cocopahspeedway Archives

Arneson dominates IMCA Modifieds at Cocopah, Knutson captures 3rd straight Winter Nationals win

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 8) – Casey Arneson led every lap of the IMCA Modified feature while Eric Knutson led just enough of the race to capture a third straight IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock victory Friday at Cocopah Speedway’s IMCA.TV Winter Nationals. Arneson, from North Dakota, topped a $1,000 to win, Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying headliner that ended with 24 consecutive green flag laps. Ricky Alvarado moved into second on the fifth circuit but was not able to mount a serious threat to the leader. Braxton Yeager, Wednesday winner Tanner Black and Zane DeVilbiss completed the top five while Thursday winner Ethan Dotson. Raced from 16th starting to sixth. One hundred and sixty-four cars in the four IMCA divisions saw action for a second straight night. Knutson had to make his way to the front of the Hobby Stock field from the 22nd starting spot, catching Brandon Bombardo coming out of the final turn for his third checkers in as many Winter Nationals outings. Matt Olson had led much of the way before getting together with [Read More]

Dotson dials up IMCA.TV Winter Nationals win, Cocopah entries at 164 for night two

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 7) – Once he got to the front, there was no catching Ethan Dotson on another record night at Cocopah Speedway’s IMCA.TV Winter Nationals. Dotson started 12th in the Thursday night IMCA Modified feature at Somerton, then took the lead on the 15th circuit following a restart that had seen frontrunner Alex Stanford exit with mechanical issues. The California hotshoe then outran opening night winner Tanner Black for the $1,000 victory and accompanying Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berth. One hundred and sixty-four drivers vied in the second installment of Winter Nationals, including 64 Modifieds and 52 Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods. Travis Denning led the first four laps in the Modified main before Stanford drove past. He was pulling away before being forced pitside and Denning took over for a single circuit following the restart. “B” qualifier Black raced from 17th to third on lap 17 and was up to second with four to go, but ran out of time to catch Dotson, who has earned a knack for coming up big at IMCA spotlight [Read More]

Patient Black cashes in, collects checkers on record night at IMCA.TV Winter Nationals

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 6) – Patience put $1,000 in Tanner Black’s pocket. With a record 161 entries in the pits for opening night of the IMCA.TV Winter Nationals, Black returned to his home state to win Wednesday’s feature for IMCA Modifieds at Cocopah Speedway. He reeled in Russell Allen on the 16th circuit in a fast-paced main event that ran 25 caution-free laps. “I decided I needed to roll around the bottom and be patient,” said Black, who’d run second the first 15 times around the track. “Maybe he’d make a mistake and I could get around him.” Allen ended in second while defending track and Shaw Race Cars Western Region champion Chaz Baca was third. Zane DeVilbiss and Ethan Dotson completed the top five. Sixty-two Modifieds saw action at Cocopah. Black, now from Kansas, had put his name on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot by winning night two of the Turkey Classic at Cocopah last November. Other Wednesday night winners were Andrew Altenburg in the IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, Chris Toth in the Karl [Read More]

Seven January dates for IMCA.TV Winter Nationals at Cocopah

SOMERTON, Ariz. – Cocopah Speedway gets the 2021 race season off to a fast start with seven IMCA.TV Winter Nationals dates in January. IMCA Modifieds run for $1,000 to win in Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying features Wednesday, Jan. 6; Thursday, Jan. 7; Friday, Jan. 8; and Saturday, Jan. 9; and again at Thursday, Jan. 14; Friday, Jan. 15; and Saturday, Jan. 16 shows. Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods race for $750 to win, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars for $500 to win and IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks for $350 to win each night. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional and KMJ Performance State points will be awarded each night. Drivers who pre-register via My Race Pass by opening night pay no entry fee; entry fee for the tour after that date is $100. An open practice runs from 6-9 p.m. Jan. 5 at Somerton. Another open practice, as well as the $500 to win Mach-1 Sport Compact main event and the $1,000 to win Gene Freeman pit crew challenge is slated for Jan. 13. [Read More]

IMCA Modifieds, Northern SportMods on Cocopah’s Turkey Classic cards

SOMERTON, Ariz. – A pair of $1,500 to win IMCA Modified features are on race night cards at Cocopah Speedway’s Nov. 27 and Nov. 28 Turkey Classic. Both Friday and Saturday main events are 2021 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifiers. Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods race for $500 to win each night. The pit gate opens at 1 p.m. both days, with the front gate opening at 3 p.m. and racing at 5 p.m. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and military and free for kids 11 and under. All pit passes are $35. The Turkey Classic is presented by Bad Boy Designs and Fisher Chevrolet Buick GMC.

