Corey Day Opens Up Speedweek Northwest 2021 With Victory At Coos Bay Speedway
By Stephanie Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Lester Hankins)
Coos Bay, Oregon- After being dormant in 2020 due to COVID-19, Speedweek Northwest presented by the Western Sprint Tour made a triumphant return to Coos Bay Speedway on Monday, July 12th.
It was the first Speedweek bout since July 13th, 2019, at Cottage Grove Speedway. Eighteen teams made the journey representing the American states of Oregon, California, and Idaho, and the Canadian province of British Columbia.
At the drop of the green flag of the thirty-lap feature, Justyn Cox stormed to the front. The West Sacramento, California racer of Cox and in the Doug and Kathy Rutz owned entry set a rapid pace but would slow down due to a caution on lap six. On the ensuing restart, Cox would be overtaken by the completion of the seventh circuit.
Fifth starting Corey Day was the one to pass Cox for the coveted first place position. The Clovis, California teenager continually worked the top side of the track constructing a sizable lead in the process. However, lapped traffic became a factor as the race remained green for several laps. Nevertheless, over time Corey would methodically work his way around the slower cars and maintain first place.
Despite never being to Coos Bay Speedway, Corey Day was master class. Leading the rest of the distance, he became the twenty-fourth different winner in one-hundred-twenty-one features with Speedweek Northwest. For Coos Bay Speedway, it is nine winners in nine years in series history at the facility.
Justyn Cox was a solid second while Rocklin, California’s Colby Copeland, who started ninth in the Jim and Annette Van Lare machine, rallied to a third-place finish. The rest of the top five consisted of Jacksonville teenager Tanner Holmes and Tyler Thompson, from Harrisburg, in fourth and fifth.
Earlier in the program, Sebastopol, California chauffeur Joel Myers Jr. shattered the track record lowering it to an impressive 11.667 seconds. The old mark was 12.212, set by D.J. Netto on July 10th, 2018. Heat race winners were Tyler Thompson, Roseville, California racer Jodie Robinson, and Yuba City youngster Drake Standley. Justyn Cox was the trophy dash winner, which earned him the inside front row starting position.
The second round of Speedweek Northwest takes the tour to Willamette Speedway on Tuesday, July 13th. For the latest news and information, be sure and follow along on the Western Sprint Tour Facebook page.
Race Results:
Speedweek Northwest Round #1
Monday, July 12th, 2021
Coos Bay Speedway
Coos Bay, Oregon
A-Feature: 1. Corey Day; 2. Justyn Cox; 3. Colby Copeland; 4. Tanner Holmes; 5. Tyler Thompson; 6. Jodie Robinson; 7. John Clark; 8. Matt Hein; 9. Steven Snawder; 10. James Setters; 11. Brian Boswell; 12. Patrick Desbiens; 13. Brad Bumgarner; 14. Austin Sause; 15. Joel Myers Jr.; 16. T.J. Richman; DNS Kinzer Cox; DNS Drake Standley
- Ben Deatherage on Jul 13, 2021
- Article Date: 7/13/2021