By Ben Deatherage
Cottage Grove, Oregon- Saturday, April 9th, would be the first race of the 2016 race season at Cottage Grove Speedway. It also opened up the 60th Anniversary of racing at the historical ¼-mile clay oval. Not only would the pit area swell with a huge car count it would be complimented with jam-packed grandstands full of fans anticipating the first race of the year in the state of Oregon. Classes in action included 360 Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, Late Models, Street Stocks, and the Quality RV Repair Hornets.
The 360 main would see Quilcene, Washington driver J.J. Hickle take the lead in the opening lap. Hickle, in his Bekkevar Logging & Trucking/Poverty Bay Bumper/Hedge Carter Gutter Service #3 XXX, would remain in front for quite some time despite an occasional challenge. Unfortunately, he would surrender the lead shortly after a lap twelve restart to Roger Crockett of Medford.
Crockett, piloting his Rocket Designs/Auto Stitch Embroidery/BC Motorsports #11 KPC, pulled away but as the race would continue to remain under green flag conditions lapped traffic started to come in the picture. With around five to go Roger was able to maneuver around the tail end of the lead lap field efficiently, as Garen Linde off Central Point started to put a bit of pressure on him. Roger Crockett would hold on to the lead to score his first victory of 2016 after starting seventh in the feature.
The Linder Powdercoating/Rodgers Racing Engines/Visual EFX Signs & Graphics #22 KPC, of Garen Linder, was a respectable second followed by Penngrove, California teenager Michael Kofoid, in his DES Inc./Dan Simpson Racing/Gary Silva Ranches #4S Maxim, was third. Completing the top five would be J.J. Hickle crossing the line in fourth and the Automotive Sheetmetal #10 XXX of Eugene’s Kyle Miller in fifth.
Picking up quick time was Henry Van Dam of Enumclaw, Washington in his Kovash Logging/Johanson Excavating/Big Al Kids & Motorsports Foundation/Factory Kahne Shocks #33V A.R.T. Van Dam, the Dave Smith Motorsports/DCSigns.ca/Powdercoaters Inc. #17 Maxim of Mill Creek, Washington’s Cam Smith, and Albany teenager Bricen James, driving the Tim Galloway owned Eugene Denture Clinic/James Gang Pizza/Myers Logging #51 XXX, would be the three heat race winners. An impressive twenty-three cars from Oregon, California, Washington, Idaho and the Canadian province of British Columbia would be in attendance.
The IMCA Modifieds would attract twenty-four teams for the first race of the campaign. Corbett’s Collen Winebarger would get out to the front on the initial start. The main event would be plagued with several cautions, seven in total, so restarts were key. The Discount Race Car Parts/Crockers Cars/Go Plumbing & Heating/Frisbie Motorsports #S Victory Circle, of Winebarger, would get the job done and lead every lap despite being challenged just a handful of times late in the race.
Cottage Grove native Kinzer Cox would finish second in his C.J. Fire Protection/Robert Howell Logging/Jerry Robinette Performance Carburetors/BC Motorsports #1K Loose Gruff followed by third place Craig Hanson of Albany in the Virgil Hanson Automotive Machine/Best Pots Inc./A&B Septic/Superior Fuel Cells #33C Victory Circle. The rest of the top five would consist of fourth finishing B.J. Wild, of Redmond, chauffeuring the Operation Desert Storm/Gulf War Veterans With PTSD/Merry Maids/Interior Carpet Care/Timbers Bar & Grill #12 PCD and the Esterlee Motel/Saba/Northwest Family Chiropractic/BSB Manufacturing #36 GRT of Keizer’s John Campos.
Heat race winners included Springfield’s Jake Mayden, driving his Hoppes Motorsports/Courtney Auto Repair/Eugene Gutter Service/Quality RV Repair #5M Dirt Works, the Cascade Outdoor Power Equipment/Radiator Supply House/R.G.S. Performance #47 Pro driven by Lebanon native Kyle Yeack, and Redmond ace Mark Carrell in the Mark’s Autobody #27 GRT by Phillips.
