80 CRA Street Stock Drivers Prepare for Vore’s Welding Short Track US Nationals Last Lap

A dream for a total of over 200 short track superstars will come true for what may be the final time on Saturday, April 6th during the Vore’s Welding Short Track US Nationals Last Lap Presented by Owosso Speedway at Bristol Motor Speedway. An event with nearly a decade of history prepares for the final scheduled appearance at “The Last Great Colosseum” as the CRA Street Stocks Powered by JEGS, Vore’s Compact Touring Series, and Midwest Modifieds Tour Presented by Wheeler Trucking kick off the 2024 campaign.

The Short Track Nationals not only serves as the season opener for the CRA Street Stocks but also round one of the King of the High Banks inner-season series which showcases Bristol Motor Speedway, Salem Speedway, and Winchester Speedway. The inner-season series provides a separate purse and award(s) for the driver crowned King of the Highbanks. With 80 drivers registered to compete on Saturday, here are just a few of the drivers to keep an eye on.

CRA Street Stock Series - Entry List

Perhaps the odds-on favorites for this event belong to two teams - the Barnes & Hudson camp. The father and son duo of Chuck Barnes and Chuck Barnes, Jr have dominated the high banks of the CRA schedule for years, including the previous installments of the Short Track Nationals. In the first year of CRA Street Stock action at Bristol, Barnes, Jr came from 9th in the 50-lap main event to collect the win in dramatic fashion, taking the lead officially on the final lap from Brett Hudson. The next year, it was again Barnes, Jr and Hudson in a struggle for the win. Barnes took the lead with just 13 laps to go and held on for the repeat. In 2019, Hudson felt the double-team from the Barnes boys, after leading 15 laps in the middle of the race, Barnes Jr made the pass on lap 31 and led the final 19 laps bringing Pops with him for a Barnes 1-2; Hudson settled for third.

In 2020, Hudson’s number finally came up. Taking the lead from David Bayens on lap 26, Hudson led the final 24 rotations en route to his Short Track US Nationals win. Naturally, it was Chuck Barnes, Sr that he had to hold off to get the win by over 1.2 seconds. After the 2020 season, NASCAR’s Cup Series Dirt Race and the preparation that led to the event took the slot of the Short Track US Nationals. In 2024, with the return of the sprint concrete race for the NASCAR Cup Series, came the return of the Short Track Nationals for one final show.

Fans will see drivers put to the test with a format requiring the car and driver to be good from the very beginning. CRA Street Stocks will get a one-hour practice session on Saturday morning before preparing for Group Qualifying. Qualifying will be conducted with eight groups of 10 cars; each group will have five laps on the clock. The fastest 28 cars from qualifying will be locked in to the 40-lap A-Main. The top four finishers from the 20-lap C-Main will transfer to the B-Main, which will consist of the next 22 fastest cars who did not lock into the show on qualifying speed. The top four from the B-Main will transfer to the A-Main. Four provisional starting spots will be awarded to the four highest cars in the 2023 CRA Street Stock Series driver points standings not already locked in.

Fans who wish to attend the event will need to purchase an All Access Pit Pass - general admission tickets are not available. Tickets can be purchased at the Pre-Event Party at Michael Waltrip Brewery on Thursday, April 4th, at the gate during load-in and technical inspection day on Friday, April 5th, or at the gate on race day, Saturday, April 6th. Fans who can’t make the trip can catch all the action LIVE on RacingAmerica.TV or TrackTv.com.

For more information, including a detailed schedule of events, competitor information, and parking guide, visit the event tab at CRA-Racing.com. Find CRA: Champion Racing Association on Facebook and follow @CRARacing on X.

-Champion Racing Association Release
-Photo credit: Will Bellamy, Racing America