From Lonnie Wheatley
LITTLE ROCK, AR (October 22, 2021) – The 34th edition of I-30 Speedway’s COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires kicked off in rousing fashion Friday night with Jordon Mallett and Sam Hafertepe, Jr., racing to victory lane in the evening’s Twin 20-lap feature events.
While Greenbrier, AR, shoe Jordon Mallett emerged from a spirited battle with Derek Hagar to capture his first career Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour win in the first 20-lapper, reigning event champion Sam Hafertepe, Jr., of Sunnyvale, TX, solidified his status as an odd-on favorite with a convincing triumph in the second 20-lapper.
Marion, Arkansas’ Hagar and Quilcene, Washington’s J.J. Hickle secured positions in Saturday night’s Pack Building Materials “Dash for Cash” as well and a top-three row position at worst for the $10,041-to-win, 41-lap STN championship feature event.
After a pair of aborted starts for an Austin Wood turn two spin and then a third turn flip, Mallett gunned into the lead at the outset of the night’s first 20-lapper with Hagar and Canada’s Dylan Westbrook in hot pursuit.
Hagar kept the pressure on and used traffic to his advantage to take the lead away from Mallett on the 12th circuit as he vied for a third consecutive STN preliminary win aboard the No. 9jr entry. Westbrook challenged Mallett for the runner-up position, but the young shoe got busy and soon turned the tables on Hagar in traffic to recapture the lead with a handful of laps to go aboard the Water for Christ No. 14 machine.
Mallett kept Hagar at bay in the closing laps of the frenzied feature with Westbrook settling for the show position as Matt Covington and Miles Paulus filled out the top five. Cody Gardner crossed the stripe sixth with Slater Helt climbing from 14th to seventh as Gunner Ramey, Eric Lutz and Justin Zimmerman completed the top ten.
“I thought it was going to be kinda boring out there, just out front and minding my own,” Mallett explained. “I knew it would get dicey in lapped traffic and you can’t ever count Derek, he’s such a good driver. I’m just glad we were able to get that back.”
After posting the only qualifying lap in the 11-second bracket of 11.987-second for the night’s quickest overall time, Hafertepe, Jr., flexed his muscle with a dominant win in the second of the “Twin 20’s” for his 58th career Lucas Oil National Tour feature win aboard the Townline Variety/Heidbreider Foundation Service No. 15h.
“We had an awesome car all night long, that’s actually the best car that we’ve ever had here,” Hafertepe, Jr., commented in victory lane.
Gridding the feature field outside the front row, Hafertepe, Jr., gunned ahead of fellow front row starter J.J. Hickle at the drop of the green flag and never looked back en route to his fourth career STN preliminary feature triumph.
The action in his wake was compelling with 1998 STN champion Tim Crawley holding off two-time event winner Blake Hahn for the runner-up position until the halfway mark. Power steering woes soon brought Crawley’s run to a premature end, bringing about a caution that set the stage for a seven-lap dash to the checkered.
With a handful of lapped cars separating himself from his pursuers, Hafertepe, Jr., dashed on to take the win by a healthy 6.979-second margin Hahn and Hickle diced for the coveted runner-up position.
Hickle emerged with the position in the closing rounds as Hahn settled for third. Dustin Gates worked his way from ninth to fourth with Chris Martin rounding out the top five. Reigning I-30 Speedway track champion Howard Moore was sixth with Eric Baldaccini, Joseph Miller, 16th-starter Tucker Boulton and Landon Britt completing the top ten.
While Hafertepe, Jr., turned the quickest overall lap in qualifying, Missouri’s Gunner Ramey set the standard in Program A with a lap of 12.126 seconds.
Covington, Westbrook, Hagar and Mallett scored heat races win in Program A with Garet Williamson best in the “B” Main. Tim Crawley, Hahn, Michael Day and Hafertepe, Jr., posted heat wins in Program B with Ryan Bickett topping the “B” Main.
The 34th Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires at I-30 Speedway concludes with Saturday night’s $10,041-to-win tilt that features a full card of heat races, “C” Mains, “B” Mains, the Pack Building Materials “Dash for Cash” and the 41-lap STN championship “A” Main. Racing action goes green at 7:30 p.m.
