By Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. (October 22, 2010) – The Short Track Nationals record of 108 competitors established in 2007 is in serious jeopardy of falling by the wayside next weekend if the past several days are any indication.
Nine more entries, including those of past STN winner Jason Sides, Golden State Challenge champion Kyle Larson and Riverside Speedway champ Jeff Swindell, have elevated the count to 106 for I-30 Speedway’s 23rd Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires with just a few more days remaining before the Sprint Car masses converge upon Little Rock, AR, for the much-anticipated $15,000-to-win, $2,300-to-start blockbuster event.
All three nights of torrid Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters National action atop the high-banked, ¼-mile I-30 Speedway clay oval next Thursday through Saturday, October 28-30, will be taped for later broadcast on the VERSUS Network.
Tennessee’s Jason Sides, who earned his Short Track Nationals crown in 2001, is the seventh past STN champion to submit an entry for next weekend’s action, which gets under way full tilt on Thursday night after a Wednesday evening Test ‘N Tune session from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.
Also added to the mix today was 18-year-old Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, CA. Larson makes his second STN appearance after capturing the 2010 Golden State Challenge “King of California” Sprint Car championship.
While Sammy Swindell, the 1990 STN winner, was on the previously issued entry list, brother Jeff Swindell is on the list now along with teammate Dalton Davis. Jeff Swindell has made it to the STN finale each of the last two years.
Also, ASCS Gulf South contender Tommy Bryant, who raced into back-to-back STN finales in 2007 and 2008, takes the wheel of Todd Evans’ No. 14e machine while Aaron Berryhill will try for a second career STN championship main event starting berth.
Other entries filed today include that of Lubbock’s Preston Peebles II and Topeka’s Chris Morgan, while Mississippi’s Jerod Roller brings the number of STN rookie contenders to 25.
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 Entries: 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.
#0 Jason Martin (Liberal, KS)
#0c Preston Peebles II (Lubbock, TX)
#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)
#5r Jerod Roller (Olive Branch, MS)
#6h Kyle Hirst (Loomis, CA)
#6k Chad Kemenah (Findlay, OH)
#7h Chris Morgan (Topeka, KS)
#7s Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN)
#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)
#11x Chad Corken (Highlands Ranch, CO)
#12d Dalton Davis (Memphis, TN)
#12h Jerrod Hull (Sikeston, MO)
#12t Joe Young (Benton, AR)
#14e Tommy Bryant (Conroe, TX)
#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)
#18b 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)
#29 Tim Kaeding (San Jose, CA)
#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)
#56 Davey Heskin (St. Michael, MN)
#57 Shane Stewart (Bixby, OK)
#58f Gary Floyd (San Angelo, TX)
#58w 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)
#75b Tyler Blank (California, MO)
#75L Kyle Larson (Elk Grove, CA)
#76 John Ricketts (Burleson, TX)
#77x Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK)
#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)
#90 Jeff Swindell (Memphis, TN)
#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)
#97b Aaron Berryhill (Broken Arrow, OK)
#99 Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK)
#165 Haley Arnold (Sedalia, MO)
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: Once again, Bossier City, Louisiana’s Shed Road Auto Parts will present a top wing and nose wing courtesy of Lightning Wings 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 info@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.