Cocopah Speedway hosts Halloween event, racing Saturday night

It’s kind of funny when Cocopah Speedway hosts its annual “Trunk or Treat” event.

Because there isn’t a race car in the house that still has a “trunk.”

But drivers and crews will be handing out sweet treats just the same to everyone in attendance Saturday night for the Somerton oval’s pre-Halloween event.

The racing program, which is Round 14 in the 2017 Cocopah Speedway Racing Series, will begin at 7 p.m. for the four IMCA divisions – Modified, Sport Modified, Stock Car and Hobby Stock.

There will also be a costume contest for the children, sponsored by Henry’s Trailer Repair, out of Alpine.

The night will actually get under way at 6:15 with the heat races for the junior divisions, followed by hot laps. All of the drivers, their crews and cars will then roll out onto the front straight for the “Trunk or Treat” event.

The only cars that have anything resembling a “trunk” are the Stock Car and Hobby Stock entries. But the “trunks” in those cars are gone, for all intents and purposes, replaced in most cases by fuel cells, batteries and lead weights.

The chassis designs are intended to make the cars lighter and faster, and in the Stock Car ranks, nobody this season has been faster than Yuma’a Manny Baldiviez.

The two-time defending division champion has all but locked up a third title on the strength of seven feature event wins and no worse than third all season long in the races he hasn’t won.

Second place belongs to Yuma’s Joe Haines, a distant 28 points back with three races remaining.

Another pedal to the metal driver this season in a truncated car is Yuma’s Jim Robinson, who is the defending Hobby Stock champion. He is now firmly in control of his own destiny, which appears to be a second title. Robinson has won two feature events, but in a bittersweet development, will be without his nearest title challenger the rest of the way.

Yuma’s Jason Beshears, who is second in the title race, 15 points behind Robinson, lost a motor during the Oct. 14 show and afterward n a Facebook post announced he’s done for the season.

The next nearest challenger is Yuma teenager Ashley Hunt, who is 60 points out of first place.

All of that being said, most of the attention Saturday night will focused on the showcase division, the IMCA Modifieds. That is where Imperial’s Steven McCollough will be looking for his third straight win, his fifth win in his last six starts and for a chance to take over the division point lead.

McCollough enters the Saturday show one point behind Yuma’s Brett Simala in the series championship hunt. Simala is looking for this first win of the season.

In the fourth IMCA division, the Sport Modifieds, Yuma’s Adolfo Noriega, the defending champion, will pull into the track Saturday night with a hefty and comfortable 42-point lead over his nearest challenger, Yuma’s Kyle Smith.

Noriega is also looking for his first feature event win of the season.

SPARE PARTS

Cocopah Speedway is located at U.S. 95 and County 15th Street; the general admission gate opens Saturday at 5 p.m.; first race is at 7 p.m. Tickets are: adults (13 and older) – $12; adult military with ID – $10; senior (55 and over) – $10; children 12 years old and under – free (main grandstand); family pass (two adults, four children) – $35; Skybox – $25; pit pass – $35 (per person). Tickets can also be purchased online at www.cocopahspeedway.com or at Cocopah Wild River or at the main gate on race day. Fans can get live racing lineups during the races and results afterward by going to www.cocopahlive.com. Fans can also access live in-race scoring and lap times by going to mylaps.com. For more information call 344-1563 or go to www. cocopahspeedway.com.