cocopahspeedway Archives

Hibdon hoists checkers at IMCA.TV Winter Nationals opener

By Ben Deatherage SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 5) – Opening night of the IMCA.TV Winter Nationals presented by Yuma Insurance featured a very full pit area at Cocopah Speedway and saw Kollin Hibdon end his evening with the $1,000 IMCA Modified checkers. The Pahrump, Nev., pilot took off from the rest of the pack at the start of the 25-lapper, powering his way around the Diamond In The Desert with nothing slowing down his pace but a lap two caution. Once racing resumed, Hibdon got back on the hammer for his first win of the 2022 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing campaign. His first career IMCA.TV Winter Nationals presented by Yuma Insurance main event victory also made Hibdon eligible to qualify for the upcoming Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Don Shaw and Tanner Black were second and third, respectively. Chandler native Tim Ward ended his night fourth while 2021 IMCA rookie of the year Cody Thompson hit the wire fifth. The Wednesday night lidlifter saw 215 cars in action, including 72 IMCA Modifieds, nearly 60 Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods [Read More]

Cocopah starting new season with 2nd annual IMCA.TV Winter Nationals

SOMERTON, Ariz. – They had so much fun last year that Cocopah Speedway will start the 2022 race season with the second annual IMCA.TV Winter Nationals. IMCA Modifieds run for $1,000 to win, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods both for $750 to win and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks for $500 to win in feature events Wednesday, Jan. 5; Thursday, Jan. 6; Friday, Jan. 7; and Saturday, Jan. 8; and again in shows Thursday, Jan. 13; Friday, Jan. 14; and Saturday, Jan. 15. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Shaw Race Cars Western, EQ Cylinder Heads Southern and Big Daddy Race Cars Southern regional and KMJ Performance Arizona State points will be awarded each night. Modified winners become eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, Stock Car winners for the B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational. An open practice runs from 6-9 p.m. Jan. 4 at Somerton. Another open practice, as well as $1,000 to win Stock Car and Hobby Stock features and the $1,000 to win Gene Freeman [Read More]

Cocopah hosts Sept. 24, 25 Mike Corning Memorial

SOMERTON, Ariz. – IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks run for $1,000 to win both nights of Cocopah Speedway’s Friday and Saturday, Sept. 24 and 25 Mike Corning Memorial. Winners of both Modified features become eligible to qualify for the 2022 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts also run each night. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional and KMJ Performance State points will be awarded. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. Pit passes are $35. The front gate opens at 5 p.m. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and military, and free for kids ages 11 and under. Racing starts at 7 p.m. An open practice runs from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 23.

Cochrun gets confidence boost and $1,000 from IMCA STARS Mod Lite win at Cocopah

SOMERTON, Ariz. (April 10) – Californian Kaden Cochrun got a big confidence boost and a check for $1,000 for his fourth straight IMCA STARS Mod Lite win in Arizona. The national points leader pocketed a grand for his Saturday Yuma Auto and RV Night victory at Cocopah Speedway. He’d started ninth, passed A.J. Whisler for the lead on the fourth circuit and led to the end of the 25-lapper. Cochrun led by almost a straightaway before the green, white, checkered finish. J.D. Brown was second and Colin Bender third. “I raced with some of the fastest dudes in Arizona,” said Cochrun, headed next to Bethany, Mo., to spend the summer racing in the Midwest. “It was a huge confidence booster to run so good here.” He’d won twice at Arizona Speedway and once at Canyon Speedway Arizona before taking the Cocopah checkers. Cochrun had raced in the Midwest last season when many of the tracks in his home state were idled by Covid-19. He’ll race at tracks in Iowa and Kansas, as well as Missouri [Read More]

First Arizona shows for Wild West Tour see Baca, Hibdon top IMCA Modifieds at Cocopah

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 [Read More]

