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SPAULDING MOTORSPORTS
You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize.
So run to win! Athletes work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it
for a crown that will last forever.                                              1 Corinthians 9:24-25
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Springfield, Oregon
We race an Outlaw Cage Kart and a 2000 Eagle Limited Sprint Car.  We are always looking for
sponsors, so if you're interested, please visit our Sponsors page for additional information.   Visit
each driver's page to learn more about our fast-paced racing family.  We have raced at several  
tracks, so be sure to visit the Scheduled Races page to see the up-coming schedule.  Our Kart
page is great for checking out the latest design of kart (and now sprint car)  that we race.
Josh's Main July 25, 2008
Zack's  Birthday Main Event
Flip #2  July 18th, 09










   2010 Cottage Grove 1/4 mile track & Kart track schedules    
              are posted on the Scheduled Races Page!

Sept 27, 2009
WHEW!!!  We all survived the 2009 summer season at Cottage Grove Speedway!  
If you had asked me at any point during the past 6 months, I would have had great
doubts, but God is good, & blessed us with safety for both boys.  There were
victories & defeats, but they're both part of life & character building.  Josh finished
his season in 3rd place, while Zack ended his rookie sprint car season in 5th place.  
We're very proud of them both & feel so blessed to be their parents.  Great job,
boys!
We can not begin to express our appreciation for our sponsors, fans,
friends, & family who supported us this year, either monetarily or by your
attendance at the track, assistance in the pits, or even just your
encouraging words.  I've said this to several people just recently......"I
never, ever would have thought we could financially complete a full
season of sprint car racing, never having missed one race!"  Zack even
ran a 360 race & a few wingless races on top of the non-stop Limited Sprint
schedule.  That would have never been possible without the financial
support of our sponsors, friends, family, & fans who all contributed to our
team wanting to make sure Zack had every possible chance to do what he
loves to do more than anything.  We are humbled by your generosity.  
Thanks to you all, Zack was able to reach his goal of earning the 'Rookie of
the Year' title.  Sponsors, we hope that we made you all proud to be
associated with our team, & pray that we can count on your support for the
upcoming season.  We were honored to represent you:  Majestic Heating &
Air Conditioning, Charlie James Racing Graphics, Rocketboy Racing, &
Froggy's Towing.
Now, on to the details of Zack's final wingless race on Saturday & Josh receiving his
3rd place trophy for the 2009 karting season.....The night started with the karters
getting to introduce themselves & thank sponsors, etc, & receive their trophies for
racing the summer season.  When the microphone came to Josh, he started by
thanking "Majestic Heating & Air Company" (sorry, Mitch....he almost got it right!),
"Dad, Mom, & Zack Spaulding."  Sorry he didn't remember everyone.  He wasn't
even sure he could get the words all straight for Majestic.  That's a lot for an
8-year-old to remember when you're put on the spot in front of hundreds of people!
There's a picture above of Josh with his trophy.  Zack started on the inside of the
3rd row for the dash that was to determine his starting position in the top 10 of the
'A' main.  There was absolutely no grip on the bottom of the track, & he pretty much
got freight-trained (stuck on the bottom with cars going by).  He finished that race in
9th, meaning he would start the 'A' main in 9th place out of 22 cars.  By the time the
'A' rolled around, the whole track was dried out.  He was having a lot of trouble
getting any forward bite at all, but would occasionally pass a car.  It seemed like
one step forward & two steps back, however.  He kept his nose clean through the
two 25-lap sessions of the main, though, and ended the night in 12th place out of
22 positions.  That is excellent considering several things.....as far as we know,
there were only 4 Limited Sprints in the whole field, including Zack.  Actually, we're
not even positive if the other 3 cars that normally race in the Limited class had their
Limited motors in, or if any of them put a 360 motor in for the wingless event.  All of
the other cars in the field were 360s.  He only finished behind 1 of the Limited cars
(& that was directly behind), & held his own with many of the 360s as well, ending in
12th place.  We're so proud of him for even having the courage to run with those
cars.  They're fast & crazy!
See you all when we start the Salem winter season of kart racing in November!

Sept 26, 2009
We're going to Zack's last race tonight.  It's in the wingless class (much scarier, at
least to me;-).  He did awesome last night, though.  There were 33 cars.  They had
4 qualifying heat races since there were so many cars.  The top 2 finishers from
each heat automatically transferred into the 'A' Main Event (without having to race
their way into it by going through the 'B' Main & being one of the top 3 finishers
from those races).  He almost won his heat, but barely got passed on turn 4 of the
last lap.  So he finished 2nd, transferring to the 'A'.  Then he started 16th in a field
of 22 cars, kept his nose clean (although several others ended up flipping in that
race).  He finished in 11th place, and survived to race again tonight!  Then we
found out he is in 10th place in points for the wingless cars (just from last night).  
That automatically locks him into the 'A' Main for tonight.  I can almost relax......only
one more to go;-)!  Also, Josh will be receiving his trophy for the karting season
tonight in front of the big car crowd.  That will be fun for the kids.
Thanks for this week's supporters!!:  Grandma Elaine & her friend, Mike,
the Wright family, Grandpa & Grandma Gaffney, and the Ferguson family.  
You guys are awesome!

Sept 25, 2009
Well, there was no qualifying for the last race since it was going to be a very full
night with many classes.  Zack ended his heat race in 2nd place.  The timing was
way off in the engine for the main, plus we discovered later that one of the shocks
was broken.  Zack still managed to squeak out a 6th place finish, though.  He
finished the season in 5th place (just 5 points away from 4th).  Not too bad for a
rookie; especially one who was 13 years old for the majority of the season!  He did
earn "Rookie of the Year", which was his goal from the beginning for his first
season.  Josh ended his season in 3rd place.  Overall, they both had a great
summer season.  (Most important to their mom is that they finished their seasons in
one piece)!  However, hopefully I'm not speaking too soon.  Zack is racing in the
wingless class tonight & tomorrow (contrary to his mother's wishes).  Pray hard,
please!!
Thanks to all who came to support us last weekend:  Grandma Pam,
Grandma Elaine, Brina, the Wrights & family, the Roth family, Grandpa
Warren, Cory Gant, and DJ & Pat who helped in the pits.  We are so grateful!

Sept 16, 2009
WHAT AN EXHAUSTING WEEKEND THAT WAS!!  I started getting sick on Friday,
was still sick on Saturday morning when Grandpa & Grandma arrived from
Wisconsin.  Oh, well........too much to be done.  So, off we went to Creswell.  It took
all day, but we got it all unloaded.  Then, off to the race track.  We missed the set
up for the main, but Zack was hopefully going to be able to squeak out a good
finish.  He was supposed to start on the outside pole for the main.  They pushed
him off to start his car, and it stopped on the track in turns 1 & 2.  Zack knew what it
was & fixed it himself right there in the car, but because he had stopped on the
track (even though the race hadn't started yet), he had to start the race from the
back.  That's the rule, so he had no choice.  He was able to finish the night in 7th
place.  Hopefully, nothing will go wrong for this coming weekend's race.  Thanks
goes to Grandma Elaine, the Hoffmans, & the Wrights & family.  We
appreciate you all so much!
Then, on Sunday, we spent almost the entire day out at Thurston High School for
Josh's football jamboree.  Time for me to get off of here now & make sure Josh is
getting ready for football practice;-).  Whew!

Sept 6, 2009
Josh's kart race for August 28th ended up getting cancelled due to rain, so he
lucked out as far as points go.  Plus, he didn't have to miss a race!  So, as stated
below, the plan was to head to the track yesterday, September 5th.  However, I
think Fall must be arriving early.  That race was rained out as well.  Zack was really
disappointed, because now, he only has 2 races left to make up any points.  I, on
the other hand, was just fine with not having my weekly "anxious mom" stomach
ache!
Next weekend will be a full one.  Zack has a race scheduled for Saturday,
September 12th.  Then Josh has a football jamboree on Sunday.  Some time in
there, Grandpa & Grandma (who are moving here from Wisconsin) will be arriving
with everything they own & a U-Haul that needs to be unloaded & returned by
Sunday, the 13th.  Not sure how all of this is going to happen, but I'm sure it will all
work out somehow.  See you all next weekend!

August 27, 2009
No races for us this weekend.  There is a kart race scheduled for Friday, August
28th, but Josh has football practice.  He knew when he decided he wanted to play
football that if the schedules conflicted, he would have to honor his commitment to
the team.  So, we will be back at the track September 5th for Zack's next sprint car
race.  I can't believe summer is almost over!

