INDIANAPOLIS — Kyle Larson isn’t here. Neither is Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe or Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The NASCAR star power will be 8 hours south in Alabama competing at Talladega this weekend. However, despite the “big names” on the stock car circuit not being in attendance for the 5th annual Driven 2 Save Lives BC39, it doesn’t mean that there’s not any “star power” here either.

In fact, I think tonight’s BC39 could be just as good, if not better than the previous four editions.

It’s undeniable that the USAC Nos Energy Drink Midget National Championship has some talented drivers currently racing in it. However, when you mix Sprint Car and Silver Crown drivers making a foray into the prestigious USAC event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and you get enough talent on hand to put on a thrilling display of action.

See, dirt racing is an art. These 71 gladiators that will strap into these machines on Saturday night are artists. They’re painting a Picasso rendering in front of your eyes.

A 900 pound, 350 horsepower piece of machinery running on a .25-mile dirt track is a sight to behold. Mix in doing so in the shadows of the famous pagoda racing at this facility that has made drivers’ careers, and you get a highly anticipated event to want to win.

Foyt. Andretti. Unser. Gordon. Johnson. Schumacher. Indy picks it’s winners. It’s a fraternity of greatness.

The BC39 is held to the same regard by these dirt racing gladiators. Bacon. Wise. Larson. Kofoid. It’s the best of the best to have won the previous four editions. Who’s next?

“We’re here racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in front of all you great fans, and I’m not going to phone it in and come third if we can help it,” Justin Grant said after winning Friday night’s preliminary night.

Grant was out of character on Friday. He had to be. The usual cool, calm and collective driver was highly aggressive in making moves with his elbows out. He didn’t care who you were, he was coming through.

Twice in the 30 lap A-Main feature he dive bombed his way by and slid up to force the driver he was battling into the outside wall. Fair or foul, he didn’t mind. That’s the way you had to race because this is Indianapolis and this has a vast array of youth vs. experience this year. A turning point with the veterans trying to stave off a changing of the guard.

There’s contrasting driving styles between the two. The Grant’s, Thomas Meseraull’s, Logan Seavey’s, Zach Daum’s, Brady Bacon’s of the entry list grew up racing one way. The Daison Pursley’s, Ryan Timms, Bryant Wideman’s, Gavin Miller’s and Jacob Denny’s of the series now race another.

The take no prisoners no holes barred approach has forced the veterans’ hands. They had to adapt and it came to a head on Friday night.

In the second qualifier of the night, Daison Pursley got in too hot and threw an overzealous slider on points leader, Logan Seavey, in Turns 1-2. It pushed Seavey out of the groove. Seavey came back and tried to push Pursley out of the way and nearly crashed them both in the process. Then, a few laps later, Seavey drove it in deep in Turn 3 for revenge.

“He had two decisions to make,” Seavey said of the final incident between he and Pursley. “Get out of my way or crash. He chose to crash.”

Seavey blamed Pursley’s youth and aggressive moves on why he had enough. Brady Bacon who won the second qualifier said it looked like Pursley forgot there were others cars on track to race again and cited his youthful ways too.

Two qualifying races later, Zach Daum and Ryan Timms had a battle and incident in the closing laps. Daum, while in victory lane, called Timms a dipshit and blamed his youthful and inexperienced ways on how not to race.

Both Pursley and Timms didn’t understand why the veterans were mad at them. The varying philosophies between the two experience levels were like night and day. What happens on Saturday night?

Even the front row tonight of Grant and Meseraull should be interesting. Both have fast hot rods. Both have a great chance to win. Both are teammates.

“Our RMS race cars are fast. I feel like it could be a slugfest between me and Thomas tomorrow. Neither one of us are very good at playing nice guy,” said Grant.

“Should be entertaining, should be exciting tomorrow.”

TMez has ran the last 3 of these including a third-place duel in last year’s race. He was 19th and 24th in the previous 2 editions prior. Meseraull has 2 top 10 finishes in his last 3 races on the season but hasn’t had a top 5 though in his last 7. He has finished third twice this season though too and won Thursday night’s preliminary night feature.

