aztecspeedway Archives

Bellm Breaks Through in Thaw Brawl Stock Car Showdown

By Ben Deatherage AZTEC, N.M. (Mar. 29, 2025) — The Sunoco IMCA Stock Car 25-lap main event capped off the second and final night of the Thaw Brawl at Aztec Speedway’s 73rd season opener, and it ended with 19-year-old Lady Eagle racer Layne Bellm collecting her first win of the year. 1997 track champion Tony Hill won the race to the front on lap one and created early separation. The battle for second heated up between Jeremy Hughes and Casey Murdoch, with Murdoch eventually winning the fight and setting his sights on Hill. Murdoch began closing the gap as Bellm, the 2023 Phillips County Raceway champion from Bloomfield, Colorado, moved into third. The race took a sudden turn when Hill slowed to a stop on lap 10, retiring to the pits and handing the lead to Murdoch. Bellm soon overtook Hughes and chased down Murdoch, executing a pass for the lead with six laps remaining. Murdoch didn’t back down and stayed glued to her bumper, challenging the Centennial State chauffeur through the final turns. Bellm’s corner [Read More]

Tafoya Dominates Opening Night of Thaw Brawl at Aztec Speedway

By Ben Deatherage AZTEC, N.M. (Mar. 28, 2025) — The opening night of the Inaugural Thaw Brawl kicked off Aztec Speedway’s 73rd racing season, and Regan Tafoya wasted no time asserting his dominance in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event. Tafoya, a six-time Aztec Speedway champion and three-time New Mexico State titleholder, took control at the drop of the green and never looked back. The Shaw Race Cars Western Region standout left the field behind, with only four cars remaining on the lead lap by race’s end, to earn his first win of the year. A strong hometown battle for second developed between Julian Garcia Sr. and Travis Sutherlin before Brian Carey, also from Aztec, joined the mix to make it a three-car fight. Garcia held on for the runner-up finish, while Carey claimed third. Cain Commands for First Stock Car Win of 2025 Rio Rancho’s Josh Cain was in top form during the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car feature, charging from fifth to the front to earn his first EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Region victory [Read More]

Aztec crowns IMCA champions

By Ranai Toler AZTEC, N.M. (Sept. 15-16, 2023) – The regular season has ended and champions were crowned at Aztec Speedway. On Friday night, Hunter Ferrell claimed the checkered flag in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks followed by John Thomas, Kyler Duggins, Mylee Goldwich-Rhames and Mark Weber. Camron Spangler took the checkers in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods followed by Julie Keeler, Rayce Green, Waylon Hale and John Patterson. Katie Barthel finished first in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature followed by Cody Witcher, Ted Neergaard, Jesse Stuckman and Abbi Barthel. Jeramy Hughes moved up five spots to take the win in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main, followed by Steffan Carey, Eric Loyd, Darell Cordary and Allen Bradley. Julie Keeler was the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod winner in the final points race of the season at Aztec Speedway. (Photo by Ranai Toler) On Saturday, Duggins found the checkers first in the Hobby Stocks after a lap two wreck, followed by Ferrell, Thomas, Goldwich-Rhames and Weber. Keeler took the checkers in the Northern [Read More]

Barthel brings broom to Aztec for Sport Compact sweep

By RaNai Toler AZTEC, N.M. (Aug. 18 and 19, 2023) – Racing action resumed this weekend at Aztec Speedway with Katie Barthel sweeping Friday and Saturday feature events for the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. Barthel found the opening night checkers, from sixth starting, ahead of checkers again in the Sport Compacts followed by Ted Neergaard and Abbi Barthel. Win number 13 on the season for the Ignacio, Colo., speedster came Saturday from eighth starting, and in front of Neergaard and Alfred Hicks. In the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock division, Kyler Duggins soared to another win on Friday followed by Hunter Ferrell and John Thomas. Camron Spangler found victory lane over his father Aaron in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod division followed by Rayce Green. Julian Garcia Jr. won in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds followed by Lindsay, Okla.’s Tim Hamilton and Cameron Martin, while Allen Bradley found IMCA Sunoco Stock Car victory lane for the first time this season followed by Travis Sutherlin and Darrell Cordary. Night two at Aztec Speedway saw just as [Read More]

