With the 2023 race season set to get underway, here are 10 things to keep an eye on at FK Rod Ends Vado Speedway Park, as the immaculate Royal Jones-owned facility located between Las Cruces, N.M., and El Paso, Texas, hosts the 17th annual Rio Grande Waste Services Wild West Shootout presented by O’Reilly on Jan. 7-15 (complete WWS coverage):

New rules: The Wild West Shootout will be the first event using Hoosier’s new unified tire rule — the new National Late Model Tire (NLMT) — which MORE

As we slip into the holiday season — and closer to a new racing season — it’s nice to reflect on the previous season. Sometimes we’re so busy driving from one sleepy little town to another, sleeping in sketchy hotels and eating below average food that we don’t take the time to actually enjoy this great sport we love. And despite being a bit weary as we crawled toward the finish, there are still few things I’d rather do.

While wrapping up the year, I realized that I covered more events MORE

We can spend all winter debating whether or not there are too many races scheduled throughout the year, especially during the late fall. I think most would agree — at least most of my friends on social media — that the racing season as it is now is simply too long. Perhaps this would be good topic to bring up during Thanksgiving dinner, though if you want to stay out of the doghouse with your significant other, I’m not sure how you could possibly be an advocate for more races or a longer MORE

I’ve always enjoyed racing trips to Mississippi.

From my first time in the Magnolia State in the early ’90s when my family rented Columbus Speedway from the Nichols family and promoted races there a handful of times to the many times I’ve returned for special events since, I’ve never dreaded heading south from my Tennessee home to watch a race in Mississippi.

Of the 20 states I’ve attended races in, I’ve only visited more tracks in four states — Tennessee, Illinois, Alabama and MORE

It would be easy to dismiss Garrett Smith’s victory in the 42nd annual General Tire Dirt Track World Championship presented by Optima Batteries at Portsmouth Raceway Park as a fluke, a stroke of good fortune for a young driver who took advantage of his pole position on a track that quickly took rubber and became one-laned.

Starting from the pole, Smith did indeed have the easiest path to victory among the 25 starters. Smith’s mission in the 100-lap, $100,000-to-win event founded and still MORE