By Richie Murray
Texarkana, Arkansas (May 9, 2023)………The USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship, in conjunction with the ASCS Elite Sprint Car Series, is set to make its long awaited return to the state of Arkansas after all during the 2023 season.
The series will make its debut at the 1/4-mile dirt oval of Texarkana 67 Speedway for the Wingless Short Track Nationals on Friday-Saturday, September 8-9, featuring two complete programs on back-to-back nights, which culminates with a $10,000-to-win feature on Saturday.
The Saturday portion of the Texarkana weekend will now be included on the schedule for the 2023 Bubby Jones Master of Goin’ Faster Series Presented By Spire Sports + Entertainment. The 10-race mini series consists of 10 events throughout the USAC National Sprint Car season, and at year’s end, will reward the driving champion with a $10,000 bonus and an extra $2,500 for the championship winning crew chief.
The Texarkana event is a much welcome addition to the schedule after a recent rainout in April which denied the series’ return to Arkansas for the first time since 2013, a full decade ago.
Three-time American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) driving champion Tim Crawley and racing sponsor and supporter, MPV Express President Michael Vogelpohl, are on the promotion team at Texarkana 67 Speedway.
Crawley has garnered approximately 300 feature wins in his distinguished driving career and even started three USAC National Sprint Car feature events in his career, all in his home state of Arkansas, scoring a best run of fifth at I-30 Speedway in 2013 and also competed with the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship indoors at the Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin back in 2017.
Fellow Arkansan Vogelpohl, meanwhile, has been a longtime sponsor and supporter of drivers in the sport. He cites the significance of having USAC’s brand of exciting racing on board to grow this event into one of the most marquee on the schedule.
“It is very important to have USAC involved in the Wingless Short Track Nationals and truly make this a prestigious event,” Vogelpohl stated. “USAC racing is second to none and we’re thrilled to be able to have them come to Texarkana for not just one, but two nights in a row. These two nights are going to be one of the great highlights of the season and you won’t want to miss it.”
Texarkana, Arkansas, which is located right up against the Texas border, has its share of connections to auto racing history. It just so happens to be the birthplace of racing legend Parnelli Jones who captured the 1960-61-62 USAC Sprint Car driving titles, the 1963 Indianapolis 500 and the 1964 USAC Stock Car crown.
USAC National Sprint Cars have made four previous visits to Arkansas with Mike Ward reigning at West Memphis’ Riverside International Speedway in 1985. Brady Bacon was a winner at Riverside in 2012, and most recently, in 2013, Bryan Clauson was victorious at I-30 Speedway while Dave Darland grabbed top honors at Riverside the following night.