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Bennymite
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Posted: Sunday Jun 29th, 2008 10:07 AM |
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Saturday Night Thunder A Reality At The Grove
By Ben Deatherage
A lot of tracks and touring series’ have excessively use the word “thunder”. Not all cases are the racing exciting or thunderous but despite the word thunder not in the Cottage Grove Speedway’s name it was thunderous. Saturday at Family Relief Nursery Night thunder and lighting was the talk of the evening as the backdrop was light up time to time during the races. The night seen the Micro Sprints, Limited Sprints, Modifieds, All-American Street Stocks, and Late Models all in action.
Micro Sprints:
For the first time this year the Micro Sprints ventured to the Cottage Grove Speedway. These 600cc powered cars are a great stepping stone for kids to move from karts or quarter midgets into sprint cars. Fast time of the evening went to Reece Goetz of Snohomish, Washington at 12.82 seconds.
In the Ray’s Food Place Trophy Dash Reece Goetz continued his winning ways and picked up the win. Goetz looked to get even closer to the clean sweep as he was able to easily win the heat race. Unfortunately for Goetz he drew a blue chip and would have to start in eight.
When it was time for the main event Jeff Broadwell of Springfield took the early race lead. Kyle Mehner of Clackamas was able to waste no time and obtained the race lead a couple of more laps in. Mehner had a good lead going into the race and was able to zip past lapped cars with no problems. No cautions occurred during the main so Mehner was able to bring home the win his first at the Cottage Grove Speedway. Reece Goetz finished in second followed by Collin Winebarger of Corbett, Dylan Marsh from Hillsboro, and Mark Pallas of Salem in fifth.
All-American Street Stocks:
In the next class it was the All-American Street Stocks showing a good car count. T.J. Langan of Jasper was the fastest qualifier at 15.85 seconds. The success continued into the Ray’s Food Place Trophy Dash and heat race as Langan was able to win both and would go on to draw white chip and start on the pole.
In the main T.J. Langan took the race lead and didn’t look back. Tires were going down left and right first with Robert Wulbrandt of Springfield and the Ross Denton of Yoncalla both retiring to the pits. The race continued and a pretty good battle for second ensued between Jeff Casto of Springfield, April Howard of Eugene, and Kevin Williamson of Coburg. As the checkers flew Langan was on top followed by Casto, Williamson, Howard, and Mike Reynolds of Cottage Grove. But during an inspection Williamson was not a the adequate specs and was disqualified giving fifth place to Denton.
Late Models:
In the Late Models Don Muth Sr. of Cottage Grove posted the fastest time at 12.985 seconds. Tom Tesch of Brooks won the Ray’s Food Place Trophy Dash in exciting fashion over a tough field. In the first heat race Dustin Comer of Springfield and Jake Mayden of Cheshire battled hard with Comer on top in the end but went to the pits all of a sudden before he could make it out for heat two. In the second heat Craig Hanson of Albany dominated the field and went to win the race and draw a blue chip. The race was highlighted when Don Muth Sr. ran hard into the front stretch wall and tore up the front end of the car.
In the main event Noel Radway of Cottage Grove led the early laps until Craig Hanson took over the lead on lap eight. It would be short lived as both Hanson and Tom Tesch pulled off with mechanical problems during a caution period. That put Radway back in the lead and brought a new challenger Randy Martin of Eugene to the front. Martin battled hard with Dustin Comer for second but was able to make the pass. Unfortunatley for Comer his younger brother Casey in his first race pulled off into the pits only to collect his older brother sending them both in the pits.
After the lap thirteen caution Martin now could concentrate on Radway. Radway put up a good fight but after a good exit out of the second on lap fifteen turn Martin had the lead sealed and went on to post the win. Radway finished a respectable second followed by Mayden, Kreg Britton of Cottage Grove, and Josh Sim of Albany.
Limited Sprints:
The Limited Sprints started their evening off with Steven Horner of Cottage Grove at 11.411 seconds. In the Ray’s Food Place Trophy Dash Nate Morelock of Cottage Grove was able to keep stay out front and win the race. In heat one Ron Cooper of Cottage Grove fended off challengers to win the heat race and move into the second heat. In the second heat Steven Horner was able to pick up the victory and win the heat but found himself drawing a blue chip and would have to start from row three.
