American Racer Cup Match Races Return To Short Track SuperNationals At Thunder Mountain

Story By: BRETT DEYO / SHORT TRACK SUPER SERIES – CENTER LISLE, NY – The American Racer Cup presented by Sunoco came to a dramatic conclusion for 2018 on Labor Day weekend.

Now, it’s time to let the champions battle head-to-head.

American Racer Cup Match Races return as an attraction during American Racer Cup Short Track SuperNationals 11 Friday-Saturday October 5-6 at Thunder Mountain Speedway in Center Lisle, N.Y. The one-on-one events made their debut during the 2017 Short Track SuperNationals at Afton (N.Y.) Motorsports Park and became an instant crowd-pleaser.

They’re back again, this time with the three-eighths-mile Thunder Mountain oval serving as the battleground.

American Racer Cup Modified Match Races are scheduled for the Saturday (Oct. 6) portion of Short Track SuperNationals 11. The overall winner receives $2,000. All other participants take home a certificate for a FREE American Racer tire.

Sportsman competitors have their moment in the spotlight Friday night (Oct. 5), with $1,000 going to the winner and a certificate for a FREE American Racer tire to all participants.

For both the Modified and Sportsman Match Races, eligible drivers will draw numbers. The low number will start the match races, which are one-and-a-half laps in distance. Round by round eliminations continue until overall winners are declared.

Last year, Ryan Watt (Modified) and Brian White (Sportsman) topped the American Racer Cup Match Races.

Drivers winning the 10-race American Racer Cup track titles at their respective home tracks are invited to participate in the Match Races. In the event a champion is unable to attend, invitations will be extended to the next driver in each track’s point standings back to third-place.

All American Racer Cup home-track tire certificates will be available for pick-up during the weekend at the Lias Tire Company/American Racer truck.

The “Working Man’s Race” Short Track SuperNationals is set for its 11th running on Columbus Day weekend.

The weekend schedule is as follows: on Friday night (Oct. 5), there will be Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco Sportsman (Open vs. Crate 602) paying $1,500 to win, the Sportsman American Racer Cup Match Races, CRSA Sprint Cars, 600 Modifieds and Modified practice for Saturday’s event.

On Saturday (Oct. 6), the eighth of nine STSS Halmar International North Region Modified events will take place with a 50-lap event paying $5,000 minimum to the winner plus the American Racer Cup Modified Champion’s Match Races, STSS Crate 602 Sportsman North Region finale, Street Stocks and Vintage Modifieds.

Thunder Mountain Speedway becomes the third facility to host the Short Track SuperNationals in the event’s 11-year history. The event started at Afton Motorsports Park in 2006 and returned there from 2014-2017 after outgrowing Five Mile Point Speedway in Kirkwood, N.Y., which hosted the event from 2009-2013.