VENTURA, Calif. – Justin Grant may have different colors than what he’s had all season, but he’s still chasing the same goals during the final week of the USAC P1 Insurance National Midget Series season.
Grant is concluding the year with Frank Manafort Racing during this week’s 78th annual Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ventura Raceway. He drove for the team last week at Bakersfield Speedway as well, just days after moving on from Clauson-Marshall Racing.
The national midget veteran, who first came onto the scene at the age of 16 by winning the BCRA midget title, is competing as a teammate to Brady Bacon and relishing the opportunity to make the most of his new situation.
“I’m really excited for the opportunity to drive for Frank Manafort Racing and I know they’ll give me a car that can win this thing,” said Grant. “If I do my job, hopefully it will all work out.
“We raced together last weekend (at Bakersfield Speedway) and got caught up in some first-lap stuff, along with me learning the car early in the day, so it was a bit of a choppy start for us. The good news here is that this practice day at Ventura allows me to get a few more laps in the No. 76 and be ready to rock when it matters on Thursday night.”
Grant noted that while there are challenges to racing the Ventura quarter-mile, considering that none of the USAC regulars have a big notebook for the track to rely on, he’s grateful for the extra day of track time provided by Wednesday’s open practice sessions for the midgets.
“This isn’t a track we get to race very often, and being with a new car and a new team can make things difficult,” Grant noted. “Each team is a little different and each car has a bit of a different feel. We don’t have to have the extra day to get things right, but it sure makes it a lot easier and it’s nicer to sort through the bugs with a little less pressure.”
Grant has never won the 98-lap Turkey Night Grand Prix feature, but he recognizes the event’s significance in the scope of midget car racing and hopes to become the second driver to give Manafort a crown-jewel win this season.
Bacon stormed to victory in the inaugural Driven2SaveLives BC39 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Dirt Track in September, a quarter-mile similar to the one Grant hopes to master Thursday night.
“This is an awesome event and the list of names on the winner’s trophy is incredible,” Grant said. “We all want to add our name to that rundown. It’s a great atmosphere as well, here at Ventura. It’s a little bullring, things are exciting, we’re right on the ocean … there’s not a lot that’s not to like.
“It’s a great way to spend the holiday and a little slice of California, for sure.”
Grant noted that his plans for the 2019 midget season will be revealed in the near future.
