Justin Yeager DON McDERMOTT / PVT Kelly Gutchess won the Dwarf car feature at Death Valley Raceway Sunday, after Ronnie Williams prevailed Saturday on the one-third mile dirt oval. Robert Miller Larry Blake RELATED PHOTO PHOTO: SPEED BUMPS Advertisement

AMARGOSA VALLEY -- The way sheet metal was peeled off some of the IMCA modified race cars Sunday, fans coulda thought it was the Can Opener Classic at Death Valley Raceway.

Robert Miller avoided most of the trouble and won the 25-lap feature race on the one-third mile dirt oval, holding off Saturday winner Justin Yeager to prevail.

It was the opening weekend of the Best of the Best Wild West Shootout and the only annoyance was some uncomfortable weather. Temperatures in the high 40s were minimized by 15-to-20 mile winds that made it feel like it was in the low 20s Sunday. A big crowd on Saturday jammed the grandstand, so there was comfort in numbers.

Yeager, from Wyoming, made it look easy Saturday, outracing Dustin Jenks to the finish line in another 25-lap main. Yeager, by virtue of his first- and second-place finishes, is the runaway leader in the IMCA-sanctioned series, which resumes Jan. 24-25 and concludes Feb. 14-15.

Leland Hibdon, one of Pahrump Valley's better drivers and a prolific car builder, is the promoter for this series.

"A $1,000 bonus will go to the overall winner in this series," said Hibdon, who described the first weekend as "a success, because of that big crowd we had Saturday." The attendance Sunday was minimal because not even bright sunshine could offset the wind-driven chill factor.

In the Sunday modified feature, several cars sustained sheet metal damage just after the start. Four cars tried to squeeze into one groove; the result was not a surprise, as trailing cars tried to avoid the traffic jam.

Jerry Buesig's car lost its entire right-side sheet metal and several other machines had their aerodynamics spoiled.

Miller took the lead after the halfway point and fought off several challenges by Yeager to triumph. Regan Tafoya was third and completing the top five were Kenny Kirkpatrick and Sean Mino.

In the top 10 were Joe Kent, Randy Thornell, Jason Donnelly, Jake Donnelly and Mark Allison.

Finishing 11-15 were Ron Jenkins, Cory Simoneau, Toddy Nunnally, Rick Durica and Buesig.

Completing the grid were Gary Curtis, Lance Mari, David Lord, Jimmy Lust, Eric Shenberger, Paul Stone, Ricky Alvarado, Ryan Cottrell, Jenks, Keith Smith and Shawn Natenstedt.

In the Saturday main, trailing Yeager and Jenks were Stone, Natenstedt, Simoneau and Lord.

Durica, Thornell, Jason Donnelly, Smith and Nunnally finished seventh through 11. Competing the top 15 were Mari, Lust, Tony Kinkade Jr. and Roy Spielman.

Also on the starting grid were Allison, Dan Fitzgerald, Cotrell, Ron Jenkins, Buesig, Miller and Kenny Kirkpatrick.

Super stocks completed both days, with Bill Weaver winning the Saturday main and Larry Blake prevailing Sunday.

Also competing were Eric Henderson, Mike Lysinger, Bryan Wulfenstein, Dan Snowden, Cody Meads and Clifton King Jr. Snowden was second Saturday and fifth Sunday.

In the Dwarf Car division, features were won by Ronnie Williams (Saturday) and Kelly Gutchess (Sunday).

Also competing were Bobby Meek (second Saturday), Rick Lapka, Mark Dillie, Jason Cline, Cecilia Dillie, Kyle Cline, Taylor Bonetti, Scott Kelley, Walt Boyd (second Sunday), Michael Bean and Blake Olsen.

NOTES -- After the Best of the Best series, Death Valley Raceway opens its regular season Feb. 21 ... Other dates are March 7 and 21; April 4 and 18; May 2, 16, 30; Sept. 12 and 26 and Oct. 10 and 24. The track will be closed in June, July and August because of the excessive heat generated in the greater Death Valley area.