The short track action at the Bullring at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway was hot and heavy last Saturday night in the “Educational Spring Break Night” at the fast 3/8-mile paved oval, but some winning regulars returned to victory lane after the dust had cleared under the lights.
A busy night of racing includes ten feature races with the “Battles of the Badges” kicking off the evening with the nightly contest of First Responders from local police and fire agencies highlighting the crowd in their respective Skid Plate machines.
With a strong field of 117 cars packing the pit areas Saturday under clear and cool conditions, the competition on the track heated up immediately with some sensational wheel-to-wheel, door-to-door racing in all of the main events.
Returning to the Bullring Victory Lane Saturday was one of the all-time track race winners, Dustin Ash, in the 35-lap Sigma Performance Service Pro Late Model feature and the defending M&H Building Specialists/JBM Underground Legends Car track champion and Pro U.S. Legends national champion Jordan Holloway in the 35-lap Legends finale. Plus, local driver Kyle Jacks scored two feature wins Saturday with triumphs in the NASCAR 602 Modifieds and the Super Stocks.
For Ash, the Las Vegas race car builder, the results were the same as last year when he scored six wins, but the machinery was different as the Las Vegas racer filled in for Justin Johnson in Al Budd’s popular gray No. 17 Late Model stock car and had his hands full for much of the 25 laps.
Young Cody Brown, the defending Semi-Pro U.S. Legends national champion and rookie in the Pro Late Models in 2023, wasn’t about to let Ash lead from the start as the 18-year-old high school senior battled Ash in the first 15 laps to the delight of the race fans. Then the two drivers swapped the lead for several circuits before the caution light came on lap 19.
The race ended suddenly for Brown on lap 21 when T.J. Roberts and Scott Gafforini came together in turn four and Brown had nowhere to go. Cody’s brilliant drive had ended with a tow back to the pit area.
On the restart, Bullring season opener-winning racer, Jeff Peterson, wasn’t about to let Ash run away with a strong inside move in turn three to grab the advantage. But it was Ash, with his smooth driving style, sliding inside of Peterson on lap 24 and slowly opened his margin to the checkered flag in the 18-car field.
Second went to Peterson, who came from 12th starting spot, followed by local racer and last feature winner Kyle Keller, Jaron Giannini, Monty Tipton, Gafforini, Aaron McMorran and Chloe Lynch.
“I want to thank Al Budd for giving me a call to drive his No. 17 for Justin this week,” said Ash. “We worked to get the car running well and it showed in the feature. I knew Cody would be tough from the pole as I built his race car. It’s a quick machine. And Jeff is always good here at Bullring. It feels good to get back here in the Bullring Winner’s Circle.”
In the star-studded 29-car Legends Car field, there were some of the best Legends racers in the country including drivers from New Jersey, California, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, Alabama and Texas.
And Holloway, from Henderson, NV, hadn’t qualified as he wanted, starting 11th. But Jordan knows the Bullring well after a track title and six wins last year and worked well through traffic in one of the most hotly contested Legends race in recent years.
At the start of the 35-lapper, it was an impressive start by polesitter Mike Alcaro from New Jersey who is a past Pro National Legends champion. Alcaro jumped to the lead over Brown, Brenden Ruzbarsky, Branden Giannini (the 2023 U.S. Nationals race champion), Nick Morabito and Jake Bollman, the last Bullring winner.
But Holloway was charging immediately and moved to fifth by lap five and third by lap seven. But the battle for the lead was inches apart with Alcaro and Brown.
By lap nine, Jordan got in the mix and was third, challenging the two leaders. Brown took the point on lap 12 and Holloway moved to second and was ready to pounce for the lead.
Cody held off Jordan for seven more laps but they forgot about Bollman, who slid inside for the lead on lap 19. After a yellow flag bunched the field, Holloway made his move for the lead on the restart. But now, it was a five-car train nose-to-tail with Jordan, Alcaro, Brown, Bollman and Morabito.
