Seitz, 47, and a business partner have owned B&R Automotive for 30 years and recently added a small high-performance shop up front at the business on Fremont Street.

With the speed shop up and running for almost a year, Seitz has had time to assemble a ride for the SRL Wild West Shootout on Saturday night at Stockton 99 Speedway. He will practice with several other drivers from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at the track.

"Between that and the machine shop, it keeps you busy," Seitz said Thursday. "I used to be one of those guys who was up in the stands and said, 'Ah, anybody can do this.' But it's a lot of hard work. We just haven't had the time. We're trying to run the business, and we don't have time to work on the car like we used to."

He has had enough time to cover a car built by Phil Perry of Rocklin with a 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo body. Perry updated certain features on the car to make it legal by SRL standards. The car is painted red, white and blue, and with 33 already claimed, Seitz changed the car number to 18.

"We'll get the cobwebs shaken off and go out," Seitz said. "This is just something I want to do. We enjoy it."

Seitz talked to a crewman in January about returning to the track, and work began in February. Seitz said he tested at Stockton 99 two weeks ago, "just to make sure all the nuts and bolts stayed on and to get it set up so you don't have to mess with it on race day."

Seitz also plans to compete in the next Shootout on July 24 at Altamont Motorsports Park near Tracy and, "if all goes well," in the NASCAR Elite Division Southwest Series race July 31 at Stockton 99.

Although he is "starting to get excited again," Seitz said the days of racing 26 weeks in a row are over.

"We can't do that anymore," he said. "It must have something to do with getting old."

Rick Ruzbarsky#51, of Tracy enters the Wild West Shootout with a 15-point lead over former champion Jeff Anthony, #76, of Livermore. Eight points separate Anthony (255) and Ken Boyd, #26, of Ceres, who is fifth with 247. Steve Belletto, #30, of Modesto is third with 254 and 2003 rookie of the year Ryan Foster, #21, of Anderson is fourth with 252.

"The level of competition is unbelievable," Shootout coordinator Steve Fensler said.

Anthony, Belletto and Foster have one victory each through six races in the 11-race series. Joey Zampa, #92, of Napa won the first Shootout at Stockton 99 on March 28, and Jeff Belletto, #6, of Modesto won the most recent Shootout on June 19 at Madera Speedway.

Ruzbarsky has maintained the points lead with five finishes of fourth or better. He was 10th at Madera.

Danny Contessotto of Stockton isn't in the points race in the Western Late Model division, but he has a two-point lead over Stockton's Gary Shafer Jr. in Tri-Holiday Classic points with the second of three 100-lappers in the series scheduled for Saturday at Stockton 99.

Contessotto took the longest route possible to win the Tri-Holiday opener over Memorial Day weekend. He transferred to the main event through the semi-main and started in the back.

Dave Byrd of Pacific Grove, the overall points leader, controlled the first 92 laps before he was put in the wall in a skirmish with Shannon Mansch of Roseville. Guy Guibor of Manteca then led with John Moore of Granite Bay on his tail, but their night ended three laps from the end when they locked coming out of turn four. Moore's front wheels ended up on Guibor's hood.