7/26/2025
Bloomington Speedway
Sheldon Kinser Memorial Flashback: 1992 The Kevin Thomas years begin
We are less than 1 week away. The biggest race of the year at the Historic Bloomington Speedway is the annual Sheldon Kinser Memorial. Yes, USAC Racing Indiana Sprint Week is on the way
September 11, 1992: The Kevin Thomas years begin
On August 8, 1992 Kevin Thomas racing for Paul Hazen scored his first USAC win at Lawrenceburg Speedway and the team was riding the crest of a wave. At Bloomington thirty-seven cars were on hand and after qualifications had concluded Cary Faas was the fastest with a time on 12.282. We would soon learn that Cary was not afraid to mash the pedal.
Tony Elliott and Bob Kinser would be involved in a tangle and in that void stepped Kevin Thomas. Thomas, who started 9th moved to the front. He would stay there to the end of the 40 lap feature and would be chased to the line by Tray House, Jon Stanbrough, and Dave Darland.
He liked winning this race so much he did it again in 1993, 1994 and 1996.
Enough time may have passed that some younger fans may not understand just how important Kevin Thomas is to Indiana sprint car racing. The 1995 Bloomington Speedway champion also topped the charts during Indiana Sprint Week in 1992, 1993, 1995 and 1996. There was a time when ISW sprint week races were either traditional sprint cars or wing sprint cars depending on the regular program of the host track. The 1996 edition was the first under the USAC banner. and It made all the all the sense in the world that Thomas would lead us into a new era. To that point every time the series featured only traditional sprint cars Kevin took the title.
When Bloomington went to wing racing on a weekly basis traditional races became special events - and in that period Thomas was always a man to beat. Every single time he won he stood in victory lane and said "thank-you for supporting non-wing racing."
If you love traditional sprint cars please understand this. There were many great racers who thrilled us - but for a time Dave Darland, Tony Elliott, and Kevin Thomas held the flag high.
Kevin Thomas is one of the best we have ever seen - and his record in the Sheldon Kinser Memorial proves it.
We do it again in 6 nights. Don't be a couch potato. It is time to Fill the Hill
John Mahoney photo of Kevin's first USAC win Thomas and Elliott at Eldora
Article Credit: Patrick Sullivan
Article Media
