Tucson, Ariz (January 13, 2010) Terry Phillips came into night number three of the 4^th annual Wild West Shootout at USA Raceway with two top five finishes to his credit. Those efforts came from starting spots deep in the field, have combined to pass 19 drivers in those events. Given that Phillips had one of the fastest cars on the property, it only seemed logical that if he could improve his starting position a win (or multiple wins) would be inevitable. It all came together on Wednesday night.

 

After starting fourth, Phillips maneuvered his Andy's Frozen Custard / Don Babb Motorsports / New Vision Graphics / Integra Shocks / Sunoco Race Fuels / Hatfield Race Engines / GRT by Phillips to the lead on lap 16, lost the top spots to Sunday winner Billy Moyer on lap 28, and re-took it with a last lap turn three slide job that left the USA Raceway patrons in a state of stunned excitement.

 

Chris Shannon earned the pole position for the night's 30-lap main event and took the lead off the initial green which was scrubbed when Will Vaught spun his Warrior chassis in turn two.  On the restart Shannon again jumped to the point as Phillips gained two to run second followed by Jack Sullivan, outside pole sitter Rylan Long and Mike Balcaen in Dean Moore's 14m.

 

Position swapping was fast and furious early as Moyer went from seventh to fourth, John Lowry skipped from ninth to sixth, and Jimmy Mars launched from thirteenth to ninth all before the completion of lap three.  The races second yellow appeared for a five car melee in turn one between Vaught, Brad Looney, Mark Carroll, Bo Gordon and Paul Mueller. All five drivers retired from the event as did Don Shaw who was running 10^th.

 

On the Delaware double file restart Shannon again lead away at the green with Phillips second and Moyer getting around Sullivan for third.  Sullivan would quickly lose fourth to Lowry as Frank Heckenast, Jr ran sixth, Long now seventh, Mars eighth, 15^th starting Randy Korte was ninth and Balcaen rounded out the top ten.

 

Sullivan would return the favor to Lowry on lap five as both Long and Mars moved past Heckenast, Jr. Long and Mars then would both move past Lowry as well on lap six, with Mars also getting around Long while Korte jumped two spots to eighth as each position was in a constant state of flux all around the USA Raceway.

 

With ten laps in Shannon continued to lead chased by Phillips, Moyer, Sullivan and Mars. Sixth thought tenth were currently occupied by Long, Lowry, Korte, Balcaen and Heckenast, Jr.

 

Steve Drake and Jeremy Payne would get past Heckenast, Jr on lap 16 as Shannon continued his great run around the bottom of the racetrack and closed on the rear of the field. While the positions mid-pack began to settle in, the battle for the lead began to heat up. Phillips began putting the pressure on Shannon as the leader tried to negotiate thought the slower lapped traffic. Shannon would slip off the bottom in turn one on lap 16, opening the door for not only Phillips to take over the top spot but for Moyer to sneak through to second.

 

Phillips was working the lapped traffic like a master opening up a sizable advantage over Moyer as the field clicked past 20 complete. Mars took advantage of the traffic to move past Sullivan and Shannon on lap 22 to take over third. Moyer began to work the high side slowly dwindled his disadvantage until he was all over the leader rear deck as Phillips worked traffic low with just five to go.

 

Moyer and Phillips would race side by side for the lead on lap 27 as Moyer would use the top side momentum to grab the lead off of turn two on lap 28. Phillips mounted a return assault as the two were again side by side with the white flag in the air. 

 

The two front runners would race wheel to wheel into turn one as Moyer nosed ahead in turn two. Phillips got a great drive off the bottom of two and raced even with Moyer down the backstretch as the pair approached turn three. Phillips drove his GRT deep into three and pulled the classic slide job as he drove past Moyer in the middle of three and four to steal the last lap, last turn win.

 

For Phillips, it was his ninth career Wild West Shootout win, extending his advantage as the series all time winningest driver, and denying Moyer his third career win. For Moyer, it was the second time in series history he was passed for the lead on the last lap; the first was by Jeff Taylor back in 2003.

