LVMS Media
LAS VEGAS, NV (March 7) – NASCAR Weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway kicked off tonight at the half-mile Dirt Track with the West Coast Late Model Shootout and IMCA Modifieds. Don Shaw of Ham Lake, Minn. became the first winner of the five-day speed fest as he handily grabbed the checkered flag in the 30-lap West Coast Late Model A-Feature. Randy Brown of Chowchilla, Calif. won the IMCA Modified A-Feature.

Jason Papich led the Late Model race from the pole for the first 10 laps. Shaw pulled even with Papich on the front straightaway on lap 10, raced him into the corner and took the lead in Turn 2. Shaw sailed around the top of the track and motored away from the field until a car stopped on the track with six laps remaining. Shaw found the field on his tail when the green flag flew. Both Jason Papich and Ricky Thornton Jr. made runs at Shaw but he held them off at the checkered flag. Ricky Thornton Jr. finished second.

“The track was a lot better than I thought it would be tonight, so hat’s off to whoever prepped it,” said Shaw. “I set up the car to run the high side.”

The four eight-lap West Coast Late Model Shootout heats were won by Steve Drake, Joey Moriarty, Ricky Thornton Jr. and Don Shaw. Trevor Glaser won the 15-lap West Coast Late Model Shootout B-Feature.

Rick Durica of N. Las Vegas started the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature from the pole position but was passed by three cars in Turn 1. Paul Stone crossed the finish line to lead lap 1 just as the caution flag flew for a multi-car pile-up on the front chute. Randy Brown and Ricky Alvarado hounded Stone over the final laps of the feature. Alvarado made his move to pass Stone just as a car spun in Turn 3 to bring out the caution flag and negate his effort. Alvarado challenged Stone a number of times and finally found the fast way around on the back straightaway. Just as Alvarado took the lead from Stone, Brown slipped under the former leader to take seciond place. With two laps to go, the race leaders ran up on lapped traffice. Brown squeaked past Alvarado and took the lead. Just as Brown was about to take the checkered flag a lapped car slammed into the front wall and the winner had to negotiate crash scene to safely slow down in Turn 1.

Eight-lap IMCA Modified heat races were won by Randy Brown, Logan Drake, Brad Pounds and Paul Stone. The two 10-lap IMCA Modified B-Features were won by Ricky Alvarado and Jake Holland.

Late Models

A-Main
1 8 42 Don Shaw Ham Lake, MN $3,000
2 2 20rt Ricky Thornton Jr Chandler, AZ
3 4 32B Clay Daly Watsonville, CA
4 1 91P Jason Papich Santa Maria, CA
5 3 12k A.J. Kirkpatrick Watsonville, CA
6 10 10N Robert Sanders Bakersfield, CA
7 11 37 Rob Mayea Bend, OR
8 19 10 Mike Balcaen Winnipeg, MB
9 18 27 Nick Bartels El Segundo, CA
10 12 26 Mark Carrell Redmond, OR
11 9 96 Carla Laney Torrance, CA
12 16 22g Paul Guglielmoni Vacaville, CA
13 7 5K Mike Kirby Torrance, CA
14 20 91T Tony Toste Pismo Beach, CA
15 5 11X Steve Drake San Luis Obispo, CA
16 14 7 Mike Johnson Lompoc, CA
17 6 51 Joey Moriarty Phoenix, AZ
18 15 43 Garrett Alberson Las Cruces, NM
19 17 2 Trevor Glaser Tangent, OR
20 13 D1 Devin Crockett Arroyo Grande, CA

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B-Main
1 5 2 Trevor Glaser Tangent, OR
2 1 27 Nick Bartels El Segundo, CA
3 2 10 Mike Balcaen Winnipeg, MB
4 6 91T Tony Toste Pismo Beach, CA
5 3 77 Ron Bartels El Segundo, CA
6 11 10x Zack Forster Bakersfield, CA
7 4 12s Jason Schierkolk Casper, WY
8 15 58 Randy Shafer Vacaville, CA
9 10 17 David Deetz Las Cruces, NM
10 7 68 Dan Sheppard Greeley, CO
11 8 5X Dino Napier Corona, CA
12 13 29 Andy Obertello Hollister, CA
13 14 87 Shane Simber Las Vegas, NV
dns 75 Tommy Malcolm Corona, CA
dns 2T Terry Boushee Bennett, CO

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Heat #1
1 3 11X Steve Drake San Luis Obispo, CA
2 4 91P Jason Papich Santa Maria, CA
3 2 7 Mike Johnson Lompoc, CA
4 6 37 Rob Mayea Bend, OR
5 8 26 Mark Carrell Redmond, OR
6 5 91T Tony Toste Pismo Beach, CA
7 1 58 Randy Shafer Vacaville, CA
8 7 29 Andy Obertello Hollister, CA

Heat #2
1 1 51 Joey Moriarty Phoenix, AZ
2 4 5K Mike Kirby Torrance, CA
3 3 D1 Devin Crockett Arroyo Grande, CA
4 2 10 Mike Balcaen Winnipeg, MB
5 7 22g Paul Guglielmoni Vacaville, CA
6 5 68 Dan Sheppard Greeley, CO
7 6 75 Tommy Malcolm Corona, CA
8 8 2T Terry Boushee Bennett, CO
68, 75, 2T involved in lap one crash

Heat #3
1 1 20rt Ricky Thornton Jr Chandler, AZ
2 4 32B Clay Daly Watsonville, CA
3 2 43 Garrett Alberson Las Cruces, NM
4 7 87 Shane Simber Las Vegas, NV
5 6 2 Trevor Glaser Tangent, OR
6 3 77 Ron Bartels El Segundo, CA
7 5 10x Zack Forster Bakersfield, CA
8 8 96 Carla Laney Torrance, CA
2 and 96 made contact bringing out caution

Heat #4
1 1 42 Don Shaw Ham Lake, MN
2 7 12k A.J. Kirkpatrick Watsonville, CA
3 4 10N Robert Sanders Bakersfield, CA
4 3 27 Nick Bartels El Segundo, CA
5 2 12s Jason Schierkolk Casper, WY
6 5 5X Dino Napier Corona, CA
7 6 17 David Deetz Las Cruces, NM