Highlights | 2026 USAC Sprint Car Smackdown Thursday at Kokomo Speedway
Watch the USAC Sprint Car Smackdown feature highlights at Kokomo Speedway from August 27, 2026 on FloRacing
Video Transcript
Night number one of Chili Sprint Car Smackdown, and we're ready to get after it, race fans.
It is time to sit back, relax, and enjoy 30 trips around the Kokomo Speedway because, race fans, this is what you saved your lunch money for.
To the green here on night number one of Chili Smackdown.
They'll get a dash off of the back straightaway.
We'll see who has the advantage here on the opening lap.
Right now, it is the 21 AZ, Miller.
He'll bring them around to lead lap one.
KTJ stalking down the inside as they work into turns one and two.
Lap number one in the books.
Gavin Miller, Kevin Thomas Jr., Gunner Setzer, Justin Grant, Jake Swanson, that was your top five as they burn to the back straightaway.
KTJ now gonna switch tactics.
He's gonna look to the outside, exit turn number four.
Gavin Miller swapping that line around, able to put some distance back between himself and the 15.
Problems for the 28 of Maddox.
He'll pull her down into the infield.
We avoid the caution, and it continues to be the 21 leading the way.
Goes all the way to the top shelf over turns three and four, entered down low into turn number one, swings her up across the racetrack.
Using every line he can here.
Kevin Thomas still running in second.
Gunner Setzer right now finding himself in third.
Justin Grant riding in fourth.
Kyle Cummins currently running at your top five.
Then it's gonna be Jake Swanson trying to hold on to sixth, Jayden Rogers in seventh, Cale Kunz in eighth, Briggs Danner, Trey Osborne, that's your top 10 right now.
Working lap number five, a challenge coming up for second.
Here comes Setzer, here comes Grant, here comes Cummins, the three gonna get the pass on the front straightaway.
He'll take over the four spot.
Now he's gonna grab third in the back straightaway.
Keep an eye on your current USAC National points leader.
He is charging.
Has Kevin Thomas Jr.
In his sights here to the front stretch.
KTJ around the bottom, the three P. He's got that thing wound on the outside.
Closed on the final right off of the right side of Kevin Thomas.
Now Kevin gonna go ahead and switch tactics here.
He'll go to the high side at turns three and four.
He'll try to get the momentum built up.
Right now, the task at hand is reeling in Gavin Miller.
Hey, they've got the back of the field starting to come into view, but that challenge for the lead might start happening before they get there.
Cummins has it down to car lengths.
Six tenths of a second, caution.
Got one orbiting the racetrack.
I believe that was the 87.
See how things shake out here.
10 laps completed.
Gavin Miller brings it back to green, slides himself in turns one and two, and the three P gonna try to take advantage.
Cummins, as he peels to the top.
No, he goes to the bottom, trying to set up the slide.
Couldn't get there fast enough.
It's gonna be Gavin Miller holding onto the race lead.
Gavin gonna slide himself again, this time at turns one and two.
Up across the racetrack, Cummins with another huge run onto the back straightaway.
This time gonna go in and lower down, and Bringer and Diamond across the racetrack side by side for the top spot.
Miller's gonna hold onto it in 21.
Gavin Miller with the race lead, slides up across the racetrack once again.
Oh, we got one on its side over on turns one and two.
That is the five of Swanson.
So we'll look at the replay here on FloRacing from the drone.
This'll be starting at the flagstand going into turn one, and man.
Rings are wide, drops are low, we're back underway.
Cummins gonna roll in full throttle and full tails onto the back straightaway looking for the race lead.
Miller able to slide himself and hold on to it.
Up across the racetrack, exit turn number four.
He's got a couple of car lengths.
He'll roll to the inside of turn number one, brings it wide at the exit to number two.
The three P with a massive run onto the back straightaway.
Does he have it this time into turns three and four?
Maybe.
Down on the inside, challenge for the race lead.
No, Gavin Miller's gonna have it.
Gavin Miller holds onto the race lead.
Now Justin Grant with a massive run to the outside.
He's got second.
He's looking for the race lead this time into turns three and four.
Got it.
Slide job, exit to number four denied.
The 21's gonna retake it.
Three cars, one spot, the 21, the four, and the three P all duking it out.
Here comes the four down the inside once again.
Can't get it.
The three P's gonna make his way by.
Kyle Cummins able to snooker him and make his way up into the race lead.
Justin Grant up into second.
The 21 back to third.
Miller gonna try to slide back by, can't get there as it's gonna be Kyle Cummins leading the way.
Justin Grant in second, Gavin Miller in third, Kevin Thomas Jr.
In fourth, and Mitchell Moles right now running at your top five.
Gavin to thread the needle a little bit there in traffic as it makes way to turns one and two.
Now Grant trying to be surgical here and trying to make his way by.
Comes up on Pretorius in the nine, has to roll out of the throttle to make his way by, three wide in traffic.
Couldn't quite clear the three P. He is absolutely mired in slower traffic.
Cummins three wide onto the front straightaway.
The advantage between him and Grant growing once again, 1.2 seconds.
Four lapped cars sit between first and second as they come around.
Your leader gonna click off lap number 26.
Ooh, caution.
We got one stopped on the back straightaway.
Brady Bacon in single file through the Nos Energy Start can.
Can he hold on?
We're gonna find out.
Four to go.
Gavin on the restart, trying to hold onto third.
He's got a challenge coming from Kevin Thomas Jr.
In the 15.
Gonna roll to the inside, exit to number two, swings it out, takes the line away, exit to number four.
He's up onto the podium.
Cummins steadily onto the back straightaway, trying to put distance between himself and Justin Grant.
He'll come around this time to two to go.
Grant trying to get that right rear wound up and get some momentum built.
Cale Kunz in the meantime coming after the four spot here, trying to work by the 21 AZ.
Oh, Gavin's gonna park it over in turn number two.
No, he keeps it rolling.
Just about had her stopped as the white flag is out, one to go here on night number one at Kokomo.
Cummins a little hop, skip, and a jump into turns one and two.
Brings her onto the back straightaway one final time.
Through three and out of four, checker flag gonna fly.
Night number one of the Chili Sprint Car Smackdown belongs to Kyle Cummins.
Justin Grant in second.
Battle at the line, Cale Kunz gonna grab third away by .070 over Kevin Thomas Jr. Jayden Rogers, your top five.
Briggs Danner, Mitchell Moles, Thomas Meseral, Stevie Sussex, and Robert Blue unofficially your top 10.
