PETERSEN MEDIA: Heading back to Oregon to take part in Speedweek Northwest as the defending champion, Justyn Cox would have good speed during the five-race stretch but breaks did not seem to go his way.
“It wasn’t the best week because something always seemed to happen at some point during the night and set us back,” Justyn Cox said. “It was a fun trip, I just wish we could have picked up some better results.”
Coos Bay Speedway was the scene of opening night and Cox would would his 2018 Speedweek kicked off by timing the Berco Redwood/Berry Lumber/Trex backed No. 31c entry in eighth fastest in time trials.
Running fourth in his heat, the Clarksburg, CA pilot would line up in the eighth starting spot for the 30-lap feature event. At the onset of the feature, Cox would jump out to the sixth position as he chased after Lucas Ashe and Steven Tiner who battled ahead of him.
Making a move to get by both of them, Cox would lose the handle and spin his machine out and be forced to the back of the pack. Able to rebound, Cox would close the night out with a sixth place finish.
Traveling to Lebanon, OR on Wednesday night, Cox would time in fourth fastest in time trials before contact with a spinning car forced him to the work area. Still able to salvage some heat race points, Cox’s fourth place finish would put him in the feature event where he took the green flag from the fourth row.
On a slick, abrasive surface that took rubber nearly as soon as the feature event came to life, Cox would make some swift moves as he worked into the fifth position where he would run most of the race. As tires continued to wear out, Cox would see his right rear go with four laps left in the race as he would be credited with a 13th place finish.
The best run of the week came on Thursday night in Banks, OR at Sunset Speedway. Timing in fourth quickest and running third in his heat race, Cox would move into the Dash where a fifth place finish put him in the third row of the feature event.
On the tight confines of Sunset Speedway where passing was tough, Cox drover a very patient race that saw him inside the top-five from flag to flag. Working into third, Cox would chase after Jason Solwold for second but would be unable to get by as he took the checkered flag in third and landed on the final step of the podium.
The busy week would culminate with a two-day showdown at Cottage Grove Speedway, a facility that Cox has had success at over the years. Timing in second in his group on Friday night, Cox would ultimately find himself in the Dash where a fifth place finish put him in the third row of the feature event.
Working his way up to third, Cox would find himself in the mix battling for the lead until contact in traffic would see his nose wing collapse. With the handling on his car now off, Cox would hang on to a top-five finish as he ended up fifth when the dust settled.
Saturday night’s finale saw Cox again time in second quickest in time trials before issues in his heat race relegated him to starting 11th in the final feature of the week. Getting into eighth, Cox would use a final caution to jump into fifth on the restart where he would close in on Jason Solwold and Buddy Kofoid but would run out of time as he closed his Speedweek out with another fifth place finish.
“I have to thank everyone that made this week possible,” Cox said. “We were fast, but don’t have a ton to show for it. We will get back to work in California this week and hopefully have some breaks go our way.”
The Cox Racing team would like to thank Berco Redwood, Berry Lumber, Trex, PM Truck Repair, Justice Brothers, K&N, LRB, Konnected, A.R.T., Sacramento Theatrical Lighting, College Cyclery, Arai, Racing Optics, All American Powder Coating, Coos Bay Speedway, Swimming Pool Perfections, Tim’s Hot Rod Shop, Shell Shock, Moyle Race Engines, and Manzer Motorsports for their support in 2018!
2018 BY THE NUMBERS: Races-27, Wins-1, Top 5’s-7, Top 10’s-11
ON TAP: Cox will be in action at Placerville Speedway on Saturday night.
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