In the dead of winter, Ricky Weiss left Headingly, Manitoba, Canada seeking fame and fortune in the Arizona desert just outside of Phoenix. He found it at the 0.333-mile Arizona Speedway in San Tan Valley Saturday night in the first round of Wild West Shootout.

Weiss gave up the lead to Chris Simpson before the halfway point as the bottom groove came in. Weiss followed the leader, but as the field hit lapped traffic, he spied an opportunity went back to the top. On the 34th circuit around the track, Weiss sailed past Simpson for the final lead change of the night.

“We closed on the 18 car (of Chase Junghans), he moved to the top and pulled away,” Weiss related. “I moved up there not thinking it would be that good, but I found out it was a lot better.”

Weiss is well accustomed to winning. In 2017, he took 15 trophies home from the track and won the Northern Late Model Racing Association championship.

Saturday night, Weiss pocketed $5,000 for his effort. If he can win the next five races of the Shootout for a clean sweep, he will bank a $250,000 bonus.

“This is a great field, it’s the best of the best and feels good to be here,” Weiss said

Simpson finished second and was not particularly pleased with the result.

“It sucks leading that many laps and losing like that, but all in all it was a good night,” Simpson said.

Mike Marlar rounded out the podium with Brandon Sheppard as the first man on the outside looking in.

Last year’s dominator Bobby Pierce did not get off to a particularly strong start. He finished 12th.

Top-10 Finishers
1. Ricky Weiss
2. Chris Simpson
3. Mike Marlar
4. Brandon Sheppard
5. Garrett Alberson
6. Don Shaw
7. Cade Dillard
8. Austin Siebert
9. Terry Phillips
10. Lance Malthees