The prestige of the 38th Annual National Short Track Championships can be best summed up by Ron Breese Jr. and his Victory Lane comments. After winning the event, Breese told the crowd, "It's the only race that I can remember wanting to win since I was a small kid."
With his win, Breese joins a list of previous title holders, which includes Dick Trickle, Joe Shear, Junior Hanley, Mark Martin, Steve Carlson, and a wealth of short-track talent. This year, racing under the auspices of the CRA Sunoco Super Series for the first time, the feature saw Breese lead every lap to claim the title.
Drivers in four other divisions also claimed their titles as winners during the weekend, which was filled with competition. The event included drivers from many states in the region on hand for the show. Here are some scenes from the weekend's activities.
 Officials take advantage of...  Officials take advantage of some wide-open spaces for tech inspection on the front stretch at Rockford. |  The series decal is applied...  The series decal is applied to the windshield of Ron Breese Jr.'s car. The Rockford event had run under NASCAR sanction and MARS sanction in the past, with the CRA Sunoco Super Series carrying the honor in 2003. |  Crewmembers are kept busy...  Crewmembers are kept busy in the hours leading up to the races. Adjustments and replacements are made as needed for the extra edge. |
 In addition to the Super Series...  In addition to the Super Series Late Models, the weekend featured Hornets, American Short Trackers, Trucks, Winged Women on Wheels, Stock Cars, and Sportsman cars. |  The scales and nearby templates...  The scales and nearby templates kept the cars within the rules in all divisions. |  The powerful Late Model engine...  The powerful Late Model engine is a 9:1 compression engine with a maximum of 358 ci. The CRA Sunoco Super Series also used a steel head concept engine in 2003. |
 A day at the races includes...  A day at the races includes a meet-and-greet with the fans. Former champion Eddie Hoffman was among those gathered on the front stretch before the start of competition. |  It had been more than 20 years...  It had been more than 20 years since Junior Hanley raced in the event. Hanley won the title in 1981 and finished sixth in this year's outing. |  Ron Breese Jr.'s mount before...  Ron Breese Jr.'s mount before the start of the 250-lap main event. This is the car that would dominate. |