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Trenton, NJ – Allentown, PA driver Briggs Danner comes to the East Coast Indoor Dirt Nationals on Friday and Saturday, February 21 and 22, at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, NJ, on an Indoor Auto Racing Series hot streak. The young star of Sprint Car racing ended the concrete series with three podium finishes in four races and a third place in the final points. A victory in the series only race on dirt in Trenton, would cap off his indoor racing this season on a high point.
After a fast time at the indoor series TQ Midget opener on Friday, January 3rd, in Allentown, Danner came up two spots short of a big payday. The 23-year-old ended the two-day stint in his hometown with a disappointing mechanical issue that forced him out of Saturday’s feature.
Rebounding in Atlantic City on January 31st and February 1st with impressive back-to-back third-place finishes, Danner comes to Trenton seeking a first win in the sixth running of the Dirt Nationals. His record on the high banked clay oval dictates that he’ll be one of the favorites to do so, last year he finished on the podium both night in Friday’s preliminary main and Saturday’s Dirt Nationals A-Main event.
After five third-place finishes in the last six Indoor Series races, Danner is ready to take the next step up in Trenton, driving the potent Dave Bodine No. 99. To say he’s in race shape would be putting it mildly.
After the Allentown indoor races, Danner raced at the Chili Bowl Midget Car indoor races in Tulsa, OK. After Atlantic City, he competed in five USAC National Sprint Car series events in Florida from February 11th to 15th before coming to Trenton.
With no repeat winners in the previous five Trenton dirt races held, Danner, who will race full-time this year on the USAC National Tour for the first time after winning three events in 2024, hopes he keeps that streak alive.
It won’t be easy. Defending race winner Anthony Perrego of Montgomery, NY, a rookie at the event last year, plans to be the first repeat winner, as does 2023 victor Tim Buckwalter of Douglasville, PA, and 2020 winner Jon Keller of Salem, NJ.
Perrego, a star in dirt Modified competition, advanced from the B-Main to win last year with a pass of Danner with eight laps to go. Keller pulled off the unspeakable when he transferred from the E-Main to start last in the A-Main and then pulled off the stunning upset!
Racing at Trenton has proven to be incredible, with the outside lane brought to life with banking and a cushion. In three out of the five running of the Trenton Dirt race, the winner started outside the top ten and needed to transfer from at least one qualifier on Saturday to make the A-Main.
No one has been more consistent at the Trenton dirt race than Frenchtown, NJ’s Billy Pauch Jr., who has qualified for all five features. A Friday night preliminary night winner last year, Pauch wants badly to win Saturday’s A-Main after finishing twice in 2018 and 2023, along with a third in 2020. Issues in the A-Main last year pushed him back to a disappointing 11th-place finish.
Like Danner, Pauch, and Buckwalter have already shaken off the rust running the Indoor TQ Midget Series races on the concrete floor. Others who have also run the TQ Midget indoor events include Scott Kruetter, a guaranteed 11th starter at Trenton following a 600 win in Atlantic City, Kyle Lick, and Stephen Kemery.
After racing in the ARCA 200 at Daytona, Lavar Scott is returning to the event along with his brother Wayne. Sprint Car ace Steve Buckwalter will be in the field racing his cousin Tim.
The 600 Sprint division will be well represented with big 2024 winner Steven Snyder Jr., who was fourth in last year’s Trenton race, joined by Linda’s National Open 600 winner Christian Bruno, and Brian Carber of Pipersville, PA, all who had a shot at the victory last year.
Good seats remain available through a link to Ticketmaster at indoorautoracing.com or at the arena box office.
Friday’s doors open at 6 PM, and racing starts at 7 PM. A field of 90 wingless 600 Sprints, with drivers from six states, will compete in qualifying events leading up to a 25-lap feature.
Saturday’s doors open at 4 PM, and there is a special autograph session on the concourse at 5 PM among top competitors. After E through B qualifying main events and a Dash among top performers, the 40-lap main event will be held.
For more information, check out the series website, indoorautoracing.com, or the series Facebook page.
