14-Year-Old Tanner Reif to Make First SPEARS Southwest Tour Start
IRWINDALE, CA – While there will be a plethora of veteran drivers with Late Model wins at Irwindale Speedway, participating in this weekend’s Spears Srl Southwest Tour Series event, the youngest driver in the field will also be able to make the same claim. That assertion was made possible by the 14-year-old’s victory last weekend in his Late Model, in the second of two features. That driver also has the distinction of winning the Late Model feature in his very first race weekend on the ½-mile oval. The young driver was the 2018 Junior Late Model Championship Runner-up at Madera Speedway, to 2019 SRL Rookie and current ARCA Menards West Series Championship Leader Jesse Love.
If you haven’t guessed the Las Vegas, NV drivers name yet, you will probably recognize his name in years to come, as the talented young racer begins his ascension up the racing ladder. That driver in none other than six-time Madera Speedway Junior Late Model winner, Tanner Reif. Reif will be attempting to start a SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series Feature for the second time. His first attempt was at the season finale at the LVMS Bullring and Dirt Track. Mechanical gremlins plagued the team all weekend, in the former Richard Wauters owned Super Late Model, and they were unable transfer to the “A”-Main, amongst the 31-car entry.
This weekend, he will be greeted by another large field of Super late Models, at “L.A.’s Place to Race”. The Spears Manufacturing 100 presented by Earnest Performance” currently boasts 27 entries, with an all-star line-up of champions. It is that type of competition that Tanner is looking forward to, and with a win last weekend, it gives the young driver confidence.
“I’m looking forward to racing with the SRL guys at Irwindale this weekend’, Reif explained. “Running the SRL Tour is hopefully my next step. I won the last Late Model race there, so I’m feeling pretty good about the weekend, and looking forward to racing with some great competition.”
Reif‘s efforts are brought to the track by sponsors; Undaunted Apparel, Boulder Boats, Dewar Farms, Oasis Laser Lounge and CSM Graphics.
$5,000 will be up for grabs to the winner of Round #4, of the ten-event season, thanks to the “Winner’s Bonus from Earnest Performance. The series will be joined by the Spears Modified Series, SouthWest Tour Truck Series and the Pro Late Models. The early schedule on Saturday finds practice for all divisions beginning at 10:20 AM, with Qualifying slated for 2:10 PM. The National Anthem is set for 4:00 PM with the Feature Events to follow. For those not in attendance, the weekend’s event will be live streamed on www.SpearsRacing.TV. MAVTV will broadcast the event nationwide, at a date to be determined later.
For more information on the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour visit srlsouthwesttour.com
Spears SRL Southwest Tour Release – Story by Kevin Peters
Photos courtesy of Sal Sigala Jr.
