Reason To Be Hopeful At
Southern Oregon Speedway
It's a slow time for news at Southern Oregon Speedway, but there are a few things to talk about. For starters, the awards banquet will be taking place in January. The date will be announced soon. Originally, November was to be the month, but the January time frame will work better. Come January, the 2017 schedule should be set, and this will likely be a topic for the Outlaw Kart and big track racers at the banquet. Being considered at this time is the possibility of separate banquets for the Outlaw Karts and the big track racers.
Speaking of Outlaw Karts, the off season does not mean that some of the Medford stars aren't racing some place. Indoor racing in Roseburg will surely be supported by several Medford stars. Last year, Natalie Richard won the Beginner Box Stock championship, while Bodee Weiser was the Box Stock champion. Dillen Lausen just barely lost the 250 Karts championship. Fans looking for a racing fix can head to Roseburg to see some of Medford's best Outlaw Kart racers, or they can head to Redbluff, which attracts some of the best of the best in Kart racing in multiple classes.
With two races into the Red Bluff season, and Mike Wheeler had to make a charge from winning the C Main, second in the B Main and second in the Main Event in the opener 500 karts. One of the rising stars of Medford racing, Tanner Holmes, has now recorded back to back third place finishes in the 250 Karts. Tanner's sister, Carley Holmes, took it up a notch from fifth in the Box Stock opener to victory in the next race. Two other Medford regulars, Natalie Richard and Trevor Grimes, made both Main Events, though they didn't fare that well from there. Trevor's younger sister Kiley Grimes continues to gain valuable experience with a pair of Top 10's in the Beginner Box Stock class.
Watching the Beginners Box Stocks at Southern Oregon Speedway this year was an interesting experience. These are the kids making their first ever laps in a race car. In some cases, the thought of getting into a race car and being on the track was so intimidating that the kid decided not to race. Kiley Grimes got over her fear by making laps at the Kart track located at the family fun center. She was scared at first, but that fear turned to excitement about going racing. She may not have been the fastest driver on the track, but she got faster and more confident with every start. She ended the season as the champion.
The key to any successful Outlaw Kart program is gaining new drivers and watching them graduate to the next level. There are a couple of drivers who have demonstrated their ability so well in the Beginner Box Stock ranks that they will likely be seen in the Box Stock class in 2017. The good news is just how many newcomers jumped into the Beginner class this year, including K. Grimes, Thomas Whipple, Roger Whipple and Malachi Johnson. It was nice to see so many new drivers for the last couple races, and one might ask if some sort of orientation program for the new drivers might be doable in an effort to teach them some of the basics. In any event, having so many new divers is an encouraging sign for the future of the Outlaw Kart program for Southern Oregon Speedway.
After his second straight Box Stock championship, Trevor Grimes has been busy racing his Box Stock in Red Bluff with 2014 champion Carley Holmes and a very talented field. It is anticipated that Grimes will have a few new challengers if he's back for a run at three in a row, but might be be ready for the challenge of a 250 Kart? The Weiser boys, Bodee and Braden, took the plunge this season, and Bodee won the championship as well as a Main Event. It's always nice to see the "farm system" at work. At the end of the season, Devin Felix moved up from Box Stocks to 250 Karts and won his heat race that night. Devin was at Red Bluff recently and managed to use a third place finish in the C Main to move into the B Main, while teammate Brenden Bartlett finished 11th in the Main Event.
Medford does have a competitive 250 Kart class that could produce double digit car counts as the Weiser boys, Bartlett, Enrique Jaime, Braden Corey and Tanner Holmes were among those battling at the front this year. The bigger question may be what is the status of the 500 Kart class? Kart count wasn't great, but the quality of racer with 500 Karts in the area is top notch. If we can turn the downward trend of recent years around, the battle up front between drivers like Mike Wheeler, Tanner Holmes, Merissa Henson, Jeffery Hudson, Johnny Burke, Chase Hill, Brody Sim and others would be an entertaining show for the fans.
