The Left Turn
By: Ron Burt
Race fans have their eyes focused on the sunshine state for the next several weeks. Many plan vacations to take in as much racing as they can, at many different racetracks. USAC Winter Dirt Games XVII Presented by Yokohama Tire, the official kick off to the 2026 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship season. Car owners, race teams and drivers set with new and refreshed sprint cars, and all have an optimistic outlook at the 2026 season ahead of them. It all begins in Florida with six events across six nights at a pair of dirt tracks in the heart of the Gator Country.
This will be the 17th annual Winter Dirt Games and will open for practice at the 3/8-mile Ocala Speedway on Sunday, February 8, followed by the first two rounds of racing at Barberville’s 1/2-mile Volusia Speedway Park on Monday-Tuesday, February 9-10, while Ocala Speedway finishes out the week with four-straight evenings of racing on Wednesday-Thursday-Friday-Saturday, February 11-12-13-14.
Many eyes are on Kyle Cummins who just had an outstanding Winter Dirt Games in 2025 and has his sprint dialed in for the new season. Last year he won the opener at Volusia, taking the big gator (trophy) home as the DIRTcar Nationals champion. He then won again four nights later at Ocala. In his six races across six nights, he never finished outside the top five, helping him win the Winter Dirt Games Championship. By winning the title 2025 Kyle became the ninth driver in the 16-year history of the series to win a Winter Dirt Games race and the USAC National Sprint Car championship in the same year, joining Bryan Clauson (2013), Brady Bacon (2014), Robert Ballou (2015), Tyler Courtney (2018), C.J. Leary (2019), Brady Bacon (2020), Justin Grant (2022) and Logan Seavey (2024). Many of these names are current drivers in the 2026 USAC Sprint Series. This year the overall winner will earn an extra $24,000.00. The point money has doubled.
At least 14 drivers plan to race full-time with the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship in 2025, and several more are trying to get sponsors so they can join them. Among the group are past series champions Kyle Cummins (2025), Logan Seavey (2024), Justin Grant (2022 & 2023), C.J. Leary (2019), and Robert Ballou (2015). Then add in USAC National Sprint Car winners Kevin Thomas Jr., Chase Stockon, Mitchel Moles, Jake Swanson and Briggs Danner. Rising contender Hayden Reinbold is back in the full-time lineup as are Rookie of the Year contenders Cale Coons and Chelby Hinton.
The season is long with racing several nights a week as the haulers and crews travel across the country. If you get a chance to see the USAC AMSOIL Sprints, make sure you go. Until next week, keep your wheels down. Ron Out!
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