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Robustelli, Rea, M. Sanders, And Johnson Collect 2022 CGS Season Opening Victories

Robustelli, Rea, M. Sanders, And Johnson Collect 2022 CGS Season Opening Victories
Cottage Grove, Oregon-
Saturday, March 26th, marked the first race of the 2022 schedule that the engines fired up at Cottage Grove Speedway.
It is the beginning of the sixty-sixth campaign of action at the historic ¼-mile clay oval. Four divisions were on tap, including two Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing program classes: the Todd’s Auto Body Limited Sprints, Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, and Royalty Core IMCA Northern Sport Mods.

Cottage Grove’s Tim Minter led the opening stanzas of the Todd’s Auto Body Limited Sprint main event. However, he eventually was chased down and overtaken on the seventh by Medford native Camden Robustelli. Robustelli, racing for car owner T.J. Winningham, maintained the top place position until David Marble caught him.

Marble, of Shady Cove, briefly paraded the field on the backstretch only for Robustelli to reclaim it going into the corner. David again managed to challenge late in the race but was unable to get past Camden. Nevertheless, Camden Robustelli held on to capture the checkered flag to win his first race of the season.

David Marble was credited with second over third, finishing Brandon Governor from Eagle Point. In fourth and fifth, Stanwood, Washington teenager Axel Oudman and Don Waddell, of Roseburg, were the balance of the top five finishers.

Paul Rea put in a shift of dominance for much of the IMCA Modified main event. The Eugene veteran of Rea pounced in front of the rest of the pack on the initial start. Then, he went practically uncontested for the entire distance.

However, in the later stages, Paul felt some pressure. It happened after the third and final race restart in which Warren’s Brad Martin came to call to submit a bid. Martin would fall short, and Paul Rea emerged victoriously. It is his first win of the season in Cottage Grove Speedway, Shaw Race Cars Western Region, and KMJ Performance Oregon State competition.

Brad Martin was a respectable second over Springfield chauffeur Steven Sturdevant in third. Cottage Grove’s Curtis Towns, in the Frank Brewer-fielded entry, was fourth, with fifth belonging to Jake Mayden of Springfield.

In the Royalty Core IMCA Northern Sport Mods, Ray Comer Jr., from Springfield, took control of the point on the first circuit. Comer remained there until lap four when Matt Sanders got around him. Sanders, making the long journey from the Southwestern Oregon coastal city of Brookings, had a fast, hot rod once in the front.

There were five stoppages throughout the feature, but every restart witnessed Matt Sanders managing to master all of them. As a result, Sanders cruised to his first win of the year at CGS and KMJ Performance Oregon State action.

Isaac Sanders, also from Brookings, was credited with second over Meridian, California transplant Jason Ferguson, now calling Sweet Home his place of residence. Goshen’s Brandon Norton was an impressive fourth, with fifth place going to Garrett Craig of Veneta.

Lastly, the Late Models put on the only caution-free race on the evening. Initially, Salem’s B.J. Donofrio took to the front of the pack on lap one, but Jason Johnson made a decisive move around him by lap two. Johnson, from Gresham, took firm control of first place and took off.

Johnson went practically uncontested the rest of the distance en route to his first win of 2022.
B.J. Donofrio took home second, with third going to Randy Barley of Albany. In fourth, wrapping up the finishing order was Cottage Grove’s Rob Williams.

Cottage Grove Speedway returns to racing on Saturday, April 2nd. Classes on the card include the Todd’s Auto Body Limited Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, Royalty Core IMCA Northern Sport Mods, and IMCA Sport Compacts. For more information, including tickets and times, check out www.cottagegrovespeedway.com.

Race Results:
Saturday, March 26th, 2022
Cottage Grove Speedway
Cottage Grove, Oregon
[#} indicated starting position

IMCA Modifieds
A Feature: 1. 33-Paul Rea[1]; 2. 19-Brad Martin[8]; 3. 11-Steven Sturdevant[3]; 4. 16-Curtis Towns[4]; 5. 5M-Jake Mayden[7]; 6. 27-Mark Carrell[9]; 7. 42-Paul Culp[5]; 8. 99-Jeremy Martin[13]; 9. 85-Ricky Ashley[10]; 10. 4TH-John Player[11]; 11. 74-Clark Lukens[2]; 12. 22J-Jake Ferguson[12]; 13. 25C-Chad Groves[6]

Royalty Core IMCA Northern Sport Mods
A-Feature: 1. 2M-Matt Sanders[1]; 2. 12I-Isaac Sanders[5]; 3. 19-Jason Ferguson[8]; 4. 79-Brandon Norton[12]; 5. 3-Garrett Craig[14]; 6. C4-Michael Hollingsworth[15]; 7. W4-Kevin Williamson[11]; 8. 01-Daniel Ray[6]; 9. 69-Kasi Comer[9]; 10. 26-Dustin Comer[7]; 11. 150-Justin Ryker[4]; 12. 60J-Jordan Henry[3]; 13. E3-Ray Bloom[10]; DNS 48-Jeff Cluff; DQ 22C-Ray Comer[2]

Late Models
A-Feature: 1. 76-Jason Johnson[1]; 2. 99-BJ Donofrio[2]; 3. 13B-Randy Barley[3]; 4. 16-Rob Williams[4]; DNS 7-Bryan Norton

Todd’s Auto Body Limited Sprints
A-Feature: 1. 9T-Camden Robustelli[9]; 2. 4M-David Marble[6]; 3. 37-Brandon Governor[1]; 4. 7O-Axel Oudman[7]; 5. 10K-Don Waddell[8]; 6. 21-Mike Griffith[5]; 7. 07-Austin Sause[3]; 8. 93-Tim Minter[4]; 9. 8B-Shane Forte[10]; DNS 8-Kyle Adams

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