Bristol Motor Speedway announced Friday that the track will host some of the country’s top Late Model stock car racers next year with the Inaugural U.S. Nationals of Short Track Racing, May 19-21.
The signature event will be sanctioned by five different sanctioning bodies and for the first time in stock car racing history, will bring together six top categories of racing to compete on the same track in one spectacular weekend of action. Champion Racing Association powered by JEGS (CRA), who took the lead sanction body role in developing this event, will be co-sanctioning the Super Late Model race with their ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS along with The CARS Super Late Model Tour (CARS) and the Southern Super Series (SSS).
CRA will also oversee the action for the Crate Late Model event with their JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour presented by Chevrolet and the Street Stocks, while the CARS officials will oversee the Late Model Stock portion of the event with their CARS Late Model Stock Tour. The compacts will be organized and overseen by the Vore’s Compact Touring Series while the Modified portion of the weekend will be sanctioned by International Championship Auto Racing (ICAR) Top Speed Modified Tour.
“Bristol Motor Speedway is proud to announce today that in 2017 it will host the biggest and what promises to be the most exciting event in short track stock car racing history,” said Jerry Caldwell, executive vice president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway. “We’re looking forward to fans joining us following the NASCAR All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It will surely be an event you won’t want to miss.
“These powerful and exciting cars thundering around the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway are guaranteed to produce some thrilling action. At Bristol we have a long history of putting on events that are considered the biggest and the best, and we feel this race weekend has great potential to achieve that status in the world of short track stock car racing.”
The premier event at BMS will join the likes of some of short track racing’s most revered events, including the prestigious Snowball Derby in Florida, Indiana’s famed Winchester 400 and Nashville’s All-American 400.
“This event is a dream come true for everyone involved with short track racing,” noted CRA Founder/President R. J. Scott. “Immediately, it becomes an historic and nationally significant event, which everyone will want to be a part of. There are a few great trophies that everyone wants to have in racing, and you can add the trophy from the U.S. Nationals of Short Track Racing to that list. Three of the most respected words in racing are…Bristol…Motor…Speedway.”
“It is thrilling that Vore’s Compact Touring Series racers, along with five other great stock car divisions will get the chance to make history with the U.S. Nationals of Short Track Racing presented by Vore’s Welding & Steel at Bristol Motor Speedway,” commented Steve Vore, owner of the Vore’s Compact Touring Series.
For the modifieds, ICAR/Top Speed Modified Series owner Dave Muzillo noted, “I’m looking forward to bringing these types of modifieds that race all around the country, together at one race track, and watch them battle it out for the title at this historic event…it will be exciting.”
Multiple NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck series drivers are expected to compete in this major event at BMS. Several past winners of similar high profile Super Late Model events include Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, John Hunter Nemechek and William Byron.
“This is an epic announcement for short track fans, drivers, teams, and sponsors,” said Chris Ragle, CARS Tour Series director. “This will be the marquee event of asphalt short track racing next year, period. Obviously races like the Snowball Derby, Winchester 400, and Martinsville 300 for Late Model Stocks are crown jewel events, but nothing can compare to competing and putting on an event at Bristol Motor Speedway.”
The weekend schedule will feature practice sessions for all six classes on Friday, May 19. On Saturday the 20th, practice for all six classes will resume with qualifying for all divisions. Two qualifying races for Super Late Model and main events for Compacts, Modifieds and Street Stocks will be the featured racing on Saturday evening. On Sunday the 21st, the three main classes will get warm up laps starting at 11 am. Final qualifying for Super Late Models will be held at 1 pm. The 100-lap main events for Super Late Models, Pro Late Models and Late Model Stocks will begin at 2 pm.
“I think with today’s announcement it goes to show when you are unified and are willing to work together great things can be accomplished,” said Jack McNelly, CARS Tour Series owner. “This event took a lot of work and cooperation from all parties to make this event a reality. I don’t know a short track racer who doesn’t aspire to race at Bristol one day. It’s the most iconic short track in North America, if not the world, and come May racers from across the country are going to get that opportunity.”
Southern Super Series and Five Flags Speedway owner Tim Bryant summed up the excitement and thoughts looking forward, “It has truly been exciting to see that all of this is finally going to take place, and it will surely create a buzz in the short track industry. We’ve still got a lot of work to do and details to finalize, but it was time to let the world know to put May 19th to 21st on their calendars for this must see short track event. We are thrilled to be a part of it and look forward to working with everyone.”
BMS will provide details on tickets, camping and general information at a later date.
