Kyle Larson has long championed dirt and sprint car racing, a nod to his own roots in the sport. Determined to strengthen the foundation of grassroots racing, he even launched the High Limit Sprint Car Racing Series, which has become a platform for aspiring drivers aiming to break into NASCAR or Formula 1.
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With Indianapolis Motor Speedway, under Roger Penske’s ownership, now deepening its ties to dirt racing through events like the BC39 and Indiana Sprint Week, Larson credited the Team Penske boss for keeping the grassroots spirit alive.
Ahead of the Brickyard 400, Larson shared his thoughts on IMS’s expanding dirt footprint and its synergy with grassroots racing, where many careers begin before drivers like himself and Justin Allgaier rise to stardom.
“Well, I think it’s awesome. This is the most prestigious racetrack in the world, so when you can add a form of racing into the walls of this place, like dirt racing, is pretty cool. I saw a picture of Roger there last night, so I hope he enjoyed it.”
“I don’t think he loves dirt racing, but I hope he had a good time with it and can see the impact that it has on grassroots racing because it is important to be a part of a place like this,” Larson added.
While IMS is globally recognized for hosting the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Brickyard 400, dirt racing remains an integral part of its legacy. Doug Boles, the track’s longtime steward and now president of IndyCar, calls The Dirt Track at IMS his “happy place.”
Growing up in a USAC household, Boles inherited his passion for open-wheel racing from his father, who chronicled the sport’s history during the 1960s.
Boles even led the first BC39 in 2018, held on the 1/5-mile clay oval, as a tribute to the late Bryan Clauson. Since then, names like Zeb Wise, Kyle Larson, Buddy Kofoid, Justin Grant, and Cannon McIntosh have etched their names into history by kissing the iconic bricks after BC39 victories.
For Kevin Thomas Jr., a full-time USAC Midget and Sprint driver with RockSteady Racing who has competed in all seven BC39 events, IMS is the perfect stage to start Indiana Sprint Week (started on Thursday) and showcase driver talent.
He believes that incorporating dirt racing during a NASCAR weekend offers fans an unmatched live experience, the kind of thrill no broadcast can replicate.
