Short Track SuperNationals Moves To Thunder Mountain For 2018
Story By: BRETT DEYO / SHORT TRACK SUPER SERIES – CENTER LISLE, NY – After much deliberation, the decision has been made.
The 2018 edition of the American Racer Cup Short Track SuperNationals will take place at Thunder Mountain Speedway in Center Lisle, N.Y. The 11th edition of the ‘Working Man’s Race’ has been moved from the originally scheduled venue of Afton (N.Y.) Motorsports Park.
This event will now take place at Thunder Mountain on its scheduled dates of Friday-Saturday October 5-6.
The change comes on the heels of struggles with the Afton oval’s track surface throughout the ’18 season, despite the efforts of promoter Ron Ford to make improvements.
“This is absolutely nothing against Ron (Ford),” Short Track SuperNationals promoter Brett Deyo said. “Ron has worked so hard throughout the season to improve conditions at Afton. He has made incremental improvements, but it is in his best interests and ours to make this move.
“Ron and I have talked at length about what to do with this weekend and we were in agreement that this change will be for the best.”
Ford will now use the fall months to evaluate his track surface options for the ’19 season and kick-start any resurfacing projects while the weather is still cooperative.
Thunder Mountain – the three-eighths-mile oval that has hosted robust car counts and crowds throughout the season with racy conditions – was a very suitable replacement for the two-day event.
“The Spoonhowers have been strong supporters of our program since they reassumed control of Thunder Mountain in 2014,” Deyo said. “Thunder Mountain has boasted a great racing surface for the entire season and have led the Southern Tier and car and fan counts. What a perfect host for this event.”
Fields adjacent to the track will be cleared to provide real estate for overnight camping and parking. Already, the pit area had been expanded significantly from the original layout and can accommodate hundreds of race teams.
Thunder Mountain Speedway is located just miles from I-81 Exit 8 (Whitney Point/Lisle) roughly 25 miles north of Binghamton so there is ease of travel from the north, south, east and west.
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.
Complete pricing and times will be made available in the coming week.
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.
