cottagegrovespeedway Archives

Ralph Bloom Memorial Returns to Cottage Grove Speedway Aug. 14-15

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (Aug. 12, 2026) — The sixth annual Ralph Bloom Memorial returns to Cottage Grove Speedway on Aug. 14-15 with an exciting new twist, as the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods will compete topless for the first time in event history. The two-night special honors the memory of Ralph Bloom, one of the patriarchal members of the Bloom Family Racing team whose passion for racing helped build one of Cottage Grove Speedway’s most recognizable racing families. His legacy continues to be celebrated each summer through one of the premier IMCA SportMod events in the Pacific Northwest. Saturday night’s 33-lap feature currently pays at least $3,333 to win and $333-to-start main event. The confirmed purse has already grown to nearly $14,000, with additional support continuing to come in. Presented by American Steel, Industrial Source, Discount Windows, R&S Industrial Supply and Bloom Family Racing, the event continues to grow in prestige while drawing many of the Northwest’s top IMCA SportMod competitors. The weekend opens Friday, Aug. 14, with qualifying competition to set the [Read More]

Williamson Charges from Ninth to Win on Cottage Grove Historical Night

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (Aug. 1, 2026) — Jesse Williamson used the high side late to capture the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature Saturday night during Historical Night at Cottage Grove Speedway. Brett Muth jumped into the early lead and built a comfortable advantage while Williamson, driving the SDMF Customs No. W5 house car, methodically worked his way through the field. By lap 11, the Coburg driver had caught Muth before a caution slowed the pace. Matt Sanders capitalized on the restart by moving into second and began pressuring Muth for the lead. Another caution on lap 16 erased Muth’s advantage, setting up a thrilling battle among the front three. While Sanders challenged on the bottom, Williamson found speed around the cushion and completed the winning pass in the closing laps. The victory was Williamson’s third of the season in the DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region, with all three coming at Cottage Grove Speedway. Williamson started ninth, while 10th-starting Sanders finished second. Muth settled for third, defending Cottage Grove Speedway, Oregon State, and DeVilbiss [Read More]

Sanders Wins Frank Brewer Memorial G-60 Classic at Cottage Grove

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (July 25, 2026) — Matt Sanders continued his outstanding 2026 season Saturday night, capturing the $3,000-to-win second annual Frank Brewer Memorial G-60 Classic for the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds at Cottage Grove Speedway. The 60-lap feature was contested in two segments with a midway break. Defending race winner Ethan Killingsworth, the reigning Southern Oregon Speedway champion and National Rookie of the Year, paced the opening circuits before an early caution on lap two. Fresh off his IMCA Wild West Speedweek championship in June, Sanders moved into second on the restart and began applying pressure to Killingsworth. The Brookings driver made his first serious bid on lap six but was denied before using the low groove to complete the pass on lap nine. A caution on lap 10 erased Sanders’ advantage, but he quickly rebuilt his lead. Lapped traffic came into play on lap 17 before another yellow one lap later brought the field back together. Dustin Cady moved into second on the ensuing restart, but Sanders again drove away and [Read More]

Frank Brewer Memorial Expands to Two Nights at Cottage Grove Speedway July 24-25

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (June 24, 2026) — One of Cottage Grove Speedway’s newest and most cherished traditions gets even bigger in 2026 as the Frank Brewer Memorial expands to a two-night format on July 24-25. The event honors longtime racer, car builder, sponsor, and tire distributor Frank Brewer, a fixture in the Cottage Grove racing community for decades. Brewer competed for more than 60 years, building and driving his own race cars. He began constructing race cars at age 14 and continued doing so until building his final car at age 90. In his later years, Brewer remained active as a car owner while sponsoring and assisting numerous competitors throughout the region. The Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds will headline the weekend, with Friday’s opener utilizing a standard race format and purse structure before Saturday’s marquee program takes center stage. The Saturday portion of the event will serve as a Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational qualifier, with the winner earning eligibility to try and qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational held during [Read More]

Ferrando Wins at Cottage Grove to Become Third Different Modified Winner of ’26 Speedweek

