The penultimate round of the USAC National Sprint Car Series Indiana Sprint Week was held Friday night at Bloomington Speedway and saw a thriller of a finish between Robert Ballou and Gavin Miller on the last lap of the race. Ballou passed Miller on the backstretch as Miller’s car slowed and went off the pace to win the race. The victory was redemption for Ballou, as this was the site of him breaking his back one-year ago, which set him out for the rest of the year in the 2025 season. However, one-year later, the Rocklin, California native found himself at the top of the world.
“First, I need to say sorry to Brady (Bacon) and Sean Michaels (Crew Member on Ballou’s car),” Ballou said to Flo Racing in his victory lane. “I hit the grease, and it started raining, and I busted sideways and was gathering the car. Obviously, he (Brady Bacon) couldn’t have lifted, or he would’ve got tight. It’s super unfortunate, I hate that for them guys. There one of the best guys around, especially, Brady. Second, last night was a heartbreak, and this race last year, I broke my back.
“You know, it’s just a group effort, a bunch of volunteer help. We needed this win. I started this week behind the eight ball, and last night was a huge blow to my race team. Just one of them deals you have to crawl before you walk and walk before you run. I finally, after a few nights, I got my bearings and got my racecar better, so I can drive it.”
Bloomington Speedway was also the site for the 35th annual Sheldon Kinser Memorial. Kinser won three USAC National Sprint Car Series championships in 1977, 1981, and 1982. Most recent winners of this race include Logan Seavey from last year, Briggs Danner in 2024, Emerson Axsom in 2023, Kyle Cummins in 2022, Brady Bacon in 2021, and Kevin Thomas Jr in 2019.
At the time of check-in Friday afternoon, there were 41 entries on the entry list.
Feature Recap – 30 Laps
Starting on the pole for the feature were Ballou and Max Adams. Ballou was on the inside row and Adams the outside row. Ballou led the first lap with Adams, Miller, Thomas Jr, and Bacon the top five. With 27 laps to go, Miller moved up to the second position after starting in the sixth position. Miller then took the lead from Ballou using the bottom lane with 23 laps to go, but a caution was seen a lap later for two cars stuck together in Turn 2. The caution would be for Thomas Meseraull and Gunnar Setser.
Coming to the restart with 23 laps to go, it was Miller, Ballou, Adams, Bacon, and Hunter Schuerenberg in the top five. With 20 laps to go, Bacon passed Adams for the third position. With 17 laps to go, Miller touched one of the infield tires, but it did not faze him as he kept the lead.
The race pace didn’t last long as the second yellow came out with 13 laps to go for multiple cars stopped in Turn 4, including the ISW Championship Points leader, Cummins. Trey Osborne and Thomas Jr were also involved.
Another yellow came out a lap later with 12 laps to go in Turn 2 for Ballou and Bacon. Ballou’s car got sideways, and Bacon had nowhere to go, and ran into the back of Ballou.
The race went green for about six laps until a red flag brought the field to a halt for Eli Wilhelmus flipping out on the outside of Turn 4. He would be okay and exit the car under his own power.
Following the red flag, the field went back to yellow conditions, but rain began falling on the track. The cars stayed on track to keep the heat in it.
Miller was the leader with six laps to go at the time of restart. However, he was heavily chased by Ballou, who was using the high side to his momentum, but another yellow slowed his pace for Seavey, as he was stopped sideways off the exit of Turn 4.
After the red flag was lifted, raindrops began to fall on the track. The cars remained on track and ran some pace laps to help keep heat in it. The drivers were able to do so and went back green with six laps to go.
It looked as though Miller would run away with the race victory in the remaining laps, but his car suddenly broke on the backstretch on the final lap of the race. This allowed Ballou to go right on by and win in an upset fashion.
Heat Race Recaps – Top 4 Transfer – 10 Laps A Piece
Wilhelmus paced the Hot Lap session, setting a quick time of 11.307 seconds. Reinbold would have the fastest lap of 11.337 seconds following the two-lap qualifying session.
Heat 1 – Jake Scott was the pole sitter for the first heat, but was scratched from the running order. At the drop of the green flag, Hunter Schuerenberg powered to the lead and remained there to take the heat win. He was followed by Bacon, Danner, and Meseraull for the transfers. Reinbold finished sixth in the running order.
Heat 2 – The caution came out as soon as the green flag flew for Troy Carey, who went off the backstretch. This would prompt a single restart with nine laps to go. Harley Burns was the leader after Dalton Stevens originally started first but fell to fifth. Carey again found himself in trouble, prompting red flag conditions with five laps to go. His car went flipping wildly outside of Turn 4. He was okay and exited his car.
Following the delay, the field went back green, and Burns secured the victory. He was followed by Jake Swanson, Thomas Jr, and Miller, the transfers.
Heat 3 – Gunnar Setser would be the top starter for the third heat. The caution came out with seven laps to go for Daylan Chambers, who came to a stop outside of Turn 2. Chance Crum took the lead from Setser early on and claimed the heat victory. Setser was second, Adams third, and Jordan Kinser fourth.
Heat 4 – Cale Coons started first, but fell to sixth in the early going. Grant powered on to take the top spot and ultimately the heat win. Ballou, Colin Park, and Jadon Rogers took the final transfer spots.
Heat 5 – For the fifth and final heat, Wilhelmus was your first-place starter. Chase Stockon took the lead on Lap 1, but Wilhelmus retook it a lap later. That’s all Wilhelmus would need, as he won the fifth heat. Stockon, Cummins, and Osborne were the last transfers out of the heat races.
Despite not being one of the original transfers, Reinbold won the semi-feature to help transfer himself to the A-main. Ricky Lewis, Mitchel Moles, and Seavey also moved on to the feature.
Official Race Results Following Bloomington Speedway
- Robert Ballou
- Mitchel Moles
- Justin Grant
- Jake Swanson
- Hunter Schuerenberg
- Max Adams
- Cale Coons
- Briggs Danner
- Gavin Miller
- Kyle Cummins
- Harley Burns
- Chance Crum
- C.J. Leary
- Kevin Thomas Jr
- Brady Bacon
- Jadon Rogers
- Chase Stockon
- Hayden Reinbold
- Logan Seavey
- Ricky Lewis
- Eli Wilhelmus
- Trey Osborne
- Colin Parker
- Gunnar Setser
- Thomas Meseraull
Heading into the Saturday night finale at Tri-State Speedway, Cummins leads the ISW Week Championship Points Standings by a small margin of seven points over Grant. He also continues to lead the season-long championship over Grant as well by 124 points.
Following tonight, the winners of ISW week have been Justin Grant on the Dirt Track at IMS and Lawrenceburg Speedway, Kyle Cummins at Lincoln Park Speedway and Terre Haute Action Track, Brady Bacon at Circle City Raceway, and Jake Swanson at Paragon Speedway. It’ll be interesting to see who will take home the ninth and final round for the finale at Tri-State Speedway Saturday night, live on Flo Racing.
