Sammy Swindell is going for an unprecedented fifth win in the COMP Cams Short Track Nationals at I30 Speedway in Little Rock, AR and he greatly increased his chances of pulling it off by winning the first of two preliminary nights of racing. 

The event is sanctioned by the American Sprint Car Series, Mid-South region, but most of the National Tour drivers were in attendance.

Thursday night, 71 sprints took to the 3/8th-mile track for a full night of racing that culminated in a 25-lap feature. Swindell was coming off a big win in the ASCS Fall Nationals at El Paso County Raceway, in Calhan CO [link].

Swindell won his heat and qualifier to start on the outside of the front row next to Arkansas native Tim Crawley. On the start, Swindell made it past Crawley with ease--building a buffer between him and the battle for second. Bill Balog who started third was keeping pace with the pole sitter Crawley.

Swindell’s early lead was short lived as Josh Baughman lost control in corners three and four, bringing out the only red flag of the night. Baughman walked away from his solo crash unharmed but was not able to finish the race.

Swindell was able to hold onto his lead on the restart, finding and dominating the lower grove. Quickly, Crawley had his hands full with Balog who was outpacing the second-place driver.

Balog ultimately finished second.

The podium positions we’re especially important in these preliminary nights as only the top three finishers will be locked into Saturday night’s $15,000-to-win feature. The final podium spot was taken by Tony Bruce Jr., who stole the position from Aaron Reutzel near the end of the feature.

Reutzel took the third spot from Crawley with a masterful slider at the midpoint mark. Bruce, who's started fourth, had to make it by Crawley on lap 21 and make up half a straightaway to battle Reutzel for the final transfer spot. That position was ultimately settled by inches.

Sam Hafertepe Jr. was the final top-five finisher after starting 13th. Tim Crawley holds onto the lead based on passing points, but with his sixth-place finish is still not locked in for Saturday night. 

Other notable moments include: 
USCS leader Morgan Turpen won her heat, moved from moved from fifth to second to advance out of the B-main, and then finished 13th in the feature after starting 18th.
Paul McMahan, who has won the event two times, flipped in the B-main to record a DNF.
Howard Moore was the hard charger of the night starting in 19th and finishing 10th.