Whisler wins Wednesday bout at Cottage Grove

Modified, Northern SportMod, Results, Sport Compact

By Ben Deatherage

COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (Aug. 21, 2024) – Eston Whisler, who was on the verge of victory at Cottage Grove Speedway earlier this month, was granted redemption in the fifth leg of the prestigious Midweek Mayhem Series.

He earned his first win of the season in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds after making the pass for the lead around the midway point and holding on to the coveted top spot after a late-race restart.

The main event was a showcase of intense competition. Kevin Williamson set a rapid pace in the early stages but the race was far from decided. The pack remained close due to two cautions, and the tension escalated when Whisler began his impressive run on the bottom after a restart with eight complete.

Whisler made the appropriate pass for the lead on lap 12 and took off from there.

His hard work would be washed away due to a caution on the 22nd circuit. When things got back to full speed, Whisler, who started ninth, took off from the rest of the pack to be the first to the checkered flag.

The battle for the second spot was thrilling spectacle with Curtis Towns emerging victorious. Completing the podium in third was Eston’s younger brother, Ian, adding a familial twist to the competition.

Two other Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing divisions were on the card, the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods and the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts.

Landyn Philpott and Burnie Bryant were the respective winners.

Veteran Ray Comer got to the front early in the Northern SportMod feature. Creating some space, Comer would get bunched up with the rest of the competition when the yellow flag came out with eight laps down. When things got back to green flag action, Comer would be pressured by several drivers but unfortunately got out of shape in the first set of turns on the 13th trip around the tack, losing the lead to Philpott.

The third-starting Philpott would take care of business as he cruised to his second win of the season, both coming at The Grove. Daniel Ray won the absolute melee for second, followed by third-finishing Trevor Points.

Randy Kuhl again showed some jungle cat quickness in the Sport Compacts by pacing the field early. He would experience some mechanical problems and be overtaken by Charles Trissell on lap seven. Trissell tried his best to stay ahead, but Bryant would reel him in and perform the pass to get to the point three laps later.

The only time the field slowed down was when the Sutherlin chauffeur’s daughter Melissa got upside down on the 15th circuit. She walked away under her own power. Burnie Bryant, who started eighth, would score his fourth win of 2024 at Cottage Grove, the most anyone has had this year, and his seventh overall win of the current campaign.

Josh Corley rallied late to finish second, while Eli Miller was an impressive third.

The event was broadcasted on IMCA.TV affiliate Dirt Oval TV.

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Results

Coups for Rea, Sanders at Cottage Grove

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Whisler wheels to Loggers’ Cup win

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (July 27, 2024) – Ian Whisler wheeled, and willed, himself to a dominating Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature win during Cottage Grove Speedway’s Virgil Hanson Memorial Loggers’ Cup. Carter Patterson powered to the front on the opening lap. Behind him, Eston Whisler duked it out with Bricen James for second. James secured the runner-up position only to have his night end when mechanical problems ended his night early and brought out a caution. John Campos and Whisler inherited second and third, respectively. When the restart got the field back up to speed, Ian Whisler, the younger of the Whisler brothers, blitzed toward the front and captured the race lead by the completion of the third circuit. While he tried to establish a sizable gap, a fierce competition for second occurred with Patterson, Eston Whisler and Campos all going at it. Campos moved into second place on a restart. Ian Whisler again got out to a healthy lead but was slowed down with eight laps remaining due to the event’s [Read More]

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Braaten, Bryant top Cottage Grove features

By Stephanie Deatherage  COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (May 7) – Jorddon Braaten and Burnie Bryant were IMCA winners Friday at Cottage Grove Speedway. For the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods, Trevor Points got to the front at the drop of the initial green flag. Points was the trailblazer until lap seven, when Braaten passed him for the lead.    However, the pass would be negated as there was a caution before the field completed the lap. Braaten successfully made it back to front on the restart to grab the position on lap eight.  Braaten took care of the business the rest of the way to win for the first time in 2021 at Cottage Grove Speedway. Aaron Bloom ended the event second with Trevor Point taking home third. Doug Coffman and Steve Hopkins were fourth and fifth, respectively. In Mach-1 Sport Compact action, Michael Cockerline inhabited first place in the first five laps before Bradley Martin got around him. Martin remained the trailblazer for a bit of time before the race intensified in the last few circuits.   Bryant maneuvered [Read More]

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