With the 2023 race season set to get underway, here are 10 things to keep an eye on at FK Rod Ends Vado Speedway Park, as the immaculate Royal Jones-owned facility located between Las Cruces, N.M., and El Paso, Texas, hosts the 17th annual Rio Grande Waste Services Wild West Shootout presented by O’Reilly on January 7-15. 

1. New Rules

The Wild West Shootout will be the first event using Hoosier’s new unified tire rule — the new National Late Model Tire (NLMT) — which feature compounds NLMT2, NLMT3 and NLMT4. As Hoosier works to empty its old inventory, the LM20, LM30, LM40 and W30 will also be in use. Rules for the week allow NLMT2, NLMT3, LM20, LM30 or W30 for the left rear and across the front, while the right rear must be an NLMT3, NLMT4, LM30, W30 or LM40. The tires may be grooved and siped.

The deck height or droop rule has been tweaked again as well. The rule in effect for the six races at Vado allows a 51-inch deck height, measured 6 inches inboard of the left rear T-bar, with only the left rear tire off the ground. Penalties include being docked four positions for up to a half-inch violation; docked eight positions for a half-inch to 1-inch violation; and scored in last place for anything over a 1-inch violation. A chain limiter is required with maximum of one 1-inch puck.

2. The Weather

Don’t be fooled by the picturesque postcards with sunny skies hinting of warm weather because it can be downright chilly when the sun goes down. For fans leaving winter weather at home for a 10-day stay in the desert, it will definitely be a bit nicer, but don’t expect to get the same kind of weather we enjoy in Florida during February’s Georgia-Florida Speedweeks.

After an expected high of 68 degrees on Friday, early forecasts call for temperatures to peak in the low 60s during the day and then plummet into the 30s each night throughout the week.

With hot laps scheduled for 3 p.m. on Jan. 7; 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 8 and 15; and 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 11, 13 and 14 — and with only three divisions in action — hopefully the show will be complete each night before it gets too cold. Regardless, fans need to make they pack a hoodie or stop by one of the many vendors on site and buy one. My daughter picked up a Vado Speedway Park hoodie last season and it’s safe to say it’ll be packed for this year’s trip.

3. Kyle Larson

In lieu of entering the 37th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Okla., the 30-year-old NASCAR star and 2021 Cup Series champion has decided to join the full-fendered division for six nights at Vado this year. Larson will forego his midget ride and return to the seat of Kevin Rumley’s familiar No. 6 Longhorn, as the pair eye the bonus money up for grabs. While Larson has never raced at Vado — he’s only watched video of last year’s event — his uncanny knack of being a quick study, along with Rumley’s reputation of being one of the sport’s sharpest minds, should be more then enough to make him a contender each night. The likable Elk Grove, Calif., native is one of the sport’s top draws when he’s in action as well, so I suspect fan attendance will see a Larson bump this season also.

VIDEO: Kyle Larson discusses his Wild West Shootout debut with Ben Shelton. 

4. Hometown Heroes

Led by reigning Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series rookie of the year Garrett Alberson, who picked up his first career Wild West Shootout victory with a thrilling win over Mike Marlar and Tyler Erb on the third night of action lat year, the week’s tentative lineup features a handful of Las Cruces natives.

Fellow Las Cruces drivers Johnny Scott, Stormy Scott and Devan Smith are expected to join Alberson in defense of their home turf, though none of the four really have a ton of experience at Vado. Of the four, Smith probably boasts the most experience a he picked up five victories — two Late Model and three Super Truck — and seven runner-up finishes across the two divisions at Vado in ’22.

Like Alberson, the Scott brothers spend most of their time away from Las Cruces chasing national and regional touring events, so it will be a homecoming of sorts for those three.

5. Bonus Money

Returning for its second straight year, The Penske Racing Shocks Paydirt Jackpot offers a whopping $300,000 bonus to any driver sweeping all six Super Late Model features. The bonus program also includes a $100,000 incentive for five victories and a $25,000 bonus to a four-time winner. No driver has ever won four miniseries events, but three victories has been achieved by Jonathan Davenport ('21), Brian Shirley, (’20), Brandon Sheppard, (’20), and Bobby Pierce ('17 and '19).

Other bonuses up for grabs this year:

$500 from Rio Grande Waste Services each night to the driver who passes the most cars. 

