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Keyser Manufacturing Wild West Shootout purses receive boost for 2018

QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. (Sept. 1, 2017) — Super Late Model drivers will have more money to chase during the 2018 Keyser Manufacturing Wild West Shootout presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts scheduled for Jan. 6-14 at the FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway outside Phoenix.

In addition to the expansion of the Keyser’s Quarter-Million Challenge, Wild West Shootout co-promoters Chris Kearns and Kevin Montgomery have announced an increase in the purses for the six-race extravaganza of speed. The miniseries’s five $5,000-to-win features (Jan. 6, 7, 10, 12 and 13) will see the start money bumped to $500 — up $100 from the 2017 payoff — and the Jan. 14 finale will offer a $13,000 first-place prize, continuing a $1,000-per-year rise for the biggest show of the mid-winter meet.

The additional cash represents a total increase of approximately $12,000 in purse payout for the Wild West Shootout, which returns to the 3/8-mile FK Rod Ends Arizona Speedway oval for the second consecutive year.

“Kevin and I have a goal to put this event on a national level,� Kearns said. “We have raised the purses each year that we have promoted the Wild West Shootout and we hope that doing so, along with creating a point fund, makes this event more affordable for the professionals and hopefully can put some money in their pockets. We want to give the racers purses they deserve so more of the big name driver put the Wild West Shootout on their schedule.�

The purse increase announcement comes in the wake of the news that the Keyser’s Quarter-Million Challenge has been tweaked to provide The Black Diamond/Club 29 Super Late Models Presented by M&W competitors a greater opportunity to leave the Southwest with bonus money. A checkered-flag sweep of the six A-mains by one driver will for the third consecutive year be worth a blockbuster $250,000 bonus, winning five of six features will again earn a racer an extra $100,000 and capturing four races offers a $25,000 check, but, the first time, three triumphs will be worth a $10,000 bonus.

Earlier this year Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., won three of the four Wild West Shootout features that were completed. Rain forced the cancelation of the final two events, ending Pierce’s chance at the four- or five-win bonuses that would have made him the first driver to collect Keyser Quarter-Million Challenge money since the program was instituted in 2016.

The 2018 Keyser Manufacturing Wild West Shootout presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts, which also includes nightly racing for the USRA Modifieds Presented by Arizona Differential and The RHR Swag X-Mods, kicks off on Sat., Jan. 6, and concludes on Sun., Jan. 14. Complete nights of racing will also take place on Sun., Jan. 7, Wed., Jan. 10, Fri., Jan. 12, and Sat., Jan. 13, with Saturday and Sunday programs going green at 5 p.m. and the Wednesday and Friday events starting at 7 p.m.

The January action is expected to draw many of North America's best dirt-track drivers. Over $200,000 in purses will be distributed during the miniseries.

Advanced tickets may be purchased online at www.wildwestshootout.net/schedule/ and ticket pricing/purchasing information can be found online at www.wildwestshootout.net or by calling the Wild West Shootout office at 520-664-2074.

Arizona Speedway is located just minutes from Phoenix. From Phoenix take U.S. 60 East to Ironwood Dr., turn right (south), go four miles and the track is on the right hand side.

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