CURB STOMP: GRANT CAPTURES 2ND USAC MIKE CURB SUPER LICENSE IN 2021
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (December 27, 2021)………Four years after earning his first career Mike Curb Super License championship, Justin Grant did it once again in 2021, tallying the most total points throughout the USAC national racing season to pick up the $5,000 bonus and a license to compete in all three series in 2022.
Grant finished the campaign with 5,527 combined points throughout the 2021 USAC Silver Crown, AMSOIL National Sprint Car and NOS Energy Drink National Midget seasons, 315 more than his nearest competition, and was the only driver to compete in all 93 USAC national features during the year, blowing away the former all-time record of starts in a season, 77 set in 2010.
The Ione, California native’s first Super License award came in 2017 and now, after earning his second, he becomes just the sixth driver to earn the award multiple times, joining four-time winner Tracy Hines, three-time winners Bryan Clauson and J.J. Yeley as well as two-time recipients Dave Darland, Josh Wise & Tyler Courtney.
Grant’s second Super License is just as special to him but feels that his 2021 campaign was even stronger overall than his performance in 2017. Grant is thankful for that little extra award provided by Curb that comes along with the end of a rigorous, but successful season.
“It’s definitely a grind beating up and down the road running all of the national races, and it’s awesome that Mike Curb and Curb Records put up an award to recognize that and to support the guys who are doing it,” Grant said. “Mike is a great gentleman; I’ve met him a couple times and he’s an incredible supporter of racing. It’s great to win an award of his and they’re both really special. I also feel like I ran better in all three series than I did in 2017. Both of them are neat and both of them are an honor to win.”
Jumping between the Hemelgarn Racing Silver Crown car, the TOPP Motorsports Sprint Car and the RMS Racing Midget can be taxing night-after-night from February to November, but with a series-best-tying 12 wins between the three series – 7 Sprint, 4 Midget & 1 Silver Crown, and as one of two drivers to win in all three series – Grant chalks the season up to a full support system and superb equipment that allows him to live out his dream.
“I’m really fortunate to have great teams and great crews that support me as I jump all over the place and jam around from racetrack to racetrack,” Grant praised. “I drive awesome racecars and I couldn’t do that without my teams, the crews that work on them, and the partners that support us. I’m just in a fortunate position to be everywhere I want to be and hit all the national races.”
While a championship was certainly in the plans for Grant once again after capturing the 2020 USAC Silver Crown title, he came up just a tad short of that goal while also making history. In 2021, Grant became the first driver ever to finish right in third place in the USAC Silver Crown, Sprint and Midget standings in a single season.
Furthermore, Grant is also just the sixth driver to finish inside the top-three in all three series in a single year, joining Rich Vogler (1980, 1981 & 1989), Ken Schrader (1983), Tony Stewart (1995), J.J. Yeley (2002 & 2003) and Chris Windom (2020). With a myriad of changes during the offseason, Grant feels 2021 will be one that’ll always be remembered.
“We ultimately wanted to win some championships but coming home third in all of them was a pretty good effort,” Grant said. “It was my first year with the midget team and my first year running the sprint car team out of my shop in Indianapolis. We had kind of a rocky year in the Silver Crown car, but, for the other two, I felt those were really good efforts for new situations and new surroundings. It’s awesome to win the Super License and have something to show for, not only all my hard work, but also for my teams, crews and partners.”
This was the 23rd year for the Mike Curb Super License, which earns Grant a $5,000 reward and a USAC Super License worth $750 as the driver who finished with the most combined points with the three series during the season.
USAC Super License/USAC National Driver Championship titlists include Justin Grant (2017 & 2021), Dave Darland (1999 & 2015), Tracy Hines (2000-2008-2013-2014), J.J. Yeley (2001-2002-2003), Jay Drake (2004), Josh Wise (2005-2006), Jerry Coons Jr. (2007), Cole Whitt (2009), Bryan Clauson (2010-2011-2012), Brady Bacon (2016), and Tyler Courtney (2018-2019).
2021 USAC MIKE CURB SUPER LICENSE CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS
POS. PTS. DRIVER, HOMETOWN
1 5527 Justin Grant, Ione, Calif.
2 5212 Chris Windom, Canton, Ill.
3 4949 Tanner Thorson, Minden, Nev.
