cocopahspeedway Archives

Saturday celebration follows Baca’s IMCA.TV Winter Nationals win, championship

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 13, 2024) – Chaz Baca has to wait until last October to officially celebrate his 2023 championships. He celebrated his first of 2024 on Saturday night. The Mesa hotshoe wrapped up the IMCA.TV Winter Nationals crown with his second Friesen Performance IMCA Modified victory of the series, after passing Tim Ward for the lead with just two laps left in the series finale at Cocopah Speedway. “It feels good. It’s awesome to start this year the way we finished last season,” said Baca, an IMCA national, regional, state and four track champion in 2023. “Winter Nationals was very good to us.” Ward had come into the night a single point behind Baca in his bid to repeat as series champion. A restart set the stage for that late-race drama. Baca cleared Ward for the front spot coming out of turn two, then held off Ward, Dylan Thornton and Troy Morris III to the checkers. Ethan Braaksma started 15th and finished fifth. “We made one extreme setup change for the Tuesday practice. It was [Read More]

Quick to find fastest line, Hibdon wins again at Cocopah

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 12, 2024) – He wasn’t sure where the fastest line would be when the green flag flew, but Kollin Hibdon figured it out in a hurry Friday night. Hibdon worked lapped track to perfection, leading the distance for his second $1,000 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win of the 2024 IMCA.TV Winter Nationals at Cocopah Speedway. Defending series champion Tim Ward, 2023 national champ Chaz Baca and Jerry Flippo were next across the stripe as drivers with Shaw Race Cars Western Region addresses or roots filled the top four finishing spots. “I felt like a sitting duck. I wasn’t sure what line I would need to be in but I must have found the best one,” Hibdon said, after watching the track prep session that preceded the 25-lap main event. “I made sure I passed lapped traffic) as quick as I could.” After running the bottom in the early circuits, Hibdon began moving up the oval as the caution-free race continued. Ward had started fourth, Baca seventh and both did their best [Read More]

Baca finds that extra speed for first IMCA.TV Winter Nationals win

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 11, 2024) – He’d been fast but obviously not as fast as he wanted to be during the first week of the IMCA.TV Winter Nationals. So home state hero Chaz Baca made changes and raced to his first Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win of 2024 Thursday night at Cocopah Speedway. The defending national and Shaw Race Cars Western Region champion started on the pole and led all 25 times around the track in taking the $1,000 checkers ahead of tough customers Ethan Braaksma, Jerry Flippo and Eddie Belec. “We were fast last week,” said Baca, who counted a runner-up finish to Braaksma among three top five finishes in those four starts. “This week we’re doing some different things with the setup and found some different speed.” “Hopefully we can get another one or two wins before this week is over,” added Baca, looking to defend national and regional crowns this season. Sixty-five Modifieds vied on night six of Winter Nationals, which saw another 200-plus IMCA car count at Cocopah. Dylan Thornton [Read More]

Braaksma schools IMCA Modified foes for second Winter Nationals win

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 10, 2024) – A driver who learned a lot last season taught his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified foes a thing or two Wednesday night at Cocopah Speedway. Ethan Braaksma raced to his second $1,000 IMCA.TV Winter Nationals win of the season, taking advantage of a late restart and leading the last six circuits in the 25-lap main event at Somerton. “It’s crazy,” Braaksma said. “We didn’t have a real good year last year. We learned a lot but we didn’t get any wins. The start of this season has been awesome. We’ve just got everything in place.” Braaksma had made his first visit to victory lane last Thursday, earning Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility with that W. He was chased to the checkers by Jan. 5 winner Jeremy Mills, Grey Ferrando and defending series champion Tim Ward on his way back to the winner’s circle. “Cocopah just fits my driving style,” he said. “There are a lot of guys here who have a chance to win so you’ve got to do well [Read More]

Hibdon returns to Cocopah’s victory lane, Winter Nationals win is IMCA first for Starry

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 6, 2024) – Kollin Hibdon turned his first competitive laps at Cocopah Speedway at the age of 14. Fast forward six years and the Nevada native returned to Somerton to win his career fourth IMCA.TV Winter Nationals main event. Hibdon got the lead following a late restart in a fast and furious battle with defending national king Chaz Baca and topped Saturday’s $1,000 to win Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature. “There was some pretty intense lapped traffic,” said Hibdon, newly Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible with his 40thcareer win in the class. “I know this track pretty well. It’s always fun to come back here in the winter.” The front pair traded sliders in the waning laps before Hibdon got the lead for good with a nifty crossover move. Grey Ferrando, defending series champion Tim Ward and Jake Pike completed the top five. Hibdon will return to the Midwest again this season, loading up the trailer after the snow melts this spring to race out of North Dakota. Cameron Starry’s first-ever [Read More]

