The second week of the IMCA.TV Winternationals began on Thursday night, January 13th at the Cocopah Speedway near Somerton Arizona at the tribal track owned by the Cocopah Indian tribe. Continuing from the first week, IMCA sanctioned Modifieds, Stock Cars, Sport Mods and Hobby Stocks would again be in action for full racing programs. Joining these four classes would be the IMCA Mod Lites, this week replacing the Sport Compacts.
There was a changing of the guard somewhat in who would be competing as since the series wrapped up week one last Saturday, a number of the teams headed home while I counted just over thirty new teams that didn't race during week on on hand for Thursday's race. And there will certainly be some more that will show up on Friday and Saturday that just couldn't get off work to be there tonight with some of the local racers fitting into that category.
While the car count was slightly lighter on this night, there were still one hundred and seventy three cars plus about eighteen Lites on hand to race and comparing to last year's edition of this race on this night, car counts were up in all four classes with the Stock Cars making the biggest boost as there were just about double the number of cars as last year as Stock Cars on the West Coast really seem to be taking off.
After a couple of nights to smooth things out from an operational standpoint, the show seems to be moving along more smoothly each night. It probably helps that the drivers are now pretty familiar with the track as the number of yellow flags was down substantially from previous nights so that with another race start at precisely the advertised time and many races green to checkered, the earliest finish of the week was accomplished with the final checkered waving before 9:30 pm. However, we were't shorted in numbers of races run as twenty six heats and B Feautures were held before the main events started with only the Hobby Stocks not needing at least one B Feature.
It was a beautiful night for racing but with just a slight overcast, we didn't even need to take a “sunset” break and other than a couple of short breaks to refresh the track, it was racing nonstop from start to finish.
Bouncing back and forth between this race series here at Cocopah and the series at Vado, while the classes are slightly different, both produce good racing and the only really marked difference is the weather which is much more fan friendly here in the Yuma area.
Stock Cars were up first and this race proved to be another amazing performance by an amazing young driver as Dallon Murty, fresh on the grounds as of Wednesday, would win a thrilling Stock Car main event.
The first lap provided a wild and almost disastrously start as front row starters Josh Most and Cody Johnson tangled in the first corner in front of the twenty six car field. Most and Johnson tangled as they fought to get to the inside in turn one with both getting sideways in front of the big field. Somehow they both saved their cars, got straightened out and kept going without the yellow flag even waving as Murty led lap one coming up from the second row.
However, Most powered past Dallon to take the lead on lap two and their battle would begin. Most was running the low line with Murty second and Bo Partain eventually moving into third. For the first half of the race most of the field was running the low side but eventually it was Murty that moved up the track and started to make time as he closed on Most.
Josh sensed him coming and as they raced into turn three, Most moved up with a slider to block Dallon and Murty would cross him over and down the front chute move into the lead on lap seventeen. Murty would immediately pull away from the field despite the best attempts of Most to catch back up. As Murty drove on for the win, Most would make one last futile attempt to catch him and would slide high and allow Partain to sneak past him at the line to take the second spot. A late yellow had set up a one lap dash to the finish but Murty was not bothered.
Murty's appearance at this event just came together in recent days when the Leslie Gill team, with two cars on hand for this event, put Dallon and his father Damon behind the wheel of team Terminator chassis cars. Murty just added to his building resume with another impressive win.
The Modified division has become the personal property of Ethan Dotson as the California driver won his fourth straight Modified feature here, despite competing against over sixty other drivers on a nightly basis. Everything has been going great for Dotson as he has combined great speed with some excellent draws and redraws, managing to win heats each night that have allowed him to redraw from a great position based on the unusual format they have been using here that allows heat winners to start in front despite using passing points.
Dotson would start on the pin for the twenty five lap Modified feature and he had absolutely no challengers as he drove away from the field. He had almost a straightaway lead over the field by the halfway point and his only problems would be the heavy traffic that was running in a bunch and was tough to get through.
However, by that time he had built up a big lead and despite losing some ground in the final laps because he was hung up, he still finished comfortably in front of Tripp Gaylord to take the win. Gaylord had made a nice run, driving past Jeremy Mills and Tanner Black to get second with Tim Ward also moving up to finish third.
For Dotson, it was his fourth straight feature win after an opening win by Kollin Hibdon and earned him an extra $500 bonus which he could double if he keeps winning. The Mods ran off a nonstop main with only two drivers not on the track at the finish.
The open wheel cars would do themselves up proud on this night as the Sport Mods would also run on a nonstop main event as the first female driver would crack victory lane when Shelby Alves would top the twenty lap main event. She would start on the pole and lead the opening two laps before she was passed on the tall side of the track by Shane Paris. However, the inside line started to take rubber and pick up speed and Paris was a sitting duck as Shelby drove back under him to take over the lead.
And once in front, she put several car lengths on the field as she hit her marks perfectly lap after lap.
Andrew Peckman made a strong drive as he moved up from the seventh starting spot and moved past Paris to take over second. He was able to close up slightly on the leader but with Alves firmly in control on the low side, there would be no openings for him to make a move.
Alves would drive a solid race and give her challengers no openings as she drove on to the win over Peckham with Izac Mallicoat nipping his fellow Iowa driver for third.
Despite a rubbered up track for the Hobby Stocks to wrap up the evening, they were racing all over the track and produced an interesting finale with Brian Brown coming from seventh to get his second win of the week to date.
Zack Tate would lead the first thirteen laps of the main with challenges from Thomas Daffern and Bobby Horton. The lead group was running in a tight pack and there was much jockeying for position. Following a yellow for a spin, Daffern would hammer the back stretch wall, tearng off a wheel and ending his night.
Tate would still be leading buy Brown was moving up using the high side of the track and on lap fourteen he was able to drive into the lead. The pack was still tight when Tate got spun in turn four by Horton, triggering the fourth and final yellow of the event. Both would go to the tail and this would give Brandon Bombardo second until he too hammered the wall and lost time.
The last four laps would see the jockeying continue as Brown would go on for the win with Jason Duggins, who started strong and then slumped back making another charge late and driving into second. Replacement driver Dillon Richards, driving a Cordova machine, would come from twentieth to finish third ahead of Bombardo.
Rumors floated around the pits today that come 2023, this Winternationals Series would take on an even bigger stature with the sanctioned body making this winter event one of their signature races of the year.
Tonight will mark our last night here for the Winternationals this year. Thanks go out to Brad Whitfield and his staff for a great time and for their cooperation. Thanks also to California friends Paul Vetter and Ron Rodda for their help and to all those friends, both new and old, that we got to see.
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