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  • Coons to Contest 55-Race USAC Slate, Targets Rookie of Year

    Coons to Contest 55-Race USAC Slate, Targets Rookie of Year

    Dooling Autosports/Curb‑Agajanian announced that 18‑year‑old Cale Coons will move to a full‑time ride in the 2026 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship, driving the No. 63. The Greencastle, Indiana, local is explicitly targeting the national Rookie of the Year title. The announcement names Jerry Coons Jr., a decorated USAC competitor and Career Triple Crown champion, as crew chief for the program and links the No. 63 to its legacy run under Bryan Clauson, whose 2014–2016 tenure produced nine USAC National Sprint Car wins. The move represents a step up from Coons’ part‑time national effort in 2025 and places him with an established operation for a full‑season campaign.

    Coons earned the full‑time opportunity after a strong 2025 that included six top‑10 finishes in eight USAC National Sprint Car starts and a season‑best fourth at Kokomo Speedway in August. He also collected five local feature victories in 2025, three at Lincoln Park, one at Circle City Raceway, and one at Kokomo. The teenager was voted co‑Rookie of the Year in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Non‑Wing Sprint Car poll. Those results provided the immediate context for his graduation to the national series, and his father’s presence on the pit box adds direct technical and strategic continuity for the team.

    The 2026 plan calls for a 55‑race national schedule that begins with six Florida events during Winter Dirt Games XVII, including practice at Ocala on February 8 and races at Volusia (Feb. 9–10) and Ocala (Feb. 11–14). Coons will enter the season as one of the primary contenders for Rookie of the Year, with rivals such as Chelby Hinton of 2B Racing also expected to pursue the honor. The announcement ties together Coons’ local momentum from his 2025 national flashes, the Dooling/Curb‑Agajanian platform, and a family‑led pit operation as he transitions to a full‑season USAC national effort.

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