34th Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tire
Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by MAVtv
I-30 Speedway
Little Rock, Arkansas
Friday, October 23, 2021
Qualifying (3 Laps)
1. 95-Matt Covington, 12.297[2]
2. G6-Cody Gardner, 12.358[6]
3. 98P-Miles Paulus, 12.427[3]
4. 1S-Joey Schmidt, 12.661[1]
5. 21B-Brandon Hinkle, 12.668[8]
6. 0V-Mike Vaculik, 13.041[4]
7. 3B-Chris Banja, 13.111[7]
8. 69-Jamey Mooney, 13.365[5]
Qualifying 2 (3 Laps)
1. 47X-Dylan Westbrook, 12.138[4]
2. 24W-Garet Williamson, 12.227[6]
3. 1Z-Justin Zimmerman, 12.428[1]
4. 5L-Eric Lutz, 12.500[3]
5. 26-Marshall Skinner, 12.630[8]
6. 44H-Ronny Howard, 12.677[2]
7. 2C-Chase Porter, 12.763[7]
8. 8X-Tony Higgins, 13.041[5]
Qualifying 3 (3 Laps)
1. 21R-Gunner Ramey, 12.126[2]
2. 9JR-Derek Hagar, 12.434[1]
3. 27W-Austin Wood, 12.449[6]
4. 16W-Ryan Ruhl, 12.454[5]
5. 91A-Ernie Ainsworth, 12.509[7]
6. 44-Jason Howell, 12.568[4]
7. 72P-Gary Floyd, 12.579[3]
8. 92-Cody Hays, 12.842[8]
Qualifying 4 (3 Laps)
1. 14-Jordon Mallett, 12.360[4]
2. 87-Jason Barney, 12.450[5]
3. 24-Jeffrey West Jr, 12.509[1]
4. 13-Chase Howard, 12.536[2]
5. 22S-Slater Helt, 12.626[6]
6. 21M-Spencer Meredith, 12.759[7]
7. 19-Jason Long, 13.054[8]
8. 3J-Junior Jenkins[3]
Qualifying 5 (3 Laps)
1. 63-JJ Hickle, 12.293[4]
2. 10L-Landon Britt, 12.329[5]
3. 12-Tony Bruce Jr, 12.417[1]
4. 0C-Tim Crawley, 12.439[7]
5. 42P-Preston Perlmutter, 12.460[8]
6. 88-Travis Reber, 12.843[3]
7. 13M-Chance McCrary, 12.929[6]
8. 8-Joseph Wray IV, 13.429[2]
Qualifying 6 (3 Laps)
1. 52-Blake Hahn, 12.205[5]
2. 28-Scott Bogucki, 12.304[6]
3. 0Z-Landon Crawley, 12.638[8]
4. 0B-Eric Baldaccini, 12.715[3]
5. 3G-Paxton Gregory, 12.731[1]
6. 74-Tucker Boulton, 12.807[7]
7. 12M-Greg Merritt, 12.812[2]
8. 28A-Keith Ainsworth, 12.940[4]
Qualifying 7 (3 Laps)
1. 44M-Chris Martin, 12.312[6]
2. 11-Roger Crockett, 12.403[3]
3. 91X-Michael Day, 12.441[7]
4. 30-Joseph Miller, 12.650[4]
5. 82-Austin Saunders, 12.809[1]
6. 29H-Pete Butler, 12.815[5]
7. 38-Rick Pringle, 12.833[2]
8. 27J-Joseph Poe Jr, 13.070[8]
Qualifying 8 (3 Laps)
1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, 11.987[7]
2. 3-Howard Moore, 12.211[2]
3. 6-Dustin Gates, 12.404[6]
4. 17B-Ryan Bickett, 12.435[3]
5. X-Charlie Louden, 12.456[1]
6. 23P-Hunter Poe, 12.607[5]
7. 21K-Kevin Hinkle, 12.937[4]
Heat Race #1A (8 Laps)
1. 95-Matt Covington[4]
2. 98P-Miles Paulus[2]
3. G6-Cody Gardner[3]
4. 1S-Joey Schmidt[1]
5. 21B-Brandon Hinkle[5]
6. 3B-Chris Banja[7]
7. 0V-Mike Vaculik[6]
8. 69-Jamey Mooney[8]
Heat Race #2A (8 Laps)
1. 47X-Dylan Westbrook[4]
2. 5L-Eric Lutz[1]
3. 1Z-Justin Zimmerman[2]
4. 26-Marshall Skinner[5]
5. 44H-Ronny Howard[6]
