When the first green flag waves in the 2018 Wild West Shootout, it will have been nearly 3 weeks since Bobby Pierce won the $30,000 Gateway Indoor Dirt Nationals and over 2 months since Dennis Erb Jr won the $12,000 finale at the Dirt Track World Finals, in Charlotte.
Arizona is beginning to assert itself as one of the major Dirt Late Model racing events across the country and 2018 is no exception! For the third consecutive year, Keyser Manufacturing has stepped up to the plate and offered a staggering $250,000 bonus to any Late Model driver that can manage to win all 6 races of this mini-series. There is also a $100,000 bonus to any driver that can win 5 races, $25,000 to any driver that can win 4 races and new to 2018, a $10,000 bonus to any Late Model driver that can win 3 of the main events.
Black Diamond and Club 29 Race Cars has teamed with M&W Transport to offer a total of $10,000 to the top-10 in Late Models points, with $3,000 going to the driver who accumulates the most points during the 6 race mini-series. The points fund is in-addition-to the $5,000 payouts for each night of racing, with the Sunday finale on January 14th set to pay $13,000 to the winner, thanks to Don Shaw and Shaw Trucking. Overall, a Late Model driver could walk away with an incomprehensible $291,000, if they were to win all 6 races!
Mesilla Valley Transport/Border International Trucks and Arizona Differential have also stepped-up and given USRA Modified competitors plenty of reasons to be excited for the 2018 Wild West Shootout! 4 of the 6 USRA Modified races will pay $1,000 to the winner, while the winner of the two Sunday races will pocket $2,000. This is in-addition-to the $3,000 total that is being paid to the top-5 in points, at the end of the 6 race mini-series. Overall, any USRA Modified driver could walk away with nearly $10,000, if they were able to win all 6 of the races in Arizona!
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| Arizona Speedway is a small, high-banked 3/8th's mile Dirt Track in Queen Creek, Arizona |
Venue
FK Rod Ends has stepped-up and purchased naming rights to Arizona Speedway, for the entire 2018 Wild West Shootout! For those who aren't familiar, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway is a small, high-banked 3/8th's mile Dirt oval located in Queen Creek, Arizona, near San Tan Valley and will host the Wild West Shootout for the second straight year!
Opened just a handful of years ago, Arizona Speedway has transformed into one of the best racing facilities in the Southwest, as it continues to host some of the biggest events of the year! Its high banks and groomed surface offer plenty of side-by-side racing across all divisions.
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| Arizona Speedway on a typical racing night. Notice the 3 distinct grooves in the racing surface |
Purists and traditionalists may argue that the Wild West Shootout should remain in Casa Grande, where it resumed action after Manzanita closed. Some may say that Tucson put on the best shows of the Wild West Shootout, at its large 3/8th's mile facility. However, Arizona Speedway offers some of the best of both facilities. Its high banks allow drivers to attempt daring slide jobs and also help ensure that the fast line remains near the top of the track. Also, the outer guard rail helps increase the likeliness that a berm, or cushion, may develop and bring the excitement level up a notch!
Putting aside history and taking away bias towards geographical location, it would be difficult to argue that Arizona Speedway shouldn't host the Wild West Shootout. The Track's location and size are nearly perfect and I expect that the 2018 Wild West Shootout will offer plenty of exciting racing action!
History
I briefly touched-upon the history of the Wild West Shootout in the previous paragraph and I will expand upon it further. While Dirt Late Model racing certainly took place at Manzanita Speedway, before the famed half-mile closed, 2001 was really the inaugural year for what was then known as the Early Thaw. Central Arizona Speedway, in Casa Grande, hosted the big racing events from 2001 - 2008, then made a brief return in 2013 as it hosted 2 races on the weekend prior to Tucson hosting its 6 race mini-series. Tucson officially began hosting the Wild West Shootout in 2010 and continued until 2016, when it handed-over the reins to the current host, Arizona Speedway.
When looking back at results of past events, three names really stand-out: Billy Moyer Sr, Terry Phillips and Jimmy Mars. Naturally, these three drivers lead the all-time win list for Dirt Late Model racing in Arizona, during the big events in January, as Moyer currently has 13 career wins, Phillips has 10 and Mars has 5! All three driver's names grace the record books in dominating fashion from 2004 - 2013. It wasn't until 2014 that the competition level really spiked, as 6 different drivers each won 1 event that year.
