It’s difficult to be at one’s best on the race track 70 nights a year, even for two-time USAC champion Justin Grant.
Factor in the countless hours of travel time, the thousands of miles driven and the days spent away from home, and it quickly becomes evident how taxing it is to be a race car driver.
And it’s not just the weight on the driver, but also on the crew that’s spending long nights on the road and the families holding down the fort at home.
“There’s a ton that goes into it,” Grant said. “It is me out there beating around, but I’m supported by so many people and it’s taxing on everybody.”
Without a support system, the 32-year-old admits it would be difficult to chase championships, as he’s done this year in both USAC’s sprint car and midget divisions.
While he’s dipped into double-digits with his win record on the sprint car side this season, his track performance in the No. 2 NOS Energy Drink midget has been less than ideal.
He’s been mildly consistent with seven top-five finishes and 13 top 10s in 19 races, but Grant has struggled to send the Toyota-powered machine to victory lane.
“The midget has been disappointing this year,” Grant admitted. “Kind of came into the year thinking we were going to be in really good shape to run for a title, and it’s kind of gotten itself out of our grasp now. We’ve just struggled to find the speed we need.”
Similar to Grant, car chief Lacey Doyle has kept her head down, waiting for a breakthrough.
“I don’t ever let the hard times in racing get to me. I just keep pushing, pushing through it and trying to just do my best because if I don’t do my best, then they can’t do their best at the race track,” Doyle said. “I just kept pushing forward and it finally paid off.”
During Friday night’s preliminary feature at the Driven2SaveLives BC39 at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Doyle and Grant finally had their moment.
The RMS Racing driver established himself as the clear favorite from the start of the night, dominating his heat race and qualifier. After starting fifth in the A main, Grant dropped the hammer and bumped his way into the lead.
At the checkered flag, the California native collected his first USAC midget win of the season.
“It would be really, really hard to not win races,” Grant said. “All the travel, all the beating your head against the wall — these are always big moments of relief when you win them, and then it’s short-lived, because you’re right back to needing to win the next one.”
As Grant says, you’re only as good as your last race — and he certainly was.
Approximately 24 hours later, Grant did it again.
After starting fourth in Saturday night’s finale at the BC39, Grant mounted an incredible charge in the 39-lapper, sliding past Taylor Reimer, teammate Thomas Meseraull and Emerson Axsom to collect the $20,039 check.
“Victory lane was crazy. I almost teared up. I held it back because I was like, ‘They’re happy tears, but you don’t need to cry. Just smile and work through it,’” Doyle said. “So now we’re smiling and it’s a great weekend.”
Prior to his prelim victory on Friday, Grant had stated that if he could win the BC39, it would make the season struggles worth it.
And in the moments after his Saturday night triumph, the 32-year-old’s wide grin confirmed that was indeed the case.
“I told these guys I’d trade all of the ones we didn’t win this summer for this one. This was good. This will check it off as a good year now,” Grant said.
There are many moments the RMS Racing driver will remember about his night of glory.
The intensity of the racing that kept the crowd on its feet. Winning in honor of the late Bryan Clauson. Doing donuts in his No. 2 car on the frontstretch to celebrate. Cashing the $20,039 check.
But most of all, for a dad who doesn’t get to spend much time at home, having his two kids by his side as he kissed the bricks at The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one moment that will be hard to forget.
“That was pretty, pretty special,” Grant said.