From Lonnie Wheatley
Little Rock, AR — (October 17, 2013) — Just one more week. That’s all that remains before approximately 100 of the nation’s top Sprint Car drivers battle it out for the $15,000 winner’s share at I-30 Speedway’s 26th Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires.
With the crown jewel event set for next Thursday through Saturday (October 24-26) after Wednesday night’s Inaugural Short Track Nationals Open, a total of 76 entries from 20 different states from coast to coast have already been submitted for the event that will pay out over $100,000 in cash over the course of the weekend.
While the grandstands will be packed with enthusiastic race fans each night at the high-banked, ¼-mile clay oval, the event will also be available at home worldwide via Pay-Per-View at www.shorttracknationals.com.
With entries still coming in at a rapid pace, the current list is as follows:
#0 Channin Tankersley (Highlands, TX)
#01 Roger Crockett (Medford, OR)
#1 Sean McClelland (Tulsa, OK)
#1h Kyle Hirst (Loomis, CA)
#1j Nic Jenkins (Benton, AR)
#1m Danny Lasoski (Dover, MO)
#1s Sammy Swindell (Germantown, TN)
#1tx TBA
#2J Gary Taylor (Snohomish, WA)
#03 Joe Wood, Jr. (Oklahoma City, OK)
#3 A.G. Rains (West Memphis, AR)
#3g Shane Stewart (Bixby, OK)
#3h Brandon Hanks (Burlison, TN)
#3n Nate Van Haaften (Otley, IA)
#4am Mike Goodman (Broken Arrow, OK)
#4pm Whit Gastineau (Moore, OK)
#5r Jerod Roller (Olive Branch, MS)
#5s Tyler Smith (Olive Branch, MS)
#5x Tyson Hall (Longview, TX)
#6 Tim Shaffer (Aliquippa, PA)
#6b Ryan Beechler (McKinney, TX)
#6s Chad Kemenah (Findlay, OH)
#6T Terry McCarl (Altoona, IA)
#7 Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN)
#9jr Derek Hagar (Marion, AR)
#10 Terry Gray (Bartlett, TN)
#12 Jerrod Hull (Sikeston, MO)
#12d Dalton Davis (Millington, TN)
#12s Adam Schmidt (Haubstadt, IN)
#13 Todd Fayard (Saucier, MS)
#13T Taylor Tidmore (Hernando, MS)
#13TT Triston Tidmore (Hernando, MS)
#14k Kyle Bellm (Nixa, MO)
#14z Zach Pringle (Benton, AR)
#15h Sam Hafertepe, Jr. (Sunnyvale, TX)
#16 Anthony Nicholson (Millington, TN)
#17b Ryan Bickett (Ramona, SD)
#17g Cody Gardner (Benton, AR)
#17h Blake Hahn (Sapulpa, OK)
#17m Austin Brown (Millstadt, IL)
#17w Harli White (Lindsay, OK)
#18 Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS)
#19 Klint Angelette (Thibodaux, LA)
#21 Ryan Kitchen (Weston, NE)
#21b Brian Brown (Grain Valley, MO)
#21T Ray Allen Kulhanek (Conroe, TX)
#21x Joey Moughan (Springfield, IL)
#22h Randy Hannagan (San Jose, CA)
#23 Howard Moore (Memphis, TN)
#23b Brian Bell (Gallaway, TN)
#23x Seth Bergman (Snohomish, WA)
#27 Beau Stewart (Xenia, OH)
#29 Brandon Hahn (Tulsa, OK)
#31g Johnny Gardner (Benton, AR)
#39 Brad Bowden (Hernando, MS)
#40dd Caleb Griffith (Sandusky, OH)
#41 Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA)
#42 Henry Gustavus (Olive Branch, MS)
#45x Johnny Herrera (Albuquerque, NM)
#49 Shawn Dancer (Delphos, OH)
#51s Lee Sowell (Nesbit, MS)
#51w Matt Ward (Glenpool, OK)
#57 Kyle Chady (Benton, IL)
#71 Kevin Swindell (Germantown, TN)
#74 Claud Estes (Godley, TX)
#77x Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK)
#81 Danny Wood (Norman, OK)
#82 David Gravel (Watertown, CT)
#87 Aaron Reutzel (Clute, TX)
#88 Tim Crawley (Benton, AR)
#91 Justin Henderson (Sioux Falls, SD)
#93 Chris Sweeney (Houston, TX)
#94 Jeff Swindell (Bartlett, TN)
#95 Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK)
#99 Blake Jenkins (Benton, AR)
#X Charlie Louden (Camden, AR)
Entry Notes:
Record Watch – With a number of entries still expected in the coming days, the record of 125 competitors established in 2010 could be challenged. The high water mark previous to that was 108 in 2007. Ninety-four took part in last year’s STN.
