How Bryan Clauson's legacy lives on through the BC39 at IMS
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INDIANAPOLIS – The roar of midget cars will once again echo inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week but for many in the racing community, the BC39 has always been about more than racing.
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Named for late Noblesville native Bryan Clauson and his signature No. 39, the annual USAC National Midget event honors one of grassroots racing's most beloved competitors while celebrating the dirt racing roots that helped shape the Indianapolis 500.
The event returned Tuesday -- with more racing Wednesday -- for its eighth running, nearly a decade after Clauson helped lay the foundation for what it would become.
In 2016, IMS unveiled a temporary dirt track inside the oval as part of a celebration honoring Tony Stewart ahead of his retirement from NASCAR. As excitement built, conversations quickly turned toward staging an impromptu race.
That's when Clauson stepped in.
"Race car drivers rarely are the adults in the room, and he was that night," IMS and IndyCar President Doug Boles said.
Rather than rushing into an exhibition, Clauson encouraged Boles to take the time to create something meaningful. Weeks later, the 27-year-old died from injuries sustained in a midget racing crash at Belleville High Banks Speedway in Belleville, Kansas. When IMS moved forward with plans for a dirt track race, it chose to honor Clauson's vision and legacy with what became the BC39.
A three-time Indianapolis 500 starter and four-time USAC national champion, Clauson never limited himself to one discipline.
"Whether it be midgets, USAC sprint cars, it didn't really matter," his father, Tim Clauson, said. "He just loved to race."
That passion continues to draw competitors from across motorsports. This year's BC39 features a 68-car field. Over the years, the event has also attracted some of racing's biggest names.
NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson won the event in 2021, while Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ryan Blaney have all made appearances at IMS during BC39 week.
"It was just this collection of different professional, high-end race car drivers from all these different disciplines," Tim Clauson said. "They just wanted to come play in the dirt too."
That draw reflects midget racing's longstanding role as the grassroots foundation of open-wheel racing.
"If you got to the USAC National Midget Series, you were somebody that people were paying attention to becoming an IndyCar driver," he said.
While that pathway has changed, Boles said bringing midget racing to IMS helps reconnect the Speedway with its history.
"To have the race here and allow those race car drivers the opportunity to race at Indianapolis is part of what makes it special," Boles said. "It's being able to connect with our roots and give short-track fans and our short-track drivers the opportunity to compete at the Speedway."
The BC39 brings together the two places Bryan Clauson loved most: dirt racing and IMS.
"Bryan's true love was racing on the dirt in midgets and sprint cars, but then also his love for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway," Tim Clauson said.
Bryan's legacy also lives on through his decision to become an organ donor. For six years, the BC39 partnered with Driven2SaveLives, an Indiana Donor Network program that raises awareness about organ donation, with the organization serving as the event's title sponsor.
"To be able to celebrate not only his life, but the decisions that he made out of the race car as well here, I'm not sure if there's a better way to do that for any race car driver, but for Bryan specifically."
"It just fits," Tim Clauson said. "It truly fits who he is and who he was."
Jessica Garcete is an IndyStar sports reporter. Get IndyStar's motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to theYouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How Bryan Clauson's legacy lives on through the BC39 at IMS