By Lonnie Wheatley
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (October 6, 2016) – The Short Track Nationals has historically attracted a diverse cast of characters from throughout the land.
That tends to happen when more than $100,000 is dispersed over the course of a weekend with a $15,000 payday earmarked for the winner.
The 29th edition of the COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires set for November 2-5 at Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway will be no different if the early batch of entries is any indication.
Among the early group of entries are a diverse group including Iowa’s Terry McCarl, Ohio’s Max Stambaugh and New Yorker Coleman Gulick.
Hailing from Altoona, Iowa, seven-time Knoxville Raceway track champion Terry McCarl has enjoyed another double-digit win season in 2016 to push his career win total to a whopping 300 victories after the most recent triumph.
Among T-Mac’s 2016 highlights are a World of Outlaws win at Knoxville, a pair of NSL 410-ci wins, a second career “King of 360s” triumph at East Bay and last weekend’s “Fall Brawl” victory in Nebraska.
McCarl will be making his second STN appearance after ranking as the top event rookie in 2013 with an eighth-place run.
Throwing his hat into this year’s STN rookie ring is Elida, Ohio’s Max Stambaugh. Just 20 years old, Stambaugh is rapidly developing into one of the top contenders in the Upper Midwest. Stambaugh finished a close second in NRA Sprint Invader points this year with a pair of wins among his 18 overall top-five finishes.
Along with an established veteran in McCarl and the up-and-coming Stambaugh, Binghamton, New York’s Coleman Gulick makes a return to Little Rock, Arkansas for the Short Track Nationals for the first time since 2007.
Recently returning to Sprint Car action, Gulick recently raced to Rookie of the Nationals honors at Ohsweken’s Canadian Sprint Car Nationals by finishing seventh among the field of 65. A competitor at the 2007 edition of the Short Track Nationals, Gulick has one career feature start at I-30 Speedway during the 2007 Speedweek.
STN entries continue to roll in, with entry forms for the event available at http://www.i-30speedway.com/flyers/2016%20STN%20Flyer.pdf. Entries received by October 26 just $150, with entries after that at $250.
The entry fee of $150 will include the driver’s pit pass for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The late entry of $250 does not include driver pit pass.
Entry fees may be submitted on PayPal as well with a $5 processing fee just as with paying via credit/debit card. Checks, money orders and cashier’s checks are accepted and may be mailed to I-30 Speedway c/o Pit Road Bar & Grill, 13219 Interstate 30, Little Rock AR 72209, made payable to Tracey Clay.
The 29th Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires at Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway on November 2-5 offers up a $15,000 winner’s share with $2,000 just to start the Saturday night finale. Saturday night STN “B” Main non-transfers will collect $700 with “C” Main non-transfers earning $500.
Now a top contender with the Camping World NASCAR Truck series, Christopher Bell still reigns as the defending STN champion after beating Aaron Reutzel and Brian Brown to the stripe in 2014 to become the youngest winner in event history at just 19 years of age.
Bell joined a prestigious list of STN winners that includes names such as Swindell, Kinser, Sweet, Meyers, McMahan, Wright, Crawley, Bruce, Jr., a couple of Johnsons and more.
The Pertinent Info:
The What: 29th 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: November 2-5, 2016.
The Format: All competitors will be eligible to compete on either or both of the Thursday and Friday qualifying nights (no split field) after a Wednesday night Test ‘N Tune.
The top three from each qualifying night will be locked into Saturday night’s $15,000-to-win, $2,000-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.
The balance of the field will redraw will be aligned in Saturday night heats according to their top qualifying night score. More points will be awarded in Saturday heats to set the balance of the Saturday night feature lineups.
While the STN finale offers a minimum of $2,000 to each starter, “B” Main Non-Transfers earn $700 with “C” Main Non-Transfers collecting $500.
The Past Winners:
2015-Rained Out
2014-Christopher Bell
2013-Sammy Swindell
2012-Paul McMahan
2011-Sammy Swindell
2010-Brad Sweet
2009-Tony Bruce, Jr.
2008-Tony Bruce, Jr.
2007-Jason Meyers
2006-Jason Johnson
2005-Tim Montgomery
2004-Gary Wright
2003-Gary Wright
2002-Paul McMahan
2001-Jason Sides
2000-Mike Ward
1999-Gary Wright
1998-Tim Crawley
1997-Wayne Johnson
1996-Pete Butler
1995-Gary Wright
1994-Terry Gray
1993-John Gerloff
1992-Rained Out
1991-Steve Kinser
1990-Sammy Swindell
1989-Steve Kinser
1988-Steve Kinser
The Tickets: Advance tickets for either three nights (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) are on sale for just $55 if paying cash or $57 if paying via PayPal or credit/debit card.
Day of show prices are $20 on Thursday and Friday and $28 on Saturday plus a $1 processing fee per ticket if paying by credit/debit card.
Children’s tickets will be available at the event only for just $2 on Thursday and Friday and then $5 on Saturday plus a $1 processing fee per ticket if paying by credit/debit card.
To order tickets in advance or for more information, check online at www.i-30speedway or call the track at 501-455-4567.
Pit passes are $15 on Wednesday, $35 on Thursday and Friday and then $40 on Saturday. Driver pit pass for Thursday/Friday/Saturday is included in the $150 entry fee if submitted by the October 26 deadline.
The Trade Show & Midway: This year’s rendition of the Short Track Nationals will also include the Eleventh 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, November 1. Inquiries regarding vendor space should be directed to dssm93@msn.com.
For more information regarding I-30 Speedway’s Short Track Nationals, check at www.i-30speedway.com or call the track at 501-455-4567.