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SURPRISE, Ariz. — The highway to an IMCA championship was a protracted one for Casey Murdoch, each actually and figuratively.
The Shock racer earned the EQ Cylinder Heads Southern Area Rookie of the 12 months award within the Sunoco IMCA Inventory Automobile division, completed third in Southern Area championship factors, and capped the season with a observe championship at Cortez Fairgrounds Speedway in Colorado — a powerful feat in a area stacked with veterans throughout a number of states.
Behind the wheel of the Fashionable Aerification/Strategies LLC/Jason Babyak–Schaeffer’s Racing Oil No. 7x Terminator Chassis, Murdoch tackled 32 sanctioned begins throughout Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Colorado. The 12 months included two function wins, 13 podium finishes, and 17 top-five performances, with the Cortez oval changing into a house away from residence almost 400 miles from his driveway.
“We began our 12 months off down at Winter Nationals in Casa Grande and solely obtained to run the primary week as a result of I needed to go to a marriage in Mexico,” Murdoch mentioned. “We didn’t have the strongest exhibiting, however we made the primary occasion each night time.”
“After that we simply raced and raced. My buddy talked me into going as much as Cortez and checking that place out — he’s been attempting to get me to go there a few years now. We went up there and had a few good nights and ended up racing for the championship throughout the summer season. Just about anytime we may race that didn’t intervene with work, we have been racing.”
That call proved pivotal. Murdoch collected each of his victories at Central Arizona Raceway and Cortez Fairgrounds, scoring his first win of the season in early Might at Casa Grande earlier than returning to win once more at Cortez on July 25, a part of a two-night stretch the place he additionally completed fourth the next night.
From mid-Might by early June, Murdoch loved one of the constant stretches of his marketing campaign — six consecutive top-five finishes between Cortez, Present Low’s Deuce of Golf equipment Thunder Raceway, and Casa Grande. That streak included back-to-back podiums at Deuce of Golf equipment on Might 23–24 and one other runner-up end at Cortez on June 7.
“Cortez is an eight-hour drive for us, so we made that drive all summer season,” Murdoch added. “It was enjoyable — everybody we raced with have been good folks to race with, they usually handled us good.”
Murdoch started his Speedway Motors IMCA profession within the Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod division in 2020, after just a few seasons dabbling in native lessons, and the transfer to Inventory Vehicles proved a pure step ahead. The Cortez championship marked his first IMCA title since making the transition.
He credited his longtime pal and journey companion for retaining him motivated by the demanding schedule.
“I’ve to thank Joey Jock — he was my highway canine,” Murdoch mentioned. “He retains me motivated and tells me when to go racing, even throughout the occasions once I’m just a little too drained to race.”
Murdoch closed out his 12 months with a pair of top-10 finishes at Central Arizona Raceway in September, securing the Southern Area rookie honors on the energy of constant runs and dedication that spanned tons of of miles every weekend.
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