From Eldon Butcher
HAUBSTADT, Ind. (September 12, 2016) — The remainder of the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series schedule is set to play out at the Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, IN. Just two races remain on the racing calendar. Next up is the largest paying event of the season.
The Haubstadt Hustler there on Saturday night September 17th will pay $10,000 to the winner of the big 40 lap sprint car feature. This ninth annual event has been co-sanctioned with the United States Auto Club since 2011. Fans can expect to see the very best non-wing sprint drivers in the Midwest and America compete while looking for every advantage this well prepared quarter mile oval offers.
This event will be the second time in the 2016 season that MSCS & USAC have competed together in the same program. The other feature in April was won by Chase Stockon. He was victorious over Kyle Cummins and Carson Short. All three drivers have had successful campaigns this season. Stockon and Cummins have two MSCS wins each and Carson Short was victorious at the Indiana Sprint Week USAC race at Tri-State Speedway.
Jeff Bland Jr. has the distinction of winning the inaugural Haubstadt Hustler in 2008. The list of other former winners include the late great Bryan Clauson, Jon Stanbrough, Casey Riggs, Daron Clayton, Kevin Thomas Jr., and Brady Short. Clayton is the only repeat winner so far for this event. There have been some spectacular runs including last year’s winning effort by Brady Short which took him from a twelfth starting spot to first.
Brady Short is currently the Hoosier Tire Midwest Series Points leader. Short will no doubt be looking for a repeat winning performance in the Hustler. The “Bedford Blaster” could take advantage of an opportunity to collect some big bucks along with that first MSCS win of the season. Short, Critter Malone, Brent Beauchamp, Jeff Bland Jr., Nick Bilbee, Donny Brackett, and Kevin Thomas Jr. are among the drivers who have posted runner-up finishes as their highest performances in MSCS races. They have all only been one spot away from a 2016 victory.
The addition of USAC drivers into the field of competitors lengthens the list of potential winners substantially. The current USAC National Sprint Car Points leader is Brady Bacon. The talent pool is deep!
Sixteen different drivers have won USAC sprint car features during this season.
The UMP Open Wheel Modified cars will be racing on the program. So this weekend the program will be a double header with full fields of cars expected to compete in both divisions. The pit gate at Haubstadt opens at 3:30 P.M. Hot laps are scheduled to begin by 6:30. Heat races will begin at 7:30 P.M. Fans and teams traveling from the North and East need to remember that Tri-State Speedway operates on Central time.