August 16, 2009
Well, it was a good night & not so good night at the track.  Zack qualified 7th, which
put him on the pole for the heat race.  His car was pushing, because Ron had put a
different size tire on the left rear to see how the car would handle.  It wasn't good.  
He ended up getting 4th out of 6 in the heat.  They made some small changes,
knowing that the track would change considerably by the time the main rolled
around.  Then a 6-pill invert was drawn.  That put Zack starting on the inside of the
4th row for the main; not the best place...in fact, probably one of the worst starting
positions.  However, like I told him, he was always great at driving through traffic in
his kart.  He has to learn to do the same in the sprint car.  Early in the main, I saw
Zack bicycle coming out of turn 2, and then he just went into the pits.  One of the
shocks on the car had come apart, so Ron put another one on.  When they went
back to racing, the points leader flipped in turn 4.  Zack came back out onto the
track; although, he was a lap down.  A few laps later, another car flipped in the
middle of turns 3 & 4.  Zack never spun or wrecked at all the whole night.  He ended
the main in 8th place after the trouble with the shock.  Then, I was sitting in the
stands figuring the points when I heard the announcer say something about Zack
Spaulding coming out to race with the wingless sprints.  I thought & even said
outloud, "Oh, Ben...I don't think so.  You just screwed up."  Ron, Kevin, Ozzie, & DJ
were sitting there with smirks on their faces, because they know I don't want Zack to
race wingless.  One of them said, "No, he didn't.  Zack's racin'!"  Oh, boy, did they
think that was funny!  Trouble makers!!  Talk about heart stopping, until I really
watched him & saw that he would probably be just fine.  Zack had to tag the back of
the 21-car field since he hadn't qualified with the wingless class.  He kept his nose
clean & finished in 14th.  Not too bad for a limited motor & his first time!
Thanks so much to DJ for helping out in the pits, Erica for your support in
the stands & offer to video the wingless race so I could actually watch, the
Hoffmans, & the Wrights & family.  We didn't get a win this week, but at
least we didn't get any new damage either (Ron put the shock back
together.).  Now, we have some time off.  The next kart race is August 28th.
Zack doesn't race the sprint car again until Sept 5th.  See everyone there!

August 15, 2009
Josh raced in front of the big car crowd on Friday, the 14th.  They first did driver
introductions (even for all of the kart drivers).  That was neat for the kids to be able
to do.  Josh had to start on the outside of the 4th row in 8th place (out of 11)
because they inverted the finishing order from the previous week's race.  Josh had
finished that race in 3rd.  He got punted to the top of the track on the start, moving
him back even farther, but he made it back up to his original position & then just
seemed to be happy staying right there!  Oh, well......as long as he had fun &
stayed safe;-)!  Zack races tonight.  We can always use more cheerleaders!

AUGUST 14TH & 15TH IS "KIDS WEEKEND" AT THE COTTAGE GROVE
SPEEDWAY.  KIDS UNDER 12 GET IN FREE!!

August 8, 2009
WAHOOO!!  What an awesome night at the track.  Qualifying didn't go so well, but it
just got better from there.  Zack qualified in 6th place.  He got 3rd in his heat, but
didn't really like the way the car was handling.  So, Ron made a couple of
adjustments to the car & set it up for Zack to run the bottom for the main.  The top 6
qualifiers were inverted for the start of the main, so Zack got to start on the pole.  
He took off & led all 25 laps!  Both times he was coming up to start lapping traffic,
there was a caution, which bunched the field back up, but Zack didn't have to be in
traffic either.  So, he just had to make sure he got good re-starts, which he did.  A
couple of times, he was challenged by other drivers, but he was able to hold them
off.  Plus, it was his 14th birthday.  What a great birthday present!  Video is
uploaded.   Right now, it's 1:47 a.m., & I am far too tired to attempt doing anything
like that;-).
Thanks so much to everyone who came to support us this week:  Mitch
Wofford from Majestic Heating & Air Conditioning, Grandma Pam, Marv
Durham, The Wrights & family, The Hoffmans, Stan, Valerie, Cory, & Charlie.  
Zack's cousin, Hayden, was able to see the big win as well.  Also, a big
thanks to Bill & Dani Miller & Marena for the use of the quad (even though
Ron forgot to use it much of the time;-) & for the birthday goodies!  We
very much appreciate you all!!

August 7, 2009
It was a good night at the track.  Josh ended the night with a 2nd place finish and
two 3rd place finishes.  THE CHAIN STAYED IN TACT!!  That was a big plus;-)!  
Although, Ron said the brand new chain started to kink up in places.  So, he'll have
some work to do, but nothing too bad.
Hayden got to watch again tonight, as well as Grammy Pam and Josh's good
friend, Charlie.  Thanks for coming, everyone!  See you all tomorrow night
for the sprint race!

August 2, 2009
Let's see....last night Zack qualified in 5th.  There were only 9 cars in his class, so
they only had one heat race.  He started inside of the 3rd row, but seemed to have
a hard time getting grip.  He finished that race in 6th place.  Zack talked to Ron
about making subtle changes for the main, which he did.  They did a pill draw for a
starting position in the main.  Josh drew for his brother.....a 7.....darn.  He started
inside of the 4th row for the main and was doing well when there was a caution for
the #51 spinning in turn 2.  Zack was idling around with the other cars when he
heard something wrong in the driveline.  He said he revved the engine one time
after that & still heard it, so he just stopped & shut it off.  He was done for the night,
but like Josh said immediately after that happened, "Well, maybe God let this
happen to keep Zack out of a bad wreck!"  I told him that was a good way to look at
it.  Ron & Zack will take it apart today to figure out what happened.  Whatever it
was, we are thankful that it happened under caution.  It could have been much
worse if it had happened at speed.  Zack did comment that he likes this "new to us"
frame much better than the one that got wrecked last time.  He said it handles a lot
better.
Thanks goes to Marv, Grandma Elaine, Grandma Pam, Tom & Patty Wright, &
Jon Drinkwater for coming to support us.  This coming Saturday, August
8th, is Zack's 14th birthday.  It's also Historical Night at the track.  If you
stop by Knecht's, you can get 1/2 price tickets to the races for that night.  
There will also be fireworks after the races.  See you all there!

July 31, 2009
Once again, Josh was doing well in his first heat race of the night, and the chain
broke.  Ron pieced another one together getting him back out for his 2nd heat
race.  Thankfully, it stayed together for the remainder of the night.  Josh got 3rd in
his 2nd heat.  Then came the main.  He started in 7th place out of 10, was doing
great when he and another kart were crashed off of the track in turn 1 by another
kart.  He had to re-start at the back with the other kart that was involved.  He was
going along great when there was a caution in front of him.  We thought he was
going to make it through the middle of the stopped cars, but one of them moved
down the track as he was going through.  That stopped Josh as well, which meant
he had to re-start near the back of the pack again, but was able to make it up to 5th
place before the end of the race.  
Thanks to Grandma Elaine for coming to watch.  We were also able to bring
our nephew, Hayden, with us to watch his cousin.  He had a lot of fun, and
Josh sure liked having him there;-).
This Saturday, August 1st, is Family Night at the track.  That means a family
of 4 can get in for $20.  Everyone come cheer us on!

July 19, 2009
Oh, boy.......not a good night last night.  If you watch the video above, you'll see
Zack coming out of turn 4 on the high side and the other driver parallel to him on
the bottom of the track.  The driver on the bottom washed up the track so high that
Zack had nowhere to go & hit the front stretch wall.  Then it was all over.  He's fine,
and we'll see what happens about getting back out there for the next race on
August 1st.  However, it won't be in the same frame.  It's junk.
Thanks to everyone who donated to the roll-over fund for Zack, to all of
the people who are trying to do what they can to get him back out there in
a couple of weeks, to Grandma Elaine for coming to watch, to Lori Leach
for the supportive shoulder with me at the fence and walk back to the
stands, to Kitty who came to get me to take me out to the pits, and to the
great safety crew workers who so quickly arrived on the scene and made
sure Zack was ok.
Prayer list:  safety, then sponsors......safety, then sponsors (now more than
ever)!

July 17, 2009
Tonight's heats went really well for Josh.  He won his 1st heat and got 2nd in his
2nd one.  That put him as starting on the outside pole for the main in a field of 13
karts.  Bennett got the hole shot, and Josh was holding onto 2nd very well when his
chain broke!  Darn!  He was doing so well, but that's what happens in racing.  You
just never know.
Thanks to Marv, Grandma Pam, & Grandma Elaine for coming to the track
tonight.  We'll see everyone tomorrow for the sprint race!

July 5, 2009
Time for an update....On Friday, there were 13 cars in the Limited Sprint class;
great turnout.  Zack was advised to run the middle of the track for qualifying.  That
turned out to be the exact wrong place.  He qualified in 9th.  There was just over 1
second difference from fast time to slowest time!  Zack ended up getting 5th in his
heat out of 7 and 5th in the main out of 13.  
On Saturday, Zack qualified a little better in 6th place.  He won his heat race after a
very violent crash by Raquel Ivie. She was taken to the hospital after walking away
from the wreck.  We don't have any further details as of yet.  She is in our prayers
for a quick recovery.  Zack started on the inside of the 2nd row for the main in a
field of 10 cars.  He stayed in 3rd for the most of the 20 lap race, but got a little too
high in turn four & spun with 6 laps to go.  Then he was mad!  On the restart, he
took off & managed to make his way back up to 5th by the time he reached the
checkered flag.  Man....what an exciting finish!!  I'll have Ron upload the video, so
keep checking back.
Thanks so much to Grandma Elaine, Marv, Grandma Pam, & the Shanaman
family for coming to the track to support us once again!  And an extra big
thanks goes to Kevin Solesbee for helping Ron & Zack in the pits on
Saturday.
We actually have the upcoming weekend off........aaahhhhhhhh.....relaxation of my
nerves;-)!  We'll be back at the track on July 17th for Josh's kart race & July 18th
for the next sprint car race.  See you then!

