The Fox No. 53 will contest a concentrated 30-race USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car slate in 2026 with C.J. Leary sharing the seat for events focused in Indiana, Ohio and Illinois. Leary’s Sprint Car debut in the No. 53 is scheduled for April 3 at Red Hill Raceway in Sumner, Illinois and April 4 at Paragon Speedway in Indiana for the Chuck Amati Classic; when he is not in the No. 53 he plans to run other USAC events in a different ride.

Leary will split his 2026 USAC program with a full-time Silver Crown ride for Team AZ-Petty-Rossi/Curb-Agajanian, piloting the No. 21 DRC/Stanton-powered car in an 11-race dirt-and-pavement Silver Crown schedule that opens May 8-9 at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson. Teammate Mario Clouser will drive the No. 20 DRC/Stanton-powered entry; Clouser, from Auburn, Illinois, drove for three teams in 2025, led 42 of 100 laps at the Kansas State Fairgrounds, earned his first IRP pole and compiled podiums en route to a career-best fifth in the 2025 Silver Crown standings. Team AZ confirmed primary technical support from DRC/Stanton and commercial backing from Avanti Windows & Doors, Curb Records, Pella and AMSOIL for the 2026 Silver Crown campaign.

Leary brings strong USAC credentials to both programs: he is the 2019 USAC National Sprint Car champion, has 24 career USAC series wins and entered the announcement with a streak of 321 consecutive USAC feature starts dating to 2017, six starts short of Justin Grant’s benchmark of 327. His Silver Crown résumé includes a runner-up finish in the 2025 championship with two late-season wins at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (pavement) and Du Quoin State Fairgrounds (dirt).

The Fox No. 53 program is tied to the Fox family and the Gohr Racing legacy, with longtime mechanic Galen Fox involved. The car carries 19 career USAC National Sprint Car feature wins—two by Brad Fox and 17 by Jon Stanbrough—which the No. 53 team will look to add to during the concentrated 2026 slate.

Sources