MACON, Ill. -- On this very same weekend a full year earlier, Mitchel Moles got to experience the elation of winning a first career USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship feature.

One year later, on this same early July weekend, the Raisin City, Calif. racer felt both the relief and the thrill of victory 34 races after his most recent series win.

This one, in Friday night's series debut at Illinois’ Macon Speedway, was certainly among the most dramatic scenarios in which he could break through for his first series triumph of the 2023 season.

Moles raced around the outside of Carson Garrett and into the lead on the first lap of a green-white-checkered finish, then fended off Garrett on the bottom and a (literally) high-flying Kyle Cummins on the outside to win by a half-car length.

Yeah, about Cummins. Right behind the front two was the hard-charging, rim-rider who flipped the length of the front straightway while making a bid for the win on the top side, crossing the line third as he was airborne following contact with the outside wall.

The event, billed as Top Gun weekend at the 1/5-mile dirt oval, certainly delivered the drama and captivating theater that would’ve made Goose, Maverick and the Iceman proud of their starring roles in this particular production.

In doing so, Moles ended the merry-go-round of six different multi-time series winners who had traded victories back-and-forth throughout the initial 17 events of the year. Moles carved his way through the glut to put one on the board in his Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports/AME Electrical – Mesilla Valley Transportation/Spike/Stanton Chevy.

Moles’ victory margin of 0.093 sec. was the closest in the series since Jake Swanson’s photo finish over Kevin Thomas Jr. on the opening night of the Oval Nationals at California’s Perris Auto Speedway in November of 2021.

WATCH REPLAY

USAC Sprint Car Highlights From Macon Speedway

Winning Quote From Mitchel Moles

“Once I hammered it in there on the restart and got by him, I went through three and four and ripped the top. (Garrett) came back, and we were about even, and I was like, ‘man, I’ve got to try and clear him and cut to the bottom,’ and that’s what I did. I knew Kyle would be coming around the outside so I just tried to get it to the finish line as fast as I could, and it all worked out.”

USAC Sprint Cars at Macon Speedway Results

1. Mitchel Moles (4), 2. Carson Garrett (2), 3. Kyle Cummins (3), 4. Max Adams (10), 5. Kevin Thomas Jr. (11), 6. Matt Westfall (17), 7. Emerson Axsom (13), 8. Daison Pursley (12), 9. Chase Stockon (8), 10. C.J. Leary (7), 11. James Lyerla (20), 12. Mario Clouser (16), 13. Logan Faucon (19), 14. Logan Seavey (6), 15. Robert Ballou (14), 16. Mitchell Davis (15), 17. Brandon Mattox (18), 18. Jake Swanson (1), 19. Brady Bacon (5), 20. Justin Grant (9)

USAC National Sprint Car Point Standings 

Friday night's race at Macon rewarded show-up points early. As a result, Jake Swanson continues to lead Emerson Axsom by three points in the standings, with Brady Bacon 32 points back. 

Full USAC Sprints Points Standings

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