Solesbee, Towns, Schmidt, Osborn, Bryant, And Lancaster CGS Armed Forces Night Winners
(Photos Courtesy of Jason Davenport Photography)
Cottage Grove, Oregon- Cottage Grove Speedway was abuzz with excitement on Saturday, May 18th, for Armed Forces Night, a special event presented by Shriner's. The race featured six divisions. These divisions included the high-speed 360 Sprints, the adrenaline-pumping Street Stocks, and the up-and-coming Juniors. The event also featured three Speedway Motor IMCA Weekly Racing program classes, including the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds presented by Wheeless Trailer Sales & Repair, Friesen Performance IMCA Northern Sport Mods presented by Roadhouse Billiards and Brew, and the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts.
Melissa Solesbee showcased her skills in the Todd's Auto Body 360 Sprint division. Despite a couple of stoppages, Solesbee managed to maintain her lead from the opening lap, demonstrating her mastery of the restarts. This victory marked her second career CGS 360 win, a significant achievement since her last win on April 10th, 2004. Timothy Smith, hailing from Roseburg, secured the second position.
When the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, presented by Wheeless Trailer Sales & Repair, took to the track for their final race of the night, Curtis Towns, a seasoned driver from Cottage Grove, made the most of his front row starting position. Towns, known for his quick starts, shot off like a cannon. Despite an early caution that leveled the playing field, Towns managed to regain control of the race lead.
An early caution slowed things down but couldn't dampen the intense competition. Defending Oregon State champion Carter Patterson pushed hard to overtake Towns, but the Lebanon driver couldn't quite find a way to the front, and Towns maintained an excellent rhythm to pull away.
This intensified the second-place race as Springfield's Jake Mayden battled hard with Patterson. Mayden eventually obtained the runner-up spot and then began to chase down Towns despite a massive gap separating the top two positions.
Towns managed to maintain his consistently fast pace and put some lapped traffic between himself and Mayden to secure a dominating victory, his first of the 2024 season. Mayden was a close second, followed by Patterson in third. Cottage Grove racer Tyler Smith and Daniel Ray, in the Frank Brewer-owned entry, rounded out the top five.
Cottage Grove's Jimmy Owen led the opening circuit of the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern Sport Mods, presented by Roadhouse Billiard and Brew. Jacob Shandy performed the overtake to seize first place on the following trip past the flag stand.
A pair of cautions kept the field close before Roseburg racer Jordan Henry and Trevor Point, from Salem, began to pressure Shandy. Eventually, Shandy, representing Corvallis, began to take off from the rest of the field to build a comfortable lead.
A yellow flag would wave on lap eleven, putting Points behind Shandy's fuel cell on the restart. The reigning Oregon State champion tried to chase Shandy once the green flag run developed, only to battle with David Schmidt for second. Unfortunately, Points would spin on lap thirteen while defending the runner-up position.
With Schmidt now riding in second, he was in a perfect position to challenge Shandy, which he did during the restart. Making a power move on the inside, the Roseburg racer of Schmidt threaded the needle to obtain the race lead on the fourteenth circuit.
Schmidt would take off from the rest of the pack and scored his second victory of the season at CGS. Shandy was a respectable second, followed by Eugene's Hunter Bloom, who was third. Jason Kocks, from Springfield, beat out Roseburg native Jordan Henry for fourth.
The Street Stocks was a race of domination at the hands of Graig Osborn. The Creswell chauffeur seized the top position initially and showed jungle cat quickness throughout the main event. Osborn was slowed on just one instance with a single caution taking place.
Osborn scored his first win of the current campaign and is the third different winner in as many races. Adam Applebee, from Eugene, was second. Jasper driver Andrew Langan drove the Josh Linville-fielded entry to a third-place finish. Dexter's Taunton Swaim wound up fourth, followed by David Schmidt, who pulled double duty in fifth.
Jim Simmons cracked the whip early in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact main event. The Cottage Grove veteran took control of first place on the opening start and maintained first place until Springfield's Charles Trissell got around him on lap three.
A stoppage around the halfway mark eliminated Trissell's healthy advantage. On the restart, Burnie Bryant, from Sutherlin, ran down, pressured, and eventually overtook Trissell for first on lap sixteen. Once in control of the coveted top spot, Bryant ran away and cruised to an impressive victory.
Marcola motorist Roger Bell ended his night an impressive second, with Michael Kennerly, from Sutherlin, in third. Cottage Grove drivers Tiffany Towns and Kerry Cooper were fourth and fifth.
In Junior action, Eugene youngster Rowen Lancaster took care of business and dominated the main event. Lancaster set the pace for the entire race, and the only thing to slow him down was two cautions. It was his second win of 2024.
Springfield's Tynlee Mayden and Faith Bryant of Coos Bay were second and third. Jacob Daniels, from Cottage Grove, was fourth, with Eugene driver Shane Dowty taking fifth.
Cottage Grove Speedway is gearing up for an exciting doubleheader over the Memorial Day weekend. The action-packed Marvin Smith Memorial Grove Classic will kick off on Saturday, the 25th, and continue on Sunday, the 26th. The 360 Sprints, Late Models, and the Junior division will be featured on both nights, promising a thrilling weekend of racing. A total of $4100.00 will be up for grabs for the 360 Sprints on Sunday, adding an extra layer of excitement. For more information and to stay updated, visit www.cottagegrovespeedway.com.
- Ben Deatherage on May 20, 2024
- Article Date: 5/20/2024