(Photo by Malcolm White Photography)
Inside Line Promotions – COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (May 26, 2014) – Seth Bergman wrapped up an extremely successful trip home to the Northwest with back-to-back victories last weekend.
The two wins at Cottage Grove Speedway highlighted a four-race weekend with the ASCS Northwest Region throughout Oregon.
“It’s not very often you can race four nights in a row,” he said. “It’s just been a good couple of weeks for us. It’s been refreshing to be home, especially to win three of the five races.”
Following his victory at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash., on May 17, Bergman kicked off his busy week last Thursday at Southern Oregon Speedway in White City.
“There’s not much we could do there,” he said. “It was heavy. Nobody really went anywhere in any of the heat races and it was the same way in the feature. It was probably the most boring race I’ve run in 60 races. It was follow the leader, wide open and no passing due to being overwatered.”
After advancing from fifth to fourth place in his heat race, Bergman maneuvered from 11th to ninth on the heavy track.
The team ventured north on Friday for a race at Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, Ore.
“At Lebanon, it’s usually real slick and nice early and stays that way in the main,” he said. “It was heavy and hard to pass again. Luckily I got a heat race that was doable. I had a car good enough to win.”
Bergman charged from fourth to claim his heat race and earn a trip to the feature redraw, where he pulled the No. 6 to start the main event on the outside of the third row.
“For us it was a battle of attrition, staying out of wrecks and trying to keep the car on all fours,” he said. “I think late in the race we were good enough to win. We just ran out of laps.”
Bergman battled within the top five for the entire race before he ended with the runner-up result.
On Saturday, Bergman and the ASCS Northwest Region tackled Cottage Grove Speedway for the first of a two-day show at the quarter-mile track to close the weekend.
After rallying from sixth to second place in his heat race, Bergman advanced into the feature redraw.
“We drew the eight in the redraw,” he said. “At that point it was the way the week had gone. But the track had two or three grooves of racing. I knew if we were right we’d have the chance of winning.
“It played out exactly how I thought it would. Kyle (Hirst) got the lead and I followed him through there. It was wide open around the top for five or six laps and then a lapped car got him messed up and I was able to take advantage of that.”
Bergman took over the top spot with approximately eight laps remaining and he powered to the victory. It was the fourth different state he has won in this season.
The team returned to the bullring for Sunday’s finale, when Bergman maneuvered from fifth to second place in his heat race to make the feature redraw for the third straight night.
“We drew a four (in the redraw) the second night so that was a lot better than the eight,” he said. “My mentality was the same. I knew our car was rocket-ship fast and the track was shaping up to be similar to how it was on Saturday. I was confident starting fourth.
“I got into second right away and I took the lead two or three different times, but every time a caution would come out. Finally on the last long green-flag run I got the lead on a restart and I never saw anybody from that point on.”
Bergman’s win was his fifth of the season and his fifth in the last 14 races. The team will now return to the Midwest for a Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour doubleheader this weekend – Friday at Salina Speedway in Salina, Kan., and Saturday at Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Neb., for the Hinchman Racewear Eagle Nationals.
“It feels good,” he said. “There are definitely some good race cars that we raced against (in the Northwest). I feel like we have momentum, but more importantly I feel like we’re starting to get the car figured out so we can be a contender every night.”
Bergman won last season’s lone ASCS National Tour event at Salina Speedway.
QUICK RESULTS –
May 22 – Southern Oregon Speedway in White City, Ore. – Heat race: 4 (5); Feature: 9 (11).
May 23 – Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, Ore. – Heat race: 1 (4); Feature: 2 (6).
May 24 – Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove, Ore. – Heat race: 2 (6); Feature: 1 (8).
May 25 – Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove, Ore. – Heat race: 2 (5); Feature: 1 (4).
SEASON STATS –
19 races, 5 wins, 10 top fives, 14 top 10s, 16 top 15s, 16 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday at Salina Speedway in Salina, Kan., and Saturday at Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Neb., for the Hinchman Racewear Eagle Nationals with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour
LIVE COVERAGE –
To keep up to speed with Bergman at every Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour event, visit http://www.RacinBoys.com for free, live audio. Additionally, RacinBoys will provide live Pay-Per-View video at select races.
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.SethBergmanRacing.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BergmanRacing
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SethBergmanRacing
VIDEOS –
Here is a link to highlights of Bergman’s victory at Skagit Speedway on May 17 (starts around 13:10): http://youtu.be/gMPkdGd90e8
APPAREL –
Bergman has men’s and women’s t-shirts available for sale at his race trailer during events he competes in this season.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – SpeedMart
Based in Burlington, Wash., SpeedMart is a leading sprint car, midget and micro sprint parts distributor. For more information, visit http://www.SpeedMartInc.com.
“SpeedMart has been helping me pretty much since I started sprint car racing when I was 16-years-old,” Bergman said. “I’m proud to have SpeedMart Owner Barry Martinez on the car. He’s great to work with and treats us like gold. It’s nice to be involved with people who are passionate about racing.”
Bergman would also like to thank Oilfield Equipment & Manufacturing, Corridor Electric, ASI Racing Engines, Print Place, Young Tools and CSI Shocks for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program and to join Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or InsideLinePromotions@gmail.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on May 26, 2014
- Article Date: 5/26/2014 by Inside Line Promotions