SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Chelby Hinton plans to chase after USAC AMSOIL Dash Automotive Nationwide Championship MPI Rookie of the 12 months honors in 2026 with 2B Racing.
Hinton, who hails from Dubberly, Louisiana, made eight begins on the USAC Nationwide Dash Automotive tour in 2025. Preserving his rookie eligibility for the 2026 marketing campaign, the 20-year-old Hinton will now compete for Scott Benic’s 2B Racing workforce, which contains a pair of previous USAC Chief Mechanics of the 12 months in Benic (2005 & 2009) plus Derek Claxton (2017).
“I’m pumped,” Hinton exclaimed. “I’m past excited to work with Scott, Derek and the entire 2B crew. On high of that, attending to run for Rookie of the 12 months. I’ve talked to Scott loads over the previous yr whereas working dash vehicles within the Midwest. I received to race with him late this yr and every thing went fairly properly and easy. They’re a enjoyable group to be round and I’m actually trying ahead to this yr and seeing what we will do on the USAC path.”
Hinton’s preliminary USAC Dash Automotive experiences got here within the Phillips No. 71p all through the 2025 season with Hinton successful his first warmth race with the collection on the ultimate night time of Dash Automotive Smackdown at Indiana’s Kokomo Speedway in August. Steve handed away in October of this previous yr, and Hinton is without end grateful to them for offering him along with his begin within the USAC Dash Automotive ranks.
“None of this could be doable with out Steve and Carla and what they did with me this yr,” Hinton mentioned. “I’m enormously appreciative of it and I wouldn’t be right here if it wouldn’t for them.”
Hinton’s first foray with the 2B Racing workforce got here on November 1 at Crimson Hill Raceway in Sumner, Illinois with the Midwest Thunder Dash Automotive collection. Hinton gained his warmth and completed third within the characteristic.
Louisiana natives in USAC Nationwide Dash Automotive racing are removed from a standard sight. Actually, within the 70-year historical past of the collection, Hinton is the primary and solely Pelican State racer to look within the level standings. Over the past week of February in 2025, Hinton and his household made the transfer the Lafayette, Indiana to additional pursue his racing goals.
Hinton’s racing background started in modifieds down in Bayou Nation. However after touring to Tulsa, Oklahoma to attend the Chili Bowl Nationals in 2015, he fell in love with open wheel racing. In 2018, he took the subsequent step after spectating on the Tulsa Shootout in Tulsa. Quickly after, Hinton was racing micro sprints round his residence state, over in Texas and at one of many sizzling beds of the game at Tulsa’s Port Metropolis Raceway. In 2021, he ran the total NOW600 tour, and by 2023, he was behind the wheel of a USAC NOS Power Drink Nationwide Midget for Bob East and Klatt Enterprises.
By day, Hinton works along with his father laying tile for flooring, showers and backsplashes, and so forth. As for his racing profession, he couldn’t be extra thrilled to what he has cooking for 2026.
“I’ve by no means been so excited to begin a yr. I’ve had some massive stuff in my profession however I’ve by no means had one thing this massive,” Hinton acknowledged. “I’m actually trying ahead to getting with the workforce and truly attending to run the total tour. I haven’t been on a tour earlier than. I haven’t actually run greater than 20-30 races in the previous few years. Attending to run a constant schedule with an incredible automobile and crew, I’m simply excited to race.”
Benic believes that Hinton’s attributes align with 2B Racing and feels that he confirmed nice composure in his first outing with the workforce.
“From what I’ve seen in Chelby, he’s listener, he pays consideration and he did the issues on the observe we requested him to do, and I felt like he did a very good job,” Benic mentioned.
Benic significantly admires Hinton’s talents to attain regardless of not at all times having the most important funds behind him.
“What we noticed with Chelby over the course of final yr, he appears to do loads with a little bit,” Benic praised. “He comes throughout as an underdog. He’s run a really restricted funds midget and had some success. Even his micro profession was shortly funded in comparison with the fellows they raced towards and he nonetheless gained a variety of races. I really feel like we’re form of the identical means. I’m not attempting to say that we now have probably the most underfunded workforce on the planet, however in comparison with one of the best groups of USAC, we’re actually a couple of {dollars} and cents behind them.
“Chelby has form of come from that,” Benic continued. “He’s realized to do extra with much less and tries to have good high quality stuff and never essentially a amount of stuff. I believe as soon as a younger child like that learns tips on how to win, they will learn to win in something, and I believe Chelby is able to that.”
