From Ben Deatherage
Cottage Grove, OR — (April 4, 2015) — The 2015 season officially got underway at the Cottage Grove Speedway on Saturday April 4th. In front of full crowd the historic 1/4-mile clay oval would produce some fantastic action. In addition to racing a special Easter Egg activity took place where drivers handed out eggs to kids in the crowd which was sponsored by the wonderful people Highoctane Die Cast.
Penngrove, California’s Michael Kofoid would seize the lead on the initial start of the 360 Sprint main event. A couple of early race cautions would keep the field bunched up but each and every time Kofoid maintained the lead on the restarts.
On lap eleven Vern Wheeler of Central Point would get around Kofoid for the lead only for Kofoid to reclaim it back on lap twelve. As the race went longer and longer under green flag conditions Kofoid managed to keep all challengers in check, despite a last lap move by Garen Linder, and put his DES Inc./Red Line Oil/Dr. Ramos Dentistry/Tony Borrello Race Engines #11 Maxim in the Huddle Automotive Repair victory lane in his first ever CGS visit.
Garen Linder from Central Point was a very respectable second place, after coming from the back in his Linder Powdercoating/Visual EFX/Rodgers Racing Engines #22 KPC, while Vern Wheeler finished in third in the Alliance Trucking/In & Out Gardens/Richie Rich & Tin Pimps Customs/Rodgers Racing Engines #21W Maxim. The rest of the top five would be made up of the Napa Auto Parts/Lucas Oil Products/Awesome Raceware/Rodgers Racing Engines #5N KPC of Seth Nunes of Medford in fourth and Springfield’s Allison Journey in fifth in her Journey Built Homes/Stone Works International/Rodgers Racing Engines/Power Punch Lubricants #4J KPC.
Garen Linder earned the Jim’s Tire Factory Fast Time award while Vern Wheeler was the victor in the Dot’s Trophy Shop Trophy Dash. Heat race winners were Garen Linder and the Jesse Thistle owned Steelhouse Metal Roofing Supply/Cobalt Computer Services/RCV Custom Coach Service/All Around Printing #4 XXX driven by Cottage Grove native Colin Baker.