Dirt will by flying at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track starting Wednesday as practice for the biggest event of the season in IMCA's Western Region begins in earnest.
Nearly 240 IMCA Modifieds and Northern SportMods are pre-registered for the 22nd annual Duel in the Desert, which runs through Saturday at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway half-mile dirt oval. Qualifying features are Thursday, Nov. 14, and Friday, Nov. 15, with last-chance races and main events for both divisions set for Saturday, Nov. 16.
Twenty-one states and two Canadian provinces will be represented at this year's Duel. Racing starts at 4 p.m. Pacific Time Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and Young Guns and Legends races precede 25-lap Northern SportMod and 40-lap Modified main events on Saturday.
The Modifieds race for a first-place prize of $7,777 and a minimum of $777 to start, while Northern SportMods vie for a $1,777 top check on Saturday. The Modified runner-up earns $3,250, with $2,250 for third, $1,750 for fourth, $1,500 for fifth, $1,250 for sixth, $1,150 for seventh, $1,100 for eighth, $1,050 for ninth and $1,000 for 10th.
Winners of Thursday and Friday qualifiers earn $777. Second place in the Northern SportMod main event pays $777, while Thursday and Friday qualifying features both pay $500 to win.
Jason Hughes won the top prize last year, with Jake Sachau taking the Northern SportMods checkered flag. Five-time Duel winner Jeremy Payne of Buckeye, Ariz., and four-time champ Terry Phillips from Springfield, Mo., will be back looking to add to their dirt racing legacies.
Las Vegas will be represented by a handful of local drivers, including two-time and reigning Bullring NASCAR Bombers track champ Vinny Raucci Jr. and his father, Vinny Sr.
IMCA.TV will broadcast every lap of the Duel in the Desert and is title sponsor of the throwback-themed best-looking car contest. Tickets can be purchased in advance on www.LVMS.com, or on-site at the main entrance the day of the races.
Modified drivers pre-registered for the Duel include:
Russell Allen, Brawley, Calif.; Chase Alves, Casa Grande, Ariz.; Paris Archie, Sparks, Nev.; Austin Arneson, Fargo, N.D.; Chaz Baca, Mesa, Ariz.; Tim Balding, Santa Rosa, Calif.; Christy Barnett, El Paso, Texas; Jason Beaulieu, Campbell River, B.C., Canada; Eddie Belec, Arvada, Colo.; Mikey Bell, Quitman, Ark.; Tanner Black, Otis, Kan.; Roger Bonneville, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Steve Boucher, Susanville, Calif.; Steven Bowers Jr., Topeka, Kan.; Bill Brack, Mead, Colo.; Dick Brack, Longmont, Colo.; Brian Brennan, Rozet, Wyo.; Randy Brown, Chowchilla, Calif.; Scott Brown, Meriden, Kan.; Cody Burke, Salinas, Calif.; Kellen Chadwick, Oakley, Calif.; Drew Christianson, Minot, N.D.; Benjamin Chukuske, Welcome, Minn.; Chris Clark, Jackson, Wyo.; Lakota Cleveland, Rock Springs, Wyo.; Bill Cornwall, Pocatello, Idaho; Bryson Curry, Laveen, Ariz.; Clay Daly, Salinas, Calif.; Nick DeCarlo, Martinez, Calif.; Casey Delp, Rock Springs, Wyo.; Chris Delp, Rock Springs, Wyo.; Shane DeMey, Denison, Iowa; John DeMore, Spring Creek, Nev.; Heath Denney, Urda, Utah; Shane DeVolder, Pacifica, Calif.; Jake Donnelly, Idaho Falls, Idaho; Ethan Dotson, Bakersfield, Calif.; Logan Drake, San Luis Obispo, Calif.; Scott Drake, Diamond, Mo.; Daniel Drury, Eldora, Iowa; Rick Durica, Las Vegas; Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.; J.C. Elrod, San Martin, Calif.; Chris Evoniuk, Dickinson, N.D.; Grey Ferrando, Stayton, Ore.; Kersey Ferrando, Stayton, Ore.; Zach Fettinger, Klamath