Dirt on Dirt - Late slider lifts Pierce to $11,000 victory at Vado

January 7

Vado Speedway Park,

Vado, NM

Sanction: Unsanctioned Supers (Wild West Shootout) - $11,000

Information provided by: Kyle McFadden and track reports (last updated January 8, 3:19 pm)

Late slider lifts Pierce to $11,000 victory at Vado

Wild West Shootout

Bobby Pierce
Mike Marlar
Tyler Erb
Kyle Larson
Cade Dillard
Garrett Alberson
Shannon Babb
Ricky Weiss
Tyler Stevens
Don Shaw
Kyle Beard
Drake Troutman
Justin Duty
Jake O'Neil
Kaden Honeycutt
Chase Junghans
Rodney Sanders
Jake Timm
Mikey Kile
Forrest Trent
Clay Stuckey
Bricen James
Sam Mars
Collen Winebarger
Preston Luckman

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Bobby Pierce celebrates his first victory of the season in Sunday's second round.

What won the race: Executing a turn-three slider underneath Mike Marlar on lap 37, pole-starting Bobby Pierce led the remaining circuits to win Sunday's 40-lap second round of the 18th annual Rio Grande Waste Services Wild West Shootout presented by O'Reilly Auto Parts at Vado Speedway Park. Pierce slipped as low as fourth after leading the first lap, then rebounded to grab his ninth career miniseries feature victory and an $11,000 top prize for first triumph of the young 2024 season.

Quotable: “That was an awesome race,” Pierce said. “I knew it had to be that time (to complete the slide-job pass on Marlar). I knew Mikey was probably gonna come down, but I had to stick my nose in there and go for it. I figured it was only a matter of time before he probably moved up in turn one, and if he would’ve moved up he probably would’ve gotten me so I had to go for it. I don’t know how much room I gave him, but I was going for the win.”

Key notes: The second-starting Marlar, of Winfield, Tenn., led laps 2-36 before giving way to Pierce and finishing 2.167 seconds back. ... Fifth-starting Tyler Erb moved into third on lap 39 and rounded out the podium. ... Kyle Larson challenged Marlar for much of the race before slipping to a fourth-place finish. ... After winning Saturday's opener, Cade Dillard completed the top five. ... Garrett Alberson improved nine positions and finished sixth aboard his backup car after suffering a failed harmonic balancer in his primary machine's engine during time trials. ... Ricky Weiss gained four spots and finished eighth. ... The third and final caution flew on lap 35 when ninth-running Jake Timm slowed with a flat right-rear tire; Timm settled for 18th after pitting. ... Sam Mars spun from 13th to draw the second stoppage on lap 12; he completed all but one lap and finished 23rd. ... Chase Junghans rebounded to finish 16th after spinning to bring out the first yellow on lap two. ... Sunday's feature lasted 20 minutes, with 19 drivers completing the distance and 23 running at the finish.

On the move: Garrett Alberson of Las Cruces, N.M., started 15th and finished sixth.

Winner's sponsors: Pierce’s Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from Low Voltage Solutions, Inc., Rio Grande Waste Services, Inc., Hoker Trucking LLC, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Carnaghi Towing & Repair, Floyd’s Waste Systems, PureMax Racing Oil, A Plus Vacuum, Leka Tree Service, Velocita, Bert Transmissions by Budda, Ted Brown’s Quality Paint & Body Shop, VP Race Fuels, Swift Springs, Bilstein Shocks, Dirt Car Lift and Performance Bodies.

Points chase: After Sunday: 1. Bobby Pierce (168); 2. Cade Dillard (159); 3. Tyler Erb (153); 4. Mike Marlar (150); T5. Kyle Larson (147); T5. Garrett Alberson (147); 7. Tyler Stevens (120); 8. Shannon Babb (114); 9. Chase Junghans (102); T10. Ricky Weiss (99); T10. Kaden Honeycutt (99).

Current weather: Scattered Clouds, 48°F

Car count: 44

Fast qualifier: Kaden Honeycutt

Time: 14.860 seconds

Polesitter: Bobby Pierce

Dash winner: Justin Duty

Heat race winners: Mike Marlar, Kyle Larson, Don Shaw, Bobby Pierce

Consolation race winners: Rodney Sanders, Preston Luckman

Next series race: Jan. 10, Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park, third round ($11,000)

Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.

From staff reports

VADO, N.M. (Jan. 7) — Updates from Sunday’s second round of the 18th annual Wild West Shootout, featuring a 40-lap, $11,000-to-win feature for unsanctioned Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Executing a turn-three slider underneath Mike Marlar on lap 37, pole-starting Bobby Pierce led the remaining circuits to win Sunday's 40-lap second round of the 18th annual Rio Grande Waste Services Wild West Shootout presented by O'Reilly Auto Parts at Vado Speedway Park. Pierce slipped as low as fourth after leading the first lap, then rebounded to grab his ninth career miniseries feature victory and an $11,000 top prize for first triumph of the young 2024 season. The second-starting Marlar, of Winfield, Tenn., led laps 2-36 before giving way to Pierce and finishing 2.167 seconds back.

