Of the 54 career USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship victories Brady Bacon has posted in his career, perhaps none have been more satisfying or created such a sense of relief than the one he earned during Wednesday night’s Circle City Salute opener at Indianapolis, Indiana’s Circle City Raceway.

Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.) had never gone this far into the USAC Sprint season without a victory, at least not since he’s been a full-time series competitor in the 11-year span between 2013-2023. His previous longest waits in that era have endured into the 11th race of the season in both 2013 and 2017, but as it turns out, 13 was his lucky number in 2024.

He’d watched Justin Grant, Logan Seavey, C.J. Leary, Kevin Thomas Jr. and Robert Ballou all enjoy the spoils of victory while enduring his share of bouts of personal hardship, such as getting caught up in other’s incidents, sudden flat tires, random mechanical issues and just plain bad luck. If it happened, it seemed to go against Bacon.

Finally, at Circle City, good fortune finally put its welcoming arms around Bacon as he overcame a three-wide tussle for second before chasing down the lead moments later in turn two with six laps remaining all while setting a new series record in the process. For Bacon, it was his 14th consecutive season with at least one USAC National Sprint Car feature win, breaking the mark of 13-straight years set by Sheldon Kinser between 1974-1986.

Bacon’s run of misfortune didn’t discriminate. It even carried over to other series. With 16 laps remaining in last Saturday’s USAC Silver Crown show at the Belleville (Kan.) High Banks, he was decimating the field by nearly 16 seconds when an engine expired on him.  But there’s no understating the magnitude of this particular victory, as it is one that has certainly made his back a little lighter without that proverbial monkey off of it now.

“We’ve had a fast car every time we’ve been to the racetrack,” Bacon explained. “It just seemed like something always happens, and not just in the 69. At Belleville, we were leading by almost a lap and blew an engine.”

Highlights USAC Sprints  At Circle City 5-22-24

USAC Sprints Results at Circle City Wednesday

1. Brady Bacon (5)

2. Kevin Thomas Jr. (3)

 3. Daison Pursley (14)

 4. Robert Ballou (6)

5. Chase Stockon (9)

 6. Mitchel Moles (8)

 7. Jadon Rogers (11)

8. Ricky Lewis (10)

9. Chance Crum (20)

10. Matt Westfall (13)

11. Logan Seavey (21)

12. Carson Garrett (24)

13. Hunter Maddox (22)

14. Joey Amantea (18)

15. Justin Grant (4)

16. Jake Swanson (12)

17. Anton Hernandez (15)

18. Shane Cottle (1)

19. C.J. Leary (16)

20. Matt Goodnight (19)

21. Charles Davis Jr. (17)

22. Kyle Cummins (7)

23. Brent Beauchamp (23)

24. Harley Burns (2). NT