Grant is winless in a Midget this season but has started in all 19 features. Grant comes to IMS with 4 top 7 finishes (6th, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 14th) in the last 5 races on the season in a Midget. He has 7 top five results and 12 top 10 finishes this season to go along with being 7th, 10th, 2nd, 4th in the four years of this race.

With 4 different drivers winning the 4-year history of this race thus far, Grant or TMez could be next in line.

They combined to lead 40 of the 60 laps in the features with Meseraull leading all 30 laps on night 1 and Grant the final 10 on night 2. However, Grant had a perfect night though in being fastest during hot laps, he won his heat race by over 5 seconds, won his qualifying race and won the feature.

Can they win the BC39?

Behind them are the youth.

Taylor Reimer, Chase McDermand, Cannon McIntosh and Emerson Axsom will also start in the top six. 2 with Keith Kunz Motorsports, 1 with CB Industries. The two teams have won the last two BC39’s and after a third.

For Keith Kunz, the Columbus based team has won anything and everything that there is to win including the 2022 edition here. From championships to Chili Bowl’s, you name it – KKM is USAC’s version of Hendrick Motorsports. Winning is expected.

This week, among the 71 cars here trying to win the BC 39, KKM has 7 of them, 6 going for the crown tonight.

Buddy Kofoid (No. 67K) headlined the list but only got to run his prelim night before having to depart this weekend for other commitments.

Jade Avedisian (No. 71) is probably the next one up to watch. This girl is fast and an up-and-coming riser in the ranks. She has the talent to march into the NASCAR ranks and a strong showing this week will only expediate it. She’s finished runner-up on three different occasions this season including 2 of the last 4 races at that. She’s alternated 2nd and 16th place results in the last four going from 2nd to 16th to 2nd to 16th again. Is a runner-up coming on Saturday night?

Being in a KKM car gives her the confidence to score her 13th top 10 of the season. She’s had 5 top 4 results in the last 11 races at that.

She has two other female teammates in Mariah Ede (No. 71E) and Reimer (No. 25K). Reimer is full-time this season and has 8 top 10 finishes on the season. She was 5th just four races ago and ran well here a year ago in finishing 14th. She was runner-up on Thursday night.

Ryan Timms (No. 67) is another one. He was 6th last year and sits 4th in points this season on the heels of a 3-win campaign. Timms has finished 6th, 1st, 9th, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 11th, 1st, 9th, 8th, 10th, 8th over the last 12 races too.

Gavin Miller (No. 97) is a sleeper. Miller has been solid with 13 top 10 finishes in 19 tries. In fact, he’s finally grasping a Midget now with finishes of 5th, 2nd, 2nd, 10th, 14th, 8th, 4th over the last 7 races.

The biggest sleeper of them all for KKM is Axsom (No. 68). The Franklin native has been stout this season in a part-time Midget role. He had a stretch during Midget week of finishes of 5th, 2nd, 2nd. In fact, he has 3 runner-up finishes in only 12 starts this season. In two BC39 starts, he’s finished 5th and 13th.

For CB Industries, they’re building something here. They won the 2021 race with Kyle Larson and coming into this week has P2 in points and just brought over a veteran but also youngster in Cannon McIntosh as well as Kaylee Bryson to join the fray too.

McIntosh is fresh to the mix. He just came over as this will mark his debut with the team. He nearly won last year in leading a race-high 20 of 39 laps. His new teammate, Bryant Wiedeman is the current second place driver in points and is also heating up. He has four consecutive top six finishes: 6th, 3rd, 4th, 2nd on the season and in a great position to make a name for himself this week. He finished 11th a year ago.

Bryson is running the Silver Crown slate full-time but was 12th in her lone Midget start of the season last weekend in Eldora to go along with being 19th and 7th in her two BC39 starts too.

It’s why Saturday night is going to be must-see action.

The gloves are off. The elbows are out. The most aggressive is going to win this thing on Saturday night.