Bobby Santos will head for Las Vegas this December to challenge for the $50,000-to-win winged asphalt sprint car feature during Davey Hamilton Jr.’s Open Wheel Showdown.
The 2020 Little 500 champion will bring a wealth of experience across multiple disciplines of racing to the highest-paying, asphalt open-wheel race. He plans to challenge nearly 60 pre-entered drivers for the lucrative prize.
The new winter classic will mark Santos’ first start at the .375-mile Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He will drive the No. 22A Beast Chevrolet 410 sprint car with sponsorship from DJ Racing and Classic Corvette.
“First of all, I’m super excited for it,” Santos said. “I love going to new race tracks and new facilities. I was probably supposed to race there almost 20 years ago and of all places, it rained out in Vegas. So I’ve never actually raced there.”
The 100-lap feature on Saturday, Dec. 2, will pay $50,000-to-win, but also $2,000 to start. It will be joined by a $10,000-to-win midget feature and the SpeedTour Super Modifieds.
“What they’re doing for sprint car racing is huge,” Santos said. “Typically, when you go to a winged sprint car event, you can honestly count on one hand the guys you’re going to be racing against for the win. In this event, you’re going to have 20 guys with a legitimate argument that they could win this race.”
Santos has traveled across the country to marquee races with success at every step of the way.
In 2019, he won six races across the King of the Wing and Super Sprint series, including sweeping the summer dates at the four-tenths-mile Colorado National Speedway. Santos is also the 2012 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion and a veteran of 12 USAC Silver Crown triumphs on asphalt.
Santos also provided perspectives on the importance of the Open Wheel Showdown.
“It’s so great for pavement racing. Something pavement racing deserves. We owe a lot of thanks for what Davey’s doing. I think a lot of people should look at this race and wonder ‘why am I not going to be a part of this?’” Santos said.
“Same as the racers, but from the fans standpoint: if they want to see big events, big paying events, promoters take risks, you got to get out and support it. Stuff like this doesn’t happen unless people support it. Even if you can’t be there, get on all the social medias and be a part of it and be positive. As racers, it’s everything we all want.”
The event will be telecast through SPEED SPORT on the new SPEED SPORT 1 channel.