That battle continued for the next 15 laps with Holloway finally holding off Brown, his teammate, by just 0.115 seconds with third followed by Morabito followed by Bollman, Giannini, T.J. Roberts, Ruzbarsky and Alcaro.
“Whew, what a race!” screamed Holloway in victory lane. “It was a stacked field tonight with drivers from all over the country. Alcaro was a past national champion and Morabito has won many races. I really had to hold off my teammate Cody too. Plus, Jake won the last race here. It feels great to be back in the winner’s circle at my home track, the Bullring.”
Jacks made one of the best moves of the night in the 20-lap Super Stock main event in the No. 4 machine after the Las Vegas racer ran fourth for the first half of the race. Don Geary jumped out to sizable lead in the first six as Jason Kiser and Don Zoll Jr closed the margin by lap ten. A mid-race caution period saw the top three lined up in the inside lane and Jacks took the outside row.
At the restart, Kyle made tremendous outside move in turn two and vaulted to the lead and never looked back. The No. 4 Super Stock was on the gas down the backstraight and Jacks pulled away for an impressive 2.033-second victory over Kiser with third going to Zoll. Geary and Mike McKearn rounded out the top five in Super Stock.
Jacks came back in the 20-lap 602 Modified final and quickly jumped to the lead over his brother, Sam, and easily dominated the field with his rebuilt No. 41 machine. Kyle suffered a hard turn one crash late last year, but he was the driver to beat Saturday night. At the finish, it was Kyle over Sam followed by Brian Williams, Tom Pfundstein, Jimmy Petrie, Kayli Peterson and Ben Williams.
“That restart in the Super Stock was the best for me,” said Jacks. “After running behind the leaders early in the race, I thought I could make the outside work on the restart and the car was just outstanding on the high side. Once I cleared the inside cars, I had the straightaway open in front of me and got to the lead. The car was awesome the rest of the race.
In the Modified main, we have been working hard to develop the car each race and tonight it was fast. Overall, I couldn’t ask for a better night of racing with my crew, family and friends here watching.”
The 35-lap Late Model Truck feature looked to be all Stan Mullis, until the final lap. As the veteran racer came through turn three and four on 35th circuit, Mullis’ truck lost power and coasted across the finish. And Bullring veteran Mark Allison, running second for the majority of the main event, was the surprised winner in his No. 3 truck. Early leader Curtis Burns took home third followed by Cindy Clark, making her first 2023 Bullring start, and Gary Wyatt.
While many Bullring veterans found their way back to victory lane Saturday, it was a first time winner in the Jr. Late Model class with California’s Cameron Carraway drive his No. 15 stock car to a 1.183-second victory over Bryson Brown and Kylie Ith. Carraway, a multi-time runner-up at the Bullring, closed in on early leader Caden Cordova and took the lead on lap 16 for his initial win.
“Wow, this is exciting,” said Carraway, who travels from Castro Valley, CA, for the majority of the Bullring schedule. “I have been close several times here but we finally got the win tonight. The 15 car was really hooked up and I was able to hit my marks. I want to thank my family and sponsors for this great victory.”
Matt Frady Jr. was the driver to beat in the NASCAR Nostalgia Street Rods Outlaw Factory Stocks 20-lap finale Saturday with an impressive win in his No. 00 machine in the 13-car field. He held off a charging Sheri Goldstorm and Kirk Hance for his first 2023 win. Taking fourth and fifth were track champion Michael Miller and Rob Pfaffy.
“We are great car tonight but I could see Sheri right in my rearview mirror all of the time,” said Frady Jr. “We are very happy to win here and I’m very happy Sheri finished second after her hard crash two weeks ago. It was fun to race with everyone here.”
The biggest Skip Plate field in the past two years came to the Bullring Saturday with 16 anxious competitors ready to do battle for the always appreciative crowd. The slam-bang action saw a variety of spins and slides including a spin by the race leader Ben Williams. But the former track champion came back to collect a 14.126-second victory in the 12-lap main event. Second went to Robert Leany followed by Chris Birdsong, Berenice Hernandez, last event’s winner, Jeff Bargerhuff and Ken Coombs.
