By Ben Deatherage
SOMERTON, Ariz. (Oct. 21, 2026) — Some of the biggest names in Speedway Motors IMCA racing will converge on Cocopah Speedway Nov. 4-7 for the inaugural Wild River Diamond in the Desert, featuring three nights of competition and an $8,000 payday awaiting the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified winner.
Presented by Wild River Family Entertainment Center, the first-year event will bring five IMCA divisions to the Diamond in the Desert for a weekend of racing in southwestern Arizona.
The four-day gathering begins Wednesday, Nov. 4, with an open practice session before racing gets underway Thursday, Nov. 5, and continues through Saturday, Nov. 7.
The Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds will headline the event, with $8,000 awaiting the winner of the division’s main event.
The Modifieds will be joined by the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods and Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, with both divisions competing for $4,000 top prizes.
Saturday’s Modified and Stock Car features will serve as qualifying events for the 2027 Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational and B&B Racing Chassis All-Star Stock Car Invitational, respectively, at the Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. Each winner will earn eligibility to attempt to qualify for their respective invitational at Boone Speedway.
Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stocks will race for $1,200 to win, while Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts will have an $800 winner’s share on the line.
Cocopah Speedway recently reopened under the direction of TRP Motorsports, bringing Speedway Motors IMCA racing back to the facility.
Pre-registration for the inaugural Wild River Diamond in the Desert is now open through the Cocopah Speedway website at https://cocopahspeedwaytrp.com/.
All three nights of racing will be broadcast live on where America comes to watch racing, IMCA TV, through affiliate Dirt Oval TV.
Additional event information, including schedules and admission prices, will be announced as the event approaches.
