Nothing like winning a ‘Gordie’
Racers have eyes set on unique trophy at Cocopah Speedway this weekend
Winning isn’t everything. But when it comes to winning a Gordie Rivera Memorial trophy, that’s a whole different story.
“I am very determined to win this one again,” said Yuma’s Jim Robinson, who won one of the unique trophies a year ago in the IMCA Hobby Stock Division, in the inaugural Gordie Rivera Memorial at Cocopah Speedway.
“I’m so excited to have a shot at winning of them this weekend,” said Yuma’s Jimmy Davy, who drives in the IMCA Sport Modified Division.
“It was really awesome to win such a unique trophy,” said Mesa’s Chaz Baca, who won the IMCA Modified feature event a year ago.
The trophies everybody is talking abut are hand made by the late Gordie Rivera’s son, Doug Rivera, and feature a engine connecting rods and piston atop a heavy wooden base. What makes them so special, aside from their appearance, is the rods are actual rods that came out of the motors that Rivera built for his NHRA Pro Stock race cars.
The trophies are the brainchild of Doug, who said he wanted to do something special to honor his dad.
“When Brad (Cocopah Speedway general manager
Brad Whitfield) asked me if we wanted to do a race for my father and I told him yeah, and I was thinking I’d like to do a trophy that was cool, that was something that a guy would keep, that’s nice, that you hold it and it feels good in your hand,” said Doug this week.
Gordie Rivera passed away in 2017 after a 50-year career at one of professional drag racing’s top levels, NHRA Pro Stock.
He competed in more than 250 NHRA national events, with his only final-round appearance being the NHRA Arizona Nationals in 1990, when he was runner-up to Bob Glidden.