Second-year USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series regular “Shugah” Shane Sexton will be making his first appearance at Arizona’s Mohave Valley Raceway this Saturday night, April 23rd. The race will be Sexton’s first since finishing 14th in the series main event at Perris Auto Speedway on March 26th.
A senior at El Capitan High School, Sexton is in his second year racing powerful 410 sprint cars. After making the 274-mile journey from his home in Warner Springs, California to the track that is located just east of the Colorado River, he will suit up for his fifth race of the 2022 season. Driving a new GAS Chassis with a Powell Racing Engine, the effervescent driver comes into Saturday’s race 18th in the series championship standings.
Sexton began the season at the end of January with three races at Arizona’s Cocopah Speedway. Opening night saw the teen driver’s nice drive halted by a violent flip with two laps to go in the main event. Fortunately, he climbed from the car unscathed but was saddled with a 14th-place finish.
The opening night crash left the crew with a lot of work to do to get the car ready for the following two nights. In fact, it left them with so much work that they missed qualifying and the heat race on night two. They barely got the car done in time to push it off for the main event as a test for the following evening. Sexton started 25th and ended up 21st.
On the third night things were back to normal for Sexton. He turned in the 19th fastest lap in qualifying and placed fifth in his heat race. He started the main in 18th and drove all the way forward to 11th. That earned the young driver the “In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Memorial Hard Charger Award” for passing the most cars in the race. He was destined to win that award on Friday as well before the late-race tumble.
Sexton’s last start came at the world famous Perris Auto Speedway on March 26th. On that night, the team debuted a dazzling bright red metal flake paint job that not only caught the attention of fans at the track, but fans worldwide who watched live on the Dirt Vision streaming site. Once again, he won the “Gardner Memorial Hard Charger Award” for going from 22nd to 14th in the main event.
After this Saturday’s race in Arizona, Sexton and his crew will remain busy with a race next Saturday, April 30th, at Perris Auto Speedway. On May 14th, the team will journey to the Bakersfield Speedway before returning to Perris on May 28th.
For fans wanting to see “Shugah Shane” in action on Saturday, the track is located just a few miles from the Colorado River and is only 20 minutes from downtown Laughlin. The address for the track is 2750 East Laguna Road in Mohave Valley, AZ (86440). The track website is https://www.mohavevalleyraceway.com/ and the office phone is (928) 346-3000.
Spectator gates for Saturday’s race will open at 6:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00. Adult tickets are $20.00. The cost for seniors 60 and over and military with id is $18.00. It is only $5.00 for kids 6-10 and children 5 and under are free.
In addition to his racing in the USAC/CRA Series, Sexton will also return to his roots to race some Lightning Sprint Car races in 2022. He will head north to drive for Brian Fonseca in the “Clay Cup” at Washington’s Deming Speedway from July 14th through the 16th and the “Cal Cup” at California’s Lemoore Speedway. The race at Lemoore will take place from October 13th through the 15th.
Sexton and the #74 team wish to extend their thanks to the following 2022 racing season partners. Gas Chassis, Key Brothers Racing, Nita Gatlin, Hugh Jorgan, Mike Pridgeon Racing Engines, AG Sandcars, Powder 1, Ron’s Tire and Brake, and Savage Racing. If you would like to be a part of this fun, upcoming team and get exposure not only at the tracks but around the world on Flo Racing, please contact Shane Sexton at mailto:[email protected] or (619) 362-5921.
Shane Sexton PR
