Dirt on Dirt - Alberson holds off Pierce for $10,000 Vado payday

January 10

Vado Speedway Park,

Vado, NM

Sanction: Unsanctioned Supers (Wild West Shootout) - $10,000

Information provided by: Todd Turner and track reports (last updated January 11, 1:48 am)

Alberson holds off Pierce for $10,000 Vado payday

Wild West Shootout

Garrett Alberson
Bobby Pierce
Tyler Erb
Dustin Sorensen
Brandon Sheppard
Kyle Beard
Drake Troutman
Mitch McGrath
Bricen James
Carson Brown
Chase Junghans
Jimmy Whisler
Seth Daniels
Steve Stultz
Ross Bailes
Ethan Dotson
Don Shaw
Jon Kirby
Mike Marlar
Sammy Mars
Cade Dillard
Jake Neal
Tony Jackson Jr.
Keko Perez

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Garrett Alberson held off Bobby Pierce for his first victory of the 2025 season.

What won the race: Garrett Alberson of Las Cruces, N.M., used a fourth-to-first move on the opening lap and fended off Bobby Pierce on a late-race restart to win Friday's $10,000 fourth round of the 19th annual Wild West Shootout at Vado Speedway Park. Alberson led all 30 laps for his first victory of the 2025 season and his second career miniseries triumph (his second at Vado) after winning $5,000 there on Jan. 12, 2022.

Quotable: “We’ve been working on our package for this kind of grippy track right here, really all year last year,” Alberson said. “The car just rotates, does what it needs to do and them restarts, I hate them restarts. I just had to think it through a little bit, make sure I had my speed going into turn one, so I didn’t leave myself vulnerable. It all worked out this time.”

Key notes: Eighth-starting Bobby Pierce grabbed second on the lap-22 restart and kept pace with Alberson over the final nine circuits, but never truly challenged for the lead. Alberson held Pierce at bay on the lap-29 restart, beating him to the checkers by 0.662 of a second. ... Seventh-starting Tyler Erb finished third after his lap-21 move sent Ethan Dotson wide and eventually to the infield with a flat right-rear. Dotson changed the tire and continued before pulling off on lap 26; he was credited with 16th. ... Dotson also had mid-race contact with Ross Bailes, as they battled for second while Jake Neal slowed to draw the race's opening caution on lap 19. ... Bailes overcame the contact until apparent right-front suspension failure sent him into the turn-three wall while he was running third on lap 29. That drew the third and final yellow just as Alberson and Pierce took the white flag, creating a green-white-checkered finish; Bailes could not continue and was credited with 15th. ... Dustin Sorensen inherited fourth on the final restart, while Brandon Sheppard used a last-lap move to complete the top five. ... Polesitter Kyle Beard slipped to sixth. ... Bricen James climbed from 22nd to ninth. ... The second slowdown came on lap 22 when Jon Kirby, Mike Marlar and Sammy Mars tangled while battling for 10th; Seth Daniels also slowed at the turn-one infield. Daniels was the only driver to continue, finishing 13th. ... The 30-lapper lasted 16 minutes, with 10 starters completing the distance.

On the move: Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., started 21st and finished fifth.

Winner's sponsors: Alberson's Roberts Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Mesilla Valley Transportation, Done Right TV, Bill's Sport Shop, Roemer Machine & Welding, Sims Family Racing, Capitol Screen Company, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Mitchell Ranch, J. Craig's Tile, Arbor Autoworks, McGinley Construction, Browning Auto Parts, American Document Services, Sunoco Race Fuels, Fastshafts, Swift Springs, Bilstein Shocks and Midwest Sheet Metal.

Points chase: After Friday: 1. Bobby Pierce (255); 2. Garrett Alberson (237); 3. Brandon Sheppard (231); 4. Tyler Erb (225); T5. Dustin Sorensen (198); T5. Drake Troutman (198).

Current weather: Clear, 30°F

Car count: 39

Fast qualifier: Garrett Alberson

Time: 14.283 seconds

Polesitter: Kyle Beard

Heat race winners: Drake Troutman, Kyle Beard, Garrett Alberson, Ross Bailes

Consolation race winners: Chase Junghans, Jake Neal

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

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

From staff reports

VADO, N.M. (Jan. 10) — Updates and results from Friday’s fourth round of the 19th annual Wild West Shootout, featuring a 30-lap, $10,000-to-win feature for unsanctioned Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Garrett Alberson of Las Cruces, N.M., used a fourth-to-first move on the opening lap and fended off Bobby Pierce on a late-race restart to win Friday's $10,000 Wild West Shootout fourth round at Vado Speedway Park. Alberson led all 30 laps for his first victory of the 2025 season and his second career miniseries triumph (his second at Vado) after winning $5,000 there on Jan. 12, 2022.

