Vado Speedway Park
Fast Facts: Wild West Shootout at Vado
By Aaron Clay
DirtonDirt.com weekend editor
Dates: $11,000-to-win features Jan. 6-7, 10, 12-13 and $26,000-to-win finale Jan. 14
Track: FK Rod Ends Vado Speedway Park, Vado, N.M. (3/8-mile, semi-banked clay oval)
Purse: Total Late Model purse of more than $250,000
Primary sponsors: Rio Grande Waste Services, O’Reilly Auto Parts, FK Rod Ends, Dirt Track Bank, Black Diamond Race Cars, Hoker Trucking, ShockerHitch.com, Penske Racing Shocks, Shaw Trucking, Schaeffer Oil, Nissan of Las Cruces, Rancho Milagro Racing, Eagle Moon Hemp, Top of the World Ranch, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Border Tire, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Barnett Harley Davidson, Swift Springs, Dirt Pro Grading & Padwork, Contractors & Developers (C&D) Bonding, Shocks by Hammer, Midwest Sheet Metal, Speedway Motors, Day Motor Sports, Hoosier Racing Tires, Sunoco Race Fuels, Pro Power Engines, Beaver Stripes, Arizona Differential, Gorsuch Performance Solutions, Toste Construction, Winning Edge Carburetion, Merry’s Home Furnishings, The Joie of Seating, Screven Motor Speedway, DirtDraft.com and FloRacing.
Sanction: None for Late Models.
Other divisions: Modifieds ($1,000- and $2,000-to-win programs) and X-mods ($500- and $1,000-to-win programs).
2023 winners: Jonathan Davenport, three wins; Bobby Pierce, two wins; Mike Marlar.
Former miniseries champions: Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga. (2023, ’21, ’16); Mike Marlar, Winfield, Tenn. (2022, ’18); Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill. (2019-20); Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, Ill. (2017); Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas (2015).
Winningest miniseries drivers (complete history): Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark. (14); Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo. (10); Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga. (9); Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, Ill. (8); Ricky Weiss, Headingley, Manitoba, (8); Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill. (6).
Tickets: Single-day general admission is $30. Six-day adult reserved are $155. Advanced tickets available at https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/17413/vado-speedway-park
Pit passes: $45 daily.
Camping: Free spots are first-come, first-served; no electrical or water hookups.
Streaming video: Jan. 6-7, 10 and 12-14 shows set for FloRacing.com’s live coverage includes every lap of Super Late Model and modified action, complete with on-screen race lineups and a live timing and scoring feed. The complete miniseries package is available to DirtonDirt.com and FloRacing.com subscribers. The Michael Reiners-produced broadcast will feature Ben Shelton and Dustin Jarrett on play-by-play. Complete subscription information: https://www.floracing.com/events/11185072-2024-wild-west-shootout
Miniseries website: wildwestshootout.net
Wild West Shootout office phone: (520) 664-2074
Track phone: (575) 524-7913
Notes: The 18th edition of the Rio Grande Waste Services Wild West Shootout presented by O'Reilly Auto Parts returns for the third straight year to FK Rod Ends Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park, the state-of-the-art facility located just off of I-10 between Las Cruces, N.M., and El Paso, Texas. … The Penske Racing Shocks Paydirt Jackpot offers a $300,000 bonus to any driver sweeping all six Super Late Model features; the bonus program includes a $100,000 incentive for five wins and a $25,000 bonus for four miniseries victories. … Iowa-based Karl Chevrolet recently added $1,000 to the winner’s purse for each of the six nights of racing action and also announced an additional bonus of a new 2024 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab LT 5.3L truck to a driver winning all six Late Model features. … Fresh off a 34-win season, Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., enters fourth on the all-time miniseries win list after securing two victories in last year’s event, including the $25,000 finale. … Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., has captured three of his four Wild West Shootout triumphs over the last two seasons, including 2022’s $25,000 finale, as he chases his third career miniseries points title. He will be piloting a Greg Bruening-owned Longhorn Chassis and serve as Tyler Bruening's teammate throughout the year. ... NASCAR Cup Series champion and sprint car phenom Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, Calif., returns for all six nights aboard a Kevin Rumley-owned Longhorn Chassis. … Black Diamond Chassis continues its support with the Louisiana-based chassis builder returning as the presenting sponsor of the Dirt Track Bank Super Late Model division. … Race formats include time trials, heat races and consolations preceding each night’s feature; the $26,000-to-win finale is scheduled for 50 laps. … There will be scheduled practice sessions from 6-9 p.m. on Fri., Jan. 5 and from 5-9 p.m. on Tues., Jan. 9; the cost is $200 per car (no pit passes required).
Late Model purses
Jan. 6-7, 10, 12-13
1. $11,000
2. $5,000
3. $2,500
4. $1,750
5. $1,500
6. $1,250
7. $1,000
8. $900
9. $850
10. $800
11. $750
12. $725
13. $700
14. $650
15.-24. $600
($100 for non-qualifiers)
Sunday, Jan. 14
1. $26,000
2. $10,000
3. $5,000
4. $3,000
5. $2,500
6. $2,000
7. $1,750
8. $1,600
9. $1,500
10. $1,400
11. $1,300
12. $1,200
13. $1,100
14. $1,050
15.-24. $1,000
($100 for non-qualifiers)
Event schedule
Friday, Jan. 5
3 p.m.: Pits opens
6-9 p.m.: Practice
Saturday, Jan. 6
Noon: Pits open
2 p.m.: Drivers’ meeting
3 p.m.: Grandstands open
3 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 or 10 laps; dependent on car count)
- 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)
- Sunday, Jan. 7
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 or 10 laps; dependent on car count)
- 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)
Tuesday, Jan. 9
3 p.m.: Pits open
5-9 p.m.: Practice
Wednesday, Jan. 10
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
5:55 p.m.: Opening ceremonies
- X-Mod heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 or 10 laps; dependent on car count)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
Consolations
- X-Mods (10 laps)
- Modifieds (10 laps)
- Late Models (10 laps)
Feature events
- Late Models (30 laps)
- X-Mods (20 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)
Friday, Jan. 12
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
5:55 p.m.: Opening ceremonies
- X-Mod heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 or 10 laps; dependent on car count)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
Consolations
- X-Mods (10 laps)
- Modifieds (10 laps)
- Late Models (10 laps)
Feature events
- Late Models (30 laps)
- X-Mods (20 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)
Saturday, Jan. 13
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 or 10 laps; dependent on car count)
- 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)
Sunday, Jan. 14
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 or 10 laps; dependent on car count)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
Consolations
- X-Mods (10 laps)
- Modifieds (12 laps)
- Late Models (12 laps)
Feature events
- Late Models (50 laps)
- X-Mods (25 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)
