DirtonDirt exclusive
Year-by-year history of the Wild West Shootout
By Aaron Clay and Todd Turner
DirtonDirt
A year-by-year recap of the Southwest’s winter Super Late Model action (including the Wild West Shootout, Early Thaw, Winter Extreme) with recaps, memorable moments, winners and more:
2001
Recap: In the inaugural Early Thaw promoted by Ernie Mincy, Steve Drake of San Luis Obispo, Calif., led all but two laps for a $2,000 victory over Dean Moore, Lonnie Parker Jr., Jim Clifton and Bill Pearson.
Memorable moment: Daryl Brown of Edna, Kan., led the first two laps of the 50-lap feature before mechanical problems forced him to the pits.
Western highlight: Steve Drake becomes the tour’s first California winner (and only winner from the state until Kyle Larson’s 2024 victory).
Notable: Weather condensed what was scheduled to be a $5,000-to-win, two-day event. … Ken Schrader damaged his car’s engine leading the dash and scratched from the feature. … Six cars finished the main event.
Quotable: “The car was too tight in the heat action, but when Schrader passed me on the outside in the dash for cash and I moved up there, I knew I had the setup to win the main event.” — Steve Drake
Average car count: 37.0
Race-by-race
Jan. 27-28, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Steve Drake)
2002
Recap: With the second event drawing more than 70 competitors overall, Bill Frye of Greenbrier, Ark., overcame a 12-car inversion on the opening weekend and Al Purkey of Coffeyville, Kan., survived an overheating engine in the finale for $10,000 paydays.
Best race: Taking control at halfway after Brian Birkhofer’s new right-rear tire failed to fire immediately, Bill Frye led the rest of the opening-weekend 100-lapper.
Memorable moment: A heat race crash damaged Al Purkey’s new Larry Shaw chassis in opening-weekend prelims, but he rallies to win a consolation race, goes from 13th-to-second in the feature and then captures the following weekend’s main event.
Western highlight: Overcoming miniseries problems with his car’s fuel pump, magneto and engine, inaugural race winner Steve Drake of San Luis Obispo, Calif., rallies from 19th to fifth in the finale.
Notable: Bill Frye’s car arrived in Donnie Barnhart’s trailer. … Freddy Smith competed as a teammate to John Anderson thanks to sponsorship from Kyle Gerdes and Tenderheart Treasures.
Quotable: “I believe there are a lot of people in the racing world who want to come to Arizona, and they’ve never had a reason to head in this direction. We’re trying to give them a reason.” — Ernie Mincy, miniseries promoter
Average car count: 65.5
Race-by-race
Jan. 19-20, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Bill Frye)
Jan. 26-27, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Al Purkey)
2003
Recap: Overcoming a bout of food poisoning from tacos, Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., became the first driver to win two miniseries races in the same season with Manzanita ($4,000) and Central Arizona ($3,000) victories en route to the $2,500 miniseries title.
Best race: Jeff Taylor of Batesville, Ark., secures a career-high $10,000, hounding Don O’Neal and taking over late when O’Neal’s rear-end gears break at Central Arizona.
Memorable moment: Mitch Johnson of Hickson, N.D., was leading the 100-lap finale when a puff of smoke on the 42nd lap signaled his demise.
Western highlight: Kelly Boen of Henderson, Colo., tallied two top-five finishes.
Notable: The 73 cars for the opener was the all-time high car count for the miniseries. … Don O’Neal subbed for an injured Greg Walters and led much of the finale. … The miniseries payouts totaled $130,000.
Quotable: “Maybe I’ve gotten all my bad luck out of the way for the season.” — Don O’Neal, after breaking late in the finale
Average car count: 63.0
Race-by-race
Jan. 18, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Al Purkey)
Jan. 19, Manzanita Speedway, Phoenix, Ariz. (Pat Doar)
Jan. 21, Manzanita Speedway, Phoenix, Ariz. (Bill Frye)
Jan. 23, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Pat Doar)
Jan. 25-26, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Jeff Taylor)
2004
Recap: Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., topped miniseries points, grabbing two of five victories for $8,000 in winner’s purse earnings.
