From Lonnie Wheatley
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (October 24, 2016) – With the pre-entry deadline for I-30 Speedway’s 29th Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires just two days away, another pair of Sprint Car champions from the northeast and beyond are among the latest to join the mix for the $15,000 winner’s share on November 2-5.
Among the latest entries are Central Pennsylvania ace Mark Smith and 17-year-old, Canadian rookie sensation Dylan Westbrook.
They join an already talent-laden field that includes the likes of Sammy Swindell, Shane Stewart, Aaron Reutzel, Terry McCarl, Tony Bruce, Jr., and Derek Hagar among others.
The pre-entry deadline for the event is this Wednesday, October 26, and those entered by that date receive a free driver’s pit pass for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Entry forms are available at http://www.i-30speedway.com/flyers/2016%20STN%20Flyer.pdf.
Entries received by October 26 are just $150, with entries received after that at $250. Entries after October 26 do not receive the free 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 Pit Road Bar & Grill c/o Tracey Clay, 13219 Interstate 30, Little Rock AR 72209, made payable to Tracey Clay.
Among the latest entries, Mark Smith captured the Selinsgrove Speedway track championship with 17-year-old rookie sensation Dylan Westbrook won the Southern Ontario Sprints title.
Tower City’s Smith vies to add an STN title to his East Bay “King of 360’s” win in 2015. After earning another King of 360’s podium finish of third this February, Smith raced on to the Selinsgrove title while racking up 11 overall wins at eight different tracks throughout the northeast in a mix of United Racing Club (URC), Empire Super Sprints (ESS) and Patriot Sprint Tour (PST) competition.
Hailing from Scotland, Ontario in Canada, Dylan Westbrook broke onto the 360-ci Sprint Car in a big way in 2016 aboard the Ohsweken Speedway No. 47x Sprint Car, racking up 11 overall feature wins at five different tracks and winning seven of 11 events to capture the Southern Ontario Sprint series championship.
Smith and Westbrook both enter this year’s Short Track Nationals as event rookies.
Entries continue to roll in as a stacked field will battle it out to join the list of STN champions that most recently includes Christopher Bell.
Now a top contender with the Camping World NASCAR Truck series, 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 Entries: Entry forms are available at http://www.i-30speedway.com/flyers/2016%20STN%20Flyer.pdf. Entry is $150 if entered by October 26, or $250 after October 26. Entries submitted by October 26 receive one free driver pit pass for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
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 Pit Road Bar & Grill c/o Tracey Clay, 13219 Interstate 30, Little Rock AR 72209, made payable to Tracey Clay.
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 Pack’s Dash for Cash to determine the alignment of the front three rows of the championship main event.
The balance of the field will aligned in Saturday night heats according to their top qualifying night score. Additional 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. Top non-transfers from Saturday night “C” Mains (2 or 3 depending on number of “C” Mains) move on to the “Red Shirt Dash” in honor of Lanny Edwards. The “Red Shirt Dash” will pay $500, $100, $100, $100, $100, $100.
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.