By Vincent Delforge, special to KickinTheTires.net
This Friday night is the Star Nursery 150 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring, Las Vegas, NV. This is the 10th and penultimate race of the ARCA Menards West Series 2022 season. A race that could already seal the championship since Jake Drew has a first chance to get the crown. If none of his direct opponents manages to leave Nevada with less than 50 points behind, mass will be said.
Currently Drew is 51 points ahead of Cole Moore, 58 over Tanner Reif and 64 over Todd Souza. Suffice to say that the task will be complicated for them, even if the entry list has filled up with 26 drivers entered.
The Las Vegas Bullring is one of the tracks in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway complex along with the 1.5 miles speedway, the 0.5 mile dirt track, the road course and the drag strip. The Bullring is a 0.375 mile paved short track that like the All American Speedway in Roseville, CA on October 1 always offers a great show with close racing at every lap of the race.
Last year Jake Drew took pole position but it was Taylor Gray who won after leading 123 of the 150 laps. And like with P.J. Pedroncelli in Roseville, Gray returns to defend his title this year in what will be only his second West Series start of the year after the season-opening race in Phoenix, AZ. A race he had won.
But many will want to win the race. Will Cole Moore ride the wave of his first career success at Roseville? Will Landen Lewis claim his first win for Bill McAnally Racing? Who of the mother (Sarah) or the daughter (Bridget) Burgess will be the most successful? Because yes, for the first time in the history of the series a mother/daughter duo will participate in the same race.
There will also be several newcomers with Tyler Reif, Katie Hettinger, Andres Perez de Lara and Jacob Smith.
Let’s not forget to mention that the Japanese Takuma Koga will take part in his 100th career race. More info here: www.kickinthetires.net/nascar/arca-series/west-series-japanese-driver-takuma-kogas-100th-career-race/
The race will consist of 150 laps for 56.25 miles. The start will be given at 7:15 pm (PT). The race will be preceded by a single practice/qualifying session of one hour and thirty minutes.
Race procedures
CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the Star Nursery 150 is limited to 20 plus provisional positions. This event will run under the 2022 ARCA Menards Series West rules, procedures, regulations and specifications.
QUALIFYING: Starting position will be set by each car’s fastest recorded lap in the practice / qualifying session.
RACE PIT STOP: Pitting during any caution period in this event will be for making repairs and adjustments only; no tires can be changed unless approved by ARCA Officials. Positions will not be gained or lost among those pitting on the same lap unless penalty or going a lap down on pit road.
The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows: The maximum tire use at track for the event is eight (8). Per ARCA Rulebook, maximum number of tires allowed in pit box for use in race is four (4).
ARCA West at Las Vegas Bullring
The Las Vegas Speedrome, located in Clark County, Las Vegas, Nevada consists of a road course and drag strip, opening in 1972, a 3/8-mile short track opening in 1985 and finally a 1.5-mile superspeedway opening in September 1996.
Las Vegas is the only automobile complex to have been on the West Series calendar in three different configurations since 1994. Indeed, the short track that interests us today was used for the first time between 1994 and 1995 before giving way to a series of 10 races on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile) between 1996 and 2002.
The West Series even competed on the two tracks of the Las Vegas complex (the Bullring and the Motor Speedway) between 2001 and 2002 before a final race in 2003 on the short track. In this ‘I love you and then I leave you’ relationship, the West Series will return to the Bullring once again between 2011 and 2012 before another hiatus.
However, the umpteenth comeback will be next door on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track (.500-mile dirt) in 2018 and 2019 for the last two seasons under the NASCAR banner. Eventually the Bullring regained its place on the West calendar under the ARCA since 2020.
In total, the Bullring will have hosted 10 races between 1994 and 2021.
Only one team can claim to have won on the Speedway, the Bullring, and the Dirt track. Who is it? Bill McAnally Racing of course! Brendan Gaughan won on the Speedway in 2001, Hailie Deegan on the dirt track in 2019. Austin Cameron (2003) and Trotter (2020) on the Bullring.
Note that another record for female drivers had already been broken last year here in the West Series. Indeed there had been five female racers with Jolynn Wilkinson, Mariah Boudrieau, Amber Balcaen, Bridegt Burgess and Amber Slagle. Only the last two mentioned will be there again this year.
As far as statistics are concerned, of the 10 races already contested in LV Bullring we can highlight:
-Greg Pursley is the most successful pilot with two wins. All the other drivers who each have a victory (Ron Hornaday, Jr., Ernie Cope, Mark Reed, Austin Cameron, Jim Inglebright, Sam Mayer, Gracie Trotter and Taylor Gray.