Best race: Jeff Taylor of Batesville, Ark., overtook Billy Moyer with an inside pass on the final corner for a $3,000 Central Arizona victory.
Memorable moment: Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., wins at Manzanita under the watchful eye of his Hall of Fame father Larry Phillips, a winner at the track years earlier who skipped chemotherapy treatments to spectate.
Western highlight: Eighth-starting Dick Shepherd of Bakersfield, Calif., grabs a third-place finish in the opener.
Notable: Steve Francis piloted the Illinois-based Moring Motorsports entry. … Rain cancelled the $7,000-to-win finale … Don O’Neal pilots a Bartels family-owned entry. … Chase Austin, 14, competed in his first major Super Late Model feature. … Brad Seng was checked out at the hospital after a rollover wreck.
Quotable: “I think I liked it a lot better when Francis didn’t come out here.” — Al Purkey, joking about the miniseries champ
Average car count: 58.4
Race-by-race
Jan. 17, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Steve Francis)
Jan. 18, Manzanita Speedway, Phoenix, Ariz. (Terry Phillips)
Jan. 20, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (John Anderson)
Jan. 24, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Steve Francis)
Jan. 24, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Jeff Taylor)
2005
Recap: Although his Moring Motorsports car is plagued by electrical issues, Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., repeated his miniseries title, winning the final two events and never finishing worse than fifth in collecting $23,800 in purse and points money.
Best race: Steve Francis overtakes Billy Moyer on a restart with six laps remaining to win the second-to-last event.
Memorable moment: Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., in his first race since suffering serious injuries three months earlier in a wreck at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway, wins the opener but crashes his Eric Jacobsen-owned car after taking the checkers and has to walk to victory lane.
Western highlight: Lonnie Parker Jr. of El Mirage, Ariz., rallied from the 10th row for a top-five finish in the penultimate feature.
Notable: The miniseries completes six races for the first time. … The Jan. 21 event drew a miniseries-high 64 cars. … John Anderson led 32 laps of finale but lost his brakes. … Mark Teske and Mike Johnson among drivers with rollover wrecks.
Quotable: “I guess if we’re gonna go broke we might as well do it where it’s warm.” — Mark Voigt after a crash early in the miniseries.
Average car count: 60.8
Race-by-race
Jan. 15, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Don O’Neal)
Jan. 16, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Billy Moyer)
Jan. 18, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Terry Phillips)
Jan. 20, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Ken Schrader)
Jan. 21, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Steve Francis)
Jan. 22, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Steve Francis)
2006
Recap: Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., reels off three consecutive victories during the seven-race miniseries that opens with a weekend in Tucson before five Central Arizona Raceway events.
Best race: After a caution negates his first pass on lap 19, Steve Francis overtakes Lonnie Parker Jr. again on the 29th lap amid traffic for a $3,000 victory in the Tucson opener.
Memorable moment: After leading 37 laps, shock issues force Brad Looney out of the lead in the Casa Grande finale, handing Jack Sullivan his richest career victory ($7,500).
Western highlight: Home-staters Lonnie Parker Jr. and Karl Tipton post second-and third-place finishes in the Tucson opener.
Notable: Tucson joined the miniseries with Winter Extreme events while new Central Arizona promoter Benji Lyons first uses the name Wild West Shootout for the first time … The miniseries completes seven races for the first time.
Quotable: “Is that not sickening or what? Three more laps was all I needed.” — Brad Looney after losing the finale
Average car count: 42.9
Race-by-race
Jan. 7, USA Race Park, Tucson, Ariz. (Steve Francis)
Jan. 8, USA Race Park, Tucson, Ariz. (John Anderson)
Jan. 14, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Wendell Wallace)
Jan. 15, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Terry Phillips)
Jan. 18, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Terry Phillips)
Jan. 21, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Terry Phillips)
Jan. 22, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Jack Sullivan)
2007
Recap: Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., wins three in a row for the second straight season while fellow Missourian Brad Looney gains redemption with his first miniseries victory.
Best race: In winning his third feature, Terry Phillips regained the lead on the 21st of 30 laps by overtaking Brad Looney, who’d passed Phillips on the second lap.
