By Lonnie Wheatley
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (September 13, 2022) – I-30 Speedway’s upcoming 35th Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires just keeps getting better with each passing day.
Not only has more than another $5,000 been injected into the feature purse, but the Thursday portion will now be the rescheduled 15th Annual “Ralph Henson Tribute” that fell victim to Mother Nature this past weekend rather than a simple Test ‘N Tune.
The STN set for September 30 and October 1 offers up a winner’s share of $15,041 and $1,100 to start.
And money has been added to the second, third and fourth-place finishing positions with the runner-up slot now slated to pay $7,500 rather than the initially announced amount of $5,000. Third-place has been boosted by $2,500 as well to $5,000 with fourth place set to pay $2,500.
The added money now pushes the Saturday feature purse to a minimum of $51,291 with the feature money for the two nights approaching the $70K mark at $69,891.
And now toss in a $5,646-to-win “Tuneup” on Thursday night, September 29, with the makeup of the “Ralph Henson Tribute” that will determine the 2022 I-30 Speedway track champion. The track champion will secure a provisional starting position into the Saturday, October 1, STN championship finale if needed.
Derek Hagar holds a slim three-point lead over Cody Gardner in the I-30 Speedway track championship chase going into STN weekend with defending champ Howard Moore still within striking distance at 27 points off the lead pace.
Entries for the event have already started flowing into the I-30 Speedway track office. Pre-entries submitted by Tuesday, September 27, are $100 and include a free two-day driver pit pass. Entries after September 27 are $100 with no pit pass included. The entry form is available at https://www.i-30speedway.com/downloads/get.aspx?i=760397.
Reigning Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour champion Blake Hahn of Sapulpa, OK, has found the high-banked, ¼-mile I-30 Speedway clay oval to his liking in recent years by topping three of the last four renditions of the Short Track Nationals.
After going back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, Hahn made a lap 39 move past Jordon Mallett and then beat defending STN champ Sam Hafertepe, Jr., to the stripe for his third STN crown. Mallett and Hafertepe, Jr., topped the preliminary “Twin 20’s” on Friday night to set the stage for Saturday’s finale.
Hahn’s triumph matched Steve Kinser’s three STN titles in the early years of the event while Hall of Famers Sammy Swindell and Gary Wright lead the way with five and four victories, respectively.
Other drivers with multiple STN wins include Paul McMahan and Tony Bruce, Jr., with single wins posted by the likes of Hafertepe, Jr., NASCAR star Christopher Bell, reigning World of Outlaws champion Brad Sweet, Jason Meyers, Jason Johnson, Tim Montgomery, Jason Sides, Mike Ward, Tim Crawley, Wayne Johnson, Pete Butler, Terry Gray and John Gerloff.
The Pertinent Info:
The What: 35th 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: September 29 through October 1, 2022.
Thursday, September 29 – $5,646-to-win ASCS Mid-South sanctioned “15th Annual Ralph Henson Tribute
Friday, September 30 – 35th Annual Short Track preliminary that culminates with $1,500-to-win “Twin 20’s” with top two from each feature locking into the STN finale.
Saturday, October 1 – 35th Annual Short Track Nationals championship finale.
The Format: Friday’s preliminary event will be contested under a derivative of the All Star Circuit of Champions format, with group qualifying establishing heat race lineups with an invert of four in each heat race. The Friday preliminary will conclude with “Twin 20’s”, a pair of $1,500-to-win 20-lap “A” Main events.
The top two from each of the “Twin 20’s” will be locked into Saturday night’s “Dash for Cash” and the championship main event.
Friday events points accumulated will be carried over to Saturday night, with another set of heats utilizing passing points added to the Friday total to set the championship feature lineups. The top two in combined points from Friday night and the Saturday heat races with join Friday’s four lock-ins in the Pack Building Materials “Dash for Cash”. The next eight in points will occupy STN championship feature positions 7-14 with the balance of the field in “B” and “C” Mains. Three will transfer from both “B” Mains to set the 20-car feature field. The 21st position is reserved for this year’s I-30 Speedway track champion if necessary.
The Feature Purse:
October 1, STN Finale: 1st – $15,041, 2nd – $7,500, 3rd – $5,000, 4th – $2,500, 5th – $2,000, 6th – $1,700, 7th – $1,600, 8th – $1,500, 9th – $1,450, 10th – $1,400, 11th – $1,350, 12th – $1,300, 13th – $1,200, 14th – $1,150, 15th – $1,100, 16th – $1,100, 17th- $1,100, 18th – $1,100, 19th – $1,100, 20th – $1,100.
September 30 STN Preliminary “Twin 20’s”: 1st – $1,500, 2nd – $750, 3rd – $650, 4th – $625, 5th – $600, 6th – $550, 7th – $525, 8th – $500, 9th – $450, 10th – $400, 11th – $350, 12th – $325, 13th – $300, 14th – $275, 15th – $250, 16th – $250, 17th – $250, 18th – $250, 19th – $250, 20th – $250.
The Past Winners:
2021-Blake Hahn
2020–Sam Hafertepe, Jr.
2019-Blake Hahn
2018-Blake Hahn
2017-Sammy Swindell
2016-Sammy Swindell
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 two-day tickets are $45.
Day of show prices are $20 on Friday and $30 on Saturday.
Children under 12 are admitted free on both nights courtesy of Dairy Queen.
To order tickets or for more information, check online at https://i-30speedway.com/short-track-nationals/ or call the track at 501-455-4567.
Pit passes are $40 on both Friday and Saturday. Driver pit pass for Friday and Saturday is included in the $100 entry fee if submitted by the deadline.
The Broadcast: If you can’t make it to the STN to catch all the breathtaking action in person, no need to fret as you can catch it all live online at www.floracing.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.