Feature lineup

(40 laps)
Row 1: Bobby Pierce, Mike Marlar
Row 2: Don Shaw, Kyle Larson
Row 3: Tyler Erb, Cade Dillard
Row 4: Jake Timm, Shannon Babb
Row 5: Kyle Beard, Tyler Stevens
Row 6: Chase Junghans, Ricky Weiss
Row 7: Sam Mars, Bricen James
Row 8: Garrett Alberson, Jake O'Neil
Row 9: Rodney Sanders, Preston Luckman
Row 10: Kaden Honeycutt, Collen Winebarger
Row 11: Clay Stuckey, Drake Troutman
Row 12: Mikey Kile, Forrest Trent
Row 13: Justin Duty

Dash results

(Eight laps, winner transfers)
Pro Power Dash: Justin Duty, Morgan Bagley, B.J. Robinson, Colby Moore, Keko Perez, Eston Whisler, Cody Laney, Jimmy Whisler.

Consolation race results

(10 laps, top four transfer)
First B-main: Rodney Sanders, Kaden Honeycutt, Clay Stuckey, Mikey Kile, Colby Moore, Morgan Bagley, Jason Strand, Eston Whisler, Keko Perez, Chance Mann, Steve Stultz, Kent Rosevear, Walton Kyle Jr. Scratched: Pete Vargas

Second B-main: Preston Luckman, Collen Winebarger, Drake Troutman, Forrest Trent, Justin Duty, Cody Laney, B.J. Robinson, Dustin Sorensen, Jimmy Whisler, Jon Kirby, Terry Carter, Brad Couch, Thomas Hunziker. Scratched: Stormy Scott

Heat race recap

Second-starting Mike Marlar took advantage of a lap-three restart and paced the final six laps to win the first heat race by 1.904 seconds over sixth-starting Tyler Erb. Kyle Beard and seventh-starting Sam Mars will join them in Sunday’s 40-lap feature. Kaden Honeycutt led the first two laps before fading to finish sixth. Colby Moore spun from sixth on lap three to draw the race’s lone caution. … Kyle Larson led all eight laps from the pole to win heat two by 1.724 seconds over Jake Timm. Seventh-starting Chase Junghans finished third while Garrett Alberson advanced from 10th to fourth in a backup car. … Don Shaw led green-to-checkered to win heat three by 1.362 seconds over third-starting Cade Dillard. Fifth-starting Tyler Stevens finished third and Bricen James went eighth-to-fourth to grab the final transfer. The race’s lone caution flew on the second lap when Collen Winebarger and Stormy Scott made contact while battling for third, sending Winebarger into an infield tractor tire and Scott spinning; Winebarger faded to finish sixth, with Scott in 11th. … Bobby Pierce dominated the fourth and final heat race, winning by 3.033 seconds over Shannon Babb. Ricky Weiss finished third, with Jake O’Neil in fourth.

Heat race results

(Eight laps, top four transfer)
First heat: Mike Marlar, Tyler Erb, Kyle Beard, Sam Mars, Rodney Sanders, Kaden Honeycutt, Mikey Kile, Jason Strand, Morgan Bagley, Colby Moore, Walton Kyle Jr.

Second heat: Kyle Larson, Jake Timm, Chase Junghans, Garrett Alberson, Clay Stuckey, Eston Whisler, Steve Stultz, Chance Mann, Keko Perez, Kent Rosevear, Pete Vargas.

Third heat: Don Shaw, Cade Dillard, Tyler Stevens, Bricen James, Preston Luckman, Collen Winebarger, Forrest Trent, Cody Laney, Jimmy Whisler, Terry Carter, Stormy Scott.

Fourth heat: Bobby Pierce, Shannon Babb, Ricky Weiss, Jake O'Neil, Drake Troutman, Justin Duty, B.J. Robinson, Dustin Sorensen, Brad Couch, Thomas Hunziker, Jon Kirby.

Heat race lineups

(Eight laps; top four advance)
First heat
Row 1: Kaden Honeycutt, Mike Marlar
Row 2: Kyle Beard, Colby Moore
Row 3: Jason Strand, Tyler Erb
Row 4: Sam Mars, Mikey Kile
Row 5: Rodney Sanders, Morgan Bagley
Row 6: Walton Kyle Jr.
Second heat
Row 1: Kyle Larson, Jake Timm
Row 2: Clay Stuckey, Garrett Alberson
Row 3: Keko Perez, Steve Stultz
Row 4: Chase Junghans, Kent Rosevear
Row 5: Eston Whisler, Chance Mann
Row 6: Pete Vargas
Third heat
Row 1: Don Shaw, Stormy Scott
Row 2: Cade Dillard, Collen Winebarger
Row 3: Tyler Stevens, Cody Laney
Row 4: Preston Luckman, Bricen James
Row 5: Jimmy Whisler, Forrest Trent
Row 6: Terry Carter
Fourth heat
Row 1: Bobby Pierce, Shannon Babb
Row 2: Jake O'Neil, Ricky Weiss
Row 3: Drake Troutman, Justin Duty
Row 4: Dustin Sorensen, B.J. Robinson
Row 5: Brad Couch, Jon Kirby
Row 6: Thomas Hunziker

