The off season may be in full swing around our neck of the woods, but that isn't stopping some drivers that we are familiar with to make the long trip to the USA Raceway in Tucson, Arizona for the 10th annual Wild West Shootout. Around fifty drivers from 19 states and 2 Canadian provinces are expected to compete during the series, which includes six races in nine nights, starting this Saturday, January the 9th. Some of the sports biggest names are expected to make the long tow to Arizona including Brandon Sheppard, Don O'Neal, Jimmy Owens, Billy Moyer, and WoO Champion Shane Clanton, just to name a few. The following is a roster of area drivers that are also expected to make the trek to the southwest.
(Roster sorted by how the driver finished in the NLRA series standings in 2015)
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Dustin Strand - The two-time and Defending NLRA series champion will look to take momentum from a strong 2015 campaign to start 2016. Strand won the NLRA events at Jamestown and Devils Lake last August, and followed those performances with a win at the Jamestown Stampede last September. Strand also won the track championship at the River Cities Speedway, collecting two more wins in weekly action at the speedway. Strand made national headlines, winning his heat, and leading a few feature laps during the World of Outlaws late model series event at River Cities last July. Photo courtesy of Traci Palya.
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Ricky Weiss - The four-time and defending Wissota National Champion will look to back up a hard charging performance that saw him wheel his No. 7 mount from the 29th starting spot, all the way to the 15th spot at the finish at the Knoxville Late Model Nationals in Iowa last September. Weiss, the NLRA Champion in 2011, and fourth place finisher last season, collected four wins on the NLRA tour last summer, and also ran at the Eldora Speedway in Ohio last September during the World 100. Photo courtesy of Traci Palya.
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Donny Schatz - Fresh off a seventh World of Outlaw Sprint Car title, Schatz will return from a short trip to Australia to run his late model in Tucson. Schatz finished inside the top 16 in the NLRA series standings for a second consecutive season in 2015. Schatz also has two career NLRA series wins on his resume, both coming at the River Cities Speedway. Photo courtesy of Mike Spieker.
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Don Shaw - Winner of two NLRA features in 2015, Shaw will make another trip to Arizona. Shaw's wins came at the Norman County Raceway in Ada, MN on July 30, and at the Viking Speedway in Alexandria, MN on September 5th. Shaw finished third at the John Seitz Memorial last September. Shaw finished 19th in the NLRA series standings last season. Photo courtesy of Traci Palya.
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Jeremy Keller - the Mandan, ND native has four career NLRA series triumphs on his resume, and a pair of top five finishes in the NLRA point standings in 2009 & 2010. Keller finished 29th in the series standings last season, appearing at both nights of the Norman County Fair races, both ends of the Labor Day Double at the Viking Speedway, the series lone trip to Jamestown, and the Prelude to the Johnny at River Cities.
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Rob Odegard - A Williston, ND native, and late model rookie last season, Odegard turned heads last September, leading the first 13 laps of his heat race at the John Seitz Memorial, finishing third behind Pat Doar and Shane Edginton. Odegard made his NLRA debut in Jamestown in August, and also competed in Devils Lake, and the final two series events at River Cities at the end of last season. Photo courtesy of Mike Spieker.
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Pat Doar - The former World of Outlaw late model rookie of the year, and two-time John Seitz Memorial winner will take his S&S transport backed double one express south. Doar wasn't as frequently seen at NLRA events in 2015 as he was in 2014 when he finished tenth in the series final standings. Doar won the NASCAR Dash Series point championship at the Cedar Lake Speedway, and the pole dash at the John Seitz Memorial last season. Photo courtesy of Mike Spieker.
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AJ Diemel - The Elk Mound, WI native is the most recent NLRA feature winner, having won the series final race last season during the running of the 'Prelude to the Johnny' event at the River Cities Speedway last September. Diemel won the John Seitz Memorial in 2014, and can be frequently found in the features at the USA Nationals at the Cedar Lake Speedway, and the Knoxville Late Model Nationals in Iowa. Photo courtesy of Mike Spieker.
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Jimmy Mars (28) of Menomonie, WI and Scott Ward (37) of Watertown, SD are also expected to make the long tow south to Tucson. Mars ran with the WoO at River Cities on July 10, and Scott Ward made an appearance at River Cities on May 15. Photo of Mars by Mike Spieker, and photo of Ward by Traci Palya.
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