Memorable moment: Al Purkey of Coffeyville, Kan., is knocked unconscious when a competitor’s car jumps his left-rear tire and the bumper strikes Purkey’s helmet through the driver’s window.
Western highlight: Casey Vitale of Portland, Ore., logs a third-place finish in the last race, gaining two spots in the final laps.
Notable: The opener draws 72 cars. … The $7,500-to-win finale is cancelled by cold weather. … Jeff Taylor pilots a Rob Mayea-owned entry.
Quotable: “If you added more races to it, you’d take away the vacation part of it.” — Illinois racer Denny Woodworth
Average car count: 64.3
Race-by-race
Jan. 13, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Terry Phillips)
Jan. 14, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Terry Phillips)
Jan. 17, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Terry Phillips)
Jan. 20, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Brad Looney)
2008
Recap: Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., wins twice in a Jess Anderson-owned car, Wyoming’s Eddie Kirchoff of Gillette, Wyo., becomes the first Western-based winner in a multiple-race miniseries and John Anderson of Omaha, Neb., dominates the final weekend.
Best race: Winning his biggest career feature, Eddie Kirchoff's dramatic high-side charge overcomes polesitter and race-long leader Jack Sullivan in the final three laps.
Memorable moment: Jack Sullivan and Jimmy Mars tangled battling for third in the Jan. 16 event, knocking both from contention with Mars apologizing for the contact afterwards.
Western highlight: Trevor Glaser of Tangent, Ore., logs four top-five finishes, including leading 16 laps and finishing third in the opener.
Notable: Going back to 2007, Mars lengthens a five-race winning streak in Jess Anderson’s car. … Pat Doar subs for Brad Seng on the opening weekend. … Crate Late Models are also in competition with Greg Walters shining.
Quotable: "It's been a trying week. We just flew in last night, went to the funeral yesterday, it's kind of been an emotional week.” — Terry Phillips, mourning the death of longtime sponsor John Kuntz of Andy’s Frozen Custard
Average car count: 49.6
Race-by-race
Jan. 12, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Jimmy Mars)
Jan. 13, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Jimmy Mars)
Jan. 16, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Eddie Kirchoff)
Jan. 19, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (John Anderson)
Jan. 20, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (John Anderson)
2009
No races
2010
Recap: The miniseries revived in Tucson after a one-year hiatus, Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., wins a miniseries-high three race races while Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., captures the opener and finale.
Best race: In the penultimate feature, Jimmy Mars overtakes Billy Moyer on the 22nd lap, but Moyer regains the points five laps later for his third victory.
Memorable moment: Billy Moyer grabs the lead heading to the white flag in the midweek feature, but Terry Phillips dives under the leader in turn three to regain command and grab his lone victory of the week.
Western highlight: Terry Shannon of Merced, Calif., leads the first 17 laps of a midweek feature and gets shuffled back to a fourth-place finish. He’s among five drivers to make all six features.
Notable: The finale honored late Arizona driver Bill Cheesbourg, a six-time Indy 500 starter.
Quotable: "He wanted it way worse than I did for $3,000, that's for sure. If I wouldn't have gotten on the brakes, I'd have been out here on the parking lot somewhere.” — Billy Moyer after his last-lap tussle with winner Terry Phillips
Average car count: 48.2
Race-by-race
Jan. 9, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Jimmy Mars)
Jan. 10, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Billy Moyer)
Jan. 13, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Terry Phillips)
Jan. 15, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Billy Moyer)
Jan. 16, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Billy Moyer)
Jan. 17, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Jimmy Mars)
2011
Recap: Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., captures three miniseries features for the second straight year with his son Billy Moyer Jr. among three other winners.
Best race: In a 40-lap finale with the top three bunched taking the white flag, Billy Moyer stalked Terry Phillips for 38 laps before taking the lead with R.C. Whitwell nearly sneaking post both of them.
Memorable moment: Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., makes contact with leader Ronny Lee Hollingsworth in turn four on the last lap of the penultimate feature, sending Hollingsworth car into the frontstretch wall and giving McCool his first miniseries victory.
