TUCSON, AZ – Jan. 13, 2010 – The 2010 DIRTcar Racing campaign will get off to an early start following the announcement that the organization will sanction the final four events of the ‘Wild West Shootout’ for Super Late Models and Modifieds at USA Raceway.
Over $150,000 in prize money is posted for the blockbuster six-night event, which began with weekend shows on Jan. 9 and 10. DIRTcar Racing’s sanctioning of the series starts with the doubleheader scheduled for tonight (Jan. 13) and continues with the events on Fri., Jan. 15; Sat., Jan. 16; and Sun., Jan. 17.
The grand finale of the three-eighths-mile Arizona oval’s season-opening spectacular comes on Jan. 17 with the running of the Bill Cheesebourg Memorial, a $10,000-to-win event held in honor of the late Tucson native who starred on his homestate’s dirt-track circuit for decades and made six starts in the Indianapolis 500 from 1957-1965.
“DIRTcar Racing is honored to be part of the ‘Wild West Shootout’ for the first time,” said DIRTcar Racing Western Region director Chris Morgan. “(USA Raceway promoter) Benji Lyons has done a great job building anticipation for the series and we’re excited that it will serve as the lead-in to an exciting season of DIRTcar Racing in the Western Region.
“DIRTcar Racing’s sanctioning of the ‘Wild West Shootout’ is super news for the West’s Late Model and Modified racers, who will now have several addition opportunities to build up their points totals in the UMP DIRTcar regional and national programs.”
USA Raceway is a flagship DIRTcar Racing track in the Southwest, headlining UMP DIRTcar West Modifieds on a weekly basis. The DIRTcar-sanctioned Southwest Dirt Racing Association (SWDRA) Late Model series also makes multiple visits to the speedway each season.
With the ‘Wild West Shootout’ now carrying sanctioning from DIRTcar Racing, the UMP DIRTcar points program will allow drivers to count two finishes toward their 2010 regional and national totals. The weekly UMP DIRTcar points season runs from April through early October, but drivers can also count their best finish/points night each week (Sunday-Saturday represents a week during the Wild West Shootout) from Jan. 1 until the start of weekly points racing – which means drivers will count their best finish in the events on Jan. 13, 15 and 16 along with their finish in the Jan. 17 finale.
“DIRTcar Racing and USA Raceway are great partners and we’re excited to add their sanctioning to the remainder of the ‘Wild West Shootout’ events for the Super Late Models and Modifieds,” said Benji Lyons, who co-promotes the Arizona track with Kevin Montgomery. “This will be a great opportunity for drivers to start collecting some UMP DIRTcar Racing points and increase their chances of sharing in some of the 2010 points-fund money.”
Nearly 50 Super Late Model teams and 40 DIRTcar Modified competitors from more than a dozen states and Canada have already entered Wild West Shootout action. The Super Late Models have a trio of $3,000-to-win shows and the $10,000-to-win finale remaining, while the Modifieds will chase $1,000 first-place prizes in the remaining events.
Racing is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on Jan. 13 and 15, while a 4 p.m. start will be utilized on Jan. 16 and 17.
Ticket pricing and other ‘Wild West Shootout’ information can be found online at www.usaraceway.net or by calling the USA Raceway office at 520-574-8515.
USA Raceway is located east of Tucson off I-10 exit 268, then 1.6 miles south on Craycroft Road, which turns into Los Reales.
Additional info on all of the series, sanctioning and member tracks of DIRTcar Racing is available at www.DIRTcar.com.
