WINTER MELTDOWN — NIGHT 2 RECAP
Saturday, March 14, 2026 — Vado Speedway Park
Featuring:
Hulsey Racing Legends • Hacienda Carpet & Tile USRA B‑Mods • Extreme Landscaping USRA Stock Cars • Mendoza Law Firm USRA Modifieds
Night 2 of the 2026 Winter Meltdown came back with even more fire than the opener — 109 cars, packed grandstands, a slickening surface, and four divisions ready to fight for early‑season supremacy. With $3,500 on the line for the A‑Mods, the stakes were high and the intensity was unmistakable.
This recap follows the exact running order of the night — just as fans experienced it.
🔥 HEATS
Hulsey Racing Legends — Heat Action
The Legends once again set the tone. Heats were fast, tight, and borderline chaotic as drivers battled for premium A‑Main starting spots. RJ Garay (27G) and Angel Garcia (6) looked especially sharp early, each snatching heat wins with aggressive mid‑corner rotation.
Cale Riggs (96) didn’t dominate the heats — he dissected them, patiently lining up his car for the feature where it truly matters.
Hacienda Carpet & Tile USRA B‑Mods — Heat Action
Heat races for the B‑Mods were pure volatility. Rob Moseley (M17) was the class of the qualifies — slicing through traffic and serving notice he wasn’t leaving Vado without hardware tonight. Shane McNutt (5M) and Greg Gorham (93) also laid down feature‑worthy laps, each grabbing heat wins with pace that turned heads.
Extreme Landscaping USRA Stock Cars — Heat Action
The Stock Cars heated up quick — contact, cautions, and three‑wide madness defined their qualifying rounds. Francisco Knight (665) and Bryan Bennett (777) emerged as early heat standouts, while Josh Cain (3J) used the prelims to shake down the car and prepare for a full‑scale assault in the A‑Main.
Mendoza Law Firm USRA Modifieds — Heat Action
The A‑Mod heats were all business. Lance Mari, Hunter Sandy, and Mark Smith laid claim to the early speed charts, while Rodney Sanders (20) quietly advanced through traffic with the composure of a driver planning another headline moment.
⏸ INTERMISSION
Fans hit Jaime’s for burritos, the Beer Barn for $6 Modelos, and soaked in the atmosphere as the track crew dialed in the surface for the main events — the clay was slicking off and widening out beautifully.
🏁 MAIN EVENTS
Hulsey Racing Legends — A‑MAIN
Winner: Cale Riggs (96)
Weekend Sweep
The Legends once again delivered a thriller. RJ Garay exploded off the line, taking early command before a multi‑car battle engulfed the top five. Angel Garcia briefly snatched the lead mid‑race with a daring low‑line slide, but the calmest driver in the field was the one holding all the cards.
Riggs found the high side just as it came in, rolled momentum like a freight train, and powered past Garay and Garcia with four to go. Smooth, technical, and relentless — Riggs swept the Winter Meltdown and sent a clear message that the championship road still runs through the No. 96.
Rounding out the podium:
2nd — RJ Garay (27G)
3rd — Josh Jackson (37) with a fantastic recovery drive
Hulsey Racing’s division once again proved why it’s one of the most electric open‑wheel classes in the Southwest.
Hacienda Carpet & Tile USRA B‑Mods — A‑MAIN
Winner: Rob Moseley (M17)
7th → 1st Charge
From the moment the green dropped, this was the Moseley show.
Starting 7th, the M17 machine was a rocket — disciplined on entry, ruthless on exit. Shane McNutt (5M) led early, hugging the bottom, but Moseley’s mid‑race surge was the turning point. He found grip where no one else dared look and ripped past McNutt in heavy traffic.
Gorham (93) clawed forward for another podium, proving Saturday’s field was every bit as strong as Friday’s.
Top 3:
- Rob Moseley (M17)
- Shane McNutt (5M)
- Greg Gorham (93)
This feature showcased why Hacienda Carpet & Tile’s division remains a fan favorite — technical, fast, and unforgiving.
Extreme Landscaping USRA Stock Cars — A‑MAIN
Winner: Josh Cain (3J)
If Night 1 belonged to McNutt, Night 2 belonged entirely to Josh Cain.
Cain ran like a man possessed. From the moment he cleared the first pair of cars, the 3J machine settled into a rhythm no one else could match. The groove evolved lap‑by‑lap, and Cain adapted instantly — slicing through traffic with surgical precision.
Behind him, Bryan Bennett (777) and Francisco Knight (665) traded blows for the second spot in an absolute war of elbows and sheet metal.
But the story was Cain.
Composed. Fast. Unchallenged at the checkered.
Top 3:
- Josh Cain (3J)
- Bryan Bennett (777)
- Francisco Knight (665)
Extreme Landscaping’s class lived up to its identity — a full‑tilt turf war on clay.
Mendoza Law Firm USRA Modifieds — A‑MAIN
Winner: Rodney Sanders (20)
Weekend Sweep
The finale of the Winter Meltdown delivered a championship‑caliber performance from Rodney Sanders, sweeping both nights with mechanical perfection and mental ice.
Early on, Hunter Sandy (13th → 4th) was the show, ripping through the field and threatening to break into the podium hunt. Mark Smith and Lance Mari also traded positions in the top five as the groove slicked off and shifted up the track.
But Sanders?
He took the lead early… and never let the field breathe.
A masterclass of throttle control and traffic navigation sealed it. Two nights, two wins, and in complete command.
Top 3:
- Rodney Sanders (20)
- Lance Mari (19SB)
- Mark Smith
The Mendoza Law Firm division ends the weekend with a tone-setter: Sanders is the man to beat in 2026.
🌟 NIGHT 2 SUMMARY
Night 2 delivered everything a Winter Meltdown finale should:
- Riggs completes the Legends sweep
- Moseley storms to a B‑Mod victory
- Cain dominates the Stock Cars with authority
- Sanders sweeps the Modifieds in a clinic
Sponsor partners kept the fans fueled and the atmosphere electric:
Hulsey Racing • Hacienda Carpet & Tile • Extreme Landscaping • Mendoza Law Firm • Jaime’s Concessions • Elephant Ranch • MVT • Sunset Grill • FK Rod Ends and more.
A monstrous crowd, two nights of chaos, and a 2026 season officially off to a blazing start.
