By Ben Deatherage
COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (Jun. 6, 2025) — May 17 was more than just a night of racing at Cottage Grove Speedway. For Curtis and Tiffany Towns, it was magic — a shared dream realized. Racing in front of their hometown crowd, both husband and wife picked up wins in their respective IMCA divisions: Curtis in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, and Tiffany in the Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compacts.
It marked Tiffany’s first career feature win, and for the Towns family, it was unforgettable. As she climbed out of her car and pumped her fists into the air, the crowd roared. Within seconds, Curtis sprinted into victory lane, wrapped her in a hug, and raised her arm in triumph.
“I said once that my biggest dream was to win on the same night as Curtis,” she said. “To have it actually happen still doesn’t feel real.”
A Journey From Skybox to Speedway
Curtis began his racing career in 2006, following in the tire tracks of his uncle Don Muth — a local legend at Cottage Grove Speedway.
Even though she’s from Cottage Grove, Tiffany didn’t grow up around racing. She didn’t attend races as a kid — her parents simply weren’t involved. Her first real exposure came after high school, when she met Curtis and began attending races regularly. What started as casual support soon evolved into something more.
By 2010, she started working as a skybox waitress at Cottage Grove Speedway, where she got to know many of the local race teams and fans — including Steve and Kim Swinney, along with their son Ryan of SKS Racing. At the time, the Swinneys were diehard Sprint Car fans, but Tiffany helped open their eyes to a different part of the program.
“They asked who my husband was, and I told them Curtis raced in the Modifieds,” she said. “From that point on, they started paying more attention to the IMCA classes.”
Curtis Towns charges through the corner in his No. 24 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified during competition at Cottage Grove Speedway. (Photo by JDavenport Photography)
The connection grew beyond just casual conversation. Since then, the Swinneys have become not just sponsors, but extended family.
“They’ve become such a huge part of our lives,” Tiffany said. “We go on vacations together, out to dinner — it’s way more than a sponsorship. They’re at the track cheering us on no matter how we run.”
Even when they can’t attend in person, The Swinney family keep close tabs on the Towns’ race nights by tuning in through IMCA.TV.
As Tiffany’s connection to the sport deepened, she eventually gave racing a try herself — starting with a pair of Powder Puff events in Curtis’s Modified. She won both races, showing she had sharp instincts from the start.
Her official debut came in 2017 when family friend K.C. Scott offered Curtis a shot at driving his Sport Compact. With an IMCA Modified license, Curtis wasn’t eligible — but Tiffany was. She jumped in for her first real start — and immediately got a hard lesson.
“I rolled it in my very first race,” she said. “I was nervous already, and after that, I seriously questioned whether racing was really for me.”
Curtis saw it differently.
“I knew once she got into K.C.’s car, she’d be hooked,” he said. “And I also knew she needed a better car — something she could build confidence in.”
They found one. Over the next few seasons, Tiffany gradually improved, racing more consistently and shaking off the early nerves. Her passion deepened — and so did her competitiveness.
“I’m super competitive,” she said. “At first, I was too scared to run the top line. Last year, Curtis ran an enduro in my car and showed it could handle the outside. After that, I just thought — I’ve already rolled it, hit the wall, and survived. Might as well go for it.”
Tiffany Towns powers around Cottage Grove Speedway in her No. 24 Mach-1 IMCA Sport Compact during Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing action. (Photo by JDavenport Photography)
Rising from the Ashes
Her May 17 win didn’t come easily — or quietly.
Just one week prior, her car caught on fire during competition. The front end was scorched. With Curtis simultaneously dialing in his own Modified, he turned around and rebuilt Tiffany’s car in a matter of days.
“The thing smelled awful. I asked him, ‘Are you sure I can race this?’ and he said, ‘Yeah — I basically replaced the whole front end,’” Tiffany recalled.
She wasn’t convinced. Hot laps were rough. The heat race didn’t go well. She told track promoter Heather Boyce she didn’t think she should go out for the feature.
“Heather just told me, ‘Go out there and have fun,’” Tiffany said. “Curtis told me, ‘You’ve got this.’ So I did it. And I won.”
The moment wasn’t just about a win — it was a release.
“I always felt like the bridesmaid, never the bride,” she said. “Now I feel like I got the monkey off my back. I know I can win now. I know I can do it again.”
Curtis agreed.
“She’s been close so many times. I knew she could do it. I’m just glad now she can take over and maybe I won’t have to work on her car as much,” he joked.
Family on the Track
These days, the Towns family is fully immersed in racing. Tiffany’s father, Matt Brown, competes in the Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods, and race nights have become family nights — a shared experience, generation to generation.
“It’s pretty cool having all of us out there together,” Tiffany said. “Now it’s something our whole family looks forward to.”
And in the stands, the fans are taking notice.
“After the races, all the kids and women go straight past me to talk to her,” Curtis said, grinning. “I’m just the guy they ask for a Sharpie.”
A Voice Beyond Racing
Off the racetrack, Tiffany has also used her platform for something deeply personal — raising awareness for eating disorders. During a race night at Cottage Grove, she stepped forward to publicly support the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and share her own struggles.
“For people who really know me, they know I’ve dealt with an eating disorder,” she said. “I felt like, as a racer, you sometimes have a platform — and I wanted to use mine to say, ‘We struggle too.’”
The response was powerful.
“People came up to me after and shared their own stories. I was able to help connect them with people who could get them help,” she said. “It’s something a lot of people don’t talk about. But it’s real. And it doesn’t define who you are.”
Building a Legacy
Curtis has built a legacy of his own — a respected racer, champion, and mentor. A three-time Cottage Grove track champion, he also became the first IMCA state champion in Oregon when the sanctioning body returned in 2013.
His racing roots run deep. His uncle, Don Muth — previously mentioned — was a longtime local driver who made a lasting impact at Cottage Grove and became one of Curtis’s biggest inspirations. Curtis runs the No. 24 in tribute to Don’s No. 23, and when Tiffany began racing, she chose the same number — a reflection of their bond on and off the track.
That family tradition continues today with Brett Muth, Don’s son and Curtis’s cousin, who returned to the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified division a little over a year ago after spending time away from the sport. Now back on track and in the pit area, Brett’s return has strengthened the family’s presence at Cottage Grove.
“Cottage Grove is a tough place to race,” Curtis said. “There’s always a strong field. But it’s a great place — fast, competitive, and home.”
And now, it’s a place where husband and wife have both stood in victory lane — on the same night, no less.
“It still feels like a fairytale,” Tiffany said. “But it happened. And I’m already chasing the next one.”
