Results

Lessons learned take rookie to first IMCA Stock Car win

QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. (Oct. 4, 2024) – As a spectator and new to dirt track racing, Mitchell Ferguson thought the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars looked fast and fun. As a rookie in The Class Too Tough To Tame, he learned you don’t have to go fast to win. The Queen Creek, Ariz., driver had 36 starts under his belt before ending his freshman campaign at Desert Thunder Raceway’s Castle Country Clash. He sandwiched career win number one between second-place finishes in earning the overall title at the season-ending special. “It was a big accomplishment and it didn’t come easy. When I got to second place, the leader was almost a straightaway ahead of me. I just ran my line, it took about three laps and I passed him on the bottom,” said Ferguson, owner of a drilling company based in the Grand Canyon State. “It was hard to keep my emotions under control. I didn’t even see the checkers come out and I did another lap.” “It (that first win) took longer than I wanted but [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Hale bounces back, Baca dominates Castle Country Clash finale

By Ben Deatherage PRICE, Utah (Sept. 28, 2024) – Waylon Hale’s roller coaster weekend ended with a win Saturday, on the final night of the Castle Country Clash at Desert Thunder Raceway. The Mancos, Colo., speedster, second on Thursday and 15th on Friday at Price, was a man on a mission in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main event.  Taking control from the opening start, the 17-year-old chauffeur dominated the entire distance ahead of the rest of the competition. Camron Spangler and Shawn Parish completed the rest of the podium in second and third, respectively. Jacob Vasquez was the weekend’s overall champion in the division. Chaz Baca Jr. capped off the last night of the Clash, dominating the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature to earn his second weekend win. The Mesa, Ariz., driver got the lead early and did not look back once, despite a couple of stoppages as he would win the overall title of the weekend. Kelly Smith started the main event off as the pacesetter but could not hold back the advances [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Baca battles to victory lane on night two at Price

By Ben Deatherage PRICE, Utah (Sept. 27, 2024) – Taking advantage of a late restart, defending Friesen Performance IMCA Modified national champion Chaz Baca powered his way to first place and stayed ahead of all other contenders to pick up the victory at Desert Thunder Raceway’s Castle Country Clash. During the Friday night main event, Wyatt Howard had a speedy race car and led most of the race.  A late race stoppage with a handful of laps remaining brought about an exciting restart.  Baca drag raced the leader on the backstretch, took the lead on the 17th circuit and didn’t look back once ahead of the field. Regan Tafoya, the winner on Thursday, worked his way into second place while Kelly Smith completed third place on the podium. Five other IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing divisions were on tap, including the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites and Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts. Payce Herrera, Scott Hardman, Mitchell Ferguson, Dillion Thomas and Cody [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Tafoya denies Baca for opening night Clash checkers

By Ben Deatherage PRICE, Utah (Sept. 26, 2024) – There would be some thunder at Desert Thunder Raceway on Thursday night in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds for the first of three legs of the Clash.  Regan Tafoya stormed the castle around the halfway mark after a restart. But the Farmington, N.M., driver had to fend off several advances by a determined Chaz Baca Jr. and held on for the win.  The main event began with Bryan Wordelman setting a good pace when the green flag dropped.  A caution on lap seven halted things and when the race resumed, Tafoya pounced on an opportunity to get to the front on the eighth circuit. Another yellow flag emerged, erasing Tafoya’s lead.  When the race resumed, Tafoya faced relentless challenges from defending national champion Baca. Despite Baca’s persistent efforts, the seventh-starting Tafoya managed to fend off his attempts not once, but twice, in a thrilling display of skill and determination. Baca secured a respectable second place. Local driver Wyatt Howard, who had a remarkable journey to the [Read More]

Results

Howard rumbles to Saturday checkers at Desert Thunder 

By Janelle Bates PRICE, Utah (July 23, 2022) – Wyatt Howard won the Saturday night Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Desert Thunder Raceway.  Howard’s ninth win of the season paid $1,000 courtesy of Castleview Hospital in Price and made him eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. The defending track champion pulled ahead of the leaders midway through the race and finished ahead of the pack.  “The win feels amazing. Everything just fell into place and it feels great to be able to show all the hard work paying its dues,” Howard said. “The Modified class most is probably the most frustrating class on the planet, from trying to work with the rules and keep the right setup for what we’re competing with each and every night.” Howard, 26, made his racing debut in 2010 at the age of 14. The third-generation dirt track racer comes from a family with a vibrant and interesting racing history. His father Harvey owned and operated Desert Thunder Raceway from 2000 until 2020. “Howards just seem [Read More]

Results

Duggins a double winner at Desert Thunder

By Janelle Bates  PRICE, Utah (April 23, 2022) – Jason Duggins was a double winner in a rare Saturday doubleheader at Desert Thunder Raceway.  After rain forced postponement of Friday’s scheduled show, Duggins, from Farmington, N.M., took first place in both Saturday IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock features and won the grand prize of $1,000 sponsored by Piece Oil Company in Price.  “Mother Nature made the race toug, and that wind was horrible on Friday. But I usually do well in doubleheader races,” said Duggins, the three-time and defending champion in the Big Daddy Race Cars Southern Region. “Everything else about the weekend was excellent. I had great competition and no mechanical issues and was able to win the big check.”  Duggins was born into a family of racers and has been racing for a total of 10 years, and consecutively for six.  “My dad was very proficient in his racing program. He taught me ways to prepare to win,” he said. “I love the Hobby Stock division and am glad to see it growing in [Read More]

Feature

Awesome, exhilarating Wild West Tour wins for Delp, Hale at Desert Thunder

PRICE, Utah (Sept. 25-26) – Two IMCA Modified drivers saw droughts come to an end during the fi­nal 1st Class Chassis Wild West Tour twinbill of the season at Desert Thunder Raceway.  Casey Delp led every lap of the Friday show, scoring his career second tour win and first in 16 series starts. On Saturday, Michael Hale raced to a career fourth tour checkers and first in 19 WWMT starts.  Both drivers put their names on the 2021 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot with their $1,200 victories. “It was a huge win for me. I was pretty amped up,” said Delp, the opening night winner ahead of defending tour champion Zane DeVilbiss. “Zane is the wheelman at Price. The dude is fast. To beat him is huge.” DeVilbiss and Bryan Wordelman chased Delp across the stripe. Ricky Alvarado mounted the big­gest challenge to Delp, showing his nose early, before ending in sixth. “I just had a good car. The best thing I ever did was buy this Black Widow Rage,” said Delp. “Words can’t explain it. [Read More]

Results

Desert Thunder brings back IMCA Hobby Stocks

PRICE, Utah – Common sense and common rules bring IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks back to Desert Thunder Raceway. Sanctioned Hobbies ran at the Price, Utah 3/8-mile dirt oval from 2009-2012. They’ll return for four Friday-Saturday doubleheaders this season, joining IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods. “We tried them for a while at a time when dirt track racing was expanding in Utah,” track owner and co-promoter Harvey Howard said. “Then some other people decided they could do things better with what I call outlaw rules.” “It’s taken a while but other people have figured out what we knew 10 years ago,” he continued. “We have done everything we can to move back and hope that now we’ve come full circle. It’s just common sense to go to a national sanction and not have to argue over rules.” Race dates for all IMCA divisions at Desert Thunder are April 13 and 14, April 27 and 28, May 11 and 12, and Sept. 28 and 29. “We had 21 Hobby Stocks [Read More]