With the newcomers getting into the Beginners class and the 250 Karts still doing okay, there is reason to be optimistic going into the new season. The building blocks are there to make 2017 an even better season at the Outlaw Kart track. The smaller track has served an important role in producing new stars for the bigger track, and that continues to be the case. The off season is in full swing, and there are a few bits of information to report, some of which has to do with young stars coming up from the Karts.
The plan for 2017 calls for a continued Winged Sprint Car presence at Southern Oregon Speedway. Wherever Promoter Mike McCann has gone, if a Sprint Car division wasn't part of the roster, it was added. The open nature of the rules last season was put in place in an effort to see who was there and who wanted Sprint Car racing at the track. Jake Wheeler was the champion. The last time the track had a division of its own with a track champion was 2010. There were definite challenges in starting the class. It was decided to book a schedule that made it easier for the 360 Sprint drivers to support, but there ended up being a segment of drivers in that group who did not support for various reasons. By season's end, several Limited Sprint drivers had voiced an interest in supporting the track.
The question of whether enough interest was there to support a Limited Sprint Car show was answered when ten drivers came for a Limited Sprint race that was organized by David Hibbard. Though the track is leaning in that direction for the coming season, there is a desire to figure out a way to incorporate the supportive 360 Sprint racers like Wayne Kniffen, Aaron Miller, Jeremy Lowe and Todd Whipple into a level playing field. As for the Limited Sprint side, the roster already includes D. Hibbard, son Bailey Hibbard, Camden Robustelli and Jeffrey Hudson. There are other new drivers rumored to be a part of things, showing that this class could be a place for the young stars of racing.
We already know that Top 5 Mini Stock and Outlaw Kart racer Merissa Henson has a Limited Sprint. The rumor mill has Outlaw Kart star Tanner Holmes making a move to the class as part of the overall plan to eventually get him into a 410 Sprint. Other cars are reportedly being built, and one of the Kart names rumored to be a future Limited Sprint racer is Braden Cory. We're sure to hear lots of rumors, but what is true and what isn't won't become apparent until the new season draws nearer.
The IMCA rumor has been floating around in some circles since before this season ended. They are saying that the track will drop IMCA sanctioning in 2017. The reality is that the track hasn't dropped anything and the track will continue to feature both Modified divisions on the upcoming schedule. Drivers have been advocating the importance of the sanctioning, and this will be their chance to show how important it really is by being there on race night. Ultimately, the biggest indication of the importance of IMCA sanctioning is a strong car count, and while the roster continues to grow in Sport Modifieds, it is known that the roster of Modifieds in the area is in the 30's. Getting them to the race track is another matter as sometimes real life issues sideline racers.
The biggest news in the IMCA Modified ranks effects the Sport Modifieds as well. Jorddon Braaten is moving up after a highly successful three year run in Sport Mods that saw him win two track championships in a row and this year's IMCA State and Northwest Sport Mod Challenge Series titles. He establishes himself as the driver to beat in the rookie race, and you also can't count him out in the battle to beat seven time Modified champion Mark Wauge, this year's "Rookie Of The Year" James Welschonse, two time champ Albert Gill, Duane Orsburn and the rest for the 2017 championship.
Looking at the Modified division, it's not really an issue of getting new drivers as much as it is getting the drivers who already have cars back to the track for the regular shows. Various things effected that this season as drivers weren't racing too much due to family and work related issues that effected their ability to go racing at all. One driver who had intended to compete every week was sidelined due to a work related injury. When all of this is taken into consideration, there is optimism that there will be stronger driver support for the coming IMCA Modified season.
There are a few tidbits from the IMCA Sport Modified division this off season. Coming off of his championship winning season, Mike Medel knows the competition level will just go up higher in 2017. He's also hoping to put it in the winners circle more often, so he has a new car coming from Ryland Racing. When you have David Marble, Willie McFall, Rich McCoy, Bob Nelsen and Duane Melven among the competitors on your roster, you have to have everything dialed in. Early speculation has Medel, Marble and McCoy at the top of the list of championship contenders. A.J. Parker wants to be on that list too following his Top 5 season, so he is also getting a new car ready for the coming season.
