Canyon Speedway Park
Shaw captures Copper on Dirt opener
Don Shaw won at Canyon Speedway Park. (Rob Hargraves)
PEORIA, Ariz. (Feb. 28) — Midwestern snowbird Don Shaw of Ham Lake, Minn., on Friday won the opening night of the Late Model portion of Canyon Speedway’s Copper on Dirt for the second straight season.
Shaw earned $1,200 in a race co-sanctioned by California-based C&D Bonding West Coast Shootout and Colorado-based Championship Dirt Motorsports. He’ll go for a weekend sweep on Saturday at Canyon with $2,000 on the line in the main event.
On Friday, Shaw led all 25 laps from the pole position for a victory over fellow front-row starter Garrett Alberson of Las Cruces, N.M. Alberson pulled to Shaw’s rear deck several times late in the feature but was unable to make the pass.
Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., was third while Lance Matthees of Winona, Minn., and reigning West Coast Shootout champ Steve Drake of San Luis Obispo, Calif., rounded out the top five in the opener of the seventh annual event at the third-mile oval.
Notes: Shaw is sponsored by Shaw Trucking and Blaine Brothers Inc. … Shaw is among several Midwestern drivers, including top-five finishers Pat Doar and Lance Matthees, who leave their racing equipment in the Southwest during the winter and fly out for occasional racing trips. … Damion Gardner won the night’s 30-lap USAC sprint car feature while R.J. Johnson won the USAC Western States midget car event. … Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., won the IMCA modified feature. … All the divisions are back in action Saturday at Canyon.
Copper on Dirt: (1) Don Shaw, (2) Garrett Alberson, (3) Pat Doar, (4) Lance Matthees, (5) Steve Drake, (6) Tony Toste, (7) Joey Moriarty, (8) Bud Grossenbacher, (9) Mike Kirby, (10) Cody Laney, (11) Anthony Madrid, (12) Brad Williams, (13) John Cornell, (14) Mike Balcaen, (15) Dave Smith, (16) Lonnie Parker Jr., (17) Dave Deetz, (18) Carla Laney, (19) Matt Micheli, (20) Craig Parker, (21) Clay Daly. Heat race winners (among 21 cars): Doar, Shaw, Balcaen.
