CASA GRANDE, Ariz. – Ricky Thornton Jr. finished off a sweep of Central Arizona Speedway’s three-day aeventh annual Desert Thunder Nationals by thundering to victory lane in Sunday afternoon’s 25-lap IMCA Modified feature event atop the three-eighths-mile clay oval.
While Thornton completed the trifecta, Bo Partain foiled a second consecutive Cody Thompson sweep attempt in the IMCA Sport Modified ranks with Donald Comstock besting the Pure Stocks while Shon Deskins and Tuesday Calderwood claimed victory honors in the Power 600 Micro Sprints.
In the IMCA Modified portion, Thornton completed a sweep of the three-day Desert Thunder Nationals by winning Sunday afternoon’s 25-lap finale, denying his brother the win in the process.
Thornton Jr., spent the first half of the race chasing his brother Jeremy Thornton before working his way into the lead on the 14th round. Thornton Jr. led the field the rest of the way with Jeremy Thornton fending off Jake O’Neill for runner-up honors with Jeff Larson and Austin Kuehl rounding out the top five.
“It’s pretty awesome to run one-two,” Thornton Jr. said of sibling sweep of the top two positions.
Partain gunned into the lead at the outset of the 25-lap IMCA Sport Modified feature and led throughout after fighting off a late-race restart challenge from Illinois’ Austen Becerra. Becerra settled for runner-up honors with Speedy Madrid in the show position.
Vying for a second consecutive Desert Thunder Nationals three-day sweep, Thompson fell three spots short in his rally from 22nd to fourth with Shelby Alves rounding out the top five.
“It was a new car we brought out Friday night and had a few bugs, we had a good car last night and went back to the drawing board and it worked out,” Partain commented in victory lane.
Comstock worked his way past Friday night winner Nelson Morrow in the early stages of the 20-lap Pure Stock feature and then held off the charges of Jack Lacy, taking the win by mere inches as the checkered flag flew with Steve Shumaker, Virgil McArthur and Andy Wheat filling out the top five.
In Power 600 Micro Sprint action on the inner oval, Deskins improved one position from his Saturday night runner-up finish to take the Sunday afternoon win ahead of R.J. Johnson and Chris Rahe with Cameron La Rose crossing the stripe in fourth after topping the opening two legs of Desert Thunder Nationals action. In the Restricted division, Calderwood became the third different winner of the weekend by taking the checkered flag ahead of Corbin Rueschenberg and Elijah Gile.