centralarizonaraceway Archives

Baca reigns supreme at Central Arizona

By Ben Deatherage CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Sept. 21, 2024) – In sheer dominance, defending Friesen Performance IMCA Modified national champion Chaz Baca put together a fantastic drive Saturday at Central Arizona Raceway. He seized the race lead from the very start of the feature and built a nearly six second advantage over the second-place finisher, securing his 26th open-wheeled victory of the season. Marvin Mueller and Bill Miller were second and third, respectively. Five other Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing divisions attended the Pinal County Fairgrounds 3/8-mile clay oval. They included the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. Winners were Bo Partain, Eric Winemiller, Nathan DeRagon, A.J. Whisler and Steve Carter. Partain made the high side work in his favor in the Stock Car main as he grabbed the torch and ran away from the rest of the field. Frustratingly, he did have to deal with three stoppages, which didn’t allow him to get too far ahead, [Read More]

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]

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]

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

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 [Read More]

Berry finds preferred line for Early Thaw IMCA win

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Jan. 19, 2024) – Tom Berry had to hustle to get a couple late post-season wins in Arizona last year. He found victory lane much sooner this year, winning Friday’s night two Ernie Mincy Early Thaw feature for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. “I fell back to fourth (from third starting) and was thinking that’s where I would finish,” said Berry, a DNF after running up front in the Thursday opener. “The high line was the preferred line and it took me three or four laps to get the lead once I found it.” The $1,000 checkers were the first of the season and career 72nd in the class for Berry, who piloted a Mike Wedelstadt owned car at Casa Grande. IMCA’s 2020 national champion was already eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. “We raced in Arizona in 2015 and won twice at Cocopah in the Turkey Classic Harvest Hustle last Thanksgiving,” he said. “We got started early this year, getting the win in our second start.” Opening night winner Chaz [Read More]

One-man tour takes Thomas to first IMCA Hobby Stock win

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (June 3, 2023) – John Thomas’ one-man tour took him to victory lane Saturday night. The leader in national and Big Daddy Race Cars Southern Region rookie points won for the first time in his IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock career, hauling from ninth in the checkered flag run at Central Arizona Raceway. The win came in his 22nd start of the season, after three straight second-place finishes and, best of all, on girlfriend Meghan Aden’s birthday. “We’re calling this my You Only Die Once, You Live Every Day Tour,” explained Thomas, who turns 58 at the end of July. “I got back into racing this year following a health scare. I told Meghan this was something I wanted to do, she said ‘Do it,’ so I did.” “I’ve always been a fender guy,” added Thomas, most recently a winner circa 2007 in the pure stock class at West Valley Speedway. “This was something I did way back when and I never got away from it. I’m really glad to be racing again.” The Arizona native [Read More]

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]