Vado Speedway Park
Fast Facts: Rio Grande Waste Services Wild West Shootout
By Aaron Clay
DirtonDirt.com weekend editor
Dates: Jan. 4-5, 8, 10-12
Track: FK Rod Ends Vado Speedway Park (3/8-mile, semi-banked clay oval)
Location: Vado, N.M.
Purse: Total Late Model purse of more than $300,000 with $25,000-to-win events bookending four $10,000-to-win races.
Sanction: None for Late Models
Live streaming: FloRacing
Other divisions: Modifieds ($1,000-, $2,000- and $3,000-to-win programs) and X-mods ($500- and $1,000-to-win programs).
2024 race winners: Bobby Pierce (4), Cade Dillard and Kyle Larson
Former miniseries champions: Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, Ill. (2024, ’17); Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga. (2023, ’21, ’16); Mike Marlar, Winfield, Tenn. (2022, ’18); Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill. (2019-‘20); Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas (2015).
Winningest series drivers (complete history): Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark. (13); Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, Ill. (12); Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo. (10); Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga. (9); Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill. (6); Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, Wis. (5).
Tickets: Single-day general admission $30. Six-day adult reserved are $155 (includes a free one-day pit pass upgrade voucher).
Pit passes: $45 daily.
Miniseries website: wildwestshootout.net
Wild West Shootout office phone: (520) 664-2074
Track phone: (575) 524-7913
Notes: The 19th annual Wild West Shootout returns to FK Rod Ends Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park for the fourth straight season, taking place at the state-of-the-art facility located just off of I-10 between Las Cruces, N.M., and El Paso, Texas. … Penske Racing Shocks returns to sponsor the Penske 25-to-25 with this year’s edition receiving more than a $34,000 purse increase for Jan. 4’s opener. … Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., returns to defend his title after winning four races en route to his second miniseries championship (2024, ’17). … Cade Dillard of Robeline, La., won last year’s $10,000 opener, while Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, Calif., took advantage of Pierce’s late-race flat tire to score the $25,000 top prize in the finale. … Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., has captured three of his four career Wild West Shootout triumphs at Vado, including 2022’s $25,000 finale, as he chases his third career miniseries points title (2022, ’18). … Race formats include time trials, heat races and consolations preceding each night’s feature; both the Jan. 4 opener and Jan. 12 finale are slated to be 50-lap main events. … Points are awarded nightly, with the driver earning the most points across all six races receiving a $3,000 bonus (an additional $7,000 will be distributed among the top 10 in points). … Practices are scheduled for 6-9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3 and 5-9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7; the cost is $250 per car (no pit passes required).
Event 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’s Oil, Sisbarro Buick GMC, 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, Low Voltage Solutions, Don Frank Floors and FloRacing.
Late Model purses
Jan. 4 and Jan. 12
1. $25,000
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)
Jan. 5, 8, 10-11
1. $10,000
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)
Event schedule
(All times local; subject to change)
Friday, Jan. 3
3 p.m. - Pits open
6-9 p.m. - Practice
Saturday, Jan. 4
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
5 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
- X-mod heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 or 10 laps)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
Consolations
- X-mods (10 laps)
- Modifieds (12 laps)
- Late Models (12 laps)
- Late Model dash (8 laps)
Feature race
- Late Models (50 laps)
- X-mods (25 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)
Sunday, Jan. 5
1 p.m. - Pits open
2 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
5 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
- X-mod heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 or 10 laps)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
Consolations
- X-mods (10 laps)
- Modifieds (12 laps)
- Late Models (12 laps)
- Late Model dash (8 laps)
Feature races
- Late Models (40 laps)
- X-mods (25 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)
Tuesday, Jan. 7
3 p.m. - Pits open
5-9 p.m. - Practice
Wednesday, Jan. 8
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 or 10 laps)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
Consolations
- X-mods (10 laps)
- Modifieds (10 laps)
- Late Models (10 laps)
Feature races
- Late Models (30 laps)
- X-mods (20 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)
Friday, 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
6 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
- X-mod heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 or 10 laps)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
Consolations
- X-mods (10 laps)
- Modifieds (10 laps)
- Late Models (10 laps)
Feature races
- Late Models (30 laps)
- X-mods (20 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)
Saturday, Jan. 11
1 p.m. - Pits open
2 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
5 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
- X-mod heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 or 10 laps)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
Consolations
- X-mods (10 laps)
- Modifieds (12 laps)
- Late Models (12 laps)
- Late Model dash (8 laps)
Feature races
- Late Models (40 laps)
- X-mods (25 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)
Sunday, Jan. 12
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
5 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
- X-mod heats (8 laps)
- Modified heats (8 or 10 laps)
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
Consolations
- X-mods (10 laps)
- Modifieds (12 laps)
- Late Models (12 laps)
Feature races
- Late Models (50 laps)
- X-mods (25 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)
Camping
Free spots are first-come, first-served; no electrical or water hookups.