June 28, 2009
Let's see......Friday night Josh raced his kart & did really well.  There were 13 karts
in his class alone!  In his first heat, he got 5th.  In the second heat, his motor wasn't
running right, but he still managed to get a 2nd place finish.  In the main, he kept
his nose clean and finished in 4th place.  It was a good night.
Saturday night, Zack qualified 3rd out of 11 drivers.  That put him in his 2nd trophy
dash in the sprint car.  He started on the outside of the front row & won the race.  
Of course, one of the kids from the stands wanted Zack's trophy, but I, as his mom,
had already claimed it!  I told him he could have any more he can get to before any
of the other kids in the stands, but I was going to keep the first one;-).  Of the two
heat races for his class, he had the toughest of the two line-ups and was going
good until he got a little too high in turns 1 & 2 and spun off the track.  However, he
had enough sense to keep his foot in the throttle so as not to hit the tires in turn 2.  
He re-started at the back of the pack and ended in 4th place out of 6.  When the
main event rolled around, the track was so dry-slick, there was absolutely nowhere
on the whole track that he, as well as most of the other drivers, could get any
traction at all.  He tried high, low, middle.....didn't matter.  It was awful.  I think the
only one who was able to get any traction at all was the leader & eventual winner,
Heath Shelton.  Zack finished in 8th place, exactly where he started.  He is now 5
points behind the leader, Steven Horner, and the car rolled into the trailer this week
with really no damage at all!  Congratulations to Steven for earning the use of
the 360 motor to run with the ASCS Nationals on July 24th & 25th.  Thanks
to Grandma Elaine & Grandma Pam for their attendance;-).
The next sprint car races are scheduled for July 3rd & 4th, with a fireworks display
on July 4th.  The next go-kart race is on July 17th.  See you all there!

June 21, 2009
Happy Father's Day to all of you dads!
It was a night of mixed emotions last night at the track.  Zack won his heat race.  
The set-up was just right.  Then the main event came around.  Zack started outside
the 4th row in 8th position.  He quickly made progress up to 5th & battled back &
forth with Colin Baker to keep the 5th place position.  Colin had the advantage &
had made it up to 4th, while Zack was in 6th place & drove hard into 3 & 4 going
around Carrothers on the outside.  He got a little too close to the right rear with his
left front, wheel-hopped, jumped the outside burm, hit the k-barrier wall, & flipped.  
He was fine; his mother wasn't & the car wasn't!!  Thanks so much to Kitty for
the much-needed bear hug & for letting me go out to the pits to check on
my kid!  Also, we can't say thank you enough to Marena for immediately
taking Zack's helmet into the stands to collect donations for a rollover fund
to assist with the many repairs that will be necessary to get him out there
next week.  Every little bit helps.  Many people donated, and you have no
idea how much that is appreciated.  We, of course, don't know all of you,
but specifically want to thank the Walker gang from Froggy's Towing &
John & Jeannie Hoffman for your donations.  As far as people who came to
support us this week, a very heart-felt thanks goes to Grandma Elaine, the
Hoffmans, Marv Durham, Jeff & Dalton Mermis, the Roth family, the Thomas
family, the Gant family, & the Blair family.  You all will never know how
appreciated your presence is at the track.  In addition, thank you so much
to Keith, Ernie, & Ozzie for your help in getting the car put together
enough to be able to roll it into the trailer.  If I am forgetting someone,
please forgive me.  I assure you it's not intentional.  There were just so
many people willing to help in one way or another, it's hard to remember
everyone.  We are so blessed to have friends & family like you all in our
corner!!  Ron is trying to get the video uploaded sometime this evening.  Check
back.  This also put Zack in 2nd place for points.  He is only 3 points away from
Steven for the lead.  We'll see what happens, but the most important thing is that
Zack didn't get hurt.  Points mean nothing when compared to the safety of our son.  
Thank God all of the safety equipment held up the way it was designed to!
Josh has a kart race this coming Friday, and God willing, Zack will be back at the
track on Saturday.  See you all then, and please remember to bring sponsors with
you;-)!  They are needed now more than ever!
Oh, almost forgot......to add insult to injury, on the way home a tire on the trailer lost
it's tread.  We were stopped in the Ray's parking lot in Creswell after midnight
changing a tire.  What a night!

June 7, 2009
After the stinkin' weather cancelled Josh's kart races on Friday, it shaped up to be
ok for the sprint car races on Saturday.  Zack qualified in 7th, giving him a starting
position on the pole for his heat race.  He did a great job & finished 2nd.  He then
started on the inside of the 4th row in 7th position (out of 12) for the main.  He kept
his nose clean the whole race and finished in 4th (almost got 3rd).  It was a good
points night.  He was able to gain 3 more points to extend his points lead.  However,
he is only in the lead by 16 points.......too close for comfort if you ask me!  Anything
could happen.  Hopefully, he will be able to hold on to it, but we're so proud of him
no matter what may happen throughout the rest of the season.
Brock Ferguson was helping Ron again in the pits, and we can't thank him
enough!!  Also in attendance were our usual loyal family & friends, Marv
Durham, Grammy Pam, Grandma Elaine, and Jon Drinkwater.  In addition, it
was nice to see Kris & Phil from Oakway Fitness Center, a past sponsor of
our team.  Now you guys know who to cheer for when you come back!
We've got the next weekend off, but will be back at the track June 20th.  Come on
out, and bring some sponsors with you!

May 31, 2009
Wow!  What a very exhausting weekend......after chain problems in the heat, Josh
got a 3rd place finish in his main event Friday night.  He did awesome, avoiding
spins, flips (one of which happened right in front of him), and all other chaos!  
Overall, a great night.  Then Saturday night rolled around, and Zack qualified 6th
again, with a 12.227 second lap.  He started outside the front row for his heat race,
but didn't get the hole shot, so he was running in 2nd when another car got into
Zack spinning them both around, almost flipping Zack's car & breaking the front end
in his own car.  That car was done for the remainder of the race, but Zack was able
to get back out to go on to finish 3rd.  The first 6 qualifiers were inverted for the
main, with the remaining 6 cars lined up behind them in their qualifying order.  That
put Zack on the pole, since he was the 6th fastest timing in.  You can get all of the
details from the video link above, but long story short.......Zack won for the 2nd
week in a row!  It was a phenomenal race to the finish, especially the last 5 laps that
he got to race with Collin Baker.  They are always a lot of fun to watch together
whether it's in karts or sprint cars.  They both race hard & clean.  Once again,
Grandpa & Grandma Gaffney were able to be present for this one, as well
as Grandma Elaine, Grandma Pam & her friend, Julie, our friends, Keith &
Melinda Roth, as well as Melinda's parents, Bill & Janet Thomas, Marv,
Brock, and Zack's friends, Jon & Anthony.  We can't thank Brock & Keith
enough for helping Ron in the pits!  Last week, when Ron saw Zack win the
main, he went running down off of the grandstands to make sure Zack
remembered to go directly to the scales, and he pulled a muscle in his
back.  Last night, he was really hurting, and to make things worse, he
slipped on some loose dirt out in the pits.  I've never seen him in so much
pain.  Long story made somewhat shorter, our much loved friend and
neighbor, Marv, spent the night in the ER with Ron & I.  We finally got to
bed at 5:09 a.m.  Ron is feeling considerably better today, but will take a
few days to recover.  Thanks soooo much to Marv & Jude for their love &
support of our family.  I can't tell you how much it means to us.  Whether
you agree or not, we have officially adopted you into our crazy family!
Ok....can't forget this......did I mention we need sponsors?!