Pre-race notes

It's a warmer (high of 59) but blustery (steady winds excess of 20 mph) day for the second round of the Rio Grande Waste Services Wild West Shootout presented by O'Reilly Auto Parts at Vado Speedway Park, which entertained yet again on Saturday's opening night. ... Saturday's winner Cade Dillard and runner-up Bobby Pierce find themselves both in Group B, with Pierce qualifying second and Dillard fifth, respectively. ... Pavement stock car racer Kaden Honeycutt, a part-time competitor on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck circuit and Super Late Model rookie, impressed with Sunday's quick-time honors. His lap of 14.860 seconds is six-tenths slower than Garrett Alberson's fast mark on Saturday. ... Alberson, meanwhile, has to resort to a backup car after the harmonic balancer failed in his engine following his time trial run. ... On the front rows of the heats: Honeycutt and Mike Marlar, Kyle Larson and Jake Timm, Don Shaw and Stormy Scott, and Illinois ringers Pierce and Shannon Babb.

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Kaden Honeycutt (10), Bridge City, Texas, 14.860
2. Kyle Larson (6), Elk Grove, Calif., 14.952
3. Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., 15.043
4. Jake Timm (49), Winona, Minn., 15.091
5. Kyle Beard (86), Trumann, Ark., 15.300
6. Colby Moore (19c), Springtown, Texas, 15.360
7. Clay Stuckey (15s), Shreveport, La., 15.360
8. Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 15.390
9. Jason Strand (E85), Portland, N.D., 15.456
10. Keko Perez (3), Chihuahua, Mexico, 15.507
11. Tyler Erb (1), New Waverly, Texas, 15.557
12. Steve Stultz (78s), Peoria, Ariz., 15.562
13. Sam Mars (28m), Menomonie, Wis., 15.564
14. Chase Junghans (18), Manhattan, Kan., 15.621
15. Mikey Kile (25), West Lake, La., 15.639
16. Kent Rosevear (02), Yuma, Ariz., 15.642
17. Rodney Sanders (73), Happy, Texas, 15.647
18. Eston Whisler (82), Otis, Ore., 15.656
19. Morgan Bagley (14m), Longview, Texas, 15.886
20. Chance Mann (88), Newport, Ark., 16.161
21. Walton Kyle Jr. (250), Las Cruces, N.M., 16.454
22. Pete Vargas (777), Las Cruces, N.M., 17.230
Group B
1. Don Shaw (42s), Ham Lake, Minn., 15.628
2. Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 15.754
3. Stormy Scott (2s), Las Cruces, N.M., 15.824
4. Shannon Babb (18B), Moweaqua, Ill. , 15.884
5. Cade Dillard (97), Robeline, La., 15.923
6. Jake O’Neil (51c), Tucson, Ariz., 15.949
7. Collen Winebarger (14s), Corbett, Ore., 15.967
8. Ricky Weiss (7), Headingley, Manitoba, 16.012
9. Tyler Stevens (2), Searcy, Ark., 16.055
10. Drake Troutman (7T), Hyndman, Pa., 16.107
11. Cody Laney (32B), Torrance, Calif., 16.125
12. Justin Duty (15), Molalla, Ore., 16.169
13. Preston Luckman (77), Coos Bay, Ore., 16.212
14. Dustin Sorensen (19), Rochester, Minn., 16.236
15. Bricen James (13), Albany, Ore., 16.289
16. B.J. Robinson (1r), Bossier City, La., 16.294
17. Jimmy Whisler (28w), Otis, Ore., 16.327
18. Brad Couch (5c), Bossier City, La., 16.388
19. Forrest Trent (101), Morristown, Tenn., 16.399
20. Jon Kirby (11), Russellville, Ark., 16.537
21. Terry Carter (6T), Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, 16.570
22. Thomas Hunziker (38), Bend, Ore., no time

Sunday’s schedule

All times local
1 p.m.: Pits open
2:30 p.m.: Drivers’ meeting
3 p.m.: Grandstands open
3:30 p.m.: On-track activity
- X-Mod hot laps
- Modified hot laps
- Late Model group qualifying
4:55 p.m.: Opening ceremonies
- X-Mod heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 laps)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
Consolations
- X-Mods (10 laps)
- Modifieds (12 laps)
- Late Models (12 laps)
Feature events
- Late Models (40 laps)
- X-Mods (25 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)