By Ben Deatherage
PANGUITCH, Utah (Oct. 22, 2026) — Hayden Barney entered the 2026 Sunoco IMCA Hobby Stock season looking to make the most of a repaired race car and build on his success from the previous year. By season’s end, the 35-year-old from Panguitch, Utah, had made history as the first driver from the Beehive State to capture the B&B Racing Chassis Southern Region championship since regional titles were first awarded in 2007.
Barney also secured his second consecutive Utah State championship and his first track championship at Desert Thunder Raceway. He became just the second driver to win back-to-back Utah State titles since the championship was established in 2009, joining Troy Sweeten, who accomplished the feat in 2009 and 2010.
Behind the wheel of the Eric Hartle Concrete/Burdick Materials/Beau’s Car Quest-sponsored No. 45 Grumpy Chassis, Barney recorded four feature victories, 20 podium finishes, 33 top fives, and 35 top-10 finishes in 35 official starts. All four victories came at Desert Thunder Raceway.
The championship season began with a race car that had endured a difficult previous year.
“The story of this season started with last season, getting a brand-new Grumpy-built chassis, and the first month of racing I had it bent so bad from wrecking,” Barney said. “We spent all season with a bent car, and this offseason we took it down to Grumpy in New Mexico, and he fixed the car for me.”
“We came into the beginning of this season thinking we were going to play with setup and what we could do with this car,” Barney explained. “After a couple of months, we realized we had a rocket ship on our hands and we’re in this thing. So we just stayed with it and stayed consistent and were able to stay up there.”
That consistency became a defining part of Barney’s championship campaign, particularly as he competed against drivers throughout the Southern Region.
“I was in the top five pretty much every night this season until the end there at the Castle Country Clash at Desert Thunder Raceway with some of the best drivers in the region,” Barney said.
Living in Panguitch, a small community in southwestern Utah, meant Barney faced considerable travel to compete at sanctioned facilities throughout the Southern Region.
“It’s a lot of traveling to get a regional championship from around here,” Barney said. “It’s pretty much two-day shows. The nearest track in Price is over three hours away. After that, it’s five or more.”
A mechanic by trade, Barney first became involved in racing by helping his friend Roy Jensen maintain and set up his race car.
“I had a friend that got into it, and I was helping him out with his car,” Barney recalled. “I’m a mechanic for my profession, so I was helping him trying to get his car going good.”
“It came down to the Clash late that year that he didn’t have the funds to run it, and he let me run his car,” Barney said. “After three nights of racing, I had to get my own. It gets in your blood, and you can’t get it out.”
Another opportunity came in January 2024 when fellow racer Andy Pearce approached Barney about driving his Hobby Stock while Pearce recovered from knee surgery.
“In 2024, I was running a local class at the time, and January of that year a friend of mine, Andy Pearce, asked me if I wanted to run his Hobby Stock for him because he was having knee surgery,” Barney recalled. “It was to help the car count at Millard County in Delta.”
Barney also credited the Merlen brothers for their support throughout the season.
“I want to thank my teammate Mark Merlen and his brother Tracy for helping me work on my car,” Barney said. “Mark races the No. 53 Hobby Stock, and we work and race together.”
Barney also recognized his girlfriend, Chelsea Peacock, and his mother, Sonya Barney, who traveled to every race throughout the championship campaign. Peacock also recorded videos for the Hillbilly Thunder Racing social media page.
Feature Wins: 4
Total Top Fives: 33
Total Starts: 35
His Pit Crew: Mark Merlen, Tracy Merlen
His Sponsors: Eric Hartle Concrete, Burdick Materials, Beau’s Car Quest, My Favorite Uncle Woodworking and Crafts, Cold Slayer, Chaos Cove Wraps and Graphics.