 

Woodward, Oklahoma hotshoe Derek Ramirez led from start to finish in the 25-lap UMP DirtCar Modified feature to win his first ever Wild West Shootout a-main. Ramirez withstood heavy pressure early from New Mexico standout Stormy Scott and then a late race charge from hometown racer Adam Crippen to take home the $1,000 victory. Crippen and Scott battled for second for much of the event with 9^th starting Bumper Jones moving into third during the final circuits. Scott finished fourth with Nick O'Neal rounding out the top five at the line.

 

The grand finally of the Wild West Shootout will fire up Friday at 7pm with three complete nights of full racing action. The best of the best in Super Late Models and Modifieds will tackle USA Raceway's 3/8-mile clay oval for six days on January 9, 10, 13, 15, 16 and 17, with more than $150,000 in prize money to be distributed over the course of the blockbuster event.  A $10,000 top prize awaits the shootout event finale, The Bill Cheesebourg Memorial, on January 17.

 

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.  For more information please, contact the track at 520-574-8515 or additional information regarding USA Raceway can be found at www.usaraceway.net

 

Full Results:

 

A-Main: Terry Phillips, Billy Moyer, Jimmy Mars, Chris Shannon, Jack Sullivan, Rylan Long, Randy Korte, John Lowry, Mike Balcaen, Steve Drake, John Anderson, Lance Matthees, Rob Sanders, Frank Heckenast, Jr, Jeremy Payne, Clay Daly, Pat Doar, Kelly Boen, Don Shaw, Paul Mueller, Brad Looney, Mark Carroll, Will Vaught, Bo Gordon

 

B-1: Pat Doar, Will Vaught, Mar Carroll, Bo Gordon, Eric Turner, Adam Crippen, Greg Walters, Jeff Biffle, Andres McKay, Matt Aukland, Joey Moriarty, David Vennard, Jamie Throckmorton, Paul Gugleilmoni - scratch, Ronnie Rihn - scratch

 

B-2:  Jeremy Payne, Kelly Boen, Brad Looney, Paul Mueller, Rob Mayea, Blaine Doppler, Dan Henrickson, Tommy Hussek, Marty Hussek, Scott Johnson, Mike Meger, Tyler Reddick, James Chavez, Grant Junghans - scratch, Logan Drake - scratch

 

Heat 1: Balcaen, Drake, Anderson, Payne, Henrickson, Junghans, Chavez, Walters, Turner

 

Heat 2: Shaw, Moyer, Mars, Matthees, Aukland, S. Johnson, T. Hussek, Vennard, Meger

 

Heat 3: Phillips, Shannon, Crippen, Doar, Moriarty, Boen, Vaught, Throckmorton, L. Drake

 

Heat 4: Lowry, Sanders, Sullivan, Carroll, Korte, Looney, McKay, Mueller, Mayea

 

Heat 5: Heckenast, Long, Gordon, Daly, Doppler, Gugleilmoni, Biffle, M. Hussek, Rihn, Reddick - scratch

 

Modified Event Results:

A-Main: Ramirez, Crippen, Jones, Scott, O'Neal, Gallardo, Seidler, Doar, A. Turnbull, C. Thomas, Ward, Daly, Junghans, Earvan, Edginton, Laske, Herring, Gates, T. Haven, Sires, Bitker, Whitwell, Karst, T. Thomas

 

Heat 1: Nick O'Neal, Fito Gallardo, Pat Doar, Shayne Laske, Bumper Jones, Jeff Sires, Grant Junghans, Jake Bitker, Dennis Gates, Mike Money

Heat 2: Stormy Scott, Adam Crippen, Clay Daly, Aaron Turnbull, RC Whitwell, Corky Thomas, Toby Herring, Blake Jegtvig, Chase Junghans

 

Heat 3: Derek Ramirez, Tim Thomas, Maryln Seidler, David Karst, Shane Edginton, Dennis Haven, Terry Haven, Scott Ward, Don Earvan, Ed Turnbull

 

B-Main 1: C. Thomas, Ward, Junghans, Herring, Earvan, Bitker, Gates, T. Haven, C. Junghans, D. Haven, Jegtvig, E. Turnbull, Money