Photo by Jennifer Greener
By Janelle Bates
Payce Herrera won both the Friday and Saturday Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature races at Desert Thunder on Aug. 19 and 20. He brought home the $1,000 grand prize sponsored by Desert Thunder Raceway Foundation.
Torrential downpour and brief flooding postponed Saturday’s races, but the crew at Desert Thunder worked tirelessly to keep everything running smoothly.
Thirteen-year-old Herrera was not deterred. The busy eight grader ranks first in the state of Utah. Saturday’s trip to victory land marked his 14th win of the season.
“I felt pretty good winning this weekend,” he said. “It was fun and exciting.”
Earlier this month, Herrera qualified to race at IMCA Super Nationals in Boone, Iowa, the final racing event of IMCA’s 40th year.
“I feel good on making it to Super Nationals. I have wanted to go since I was little,” he said. “I have been working all summer to achieve this goal.”
Herrera is a third-generation dirt track racer and began racing at age four when he took his first drive in a quarter midget. His father, J.R. Herrera, raced IMCA Northern Sport Mods and his grandfather raced mini stocks.
“I went out to the track with my dad quite often,” he said. “What I like about racing is that once you strap into that car, everything disappears. I love how we have race families, and we all take care of each other.”
“It’s so hard to explain the huge sense of emotions I feel when I watch him race,” said Herrera’s father J.R. Herrera. “He puts his heart into his racecar, and he has a passion that is unteachable. I’m very proud of what he does on and off the track. He teaches me a lot about life that I take for granted.”
When Herrera isn’t racing, he’s competing in soccer and wrestling. Herrera plans to attend IMCA Super Nationals in Boone, Iowa, on Sept. 5-10.