LAS VEGAS — Kyle Ray of Littleton, Colorado dominated every session of the weekend for the Larry Trigueiro Memorial for supermodifieds during the Only Bulls Open Wheel Showdown at The Bullring at Las Vegas.
Ray delivered when it counted most, leading all 40 laps for the $10,000 feature win. One of the deepest and most wide-ranging fields of drivers in West Coast Super Modified racing history battled behind him.
2024 winner Otto Sitterly crashed on lap 13 in a battle with Utah’s Natalie Waters. Anthony Esberg tagged Sitterly nose first while Brian Otts spun into the turn four wall.
Speed Tour Super Modified incoming points leader Jimmy White suffered a hard crash into the turn two wall on lap 28 but he was uninjured.
Ray then dominated the final 12 laps for the decisive win with New York’s Dan Connors, Jr. earning second position. Tyler Thompson finished third followed by Tyler Shullick and Mike McVetta.
Aaron McMorran joined Kody Swanson as the only other multiple time winner of an Open Wheel Showdown, claiming his second career Klotz Synthetics Open Wheel Modified feature on Saturday night. The 75-lap feature paid $10,000 to the winner.
Pole Shuffle winner Kyle Tellstrom and fast-time qualifier Shelby Stroebel thrilled fans with a tight and competitive battle for the lead. The duo then collided racing into turn three on lap 28, ending both of their evenings and thrusting McMorran into control of the race.
McMorran held off Kyle Jacks and B-Feature winner Brody Whitbeck to round out the podium. Eric Rhead and 2026 Colorado National Speedway champion Ryan Jones finished fourth and fifth.
Brenden Ruzbarsky overcame a challenging race with multiple restarts for the Sunrise Heavy Haul INEX Legends, winning his first Open Wheel Showdown. Fast-time qualifier Gavin Ray finished second while 2026 Colorado National Speedway champion Austin Steinke finished third. Ace Bowen and Gavin Wardle rounded out the top five.
A late race tussle in the Sunrise Heavy Haul INEX Bandoleros bore fruit for a Las Vegas native with Austin French inheriting victory after 15-laps of racing.
Braxton Garcia dove underneath Kyro Phipps for the lead on a restart but spun, then was hit hard by Tayton Monroe. French was placed into the top spot and never relinquished it for his first-career Open Wheel Showdown win. Mariah Solomon finished second followed by Beau Paddack, Tucker Webster and Izaak Mead.
The finish:
Feature 1 (40 Laps): 1. 58-Kyle Ray[2]; 2. 41-Dan Connors Jr[4]; 3. 98T-Tyler Thompson[6]; 4. 96-Tyler Shullick[8]; 5. 22-Mike McVetta[9]; 6. 2K-Darin Snider[14]; 7. 1W-Natalie Waters[10]; 8. 98JR-Frankie Volz Jr[22]; 9. 3-Jason Otts[21]; 10. 12-Tim Skoglund[1]; 11. 2-Rich Castor[19]; 12. 98-Davey Hamilton Sr[3]; 13. 8-Jimmy White[12]; 14. 1-Nate Little[17]; 15. 31-Bobby Dalton[11]; 16. 52B-Rick Brophy[18]; 17. 7-Otto Sitterly[7]; 18. 13-Brian Otts[15]; 19. 00K-Anthony Esberg[16]; 20. 2U-Jeff Hillock[20]; 21. 4-Cody Castor[13]; 22. 3G-Roger Galleano[23]; 23. 32-Kevin Newton[5]; 24. 32X-Jim Birges[24]
