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Taunton Swaim Wins 4-Cylinder Nationals At CGS; Completes Races Despite Threatening Weather

Taunton Swaim Wins 4-Cylinder Nationals At CGS; Completes Races Despite Threatening Weather
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Madman Photography)
Despite threatening weather and a heavy shower in the middle of hot laps Cottage Grove Speedway was able to complete all of the events scheduled for Saturday May 17th. The historic ¼-mile clay oval hosted their first ever 4-Cylinder Nationals and it was also one of this year’s Pepsi Family Nights. Classes in action included the Hornets, Northwest Extreme Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, and Street Stocks.

The Hornets were the evening’s headliner class as they competed for the title of the 4-Cylinder Nationals. A decent car count was on hand and a great race was contested for the thirty-lap feature. Dexter’s Taunton Swaim would take full advantage of his front row starting position to seize the lead in the Randy Kuhl owned Bigg Dogg Recycling/DT Machine & Fab/Big B Tire/More of Everything Racing Collectibles #17 Toyota Tacoma.

However he would lose the top spot to James Deatherage from Cottage Grove on lap five. Deatherage would set a quick pace in the D&D Automotive/Furniture Options/A-1 Auto Supply/Harris Machine & Design #7D Chevy Cavalier but unfortunately he would lose his right front tire and wheel on lap eleven. That would give the lead to Springfield native K.C. Scott in the Dr. Vape Products/T.L. Morgan Motors/Dalton Carpet #30 Mazda Protégé. Scott would lead for several laps but on lap seventeen Taunton Swaim would reclaim the lead. Swaim would stay out front for the rest of the distance to pick up his second feature victory in as many starts.

K.C. Scott was a respectable second followed by the Maricle Stainless #11 Honda Civic DX of Joe Maricle from Veneta in third. Chris Pierce of Cottage Grove was fourth driving the Micah Parham owned Bigg Dogg Recycling #28 Mitsubishi Mirage and behind him was Eric Cooper from Cottage Grove in fifth in the Eastside Rollforming Specialties #32 entry.

Despite having some smoke occasionally puff out of the power plant Danny Horner was able to return to his winning ways in the Northwest Extreme Sprints. Horner, from Cottage Grove, got the lead on lap two and would set the pace for the rest of the distance to earn his first win of his career since 2006 for him and the Horner’s Inc./BC Motorsports/Steelhouse Metal Roofing Supply #75H Maxim team.

Raquel Ivie of Eugene was the runner-up finisher in her Three Rivers Casino & Hotel/Bi-Mart/Brook’s Cut Rate Auto Parts/More of Everything Racing Collectibles #70 Maxim while third place was the Redmond Trucking #12 J&J of Orion Redmond from Roseburg after starting in the back of the field. Crossing the line in fourth was the Dave Hibbard of Medford in his C&H Motorsports/Tangible Real Estate Investments/Carpet & Vinyl Liquidators/Southern Oregon Veterans Benefit #3 Zeitler Brothers with the Griffith Family Racing #21 Gambler of Fall Creek’s Mike Griffith entry in fifth.

In IMCA Modified action it was a fantastic main event as the Furniture Options #84 machine of Eric Ashley from Jasper would lead the early goings. Unfortunately on lap five Ashley and Jacksonville’s Mark Wauge would get together racing for the lead out of turn four with several top five drivers getting caught up in the incident bringing out a caution.

On the restart Wauge would set the pace in his Dog House Racing/Payroll Specialties/Hoppes Construction/Rodgers Racing Engines #M1 Impressive and built a sizeable lead only to have it be cut down due to a caution on lap seventeen. On the ensuing restart Wauge would continue to stay out in front but Cottage Grove’s Braedon Hand would begin to apply some pressure on him.

Hand would make a bonsai pass for the lead on lap twenty-one and managed to obtain the position. He would lead the rest of the distance in his D&D Automotive/KNND 1400 AM/Vintage Inn Family Restaurant #5 Shaw by SDMF to earn his second feature victory of 2014 at CGS.

Mark Wauge would finish in second while Vernon “Bubba” Foster from Dayton was third in his Busy Bee Cleaning/Pam Pam’s Auto Wrecking/JB Printing & Graphics #68 Allen entry. David Schmidt of Eugene was fourth in the EMS Truck Repair/Cindy-Sew-It/Oregon Concealed Training #9 Pro and behind him in fifth was the Marty’s Transmissions/All-In-Property Investments/Baldwin Motorsports #01 FR1 of Sandy’s Chris Hallberg.

It was pure domination by Justin Evans of Lebanon in the Street Stock main. Evans would capture the lead on lap two and simply checked out from the rest of the field. Leading the remainder of the distance Evans would put the Al Flora owned Albie’s Medical Transport/Allied Medical Transport/Monty’s Racing Repair #99 Cougar in victory lane for the second time this season.

Ethan Landers from Bend was the runner-up finisher driving his Swan & Sons Woodworking/Smart Solutions #17Z Camaro mount followed by the Nathan Anderson Dentistry/Platinum Hair of Creswell #00 Nova of Darryl Crooks in third. Completing the finishing order was the Henderson Racing #0 Nova of Cottage Grove’s Mark Henderson.

Two nights of racing are on tap for the Cottage Grove Speedway next Saturday May 24th and Sunday the 25th. Classes for both nights will feature the American Sprint Car Series-Northwest Region, Northwest Extreme Sprints, and Vintage Cars.

For each night the Pit Gates will open at 2:00 PM, Front Gates open at 4:00, and Racing starts at 6:45. Ticket prices per event are Adults $15.00, Seniors/Military/Juniors (13-17) $13.00, Youths (Ages 12-6) $8.00, and Children under the age of 5 are FREE. For more information log on to www.cottagegrovespeedway.com.

Race Summary:
Saturday May 17th, 2014
4-Cylinder Nationals/Pepsi Family Night/Race #4
Cottage Grove Speedway
Cottage Grove, Oregon
NW Extreme Sprints
A Feature: 1. 75H-Danny Horner; 2. 70-Raquel Ivie; 3. 12-Orion Redmond; 4. 3-David Hibbard; 5. 21-Mike Griffith; 6. 4-Jesse Thistle; 7. 57-Dusty Redmond; 8. 5D-Patrick Dills

IMCA Modifieds
A Feature: 1. 5-Braedon Hand; 2. M1-Mark Wauge; 3. 68-Bubba Foster; 4. 9-David Schmidt; 5. 01-Chris Hallberg; 6. 84-Eric Ashley; 7. 15B-Tanner Baldwin; 8. 11-Steven Sturdevant; 9. 74-Ricky Ashley; 10. W6-Kevin Williamson; DNS 5M-Jake Mayden; DNS 24-Kevin Hewitt

Street Stocks
A Feature: 1. 99-Justin Evans; 2. 17Z-Ethan Landers; 3. 00-Darryl Crooks; 4. 0-Mark Henderson

Hornets
A Feature: 1. 17-Taunton Swaim; 2. 30-K.C. Scott; 3. 11-Joe Maricle; 4. 28-Chris Pierce; 5. 32-Eric Cooper; 6. 89-Jim Simmons; 7. 7D-James Deatherage; 8. 51-Jason Nelson; 9. 48-Mike Swaim; DNS 7-Josh Corley; DNS 23F-Marcel Forte; DNS 98-Matthew Woodward

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