Eddie Tafoya Jr. Hopes for a Change of Luck This Saturday Night at the Cocopah Speedway - Speedway Digest

Eddie Tafoya Jr. hopes to turn around what has so far been a bad luck-plagued season when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars visit Arizona’s Cocopah Speedway this Saturday night, March 23rd. The track could turn out to be a slump buster for the popular driver as two years ago this past January, he notched his first second-place finish in the series. The runner-up result combined with seventh and ninth-place finishes on the same weekend kick-started a season where he finished third in series points.

Last Saturday night at the USAC/CRA Series race on its home track, Perris Auto Speedway, Tafoya timed in 14th fastest in the 24-car field with a lap of 16.574. He followed that up with a third-place finish in his 10-lap heat. For the main, the 26-year-old started in 14th. Alertly dipping and diving to stay out of the early crashes that plagued many in the field, he was in the top 10 in the second half of the 30-lapper. The now veteran driver was fast in the race as only seven drivers recorded faster laps than his 18.356 on the sixth circuit. However, his effort was short-circuited when his steering box broke on lap 27 sending him into the turn three crash wall. Tafoya was not injured, but his car had to be towed back to the pits and he was credited with a 16th place finish.

The race came three weeks after the Chino Hills, California resident was breaking into the top five in the main event when he was clobbered from behind and knocked out of the season-opening feature at Perris.

Even though he has had a rough start to the 2024 season, Tafoya is still tied for 16th in the championship standings going into Saturday’s race in the “Grand Canyon State.” A top finish, which he is more than capable of, should catapult him into the top 10 going into the next series event at Arizona’s Mohave Valley Raceway on April 6th. Sandwiched in between will be the inaugural race of the Ultimate Sprint Car Series presented by Inland Rigging at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway on March 30th.

Tafoya, the 2018 Perris Auto Speedway Young Guns Champion and 2019 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year, made his debut at Cocopah at the January 2022 races. Since that weekend, he has raced at the track three more times. They included the 2022 Western World Championship which featured the USAC National Sprint Cars along with USAC/CRA. He qualified for the
A main each night recording 16th and 19th place finishes. Last year in the Western World, Tafoya lost two engines. The second came in the B main when he had third place and a trip to the A main locked up.

The front gate will open at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday at Cocopah with the first race at 6:00. Adult tickets are $20.00. Seniors and military with id get in for $18.00. For students 13-17 it is only $10.00 and children 12 & under are free. The track is located at 3450 W. County 15th Street in Somerton, Arizona (85350). The track website is http://www.racecocopahspeedway.com/ and the office phone number is 602-292-7607.

Tafoya is always happy to meet the fans in the pits after every race. He will be signing autographs, posing for photos, and will also have his beautiful 2023 team shirts (pictured below) for sale. For those out of town or who cannot make it to the races, the shirts are also available online at specialty-fasteners.com.

If you would like to hear the friendly driver on his 2023 Dirt Tracks and Rib Racks Podcast, please visit the following link https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Hox9dg0iRGXo0szabeqDy

Fans can follow Tafoya on Instagram @eddietafoya51.

Tafoya and the #51T team would like to thank Specialty Fasteners, Inland Rigging, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Gasper Transportation, CMI Precision Machining, Owen’s Insurance Services, Keen Concrete, DRC Chassis, and Rider Racing Engines for supporting its racing program.

Eddie Tafoya PR