JOE BARBOZA / SPECIAL TO THE PVT Ronnie Williams (27x) and Ryan Cotrell battle for position during Modified Madness last weekend at Death Valley Raceway in Amargosa Valley. Cotrell took the main event Friday, while Williams came back to win Saturday at the 1/3-mile dirt track. JOE BARBOZA / SPECIAL TO THE PVT A field of about 90 Dwarf Cars competed Friday and Saturday at Death Valley Raceway. Advertisement

AMARGOSA VALLEY -- The sixth race of the year at Death Valley Raceway will go down as memorable for several reasons.

First, the 10th annual $25,000 Dwarf Car Nationals drew a field of about 90 entries from Nevada, California, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Oregon.

In addition, Las Vegas teammates Ryan Cotrell and Ronnie Williams captured both ends of the IMCA Modified Madness Friday and Saturday during windy conditions at DVR, a first-year facility opened by the husband and wife team of Jason and Tanya Pike of Pahrump.

And finally, the Longstreet Inn and Casino situated near the track learned first-hand the value of a national auto race as evidenced by its 100 percent occupancy and jam-packed casino and coffee shop for four consecutive days.

Cotrell, a 24-year-old who captured his first victory of the season April 5, beat Cory Simoneau of Mohave Valley, Ariz., Bill Meyer of Needles, Calif., Dan Fitzgerald of Las Vegas and George Fronsman of Prescott Valley, Ariz. in the 20-lap IMCA main Friday.

Williams came back to cap the weekend by outlasting Levi Kiefer of Pahrump, Fitzgerald, Todd Nunnally of Pahrump and Meyer Saturday in another 20-lapper to cap race action at the windy 1/3-mile dirt track situated between Death Valley and Lathrop Wells.

Cotrell won $1,000 for taking Friday's race, while Williams pocketed $1,500 for capturing his third win of the season at DVR.

Cotrell had a strong weekend, considering that he also finished runner up to Brett Barstow of Ballico, Calif., in the 30-lap Dwarf Car A main event Friday and won Saturday over Kevin Drake of Aguanga, Calif. and Barstow.

"The weekend was very kind to me," said Cotrell. "It was a great weekend for Roland Motorsports."

Cotrell said he and Williams will venture to either Casa Grande Raceway in Casa Grande, Ariz., or Perris Auto Speedway in Perris, Calif., next weekend.

"We can't wait to get racing again," he said. "Casa Grande has some of the best modified drivers in the country and California also has a host of good drivers. Wherever we go, we're pretty confident that we will do well."

Further information regarding DVR can be found at www.deathvalleyraceway.homestead.com or by calling 775-209-5291.