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INDIANAPOLIS – Briggs Danner broke through for his first career shorty victory Wednesday night, winning the BC39 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Chase McDermand Racing driver earned $20,039 after starting from the pole and holding off Kevin Thomas Jr. and two-time defending winner Cannon McIntosh in the 39-lap feature.
Danner beat Thomas Jr. by 1.266 seconds, while Jacob Denney charged from ninth to finish third. McIntosh finished fourth, ending his bid for a third straight BC39 victory. Kale Drake rounded out the top five.
"I don't even know what the heck this means yet," Danner said in Victory Lane. "I probably won't know when I wake up in the morning, but just to think that we'd be standing in Victory Lane at IMS is pretty crazy."
The victory marked another milestone for the 24-year-old, who became the first Pennsylvania driver to win the BC39 despite having relatively little shorty racing experience.
"I haven't done a whole lot of shorty racing, really," he said. "Just to be a part of this deal with Chase McDermand's team is pretty cool and I'm super proud for them. They work really hard at what they do. So, this is just a cool deal to be a part of."
Danner faced pressure throughout the feature as he exchanged the lead multiple times with Thomas Jr. and McIntosh during the middle stages of the race. A third and final caution came when Brecken Reese flipped with nine laps remaining, but Danner maintained his advantage after the restart and pulled away to secure the victory.
"I just tried to take every lap by itself and stay out front and keep four tires on the ground," he said.
He said staying committed to the high line whenever another driver challenged him was the key.
The victory also completed a memorable turnaround for Chase McDermand Racing.
On Tuesday night, teammate Drake Edwards crossed the finish line first in the BC39 opener before being disqualified after failing post-race technical inspection, elevating Thomas Jr. to the victory.
For team owner Chase McDermand, Thursday's triumph also provided redemption after one of the most painful moments of his driving career. Two years ago, McDermand won the BC39 preliminary night and led 37 of the 39 feature laps before losing the lead after catching a rut in the closing laps.
"To come back and get redemption not only for just that, but also redemption from what we battled with Drake ... really just made me feel even more complete," McDermand said.
"None of us are surprised," McDermand said of Danner's performance. "We have a lot of confidence in him, which is why we put him in the race car."
The BC39 honors the legacy of the late Bryan Clauson, and Danner said adding his name to the event's list of winners made the accomplishment even more meaningful.
"Bryan was probably the definition of a true racer, and that's kind of what I try to strive to be," Danner said. "So to just live up to something in his name is pretty cool in itself, and I think he would have enjoyed it."
"Just a cool deal to be a part of it and to add my name to the list of winners is something that probably comes second to none."
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: Briggs Danner earns first shorty win with BC39 victory
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The Chase McDermand Racing driver earned $20,039 after starting from the pole and holding off Kevin Thomas Jr. and two-time defending winner Cannon McIntosh in the 39-lap feature.
Danner beat Thomas Jr. by 1.266 seconds, while Jacob Denney charged from ninth to finish third. McIntosh finished fourth, ending his bid for a third straight BC39 victory. Kale Drake rounded out the top five.
"I don't even know what the heck this means yet," Danner said in Victory Lane. "I probably won't know when I wake up in the morning, but just to think that we'd be standing in Victory Lane at IMS is pretty crazy."
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The victory marked another milestone for the 24-year-old, who became the first Pennsylvania driver to win the BC39 despite having relatively little shorty racing experience.
"I haven't done a whole lot of shorty racing, really," he said. "Just to be a part of this deal with Chase McDermand's team is pretty cool and I'm super proud for them. They work really hard at what they do. So, this is just a cool deal to be a part of."
Danner faced pressure throughout the feature as he exchanged the lead multiple times with Thomas Jr. and McIntosh during the middle stages of the race. A third and final caution came when Brecken Reese flipped with nine laps remaining, but Danner maintained his advantage after the restart and pulled away to secure the victory.
"I just tried to take every lap by itself and stay out front and keep four tires on the ground," he said.
He said staying committed to the high line whenever another driver challenged him was the key.
NEW Leader in the #BC39, @briggsdanner78 to the point at @IMS!@USACNation#USACpic.twitter.com/JMVe5njM5B
— FloRacing (@FloRacing) July 2, 2026
The victory also completed a memorable turnaround for Chase McDermand Racing.
On Tuesday night, teammate Drake Edwards crossed the finish line first in the BC39 opener before being disqualified after failing post-race technical inspection, elevating Thomas Jr. to the victory.
For team owner Chase McDermand, Thursday's triumph also provided redemption after one of the most painful moments of his driving career. Two years ago, McDermand won the BC39 preliminary night and led 37 of the 39 feature laps before losing the lead after catching a rut in the closing laps.
"To come back and get redemption not only for just that, but also redemption from what we battled with Drake ... really just made me feel even more complete," McDermand said.
"None of us are surprised," McDermand said of Danner's performance. "We have a lot of confidence in him, which is why we put him in the race car."
The BC39 honors the legacy of the late Bryan Clauson, and Danner said adding his name to the event's list of winners made the accomplishment even more meaningful.
"Bryan was probably the definition of a true racer, and that's kind of what I try to strive to be," Danner said. "So to just live up to something in his name is pretty cool in itself, and I think he would have enjoyed it."
"Just a cool deal to be a part of it and to add my name to the list of winners is something that probably comes second to none."
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: Briggs Danner earns first shorty win with BC39 victory
Continue reading...