After back to back Top 5 seasons in Dwarf Cars, including a near championship season this year, Kalvin Morton has a Sport Mod and has already racked up some impressive results in just a few starts. He will embark on his rookie season, and much like 2016 "Rookie Of The Year" David Marble, he could also be a championship contender. Marble and McCoy won't be the only past Mini Stock champions on the roster next season. Toby Judd finally got his car up and running late this season. As the IMCA Sport Modified division enters its sixth year, speculation is that car count is ready to enter double digit territory on a regular basis.
The Open Stock division was created in an attempt to see what Stock Cars were still out there that didn't quite fit into the Pro Stock rules set. In recent seasons, the track had Street Stocks and even Late Models. Though both divisions faded, word was that there were still drivers with cars legal for both divisions who were interested in coming back to Southern Oregon Speedway. The Open Stock division was introduced in an effort to find out what was still there that could be built on. There was no Street Stock support, but Late Model drivers stepped up, led by Mike Linder and the Dees Family (Bob, John and Garrett). Word was slow to get out that the Open Stocks included Late Models, but once it did, people started talking.
From the shop of Rapp Racing came Super 4 star Dustin Knight in his Late Model debut in the season finale. Knight was off in another time zone with a dominant victory in that race, automatically setting him up as the driver to beat next season. Reports from Rapp Racing suggest there are other cars on the way, though no names have come out yet. Three names we've heard have been looking for Late Models are Jon Trenchard, Mike Johnson and Rocky Nash, though we've only heard of them looking. Nash is reportedly looking for somebody else. The other driver to watch is Nathan Augustine. The team enjoyed their visit to Medford this season and will be free to race more often. Though much of what we've heard is speculation, we will hear who is really coming as the season draws nearer.
The four cylinder classes for the most part did well. The Mini Stocks may have been the MVP class of the year with the most loyal support of any of the regular divisions at the track. Word is that most of this season's regulars will be back next year. Bob Burkett carried the experience advantage over the field of new or relatively new competitors. Should he return, he can expect the competition to be tougher, and that may include David Steele as a regular from the opening week. Rumors circulated of big rule changes for 2017, but there are no plans to make changes that will cost the racers a bunch of money. The desire is to keep the field competitive and build up the car count. Four drivers have won all of the Main Events during the last two seasons, but with racers like Andrew Hall, Kristopher Mix, Dillen Lausen and Eric Hanson in the pack, there's a good chance there will be new winners next season.
The return of the Super 4's division was impressive. When the division was led to the pavement in 2012, there were still a few drivers hoping to save the effort. John Barger went down with the ship and was one of the drivers leading it back this year. Lee Doty led the charge and was as interested in getting more cars as he was winning. Doty is the champion, but the drivers should all be proud of the ten car fields produced for the last two races. When the track took a chance on this division, what sort of support was going to be offered was unknown. Bill Spencer, Charlie Eaton, Dan Prewitt, Eric Aos, Terry and Krista Hadley and all of the drivers can be proud of what they accomplished as a group. More cars are coming, and the outlook for the coming season is for even more competition on the track.
Though there is plenty of reason to be optimistic heading into the fourth season of Hornet racing at Southern Oregon Speedway, this season would have to be classified as sightly disappointing. In saying that, the reality is that it will be back. The schedule was light to begin with because management was unsure what the car count would be as they only produced one field of six cars in two years of racing. However, two races were added after rainouts to keep them at six races. Even with a small purse being paid, the class only hit six cars twice and was unable to set a new record in car count at seven. Tim Hedges came in and used consistency to win the championship over the two Main Event winners, Bo Shields and Derrel Nelson Jr. Hedges has announced plans to field three cars next season, and Nelson is considering options on how to better support the class. There are other cars said to be in the works, so there is reason to be optimistic of the best season yet for this division. It is the most affordable option for new racers to go racing.