In the main event Hedge Carter of Cottage Grove took the early race lead but it would have to be lined up again as Ron Cooper and Brandi Bounds of Cottage Grove got together in the first turns. On the restart it was Carter again out in front and he showed no signs of slowing down. Meanwhile Nate Morelock and Steven Horner were showing some skill battling through the field but Carter was untouchable despite two late race restarts. Carter would go on to win the main followed by Morelock, Horner, Ozzie Osburn of Springfield, and Heath Shelton of Drain.
Modifieds:
In the final class of the evening Curt Coggins of Medford was able to be the fastest of all with a time of 13.351. In the Ray’s Food Place Trophy Dash Jesse Williamson piloted younger brother Kelly’s car into victory lane after taking last week off. In heat race one Aaron Sheelar of Springfield was able to make it out of the first and into the second to attempt to improve his starting position. In heat two Coggins bested the field to the stripe but found himself drawing a blue chip.
The main event had to have had one of the best build-ups in a while. Not just in the Modified main but also in the other four as it is an exciting thing to be calling the lineup and getting the crowd pumped while lighting flashes in the background (but yet at a safe distance). Craig Hanson of Albany set the pace as cars slid back and forth side-by-side lap after lap jockeying for position. Despite some early race caution Hanson held his own as the pressure mounted.
Jesse Williamson spun while battling Cottage Grove’s Braden Hand for second in turns one and two on lap sixteen. With less then half way to go Hanson continued to lead despite charges by Hand and Sheelar. But unfortunatle Hand spun on lap twenty five in turn four looking to take the lead from Hanson. Hanson now had Sheelar, Gus Cooper of Creswell, and Williamson coming from nowhere battling amongst one another. But when they came at the line Hanson was able to pull it off and win his first Modified feature of the season. Cooper finished in second followed by Sheelar, Williamson, and Coggins.
It was a wild evening of racing as no late then half an hour after the last main the rains started come down and the thunder really started to shake. This Friday and Saturday look for the double header as the 360 Sprints are back in town along with the Limited Sprints, Late Models, and All-American Street Stocks. On Saturday the Modifieds will be featured along with the rest of the classes. For more information on times and admissions please log on to cottagegrovespeedway.com for more info. And for all those that asked this week yes Felicity is my newborn daughter and we’ll see you at the races.
Race Summary
Micro Sprints:
Fast Time- Reece Goetz, Snohomish, Washington, 12.82
Trophy Dash- Goetz
Heat Race- Goetz
Main-
1. Kyle Mehner, Clackamas
2. Goetz
3. Collin Winebarger, Corbett
4. Dylan Marsh, Hillsboro
5. Mark Pallas, Salem
All-American Street Stocks:
Fast Time- T.J. Langan, Jasper, 15.85
Trophy Dash- Langan
Heat Race- Langan
Main-
1. Langan
2. Jeff Casto, Cottage Grove
3. April Howard, Eugene
4. Mike Reynolds, Cottage Grove
5. Ross Denton, Yoncalla
Late Models:
Fast Time- Don Muth Sr., Cottage Grove, 12.985
Trophy Dash- Tom Tesch, Brooks
Heat Race One- Dustin Comer, Springfield
Heat Race Two- Craig Hanson, Albany
Main-
1. Randy Martin, Eugene
2. Noel Radway, Cottage Grove
3. Jake Mayden, Cheshire
4. Kreg Britton, Cottage Grove
5. Josh Sim, Albany
Limited Sprints:
Fast Time- Steven Horner, Cottage Grove, 11.411
Trophy Dash- Nate Morelock, Cottage Grove
Heat Race One- Ron Cooper, Cottage Grove
Heat Race Two- Horner
Main-
1. Hedge Carter, Cottage Grove
2. Morelock
3. Horner
4. Ozzie Osburn, Springfield
5. Heath Shelton, Drain
Modifieds:
Fast Time- Curt Coggins, Medford
Trophy Dash- Jesse Williamson, Coburg
Heat Race One- Aaron Sheelar, Springfield
Heat Race Two- Coggins
Main-
1. Craig Hanson, Albany
2. Gus Cooper, Cottage Grove
3. Sheelar
4. Williamson
5. Coggins
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