LITTLE ROCK — When Greg Wilson pulls into the gate at Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway today, he’ll be happier than he was when he last exited it.
That night, a year ago this weekend, he narrowly missed picking up the biggest victory of his career at the Short Track Nationals, losing in a particularly frustrating manner.
Returning to one of his favorite tracks has helped ease the sting.
“To tell the truth, I was over it not long after we pulled out of here that night,” said Wilson, of Benton Ridge, Ohio. “Just knowing that we had come to one of the biggest races in the country, with the car count they had last year, and had a chance to win it ... that improved my mood quite a bit.”
Last year’s Short Track Nationals drew a record 125 sprint car teams from across the nation. This year, about 100 are expected for the event, which begins tonight and continues through Saturday.
Wilson started on the pole for last year’s main event and took the lead at the green flag. The large field of cars and three nights of heavy racing had taken its toll on the I-30 track surface. By the final race, the surface was treacherously slick and the bottom rim was clearly the preferred groove.
In the closing stages, Wilson maintained the lead, but Sam Hafertepe Jr. of Sunnyvale, Texas, was closing fast.
Coming to the white flag, Hafertepe drove hard into turn three, making contact with Wilson. While the two drivers bounced off each other in turn four, Brad Sweet of Grass Valley, Calif., drove from third place to the lead.
Sweet, who was making his first STN appearance, officially led the final two laps to earn the victory. Hafertepe took second and Wilson third.
With the top three finishers required to stop on the front straight after the race, Wilson directed an expletive-laced tirade at Hafertepe while both drivers were still in their cars.
“Yeah, I was pretty upset ... lost my cool a little bit,” Wilson said last week, chuckling.“I shouldn’t have done that. Just caught up in the moment, I guess.”
Wilson said he and Hafertepe have spoken since the incident.
“We’re good,” Wilson said. “Sam’s a good racer. He was just going for the win. In the same situation, I probably would have done the same thing.”
Wilson, who competes in the Midwest-based All-Start Circuit of Champions, will be among the favorites this weekend, along with Hafertepe, a World of Outlaws regular, and Sweet, a frequent competitor in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Sweet, whose car owner is NASCAR star Kasey Kahne, will be joined by his teammate, Joey Saldana of Brownsburg, Ind., who is also an Outlaws regular.
“It’s a big-time race, one of the biggest there is anywhere,” Wilson said. “That’s why in only a short period of looking back at it, I was just happy to have a shot at it.”
Wilson called it one of his favorite events, along with the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, and the Brad Doty Classic at Limaland Motorsports Park in Elida, Ohio.
“Those are three I circle on the calendar every year,” he said. “I love that little track [I-30]. If it was closer to home, I would visit there a lot more.
“I just want to win it and get my name on one of those T-shirts.”Short Track Nationals WHAT 24th annual Comp Cams Short Track Nationals sprint car event, paying $15,000 to win and $2,400 to start WHERE I-30 Speedway, Little Rock WHEN Tonight-Saturday night. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m.
ADMISSION Grandstand admission for today and Friday is $15 for adults and $2 for children age 6-12. Saturday’s tickets are $25 for adults and $5 for children. Pit passes are $30 today and Friday, $35 Saturday.
FORMER WINNERS 2010 Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, Calif.
2009 Tony Bruce Jr., Liberal, Kan.
2008 Tony Bruce Jr., Liberal, Kan.
2007 Jason Meyers, Clovis, Calif.
2006 Jason Johnson, Eunice, La.
2005 Tim Montgomery, Fredericktown,Mo.
2004 Gary Wright, Hooks, Texas 2003 Gary Wright, Hooks, Texas 2002 Paul McMahan, Nashville, Tenn.
2001 Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tenn.
2000 Mike Ward, Memphis 1999 Gary Wright, Hooks, Texas 1998 Tim Crawley, Benton 1997 Wayne Johnson, Oklahoma City, Okla.
1996 Pete Butler, Mabelvale 1995 Gary Wright, Hooks, Texas 1994 Terry Gray, Bartlett, Tenn.
1993 John Gerloff, Lincoln, Neb.
1992 Rainout 1991 Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Ind.
1990 Sammy Swindell, Cordova, Tenn.
1989 Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Ind.
1988 Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Ind.
Sports, Pages 23 on 10/27/2011