By Ben Deatherage
COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (May 9, 2026) — Aaron Bloom made a decisive mid-race move to capture the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature at Cottage Grove Speedway, scoring his first win of the season in the 25-lap main event.
Gavin Ropchan took control early and quickly checked out from the field while a fierce battle for second unfolded among four contenders. Bloom, the defending track champion, eventually emerged from a spirited fight that included his father, Ray Bloom, and secured the runner-up position on lap six.
As the race stayed green, Bloom reeled in Ropchan and made his move, taking the lead at the line on lap 13. From there, the Cottage Grove driver maintained a steady pace out front.
2023 track champion Jordan Henry, who won the previous week, attempted to close the gap in the closing laps but was unable to mount a serious challenge as Bloom went on to secure the victory in a caution-free race.
Henry finished second, followed by Ropchan in third. Teenagers Keaton Augustin and Mason King completed the top five.
Henderson Holds Off Late Challenge for Sport Compact Win
Dusten Henderson prevailed in a hard-fought Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature, earning his first win of the season in the 20-lap contest after a late-race battle for the lead.
Kerry Cooper jumped out to the early lead before a caution on lap three saw him get caught up in the incident, handing the lead to Jim Simmons.
On the restart, Shane Dowty surged past Simmons for the lead, but the pass was negated by a caution. On the next restart, Dowty again made the move and officially took control, establishing himself out front as Henderson worked his way into contention.
Henderson, the defending track champion, moved into second and closed the gap following a lap nine caution. He was officially scored the leader on lap 16 after several laps of side-by-side racing.
As the battle intensified, 14-year-old Rowen Lancaster made it a three-car fight for the top spot. Dowty mounted a final push on the last lap, but Henderson held strong to secure the victory after starting ninth.
Dowty finished second, with Lancaster third. Charles Trissell advanced from 10th to fourth, and Cooper recovered to round out the top five.
The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV affiliate Dirt Oval TV. Missed the action? Catch every lap on demand with an IMCA TV Replay Subscription—available now for just $25.99/month. Plus, don’t miss Season 2 of the Boone Docuseries, streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.