May 24, 2009
WHAT A NIGHT!!!  Zack qualified 6th out of 11 with a 12.333 second lap; not his
best.  However, only 3 out of the 11 drivers qualified in the 11 second range.  It was
definitely a slower track than usual during qualifications.  Zack went out and won his
heat race!  He finally decided it might not be so scary to put the car on the top &
just go, so that's what he did the whole race.  Then, he went out starting on the
pole for the main.  He immediately went to the high side and checked out!  We
didn't think he was going to pull it off, because he was going around lapped traffic
half-way through lap 9 and spun on the backstretch.  He did a complete 360, and
kept it going to go on for the win!!  We've been told he's the youngest driver
to ever win a sprint car race at Cottage Grove, and possibly the youngest
to win there in any class!  Click on the link above to watch.  Sorry for the poor
quality.....just an added expense the team doesn't need (a new camcorder).  The
sweetest part of the night was that Zack got his first & second wins in the sprint car
while Grandpa & Grandma Gaffney were visiting from Wisconsin.  In fact, I'm pretty
sure I saw a tear or two being wiped away from Grandpa's face after Zack won the
heat race;-).....he's such a softy!
Thanks so much to everyone who came to watch:  the Fergusons, the
Hoffmans, Grandma Elaine, Grandpa & Grandma Gaffney, Jerry & Tyler
Thompson, the Hendersons, and Jon Drinkwater.
An extra HUGE THANK YOU goes to Jeff Thompson, who crew chiefed on
the car this weekend.  Zack soaked in all the information Jeff gave him &
put it to good use!  We can't thank you enough, Jeff, for all of your help &
advice!!
So, here's the next question......SPONSORS, WHERE ARE YOU??  Wouldn't
you like to be sponsoring the youngest winning driver at Cottage Grove
Speedway?

May 16, 2009
Well, our night was shortened somewhat tonight.  Zack qualified 7th out of 12 with
an 11.823 second lap.  He was on the pole for his heat, but the car just would not
grip no matter where he tried.  It was very dry slick already.  He tried different lines,
but was getting no grip anywhere.  So, he finished that race in 4th out of 6 spots.  
Ron made some pretty drastic changes to the set up before the main, and was just
hoping he did the right thing.  He should have been lined up on the inside of the 4th
row in 7th place, but for some reason, they had the line up wrong, and he was
starting in 9th place out of 12.  Whatever Ron did worked awesome.  He was up to
6th place in just a couple of laps.  There was a caution, and on the 2nd lap of the
restart, he was on his way to getting Ozzie in 5th place when another car got under
him.  He said he moved up the track to give the guy racing room, but he just kept
coming & ran right over the nose of Zack's car, taking him out.  Not good.  It's going
to be a spendy fix.  Zack is quickly learning the drivers he is going to really have to
be extra cautious around, because you just never know what some of them are
going to do.  He is still in 2nd place, but the points race has really tightened up.  
Please pray for a good result next week, AND FOR SPONSORS!!
Thanks so much to Keith & Melinda Roth, Marv Durham, and Grandma
Elaine for coming to the track tonight.  Ron's going to have a busy, very
expensive week.  Hopefully, we'll see you all next week!

May 15, 2009
Tonight, Josh finally got to race the first race of the season.  He had a good night,
despite track conditions.  Wow.....talk about rough.  Hopefully, that will get better as
the season gets going.  He got 2nd in both of his heat races and 4th out of 10 in
the main.  There were a lot of karts in every class.  That was encouraging to see.
Thanks to Marv and Grandma Elaine for coming!  See you all at the track
tomorrow!

May 11,  2009
Saturday night was a great night at the track.  Zack qualified 2nd fastest, just
behind Steven Horner.  That put him in his first trophy dash in the sprint car.  Ron
has been having a hard time getting the handling just right.  First the car was
pushing in the trophy dash, then it was loose.  Anyway, Zack ended up in 4th for
the trophy dash, and got 4th in his heat race.  Then we borrowed a shock from
Steven to try out before we buy one.  Did I mention God is good??  He got 2nd!!
Needless to say, time to buy a shock!  And sponsors, COME ON.....HE GOT 2ND!!
Thanks to Grandma Elaine & Grammy Pam, as well as faithful Marv for
coming to the track to show your support.  As always, it is very much
appreciated;-).  Also, thanks to Steven Horner for allowing us to try that
shock.  It worked great!
Ron got Josh's kart all fixed up & ready to go for this Friday's season opener.  We'll
see if he can keep it on all 4 wheels this time, since that's a much faster way around
the track;-).

May 2, 2009
Rained out, just as we thought would happen.  Oh, well.......saved a little cash, I
guess;-).  See you all next time!

May 1, 2009
It was a very quick night at the track tonight.....for two reasons.  #1:  Josh took the
green for hot laps, and came right down on another kart going into turn one.  He
wheel hopped and got banged around before the kart was back on all 4 wheels
(although he didn't flip), which broke the cage in 2 spots ending our night.  Reason
#2:  It started pouring rain before they could even really get the pee wee heat race
underway.  The way it rained, and with the forecast for tomorrow, I'm quite certain
we will be rained out for tomorrow night as well.  Josh felt bad and made sure to
apologize to the driver he drove into.  Thankfully, her parents were understanding,
and I assured them that's not at all normal!  Looks like Ron has some work to do!  
Thanks to Marv & Grandma Elaine for coming to watch, even though it was
over almost before it got started.  Hopefully, we'll get to race next weekend.

April 29, 2009
Last Friday, Zack had his 3rd race in the sprint car.  He is steadily improving his lap
times.  He qualified with a 12.18 second lap; slightly faster than last week.  He did
great in the heat, coming in 4th.  He was doing awesome in the main.  On a restart,
he went to the outside of a car to pass, and bicycled the car up onto the right side
wheels.  He saved it from going over, and didn't hit any other cars or the tires
around the edge of turn 2.  In fact, he kept going.  However, when the car slammed
back down onto all 4 tires, it hit pretty hard and jarred his lower back & shoulder.  
So, he finished the race, but just kept it on the bottom trying to stay out of the other
drivers' way.  He felt much better the next day, so nothing permanent.
Saturday night was the Grove Classic race for the 360 sprints & the wingless sprint
tour.  We decided to let him run with the 360 sprints just for the seat time, not
expecting any great finish out of the night......basically, just for the practice.  We
had no idea he would time in less than a second slower than the fast time of the
night in the 360 class (with a Limited motor)!  He qualified with his best time yet of
11.495 seconds.  Fast time of the night was 10.518 seconds.  Zack would have
started on the pole of the 3rd heat.  However, because of some of the other drivers
who were in his race, Ron made the decision to have him start in the back to save
the car.  He was only out there for practice anyway.  With 22 cars starting the main,
he started in 18th place, didn't hit anyone or anything, didn't spin, bicycle, or flip.  
He didn't get in anyone's way at all.  He ended the night with a 6th place in his heat
race and a 19th place in the main.  Not the finish in the main he was hoping for, but
he complained about not being able to get any traction the whole night.  This is a
learning process for Ron as well, trying to figure out how best to set the car up
depending on the track conditions.  Zack hasn't finished last in any of the races he
has been in so far this season.  He's doing very well.  I know once the car is set up
just right, he will be contending for a win.  After 3 nights of points racing, he is still in
2nd place behind Steven Horner.  Not too bad for a kid, and how many
13-year-olds can say they've raced with Roger Crockett & Shane Stewart;-)?
Thanks goes to Grandma Elaine, Marv Durham, Rick & Ricky Perry, DJ
Poole, and Jon Drinkwater for coming to the track for help & support on
one or both nights.
Josh is supposed to have his first race of the kart season this Friday, May 1st.  The
next sprint car race is scheduled for Saturday, May 2nd.

April 21, 2009
Well, Josh's first kart race of the season was cancelled, due to poor track
conditions, so we move on to Zack's race night.
Last Saturday was another nerve-filled night (even more so than I had anticipated),
because Zack was flying faster than the week before.  I think I may see a pattern
here.  He doesn't seem satisfied going slow.  Imagine that!  He did great, turning a
12.19 for his qualifying lap (a full 1.3 seconds faster than the first week).  He got a
4th in his heat race and a 5th place in the main event.  He complained most of the
night about how loose it was, and it didn't seem to matter what Ron did to the car to
change the set up.  It just didn't get better.  In fact, he was so loose late in the main
(I think he made it to lap 21 out of 25.) that he spun in the middle of turns 3 & 4
twice.  However, he never got lapped and didn't hit anyone or anything.  He did
awesome up until that point holding 2nd place for a few laps, and then staying in
3rd place for many more laps holding off Jake Wadell & Kyle Miller.  Not too bad!  
The cause of the loose car was a torsion bar having stripped out the torsion stop.  
This made the ride height all wrong, making for a very loose car.  We've remedied
that and are ready for the next thing.....I think!  Although, we do have to get a new
right rear tire.  After that race, it's very smooth & shiny.  Smooth & shiny tires do
NOT grip the track, so that had something to do with it as well, plus Zack & Ron are
both just learning.  Oh, well......it's always something!  After 2 races, he's in 2nd
place, so we can't complain about that!  He'll be racing this Friday, April 24th, as
well as Saturday, April 25th.  On Saturday, he'll either be racing with the 360 class
or the wingless sprints.  If I have my way, HIS CAR WILL HAVE A WING ON IT ANY
TIME HE IS IN IT!!
Thanks to the Hoffmans, the Sheets family, Grandma Elaine, and as always,
the Drinkwater family for making it out to the track!