Now is certainly not the time to add new divisions. There would have to be a very compelling reason to even consider that. However, there's no reason the SODCA Dwarf Cars, Outlaw Pro Stocks or even the OTRO Hardtops won't be a part of the 2017 schedule. In fact, all will likely continue to be there. Car count was down slightly for the Dwarf Cars, but the racing continued to be close and exciting all season long. In fact, Brock Peters only beat Camden Robustelli by one point in a close championship battle. The SODCA drivers want to continue to race in Medford, and planning is under way to make it happen. Dwarf Cars have been a part of this track going back to the early years. It's sort of a time of transition for the group as new drivers join the roster.
If the OTRO Hardtop racers want to come play in the dirt again, it's likely that they will be welcomed back. It's hard to imagine not having Pro Stocks on the schedule too. Because the drivers are so dedicated to the class, the Outlaw Pro Stock Association was formed to preserve the division when management at the time tried to force them into the Sport Modified division. While the association prepares to crown Steve Borror champion and makes plans for the coming season, there is a strong contingent of racers who want to race at Southern Oregon Speedway. Lots of rumors are floating around at the moment, but Pro Stock racing will continue at the track in 2017. If it can be done in a way in which all of the stars and cars the fans know are in town for each race, that is the goal. Rumors abound at the moment, including the idea that the Billy Geyer Memorial race could come to Medford and the idea that Pro Stocks would be forced into the Open Stock class. There is no truth to the second rumor. Pro Stocks will remain their own division at Medford.
The bottom line is that this past season offered plenty of things to be proud of. The celebration date for the drivers, or dates if this turns into a separate banquet for the Outlaw Karts, should be announced soon. Look for early January to be the time period. By then, we'll know what the schedule will look like. Plus, planning will be well under way to make next season the best that fans of Southern Oregon Speedway have seen in years. When you look at it, there are plenty of reasons for racing fans to be optimistic for good things to come in the future.
An Honest Assessment On The State Of Southern Oregon Speedway
We're a month and a half removed from racing at Southern Oregon Speedway under the new management of Mike McCann. Some people were still in disbelief over the change. This led to rumors that circulated in some circles that John Skinner was the one really in charge and McCann was somehow taking orders from him. These were false rumors. While Skinner was in charge of the race he founded, the 21st Anndual Lon Skinner Memorial, that was the extent of his involvement with the racing program.
When you come into a track that has been struggling in recent years the way this track has, you have to resist the temptation to want to walk away when things don't show the obvious signs that it's all turning around. Though there are some signs that things are coming around, there is an understanding that much work needs to be done to bring out the true potential of this 21 year old racing facility.
When Skinner opened the gates for racing's return to Medford after a seven year absence in 1996, numbers were good. Drivers and fans had to travel to neighboring Yreka, California for their racing fix, and they were hungry to go racing at their home track. Suddenly, they had that option again and they were excited about it. Four of the core divisions we still have today, IMCA Modifieds, Outlaw Pro Stocks, Mini Stocks and Sprint Cars, were a part of that, while Dwarf Cars had their visits.
Car counts grew. Even into the 2000's, the track had strong car counts for Modifieds, Minis and Pro Stocks that required B and sometimes C Main Events. Dwarf Cars had high numbers as well, and the track added a thriving Super 4 division. As the track hit the mid 2000's, things were still solid, peaking in 2007. Then, the bottom fell out. Since 2007, it's been a down hill struggle to get us where we are this year.
What happened? Some have suggested the economy was to blame. The revolving door of general managers? Some have suggested Skinner should have walked away for somebody else a long time ago. Who would have taken it that could have done better? The track eventually gave up on Sprint Cars, which was never a favorite of management to begin with. Street Stocks were attempted, botched and then dropped. Late Models were given a shot as well.
