The 2nd Annual High Desert Hustle inside the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center roared to action Monday with a hometown winner, as Gardnerville, Nevada’s Evan Gularte claimed the Open Non-Wing feature worth $1,500 on the temporary indoor dirt track. The lucrative Outlaw Kart event kicked off with four additional preliminary features as well.
An outstanding 197 entries competed across the five divisions on opening night. Gularte is the first champion to be decided in this year’s Hustle. The other five Outlaw Kart divisions competing will race in additional preliminaries on Tuesday and Wednesday to set the stage for Thursday’s finales.
“It feels great. I’m in my hometown with all my friends watching. I couldn’t be more stoked about it!” Gularte exclaimed in victory lane.
The Non-Wing feature lined up fast-time qualifier Angelo Cornet of Willows, Calif. and Rylan Sharrah of Chico on the front row. Inaugural running Non-Wing preliminary winner Colby Copeland of Roseville started a distant shotgun on the grid as well.
Gularte stormed from eighth on the grid, then pounced underneath Cornet to lead lap 10. Cornet then crashed in turn four for a caution on lap 13.
Gularte led the final 12 laps for the victory, followed by inaugural High Desert Hustle 250 winner Braxton Foster of Redding, Calif., Hanford’s Connor Bell, Copeland, and a resurgent Cornet.
In preliminary feature action, Logan Reeves of Rio Linda, Calif. scored the 250 Intermediate class win. Polesitter and fast-time qualifier Brody Reinolds of Paradise, Calif. nearly nabbed the lead in the final shootout for the win, but fell short after showing his nose. Riley Stowers, Ghage Scott, and Foster were the top-five finishers.
Drew Landgren of Vacaville, Calif. won the Caged Clones feature. Landgren nabbed the lead when leader Carson Souza and fast-time qualifier Keagan Medeiros got tangled on the backstretch. Eleventh starting Sarah Kavert of Redding, Tanner Pettit of Chico, Colby Copeland, and Leane Forarty of Red Bluff chased Landgren at the finish.
Braxton Moniz of Marysville won the Box Stock opening night preliminary feature. Brody Stivers of Hidden Valley Lake, Calif. finished second. Early race leader Miles Boertje settled for third followed by Zane Ritcheson and Jaxson Evett of Visalia, Calif.
Seven-year-old Ryder Matthews swept the Beginner Box Stock action, taking fast-time in qualifying, winning his heat race, and winning the feature. Outside pole sitter Rambo Johnson of Springfield, Ore. held court to finish second. Tucker Ford of Ukiah, Calif. ran third followed by Josh Spatola of Sacramento, and Jaxson Evett.
The High Desert Hustle continues on Tuesday night with the first preliminary for the featured Open 500 division, as they race towards the grand prize of $10,000 on Thursday night. Beginner Box Stock and Box Stock will each run their second preliminaries of the week as well. Following racing, country music artist Travis Bolt will perform in a free concert to help celebrate the New Year.
Preliminary action will continue Wednesday before the championship finales on Thursday. Daily tickets are $20 at the gate with children ages eight and under admitted free. All four nights are streamed live on www.fastfour.tv as well.
2nd Annual High Desert Hustle Results – December 30, 2024 Opening Night
NON WING
A Main (25 Laps): 1. 17M-Evan Gularte[8]; 2. 51-Braxton Foster[9]; 3. 9C-Connor Bell[6]; 4. 08-Colby Copeland; 5. 55X-Angelo Cornet[1]; 6. 22-George Sheldon[11]; 7. 73-Braedon Enos[15]; 8. 13E-Ethan Lashley[10]; 9. 722-Brayden Diaz[3]; 10. 78-Ryan Hirschbock[4]; 11. 2PF-Max Mittry[14]; 12. 97-Mason Smith[5]; 13. 81-Rylan Sharrah[2]; 14. 47-Cody Brucker[7]; 15. 51K-Case Harris[12]; 16. 18X-Drew Landgren[16]
CAGE CLONE
A Main (20 Laps): 1. 18X-Drew Landgren[7]; 2. 2-Sarah Kavert[11]; 3. 83SA-Tanner Pettit[4]; 4. 8V-Colby Copeland[5]; 5. 7E-Leana Fogarty[8]; 6. 83-Isaiah Vasquez[6]; 7. 20-Nick Sagmiller[15]; 8. 5V-Andy Vanornum[12]; 9. 3C-Chase Hill[9]; 10. 77-Case Harris[10]; 11. 01-Carson Sousa[2]; 12. 71-Brian Lawson[14]; 13. 7D-Kodie Dean[16]; 14. 69-Keagan Medeiros[1]; 15. 64-Elijah Jones[3]; 16. 56C-Carson Hammes[13]
250 Intermediate
A Main (20 Laps): 1. 69-Logan Reeves[14]; 2. 24JR-Brody Reinolds[1]; 3. 22X-Riley Stowers[16]; 4. 3F-Ghage Scott[7]; 5. 51-Braxton Foster[4]; 6. 53-Carrie Osborne[2]; 7. 29-Cole Croft[15]; 8. 4B-Bentley Nelson[13]; 9. 42-Jeremy Smith[11]; 10. 17-Diggy Tellez[9]; 11. 12H-Hunter VanderStoel[10]; 12. 88K-Kinser Bell[3]; 13. 8J-Jarrett Dickson[5]; 14. 914-Emory Cardinalli[8]; 15. 95-Brayden Jenner[6]; 16. 08-Deakon Kamisky[12]
BOX STOCK
A Main (20 Laps): 1. 22W-Braxton Moniz[3]; 2. 14E-Brody Stivers[9]; 3. 57M-Miles Boertje[2]; 4. 96-Zane Ritcheson[11]; 5. 35-Jaxson Evett[15]; 6. 21-Sawyer Vanpool[12]; 7. 16F-Fallon Ludwig[13]; 8. 4-Ryder Davis[10]; 9. 06D-Deegan Pochop[1]; 10. 3A-Hunter Wood[8]; 11. 421-Maison Mockridge[5]; 12. 56-Ryder Matthews[16]; 13. 21K-Kamber Worley[14]; 14. 33H-Bryson Humphries[4]; 15. 00GT-Garrett Thornton[6]; 16. 4B-Brody Robfogel[7]
BEGINNER BOX STOCK
A Main (20 Laps): 1. 67-Ryder Matthews[1]; 2. 5X-Rambo Johnson[2]; 3. 5T-Tucker Ford[4]; 4. 23-Josh Spatola[5]; 5. 35-Jaxson Evett[10]; 6. 27-Blake Rollag[16]; 7. 41-Hudson O’Harrow[7]; 8. LIL45-Cole Smith[13]; 9. 5C-Cason Gutierrez[11]; 10. 60M-Weston Murphy[14]; 11. 01-Ryker Fields[15]; 12. 20-Brexton Matthews[3]; 13. 29B-Blaine Holt[12]; 14. 5P-Parker Pedrotti[9]; 15. 13W-Weston Campbell[6]; 16. 4B-Brody Robfogel[8]
High Desert Hustle PR
