VADO, N.M. — Cale Riggs and Christy Barnett started their September 12 features in the same place: eleventh. They ended them in the same place, too—first.
The Legends and X-Mod winners bookended the feature program on First Responders Night at Vado Speedway Park. Kristen Denman won the Pure Stock main, Lorne Wofford took the 305 Sprint feature, and the published Stock Car classification lists Josh Cain as the winner.
Saturday’s five-division card recorded 83 division entries and 13 heat races. The feature program brought a late test for Riggs, a strong run from Denman, a traffic fight between Wofford and Aydan Saunders, and sustained side-by-side racing between Rob Moseley and Cain before the Stock Car finish.
Remembering Jack Burchell
Before racing, Vado took a moment to remember Jack Burchell. Our thoughts remain with his family, friends, and the MVT community who knew him. Thank you for allowing the speedway to be part of his remembrance.
Riggs works through the field, then handles four final laps
Jerod Candelaria moved to the front early in the Hulsey Racing INEX Legends feature. Behind him, Angel Garcia became the next driver Riggs had to reach as the No. 96 advanced from eleventh.
Riggs tested Garcia through the corners, looking for an exit underneath. When Garcia took the longer route around slower traffic, Riggs moved into second and began closing on Candelaria.
The next contest was for the lead. Riggs continued changing his approach while Candelaria worked the middle of the turns. At halfway, the No. 96 was out front.
A caution with four laps remaining removed the separation. Candelaria lined up outside Riggs for the restart, but Riggs stayed ahead when racing resumed. Behind them, Kyle Burnette moved past Garcia to claim third.
Riggs finished first from eleventh, a week after winning both Labor Day Weekend Legends features. Candelaria finished second from seventh, Burnette third from tenth, Garcia fourth from ninth, and Tony Martin fifth.
Hulsey Racing INEX Legends — published top five
| Finish | Start | Driver | Car |
| 1 | 11 | Cale Riggs | 96 |
| 2 | 7 | Jerod Candelaria | 33 |
| 3 | 10 | Kyle Burnette | 32 |
| 4 | 9 | Angel Garcia | 6 |
| 5 | 4 | Tony Martin | 4 |
Denman opens the gap while the podium fight develops
Kristen Denman started seventh in the S.H. Automotive Pure Stock feature and reached the lead early. The No. 48 then began separating from a group headed by Hayden Dunlop, with Robert Dominguez and Caleb Smith trying to find their way past the No. 58.
Dominguez and Smith raced closely as they pursued Dunlop. When the opening came, both advanced, establishing the eventual top three with Denman still well ahead.
The closing laps gave Smith an opportunity to challenge Dominguez, but the order held. Denman took the win, Dominguez finished second from sixth, and Smith took third from ninth.
The current results list Cory Stone fourth in the No. 1 and heat winner Tyler Cook fifth in the TC12. Cook had won the first heat earlier in the evening; Jimmy Marta won the second.
S.H. Automotive Pure Stocks — published top five
| Finish | Start | Driver | Car |
| 1 | 7 | Kristen Denman | 48 |
| 2 | 6 | Robert Dominguez | 67 |
| 3 | 9 | Caleb Smith | 02C |
| 4 | 12 | Cory Stone | 1 |
| 5 | 10 | Tyler Cook | TC12 |
Wofford and Saunders take the battle into traffic
Lorne Wofford began the White Sands FCU 305-Winged Sprint feature fourth, with Saunders starting immediately ahead of him in third. Both had already won a heat; Caleb Saiz collected the division’s other heat victory.
The Sprint program included red-flag stoppages. Once the feature returned to an extended run, Wofford and Saunders supplied a close contest at the front.
Saunders reached second ahead of Colt Treharn and pursued the No. 18. He tried the higher lane, then crossed back underneath, while Wofford answered with his own changes of line. The fight behind them brought Vance Wofford and Jaydon Barnes together over third.
Slower traffic added another decision at each end of the track. Saunders stayed in pursuit as the leaders worked between cars, but Lorne Wofford finished ahead of him to add the feature trophy to his heat win.
Vance Wofford finished third from sixth. Barnes took fourth from seventh, and Royal Jones advanced from eleventh to fifth in the No. 131.