2015 really marked a dramatic turning-point for the Wild West Shootout, as one driver has really dominated each year, since then. The 2015 edition saw Darrell Lanigan and Jimmy Owens flex their muscles and trade blows like a couple of heavyweight boxers, as they each won 2 events that year. However, Owens got the last laugh, as he took the hefty $10,000 payday that year! 2016 proved to be Superman's playground, as Jonathan Davenport won 3 of the 6 events, including the $11,000 finale. As you may likely recall, last year's event was rain-shortened to only 4 races, of which Bobby Pierce won 3 of them and finished third in the other.
Overall, the Wild West Shootout acts as a great "warmup" for drivers to kick-off their racing seasons. It's also a great way for most drivers to escape the near-freezing temperatures at their hometowns and come enjoy the 70-degree weather in Arizona. However, more recently, with "silly season" starting so early, the Wild West Shootout offers a perfect venue for drivers to become acquainted with new teams, new chassis and new crew members. 2018 is no exception, as "The Smooth Operator" Bobby Pierce will be back in Arizona to defend his Wild West Shootout championship while also becoming acquainted with his new Dunn Benson Motorsports Team!
For those interested in seeing the entire history of all Dirt Late Model races in Arizona, during January, here is a link to Dirt on Dirt's website, where all winners have etched their names into the record books:
Dirt on Dirt Arizona Late Model Racing History
Favorites
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| "The Smooth Operator" Bobby Pierce returns to Arizona in 2018, set to defend his Wild West Shootout title! |
We may be forced to turn-in our Dirt Racing man cards, if we didn't start with last year's Wild West Shootout Champion, Bobby Pierce. However, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, "The Smooth Operator" returns to Arizona in 2018 partnered with Dunn Benson Motorsports, who will field Rocket XR1 Chassis for Pierce. Don't let the new team and chassis fool you, though. If we were gamblers, we would be "all in" on Pierce continuing right where he left-off in 2017 and thoroughly dominate this year's event. With Keyser Manufacturing offering bonus money to any driver that can win 3 of the 6 races, we think 2018 marks the first year that a driver takes home some of their bonus cash!
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| Chris Simpson returns to Arizona in 2018, looking to build upon his excellent effort in 2017! |
A native of Oxford, Iowa, Chris Simpson has started his racing season in Arizona for as long as I can remember. While he didn't win a Wild West Shootout event during 2017, he came pretty damn close, as he posted finishes of 3rd, 2nd, 2nd and 2nd during the 4 events! While visiting victory lane during the Wild West Shootout would be nothing new for Simpson, as he claimed his lone Arizona feature in 2013, Chris hopes to add hardware to his collection during the 2018 edition. While it's tough to back-up his 2017 effort, we won't be surprised if Chris Simpson visits Hoker Trucking victory lane in the 2018 Wild West Shootout!
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| "The Winfield Warrior" Mike Marlar returns to Arizona in 2018! |
Mike Marlar is certainly no stranger to victory lane at big Dirt Late Model events, which lands him in our list of favorites. While the Winfield, Tennessee native will readily admit that his 2017 Wild West Shootout was below expectations, as he made the main event in 3 of the 4 nights with finishes of 9th, 19th and 16th, Marlar will always be a name synonymous with hoisting big trophies and cashing big checks. Don't be surprised if you see Marlar crack a top-5 finish during the 2018 Wild West Shootout, or even pay a visit to Hoker Trucking Victory Lane!
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| 2017 World of Outlaws Late Model Champion, Brandon Sheppard kicks-off his 2018 racing season in Arizona! |
I believe 2018 will mark the first year that the previous season's World of Outlaws Late Model Champion will kick-off his racing season in Arizona. Of course, we're referring to "B-Shepp" Brandon Sheppard! However, he won't be racing in the familiar #1 Rocket Chassis House Car, but rather his family-owned B5 entry, as pictured above. The Berlin, Illinois native is known for "ripping the lip" which we believe we play right into his favor during the 2018 Wild West Shootout. Don't be surprised if you see Sheppard "bang the boards" on his way to victory in this year's event!
