both won about two-thirds of the races from that point on. We were both making statements at that time. We reminded people that we had both been around that block longer than you.”
It was great to have Doyle’s assistance down the stretch, but he knew you can only put so much paper over cracks to hold things together. Bacon was trying to close that gap in the standings and perhaps pressed a bit. Meanwhile Grant, who had historically faltered in championship fights, gained strength down the stretch.
When a title is up for grabs so much focus is on the drivers, but Bacon understands this is a team sport. Even as he thinks about the potential of facing new rivals in 2024, he knows what separates contenders from pretenders.
“I see some of these new combinations for next year and they don’t have experience going through the valleys,” Bacon said. “Justin finally managed that. Jeff Walker has helped him manage that. His mechanical ability isn’t as important as his psychiatric ability.”
Just as Bacon hit a rough spot Walker got Grant pointed in the right direction. Eventually, Bacon knew the fight was over.
“The end of the year was a relief,” he said. “It was time to rally everyone up and get pointed in the right direction.”
Assessing matters with a critical eye Bacon knew what needed to be done. Which brings us to this season. Bacon could not be more excited to jump back into the fight in part because he believes his supporting cast is stronger. Matt Hummel has been a vital cog in Bacon’s operation for years but given the demands of his business it is impossible for him to be at every event. Jamey Neeley will also lend a hand and Bacon loves the unique set of skills he brings to the table.
“He has been a firefighter and a paramedic, and he has been a business owner,” Bacon noted. “He knows how to figure things out and he can adapt to obstacles which is huge.”
There is one other key addition to the team, which Bacon believes will move the needle.
“I am the most excited that I have ever been,” he said. “Because Billy Lawhead, who was my childhood best friend and the best man in my wedding, is coming to work for me. He traveled with us when we raced micros and we both learned under my dad. We have both been able to stay in racing and he was looking to make a change.”
Lawhead has been a guiding force behind the success of young star Ryan Timms. Not only did he serve as a crew chief and mentor, but he also had a strong relationship with the family.
“Eight years together in motorsports is a long go and I loved it, and it was successful,” Lawhead said. “I am so happy for Ryan and his family given where he is at and what is to come. It was hard. It was a hard conversation to have because I felt very tied to them and Ryan. You always think, is there a day when this ends?”
Transitions are never easy and moving into unfamiliar surroundings is the way of life for many who choose racing as their livelihood. Joining Bacon’s squad is a bit different.
“It isn’t like you are walking into a team and just kind of know these guys,” Lawhead said. “You know, you can get on a team and beat it up and down the road for a few months and then you think, ‘Man I didn’t know this guy was that way. I didn’t pinpoint him to be this kind of guy.’ So, this makes me feel comfortable because it is family. We grew up together and our families are still close. Our personalities are a lot alike, so it will be an easy fit.”
Still, there is a job to be done in what can be a high-pressure environment. Lawhead feels he has a good sense of Bacon’s temperament and that gives him even greater confidence he has made the right choice.
“Brady isn’t a guy who lets things get to him too much,” Lawhead observed. “He figures there is always tomorrow, so just put your head down and try again. He doesn’t fret on things and let things carry over. It’s pretty hard to shake him. He stays on a pretty even keel. I’m pumped. It has never aligned where he needed someone, and I needed something to do.”
Lawhead is ready to dig in.
“We are obviously capable,” he said. “We have everything we need to do it. We just need to put everything together. It’s not easy but it is easier than starting from scratch.”
Having someone to help shoulder the load will take enormous pressure off of Bacon, but there are still many key ingredients to assembling a successful race team.
“The race team has to stay afloat, but it is the merchandise that enables me to make a living,” Bacon said. “If you crash, you can still sell T-shirts. Xia Xianna does a fantastic job, but this also takes time and money. You have to buy all of your stuff before you head to Florida, but you really aren’t going to start making money until May because everything is hit or miss with the rain.”
Everything is calculated in this world. Even down to the color of his race car.
“If it didn’t matter, I would show up with numbers just stuck on the car, but that isn’t going to sell T-shirts. I have been informed that I have to have a bright race car. People can identify it and kids like it.”
Bacon opened the season with a couple of milestones hanging there for the taking. There is the matter of a fifth championship, and with a big year he could take a run at the all-time USAC sprint car wins record. How much does this cross his mind? Hardly at all.
As for a fifth championship he said, “It is definitely a goal, but it is more just about winning the championship rather than it being the fifth. I have been runner-up the last two years and had things happen that contributed to us not winning, but I think I have shored those problems up. I feel really good about things. We are all on the same page and going all out to win this one.”
Levi Jones has been in this same spot. Once tied with Steve Butler with four USAC championships he was on the cusp of setting a new standard. He never gave it a thought.
“When you are in the moment what you did in the past doesn’t mean a thing,” Jones said. “It is all a part of what your next accomplishment must be. It is your livelihood, your goal, it’s your job, and it is the task at hand. You don’t think of it as another one, you think of it as the one. It is the goal for that year.”
It is no surprise to Jones that Bacon is in position to join him as a five-time champion and perhaps someday surpass him. Why? Because the blueprint he has espoused for success is the very one Bacon has followed for years. Jones also admires the level of effort Brady and his wife put forth to make this work.
“I think it is cool that Brady is in the position to do it,” Jones said. “All records are made to be broken. It is great to see guys that were just getting started when I was in the prime of my career passing me and taking over and carrying the torch. It will also be cool to see how the next group of kids who have the grit and determination also break those records in the future.”
For Brady Bacon there is little time for reflection. The task before him is firmly in the present. Who stands in his way? It has to be Justin Grant. He is aware that new driver and team combinations have promise, but he feels when it gets to crunch time, experience matters.
He also feels he has a psychological upper hand, noting with a laugh, “Bubba (Justin Grant’s son) got a Brady Bacon T-shirt for Christmas.”