Redmond, Hanson, Braaten, And Corley Collect CGS Victories; $10.00 Special Returns For April 23rd
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Dirt Monkey Productions)
Cottage Grove, Oregon- Another great turnout of race fans would be in attendance for the Saturday April 23rd races at Cottage Grove Speedway. The pits would see a wonderful turnout of competitors with teams traveling from all over the state of Oregon as well as Washington and California. Classes in action included the Clark Printing Extreme Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, and Quality RV Repair Hornets.
The Clark Printing Extreme Sprints would be on hand for their first race of 2016. The Double R Powdercoating/BC Motorsports/Rocket Designs #10 XXX of Roseburg driver Don Waddell and Medford’s Bailey Hibbard, in his Dave’s Carpet & Vinyl Liquidators/Tangible Real Estate Investments/PJ & W Trucking/BC Motorsports #1 XXX, would share the front row. Hibbard would take the lead only to have a caution occur in the opening start. On the second attempt Dusty Redmond, from Roseburg, would put his Whit-Log Trailers/Double R Powdercoating/Redmond Trucking #57 Rocket out in front.
Redmond would be challenged on several occasions but kept all potential threats in check. A late race restart with seven laps to go gave second on back a chance to challenge but Redmond would get the job done in the end. With the victory it marked the first career triumph for Dusty Redmond after coming so close over the years.
The Three Rivers Casion/Bi-Mart/MSD Ignitions/Cascade Farm & Outdoor #70 XXX of Eugene pilot Raquel Ivie was second followed by Dave Hibbard of Medford, in his Dave’s Carpet & Vinyl Liquidators/Tangible Real Estate Investments/Outlaw Powdercoating/Hansen & Sons Trucking #3 Zeitler, in third. The rest of the top five would be made up of Thurston’s Ricky Ashley, driving the Todd’s Autobody/Clark Printing/Fastenal/Double R Powdercoating #85 Maxim, in fourth and fifth finishing Chelsea Blevins, of Anderson, California, in her BC Motorsports/Ron Peters Cabinetry #1B Maxim.
Fast time of the night was Cottage Grove native Patrick Dills in the Cedric Ross Hayden For Oregon State Representative/Faye Stewart For United States Senate/Jacob Daniels Attorney at Law/Oregon Research Consultants/M.D. Yearous Logging #5D KPC. Chelsea Blevins was victorious in the Dot’s Trophy Shop Trophy Dashes while heat races were won by Patrick Dills and Raquel Ivie.
The IMCA Modifieds would have a caution filled main event. Springfield’s Steven Sturdevant would put up an impressive effort in his Springfield Point S Tire Factory/KMC Wheels/Pyramid Brewing #11 X-Factor. Sturdevant would battle fiercely for the coveted top position with the Mackin Street Customs & RV’s/Furniture Options/Ashley Family Racing/A-1 Auto Supply #84 Shaw of Jasper’s Eric Ashley.
Sturdevant would secure the lead on lap eleven for much of the race till constant pressure continued to build. With the quantity of the caution flags it would eliminate the possibility of lapped traffic and wipe away all of the progress Sturdevant had made on building up a decent sized lead. Sturdevant would lose the top spot on lap twenty-one to Craig Hanson of Albany. Hanson would build some momentum via the high side of the race track to make the pass coming out of turn four. The Virgil Hanson Automotive Machine/Best Pots Inc./A&B Septic/Superior Fuel Cells #33C Victory Circle, of Hanson, would show the field the rest of the way to win his first race of the year.
Steve Sturdevant would finish a respectable second while third was the Natures Images/Lithia Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge of Medford/JDM Racing Solutions/Mr. Smith’s Bar & Grill #54N GRT of Nick Trenchard from Klamath Falls, driving for car owners Rich and Nicky Biehn. Redmond’s Mark Carrell crossed the line fourth, in his Mark’s Autobody #27 GRT by Phillips entry, while the Ken’s Glass/Cinda Badger/Dave’s Truck Repair #11K Rayburn of Ft. Jones, California chauffeur Kyle Casson was fifth.
Monte Bischoff, from Medford, would be fast time of the night in his Payroll Specialties Inc./Lucas Oil Products/Hoppes Motorsports #F1 PCD. Nick Trenchard would pick up the victory in the Dot’s Trophy Shop Trophy Dash while heat races would be won by Craig Hanson, the Reser’s Fine Foods/Wayne Martin Floor Covering/Western Pacific Wood Trim #19 Shaw of Warren’s Brad Martin, and Bischoff.
