Bacon Keeps 1-Point Lead in Eastern Storm After Moles Wins at Big Diamond
NXTbets Pro | Published On: June 22, 2026
Eastern Storm lead
Mitchel Moles won Thursday night at Big Diamond Speedway and tightened the USAC Yokohama Tire Eastern Storm at the top of the standings. Brady Bacon leads Moles by one point, 215-214, after three of six rounds. The mini-series had already shifted twice before Big Diamond. Kyle Cummins won the opening feature Tuesday at Grandview Speedway, and Bacon finished third. Briggs Danner won Wednesday at Bridgeport Speedway, and Bacon backed that up with another third-place finish. Entering Thursday, Cummins and Bacon were tied atop the standings. Moles changed that order with the Big Diamond victory and moved the chase to a new point battle. The first half of the Eastern Storm has produced three different winners in three races, and each night has reshaped the picture at the front. Bacon’s pair of third-place runs kept him near the lead through the opening stretch. Moles used the Thursday win to move into second by the slimmest of margins. The standings stayed close all week, and the result at Big Diamond left the championship fight separated by a single point.
Eastern Storm chase
Cummins sits third in the standings with 202 points and Danner is fourth with 201. Those totals keep both drivers in the mix as the series moves toward its final three races. Bacon’s lead comes from steady results as much as the points from any one night. He opened the week with a third at Grandview, then repeated that finish at Bridgeport before taking control of the standings by Thursday night. Cummins brought the field to the first round with the opening victory and stayed close enough to remain among the top three after Big Diamond. Danner added the Bridgeport win and stayed part of the title picture after Wednesday’s race. Moles now holds second after his Big Diamond triumph, which pushed the standings tighter at the top. The first three events have sent the points in different directions every night. That has left the championship open as the series turns to the second half. The top four drivers remain the focal point, and each result so far has carried direct weight in the race for the Eastern Storm crown.
Eastern Storm stretch
The series heads to Williams Grove Speedway on Friday, then moves to Port Royal Speedway on Saturday and Action Track USA on Sunday. The six-race mini-series runs across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and the last three rounds will decide the champion. The payoff is part of the pressure. The Eastern Storm championship carries a $24,000 point fund and a $12,000 award for the winner. Bacon enters the stretch with the narrow lead. Moles arrives after the win at Big Diamond. Cummins and Danner stay close enough to change the order again before the series ends. Three races remain, and the standings have already changed from one night to the next. That gives the closing weekend a clear shape. Every finish can alter the points, and the drivers at the front still have time to separate themselves. The Eastern Storm has moved quickly from Grandview to Bridgeport to Big Diamond, and the final three nights will decide whether Bacon holds on, Moles keeps the pressure on or one of the chasers climbs back into the top spot.
