By Lonnie Wheatley
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (September 26, 2013) – A pair of past event winners are among the earliest batch of entries for the upcoming 26th Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires at Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway.
Jason Johnson and Tony Bruce, Jr., both look to add another win in the prestigious event that offers up a $15,000 winner’s share in the STN finale that wraps up the three-day set for October 24-26 atop the high-banked ¼-mile clay oval. The $2,500-to-win Inaugural Short Track Nationals Open will precede STN action on Wednesday night, October 23.
Jason Johnson captured his lone STN crown in 2006 while Tony Bruce, Jr., became just the third driver to score back-to-back STN wins with triumphs in 2008 and 2009. TBJ joined an exclusive club of back-to-back event winners that includes Steve Kinser and Gary Wright.
A native of Eunice, LA, three-time ASCS National champion and current points leader Jason Johnson topped a preliminary feature at last year’s STN to lock into his seventh career STN championship finale and sixth in the last eight years.
Aside from his triumph in 2006, other top STN finishes for “The Ragin’ Cajun” include fourth place finishes in 2005 and 2007. Johnson finished 13th in last year’s finale.
Liberal, KS, native Tony Bruce, Jr., made the cut for his first STN championship finale in 2008 and cashed in big-time with a prestigious upset win and then backed it up with a second consecutive score twelve months later.
Another driver that made the cut for last year’s STN finale is among the early entries as well, as Marion, AR, shoe Derek Hagar will gun for his third STN championship feature start after finishing 14th last year. “The Guy” ranks as the current USCS National points leader.
One other driver with past STN championship feature experience that has filed entry is current I-30 Speedway and Riverside International Speedway points leader A.G. Rains. The West Memphis, AR, racer has made five previous STN championship feature starts with a tenth place finish in 2001 his top run.
Some other early entries include Channin Tankersley (Highlands, TX) and Klint Angelette (Thibodaux, LA), both of whom are ranked among the top five in ASCS Gulf South points, fifth-ranked NRA Invader Shawn Dancer of Delphos, OH, and Memphis area shoes Brian Bell, Brandon Hanks and Howard Moore.
Last October, Cali native turned Nashville, TN, resident Paul McMahan became just the fifth multi-time STN winner by besting a field of 94 competitors for his first Short Track Nationals championship since 2002, denying upstart Christopher Bell the lucrative payday in the process.
Drivers planning on competing in the 26th Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires are encouraged to submit their entries as soon as possible. Entries postmarked by October 17 are $150, with entries submitted after that $250. Entry forms are available at http://www.i-30speedway.com/
Information regarding the Inaugural Short Track Nationals Open is available at http://www.i-30speedway.com/
The Pertinent Info:
The What: 26th 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 24-26, 2013. $15,000 to win the STN finale on October 26 with $2,500 to start the STN championship feature. Race time is 7:30 p.m. each night. Rain date is October 31, November 1 & November 2. The $2,500 to win and $200 to start Inaugural Short Track Nationals Open kicks off all the action on Wednesday, October 23, at 7:30 p.m.
The Format: The format introduced in 2011 will once again be in effect. Approximately half the field will take to the track in the Thursday night qualifying event, with the other half in Friday’s qualifying event. The top three from each night will be locked into Saturday night’s $15,000-to-win, $2,500-to-start STN Championship Finale. Those six drivers will battle it out in Saturday’s Dash for Cash to determine the alignment of the front three rows of the championship main event.
Beyond that, drivers will be lined up on Saturday night in twin “B” Mains, twin “C” Mains, twin “D” Mains, twin “E” Mains and “F” Mains if necessary. Four drivers will transfer from each “F” to “E”, “E” to “D”, “D” to “C” and “C” to “B”, with seven advancing from each “B” Main to form the 20-car STN championship main event field.
The popular format of heats and qualifying races will once again be in place on the Thursday and Friday qualifying nights. The top 14 in cumulative points from heats and qualifiers will be locked into that night’s main event, with two or three “B” Mains depending upon car count contested to fill out the qualifying night feature field.
Points earned in qualifying night heat races, qualifiers and features will set Saturday night’s feature lineups.
Wednesday’s Short Track Nationals Open will have no impact upon Thursday, Friday or Saturday lineups, with the exception that the top finisher among Wednesday’s top four that is unable to qualifying for Saturday night’s STN finale will be offered a provisional.
Wednesday’s STN Open will include heat races lined up by pill draw with passing points in effect that will set lineups for the “B” Main(s) (multiple “B” Mains if necessary depending upon car count) and “A” Main.
The Past Winners: Paul McMahan (2012 and 2002), Sammy Swindell (2011 and 1990), Brad Sweet (2010), Tony Bruce, Jr. (2009 and 2008), Jason Meyers (2007), Jason Johnson (2006), Tim Montgomery (2005), Gary Wright (2004, 2003, 1999 and 1995), 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). 1992 finale was rained out.
The Tickets: Advance tickets for either three or four nights are on sale through Monday, October 21, no advance sales after that. Single night tickets are not available in advance. Tickets ordered in advance are just $61 for all four nights (Wednesday through Saturday) or $51 for three nights (Thursday through Saturday) with $1 off if paying cash.
Day of show prices are $16 on Wednesday, $21 on Thursday and Friday and $26 on Saturday with a $1 discount per ticket if paying cash.
Children’s tickets will be available at the event only for just $2 on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and then $6 on Saturday.
To order tickets in advance or for more information, call the track at 501-455-4567 or e-mail orders to raceytlc@sbcglobal.net.
Pit passes are $26 on Wednesday, $31 on both Thursday and Friday and $36 on Saturday with a $1 discount per pit pass if paying by cash.
The PPV: Can’t make your way to Little Rock, AR, for this prestigious event? Once again you can still catch every lap of the action on your computer via live Pay-Per-View. Just check out www.shorttracknationals.com for pricing and ordering information. Orders are being taken now.
The Trade Show & Midway: This year’s rendition of the Short Track Nationals will also include the Ninth Annual Short Track Nationals Trade Show & Midway. Fans, drivers & crews will have the opportunity to visit vendor displays, which opens at noon on Wednesday and then at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The deadline for guaranteed vendor space is Monday, October 21. Inquiries regarding vendor space should be directed to dssm93@msn.com.
For more information regarding the 26th Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires, contact I-30 Speedway at 501-455-4567.