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (June 16, 2026) — Grey Ferrando drove to victory in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature during the fourth round of the 2026 Wild West Speedweek at Cottage Grove Speedway on Tuesday night, earning his second series victory of the week after winning Sunday’s event at River City Speedway and the fourth Speedweek triumph of his career. Defending DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region, Oregon State, and Cottage Grove Speedway champion Kevin Williamson paced the opening lap of the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature before 2017 track champion Grey Ferrando charged to the lead on lap two. A caution on lap three briefly slowed Ferrando’s momentum, but the Scio driver quickly reestablished control on the restart and again after another yellow on lap seven. Ferrando remained untouchable through the middle stages of the race and worked lapped traffic beginning on lap 16. A caution on lap 21 erased his sizable advantage, and Matt Sanders, winner of the previous night’s feature and the last two Wild West Speedweek Northern SportMod championships, advanced [Read More]

Sanders Breaks Through for First Modified Speedweek Win at Cottage Grove

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (June 15, 2026) — Matt Sanders earned the biggest Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified victory of his career, winning the third round of the 2026 IMCA Wild West Speedweek on Monday night at Cottage Grove Speedway. Reigning National Rookie of the Year and Southern Oregon Speedway track champion Ethan Killingsworth, from California, grabbed the lead at the start and established himself as the driver to beat. He encountered lapped traffic on lap seven but maintained command as Sanders gradually closed the gap. By lap 14, Sanders was within striking distance and began challenging for the lead. A trio of cautions around the halfway mark repeatedly interrupted the battle, with Sanders unable to complete a pass before each yellow flag flew. The Brookings driver finally broke through on lap 25, edging ahead by .067 seconds at the stripe. Killingsworth attempted to counterattack but made contact with the frontstretch wall, allowing 2017 Cottage Grove Speedway champion and River City Speedway winner Grey Ferrando to move into second. A final caution on lap 29 [Read More]

IMCA Wild West Speedweek Set to Storm Oregon Border to Border June 13–20

By Jeremy Means VINTON, Iowa (June 9, 2026) — From the Columbia River on the Oregon–Washington border to the doorstep of California, the 2026 IMCA Wild West Speedweek will push drivers through eight consecutive nights of racing June 13–20. The tour opens at Sunset Speedway Park in Banks and heads south, testing teams across bullrings and bigger layouts before champions are crowned in the finale in Southern Oregon. Three Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing divisions—Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, and Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods—will be in action each night. Sunset Speedway Park opens the tour on Saturday, June 13, returning to its role as the “Banks Bullring.” Located just outside the Portland metro area, the quarter-mile oval sets the tone for the week with tight racing after weather impacted last year’s finale. Round two shifts to a new venue, River City Speedway in St. Helens, on Sunday, June 14. Situated near the Columbia River along the Oregon–Washington border, the tight and technical quarter-mile will host its first IMCA-sanctioned event, adding a fresh [Read More]

Cooper Holds Off Dowty in Cottage Grove Sport Compact Thriller

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 [Read More]

Bloom Charges Late for Cottage Grove SportMod Victory

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 [Read More]

Henry Comes Out on Top in Hard-Fought Cottage Grove SportMod Feature

By Ben Deatherage COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. (May 2, 2026) — Jordan Henry prevailed in a hard-fought 25-lap Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature at Cottage Grove Speedway, earning his first win of the season after a race filled with intense battles and constant position changes. Ricky Ashley, in the T.R. Points Trucking-provided No. 8511, won the race to the line on the opening lap ahead of Justin Morgan and quickly built a sizable advantage. Lapped traffic came into play by lap nine, allowing Morgan to close in while also holding off defending track champion Aaron Bloom. Bloom moved into second on lap 11 and challenged for the lead, but contact between the front runners allowed Morgan to take over the top spot the next time around. Shortly after, 2023 track champion Henry found a way through and took command on lap 14. Morgan fought back to briefly reclaim the lead, and Bloom made a bold move between the two before Henry edged back ahead at the line. A lap 20 caution reset the field, but Henry, [Read More]