Brown wheels borrowed car to big IMCA Hobby Stock payday

SOMERTON, Ariz. – Expectations were more than exceeded when Brian Brown made his first-ever IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock start March 6 at Cocopah Speedway. With a $1,600 check on the line, Brown proved to be a fast learner in the full-bodied class, getting a break from a timely yellow and parking friend and fellow Ramona, Calif., resident Brian Fitzgibbons’ car in victory lane. Fitzgibbons, off the track while undergoing chemotherapy, had suggested Brown try his luck in the 2020 Charger Chassis wheeled last season by former national champion Jeff Ware. Friends and sponsors had helped Fitzgibbon’s wife Amanda buy the car with the ultimate goal of getting him racing again. It was parked in their garage before Brown put the final race-ready touches on at his house and booked hotel rooms for the trip to Cocopah. “Our fathers were best friends in high school and we live like 20 houses away,” said Brown, who also races a Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod. “We’d seen the to-win (amount at Cocopah) bumping up and were sitting around and [Read More]

IMCA Hobby Stock winner cashes $1,600 check Saturday at Cocopah

SOMERTON, Ariz. – With money added from top to bottom of the purse, the winner of Saturday’s IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock feature at Cocopah Speedway goes home $1,600 richer. Included in the expanded purse are $200 prizes for a mystery position finisher and the hard charger of the Bobby’s Territorial Harley Davidson Night at the races event. IMCA Modifieds, Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts complete the March 6 card, with IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Shaw Race Cars Western and Big Daddy Race Cars Southern region, KMJ Performance State and track points to be awarded. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. Racing starts at 7 p.m. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 55 and over and military, and free for kids 12 and under. Pit passes are $35. Saturday’s show at Somerton will be broadcast by IMCA.TV.

Forster doubles up at Cocopah, Ward and West are also IMCA winners

By Ben Deatherage SOMERTON, Ariz. (Feb. 20) – Once more three Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing sanctioned classes were in competition at Cocopah Speedway on Saturday. IMCA Modifieds, Karl Kustoms Northern Sport Mods, and IMCA STARS Mod Lites complimented the card of the final night of the Western States Dwarf Car Nationals at the ⅜-mile track. For the IMCA Modified main event, Marvin Mueller got the front on the drop of the initial green flag. He did his best to keep his car ahead of the competition but would be overtaken on lap three by Jerry Flippo. Flippo steered his vessel ahead of the rest of the pack but was eventually caught. Arizona native Tim Ward overtook Jerry Flippo on lap 14. Ward was by no means out of the woods as he had to deal with some thick lapped traffic and pressure from Flippo. The seventh starting Ward held on to capture his first win of the 2021 campaign in the caution-free affair, earning $1,000 and a spot on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Flippo ended [Read More]

Mari, Pitt, Forster collect Friday wins at Cocopah

By Ben Deatherage SOMERTON, Ariz. (Feb. 19) – Lance Mari, David Pitt and a defending national champion all took care of business Friday at Cocopah Speedway. Mari topped the $1,000 to win main event for IMCA Modifieds and Pitt paced the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods, while Zack Forster won the first event for IMCA STARS Mod Lites in Arizona. Forster, who started fifth, obtained the top spot entering the first corner on the opening start. A lap three caution bunched the field up and turned out to be the lone stoppage of the race. On the restart, Forster experienced some immense pressure from fellow Californian Kaden Cochrun. Cochrun managed to maneuver his way around Forster to beat him out at the line on lap five. However, Forster held his composure and reclaimed the position on the following circuit. As the long green flag run continued to develop Forster had a brief scare in lapped traffic. Kaden Cochrun did his best to get around Forster, but Forster made some key moves. Forster went on to win the main event and became [Read More]

IMCA STARS Mod Lites make Cocopah Speedway debut

SOMERTON, Ariz. – IMCA STARS Mod Lites make their 2021 Arizona debut this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 19 and 20 at Cocopah Speedway. IMCA Modifieds run for $1,000 to win along with Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational berths and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods run for $500 to win, while top prize for the Mod Lites is $250 each night during the Western States Dwarf Car Association Nationals. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Shaw Race Cars Western Region, KMJ Performance Arizona State and track points will be awarded. Pit gates open at noon, the grandstand opens at 2 p.m. and racing starts at 4 p.m. both days. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and military and free for kids ages 11 and under. Pit passes are $35. An open practice runs from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday. Pit passes that evening are $25. More information is available at cocopahspeedway.com, on Facebook and on Instagram.