Canyon Speedway Park
Thornton, Kirby score Desert Classic victories
PEORIA, Ariz. (Nov. 4-6) — Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., denied the Desert Classic sweep attempt by Mike Kirby of Torrance, Calif., with a Sunday victory at Canyon Speedway.
Kirby won Saturday's $1,000 event co-sanctioned by the Total Seal Late Model Dirt Racing Series and West Coast Shootout while Thornton earned $2,000 for Sunday's victories. The weekend's racing was pushed back a day after rain postponed the first night of racing on Friday.
Kirby's Saturday victory came over Canadian invader Ricky Weiss and Thornton while West Coast Shootout champ Clay Daly of Watsonville, Calif., and Lonnie Parker Jr. of El Mirage, Ariz., rounded out the top five.
In Sunday afternoon's finale, Thornton helped the home-state Total Seal Series get the upper hand by outrunning Kirby. Weiss was third with Daly and Terry Belcher Jr. rounding out the top five.
Notes: While the events were non-points affairs for the West Coast Shootout competitors, Thornton's finishes moved him into a tie with Anthony Madrid in Total Seal points; no champion was immediately announced. ... The event drew 27 Late Models ... Tim Ward earned $3,000 for winning the modified portion of the 23rd annual event. ... Next up at Canyon is the season-ending Stock Car Shootout on Nov. 26-27; Late Models aren't on the card.
Nov. 5 feature: (1) Mike Kirby, (2) Ricky Weiss, (3) Ricky Thornton Jr., (4) Clay Daly, (5) Lonnie Parker Jr., (6) Anthony Madrid, (7) Nick Bartels, (8) Dean Moore, (9) Bud Grossenbacher, (10) Brad Williams, (11) Tommy Hussak III, (12) Garrett Alberson, (13) Joey Moriarty, (14) John Cornell, (15) Terry Belcher Jr., (16) Terry Belcher Sr., (17) Paul Guglielmoni, (18) Karl Tipton, (19) Jeremy Thornton, (20) Randy Korte.
Nov. 6 feature: (1) Ricky Thornton Jr., (2) Mike Kirby, (3) Ricky Weiss, (4) Clay Daly, (5) Terry Belcher Jr., (6) Lonnie Parker Jr., (7) Joey Moriarty, (8) Justin Thornton, (9) Nick Bartels, (10) Anthony Madrid, (11) Devin Crockett, (12) Dean Moore, (13) Randy Korte, (14) Bud Grossenbacher, (15) Bill Bartels, (16) Paul Guglielmoni, (17) Tommy Hussak III, (18) James Chavez, (19) Jerry Fincher, (20) Garrett Alberson, (21) Jeremy Thornton. Scratched: Terry Belcher Sr.
