cocopahspeedway Archives

Dotson rolls to fourth IMCA.TV Winter Nationals win, Alves, Murty, Brown, Clem take Thursday checkers, too

By Ben Deatherage SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan 13) – The Ethan Dotson Express rolled on, while Shelby Alves, Dallon Murty, Brian Brown and Riley Clem raced to IMCA.TV Winter Nationals presented by Yuma Insurance feature wins of their own Thursday night at Cocopah Speedway. Dotson dominated the entire 25-lap IMCA Modified main event, hitting lapped traffic by the 10th circuit and outrunning Tripp Gaylord in what proved to be a caution-free contest en route to a fourth consecutive $1,000 victory. Tim Ward settled into third. Tanner Black and night one winner Kollin Hibdon completed the top five. The 25-lap IMCA Northern SportMod feature was also a non-stop event. Alves and night four winner Shane Paris duked it out early with Alves in front on lap four. She paced the field with Andrew Peckham giving chase into lapped traffic before becoming the fifth different $750 winner in as many nights at Somerton. Izac Mallicoat was third. Cody Johnson and Josh Most battled at the front of the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature field before making brief contact and [Read More]

Hollatz, Horton hoist midweek hardware at Cocopah’s IMCA.TV Winter Nationals

By Ben Deatherage SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 12) – Chanse Hollatz and Bobby Horton were back in victory lane following midweek IMCA.TV Winter Nationals presented by Yuma Insurance features at Cocopah Speedway. Hollatz won a second straight IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature at Somerton while Horton’s IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers were already his third of the season. Both races paid $1,000 to win. The Stock Cars had a dandy of a 30-lap feature as Californians Cody Johnson and Rob Gallaher dueled early before Iowa gasser Hollatz got into the mix. Hollatz cruised to the front on a restart to pace the field on lap two, then set the pace for 20 laps of green flag racing. He received some pressure following a lap 22 restart and Paul Stone powered his way past on lap 25. Brock Badger made it a three-horse race for the point but Hollatz regained the lead on lap 26, pulled away from the pack and drove back to the winner’s circle. Badger was second with Stone posting a third-place finish. Hollatz was [Read More]

Dotson three-peats: Hollatz, Paris, Knutson, Werkmeister are first-time IMCA.TV Winter Nationals winners

By Ben Deatherage SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 8) – Ethan Dotson won for a third straight night while Chanse Hollatz, Shane Paris, Eric Knutson and D.J. Werkmeister all raced to their first IMCA.TV Winter Nationals victories of 2022 Saturday at Cocopah Speedway. With 200-plus cars in the pits for a fourth straight night, Dotson continued his domination at Somerton by leading all 25 circuits in the 25-lap IMCA Modified main event. The Bakersfield, Calif., racer kept his ride on the top side of the track and did his best to pull away. The second of two stoppages came on lap 17, just as Dotson was about to negotiate the tail end of the field. On the ensuing restart, Kollin Hibdon tried to power his way past but Dotson kept him in check. Dotson was the trailblazer for the balance of the distance for his third straight Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying victory of the 2022 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing campaign. Hibdon ended as the runner-up with third going to Tripp Gaylord. Tanner Black and Tim Ward [Read More]

Dotson repeats, rookie Richards earns first SportMod win at IMCA.TV Winter Nationals

By Ben Deatherage SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 7) – Round three of the 2022 IMCA.TV Winter Nationals presented by Yuma Insurance saw Ethan Dotson make a fast return back to victory lane at Cocopah Speedway. The quick Californian made the most of long green flag runs in winning his second IMCA Modified feature in as many nights, leading all but the first of 25 laps en route to another $1,000 checkers. Josh Cain paced the field on lap one before the defending Winter Nationals champion, already eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, drove by. Arizona native Tim Ward got second, with third going to home state hotshoe Zachary Madrid. Car count topped 220 for the Friday show at Somerton. Rookie Braden Richards raced to his IMCA Northern SportMod career first win in just his third start in the new division. Bo Partain captured the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers, Brian Brown was best in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock main and Kevin Reuter repeated in the Mach-1 Sport Compact feature. The third different [Read More]

Defending champion Dotson delivers IMCA.TV Winter Nationals feature win

By Ben Deatherage SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 6) – Ethan Dotson was the cream of the crop again Thursday night at Cocopah Speedway. A three-time winner and champion of the 2021 version of the IMCA.TV Winter Nationals presented by Yuma Insurance, Dotson won the Thursday night IMCA Modified feature at the Diamond In The Desert, earning $1,000 and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. Dotson beat fellow Bakersfield, Calif. driver Jerry Flippo and Austin Kuehl for the lead on lap one. Just two stoppages occurred in the 25-lap main event, with Dotson getting a slight challenge after the restart of the first caution. The field went 20 quick laps without incident, allowing Dotson to cruise right along, open up a significant lead and hit the tail end of the pack. He negotiated traffic on the way to registering his first feature win of the 2022 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season. Flippo was second with third credited to Austen Becerra. Cody Thompson and Don Shaw completed the top five. Entry numbers for night two at Cocopah grew to 218. [Read More]

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]