Western highlight: Hometown driver R.C. Whitwell logs three runner-up finishes, including in the finale.
Notable: Pat Doar grabbed a Jan. 9 victory despite botching a restarting and briefly losing two spots, charging back ahead in turns three and four to regain command. … Dylan Smith was uninjured in grinding, flipping wreck. … The event opened the day of the tragic Tucson shooting that left U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords seriously injured; six people were killed.
Quotable: "I knew we were good enough — somebody was going to have to do something stupid to pass us.” — Ronny Lee Hollingsworth after the last-lap tangle with winner Bub McCool
Average car count: 48.5
Race-by-race
Jan. 8, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Billy Moyer Jr.)
Jan. 9, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Pat Doar)
Jan. 12, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Billy Moyer)
Jan. 14, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Billy Moyer)
Jan. 15, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Bub McCool)
Jan. 16, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Billy Moyer)
2012
Recap: Continuing his stranglehold on the Tucson oval, Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., won three races for the third straight miniseries with Tim McCreadie, Don O’Neal and upstart Morgan Bagley picking up the scraps.
Best race: Using high-to-low diamonding tactics in turns one and two, winner Don O’Neal prevented Billy Moyer from sneaking underneath him in the closing laps of the midweek 30-lapper.
Memorable moment: Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., was leading the midweek feature when he clipped an infield tire barrier, breaking his left-front suspension and sending his car hard into the frontstretch wall nearly head-on.
Western highlights: Watsonville, Calif.’s Clay Daly scored a fourth-place midweek finish while mixing it up with Don O’Neal, Billy Moyer and Shane Clanton. And Bakersfield, Calif.’s John Lowrey leads the first 12 laps of a feature before mechanical woes force him out.
Notable: Morgan Bagley’s $10,000 victory in the finale marked his career-richest payday. Billy Moyer led the opening two-thirds of the finale feature before mechanical woes gave control to Bagley. … Benji Lyons promoted his final Wild West Shootout amid rumors of the minitour’s cloudy future. … Tim McCreadie debuted a Warrior Race Car and scored a victory with four top-five finishes. … Don O’Neal’s failure to weigh-in after a heat victory cost him a chance at two straight victories. … A Dane Dacus-Ricky Thornton Jr. tangle in a Jan. 21 feature sent Thornton on a rollover and ended the week for both drivers.
Quotable: "I wanted to protect the bottom, and I guess I protected the bottom a little too much.” — Runner-up Jeff Provinzino said after allowing Billy Moyer to sneak past in the Jan. 21 event
Average car count: 63.3
Race-by-race
Jan 14, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Billy Moyer)
Jan 15, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Tim McCreadie)
Jan 18, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Don O’Neal)
Jan 20, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Billy Moyer)
Jan 21, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Billy Moyer)
Jan 22, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Morgan Bagley)
2013
Recap: Spread across two names (Wild West Shootout and Winter Extreme) and two venues (Casa Grande and Tucson), Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., gets redemption in winning Tucson’s $10,000 finale after an infield tire took him out of the previous year’s event.
Best race: Will Vaught of Crane, Mo., used a late-race pass by Jimmy Mars on a heavy, hammer-down track surface for a $3,000 midweek win in Tucson.
Memorable moment: Billy Moyer’s near-spin with three laps remaining at Casa Grande opened the door for Don Shaw’s victory.
Western highlight: R.C. Whitwell of Tucson, Ariz., qualified for all eight features, notching five top-fives and seven top-10 finishes.
Notable: The miniseries was expanded to an event-high eight races with two tracks for the first time since 2006. … Chris Simpson of Oxford, Iowa, joined Shane Clanton and Will Vaught in securing his lone miniseries victory. ... Rodney Sanders of Happy, Texas, made his Late Model debut in the Wild West Shootout opener in Casa Grande, driving the No. 7k owned by Jason Krohn, who made his Late Model debut in Tucson.
