Week number two of the Ernie Mincy Early Thaw began on Thursday night, January 30th at the Central Arizona Raceway near Casa Grande. For many of the drivers, this marks their second week of racing in the desert while there are some rigs that have parked here in the pit area for nearly a month now as this series, running back to back with the IMCA TV Winter Nationals, certainly is a grind for a number of drivers, their crews and the working staff of the track plus the video crew etc. Even for the fans it is a lot of racing action for an area that with truly only one dirt track in the entire state operating at this time, gives them more racing events than the rest of the year put together over just a month.
Twenty three new drivers to the Mincy events signed into the pits on Thursday, some that had raced parts or all of the Winter Nationals but then took a week off and some that were just arriving to the desert this week to join the racing activity. While we may be racing in the desert, a large number of drivers are from out of this area with a great number from the Midwest. That even applies to the sponsors of this event as one look at the banners hung on the front straightaway show the high concentration of sponsors from the Midwest and upper Midwest helping make this race a reality and I'm guessing that without all their support, this event would probably not be taking place.
While they keep points to mark the series point champion, I'm not sure just what or if any rewards come along with that title, other than to say that the individual claimed the title. And in an odd turn of events, four of the current point leaders have failed to return for week two of the Mincy series for a variety of reasons including big races being held elsewhere to family emergencies that came up.
A new term has been added to the racing dictionary this week with a schedule change for the start time due to a "sun break," The intense Arizona sun, even in the Winter here, shines into the eyes of the drivers as they leave turn four and with the scheduled starting time, the angle of the sun and this particular time of the year, they are forced to halt the racing for a period of time for the sun to lower in the sky. This is the first time this was necessary for the Mincy but because of that plus the fact that the track was too wet to start at the appointed time, the first green flag dropped just over an hour later than the scheduled time. The problem created by that was the track curfew and when several of the races had more incidents than earlier in the week, track officials became nervous. The post race feature interviews were held until after the racing action was completed to move things along better and the Limited Mod feature, which was having a devil of a time staying under the green for the first time during the series, was checkered early. However, the Modifieds wrapped up the evening with a nonstop main event and the show was completed about fifteen minutes before it would have had to be "gonged."
Two new feature winners during the Mincy series stepped forward on Thursday night as Tyler Peterson was a first time winner in the Late Models while young Payce Herrera topped the Sport Mod main event. For Peterson it was his two hundredth feature win of his career, split between success in both the Modified and Late Model classes.
The track was very fast on Thursdaye night, due in much part to the extra water that was worked into the surface and the track maintained its speed throughout the night. Plus, with just a bit of character in turns one and two, he produced some intense racing action but also unfortunately, some of the nastiest wrecks seen so far during the series.
The Late Model feature was a dandy with three different leaders over the course of its twenty five lap run. Matt Gilbertson got the initial jump on the green but that start was called off after a turn two spin caused the yellow flag to wave. Gilbertson would use the outside line to get the jump again on the second attempt and take the early lead over Peterson.
Behind them, Don Shaw, Josh Leonard and Dylan Thornton were battling for position with Chad Olsen and Austin Kuehl becoming part of a large group of drivers running in a tight pack.
Gilbertson maintained a hot pace and before too long, as the race stayed under the green, he was in lapped traffic which allowed Peterson to start to close up. Tyler took a couple looks underneath the leader but wasn't able to take advantage as the halfway signal was given.
However, just one lap later Gilbertson got high off turn four and Peterson drove underneath him to take over the lead. As Gilbertson started to slip back in the pack, Shaw took over the second spot and began to close on Peterson as the leaders continued to encounter heavy traffic. With just five laps to go, as the leaders continued to fight through the traffic, Shaw got underneath Peterson to take over the lead but Peterson didn't give up and on the next lap, he executed a slide job and got back to the point.
Shaw pushed hard to try and regain the lead but in traffic in turn four, he got into the side of a car being lapped, giving himself a flat tire while tearing off most of the right side deck. As he slowed, the yellow flew for a four lap sprint to the finish.
Ricky Weiss had been on the move and was up to third when the yellow waved and he looked to be a prime contender for the win. However, Leonard surprised him on the start by getting a jump and moving into second. This was the break Peterson needed as he put distance on the field to race to the win. Weiss got back around Leonard for second but he was too late to put a challenge on for the win. Olsen and Gilbertson completed the top five.
Peterson had been sitting at one hundred and ninety nine feature wins for much of the last part of the 2024 racing season but wasn't able to get another one, so this monumental win was a good way to start 2025 for the multi time national champion in both the Late Models and Modifieds with WISSOTA.
