Stoked for sure, Woodie celebrates first win at Ernie Mincy Early Thaw

Feature, Modified, Northern SportMod, Stock Car

Kaden Woodie made the long trip from Minnesota pay off with his first Friesen Performance Northern SportMod feature win Thursday during Central Arizona Speedway’s Ernie Mincy Early Thaw. (Photo by Ron Pelton Jr.)

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 25, 2024) – There was no shortage of adjectives following Kaden Woodie’s career-first Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature win Thursday at Central Arizona Raceway.

The long tow from Milaca, Minn., topped the final feature of the Ernie Mincy Early Thaw show, ahead of Cam Reimers and Clay Erickson.

“It was awesome. It was exhilarating for sure,” said Woodie, who made the trip from north of the Twin Cities with his dad Paul and crewman Shawn Hess. “My team and I have been putting in the work. I was stoked, for sure.”

He led all 20 circuits from the pole, building an advantage of 5-1/2 seconds and catching up with the back of the field before a lap 14 caution.

Two more cautions came out before the race ended green, white, checkered.

“It was definitely run being out front and lead. I’d checked out before the first caution,” said Woodie, twice a runner-up during the season-opening IMCA.TV Winter Nationals at Cocopah Speedway. “I could hear Cam behind me after the last caution but I never saw anyone.”

Woodie had finished 11th in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature earlier in the program. His SportMod win paid $750.

“The track was fast through the center for the Northern SportMod feature,” he said. “My car was set up really good and I ran right through the middle.”

Chaz Baca and Bo Partain both continued their winning ways, Baca for the third time in four Friesen Performance IMCA Modified Early Thaw starts and Partain in his third straight IMCA Stock Car outing.

Defending national champion Baca, Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible five times over, chased Mike Wedelstadt and then Jerry Flippo early, inherited the lead after a caution and led the rest of the way in collecting the $1,000 checkers.

Kollin Hibdon was second and Michael Leach ran third.

Partain led every time around the oval in winning a third straight $750 B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational feature, ahead of Kevin Roberts and Trent Grager.

“It’s a combination of things,” he explained. “A little luck, maybe a little home field advantage and a good race car.”

IMCA.TV continues its broadcasts of Early Thaw race programs, with the three IMCA divisions on Jan. 26 and 27 cards.

Related Articles

Feature

IMCA 115th for Alvarado, firsts for Johnson and Schrader

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 26, 2024) – Ricky Alvarado raced to his 115th IMCA feature win on the same night Tyler Johnson raced to his IMCA first. Popular visitor Ken Schrader had the Central Arizona Raceway crowd on its feet as well on Friday, night five of the Ernie Mincy Early Thaw. Alvarado, from Hotchkiss, Colo., led every lap in topping the caution-free Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main, earning $1,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility while the 14-year-old rookie Johnson led the distance in the $750 to win feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. Schrader’s first IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers were good for $750 and made him eligible to qualify for the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational. “We raced here 11 years ago – it’s been a long time – and I ran second and third that weekend in one of Tommy Fain’s Modifieds,” recalled Alvarado, who pitted next to his Stock Car driving friend from Abilene, Texas, at Casa Grande. “This has been a good start to the year [Read More]

Feature

Morris finds setup solution, Beeter and Parker both end IMCA Early Thaw with first feature wins

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 27, 2024) – Just in time, Troy Morris III found the setup that took him to the winner’s circle at Central Arizona Raceway. The Californian had broken before completing a lap on opening night of the Ernie Mincy Early Thaw, then ran 10th in the next three Friesen Performance IMCA Modified features at CAR. Then the lightbulb came on and Morris was fourth in the Friday night show. Saving the best for last, he won the 25-lap finale … from 12th starting … and $1,250 on Saturday. “We have always struggled at Casa Grande because of the banking. It took us until the last two nights to figure out how to get the car to turn the way we wanted it to,” Morris said. “We finally found a base setup we could use before the heats on Friday.” He started on the outside row and followed the high line to the front the next night. “Starting that far back, I didn’t think I had anything to lose by trying it and literally drove [Read More]

Events

Top billing for IMCA Modifieds at Central Arizona’s November Grand Re-reopening, Showdown specials

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Oct. 28, 2022) – IMCA drivers will be Central Arizona Raceway bound for a pair of rich November specials.      First is the Saturday, Nov. 5 Grand Re-reopening at Casa Grande, when fan favorite Ken Schrader joins the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds running for $2,000 to win. Then it’s the Nov. 18-20 Showdown, highlighted by a $3,000 to win feature for the Modifieds on the final night. IMCA.TV broadcasts both specials.    IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods both chase $1,000 top checks, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks run for $600 to win and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts for $300 to win at the promoter Brad Whitfield’s Grand Re-reopening show. An open practice runs from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4. Pits open at 3 p.m. and the front gate opens at 5 p.m. and the first green flag flies at 6 p.m. on race day. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and military and free for kids ages 12 and under.      Friday and Saturday [Read More]

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply