Category: North American Racing

C.J. Leary is set to pull double, full-season duty for Team AZ Racing on multiple USAC trails throughout 2025.

Leary, the 2019 USAC National Sprint Car champion, will compete on the 50-race USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship docket with Team AZ in partnership with Curb-Agajanian. He also will take on the 13-race USAC Silver Crown slate with Team AZ in association with Jerry Petty of Avanti Windows & Doors.

“It just makes sense having everything under one roof,” Leary said. “When (car owner) Mike (Burkhart) originally called me, he just wanted to do the Silver Crown thing, and I was calling him to want to do the sprint car. I think we found a way to make both work, but he was worried about being good at both and not taking away from either program. It’s a lot of work doing both series with one group of guys. I think it’s really good to get that chemistry once they figure out what I like.”

Toward the end of the 2024 campaign, Leary had an opportunity to make his first two USAC CRA Sprint Car starts for Team AZ/Curb-Agajanian Racing during the Western World Championships at Arizona’s Mohave Valley Raceway, finishing fourth and third across the two nights.

“Getting our feet wet was super beneficial to get those trial runs out of the way before we roll into Florida where it’s a national points race,” Leary explained. “I don’t feel like we’d have any time to learn each other (in Florida). In Arizona, it was low pressure, and I’ve been friends with the 21AZ guys for four or five years, but we’ve never raced together. There’s a little bit of a learning curve there, and I think it went really smoothly those two nights out there.”

The process of it was discovering what works and what doesn’t work between the driver’s seat and the wrenches, all while figuring out how to work together, communicate and become a team.

“We learned that I don’t like the same things Daison [Pursley] likes,” Leary revealed. “But we have the same engine builder I’ve been using and the same cars. It should be an easy jell coming together. The big thing is having a full circle and surrounding myself with good people is really important. We’ve got good guys working on the cars and good guys sponsoring the car, so hopefully, it’s going to be a powerhouse team.”

Team AZ Racing, meanwhile, has captured six career USAC National Sprint Car wins, four with Jake Swanson between 2021-2023, and two more in 2024 with Daison Pursley at the wheel. Pursley’s late-race heroics also provided Team AZ its first ever Silver Crown victory in June of 2024 at Pennsylvania’s Port Royal Speedway.

Leary is one of the sport’s premier drivers, amassing 23 career USAC National Sprint Car feature wins and 55 fast qualifying times. With the Silver Crown series, Leary has compiled three career wins and seven pole positions. Now Leary is ready get rolling into it, back to championship form.

“When we start racing, I think it’s going to be really good,” Leary foretold. “I’ve driven for some good guys, but I haven’t had a full team where we have a tire guy and a crew chief besides myself and where I don’t drive the truck and trailer. Now I get to focus a little bit more on driving. That’s going to be super helpful to me, where I can take some of the weight off my shoulders and just drive.”

The quest for a USAC National Sprint Car championship begins in February 2025 with six consecutive events in Florida during Winter Dirt Games. Both Leary and Team AZ have enjoyed victory in recent years during the Sunshine State tour. Leary won in both 2019 and 2024 at Ocala Speedway while Team AZ scored at Volusia Speedway Park with Jake Swanson in 2023.

The 2025 USAC Silver Crown season begins at Indiana’s Terre Haute Action Track for the 21st running of the Sumar Classic. Leary’s first career USAC national victory of any kind came during the 2016 edition of the Sumar.

Leary will be behind the wheel of the Curb Records/Apache Transport OakCraft Elegant Cabinetry No. 21AZ Sprint Car powered by 1 Way Technologies between the frame rails of a DRC chassis on both dirt as well as the first ever DRC pavement chassis.

The Avanti Windows & Doors, Apache Transport, OakCraft Elegant Cabinetry No. 21 Silver Crown car driven by Leary will feature Stanton Racing Engines power under the hood of their DRC chassis.

GRIDLIFE has revealed more details of its new GRIDLIFE Grand Touring (GLGT) race series set to start with the 2025 racing season.

The expanded weekend format introduces GRIDLIFE’s newest racing class, GLGT featuring a 9:1 power to weight ratio, to give a place for retired professional race cars with performance to go up against the many V8 swapped garage builds. The series will run alongside established fan favorites GRIDLIFE Touring Cup (GLTC), GRIDLIFE RushSR Series, Track Battle Time Attack, and GRIDLIFE Drift.

