Bacon Wins DIRTcar Nationals Finale; Courtney Crowned Big Gator Champion
Volusia Speedway Park keeps on producing.
New champions. New winners. Unforgettable races.
Monday night, the historic 1/2-mile oval was the site of another thrilling American Sprint Car Series event, where Oklahoma native Brady Bacon scored his first career win at the Florida track and a $12,000 grand prize in the finale to the 360 Sprint Car portion of the 55th Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals.
Following a fourth-place finish in the 30-lap main event, Tyler Courtney, of Indianapolis, IN, was crowned points champion for his efforts over the three-race stretch, which included back-to-back wins for he and the Clauson Marshall Racing team last Thursday and Friday. Courtney was awarded the iconic Big Gator trophy for the first time in his career, topping Bacon and Iowa racer Austin McCarl in the final points tally.
Outside front-row starter Brian Brown took the lead at the drop of the green flag while polesitter Sam Hafertepe Jr. gave chase with Bacon in tow. As Brown reached the rear of the field on Lap 9 with Hafertepe right on his bumper, Bacon closed in on both and took his shot at the lead on Lap 10 with a slidejob on both cars in Turn 1.
But Brown was quick to battle back, taking the top spot back with a big run out of Turn 2. Down the backstretch the Missouri veteran zoomed past Bacon and into the lead again, while Hafertepe capitalized a big run on the outside through Turns 3 and 4 to retake second, but not without contact with Bacon’s No. 20 as they reached the flag stand.
Both drivers were able to keep going, and Bacon once again came back with a big run out of Turn 2 to retake second from Hafertepe. Bacon stepped hard on the throttle and in two laps had whittled Brown’s lead down to nothing as they reached the backstretch on Lap 13.
With a burst of speed into Turn 3, Bacon drove his car deep down to the bottom lane and slid up in front of Brown and a lapped car through Turn 4 to take the lead for the first time in the race.
“I knew that lapped traffic was gonna mean everything,” Bacon said. “We’ve been really good in traffic this week. [Brown] had kinda struggled. But if the good guys get out front in clean air, they’re gonna be hard to pass. So, you’ve gotta capitalize when you can.”
From there, Bacon was the man to beat out front. Despite two restarts after caution periods, “The Macho Man” was untouchable, driving away from his competition with the lead and never looking back en route to his 15th career American Sprint Car Series Feature win and first since April 2018.
For his efforts, Bacon was presented with his first gator trophy — a standout piece in his large collection of open-wheel racing accolades as an accomplished Winged and Non-Wing Sprint Car talent.
“It’s really cool; my kids will like it. I might have to arm wrestle Sean (Michael, crew chief) for it,” Bacon said. “We’ll have to do some trading with the check or maybe switch on-and-off custody or something.”
Indiana native Emerson Axsom was able to move up to second by the checkered flag while McCarl completed the podium. Courtney crossed in fourth while Brown hung on to finish fifth.
UP NEXT
The American Sprint Car Series returns to action Feb. 21–22 at Central Arizona’s Avanti Raceway Park in Casa Grande, AZ, for the first of two race weekends in the inaugural Sonoran Clash. Tickets for the event will be sold at the track on race day.
Where can you watch every race of the 2026 American Sprint Car Series season? Live on DIRTVision.
FEATURE RESULTS (view full results)
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 20-Brady Bacon[3]; 2. 27-Emerson Axsom[7]; 3. 88W-Austin McCarl[5]; 4. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[4]; 5. 21-Brian Brown[2]; 6. 2C-Cole Macedo[10]; 7. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[1]; 8. 88R-Ryder Laplante[18]; 9. 5K-Danny Sams III[13]; 10. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[8]; 11. 5C-DJ Christie[16]; 12. 2-Whit Gastineau[6]; 13. 16G-Austyn Gossel[20]; 14. 44-Chris Martin[9]; 15. 95-Matt Covington[11]; 16. 28F-Davie Franek[12]; 17. 3-Cole Schroeder[17]; 18. 45X-Kyler Johnson[14]; 19. 10SR-Paulie Colagiovanni[23]; 20. 5-Ryder McCutcheon[22]; 21. 23-Seth Bergman[19]; 22. 88-Terry Easum[25]; 23. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[24]; 24. 17GP-Hank Davis[15]; 25. 6S-Tyler Clem[21]; 26. 88C-Brogan Carder[26]
