• dirt track racing news

AFTER AN EIGHTH AT PERRIS, TAFOYA RETURNS TO CENTRAL ARIZONA SPEEDWAY FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2019

2025-04-11 21:58

(Chino, CA, April 10, 2025) This Friday and Saturday, April 11th and 12th, Eddie Tafoya Jr. will compete with the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars on a track he has not raced on since 2019. The track is the Central Arizona Speedway, and the last time he was there, he was competing for Rookie of the Year with the now-defunct USAC Southwest Sprint Car Series. This week's races come hot on the heels of Tafoya's eighth-place finish last week in the USAC/CRA main event at Perris Auto Speedway.

A lot has changed since Tafoya was last at the track, which is located about halfway between Phoenix and Tucson. Not only the racing surface, but the entire facility has had a major makeover since then. As was previously stated, he was running for the USAC Southwest Series Rookie of the Year award in 2019. He not only won that, but he also captured the USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year award the same season. Thus, he has good memories of the facility.

"I ran there one time with the Southwest Series when I was trying to get the Rookie of the Year in 2019," Tafoya remembered. "I had to go to one of the races over there to stay in points. I won a heat race by about half a track. I am not sure exactly where I finished in the main, but I think I was close to the top five."

Tafoya recently viewed some of the High Limit Sprint Car Series race at the track located on the Pinal County Fairgrounds. He planned on watching some more before heading to the "Copper State."

"From what I remember it was big and fast," Tafoya enthused. "So, that sounds good to me. I am on a different chassis now. I should have a decent base. We just have to make decent calls throughout the night."

Last Saturday night, Tafoya raced close to his Chino Hills, California, home at Perris Auto Speedway. It was with the same USAC/CRA Series that he is competing with this weekend. Twenty-four cars showed up for the night of racing and 27-year-old Tafoya qualified sixth fastest at 16.755.

Being the sixth fastest qualifier and with the way the first two heats finished, meant that Tafoya was a lock to start on the pole for the main if he placed in the top five of his heat. Starting fifth in the 10-lapper, Tafoya quickly advanced to second, and it looked like he was going to secure the pole for the main. However, that was not to be.

"I knew I had to get fifth or better to start pole (in the main)," Tafoya offered. "I got to second quickly, like within two laps. I was running there, and I had the valve stem shoot out of the left rear tire. That ran it out of air, and then it popped it off the bead."

Unfortunately, the flat knocked Tafoya from second in the heat to last. And it knocked him off the pole for the main. Instead of starting at the head of the pack, he had to roll off inside row four.

The stacked field did not disappoint the fans as the drivers put on the usual Perris Auto Speedway "war." Tafoya looked good in the beautiful #51T and battled throughout the race, finishing eighth.

"I think car-wise and driver-wise, that is the closest I have been in a while," Tafoya said of the race. "It was definitely a positive. The setup felt good. I was pretty happy with how it went. I was just a little bit off. A lot of guys were going fast, so it was a lot different starting seventh than it would have been starting on the pole."

Central Arizona Speedway is located in Casa Grande on the Pinal County Fairgrounds at 512 S 11 Mile Corner Road. Adult tickets for the shows are $25.00 each night. Active military and seniors get in for $20.00. For young adults ages 12-17, it is $15.00. Kids 11 and under are free. Gates will open at 5:00 p.m. each night with racing at 7:00. For more information visit the track website at https://www.centralazraceway.com/ or call the track office at 602-292-7607. For fans who cannot make it to Arizona, both nights will be shown live on Flo Racing.

Fans can follow Tafoya on Instagram eddietafoya51.

Tafoya and the #51T team would like to thank Specialty Fasteners, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Gasper Transportation, CMI Precision Machining, Owen's Insurance Services, Keen Concrete, DRC Chassis, and Rider Racing Engines for supporting its 2025 racing endeavors.

Eddie Tafoya's 2025 Results

2/10/25 Volusia Speedway Park USAC National Sprint Cars 5th B Main

2/11/25 Volusia Speedway Park USAC National Sprint Cars 7th B Main

2/12/25 Ocala Speedway USAC National Sprint Cars 5th B Main

2/13/25 Ocala Speedway USAC National Sprint Cars 19th A Main

2/14/25 Ocala Speedway USAC National Sprint Cars 18th A Main

2/15/25 Ocala Speedway USAC National Sprint Cars 20th A Main

2/22/25 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 5th A Main

3/1/25 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 13th A Main

4/5/25 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th A Main

This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. (909) 226-7768 or E-mail mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com