Tureky Night Grand Prix this Saturday at Ventura
Photo by Jonathan Bussey
VENTURA, Calif.—A talented field of nearly 50 USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget drivers are set for the most history-rich midget race of them all, the 84th running of the ARP Turkey Night Grand Prix Presented By the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame.
They’ll converge on California’s Ventura Raceway on Saturday night, November 29, for the next installment of the longest-running midget racing event, a tradition which dates back to 1934, paying $15,000-to-win for the 98-lap main event promoted by Agajanian Promotions at Jim Naylor’s 1/5-mile seaside dirt oval.
PAST WINNERS IN THE RACE
Four past Turkey Night Grand Prix winners are in this year’s driver lineup, including defending winner Corey Day, plus fellow winners Justin Grant (2022), LoganSeavey (2021), and four-time winner Kyle Larson (2012-2016-2019-2023).
Day will attempt to become the first repeat Turkey Night midget winner since Christopher Bell in 2017-2018.
CANNON VS. GRANT
A mere 52 points separate the top-two in the USAC National Midget title race, with Cannon McIntosh leading Justin Grant by that margin entering the season finale.
A maximum of 76 points are available throughout Saturday’s event. McIntosh is seeking his first career USAC title. Meanwhile, Grant is vying to become a first-time USAC National Midget champ, which would complete the USAC career Triple Crown after previously capturing titles with the USAC Silver Crown series in 2020 and 2025, as well as the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars in 2022-2023.
Grant won Turkey Night at Ventura in 2022 while McIntosh finished a best of second back in 2019.
STACKED WITH TALENT
This year’s field includes 16 USAC national feature winners, 12 of which are vying for a first Turkey Night midget triumph: Kaylee Bryson, Kevin Thomas Jr., Hayden Reinbold, Michael Pickens, Jake Swanson, Jacob Denney, Buddy Kofoid, Cannon McIntosh, Daison Pursley, Gavin Miller, Kale Drake and Carson Macedo, a Turkey Night Sprint Car winner in 2016.
The list also includes three USAC National Midget champions, including Logan Seavey (2018 & 2023), Buddy Kofoid (2021 & 2022) and Daison Pursley (2024).
To date, 10 different drivers have won USAC National Midget races during the 2025 campaign, eight of which are shooting for a first career Turkey Night triumph. McIntosh has won five while Gavin Miller and Jacob Denney each own three scores. Daison Pursley and Kale Drake have picked up a pair of wins while single scores belong to Buddy Kofoid, Drake Edwards and Hayden Reinbold.
TURKEY NIGHT ROOKIES
More than half of the field will be in contention for the Don Basile Rookie of the Race as they attempt to make their first Turkey Night midget feature start.
This year’s list includes 2025 USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year Steven Snyder Jr., USAC National Midget winner Drake Edwards, winged sprint car standout Justin Peck, NASCAR’s Ty Gibbs, USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year Gunnar Setser, USAC Western States Midget champion Caden Sarale, plus USAC Western States Midget winners Jett Yantis and Dane Culver.
The Turkey Night Rookie list also consists of Connor Lundy, Anthony Bruno, Jakeb Boxell, Connor Speir, Grant Schaadt, Drake Cardey, Mathew Radisich, Todd Hawse, Brecken Reese, Kyle Hawse, Karter Sarff, Kyle Jones, Joey Bishop, Cole Wakim, Cale Coons, T.J. Smith, Bryan Drollinger, Preston Norbury, Brody Wake and Brandon Carr from the U.K.
Overall, five past Turkey Night Rookies of the Race will be in the field: Kyle Larson (2011), Carson Macedo (2016), Cannon McIntosh (2019), Jake Andreotti (2022) and Corey Day (2023).
GRAND MARSHALS
Motorsports legends Brent Kaeding and Gary Schroeder will serve as co-grand marshals of the 2025 Turkey Night Grand Prix.
Kaeding drove to victory in the event 40 years ago in 1985. Schroeder was a standout TQ Midget racer who went on to become a prominent figure in the development of torsion bars and sway bars.