4 4857 Kevin Thomas Jr., Cullman, Ala.
5 4381 Logan Seavey, Sutter, Calif.
6 3461 Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, Okla.
7 2972 Thomas Meseraull, San Jose, Calif.
8 2780 C.J. Leary, Greenfield, Ind.
9 2742 Jake Swanson, Anaheim, Calif.
10 2586 Buddy Kofoid, Penngrove, Calif.
11 2322 Emerson Axsom, Franklin, Ind.
12 2099 Robert Ballou, Rocklin, Calif.
13 1892 Daison Pursley, Locust Grove, Okla.
14 1877 Kyle Cummins, Princeton, Ind.
15 1852 Cannon McIntosh, Bixby, Okla.
16 1752 Chase Stockon, Fort Branch, Ind.
17 1729 Shane Cottle, Kansas, Ill.
18 1488 Chase Randall, Waco, Texas
19 1301 Jason McDougal, Broken Arrow, Okla.
20 1281 Bryant Wiedeman, Colby, Kan.
21 1250 Matt Westfall, Pleasant Hill, Ohio
22 1221 Brenham Crouch, Lubbock, Texas
23 1124 Ethan Mitchell, Mooresville, N.C.
24 1050 Brandon Mattox, Terre Haute, Ind.
25 1036 Jadon Rogers, Worthington, Ind.
26 909 Kaylee Bryson, Muskogee, Okla.
27 901 Cole Bodine, Rossville, Ind.
28 859 Paul Nienhiser, Chapin, Ill.
29 777 Hayden Reinbold, Gilbert, Ariz.
30 695 Max Adams, Loomis, Calif.
31 690 Ryan Timms, Oklahoma City, Okla.
32 650 Charles Davis Jr., Buckeye, Ariz.
33 598 Hayden Williams, Auckland, N.Z.
34 590 Mario Clouser, Auburn, Ill.
35 581 Chance Crum, Snohomish, Wash.
36 574 Kody Swanson, Kingsburg, Calif.
37 540 Stevie Sussex, Mesa, Ariz.
38 529 Taylor Reimer, Bixby, Okla.
39 505 Carmen Perigo, Stoystown, Pa.
40 485 Tanner Carrick, Lincoln, Calif.
41 481 Trey Gropp, Lincoln, Neb.
42 471 Isaac Chapple, Willow Branch, Ind.
43 469 Corey Day, Clovis, Calif.
44 455 Steven Drevicki, Reading, Pa.
45 436 Briggs Danner, Allentown, Pa.
46 404 Matt Goodnight, Winchester, Ind.
47 399 Sterling Cling, Tempe, Ariz.
48 399 Timmy Buckwalter, Douglassville, Pa.
49 392 David Byrne, Shullsburg, Wis.
50 383 Kyle Robbins, New Castle, Ind.
51 349 Sam Johnson, St. Peters, Mo.
52 348 Austin Nemire, Sylvania, Ohio
53 328 Shane Cockrum, Benton, Ill.
54 313 Brian Carber, Pipersville, Pa.
55 310 Travis Welpott, Pendleton, Ind.
56 305 Mike Haggenbottom, Levittown, Pa.
57 294 Austin Barnhill, Wilmington, N.C.
58 294 Mark Smith, Sunbury, Pa.
59 281 Brent Beauchamp, Fairland, Ind.
60 280 Nick Bilbee, Indianapolis, Ind.
61 265 Bobby Santos, Franklin, Mass.
62 264 Jade Avedisian, Clovis, Calif.
63 240 Riley Kreisel, Warsaw, Mo.
64 228 Carson Garrett, Littleton, Colo.
65 228 Ricky Lewis, Ventura, Calif.
66 224 Eric Gordon, Greenfield, Ind.
67 208 Dave Berkheimer, Mechanicsburg, Pa.
68 204 Kyle O'Gara, Beech Grove, Ind.
69 196 Travis Buckley, Auckland, N.Z.
70 187 Stephen Schnapf, Newburgh, Ind.
71 176 Jonathan Shafer, Ashland, Ohio
72 167 Davey Ray, Penngrove, Calif.
73 166 Casey Buckman, Chandler, Ariz.
74 164 Brian Tyler, Parma, Mich.
75 162 Ryan Thomas, Indianapolis, Ind.
