Three straight nights of racing with a $3,000-to-win payout for each event is worth getting excited about, but when it's only 20 minutes away from your shop, it is even more special.

Based in Greenwood, AR, Jim Philpot counts Tri-State Speedway in Pocola, OK, as one of his home tracks. So when the formation of the inaugural Super Stock Triple Threat was announced, he knew what he would be doing for the Memorial Day weekend.



"I'm really looking for a hometown boy to win it," Philpot said. "It just makes the bragging rights better."

The region has certainly had big races before, but the format of this event makes it a unique draw ahead of Friday's opener. 

"It's something that's never been done around here before," Philpot said. "That amount of money you usually go to Batesville or something like that, but to have that much money close to home is exciting. You have a lot of hometown boys and it's fun to watch. 

"I've been talking to them and running by their shops and everyone is really working on their cars and are putting a lot of effort into it. I think everyone in this area is really excited about it. It's pretty cool to have something like this here and I hope we have it in years to come."

Having raced at Tri-State since 1985, Philpot knows his way around the track.

"We started in '85, running the cars," he said. "Before that I raced three wheelers and four wheelers -- for about six or seven years. In '85, I got in one of my buddy's cars, Danny Lively, and then we started racing from then on. We've been at it several years now. I have a son that's up and coming, he's building a new car, so he'll be out here soon also.

"Now we got a new track promoter, Tommy [New], and he's doing a great job with the track and really got the facility up to par now. Everything is really nice and clean. He's had a really nice track every night we've gone out there."

Most drivers expect the car count this week to be very high. Philpot is no exception, and that also means the quality of competition is going to be much greater than during a regular weekly show. 

"I believe we're going to get a lot of really good super stock drivers from the area: Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas," Philpot said. "It's fun when you can get them all together. I enjoy racing with them. These guys are some really top notch guys. They run you clean. You can have a really good race side by side for eight to 10 laps and never get a mark on the car. They take pride in their stuff and that makes for really good racing."

Along with the local drivers such as Chuck Knight, Brandon Henry, Neil Johnson, and Grant Davis, the out-of-state drivers are going to be formidable. After all, no one wants to make the long tow just to cover their entry fee. 

"There will be a lot of heavy hitters up here," Philpot said. "I've talked to a few racers that are coming in from out of town… A lot of good guys that will be here. They have some top notch equipment and some really good sponsors which is another thing. You have to have those sponsors to even run these events. Because if you don't have good stuff, you're not going to make that A."

The unique format of the weekend and big payday is also changing the complexion of this weekend's racing. A purse of $3,000 to win is considered a good night in modified and late model racing. The Super Stock Triple Threat offers that much not just once but also two more times during the weekend. 

"These guys are big time," Philpot said. "A lot of them are modified drivers but they look forward to these type of events, they run late models and a lot else. But they get in these cars and it's really fun to run with them because a lot of them they make their living driving and they come to the area for these type of things. It's fun to see if you can compete with them."

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Where To Watch

Tri-State Speedway
1705 West Race Track Road
Pocola, OK, 74902

How To Watch

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