COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL March 23, 2016
3B
Gene Ashley Earns CGS IMCA Sport Mod Championship
BY BEN DEATHERAGE
For the Sentinel
When it came to the IMCA
Sport Mods in 2015, Gene Ash-
ley seemed to have it all fi gured
out. The veteran racer out of Jas-
per managed to collect his fi rst
career championship at Cottage
Grove Speedway.
“The biggest thing is I
couldn’t have done this without
Eric (his youngest son),” com-
mented Ashley. “He put this
car together for me, and when
I blew my motor in the middle
of the year he gave me his so I
could fi nish it out.”
Gene’s driving career started
at the young age of 16 in 1970,
running demolition derbies at
the now-defunct Eugene Speed-
way before eventually ventur-
ing to CGS in the mid-70s. He
would fi nish runner-up a few
times but never won a title until
now, at the age of 61.
“I’ve really enjoyed racing,
but what I think I love the most
is watching my kids (Ricky and
Eric) race,” he would continue,
“and to actually race against
them over the years, I thought
that would never happen.”
Ashley would collect fi ve
victories over the season which
would lead the division. Those
triumphs would come on April
18, May 16, May 23, July 4 and
Sept. 5. He would post 11 Top
Fives and 11 Top Tens in 11
starts in his Ashley Family Rac-
ing/A-1 Auto Supply/Furniture
Options #85 entry. His worst
fi nish was fi fth, which he placed
on three occasions.
“I’m not sure what we’re go-
ing to do next year. I kind of
want to go back and watch the
kids racing again. I really enjoy
that.”
What is for certain is that
both of his sons intend to race
quite often in 2016. Ricky will
be competing in the Sprint Car
ranks full-time while Eric will
be a regular in the IMCA Modi-
fi ed division. No doubt what-
ever Gene Ashley does he will
be accompanied by his lovely
wife and number one race fan,
Brenda.
Notable Cottage Grove
Track Finishes
100 Meters Varsity - Finals x
100 Meters Varsity - Finals x
Trevor Coleman 11.74a
Pierce LaCoste 11.98a
Josh McCluskey 12.01a
Kishon Lange
12.02a
Trey Adams
12.03a
Jacob Woods
12.22a
Brynden Howell 12.37a
Kyan Louie
12.37a
Neal van Tamelen 12.46a
Chad Bottorff
12.46a
Marist
Marist
Thurston
Thurston
Crescent Valley
Cottage Grove
Cottage Grove
Marist
Crescent Valley
Cottage Grove
Adam Yarbrough 24.32a
Chris Clure
24.84a
Tyson Haas
24.91a
Ben Annus
24.97a
Chase Cutsforth 25.06a
Neal van Tamelen 25.26a
Ben Canfi eld
25.63a
Tyler Becerra
25.67a
Johnathan Link 25.77a
Claudio Canchola 25.96a
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Natalia Corbitt 13.67a
Emma Hanson 13.75a
Isabella Schrader 13.93a
Tara Crosswhite 14.00a
Mckenzie Journey 14.05a
Vanessa Taylor 14.08a
Sarah Burrows 14.16a
Zarah Wemple 14.19a
Kaitlen Haas
14.33a
Tara Child
14.69a
Crescent Valley
Crescent Valley
Crescent Valley
Thurston
Thurston
Crescent Valley
Thurston
Cottage Grove
Thurston
Cottage Grove
Marist
Cottage Grove
Thurston
Thurston
Marist
Crescent Valley
Crescent Valley
Thurston
Crescent Valley
Thurston
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Hannah Albrecht 27.87a
Madelyn Nowicki 27.90a
Caitlin Kirk
28.30a
Isabella Schrader 28.93a
Natalia Corbitt 28.96a
Kaitlen Haas
30.05a
Emma Hanson 30.25a
McKenna Miller 30.29a
Emilie Simmons 30.93a
Sofi a Nation
31.52a
Second Place
Jerry Pennington
Jake Cox
Frank LaCosse
Tom Arney
Monday, March 14
Game: 2-3 Points
First Place
Dave Tooker
Leon Hayes
Gary Sparks
Steve Erickson
98
Cottage Grove
Marist
Marist
Crescent Valley
Crescent Valley
Thurston
Crescent Valley
Thurston
Marist
Crescent Valley
1500 Meters Varsity - Finals x
First Place
Jim Hoover
Jim Cunningham
Jerry Singer
Phil Jones
-16
Fourth Place (tie)
Frank Conti
Bill Medin
David Morris
Dave Tooker
Second Place
Mike Helms
Leon Hayes
Jim Wamsley
Dick Winters
-9
Fourth Place (tie)
Jack Doleman
Frank Gates
Jerry Pennington
Dallas Doudna
1.
2.
3.
Hayden Glenn
Sunwoo Kim
John Collins
18.53a Cottage Grove
18.60a Crescent Valley
18.72a Marist
Hope Powell
5:32.47
Hudson Weybright 5:33.32
Kela Leamy
5:45.40
Vanessa Hufnagel 5:47.12
Zoe Carlton
5:50.22
Marist
Cottage Grove
Crescent Valley
Crescent Valley
Thurston
Third Place
Leroy Bodine
Jake Cox
Larry Eyman
Dan Smith
-7
Low Net
Frank LaCosse
Dave Tooker
Jerry Pennington
65
69
69
Closest to the Pin
#5
Steve Erickson
-6
-6
Low Net
Larry Eyman
Dallas Doudna
Jake Cox
Leon Hayes
Jim Cunningham
Larry Emery
Gary Rider
65
66
67
67
67
69
69
Closest to the Pin
#5
Steve Erickson
#7
Jack Doleman
#14 Steve Erickson
Low Gross
Jerry Singer
Mike Helms
Dan Smith
Steve Erickson 75
110m Hurdles - 39” Varsity - Finals x
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
94
Low Gross
Steve Erickson 78
Frank LaCosse 78
Thursday, March 17
Game: 2-3 Best Ball
200 Meters Varsity - Finals x
200 Meters Varsity - Finals x
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
GOLF: Middlefi eld Men's Club
Girls
Boys
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
7.
9.
9.
Photo courtesy of Dirt Monkey Productions
Gene (center) displays his trophy with his family.
70
72
74
Longest Putt
#18 Steve Lindholm
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