April 12, 2009
Zack finally got to make some laps in the sprint car last night.  He did AMAZINGLY
well!  I've never been so nervous, and when he went out for hot laps (his very first
laps EVER in a sprint car), he went much faster than Ron or I ever thought he
would go!  I think we both thought he may be a little cautious since he's just
learning.  Heck no!!  Like Kevin Solesbee said last night, "What's he gonna learn
doing that??"  He went considerably faster just in hot laps than we ever thought he
would.  I don't think he's scared of anything!  He did great the whole night.  We are
very proud of him!  I think some of the nay-sayers had to eat some crow, while still
others never will, no matter how he proves himself.  Oh, well.......whatever they
have to say to make themselves feel better!  He didn't spin, hit anyone or anything,
flip, or drive over his head in any way.  It was perfect.  He timed in 5th (which we
expected, since it was his first time), got a 4th place finish in the heat, and a 3rd
place finish in the main, bringing home $260.  We had many supporters show up to
watch.  Thank you to Grandma Elaine, Grandma Pam, Steve, Danny, John &
Jeanie Hoffman, the Ferguson family, Luke McFadden, Cary & Jon
Drinkwater, DJ & Erica Poole, the Temple family, and the Hendersons.  Also,
a HUGE thanks to Brock & Jake who helped in the pits!  You'll never know
how appreciated you all are...mostly because we can't afford to show you!!
Marv Durham, you'll never know what you missed out on!  We missed you!
One other special person we are very thankful for is Grandma Elaine's
friend, Mike, who donated to the race fund.  You, also, will never know
how much we appreciate it!!  We are still searching for sponsors.  The
funds won't last long!  Also, thank you to the many people who took the
time to shake Zack's hand & tell him that he did a good job.
Friday, April 17th, is the first scheduled kart race for Josh, with another sprint car
race the next night, April 18th.  I feel so much better about him being in a sprint car
now, that I actually don't want it to rain out;-)!

April 5, 2009
As usually happens when trying to start the race season in western Oregon in April,
the first scheduled race has been rained out.  Maybe Zack can actually get some
practice in before we have a race.  That sure would make his mom feel better!!  He
says, "Mom, hot laps will have to be my practice."  He thinks he's a funny boy.....I'm
not laughing;-)!

March 29,2009
Well, we got rained out for practice, but the car is done. Thanks to Charlie James
Race Graphics for the cool numbers & graphics.  Here is a link to an article that was
done by Craig Murphy with The Springfield Times. Thanks, Craig!

February 23, 2009
Well, the "Money Pit" as it is affectionately referred to (just by me, really) still
doesn't have sponsorship.  However, she has a motor on the way.  It's a proven
championship winner, so we just need adequate funding to be able to race a full
season.  I've gotten some more partnership packets together, so the remainder of
tonight will be spent writing cover letters to send with the packets.  The 2009
schedules are posted on our Scheduled Races page, so check it out.

January 18, 2009
It was a great day at the track.  Josh won both of his heats and got 2nd in the main!
There will be a new video or two uploaded soon, so be sure to check back.  Then
we rushed home, because Josh had a basketball game at 2:15.  He did awesome,
scoring 6 points for his team.  A huge thanks goes to Greg Baker for the use
of his spare carburetor.  Oh, yeah......forgot to mention that Josh's patched up
carburetor broke sometime in the 1st heat race.  Also, thanks to Jeff Thompson
for the use of his starter on Saturday, and for the help dismantling our
carburetor to put the borrowed one on, as well as Jon Desbiens for the
use of his starter today, and for the many offers of help from Charlie James
throughout the weekend.  Our day could very well have been done without
you all.  Finally, please remember to contact Mitch Wofford at Majestic
Heating & Air Conditioning any time you may need his services.  We've
referred others to him, and can confidently say you won't regret it.

January 17, 2009
Well, the day started out good with a 2nd place finish in the first heat and a 3rd
place finish in the 2nd heat.  However, as the karts were going out on the track for
the main (and there were 15 of them!!), Josh's kart wouldn't go.  Long story short,
Ron discovered that the bolts holding the motor mounts had broken.  He didn't
even get to start the main, and he had a GREAT starting position.  He was starting
inside 2nd row in a field of 15 karts!  Bummer.  Oh, well....maybe it will go better
tomorrow.  Ron has gotten it taken care of, so we're ready for yet another day at
the track.  It will be the last day for the 2008/2009 Salem winter season.

January 16, 2009
Oops....a little late updating the site from last weekend.  Josh did awesome on
Saturday.  He got a 2nd and a 3rd in his heat races.  He was supposed to start on
the outside of the 2nd row in a field of 11 karts for the main.  His kart died before
they took the green.  Not sure what happened there, but that meant he had to start
in the back of the pack.  He did great and was able to work his way back up to finish
2nd from 11th!  On Sunday, the kart just wouldn't run right no matter what Ron did.  
It was a rough day.  Oh, well.  Ron came home & took it all apart.  He thinks he
found the problem, but isn't positive.  We'll see how it runs this weekend.  It will be
the last race weekend of the season.  We are still actively searching for
sponsorship, or the sprint car is going to sit right where it's at.  If anyone
knows of a business looking for a great advertising opportunity, please let
us know!

December, 7, 2008
Let me see....on Saturday, Josh raced in Salem and got two 3rd place finishes in
his heat races.  The kart would just not turn & pitch into the corners.  That was
partially Josh not throwing it in as well.  Once he started doing that and we got the
right tires on the kart, it was handling much better.  He got a 2nd place finish in the
main.  Today Ron noticed the carburetor was completely cracked in half and was
barely being held on, but didn't have time to change to our other carb before the
1st heat, so he sent him out to get the best possible finish he could get.  The poor
kid didn't even finish and therefore, got 5th place.  However, Ron then had enough
time to change carbs.  Once that was done, he then started in 5th place for his 2nd
heat and got 2nd place.......much better!  Although, there was a little contact made
in turn 4 with the #75 Jaydn Woody.  From where I was standing, it looked like he
had given Jaydn enough room, but just in case he hadn't, he went & apologized to
him after the race.  Josh started in 9th place (out of 11 possible) in the main due to
the poor finish in the 1st heat.  Everything was clicking with the carb & his driving.  
He was able to pass 4 cars and get a top 5 finish, making some excellent passes.  
Thank you, Kevin Solesbee, for coming up & showing support on Saturday.  
Josh loves it when people come to watch him.  I think you got the
message, though:  NEXT TIME, BRING CHARLIE!!  

November 30, 2008
I am wiped out!  I'm sure if I closed my eyes, I would sleep for a couple days!  It was
a long, exhausting weekend.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving on Thursday.  
Then shopping, of course, with all of the crazies the day after Thanksgiving, and
racing Saturday & Sunday.  Let's see.......Saturday, Josh got a 2nd, 1st, and a 4th
place.  He got t-boned (partially his fault) in the main, which bent his nerf bar right
into the left rear tire, cutting it down.  Not a bad finish for having a flat tire!  We
brought the kart home, and Ron had it fixed up & ready to go in no time.  So, today
we raced again dealing with another flat tire, and then the muffler blew the baffles
out.  Thanks so much to the Woody race team for letting us borrow a spare muffler.
You saved the day!  Josh ended the day with a 4th, a 3rd, and a 4th in the main
after a very fun battle with Makenzie Thompson.  Good job to both!  We'll see you
all next weekend in Salem!

November 24, 2008
What a looong weekend!  Josh is now playing basketball as well as racing.  It just so
happened that he had a race & a game on Saturday as well as Sunday.  The racing
was in Salem, and the games were in Eugene.  Fortunately, we were able to get to
everything and not even be late, but it was tiring!  This is a sign that I'm obviously
getting old!
There were 12 karts in Josh's class on Saturday.  He didn't mess around, and went
out and swept all 3 races that day!  Sunday's races were a little different.  He got
2nd in each of his heat races that day, and was in the lead for the main with only a
couple laps to go, when he was taken out by the 2nd place kart (which also took
that driver out) giving the win to the 3rd place driver who was able to keep his nose
clean to go on for the win.  Congrats #13!  
Sometimes racing isn't much fun, but the boys always want to get back out there, so
as long as we are able to get them on the track, we will.  I have to say it was very
strange (and sad) to only have one driver racing this weekend.  Zack was a little
bored for part of the weekend, but he is so looking forward to racing the sprint car,
he doesn't really mind not having his kart anymore.  It's just his mom that minds:-(.
One thing that happened this weekend that so many people are questioning is that
the Open Intermediate class is no more, which really is too bad.  The class was too
big (18 on Saturday and maybe only one or two less on Sunday) and created a lot
of chaos on the track.  We didn't witness the Sunday main for that class, but were
told that the karts may have finished a total of 5 complete laps, because there were
so many yellows.  It's not just an opinion......it's a fact that you can't put drivers with
little 500cc experience on the track with veterans and expect a good result.  It also
is not fair to the newer drivers, because unless something happens to one of the
veterans' karts, in all likelihood, they're not going to win or even come close to it.  I
know that anything can happen, but I also know that it's a lot more fun for a driver
to win a race by besting the competition and not just by avoiding wrecks/spins.  
OK........off my soapbox now.  I don't even have a horse in the race......just stating
what I'm hearing from a lot of Intermediate class drivers and families.
We'll see everyone at next weekend's races in Salem!

