Zachary Madrid Takes ASCS Desert Sprint Series Season Opener

Story By: BRYAN HULBERT / ASCS – CASA GRANDE, AZ – Kicking off 2019 the same way he did 2018, defending San Tan Ford ASCS Desert Sprint Series Zachary Madrid rolled the TGR/Maxim No. 34 into Victory Lane Saturday night at Casa Grande’s Central Arizona Speedway.

Gridding the 25-lap affair sixth, Madrid worked into the runner-up spot on Lap 10 and began closing on race long leader, Aaron Jones. Having held onto the lead through several early race cautions, the yellow lights on Lap 11 would be the ones to give Madrid his shot with the pilot of the No. 34 taking advantage the following lap.

Able to hold off Jones the remainder of the event, Madrid’s win is his 10th with the San Tan Ford ASCS Desert Sprint Series. Aaron Jones would settle for second with Dennis Gile moving from ninth to claim the final podium step. Austin Kuehl crossed fourth with Bruce St. James advancing seven positions to round out the top-five.

Matt Lundy in sixth was trailed by Sterling Cling with Ronald Wester going from 14th to eighth. Tyler Most moved from 17th to ninth with Rick Shuman coming in as the night’s Hard Charger with a run from 19th to complete the top-ten.

The San Tan Ford ASCS Desert Sprint Series takes to the track again on Saturday, February 9 at Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Ariz. for the Steve Stroud Memorial.

Race Results

San Tan Ford Desert Sprint Car Series
Central Arizona Speedway – Casa Grande, Ariz.
Saturday, February 2, 2019

Car Count: 19

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 45K-Austin Kuehl, [1]; 2. 67-R.J. Johnson, [3]; 3. 66-Colton Maroney, [4]; 4. 22-Matt Lundy, [6]; 5. 29X-Dustin Cormany, [7]; 6. 3-Tyler Most, [2]; 7. 25AZ-Rick Shuman, [5]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 34C-Sterling Cling, [2]; 2. 22G-Aaron Jones, [1]; 3. 17-Joe Scheopner, [3]; 4. 1AZ-Bruce St. James, [5]; 5. 51-Ronald Webster, [4]; 6. 98-Jason Schwader, [6]

Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 34-Zachary Madrid, [5]; 2. 2-Joshua Shipley, [4]; 3. 25-Mike Waddle, [3]; 4. 4T-Dennis Gile, [6]; 5. 33-Brad Weiss, [2]; 6. 0G-Kyle Shipley, [1]

A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 34-Zachary Madrid, [6]; 2. 22G-Aaron Jones, [1]; 3. 4T-Dennis Gile, [9]; 4. 45K-Austin Kuehl, [3]; 5. 1AZ-Bruce St. James, [12]; 6. 22-Matt Lundy, [8]; 7. 34C-Sterling Cling, [5]; 8. 51-Ronald Webster, [14]; 9. 3-Tyler Most, [17]; 10. 25AZ-Rick Shuman, [19]; 11. 29X-Dustin Cormany, [13]; 12. 98-Jason Schwader, [16]; 13. 0G-Kyle Shipley, [18]; 14. 67-R.J. Johnson, [2]; 15. 33-Brad Weiss, [15]; 16. 2-Joshua Shipley, [4]; 17. 17-Joe Scheopner, [10]; 18. 66-Colton Maroney, [7]; 19. 25-Mike Waddle, [11]