Richer WWS eyes Vado, Arizona return
The Wild West Shootout presented by O'Reilly Auto Parts will beef up 2023's Super Late Model purses — with $10,000-to-win events replacing $5,000-to-win events — while making plans to return to a new Arizona track in 2024, promoter Chris Kearns announced. | Complete WWS coverage
The miniseries that shifted to Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park for 2022 (pictured), concluding its six-race run Sunday, plans to return to Vado in 2023 with more than $70,000 added to the week's Super Late Model purses for $10,000-to-win events Jan. 7-8, 11, 13-14 followed by Jan. 15's finale $25,000-to-win Rio Grande Waste Services 50 presented by Shaw Trucking.
Plans are for one more season at Vado before returning to Arizona where former Arizona Speedway promoter Jonah Trussel, whose Queen Creek oval hosted the Wild West Shootout from 2017-21, plans on building a new Phoenix-area dirt track ready for action by January 2024.
In the meantime, Vado track founder Royal Jones eagerly anticipates next year's Wild West Shootout return to his state-of-the-art facility.
“My family and my staff are really proud of what we’ve built at Vado, and to get to showcase it on such a big stage allowed me to truly see my vision for the facility come to fruition," Jones said in a press release. "We had so much positive feedback from this year’s Wild West Shootout, and I think we can make things even better for next year. It’s cool to have the event back here. The great racing this year partnered with the added money for next year has us really looking forward to January 2023.”
More than $320,000 total prize money will be paid out during the 2023 event, which includes six complete programs for Super Late Models, modifieds, and X-mods. Find complete purse breakdowns and look for upcoming details at wildwestshootout.net.