June 21, 2026 | By Ray Cunningham

Tom Curran gets first-ever USAC MRA victory at Valley Speedway

GRAIN VALLEY, Mo.—Saturday night, (Kansas City, Mo) racer Tom Curran validated his dreams and aspirations by taking a hard fought first victory in sprint car competition winning the Wholesale Batteries USAC MRA  Fathers Day Dirt Classic at Valley Speedway, beating Jack Wagner in second, and R.J. Miller in third to the checkered flag.

Driving the Curran Racing 11x, Curran would start on the pole in the 21 car, 25 lap A feature, with Friday nights victor Jack Wagner of (Lone Jack, Mo) right beside him. Curran, looking for his first ever sprint car win would lead in the early going driving the bottom on a technical track.

However, Wagner, who had won six of his previous eleven starts at the Missouri dirt track would zoom by him running the top in his JHR/WBR 77 after a couple laps, and appeared to be on his way to another victory at the track which is just a stones throw from his home.

Curran, a former micro champion, was staying the course on the bottom during this time. Hitting his marks, while keeping Wagner in reach. Eventually, the tables turned, and Curran was able to take the lead back, though Wagner never gave up, the fight, hounding Curran to the very end.

Afterwards, in victory lane, Wagner celebrated his longtime rival and friend in first micros, and then sprint cars. While Curran soaked in the moment with his father Kevin, and crew, stating “I have always felt I wouldn’t be a sprint car driver until I finally got my first win.”

Racing throughout the field in the feature event produced many storylines besides the run for first place, including third running Miller. The (Edgewood, Tx) driver hadn’t ever been to Valley when he drove to sixth place on night one of the Father’s Day weekend doubleheader on Friday night. And then followed that up driving from tenth on the grid to third place on night two. Followed by Wesley Smith (Nixa, Mo) in fourth, and Luke Howard (Overland Park, Ks) in fifth.
(Nesbit Miss) chauffeur Chase Howard would lead the way of drivers finishing in sixth thru tenth place, taking sixth. With Braydon Cromwell (Lone Jack, Mo) rebounding from an incident that sent him to the back to come back all the way to seventh. As well as Dakota Earls (Independence, Mo) who finished eighth following a accident in turn one that sent him to the back, after tangling with Jake Kouba (Farmington, Mn) and Brennon Marshall (Wills Point, Tx). All were okay,  but Kouba and Marshall both went off the track on the hook never to return.

The final two drivers in the top 10 had eventful nights as well. Ralph Parkinson Jr. (Junior) of (Wichita Falls, Tx) started seventeenth in the feature event. With the veteran driver who first drove a non winged sprint car in 1970 advancing eight spots to a ninth place finish to take the Hard Charger award. And Bryson Smith (Nixa, Mo) brought his mount home in tenth after earning high point honors before the redraw for the second night in a row.

Earlier in the evening, three very competitive heat races saw Curran, Bryson Smith, and Wyatt Burks take heat race wins on a hot and steamy night for racing in the Valkey.

The Wholesale Batteries USAC MRA Sprint Cars are next in action Friday night, July 10th at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas for the Voltage Hustle paying 6,000 to win. And Saturday night, July 11th for the Mid Summer Madness at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Missouri. Photos by Ryan Black D.T.O. Photography, courtesy of High Fly'N Photos www.highfly-nphotos.com

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USAC/MRA SPRINT CARS RESULTS (21 entries)

A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 11X-Tom Curran[1]; 2. 77-Jack Wagner[3]; 3. 34-RJ Miller[10]; 4. 44-Wesley Smith[9]; 5. 2-Luke Howard[7]; 6. 13-Chase Howard[5]; 7. 4-Braydon Cromwell[2]; 8. 15E-Dakota Earls[11]; 9. 93-JR Parkinson[17]; 10. 33-Bryson Smith[4]; 11. 73-Samuel Wagner[14]; 12. 03-Tyler Burton[12]; 13. 91-Charlie Burton[18]; 14. 33L-Mark Lane[19]; 15. 11W-Wyatt Burks[6]; 16. 99-Jarrett Weyant[15]; 17. 27-Justin Johnson[13]; 18. 18K-Kyle Gorham[21]; 19. 6-Jake Kouba[8]; 20. 43-Brennon Marshall[16]; 21. 44M-Jared McCarty[20]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 11X-Tom Curran[2]; 2. 03-Tyler Burton[5]; 3. 15E-Dakota Earls[1]; 4. 6-Jake Kouba[3]; 5. 2-Luke Howard[4]; 6. 43-Brennon Marshall[6]; 7. 18K-Kyle Gorham[7]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 33-Bryson Smith[3]; 2. 77-Jack Wagner[2]; 3. 4-Braydon Cromwell[4]; 4. 27-Justin Johnson[1]; 5. 99-Jarrett Weyant[5]; 6. 33L-Mark Lane[7]; 7. 91-Charlie Burton[6]

Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 11W-Wyatt Burks[2]; 2. 44-Wesley Smith[1]; 3. 73-Samuel Wagner[5]; 4. 13-Chase Howard[4]; 5. 34-RJ Miller[3]; 6. 93-JR Parkinson[6]; 7. 44M-Jared McCarty[7]

Qualifying 1: 1. 2-Luke Howard, 15.222[5]; 2. 6-Jake Kouba, 15.272[3]; 3. 11X-Tom Curran, 15.298[7]; 4. 15E-Dakota Earls, 15.322[4]; 5. 03-Tyler Burton, 15.648[2]; 6. 43-Brennon Marshall, 16.008[1]; 7. 18K-Kyle Gorham, 17.214[6]

