SOMERTON, Ariz. (March 19-20) – The first visit to Arizona by the Pitt Stop Motorsports Wild West Tour saw two IMCA Modified drivers race to career-first tour wins at Cocopah Speedway.
Defending Shaw Race Cars Western Region, state and track champion Chaz Baca topped the Friday show, then ran second to Kollin Hibdon under the Saturday lights at Somerton. Both feature events on the opening weekend for the 11th annual tour paid $1,000 to win.
Baca started on the pole Friday, tangled with Hibdon racing for the lead near midway and went on to lead all 25 laps. Darrell Hughes II was second and Steve McCollough third.
“It was definitely a good way to start the tour. It was nice to pick up a tour win at one of my home tracks with my sponsors there to watch,” said Baca, who plans to chase the WWT crown. “I haven’t won a tour title before. It would be cool to get this one.”
Scored 19th after his early exit on night one, Hibdon led green to checkers on night two, pulling away from the rest of the field and getting the win at a home track of his own that’s six hours from his Nevada home.
“I’ve been racing at Cocopah since I started racing a SportMod. I won one there in a Modified (the Corning Memorial) last year,” Hibdon said. “To win a Wild West Tour race is like icing on the cake. I know a lot of people follow this series.”
Baca and Hibdon were both on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot going into the weekend. Hughes ran third on Saturday.
Kollin Hibdon earned his career first Pitt Stop Motorsports Wild West Tour victory in the night two feature for IMCA Modifieds at Cocopah Speedway. (Photo by Melissa Coker, Melissa’s Out On A Limb Photography)
Zane DeVilbiss and Michael Johnson maintained their tour winning ways, sweeping IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod features, respectively.
DeVilbiss had won the final two Wild West events of 2020 and became the Stock Car tour wins leader with his career fifth victory on Friday.
A broken ball joint and three late restarts made that win more exciting than DeVilbiss liked; he battled visibility issues after a hood pin came out on Saturday.
Scott Sluka start 11th and finished second and defending champion Chase Berkeley was third on Friday. DeVilbiss won ahead of Bubba Stafford Jr. and Sluka on Saturday.
Johnson had won sixth of eight features en route to capturing the 2020 tour crown: He ran his record to six wins in nine Cocopah starts, charging to the front and checking out both nights.
“Cocopah is usually smooth and slick. It’s a track that fits my driving style,” he said.
Ty Rogers was runner-up both nights. Chris Toth was third on Friday, Taylor Kuehl third on Saturday.