The States – The neighboring state of Oklahoma is currently sending the largest contingent of competitors with 12 representatives followed by Tennessee at ten entries and then the host state of Arkansas with nine. Twenty states are represented among the current entries.
The breakdown: Oklahoma 12, Tennessee 10, Arkansas 9, Mississippi 8, Texas 8, Missouri 4, Ohio 4, Illinois 3, California 2, Iowa 2, Louisiana 2, South Dakota 2, Washington 2, Connecticut 1, Indiana 1, Kansas 1, Nebraska 1, New Mexico 1, Oregon 1, Pennsylvania 1.
STN Kings – Seven past STN winners are among the current entries, including two-time victors Sammy Swindell and Tony Bruce, Jr., along with single-time winners Jason Johnson, Jason Sides, Tim Crawley, Wayne Johnson and Terry Gray. Mike Ward, who won as a driver in 2000 fields the No. 88 entry for Crawley while two-time STN-winning car owner Bobby Sparks (1997 and 1998) field the familiar No. 91 with South Dakota’s Justin Henderson at the helm.
STN Experience – Thirty-four of the currently entered drivers have made the final cut for the STN Championship Main Event on at least one occasion. I-30 ace Tim Crawley heads the list at 18 and can break a tie with Gary Wright for most career STN feature starts by racing into this year’s finale. Others in double digits include Terry Gray, Wayne Johnson and Sammy Swindell.
Career STN championship feature starts: Tim Crawley 18, Terry Gray 15, Wayne Johnson 14, Sammy Swindell 10, Shane Stewart 9, Jason Sides 8, Jason Johnson 7, Jeff Swindell 6, Brian Brown 5, A.G. Rains 5, Tim Shaffer 5, Danny Wood 5, Sam Hafertepe, Jr. 4, Jerrod Hull 4, Cody Gardner 3, Johnny Gardner 3, Chad Kemenah 3, Danny Lasoski 3, Kevin Swindell 3, Seth Bergman 2, Tony Bruce, Jr. 2, Derek Hagar 2, Zach Pringle 2, Matt Covington 1, Claud Estes 1, David Gravel 1, Randy Hannagan 1, Justin Henderson 1, Johnny Herrera 1, Ray Allen Kulhanek 1, Sean McClelland 1, Joey Moughan 1, Aaron Reutzel 1, Joe Wood, Jr. 1.
Rookie Crop – Fifteen of the currently entered drivers are set for their maiden STN voyage. Christopher Bell was last year’s top finishing rookie by taking runner-up honors in the 40-lap finale after Stevie Smith was the top rookie in 2011 (sixth) and Brandon Wimmer the top newbie in 2010 (fifth).
With seven-time Knoxville Raceway champion Terry McCarl among this year’s newcomers, the three-year stretch of the top rookie finishing among the top six could very well be extended.
This year’s STN rookie class includes the following: Austin Brown, Todd Fayard, Whit Gastineau, Caleb Griffith, Tyson Hall, Blake Jenkins, Terry McCarl, Howard Moore, Adam Schmidt, Tyler Smith, Beau Stewart, Taylor Tidmore, Triston Tidmore, Matt Ward, Harli White.
The pre-entry discount of $150 expired with entries filed or postmarked by October 17, with post-entries for the 26th Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires filed for $250 by calling the track at 501-455-4567 or at http://www.i-30speedway.com/flyers/stn_flyer2013.pdf.
Fans can purchase advance tickets by calling 501-455-4567. Advance tickets are just $51 for all three nights of STN action of $61 for all four nights that also includes Wednesday night’s Inaugural Short Track Nationals Open. And, those unable to make the trip to Little Rock can still catch every lap of action as it happens live on Pay-Per-View. PPV details and pricing are available at www.shorttracknationals.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.