LOVES PARK, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF)–The biggest weekend of racing of the year is back at the Rockford Speedway. The National Short Track Championships (NSTC) will be held Friday night through Sunday afternoon.

Practicing began Thursday evening. Racing starts Friday night under the lights. Sportsmen, American Short Trackers, Bandits, Roadrunners and Sixers will all take the track for feature races ranging between 20 laps and 30 laps in length.

Saturday night there will be qualifying and preliminaries in the Big 8 Late Model Series, Area Sportsmen, Midwest Dash Series and Hobby Stock Showdown. The big event Saturday night will be the 97 lap Jody Deery Super Late (Model) Invitational. The race will be 97 laps because Deery, the former owner of the Rockford Speedway, was 97 years old in June when she passed away.

Sunday the main event will be the Big 8 Late Model Series NSTC 188. Mid-Am Stock Cars will also go 50 laps and there will be a 33 lap RoadRunner Rumble.

Here are the times for the weekend:
(Friday)
3:30: Main Gates/Concession Open
4:00: Qualifying for Bandits, AST, Sportsmen, Roadrunners
5:50: Opening Ceremonies
6:00: Heat races
Feature races for Bandit, AST, Sportsmen, RR, and Sixers Season Championship.
(Saturday)
2:00: Main Gates/Main Concession open
2:15: Qualifing
4:45: Opening Ceremonies
5:00: Qualifying Races
Features: Midwest Dash Series (40), Super Late Models 1 (49) & 2 (48), Hobby Stock (30)
(Sunday)
11:00: Main Gates Open
11:05: Qualifying
11:15: Driver Autograph Session
12:45: Opening Ceremonies
1:00: Heat Races
Feature Races: Mid Am Racing Series (50), Big 8 Late Models (118), RoadRunner Rumble (33)