Turnbull checks out for Arizona Mod Tour victory on night two at Cocopah Speedway

Feature

M-Aaron-Turnbull-VL
Aaron Turnbull topped the Saturday Karl Performance Arizona IMCA Modified Tour main event  at Cocopah Speedway. (Photo by Melissa Coker, Melissa’s Out On A Limb Photography)

By Mike Spieker

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Feb. 18) – Aaron Turnbull dominated the penultimate night of the Karl Perfor­mance Arizona IMCA Modified Tour, leading all 25 trips around Cocopah Speedway Saturday evening.

The $1,500 victory put the Canadian clipper on the ballot for the upcoming Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational.

Pole sitter Cody Laney jumped out to the early lead at the drop of the green flag but Turnbull pow­ered around the outside off turn four to lead the opening lap. Laney quickly had his hands full with Jeff Taylor, who was seeking his best finish of this year’s tour. Taylor snuck by Laney on lap three and set his sights on Turnbull, who had already established a seven car length lead.

Ricky Thornton Jr. became a contender early on as well after he moved by Laney to crack the top three.

Lapped traffic tightened things up late in the going. Turnbull’s comfortable lead evaporated to just two car lengths as both Taylor and Thornton reeled him in. Thornton passed Taylor for second just as the caution flew, prompting a four-lap dash to the finish.

On the restart, Turnbull and Thornton made contact in turn one, which almost spun out Thornton. Thornton was able to regain control of his machine in the fourth position. At the other end of the speedway, Laney, who was running in third, looped his machine to bring out the final caution of the event.

Turnbull got a great restart and jumped out to a comfortable lead as the race resumed. Thornton got by Taylor exiting turn two with three to go as five cars raced for the fourth position.

Turnbull cruised to the win with Thornton in second. Jake O’Neil snuck into third, as Taylor and Chris Abelson rounded out the top five.

Fred Ryland took the lead of the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod feature on lap six of 20 and never looked back. Ryland pulled away to take the win. Jason George, Austin Howes, Ethan Braaksma and Brady Bjella rounded out the top five.

Feature results – 1. Aaron Turnbull; 2. Ricky Thornton Jr.; 3. Jake O’Neil; 4. Jeff Taylor; 5. Chris Abelson; 6. Hunter Marriott; 7. Alex Stanford; 8. Lance Mari; 9. Anthony Roth; 10. Tanner Black; 11. Tim Ward; 12. Ryan Gaylord; 13. Casey Arneson; 14. Spencer Wilson; 15. Austin Kuehl; 16. Russell Allen; 17. Cody Laney; 18. Marlyn Seidler; 19. Darrell Hughes; 20. Shawn Strand; 21. Riley Simmons; 22. Joey Price; 23. Lucas Schott; 24. Bob Moore; 25. Kody Scholpp; 26. Ethan Dotson.

Related Articles

Events

IMCA Modifieds, Northern SportMods on Cocopah’s Turkey Classic cards

SOMERTON, Ariz. – A pair of $1,500 to win IMCA Modified features are on race night cards at Cocopah Speedway’s Nov. 27 and Nov. 28 Turkey Classic.  Both Friday and Saturday main events are 2021 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifiers. Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods race for $500 to win each night.  The pit gate opens at 1 p.m. both days, with the front gate opening at 3 p.m. and racing at 5 p.m. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and military and free for kids 11 and under. All pit passes are $35.  The Turkey Classic is presented by Bad Boy Designs and Fisher Chevrolet Buick GMC.

Results

Brown wheels borrowed car to big IMCA Hobby Stock payday

SOMERTON, Ariz. – Expectations were more than exceeded when Brian Brown made his first-ever IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock start March 6 at Cocopah Speedway.  With a $1,600 check on the line, Brown proved to be a fast learner in the full-bodied class, getting a break from a timely yellow and parking friend and fellow Ramona, Calif., resident Brian Fitzgibbons’ car in victory lane.  Fitzgibbons, off the track while undergoing chemotherapy, had suggested Brown try his luck in the 2020 Charger Chassis wheeled last season by former national champion Jeff Ware.  Friends and sponsors had helped Fitzgibbon’s wife Amanda buy the car with the ultimate goal of getting him racing again. It was parked in their garage before Brown put the final race-ready touches on at his house and booked hotel rooms for the trip to Cocopah.  “Our fathers were best friends in high school and we live like 20 houses away,” said Brown, who also races a Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod. “We’d seen the to-win (amount at Cocopah) bumping up and were sitting around and [Read More]

Feature

Arneson dominates IMCA Modifieds at Cocopah, Knutson captures 3rd straight Winter Nationals win

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 8) – Casey Arneson led every lap of the IMCA Modified feature while Eric Knutson led just enough of the race to capture a third straight IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock victory Friday at Cocopah Speedway’s IMCA.TV Winter Nationals. Arneson, from North Dakota, topped a $1,000 to win, Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying headliner that ended with 24 consecutive green flag laps. Ricky Alvarado moved into second on the fifth circuit but was not able to mount a serious threat to the leader.  Braxton Yeager, Wednesday winner Tanner Black and Zane DeVilbiss completed the top five while Thursday winner Ethan Dotson. Raced from 16th starting to sixth.  One hundred and sixty-four cars in the four IMCA divisions saw action for a second straight night. Knutson had to make his way to the front of the Hobby Stock field from the 22nd starting spot, catching Brandon Bombardo coming out of the final turn for his third checkers in as many Winter Nationals outings.  Matt Olson had led much of the way before getting together with [Read More]