Val Verde, California’s Jay Drake stood on the main stage as a USAC driving champion on four occasions, first as a back-to-back USAC TQ Midget champion in 1990-91, then a USAC Western States Midget titlist in 1996, and finally, capturing the USAC National Sprint Car championship in 2004.

His 2000 season was legendary, winning 17 USAC national races throughout, which marked the second most in a year at the time.  In total, Drake owns five USAC Silver Crown wins, 25 with the USAC National Sprint Cars, including the 1998 Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial at Salem, Ind., the 2000 National Open at Terre Haute, Ind. and was the 2000 Indiana Sprint Week titlist.

Drake’s prowess in the USAC National Midgets resulted in 17 feature triumphs.  Among them were the 1997 & 2002 4-Crown Nationals, the 1998 Turkey Night Grand Prix, the 2000 Hut 100 and the first ever Indiana Midget Week feature held at Lawrenceburg, Ind. in 2005.

‍