LEARY TO DRIVE FULL-TIME FOR FMR ON 2019 USAC MIDGET TRAIL

LEARY TO DRIVE FULL-TIME FOR FMR ON 2019 USAC MIDGET TRAIL

Story By: Richie Murray/USAC Racing

Photos By: Dan DeMarco/RacersGuide.com

Indianapolis, Indiana………C.J. Leary has agreed to drive full-time for FMR Racing on the complete 2019 USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget trail.

Leary, of Greenfield, Ind., has been a standout on the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car trail for the last number of years, but will now take on the midget tour for the first time in his racing career aboard the No. 76m.

Brady Bacon, FMR’s driver for the past three seasons, has taken a step back from full-time midget competition, but will still compete as a teammate to Leary in 10-12 races on the 33-race schedule in 2019.

Bacon and FMR have won several races on the USAC National Midget tour in recent seasons, including the inaugural running of the BC39 at The Dirt Track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2018.

The 2019 USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship schedule features its largest slate of events in over two decades with a myriad of notable races dotting the U.S. map. The season begins with the series debut at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla. for the kickoff of “Winter Dirt Games X” with two complete shows on Feb. 8-9. The head indoors on Mar. 9 for the “Shamrock Classic” at the Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin, followed by the “Kokomo Grand Prix” doubleheader on Apr. 5-6 at Indiana’s Kokomo Speedway. A double-dip at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill. and Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Mo. follow on May 17-18.

A busy summer stretch takes you to the Hoosier State for the 15th edition of “Indiana Midget Week” from June 4-9 at Montpelier, Gas City, Putnamville (Lincoln Park), Bloomington, Lawrenceburg and Kokomo. A stop at The Dirt Oval at Route 66 in Joliet, Ill. precedes Mid-American Midget Week, which includes visits to Meeker, Oklahoma’s Red Dirt Raceway on July 9, Solomon Valley Raceway in Beloit, Kans. on July 10, the two-night “Midwest Midget Championship” at Jefferson County Speedway in Fairbury, Neb. on July 12-13 and concluding at Missouri’s Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex on July 14.

The end of July kicks off “Pennsylvania Midget Week” between July 30 and Aug. 3 at Grandview, Action Track USA, Path Valley, Linda’s and Lanco. The second installment of the “BC39” returns to The Dirt Track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sept. 4-5 followed by the 38th running of the “4-Crown Nationals” at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio on Sept. 28. The Midwest season finishes up at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind. on Oct. 19 before the series heads west for an expanded docket of races starting with the 52nd annual “Western World Championships” at Arizona Speedway on Nov. 15-16, before heading to California’s Placerville Speedway on Nov. 20-21, Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway on Nov. 23 and the season-capper on Thanksgiving, Nov. 28 at Ventura (Calif.) Raceway for the 79th “Turkey Night Grand Prix.”