This Saturday will mark the 33rd time the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series has competed at California’s Stockton 99 Speedway.
Teams will compete for a $10,000 payday in the JM Environmental Wild West Shootout Dog Eat Dog 127.
The event is a make-up date for the heat postponed July 16 round. It is also round three of the Wild West Shootout Series, which pays $10,000 to the winner of each event. The super late models will be joined by the Spears Pro Late Models presented by Sigma Performance Services in the Labor Day 100 presented by Masellis Drilling.
The pro late models will also be racing for a $10,000 payday.
The race will be broadcast on SPEED SPORT TV affiliate LowBudget.TV.
SRL Championship Updates
After round six of the Spears SRL Southwest Tour at Colorado National Speedway, Jacob Gomes leads the standings with 1055 points. John Moore continues to run second with 918 points.
Dylan Zampa (855), Cale Kanke (808) and Nick Cooper (803) round out the top-five.
The series is averaging 21.5 cars per event with 54 different drivers competing.
Track History
Twenty-five NASCAR Southwest Tour Series events have been held at the historic quarter-mile oval, with 17 different winners.
Ken Boyd (2), Rick Carelli (2), Dan Press (2), Troy Beebe (2), Ron Hornaday Jr. (3) and Craig Raudman (2) were the only multi-time winners. Of the 32 Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series winners, there were 17 different drivers to take the checkered flag first.
Multi-time winners included Ron Strmiska Jr. (3), Joey Zampa (2), Jason Fensler (2), Jim Pettit (2), Jacob Gomes (3), Derek Thorn (7) and Jeremy Doss (3). The NASCAR Southwest Tour Series conducted their second series race at the facility in 1986, with Ken Boyd the winner.
The SRL made their first appearance in 2002 with Ron Strmiska Jr. grabbing the win.
Doss To Defend Stockton Victory
Jeremy Doss earned his third Stockton win in last year’s edition of the “Wild West Shootout” at Stockton.
It was the first of three victories that season with the SRL. Doss earned the win in a 17-car field with Jeff Bischofberger, Dustin Ash, Blaine Rocha and Jace Hansen the top-five. Hometown favorite and eventual 2022 champion Jacob Gomes finished sixth.
Moore’s Roots Run Deep
Stockton 99 Speedway is a track that will always have special meaning for John Moore.
The 2015 Pacific Challenge Series champion has experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows at Stockton. Moore scored both of his Pacific Challenge Series victories at the facility, and his performances there in 2015 vaulted him to the series championship.
But the track was also the site of the tragic loss of his son, J.D., in a practice accident in 2004. A win at Stockton means that you have defeated one of the toughest short tracks in the country, with a long history of great drivers and tough competition.
“If you listen to NASCAR Radio, and you hear the legends of the sport answer the question, ‘What’s the most notorious short track you ever raced on?’ Ninety percent of the time, the answer is Stockton 99 Speedway. It just happened to be the race track that I cut my teeth on, my first time in a race car, in my first race,” Moore said.
“There is lots of history for my family, but to this day, nothing gets me quite as excited as a super late model door bangin’, double get down, throw down at 99. The fans are passionate and the racing is fierce.”
Moore continued about his history at the track, “I grew up racing against the Belletto’s, Strmiska’s, Byrd’s, Schaeffer’s, Solari and Schmidt. We’re talking about the grass roots, most passionate, most rowdy racers and fans one can only imagine. That was 23 years ago, and it feels like yesterday. The Dog Eat Dog 127 is the one you don’t wanna miss.”
Third Time’s A Charm
2019 series champion Cole Moore has been trying to get back on track with the SRL since mid-July, when the Wild West Shootout Dog Eat Dog 127 was postponed. He travelled to Colorado National Speedway in August, looking to attempt his first start of the season once again.
But a blown motor ended the weekend in Friday practice.
This weekend the 2019 series champ will give it a third shot, hoping third time’s the charm.
“I’m just excited to come and drive a super late model and be in the mix with the boys,” Moore said. “Jacob Gomes has been dominating, and I’d like to come give him a run for his money, and also bang doors with pops (father, John Moore). Short track racing on these quarter-mile tracks is a thrill.”
NASCAR National ROTY
Gomes was the NASCAR National Rookie-of-the-Year in 2009, competing at his home track, Stockton 99 Speedway, while also turning laps at Madera Speedway and All American Speedway.
The two-time series champion will now return to his home track, where he has three Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series victories. He hasn’t won there since 2015, but he is excited to head to the track he calls home.
“I’m just really excited to be back there,” Gomes said. “I always look forward to racing at a track I’ve been going to since I could ever remember. I always enjoyed racing there growing up, seeing people I grew up with at the track.”