Marriott, Thornton are fastest on opening weekend of Winter Nationals

[NickHolt]

Marriott, Thornton are fastest on opening weekend of Winter Nationals

SOMERTON, Ariz. (Feb. 5-6) – Hunter Marriott and Ricky Thornton Jr. both continued their early season Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified success with $1,000 feature wins on the opening weekend of Winter Nationals at Cocopah Speedway.

 

Marriott topped Friday’s main event after starting third; Lance Mari, Justin Zeitner, Ethan Dotson and David Murray Jr. rounded out the top five. Thornton raced from sixth in winning ahead of Dot­son, Zeitner, Paul Stone and Dylan Smith on Saturday.

 

More than 60 Modifieds from 15 states and Canada saw action at Cocopah and total car counts topped 100 both nights.

 

Marriott and Thornton were already on the ballot for the 2016 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. They’d combined to dominate the January Winter Challenge at Canyon Speedway Park with Thornton picking up three wins and Marriott winning the other two events.

 

Joey Essary took the Friday IMCA Sunoco Stock Car checkers ahead of Race Fisher and Manny Baldiviez. Greg Wichman led fellow Wisconsin hotshoe Jon Courchaine and Minnesotan Andrew Altenburg across the stripe on Saturday.

 

Wayne Dotson, Gary Dutton and Sonny Wahl ran 1-2-3 in the first night feature for Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods. Fred Ryland ruled on Saturday, with Garrett Jernagan second and Levi Kiefer third.
First in the Friday feature for IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks was Bob Horton. Canadian Scott Shaw was second and Jason Beshears scored third. Shaw, Brent Wofford and Jim Robinson were Satur­day’s top three.

 

Round three of Winter Nationals is Tuesday, Feb. 9. Pit gates open at 2 p.m., the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m.

 

All four divisions are back on the track Friday and Saturday, Feb. 12 and 13. Saturday’s Modified main event totes a $3,000 top prize.

 

IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, regional and Allstar Performance State points will be awarded each night of Winter Nationals.

 

Feb. 5 Feature Results

 

Modifieds – 1. Hunter Marriott; 2. Lance Mari; 3. Justin Zeitner; 4. Ethan Dotson; 5. David Murray Jr.; 6. Cody Laney; 7. Paul Stone; 8. Dylan Smith; 9. Mike Jergens; 10. Tim Ward; 11. Ryan Gay­lord; 12. Nick Deal; 13. Marlyn Seidler; 14. Brian Mullen; 15. Anthony Roth; 16. Spencer Wilson; 17. Duane Cleveland; 18. Jim Perkins; 19. Shawn Strand; 20. Nick Bartels; 21. Chaz Baca; 22. Aaron Spangler; 23. Tom Purcell; 24. Andy Eickhoff.

 

Stock Cars – 1. Joey Essary; 2. Race Fisher; 3. Manny Baldiviez; 4. Greg Wichman; 5. Thomas Daffern; 6. Aaron Corley; 7. Tony Hill; 8. Andrew Altenburg; 9. Rick Hibbard; 10. Steven Kihle; 11. Paul Pilgrim; 12. Steven Daffern; 13. Rob Krull; 14. Jody York; 15. Joe Haines; 16. Jimmy Davy.

 

Northern SportMods – 1. Wayne Dotson; 2. Gary Dutton; 3. Sonny Wahl; 4. Garrett Jernagan; 5. Fred Ryland; 6. Cody Daffern; 7. Nick Spainhoward; 8. Corey Clayton; 9. Adolfo Noriega; 10. Ja­son George; 11. Bill Miller; 12. Dennis Gates; 13. Schannon Mohamed; 14. Ron Pegues; 15. Kyle Smith; 16. Miles Morris; 17. Timmy Reese; 18. Austin Frye; 19. Austin Ruskauff; 20. Sean Callens; 21. James Dupre; 22. Thomas Harrison; 23. Jose Lopez; 24. Chris Toth.

 

Hobby Stocks – 1. Bob Horton; 2. Scott Shaw; 3. Jason Beshears; 4. Brent Wofford; 5. Aaron Norman; 6. Jim Robinson; 7. Francisco Cordova; 8. Craig Ebers; 9. Harvey Quinn; 10. Leonard Jones.
Feb. 6 Feature Results

 

Modifieds – 1. Ricky Thornton Jr.; 2. Ethan Dotson; 3. Zeitner; 4. Stone; 5. Smith; 6. Mullen; 7. Jergens; 8. Ward; 9. Deal; 10. Seidler; 11. Murray; 12. Russell Allen; 13. Steve McCollough; 14. Brent Schlafmann; 15. Zane DeVilbiss; 16. Travis White; 17. Gaylord; 18. Mari; 19. Laney; 20. Spangler; 21. Brett Simala; 22. Cole Petersen; 23. Tom Purcell; 24. Danny Lauer.

 

Stock Cars – 1. Wichman; 2. Jon Courchaine; 3. Altenburg; 4. Thomas Daffern; 5. York; 6. Hill; 7. Baldiviez; 8. Fisher; 9. Kihle; 10. Davy; 11. Steven Daffern; 12. Haines; 13. Corley; 14. Phil Lehl.

 

Northern SportMods – 1. Ryland; 2. Jernagan; 3. Levi Kiefer; 4. Spainhoward; 5. Dutton; 6. Frye; 7. Trevor Miller; 8. Corey Hemphill; 9. Callens; 10. Smith; 11. Daffern; 12. Dupre; 13. Clay­ton; 14. Harrison; 15. Noriega; 16. Mohamed; 17. Gates; 18. Morris; 19. George; 20. Reese; 21. Pegues; 22. Wayne Dotson; 23. Toth; 24. Lopez.

 

Hobby Stocks – 1. Shaw; 2. Wofford; 3. Robinson; 4. Cordova; 5. Beshears; 6. Ebers; 7. Horton.