Rookie? What rookie?

Yuma teenager drives off with first win in first start at Cocopah Speedway

Beginner’s luck?

Not hardly.

Yuma’s Hudson Morris, just barely 14 years old but driving anything like it, sped off with the victory in his very first IMCA Sport Compact Division feature event during Saturday night’s Halloween Spooktacular event at Cocopah Speedway.

The teenager out-dueled visiting veteran Chris Niemi, from Lakeside, Calif., in the 20-lap event, getting passed by Niemi for the lead twice before retaking the lead and parking his car in victory lane.

The last time Morris was on the Somerton oval was a month ago in the Mike Corning Classic, when he drove his Mini Dwarf car to a win.

“I did not expect to win my first race in my sport compact,” said Morris after taking the win.

The night started off with a hint of what was to come when Morris led flag to flag in his heat race to take that win.

Then in the main he lined up on the pole, but got passed by Niemi on the start. Morris wasn’t shaken, however, responded like a seasoned veteran and passed Niemi on a restart, got passed again, and then retook the lead for good with a few laps to go.

Morris said what helped was, while sitting in the lineup, ready to take the track, his father, IMCA Sport Modified driver Miles Morris, walked up and showed him a photo of the track, “and he showed me where moisture was on the track and where I could get grip,” said Hudson.

In other racing action Saturday night, Mesa’s Chaz Baca drove off with his 11th feature event win at the Diamond in the Desert in the IMCA Modified Division; Brawley’s Thomas Daffern won the IMCA Hobby Stock Division feature event; Holtville’s Chris Toth won his fourth IMCA Sport Modified feature event in his last five starts, Yuma’s Brody Lopez won the Mini Dwarf Car Masters Division feature event; and Colton, Calif., driver Melanie Ross won the Mini Dwarf Car Sportsman Division feature event.

In the Modified feature,

Baca had to come from eighth on the 18-car grid to take the win. Second place went to Ricky Thornton Jr., from Adel, Iowa, third to Cole Dick, from Ramona, Calif., fourth to Tanner Black, from Otis, Kan., and fifth to Don Shaw, from Ham Lake, Minn.

Toth took the Sport Modified win after starting third on the grid. He was followed to the checkered flag by Yuma’s Jimmy Davy, with Chase Alves, from Casa Grande, in third, Glendale’s Justin Erickson in fourth and El Cajon, Calif., driver Mike Pridgeon in fifth.

The Hobby Stock finale saw Daffern start from the fifth spot in the 12-car, 20-lap feature event. He was followed by Yuma’s Jim Robinson, who put on perhaps the most thrilling show of the night, coming from 11th on the grid. Yuma’s Scott Tenney was third, Yuma’s Shawn Rico was fourth and Phoenix’s Reven Billing rounded out the top five.

The next event at Cocopah Speedway is the second annual Gordie Rivera Memorial, scheduled Friday and Saturday.