November 2, 2008
Well, as you can see from the picture above, we are the proud owners of a sprint
car.  It is a 2004 Eagle chassis.  Here's one of the immediate problems we face--we
need a motor.  Two different motors have been offered to us at $7,000 each.  They
are both very fast motors.  Either of them would be awesome to acquire.  I'm not
going to worry about it.  If it is supposed to happen, it will.  However, I am going to
be very pro-active in the sponsorship search.  The funds to purchase a motor are
just the beginning of what will actually be needed.  Then comes the insane amount
of money required to be able to race each week.  A sprint car goes through about
30 gallons of fuel each night; plus tires, parts.  Hopefully, we will stay on all 4 tires.  
That will prevent needing to purchase wings.  However, it is inevitable that if you
drive a sprint car, you will flip/roll at some point.  Zack is a very gifted driver, and I
know he will catch on to sprint car racing very quickly.  The problem is finding
sponsors who believe in his God-given abilities as much as we do.  They don't know
him, and haven't been watching his progress for the last 6+ years.  As his mom, I
just can't believe he may be able to reach his ultimate goal at age 13--being a
sprint car driver.

September 25, 2008
Oops.......just realized I hadn't updated the site since the last street stock race.  
Zack did well on the last race night in the Camaro.  He was doing a great job of
staying out of the chaos that inevitably happens in this class, but another driver
didn't think he needed to be in his way, so he took him out.  While Zack really liked
getting the experience in a full-size race car, and he did have a LOT of fun, he's
glad to be moving on.  He was able to finish the season in 8th place.  Not too bad
for a just-turned-13-year-old; especially since he missed 7 races!  Who knows what
he could have done if he hadn't missed any races!
To say "thanks" is a huge understatement for the appreciation we have for
our sponsors from this last season.  I hope I don't forget anyone.......please
forgive me if I do!  Thank you SO MUCH to Majestic Heating & Air
Conditioning,  FBO Ignition, R/R Bounds Trucking, Dragonfly Decals, Inc,
Jim's Tire Factory, Froggy's Towing, Mark Henderson, Mike Petty, Dave
Evans, John Hoffman, and ALL of the many family & friends who came to
the track to show support for the boys this year. There are way too many of
you to list (Basically, I KNOW I would forget someone in that list!).  Just
know we appreciate the support more than we can say.
The winter 2008/2009 Salem Indoor kart season starts in November.  For exact
dates, click on the Scheduled Races page.  Come check it out!  It's an awesome
track.

September 14, 2008
Let's see........Friday night was the last kart race of the season in Cottage Grove,
and it was another wild night of flips, rolls, and crashes.  Thankfully, both of our
drivers kept all 4 wheels on the ground, but they were among the few who did.  Josh
closed out the season in 3rd place in the 5hp Intermediate class.  Zack won the
championship for the 500cc Open Intermediate class.  He drove his last kart race
and won it.  Well, most likely his last kart race.  If we still have the kart for the winter
season, he will drive in the 500cc Open class in Salem.  Both boys did great this
summer.
Saturday night at the track was awesome.  Zack went out and set his fastest time
yet at 16.03, which also meant that he qualified 3rd out of 10, putting him in his first
ever trophy dash in the Camaro.  Then he WON IT!!  It was great.  What would
have been even greater is if his mom had known how to count.  I thought the white
flag had been thrown a lap before it actually had.  I was pretty excited, and he still
had another lap to go before the white flag.  It was like it was my first time at the
track!  You can watch it above.  The picture of Zack with the trophy girl didn't come
through to the site very clearly, but you get the idea!  It was also pretty exciting to
see him be interviewed by Ben in front of the crowd.  He did great.  I felt bad,
though.  All of the kids at the fence watching the trophy dash winners get their
trophy were calling out, "Hey, Zack!  Can I have your trophy?"  I told them they
couldn't have it because his mom gets the first one, and that he'll give them away
after this one!  He then went out starting on the pole for the heat race, which
doesn't work well for his car.  It works much better on the high side.  He tried, but
ended up getting 3rd in the heat.  He was holding 3rd position for quite a while in
the main, but got passed by another car after he put up a good, clean fight.  
There's one more race for the A.A.S.S. class this season.  It's on Saturday,
September 20th.  He's won a heat and a trophy dash.  Maybe he can win a main
before the car is gone.  The Camaro has been sold to move on to bigger things.  
Zack's just finishing out the season with it.  It seems like we just got it.
Thanks to everyone who came to support Zack on Saturday:  Brock &
Debbie Ferguson with their son, Jake, and his friend, Oliver, Grandma
Pam, Grandma Elaine with our niece, Brina, Uncle Darr, DJ and Erica Poole,
and John and Jeanie Hoffman.  Several of these same people were also at
the track on Friday night for the kart races as well (even Aunt Shani).  It's
always nice to see people we know come out to watch.  You'll never know
how much we appreciate it.

September 10, 2008
Well, with the exception of one of the notorious drivers getting black flagged for
very rough driving at the beginning of a heat race, there really wasn't too much
excitement or conflict Saturday night.  Zack lead his heat race for several laps, but
then was overtaken by another car to finish in 2nd place.  I do have to say it was a
nice change seeing one of the drivers in Zack's class race him cleanly for the win.  
It has been our experience that there are only 2 or 3 good, clean drivers in the
whole class.  (Good luck finding ANYONE who honestly disagrees with that!).  It
doesn't matter that he didn't win.  He doesn't mind (as much) coming in 2nd to
someone who doesn't feel they have to trade paint to pass him.  Congratulations,
Tyrell.  Zack put up a good fight, too.  Zack started in the 7th place position in the
main and made his way up to 4th place, but was squeezed out of a "Zack sandwich"
going into turn 3 to get 5th at the line when one of the cars that had been trying to
pass him came right down on him for some reason just before the checkered flag.  
Nice way to gain a position, huh?
We've got the last kart race of the season this Friday night, and a Camaro race this
Saturday.  See you all there!

September 6, 2008
Wow!  Talk about risking damage to your body & your kart......the new bigger kart
track in the middle of the big car track was fun, according to Zack and some other
drivers, but dangerous.  Most of the drivers went off of the track somewhere last
night, and most who did rolled/flipped.  Zack gets big style points for his departure!  
He said when he realized he was going off the track he just turned the kart to the
right to square it up, so as not to flip or roll when he left the track.  It couldn't have
been done any better.  He looked like Beau or Luke Duke!  There was air under
that kart as he went sailing off, but he not only kept it on all 4 tires; he kept it
running.  It was a crazy night.  That track needs some kind of barriers around the
edges.  Hopefully, last night was proof enough of that.
Josh got 3rd in his first heat after starting in the back, and had the second heat won
until he was going into turn 3 of the last lap, and his chain came off.  He got a 2nd
place finish.  In his main, the chain came off twice ending his night in last place.
Zack won his first heat, got 3rd in his second heat, and was coming up to the rear
of the field in the main when there was a caution.  He was rolling around waiting for
the re-start when his throttle cable stuck.  He had to stop, which put him to the back
of the field when he came back on.  Their race was cut short due to the number of
cautions.  He was able to make it back up to 2nd place before the checkered flag
flew.  

September 2, 2008
It was a decent night at the track Saturday.  I think Zack would have beaten his
fastest time, but hit a slick spot in turns 3 & 4.  He had to back off of the throttle for
a second, which gave him a qualifying time of 16.62 (5th fastest in the field; just
missed the trophy dash).  He started 5th in his heat race and was doing well when
he spun coming out of turn 4.  He kept it off of the inside wall, but had to go to the
back for the re-start.  He was able to make it back up to 5th by the end.  We found
out he didn't have any brakes, which was the reason for the spin.  Ron got that
fixed right away.  He started on the inside 2nd row for the main.  He was doing great
when another car that doesn't usually drive rough got on the inside of him and spun
him.  Because he doesn't normally drive like that, we can only assume it was
accidental, and we DO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE the immediate apology after the
race.  So many others don't do that, whether it was purposeful or not.  Zack had to
re-start in the back and was able to make it back up to 4th.  He is really doing a
good job in that car.  Too bad it's already sold at the end of the season.  Seems
like he just started in it.  Oh, well.  On to bigger things.  Now, we just need to get his
500cc kart sold.  If anyone hears of someone looking for one, send them our way!
We had quite a few friends & family at the track Saturday.  I'll have Ron upload
some pictures tonight.  Thanks so much to Matt & Robin, Aunt Shani, Keith,
Melinda, & Jacob, Grandma Elaine & her friend, Mike, and our good friend,
Marv.  Your attendance and support overall is so very much appreciated.

