7/4/2015
Western Sprint Tour
Justyn Cox Wins Caution Free Speedweek Northwest Race #5 At CGS By A Nose
Justyn Cox Wins Caution Free Speedweek Northwest Race #5 At CGS By A Nose
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Northwest Racing Productions)
Cottage Grove Speedway would host the Western Sprint Tour sanctioned Speedweek Northwest on Friday July 3rd. It would be the fifth race of the Speedweek and the first of two nights at the historical 1/4-mile clay oval. A total of twenty-five cars would show up in the pit area representing Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, and Montana as well as the countries of Australia and New Zealand. The feature would go non-stop without any cautions.
Trey Starks would grab the initial race lead and looked like he got shot out of a cannon. The Puyallup, Washington teenager would spend the majority of the time on the bottom of the race track and had no issues with lapped traffic. But towards the end of the race he would have to abandon the low line in order to clear some of the slower traffic. Utilizing the top of the track the Starks Timber Processing/Southland Equipment Limited/MASCO Petroleum/Blue Dot Fabrication #55 J&J would risk giving up ground from the cars behind him in order to get by a few back markers.
It was a perfect opportunity for Clarksburg, California's Justyn Cox. Cox, in his Berco Redwood/Berry Lumber/P.M. Truck Repair/Trex Plastic Decking #31C A.R.T. would continue to roll on the bottom and caught Starks eventually passing him on lap twenty-six. Cox attempted to create some distance but Starks would get the elbows up and tried to hunt him down late in the race.
Headed into the final turns Cox continued to stay low but was slowed down briefly by a lapped car. Starks tossed the dice one last time and made a bonsai run on the top and the two of them came to the stripe neck and neck. At the end Cox would beat Starks out by a mere 0.005 seconds. It would mark the first time that Cox has ever won during Speedweek Northwest.
Trey Starks was second followed by the Finley Farms/CLT Logging/Rider Racing Engines #77 Maxim driver by Chico ,California's Kyle Hirst, for car owners Scott and Jason Finley, in third. The balance of the top five would consist of the Jim and Annette Van Lare owned Bianchi Farms/Cameron & Cameron Vineyard & Ranch Supplies/Kyle Larson Racing/Van Lare Steering Repair #5V A.R.T., driven by Colby Copeland from Roseville, California, in fourth while behind him in fifth was Central Point's Garen Linder in his Linder Powdercoating/Visual EFX & Designs/Rodgers Racing Engines #22 KPC.
Trey Starks was fast time of the night and also won the trophy dash to earn the pole starting position in the feature. Heat races were won by Colby Copeland, Kyle Hirst, and the Prevost Racing/Dietz Auto Inc./Cascade Steel & Recycling/Staley's Automotive #72 Maxim driven by Phil Dietz of Billings, Montana. The consolation feature winner was Snohomish, Washington's Jared Ridge in his Ridge Runner Wings/Snohomish Auto Parts/Racers For Christ/Rodgers Racing Engines #12 machine.
Cottage Grove Speedway will host the sixth and final round of the 2015 Speedweek Northwest on Independence Day on Saturday July 4th. The main event feature is $5,000.00 to win and Kyle Hirst has a two point advantage over Colby Copeland while a massive fireworks display will cap the whole night off. Pit Gates will open at 2:00 PM, Front Gates open at 4:00, and Racing starts at 6:45. Ticket are Adults $15.00, Seniors/Military/Juniors (13-17) $13.00, Youths (Ages 12-6) $8.00, and Children under the age of 5 are FREE. Log on to www.cottagegrovespeedway.com for more information.