-Among the manufacturers, Chevrolet leads the dance with 5 wins ahead of Ford (3), Pontiac (1) and Toyota (1).
-Among the manufacturers, Chevrolet leads with four poles ahead of Ford (3), Pontiac (2) and Toyota (1).
-The most successful team is almost unsurprisingly Bill McAnally Racing with three wins (2002, 2003 and 2020) Gene Price Motorsports follows with two wins (2011 and 2012). All the other teams have only one victory. Note that among the teams present this year, apart from BMR, only David Gilliland Racing already has a victory, it was last year with Taylor Gray. Curiously Brucanti Racing has never won there.
-Concerning the poles, BMR is again at the top of the ranking with three (2002, 2003 and 2020). Once again Gene Price Motorsports follows with two (2011 and 2012). All the other teams have only one pole, including Bruncati Racing last year with Jake Drew.
-The track record is owned by Sam Mayer for GMS Racing at 92.396 mph achieved in 2020.
-The poleman has won the race six times.
-Gracie Trotter won the race in 2020 from ninth position on the starting grid, which is a record.
-As far as yellow flags are concerned, the record is 16 in 2002. The 2002 race also holds the record for the number of yellow flag laps with 96.
The Drivers
No. 02 Katie Hettinger (Young’s Motorsports)
At 15, she will make her debut in the West Series with Young’s Motorsports. Experienced in NASCAR (NXS, NWCTS) National Series Andrew Abbott, will be his crew chief. Even if it will be a first for him also in the West Series. Note that she will also make the final in Phoenix. More info here: www.kickinthetires.net/nascar/arca-series/hettinger-to-make-arca-west-debut-with-youngs-motorsports/
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
No. 05 Dave Smith (Shockwave Racing)
After a serious race in Roseville, the Canadian veteran intends to use this experience to get closer to the top 10 once again. But with such an entry list and on a track that he will discover, the task will not be easy. Dave Fuge will be once again his crw chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11th | n/a |
No. 4 Sean Hingorani (Nascimento-Joiner Motorsports)
In Roseville with BMR, he had not been successful with a race made up of several incidents. He returns to Nascimento Motorsports. His speed is undeniable, he should be a candidate for the top 10 even if like many he will make his first race in the West Series here. Ty Joiner will be his crew chief. The latter becoming more involved in the team for the end of the season.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12th | n/a |
No. 5 Jacob Smith (Jerry Pitts Racing)
The 17-year-old driver, Idaho native, will be one of the newcomers for this race. He will be driving a car from Jerry Pitts Racing, which for the occasion will take care of three cars with those of Takuma Koga and Kyle Keller. As for his teammate Kyle Keller, Jerry Pitts will be his crew chief. More info here: www.kickinthetires.net/nascar/arca-series/jacob-smith-ascends-to-arca-menards-series-west-for-las-vegas-debut/
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
No. 6 Jake Drew (Bruncati Racing)
The championship leader took pole here last year, his first in his career on an oval. But he had been dominated in the race by Taylor Gray. He will have the opportunity to take his revenge since Gray will be present.
Note that if Drew takes pole again, he will allow his crew chief Bill Sedgwick to equal the absolute pole record (47) for a crew chief in West Series held by Richard Elder since… 1975! And Sedgwick knows how to win here having helped Hornaday triumph in 1994 from pole, at the time his third in his career.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 18 | 4 | 13 | 16 | 7 | 1st (4x) | 1 start, best result 2nd |
No. 7 Takuma Koga (Jerry Pitts Racing)
To commemorate his 100th career start, Koga intends to get a good result, at least a top10. In four races here he has already obtained two top 10 finishes with a sixth position as his best result in 2020. Denny Moyer will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 99 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 0 | 5th (4x) | 4 starts, best result 6th |
No. 9 Tanner Reif (Bruncati Racing)
Tanner knows the Las Vegas Bullring very well, having raced there in recent years in many categories and winning several victories there. In the West Series this will be his first race.
