Don’t mind us if we “nerd” a little bit about this race! While a ticket to the 47th Annual Cobblestone Hotels Slinger Nationals at Wisconsin’s Slinger Speedway provides a race fan with thrills and entertainment, a deep dive into the stats of the Slinger Nationals can please any stat-loving motorsports enthusiast.
The Slinger Nationals have always been one of those events that falls under the category of “if you know, you know” in terms of short track racing hierarchy. While other events across the industry may draw more attention, The Nationals is widely known as one of most fierce and competitive races in the conversation of “crown jewels” in the asphalt genre of the sport. The race’s history is as unique as the footprint of the ultra-fast Wisconsin ¼-mile oval. One complete with progressive format changes and star-power that many races could only wish they had.
The Nationals wasn’t always a single race. For the first twenty years of the Slinger Nationals, the event was held as a series of races, culminating in a Slinger Nationals Champion.
The inaugural running in 1980 was a three-race series that was held on two different nights. Jim Sauter, the patriarch of one of Wisconsin’s greatest racing families, took the first feature event win in the Slinger Nationals. He won the first race of a Nationals double that June night, beating a young up-and-coming racer named Alan Kulwicki to the line. Shortly thereafter, Mark Martin took the checkered flag to win in the second 50-lapper over Dick Trickle and Kulwicki. One month later, the third race was held on the 33-degree banked Speedway. The Legendary Larry Detjens won the 50-lapper over Trickle and Sauter making the Wasau, Wisconsin driver the overall three-race mini series winner and first Slinger Nationals Champion.
The second and third editions of the Nationals were the only years it was raced as a four-race series, with Kulwicki and Trickle taking the titles.
In the final “series format” season, local legend Conrad Morgan took the title over another big-name local Al Schill in a two-race Nationals.
When the 21st century came, so came a shift in the format of the race. At this point the Nationals were already building to a crown jewel level stature. The single-race format only amplified the event.
On July 20, Lowell Bennett became the first winner/champion of the single-race format, 200-lap Slinger Nationals. It was the second Slinger Nationals title of an impressive five that “Lightning Lowell” racked up during his impressive Late Model career.
The change in 2000 makes for an interesting anomaly for statistical nerds. How so? Well, Rich Bickle has four Slinger Nationals titles. Two of them came before the millennium and two after. But as far as race wins, the Wisconsin great has a whopping 12 Nationals feature race wins, more than anyone in Nationals history. That first checkered flag came in the opener of the three-race series in 1989 over Butch Miller and Dick Trickle (who won the ‘89 title). Ten of Bickle’s 12-wins came during the series-era of the Nationals. He won the 200-lapper twice, in 2003 and 2013. Bickle is cemented as an absolute legend of the Slinger Nationals and is set to return to the high banks for his 63rd attempt in 2026.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Matt Kenseth has the most Slinger Nationals “titles” with seven to his great record, including eight Nationals feature wins. Confusing? Well that’s because his first title came in 1994. In his fourth year of running the Nationals the Wisconsin driver took the third win of the series to secure the overall title. In the single race era, Kenseth went on to win the Slinger Nationals six more times.
Some of the sport’s biggest names have come to Slinger for the Nationals and either earned race wins or Championships.
Regional greats like Chris Wimmer, Luke Fenhaus, Butch Miller, Mike Eddy all have Nationals feature wins or titles. Other big names include Ted Musgrave, Scott Hansen, Bobby Dotter, and the great Joe Shear. NASCAR Hall of Famers Mark Martin, Alan Kulwicki have both won the Nationals. Other big-time winners include the late, great Dick Trickle who has nine wins in Slinger Nationals history. The late Kyle Busch made seven starts in the Nationals but none sweeter than taking a bow in front of a packed grandstand in 2011 as the winner. A pair of Hendrick Motorsports teammates have raced at the Slinger Nationals in Chase Elliott and William Byron. “Willy B” took the Slinger Nationals win in thrilling fashion in 2022.
The list of names that have attempted the Slinger Nationals is really impressive. From NASCAR Cup Series greats, short track legends, to modern day superstars, it’s another who’s who. We’ll just list some of the greats who have been unable to tame the ¼-mile oval’s biggest event: Tom Reffner, Bobby Allison, Steve and Rusty Wallace, Darrell Watrip, Dale Earnhardt, Davey Allison, Ken Schrader, Harry Gant, Sterling Marlin, Michael Watrip. Bob Senneker, Gary Balough, Scott Wimmer, Tim-Johnny Sauter, Gary St. Amant, Kevin Cywinski, Kenny Wallace, Robbie Reiser, Travis Kvapil, Jimmy Spencer, Mike Garvey, Jeff Purvis, Scott Riggs, Kerry Earnhardt, Ron Hornaday, Erik Darnell, David Stremme, Garrett Evans, Erik Jones, Bubba Pollard, Derek Kraus, Stephen Nasse, Daniel Hemric, Chandler Smith, Sammy Smith, Corey Heim, Jake Garcia, Carson Hocevar, Jesse Love, Chase Elliott, Gio Ruggiero, Derek Thorn, Ryan Preece. Catch your breath yet?
Hey dirt racing fans… did you know that Dirt Late Model superstar Bobby Pierce gave it a go at the Slinger Nationals in 2015?
While many cut their teeth on Wisconsin Short Tracks and went on to the upper-levels of the sport, some stayed firmly planted in the soil of this sleepy town. Locals like Lowell Bennett, Al Schill, Conrad Morgan, David and Dennis Prunty have enjoyed the taste of victory in the Nationals. The most recent feel-good local win came in 2024, when Brad “JJ” Mueller, a fan-favorite at Slinger, took down the giants to win the Slinger Nationals.
Wisconsin’s modern-day “favorite son” Ty Majeski comes into the 2026 edition as a four-time and defending winner of the Nationals. There’s a plethora of drivers that hope to thwart his drive for five and add their names to the win-list.
The question now is, who will the next big name or local hero be to grip the Checkered flag?
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