Gavin Miller wins Mid-America Midget Week opener at Sweet Springs
NXTbets Pro | Published On: July 8, 2026
Miller wins opener
Gavin Miller won Tuesday’s USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship feature at Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex in Sweet Springs, Missouri, and he did it from sixth on the grid. He took control late in the 40-lap race and led the final 16 laps on the way to the Mid-America Midget Week opener. Cannon McIntosh finished second, Jacob Denney was third, Kale Drake ran fourth and Ethan Mitchell took fifth. McIntosh and Colton Robinson each spent time at the front early before Miller made his move and settled the outcome.
The win came in a race that also featured quick pace throughout the night. Drake Edwards set fast qualifying time at 11.499 seconds. The Five Star Bodies semi produced a new track record of 2:27.976. Those numbers framed a strong opening night for the week and added more depth to the results around Miller’s victory. He turned a mid-pack start into a clean feature win, and the finish order behind him kept several of the series’ key names near the front.
USAC standings tighten
Miller’s victory arrived in the middle of a national title chase that stays close at the top. Jacob Denney remains the USAC National Midget standings leader with 617 points, and Kevin Thomas Jr. sits second with 614. Justin Grant trails Thomas by 27 points. The numbers leave little separation among the top drivers as the series moves through another stretch with multiple races packed into a short run.
The opener also lined up with the contenders highlighted before the week began. The preview pointed to Cannon McIntosh, Kale Drake, Gavin Miller and defending Mitchell County winner Drake Edwards as names to watch. That group showed up in the opening feature, with McIntosh scoring second, Drake taking fourth and Edwards turning fast time before the racing began. Miller added his name to that list with the victory. Denney, meanwhile, kept his hold on the points lead even after finishing third. The front of the standings remains compact, and the results at Sweet Springs only sharpened that picture.
Mid-America Week schedule
Mid-America Midget Week runs from Tuesday through Saturday and features four races in five nights across Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska. The week opened at Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex, then moves Wednesday to Beloit, Kansas, for racing at Mitchell County Fairgrounds. That event is the 15th Chad McDaniel Memorial. The schedule closes with back-to-back events at Jefferson County Speedway in Fairbury, Nebraska. The Saturday finale is a 40-lap Midwest Midget Championship feature, and the winner receives $10,000.
That format puts a premium on fast starts and quick resets. There is no long break between races, and the field has to respond fast from one night to the next. The opener already gave Miller a victory and Denney a points cushion, but the rest of the week still offers a clear path for more change. Kansas brings another chance for McIntosh, Drake, Miller and Edwards to contend, then Nebraska ends the run with the richest prize of the stretch. Four races, five nights and three states give the series a compressed schedule with little margin for error.
