SOMERTON, Ariz. – The first night of the IMCA.TV Winter Nationals at Cocopah Speedway Wednesday drew 212 cars in five IMCA divisions.
Modifieds led with 70 entries for the opener of an eight race series, with one night featuring just hobby stocks and stock cars.
Heat races moved the winners plus the top drivers in points to total 16 cars directly to the A main, using passing/finishing points per the USMTS chart. B mains filled the 24 car fields for three of the classes.
Heat winners redrew for starting positions and drivers following were straight up by points.
The modified feature was led by Kollin Hobdin for the entire distance, with Don Shaw edging Tanner Black for second. Hobdin was smoothly using different lines to control the main.
The stock car main was led by Steve Stone for one lap before Bubba Stafford took over for a trio of laps. Jim Horejsi drove under Stafford on the backstretch on lap five and completed the pass in turn three.
Once ahead, Horejsi held off repeated passing attempts by Chanse Hollatz for the win. Damon Richards followed Hollatz across the line for third.
Northern sport mods chased Andrew Pearce from his outside front row starting spot with some hopefuls part of a turn three melee after 11 laps.
When action resumed, Chris Toth and Josh Most applied pressure on Pearce for 10 laps before Most used the upper line to lead lap 21. Toth passed Pearce and raced Most side-by-side the last two laps, with Most prevailing. Shane Paris was third.
The hobby stock feature saw Jason Duggins in front until a lap-five low line effort in turn four put Bobby Horton in front. Eric Knutson pressured Horton for the win, but came up short.
Sport compacts were led easily to the checkers by Kaytee Devries.
Winning drivers were from Arizona, Nevada. Minnesota and two from Iowa.