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CGS Gets Partial Night Of Racing Completed

Cottage Grove Speedway Gets Partial Night Of Racing Completed
By Ben Deatherage
(Photos Courtesy of Madman Photography)
On a day where race tracks seemed to lose the battle to weather left in right the Cottage Grove Speedway appeared to be one of the only tracks in the Northwest with a chance to get a full night of racing in. That was until the final laps of the IMCA Modified feature when a downpour would end the rest of the evening’s events. Classes that were in competition included Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks, and Hornets.

In the Hornet main event Jim Simmons of Cottage Grove got a perfect birthday wish, to win the feature. Simmons would take the lead in his Small Town Treasures/Nichol’s Napa Auto Parts/1st Class Designs #89 machine from Cottage Grove’s Chris Pierce in the Material Fabrication/Racing Trends/Meineke Car Care #28. Simmons would blaze the trail for the rest of the field as the laps would click away.

Simmons would receive pressure from Joe Maricle in and out of lapped traffic. Maricle would get his Ram Jack Foundation Repair #11 beside Simmons a few times but was unable to make the pass. Simmons would hold on to win his first race of 2013 to become the third different winner in four races.

“It took fifty years to get this but we finally got one,” said Jim Simmons, “hopefully we can get another one before too long. I got to thank all the Simmons family for helping me out and my sponsors.”

Joe Maricle would finish in second place followed by the D&D Automotive/Harris Machine and Design #7D of Cottage Grove’s James Deatherage. Cottage Grove drivers James Simmons, piloting the Brittney Bailey-Chandler Photography/Kyle Kishan Construction #16, was fourth followed by the Industrial Finishes/Kimwood Corporation #34 of Mike Simmons. Earlier in the evening Josh Corley of Veneta in the #7C was the trophy dash winner while heat race winners were James Deatherage and Mike Simmons.

In the IMCA Modified feature Mark Carrell was the car to beat in his Mark’s Auto Body/Gray’s Racing Engines #27 GRT by Phillips. Carrell was fast on the high side of the race track and appeared to have the field covered after taking the lead in the early laps from the C&M Racing/Eco-Machine Technologies #16 Dirt Works of Eugene’s Austin McTaggart.

A late race caution would bunch the field up but would see the rain start to fall. Curtis Towns on the restart managed to muster a late race charge on the leader Carrell. Towns, driving the SKS Racing/Valley Rose Construction #24 X-Factor, made a last lap move on the top shelf but the conditions of the track were so wet it brought Carrell and Towns together. Towns would spin in turn four while Carrell would save his car and go on to win the race becoming the fourth different winner in four IMCA Modified races.

“It was kind of sketchy in the last five laps but I’m glad I was able to get the first place check,” commented Carrell, “I didn’t know if I was going to save the car a couple of times. The rain changed the track completely I darn near knocked down the front stretch wall a few times.”

Braedon Hand of Cottage Grove would cross the stripe in second in his D&D Automotive/West End Performance/Vintage Inn Family Restaurant #5 Shaw followed by the Eastside Rollforming Specialties/Raceprint.com/BBQ Oil Barbeque Sauce #10 Pro of Creswell’s Gus Cooper. The balance of the top five would consist of Don Muth Jr. in the Serendipity Spa and Salon/West End Performance #23 Shaw in fourth and Austin McTaggart in fifth. Heat race winners earlier in the evening were Don Muth Jr. and Gus Cooper.

In Street Stock action Jordan Bratten of Medford was able to set fast time of the night at 16.709 seconds. He would also win the trophy dash and heat race in the Don Braaten Painting/Hands On Detail #84 Regal. The race would be rained out before the main event could be rolled out.

Trent Elliott of La Pine would set a new track record in qualifying at 12.380 second in his visitlapine.com/Country Financial/Sharc Aquatic Center at Sun River #4E Victory Circle. Paul Culp from Springfield would be the trophy dash victor in the X-Factor Race Cars/All Pro Steel #42 X-Factor from Springfield. Heat race winners were Kevin Ropchan from Veneta chauffeuring the Quantum Mechanics/Gary Wilson Racing Engines #03 Swartz and the Galluci’s Pizzeria/All Purpose Storage #28 Rocket of Otis driver Jimmy Whisler. Unfortunately right when the cars were roll out on the track to compete in the main event when the showers really started to come down.

Next on the racing calendar is the second Kart race of the season. This event will take place on Friday May 24th. The first race of the year produced some great action and the next one is guaranteed to be just as good if not better.

CGS will be back in ¼-mile action next Saturday May 25th for Armed Forces Night. Any past or present members that have served in the military will get into the races for half off of regular admission. Classes that will be on hand will include the Northwest Extreme Sprints, WMRA/USAC Midgets, and Hornets. For more information be sure and visit the venue’s homepage www.cottagegrovespeedway.com or call the brand new Northwest Tracks Hotline at (360)-699-RACE.

Race Summary
Saturday May 18th, 2013
Cottage Grove Speedway
Cottage Grove, Oregon

Hornets
13 Entries
Trophy Dash Winner: Josh Corley
Heat Race Winners: James Deatherage (1), Mike Simmons (2)
A-Feature: 1. Jim Simmons, 2. Joe Maricle, 3. James Deatherage, 4. James Simmons, 5. Mike Simmons, 6. Aaron Hanson, 7. Opie Donaldson, 8. Mike Swaim, 9. Josh Corley, 10. Dan Maricle, 11. Chris Pierce, 12. Kayla Simmons, 13. Taunton Swaim

IMCA Modifieds
12 Entries
Heat Race Winners: Don Muth Jr. (1), Gus Cooper (2)
A-Feature: 1. Mark Carrell, 2. Braedon Hand, 3. Gus Cooper, 4. Don Muth Jr., 5. Austin McTaggart, 6. Greg McDonald, 7. Curtis Towns, 8. Jonathan Lewis, 9. Brody Pompe, 10. Bryan Gray, 11. David Schmidt, 12. Collen Winebarger

Street Stocks
2 Entries
Fast Time: Jordan Braaten, 16.709
Trophy Dash Winner: Jordan Braaten
Heat Race Winner: Jordan Braaten (1)

Late Models
11 Entries
Fast Time: Trent Elliott, 12.380 (New Track Record)
Trophy Dash Winner: Paul Culp
Heat Race Winners: Kevin Ropchan (1), Jimmy Whisler (2)

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