Gomes and Doss to Settle Southwest Tour Series Championship
Nov 8, 2022
Event: The “Spears Southwest Tour Season Finale – Prelude to the Showdown 100” will close out the 22nd season for the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series. It will be the first time the series closes its’ championship season at Irwindale Speedway. The Super Late Models will be joined by the Spears Pro Late Model Series presented by Sigma Performance Services for the “LiUNA Feel the Power 60 presented by Lucas Oil”, and the Spears Modified Series in the “Factory Canopies 60 presented by Lucas Oil”. All three divisions will end their seasons on the outer ½-mile.
Live TV: The season finale will find the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series LIVE on MAVTV, beginning at 6:00 PM. It will be the first time the series has been featured live on national television. All the weekend’s features can be seen at www.SpearsRacing.TV, for those without MAVTV. Only the Super Late Model feature will be broadcast live.
Purse: The winner of Saturday night’s event will receive $6,500, thanks to the “Winner’s Bonus” from Senneker Performance Services. $2,500, $1,500, $1,250, and $1,000 will be paid out to the balance of the top-five. $1,000 will be paid to start the event, for those on the Spears Manufacturing Frequent Flyer Program. The Spears Pro Late Model winner will receive $2,500, and the Modified winner will receive $2,000.
Championship: Jacob Gomes and Jeremy Doss will battle it out for the Super Late Model Championship in the finale. Gomes holds a slim 17-point advantage over Doss. He can clinch his second series championship by finishing third in Saturday’s event. Gomes has three wins, six top-five, and eight top-10 finishes, compared to the 2018 champ who has two victories, seven top-five’s, and eight top-10’s. Both drivers have completed all 988 laps of competition in 2022, with Gomes leading 327 laps to Doss’ 157. Gomes average finish is 3.1 compared to Doss at 3.4. Gomes has four PFC Brakes “Zero Drag Fast Time Awards” to one for Doss.
Battle for Third: Cale Kanke currently sits third in the championship standings with 1088 points. John Moore is 31 points back with 1057 markers. Dustin Ash is a mere three points behind Moore with Buddy Shepherd another four points behind Ash. All four drivers have a strong shot at the third-place position.
Diversified Field: 24 Super Late Models are currently entered for this weekend’s event. Seven states are represented, as well as the province of British Columbia, Canada. Teams are entered from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Texas.
Rookies: A season high seven rookies are entered for this weekend’s action. Zach Telford leads the list as the current Rookie-of-the-Year championship leader. Former Madera Speedway Pro Late Model champion Austin Herzog will make his fifth 2022 start, and Stockton 99 Speedway Spears Pro Late Model victor Sean Hingorani will make his fourth start. “All American 400” Pro Late Model feature winner at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, Jake Bollman, will perform double duty and make his third start of the season. Two-time Colorado National Speedway (CNS) championship runner-up Nickolas Cooper will be joined by CNS Rookie-of-the-Year Zach Morris, as both will make the trip from Colorado. Northwest Super Late Model Series winner Austin Thom will travel from Dundee, OR to also compete in the season finale.
Debut: Four drivers will make their 2022 season debuts in the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series Super Late Models. Rocky Mountain Motorsports drivers Nickolas Cooper and Zach Morris will make their first career feature starts in the series. Spears Modified Series championship car owner Eddie Wilcox will also make his first career start and Logan Jewell will make his first start of the 2022 season.
Pro Late Models: 18 Spears Manufacturing Pro Late Models presented by Sigma Performance Services are entered for this weekend’s action. Seth Wise enters the event as the championship leader with a 57-point cushion over Dylan Zampa. Wise only needs to finish 13th or better to secure the championship in the series second season. Tyler Reif, Christian Bazen, and Tanner Reif complete the top-five. The last time the Pro Late Models visited Irwindale, Nick Joanides scored a thrilling last-lap victory when race leaders Dylan Zampa and Dean Thompson made contact, sending Zampa spinning. Cody Kiemele came home second followed by Jefferey Peterson, Ricky Schlick, and Seth Wise. Joanides will look to make it two-and-a-row at Irwindale this weekend.