Payce Herrera became a first time winner in the Mincy when he held on to win a rough and tumble main event that saw only eight cars take the checkers. Arizona champion Tyler Johnson led for much of the race which saw three cars battling for much of the contest.
Early on, Kaden Woodie was battling Johnson for the lead when he spun out, triggering the first yellow flag. Johnson was then in a tough battle with Bud Martini until Bud broke and pulled off the track. However, Johnson was still under the gun with Herrera and Ryan Peery pushing him hard for the lead with the top three running in tight formation. Meanwhile, Woodie was racing his way back up through the field and would eventually become a part of the lead battle once again.
Herrera made a strong outside move and on lap thirteen drove past Johnson to take over the lead. Tyler had none of that however, and crossed back over on the next lap to reclaim the lead. On the following lap, however, Johnson jumped the cushion, slowed dramatically and Woodie, with a full head of steam, crashed into the Johnson car as Herrera was able to duck under both. They were both done and Herrera moved back into the lead, holding off Peery and Joe Docekal to take the win.
Johnson had to scramble to even make this race as he was running double duty with his car and had went off on the back of the wrecker during the Limited Mod feature and his crew had to rush to get the car fixed and get him back on the track to start this race from the pole but he would again exit the track later on the back of the same wrecker.
The WISSOTA Super Stock feature saw the first repeat winner as defending national champion Dexton Koch fought off all challenges from James Trantina to take the win. Koch used the outside line to take the early lead he then maintained his edge over Trantina the rest of the way.
This race was stopped just once when Jordan Henkemeyer, opening night winner, bounced off the outside wall and called it a night. Beau Brown, Doug Bolt and Matt Sparby completed the top five.
The Limited Mods had a tough time of it on Thursday with this race being shortened considerably by a time limit. It was too bad that this happened as there were a number of excellent battles for position going on throughout the field, but the inability of the drivers to keep their cars pointed the correct direction ended the action prematurely.
Rob Moseley, the scourge of the Wild West Shootout, joined the action for Thursday night and the New Mexico driver got the jump on the field but a yellow stopped the action before a lap could be completed. Moseley again took the lead but then he pulled up suddenly, dead in the water in turn two and his night was completed early.
Jake Smith then took over the lead but one lap later, Lucas Rodin made a strong run to the outside and drove around Smith to take over the lead. Smith and Jess Brekke were in a good battle for that top spot but two quick yellows for spins kept the field bunched as even single file restarts didn't help.
Trying to get racing going once again, some great battles broke out but coming three wide out of turn four, Scott Bintz made contact with another car and spun across the track in very heavy traffic. Chad Ayers was unable to avoid clobbering Bintz, with the Tucson driver then sliding sideways and taking a hard flip right on the home stretch. Both drivers were OK but the damage to both cars was severe, with Bintz being the fourth night on a brand new car.
A green, white and checkers finish was called for on the lengthy event and Rodin would hold off Smith and Travis Saurer for the win with Brekke and Jarod Klein completing the top five.
The Stock Car feature produced a great side by side battle between Shelby Williams and Mike Albertsen. Williams had taken the early lead when the race was stopped with five laps complete for a spin.
On the green, Albertsen got beside Williams and the two, parked next to each other in the pits, would race side by side for the next five laps, swapping lanes occasionally but always door to door. Finally Albertsen was able to edge in front and over the final five laps, held off all challenges to take the win.
Jason Storbakken made a fine charge, starting eighth and racing up to third on the final lap, edging out Trevor Hidalgo and Casey Murdoch.
The Modified feature was the only main to go green to checkers. Eston Whisler got the jump on the field but before one lap could be completed, Troy Morris III had made the pass on him to take over the top spot. Kollin Hibdon moved into second quickly and the chase was on. Weaving through traffic, Morris III pounded the cushion as Hibdon chased him for the lead.
Eston Whisler settled into third spot by the halfway point of the race with Tate Johnson up from the twelfth starting spot and Bryson Yeager next in line.
The leaders continued to work through traffic with Hibdon gradually closing in on Morris III as the laps ran down. With just a couple laps to go, Morris III made what was probably the winning move as he split two slower cars down the front chute and that gave him the distance he needed to hold off any challenges from Hibdon late.
Kollin would settle for second with Eston Whisler, Johnson and Ian Whisler completing the top five.
Ben Detherage and Jason Garner have taken over the announcer duties for the Mincy Thaw and they have done a fine job in continuing the good work started by their predecessors the previous two weeks.
Round five of the Mincy will be held on Friday night with all six classes again in action and sunny skies again predicted for the desert. IMCA TV is available for viewing.
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