Mills ends streak of fifth place finishes with first IMCA.TV Winter Nationals win

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 5, 2024) – His streak of fifth place finishes came to an end Friday night, when Jeremy Mills topped the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Cocopah Speedway. The Iowa long tow, an IMCA.TV Winter Nationals regular the last three years, had placed fifth in four consecutive Somerton starts dating back to last January. He started on the pole and led all 25 laps in ending that streak despite the best efforts of Thursday winner Ethan Braaksma. “We’ve been coming here the last few years and I’ve finished second a couple times but had never won at Cocopah before,” said Mills, who earned $1,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility with his career 135th win in the division. “I’d finished fifth the last four features here. I was just trying to do better than that.” “It means a lot to be able to win at Cocopah,” he continued. “There are so many good cars here. It’s hard just to qualify out of the heat.” Braaksma worked his way up from fifth to [Read More]

IMCA.TV Winter Nationals start 2024 season at Cocopah

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Dec. 21, 2023) – The start of the 2024 Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season takes five IMCA divisions and several hundred drivers from across the U.S. and Canada to Arizona’s Cocopah Speedway for eight January dates. Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods race for $1,000 to win, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks for $500 to win and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts for $275 to win each night of the IMCA.TV Winter Nationals at the Somerton speed plant. Race nights are Wednesday through Saturday Jan. 3-6 and 10-13. Pit gates open at noon each day and racing starts at 4 p.m. Pit passes are $35. While each Modified winner becomes eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational and each Stock Car winner earns eligibility for the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational, there’s plenty more at stake for drivers who can dominate those divisions. The Superior Fuel Cells Challenge pays $25,000 to the Modified driver winning all eight features, $15,000 for seven feature wins [Read More]

Five win features, five wrap up titles on final night of IMCA.TV Winter Nationals

By Ben Deatherage SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 14, 2023) – Five IMCA drivers won feature events and five more wrapped up IMCA.TV Winter Nationals in the Saturday night finale at Cocopah Speedway. Chaz Baca topped the rain-delayed but caution-free Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event, earning $1,000. Career win number 88 for the defending track and state champion, already Fast Shaft All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible, came ahead of Brady Bjella and Brandon Beckendorf. Tim Ward’s 10th place run was just enough to give him the Winter Nationals title. Veterans Curt Lund and Mike Albertsen tussled ‘til midway of the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car headliner, before Dylan Thornton motored by. A late-race restart gave Thornton a clear track ahead and he sped to his second $750 checkers in as many nights. Albertsen ended in second, Shelby Williams was second and always-consistent Chase Berkeley wrapped up the title with his ninth place showing. Levi Kiefer turned back the clock in dominating the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod finale, taking the lead on the opening stanza and, despite lapped traffic [Read More]

Nothing unlucky about Friday the 13^thfor IMCA.TV Winter Nationals winners

By Ben Deatherage SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 13, 2023) – Despite the date, the Friday night IMCA.TV Winter Nationals was a lucky one for a quintet of IMCA drivers, the feature winners in their respective main events. The third different leader in his Friday the 13th feature, Kollin Hibdon took charge in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified headliner just before midway and led to the finish for his second $1,000 payday of the 2023 Winter Nationals. Already Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligible, Hibdon crossed the stripe ahead of Thursday winner Jacob Hobscheidt and Jake Pike, who had swapped the lead over the first eight circuits with Tony Toste. The IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars had a thriller of a 25-lap feature as Curt Lund dominated much of the way before Dylan Thornton propelled himself into the lead on lap 20. His first career IMCA.TV Winter Nationals win paid $750 and landed the California native B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Lund was P2 while grabbing third was Jerry Flippo. Matthew Mayo led the charge [Read More]

Hobscheidt conquers IMCA Modified field on Winter Nationals Night 5 at Cocopah

By Ben Deatherage SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 12, 2023) – Night number five of the IMCA.TV Winter Nationals saw four drivers make their first trips of 2023 to victory lane at Cocopah Speedway. Thursday’s 25-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature was a caution-free affair and Nebraskan Jacob Hobscheidt conquered the field after dealing with traffic at midway, earning $1,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Jeremy Mills was the runner-up, with third going Andrew Pearce. Gregory Muirhead led from the start of the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event. Zachary Madrid challenged the Texas racer shortly after a lap four restart, the first of five stoppages during the contest. With two to go, the green flag waved for the final time, Gregory got on the gas and took his carriage to victory lane. The $750 checkers were accompanied by B & B Racing Chassis All-Star qualifying eligibility. Curt Lund finished second, followed by 20th starting Chase Berkeley. Miles Morris mastered the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature. Morris went practically untouched the entire 25-lap distance despite [Read More]