From Lonnie Wheatley
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (November 1, 2016) – With the 29th Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires set to officially fire off Thursday night atop the high-banked, ¼-mile I-30 Speedway clay oval, the field just keeps getting stronger.
The count has climbed to 64 entries from 16 different states as well as Canada with reigning Knoxville Nationals champion Jason Johnson and All Star Circuit of Champions kingpin Chad Kemenah among the latest to throw their hats into the ring for the $15,000 winner’s share.
The addition of “The Ragin’ Cajun” brings the number of past winners entered in the event to six along with three-time STN champ Sammy Swindell, two-time winners Paul McMahan and Tony Bruce, Jr., and one-time winners Tim Crawley and Jason Sides.
A past winner among the car owner ranks, Bobby Sparks fields an entry for Kevin Ramey with Donnie Cooper (driver Paul McMahan), 2000 STN champ Mike Ward (driver Tim Crawley) and Brandon Berryman (driver Sheldon Haudenschild) among other car owners looking for more STN glory.
Jason Johnson, the 2006 Short Track Nationals champion, will try to become the only person other than Steve Kinser to top the Short Track Nationals and the Knoxville Nationals in the same year. Kinser accomplished the feat in both 1988 and 1991.
Johnson, who has three top-fives among his seven career STN championship feature starts to his credit, knocked perennial Knoxville Nationals champion Donny Schatz off the top step of the Knoxville podium in a thrilling August finale for his first Nationals triumph.
While Johnson tries for a second STN triumph on the tenth anniversary of his initial victory, Ohio’s Chad Kemenah makes a run for the big money as well after outdueling Dale Blaney for the All Star crown.
Kemenah returns to Little Rock with some solid past STN experience that includes four championship feature starts, the best of which resulted in a sixth-place run in 2013 after a third-place preliminary night showing in 2010.
The Findlay, OH, hotshoe isn’t the only representative from Tony Stewart’s All Star Circuit of Champions with Sheldon Haudenschild trying to deliver Berryman a second consecutive STN crown after Christopher Bell topped the most recently completed STN in 2014.
A third-place finisher in All Star points this year, Haudenschild still qualifies as an STN rookie after the balance of the event was washed out last year following the Wednesday night open.
The 29th edition of the COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires officially fires off Thursday night after Wednesday night’s Test ‘N Tune session from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Two full nights of heats, qualifiers and feature action on Thursday and Friday will be followed up by Saturday’s championship card that concludes with the $15,000-to-win, $2,000-to-start 40-lapper.
The pre-entry discount of $150 expired with entries filed or postmarked by October 26, with post-entries for the 29th 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/2016%20STN%20Flyer.pdf.
Three-night advance tickets are available until Wednesday, November 2, for just $55 if paying by cash ($57 if paying by PayPal or debit/credit card). Day of event prices are $20 on Thursday and Friday and then $28 on Saturday.
To order tickets in advance or for more information, check online at www.i-30speedway or call the track at 501-455-4567.
Now a top contender with the Camping World NASCAR Truck series, Christopher Bell 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 $5 processing fee just as with paying via credit/debit card. Checks, money orders and cashier’s checks are accepted and may be mailed to Pit Road Bar & Grill c/o Tracey Clay, 13219 Interstate 30, Little Rock AR 72209, made payable to Tracey Clay.
The current field is comprised of 64 entries from 16 different states as well as Canada.
#01 Paul McMahan (Elk Grove, CA)
#m1 Mark Smith (Sunbury, PA)
#02 Brandon Long (Wichita Falls, TX)
#2 Parker Price-Miller (Kokomo, IN)
#3 A.G. Rains (West Memphis, AR)
#3$ Sammy Swindell (Bartlett, TN)
#4 Tommy Snellgrove (Little Rock, AR)
#5j Jamie Ball (Knoxville, IA)
#5jr Ricky Logan (Little Rock, AR)
#5m Max Stambaugh (Lima, OH)
#d6 Dakota Gaines (N. Little Rock, AR)
#7s Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN)
#8m T.J. Michael (Plano, TX)
#8m Zach Pringle (Benton, AR)
#9jr Derek Hagar (Marion, AR)
#9x Jake Bubak (Arvada, CO)
#10 Dustin Homan (Marquand, MO)
#10c Jason Keith (Fredericktown, MO)
#10h Chad Kemenah (Findlay, OH)
#10k Dewayne White (Byhalia, MS)
#12 Dale Wester (Ovilla, TX)
#14 Coleman Gulick (Binghamton, NY)
#14m Jordon Mallett (Greenbrier, AR)
#15j Jeremy Middleton (N. Little Rock, AR)
#15* Jeff Masson (Park Hills, MO)
#17w Harli White (Lindsay, OK)
#17* Robbie Standridge (Springfield, IL)
#21 Kevin Hinkle (Cabot, AR)
#21b Brandon Hinkle (Cabot, AR)
#23b Brian Bell (Gallaway, TN)
#23s Trey Starks (Puyallup, WA)
#24 Terry McCarl (Altoona, IA)
#26 Marshall Skinner (West Memphis, AR)
#27 Andy Shouse (Oklahoma City, OK)
#28 Johnathan Cornell (Sedalia, MO)
#29 Brandon Stevenson (Holstein, IA)
#30 Joseph Miller (Cove, AR)
#31b Sheldon Haudenschild (Wooster, OH)
#31g Johnny Gardner (Benton, AR)
#38 Rick Pringle (Benton, AR)
#39 Spencer Bayston (Lebanon, IN)
#40 Howard Moore (Memphis, TN)
#41 Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA)
#42 Andy McElhannon (Hernando, MS)
#43 Matthew Bauldwin (Little Rock, AR)
#44 Ronny Howard (Nesbit, MS)
#47x Dylan Westbrook ( Scotland, ONT)
#49 Shawn Dancer (Delphos, OH)
#51b Joe B. Miller (Millersville, MO)
#59 Brad Bowden (Hernando, MS)
#69 Jamey Mooney (Heber Springs, AR)
#74e Claud Estes (Godley, TX)
#77c C.J. Hulsey (El Paso, TX)
#77x Alex Hill (Wilsonville, ONT)
#79 Jordan Thomas (Harding, PA)
#85 Forrest Sutherland (Cherryvale, KS)
#86 Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS)
#87 Aaron Reutzel (Clute, TX)
#88c Tim Crawley (Benton, AR)
#88r Cody Gardner (Benton, AR)
#88$ Shane Stewart (Bixby, OK)
#91a Ernie Ainsworth (Bartlett, TN)
#91s Kevin Ramey (Fort Worth, TX)
#X Charlie Louden (Camden, AR)
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.