The popular M&H Building Specialists/JBM Underground Bandolero main event with the youngsters was supported by a strong 14-car field and some spirited action as well. Returning to action at the Bullring was former Bandoleros feature win Wyatt Dent of Colorado and Dent scored his talent again with No. 68 car.
Dent took the advantage at the drop of the green flag in the 12-lap feature and had to fight off former Bullring track champion Ashton Leonard for the seven laps. However, Leonard’s mount had an issue which forced him to the pits at mid-race. From then, it was all Dent with a 2.118-second triumph over Alaska’s Wyatt Flowers, newcomer Madilyn Lange of Wyoming and Joseph Montoya of Las Vegas.
In the fan-favorite “Battle of the Badges” race between the police and fire first responders, it was Pete Wheeler of the Boulder City Police Department scoring the win over Kyle Growth, Cody Latuda and Shawn Flanagan.
In the heat races earlier in the evening, Alcaro, Brown and Tyler Hicks took the Legends Cars eight-lap preliminary events with Kyle Jacks winning the eight-lap 602 Modifieds heat. Brown and Ash scored the eight-lap Pro Late Model heat wins with Dent and Montoya recording the 5-lap Bandoleros race action. In the six-lap Late Model Truck Series heats, it was Cindy Clark and Stan Mullis with victories.
NEXT RACE: The 2023 Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway presented by Star Nursery race schedule continues on Saturday, April 1 with “South Point Night” rescheduled from the Feb. 25 rainout, the second round of the 10-race Star Nursery Series. Theme nights like Hometown Heroes Night, Military and Veterans Appreciation Night and the wildly popular Fourth of July celebration, the Night of Fire, add extra allure to the popular racetrack throughout the year. Adult general admission for the majority of the Star Nursery Series events is $8.00 with children 12 & under free at all Bullring events. For more information, please contact the LVMS ticket office at 800-644-4444 or online at LVMS.com. For stockyard passes, please call 800-644-4444, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. PST.
Bullring Season Opener, Round 4 for the Star Nursery Series
Saturday, March 25, 2023
M&H Building Specialists/JBM Underground USLCI Bandoleros 10-lap feature
1.Wyatt Dent;; 2.Wyatt Flowers (-2.118 seconds); 3.Madilyn Lange (-3.394) 4.Joseph Montoya (-4.440);5.Logan Gresser (-6.324); 6.Amelia Suell (-6.983); 7.Aspyn Lange (-9.035); 8.Piper Suell (-21.438); 9.Noah James (-1 lap); 10. Aspen Leonard (-1 lap); 11.James Trimmer (-1 lap); 12.Leila Trimmer (-1 lap); 13.Ashton Leonard (-2 laps); 14.Siena Nuccitelli (-12 laps).
Skid Plate Cars 12-lap feature
1.Ben Williams;; 2.Robert Leany (-14.126 seconds); 3.Chris Birdsong (-22.998) 4. Berenice Hernandez (-28.981); 5.Jeff Bargerhuff (-30.648); 6.Ken Coombs (-1 lap); 7.Shawn Flanagan (-3 laps); 8.Pete Wheeler (-3 laps); 9.Greg Lee (-3 laps); 10.Christie Harper (-3 laps); 11.Austin Edwards (-3 laps); 12.Austin Leonard (-4 laps); 13.Cody Latuda (-5 laps); 14.Don Leonard (-6 laps); 15.Jeff Dailey (-8 laps); 16. Greg Matta (-9 laps).
NASCAR Nostalgia Street Rods Outlaw Factory Stocks 20-lap feature
1.Matt Frady Jr.; 2.Sheri Goldstrom (-1.046 seconds); 3.Kirk Hance (-1.918); 4.Michael Miller (-3.436); 3.Rob Pfaffy (-3.524); 6.Brad Thompson (-11.536); 7.Dylan Reinke (-13.346); 8.Nick Lautenbach (-12.502); 9.Dallas Simonette (-12.658); 10.Pete Meyer (-17.325); 11.Sabastian Lafia (-1 lap); 12. Derrick Utley (-1 lap); 12.Stephen Irvine (-2 laps).