$1,000 to the driver with the overall Super Late Model fast time in qualifying for the six races, also from Rio Grande Waste Services. 

$100 from Gorsuch Performance Solutions to each feature polesitter. 

$100 courtesy of SportTruck RV and Screven Motor Speedway to the fast qualifier each night.

6. New Longhorn Campaigners

Illinois drivers Brandon Sheppard and Bobby Pierce are hoping to use the Wild West Shootout to jumpstart their respective seasons and their new venture in a Longhorn Chassis. Sheppard, of New Berlin, and Pierce, of Oakwood, made the switch in the offseason and would like nothing more than to get their new rides dialed in during the six-race miniseries. It’s especially important for Sheppard, who will leave New Mexico headed straight for Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park, where he and the newly-formed Sheppard Riggs Racing team will kick off the World of Outlaws Case Late Model Season on Jan. 19 in the three-race Sunshine Nationals. Pierce has a little more time to tweak on his new car before his regular season starts closer to home in the Midwest, but the 2017 Wild West Shootout champ will nonetheless expect to compete for miniseries wins during the six events.

7. J.D.’s Return

Can Superman keep it going? Fresh off a record $2 million season, the Blairsville, Ga., heads to the Wild West Shootout after skipping its Vado debut in 2022. The 39-year-old won 24 races last season, including nine paying at least $50,000-to-win. With somewhat fewer high-paying events on the 2023 calendar — including no Eldora Million for Late Models — Davenport can offset that with a big week in New Mexico, which could include the $300,000 bonus on the table via the Penske Racing Shocks Paydirt Jackpot if he can sweep all six Late Model features. It won’t be easy as Davenport seeks his third miniseries championship after winning it in 2016 at USA Raceway in Tucson, Ariz., and 2021 at FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway in Queen Creek, Ariz. But the last time he spent January in the desert he was nearly unbeatable as he won three times and added podium finishes of second (twice) and third at Arizona Speedway.

8. Returning Champs

Jonathan Davenport isn’t the only former champion returning to the Wild West Shootout. The expected lineup for the miniseries is stellar with Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn. ('18 and '22); Brandon Sheppard ('19-20); and Bobby Pierce ('17) expected to be in action. That’s every champion for the last seven years, making this year’s event one of the most competitive ever.

Adding to the already stacked lineup, Hall of Famer Billy Moyer, who now lives near Lake Havasu City, Ariz., plans to compete as well. Moyer, a stalwart of January events in the Southwest, leads the list of winter winners with 13 victories going back to 2001, events that include the Wild West Shootout, Early Thaw and Winter Extreme. Moyer won 10 of 18 starts at USA Raceway in Tucson, Ariz., from 2010-’12.

Through Springfield, Mo.’s Terry Phillips and Headingley, Manitoba’s Ricky Weiss into the mix and six of the 10 winningest drivers in the history of the Southwest’s January events (45 wins among them) are planning to be in attendance.

9. Victory Lane

Cowboy hats and six-shooters. Money bags and steers. It’s all part of the pomp and circumstance that is victory lane during the Wild West Shootout. Promoter Chris Kearns has even been known to grab a couple of unsuspecting young race fans from the crowd and bring them to victory lane to enjoy the ceremony. (Last year my two nephews were randomly picked to join Brandon Sheppard in victory lane following Sheppard’s win over Garrett Alberson.) The winner’s hardware has included moonshine, trophies featuring, guns, skulls, the tops of whiskey barrels and more. It’s all part of the show, which makes this unique event even better.

10. Drivers Seeking Four

Heading into Friday’s Wild West Shootout opener, there are 10 drivers who have recorded at least four victories during Southwest’s January events dating back to 2001. Six of them — Billy Moyer (13 victories), Terry Phillips (10), Bobby Pierce (6), Jonathan Davenport (6), Brandon Sheppard (6) and Ricky Weiss (4) — are expected to be at Vado for this year’s six-race event. There are seven more drivers with three wins, three of which will be in this year’s field. Mike Marlar, Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, and Don Shaw, Ham Lake, Minn., each are seeking their fourth career WWS win. It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that Erb or Marlar could perhaps join Pierce, Davenport and Sheppard in the six-win club by the time the checkered flag falls on the Jan. 15 finale. Others with three wins include Brian Shirley, Pat Doar, Tim Fuller and Darrell Lanigan.