By Ben Deatherage
COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (June 26) – Ethan Dotson rolled the dice and came up a $1,000 Wild West IMCA Modified Shootout winner Tuesday at Cottage Grove Speedway.
Four-time and defending tour champion Jesse Williamson quickly got to the front at the start of the main event and looked to make it two straight wins at the famed quarter-mile oval. Williamson set a rapid pace and seemed to be the class of the field before an extremely long green flag run brought lapped traffic into the mix.
Danny Lauer reeled in Williamson and looked to challenge, but couldn’t quite get underneath the leader.
A lap 33 caution regrouped the field one last time. On the restart, Williamson went to the bottom to keep Lauer in check. Dotson, however, gambled on the high side.
Williamson and Dotson were side-by-side at the line coming to the white flag and battled it out on the final circuit. Dotson managed to motor his way in front and secure the top spot on the exit of turn two.
Already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, Dotson won for the third time in his Wild West Shootout career and for the second time victory and was the second time at Cottage Grove.
Williamson was second with Lauer, via one of the consolation features, in third. John Campos placed fourth and Bricen James was fifth.
Thirty-seven entries were in the pit area from Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada and North Carolina as well as British Columbia.
The Wild West Shootout heads to Sunset Speedway Park in Banks on Wednesday. Time trials begin at 5:30 p.m. with racing at 6:30 p.m.
Feature results – 1. Ethan Dotson; 2. Jesse Williamson; 3. Danny Lauer; 4. John Campos; 5. Bricen James; 6. Mark Wauge; 7. Derrick Young; 8. Dustin Cady; 9. Craig Hanson; 10. Preston Luckman; 11. Jeff Faulkner; 12. Joey Tanner; 13. Collen Winebarger; 14. Jake Mayden; 15. Curtis Towns; 16. Tyler Smith; 17. Steven Sturdevant; 18. Donald Schott; 19. Dave Duste Jr.; 20. Aaron Sheelar; 21. Kevin Williamson; 22. Harley Turner Jr.
