SOMERTON, Ariz. — Night three of the Winter Challenge at Cocopah Speedway set a track record with 223 entrants for a five-division IMCA-sanctioned program.
Track conditions and weather both continued to be great and drivers responded with another night of excellent racing.
Josh Cain led the first lap of the modified main until Ethan Dotson ran the backstretch under Cain and completed the pass with a turn four slider.
When Tim Ward took second with a topside drive out of turn four on lap eight, he had 17 laps remaining to chase down Dotson. That didn’t happen as late race traffic only slightly dented Dotson’s huge lead.
Dotson won for the second consecutive night. Ward was second, and Zachary Madrid was third.
Stock cars had Josh Most leading ten laps, running the top line while Zachary Madrid and Bo Partain committed to the bottom. The top three separated themselves and Partain’s dedication to the low line finally paid off on lap 11 with a bottom turn-four pass.
Partain and Most raced side by side for multiple laps until Chase Berkeley took second with a low line pass. Most held for third behind Berkeley while Casa Grande driver Partain took the win.
The Northern sport mod main was 13 laps of Tim Bergerson enjoying the lead until getting too high on the backstretch, allowing Braden Richards to drive under him and complete what became the winning pass in turn three.
Bergerson lost more ground in the last few laps and Ryan Peery was second with Joe Feyen taking third.
Hobby stocks raced multiple grooves with Chandler Dodge leading lap one before spinning trying to regain the lead from Bobby Horton.
Horton was looking at three wins in three nights until Brian Brown used the low line out of turn four to lead the final 15 laps for the win.
Brown and Horton raced side by side for a dozen laps after the lead change but Brown prevailed, while Horton settled for second ahead of Nick Posey.
Sport compacts concluded the evening with Kevin Reuter victorious.
The 2022 IMCA.TV Winter Nationals continue Saturday with the same five divisions on the card. All Winter Nationals programs are broadcast by IMCA.TV, a SPEED SPORT affiliate.