August 17, 2008
OK......what happens when the videographer for the team forgets the camcorder at
home?  Any guesses?  Yep.......ZACK WON HIS HEAT RACE after qualifying 4th
with his best time yet of 16.33 seconds!!  And to top off the night, because he
pulled a blue pill after winning the heat, that meant that he had to start in 11th
place.....dead last for the main.  However, he did awesome in the main as well.  He
was able to avoid all of the spins and accidents of other drivers and pass a few cars
to come in 3rd for the main.  He physically came in 4th, but the winner came across
the scales too light and was disqualified.  It was a GREAT night at the track!  We will
definitely be getting a DVD of the AASS class races for that night from the track
videographer.  I don't know if we can put it on the site or not, but if so, we will.  Keep
checking back to see if you'll be able to check it out.  His car also made the home
page of the www.cottagegrovespeedway.com site.  Thanks to everyone who came
to support our team for the night!  We have next week off, but will be back at the
track Saturday, August 30th.  See you all then!  

August 16, 2008
Last night, both boys raced their karts in Cottage Grove, but we were racing on the
infield track that we haven't used for a long time.  The vintage cars joined us
(except they were on the big track, of course).  They were a lot of fun to watch.  
The night started out great.  Josh won both of his heats, even starting in the back
of his second one.  Zack got a 2nd place in his first heat and won his second one,
which put him on the outside of the front row for the main.  Josh had the pole
position for starting his main.  Both mains last night quickly turned into "paint to
pass" crash fests.  I've never seen so many red flags in kart racing.  It was
ridiculous.  Josh was leading most of his main when he was taken out by another
kart going into turn 1.  Long story short, he was able to make it back up to finish 7th
out of 12 karts.  Good job, Josh.  You did great.  Zack went out for his main, and
was knocked completely off of the track in turn 1 which sent him to the back, but
oddly enough, not the kart that caused it.  Again, long story short, he had long
enough to work his way back up to 3rd place by the time the checkered flew.  
Although, you have to check out the near miss he had with Ty Sparks and another
kart.  Talk about quick reflexes.  That was amazing!  I'll have Ron upload the clip as
soon as he can.  Tonight we're back at the track racing the Camaro.  See everyone
there!  By the way, a huge thank you goes to Ty Sparks and crew for the use
of your extra pipe for the main.  Zack's had broken, so we had to do something
quick!

August 14, 2008
Last Saturday, August 9th, Zack was racing the Camaro and was doing very well in
the heat race (after qualifying 6th out of 11).  He was in 4th place and holding his
own, when he spun in turn 4.  He kept it off of the inside wall and was smart enough
to get out of the way before anyone behind him hit him.  However, when trying to
re-start the car, he flooded it and didn't know how to get it going again.  His dad
hadn't taught him that yet!  So, he was pushed into the pits.  Ron showed him what
to do to prevent that happening in the future.......now he knows.  Then he started
3rd in the main and was doing pretty well.  He got a little rub from one of the other
racers, and rubbed back a little bit, which slowed down his momentum, allowing a
couple of other drivers to pass him.  He just has to remember not to act like other
drivers do on the track.  This class has gotten a little better over the past few weeks
about not making it a "paint to pass" class, but there are still certain drivers who
can't seem to pass anyone unless they rough them up.  I guess you'll find that in
any class.  He was doing well when he could keep his car on the high line of the
track, but he wasn't always able to get up there.  He ended the race in 5th, but
another car who finished in front of him was DQ'd for illegal parts, so Zack went
home with a 4th place finish.  He has consistently been finishing in the top 5.  Not
too bad for a kid who just turned 13 on August 8th!
The best part of this week has been acquiring an awesome new sponsor.  
Majestic Heating & Air Conditioning has offered to sponsor our team, and it
could not have come at a better time.  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK
YOU, MITCH & MARGARET WOFFORD!!  We promise you will not regret your
decision.  We will always do our best to make you proud!

August 4, 2008
Saturday night, Zack raced the Camaro.  Grandpa Warren & Grandma Maureen
were here visiting from Wisconsin and were able to see him race for the very first
time.  Zack had his best qualifying time of 16.36, which was 7th out of 13 drivers.  
Not too bad.  He got his best finishing position in his heat race with a 2nd place.  He
then started 8th in the main and ended the night with a 6th place finish.  Since Ron
got the motor together with the parts sponsored by R/R Bounds Trucking, he's up
there with the faster, more competitive cars now.  It will still be a real challenge to
beat the fast, more experienced drivers, but we know he can do it.  In fact, he was
able to beat one of the fastest drivers on Saturday.  He was happy with that.  The
car still seems to be bogging somewhat coming out of the corners, which Ron said
will probably take about $200 to fix.  Clearly, that will have to wait.  He'll just have to
rely on his driving ability alone to get good finishes; at least until we are able to get
more sponsorship.  He can do it.  He's a good driver.  Thanks to R/R Bounds
Trucking, he is feeling more confident out there.  He can run with the faster cars
now.  We can't thank them enough.  Also, thanks goes to Grammy Pam and
Grandma Elaine.  Friday, August 8th, is Zack's 13th birthday.  Grammy gave him
entry fees for he & Ron for this Saturday's race.  Happy birthday, Zack!  We had
Grandma Elaine at the track as well, who bought Zack a shirt that had his car and
his name on it.  Early birthday presents are fun!  Grandpa Warren also bought one
and had Zack sign it when we got home.  We really wish Grandpa Warren &
Grandma Maureen could be at the track a lot more.  It was a fun weekend.  We all
had a blast.  Time with family is just too short.

July 29, 2008
Friday was fun, but challenging.  It was a wingless event, which means lots of loose
karts.  Loose = spinning.  Zack had a rough night.  In hot laps, a kart had spun
taking out the kart directly in front of Zack.  He had nowhere to go and ended up
tangled up with her; which bent his spindle pretty badly.  Ron tried to straighten it
as best he could.  We just had to make do, but it wouldn't handle right at all the
entire night.  Josh, however, LOVES racing wingless.  Once he spun a couple times
in the first heat, he seemed to really get the feel for the kart without the wing.  He
took off for the 2nd heat and the main and never looked back.  He was flying and
came home with a big 1st place trophy.  Great job, Josh.
We didn't race the Camaro on Saturday, because Zack's class was added for
Saturday only two days prior.  Zack already had plans to stay with a  friend, as we
weren't supposed to be on the schedule.  Oh, well.  Grandpa Warren & Grandma
Maureen should be here today or tomorrow & will be here for the race this
weekend.  See you all then!

July 20, 2008
Last night was a great night at the track.  Zack is getting more & more comfortable
in the car.  There were 9 cars in his class.  He started 8th in the heat race, finishing
4th, and started 6th in the main, finishing 3rd.  In the heat race, he did get the right
front pushed in somewhat when the 53 car spun right in front of him.  He tried to
avoid it, but there really was nowhere for him to go.  It didn't stop him, though.  He
kept going, and it was a fairly minor fix; just one of those racing things.
Our friend from Majestic Heating & Air Conditioning, Mitch Wofford, came with his
son, Jack.  It was great to have them there.  I think Jack had the best time of all of
us!  Zack signed a picture & gave it to him.  We were told Jack was still carrying it
around this morning before church!  Thanks so much for the support, Wofford
family (or at least part of the Wofford family!).
We have next Saturday off, but are planning to race karts Friday night at the
Grove.  This is a wingless, non-points event.  It should be fun.

July 13, 2008
Zack did PHENOMENAL in his main tonight and had his fastest qualifying lap yet!  
He started on the outside front row, led the first 3 laps, and then finally, 2 cars were
able to get by him.  But no one touched anyone else.  It was good, clean racing the
way it should be.  Many people came up and shook his hand and congratulated
him, etc after the races were over.  It was a night to be proud of.  One family came
up and asked, "What will it take to get you guys to come race Coos Bay?"  I jokingly
said, "You pay for it!"  Mel then said, "If that's all it takes..." and handed us cash for
the trip down.  He even offered to make sure we have spec tires for that track!  The
blessings just keep coming!  The family I'm referring to owns Froggy's Towing here
in Springfield.  Mel, Theresa, and family, we can't thank you enough and hope to
make it down to Coos Bay sooner rather than later.  We thought maybe this coming
weekend, but after discussing it on the way home tonight, Ron remembered that we
really should have an anti-sway hitch installed for taking the trailer that far.  There's
another expense we're not prepared for unless we can get it sponsored somehow.  
Oh, well.  If it's supposed to happen, it will happen.  A couple drivers were saying
how Zack was cutting people off in the corners.  Zack commented that he had to
take the corners in a manner that he could get a run to come out of the corner, or
he would have no chance since all of the other cars have much more horsepower
than he does right now.  He wasn't meaning to cut anyone off, I assure you.  The
car rolled into the trailer with no new dents!  However, we did have a problem on
the way home tonight.  It was already much later than we usually get home, as there
was a very large car count in the late model class.  It was around 12:45 a.m. just
past the 30th Avenue exit off of I-5 when a tire on the trailer blew out (a hole big
enough to put your fist into).  Our only option was to drop the trailer, go home to
get the spare (oops!), and Ron and Zack went back for it while I got Josh to bed.  It
is now 1:48 a.m.  They just got back, so I think it's time for all of us to hit the hay,
and we'll see you next week.  

