Riding the cushion for five laps and keeping a close eye on Willie Croft in the low line, DJ Netto used traffic to his advantage and won his second consecutive Copper Classic at Arizona Speedway in Queen Creek on Saturday.

Croft sat on the pole and that pushed Netto to the outside. Rather than that being a disadvantage, the driver of the No. 88n laid his right rear tire on the berm in the very first turn. And while that proved to be the difference maker early on, Netto was forced to look around for an open path most the race. His next 15 trips around the track were all in heavy traffic until Jesse Baker rolled to a stop in turns one and two.

Two laps later, Croft’s day came to an abrupt end when his right rear tire exploded. He was credited with 19th and Netto had to make a fresh start. Using the lesson learned on the opening lap, he buried his tire on the cushion again and sailed to victory.

With Netto firmly in control, the fans turned their attention to a fierce battle for second that was resolved in Justin Sander’s favor. Colby Copeland finished third to round out the podium.

Snapping a two-race winning streak, Christopher Bell came across the line fourth. He won the opening night of the Copper Classic and the USAC Midget Turkey Night Grand Prix in Ventura, CA.

While the battle raged, Colton Hardy was focused on winning the war. His fifth-place finish in the Copper Classic solidified his points lead over Rick Ziehl as the checkers waved over not only the Southwest Region but also the entire Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series nation.

Ziehl finished 15th.

Top 10 Finishers 
1. DJ Netto
2. Justin Sanders
3. Colby Copeland
4. Christopher Bell
5. Colton Hardy
6. Reece Goetz
7. Giovanni Scelzi
8. Tanner Carrick
9. Chase Goetz
10. Nick Parker