Cotriss races through learning curve
There was a time early in his racing career when Jesse Cotriss felt he was like an "egg out of its shell." All that is behind him now as he has progressed over the last three seasons into a competitive DIRTcar Sportsman driver at Ransomville Speedway.
Cotriss joined this open-wheel class in 2007 and picked up his first points-paying feature race victory at Ransomville quickly, on June 13, 2008. This season his team has collected a few top-five finishes and he has rebounded from an opening-night crash, May 8.
"When I haven't hit the wall, I've put together some nice finishes," Cotriss said with a laugh. "This is my third year of driving in the Sportsman class and I've got to thank my car owners, Buzzie and Sharon Livermore, for giving me the opportunity to drive their car. I owe everything to them.
"As a teenager I raced motorcycles at Geneva, Batavia and Medina and got wins but it made my parents nervous. With the limited protection that a motorcycle offers my dad said that I was an egg out of its shell.
"I raced motorcycles from the time I was young and raced both motorcycles and Street Stock cars from the time I was 16 until I was 18. When I was 18, I quit motorcycles."
The path of how Cotriss landed his DIRTcar Sportsman ride in the Livermore Bicknell No. 55c entry proves that timing can be everything.
"In 2006, Dave Stolzenburg Jr. was racing Street Stocks for Buzzie and Sharon and the plan was for them to move up to the Sportsman class in 2007," Cotriss said. "They bought the Sportsman car and then Dave decided he didn't want to race anymore. I was preparing at that time to buy a used 358 Modified from Scott Kerwin and convert it into a Sportsman car for myself.
"The night before I was set to buy the Kerwin car I attended a sponsorship appreciation party at Buzzie's house for the Livermore team. Dave referred me to the Livermores and they asked me if I would like to drive their Sportsman car for the 2007 season and it all came together like that."
The team spent most of 2007 jelling and near the end of that season was able to win a race at Ransomville reserved for entrants who did not win a feature earlier that season. Cotriss enjoyed his maiden DIRTcar Sportsman season and has been driving for the Livermores since.
In addition to his racing activity at Ransomville, Cotriss also campaigns on the traveling Lucas Oil Sportsman Shootout Series, qualifying for three out of five races in 2007 and all five scheduled events last season.
"For me to be driving an open wheel Sportsman car is a dream come true," said Cotriss, 30, of Akron. "I always thought I would be in a full-fendered car. I never thought that due to the cost that I could be in this division. I believe that we have a top-five car that is capable of winning. When I won my first point race at Ransomville last season it sure was a proud moment."
Cotriss is the son of former stock car racer Bill Cotriss. The elder Cotriss retired before Jesse was born. Bill made sure he brought his son to the races at Ransomville as often as possible.
"I can't thank my dad, mom [Cathy] and my brother Chris enough for all their support of my racing career," said Cotriss.
Cotriss said crate engines of the sort used to power his car are very affordable. He would like to see some restrictions put on the use of some of the costlier lightweight driveline parts used by some crate motor teams because that nullifies some of the economy savings brought about with the crate program.
Elsewhere, fans of asphalt Modified racing will be busy this weekend as both the Sunoco Race of Champions Modified Tour and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour invade the area. The ROC tour visits Wyoming County International Speedway on Friday night for WCIS's biggest race night of 2009. Spencer Speedway in Williamson (Rochester area) will host the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event Saturday night.
"In the past we ran the ROC race on Father's Day weekend, but this year I decided to move the event to July 10 to coincide with the fact that the NASCAR Whelen series is close by," said WCIS promoter James J. Majchrzak.
"In the past, several top NASCAR Whelen drivers like Eric Beers, Matt Hirschman and others have supported our ROC race very well and with them being in the area this weekend, I hope several will come to our race."
The ROC race has drawn large crowds to WCIS. Majchrzak is hoping for good weather as the ROC event was washed away by rain at WCIS in 2008. Charity is also part of the weekend plans at WCIS.
"We are hosting a "Relay for Life' here on Saturday and Sunday of this weekend to help raise money for cancer research," said Majchrzak. "Starting around noon Saturday, participants will walk around our track. We will illuminate the track so that they can walk right through the night with the relay ending about 10 Sunday morning. Our campground will be open for the entire weekend."
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