Quotable: “We definitely had a good car, we’ve been fast all week long. We just needed to start up front so we could race these guys.” — Shane Clanton after capturing Tucson's $10,000 finale
Average car count: 38.6
Race-by-race
Jan. 5, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Tim Fuller)
Jan. 6, Central Arizona Raceway, Casa Grande, Ariz. (Don Shaw)
Jan. 12, Tucson (Ariz.) International Raceway (Tim Fuller)
Jan. 13, Tucson (Ariz.) International Raceway (Chris Simpson)
Jan. 16, Tucson (Ariz.) International Raceway (Will Vaught)
Jan. 18, Tucson (Ariz.) International Raceway (Terry Phillips)
Jan. 19, Tucson (Ariz.) International Raceway (Billy Moyer)
Jan. 20, Tucson (Ariz.) International Raceway (Shane Clanton)
2014
Recap: With the Tucson-only miniseries carrying the Winter Extreme moniker for the final time, Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa, wins the $10,000 finale, earning rich richest Late Model victory.
Best race: Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., held off a furious late-race charge from Ryan Gustin in winning Friday’s fourth round, notching his third and final miniseries victory.
Memorable moment: On the 34th lap of the finale, Ryan Gustin tangles with Justin Kay, but survives the contact en route to victory.
Western highlight: After several miniseries top-fives, hometown driver R.C. Whitwell breaks through in the opener for his first victory.
Notable: The National Dirt Racing League (NDRL) and Championship Dirt Motorsports (CDM) series sanction the event (the only time it’s been sanctioned). … It’s the last year there wasn’t a multiple-time winner.
Quotable: “I knew I was gonna have to beat (Chris) Simpson to the first corner.” — Ryan Gustin after mostly dominating the finale
Average car count: 54.5
Race-by-race
Jan. 11, Tucson (Ariz.) International Raceway (R.C. Whitwell)
Jan. 12, Tucson (Ariz.) International Raceway (Billy Moyer Jr.)
Jan. 15, Tucson (Ariz.) International Raceway (Billy Moyer)
Jan. 17, Tucson (Ariz.) International Raceway (Tim Fuller)
Jan. 18, Tucson (Ariz.) International Raceway (Jimmy Mars)
Jan. 19, Tucson (Ariz.) International Raceway (Ryan Gustin)
2015
Recap: Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., ended the six-race miniseries with two victories, including the $10,000 finale, as Rodney Sanders clinched the points title.
Best race: Jimmy Owens raced by early leader Jason Papich and held off challenges from Rowland Racing teammate Stormy Scott for a fifth-round triumph.
Memorable moment: Tony Jackson Jr. of Lebanon, Mo., overtook Don Shaw and scored his lone miniseries victory aboard his Club 29 chassis.
Western highlight: Rodney Sanders of Happy, Texas, scored his lone event victory and three other top-10 finishes en route to the miniseries points championship.
Notable: The six-race event awarded points for the first time since 2005. ... Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., won two of the first four rounds aboard the No. F5 Childress Racing Club 29 entry.
Quotable: “The high side’s been the way around here every night this week, so I figured I’d get up there and give it a whirl.” — Jimmy Owens after winning the $10,000 finale
Average car count: 41.2
Race-by-race
Jan. 10, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Darrell Lanigan)
Jan. 11, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Tony Jackson Jr.)
Jan. 14, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Rodney Sanders)
Jan. 16, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Darrell Lanigan)
Jan. 17, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Jimmy Owens)
Jan. 18, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Jimmy Owens)
2016
Recap: Fresh off a 23-victory season where he earned more than $400,000, Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., won three of six features en route to his first career miniseries title during the event’s final season in Tucson.
Best race: Winning the fourth-round feature, Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., outdueled Jonathan Davenport in a late-race lead-swapping battle.
Memorable moment: Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., and Don Shaw tangled during heat race action in the event’s fifth round, the resulting contact sent Clanton hard into the turn-four wall before rolling over multiple times and landing on his roof.
Western highlight: Jason Papich of Nipomo, Calif., who qualified for all six features and scored two top-five finishes, including a fourth in the finale after leading the opening 25 laps.
Notable: Don O’Neal won his third and fourth career miniseries victories. … O’Neal’s fourth-round victory came using a sealed-up left-rear sailpanel, sparking promoter Chris Kearns to implement a more stringent technical inspection process. ... Shane Clanton famously expressed his displeasure for passing points after his fifth round rollover crash during heat race action.