A good crop of IMCA Sport Mods was in attendance for their first race of the campaign. Six different drivers would lead at the start-finish line and it was great to see some new faces in the division. One of those new faces was Springfield driver Shawn Hand taking the lead early. The 1400 KNND AM/D&D Automotive/Vintage Inn Family Restaurant/Oregon Taxi #13 Shaw, of Hand, would lead the first lap but was passed on lap two by Mike Medel from Medford. Medel, driving the Rogue Boilerworks/Southern Oregon Archery/Morton’s Sports Bar/Jahnke Heating & Air #30M Rayburn, would lose the top spot to Hand on the next lap.
Shortly after a lap three restart Shawn Hand would again lose the lead. But this time it would be to the Kiwi Fabrication #7M D&M of Eugene’s Andrew Mathers. Mathers, in his first career Modified start, looked very impressive and would build a decent size gab between him and the rest of the field but unfortunately all of his hard work would vanish due to several cautions occurring.
Chris Frisbie, of Vancouver, Washington, would get past Mathers on lap ten after battling back and forth. Frisbie a few laps later would himself get passed by Jorddon Braaten from Central Point. Braaten would stay in the position the rest of the way to pick up the win in his Quench & Drench Car Wash/Miller Paint Company/Advanced Door & Hardware/Don Braaten Painting #84 Dirtworks.
The Frisbie Motorsports/Clark Printing/Discount Race Car Parts/Harbor Rail Services Company #17 Shaw, of Chris Frisbie, was second and Jasper veteran Gene Ashley was third in his Ashley Family Racing/Furniture Options/Hanke Racing #85 machine. The rest of the top five would consist of Shawn Hand and Mike Medel in fourth and fifth.
Jorddon Braaten would have a perfect night with being the fastest in qualifying and winning the Dot’s Trophy Shop Trophy Dash. Braaten and Chris Frisbie were the heat race winners.
Last but not least the Quality RV Repair Hornets would put on an entertaining race. No doubt one of the most impressive performances was Veneta driver Brad Moffett leading for much of the feature. Moffett, in his Edge Motorsports/Tire Sport #65 Volkswagon Golf, would be the car to beat for the first sixteen laps of the scheduled twenty. Moffett would be overtaken by Joe Maricle of Veneta.
The More of Everything Racing Collectibles #11 Honda Accord, of Maricle, had to come from the back earlier in the race due to jumping a start. It looked as if Maricle was well on his way to the win but a late race restart would have the Corley Racing #7C Nissan 200SX of Josh Corley get to the front. Corley, of Westfir, would hold on for the final lap to pick up his first win of the season in his first start.
Joe Maricle was second while the Kimwood Corporation/Industrial Finishes/It Works by Kayla Simmons/Quality RV Repair #1N Honda Prelude of Mike Simmons, from Cottage Grove, was third. Redmond’s Ray Augustine would place the Augustine Racing #8 entry in fourth and the Quantum Mechanics/Big B Tires #30 machine of K.C. Scott, of Springfield, placed fifth.
Dexter’s Mike Swaim would set quick time in his Rapid Delivery Service/Bigg Dogg Recycling/More of Everything Racing Collectibles #48 Toyota Celica. Mike Simmons got the job done in the Dot’s Trophy Shop Trophy Dash and heat race winners were Swaim, Mike Simmons, and the It Works by Kayla Simmons/A+ Towing/This Little Light Of Mine Photography #16 entry of James Simmons from Eugene.
Cottage Grove Speedway returns to racing on Friday April 22nd for the first Kage Kart race of the year. General Admission is FREE and Pit Passes are $10.00 and Car and Driver fees will be $35.00. The Pit Gate will open up around 3:00 PM and the Pit Meeting is at 6:00 PM with Hot Laps and Racing to follow.
The ¼-mile will be back in action on Saturday April 23rd for the Spring Showdown. The 360 Sprints will return for the first leg of the Interstate Sprint Car Series Triple Crown along with Late Models, IMCA Sport Mods, and the Quality RV Repair Hornets.
The track will again be offering a special $10.00 admission for everyone ages 13 years and up. Children 12-6 are $5.00 and 5 and Under is FREE as always. Pit Gates open at 2:00 PM, Front Gates 4:00, and Racing is scheduled to start around 6:30. For more information log on to www.cottagegrovespeedway.com and check out the track’s Facebook page and click “Like”.
- Ben Deatherage on Apr 17, 2016
- Article Date: 4/17/2016