Keeler looks to build IMCA resume with start in Saturday’s Big Dance at Super Nationals

FARMINGTON, N.M (Aug. 9, 2023) – She’s proven herself at tracks closer to home for close to a quarter century. Next, Julie Keeler looks to do the same on the biggest stage in IMCA and in all of dirt track racing. The veteran from Farmington, N.M., brings her Friesen Performance to Boone for the first time in September, looking to race her way into Saturday’s Big Dance at the 41st annual IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. “Definitely, a spot in the main event is what I’m racing for,” said Keeler. “With the caliber of competition in the Northern SportMods, making the main event would be a victory for me.” “It would be number one on my list of everything I’ve done in racing,” she continued. ”Then I’d have to back it up next year to prove it wasn’t a fluke.” A former Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMod state champion in both New Mexico and Colorado, Keeler was runner-up in national standings for that division in 2014. She’s looking to repeat as track [Read More]

Three IMCA divisions in action at Aztec after end of 638 day racing hiatus in New Mexico

AZTEC, N.M. – Six hundred-plus days of waiting to race ended for drivers and fans at Aztec Speedway on June 11. After hosting its final IMCA races on Aug. 10 and last event of the season in September of 2019, the New Mexico speedplant was shuttered by the Covid-19 pandemic and its accompanying health and social guidelines for all of 2020. Hoping to get the green flag from the governor’s office, promoter Mike Tenski and his crew started getting the 3/8-mile clay oval race ready this May. After receiving the go-ahead from Santa Fe, they put quick final touches on the track surface, bleachers, restrooms and concession stands over nine days leading up to the re-opening weekend. “While we were getting ready, we held our breath hoping everything would go right. Afterwards, there was a big sigh of relief. Everything went well,” Tenski reported. “Things went off without a hitch. We were happy.” Jason Josselyn and Jeremy Bradley were IMCA Sunoco Stock Car winners. Joey Klemish won Friday and Saturday features for Karl Kustoms Northern [Read More]

Wild West IMCA Modified Tour returns; Alvarado wins 99th event, DeVilbiss 100th

AZTEC, N.M. (May 3-4) – The opening weekend of the Wild West IMCA Modified Tour was guaranteed to be one for the history book, and two drivers that already had their name written all over that volume added new chapters. Ricky Alvarado, a three-time champion during the tour’s inaugural 2007-2014 run, extended his WWMT career wins best total to 32 with the Friday checkers at Aztec Speedway. And Zane DeVilbiss, the 2010 champion, earned his career 13th victory in the 100th event in tour history Saturday at the New Mexico speedplant. Both events paid $1,000 to win. DeVilbiss and Justen Yeager completed Friday’s top three while Alvarado was runner-up and Yeager third again on Saturday. Alvarado started 10th in the opening night 25 lapper and took the lead from familiar tour foe Yeager with 10 circuits to go. “It’s nice to have the tour going again. It’s been a long time since I’ve been that pumped up and it felt really good to win the first time back,” the new Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier said. “It [Read More]

Night of firsts precedes 100th event for IMCA Wild West Modified Tour

AZTEC, N.M. – After a night of firsts, IMCA’s Wild West Modified Tour celebrates a milestone 100th event on night two of its season-opening doubleheader at Aztec Speedway. First-ever tour events for IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods along with the first tour event for Modifieds since 2014 will be held Friday, May 3. The same three divisions are on the Saturday, May 4 card. That evening’s Modified feature will be the 100th in the history of the tour, which debuted in 2007 for its initial eight-year run. Car counts will determine nightly purses, with Modifieds racing for a minimum of $1,000 to win and as much as $2,500 to win their Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifiers. Stock Cars and Northern SportMods both run for top checks of at least $750 and as much as $1,600. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional, E3 Spark Plugs State and track points will be awarded. Entry fee each night is $100 for Modifieds and $75 for Stock Cars and Northern SportMods; non-qualifier pay in those [Read More]