The very same car Kaeding drove to the 1985 win has been restored and will be one of two past Turkey Night winning cars that will pace the field in Saturday’s event. Billy Boat’s John Lawson owned 1995 winning car will also pace the field, 30 years after its Turkey Night victory.
RACE DETAILS
This year’s Turkey Night weekend will also host the Ultimate Sprint Car Series for both nights of on-track action on November 28-29.
Friday, November 28: Grandstands open at 3pm Pacific. Cars on track at 3:30pm. Midget practice, plus sprint car racing.
Saturday, November 29: Grandstands open at 3pm Pacific. Cars on track at 3:30pm. Sprint car racing, plus midget hot laps, qualifying, last chance qualifiers, semis and the 98-lap feature.
Advance tickets can be purchased now at www.venturaraceway.com. Additional information is available at 805-648-7223.
2025 TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX USAC MIDGET ENTRY LIST: (50)
00 JAKE ANDREOTTI/Castro Valley, CA (Pete Davis)
1K KYLE LARSON/Elk Grove, CA (Kyle Larson Racing)
2p (R) CONNOR LUNDY/Peoria, AZ (Team Petty-Rossi Racing)
3p (R) JUSTIN PECK/Monrovia, IN (Team Petty-Rossi Racing)
4 (R) STEVEN SNYDER JR./Rising Sun, MD (RMS Racing)
4K COREY DAY/Clovis, CA (Wille Kahne)
4R RONNIE GARDNER/Corona, CA (RMS Racing)
4y (R) JETT YANTIS/Bakersfield, CA (Rusty Carlile)
8 RANDI PANKRATZ/Atascadero, CA (Wally Pankratz)
9 (R) ANTHONY BRUNO/San Jose, CA (Tony Boscacci)
11 KAYLEE BRYSON/Muskogee, OK (Abacus Racing)
14 KEVIN THOMAS JR./Cullman, AL (4 Kings Racing)
14JB (R) JAKEB BOXELL/Zanesville, IN (4 Kings Racing)
14JR (R) CONNOR SPEIR/Fillmore, CA (Matt Streeter Racing-Graunstadt Enterprises)
14T MICHAEL FACCINTO/Hanford, CA (Matt Streeter Racing-Graunstadt Enterprises)
15LS (R) GRANT SCHAADT/San Tan Valley, AZ (Lonnie Oliver)
17A (R) DRAKE CARDEY/Riverside, CA (Tom Dunkel Racing)
17NZ (R) MATHEW RADISICH/Auckland, NZ (Out And About Racing)
18 (R) TODD HAWSE/Simi Valley, CA (Todd Hawse)
19AZ HAYDEN REINBOLD/Gilbert, AZ (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
20Q (R) BRECKEN REESE/Canyon, TX (Jeff Reese)
20x (R) KYLE HAWSE/Las Vegas, NV (Hawse Racing)
25 (R) KARTER SARFF/Mason City, IL (Jerome Rodela)
27x (R) KYLE JONES/Kennedale, TX (Joyner Motorsports)
31 MICHAEL PICKENS/Auckland, NZ (Beilman Motorsports)
31B JAKE SWANSON/Anaheim, CA (Beilman Motorsports)
32 (R) CADEN SARALE/Stockton, CA (Caden Sarale)
43 (R) GUNNAR SETSER/Columbus, IN (Kevin Arnold)
45 (R) JOEY BISHOP/Camarillo, CA (Bishop Motorsports)
50 (R) DANE CULVER/Riverside, CA (Knuckles Up Racing)
55 (R) COLE WAKIM/Simi Valley, CA (Lambert Motorsports)
57 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Abacus Racing)
63 (R) CALE COONS/Greencastle, IN (Dooling Autosports-Curb-Agajanian)
66 BROEDY GRAHAM/Bakersfield, CA (BGR Racing)
67 JACOB DENNEY/Galloway, OH (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
68 (R) T.J. SMITH/Fresno, CA (Six8 Motorsports)
71 BUDDY KOFOID/Penngrove, CA (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71D (R) BRYAN DROLLINGER/San Pedro, CA (Drollinger Bros. Racing)
