Birthdays are a time for celebration, a time for reflection, and if we’re being honest, a time for presents too.

Kevin Thomas Jr. celebrated his special day by achieving the rare feat of not only winning a USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship feature but also doing so in the spectacular manner in which he did during Friday night’s USAC Eastern Storm event at Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania’s Williams Grove Speedway.

Thomas (Cullman, Ala.) ran third for the first 23 circuits of the 30-lap distance around the 1/2-mile dirt oval before sprinting past Mitchel Moles for second with seven to go. While running second on the final lap, Thomas was in position to pounce when racelong leader Briggs Danner ran out of fuel exiting the final turn on the final lap.

Thomas made the decisive move, banging wheels with the suddenly slowing Danner in turn four before escaping with the victory, the 42nd of his USAC National Sprint Car career, which surpassed Bryan Clauson and moved him up a spot on the series’ career win list alongside 1974 and 1976 champ Pancho Carter for eighth most all-time.

“I don’t even know how I just won that to be honest,” Thomas said, not privy to the details at the time that Danner’s fuel tank had run dry. “Briggs was so good that entire race. He got away from me those last two laps and I think he just hung a little bit off two there. I got close but he was so good through three and four that I didn’t figure that line was going to work. I’d been down there a little bit. He came across my nose just a little, trying to find speed, not that he was racing me a certain way, just that he was trying to find a good line down the front stretch here. I don’t want to make contact like that. I’m getting old and I can’t see as good as I used to.”

Highlights USAC Eastern Storm Williams Grove June 14, 2024

USAC Eastern Storm Sprint Car Results Williams Grove Friday

1. Kevin Thomas Jr. (3)

2. Mitchel Moles (1)

3. Briggs Danner (2)

 4. Brady Bacon (7)

5. Justin Grant (12)

 6. C.J. Leary (4)

7. Robert Ballou (10)

 8. Daison Pursley (5)

 9. Chase Stockon (11)

10. Kyle Cummins (15)

11. Alex Bright (14)

12. Jake Swanson (8)

13. Charles Davis Jr. (9)

14. Matt Westfall (17)

15. Steven Drevicki (19)

16. Carson Garrett (13)

17. Tom Harris (18)

18. Logan Seavey (6)

19. Hunter Maddox (20)

20. Korbyn Hayslett (23)

21. Joey Amantea (16)

22. Ricky Lewis (21)

23. Carmen Perigo (22)