CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM THE WILD WEST SHOOTOUT AT USA RACEWAY!

by Ryan Neuharth
TUCSON, AZ (January 10) – Three time and defending World of Outlaws Late Model Series Champion Darrell Lanigan picked up right where he left off in 2014 by landing in victory lane on night one of the 2015 Keyser Manufacturing Wild West Shootout at USA Raceway. Lanigan, driving the Childress Racing, Childress Inspection Service, Black Diamond Chassis F5, would wrestle the lead from Billy Moyer, Jr on lap 20 and lead the final ten circuits for the $3000 score.

Lanigan would start from the pole by virtue of having the sixth highest passing points total and would initially grab the lead from outside front row starter Moyer, Jr with a brilliant slide job coming off of turn four to lead lap one. Moyer, Jr would retake the lead on lap two and began setting a torrid pace up front.

Just behind the top two, high point scorer and 2014 finale winner Ryan Gustin was making a charge from his sixth starting position. He would surpass Chase Junghans on lap two and Jason Papich on lap five to sit a solid third in the races early stages. Another of the early movers was tenth starting Stormy Scott who quickly dispatched Tony Jackson, Anthony Burroughs, Rodney Sanders and Adam Hensel  to land fifth on lap five.

Moyer, Jr would catch the back of the field on lap ten of the 30-lapper but was saved from slower traffic when the 86 of Kyle Beard pulled to a stop at the top of turn four. On the restart eleventh starting Billy Moyer would come to life after picking up three spot early, he was fifth on lap 15 with sights firmly set on reaching the front.

Just past the halfway mark Lanigan would begin to close on Moyer, Jr as the 21jr appeared to be losing the handle on his Longhorn Chassis as the front runners continued to pound a rough and tumble cushion around the 3/8th mile oval. Moyer, Jr’s, unbeknownst to his at the time, had begun to fold the nose under his right front which was leading to his ill-handling condition.

Entrenched in lapped traffic on lap 20, Lanigan would make what turned out to be the winning move slipping past Moyer, Jr in turn two. However, it wasn’t going to be easy as Gustin was charging hard on the high side taking advantage of Lanigan’s move to the front to also slip past Moyer, Jr.

The races second and final yellow would fly on lap 25 when Ricky Weiss would lose his left rear tire on the front stretch, setting up a five lap dash to the checkers.

On the restart, Lanigan would get the initial jump; however, the treacherous high side would hamper the leader allowing Gustin to close. He would pull to the deck lid of the F5 machine, but a spirited charge into turn four resulted in severe wheel hope which would allow Lanigan to squirt away. As a result of his high side assault, Gustin would be stricken with a flat left rear with two to go allowing the elder Moyer to take second shortly after dispatching his son.

Moyer would have nothing for Lanigan over the final two trips around the USA Raceway as the Bluegrass Bandit picked up win number one on 2015.

Wild West Shootout
USA Raceway
January 10, 2015

A-Main (unofficial)
1 1 F5 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY 3,000
2 11 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR 1,500
3 4 18c Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS 800
4 2 21jr Billy Moyer Jr Batesville, AR 600
5 7 20S Rodney Sanders Happy, TX 550
6 10 2s Stormy Scott Las Cruces, NM 500
7 9 56 Tony Jackson Jr Lebanon, MO 450
8 14 32 Chris Simpson Oxford, IA 400
9 3 91P Jason Papich Arroyo Grande, CA 350
10 21 91 Tyler Erb Magnolia, TX 300
11 13 28 Jimmy Mars Menomonie, WI 300
12 20 32b Clay Daly Watsonville, CA 300
13 17 42 Don Shaw Ham Lake, MN 300
14 8 1 Anthony Burroughs Muscle Shoals, AL 300
15 12 43 Garrett Alberson Las Cruces, NM 300
16 6 19 Ryan Gustin Marshalltown, IA 300
17 22 7 Ricky Weiss Headingley, MB 300
18 19 75 Terry Phillips Springfield, MO 300
19 15 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN 300
20 18 11 Pat Doar New Richmond, WI 300
21 5 33x Adam Hensel Barron, WI 300
22 23 58 A.J. Diemel Elk Mound, WI 300
23 24 06 Dave Smith Edmonton, AB 300
24 16 86 Kyle Beard Trumann, AR 300