71K CANNON MCINTOSH/Bixby, OK (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
77 DALTEN GABBARD/Peoria, AZ (Dalten Gabbard)
77AZ (R) PRESTON NORBURY/Chino Valley, AZ (Bugs Norbury)
78 (R) BRODY WAKE/Lake Havasu City, AZ (BWR Racing-Ryan Wake)
83 (R) DRAKE EDWARDS/Peoria, AZ (CB Industries)
84 DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, OK (CB Industries)
86 (R) TY GIBBS/Charlotte, NC (CB Industries)
87 JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (CB Industries)
97 GAVIN MILLER/Allentown, PA (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
97K KALE DRAKE/Collinsville, OK (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
98K (R) BRANDON CARR/Sheffield, UK (Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
99AU CARSON MACEDO/Lemoore, CA (Dyson Motorsport)
(R) represents a Don Basile Rookie of the Race candidate
TRACK RECORDS FOR USAC NATIONAL MIDGETS AT VENTURA RACEWAY
1 Lap - 11/18/1995 - Johnny Cofer - 11.675 - 61.670 mph
8 Laps - 11/18/1995 - J.R. Lawson - 1:40.28 - 57.439 mph
10 Laps - 11/12/1988 - Stan Fox - 2:17.22 - 52.471 mph
12 Laps - 11/12/1988 - Wally Pankratz - 2:24.67 - 59.722 mph
TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX MIDGET WINS
8-Ron Shuman
4-Kyle Larson
3-Christopher Bell & Billy Boat
2-Gary Bettenhausen, Bryan Clauson, Dave Darland, Billy Engelhart, Stan Fox, A.J. Foyt, Perry Grimm, Chuck Gurney, Ronney Householder, Parnelli Jones, Mel Kenyon, Jason Leffler, Roy Russing, Dave Steele & Bob Swanson
1-George Amick, Caleb Armstrong, Dick Atkins, George Benson, Tony Bettenhausen, Billy Cantrell, Corey Day, Jay Drake, Bobby East, Edgar Elder, Joe Garson, Rick Goudy, Justin Grant, Mel Hansen, Jordan Hermansader, Bubby Jones, Brent Kaeding, Michael Lewis, Johnny McDowell, Danny McKnight, Warren Mockler, Danny Oakes, Kevin Olson, Johnnie Parsons, Gary Patterson, Bobby Santos, Logan Seavey, Sammy Sessions, Tony Simon, Ted Sizemore, Tony Stewart, Tanner Thorson, Bill Vukovich, Billy Wease & Bill Zaring
TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX MIDGET WINNERS
1934: Bob Swanson (Gilmore Stadium)
1935: Ted Sizemore (Gilmore Stadium)
1936: Ronney Householder (Gilmore Stadium)
1937: Ronney Householder (Gilmore Stadium)
1938: Bob Swanson (Gilmore Stadium)
1939: Mel Hansen (Gilmore Stadium)
1940: Roy Russing (Gilmore Stadium)
1941: Roy Russing (Gilmore Stadium)
1945: Danny Oakes (Gilmore Stadium)
1946: Perry Grimm (Gilmore Stadium)
1947: Johnny McDowell (Gilmore Stadium)
1948: Bill Vukovich (Gilmore Stadium)
1949: Perry Grimm (Gilmore Stadium)
1950: Bill Zaring (Gilmore Stadium)
1955: Johnnie Parsons (Gardena Stadium)
1956: Edgar Elder (Gardena Stadium)
1957: George Amick (Gardena Stadium)
1958: Joe Garson (Gardena Stadium)
1959: Tony Bettenhausen (Gardena Stadium)
1960: A.J. Foyt (Ascot Park)
1961: A.J. Foyt (Ascot Park)
1962: Billy Cantrell (Ascot Park)
1963: Mel Kenyon (Ascot Park)
1964: Parnelli Jones (Ascot Park)
1965: Dick Atkins (Ascot Park)
1966: Parnelli Jones (Ascot Park)
1967: Gary Bettenhausen (Ascot Park)
1968: Sam Sessions (Ascot Park)
