5/7/2017
Cottage Grove Speedway
FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT RACE RECAP
What a great night to be at Cottage Grove Speedway!! The weather may have been cold but the racing action was HOT!! The pits were nice and full with 80 cars signing in and the grandstands were equally full with fans! 5 classes on the schedule and an extended meet and greet intermission with the drivers made for a jam-packed night of racing!
K.C. Scott and Rich Dickinson were looking to be the ones to beat in the Quality RV Hornet class setting the fastest laps in qualifying at a 17.101 for Scott and a 17.399 for Dickinson. They both moved quickly from 4th to 2nd in their respective James Heating & Air Conditioning Heat Races but were unable to take the wins away from Josh Corley and Burnie Bryant. The invert dice brought out the 0 and Corley and Bryant would start side by side for the Main Event. Corley led the first 2 laps over Bryant who then took the lead and led until the checkers flew picking up the Quality RV Hornet main event win! Scott would finish 2nd followed by Joe Maricle, Corley and McClure would round out the top 5.
The IMCA Sportmods were back in action for the 3rd race of the year. Last week’s winner Chris Frisbie and Eagle Point’s David Marble would come from deep in the field to win the 2 James Heating & Air Conditioning Heat Races. Despite a hard charge and challenge for the lead by Frisbie, Daniel Ray was a man on a mission in the main event leading all 20 laps and becoming the 3rd different Sportmod winner of 2017. Steve Hopkins was 2nd, Doug Coffman 3rd, Shawn Hand 4th, and Jayson Nelson 5th.
Kinzer Cox set the quickest time of the night with a 12.990 in The Todd’s Auto Body Sprints beating last week’s winner Tyler Thompson by just 8 1/1000’s of a second. Raquel Ivie and Cooper Desbiens would both lead every lap of the 2 James Heating & Air Conditioning Heat Races from the pole and would share front row honors in the main event. Ivie would go on to lead the first 11 laps before Desbiens was able to make his move by her but would ultimately end up a little high off of 3 turns 3 and 4 ending his night prematurely. Ivie would inherit the lead once again and lead for a few more laps until a charge from 5th put Patrick Dills in the top spot. Dills would go on to win The Todd’s Auto Body Sprints followed by Ivie, Shane Forte, Ricky Ashley and Cox.
Mohawk Metal IMCA Modifieds were the largest class of the night with 22 drivers on hand and all looking for a win. There were 3 James Heating & Air Conditioning Heat Races ran. Heat #1 looked like it would be won by long time racer Gene Ashley, but Craig Hanson had another idea winning the race from a 6th place start. Eric Ashley started out front in Heat #2 and never looked back leading all 8 laps for the win. Heat #3 was a battle of the 5’s as Jake Mayden and Jesse Williamson charged to the front, ultimately Mayden would come out over Williamson. Hanson and Eric Ashley shared front row honors for the Main event and Ashley took the early lead and continue to lead for the first 14 of 20 laps. Williamson who started deep in the field in 12th quickly and easily moved his way to the front and on lap 15 took the lead and went on to win the race, followed closely by Ashley, Tyler Smith, Hanson, and Curtis Towns.
Reigning Late Model champion Britton Donahoo was ready to pick up where he left off setting quick time of 14.447 and winning his James Heating & Air Conditioning Heat Race after some good battles with Eric Luckman and Curtis Towns. Heat #2 was looking to be Jim Whisler until Blaine Taylor made his move half way thru the race and was able to take the checkered flag over Whisler at the end. Donahoo and Taylor shared the front row for the main. The main event was definitely exciting as Taylor and Donahoo battled back and forth for the lead at the halfway point Towns joined the battle and when the checkers fell it would be Taylor with the win over Towns and Britton. Luckman and Whisler rounded out the top 5.
See you all back at the track May 12th for Kage Karts and remember Kage Kart general admission is always free!! And on May 13th help us celebrate Mom’s with Mom’s night at the races and catch the first appearance of the year by the PHRA Dwarf Cars as well as the return of the Todd’s Auto Body Sprints, iMCA Sportmods, and the Quality RV Hornets.
Submitted By: Heather Boyce