The “Red Rocket” Looks to Repeat 2017 Irwindale Victory

Bakersfield, CA: The 2017 winner of the Irwindale Speedway, Spears Srl Southwest Tour Series season opener, has announced his intensions to look for a repeat in 2021. Bobby Hodges will bring his Break-A-Heart Ford to the $30,000-to-win “Sunrise Ford All-Star Showdown presented by the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame” on February 6th. In 2017, Hodges outdueled Derek Thorn and Willie Allen Racing to bring home the victory that evening, for the biggest win of his career. Hodges will seek SRL victory number three in less than three weeks time.

Hodges is a veteran of the series with 57 career starts. He has 14 top-five, and 29 top-10 finishes in the series, to go along with his two victories. His only full SRL season was in 2016, when he finished fourth in the final championship standings. That season he was also voted the Speed51.com Most Popular Driver for the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series. At Irwindale Speedway, the charismatic racer has totaled 10 starts, which include the win and five-top-10 finishes. Those numbers include a 10th place finish in the 2020 All-Star Showdown.

Due to his workload in 2020, Hodges only made three starts in the series. He did grab two top-10’s in those starts, however. Can the “Red Rocket”, in his Naake – Klauer Motorsports Super Late Model, repeat his 2017 win at Irwindale? It will certainly be difficult, with the talent laden field attending this year’s event. But it would certainly be a popular win for the 2008 West Car Late Model Series championship runner-up.

Bobby would like to that those who will make this weekend possible as he goes for the $30,000 payday.

“I would really like to give a big shoutout to my family for all the support they have given me”, Hodges stated. “I am especially thankful to my wife and sisters this year! I also want to thank the Nevada Automotive Test Center, Break-A-Heart LLC and Naake-Klauer Motorsports.”

Thanks to Bob Bruncati and the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame, the 2021 “Sunrise Ford All-Star Showdown 200” will pay $30,000 to the winner of the 200-lap feature event at Irwindale Speedway. The Spears Pro Late Models presented by Sigma Performance Services, as well as the Spears Modified Series will join the action, racing for $15,000 and $5,000 respectively. An optional Test Day is slated for Thursday, with the official Practice Day getting underway on Friday.

Saturday, Race Day, will see the Super Late Models practice from 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM, with Qualifying for all divisions beginning at 2:30 PM. The Modifieds will go first followed by the Pro Late Models and Super Late Models. Opening Ceremonies are slated for 4:30 PM, with “B”-Main Events set for 5:00 PM. The “Pro Late Model Showdown 150”, “Modified All-Star Showdown 100”, and the “Sunrise Ford All-Star Showdown 200” will follow. The Modifieds and Pro Late Models are scheduled for the inner 1/3-mile oval, while the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series will see action on the ½-mile.

For those unable to attend, the event will be shown live at www.SpearsRacing.TV and on a delayed basis on MAVTV.

Celebrating its twenty-first season in 2021, 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”.