Quotable: “Don (O’Neal) did a good job. He must’ve gotten a little cold and had to roll that left-rear window up on us, but we’ll see how that works out.” — Jonathan Davenport on O’Neal’s controversial sailpanel.
Average car count: 56.8
Race-by-race
Jan. 9, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Don O’Neal)
Jan. 10, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Jonathan Davenport)
Jan. 13, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Jonathan Davenport)
Jan. 15, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Don O’Neal)
Jan. 16. USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Darrell Lanigan)
Jan. 17, USA Raceway, Tucson, Ariz. (Jonathan Davenport)
2017
Recap: Making his debut as the event moved to Arizona Speedway for the first time, Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., wins three of four races after the final weekend is lost to rain, in clinching his first career miniseries points title.
Best race: Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., became the race’s third leader after driving by Garrett Alberson and Brandon Overton to win the event’s second round.
Memorable moment: Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., won Wednesday’s third round, notching the 13th and final miniseries victory of his Hall of Fame career.
Western highlight: Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., who showed speed all week aboard the No. 33x owned by J.R. Haley of Baldwin, Wis.
Notable: Bobby Pierce was on track for a $100,000 five-victory bonus (or $50,000 four-victory bonus) until rare Arizona rain washed out and cancelled the final two rounds.
Quotable: “We’re still eligible for the $100,000, so we’re going to try really hard to get it.” — Bobby Pierce after winning three of the event’s first four rounds
Average car count: 45.2
Race-by-race
Jan. 7, Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Bobby Pierce)
Jan. 8, Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Bobby Pierce)
Jan. 11, Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Billy Moyer)
Jan. 13, Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Bobby Pierce)
2018
Recap: Consistency was key as Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., picked up his first career Wild West Shootout victory en route to his first miniseries points title.
Best race: Don Shaw of Ham Lake, Minn., charged from 13th to win the second round after Bobby Pierce and Ricky Weiss tangled while battling for the lead.
Memorable moment: An infield tussle broke out between Ricky Weiss’s crew and Bobby Pierce’s sister Ciara after on-track Weiss-Pierce contact sent Weiss’s car hard into a tire barrier that protects the blunt end of the turn-one wall.
Western highlight: Ricky Weiss of Headingley, Manitoba, broke out for his first two miniseries victories, adding a runner-up and third-place finish among his four top fives.
Notable: Don Shaw collected his second and third career miniseries victories, worth more than $10,000. ... Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., topped the $13,000 finale for his first career Wild West Shootout victory.
Quotable: “I don’t know what to say. I was watching some of the guys I was passing, and it’s like, ‘I don’t know if they’re off or I’m on,’ but it was good.” — Don Shaw after his victorious second-round rally.
Average car count: 47.0
Race-by-race
Jan. 6, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Ricky Weiss)
Jan. 7, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Don Shaw)
Jan. 10, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Don Shaw)
Jan. 12, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Mike Marlar)
Jan. 13, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Ricky Weiss)
Jan. 14, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Brandon Sheppard)
2019
Recap: Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., won the first three rounds before going winless the final three, losing the miniseries points title by 20 markers to non-winner Brandon Sheppard.
Best race: Bobby Pierce, after his power steering failed, held off a late-race surge by Scott Bloomquist, nipping him by a few feet at the checkers in the $5,000 opener.
Memorable moment: Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., appeared headed for victory on the last lap of the $14,000 finale before striking R.C. Whitwell’s spun car in the turn-three cushion.
Western highlight: Garrett Alberson of Las Cruces, N.M., who qualified for all six main events and picked up two top-10 finishes, including an eighth in the finale.
Notable: Ricky Weiss picked up his third and fourth career miniseries victories after topping the fourth and sixth rounds, worth nearly $20,000. ... Cade Dillard of Robeline, La., collected a $5,000 payday in Saturday night’s fifth round, his biggest Late Model win at the time. ... The event’s second round was rain-postponed to Saturday afternoon of the following weekend, won by Weiss.