Qualifying 2: 1. 4-Braydon Cromwell, 15.375[4]; 2. 33-Bryson Smith, 15.472[1]; 3. 77-Jack Wagner, 15.563[7]; 4. 27-Justin Johnson, 15.771[5]; 5. 99-Jarrett Weyant, 15.944[3]; 6. 91-Charlie Burton, 16.508[6]; 7. 33L-Mark Lane, 16.626[2]

Qualifying 3: 1. 13-Chase Howard, 15.185[6]; 2. 34-RJ Miller, 15.209[7]; 3. 11W-Wyatt Burks, 15.574[1]; 4. 44-Wesley Smith, 15.712[2]; 5. 73-Samuel Wagner, 15.921[4]; 6. 93-JR Parkinson, 16.248[5]; 7. 44M-Jared McCarty, 16.933[3]

Hot Laps 1: 1. 11X-Tom Curran, 14.800[7]; 2. 2-Luke Howard, 14.840[5]; 3. 6-Jake Kouba, 15.054[3]; 4. 15E-Dakota Earls, 15.122[4]; 5. 03-Tyler Burton, 15.198[2]; 6. 43-Brennon Marshall, 15.638[1]; 7. 18K-Kyle Gorham, 16.350[6]

Hot Laps 2: 1. 77-Jack Wagner, 14.729[7]; 2. 4-Braydon Cromwell, 14.800[4]; 3. 99-Jarrett Weyant, 14.909[3]; 4. 27-Justin Johnson, 15.164[5]; 5. 33-Bryson Smith, 15.202[1]; 6. 91-Charlie Burton, 15.244[6]; 7. 33L-Mark Lane, 16.947[2]

Hot Laps 3: 1. 34-RJ Miller, 14.218[7]; 2. 44-Wesley Smith, 14.455[2]; 3. 73-Samuel Wagner, 14.712[4]; 4. 11W-Wyatt Burks, 14.795[1]; 5. 13-Chase Howard, 14.893[6]; 6. 93-JR Parkinson, 15.436[5]; 7. 44M-Jared McCarty, 16.659[3]



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Nicholls USRA B Mods

A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 75M-Sebastian Wolfenbarger[1]; 2. 81-Austin Charles[2]; 3. 36-Travis Alexander[5]; 4. 51M-Mike Ryun[3]; 5. 21-Mark Smith[7]; 6. 81C-Tom Charles[6]; 7. 25-David Chapman[8]; 8. (DNF) 21J-Josh Everhart[4]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 75M-Sebastian Wolfenbarger[6]; 2. 51M-Mike Ryun[1]; 3. 21J-Josh Everhart[4]; 4. 81-Austin Charles[7]; 5. 36-Travis Alexander[5]; 6. 81C-Tom Charles[2]; 7. 21-Mark Smith[3]; 8. (DNF) 25-David Chapman[8]


Kustom Cruzers E Mods

A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 32X-Brad RIchardson[2]; 2. 12H-Drew Hilt[3]; 3. 03-CAMERON ENGLAND[11]; 4. 75B-Brayden Royce[4]; 5. 14P-Adam Paul[5]; 6. 13J-Nick Dangerfield[10]; 7. 11E-Emme Ryun[8]; 8. 23M-Connor Dawson[9]; 9. (DNF) 6-Mike Taylor[7]; 10. (DNF) 86-Steven Ramilo[1]; 11. (DNS) 407-John Helm

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 32X-Brad RIchardson[2]; 2. 75B-Brayden Royce[1]; 3. 14P-Adam Paul[4]; 4. 11E-Emme Ryun[3]; 5. 23M-Connor Dawson[5]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 12H-Drew Hilt[2]; 2. 86-Steven Ramilo[5]; 3. 407-John Helm[4]; 4. 6-Mike Taylor[6]; 5. (DNF) 13J-Nick Dangerfield[1]; 6. (DNF) 03-CAMERON ENGLAND[3]


Trailer Worx IMCA Mod Lites

A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 46-Dillon Raffurty[9]; 2. 75-Justin Raffurty[8]; 3. 3-Nathan Wolfe[6]; 4. 98-Jeff Raffurty[10]; 5. 34-Tyler Furrell[7]; 6. 41-Michael Raffurty[12]; 7. 04-Kraig Maple[5]; 8. 8-Josh Guy[2]; 9. 31-Ryan White[4]; 10. C4-Conner Gibson[1]; 11. 11-Martin Jennings[11]; 12. 84-Joe Gunn[3]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 98-Jeff Raffurty[5]; 2. 75-Justin Raffurty[4]; 3. 3-Nathan Wolfe[3]; 4. 31-Ryan White[2]; 5. C4-Conner Gibson[1]; 6. 11-Martin Jennings[6]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 46-Dillon Raffurty[4]; 2. 34-Tyler Furrell[3]; 3. 04-Kraig Maple[2]; 4. 8-Josh Guy[6]; 5. 84-Joe Gunn[1]; 6. 41-Michael Raffurty[5]


A1 Trading Pure Stocks

A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 24-Jimmie Workman[2]; 2. 13B-Devin Baker[4]; 3. 91-Chad Nivens[5]; 4. 117-Levi Cox[1]; 5. (DNF) 49-Michael Dawson[3]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 117-Levi Cox[1]; 2. 24-Jimmie Workman[3]; 3. (DNF) 49-Michael Dawson[5]; 4. (DNF) 13B-Devin Baker[2]; 5. (DNF) 91-Chad Nivens[4]