JEFF MONTGOMERY LEADS THURSDAY PRACTICE FOR OPEN WHEEL SHOWDOWN
LAS VEGAS, NV (November 5, 2026) – “The Hurricane” Jeff Montgomery led the way in BR Motorsports Thursday practice action at the fourth annual OnlyBulls Open Wheel Showdown in Las Vegas. Montgomery topped the Fuel Winged Sprint Cars practice at the .375-mile Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, charging to a 12.449 second lap at 108.442 miles per hour average. Six divisions participated in the practice action.
The Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying Night awaits on Friday which includes the $10,000-to-win Elliott’s Trailers & Carts Non-Wing feature. The other five championship features roll on Saturday. Tickets are available at www.OpenWheelShowdown.com or at the gates. Gates open at 12pm on Friday with time trials at 12:25pm. Opening ceremonies are at 3:50pm followed by heat races, pole shuffles, and the Non-Wing feature. Saturday gates open at 11:30am for lower mains with opening ceremonies at 2:15pm.
“I’m kind of shocked. We really struggled today and threw a swing at it. We went back out and it was so much better. I have to thank my guys here. It’s been a really long year traveling the country,” Montgomery, the Langford, British Columbia driver, said. “Race day is a whole different deal. We’re proud we’re up there. But once we get racing it’ll be a whole different deal.”
Montgomery contended with three-time Open Wheel Showdown winner Kody Swanson for the $50,000 Winged Sprint Car payday in 2025. A broken bolt in the left rear birdcage unhinged his efforts, in one of the most memorable battles in event history.
Meridian, Idaho’s Mike Murgoitio led the morning Fuel Winged Sprint Car practice session. Floridian Chase Cabre drove to fifth in both sessions despite utilizing a last-minute borrowed engine to participate. Qualifying, heat races, and the pole shuffle are on tap for Friday for the Winged Sprint Cars.
Other top performances on Thursday included Kody Swanson and Jackson Macenko, the Cincinnati, Ohio native, leading the return of Non-Wing Sprint Cars to Vegas. They split the first sessions at the track in over 20 years.
New Yorkers have won twice in the Super Modifieds with another crop of them aiming for victory in the 2026 Larry Trigueiro Memorial presented by Firstline Systems. Oswego’s Dan Connors, Jr. led the first practice session for the Supers before Colorado’s Kyle Ray dominated the second session.
Utah’s Eric Rhead and former Colorado National Speedway champion Nathan Gasser split the practices for the Klotz Synthetics Open Wheel Modifieds. They race for $10,000 to win in a 75-lap feature on Saturday, following Friday heat races and pole shuffle action.
The Sunrise Heavy Haul-backed INEX divisions also practiced on Thursday. A strong 32-car Legends field was split by Tracy, Calif.’s Brenden Ruzbarsky and Las Vegas’ Connor Podloski. Las Vegas Bandolero regular Austin French and Idaho’s Kyro Phipps were the fastest in the Bandolero portion of the show.
Friday Adult tickets are $30 while youth ages 6-12 are $20. Saturday Adult tickets are $35 while youth ages 6-12 are $20. Race fan parking is free.
Speed Sport returns as the media partner with live coverage of the race on Speed Sport 2.
About the Open Wheel Showdown:
The Open Wheel Showdown is the premier pavement open wheel event in the country, attracting top drivers and teams from across the country to compete for record-breaking purses and national attention.