Dark Horses
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| "The Reaper" Ryan Gustin returns to the seat of the Gressel Racing machine for the 2018 Wild West Shootout! |
For those who may not be aware, Ryan Gustin pocketed a cool $10,000 when he won the 2014 Wild West Shootout finale, in Tucson! Since then, Gustin was able to find some success in USRA Modified competition in Arizona, but he has yet to return to victory lane in a Late Model. However, 2018 marks a very special occasion for "The Reaper", as he will return to the seat of the Gressel Racing machine for the Wild West Shootout. We expect Gustin to compete for wins nightly in USRA Modified competition and don't be surprised if he cracks a top-5 finish in the Late Model!
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| Cade Dillard has his MB Customs Chassis ready for action in the 2018 Wild West Shootout! |
Cade Dillard dominated USRA Modified competition in 2016, when the Wild West Shootout was held in Tucson, as he won 2 of the first 3 races. However, Dillard suffered a major crash later in the week, which ended his weekend early. Dillard loaded-up the next day and returned to Louisiana, as his car sustained too much damage to continue. 2018 marks Dillard's return to the Wild West Shootout, this time competing in one of his new MB Customs Late Model Chassis. Obviously, Dillard is still getting accustomed to the full-bodied Late Models, but don't be surprised if he contends for top-5 finishes during this year's event!
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| Russ King & Mike Maresca help ensure the upper Midwest and Northeast will be well-represented in Arizona! |
Bristolville, Ohio's Russ King and Potsdam, New York's Mike Maresca will each make their Wild West Shootout debuts in 2018! Both of these young drivers come equipped with plenty of experience racing Big Block Modifieds in the Northeast. However, with this being especially true for Maresca, their Dirt Late Model experience is still being groomed. Russ King regularly competes in Pennsylvania and isn't afraid to try his hand at several big Dirt Late Model events, throughout the year. He has helped apply his knowledge to Mike Maresca's team and hopes that both drivers can be competitive during the 2018 Wild West Shootout. We are very anxious to see how each driver does and how many feature events they will make!
USRA Modifieds
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| Ricky Thornton Jr has his new JET Racing Modified ready for the 2018 Wild West Shootout! |
Chandler, Arizona is listed as Ricky Thornton Jr's hometown, but he has traveled and raced in the Midwest for the last two years, winning some of the biggest races in Dirt Modified competition. Oh, did we mention he is the defending Wild West Shootout Champion in USRA Modified competition, as he won 3 out of 4 races last year and finished 6th in the other. Much like last year, Ricky will also be racing a Late Model and is liable to contend for top-5 finishes in that division, as well. We are confident that Thornton Jr will compete for wins in the 2018 edition of the Wild West Shootout!
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| Dustin Strand will be racing for wins in USRA Modified competition during the 2018 Wild West Shootout! |
Dustin Strand isn't necessarily a household name, as he primarily competes in WISSOTA Late Model and Modified competition across the Dakotas, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Strand was a fixture at the front of USRA Modified competition during last year's Wild West Shootout, as he enjoyed finishes of 16th, 1st, 10th and 5th in the four feature races. He was the only driver not named Ricky Thornton Jr to win in Modified competition last year. With his focus completely directed on his Modified, don't be surprised if you see Strand competing for wins in this year's Wild West Shootout!
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| Montevideo, Minnesota's Matt Gilbertson has his USRA Modified ready to compete for wins in Arizona! |
Matt Gilbertson has been competing for USRA Modified wins at Wild West Shootout racing events since 2016. Not only did he impress in Tucson two years ago, but he overcame some bad luck last year and posted solid finishes of 4th, 17th and 12th, after missing the show on the first night. Don't let those results fool you, "The Monte Madman" had a much faster car than those results show. We expect Gilbertson to compete for top-5 finishes and possibly wins on a nightly basis, during the 2018 Wild West Shootout!
Summary
In summary, there are many reasons to be excited for the 2018 Wild West Shootout! If seeing some of the best dirt racing drivers in the country slug-it-out on a small, high-banked 3/8th's mile oval isn't enough to get you excited, maybe the 70-degree weather or high-dollar paydays are. Regardless of who you'll be cheering for this year, there are plenty of reasons to watch every lap of action in Arizona! As usual, The Dirt Network will be posting live racing updates each night. However, we strongly recommend that you tune-in to Dirt on Dirt's live flag-to-flag coverage of this big event!
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