C.J. Leary won first USAC Silver Crown championship
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 7, 2026
C.J. Leary’s title
C.J. Leary put together the kind of season that leaves no doubt. The Greenfield, Indiana, driver won the USAC Silver Crown championship for his first title in the series, and the run gave him a second USAC national crown to go with his Sprint Car National Championship. He backed it up with the kind of consistency that wins championships in any discipline. Leary finished in the top five in nine of 10 races, won three times and led a series-best 204 laps. He also completed every lap on the schedule, a total of 911, and he never finished worse than eighth. Those numbers tell the story of a driver who did more than chase wins. He collected points every week, protected finishes and stayed in position when the championship tightened. The result was a season built on speed, patience and control from start to finish.
Leary’s points margin
Leary’s championship margin was 105 points, the largest in the series since 2015, and it fit the shape of his season. He did not need a long stretch of perfect results because he almost never left points on the table. When he won, he scored big. When he did not win, he still stayed near the front. That edge showed up across the schedule, where the top-five finishes piled up and the bad nights never turned into major damage. The gap at the top also reflected the work behind the scenes. Team AZ/Petty-Rossi/Curb-Agajanian Racing captured the entrant championship with the No. 21, adding another layer to a season that ran on both driver consistency and team execution. Leary’s performance kept the car in the title fight every time it rolled out. The combination of finishes, laps led and full-distance races built an advantage that no rival could erase. In a series where small mistakes can swing the standings, Leary kept the pressure on from the first green flag to the final checkered flag.
Leary’s personal season
The title carried more weight because of everything surrounding it. Leary’s season came after the death of his father and longtime crew chief, Chuck Leary, and that loss framed the year in a way the standings could not capture. It also arrived during a major stretch in his personal life. Leary got married and he and Kristy Bemmes were expecting a son. Those milestones made the season feel bigger than a trophy chase. He had to balance grief, family change and the demands of a national title run, and he still delivered a championship season. The championship was his first in the series, but the path to it was shaped by more than results. It reflected resilience, steady work and the ability to keep moving forward while carrying a personal loss. For Leary, the numbers matter. So does the timing. He won the title in a year when his family, his team and his own career all moved in new directions at once.
