Ballou wins Sheldon Kinser Memorial after Miller runs out of fuel on final lap
NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 1, 2026
Ballou Takes Control
Robert Ballou turned a late misfortune for Gavin Miller into a $10,000 victory in the 35th Sheldon Kinser Memorial at Bloomington Speedway. The 30-lap feature belonged to Miller for most of the night, with the young driver leading from lap 7 through lap 29 after taking command early in the second half. Ballou stayed close enough to strike when the race changed at the end, then inherited the lead on the final lap when Miller ran out of fuel. It was a hard finish for Miller, who was chasing his first career USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship victory and had the win in reach before the car went dry. Ballou held on from there and cashed in on a race that flipped in the final circuits.
The win carried more weight because of where it happened. Ballou returned to Bloomington Speedway almost a year after a crash at the track broke his back and ended his season. This time, he left with his first USAC National Sprint Car win since the Lincoln Park round of Indiana Sprint Week. The victory also snapped a 39-race drought and gave him his seventh career Indiana Sprint Week win. It was his first USAC victory at Bloomington in his 30th series start there, a strong payoff for a driver who has built a long record at the track but had yet to seal a series win at the oval before this run.
Miller Leads Late
Gavin Miller looked set to turn in the breakout win of his USAC National Sprint Car career before fuel issues erased the finish. He controlled the middle and late stages of the Sheldon Kinser Memorial, taking over on lap 7 and staying in front until the final lap. That kind of run showed both pace and composure, especially in a 30-lap feature where track position mattered and traffic had to be managed with care. Miller kept the lead through the decisive stretch, and for much of the race he looked like the driver most likely to claim the checkered flag. Then the final lap arrived, the fuel supply ran out and the victory slipped away.
That turn gave the race a sharp finish and left Miller with a result that felt far different from how the night had looked for most of the distance. He had been trying to score his first career USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship victory, and his effort put him in position to do it. Instead, Ballou was there to take advantage when the race changed. Miller’s run still mattered because it showed he could lead a major sprint car feature against a strong field and maintain the front spot for nearly the whole race. The missed opportunity will sting, but the speed was clear.
Bloomington Delivers Again
The rest of the top finishers gave the event a deep and competitive feel behind Ballou and Miller. Mitchel Moles drove from 13th to second, a strong climb that matched the demands of the night. Justin Grant finished third, and Jake Swanson took fourth. Hayden Reinbold set the pace in qualifying and earned fast time honors, which gave him the early edge before the feature reshaped the final order. Briggs Danner also made one of the biggest moves of the race, rising from 24th to eighth to claim hard charger honors. Those results reinforced how much the Sheldon Kinser Memorial asked of the field from start to finish.
Kyle Cummins left the race still on top of both the USAC national points standings and the Indiana Sprint Week points race. That kept the larger championship picture intact even as Ballou took the marquee win of the night. For Ballou, the result marked a return to form at a track that had delivered pain before it delivered a payoff. For Miller, it was a brutal lesson in how quickly a sprint car race can change in the closing laps. Bloomington Speedway provided both stories in one feature, and Ballou walked away with the trophy after the final lap broke his way.
