Marriott sets bar even higher by winning three IMCA Modified special series titles 

Hunter Marriott was a three-time IMCA Modified series champion in 2018, with Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights Tour, Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Tour and Karl Perfor­mance Arizona IMCA Modified Tour crowns to his credit. (Photo by Layn Mud­der) 

BROOKFIELD, Mo. – Hunter Marriott set the bar high in 2017.

He raised it again this season.

Marriott raced to a trio of IMCA Modified special series titles in 2018, repeating as champion of the Karl Performance Arizona Tour and earning a third straight Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Crown before topping Arnold Motor Supply Dirt Knights standings for the first time.

In all, the well-traveled Marriott raced at 28 different tracks in 11 states, winning 18 times before taking the checkers in the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational during the IMCA Speedway Moors Su­per Nationals fueled by Casey’s.

“The All-Star race was pretty important for us,” said Marriott, from Brookfield, Mo. “It seems like we have never run well at Boone. To be able to win that race felt pretty good.”

Marriott won three of eight Arizona Tour starts, then opened the Dakota Tour with back-to-back victories at Jamestown Speedway and Nodak Speedway.

His Dirt Knights Tour wins came at Park Jefferson Speedway and Buena Vista Raceway.

“We got to race with a lot of good drivers in these two tours, too,” Marriott said. “Being the first Modified driver to win three straight Dakota Tour championships and winning the Dirt Knights Tour are both special. The Dirt Knights Tour is another one that I always wanted to win.”

Marriott’s single-season best win total put him at 55 for his IMCA career.

“We keep working hard and we keep getting better,” he said. “We never sit down at the start of the season and map out our schedule. If we see a race that looks interesting, we go.”

Arizona Starts-8                   Wins-3               Top Five Finishes-6

Dakota Starts-4                    Wins-2              Top Five Finishes-4

Dirt Knights Starts-5             Wins-2               Top Five Finishes-4

HIS CREW: Tyler Fralin

HIS SPONSORS:  D & T Marriott Enterprises of Brookfield; Timberline of Lathrop; Tanner Racing of Smith­ville; Friesen Chevrolet of Sutton, Neb.; VP Race Fuels of Manhattan, Kan.; Bassett Wheel of Burling­ton, Wis.; Wehrs Machine & Racing Products of Bangor, Wis.; Strange Oval of Morton Grove, Ill.; Schoenfeld Headers of Van Buren, Ark.; Performance Bodies of Cedar Falls, Iowa; Rage Chassis of West Union, Iowa; Precision Performance of Oxford, Iowa; Widow Wax of Alta, Iowa; AFCO of Boonville, Ind.; Bilstein Shocks of Poway, Calif.; Stone Spreading of Atwater, Calif.; PFC Brakes of Clover, S.C.; Jones Racing Products of Ottsville, Pa.; and Driven Race Oil of Huntersville, N.C.