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Built on the same competition structure of the GRIDLIFE TC (GLTC) category, GLGT event weekends will feature practice, qualifying and four 20-minute races every event. The format has proven highly successful for GLTC, which averaged a remarkable 44 entries over the course of 10 race weekends in 2024.

“Ultimately, GRIDLIFE GT is a faster version of GLTC, with horsepower-to-weight that is closer to 9:1 vs 12.5:1 for GLTC,” said GRIDLIFE co-founder and director of motorsports Adam Jabaay. “It is wheel-to-wheel competition, with the same focus on clean driving and having fun that has been central to GLTC from the start. The event structure will also be the same format as GLTC, so it will not only be straightforward for our fans and drivers, but also compelling to racers who have not been to GRIDLIFE before, and that is super exciting for all of us.”

Utilizing a ruleset that includes a Table of Competition Balance based on weight, power, tire size and various aerodynamic factors, each GLGT event will feature a mini weekend championship that determines the event winner, runner-up and third-place finisher.

When it comes to developing a competitive balance among a wide range of types of cars, GRIDLIFE will look to take lessons learned with GLTC and apply those to GLGT.

“We’ve gone from being pretty good on parity, to being really, really close on raw lap time — last year in some of our biggest events, the top 15 were separated in qualifying by less than three tenths,” said Jabaay. “Which is pretty crazy, and it feels like the ‘best of the best’ in the amateur world. And we’ve been working a lot to be able to do that with GLGT as well. We know there is some learning to do, but feel like we are starting with a very good formula and are really looking forward to seeing what kind of cars we have come join us.”

GRIDLIFE Grand Touring will kick off at next year’s Midwest Festival, June 6-8, and will compete at all remaining 2025 rounds.

Beyond the track, GRIDLIFE remains dedicated to blending car culture with live entertainment, showcasing vehicles from the 1980s, ’90s, and 2000s in its Concours, hosting the GRIDLIFE Arcade and music performances.

For the first time, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host the opening night of USAC NOS Energy Drink Indiana Sprint Week Presented by Honest Abe Roofing during the summer of 2025.

The Dirt Track at IMS will feature the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship during the 38th annual ISW opener on Thursday night, July 24.

“Sprint car racing and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway share a deeply intertwined history, and this event symbolizes the unification of two racing traditions,” said USAC president Kevin Miller. “USAC sprint cars at IMS will be an unforgettable experience for fans and competitors alike.”

The event promises a unique spectacle, as the 900hp USAC sprint cars take to a specially designed dirt track within Turn 3 of the IMS infield.

“We are thrilled to welcome USAC racing to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” said IMS President Doug Boles. “The addition of sprint cars to our calendar highlights our commitment to showcasing the diversity of motorsports. This is more than just a race; it’s a celebration of Indiana’s racing heritage.”

C.J. Leary took victory in a September 2024 invitational event race at IMS, the only previous occasion of USAC sprint cars competing at IMS.

USAC’s Indiana Sprint Week schedule for 2025 consists of eight events at eight different racetracks across a 10-night span between July 24-Aug. 2. Following the ISW kickoff at IMS, the series continues at Putnamville’s Lincoln Park Speedway on Friday, July 25, followed by Kokomo Speedway on Saturday, July 26; Lawrenceburg Speedway on July 27; Circle City Raceway on Wednesday, July 30; the Terre Haute Action Track on Thursday, July 31; Bloomington Speedway on Friday, Aug. 1, and Haubstadt’s Tri-State Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 2.

Radford Racing School and Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) joined forces to help three karters successfully transition from go-karts to race cars during the Radford Racing School F4 U.S. Scholarship Award School last week at Radford’s facility in Chandler, Ariz. Taking a three-day course, the students, ages 14-17, learned the basics of handling and car control, while getting acclimated to a Formula 4 racecar.

“We welcomed another group of talented karters for the Radford Racing School F4 U.S. Scholarship School this week,” said Scott Goodyear, F4 U.S. race director. “Watching their progression throughout the three-day course and seeing the smiles on their faces after they got out of the F4 car for the first time — it’s a really special program. The instructors at Radford do a fantastic job at teaching the students all of the basics and giving them the building blocks needed to become successful racecar drivers. I’m excited to see where they go from here, and hope to see them on the F4 U.S. grid in the near future.”

Among the 2024 Class for the Radford Racing School F4 U.S. Scholarship School was the first female scholarship recipient, Sarah Bradley. Nominated by ROK Cup USA, Bradley got her first in-car experience of any kind with the three days of instruction.