76 159 Patrick Lawson, Edwardsville, Ill.
77 155 Harley Burns, Brazil, Ind.
78 152 Kendall Ruble, Vincennes, Ind.
79 148 Aaron Pierce, Muncie, Ind.
80 146 Dave Darland, Lincoln, Ind.
81 145 Nathan Byrd, Goodyear, Ariz.
82 144 Jake Neuman, New Berlin, Ill.
83 139 Dallas Hewitt, Troy, Ohio
84 137 Tyler Thomas, Collinsville, Okla.
85 126 Robert Bell, Colfax, Iowa
86 125 Bryan Gossel, Fort Collins, Colo.
87 125 Zack Pretorius, Yorktown, Ind.
88 123 Taylor Ferns, Shelby Township, Mich.
89 122 Jerry Coons Jr., Tucson, Ariz.
90 121 Kent Schmidt, Owensville, Ind.
91 114 Critter Malone, Pittsboro, Ind.
92 112 Terry Babb, Decatur, Ill.
93 104 Tyler Roahrig, Mishawaka, Ind.
94 103 Annie Breidinger, Hillsborough, Calif.
95 95 Kyle Steffens, St. Charles, Mo.
96 93 Tyler Courtney, Indianapolis, Ind.
97 91 J.J. Hughes, Columbus, Ind.
98 91 Jake Day, Abilene, Texas
99 90 Blake Brannon, Morgan Hill, Calif.
100 90 Braxton Cummings, Bedford, Ind.
101 90 Oliver Akard, Fort Myers, Fla.
102 89 Tanner Swanson, Kingsburg, Calif.
103 86 Chris Phillips, Plainfield, Ind.
104 85 Derek Bischak, Angola, Ind.
105 82 Brandon Morin, Jasonville, Ind.
106 82 Jim Anderson, Joliet, Ill.
107 80 Brayden Fox, Avon, Ind.
108 80 Noah Gass, Mounds, Okla.
109 79 Russ Gamester, Peru, Ind.
110 77 Clinton Boyles, Greenwood, Mo.
111 72 Kenney Johnson, Bethany, Conn.
112 71 Joey Biasi, Mary D, Pa.
113 62 Chris Fetter, Troy, Mo.
114 62 Jacob Denney, Galloway, Ohio
115 60 Dustin Clark, Washington, Ind.
116 60 Mike McVetta, Grafton, Ohio
117 60 Saban Bibent, Cincinnati, Ohio
118 60 Zach Daum, Pocahontas, Ill.
119 58 Davey Hamilton Jr., Meridian, Idaho
120 50 Emilio Hoover, Broken Arrow, Okla.
121 50 Wyatt Burks, Topeka, Kan.
122 48 Jace Park, Overland Park, Kan.
123 44 Ken Schrader, Fenton, Mo.
124 43 Korey Weyant, Springfield, Ill.
125 42 Nathan Moore, Kaufman, Texas
126 40 Blake Spicer, Marysville, Kan.
127 40 Craig Pellegrini, Buena, N.J.
128 40 J.R. Ewing, Phillipsburg, Kan.
129 39 Chase Johnson, Davenport, Iowa
130 36 Danny Long, Bonne Terre, Mo.
131 34 Travis Berryhill, American Canyon, Calif.
132 33 Steven Russell, Rochester, Ill.
133 30 Mariah Ede, Fresno, Calif.
134 30 Tyler Nelson, Olathe, Kan.
135 23 Ryan Newman, South Bend, Ind.
136 20 Anton Hernandez, Arlington, Texas
137 20 Brent Yarnal, Tampa, Fla.
138 20 Chayse Hayhurst, Evansville, Ind.
139 20 Chris Urish, Romulus, N.Y.
140 20 Erik Karlsen, Elkhart, Ill.
141 20 Joe Liguori, Phoenix, Ariz.
142 20 Ryan Bickett, Ramona, S.D.
143 20 Shane Butler, Bushnell, Fla.
144 16 Dave Peperak, Clinton, Ind.
145 10 Aaron Farney, Brookston, Ind.
146 10 Brian Gerster, Danville, Ind.
147 10 Cary Oliver, Buncombe, Ill.
148 10 Kyle Hamilton, Fishers, Ind.
149 10 Ronnie Wuerdeman, Cincinnati, Ohio