6. 2C-Chase Porter[7]
7. 8X-Tony Higgins[8]
8. 24W-Garet Williamson[3]
Heat Race #3A (8 Laps)
1. 9JR-Derek Hagar[3]
2. 27W-Austin Wood[2]
3. 21R-Gunner Ramey[4]
4. 16W-Ryan Ruhl[1]
5. 91A-Ernie Ainsworth[5]
6. 44-Jason Howell[6]
7. 72P-Gary Floyd[7]
8. 92-Cody Hays[8]
Heat Race #4A (8 Laps)
1. 14-Jordon Mallett[4]
2. 13-Chase Howard[1]
3. 87-Jason Barney[3]
4. 22S-Slater Helt[5]
5. 24-Jeffrey West Jr[2]
6. 3J-Junior Jenkins[8]
7. 21M-Spencer Meredith[6]
8. 19-Jason Long[7]
Heat Race #1B (8 Laps)
1. 0C-Tim Crawley[1]
2. 63-JJ Hickle[4]
3. 12-Tony Bruce Jr[2]
4. 10L-Landon Britt[3]
5. 42P-Preston Perlmutter[5]
6. 13M-Chance McCrary[7]
7. 88-Travis Reber[6]
8. 8-Joseph Wray IV[8]
Heat Race #2B (8 Laps)
1. 52-Blake Hahn[4]
2. 0B-Eric Baldaccini[1]
3. 0Z-Landon Crawley[2]
4. 74-Tucker Boulton[6]
5. 12M-Greg Merritt[7]
6. 3G-Paxton Gregory[5]
7. 28A-Keith Ainsworth[8]
8. 28-Scott Bogucki[3]
Heat Race #3B (8 Laps)
1. 91X-Michael Day[2]
2. 30-Joseph Miller[1]
3. 11-Roger Crockett[3]
4. 44M-Chris Martin[4]
5. 29H-Pete Butler[6]
6. 82-Austin Saunders[5]
7. 38-Rick Pringle[7]
8. 27J-Joseph Poe Jr[8]
Heat Race #4B (8 Laps)
1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[4]
2. 6-Dustin Gates[2]
3. 3-Howard Moore[3]
4. X-Charlie Louden[5]
5. 17B-Ryan Bickett[1]
6. 21K-Kevin Hinkle[7]
7. 23P-Hunter Poe[6]
B-Main (12 Laps)
1. 24W-Garet Williamson[1]
2. 91A-Ernie Ainsworth[2]
3. 21B-Brandon Hinkle[4]
4. 44-Jason Howell[6]
5. 24-Jeffrey West Jr[3]
6. 2C-Chase Porter[7]
7. 21M-Spencer Meredith[11]
8. 92-Cody Hays[14]
9. 72P-Gary Floyd[10]
10. 3J-Junior Jenkins[9]
11. 69-Jamey Mooney[16]
12. 19-Jason Long[15]
13. 0V-Mike Vaculik[12]
14. 44H-Ronny Howard[5]
15. 3B-Chris Banja[8]
16. 8X-Tony Higgins[13]
B-Main 2 (12 Laps)
1. 17B-Ryan Bickett[1]
2. 42P-Preston Perlmutter[2]
3. 12M-Greg Merritt[3]
4. 3G-Paxton Gregory[5]
5. 13M-Chance McCrary[6]
6. 21K-Kevin Hinkle[7]
7. 38-Rick Pringle[9]
8. 23P-Hunter Poe[8]
9. 88-Travis Reber[10]
10. 28A-Keith Ainsworth[11]
11. 27J-Joseph Poe Jr[12]
12. 29H-Pete Butler[4]
13. 8-Joseph Wray IV[13]
DNS: 28-Scott Bogucki
DNS: 82-Austin Saunders
A-Main (20 Laps)
1. 14-Jordon Mallett[1]
2. 9JR-Derek Hagar[2]
3. 47X-Dylan Westbrook[4]
4. 95-Matt Covington[5]
5. 98P-Miles Paulus[7]
6. G6-Cody Gardner[6]
7. 22S-Slater Helt[14]
8. 21R-Gunner Ramey[3]
9. 5L-Eric Lutz[9]
10. 1Z-Justin Zimmerman[11]
11. 24W-Garet Williamson[17]
12. 26-Marshall Skinner[15]
13. 87-Jason Barney[12]
14. 21B-Brandon Hinkle[19]
15. 91A-Ernie Ainsworth[18]
16. 16W-Ryan Ruhl[13]
17. 13-Chase Howard[10]
18. 44-Jason Howell[20]
19. 1S-Joey Schmidt[16]
20. 27W-Austin Wood[8]
A-Main 2 (20 Laps)
1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[2]
2. 63-JJ Hickle[1]