“I had a lot of fun over the last few days, working with the instructors and learning so many new things,” said Bradley. “Getting to test the F4 car, doing work in manual Dodge Hellcats and skid cars, testing and doing a lot drills — it was all new experiences that will help in my racing. The instruction both in and out of the car — doing data work and driving — so much of it was experiences that I probably would not have had without the Radford Racing School F4 U.S. Scholarship School.”

Also completing the course were a pair of drivers from New Castle Motorsports Park, Ty Arbogast and Vaughn Beesley. Nearly 10 years into his karting career, Arbogast entered the school with limited testing experience in the new Ligier JS F422. Meanwhile, Beesley had some road experience in his daily driver at the age of 17, but had yet to step into an actual race car.

“This three-day course at Radford Racing School was really helpful,” said Arbogast after earning his competition license. “I learned so much while I was here. We spent a lot of time working on car control, driving the F4 car and getting a lot of good seat time. Most importantly, we got to work one-on-one with the instructors and got a lot of great feedback. I really enjoyed the skid pad and doing some drifting — I’ve never done that before, so it was a great new experience.”

“I had an amazing time at the Radford Racing School F4 U.S. Scholarship School,” said Beesley. “Throughout the program, we learned a lot about car control and all about the F4 cars, as well. The instructors were amazing; they shared really great insight about how to drive these cars and were really helpful with the data. The cars weren’t necessarily set up to our liking, but they showed us how to make it work in the long run, staying both efficient and quick.”

The scholarship program formulated by Parella Motorsports Holdings and Radford Racing School is a proven path for developing drivers, with first-year graduate Patrick Woods-Toth capitalizing on the opportunity from Motomaster Ron Fellows Karting Championship to launch his career in single-seater race cars. Completing the school in December 2022, Woods-Toth won the 2023 F4 U.S. Driver Championship and a scholarship to compete in Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) the following season. The Canadian went on to win the 2024 FR Americas title, and joined Kyle Kirkwood and Dakota Dickerson as one of only three drivers to win back-to-back championships in the two series.

After three successful days completing everything from ground school, skid control, lead-follow sessions, braking, shifting and handling drills, the students also had the opportunity to work one-on-one with the instructors, who have all been professional racers themselves, to review data and learn how to improve on the track. The school concluded with standing start practice to further prepare the drivers for their transition to race cars and introduction into F4 U.S.

Successfully completing the course, each driver was presented a Radford Racing School graduation certificate, an F4 U.S. competition license and an Omologato bespoke timepiece.

The 2025 F4 U.S. season kicks off at NOLA Motorsports Park, March 27-30.

Radford Racing School and Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) will once again host the Radford Racing School F4 U.S. “Karts to Cars” Scholarship School — a joint venture that brings together some of the best karters from around North America to get their first experience in a single-seater race car. The two-day school will take place Dec. 5-6 at Radford Racing School’s multi-track facility in Chandler, Ariz. Three accomplished karters have received nominations from their respective karting programs. Pictured above, from left: Ty Arbogast and Vaughn Beesley from New Castle Motorsports Park, as well as the first female participant, Sarah Bradley, from ROK Cup USA.

“We’re excited to welcome another class of karters for the Radford Racing School F4 U.S. Scholarship School,” said Scott Goodyear, race director of F4 U.S. “This program is a proven way for new drivers to develop their skills and go on to win races and championships — a prime example is this year’s FR Americas champion, Patrick Woods-Toth, who was a member of our first ‘Karts to Cars’ scholarship class. After using this program to get his first experience in a single-seater race car, he went on to win the F4 U.S. championship the next season, and then the FR Americas title this year. The instructors do a terrific job acclimating these karters to race cars, while sharing their own first-hand knowledge as they get the drivers up to speed. It’s incredible to see the progress made within just a few short days.”

The Radford Racing School F4 U.S. Scholarship School is designed to help attendees acclimate to a race car, while teaching them the basics of handling and car control. Nominated by some of North America’s best karting programs, scholarship recipients travel to Radford’s facility to participate in the school, which utilizes the same combination as the Ligier JS F4 Series — a Ligier JS F4-16 chassis, Hankook racing slicks and a Honda 2.0-liter engine designed and engineered by Mountune. With ground school, skid control, lead-follow sessions, braking, shifting and handling drills, the program is uniquely designed to account for the fact that participants are some of the top karters. The scholarship includes a two-day school, with participants having the option to add on a third lapping day.

