With five laps remaining, hopes of winning were fleeting for Justin Grant during Sunday night’s third round of USAC NOS Energy Drink Indiana Sprint Week Presented By Honest Abe Roofing at Lawrenceburg Speedway.

Yet that’s precisely when the Ione, Calif. native was able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in his TOPP Motorsports/NOS Energy Drink – Bow Foundation – TOPP Industries/Maxim/Kistler Chevy.

After leading the initial 23 laps of the 30-lap feature, Grant could only watch as C.J. Leary passed by and pulled away from him with just a handful of laps remaining.

But then, a crazy thing little thing happened, which actually kind of went along with the theme of the night. Just when you thought you had this race figured out, suddenly, it turned on a dime. Seemingly he only thing one could expect throughout was the unexpected.

As Leary began to distance himself from Grant on lap 26, Leary got bitten by the third turn, which chewed him and spit him out, sending him flipping over several times and denying him the glory on this evening one night after winning at Kokomo Speedway.

Re-enter Grant as the leader, and this time, he was unshaken, unstirred and untouchable as he closed out The Burg with his second Indiana Sprint Week victory during the first three nights of the event, scoring dubs at both Gas City I-69 Speedway and at Lawrenceburg.

Grant’s fifth win of the USAC National Sprint Car season equaled him with Brady Bacon as the winningest series driver in 2023. Furthermore, Grant’s 39th career series victory moved him inside the top-10 all-time in that regard, knotting him up with Kevin Thomas Jr. for the 10th most wins in series history.

WATCH REPLAY

USAC Indiana Sprint Week Highlights From Lawrenceburg Speedway

Highlights USAC Indiana Sprint Week 2023 At Lawrenceburg Speedway

Winning Quote From Justin Grant

“I was kind of sliding myself and I felt like I was making pretty good speed there, sliding myself and then C.J. slid me, I felt like I really messed up because I felt we were the better car there and I was coming back to him. Fortunately for us and unfortunately for him, he got into that hole. Lawrenceburg, with its long, slick front straightaway, it’s hard not to get slid into one, you want to slide yourself, but then it gets to a place where you almost have to decide which end do I want to get slid on? I know I can get slid in one and two and get back to them in three and four. I messed it up once, but we got a break.”

USAC Sprint Cars at Lawrenceburg Speedway Results

1. Justin Grant (2)

2. Jake Swanson (4)

3. Brady Bacon (22)

4. Kevin Thomas Jr. (5)

5. Daison Pursley (11)

6. Mitchel Moles (7)

7. Joey Amantea (18)

8. Xavier Doney (14)

9. Emerson Axsom (15)

10. Chase Stockon (9)

11. Max Adams (12)

12. Matt Westfall (10)

13. Logan Seavey (23-P)

14. Brandon Mattox (17)

15. Sterling Cling (16)

16. Shane Cottle (19)

17. Travis Millar (20)

18. Kyle Cummins (13)

19. Robert Ballou (8)

20. C.J. Leary (6)

21. Carson Garrett (1)

22. Braxton Cummings (21)

23. Alex Bright (3)

Latest On Alex Bright's Condition After Hard Crash At Lawrenceburg Speedway

USAC National Sprint Car Point Standings 

Brady Bacon overtook Emerson Axsom in the USAC National Sprint Car point standings with his 22nd to third charge. He now leads Axsom only by eight points. Justin Grant, Jake Swanson and Kyle Cummins complete the current top five. 

Full USAC Sprints Points Standings

Indiana Sprint Week Point Standings 

1-Brady Bacon-217

2-Justin Grant-212

3-Kevin Thomas Jr.-190

4-Emerson Axsom-180

5-Robert Ballou-169

6-Mitchel Moles-160

7-C.J. Leary-149

8-Shane Cottle-134

9-Carson Garrett-132

10-Kyle Cummins-130

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