Quotable: “I hate to see that for Scott (Bloomquist). He was checked out. He was gone.” — Ricky Weiss after Scott Bloomquist’s last-lap crash in the finale
Average car count: 44.2
Race-by-race
Jan. 5, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Bobby Pierce)
Jan. 9, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Bobby Pierce)
Jan. 11, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Bobby Pierce)
Jan. 12, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Ricky Weiss)
Jan. 12, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Cade Dillard)
Jan. 13, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Ricky Weiss)
2020
Recap: Winning his second straight miniseries title, Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., split three of six features with Brian Shirley, including taking the $15,000 finale.
Best race: Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., outdueled Brandon Sheppard in Friday’s 30-lapper, a race where a late caution spoiled three-wide action for the lead among Shirley, Ricky Weiss and Chris Simpson.
Memorable moment: Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., lap-29 slipup in turn four hands opener to Brian Shirley.
Western highlight: Ricky Thornton Jr. qualified for all six features with two top-five finishes.
Notable: Brian Shirley scored the only three miniseries victories of his career, worth more than $25,000. ... Brandon Sheppard earned more than $35,000 across his three victories. … Sheppard and Shirley earned a $10,000 bonuses for collecting three checkered flags apiece.
Quotable: “(Brian) Shirley got beside me and I was like, ‘Where in the world did he come from?’ Congratulations to him. He did a heckuva job this week.” — Brandon Sheppard after winning the $15,000 finale
Average car count: 42.2
Race-by-race
Jan. 11, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Brian Shirley)
Jan. 12, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Brandon Sheppard)
Jan. 15, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Brandon Sheppard)
Jan. 17, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Brian Shirley)
Jan. 18, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Brian Shirley)
Jan. 19, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Brandon Sheppard)
2021
Recap: Amid bandana-covered faces during a Covid-19 winter, Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., won three of six rounds, including the $25,000 finale, for a second miniseries title as Arizona Speedway hosted the event for the final time.
Best race: Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, used a three-wide pass to take the lead, then repelled Ricky Thornton Jr. to win the fourth round.
Memorable moment: Jonathan Davenport and Tyler Erb banged doors while battling for the midweek lead before Davenport ultimately pulled away for the $5,000 victory.
Western highlight: Jason Papich of Nipomo, Calif., qualified for all six features with two top-five finishes.
Notable: Ricky Thornton Jr. won the second round for his lone WWS victory. ... Tyler Erb grabbed his first two miniseries victories.
Quotable: “It took me a long time to get (team owner Lance Landers) talked into letting me come out here. He finally let us.” — Jonathan Davenport
Average car count: 57.5
Race-by-race
Jan. 9, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Jonathan Davenport)
Jan. 10, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Ricky Thornton Jr.)
Jan. 13, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Jonathan Davenport)
Jan. 15, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Tyler Erb)
Jan. 16, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Tyler Erb)
Jan. 17, FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Ariz. (Jonathan Davenport)
2022
Recap: Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., never finished outside the top five and topped the last two rounds at Vado, N.M., in clinching his second career points title as the miniseries ran outside of Arizona for the first time.
Best race: Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., outdueled Garrett Alberson and held off a last-lap slide job attempt by Tyler Erb to win Round 2.
Memorable moment: Capitalizing on the last-lap tangle between Mike Marlar and Bobby Pierce, Garrett Alberson earned an emotional home-state victory and first WWS win.
Western highlight: Thomas Hunziker of Bend, Ore., who qualified for his first event feature and started all but the finale, registering a best finish of 13th in the second round.
Notable: Garrett Alberson’s victory was as DirtonDirt’s Race of the Year. ... Brandon Sheppard won the first two rounds. ... Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, earned his third career miniseries triumph in Round 4.
Quotable: The racetrack’s just awesome. It’s such a nice facility and I’m glad that we come out here and got this kicked off.“ — Mike Marlar after winning the $25,000 finale
Average car count: 31.5
Race-by-race
Jan. 8, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Brandon Sheppard)
Jan. 9, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Brandon Sheppard)
Jan. 12, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Garrett Alberson)
Jan. 14, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Tyler Erb)
Jan. 15, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Mike Marlar)
Jan. 16, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Mike Marlar)
2023
Recap: Fresh off a $2 million season and making his Vado debut, Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., wins the first three rounds en route to his third career miniseries title.
