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by Ryan Neuharth
TUCSON, AZ (January 11) – While admitting in victory lane that he didn’t have the best car for the main event, Las Cruces, NM pilot Jake Gallardo wasn’t about to give back the night two win in the 2015 Keyser Manufacturing Wild West Shootout for the USRA Modifieds. Inheriting the lead when first Jason Krohn, and shortly thereafter Rodney Sanders experience mechanical failures while leading, Gallardo wheeled his Gallardo Construction, LG2 racecar to the Sunday night win.
Before a lap could be completed, a five car pill-up in turn one between Zane DeVillbiss, Brad Diercks, Dave Mass, Blake Jegtvig and Alan Sharpenstein would require a complete restart. On that start, DeVillbiss would hit the backstretch wall which would end his night and bring about attempt three to get the race underway.
Krohn would blast to the lead at the drop of the green as the field used a freshly prepared racing surface to rocket around the high side of the 3/8th mile oval. Jake Gallardo would slot second followed by Sanders, Hilsabeck, Thornton, Jr., Mass, Hellebust, Sterns, O’Neil and Ray.
Sanders would move past Gallardo on lap three as Krohn quickly clicked off the first seven circuits up front before trouble set in knocking in out of the race and drawing a lap eight yellow. Sanders would experience issues just after the restart as he slowed while leading giving the spot to Gallardo.
With ten in the books, Gallardo lead Mass, Thornton, Hellebust, Fito Gallardo, Jegtvig, Sterns, Houston, Gilbertson and Hilsabeck. A lap later Jegtvig would retire to the infield as Gallardo pulled the train of modified hot-shoes around until the next caution waved for a slowing Chad Olsen on lap sixteen. Fito Gallardo would move past Hellebust on the restart for fourth and signifying the final top five position change of the event.
With twenty down and five to go, it was all Jake Gallardo as Mass, Thornton, Fito Gallardo, Hellebust, Sterns, nineteenth staring Philip Houston, fourteenth staring Clayton Wagamon, Grant Junghans and twenty-first staring Matt Gilbertson gave chase.
No one would have anything for Jake Gallardo as he motored to the checkers and brought his second victory of the week back to the City of the Crosses.
Feature: Jake Gallardo, Dave Mass, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Fito Gallardo, Robert Hellebust, Mike Sterns, Philip Houston, Grant Junghans, Clayton Wagamon, Matt Gilbertson, Jake O’Neil, Brad Diercks, Ward Imrie, Dan Hilsabeck, Christy Georges, Rich Mann, Terry Haven, Chad Olson, Blake Jegtvig, Rodney Sanders, Jason Krohn, Alan Sharpenstein, Dane Jorgenson, Jimmy Ray, Zave DeVilbiss
Heat 1: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Dan Hilsabeck, Dave Mass, Rodney Sanders, Dane Jorgeson, Fito Gallardo, Alan Sharpenstein, Trent Grager, Terry Haven, Rick Spencer
Heat 2: Jason Krohn, Mike Sterns, Grant Junghans, Chad Olsen, Nick O’Neil, Zane DeVilbiss, Rich Mann, Daryl Fischer, Joey Moriarty, Matt Gilbertson
Heat 3: Jake Gallardo, Robert Hellebust, Jimmy Ray, Clayton Wagamon, Blake Jegtvig, Philip Houston, Ward Imrie, Brad Diercks, Christy Georges
B-Main: Diercks, Houston, Imrie, Gilbertson, Sharpenstein, Georges, Haven, Mann, Grager, Spencer, Fischer, Moriarty