July 7, 2008
Wow......where do I start?  Let's see....after the heat race, Ron discovered the jets
in the carburetor were labeled the same size, but weren't actually the same size.  
So, after he remedied that, the car ran much better for the main.  He was doing
well, staying out of trouble on the track.  The #12 car was running behind him and
decided since he couldn't get around him like a normal race car driver, he would
just spin him out of the way.  We didn't realize this class was a "paint to pass"
class...our mistake, I guess.  I'm a little bitter about this......is it obvious?  It should
be.  I've been around racing long enough to know that racing incidents happen.  
However, they should be accidental.  Check out the video above.  I do have to
apologize to the #12 for something, however.  On the video, I mis-spoke twice
saying that after he spun Zack, he then spun the #75 car and that he also did the
same thing to another car in the trophy dash.  After I watched the video, it appears
the #75 car just got up into the loose stuff to avoid Zack spinning, and then spun
himself.  Ron & Zack corrected me about the trophy dash, and said that the #12 car
was actually the victim in that race.  Also, the #6 was apparently upset with Zack
after the main, but we have no idea why.  The only thing I can figure out is that
when he spun in the main, Zack was behind him.  Maybe he thought Zack did it, but
Zack was actually car lengths behind him.  He did it all by himself.  This is not a
demolition derby, people.  When you children get done screwing around, maybe a
race could break out?  That would be nice, since that's what we all pay for each
week, and more importantly, that's what our sponsors pay for.  Feel free to
comment on this, one way or another, no matter how you feel about it, via email at
my email address: nicky@spauldingmotorsports.com.  After all of that, Zack was
able to finish 6th out of 10, and came very close to beating the #12, but he was
able to beat Zack on the outside.....now THAT was racing as it should be.  We don't
mind losing at all, when it's a real race like that.

See you all at the track, hopefully for a race this time, July 12th!

June 24, 2008
It was a very full weekend of racing with the karts on Friday and the Camaro racing
on Saturday.  First, to update everyone on the kart races.....Josh got two 2nd place
finishes in his heat races.  Then, in the main, he started outside 2nd row (I think) in
a field of 11 karts.  He thought the flagger was throwing the green, when really he
was just getting ready to hold it up so the kids would know there was one lap to go
until the green.  So, he took off.  He would have gotten his place back since the
green hadn't flown yet, but his motor died, so he stopped on the track.  That sent
him to the back of the field to start..........bummer!  He didn't let that stop him,
though.  I've never seen him drive like that!  He was passing on the outside, inside;
just wherever the kart in front of him wasn't......that's where he went, and made it
stick.  In just 3 or 4 laps, he was up to 2nd.  Then, his motor died again!  He started
in the back AGAIN, but was able to make it back up to 4th before the race was over.
He did amazing!  Ron will have the motor issue fixed before the next race.  The
track was EXTREMELY dry slick/dusty, so Ron dropped the air pressure in the right
rear tire on Zack's kart.  However, then Zack waited parked in the sun for a while
before he went out for his first heat race, and the air pressure went back up & then
some.  He was very loose.  The kart didn't want to stick where he tried to put it, but
he was able to salvage 2nd place....not bad at all.  Zack won his 2nd heat race as
well as the main for his class.  It was a great night overall.  Also, our sponsor from
Rocketboy Racing, Rod Moses, was there with his kart racing in the Open class.  It
was nice to see him at the track.  He had a long drive.
Saturday night, we were back at the track to race the Camaro.  At the beginning of
the month, we had ordered another carburetor from an ebay auction, but to this
date, we still don't have it, so Ron had worked on the one we have and got it to
work a little better than last time, but still not what we need.  Zack went out for hot
laps and was doing great.  He seemed very comfortable and much faster than last
time.  However, the carburetor was giving him a lot of trouble when it came time to
qualify.  He qualified with an 18.80 second lap, which put him starting last.....oh,
well.  It would have been nice to qualify closer to the front, obviously, but it's the
mark of a good, skilled driver to be able to pass (and pass cleanly).  So, he went
out for his heat race starting 10th.  There were soon a couple of cautions, that Zack
was pretty much able to avoid.  After those cautions, he re-started 5th.  He found
the right line around the track, and was really doing well.  He was able to pass the
car in front of him for 4th place and had his sights set on the next car when he was
in the middle of turns 3 & 4, and the right front wheel bearing started to drag (plus
the track was very dry & dusty), sending his car right around.  He was using his
head to be able to keep it off of the inside wall, but the car he had just passed had
nowhere to go, and hit his right side HARD.  The right rear took the majority of the
hit.  We were done for the night.  He was doing so well!  Oh, well.....as they say,
that's racin'!  Ron will post a video or two (maybe tonight), so check back to watch.
I have to share the blessings our family has experienced this week.  God is so
good.  Tuesday night, we were finally able to make it down to the track with the
Camaro for a practice.  Zack went out for the first practice, and the car was
back-firing and just making noise in general.  A man who lives nearby heard it and
drove over to help out.  Long story short, he owns an International Performance
Parts export company.  He didn't know us from Adam, and ended up offering his
services for the carburetor (if it ever gets here) as well as several other engine
parts for the Camaro.  Then on Saturday, our friends, Rick and Rachael Bounds,
who own R/R Bounds Trucking, offered sponsorship.  Since the Camaro was out of
commission, Ron was calling around looking for all the parts necessary to get it up
& running again (whole new rear-end, including axle; also a strut for the right front,
etc).  He called to tell me that he found all of the parts, but that it was going to be
$250.  Well, that wasn't going to happen.  Ron's supervisor, John Hoffman, laid the
money down in front of him and told him to order the parts.  Mike and Linda Petty
are always helping out any way they can as well.  We can't thank you all enough.  
Thanks to all of these wonderful people, maybe we will be able to get Zack back out
there this weekend and for a few more before the season is over.  

June 3, 2008
Well, Zack finally got to try out the Camaro last Saturday.  He did awesome!  I was a
basket case before he went out, but once I saw him out there and how comfortable
he seemed, all I could think was, 'He needs more power!!'  He was in a field of ten
cars and qualified 9th, so he didn't get last and didn't get last place in either of his
races that night.  In fact, he got 4th in the heat out of 6 positions after getting into a
completely unprovoked altercation with another car.  He was doing great, but Ron
said he was overheating when he came in, so he borrowed some different jets from
one of the other drivers.  As it turns out, they were the wrong jets and made the car
run terrible in the main, and then he ran out of gas!  Ron thought there was plenty
of fuel.  Zack also complained that the car would shift just before he got to the
corners, so he didn't have the RPMs to get out of the corner and make up any
ground on the next car in front of him.  That's an easy enough fix.  It was a learning
night for Ron and Zack both.  After closer inspection, Ron discovered only half of
the carburetor was working.   Needless to say, we'll be a little better prepared for
the next race on June 21st.  There's also a kart race on June 20th, so come out to
the track for one or both.  We guarantee you'll be entertained no matter which one
you choose!  Check out the video above of Zack's very first heat race in the
Camaro.

May 23 & 24
We got rained out all weekend.  Both the karts and cars got rained out. Maybe next
weekend for the Camaro!

May 21, 2008
THE CAMARO IS READY TO RACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
First race is this Saturday night.

May 13, 2008
Finally.......racing's back!  As always happens, the first couple of scheduled races
were rained out.  However, last Friday, May 9th, the weather cooperated.  It was a
great start to the season.  Josh took off and made his way through traffic with no
problems, coming in 2nd place in each of his 3 races.  Zack took off like he was
shot out of a cannon, winning all 3 of the races for his class.  The Oakway Fitness
Center karts stayed at or near the front all night.  
Thanks so much to Brock Ferguson for letting Ron take a shot at making a
few laps in a 500cc kart after the races were over.  It was entertaining, but
even more entertaining was watching him try to get out of it when he was done!  
You can check out the video and pictures from the experience on Ron's own page
coming soon.
The Camaro is coming right along.  Ron said tonight he is shooting to have it on the
track for the May 24th race.  Sooo, come on out to Cottage Grove Speedway for
the next kart race on May 23rd and then again for Zack's debut in the All American
Street Stocks class on May 24th, 2008.  A huge thank you to everyone who has
contributed to getting this car up & running, as well as to Mark Henderson
for providing the car to begin with!  Supporters include Mike Petty, John
Hoffman, Dave Evans (#11 Race Car Driver), Brock & Debbie Ferguson,
Grandpa Julius, Pat MacGinitie, and Keith Roth.  You've all contributed in
different, but very much needed and appreciated ways.  We can't say thank
you enough.  Now, come on out and be cheerleaders for who you're
supporting!  See you all at the track.
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Commentary Continued Here
Little fan getting an
autograph 6/27/09
Newest member of Spaulding Motorsports
I call it "Money Pit".  
Josh & his 2009 3rd place trophy