IMCA Modified sweep for Shaw during rare weekend visit to Central Arizona Speedway

Feature

A double winner at Central Arizona Speedway, Don Shaw raced to $1,000 IMCA Modified victories on Jan. 28 and 29. (Photo by Old Productions)

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 28 and 29) – A rare visit to Central Arizona Speedway saw Don Shaw sweep $1,000 to win IMCA Modified features at Casa Grande. 

Shaw swept Friday and Saturday main events, taking the checkers ahead of fellow Minnesotan Matt Aukland both nights.

He led all 25 laps from the outside pole on opening night, then worked his way up from ninth starting on night two. 

“The car was really good and we were able to pull away again following a yellow later in the race on Friday,” said Shaw, newly eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “I didn’t know if I had what I needed to win it Saturday. I got stuck behind another car and fell back to about 12th before I found a good line in (turns) three and four and was able to pass some guys.”

Restarts helped him stay close and ultimately catch Aukland for the front spot late in the contest.

Cody Thompson, Devon Fouquette and Spencer Wilson followed the front pair across the stripe as long tow competed Friday’s top five. Chaz Baca, Troy Morris and Wilson ran 3-4-5 on Saturday. 

Shelby Alves won her second IMCA Northern SportMod feature of the season on her birthday Friday while long-time Casa Grande runner Chris Tipton topped the Saturday show. 

Alves battled Clay Erickson following an early restart, then led the last 19 of 20 laps. Jesse Johnson was second and Scott Francour third as Alves edged away in a green, white, checkered finish.

“We put the car back together and chased some gremlins, and it feels like we’re getting faster,” said Alves, who became a spectator in 2021 following the birth of daughter Rowan. “It’s fun to get back and win. This is a track that I’ve won a championship at. We’ve got a lot of laps here so that helps, too.” 

She came up one spot short of a second win, at the runner-up to Tipton on Saturday. 

“She stuck her nose in there on each restart but I was able to stay in the right groove and hold her off,” he said. “The high line was definitely the place to be on Saturday night.” 

The win, Tipton’s first of 2022, came in his second start of the season and eighth in a 2014 rebuilt ride dating back to last year. 

He’s raced on and off for 40 odd years, getting his last win at Central Arizona in another older car, a DRS Missile in this case, about three years ago. 

Jackie Frye raced from 15th starting to third. 

Related Articles

Feature

IMCA Stock Car, Modified wins give Madrid first sweep at Central Arizona

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 21) – Winning the first feature of the night helped Zachary Madrid win the last one. Madrid was a double winner in the 2022 lidlifter at Central Arizona Speedway, topping both the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event and the IMCA Modified headliner. While he’s won two IMCA features twice on the same night before at other venues, Friday marked the first time he accomplished the feat at Casa Grande.  “The track was heavy. Running the Stock Car feature first helped me a ton figuring out where to run and what line I should follow in the Modified,” Madrid said. “I ran high in (turns) three and four, the middle to bottom in one and two, and wherever I could to get through traffic.” He crossed the stripe ahead of Scott Sluka and Eric Lloyd in the Stock Car feature. Jacob Pace and Kelsie Foley ran 2-3 in the Modified finale. “Everything worked out for us pretty good,” said Madrid, who earned Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility along with the [Read More]

Results

Thornton completes Desert Thunder Nationals sweep

By Lonnie Wheatley CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Nov. 22) – Ricky Thornton, Jr., finished off a sweep of Central Arizona Speedway’s seventh annual Desert Thunder Nationals, thundering to victory lane in Sunday afternoon’s 25-lap IMCA Modified feature event atop the 3/8-mile clay oval. Thornton, already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, had topped $1,000 to win features on Friday and Saturday leading up to Sunday’s $3,000 checkers and denying brother Jeremy the win in the process. Ricky Thornton Jr. spent the first half of the race chasing Jeremy Thornton before working his way into the lead on the 14th round.  He led the field the rest of the way with Jeremy Thornton fending off Jake O’Neill for runner-up honors and Jeff Larson and Austin Kuehl rounding out the top five.  “It’s pretty awesome to run one-two,” Thornton, Jr. said of sibling sweep of the top two positions.  While Thornton completed the trifecta, Bo Partain foiled a second consecutive Cody Thompson sweep attempt in the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod ranks. Bo Partain gunned into the lead at the [Read More]

Results

Central Arizona hosts Nov. 22-24 Desert Thunder Nationals

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. – A top check of $3,000 is at stake for IMCA Modifieds on the third and final night of Central Arizona Speedway’s Desert Thunder Nationals.  Friday, Nov. 22 and Saturday, Nov. 23 features at Casa Grande both pay the Modified winner $1,000. The Sunday, Nov. 24 feature pays $1,500 to the runner-up and $1,000 for third.  All three features are 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying events.  Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods race for $500 to win Friday and Saturday and for $1,000 to win on Sunday.  Pit gates open at 4 p.m., the front gate opens at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m. on Friday.  On Saturday, the pits open at 3 p.m., the grandstand opens at 4 p.m. and racing is at 6 p.m.  And on Sunday, pits open at 10 a.m., the front gate opens at 11 a.m. and racing gets underway at 1 p.m.  Grandstand admission is $20 for adults and free for kids ages 11 and under. Pit gate admission is $35 for adults, $20 [Read More]