At just 14 years old, Ty Arbogast has competed in numerous karting series, including the United States Pro Kart Series (USPKS), Cup Karts North America (CKNA), Kart Racers of America (KRA), Route 66 Sprint Series, World Karting Association (WKA) and more. Debuting as a junior driver in 2023, Arbogast emerged as an undefeated champion in the Briggs L0206 Junior class at New Castle Motorsports Park (NCMP). Catching the attention of NCMP owner Mark Dismore, the Avon, Ind. native was nominated to the Radford Racing School F4 U.S. “Karts to Cars” scholarship.

“I’m excited to earn this scholarship and take another step forward in my career,” said Arbogast. “I can’t wait to learn as much as possible while at the Radford Racing School. I’m grateful for this opportunity, for the support I’ve received, and I’m looking forward to what’s next.”

With the other program attendees nearing a decade of experience, 17-year-old Vaughn Beesley began karting just two years ago. Racing in SuperKarts USA (SKUSA), USPKS, CKNA, WKA, Route 66 and more, Beesley competed in two different classes this season, debuting in the shifter class and sweeping every race he finished in the KA100 class at NCMP en route to the championship.

“This scholarship is an opportunity to take my racing to the next level and learn from some of the best in the sport,” said Beesley. “To be recognized this way means so much to me, and I’m incredibly thankful for the trust and support this represents. I’m excited to give everything I have at the Radford Racing School and make the most of this experience. It’s not just a step forward for my career — it’s a reminder of how far I’ve come and how much I have to look forward to. I would like to thank Mike Adams and the team at New Castle Motorsports Park, Tony Parella, F4 U.S., Scott Goodyear, and the Radford Racing School for making this possible.”

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Sarah Bradley and her family relocated to Indianapolis and Florida to chase her passion of racing. Competing nationally in ROK Cup USA, SKUSA and USPKS, her first national Junior class win came at the ROK Cup Florida Winter Tour earlier this year. Bradley went on to finish second in the ROK Championship in 2024.

“I am extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity this scholarship provides,” said Bradley, who is the first female to attend the Radford Racing School F4 U.S. “Karts to Cars” Scholarship School. “This is an amazing opportunity for me to be able to test these cars for the first time, when I otherwise didn’t know when or if I would be able to do so. My dream is to race F1. I hope to gain more experience — and maybe more opportunities will open up for me after the school. I will put in my best effort doing what I love and won’t waste this opportunity to advance my career.”

In its third year, the scholarship program formulated by Parella Motorsports Holdings and Radford Racing School is a proven path for developing drivers, with first-year graduate Patrick Woods-Toth capitalizing on the opportunity from Motomaster Ron Fellows Karting Championship to launch his career in single-seater race cars. Completing the school in December 2022, Woods-Toth won the 2023 F4 U.S. drivers’ championship and a scholarship to compete in Formula Regional Americas the following season. The Canadian went on to win the 2024 Formula Regional Americas championship title and joined Kyle Kirkwood and Dakota Dickerson as one of only three drivers to win back-to-back championships in the two series.

GRIDLIFE, the dynamic motorsport and music festival series, staged the final event of the 2024 season last weekend at Thunderhill Raceway Park in California.

The weekend marked the close of a record-breaking year for GRIDLIFE, as the motorsport organization set new marks with increased driver participation and a thriving paddock, expanded both the in-person and digital audience, growing its partnership portfolio, as well as continuing to grow its diverse offering of entertainment for the festival-style event gatherings through the year.

Along the way, GRIDLIFE competitors broke track records around the country as 30 different manufacturers found victory lane on the way to crowning eight season champions.

In just over a decade, GRIDLIFE has become one of the fastest-growing, youngest motorsports paddock globally, establishing itself as a leader in immersive, boundary-pushing events that feature a unique combination of motorsports competition, musical festivals and gatherings for automotive enthusiasts.

Staged across the country at some of the most iconic motorsports facilities in North America, the 2024 GRIDLIFE season featured a schedule of CLUB and FESTIVAL event weekends that captivated a predominantly young audience, 73% of which falls between 18-34 years old.

“The 2024 season has been nothing short of monumental for GRIDLIFE,” said GRIDLIFE President and Founder Chris Stewart. “Our goal has always been to push the limits and create a one-of-a-kind environment where motorsport, music and community converge. This season’s record-breaking attendance and engagement are a testament to the passion of our fans, the talent of our drivers and the commitment of our partners who share our vision for the future of motorsport culture.”