Falls, Ore.; Trevor Fitz-Gibbon, Camarillo, Calif.; Jerry Flippo, Bakersfield, Calif.; Mark Gaylord, Boring, Ore.; Tripp Gaylord, Lakewood, Colo.; Albert Gill, Central Point, Ore.; Heath Grizzle, Drasco, Ark.; Michael Hale, West Jordan, Utah; Chase Hansen, Myton, Utah; Kyle Heckman, Bakersfield, Calif.; Jason Hilliard, Cache, Okla.; Jacob Hobscheidt, Plattsmouth, Neb.; Tony Hofbauer, Huxley, Iowa; Bradley Hopkins, Henderson, Nev.; Jessie Hoskins, Longdale, Okla.; Darrell Hughes II, Manteca, Calif.; Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.; Coltin Jackman, Blackfoot, Idaho; Matthew Jenner, Vancouver, Wash.; Jacob Jones, Jacob, Pocatello, Idaho; Adam Kates, Tonganoxie, Kan.; Raymond Keldsen Jr., Aromas, Calif.; Nevin Kennemore, Standish, Calif.; Brenda Kirby, Bullhead City, Ariz.; Buddy Kniss, Oakley, Calif.; Chester Kniss, Oakley, Calif.; Austin Kuehl, Cave Creek, Ariz.; Cody Kuglin, Great Falls, Mont.; Cody Laney, Torrance, Calif.; Shawn LaRocque, Winnemucca, Nev.; Ryan McDaniel, Olivehurst, Calif.; Ryan McDaniel, Olivehurst, Calif.; Mitch Machado, Rohnert Park, Calif.; Danny Meier, Dunmore, Alberta, Canada; Chad Melton, Mineral Wells, Texas; Anthony Merritt, Hemet, Calif.; Robert Miller, Gardnerville, Nev.; Bob Moore, Sioux City, Iowa; Michael Moore, Irving, Texas; Chris Morris, Taylor, Texas; Derek Nance, Merced, Calif.; Dale Neitzel, Billings, Mont.; Chris Nieman, Quincy, Calif.; Steven Noland, Terra Bella, Calif.; Andy Obertello, Hollister, Calif.; Lawrence O'Connor, Port Hardy, B.C., Canada; Travis Olheiser, Dickinson, N.D.; Mike O'Patik, Fort Morgan, Colo.; Mitchell O'Patik, Canal Winchester, Ohio; Duane Orsburn, Hornbrook, Calif.; Allen Owen Jr., Pocola, Okla.; Jacob Pace, Kearny, Ariz.; Jeremy Payne, Buckeye, Ariz.; Reed Payne, Idaho Falls, Idaho; Brian Pearce, Oakley, Calif.; Danny Perry III, Laughlin, Nev.; Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.; Dan Philpott, LaPine, Ore.; Freddie Plourde, Santa Rosa, Calif.; Brad Pounds, Bakersfield, Calif.; Matthew Ratzlaff, Monte Vista, Calif.; Vinny Raucci Jr., Las Vegas; Vinny Raucci Sr., Las Vegas; Chett Reeves, Bakersfield, Calif.; Jimmy Reeves, Albert, Kan.; Bryan Renken, Gillette, Wyo.; Casey Renken, Gillette, Wyo.; Jeremy Richey, Medford, Ore.; Alan Riley, Florence, Mont.; Donald Riley, Pahrump, Nev.; Doug Rivera, Yuma, Ariz.; Ryan Roath, Peoria, Ariz.; Duane Rogers, Imperial, Calif.; Ronnie Roy, Rock Springs, Wyo.; Jaxon Saathoff, Beatrice, Neb.; Johnny Saathoff, Beatrice, Neb.; Robert Sanders, Bakersfield, Calif.; Dennis Schoenfeld, Van Buren, Ark.; D.J. Shannon, Merced, Calif.; A.J. Sharpensteen, Amarillo, Texas; Brody Spangler, Dove Creek, Colo.; Sean Stacy, Kearny, Ariz.; Bubba Stafford Jr., Wittman, Ariz.; Alex Stanford, Chowchilla, Calif.; Paul Stone, Winton, Calif.; Jeff Streeter, Madera, Calif.; Steve Streeter, Madera, Calif.; Josh Stringer, Pahrump, Nev.; Mickey Stubbings, Helper, Utah; Billy Tabor, Corvallis, Mont.; Regan Tafoya, Farmington, N.M.; Jeff Taylor, Cave City, Ark.; Wade Taylor, Spring Creek, Nev.; Michael Thing Jr., Camp, Calif.; Dylan Thornton, Santa Maria, Calif.; Ricky Thornton Jr., Adel, Iowa; Nick Trenchard, Klamath Falls, Ore.; Dominic Ursetta, Arvada, Colo.; Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa; Mike Villanueva, Atwater, Calif.; Kenny Vollmer, Idaho Falls, Idaho; Danny Wagner, Bay Point, Calif.; Tim Ward, Chandler, Ariz.; R.C. Whitwell, Longdale, Okla.; Ryan Williams, Waxahachie, Texas; Collen Winebarger, Corbett, Ore.; Bryan Wordelman, Salt Lake City, Utah; Braxton Yeager, Green Rover, Wyo.; Justen Yeager, Green River, Wyo.
