Friday’s Jim Hurtubise Classic begins a USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car doubleheader weekend in the Hoosier state this Friday, September 13. Terre Haute Action Track is one of USAC’s longest-tenured venues which hosted its first USAC Sprint Car event more than six decades ago, in 1957.

Watch 2019 USAC Sprints at Terre Haute Action Track LIVE!

Friday’s race honors the most successful USAC Sprint Car driver, Jim Hurtubise, who won five-straight between 1960 and 1962. Less than a year following his passing, “Herk,” a 1993 inductee into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, first had an event in his name at the Terre Haute Action Track in 1990. That race was won by Jack Hewitt.

This year, the event enters its 20^th run with two-time USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car champion Brady Bacon scoring the most recent victory at the Hurtubise Classic last September. Bacon has had a notable run of success in the event as one of three drivers to win the Hurtubise Classic on multiple occasions. He first won in the Fall of 2014 aboard the Dynamics, Inc. No. 69. The Terre Haute USAC one-lap track record holder now aims to become the first driver to pilot the Dynamics, Inc. racer to victory lane at Terre Haute twice following previous singular victories by Robbie Stanley (1993), Tracy Hines (2003) and Jerry Coons, Jr. (2010).

Chris Windom (Canton, Ill.) is one of the three multiple-time Hurtubise Classic winners alongside Hewitt and Bacon, capturing three in 2011, 2016, and 2017. With one more victory he would surpass Hewitt as the winningest Hurtubise Classic driver of all-time. Windom has won four times overall in USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car competition at Terre Haute, and once in Silver Crown. In addition, his latest triumph there at the western Indiana dirt oval, was an MSCS win in August.

The very first win of Chase Stockon’s USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car career came at Terre Haute during the 2012 Jim Hurtubise Classic. Stockton owns three USAC Sprint wins overall at Terre Haute, including the Tony Hulman Classic in May of this year. This Friday, he hopes to become USAC’s ultimate ironman. One more start would be his 285^th consecutive with the USAC National Sprint Car division, which would surpass Levi Jones for the longest streak in series history.

Tyler Courtney was the victor in the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car division’s most recent visit to Terre Haute in July during Indiana Sprint Week. Courtney led the final nine laps for the victory. In fact, the Indianapolis native swept the event, earning quick time in qualifying along with winning his heat and pulling off the trifecta in the A-Main. He's also won three of the last five at Terre Haute and is the most recent winner in the series with the win in August at Kokomo Speedway (Ind.).

The last driver to win at Terre Haute before Courtney began his run of three out of five at the beginning of the 2018 season is Kevin Thomas, Jr., who has won twice at the Action Track in USAC National Sprint competition. Thomas emerged victorious after a scintillating battle with Dave Darland during the final laps of the ISW round in 2013, then reigned supreme near the end of 2017 as well.  Like Courtney, Thomas is gunning for his first Hurtubise Classic win. He finished 5^th there a year ago.

Watch 2019 USAC Sprints at Terre Haute Action Track LIVE!

C.J. Leary is in a similar situation. Leary stood in victory lane once before at Terre Haute after scoring his first career National series win in a Silver Crown car at the Sumar Classic in 2016. He was 9^th and 6^th in his two Terre Haute starts this year en route to the 121-point lead in the series standings that he holds entering Friday’s race. The Greenfield, Ind. driver claimed the fastest time in qualifying at Terre Haute in May. It was one of his series-leading eight time this year. He led the first five laps and finished 4^th in the 2018 Hurtubise Classic.

Justin Grant led 21 laps and finished 2^nd in the series appearance at Terre Haute in July. He took 5^th in May and is 4^th in the series standings entering Friday’s event. Grant has not yet won at Terre Haute in USAC competition, so he will be looking to do so this weekend. He owns two USAC National Sprint points-paying wins this season as well as a special event at Kokomo in August.

Jason McDougal (Broken Arrow, Okla.), a winner in both USAC’s National Sprint Car and Midget series in 2019, earned a 7^th place finish in his Terre Haute USAC Sprint Car debut in 2018. He was 10^th in his first Hurtubise Classic appearance last fall and took 7^th again in his return to Terre Haute this past May.

Isaac Chapple (Willow Branch, Ind.) took 13^th in his most recent Hurtubise Classic ride last September. The 2016 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year was the hard charger award winner at Terre Haute back in May, with a 10th place finish. Chapple was 12^th during his series return in July and resides 10^th in the standings.

Friday's Terre Haute race is the first of a set of two USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car events this weekend, followed the next night, Saturday night, September 14, at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind. for the Haubstadt Hustler.

The 163^rd USAC Sprint Car event at the Terre Haute Action Track will also have the DIRTcar Modifieds on hand. Pits open at 3pm, grandstands open at 4pm, and cars will enter the track at 6:30pm (all time ET). Adult grandstand tickets are $25 while adult infield tickets are $15. Kids 11 and under are free.  Pit passes are $35 apiece.

USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-C.J. Leary-1,702, 2-Tyler Courtney-1,581, 3-Brady Bacon-1,564, 4-Justin Grant-1,525, 5-Kevin Thomas, Jr.-1,524, 6-Chris Windom-1,495, 7-Chase Stockon-1,472, 8-Jason McDougal-1,294, 9-Carson Short-1,273, 10-Isaac Chapple-991.

JIM HURTUBISE CLASSIC WINS:

1. (3) Jack Hewitt (1990-91-95) & Chris Windom (2011-16-17)

3. (2) Brady Bacon (2014-18)

4. (1) Robert Ballou (2015), Jerry Coons, Jr. (2013), Tony Elliott (1998), Tray House (1994), Tony Jones (1999), Rusty McClure (1992), Jon Stanbrough (2010), Robbie Stanley (1993), Chase Stockon (2012), Kevin Thomas (1996) & J.J. Yeley (1997)

TERRE HAUTE ACTION TRACK USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR WINS: (161 Points Races)

1. (8) Gary Bettenhausen & Jack Hewitt

3. (6) Bubby Jones, Sheldon Kinser & J.J. Yeley

6. (5) Jim Hurtubise, Levi Jones, Jon Stanbrough & Rich Vogler

10. (4) Bud Kaeding, Roger McCluskey & Chris Windom

13. (3) Don Branson, Steve Butler, Pancho Carter, Daron Clayton, Jerry Coons, Jr, Tyler Courtney, Jay Drake, Cary Faas, Tracy Hines, Rick Hood, Joe Saldana & Chase Stockon

25. (2) Brady Bacon, Robert Ballou, Rollie Beale, Tom Bigelow, Dave Darland, Cory Kruseman, Johnny Rutherford, Dick Tobias, Kevin Thomas, Jr., Bruce Walkup & Greg Weld

36. (1) Billy Cassella, Steve Chassey, Bryan Clauson, Mel Cornett, Larry Dickson, Ed Elisian, Tony Elliott, Aaron Farney, A.J. Foyt, Richard Griffin, Chuck Gurney, Tommy Hinnershitz, Tray House, Chet Johnson, Tony Jones, Doug Kalitta, Frankie Kerr, Steve Kinser, Eddie Leavitt, Andy Linden, Bobby Marshman, Charlie Masters, Rusty McClure, James McElreath, Jim McElreath, Jim McWithey, Jan Opperman, Terry Pletch, Larry Rice, Eddie Sachs, Sam Sessions, Ron Shuman, George Snider, Robbie Stanley, Brad Sweet, Kevin Thomas & Bobby Unser

**J.J. Yeley = 1 Non-Points Special Event Win