Kole Raz Foresees SRL Success in the “Wild West Shootout-Heatseeker 127”
Bakersfield, CA – Oswego, OR driver Kole Raz was a regular at Tucson Speedway. (AZ) for several seasons, grabbing the NASCAR State of Arizona title in 2019 and 2020, while also earning the track championship in the Super Late Models in 2020. The Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series will return to Tucson Speedway for the first time since 2017 for the JM ENVIRONMENTAL, INC. “Wild West Shootout-Heatseeker 127” on April 15th. The $10,000-to-win feature for the Super Late Models will be Round #3 of the season, and only the third trip to the facility for the series.
Raz is coming off a second-place finish in the “Chilly Willy 150”, after a spirited back and forth battle with Preston Peltier. For Raz, it was his second top-three in Tucson’s marque event, after only three starts. He will be back in his family owned #27 Super Late Model, teaming with confidence and looking for his first Southwest Tour win.
“I’m very confident going into the weekend”, Raz stated. “Our team has been putting in the work on the notebook and continuing to improve on our package. We had a great battle with Preston Peltier earlier this year for the “Chilly Willy 150” and ended up finishing one spot short. But we learned a lot from that race and those last 40 laps, and I think we are going to unload pretty well.”
The 2021 SRL Rookie-of-the-Year runner-up has had a multitude of success at the 3/8-mile facility, grabbing four wins in 10 starts in the Pro Truck Division in 2018. He earned eight more in his Super Late Model within the NASCAR Regional window in 2019 and 2020. His success in the track’s biggest traditional race of the year is also a testament to his affection for the facility. Raz attributes his success at Tucson to the track fitting his driving style.
“I think it ultimately (Tucson) just suits my driving style”, Raz observed, regarding his success at Tucson. “I’ve had a lot of laps around there over the years, but I’ve always enjoyed going to a worn-out rough racetrack. We are able to manage our tire wear well, and I’ve always loved the ability to move around the racetrack and maintain the same speed.”
Despite many regular season feature wins, Raz had been seeking a marque win over the last several seasons. In August, Raz was finally able to accomplish that goal, winning the “South Sound 200” at South Sound Speedway. The win added to the racing family’s legacy as brother Gracin Raz already had big wins in the ARCA Menards West Series, Northwest Super Late Model Series, and the “Galloway 150” at Evergreen Speedway. Kole will seek to add another big one on the 15th, with the help of his partners in racing.
“I would like to send a big thank you to our new partner Auto Town Buick GMC”, Raz conveyed. “We are hoping to start this partnership off with a great result. Also, thank you to our partners at The Master Wrench, Wells Johnson, Earnest Performance, McGunegill Engine Performance, and Jefferson Racing. In addition, a big shoutout to Brad and JoAnn Corneliusen for allowing me to use their race shop in Tucson these last 2 months. They are a big reason on why we were able to make this happen!”
The JM Environmental Inc. “Wild West Shootout-Heatseeker 127” will be Round #3 of the 2023 Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series schedule. $10,000 will be awarded to the winner of Saturday’s feature. Practice for the Spears SRL Southwest Tour and the Spears Modified Series will take place on Friday. Saturday will find a practice session for the Super Late Models, Modifieds, as well as the Hobby Stocks. Qualifying for the Modifieds begins at 4:30 PM with Super Late Models to follow. An autograph session is scheduled for 6:00 PM with Opening Ceremonies at 6:45 PM. Feature Events for the Spears Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, and Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series will follow.
For fans unable to attend the “Wild West Shootout-HeatSeeker 127” the event will be livestreamed at www.SpearsRacing.TV with a subscription. They will also be shown on MAVTV, at a time and date to be announced later.
Celebrating its twenty third season in 2023, the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series is a regional stock car series competing on paved ovals in the southwestern portion of the U.S. “The SPEARS Southwest Tour Series…Where the Champions Race”.
