Western notebook
Notes: $10,000 returns to Wild West Shootout
Marty Belcher Jr. wheels around USA Raceway in Tucson, Ariz. (dennisbrownfield.com)
The closure of Central Arizona Raceway forced promoter Benji Lyons to skip 2009's Wild West Shootout, a winter week of racing in Arizona that draws Late Model racers from the Midwest and beyond, but he's confident the event will return with a bang in 2010.
"I haven't been as excited about this event in a long time," said the 29-year-old Lyons, who now co-promotes USA Raceway in Tucson, Ariz., where he plans to host the Jan. 9-17 Wild West Shootout.
Lyons, who says weekly racing in Tucson has been "off the charts" with car counts of more than 100 cars, says the Shootout's new venue provides a better racing surface, better facility and larger fan base than Casa Grande's Central Arizona Raceway.
Lyons is also making some key improvements to make the week more attractive to drivers. He's added a sixth race, cut entry fees to $100 per race, moved start times later in the afternoon for the day-time shows and boosted the purses, including adding the first $10,000-to-win race in Arizona since 2005.
"All those things should add to the progress of the Wild West Shootout," Lyons said, hoping he can rebuild the momentum for winter Arizona racing that began in 2001. "We're going to start the advertising campaign here in the next couple of weeks and hit the phones hard."
Four races will pay $3,000-to-win and $300-to-start (up from $200 in 2008) from a $14,500 purse while Sunday events will pay $5,000-to-win and $400-to-start the first weekend and $10,000-to-win and $700-to-start for the finale, tabbed the Bill Cheesebourg Memorial. Among the big winners at Arizona's winter racing, which originally started with the Ernie Mincy-promoted Early Thaw Series, include Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., John Anderson of Omaha, Neb., Jeff Taylor of Cave City, Ark., and Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, Ark.
Modifieds will also race each night for $1,000-to-win features.
Lyons hopes that the long-traveling drivers who have visited Arizona in past Januarys will return for 2010's event. "We've got a great following from Wyoming, all the way back up to Canada," he said. "All those guys want to get out of the snow. And now this thing is back." — Todd Turner
DETAILS UPCOMING ON NOVEMBER'S EVENT IN VEGAS: Details are being hammered out by Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Western Allstars DIRTcar Late Model Series officials for the Nov. 20-21 Silver State Dirt Championships at the half-mile oval. The purse hasn't been released but plans are to run features on both Friday and Saturday, said DIRTcar's Chris Morgan. Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., has won the last three Late Model features contested at Las Vegas, all in 2007. UMP-sanctioned modifieds are also scheduled to be in action in November. — From staff reports
PURSE BOOSTED FOR PETALUMA'S MASELLI: The 30th annual M. Maselli & Sons Classic, one of California's longest-running Late Model events, has seen the winner's purse boosted to $3,000 for the Sept. 12 event at Petaluma Speedway. The race is also among the richest on the West Coast with at least $1,000 going to the top four drivers and at least $600 to every feature starter. Drivers failing to make the feature event receive $400. The purse increase came through sponsorship by Finish Line Towing and Sayf-Tee-Bar Construction. — From track reports
SWDRA SETS DOUBLEHEADER TO END SEASON: The Southwest DIRTcar Racing Association has shuffled its late-season schedule and will wrap up 2009 with two complete programs Nov. 6-7 at USA Raceway in Tucson, Ariz. SWDRA competitors will run topless both nights with $1,000-to-win on Friday and $2,000-to-win on Saturday. The two points races will culminate in the crowning of the SWDRA champion. Five-time champion Lonnie Parker Jr. has 687 points to lead Brad Williams (589) and Anthony Madrid (579). The doubleheader weekend gets sponsorship from Total Seal Piston Rings and T-Mac Pipe Constructors. — From series reports
ODDS AND ENDS: Cottage Grove (Ore.) Speedway announced that Late Models would run as a support division to World of Outlaws sprint cars on Sept. 8. ... Brett McCutcheon of Sweet Home, Ore., and the Campbell Cutting Racing Team has split. McCutcheon won May 24's Northwest I-5 DIRTcar Late Model Tour events at Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, Ore. ... Victorville (Calif.) Auto Raceway has two more Late Model events on the schedule, Aug. 29 and Oct. 3.
