The Slinger Nationals made its first big step toward relevance in 1982 when NASCAR star Bobby Allison competed four months after winning the Daytona 500. Erickson said the Nationals were initially created to get Trickle to Slinger, but getting Allison there was an eye- opener for drivers and fans.
Allison’s inaugural appearance at the Nationals didn’t go smoothly. He missed the first round in June when his car did not arrive at the track in time for qualifying.
The June round of the 1982 Nationals had twin 75-lap features. Future NASCAR champion Alan Kulwicki won the first 75-lap feature and Trickle won the other. Trickle suffered a flat tire in the first 75-lap feature and finished 11th. He entered the July round 490 points behind Kulwicki, who was trying to become the event’s first two-time winner, having won it in 1981.
For the second round of the 1982 Nationals, which had a pair of 100-lap features, the fans turned out in record numbers. More than 8,500 people were reported to have been at the race, according to an article in the West Bend News. Trickle won both 100-lap races on July 20, 1982, to claim the third annual Slinger Nationals.
Word about the Slinger Nationals spread quickly. Over the next several years, many of stock car racing’s best challenged the high banks of Slinger. While the list of winners is impressive, the list of those who haven’t won is just as impressive — Darrell Waltrip, Martin, Dale Earnhardt, Neil Bonnett and Davey Allison to name a few.
Slinger and its Nationals cemented its legacy in 1987.
Won by Joe Shear, the driver lineup included the best the locals had to offer — Kulwicki, Robbie Reiser, Ted Musgrave, Rich Bickle, Johnny Ziegler and Lowell Bennett — as well as some of the nation’s best — Bobby Allison, Davey Allison, Martin and Earnhardt.
Erickson remembers having to turn people away at the gate.
Slinger and its Nationals were on the map for good.
Others with NASCAR fame who have come to the Slinger Nationals in the years since include Dale Jarrett, Kurt Busch, Ernie Irvan, Harry Gant, Kyle Petty, Kenny Schrader, Sterling Marlin and Michael Waltrip. The 2007 event had 10 drivers with experience in at least one of NASCAR’s three national touring series.
Matt Kenseth is the event’s all-time wins leader with seven victories. Bennett has five Slinger Nationals titles, while Trickle won the event four times. Ty Majeski is the defending race winner.
The format of the Slinger Nationals has evolved through the years. It became a one-night event with twin 100-lap features in 1999 and was switched to a single 200-lap feature the following year.
So why does the Slinger Nationals continue to attract the nation’s top drivers?
Johnny Sauter and Jones both point to the one-of-a-kind, high-banked, quarter-mile track that often produces laps of less than 11.5 seconds.
“It’s a cool race track and a great atmosphere,” Sauter said. “It’s unique all on its own and it demands a lot out of your race car. … If you miss it a little bit, you miss a lot.”
Jones said, “There are other quarter miles, but this one is really unique to itself. The pace is so high. It’s really tough to keep up.”
The first time Jones heard of the Slinger Nationals was in 2010 when Kyle Busch competed. A friend of Jones’ spotted for Busch. Jones was 14 at the time.
“He was telling me how cool it was, the atmosphere and how good the racing was there and how fun of a track it was to race on,” Jones said. “I was interested from that moment on to come over to Slinger and have an opportunity to race there.”
His debut was in 2016 and he finished second to Kenseth.
“It’s a tough race,” Jones said. “It’s very physically challenging. It’s such a tight track that you’re really hustling the car to make a lot of speed and the harder you hustle the race car the faster you can go.
“You’ve really got to be on your game.”
Erickson will host the 40th running of the Slinger Nationals on Tuesday night, July 9.
“I believe it’s as strong as ever,” Erickson said. “I don’t think it’s lost any interest at all.”