6/8/2021
Cottage Grove Speedway
Cox, James, Osborne, R. Bloom, And Drake Win Cottage Grove Speedway’s Kids Night Mains
Cox, James, Osborne, R. Bloom, And Drake Win Cottage Grove Speedway’s Kids Night Mains
By Stephanie Deatherage
Cottage Grove, Oregon- Saturday, June 5th, had an excellent turnout for Kids Night at Cottage Grove Speedway. In addition, a massive bike giveaway took place at intermission, where one-hundred bicycles were raffled off to some lucky children courtesy of several race teams and businesses in the community.
Five classes were in action, including three a part of the Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing program. They included 360 Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks, Royalty Core IMCA Northern Sport Mods, and IMCA Sport Compacts.
The 360 Sprints were back in action for the first race since May 15th. Tyler Thompson, from Harrisburg, took complete control over the rest of the field on the opening start. Thompson reigned supreme in the thirty-lap feature with lapped traffic not being an issue whatsoever.
Unfortunately, mechanical problems would put an early end to his evening when he came to a halt on lap twenty-two. Inheriting the top place position would be Central Point’s, Garen Linder. Linder set a rapid pace once in the lead, but a flat right rear tire on the final circuit mixed things up.
Linder was under rapid fire from Janesville, California native Chelsea Blevins and Kinzer Cox, from Cottage Grove. First, Blevins went off the top of the track and into the wall in the final set of corners. Then, as Cox made the bonsai move underneath Blevins and Linder, he got to the point and won. Racing for car owner Brian Crockett and utilizing a Limited engine, Cox is the third different winner in as many shows in the 360s.
Garen Linder limped his mount home to second, with Dixonville veteran Vern Scevers hitting the line third. Meridian, Idaho youngster Tyler Driever placed fourth over fifth finishing Chelsea Blevins.
Paul Rea was quick to get out in front of the IMCA Modifieds in their feature. Rea, of Eugene, blazed the trail in the first half of the race but was overtaken on lap fifteen. Bricen James was the one to get to the front and did his very best to create space between himself and second.
However, five total stoppages kept things close and put a bunch of emphasis on the restarts. In the end, the Albany racer of James successfully navigated his way around “The Grove” in first place. Bricen scored his third win at Cottage Grove Speedway and his second straight. All three wins have been earned in KMJ Performance Oregon State and Shaw Race Cars Western Region action.
Keizer’s John Campos finished the runner-up, followed by Jesse Williamson, from Coburg, in third. Curtis Towns, of Cottage Grove, got fourth while fifth was credited to Keno’s Jeffrey Hudson, in the Don Roemer owned machine.
The Street Stocks had a smashing main event with close-quarter action on nearly every lap. There would be one single stoppage producing practically non-stop racing. It set things up for a massive four-car battle between Graig Osborne, Justin Evans, Taunton Swaim, and Dakota Godard.
All but Godard had experienced success at Cottage Grove this year. Osborne, from Creswell, somehow managed to keep them all in check to win his fourth main event of 2021 at CGS. For second place, Lebanon’s Evans, racing for co-car owner Al Flora, beat out Taunton Swaim of Dexter. Albany racer Dakota Goddard ended the night fourth while Eugene chauffeur Adam Applebee completed the top five in fifth.
Seven stoppages were to be had in the Royalty Core IMCA Northern Sport Mod feature. Salem youngster Trevor Points showed the way in the early goings. He would feel an immense amount of pressure from behind but kept his cool for quite some time.
Dalton Bloom, now living in Lebanon, made the pass around Points on lap fourteen, but it would be negated due to a caution and gave Points the point yet again. Unfortunately, Trevor would exit turn two slightly high on the ensuing restart, handing over the top place position to Ray Bloom.
From Creswell and Dalton’s father, Bloom tried his very best to extend his lead over second place, but four yellows, once he took control of the field, put a lot of emphasis on restarts. Fortunately for him, he would master them to maintain the lead and win his first race of 2021 at Cottage Grove Speedway and in KMJ Performance Oregon State competition.
Coburg veteran Ron Wilson rallied to a runner-up result, followed by Dalton Bloom in third. Travis Pruitt, from Molalla, and Springfield’s Shawn Hand were fourth and fifth.
The only division to go non-stop for their main event were to be the IMCA Sport Compacts. Scarlett Drake would dominate the twenty-lap affair to win her first race of the season. Drake, from Salem, is the first female driver to succeed in the IMCA Sport Compacts at “The Grove” and in KMJ Performance Oregon State action in the class.
Dexter’s Brad Martin was second at the line while scored in third would be Jasper driver Andrew Langan, driving for car owner Randy Kuhl. Burnie Bryant, from Sutherlin, and Cottage Grove’s Kerry Cooper were fourth and fifth.
Cottage Grove Speedway returns to racing on Saturday, June 12th, for Grad Night. Graduates of the classes of 2020 and 2021 will get into the races for FREE. Divisions on the card include the Todd’s Auto Body Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, Late Models, and Royalty Core IMCA Northern Sport Mods. To purchase tickets online or for more information, check out the track website.
Submitted By: Ben Deatherage
