Bold statement: a dramatic ramp-up from eighth to first, then a hard-fought victory that capped a premier USAC sprint-car weekend. But here's where it gets controversial: does a race won from the back carry more merit than one clinched from the pole? You decide after reading this full recap.
Grant Grabs Victory at Ocala as Seavey Secures Dirt Games Crown
OCALA, Fla. — Justin Grant carved out a remarkable arc to victory on Saturday at Ocala Speedway, capturing the grand prize in the 40-lap finale of USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship’s Winter Dirt Games XVII. The race stayed intensely competitive from start to finish on the three-eighths-mile oval.
Starting from the eighth position, Grant methodically carved his path forward, chip by chip approaching the leaders. When he reached second place, he reeled in pole-sitter Brady Bacon, who had commanded the field since green flag. Grant made his decisive move on lap 37 and led the final four circuits, sealing a $10,000 triumph.
Bacon settled for runner-up honors, while Kyle Cummins — the reigning USAC champion — completed the podium in third. Mitchel Moles finished fourth. Logan Seavey, piloting the Abacus Racing No. 57, completed the night in fifth and earned the Winter Dirt Games championship, collecting $12,000.
Event details and qualifying results below provide a snapshot of how the night unfolded:
USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship, Ocala Speedway, Ocala, Fla., Feb. 14, 2026
K1 RACEGEAR FIRST HEAT: 8 laps, all transfer to the feature (starting positions in parentheses)
- Briggs Danner (#39 Hogue) (2)
- Trey Osborne (#6T Osborne) (1)
- Harley Burns (#16 Britt Aero) (4)
- Gunnar Setser (#5G KO) (3)
- Ryan Harrison (#97UK Harrison) (6)
- Logan Calderwood (#6 Calderwood) (5)
Time: 1:56.270
TJ FORGED SECOND HEAT: 8 laps, all transfer to the feature (starting positions in parentheses)
- Justin Grant (#4 TOPP) (2)
- Kevin Thomas Jr. (#3R Rock Steady) (1)
- Robert Ballou (#12 Ballou) (3)
- Tom Harris (#84 Harris) (4)
- Ricky Lewis (#41 Lewis) (5)
- Chase Howard (#13 Howard) (6)
Time: 1:53.977
K & N FILTERS THIRD HEAT: 8 laps, all transfer to the feature (starting positions in parentheses)
- Jake Swanson (#5T Daming Swanson) (1)
- Chelby Hinton (#2B 2B Racing) (2)
- Jadon Rogers (#14 Rogers) (3)
- Cale Coons (#63 Dooling/Curb-Agajanian) (4)
Time: 1:56.270
USAC GEAR DASH: 6 laps, determines feature starting positions
- Brady Bacon (#20 Dyson) (1)
- Mitchel Moles (#19AZ Reinbold-Underwood) (2)
- Kyle Cummins (#3p Petty) (3)
- Chase Stockon (#92 Sertich) (4)
- Briggs Danner (6)
- Logan Seavey (#57 Abacus) (5)
- Jake Swanson (8)
- Justin Grant (7)
Time: 1:27.980
FEATURE: 40 laps, starting positions in parentheses
- 1st: Justin Grant (8)
- 2nd: Brady Bacon (1)
- 3rd: Kyle Cummins (3)
- 4th: Mitchel Moles (2)
- 5th: Logan Seavey (6)
- 6th: Jake Swanson (7)
- 7th: Robert Ballou (13)
- 8th: Chase Stockon (4)
- 9th: Kevin Thomas Jr. (10)
- 10th: Jadon Rogers (14)
- 11th: Trey Osborne (9)
- 12th: Ricky Lewis (19)
- 13th: Cale Coons (17)
- 14th: Briggs Danner (5)
- 15th: Logan Calderwood (21)
- 16th: Chelby Hinton (11)
- 17th: Chase Howard (22)
- 18th: Tom Harris (16)
- 19th: Gunnar Setser (15)
- 20th: Harley Burns (12)
- 21st: Ryan Harrison (18)
- 22nd: C.J. Leary (20)
Not timed.
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And this is the part most people miss: the strategic patience shown by Grant, who waited for clean air and avoided risky contact until the perfect moment. The result honors not only a hard charger who climbed from eighth, but also a championship narrative where Seavey clinched the Dirt Games title with a timely top-five finish. Do you think starting deeper in the field should be weighed more heavily when judging a driver’s skill in dirt-track sprint car racing, or is pole-start dominance the better measure of a driver’s control and speed? Share your take in the comments.