In Late Model competition the main event would see an action packed feature. Twenty Late Models would be in attendance for night one. In the feature Salem pilot Britton Donahoo, in his O&O farms/Watson Service & Repair/Finish Line Graphics #5 MasterSbilt, would seize the early race lead. He would remain there for quite some time before being overtaken, shortly after a lap twelve restart, by Darren Coffell. Coffell maintained the position for the remainder of the race to put the Driving Force Graphics/Tube Shark Tubebenders/Clements Racing Engines/Jimsflagsales.com #46 Rocket in victory lane.
The J&S Farms/Cornett Racing Engines/Clint Smith Racing/Tim Logan Racing #37 Rocket of Rob Mayea from Bend was the runner-up followed by Britton Donahoo in third. Fourth place would go to Thomas Hunzier, also from Bend in the Spirit Fueled Racing/AM-1 Roofing/VP Building #28 Victory Circle entry, while finishing fifth was Coos Bay’s Eric Luckman in his L-N-L Lumber Outlet/Quadel Industries/Q2i Archery/Les Schwab Tire Center #77 Rocket.
Thomas Hunziker was fast time of the night in time trials. Heat race winners were Hunziker, the Superior Fuel Cells #42 machine of Springfield driver Paul Cup, and Eric Luckman.
The Street Stocks would be a good mix of Cottage Grove Speedway regulars as well as several visitors from a few different tracks. The D&L Truck Parts/Robert Howell Logging/Dean Schultz Heating & Air/Cottage Grove Customs #85 Nova of Evan Britton, from Cottage Grove, would be the early leader. Britton would lose the lead around lap four to Chris Sine. Sine, out of Eugene, would hold off the competition to win the race in his Murphy Plywood/Clark Printing/Pure Romance by April/Pro Auto Racing #24 Camaro.
Andrew Langan of Jasper was a close second in his familiar D&L Truck Parts/A-1 Radiator/Api Paint Inc. #74 Nova while the Eastside Paving #36 Camaro of Portland’s Jody Tanner placed third. Evan Britton would end the evening in fourth and the Cannon’s Mobile RV Service & Repair/Tom’s Performance Machine #11 Camaro of Joey Cannon from Portland in fifth. It would be a complete clean sweep for Chris Sine as he set fast time and won the heat race in addition to his main event triumph.
Last but not least was the Quality RV Repair Hornets. K.C. Scott got to the front early in the Quantum Mechanics/Big B Tire #30 machine. There would be a fair number of stoppages in the feature but Scott, of Springfield, would stay in front of the field the rest of the way despite being held up briefly in lapped traffic in the last few laps.
Harrisburg’s James McClure had an impressive second place finish in his George M. Sutton RV/Castle Storage #80 entry and behind him in third would be Mike Simmons of Cottage Grove in the Kimwood Corporation/Industrial Finishes/It Works by Kayla Simmons/Quality RV Repair #1M. The balance of the top five would be compiled of Marcola’s Brandon Letsom in the Letsom Racing #23, in fourth, and fifth finishing Mike Swaim of Dexter, despite spinning coming across the line, in the Rapid Delivery Service/Bigg Dogg Recycling #48 car.
Mike Simmons would be the fastest qualifier during time trials. Mike Simmons, Brandon Letsom, and Mike Swaim were the three heat race winners during the course of the evening.
Cottage Grove Speedway returns to racing on Saturday April 16th for the second race of the season. Classes in action will be the Clark Printing Extreme Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, and the Quality RV Repair Hornets. It marks the first appearance of the year for the Extreme Sprints and Sport Mods.
The track will be offering a special $10.00 admission for everyone ages 13 years and up. Children 12-6 are $5.00 and 5 and Under is FREE as always. Pit Gates open at 2:00 PM, Front Gates 4:00, and Racing is scheduled to start around 6:30. For more information log on to www.cottagegrovespeedway.com and check out the track’s Facebook page and click “Like”.