IMCA Modifieds chase $2K at Cocopah’s Deacon Dick show

SOMERTON, Ariz. – Four IMCA divisions are on the weekend program with a $2,000 to win feature for IMCA Modifieds headlining Cocopah Speedway’s Deacon Dick Memorial. Racing starts at 7 p.m. for Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7 programs at Somerton. The Modified main event is a qualifier for the 2021 Fast Shafts All Star Invitational ballot and both Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace will compete at The Diamond In The Desert. Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods chase a $750 top check while IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars run for $500 to win. IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks complete the card in a $350 to win feature. There is a $25 pill draw for all divisions. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. both days. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and military, and free for kids ages 11 and under. Adult pit passes are $35. An open practice runs from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. The event will be broadcast by IMCA.TV.

Baca, Hibdon, Rosevear take top checks at Cocopah

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Sept. 25-26) – Two of the young guns in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region raced to notable $1,000 IMCA Modified feature wins at Cocopah Speedway’s season-ending Mike Corning Memorial. Chaz Baca doubled his 2019 win total on opening night, collecting his 16th checkers of the season. Kollin Hibdon, racing closer to home after a summer spent in the Midwest, won for the sixth occasion in his second full season in the division. Already on the Fast Shafts Al-Star Invitational ballot, Baca started the Friday feature from the pole and led all 22 laps en route to career win number 49. He caught up with the back of the field twice before cautions cleared the way. Hibdon was second and Ryan Roath third. On Saturday, Hibdon worked his way to the front from fifth starting to put his name on the 2021 All-Star ballot before the 2020 season ended. “There was a lot of lapped traffic but we were able to get through it and hold everybody off,” he said. Baca was second, Russell [Read More]

Inaugural Corning Memorial this weekend at Cocopah

SOMERTON, Ariz. – One thousand dollar checks and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational berths go to IMCA Modified feature winners both nights of Cocopah Speedway’s inaugural Mike Corning Memorial Friday and Saturday, Sept. 25 and 26. Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Mach-1 Sport Compacts race both nights at Somerton while IMCA Sunoco Late Models join the Saturday show. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional, KMJ Performance State and track points will be awarded both nights. Pit gates open at 3 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 and military and free for kids ages 11 and under. All pit passes are $35. Corning was champion of IMCA’s Western Region for Modifieds in 1996. The point season-ending event is presented by Kactus Kush. More information is available on Facebook or at www.cocopahspeedway.com.

A first for Arizona: Cocopah adds IMCA Late Models

SOMERTON, Ariz. – The wave of the future is taking IMCA Late Models to Arizona. Cocopah Speedway at Somerton becomes the first track in the Grand Canyon State to sanction the division, with five dates on the schedule announced for the 2020 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing season. “The fans are excited and we have drivers who have never competed in a Late Model before looking to get into this class,” said promoter Benji Lyons. “”We are committed as a track to this division and we’ve got a group of drivers who are committed to building cars.” “We have to do something to reduce the cost of Late Model racing and we’re going to stick to our guns,” he concluded. “This is going to be the wave of the future.” The division makes its Cocopah debut on Feb. 1. Other point season dates are March 7 and 21, May 2 and Sept. 26. “With the stability of IMCA, sanctioning Late Models just made sense,” Lyons stated. “It’s going to be a building project but I [Read More]

Arneson’s first Arizona win comes in finale at Cocopah

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 18) – Casey Arneson’s first IMCA Modified feature win in Arizona came on the final night of Cocopah Speedway’s Winter Nationals. After finishes ranging from a solid third to a not-so-sweet 16th in his first five outings at Somerton, Arneson drew the pole start and led all 25 times around the oval. “It was good to be able to get that first win,” said Arneson, $1,000 richer and already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. “We had a good car and everything worked out for us.” A couple yellows kept Arneson out of lapped traffic. Jake O’Neil, in the hunt for a fourth straight Winter Nationals victory, started fifth and got to within a couple car lengths. Completing the top five were Tim Ward, Kollin Hibdon and 16th starting R.C. Whitwell. The win by Arneson came in an El Dorado ride he and Riley Hatfield built. Fellow North Dakota driver and family friend Don Gumke, who’d raced with Arneson’s father “back in the day” was honored with the empty pole position during parade [Read More]