Feature lineup

(30 laps)

Row 1: Kyle Beard, Ross Bailes
Row 2: Drake Troutman, Garrett Alberson
Row 3: Ethan Dotson, Dustin Sorensen
Row 4: Tyler Erb, Bobby Pierce
Row 5: Mitch McGrath, Jon Kirby
Row 6: Cade Dillard, Sammy Mars
Row 7: Don Shaw, Tony Jackson Jr.
Row 8: Steve Stultz, Mike Marlar
Row 9: Chase Junghans, Jake Neal
Row 10: Carson Brown, Seth Daniels
Row 11: Brandon Sheppard, Bricen James
Row 12: Jimmy Whisler, Keko Perez

Consolation race results

(10 laps; top four transfer)

First consolation: Chase Junghans, Carson Brown, Brandon Sheppard, Jimmy Whisler, Ian Whisler, Collen Winebarger, Preston Luckman, Dillon McCowan, Kent Rosevear, Clay Stuckey, Richard Papenhausen. Scratched: Keaton Smith.

Second consolation: Jake Neal, Seth Daniels, Bricen James, Keko Perez, Rob Sanders, Jason Miles, Thomas Hunziker, Terry Carter, Luke Solis, Brennon Willard. Scratched: Jake Timm.

Consolation race lineups

First consolation
Row 1: Carson Brown, Chase Junghans
Row 2: Brandon Sheppard, Collen Winebarger
Row 3: Jimmy Whisler, Ian Whisler
Row 4: Preston Luckman, Keaton Smith
Row 5: Dillon McCowan, Kent Rosevear
Row 6: Richard Papenhausen, Clay Stuckey
Second consolation
Row 1: Seth Daniels, Jake Neal
Row 2: Bricen James, Keko Perez
Row 3: Thomas Hunziker, Rob Sanders
Row 4: Brennon Willard, Luke Solis
Row 5: Terry Carter, Jake Timm
Row 6: Jason Miles

Heat race recap

Second-starting Drake Troutman led all eight laps to win the first heat race by 1.006 seconds over pole-starting Ethan Dotson. Mitch McGrath started and finished third, while sixth-starting Don Shaw outdueled Carson Brown for the fourth and final transfer spot into Friday’s 30-lap feature. … Pole-starting Kyle Beard repelled mid-race challenges from sixth-starting Tyler Erb, leading all eight laps and beating Erb to the line by 0.703 of a second. Fifth-starting Cade Dillard grabbed third from Steve Stultz on the final lap, as Stultz held on for the fourth and final transfer position. Kent Rosevear spun on the race’s initial start, but kept going until pulling off on lap four. Clay Stuckey pulled off on the opening lap with rear end issues. … Garrett Alberson cruised to win heat three, leading the entire distance and taking the checkers 2.580 seconds over second-starting Dustin Sorensen. Jon Kirby started and finished third, while seventh-starting Tony Jackson Jr. grabbed fourth on the second lap and never looked back. … Fourth-starting Ross Bailes slid by race-long leader Bobby Pierce as they came to take the white flag, then held off Pierce on a one-lap shootout, winning the fourth and final heat race by 0.364 of a second. Second-starting Sammy Mars finished third, while seventh-starting Mike Marlar inherited fourth on the last-lap restart. The lone incident during heat race action came on the final lap when fifth-starting Jake Timm tried to slide by Jake Neal as they battled for fourth; Timm’s slider was not clear and he ramped up over Neal’s nose, then landed hard in the heavy Vado cushion, sending him over at least once and nearly a second full rotation before landing on his roof. Neither driver was hurt, but it took track officials almost 15 minutes to get Timm’s car righted and tow it back to the pits.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top four transfer)

First heat finish: Drake Troutman, Ethan Dotson, Mitch McGrath, Don Shaw, Carson Brown, Brandon Sheppard, Jimmy Whisler, Preston Luckman, Dillon McCowan, Richard Papenhausen.

Second heat finish: Kyle Beard, Tyler Erb, Cade Dillard, Steve Stultz, Chase Junghans, Collen Winebarger, Ian Whisler, Keaton Smith, Kent Rosevear, Clay Stuckey.