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Race Summary:
Western Sprint Tour Race #8/Speedweek Northwest Round #5
Friday July 3rd, 2015
Cottage Grove Speedway
Cottage Grove, Oregon
A Feature : 1. 31C-Justyn Cox; 2. 55-Trey Starks; 3. 77-Kyle Hirst; 4. 5V-Colby Copeland; 5. 22-Garen Linder; 6. 9-Jayme Barnes; 7. 94-Steven Tiner; 8. 72-Phil Dietz; 9. 21-Colby Wiesz; 10. 11K-Michael (Buddy) Kofoid; 11. 5D-Patrick Dills; 12. 12-Jared Ridge; 13. 1NZ-Jamie Duff; 14. 44NZ-Daniel Anderson; 15. 96-Greg Hamilton; 16. 3AU-Daniel Sayre; 17. 12P-Randy Pierce; 18. 23-Rob Lindsey; 19. 34-Melissa Solesbee; 20. 11-Roger Crockett
Hard Charger: Jared Ridge +5
Lap Leaders: Trey Starks (1-25), Justyn Cox (26-30)
B Feature : 1. 12-Jared Ridge; 2. 12P-Randy Pierce; 3. 3AU-Daniel Sayre; 4. 34-Melissa Solesbee; 5. 6A-Kady Adelman; 6. 70-Raquel Ivie; 7. 22R-Mike Romig; 8. 84K-Wayne Kniffen; DNS 5N-Seth Nunes
Dash : 1. 55-Trey Starks; 2. 9-Jayme Barnes; 3. 31C-Justyn Cox; 4. 22-Garen Linder; 5. 77-Kyle Hirst; 6. 1NZ-Jamie Duff
Heat 1: 1. 5V-Colby Copeland; 2. 96-Greg Hamilton; 3. 94-Steven Tiner; 4. 55-Trey Starks; 5. 11-Roger Crockett; 6. 12-Jared Ridge; 7. 34-Melissa Solesbee; 8. 5N-Seth Nunes; 9. 6A-Kady Adelman
Heat 2: 1. 77-Kyle Hirst; 2. 21-Colby Wiesz; 3. 22-Garen Linder; 4. 5D-Patrick Dills; 5. 23-Rob Lindsey; 6. 11K-Michael (Buddy) Kofoid; 7. 70-Raquel Ivie; 8. 84K-Wayne Kniffen
Heat 3: 1. 72-Phil Dietz; 2. 31C-Justyn Cox; 3. 9-Jayme Barnes; 4. 1NZ-Jamie Duff; 5. 44NZ-Daniel Anderson; 6. 12P-Randy Pierce; 7. 3AU-Daniel Sayre; 8. 22R-Mike Romig
Qualifying: 1. 55-Trey Starks; 2. 77-Kyle Hirst; 3. 1NZ-Jamie Duff; 4. 11-Roger Crockett; 5. 22-Garen Linder; 6. 9-Jayme Barnes; 7. 5N-Seth Nunes; 8. 11K-Michael (Buddy) Kofoid; 9. 31C-Justyn Cox; 10. 94-Steven Tiner; 11. 23-Rob Lindsey; 12. 72-Phil Dietz; 13. 5V-Colby Copeland; 14. 5D-Patrick Dills; 15. 44NZ-Daniel Anderson; 16. 96-Greg Hamilton; 17. 21-Colby Wiesz; 18. 12P-Randy Pierce; 19. 12-Jared Ridge; 20. 70-Raquel Ivie; 21. 3AU-Daniel Sayre; 22. 6A-Kady Adelman; 23. 84K-Wayne Kniffen; 24. 22R-Mike Romig; 25. 34-Melissa Solesbee
Western Sprint Tour Points (Top Ten):
- 55-Trey Starks 645; 2. 11-Roger Crockett 599; 3. 22-Garen Linder 584; 4. 31C-Justyn Cox 543; 5. 96-Greg Hamilton 504; 6. 77-Kyle Hirst 442; 7. 5V-Colby Copeland 440; 8. 11K-Michael Kofoid 434; 9. 5D-Patrick Dills 420; 10. 94-Steven Tiner 401
Speedweek Northwest Point Standings (Top Ten):
- 77-Kyle Hirst 442; 2. 5V-Colby Copeland 440; 3. 11-Roger Crockett 401; T 94-Steven Tiner 401; 5. 31C-Justin Cox 387; 6. 55-Trey Starks 380; 7. 22-Garen Linder 345; 8. 72-Phil Dietz 330; 9. 21-Colby Wiesz 320; 10. 11K-Michael Kofoid 308
Submitted By: Ben Deatherage