White Sands FCU 305-Winged Sprint Cars — published top five
| Finish | Start | Driver | Car |
| 1 | 4 | Lorne Wofford | 18 |
| 2 | 3 | Aydan Saunders | 8 |
| 3 | 6 | Vance Wofford | 116 |
| 4 | 7 | Jaydon Barnes | 29 |
| 5 | 11 | Royal Jones | 131 |
Stock Cars: Cain first in the published classification
The Extreme Landscaping Stock Car feature produced an extended contest between Moseley’s M46 on the higher line and Cain’s 3J underneath.
Jayden Collins led early before Moseley moved past him off turn four. Cain advanced into the lead battle, while Jonathan Burton worked forward from thirteenth and Francisco Knight progressed from eighteenth.
Moseley carried speed around the outside. Cain turned the car back toward the bottom and kept challenging through the corners. The two repeatedly drew alongside each other as slower traffic approached, with Burton following the contest.
A late caution interrupted that battle with three laps remaining. The current published finish lists Cain first, Moseley second, and Burton third, followed by Knight and Craig Walker.
Cain’s posted original start was tenth; Moseley’s was eighth. Knight’s eighteenth-to-fourth result was the largest net improvement in this feature’s published classification.
Extreme Landscaping Stock Cars — published top five
| Finish | Start | Driver | Car |
| 1 | 10 | Josh Cain | 3J |
| 2 | 8 | Rob Moseley | M46 |
| 3 | 13 | Jonathan Burton | 00 |
| 4 | 18 | Francisco Knight | 665 |
| 5 | 6 | Craig Walker | 562 |
Barnett closes with the X-Mod win
Christy Barnett had won her heat, but the Hacienda Carpet and Tile X-Mod feature still placed the No. 44 eleventh on the starting sheet.
Mel Romero led the early contest. Barnett worked into contention, challenged Jimmy Ray, and reached Romero as Deuce Teague joined the front group. Barnett repeatedly found a run underneath Romero; he answered through the next corners.
Cautions interrupted that exchange, and the field went through further resets. Barnett was leading the later green-flag run with Romero, Teague, Bumper Jones, and Donavon Flores still part of the developing fight behind her.
The last portion brought Teague alongside Barnett again. The race ended under checkered and yellow, with Barnett recorded as the winner. Flores finished second from ninth, Jones third from twelfth, Devon Jobin fourth from thirteenth, and Chris Hooper fifth.
The feature victory gave Barnett two wins in the division for the evening: her heat and the main event. Flores and Greg Gorham won the other X-Mod heats.
Hacienda Carpet and Tile X-Mods — published top five
| Finish | Start | Driver | Car |
| 1 | 11 | Christy Barnett | 44 |
| 2 | 9 | Donavon Flores | 07 |
| 3 | 12 | Bumper Jones | 13 |
| 4 | 13 | Devon Jobin | 81 |
| 5 | 5 | Chris Hooper | 4 |
Saturday’s heat winners
– Hulsey Racing INEX Legends: Douglas Collins; Jerod Candelaria.
– S.H. Automotive Pure Stocks: Tyler Cook; Jimmy Marta.
– White Sands FCU 305-Winged Sprint Cars: Lorne Wofford; Caleb Saiz; Aydan Saunders.
– Extreme Landscaping Stock Cars: Dawnica Minks; Shane McNutt; Rob Moseley.
– Hacienda Carpet and Tile X-Mods: Donavon Flores; Christy Barnett; Greg Gorham.
Thank you, first responders
Thank you to the first responders and their families recognized during Saturday’s program, and to the fans, teams, partners, and track crew who joined us at Vado Speedway Park.
Full September 12 classifications: MyRacePass results: https://www.myracepass.com/events/647514/races.
Next at Vado
Racing returns Saturday, September 19, for El Paso County Night. A-Mods, Pure Stocks, Legends, Super Trucks, and Stock Cars are scheduled. Pit gates open at 4 p.m., front gates at 5 p.m., and racing begins at 7:30 p.m. See the official event details: https://vadospeedwaypark.com/events/fall-nationals-night-3-522-706-528-735-585-560-478-316-226-259-407-714-183-871-954-687-994-805-306-888-268-964-623-757/.