Northern SportMod drivers pre-entered for the Duel include:
Brock Aeschbacher, Rigby, Idaho; Jack Aguiar, Tulare, Calif.; Guy Ahlwardt, Antioch, Calif.; Terry Bahr, Gilbert, Ariz.; Steve Bitting Jr., Phoenix, Ariz.; Jorddon Braaten, Central Point, Ore.; Sheyne Bradley, Casa Grande, Ariz.; Brian Carey, Aztec, N.M.; Todd Carlock, Kingsburg, Calif.; James Cecil, Bakersfield, Calif.; Taylon Center, Mesa, Ariz.; Ricky Childress, Bakersfield, Calif.; Robby Claborn, Santa Maria, Calif.; Andy Clower, Laveen, Ariz.; Doff Cooksey, Brentwood, Calif.; Brent Curran, Antioch, Calif.; Chuck Delp, Rock Springs, Wyo.; Joe Docekal, Dysart, Iowa; Robert Elliott, Clinton, Okla.; Chris Falkenberg, Turlock, Calif.; Jason Ferguson, Meridian, Calif.; Justin Foux, Red Bluff, Calif.; Tom Fraser, Antioch, Calif.; Christopher Frisbie, White Sands Missle Range, N.M.; Shelby Frye, Casa Grande, Ariz.; Mark Garner, Antioch, Calif.; Shawn Harker, Nebraska City, Neb.; B.J. Haslam, Shelley, Idaho; Cory Hemphill, Yuma, Ariz.; Crystal Hemphill, Yuma, Ariz.; Kelly Henderson, Minot, N.D.; Tommy Hensley, Bedford, Iowa; Rex Higgins, Bloomfield, N.M.; Troy Householder, Reliance, Wyo.; Garrett Jernagan, Bakersfield, Calif.; Brandyn Johnson, Mesa, Ariz.; Kevin Johnson, Bakersfield, Calif.; Michael Johnson, Bakersfield, Calif.; Tate Johnson, Homestead, Mont.; Luke Krogh, Dickinson, N.D.; Taylor Kuehl, Cave Creek, Ariz.; Matt Looft, Swea City, Iowa; Bill Lundock, Golden, Colo.; Chris McKellar, Bakersfield, Calif.; Speedy Madrid, Laveen, Ariz.; Cody Malcom, Shelley, Idaho; Austin Manzella, Bakersfield, Calif.; Matt Mayo, Bakersfield, Calif.; Matthew Mayo, Bakersfield, Calif.; Kyle Menlove, Salt Lake City, Utah; Matt Micheli, Live Oak, Calif.; Randy Miller, San Jose, Calif.; Jarrod Mounce, Atwater, Calif.; Jason Nation, Bakersfield, Calif.; Craig Nieman, Reno, Nev.; Brendyn Nordyke, Holly, Colo.; Monty Nordyke, Holly, Colo.; Cody Olsen, Omaha, Neb.; Dave Pearson, Ridgecrest, Calif.; David Pitt, Rock Springs, Wyo.; Slade Pitt, Rock Springs, Wyo.; Jason Pugh, Clovis, Calif.; Tim Ragsdale, Merced, Calif.; Christina Ratzlaff, Monte Vista, Colo.; Ty Rogers, Somerton, Ariz.; Austin Ruskauff, Santa Maria, Calif.; Fred Ryland, Brentwood, Calif.; Jake Sachau, Denison, Iowa; Isaac Sanders, Brookings, Ore.; Matt Sanders, Brookings, Ore.; Ricky Saunders, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Scott Saunders, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Brandon Schmitt, Sun Prairie, Wis.; Arie Schouten, Omaha, Neb.; Shane Simper, Vernal, Utah; Nick Spainhoward, Bakersfield, Calif.; Ben Stockton, Kansas City, Mo.; Cody Thompson, Sioux City, Iowa; Chris Toth, Holtville, Calif.; Theo Van De Sande, Castro Valley, Calif.; Kendra Vollmer, Idaho Falls, Idaho; Kyle Wood, Bakersfield, Calif.; Mike Ziegler, Brush, Colo.
