4/3/2014
Cottage Grove Speedway
Getting Up To Speed With…Kinzer Cox
Getting Up To Speed With…Kinzer Cox
By Ben Deatherage
(Photo Courtesy of Tammy Cox)
In 2014 fans of the Cottage Grove Speedway will see the return of a promising young star after some time away from the racing scene. His name is Kinzer Cox and he will be the newest member to join the famed “Cooper Clan”, as his great-grandfather was Earl Cooper through his mother’s side, as he makes his debut in an IMCA Modified this season. Cox, son of former Modified driver Doug Cox, is a fourth-generation driver as well as a former Kage Kart champion at Cottage Grove Speedway and Salem Indoor Speedway. He would win a Winternational race at Roseburg’s River Arena Speedway and also had the opportunity to race several times with the QRC All Star Tour.
The Cottage Grove High School Senior is hoping to make a big splash this year as he returns to racing after nearly a ten year hiatus. We got the chance to sit down with Kinzer and discuss his plans for this season, what he’s been up to lately, and why he will be in a IMCA Modified. Now let’s get up to speed with Kinzer Cox.
Driver: Kinzer Cox
Home Track: Cottage Grove Speedway
Hometown: Cottage Grove, Oregon
Occupation: Student at Cottage Grove High School
Age: 18
Years Racing: 5
Classification: IMCA Modified
Team: Kinzer Cox Racing
Car: 1K
Chassis: Loose Gruff Chassis
Sponsors: Robert Howell Logging, Razor’s Edge Graphics, Jerry Dills Trucking, C.J. Fire Protection, Will Hunholz, Jerry Robinette Performance Carburetors
Special Thanks: Tammy and Doug Cox (Mother and Father), Kyndal Cox (Sister), Dan and Kimmy Sabin, Mike Miller, Anthony Hopper, Greg McDonald
BD: Kinzer it’s been a while since I’ve seen you race. What have you been up to?
KC: I’ve mostly been hunting and fishing and spending times with friends and family. I’ve really enjoyed spending a lot of time in the outdoors and going camping. I stopped racing in 2004 or 2005 and decided to be involved in some other things. The five years I raced we hit it pretty hard and travelled a lot and I just wanted a break. But I did help a little bit with Greg McDonald’s Modified last year for a couple of races.
BD: Will you be porting over the #1K from your Kage Kart to your IMCA Modified and what is the story of that number?
KC: Yep, I raced the #72 the first year in Karts because that was my dad’s number. After I won my first championship my dad surprised me and put the #1K on my Kart and it’s kind of stuck with me ever since.
BD: What got you interested into stepping into an IMCA Modified versus some of the other classes that are offered at Cottage Grove?
KC: Well I like how competitive the class has been in the last few years and I think the IMCA racing is going to be a pretty good challenge. I feel like l can learn from a lot from those guys and become a very good driver. My dad raced Mods when I was younger even before I was born but he never won a main event and I feel like I want to do that for him.
BD: Who were some of your racing heroes growing up at the track?
KC: Most definitely my dad growing up but when I was in the Karts I really like watching Brendan Boyce. I also really liked watching Dale and Marvin Smith in the 360 Sprints.
BD: Have you set any specific goals for yourself for this year?
KC: I think my main goals are to make as many races as I can, have fun, and try and be a contender for rookie of the year. I’m going to take it one weekend at a time.
The Cottage Grove Speedway is set to host a test and tune play day on Saturday April 5th while the first race of the year is planned for the following Saturday on the 12th. Log on to www.cottagegrovespeedway.com for news stories and articles related to the upcoming 2014 campaign.
Submitted By: Ben Deatherage