PERRIS, Calif. — Three more past winners are among the latest entries into the 26th Annual Heimark Anheuser Busch Budweiser Oval Nationals at Perris Auto Speedway, Nov. 3-5.
The trio is made up of three-time and defending champion Kevin Thomas Jr., C.J. Leary and Robert Ballou.
In addition, Justin Grant and Brady Bacon, who are currently ranked first and second respectively in the USAC National Sprint Car point standings, have also submitted their entries.
Thomas has been the dominant driver in the Oval Nationals in recent years. The Cullman, Ala., native has won three of the last four running’s of the prestigious race. He went back to back in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, he started 16th in the stacked field and came all the way forward to sixth at the finish.
Due to COVID, the race was not held in 2020, but Thomas came back to win again last year. That victory tied him with Damion Gardner (2009, 2011, 2016) and Bud Kaeding (2001, 2002, 2007) as one of only three drivers to have won the Ovals three times.
Thomas will be wheeling a car for California native Michael Dutcher while Gardner will be in Mark Alexander’s famous silver No. 1 as they each try to become the first four-time winner of the race.
When Thomas finished sixth in 2019, all eyes were on Leary at the end of the 40-lap grind.
The Greenfield, Ind., star started on the pole and led 24 laps to secure his first win at the Ovals. While Leary was the winner of the race, he was not the favorite going into the final night. Bacon started on the pole in the Thursday preliminary and proceeded to lead all 30 laps. On Friday night, he dominated again.
He started third and led every single lap for the second night in a row. Starting fourth, he was a contender throughout and was challenging for the lead when a yellow flag came out. Leader Chase Stockon slowed dramatically going into turn three when he saw the yellow light.
Bacon clipped Stockon’s left rear tire and slid to a stop by the wall, ending his hopes of sweeping the weekend.
For Ballou, 2022 will be his first Oval Nationals since 2017. In 2014, the California native finished 23rd in the Thursday preliminary main. However, from that point on, he was on a roll. He won the Friday night preliminary and backed that up with a win in Saturday’s 40-lap final.
Twelve months later, Ballou mowed through the competition and won the 30-lappers on both preliminary nights. Counting the prelim mains and the 2014 finale, he had won four main events in a row at the Ovals. He was the favorite for the finale, but Bryan Clauson stole the show.
After blowing an engine late in the Friday preliminary, Clauson left the track and drove to Phoenix to borrow a loner engine from Mike Martin. He picked up the bullet and drove straight back to Perris, arriving early in the morning. He then proceeded to win the main event from the middle of the pack Ballou ended up fifth.
While Ballou lost the battle that night, he won the war by winning his lone USAC National Sprint Car Series championship.
Thus far, entries have been received for the top six drivers — Grant, Bacon, Leary, Ballou, series leading rookie Emerson Axsom and Logan Seavey — in the USAC National Sprint Car Series. Grant sits on top of the National Sprint standings with a 78-point lead over three-time series champion Bacon.
Leary is third and trails Grant by 129 points. Ballou is fourth and Axsom is fifth. The title will be decided at the Oval Nationals.