By Ben Deatherage
CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (July 28, 2026) — Sometimes all it takes is one opportunity.
For Braydon Whitfield, it was a race car sitting idle in the family shop.
Three years later, the Casa Grande driver is the reigning Arizona State champion in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods and the owner of his first career IMCA feature victory—a breakthrough that carried far more meaning than another trip to victory lane.
Whitfield scored that first win on April 17 at Central Arizona Raceway, just five days after the passing of his great-grandfather, Roy.
“I was happy to have most of my family there to watch me get it,” Whitfield said. “To be there together after everything that had happened was pretty cool.”
The victory became both a celebration and a tribute.
Just months after claiming a state championship in only his second full season, Whitfield had added another milestone to what has become one of Arizona’s fastest-rising racing careers.
Braydon Whitfield (center) celebrates his first career Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature victory in April at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, Ariz., alongside (from left) Ronny Tipton, father Brad Whitfield, Jerry Petty, mother Jennifer Tipton, Sonny Wahl, Mike Tipton, and Terry Allred. (Photo by Ben Thrasher)
One Chance Changed Everything
Racing has been part of the Whitfield family for decades.
Braydon’s father, Brad, first found his passion for the sport in the early 1990s thanks to his older brother, Gene Freeman.
“Gene and I went out to the track in the early ’90s and, boom, we were hooked,” Brad recalled.
Gene raced successfully in various divisions, including Modifieds, and his passion inspired Brad to climb behind the wheel himself in 1992. Over the next three decades, Brad competed in various divisions as well, including Modifieds and Late Models, collecting feature victories in every class he raced before eventually stepping away from full-time competition.
Today, Gene’s legacy lives on through the Gene Freeman Memorial Pit Crew Challenge, a longtime staple of the annual IMCA TV Winter Nationals at Central Arizona Raceway.
Following the deaths of his mother and Gene in 2017, Brad gradually scaled back his racing schedule, making only occasional starts before officially retiring in early 2026.
“My back and neck finally said, ‘That’s it,'” he said. “So we were done. We passed the torch over to Braydon.”
That torch found an unlikely home.
Unlike many racers, Braydon didn’t spend his childhood driving. Instead, he grew up watching his dad race while his older brother, Jake, eventually climbed behind the wheel himself.
When health issues sidelined Jake, his Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod sat in the shop waiting for someone to take the wheel.
“I was in college and working for my dad on the weekends,” Braydon said. “I asked him, ‘What’s the deal with Jake’s car?’ He said, ‘It’s just sitting.’ So I told him, ‘Let me try it. Give me one shot.'”
That one shot changed everything.
Flying Toward Another Dream
When Whitfield isn’t racing, chances are he’s around airplanes.
He works three 13-hour shifts each week at Glendale Municipal Airport while pursuing a career in aviation.
“I show up at six in the morning and fuel airplanes,” he said. “Basically, I work at a fancy and expensive gas station.”
He’s already earned his private pilot license and instrument rating, allowing him to fly single-engine aircraft, and he’s currently working toward his commercial rating, followed by multi-engine and helicopter certifications.
His long-term goal is to fight wildfires as a helicopter pilot.
“My ex-stepdad was a big figure to me growing up,” Whitfield explained. “He always had airplanes and helicopters around, and that’s where it all started. Originally I wanted to join the Air Force, but eventually I gravitated toward the civilian side.”
Flying has become more than a career goal.
It’s his escape.
“Flying is a way of going out and clearing your head, kind of like taking a country drive.”
On weekends away from the racetrack, he’ll often fly to another Arizona or New Mexico airport simply to grab lunch before heading home.
Recently, he even helped fellow Sprint Car racer and friend R.J. Johnson by flying him to Show Low for races at Deuce of Clubs Thunder Raceway.
“He was freaking out on the way back,” Whitfield said with a laugh. “He told me it was the coolest thing he’d ever done. For me, it’s no big deal because I’ve been doing it for three years. It’s kind of like driving a car.”
Braydon Whitfield’s Cessna 205 sits on the tarmac. Away from the racetrack, the reigning Arizona State champion works toward his goal of becoming a helicopter pilot specializing in aerial firefighting while building flight time in fixed-wing aircraft. (Courtesy Photo)
The Story Behind the 5O
The number on Whitfield’s race car didn’t come from racing.
It came from baseball.
“When I started travel ball, you couldn’t pick your own number,” he explained. “Everybody who’d been there a while already had the numbers they wanted, so I got No. 50.”
The number stuck.
“My nickname through middle school and high school became ‘5-O,'” Whitfield said. “When it came time to pick a racing number, I thought, ‘Why not?'”
The athletic success continued beyond baseball’s nickname.
Playing at Verrado High School, Whitfield helped the Vipers capture the 2022 Arizona 5A State Championship—the first baseball state title in school history.
Today, the familiar No. 5O has become recognizable on dirt tracks throughout Arizona.
Growing in Casa Grande
Whitfield is proud to call Casa Grande home.
Founded in 1879 during Arizona’s mining boom, the community first appeared as a tiny railroad settlement known as Terminus before being renamed Casa Grande after the nearby Hohokam archaeological ruins. Fires nearly erased the young town during the late 1800s, but as agriculture replaced mining as the region’s economic backbone, Casa Grande survived and continued to grow into one of central Arizona’s key communities.
For Whitfield, the city offers plenty to enjoy away from racing. Casa Palomino is one of his favorite spots for Mexican food, while the city’s nationally known skydiving center reflects the aviation culture he loves. When he’s looking for entertainment, he’ll often head about an hour north to Chandler, Gilbert or Scottsdale to spend time at Andretti Indoor Karting & Games or Topgolf.
Whether behind the wheel of a SportMod or at the controls of an airplane, Whitfield enjoys the challenge of mastering a machine.
One has already produced an Arizona State championship and a memorable first IMCA victory.
The other could someday see him protecting lives while fighting wildfires from the skies above.
Whitfield knows neither journey would be possible without those around him.
“I want to thank my mom and dad. My dad has been the biggest support through all of this, and my mom has finally come around to enjoying watching me race.”
He also thanked crew members Sonny, “Old Man” Ron and Gage, along with the many companies and individuals who help keep the No. 5O on the track, including Jugo Superfoods, Ultimate Equipment Rentals, Petty Performance Racing, Avanti Windows and Doors, DTR Enterprises, Swift Springs, JDJ Speed, Pitt Stop Motorsports, Empire Income Tax, Karl Tipton Racing, Kyler Repella Motorsports, Desert Septic, Park Rose Laser Creations, JP Enterprise, and Leapin Lizard Kettlecorn & Lemonade.
Whether he’s climbing into a cockpit or strapping into his DeVilbiss Racing Chassis SportMod, Whitfield continues to chase opportunities the same way his racing career began—with one chance, an open mind, and a willingness to see where the journey leads.