NASCAR Super Stocks 20-lap feature
1.Kyle Jacks; 2.Jason Kiser (-2.033 seconds); 3.Don Zoll Jr. (-4.317); 4. Don Geary (-5.032); 5. Mike McKearn (-5.516); 6.Bill Paddock Jr. (-8.162); 7.Rich DeLong III (-7 laps).
NASCAR Junior Late Model 20-lap feature
1.Cameron Carraway; 2.Bryson Brown (-1.183 seconds); 3.Kylie Ith (-2.159); 4.Caden Cordova (-3.780); 5.Brody Manning (-7.892); 6.Ashton Leonard (-8.227).
Late Model Truck Series 35-lap feature
1.Mark Allison; 2.Stan Mullis (-1.341 seconds); 3.Curtis Burns (-7.597); 4.Cindy Clark (-14.101); 5.Gary Wyatt (-14.447); 6.Gary Cheek (-1 lap); 7.Kevin Terrell (-1 lap); 8.Michael Riefler (-1 lap); 9.Chloe Lynch (-1 lap); 10. Lee Keach (-18 laps).
NASCAR 602 Modifieds 20-lap feature
1.Kyle Jacks; 2.Sam Jacks: 3.Brian Williams; 4.Tom Pfundstein; 5.Jimmy Petrie; 6. Kayli Peterson; 7.Ben Williams.
NASCAR Sigma Performance Services Pro Late Models 35-lap feature
1.Dustin Ash; 2.Jeff Peterson (-0.375 seconds); 3. Kyle Keller (-1.259); 4.Jaron Giannini (-2.243); 5.Monty Tipton (-4.666); 6.Scott Gafforini (-5.123); 7.Aaron McMorran (-6.386); 8.Chloe Lynch (-8,858); 9. T.J. Roberts (-9.714); 10. Amileo Thomson (-9.947); 11. Kylie Ith (-10.326); 12.Johnny Spilotro (-11.081); 13. Alex Eskandari (-12.455); 14.Jeff Schildmeyer (-1 lap); 15.Cody Brown (-15 laps); 16. Ricky Gutierrez (-15 laps); 17. Enzo Lalama (-16 laps); 18. Bryson Brown (-28 laps).
USLCI M&H Building Specialists/JBM Underground Legends 35-lap feature
1.Jordan Holloway; 2.Cody Brown (-0.115 seconds); 3.Nick Morabito (-0.682); 4. Jake Bollman (-1.220); 5. Branden Gianinni (-2.995); 6.T.J. Roberts (-3.547); 7.Brenden Ruzbarksy (-3.847); 8.Mike Alcaro (-4.191); 9.Ryan Jones (-4.304); 10.Nathan Quella (-4,493); 11.Bruce Silver (-6.825); 12. Keller Meechudhone (-7.315); 13.Gavin Ray (-10.465); 14.Austin Edwards (-14.176); 15.Tanner Ash (-15.540); 16.Lonnie Hochstetler (-19.381); 17.Colton Ray (-20.746); 18. Rick Chelberg (-1 lap); 19.Jeremy Lange (-1 lap); 20.Sarah Chelberg (-2 laps); 21.Eric Sigwing (-4 laps); 22.Bryanna Bruce (-7 laps); 23.Brendan Tracy (-15 laps); 24.Tyler Hicks (-15 laps); 25.Jeff Regier (-15 laps); 26.Jake Walker (-18 laps); 27.Tracy Walker-Scott (-25 laps); 28.Andy Hulcy (-33 laps); 29.Tessa Marine (-33 laps).
Battle of the Badges (Police vs. Fire) 6-lap feature
1.Pete Wheeler; 2.Kyle Growth (-20.672 seconds); 3.Cody Latuda (-1 lap); 4.Shawn Flanagan (-1 lap).