He will be aiming for victory and intends to regain second position in the championship from Cole Moore. Jeff Schrader, his crew chief, had helped his teammate Drew to take pole last year. Note that for the first time, he will have his little brother Tyler as an opponent in a West Series race.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 9 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 1st (2x) | n/a |
No. 11 Chris Lowden (Lowden Jackson Motorsports)
It was here that Lowden made his first career West Series race last year. On a track he knows perfectly and where he has had success in the past, he intends to obtain his best result of his career. Or better than the 12th position. But he will have a lot of work because his team will enter not two but three cars! Dave Jackson, also a great Bullring specialist, will be his crew chief.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12th (2x) | 1 start, best result 15th |
No. 12 Kyle Keller (Jerry Pitts Racing)
Fourth here for his debut in the West Series in 2020, he had in 2021 obtained a new top-five. He was already driving for Jerry Pitts at the time. Having Keller in his car is for an owner the guarantee of a top-10 at least and once in two it is a top-five.
He collected Bounty toilet paper in recent races regularly being the top rookie in the race. Bounty being the official sponsor of the best rookie in ARCA.
But he wants more, that is to say victory. And on a short track that he appreciates, this may be the case this Friday evening. Jerry Pitts, his crew chief, has already obtained three victories and two poles at the LV Bullring.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 8 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 4th (2x) | 2 starts, best result 4th |
No. 13 Todd Souza (Central Coast Racing)
Souza remains on three consecutive top-five finishes, which is therefore his best part of the season. Curiously, the veteran has only done three races at the LV Bullring. Since 2020, he has finished eighth, fifth and only 16th respectively last year. But the CCR team is in good shape and it will be a candidate for victory. The one he has been waiting for so long on oval.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 106 | 1 | 18 | 59 | 0 | 1st (1x) | 3 starts, best result : 5th |
No. 16 Landen Lewis (Bill McAnally Racing)
Lewis would like to finally win a race with BMR and above all redeem himself with the team following his crash in Roseville where he only finished 17th. He will make his debut here.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 6 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1st (1x) | n/a |
No. 17 Buddy Shepherd (McGowan Motorsports with Cook Racing Technologies)
First West Series race since 2019 for Shepherd. He who has already done seven between 2015 and 2019 for Jeff Jefferson and Jerry Pitts. His best result came in 2015 at Meridian Speedway, a quarter-mile short track like the LV Bullring. A good omen because he will make his debut here. But with a very efficient team and Sean Samuels as crew chief, he could have a nice surprise in store for us.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3th | n/a |
No. 21 RJ Smotherman (Lowden Jackson Motorsports with Holleran-Wood Racing)
For his second career race at Roseville, a track he did not know, he was able to progress throughout the race and obtain a good seventh place. He even integrated the top-five at one point in the closing laps. Here he is at home, on the oval he knows best and where in principle he should show all his talent. With his crew chief Matt Jackson, he has good hopes of a top-10.
More info here: www.kickinthetires.net/nascar/arca-series/get-to-know-arca-west-series-driver-rj-smotherman/
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7th | n/a |
No. 39 Andrew Tuttle (Last Chance Racing)
Not having been able to take the start in Roseville following an engine problem during practice, Tuttle intends to resume his forward march here. Its engine has been completely redone. He will make his first race here in the West Series.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 14 (+1 DNS) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11th (1x) | n/a |
No. 41 Tyler Reif (Lowden Jackson Motorsports)
Tanner Reif’s little brother will be making his West Series debut on a track he knows inside out.
More info here : www.kickinthetires.net/nascar/arca-series/tyler-reif-making-arca-west-debut-at-las-vegas-bullring/
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
No. 42 Amber Slagle (Cook Racing Technologies)
After two races in the ARCA National Series, Slagle returns to the West Series on a track she knows from riding there last year where she had to give up following the breakage of her radiator. But on short track, she has already managed to get three top-10s including two this year.
As this time around she had some sim time just before in Toledo, she should be right in the game for a good result. Derek Peebles will be her crew chief for the first time this year.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9th (1x) | 1 start, best result 21st |
No. 51 Andres Perez de Lara (David Gilliland Racing)
The 17-year-old Mexican will be making his West Series debut. He was able to do his first race during the combined race between the ARCA national series and the East Series where with the same car he had obtained a superb seventh position after a relatively modest qualifying session (16th). Derek Smith will once again be his crew chief. DGR having won the race last year with Taylor Gray, we will have to keep a close eye on the race of the Mexican.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
No. 54 Joey Iest (Naake-Klauer Motorsports)
Iest is in good shape having just obtained two third positions in the last three races. In Roseville at the beginning of October he even led 39 laps. As incredible as it may seem, it was only his first led laps of the season! Fourth here last year, which is his best result in three starts, he will be a candidate for victory.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 22 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 0 | 1st (1x) | 3 starts, best result 4th |
No. 66 Eric Rhead (66 Rhead Racing)
A complicated season for the Utah driver. Crash in Phoenix where he was unable to start, he returned to Irwindale, the sixth race of the season, where he suffered a new crash for which he was not at all responsible. His car was restored by his small family team whose crew chief is none other than his wife Roxi Gabbard.
