YUMA, Ariz. – Cocopah Speedway, the big three-eighths-mile dirt-track located just south of Yuma, Ariz., will have 15 nights of activity next month with something for everyone scheduled to fill the pit area.
General Manager Brad Whitfield has put together a busy month in January to offer the cold areas of the country an opportunity to race in sunny and much warmer weather.
The second year of the IMCA.tv Winter Nationals opens Jan. 4 with a practice night followed by eight race nights the next 11 nights. IMCA-sanctioned modifieds, northern sport mods, stock cars and hobby stocks will jam the pit area, likely to break last year’s all-time car count record for Cocopah Speedway of 168.
Whitfield reports that as of Dec. 10 there have been 347 entries filed, although he realizes some won’t make it, but there is little doubt of a new all-time track record for crowded pits.
But no matter how many cars appear, it is only with the support of sponsors an event of this length can happen.
“Yuma Insurance is our title sponsor,” Whitfield said, “and is a large and integral part of our Winter National series. Pit Stop Motorsports is another key sponsor and these sponsors allow this event to stay as a grass roots event and without them we would have to raise the prices to make all these purses.
“These great sponsors love racing, they love the idea of getting all these national drivers out on the west coast when the weather is perfect, and get to enjoy eight days of racing.
“We have a ton of sponsors that contribute over the year, whether they are buying a billboard, or they sponsor a race here and a race there, and the support of the Yuma community is great,” Whitfield added. “The momentum that Cocopah Speedway has built up is pretty incredible.
“The one thing that I want to change and I’m going to work really hard on this in 2022 is to bring back that fan and driver relationship. This year we are going to set up booths on the concourse and the drivers are able to go up there and meet the fans. sell shirts, and that costs the drivers nothing. It’s just me trying to help these grass roots racers meet the fans and vice versa. I’m still learning and I will listen to every single suggestion that fans want to give me.”
The IMCA.tv Winter Nationals will run draw heats with passing and finishing points determining the top 16 to transferring to the main event.
The USMTS chart will be used to determine points with B mains filling the main event field.
At the conclusion of the eight-race series, there will be four days to get ready for the next weekend when ASCS Southwest winged 360 sprints are headlining a Thursday practice and races the next two nights.
Sammy Swindell is a confirmed entry for the ASCS weekend.
Then a week later, USAC/CRA nonwing 410 sprints will have the same plan to conclude the busy January at Cocopah Speedway.