Highlights | 2026 USAC Silver Crown at WWT Raceway
For the 13th time, the USAC Silver Crown Series takes on the 1.25-mile Madison, Illinois oval as part of the NTT IndyCar Series weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Video Transcript
Field off of turn number four to the wave of the green flag.
We're underway with today's running of the Outfront Route 66 Classic, presented by Welsh Heating and Cooling.
Immediately jumping out two wide, three wide.
It's a hornet's nest making its way into turns one and two.
We'll see who has the advantage here on the open la- opening lap right now.
That outside line working to the advantage of Bobby Santos III.
He's gonna take off with the point here on the opening lap.
Leary falling back into that second spot.
Challenge for third, the five has it.
Driver coming after him on the outside.
We'll see who has the run around to the front straightaway.
They'll start to pick up momentum, and they'll start tapping around 180 entering the turns here.
The 14 of Hamilton.
Mentioned Drake earlier, where they had to change a lot of parts on that car to get it rolling, and now he is up there in the hunt.
Three car fight for the race lead, side by side.
Leary back down to the bottom.
Talk- took him down to the drop of the green flag, ended up running second to lap number one.
Three wide for the top spot, here comes Hamilton, is able to split the Avante Windows & Doors number 21 in turns three and four.
Davey Hamilton gonna jump up into the top spot.
Coming around, working lap number two.
A fantastic start, and what a run to get things rolling here for the driver of the number 14.
Between the 91 and the 98 of Santos, you have the five of Armstrong in there now.
Leary takes a look down the inside, trying to take over the top spot.
So far, not able to get it.
Davey Hamilton Jr. so far doing a great job of holding him at bay.
20 laps completed.
Again, 66 the distance.
And problems for your leader, the 14.
Slowing down the back straightaway, Hamilton pulls it down onto the access road in heartbreak.
2.246 seconds back from your leader.
In the meantime, Justin Grant, six tenths and oh my, here comes the five of Dakota Armstrong.
Where did he come from?
A huge run into turn number three, rolled right by the 91, and there are problems on the number 77.
He's up out of the racing groove, and he has lost considerable speed down the front straightaway.
Something definitely going awry, and a tough, tough break in his World Wide Technology Raceway debut as smoke continues to billow off of the back of that machine.
As we continue on, 31 laps completed.
Leary, that gives him a 3.511 second advantage in that race for second.
Armstrong and Grant trading it up once again.
Boy, Armstrong had kinda fallen back a little bit, and all of a sudden just blowing by the 91 a lap ago.
Had to kinda get on the binders a little bit as he took a huge head of steam down to the bottom side of turns three and four as CJ Leary continues to lead.
Problems now for the driver who is running second.
I think second might be the poison pill here.
Armstrong slow down the front straightaway.
Caution lights gonna come back on.
Toyota Racing Development pace truck back down into the pit lane, and we're back underway quickly.
Justin on the attack.
The Nos Energy number 91 takes it down to the inside, looks for it, couldn't get there.
They're gonna race onto turns one and two.
Santos watching in the 98, just hoping both or either driver will make a mistake here as they work onto the far side of the speedway.
Leary gonna lay into the loud pedal here as the 98 of Santos looks for second.
Grant's got company working down to the inside.
He will overtake this time into turn number three.
Santos takes over the second spot, and again trying to add a second career top five to his resume as Leary continues to lead.
Grant back after Bobby Santos, race for the second spot.
The Nos number 91 down to the inside of the entrance of turn number one, takes it as they work lap number 45.
Be interesting to hear what the spotters are telling the drivers right now as they work around.
Grant getting a little bit of a wiggle on that car at the exit of turn number four.
Tires starting to wear and get a little slick now.
The 124 gonna dive to the inside.
Does he have the run for second?
Yes, he does.
Jackson Mosenko with a massive recovery today, again after going to the tail for changing a right rear.
Just takes over the second spot as they work lap number 57, and have to wonder if maybe something's going on with Grant.
I mentioned last time around, the back of that car getting just a little bit of a wiggle to it, so wonder if maybe something going awry or if the tires have just worn out on the number 91, but no, something is wrong.
Justin Grant suddenly slowing in the front straightaway, and again the driver running in second falls victim.
Again, th- this a part of a multi-race program here today with Indy NXT and of course the NTT IndyCar Series with the Bommarito Autogroup 500, so time of the essence, and right now it is game on for the second spot as they work onto the back straightaway.
Santos in the 98 coming after the 124, Jackson Mosenko.
He's got it.
Santos back up into the second spot.
Mosenko falls to third as they work through turns three and four.
White flag is out as we have reached time.
The 4:00 hour is upon us, and this one is nearly in the books as they work onto the back straightaway for one last time.
He's won on the dirt.
He's proven he can win on the pavement, and today on the biggest track of the Silver Crown schedule.
He's gonna work through turns three and four as we've got a car slow to the wall over in the high side of the fourth turn, but the checkered flag No, the caution and the checker gonna come out, and Leary is gonna win it.
