By Ben Deatherage
COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (May 16, 2026) — Kerry Cooper survived a late-race challenge and a green-white-checkered restart to capture the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact feature at Cottage Grove Speedway, scoring his first victory of the season in the 20-lap finale.
Lady Eagle racer Tiffany Towns paced the opening laps before Cooper worked his way around her on lap six. The Cottage Grove driver began to stretch his advantage as the race stayed green and encountered lapped traffic on lap 12.
Teenager Shane Dowty started reeling Cooper in by lap 14 and edged ahead at the line just before a caution slowed the field. On the restart, Dowty established himself out front and built a comfortable advantage while Cooper regrouped and mounted another charge.
Cooper caught Dowty on lap 17 and reclaimed the lead with two circuits remaining, but another caution on lap 18 set up a dramatic green-white-checkered finish. Dowty made one final bid on the last lap, but Cooper held strong at the stripe to secure the win after starting third.
Dowty finished a respectable second, while Charles Trissell advanced from 10th to third. 2024 Oregon State champion Burnie Bryant was fourth, followed by 14-year-old Rowen Lancaster, who charged from 12th to fifth.
Kevin Williamson Charges Late for Modified Victory
Kevin Williamson used a late restart to perfection to win the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature, collecting his third DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region victory of the season in the 25-lap main event.
Robert Lancaster led the opening lap before Paul Rea took over the top spot on lap two. Following a caution, five-time track champion Jake Mayden stormed to the front on lap three and controlled much of the race from there. Multi-time IMCA Wild West Speedweek champion Jesse Williamson, driving the No. W5 SDMF Customs house car, caught Mayden around lap nine and spent several laps applying pressure to the leader.
A caution on lap 19 changed the complexion of the race. On the restart, defending DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region, Oregon State, and track champion Kevin Williamson surged forward in the Superior Fuel Cells-owned No. 42 and officially took the lead on lap 21. The younger brother of Jesse Williamson drove away in the closing laps to score his second Cottage Grove victory of the season after starting 11th and earning hard charger honors.
Three-time track champion Curtis Towns finished second, while Jesse Williamson edged Mayden for third at the line. Eric Ashley rounded out the top five.
Bloom Goes Back-to-Back in SportMods at Cottage Grove
Aaron Bloom continued his strong start to the season by winning the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature for the second straight week at Cottage Grove Speedway.
Washington’s Jake DeWalt led the opening laps while Ray Bloom applied steady pressure for the top spot. Defending track champion Aaron Bloom entered the mix and captured the lead on lap six just before a caution slowed the field.
From there, the Cottage Grove native was untouchable. Despite multiple cautions repeatedly bunching the field back together, Bloom executed flawless restarts each time and quickly rebuilt his advantage. Bloom, who started seventh, drove away to secure his second victory of the season and second consecutive triumph at the Grove.
2023 track champion Jordan Henry finished second after holding off 16-year-old Mason King. 2024 Oregon State champion Jacob Shandy was fourth, followed by teenager Keaton Augustin in fifth.
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.