B-Main #1 (top 4 transfer)
1 2 42 Don Shaw Ham Lake, MN
2 4 75 Terry Phillips Springfield, MO
3 6 91 Tyler Erb Magnolia, TX
4 7 58 A.J. Diemel Elk Mound, WI
5 10 18 Ronny Lee Hollingsworth Northport, AL
6 8 R5 Hunter Rasdon Jonesboro, AR
7 3 51 Matt Furman Columbus, OH
8 1 10tt Tyson Turnbull Estevan, SK
9 16 12K Matt Micheli Live Oak, CA
10 13 14 Sean Bray Tucson, AZ
11 11 23s Bucky Andrews Tucson, AZ
12 9 5 RC Whitwell Tucson, AZ
13 5 8p Lonnie Parker Jr El Mirage, AZ
14 12 51 Joey Moriarty Phoenix, AZ
15 14 5 Jon Mitchell Texarkana, TX
16 15 7 Marshall Miles Tucson, AZ
17 17 89 James Laing Tucson, AZ

B-Main #2
1 2 11 Pat Doar New Richmond, WI
2 1 32b Clay Daly Watsonville, CA
3 5 7 Ricky Weiss Headingley, MB
4 4 06 Dave Smith Edmonton, AB
5 3 6T Terry Carter Ft Saskatchewan, AB
6 16 10N Robert Sanders Bakersfield, CA
7 7 33d Brian Diveley Springfield, IL
8 6 17 Larry Childress Bakersfield, CA
9 12 11K Jeremy Keller Mandan, ND
10 9 40F Dana Fite Tucson, AZ
11 17 g17 Bumper Jones Las Cruces, NM
12 15 27 Nick Bartels El Segundo, CA
13 10 2T Trevor Glaser Tanqent, OR
14 11 91T Tony Toste Pismo Beach, CA
15 13 3d Dave Deetz Las Cruces, NM
16 8 27 Jake Redetzke Eau Claire, WI
17 14 23 Brad Williams Tucson, AZ

Heat winners plus top 11 passing points transfer from heats

Heat #1
1 2 20S Rodney Sanders Happy, TX
2 1 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN
3 3 42 Don Shaw Ham Lake, MN
4 9 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR
5 8 86 Kyle Beard Trumann, AR
6 4 33d Brian Diveley Springfield, IL
7 5 27 Jake Redetzke Eau Claire, WI
8 7 2T Trevor Glaser Tanqent, OR
9 10 91T Tony Toste Pismo Beach, CA
10 6 10N Robert Sanders Bakersfield, CA

Heat #2
1 2 1 Anthony Burroughs Muscle Shoals, AL
2 8 19 Ryan Gustin Marshalltown, IA
3 9 33x Adam Hensel Barron, WI
4 4 06 Dave Smith Edmonton, AB
5 1 17 Larry Childress Bakersfield, CA
6 10 6T Terry Carter Ft Saskatchewan, AB
7 3 40F Dana Fite Tucson, AZ
8 7 23s Bucky Andrews Tucson, AZ
9 6 5 Jon Mitchell Texarkana, TX
10 5 89 James Laing Tucson, AZ

Heat #3
1 2 56 Tony Jackson Jr Lebanon, MO
2 4 43 Garrett Alberson Las Cruces, NM
3 9 18c Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS
4 3 8p Lonnie Parker Jr El Mirage, AZ
5 10 10tt Tyson Turnbull Estevan, SK
6 5 58 A.J. Diemel Elk Mound, WI
7 7 R5 Hunter Rasdon Jonesboro, AR
8 1 3d Dave Deetz Las Cruces, NM
9 6 23 Brad Williams Tucson, AZ
10 8 g17 Bumper Jones Las Cruces, NM

Heat #4
1 2 2s Stormy Scott Las Cruces, NM
2 5 F5 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY
3 6 28 Jimmy Mars Menomonie, WI
4 1 7 Ricky Weiss Headingley, MB
5 8 32b Clay Daly Watsonville, CA
6 10 51 Matt Furman Columbus, OH
7 4 5 RC Whitwell Tucson, AZ
8 3 11K Jeremy Keller Mandan, ND
9 7 14 Sean Bray Tucson, AZ
10 9 27 Nick Bartels El Segundo, CA

Heat #5
1 4 91P Jason Papich Arroyo Grande, CA
2 6 21jr Billy Moyer Jr Batesville, AR
3 3 11 Pat Doar New Richmond, WI
4 5 75 Terry Phillips Springfield, MO
5 9 32 Chris Simpson Oxford, IA
6 7 91 Tyler Erb Magnolia, TX
7 8 18 Ronny Lee Hollingsworth Northport, AL
8 2 12K Matt Micheli Live Oak, CA
9 1 51 Joey Moriarty Phoenix, AZ
10 10 7 Marshall Miles Tucson, AZ