Best race: In a race with six lead changes, Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., held off early challenges from Mike Marlar and multiple late-race slide job attempts by Kyle Larson in the $25,000 finale.
Memorable moment: Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, Calif., tangled with the lapped car driven by Trenton Jessen during heat race action, sending Jessen’s car on a slow rollover before landing on its roof during in the fourth round.
Western highlight: Stormy Scott of Las Cruces, N.M., qualified for six features at his home track, finishing fourth in the finale.
Notable: Jonathan Davenport made it 3-for-3 in WWS title bids. ... Bobby Pierce won the event’s fourth round along with the finale, earning more than $35,000. ... Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., topped the event’s fifth round, worth $10,000. ... The finale earned DirtonDirt’s 2023 Race of the Year honors.
Quotable: “What a race, what a week of racing. I mean, every night, except for J.D. stomping us the first night was good. So much fun. I definitely can’t wait for next year.” — Bobby Pierce after winning the finale
Average car count: 47.3
Race-by-race
Jan. 7, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Jonathan Davenport)
Jan. 8, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Jonathan Davenport)
Jan. 11, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Jonathan Davenport)
Jan. 12, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Bobby Pierce)
Jan. 13, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Mike Marlar)
Jan. 14, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Bobby Pierce)
2024
Recap: Miniseries champ Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., rattles off four straight victories before a late-race flat tire spoils his bid for five straight during the event’s finale.
Best race: Bobby Pierce slid by Mike Marlar with four laps remaining in Round 2, earning $11,000.
Memorable moment: Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, Calif., makes contact with leader Bobby Pierce as Pierce slows with a flat right-rear tire while leading with seven laps to go in the 50-lap finale, handing Larson the $26,000 top prize.
Western highlight: Preston Luckman of Coos Bay, Ore., qualified for five of the six main events, highlighted by a fifth-place midweek result.
Notable: Cade Dillard of Robeline, La., held off Bobby Pierce to win the $11,000 opener. ... Sammy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., made his event debut, qualifying for four of six main events.
Quotable: “It’s cool to get in victory lane. I just wish it would’ve happened a little differently there off of (turn) four.” — Kyle Larson after winning the event’s finale following contact as Bobby Pierce slowed with a flat tire
Average car count: 41.7
Race-by-race
Jan. 6, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Cade Dillard)
Jan. 7, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Bobby Pierce)
jan. 10, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Bobby Pierce)
Jan. 12, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Bobby Pierce)
Jan. 13, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Bobby Pierce)
Jan. 14, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Kyle Larson)
2025
Recap: Enduring unusually cold and snowy weather, Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., won four of five races en route to his third career miniseries title as Vado ends its four-year run as host.
Best race: Bobby Pierce overtakes Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., on the final lap, winning a back-and-forth battle worth $10,000 during the event’s second round.
Memorable moment: Snow, freezing temps and high winds initially pushed the Wednesday’s race to Thursday before midweek action was cancelled altogether.
Western highlight: Collen Winebarger of Corbett, Ore., qualified for four of five main events, posting a best finish of fifth in the finale after also leading the opening 21 laps of Round 2.
Notable: Hometown racer Garrett Alberson of Las Cruces, N.M., denied Bobby Pierce’s sweep hopes in Round 3’s 30-lapper (Pierce finished second). ... Chase Junghans of Manhattan, Kan., finished second to Pierce in the finale for his best career miniseries finish. ... Ross Bailes of Clover, S.C., was fast in Austin Kirkpatrick's AK Race Car but rand into trouble finishing well.
Quotable: “It’s what we set our goals to do this trip and we got ‘er done. We’ve got a very determined team.” — Bobby Pierce after his third miniseries title
Average car count: 42.2
Race-by-race
Jan. 4, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Bobby Pierce)
Jan. 5, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Bobby Pierce)
Jan. 10, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Garrett Alberson)
Jan. 11, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Bobby Pierce)
Jan. 12. Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park (Bobby Pierce)
