A large field of some of the best 410 sprint car drivers in the world is going to be at Jackson Motorplex for the 43rd annual AGCO Jackson Nationals Thursday-Sunday.
Even with that, a lot of the attention will be on one driver in particular. Aaron Reutzel.
The 41-year-old Reutzel from Clute, Tex., has an opportunity to pick up a six-figure bonus after he won the inaugural $30,000-to-win Huset’s 50 on Tuesday at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D. That event marked the halfway point of 'The Showdown'.
The first three nights were at Huset's, concluding Tuesday. On Wednesday, a number of race teams made their way east on I-90 to Jackson, where several took part in a golf tournament and others participated in a hauler parade through downtown.
The Jackson Nationals will be the highest-paying World of Outlaws feature so far this year.
Thursday and Friday's programs feature $10,000-to-win and $1,000-to-start preliminary nights. Saturday's finale is $50,000-to-win.
Should Reutzel be the winner on Saturday, he'll take home $180,000 for the week.
Drivers accumulate points every time they take the track during the Nationals except for the dash. The top four in event points after the two preliminary nights will be locked into a special King of the Hill. The four qualifier winners on Saturday will join them to determine the first four rows of the main event. The remaining feature positions will be filled by top-three finishers in the qualifiers as well as the top four in the B Main.
The event point format is 100 points for quick time during qualifying with each position dropping one point. Heat race winners receive 100 points with each position dropping five points. Each feature offers points with the A Main awarding 250 points to the winner and dropping by three points per position.
Brad Sweet, who won the Nationals in 2017 and 2019 has a 56-point lead over David Gravel in the current WoO point standings.
Carson Macedo is third, 124 points off the pace.
Donny Schatz, who won the Nationals in 2018, is 140 points back in fourth place; Sheldon Haudenschild is 144 points out in fifth place; and defending champion Logan Schuchart is sixth, 208 points off the pace.
There is plenty of other activity around the Motorplex the next four days.
In addition to the hauler parade Wednesday, a Fan Fest was held at the track with sprint cars on display and Hicktown Mafia playing.
MRN’s Winged Nation will air a live show featuring driver interviews from 5-6 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.
There will be a pancake breakfast from 8-11 a.m. Friday and Saturday at the Fairgrounds Blue Building.
There will be a craft/vender fair from 2-6 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday at the National Guard Armory, located right next to the Fairgrounds.
AGCO will host an open house at the Intivity Center from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday that will feature driver interviews from MRN’s Erin Evernham and Ashley Stremme. Friday will conclude with the Jeremy DeWall Band playing after the races.
A 5K run/walk starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
And there are other events taking place in town as the town celebrates Jackson Days.