From Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. (October 20, 2010) – Rabid race fans have been waiting with baited breath. And, who can blame ‘em? After all, I-30 Speedway’s Short Track Nationals only rolls around once a year.
With the 23rd Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires just one week away on October 28-30, the time has come to reveal the list of entries for the prestigious $15,000-to-win, $2,300-to-start Sprint Car racing event that annually energizes the city of Little Rock, AR.
And with all three nights of Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters National action set to be aired on the VERSUS Network, entries have poured in from the east coast states of New York and Connecticut to the Pacific states of Washington and California; from as far north to the soon-to-be frozen tundra of the Dakotas to the southern bayous of Louisiana. There’s even an entry from the land “Down Under”.
With more entries still on the way and the event record of 108 competitors hanging in the balance, a total of 19 different states as well as Australia are represented among the current 92 entries, which is as follows;
The Entries:
#0 Jason Martin (Liberal, KS)
#01 TBA
#1b Tim Law White (Hall, AR)
#1m Sean McClelland (Tulsa, OK)
#1p Curtis Evans (Norborne, MO)
#1s Sammy Swindell (Bartlett, TN)
#1x Gary Taylor (Snohomish, WA)
#03 Joe Wood, Jr. (Oklahoma City, OK)
#3a A.G. Rains (West Memphis, AR)
#3g Darren Long (Elida, OH)
#3m Mark Shirshekan (Farmington, MO)
#3s John Carney II (El Paso, TX)
#3x Brooke Tatnell (Sans Souci, NSW)
#4b Eric Baldaccini (Keller, TX)
#4s Tommy Snellgrove (Little Rock, AR)
#5g Dave Glennon (Casselton, ND)
#5l Eric Lutz (Sioux Falls, SD)
#5m Miranda Arnold (Sedalia, MO)
#6h Kyle Hirst (Loomis, CA)
#6k Chad Kemenah (Findlay, OH)
#7tw Brandon Wimmer (Fairmount, IN)
#7w Wade Human (Marion, AR)
#8tw Kent Lewis, Jr. (Willis, TX)
#8x Chris Williams (Memphis, TN)
#9h Derek Hagar (Marion, AR)
#9w Lane Whittington (Denham Springs, LA)
#9x Gary Wright (Hooks, TX)
#10a Ricky Logan (Little Rock, AR)
#11c Dakota Carroll (La Monte, MO)
#11m Justin Melton (Flower Mound, TX)
#12h Jerrod Hull (Sikeston, MO)
#12t Joe Young (Benton, AR)
#14k Kyle Bellm (Nixa, MO)
#14m Jordon Mallett (Greenbrier, AR)
#14z Jessica Zemken (Sprakers, NY)
#17b Ryan Bickett (Ramona, SD)
#17bb Brad Bowden (Hernando, MS)
#17g Bruce Griffith, Jr. (Highlands, TX)
#17w Brad Welborn (Princeton, TX)
#18 Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS)
#18h Mike Hess (Springfield, IL)
#19 Klint Angelette (Thibodaux, LA)
#21b Brian Brown (Grain Valley, MO)
#21t Ray Allen Kulhanek (Conroe, TX)
#21tx Brandon Schure (El Paso, TX)
#21v Taylor Velasquez (Turpin, OK)
#22h Randy Hannagan (San Jose, CA)
#22s Robbie Standridge (Springfield, IL)
#22y Dennis Yoakam (Lima, OH)
#23 Darryl Wills (Deer Park, TX)
#26 Marshall Skinner (West Memphis, AR)
#27 Andy Shouse (Oklahoma City, OK)
#28 Jonathan Cornell (Sedalia, MO)
#30 Brandon Corn (Hearne, TX)
#31 Brandon Berryman (Missouri City, TX)
#32 Justin Barger (Montrose, NY)
#33 Mark Huddleston (Mesquite, TX)
#36 Jonathan Beason (Broken Arrow, OK)
#40 Junior Jenkins (Greenville, TX)
#41 Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA)
#46 Jan Howard (Byhalia, MS)
#49 Brad Sweet (Grass Valley, CA)
#50z Zach Chappell (Talala, OK)
#51b Beau Smith (Texas City, TX)
#51L Lee Sowell (Nesbit, MS)
#53d Jack Dover (Springfield, NE)
#53j Justin Jackson (Bryant, AR)
#55 Jason Solwold (Burlington, WA)
#57 Shane Stewart (Bixby, OK)
#58 Wade Oliver (Southaven, MS)
#59 Marty Stanford (McKinney, TX)
#60 Eric Sandage (Alexander, AR)
#69 Larry Howery (Hearne, TX)
#71 Channin Tankersley (Highlands, TX)
#72 Sherman Davis (Sand Springs, OK)
#74e Claud Estes (Godley, TX)
#75 Tyler Blank (California, MO)
#76 John Ricketts (Burleson, TX)
#83 Tim Shaffer (Aliquippa, PA)
#84 Ben Wagoner (Emden, IL)
#85 Jerry Bell (Garland, TX)
#87m Brian McClelland (Broken Arrow, OK)
#87r Aaron Reutzel (Clute, TX)
#88 Tim Crawley (Benton, AR)
#89g David Gravel (Middlebury, CT)
#91 Darren Stewart (Bixby, OK)
#93m Dustin Morgan (Tulsa, OK)
#93s Chris Sweeney (Channelview, TX)
#94 Danny Wood (Norman, OK)
#95 Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK)
#99 Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK)
#165 Haley Arnold (Sedalia, MO)
Entry Notes:
Record Watch – With the count at 92 and entries still being filed on a daily basis, the record of 108 competitors in 2007 could be tested. Last year, the event drew 101 competitors even after inclement pushed the event back one week.
