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OPEN WHEEL SHOWDOWN

The Open Wheel Showdown is the premier pavement open wheel event in the country, attracting top drivers and teams from across the country to compete for record-breaking purses and national attention.

JEFF MONTGOMERY LEADS THURSDAY PRACTICE FOR OPEN WHEEL SHOWDOWN

Christopher Vargas

LAS VEGAS, NV (November 5, 2026) – “The Hurricane” Jeff Montgomery led the way in BR Motorsports Thursday practice action at the fourth annual OnlyBulls Open Wheel Showdown in Las Vegas. Montgomery topped the Fuel Winged Sprint Cars practice at the .375-mile Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, charging to a 12.449 second lap at 108.442 miles per hour average. Six divisions participated in the practice action.

The Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying Night awaits on Friday which includes the $10,000-to-win Elliott’s Trailers & Carts Non-Wing feature. The other five championship features roll on Saturday. Tickets are available at www.OpenWheelShowdown.com or at the gates. Gates open at 12pm on Friday with time trials at 12:25pm. Opening ceremonies are at 3:50pm followed by heat races, pole shuffles, and the Non-Wing feature. Saturday gates open at 11:30am for lower mains with opening ceremonies at 2:15pm.

“I’m kind of shocked. We really struggled today and threw a swing at it. We went back out and it was so much better. I have to thank my guys here. It’s been a really long year traveling the country,” Montgomery, the Langford, British Columbia driver, said. “Race day is a whole different deal. We’re proud we’re up there. But once we get racing it’ll be a whole different deal.”

Montgomery contended with three-time Open Wheel Showdown winner Kody Swanson for the $50,000 Winged Sprint Car payday in 2025. A broken bolt in the left rear birdcage unhinged his efforts, in one of the most memorable battles in event history.

Meridian, Idaho’s Mike Murgoitio led the morning Fuel Winged Sprint Car practice session. Floridian Chase Cabre drove to fifth in both sessions despite utilizing a last-minute borrowed engine to participate. Qualifying, heat races, and the pole shuffle are on tap for Friday for the Winged Sprint Cars.

Other top performances on Thursday included Kody Swanson and Jackson Macenko, the Cincinnati, Ohio native, leading the return of Non-Wing Sprint Cars to Vegas. They split the first sessions at the track in over 20 years.

New Yorkers have won twice in the Super Modifieds with another crop of them aiming for victory in the 2026 Larry Trigueiro Memorial presented by Firstline Systems. Oswego’s Dan Connors, Jr. led the first practice session for the Supers before Colorado’s Kyle Ray dominated the second session.

Utah’s Eric Rhead and former Colorado National Speedway champion Nathan Gasser split the practices for the Klotz Synthetics Open Wheel Modifieds. They race for $10,000 to win in a 75-lap feature on Saturday, following Friday heat races and pole shuffle action.

The Sunrise Heavy Haul-backed INEX divisions also practiced on Thursday. A strong 32-car Legends field was split by Tracy, Calif.’s Brenden Ruzbarsky and Las Vegas’ Connor Podloski. Las Vegas Bandolero regular Austin French and Idaho’s Kyro Phipps were the fastest in the Bandolero portion of the show.

Friday Adult tickets are $30 while youth ages 6-12 are $20. Saturday Adult tickets are $35 while youth ages 6-12 are $20. Race fan parking is free.

Speed Sport returns as the media partner with live coverage of the race on Speed Sport 2.

Event details, including registration, schedules, and ticket information will be available at www.openwheelshowdown.com

About the Open Wheel Showdown:

The Open Wheel Showdown is the premier pavement open wheel event in the country, attracting top drivers and teams from across the country to compete for record-breaking purses and national attention.

OPEN WHEEL SHOWDOWN RETURNS FOR FOURTH RUNNING IN LAS VEGAS, NOV 5-7, 2026

LAS VEGAS, NV (December 11, 2025) – The fourth annual Davey Hamilton, Jr.’s Open Wheel Showdown has confirmed a return to the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, bringing the definitive pavement open wheel event to the .375-mile oval November 5-7, 2026. The highest paying weekend on asphalt continues with $50,000 on the line for the Winged Sprint Cars. The Larry Trigueiro Memorial for Super Modifieds will pay a record $10,000 to win. Open Wheel Modifieds return for their third appearance at the Showdown and will also race for $10,000 to win.

Legends and Bandoleros return in 2026 for the next generation of pavement open wheel competitors. Additional programming announcements will be made in the coming months. New for 2026 is the addition of heat races for the Legends and a pole shuffle for both the Legends and Modifieds. The expanded Friday lineup will see the Winged Sprint Cars, Modifieds, and Legends all participating in the same event format. Saturday’s program includes features for all five divisions.

Kody Swanson of Kingsburg, Calif. won his second consecutive 100-lap Winged Sprint Car feature in 2025 against a nearly 50-car turnout. Bobby Santos earned his third consecutive podium as well.

Driver registrations, hotel registrations, and RV bookings will open in January at www.OpenWheelShowdown.com Division and event sponsorship details will also be announced throughout 2026.

“I am excited to keep Open Wheel Showdown growing and staying at Las Vegas,” Promoter Davey Hamilton, Jr. said. “The LVMS team is really getting behind the event in a big way and I see a lot of great years with them. We have some great partners returning along with a lot of upcoming news that I can’t wait to share with everyone.”

Open Wheel Showdown experienced over three million social media impressions across its own pages, along with significant coverage from Speed Sport and its broadcast channels Speed Sport 1 and Speed Sport 2. Open Wheel Showdown sponsors, competitors, and fans contributed to even more excitement and visibility for the sport through their posts and engagement as well. The efforts culminated with the largest Saturday crowd among the three editions of the event in 2025.

Additionally, pavement Sprint Car racing will likely experience a dozen races with five figure paydays in 2026. When the Open Wheel Showdown kicked off in 2023, as few as two events in the country carried awards of that caliber.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Davey Hamilton, Jr. He’s quickly become one of the most dynamic young race promoters in the country,” said Patrick Lindsey, General Manager of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “In just three years, the Open Wheel Showdown, powered by an impressive purse, has exploded into a must-see event for asphalt sprint car racers nationwide. The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway has continued to be the perfect home for this showcase, and we’re excited to keep building on this momentum for years to come.”

Speed Sport returns as the Open Wheel Showdown media partner with live coverage of the entire weekend.

For more information, visit www.openwheelshowdown.com

About the Open Wheel Showdown:

The Open Wheel Showdown is the premier pavement open wheel event in the country, attracting top drivers and teams from across the country to compete for record-breaking purses and national attention.