#GYATK NIGHT FIRES OFF BIG WEEK FOR USAC SPRINTS AT KOKOMO THIS WEDNESDAY
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Kokomo, Indiana (August 20, 2019)………#GYATK Night comes to life this Wednesday night, August 21, at Kokomo Speedway, igniting a stacked weeklong racing docket at the quarter-mile oval leading into Sprint Car Smackdown VIII Aug. 22-23-24.
#GYATK Night enters its fourth year and concludes with a 27-lap feature celebrating each year of Bryan Clauson’s life as well as the number of feature wins he earned during his final season in 2016.
The #GYATK acronym has become synonymous with Clauson after he proudly displayed the decal on his ride in the Indianapolis 500 each year and, since 2016, the BC Victory Lane now awaits each race winner who captures a win at Kokomo.
Kevin Thomas, Jr. is the first driver to hold that distinction when, in 2016, he won the opening night of Smackdown. A week later that year, he went on to win the first #GYATK Night, then won the event again in 2017. The Cullman, Ala. driver finished 9th a year ago.
Chris Windom (Canton, Ill.) captured the victory in the most recent #GYATK Night a year ago in 2018 when the 2016 USAC Silver Crown and 2017 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car champ led all 27 laps in a non-stop feature that took roughly six minutes and 10 seconds to complete. Windom was 12th at #GYATK Night in 2016 and 2nd in 2017.
Both Thomas and Windom have been victorious at Kokomo this season, Thomas on a last lap, last corner pass to win the Kokomo Grand Prix in April while Windom captured the Indiana Sprint Week round in July.
Reigning Smackdown finale winner Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) could be prime for a victory after finishing 2nd in 2016 and 3rd at #GYATK Night in 2018. Kokomo Speedway’s winningest driver Dave Darland (Lincoln, Ind.) is the only driver to finish in the top-five in all three of his #GYATK Night starts, a 3rd in 2016, and 4th place finishes in both 2017 and 2018.
Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, Okla.) nearly captured July's ISW feature. He’s finished in the top-five twice during #GYATK Night, a 4th in 2016 and 5th in 2018. Shane Cottle (Kansas, Ill.), a photo finish winner during ISW at Gas City in July, has finished 5th and 8th in his two #GYATK starts in 2016 and 2018, respectively.
Tyler Courtney (Indianapolis, Ind.), a Smackdown final night victor in 2017, has finished in the top-ten of all three of his #GYATK starts, an 8th in 2016, 5th in 2017 and 2nd in 2018. Jarett Andretti (Mooresville, N.C.) has done likewise, finishing 7th in both 2016 and 2017 as well as 10th in 2018. USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car point leader C.J. Leary (Greenfield, Ind.) has competed in the feature of the last two #GYATK Night events, finishing 6th in 2017 and 7th in 2018.
Several prizes are up for grabs in the event. The #GYATK Challenge Award and $1,539.00 will go to the highest-finishing driver who is making his or her first appearance at Kokomo Speedway behind the wheel of a sprint car. The second-best first timer will receive $300 and an MPD full torsion bar set valued at $520.00; the third-best first timer will receive $100 and a QuickCar gauge set; while the 4th and 5th best first-timers will receive a Chalk Stix Torsion Bar.
The first non-transfer in the B Main & C Main with Hoosier Tires on all four corners will receive a brand-new Hoosier right rear tire. The second non-transfer in the B Main & C Main will receive $69 from Gas City I-69 Speedway. Two mystery money spots in the A-Main and B-Main will receive $69 from Gas City I-69 Speedway.
All drivers will pill draw for their groups for hot laps and group qualifying (heat inversion will be 4). All heat races will be 8 laps. The C-Main will be 10 laps (if needed). The B-Main will be 12 laps. The A-Main feature event will be 27 laps.
Right rear tires must be Hoosier Medium or American Racer MC3. The other three corners are open. There is no minimum weight requirement. General safety rules apply. No registration or membership fees needed.
Admission is FREE for all race fans! Allstar Performance will be once again sponsoring all the drivers who will be competing on this night with a FREE pit pass!
All gates open at 3pm. Pill draw closes at the USAC trailer at 6:15pm Eastern before all drivers will head to the front of the grandstands at 6:20pm for the official drivers meeting. At 6:45pm, cars get on track as wheel packing begins, which leads straight into qualifying. Heat races begin at 7:30pm. Pit passes for non-competitors are $30.
Wednesday night's #GYATK Night will be broadcast for FREE on FloRacing. LIVE broadcast coverage fires off at 6:30pm Eastern. Current paid subscribers will be able to watch Smackdown VIII Aug. 22-24.
