VADO, N.M. — June 13, 2026 — Seven Year Anniversary Night at Vado Speedway Park had a little bit of everything: Flag Day, changing skies, a racing surface that kept drivers guessing, and five feature winners who had to earn every inch at the Diamond in the Desert.
The night opened with heat race action across all five divisions before weather tried to work its way into the story. But the Vado Speedway Park crew, officials, drivers, teams, and fans stayed with it — and the second half of the program delivered some of the best drama of the season.
Saunders charges from eighth to win Legends feature
The Hulsey Racing Legends feature opened the main-event portion of the night with one of the biggest storylines on the property. Aydan Saunders started eighth, but wasted no time working forward in the 15-lap feature.
Saunders put himself in position early, then had to withstand the pressure of Cale Riggs before going on to score the victory. Officially, Saunders was followed by Jerod Candelaria in second and RJ Garay in third. Brandon Williams and Jeremiah Duff completed the top five.
Earlier in the evening, Jeremiah Duff and Cale Riggs picked up the Legends heat race wins.
Solis stays hot in Late Models
The Anthony Sosa Roofing Late Models brought their own drama after weather moved through the area and the track changed character again. Luke Solis started fifth and had to work through a race that included sliders, changing lanes, and a charging field behind him.
Solis found speed when it mattered most and drove to the 15-lap feature win. Brandon Cruse, who started seventh, made a strong run to second, while Luke Vargas completed the podium in third. Keko Perez finished fourth and Oscar Perez rounded out the top five.
Cruse also won the Late Model heat earlier in the night.
Burton delivers championship-style Stock Car win
The Extreme Landscaping USRA Stock Cars produced a physical, tactical 15-lap feature, and Jonathan Burton made the biggest move of the race when it counted.
Burton started ninth and drove all the way to the front, holding off Francisco Knight late to score the feature win. Knight finished second, while Sherman Barnett came home third after another strong Stock Car performance. Justin Garrett finished fourth and Luis Salazar charged from 12th to fifth.
The Stock Car heats were won by Jose De La Fuente and Justin Garrett. De La Fuente looked strong early in the feature before his night ended with a DNF, while Burton’s drive from ninth to the win became one of the key championship moments of the evening.
Dominguez steals Pure Stock feature on the final lap
The S.H. Automotive Pure Stocks may have delivered the finish of the night.
Caleb Smith led late and defended the top spot through multiple challenges, but Robert Dominguez kept digging. Coming to the final lap, Dominguez found the opportunity he needed and made the move stick to win the 15-lap feature from ninth starting spot.
Smith finished second after a strong drive, while Kristen Denman came home third to continue her steady points-season effort. Robert Glass II finished fourth after winning his heat earlier in the night, and Christopher Newton rounded out the top five.
The Pure Stock heat winners were Robert Glass II and Kristen Denman.
The win also added a special local-racing thread to the night. Aydan Saunders, Luke Solis, and Robert Dominguez all found Victory Lane on the same program — three drivers with connected histories around Vado Speedway Park and the local racing family. Seeing Solis celebrating with Dominguez after the Pure Stock feature was one of those moments that makes a weekly racetrack feel bigger than the results sheet.
Sandy closes the show in Modifieds
The Mendoza Law Firm USRA Modifieds brought the biggest field of the night, with 30 entries signed in, and they closed Seven Year Anniversary Night with a feature full of restarts, cushion work, and momentum swings.
Hunter Sandy had already shown speed earlier in the evening by winning his heat, and when the Modified feature settled into rhythm, he found the line that worked. John Neal Reid led early, Carlos Ahumada Jr. stayed in the hunt, Fito Gallardo kept the pressure alive behind them, and Robert Adams gave the crowd one of the wildest moments of the night with a wall ride through turn two while pushing the cushion.
But once Sandy found his groove, he made it count. The 12S worked the momentum lane, managed the restarts, and drove away with the final trophy of Seven Year Anniversary Night.
Modified heat race wins went to Hunter Sandy, Royal Jones, John Neal Reid, and Carlos Ahumada Jr.
Feature Winners
Hulsey Racing Legends: Aydan Saunders
Anthony Sosa Roofing Late Models: Luke Solis
Extreme Landscaping USRA Stock Cars: Jonathan Burton
S.H. Automotive Pure Stocks: Robert Dominguez
Mendoza Law Firm USRA Modifieds: Hunter Sandy
Heat Race Winners
Legends: Jeremiah Duff, Cale Riggs
Late Models: Brandon Cruse
Stock Cars: Jose De La Fuente, Justin Garrett
Pure Stocks: Robert Glass II, Kristen Denman
Modifieds: Hunter Sandy, Royal Jones, John Neal Reid, Carlos Ahumada Jr.
Seven Year Anniversary Night delivered weather, pressure, late-race drama, hard chargers, and a final-lap pass — exactly the kind of night that reminds everyone why Vado Speedway Park is the Diamond in the Desert.
