NSRA returns to Stateline

It’s been 20 years since the Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association ran an event at Stateline Speedway.

Times have certainly changed since that last visit.

George H. W. Bush was president in 1988. Now his son occupies the White House.

Kyle Busch was spinning laps on a Big Wheel in Las Vegas in 1988, and the Spokane Shock weren’t even a dream yet.

While other forms of Sprint Cars have competed at Stateline, NSRA machines have itched to return for the Northwest Super Shoe event. Saturday night, the series gets its chance to thrill the fans with its high-speed and technical form of racing.

NSRA points leader Matt Hein had just entered the world when the series last visited the Post Falls facility, but he’s eager to add to his points lead at the ultra-tight 1/4-mile and show fellow drivers that youth can gain experience on their first try at something new.

Preparing to tame the alcohol-burning machines and hitting a setup on a new track surface will be challenging, Hein said.

“I had to ask around to get some information on this track, that’s for sure,” the Roseburg, Ore., native said.

Technology has played a role in his preparation.

“You can look at pictures on the Internet of Stateline to see what the corners might be like and how a car looks in those corners and try to compare some of that to other places you’ve run,” he said. “It doesn’t look as high banked as Wenatchee or as rough as Ephrata, so we’re going to bring a good setup for the smaller tracks to start with and see how it goes.”

Hein said his race team and many of his competitors shouldn’t have much of an advantage coming off the trailer.

“It helps a little bit to ask around and look at the pictures, but I think everybody will be trying to figure the track out for themselves once they get there,” he said.

Maneuvering a 750-horsepower sprinter around Stateline and maintaining a narrow 19-point spread over defending champion Andy Alberding are some of Hein’s goals heading into the weekend. With a month to go in the season, racing for points has to be taken into consideration.

“The last few weeks I haven’t really thought about points, to tell you the truth,” he said. “This race I’ll think about it a bit more because we’re getting closer to crunch time. We want to come out of Stateline in the (points) lead and without any damage and that’s a big hurdle.”

Adding his name to the list of NSRA drivers who have won at Stateline would be a nice resume piece, Hein said.

“It’d be pretty special to be the first guy to win there in over 20 years, that’s for sure,” he said. “We’d like to get into the top three and hopefully have a shot at the win, but we know it’ll be tough.”

Stateline fans could be treated to their second female driver to win a main event on a touring series. Sierra Jackson picked up the NSRA win at Ephrata in the show’s most recent stop and will be out to make it two in a row this weekend.

Hein will keep an eye on Jackson and a few other drivers who are running in the top five in season points.

“Andy and Jake Mann are going to be tough, but anybody in the top five in season points has a chance,” he said.

The 20-year-old driver’s career behind the wheel of the Independent Motor Rebuilders Sprint Car is just getting started after running a handful of races in 2007. All drivers dream of the next step, but Hein is content to stay focused on the top Sprint Car asphalt show on the West Coast.

“I’d love to run USAC cars some day if I got the chance – and you’d be crazy to turn down a NASCAR ride – but I like the Sprint Cars and this is something I can see myself doing for a long time,” he said.