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Royal Jones to Serve as Grand Marshal of the 2026 Wild West Shootout

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Dec. 24, 2025) — Las Cruces, New Mexico’s Royal Jones, a longtime supporter of the Wild West Shootout, has been selected as the official Grand Marshal of the 2026 event as it returns to its Arizona roots at Central Arizona Speedway. The Wild West Shootout staff is proud to recognize Jones for his long-standing commitment to, and support of, one of dirt racing’s premier winter showcases.

Wild West Shootout promoter Chris Kearns praised Jones’ impact on the event and the sport, saying, “In pretty much every way you can think, Royal has been a supporter of the Wild West Shootout. Since the day I became involved, Royal has raced and sponsored the event. He is definitely a ‘put your money where your mouth is’ kind of guy. He races, he sponsors us, and he sponsors many, many racers. MVT is on the side of so many race cars, it’s crazy. I don’t care if it’s Late Models, Modifieds, or Sprint Cars—Royal is all in.”

Jones has been deeply involved with the Wild West Shootout for many years, both as a competitor and a sponsor. Through his companies, Mesilla Valley Transportation and Border Tire, Jones has consistently backed the event while also supporting countless racers across multiple divisions. In addition to his racing and sponsorship efforts, Jones is the owner of Vado Speedway Park, which has played a key role in the history of the Wild West Shootout.

Kearns also reflected on Jones’ role in the event’s history, saying, “I’ve told the story many times that when we needed a track to take the Wild West Shootout to, Royal didn’t even hesitate. When I called him about needing to run the Wild West at Vado, all he said was yes. It’s pretty cool to be able to honor him as the Grand Marshal now that we have moved back to Arizona. What makes it even more special is that this shows we aren’t doing it just because he owned the track we held the event at—we are honoring him because he truly deserves it.”

The 2026 Wild West Shootout will continue its tradition of celebrating racers, sponsors, and supporters who help make the event one of the most anticipated stops on the racing calendar.

The 2026 Wild West Shootout runs Jan. 10, 11, 14, 16, 17 and 18, featuring six nights of racing for Super Late Models, Modifieds and X-Mods. A star-studded Super Late Model roster is already committed, including former Wild West Shootout champions Bobby Pierce, Jonathan Davenport and Brandon Sheppard, along with national touring standouts Ricky Thornton Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Tyler Erb, Ethan Dotson, Brandon Overton, Mike Marlar, Ryan Gustin, Garrett Alberson and many more.

Six-day and single-day reserved tickets are on sale now at www.WildWestShootout.net. Fans unable to attend in person can watch every lap live on FloRacing.

The Rio Grande Waste Services Wild West Shootout presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts is made possible by Rio Grande Waste Services, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Pit Boss, FK Rod Ends, Low Voltage Solutions, Malvern Bank, Black Diamond Race Cars, Hoker Trucking, ShockerHitch.com, Penske Racing Shocks, Merry’s Home Furnishings, Shaw Trucking, Schaeffer Oil, AM-1 Roofing, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Border Tire, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Swift Springs, Dirt Pro Grading & Padwork, Contractors & Developers (C&D) Bonding, Whisler Construction, Shocks by Hammer, Midwest Sheet Metal, Speedway Motors, Day Motor Sports, Hoosier Racing Tires, Sunoco Race Fuels, Pro Power Engines, Beaver Stripes, Arizona Differential, Gorsuch Performance Solutions, Don Frank Floors, Toste Construction, Winning Edge Carburetion, The Joie of Seating, Needmore Speedway, DirtDraft.com, and FloRacing.

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