By Ben Deatherage
CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Feb. 22, 2025) — Chaz Baca Jr. once again wound up in victory lane at Central Arizona Raceway for the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds as he would sweep the weekend at the place where he has won the last four track championships. This time, however, he would have to win it from starting from tenth and got the lead just a few laps shy of the midway point of the 20-lap affair.
Jonathan Mawhinney sprinted out to the lead when the green flag was unfurled and effectively operated on the lower portion of the racetrack. However, the dynamic of the race would change when a caution came out with six circuits counted to the good.
On the restart, Baca clawed his way into second and had Mawhinney in his crosshairs. Mawhinney stuck to his guns on the lower portion of the track while Baca operated up on the high side. Baca would execute a sweeping pass around the leader and obtained the top spot on lap 8 just before the caution would wave for the final time.
When the green flag was released for the final time, Baca would dominate the balance of the distance and had no issues with lapped traffic in the final five trips around the 3/8-mile clay oval. The victory would be his fifth in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region action.
Mawhinney was a strong second while Michael Egurola Jr. won the competitive race for third for the second straight night.
Teen Sensation Tyler Johnson Scores First Stock Car Win of 2025 at Central Arizona Raceway
Tyler Johnson wasted no time asserting his dominance in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car main event. The 15-year-old standout from Laveen, Arizona, shot to the front on the opening green flag and never looked back, despite facing several restarts throughout the race. Each time the field bunched up, Johnson quickly rebuilt his momentum, pulling away from the competition with ease.
After a lap 3 caution, Brent Meile emerged as Johnson’s biggest threat. Meile worked the bottom groove, trying to muscle his way past the young leader, but Johnson’s commitment to the high side paid off as he maintained his advantage.
A late-race restart sparked a fierce battle for second, giving Johnson the breathing room he needed to secure the win. Clay Erickson eventually claimed the runner-up spot and began to close the gap on Johnson, but the youngster had already built an insurmountable lead.
The victory marked Johnson’s first of the 2025 season, driving his brother Jesse’s car, and solidifying his presence among the EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region contenders.
Erickson finished second, with Meile holding on for third to round out the podium.
Eric Winemiller Dominates Northern SportMods
Defending track champion Eric Winemiller had his way with the field in the IMCA Northern SportMod ranks. The Casa Grande chauffeur put on a rather dominating display of action in front of the hometown crowd as he led the entire distance and mastered several restarts to pick up his first win of 2025.
Something that played a vital role in his victory was the barnburner of a battle for the runner-up spot as double-duty driver Tyler Johnson eventually got around Braydon Whitfield on lap 10 but later would have to deal with Friday night’s winner Mark “Bud” Martini.
The pair of former SportMod National Rookie of the Year winners, Martini in 2015 and Johnson last year, would fiercely go at it with Martini seizing the position on lap 14.
However, a late-race caution that set up a green-white-checkered finish propelled Johnson back into second and gave him a run on Winemiller on the final corner but it was not enough to perform the overtake.
Johnson was a close second followed by Minnesota’s Martini.
Zack Tate Scores First Hobby Stock Victory of the Season
Scott Tenney started things off in the Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock main event as he captured the lead on the initial green. He would have a ton of pressure put on him by Friday night winner Steve Bitting Jr. and Rick Hughes Jr., with Hughes getting to the front on lap 3.
As the race stayed green, a slower car that came into the mix allowed for Bitting, in the Katy and Eugene Altenbrun fielded entry, to make a move under Hughes on the sixth circuit. A trio of cautions kept the field knitted closely together.
Eventually, Coolidge’s Zack Tate had some positive momentum on the inside and surged to second after the final restart and had his faith on the inside of the track pay off to perform a pass for the lead on lap 12. Tate would extend his lead out to a healthy margin to win his first race of the season after starting the race tenth.
The defending B&B Racing Southern Region, Arizona State, and track champion Nathan DeRagon would be credited with second with the last step of the podium being occupied by Ricky Thornton Sr.
Billy Foultz Sweeps Sport Compact Weekend
Steve Carter controlled the early lead of the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact finale, but as the race stayed green his advantage would be chomped away by Billy Foultz. Foultz from Descanso, California, would catch and pass Carter and then went on to tame the field the rest of the way to sweep the weekend and win for the fifth time in 2025.
Carter was second followed by Chris Boulware Jr. in third.
The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV.
