GRANT’S WINNING USAC LICENCE

    2021 Mike Curb Super License champion, Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.)  (Jack Reitz Photo)

By: Richie Murray – USAC Media

Speedway, Indiana (December 27, 2021)………Four years after earning his first career Mike Curb Super Licence championship, Justin Grant did it once again in 2021, tallying the most total points throughout the USAC national racing season to pick up the $5,000 bonus and a license to compete in all three series in 2022.

Grant finished the campaign with 5,527 combined points throughout the 2021 USAC Silver Crown, AMSOIL National Sprintcar and NOS Energy Drink National Midget seasons, 315 more than his nearest competition, and was the only driver who competed in all 93 USAC national features during the year, blowing away the former all-time record of starts in a season, 77 set in 2010.

The Ione, California native’s first Super Licence award came in 2017 and now, after earning his second, he becomes just the sixth driver to earn the award multiple times, joining four-time winner Tracy Hines, three-time winners Bryan Clauson and JJ Yeley as well as two-time recipients Dave Darland, Josh Wise and Tyler Courtney.

Grant’s second Super Licence is just as special to him but feels that his 2021 campaign was even stronger overall than his performance in 2017. Grant is thankful for that little extra award provided by Curb that comes along with the end of a rigorous, but successful season.

“It’s definitely a grind up and down the road running all of the national races, and it’s awesome that Mike Curb and Curb Records put up an award to recognise that and to support the guys who are doing it,” Grant said. “Mike is a great gentleman; I’ve met him a couple times and he’s an incredible supporter of racing.  It’s great to win an award of his and they’re both really special. I also feel like I ran better in all three series than I did in 2017. Both of them are neat and both of them are an honor to win.”

Jumping between the Hemelgarn Racing Silver Crown car, the TOPP Motorsports Sprintcar and the RMS Racing Midget can be taxing night-after-night from February to November, but with a series-best-tying 12 wins between the three series – 7 Sprint, 4 Midget & 1 Silver Crown, and as one of two drivers to win in all three series – Grant chalks the season up to a full support system and superb equipment that allows him to live out his dream.

“I’m really fortunate to have great teams and great crews that support me as I jump all over the place and jam around from racetrack to racetrack,” Grant praised.  “I drive awesome racecars and I couldn’t do that without my teams, the crews that work on them, and the partners that support us.  I’m just in a fortunate position to be everywhere I want to be and hit all the national races.”

While a championship was certainly in the plans for Grant once again after capturing the 2020 USAC Silver Crown title, he came up just a tad short of that goal while also making history. In 2021, Grant became the first driver ever to finish in third place in the USAC Silver Crown, Sprint and Midget standings in a single season.

Furthermore, Grant is also just the sixth driver to finish inside the top-three in all three series in a single year, joining Rich Vogler (1980, 1981 & 1989), Ken Schrader (1983), Tony Stewart (1995), JJ Yeley (2002 & 2003) and Chris Windom (2020). With a myriad of changes during the offseason, Grant feels 2021 will be one that’ll always be remembered.

“We ultimately wanted to win some championships but coming home third in all of them was a pretty good effort,” Grant said.  “It was my first year with the midget team and my first year running the sprintcar team out of my shop in Indianapolis.  We had kind of a rocky year in the Silver Crown car, but, for the other two, I felt those were really good efforts for new situations and new surroundings.  It’s awesome to win the Super Licence and have something to show for, not only all my hard work, but also for my teams, crews and partners.”

This was the 23rd year for the Mike Curb Super Licence, which earns Grant a $5,000 reward and a USAC Super License worth $750 as the driver who finished with the most combined points with the three series during the season.

USAC Super License/USAC National Driver Championship titlists include Justin Grant (2017 & 2021), Dave Darland (1999 & 2015), Tracy Hines (2000-2008-2013-2014), J.J. Yeley (2001-2002-2003), Jay Drake (2004), Josh Wise (2005-2006), Jerry Coons Jr. (2007), Cole Whitt (2009), Bryan Clauson (2010-2011-2012), Brady Bacon (2016), and Tyler Courtney (2018-2019).

2021 USAC MIKE CURB SUPER LICENSE CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS

POS.     PTS.      DRIVER, HOMETOWN

1            5527     Justin Grant, Ione, Calif.

2            5212     Chris Windom, Canton, Ill.

3            4949     Tanner Thorson, Minden, Nev.

4            4857     Kevin Thomas Jr., Cullman, Ala.

5            4381     Logan Seavey, Sutter, Calif.

6            3461     Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, Okla.

7            2972     Thomas Meseraull, San Jose, Calif.

8            2780     C.J. Leary, Greenfield, Ind.

9            2742     Jake Swanson, Anaheim, Calif.

10          2586     Buddy Kofoid, Penngrove, Calif.