The 2025 Dirt Late Model season begins with this weekend’s Rio Grande Waste Services Wild West Shootout presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts at FK Rod Ends Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park, where nearly 50 Dirt Late Model drivers compete in the six-race miniseries bookended by $25,000-to-win programs.
Garrett Alberson stormed to his second career Wild West Shootout victory on Sunday, leading all 30 laps for the $10,000 victory from the fourth-starting spot over Bobby Pierce, who started eighth. Alberson’s first Wild West Shootout victory came Jan. 12, 2022.
2025 Wild West Shootout
Pole-starting Kyle Beard finished sixth. A pair of front-runners, Ross Bailes and Ethan Dotson, encountered issues running inside the top-10 on Friday. Dotson was running sixth when he needed to pit for rear-end damage battling Ross Bailes inside the top-five. Bailes then slowed out of third with two laps remaining as he appeared to suffer a mechanical failure.
Brandon Sheppard was the biggest mover of the night, finishing fifth from the 21st-starting spot…