GRIDLIFE paddock grows

With five unique festivals and nine adrenaline-charged race weekends, GRIDLIFE saw an astounding 2,951 on-track entries throughout the 2024 season, a 30% increase over 2023.

Representative of GRIDLIFE’s growth trend, 2024 saw a 34% increase in driver registration for its popular wheel-to-wheel sprint racing series, GRIDLIFE Touring Cup (GLTC). GLTC fields featured several races that were 60-drivers strong, and averaged an astounding 44 entries through the 40-race season spread across 10 weekends.

The significant increase in GLTC drivers in the paddock required the development of a revised format for some of the rounds, dividing the field into two groups based on qualifying times. This innovative format not only allowed more drivers to participate, but also maintained GRIDLIFE’s reputation for clean, competitive racing, reinforcing the organization’s mission of inclusion and accessibility. Even the season champion set a new record, as Matan Rosenberg became the youngest-ever GRIDLIFE Champion at just 20 years old.

GRIDLIFE’s TrackBattle TimeAttack continues to represent the largest field of competitors in North America, showcasing the largest field ever with 107 skilled drivers fiercely competing on the track at GRIDLIFE’s inaugural Summer Apex Festival, held at Road America last July.

Additionally, a large development in GRIDLIFE’s TrackBattle product in 2024 was the successful introduction of the Podium Sprint. Developed with spectator presentation in mind, this innovative format raises the intensity of competition. All competitors within their TrackBattle class must qualify in the top-five of their class before they race in a final showdown, the Podium Sprint, where each qualifier gets two solo flying laps to record their fastest time in a high-stakes presentation that puts everything on the line.

Introduced in 2024, the GRIDLIFE RUSH SR National Championship opened up thrilling new opportunities for participants and fans. Utilizing the RUSH SR, a lightweight and high-performance sports racer designed by RUSH Auto Works to be a driver’s car from the wheels up, the category featured 160 entries over 20 races, with a 36-car average field size, far exceeding expectations for its inaugural season.

GRIDLIFE also set new benchmarks by being the exclusive organization that brings exhibition drifting to some of the most iconic road courses in the US. With seven rounds and 280 drivers, GRIDLIFE Drift enables talents like James Deane, Vaughn Gitten JR, Chelsea DeNofa, Justin Pawlak, Chris Forsberg, Ryan Tuerck and dozens more the freedom to showcase their talents at full speed to the beat of a motorsports festival to the delight of thousands of fans.

Music festivals add to GRIDLIFE paddock vibes

GRIDLIFE’s first edition of the Music & Motorsport Festival began in 2014 at the Gingerman Raceway in South Haven, MI. The event created an atmosphere that transcended the traditional motorsport event structure and attracted a vibrant and engaged fan base of nearly a quarter million people since its inception. Since then, the GRIDLIFE Festival Tour has become a national series ranging from coast-to-coast.

GRIDLIFE’s 2024 season elevated the intersection of motorsports and music culture with a lineup of 60 live music performances. Headlined by iconic artists like multi-Grammy winners T-Pain and Deadmau5, GRIDLIFE also showcased the energy of dance music heavyweights Zeds Dead, Madeon & Liquid Stranger. With a diverse mix of legendary performers and cutting-edge talent, GRIDLIFE once again proved its commitment to creating unforgettable experiences where motorsports and music collide.

Partners and content

Having provided broadcast-quality multicam streams on YouTube and Twitch with GRIDLIFE Live production, GRIDLIFE continued to find an eager audience and deliver on its mission to bring motorsport culture to new audiences with a high level of accessibility for fans both online and at live events with a production that rivals professional motorsport coverage.

In addition to record participation on the track, GRIDLIFE’s digital community soared, reaching a social media following of 339,000 fans and generating more than 65 million impressions.

Thanks to an impressive lineup of 17 season partners and a fast-expanding presence on social media, GRIDLIFE continues to grow its influence and connect with fans in fresh, authentic ways.

What’s next for 2025?

The memories of 2024 have yet to fade, and GRIDLIFE is eager to kick the 2025 season off as the series continues to grow with the goal of setting new standards in the motorsport and entertainment landscape, continuing its mission to offer young fans an unforgettable, multi-sensory experience that celebrates speed, music, culture and good vibes.

The 2025 schedule will be released in the upcoming weeks.