Tied Championship battle at Speedway

The battle for the Lunkerdaddy Pro Late Model championship and the best stock car drivers in the west collide in the 10th annual Short Track Shootout 150 at Madera Speedway tonight. $10,000 will be on the line in the 150-lap season finale, presented by Mission Foods.

Champions will also be crowned in the 51FIFTY Jr. Late Models and INEX Bandoleros.

All tickets will be sold at the track ticket booth. Adult tickets are $20, seniors are $15, youth ages 6-12 are $10 and kids five and under are free. Race fans can “Join” www.YouTube.com/ShortTrackTV for $19.99 per month for a members-only live stream as well.

Opening ceremonies are slated for 6 p.m. The $1,000-to-win B-Main is slated for 5 p.m. Landmark Irrigation presents a $2,500 Hard Charger Award, which will include passes made in the B-Main to a driver’s total positions advanced throughout the night.

Jadan Walbridge and Kyle Keller are tied in the standings after eight races of MAVTV-televised competition. The closely-matched 17-year-olds summed up their season in round eight when they drove across the finish line in a dead heat. Keller was credited with the .005 second win. Each driver has enjoyed three victories while Walbridge leads the series with five fast-time awards.

Jacob Smith, 51FIFTY Jr. Late Model points leader Ethan Nascimento, and 2021 51FIFTY Jr. Late Model champion Brody Armtrout round out the top-five in the Pro Late Model standings.

The Short Track Shootout is a 150-lap feature over a pair of segments. A 100-lap segments opens the race followed by a break for interviews and adjustments. A 50-lap race to the finish will follow. Drivers will also compete in a 30-lap B-Main paying $1,000-to-win.

On the heels of his fourth-consecutive 51FIFTY Jr. Late Model win, Ethan Nascimento will try to fend off Madera’s Robbie Kennealy for the championship. Seventy laps of racing are on tap for the drivers ages 10-16 years old, with Nascimento leading the series by 12-points.

The Jr. Late Model action on Saturday will feature a 70-lap main event across a 40-lap opening segment, a break for adjustments and MAVTV interviews, and a 30-lap run to the finish.

Kellen Keller leads Skyler Schoppe by just five points in the INEX Bandolero division with a 30-lap main event scheduled.