3. 52-Blake Hahn[3]
4. 6-Dustin Gates[9]
5. 44M-Chris Martin[5]
6. 3-Howard Moore[7]
7. 0B-Eric Baldaccini[11]
8. 30-Joseph Miller[10]
9. 74-Tucker Boulton[16]
10. 10L-Landon Britt[8]
11. 17B-Ryan Bickett[17]
12. 12-Tony Bruce Jr[13]
13. 42P-Preston Perlmutter[18]
14. 0Z-Landon Crawley[14]
15. 3G-Paxton Gregory[20]
16. 91X-Michael Day[6]
17. 12M-Greg Merritt[19]
18. 0C-Tim Crawley[4]
19. 11-Roger Crockett[12]
20. X-Charlie Louden[15]
STN Events Points after Friday Night (Friday Total added to Saturday heat race passing point totals to set “C”, “B” and “A” Main Lineups):
|
Rank |
No. |
Name |
Qual Time |
Qual |
Heat |
Ftr |
Total |
|||
|
1 |
15h |
Sam Hafertepe, Jr. (Sunnyvale, TX) |
11.987 |
20 |
30 |
100 |
150 |
Locked-In |
||
|
2 |
14 |
Jordon Mallett (Greenbrier, AR) |
12.360 |
20 |
30 |
100 |
150 |
Locked-In |
||
|
3 |
9jr |
Derek Hagar (Marion, AR) |
12.434 |
18 |
30 |
95 |
143 |
Locked-In |
||
|
4 |
63 |
J.J. Hickle (Quilcene, WA) |
12.293 |
20 |
27 |
95 |
142 |
Locked-In |
||
|
5 |
47x |
Dylan Westbrook (Scotland, ONT) |
12.138 |
20 |
30 |
91 |
141 |
|||
|
6 |
52 |
Blake Hahn (Sapulpa, OK) |
12.205 |
20 |
30 |
91 |
141 |
|||
|
7 |
95 |
Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK) |
12.297 |
20 |
30 |
88 |
138 |
|||
|
8 |
6 |
Dustin Gates (Haughton, LA) |
12.404 |
16 |
27 |
88 |
131 |
|||
|
9 |
98p |
Miles Paulus |
12.427 |
16 |
27 |
85 |
128 |
|||
|
10 |
44m |
Chris Martin (Ankeny, IA) |
12.312 |
20 |
21 |
85 |
126 |
|||
|
11 |
3 |
Howard Moore (Memphis, TN) |
12.211 |
18 |
24 |
82 |
124 |
|||
|
12 |
g6 |
Cody Gardner (Camden, AR) |
12.358 |
18 |
24 |
82 |
124 |
|||
|
13 |
0b |
Eric Baldaccini (Spring, TX) |
12.715 |
14 |
27 |
79 |
120 |
|||
|
14 |
21R |
Gunner Ramey (Sedalia, MO) |
12.126 |
20 |
24 |
76 |
120 |
|||
|
15 |
30 |
Joseph Miller (Cove, AR) |
12.650 |
14 |
27 |
76 |
117 |
|||
|
16 |
5L |
Eric Lutz (Sioux Falls, SD) |
12.500 |
14 |
27 |
73 |
114 |
|||
|
17 |
22s |
Slater Helt (Harrisonville, MO) |
12.626 |
12 |
21 |
79 |
112 |
|||
|
18 |
1z |
Justin Zimmerman (Athens, TX) |
12.428 |
16 |
24 |
70 |
110 |
|||
|
19 |
10L |
Landon Britt |
12.329 |
18 |
21 |
70 |
109 |
|||
|
20 |
12 |
Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS) |
12.417 |
16 |
24 |
66 |
106 |
|||
|
21 |
87 |
Jason Barney (Brewerton, NY) |
12.450 |
18 |
24 |
64 |
106 |
|||
|
22 |
74 |
Tucker Boulton |
12.807 |
10 |
21 |
73 |
104 |
|||
|
23 |
91x |
Michael Day (Farmersville, TX) |
12.441 |
16 |
30 |
58 |
104 |
|||
|
24 |
0z |
Landon Crawley (Benton, AR) |
12.638 |
16 |
24 |
62 |
102 |
|||
|
25 |
17b |
Ryan Bickett (Sioux Falls, SD) |
12.435 |
14 |
18 |
68 |
100 |
|||
|
26 |
26 |
Marshall Skinner (W. Memphis, AR) |
12.630 |
12 |
21 |
66 |
99 |
