Lonnie Wheatley, SAN TAN VALLEY, Ariz. (January 6, 2019) – Excessive overnight rains that saturated the grounds of FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway has forced the postponement of Sunday’s scheduled second leg of the 13th Annual Keyser Manufacturing Wild West Shootout presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts.
Even with rescheduling on a slated “off day” not a viable option due to staffing issues, fans and competitors alike need not fret as the entire six-race mini-series will stay intact with the postponed card reset for a Saturday, January 12, matinee show that sets up a Saturday double dip.
The rescheduled event will get under way with qualifying at 11:00 a.m. and racing at noon. The pit gates will open at 9:00 a.m. with the front gates opening at 10:00 a.m. The start time of the regularly scheduled Saturday event will be pushed back to 7:00 p.m. after hot laps at 5:30 p.m. to accommodate the pair of events. Additionally, the practice session originally scheduled for Tuesday night will now take place on Thursday night.
The rescheduled event will consist of a full card of Black Diamond Super Late Models presented by M&W Transport racing action including qualifying, heat races, “B” Mains and a $5,000-to-win, 30-lap “A” Main event.
Meanwhile, the Mesilla Valley Transportation/Border International Modifieds presented by Arizona Differential and the RHRSwag.com X-Mods presented by Barnett Harley-Davidson will time in during hot laps and then be placed into twin 15-lap feature events with a split purse.
The Modifieds will contest a pair of $1,000-to-win feature events after establishing a time during hot laps and the X-Mods will have a pair of $500-to-win feature events after establishing their times.
“Mother Nature threw us a major curveball, but we have come up with the best solution for a bad situation,” said event co-promoter, Chris Kearns. “We wanted to make sure that all of our racers still had the opportunity to compete in six events. This modified program allows us to achieve that goal. Last but not least, I want to say a special thanks to all of our racers and fans for their patience and understanding.”
Once the Saturday afternoon card is completed, the stands and pits will be cleared before reopening to proceed with Saturday night’s fifth round of Wild West Shootout action under the standard event format with hot laps set for 5:30 p.m. and racing at 7:00 p.m.
With the Sunday, January 6, event reset for Saturday, January 12, the Keyser’s Quarter-Million Challenge remains in full effect. Illinois shoe Bobby Pierce has the inside track to the possible bonus after winning Saturday’s opening round. Other opening round winners included Casey Arneson in Modifieds and Cole Searing in the X-Modifieds.
The 13th Annual Keyser Manufacturing Wild West Shootout presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts gets back under way with the scheduled third round of competition on Wednesday, January 9, before wrapping up four events over three days on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, January 11-13.
Advance tickets may be purchased online at www.wildwestshootout.net/schedule/ and ticket pricing/purchasing information can be found at www.wildwestshootout.net or by calling the Wild West Shootout office at 520-664-2074.
Wild West Shootout Hotel Information can be found at http://www.wildwestshootout.net/fan-info/lodging-2/ or by calling Hilton Phoenix/Mesa at 480-833-5555. The Hilton Phoenix/Mesa is located at 1011 West Holmes Avenue in Mesa, AZ.
Arizona Speedway is located just minutes from Phoenix. From Phoenix, take US 60 east to Ironwood Dr., turn right (south) and go four miles, Arizona Speedway is on the right hand side. For more information, visit www.wildwestshootout.net or call 520-664-2074.
The 13th Annual Wild West Shootout is made possible by Keyser Manufacturing, O’Reilly Auto Parts, FK Rod Ends, Black Diamond, M&W Transport, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Border Tire, Sport Truck RV, PFC Brakes, Arizona Differential, RHR RacingSwag, Barnett Harley Davidson, Hoker Trucking, Total Seal Piston Rings, Shaw Trucking, San Tan Ford, Toste Construction, Swift Springs, Pro Power Engines, Five Star Graphix, Beaver Stripes, VP Racing Fuel, Penske Racing Shocks and Hoosier Tires.