Speedway, Indiana (April 5, 2023) – The 2023 USAC Silver Crown calendar begins with a half-mile dirt track, and that’s right where Brady Bacon feels at home.
Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.) will compete in all four dirt half-mile races on the USAC Silver Crown trail this coming season aboard Chris Dyson Racing’s No. 9 in a car crew chiefed by Sean Michael.
The USAC Silver Crown season begins with the 20th running of the Sumar Classic on Sunday, April 16, at the Terre Haute Action Track in western Indiana, a place Bacon has won at twice in his USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car career.
The Chris Dyson Racing team has been a multi-time USAC Silver Crown winner as well, twice racing to triumphs under the CDR banner in 2021 at Eldora with Tyler Courtney and at the Illinois State Fairgrounds with Kody Swanson. Sean Michael has added a total of four wins in his Silver Crown career, also wrenching on Kyle Larson’s 2020 series wins at the Indiana and Illinois State Fairgrounds miles.
The combination of a stout team and a stellar driver makes this pairing one of the hottest tickets on the circuit in the new year. Likewise, Bacon feels that this very well could be perfect combo to make some noise in 2023.
“It’s one of the nicest, if not the nicest, dirt Silver Crown cars there is right now,” Bacon said. “It’s top-notch equipment, and at the half-miles, I feel like I have an advantage over most guys, and I like all the tracks that we’re going to. So, I’m really excited about it.”
In fact, Bacon has won 16 USAC National Sprint Car features on half-mile dirt tracks, tied for sixth all-time. Additionally, each of his two career USAC Silver Crown victories have come on dirt half-miles, both coming in 2019 at Pennsylvania’s Williams Grove Speedway and Ohio’s Eldora Speedway.
Bacon, a four-time USAC National Sprint Car driving champion, has a Silver Crown slate this year that includes Indiana’s Terre Haute Action Track (Apr 16), Kansas’ Belleville High Banks (May 19-20), Pennsylvania’s Port Royal Speedway (June 17) and Ohio’s Eldora Speedway (Sep 22-23).
It’s a schedule for Bacon at tracks in which he thrives, and all are places that pose challenges he’s looking forward to facing throughout this year.
“On the half-miles, it feels more like running a sprint car,” Bacon explained. “Obviously, they’re not exactly the same but you have to get your elbows up in qualifying and you’ve got to move around the track to find out where it’s fastest. On the half-miles, it’s more about being aggressive. It’s more like a sprint car race where you can try things, move around the racetrack and go a little harder.”
Bacon and Dyson’s first outing with the USAC Silver Crown National Championship takes place on Sunday, April 16, at Indiana’s Terre Haute Action Track for the 20th edition of the Sumar Classic. Pits open at 1pm Eastern with the front gates opening at 3pm, the drivers meeting at 4pm and cars on track at 5pm. General admission tickets are $30 with children age 10 and under free. Infield tickets are $20 with pit passes on sale for $40 ($35 for USAC members).
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media