The States – Only a dozen of the current 92 entries hail from the host Razorback state, bested by Lone Star State reps that number 23 Texas entries and Sooner shoes from Oklahoma that number 14. Nineteen different states are currently represented.
The breakdown: Texas 23, Oklahoma 14, Arkansas 12, Missouri 10, Mississippi 4, California 3, Illinois 3, Louisiana 3, Ohio 3, Kansas 2, New York 2, South Dakota 2, Tennessee 2, Washington 2, Connecticut 1, Indiana 1, Nebraska 1, North Dakota 1, Pennsylvania 1.
Add Australia to the mix with San Souci, New South Wales native Brooke Tatnell, returning to the STN for the first time since an eighth place finish in 1997, taking the wheel of Louisiana’s Zierolf No. 3x entry.
The Donnie Cooper owned No. 01 entry out of Missouri has yet to be assigned a driver.
STN Kings – Five past winners are among the current entries including four-time winner Gary Wright, two-time and defending STN champion Tony Bruce, Jr., and one-time winners Jason Johnson, Tim Crawley and Sammy Swindell.
STN Experience – Twenty-nine of the currently entered drivers have made at least one career STN championship feature start. Gary Wright leads the way with 17 feature starts, with Tim Crawly hot on his heels at 15.
Career STN championship feature starts: Gary Wright 17, Tim Crawley 15, Shane Stewart 7, Sammy Swindell 7, Jan Howard 6, Darren Stewart 6, Jason Johnson 5, Eric Sandage 5, Danny Wood 5, Brian Brown 4, Jerrod Hull 4, A.G. Rains 4, Marshall Skinner 4, Zach Chappell 3, Ricky Logan 3, Tony Bruce, Jr. 2, Chad Kemenah 2, Wade Oliver 2, Tim Shaffer 2, Brady Bacon 1, Jack Dover 1, Claud Estes 1, Derek Hagar 1, Sean McClelland 1, Dustin Morgan 1, Robbie Standridge 1, Brad Sweet 1, Brooke Tatnell 1, Joe Wood, Jr. 1.
Rookie Crop – Twenty-two of the currently entered drivers are set for their maiden STN voyage. A pair of event rookies raced their way into last year’s STN championship finale including Jonathan Allard (Darren Stewart returns to the seat of the Sparks No. 91 this year) and Donnie Ray Crawford.
This year’s STN rookie class includes the following: Klint Angelette, Miranda Arnold, Jonathan Beason, Dakota Carroll, Dave Glennon, David Gravel, Randy Hannagan, Mike Hess, Kyle Hirst, Justin Jackson, Tim Law, Jordon Mallett, John Ricketts, Beau Smith, Tommy Snellgrove, Jason Solwold, Taylor Velasquez, Ben Wagoner, Darryl Wills, Brandon Wimmer, Dennis Yoakam, Jessica Zemken,
While the pre-entry discount deadline of October 17 has come and gone, post-entries for the 23rd Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires may still be filed for $250 by calling the track at 501-455-4567 or at http://www.i-30speedway.com/2010stnflyer.pdf.
