SOMERTON, Ariz. — The IMCA.tv Winter Nationals gets under way Tuesday night at Cocopah Speedway.
Nearly 500 drivers in five divisions have entered the event, including drivers from more than 20 states and three Canadian provinces.
Tuesday’s action features practice for all divisions and a party in the pits, while racing begins on Wednesday night (Jan. 4) with modifieds as the headlining division. All of the action can be seen on SPEED SPORT affiliate, IMCA.tv.
“In my wildest dreams, I could imagine having this many pre-entries. In reality, no,” admitted promoter Brad Whitfield. “Racing has changed since the pandemic and more drivers just seem to want to be a part of special events.”
Friesen Performance IMCA Modified pre-entries numbered 155, with 115 Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods, 77 IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, 58 IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and 47 Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts entered as well.
Arizona and California in particular and the West Coast are well represented in early entries. Drivers are Winter Nationals-bound from as far east as Illinois and from as far north as British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Modifieds run for $1,000 to win and a minimum of $150 to start Wednesday, Jan. 4; Thursday, Jan. 5; Friday, Jan. 6; and Saturday, Jan. 7, and again Thursday Jan. 12; Friday, Jan. 13; and Saturday, Jan. 14.
Stock Cars and Northern SportMods race for $750 to win and $100 to start, Hobby Stocks for $500 to win and $100 to start, and Sport Compacts for $275 to win and $50 to start each night at The Diamond in the Desert.
“We are really proud of what we have built here. We live off the IMCA philosophy,” said Whitfield. “We eat, drink and sleep it and have had nothing but success with it.”
Modified and Stock Car feature winners become eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star Invitational, respectively.
Grandstands open at 1 p.m. and racing starts at 3 p.m. each day. All seven race programs will be broadcast by IMCA.TV.