By Blake Walker
CASA GRANDE, ARIZ. (March 21, 2026) – The streak stayed alive on Saturday at Central Arizona Raceway as the finale of the Cactus Classic presented by Avanti Windows & Doors provided the sixth different winner through six shows with Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing in 2026.
Starting from the outside pole, Australian James McFadden out-raced Californian Giovanni Scelzi into turn one and assumed the early lead. The Alice Springs, Northern Territory native was on cruise control working lap traffic until the only red flag of the race flew for an upside down Daison Pursley on Lap 11.
Allowing “Hot Sauce” to restart on J-Mac’s tail was enough to spice things up as Scelzi slid by to lead Lap 12, only for McFadden to rally back and regain control on Lap 13. The leaders hustled through traffic until the final caution was called on Lap 25, setting up a five-lap sprint to the finish.
The 36-year-old McFadden handled the pressure with ease and drove the Tarlton Racing No. 21 to the checkered flag with a 0.511-second margin of victory. Adding his fourth career win with Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing, his previous three triumphs came during his full-time 2024 effort with Roth Motorsports.
Now with Tarlton Racing, he took the iconic black and gold machine to Whiskey Myers Victory Lane for the first time with the series. He joins notable names like Jason Meyers and Carson Macedo as drivers to have taken Tommy to victory lane on the national stage of 410 sprint car racing.
The sixth different driver to slap a CASM Win Sticker on his car, McFadden follows in the footsteps of Kyle Larson, Corey Day, Aaron Reutzel, Rico Abreu, and Tanner Thorson with the series’ parity off the charts to start 2026.
Giovanni Scelzi’s stellar start with Spire Motorsport continued as he brought home a season-best runner-up finish in the Chili’s Grill & Bar No. 77. Through the first six races, he’s yet to finish outside the top-10 with results of 3rd, 9th, 8th, 4th, 7th, and 2nd.
Brad Sweet, the 2024 Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing champion, returned to the podium for the first time as a part-time racer. “The Big Cat” took advantage of the final restart to seal Rod End Supply Hard Charger honors with a 10th-to-3rd effort in Kevin Kozlowski’s “W” ride.
Sye Lynch of Apollo, Pennsylvania followed them with a season-best fourth-place finish for the Mosites Lynch Racing No. 42 – his first top-five with High Limit to come outside of Lernerville Speedway or Lucas Oil Speedway.
Aaron Reutzel brought the Ridge & Sons Racing, PowerPlus No. 87 home in the fifth spot as he sits 34-points out of the championship lead with Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing.
Closing out the top-10 on Saturday at Central Arizona was Tyler Courtney in the Clauson-Marshall Racing No. 7BC, Logan Seavey in the CB Industries No. 87X, Tanner Thorson in the Rod Gross Motorsports No. 88, Ryan Timms in the Liebig Motorsports No. 10, and Rico Abreu in the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing No. 24.
THE ALL-IN NOTEBOOK (3/21/26)
Central Arizona Raceway (Casa Grande, Arizona)
Cactus Classic presented by Avanti Windows & Doors
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps – Brad Sweet (13.598)
Capitol Custom Trailers QuickTime Flight A – Aaron Reutzel (13.070)
Capitol Custom Trailers QuickTime Flight B – Sye Lynch (13.092)
TJ Forged Heat One Winner – James McFadden
DMI Heat Two Winner – Logan Seavey
BR Motorsports Heat Three Winner – Sye Lynch
Rod End Supply Heat Four Winner – Brenham Crouch
FK Rod Ends Dash Winner – Giovanni Scelzi
Winters Performance B-Main Winner – Brent Marks
DURST Dice Roll Driver – Logan Seavey (4th-to-7th)
Jake’s Golf Carts Fastest Lap – James McFadden (14.103 on Lap 1)
Rayce Rudeen Foundation Rookie of the Race – Tanner Holmes (13th)
Rod End Supply Hard Charger – Brad Sweet +7 (10th-to-3rd)
Whiskey Meyers Victory Lane Visitors – Drew Warner, Nate Matherly, Tommy Tarlton
First to the Sunoco Checkered Flag – Tarlton Racing #21
CASM Win Sticker – James McFadden
Lap Leader(s) – James McFadden 1-11; Giovanni Scelzi 12; James McFadden 13-30
Interstate Batteries A-Main Results (30 Laps): 1. 21-James McFadden[2]; 2. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[1]; 3. W-Brad Sweet[10]; 4. 42-Sye Lynch[5]; 5. 87-Aaron Reutzel[9]; 6. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[12]; 7. 87X-Logan Seavey[4]; 8. 88-Tanner Thorson[3]; 9. 10-Ryan Timms[14]; 10. 24-Rico Abreu[6]; 11. 17GP-Hank Davis[13]; 12. 55-Kerry Madsen[7]; 13. 26-Justin Peck[15]; 14. 13-Tanner Holmes[17]; 15. 9R-Chase Randall[25]; 16. 19-Brent Marks[21]; 17. 24D-Danny Sams III[23]; 18. 88N-DJ Netto[18]; 19. 21B-Brian Brown[11]; 20. 34-Sterling Cling[19]; 21. 6-JJ Hickle[20]; 22. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[24]; 23. 5-Brenham Crouch[8]; 24. 9-Daison Pursley[22]; 25. 73-Hunter Schuerenberg[16]
NEW Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing Championship Standings (After 6/64 Races):
Tanner Thorson – Rod Gross Motorsports #88 (406 pts… -)
Rico Abreu – Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #24 (384 pts… -22)
Giovanni Scelzi – Spire Motorsports #77 (376 pts… -30)
Aaron Reutzel – Ridge & Sons Racing #87 (372 pts… -34)
Tyler Courtney – Clauson-Marshall Racing #7BC (344 pts… -62)
Kerry Madsen – Vermeer Motorsports #55 (328 pts… -78)
Justin Peck – Rudeen Racing #26 (306 pts… -100)
Tanner Holmes – Buch Motorsports #13 (284 pts… -122)
Daison Purlsey – Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #9 (281 pts… -125)
Sye Lynch – Mosites Lynch Racing #42 (268 pts… -138)
Brent Marks – Brent Marks Racing #19 (266 pts… -140)
Hank Davis – Michael Dutcher Motorsports #17GP (234 pts… -172)
Brenham Crouch – CJB Motorsports (230 pts… -176)
Danny Sams III – Randerson Racing #24D (220 pts… -186)
Chase Randall – Chase Randall Racing #9R (218 pts… -188)
WHAT’S NEXT: Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing will return to live national television this Tuesday, March 24 when the Roto-Rooter Midweek Series airs on FS1 from New Mexico’s Vado Speedway Park. Tickets are available for purchase at HighLimitRacing.com, or you can watch every lap live on FloRacing.