Fans can purchase advance tickets by calling 501-455-4567. Advance tickets are just $45 for all three nights of wild racing action.
The Pertinent Info:
The What: 23rd Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires.
The Where: I-30 Speedway (Little Rock, AR). I-30 Speedway is located seven miles southwest of Little Rock off I-30 Exit 126 (Alexander Road).
The When: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, October 28-30, 2010. $15,000 to win the STN finale on October 30, with $2,300 to start the STN championship feature. Race time is 7:30 p.m. each night. Rain date is November 4-6. Test ‘N Tune session on Wednesday night, October 27. All three nights will be taped for later broadcast on VERSUS and MavTV.
The Past Winners: Tony Bruce, Jr. (2009 and 2008), Jason Meyers (2007), Jason Johnson (2006), Tim Montgomery (2005), Gary Wright (2004, 2003, 1999 and 1995), Paul McMahan (2002), Jason Sides (2001), Mike Ward (2000), Tim Crawley (1998), Wayne Johnson (1997), Pete Butler (1996), Terry Gray (1994), John Gerloff (1993), Steve Kinser (1991, ’89 and ‘88) and Sammy Swindell (1990). 1992 finale was rained out.
The Series: A premier stop on the Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters National trail, Jason Johnson, Brady Bacon and Shane Stewart are currently locked in a torrid three-way duel for the series $60,000 championship chase, with Tim Crawley, Jack Dover and the ten other full-time Lucas Oil ASCS National teams vying for their share of the $250,000 points fund.
After the STN the Lucas Oil Sprint Cars will finish out the year at Las Cruces’ Southern New Mexico Speedway (November 12-13), Tucson’s USA Raceway (November 18-20) and then Las Vegas Motor Speedway (November 26-27).
Current top 20 in Lucas Oil Sprint Car points: 1. Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA) 2,919, 2. Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK) 2,847, 3. Shane Stewart (Bixby, OK) 2,780, 4. Tim Crawley (Benton, AR) 2,643, 5. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE) 2,622, 6. Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS) 2,573, 7. Zach Chappell (Talala, OK) 2,504, 8. Kyle Hirst (Loomis, CA) 2,397, 9. Danny Wood (Norman, OK) 2,379, 10. Ricky Logan (Little Rock, AR) 2,364, 11. Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK) 2,268, 12. Darren Long (Elida, OH) 2,103, 13. Dustin Morgan (Tulsa, OK) 2,095, 14. Channin Tankersley (Highlands, TX) 2,019, 15. Gary Wright (Hooks, TX) 1,690, 16. Justyn Cox (Clarksburg, CA) 1,513, 17. Austen Wheatley (Lake Stevens, WA) 1,344, 18. Brian Brown (Grain Valley, MO) 1,290, 19. Travis Rilat (Forney, TX) 1,152, 20. Johnny Herrera (Albuquerque, NM) 873.
The Josh Howard Determination Award: Bossier City, Louisiana’s Shedd Auto Parts will present a top wing and nose wing to a driver that battles through adversity over the course of the intensely competitive weekend.
The Trade Show & Midway: This year’s rendition of the Short Track Nationals will also include the Sixth Annual Short Track Nationals Trade Show & Midway. Fans, drivers & crews will have the opportunity to visit vendor displays, which opens at noon on Thursday and then at 9 a.m. on both Friday and Saturday. The deadline for guaranteed vendor space is Monday, October 25. Inquiries regarding vendor space should be directed to dssm93@msn.com.
The Tickets: Advance tickets are on sale through Wednesday, October 27, no advance sales after that. Tickets ordered in advance are just $45 for all three nights. Day of show prices are $15 on Thursday and Friday and $25 on Saturday. To order tickets in advance or for more information, call the track at 501-455-4567 or e-mail orders to racing@I-30speedway.com. Children’s tickets will be available at the event for just $2 on both Thursday and Friday and then $5 on Saturday. There is a $1 per ticket surcharge for orders placed via credit/debit cards. Pit passes are $30 on both Thursday and Friday and $35 on Saturday.
STN on TV: All three nights of action at the 23rd Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires will be taped for later broadcast on VERSUS and MavTV. Air dates, according to www.motorsportshour.com, are currently set for December 5 at 6:00 p.m. ET (October 28 event), December 11 at 6:00 p.m. ET (October 29 event) and December 12 at 6:00 p.m. ET (October 30 STN finale).
For more information regarding the 23rd Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires, contact I-30 Speedway at 501-455-4567.