(dirt) returns to the ICL 358 National Tour calendar with a split history: a multi-leader scramble in Season 1 and a clinical, no-doubt drive in Season 2. That arc makes Round 9 a compelling barometer—does this track reward bold late moves, or is it a pole-to-podium kind of night when the groove cleans up?

Season 2 set the current benchmark: Aidan Strawberry started from pole and controlled 18 laps to win, never relinquishing the lead. He also posted the fastest lap in that race, reinforcing a theme that’s defined much of Season 3—when he qualifies up front, everyone else is reacting. Season 1 told a different story, with three different leaders and two lead changes before Austin Hunter7 ultimately prevailed. The common denominator across both editions is pace: USA rewards entry precision and drive off; the moment you over-rotate the center, you donate two spots.

From the Season 2 USA results, several names have current-season reps—most notably Strawberry (the defending USA winner and current points leader), Kinser Lightner (P11 at USA S2; currently fourth in points), Brenden McGlothlin (entered S2; currently ninth), James Roselli (P8 at USA S2; two starts this season), and Colton Zimmer (P5 at USA S2; has been active in prior ICL seasons). Their prior USA laps are a real data edge: launch points for gearing, lane choice on restarts, and how quickly the cushion builds here when the top comes in.

Momentum matters, and Round 8 created some. Chase Hardy broke through for his first career 358 Modified win in start No. 10—wire-to-wire. That puts a fresh contender into the podium conversation at USA, especially if he qualifies in clean air again. Behind him, Matthew Selby and Mike Augustine made strong season debuts (both are established ICL winners in other series), while Aidan Strawberry banked third with the race’s fastest lap—solid points on an “offense-lite, execution-max” night.

The points layer adds pressure. Strawberry leads with 86, while JT Ferry sits at 61—25 behind. With wins paying 12 points and bonus points on the table in qualifying, Ferry can still compress this margin, but he’ll likely need both a front-row start and a clean, top-two finish to really bite into Strawberry’s cushion. Watch Kinser Lightner and Brayden E Carter: both have the baseline to run top-five here; a tidy USA could shuffle second through fifth. Tyler Ducharme remains the efficiency wildcard—fewer starts, high impact—so any early speed from the 25 team could tilt podium math in a hurry.

Key angles to watch at USA: track state sprinting from moisture to sheen; whether the middle becomes a passing lane versus a launchpad; and how quickly leaders manage traffic if the field strings out. If Season 1’s template shows up, late sliders could decide the podium. If Season 2 repeats, qualifying and the first two laps may write most of the story.

Plain Text — Past USA International Results
Season 1 (May 6, 2022 · Dirt)

  1. Austin Hunter7, 2) Riley Stewart, 3) Garron Brimmer, 4) Anton Hernandez, 5) Martin Duran Jr, 6) Koulten Herbert, 7) Ryan Carlisi, 8) Caleb Hudgeons, 9) Kasey Jedrzejek, 10) Hayden Lomax, 11) Jackson Franklin (DQ/Scoring Invalidated), 12) Cody Gagliano (DQ/Scoring Invalidated)

Season 2 (Apr 15, 2024 · Dirt)

  1. Aidan Strawberry, 2) Carson Z Jenkins, 3) Félix F. Roy, 4) Daniel J Adam, 5) Colton Zimmer, 6) Thomas Armel, 7) Scout Neff, 8) James Roselli, 9) Greg Thompson3, 10) Craig Shearim, 11) Kinser Lightner, 12) Jaxson Reitzler (DQ/Scoring Invalidated), 13) Brenden McGlothlin (Disconnected), 14) Ross Wece (Disconnected), 15) Connor Mirabelli (Disconnected), 16) Dylan Robbins (Disconnected), 17) Clyde Dunn (DQ/Scoring Invalidated), 18) Tom Mein (DQ/Scoring Invalidated), 19) Kevin Smith44 (DQ/Scoring Invalidated), 20) Cade Nelson (DQ/Scoring Invalidated), 21) Kason Capps (DQ/Scoring Invalidated), 22) Russ Mein (DQ/Scoring Invalidated)

Plain Text — Current Top 10 in Points (after Round 8)

  1. Aidan Strawberry, 2) JT Ferry, 3) Seth Gregory, 4) Kinser Lightner, 5) Brayden E Carter, 6) Tyler Ducharme, 7) Ben Joly, 8) Dylan Blackburn, 9) Brenden McGlothlin, 10) Charlie Geibel

You can race with ICL for free, following along with race day info in our discord here: https://discord.gg/vQmsdwxvTf