Third heat finish: Garrett Alberson, Dustin Sorensen, Jon Kirby, Tony Jackson Jr., Seth Daniels, Bricen James, Thomas Hunziker, Brennon Willard, Terry Carter, Jason Miles.

Fourth heat finish: Ross Bailes, Bobby Pierce, Sammy Mars, Mike Marlar, Jake Neal, Keko Perez, Rob Sanders, Luke Solis, Jake Timm.

Heat race lineups

First heat
Row 1: Ethan Dotson, Drake Troutman
Row 2: Mitch McGrath, Carson Brown
Row 3: Preston Luckman, Don Shaw
Row 4: Brandon Sheppard, Jimmy Whisler
Row 5: Dillon McCowan, Richard Papenhausen
Second heat
Row 1: Kyle Beard, Clay Stuckey
Row 2: Steve Stultz, Collen Winebarger
Row 3: Cade Dillard, Tyler Erb
Row 4: Ian Whisler, Chase Junghans
Row 5: Kent Rosevear, Keaton Smith
Third heat
Row 1: Garrett Alberson, Dustin Sorensen
Row 2: Jon Kirby, Seth Daniels
Row 3: Bricen James, Brennon Willard
Row 4: Tony Jackson Jr., Thomas Hunziker
Row 5: Terry Carter, Jason Miles
Fourth heat
Row 1: Bobby Pierce, Sammy Mars
Row 2: Jake Neal, Ross Bailes
Row 3: Jake Timm, Rob Sanders
Row 4: Mike Marlar, Keko Perez
Row 5: Luke Solis

Time trials

Group A
Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Ethan Dotson (74x), Bakersfield, Calif., 14.352
2. Kyle Beard (86), Trumann, Ark., 14.353
3. Drake Troutman (22*), Hyndman, Pa., 14.443
4. Clay Stuckey (15s), Shreveport, La., 14.453
5. Mitch McGrath (74), Waukesha, Wis., 14.570
6. Steve Stultz (78s), Peoria, Ariz., 14.576
7. Carson Brown (28B), New London, N.C., 14.587
8. Collen Winebarger (14s), Corbett, Ore., 14.615
9. Preston Luckman (77), Coos Bay, Ore., 14.635
10. Cade Dillard (97), Robeline, La., 14.646
11. Don Shaw (42s), Ham Lake, Minn., 14.653
12. Tyler Erb (1), New Waverly, Texas, 14.656
13. Brandon Sheppard (B5), New Berlin, Ill., 14.734
14. Ian Whisler (82), Otis, Ore., 14.751
15. Jimmy Whisler (28), Otis, Ore., 14.767
16. Chase Junghans (18), Manhattan, Kan., 14.844
17. Dillon McCowan (8), Urbana, Mo., 14.907
18. Kent Rosevear (02), Yuma, Ariz., 15.037
19. Richard Papenausen (4p), Petaluma, Calif., 15.101
20. Keaton Smith (k7), Clinton, S.C., 15.550
Group B
1. Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 14.283
2. Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 14.404
3. Dustin Sorensen (19), Rochester, Minn., 14.449
4. Sammy Mars (28m), Menomonie, Wis., 14.486
5. Jon Kirby (11), Russellville, Ark., 14.585
6. Jake Neal (6), Omaha, Neb., 14.612
7. Seth Daniels (s21), Jackson, Ohio, 14.629
8. Ross Bailes (69), Clover, S.C., 14.652
9. Bricen James (13), Albany, Ore., 14.656
10. Jake Timm (49), Winona, Minn., 14.704
11. Brennon Willard (3), Lebanon, Mo., 14.722
12. Rob Sanders (10n), Bakersfield, Calif., 14.723
13. Tony Jackson Jr. (56), Lebanon, Mo., 14.811
14. Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., 14.879
15. Thomas Hunziker (38), Bend, Ore., 14.949
16. Keko Perez (3k), Chihuahua, Mexico, 15.141
17. Terry Carter (6T), Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, 15.604
18. Luke Solis (99), El Paso, Texas, 15.718
19. Jason Miles (53m), Nacogdoches, Texas, 15.973

Friday’s schedule

(All times local)
2 p.m. - Pits open
3:30 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
4 p.m. - Grandstands open
4:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- X-mod hot laps
- Modified hot laps
- Late Model group qualifying
6 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
- X-mod heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 laps)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
Consolations
- X-mods (10 laps)
- Modifieds (10 laps)
- Late Models (10 laps)
Features
- Late Models (30 laps)
- X-mods (20 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)