SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Cory Kruseman, Director of USAC West Coast operations, will place a renewed emphasis on coordination between USAC’s CRA Dash Automobile and Western States Midget divisions together with the nationwide sequence for the 2026 season.
Kruseman will oversee all the United States Auto Membership’s racing endeavors all through the western United States. Kruseman’s focus for the brand new yr entails bringing each of USAC’s western circle monitor divisions underneath one umbrella by way of schedule coordination and a tighter-knit workers.
“I’m excited to convey the Western States Midgets and CRA Dash Vehicles underneath a single umbrella to create a well-coordinated schedule,” Kruseman defined.
Kruseman, a local of Ventura, California, brings many years of expertise within the sport. As a extremely profitable driver, he was a 2023 inductee into the Nationwide Dash Automobile Corridor of Fame. As a automotive proprietor, he operates a dash automotive driving college and his personal crew has gained quite a few occasions on the west coast over time. His position inside USAC getting into the 2026 season can be a managerial position, overseeing each sequence as a complete whereas every sequence may have their very own race director, specializing in that side.
“This transfer permits us to convey USAC again right into a single group, which helps us higher align with opponents, promoters and race followers,” Kruseman stated.
The west coast coordination additionally aligns with a number of main USAC nationwide occasions, opening up dates on the calendar for USAC’s western contingent to partake in occasions with out having a battle. As a driver himself, Kruseman recalled the times when he, as a west coast common, would usually compete in nationwide occasions on off weekends from his common schedule. It’s one thing he anticipates will open the door of alternative for the present crop of drivers and groups to pursue an identical path.
“Combining the (west coast) divisions and with the ability to work intently with the nationwide sequence permits us to do issues otherwise,” Kruseman said. “Now, we’re sharing concepts. We’re nonetheless at all times searching for sponsorship; we’re nonetheless at all times going to chase cash; we’re nonetheless going to chase racers and we’re nonetheless going to chase racetracks, but it surely offers us a path of least resistance by with the ability to work collectively now as an alternative of attempting to get eight or 10 folks on one web page. Now it’s a distinction of perhaps two or three folks.”
USAC Nationwide Sequence Director Kirk Spridgeon echoed the sentiment.
“Having all our sequence in sync is necessary, and we’ve heard increasingly more from opponents who want to run throughout the totally different sequence we have now,” Spridgeon stated. “Having Cory concentrate on that to assist every sequence coincide collectively will enable opponents to combine these sequence with a few of our engaging nationwide occasions as nicely.”
Along with Kruseman’s appointment, Zach Zauss (CRA Dash Vehicles) and Bronsen Chiaramonte (Western States Midgets) have been employed as every sequence’ new race director for the 2026 season. Tony Jones (CRA) and Malyssa Younger (Western States) had served in these roles all through the 2025 season.
“I actually need to thank Tony and Malyssa for all their arduous work with USAC’s west coast sequence,” Kruseman said. “Their diligent efforts have laid an excellent basis for us to proceed to construct upon within the upcoming years.”