1969: George Benson (Ascot Park)
1970: Gary Bettenhausen (Ascot Park)
1971: Billy Engelhart (Ascot Park)
1972: Tony Simon (Ascot Park)
1973: Billy Engelhart (Ascot Park)
1974: Danny McKnight (Ascot Park)
1975: Mel Kenyon (605 Speedway)
1976: Bubby Jones (Ascot Park)
1977: Gary Patterson (Ascot Park)
1978: Rick Goudy (Ascot Park)
1979: Ron Shuman (Ascot Park)
1980: Ron Shuman (Ascot Park)
1981: Ron Shuman (Ascot Park)
1982: Ron Shuman (Ascot Park)
1983: Kevin Olson (Ascot Park)
1984: Ron Shuman (Ascot Park)
1985: Brent Kaeding (Ascot Park)
1986: Warren Mockler (Ascot Park)
1987: Ron Shuman (Ascot Park)
1988: Chuck Gurney (Ascot Park)
1989: Chuck Gurney (Ascot Park)
1990: Stan Fox (Ascot Park)
1991: Stan Fox (Saugus Speedway)
1992: Ron Shuman (Bakersfield Speedway)
1993: Ron Shuman (Bakersfield Speedway)
1994: Jordan Hermansader (Bakersfield Speedway)
1995: Billy Boat (Bakersfield Speedway)
1996: Billy Boat (Perris Auto Speedway)
1997: Billy Boat (Ventura Raceway)
1998: Jay Drake (Bakersfield Speedway)
1999: Jason Leffler (Irwindale Speedway)
2000: Tony Stewart (Irwindale Speedway)
2001: Dave Steele (Irwindale Speedway)
2002: Michael Lewis (Irwindale Speedway)
2003: Dave Steele (Irwindale Speedway)
2004: Bobby East (Irwindale Speedway)
2005: Jason Leffler (Irwindale Speedway)
2006: Billy Wease (Irwindale Speedway)
2007: Dave Darland (Irwindale Speedway)
2008: Bobby Santos (Irwindale Speedway)
2009: Bryan Clauson (Irwindale Speedway)
2010: Bryan Clauson (Irwindale Speedway)
2011: Caleb Armstrong (Irwindale Speedway)
2012: Kyle Larson (Perris Auto Speedway)
2013: Dave Darland (Perris Auto Speedway)
2014: Christopher Bell (Perris Auto Speedway)
2015: Tanner Thorson (Perris Auto Speedway)
2016: Kyle Larson (Ventura Raceway)
2017: Christopher Bell (Ventura Raceway)
2018: Christopher Bell (Ventura Raceway)
2019: Kyle Larson (Ventura Raceway)
2020: (Not Held)
2021: Logan Seavey (Ventura Raceway)
2022: Justin Grant (Ventura Raceway)
2023: Kyle Larson (Ventura Raceway)
2024: Corey Day (Ventura Raceway)
PAST DON BASILE TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX ROOKIES OF THE RACE:
1998: Kasey Kahne – Finished 5th
1999: Dave Steele – Finished 5th
2000: Aaron Pollock – Finished 7th
2001: Bobby East – Finished 10th
2002: Jerome Rodela – Finished 9th
2003: Ryan Durst – Finished 10th
2004: Brad Loyet – Finished 9th
2005: Kevin Swindell – Finished 11th
2006: Kody Swanson – Finished 2nd
2007: Mike Murgoitio – Finished 4th
2008: Nic Faas – Finished 13th
2009: Levi Roberts – Finished 2nd
2010: Dalton Armstrong – Finished 3rd
2011: Kyle Larson – Finished 4th
2012: Ryan Bernal – Finished 3rd
2013: Tanner Thorson – Finished 10th
2014: Isaac Chapple – Finished 13th
2015: Robert Dalby – Finished 14th
2016: Carson Macedo – Finished 3rd
2017: Zeb Wise – Finished 5th
2018: Jason McDougal – Finished 8th
2019: Cannon McIntosh – Finished 2nd
2020: No Race
2021: Mitchel Moles – Finished 3rd
2022: Jake Andreotti – Finished 4th
2023: Corey Day – Finished 2nd
2024: Zach Wigal – Finished 11th
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