BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series will return to Tucson (Ariz.) Speedway for the first time since 2017 for the JM Enviornmental “Wild West Shootout” on April 15.
This will be only the third time the series has visited the three-eighths-mile oval.
“Hollywood” Dan Holtz grabbed a dominant win in 2016, when he led nearly every lap of the “Roasted Rattler 125” in front of a 17-car field. The next year saw the Tucson Super Late Models joining the teams of the SRL, under their own rules package.
Sean Bray was the overall winner, after qualifying 16th of the 17 cars on hand. Johnny VanDoorn came away with the win in the SRL portion of the event and was credited with his only series victory, joining Holtz in that category.
Shootout Style
The “Wild West Shootout” events for the SRL have become a tradition with the series since 2019.
It is a series of three events within the season that pays out additional money to the winner, as well as throughout the field. The mini-series is sponsored by John Moore and JM Environmental Inc. The winner will receive a unique trophy and each driver in the field will be outfitted with a cowboy hat, courtesy of Moore.
Big Money On The Line
For the third consecutive event, the Southwest Tour will pay out a minimum of $10,000-to-win.
There are 22 super late models are entered for this weekend’s shootout. That number represents drivers from eight different states. California leads the way with 10 teams. Other states included on the entry list are Colorado (5), Arizona (2), Washington (1), Idaho (1), Oregon (1), Wyoming (1) and Nevada (1).
Championship Battle Heats Up
Jacob Gomes enters round three of the season as the championship leader.
The defending champion has won the first two rounds and is the only driver entered to have competed in both previous SRL events at Tucson. John Moore is second in the standings followed by Jace Hansen, Darren Robertson, Dylan Zampa, Cale Kanke, Dan Holtz, Andy Allen, Nick Cooper and Ethan Nascimento. Nascimento is the only driver currently not entered.
Meanwhile, three-time Colorado National Speedway Super Late Model champion Darren Robertson has a slim 11-point lead over last year’s Kulwicki Driver Development Program champion Dylan Zampa for the rookie-of-the-year title. Two-time Colorado National Speedway Super Late Model championship runner-up Nick Cooper is third.
Nascimento and 2018 Madera Speedway pro late model champion Austin Herzog round out the top-five.
First Timers
Seven drivers will make their first SRL start of the season, with four of them making their first career starts in the series.
Dylan Lupton, Cody Dempster and Jimmy Parker Jr. will start their first races of the year, while Kasey Kleyn, Dylan Jones, Brett Yackey and Michael Scott will make their series debut.
Cowboy Up
Arguably, the biggest cowboy in the pit area would love nothing more than to make it 19 winners in 19 different Southwest Tour Events at Tucson. John Moore will make his 54th career start in the series, but his first at Tucson.
He’s looking forward to the “Wild West” atmosphere that the surroundings provide.
“It will be my first time to Tucson to race or otherwise, and I’m looking forward to it,” Moore said. “I love the western vibe, and as far as the racing goes, I know the surface is old and worn out. It will be an old-school short track race, and I’ve already ordered a new set of stickers. I also heard it’s a drivers track, which will put all of us to the test. I wish it was 300 laps. There is nothing I like better than a tire smokin’, gear jammin’, Hot Rod race.”
Holtz Has Insider Knowledge
The only previous winner of a Southwest Tour Series event at Tucson on this weekend’s roster is Holtz.
He won the event in 2016 and added to his NASCAR Southwest Tour Series win at California’s Mesa Marin Raceway in the “Star Nursery.com 200″ in 2003. That same season, the two-time track champion made his only NASCAR Southwest Tour Series start at Tucson, finishing fifth.
The Pacific Palisades, Calif., driver is normally a fan of the half-mile tracks, but Tucson is the exception to the rule.
“I just so happen to love Tucson about as much as any track I’ve ever been to,” Holtz explained. “I’ve had a lot of success there over the years, and it’s always been very good to me. It’s very hard for me to imagine a better way for me to spend a Saturday night than racing a super late model at Tucson.
“I can’t wait to get there, unload, and get back on that race track having the time of my life. We are all pretty fortunate to be able to do what we do, and I feel like I’ve already won just by the fact that I get to go there and compete.”
Broadcast Details
For fans unable to attend the “Wild West Shootout,” all the events will be livestreamed at SpearsRacing.TV.