Doug Boles calls The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway his “happy place.”  

The lifelong Hoosier, who was trusted to oversee IMS for 12 seasons before adding President of IndyCar to his resume in February, grew up in a USAC household. 

Watching his father chronicle the history of open-wheel racing in the 1960s provided Boles with a deep appreciation for the sport.

Yes, Boles’ roots in motorsports are firmly cultivated in grassroots racing. 

“Short track was really important to us,” Boles said. “Obviously, the (Indianapolis) 500 was, too, but short track is really the heart and soul of our sport across the country.”

Supporting dirt track racing enables Boles to advocate for a sport that stirs his passion for racing.

“For me, it's an opportunity to be a fan,” Boles said. “It’s also an opportunity to really thank those people that care enough to come out and support their local racers, many of whom become superstars like Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell—guys like that—some really great ones.”

In 2018, Boles elevated his fan status with the creation of the IMS Dirt Track in Turn 3. The oval pays homage to the roots of the sport and offers fans a venue to embrace dirt racing inside the most iconic speedway in the world.

“For so many years, the drivers and the superstars that were (at the speedway) were people that had started on the local short tracks, especially the dirt tracks,” Boles said. 

“We were able to convince our ownership at the time in 2018 that we needed to build a track to give a reason for short track drivers and teams and fans to come back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.” 

His labor of love hosted the first BC39, honoring the life and legacy of the late Bryan Clauson, on the 1/5th-mile clay oval that same year. Brady Bacon won the inaugural event. 

Zeb Wise, Kyle Larson, Buddy Kofoid, Justin Grant and Cannon McIntosh have kissed the bricks above the dirt tracks cushion following their BC39 wins. 

After a 20-lap USAC Sprint Car exhibition race in conjunction with the BC39 last year, the Dirt Track was offered the opportunity to kick off Indiana Sprint Week (ISW) with a 35-lap, non-points-paying feature on Thursday.

VIDEO: Kyle Cummins discusses racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway ahead of the Indiana Sprint Week opener.

Kevin Thomas, Jr., who races full-time in USAC Midgets and Sprints for RockSteady Racing, has competed in all seven BC39s. The two-time ISW winner will return to IMS with the sprinters on Thursday. 

Since 2009, the 34-year-old Cullman, Ala., native has called Indiana home. He knew that to pursue an open-wheel career, it was best to be based near USAC’s beginnings in Speedway. 

Given the speedway's prestige and history, Thomas believes IMS provides the ideal backdrop to open Indiana Sprint Week and allow the drivers to showcase their talents.

“The track’s racing roots date back to sprint cars, Silver Crown cars, USAC, in general,” Thomas said. “I feel the USAC brand being here is very important.

“In this day and age, the odds of going from a midget to a sprint car to a Silver Crown car to the Indianapolis 500 are not as (likely) anymore. You don’t see that (progression) much anymore.” 

J.J. Yeley was scheduled to race double duty in the Sprint Car opener and in Saturday’s Xfinity race before a last-minute change in plans. 

The 2003 USAC Triple Crown winner is one of the last of a generation that enjoyed the opportunity to use the open-wheel ladder as a springboard not only to an Indy 500 start but also a 20-year NASCAR career.

“It’s amazing that Indianapolis Motor Speedway made the investment a few years back in a permanent dirt track in the infield of the most famous track in the world,” Yeley said. “To be able to go and run that race is very cool. 

“To run sprint cars there—they’ve run at some pretty small tracks over the last few years—the show has been exceptional. I think it’s just another level of something cool to be a part of.”

With the wealth of racing in the Hoosier State, Yeley appreciates the Motorsports Mecca hosting USAC—even if it’s not a points-paying race.

“There are probably more dirt tracks within an hour of Indianapolis than there are in any other city or state in the U.S., Yeley said. “That’s probably been the strongest region for non-winged sprint car racing, so it just helps to elevate their game and focus the eyes on USAC and the national sprint car series.”

Thomas believes the exposure to dirt on a NASCAR weekend allows fans to enjoy a live experience that’s difficult to duplicate on a screen.

“So, one, the honor to be here and two, the ability to cross fans over from one discipline to the other with an actual site to see all forms of motorsports... is great for marketing and it’s great to see our roots all over the Indianapolis area.”

Creating an Indy Speedweek with NASCAR, whether it was the inaugural BC39 in 2018 or this week’s Brickyard 400, is a concept Boles hopes to build upon.

“For me, it's just a way to celebrate what short track means to the history of racing and how competitive it is today and what it means today,” Boles said. “It's a way to thank all of those teams and tracks, drivers around the country. 

“But it's also a way to say, ‘Hey, short track is some of the most compelling, exciting racing on the face of the earth,' and for the most part, they're pretty much in everybody's backyard.

“I want to use the platform of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a way to introduce people to short track, especially dirt track racing, (people) who may have never been before.”

And make no mistake, if Boles is at the speedway, he will personally thank every participant who attempts to make the feature on Thursday.

“Other than Indianapolis 500 race day, there’s just something about being out there that’s pretty cool,” Boles said.