Above all, let’s hope that everything will go well here on this Bullring that he will discover with a car from the West Series. Indeed his participation in the Phoenix final will depend on the condition of his car at the end of the race.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 1 (+1 DNS) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15th | n/a |
No. 71 Taylor Gray (David Gilliland Racing)
Taylor is having a great 2022 season in the different ARCA series. In the national series he obtained three victories, in the East Series, one victory and in the West Series, he also won the only race he did this year in Phoenix. In addition, he won the victory here in Las Vegas last year by largely dominating the race.
Will he be the first driver to win the race two years in a row after Greg Pursley? The latter had achieved this performance in 2011 and 2012, ten years ago. Chad Johnston will be his crew chief as usual since the last two years.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 11 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 1st (4x) | 1 start, best result 1st |
No. 77 Nick Joanides (Performance P-1 Motorsports)
Once again the consistency and the science of the race allowed Joanides to obtain a top-10 in Roseville, which was almost unexpected for the team before the start of the race. He will make his West Series debut at the LV Bullring. As usual, the black car decked out with the No. 77 of Joe Nava, with his crew chief Dave McKenzie will be one to watch closely for a top-10.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 18 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4th (1x) | n/a |
No. 84 Bradley Erickson (Naake-Klauer Motorsports)
Erickson is doing a few races this year to get his bearings for a full season in 2023. And he’s learning with a good car. Mechanical problem at Irwindale and a small problem managing his ardor as a young gun with a collision at Roseville took him away from the top-10. Because in pure speed, Bradley has the means to obtain a good result, no doubt about it. Tony Caputo will once again be his crew chief and help him make his debut here.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12th | n/a |
No. 85 Vince Little (Last Chance Racing)
After having mishandled his car somewhat in Roseville, Little had announced that he would probably not do the last two races of the season. But at Last Chance Racing, they have the “never give up” spirit and the car is ready to hit the track this Friday with the help of its crew chief Darrell Herzog. Little, like many, will make his debut here.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11th (2x) | n/a |
No. 88 Bridget Burgess (BMI Racing)
For the first time in her West Series career, Bridget will not have her mother Sarah as crew chief. The reason? Sarah is going to do her first race as a driver. Historic moment in the West Series to see a mother/daughter duo competing in the same race.
It is Victor Franco who will be the crew chief of both Bridget and Sarah. It is here that Bridget obtained her best result of her career with a seventh position in 2020. Result which she equaled this year on the Portland road track. Unlucky in Roseville, she hopes to bounce back and aim for the top 10.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 29 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 7th (2x) | 3 starts, best result : 7th |
No. 97 Sarah Burgess (BMI Racing)
For the first time BMI, the Burgess family team will field not one but two cars. In addition to Bridget’s, there will be Sarah’s No.97. It will be her first career race. Note that she had already done a few laps and had even qualified in 15th position out of 16 drivers at the start of the season at Irwindale in a second car from Nascimento Motorsports but had not finally taken the start.
This will officially be her first race. The deal with his sponsor only concerns this race but who knows, maybe it will lead to more in the future. In any case, seeing the former off-road driver behind the wheel of a West Series car will be interesting to follow.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
No. 99 Cole Moore (Bill McAnally Racing)
Freed from a weight on his shoulders. This is how we will see Cole Moore in Las Vegas. Indeed he finally won his first career race and regained second position in the championship.
If he wants to keep his chances for the title, even if they are slim, he must absolutely ride the wave of success and achieve another victory. Which would be the 100th for BMR. Last year he finished sixth in his only career West Series race here. Mario Isola his crew chief has already won a victory on the LV Bullring, it was in 2003 with Jim Inglebright.
| Starts | Wins | Top5 | Top10 | Pole | Best result | At LV Bullring |
| 26 | 1 | 10 | 16 | 0 | 1st (1x) | 1 start, best result 6th |
Final notes
-Trevor Huddleston will ultimately not be present with his High Point Racing team.
-Bobby Hillis, Jr. should have been there but ultimately decided to put all his resources into the final race at Phoenix in early November.