|||
|
27 |
0c |
Tim Crawley (Benton, AR) |
12.439 |
14 |
30 |
54 |
98 |
|||
|
28 |
13 |
Chase Howard (Nesbit, MS) |
12.536 |
14 |
27 |
56 |
97 |
|||
|
29 |
24w |
Garet Williamson |
12.227 |
18 |
9 |
68 |
95 |
|||
|
30 |
42p |
Preston Perlmutter (San Antonio, TX) |
12.460 |
12 |
18 |
64 |
94 |
|||
|
31 |
11 |
Roger Crockett (Medford, OR) |
12.403 |
18 |
24 |
52 |
94 |
|||
|
32 |
16w |
Ryan Ruhl (Coldwater, MI) |
12.454 |
14 |
21 |
58 |
93 |
|||
|
33 |
27w |
Austin Wood (Memphis, TN) |
12.449 |
16 |
27 |
50 |
93 |
|||
|
34 |
21b |
Brandon Hinkle (Pangburn, AR) |
12.668 |
12 |
18 |
62 |
92 |
|||
|
35 |
91a |
Ernie Ainsworth (Memphis, TN) |
12.509 |
12 |
18 |
60 |
90 |
|||
|
36 |
3g |
Paxton Gregory (Poplar Grove, AR) |
12.731 |
12 |
15 |
60 |
87 |
|||
|
37 |
1s |
Joey Schmidt (Laurel, MS) |
12.661 |
14 |
21 |
52 |
87 |
|||
|
38 |
X |
Charlie Louden (Camden, AR) |
12.456 |
12 |
21 |
50 |
83 |
|||
|
39 |
12m |
Greg Merritt (Nesbit, MS) |
12.812 |
8 |
18 |
56 |
82 |
|||
|
40 |
24 |
Jeffrey West, Jr. (Memphis, TN) |
12.509 |
16 |
18 |
48 |
82 |
|||
|
41 |
44 |
Jason Howell |
12.568 |
10 |
15 |
54 |
79 |
|||
|
42 |
13m |
Chance McCrary (Farmersville, TX) |
12.929 |
8 |
15 |
48 |
71 |
|||
|
43 |
2c |
Chase Porter |
12.763 |
8 |
15 |
46 |
69 |
|||
|
44 |
21k |
Kevin Hinkle (Cabot, AR) |
12.937 |
8 |
15 |
46 |
69 |
|||
|
45 |
21m |
Spencer Meredith (Olive Branch, MS) |
12.759 |
10 |
12 |
44 |
66 |
|||
|
46 |
38 |
Rick Pringle (Benton, AR) |
12.833 |
8 |
12 |
44 |
64 |
|||
|
47 |
23p |
Hunter Poe (Heber Springs, OK) |
12.607 |
10 |
12 |
42 |
64 |
|||
|
48 |
29h |
Pete Butler (Mabelvale, AR) |
12.815 |
10 |
18 |
36 |
64 |
|||
|
49 |
88 |
Travis Reber (Rapid City, SD) |
12.843 |
10 |
12 |
40 |
62 |
|||
|
50 |
72p |
Gary Floyd |
12.579 |
8 |
12 |
40 |
60 |
|||
|
51 |
3J |
Junior Jenkins (Greenville, TX) |
98.000 |
6 |
15 |
38 |
59 |
|||
|
52 |
44h |
Ronny Howard (Nesbit, MS) |
12.677 |
10 |
18 |
30 |
58 |
|||
|
53 |
92 |
Cody Hays (Wynne, AR) |
12.842 |
6 |
9 |
42 |
57 |
|||
|
54 |
28b |
Scott Bogucki (Mclarenvale, SA) |
12.304 |
18 |
9 |
30 |
57 |
|||
|
55 |
28a |
Keith Ainsworth (Munford, TN) |
12.940 |
6 |
12 |
38 |
56 |
|||
|
56 |
82 |
Austin Saunders |
12.809 |
12 |
15 |
28 |
55 |
|||
|
57 |
0v |
Michael Vaculik (Hot Springs, AR) |
13.041 |
10 |
12 |
32 |
54 |
|||
|
58 |
69 |
Jamey Mooney (Heber Springs, AR) |
13.365 |
6 |
9 |
36 |
51 |
|||
|
59 |
19 |
Jason Long (Benton, AR) |
13.054 |
8 |
9 |
34 |
51 |
|||
|
60 |
3b |
Chris Banja (Beebe, AR) |
13.311 |
8 |
15 |
28 |
51 |
|||
|
61 |
27J |
Joseph Poe (Scott, AR) |
13.070 |
6 |
9 |
34 |
49 |
|||
|
62 |
8 |
Joseph Wray |
13.429 |
6 |
9 |
32 |
47 |
|||
|
63 |
8x |
Tony Higgins |
13.041 |
6 |
12 |
26 |
44 |