It was a weekend to remember for Roger Crockett of Medford as he won not once but twice at the annual Grove 360 Classic at the Cottage Grove Speedway last Friday and Saturday night. The weekend attracted a strong field of twenty-seven teams from California, Idaho, Washington, British Columbia, and Oregon. Also Saturday night Micro Sprints and Modifieds were in action as support classes for the finale.
In Friday night’s main event Roger Crockett was able to get out in front at the very first of the thirty lap race. Despite three of the four cautions occurring in the first ten laps of the race Crockett was able to continue to dominate. Action took place across the entire field especially from third on back and with two grooves and a racy track allowed for drivers starting in the back to shine in the moment.
Late in the race Roger Crockett for a brief moment appeared to be held up by lapped traffic as they ran his preferred line. Mitch Olson of Tacoma, Washington who consistently ran in second closed in on Crockett but the leader was able to cut through traffic and went on to win the feature over Olson and the field.
“The car was awesome tonight the track was really good tonight also you could run the bottom and the very edge both of them were very fine lines and it had to make a good race for the fans,” Roger Crockett explained after winning the first night, “Lapped traffic was interesting a lot of cars moved to the top where I was running I kind of feeled around a little while and it was time to go going to make something happen because I knew they were behind me.”
Mitch Olson would finish in a respectable second place finish while Willie Croft of Sacramento, California was able to hold off the cars behind him to come across the line in third. Fourth and fifth place finishers Jayme Barnes of Everett, Washington and Chadd Noland of Central point both came out of the B Main and both started towards the back of the field.
“The last couple of laps I couldn’t get through the lapped traffic like Roger can but feels good to be in the hunt again that’s the longest we’ve held with the #11 car in a long time no complaints lot of fun racing on a track like this,” Mitch Olson would say after finishing in third.
“The last time I was here was nine years ago and I got third at that race too I wish this place was six hours closer because this place is a lot of fun,” commented Willie Croft on his third place run.
Mitch Olson was able to set fast time of the night at 11.327 seconds over the rest of the qualifiers. Heat races were won by Olson, Roger Crockett, Chris Schmelzle of Victoria, British Columbia, and Bill Nutter of Central Point while Crockett would win the six lap dash. In the B Main action Chadd Noland and Roseburg’s Jake Waddell would win the two twelve lap races.
The second night of action seen a horrific crash which included Jayme Barnes getting upside down and crashing hard on the initial start in turns one and two but luckily he was able to walk away. On the second start Roger Crockett exploded to the lead and developed a large lead to lead early. A caution came out on lap two that bunched the field back up but Crockett was able to take off with the lead again. Battles occurred on several occasions within and outside the top five but an impressive run occurred for Garen Linder of Central Point who started seventeenth via the B Main and by lap fifteen was to the fifth place position.
In similar fashion to the night before Crockett got held up for an instant in lapped traffic which was able to allow second place pilot Chadd Noland to reel in Crockett. But once again Crockett was able to cut through lapped traffic to produce a secure lead and to his benefit a caution occurred with six laps remaining. But on the restart the four lapped cars separating first and second was enough to allow Crockett to restart well and went on to win the evening and sweep both nights of the Grove Classic and his ninth straight Grove Classic main event win which dates all the way back to 2004.
“I worked my but off there tonight and I’m sure everyone else did and the track was still really racy and I had fun,” Crockett would say after climbing out of the car, “I come here to win every night and try to run 100% every lap and show everyone else who the fastest car is and that’s why I try as hard as I can and win every race.”
Finishing in second would be an impressive Chadd Noland as Shawn Smith of Nampa, Idaho put up a great run in third. Fourth would go to Garen Linder while the rounding up the top five would be Mike Melwicks of White Rock, British Columbia.
“Our car was awesome my dad is doing a great job and so is the crew and without those guys I couldn’t be out here,” Chadd Noland would say on his second place run, “I had no brakes (late in the race) and almost wrecked the car five times.”
“Phillip Del Rosa, Billy Nutter, and team I got to thank those guys so much they put this car together and were very generous to have me come up and run I had so much fun,” Shawn Smith would say after competing at the Cottage Grove Speedway for the first time since July of 2008.
Qualifying on Saturday evening was quite exciting as Mitch Olson appeared to be fastest again but the last car to qualify was Roger Crockett who would be at the top of the qualification charts at 11.464 seconds. In heat race action drivers winning their respective races were Roger Crockett, Colin Baker of Cottage Grove, and Jake Waddell with Mitch Olson winning the trophy dash. In B Main action Logan Forler of Orting, Washington was able to battle hard with Medford’s Seth Nunes for the victory to secure his spot in the twenty car thirty lap main event.
In support class action the Micro Sprints were on the card for Saturday night. Jeff Hatcher of Hillsboro battled early in the feature with Justin McConville of Dundee for the lead. The battle intensified as Keegan Walmer of Portland put the pressure on for the lead. But when all was said and done it was Hatcher outlasting the rest of the field in a close finish for the win. Walmer would finish in second followed by Dylan Marsh of Hillsboro and Justin McConville.
Dylan Marsh was the dominate force early in the night after setting fast time at 14.000 flat. His efforts to continue the clean sweep would come very close as he would the trophy dash and heat race but would not win the main event.
In the Modifieds Ron Wilson of Coburg was able to take the lead early in the twenty lap main event. Wilson dominated the entire distance while Braedon Hand of Cottage Grove and Don Muth Jr. of Cottage Grove moved up into the top five as high as second and third. A late race caution on lap fourteen ensured an exciting finish but Wilson was on the ball on the restart and was able to stay out in front to win his first race of the season.
“It’s a great way to start the season we had nothing but motor issues last year and we have that behind us and I think we’ll be out here every week with no motor problems it makes it fun to come out and race,” Ron Wilson would say on his first win.
Braedon Hand would finish in second followed by Don Muth Jr. in third. Albert Gill of Medford would finish in the fourth spot and earned the D&D Automotive Hardcharger award after starting towards the back of the grid and rounding up the top five was Gus Cooper of Creswell in fifth.
In action earlier in the night Braedon Hand was fastest in qualifications at 15.893 seconds. Hand would also win his heat race as well as the trophy dash but unfortunately wouldn’t complete the clean sweep with the main event win.
Well race fans that does it for this week’s report next Friday night will see the season opener for the Kage Karts as pit gates open at 4 PM and racing begins around 6:45 PM. On Saturday night the ¼ mile will continue with Non-Wing Sprints, Midgets, Modifieds, and Late Models in action. Tickets and times for general admission are the following Adults-$12, Seniors & Students-$10, Children 6 to 11-$5, 5 & Under-Free. Times for Saturday’s events will have the pit gate open around 3 PM, Ticket Gate 4 PM, Qualifying at 5 PM, and Racing scheduled to begin around 6:45 PM, for more information log on to cottagegrovespeedway.com.