Spears Modifieds: Jaron Giannini enters the season finale with a 142-point lead in the championship standings. By starting the event, he will secure both the Rookie-of-the-Year title, as well as the overall championship. Jimmy Sloan sits second followed by William Guevara, Travis Thirkettle, and Sam Jacks. The Irwindale Speedway dominator, Travis Thirkettle, will look to sweep the Modified action at Irwindale in 2022 and score his sixth total win of the season. 15 Modifieds are entered, with Holly Clark looking to perform double duty in both her Modified and Pro Late Model. Nathan Byrd will make his return to the series and make his first start in 2022.
Schedule: Spectator Gates open at 4:00 PM with Qualifying for the Spears Manufacturing Modifieds, Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series Super Late Models, and Spears Pro Late Models presented by Sigma Performance Services beginning at 4:15 PM. Opening Ceremonies are scheduled for 5:30 pm with the National Anthem at 5:50 PM. The command to “Start Your Engines” is scheduled for 6:00 PM, with Main Events for the Super Late Models, Modifieds, and Pro Late Models to follow. Fireworks will conclude the evenings activities.
Super Late Model Entry: Number, Driver, Hometown, Sponsor
1. 05 Nick Cooper, Severance, CO – Nordy’s BBQ, Adams Polishes*
2. 11A Dustin Ash, Las Vegas, NV – SPS, Sigma Engineering Solutions
3. 11D John Dillon, Eagle, ID – Dillon Toyota Lift
4. 11H Austin Herzog, Clovis, CA – Richard Herzog Construction, Superior Door*
5. 13 Sean Hingorani, Newport Coast, CA – Nascimento Motorsports*
6. 14D Chris Davidson, Taylor Lake Village, TX – Davidson Electric, Painstaking Art Studio
7. 16 Jacob Gomes, Manteca, CA – SunnyValley Smoked Meats, Dell’Osso Family Farms
8. 22A Andy Allen, CA – RJ Allen, Inc., CAZ Training Club
9. 22S Buddy Shepherd, Bakersfield, CA – Doby Hagar Trucking, Marin Auto Color
10. 23 Dan Holtz, Pacific Palisades, CA – Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center, Concrete Motorsports
11. 24B Jake Bollman, Huntington Beach, CA – PB Plumbing*
12. 24S Scott Sanchez, Bakersfield, CA – Salted Metals, Gibson Crane
13. 27 John Moore, Granite Bay, CA – JM Environmental Inc., Berco Redwood
14. 33 Cale Kanke, Frazier Park, CA – Allie Bakes
15. 37 Keith Spangler, Porter Ranch, CA – Salted Metals
16. 44 Jeremy Doss, Upper Lake, CA – Alliance Rental Solutions, Shell Roofing Solutions
17. 50 Trevor Huddleston, , Agoura Hills, CA – High Point Racing, Racecar Factory
18. 57 Zach Telford, Middleton, ID – James Hardie, Gibson Diesel*
19. 75 Eddie Wilcox, Salida, CA – Wilcox Automotive
20. 80 Andre Prescott, Mesa, AZ – National Trade Contractors, Burgeson’s A/C
21. 88 Jason Gilbert, Danville, CA – Morgan’s Wood & Race Shop, David’s Racing Products
22. 89 Zach Morris, Greenwood Village, CO – CallEvo, Royal Purple*
23. 92 Logan Jewell, Terrace, B.C. – Garlen Holdings, Racing Dynamiks
24. 93 Austin Thom, Dundee, OR – Sherwin-Williams, Vandoorn Racing Development*
* SPEARS Southwest Tour Series Rookie
Celebrating its twenty-second season in 2022, the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series is a regional stock car series competing on paved ovals in the southwestern portion of the U.S. “The SPEARS Southwest Tour Series…Where the Champions Race”.
-SRL Spears Southwest Tour Series Press Release