The came the IMCA sanctioning. In 2012, management made the baffling decision that they were adding B Modifieds, which in itself is not a bad move. However, it was made at the expense of the established Pro Stocks. Wanna race at Medford with your Pro Stock? Switch to a B Modified. The answer to that demand was the formation of the Outlaw Pro Stock Association. You might wonder why a souped up Street Stock division needed an association. Well, if that's the only way you can keep it going, you do what you have to do. Yreka was happy to have them.
The Street Stock experiment, which should have worked, had peaked by then and would sort of coast for a couple more seasons before being dropped. The Super 4's were a good division, but a disagreement with management led them to take it to the pavement of Roseburg in 2013, though the track technically had one more season. Numbers were pretty bad by then as the track had a struggling Sport Modified class along with the IMCA Modifieds, Mini Stocks and visits from the Sprint Cars.
Coos Bay promoter Chuck Prather came into the picture in 2013 with high hopes of making something happen. As the man who ran a Sprint Car program, he imported those cars to Medford and had a series for two seasons between the two tracks. Though it never quite popped, he knew the potential Sprint Cars have at the track. The problem was, the IMCA Modifieds continued to struggle, perhaps a bit impacted by the new Sport Modified division. Mini Stocks were still there, but car count took a hit. The track had completely given up on Street Stocks and Late Models as an option, but Dwarf Cars and Pro Stocks had regular visits.
Prather left Medford in frustration in 2015, and Skinner marked his 20th year at the track by handling things himself. It was a mess by then. A night where you might have Mini Stocks, Modifieds and Sport Modifieds might get a half dozen cars in each class. To compensate, they would run more than one heat race in each class. While that was happening, Pro Stocks and Dwarf Cars delivered car count on their nights, and the Modified car count might pop if extra money was thrown at the drivers.
Therein lies one of the problems McCann has to deal with now. There is a belief that more money should be paid to the IMCA Modifieds and the new Sprint Car class. Drivers were obviously willing to park and race nowhere to prove that point. If the track closes because of it, it's not their problem. That logic may be flawed, but it was happening. While it may be nice to pay big purses, when attendance is far below the required numbers, just keeping the gates open becomes more important. This has led to comments that management does not advertise or that they don't care, which is untrue. Somebody had to eat the financial loss for the 2016 season. That somebody was McCann.
Put simply, it took years to put this track in the condition it is in. It will take some time to to bring it back around. So, what was accomplished this season in that goal? Management offered a consistent purse to every division that competed. It was a guaranteed purse regardless of how many cars were there. With the skilled track prep of Jim Rodgers, the racers got a smooth and consistent race track and fans didn't have to deal with dust blown in their faces. These are important ingredients in the plan to turn it around.
A consistent program was offered. Understand that with anything there will be some glitches, but the track ran on a schedule with the intent of getting the races done at a decent hour. There is no reason to have fans sitting in the stands all night waiting for the races to end and some fans leave early if the show drags. When they leave unhappy, they sometimes don't come back. The idea is to leave the fans happy and wanting more.
This did not always happen, but it happened most of the time. Unfortunately, the Haudenshild Tribute Race in May dragged on. One of the biggest car counts and fan attendances, and it dragged. Just to set the record straight, management was not smiling about this race after it was over, because the racing program didn't go well. Everybody went back to the drawing board to see that it didn't happen that way again. You also have to understand that even with the best plans, things go wrong.
There was a clear message sent back to management at the next race when a six division show at the first June race produced just 31 cars. It was the lowest point of the season. The night was hoped to be one in which the Sprint Car division would make a big statement. Well, they did, but the four car field that turned out that night sent a message that drivers still weren't completely on board with this concept. The four car IMCA Modified field that night was just as disappointing. Despite the IMCA sanctioning that some racers swear by in an area known to have at least 30 cars, four of them came to race that night.
The season went on as scheduled. There were some early rainouts, and the controversial heat out in August. Though management took criticism, Willamette Speedway joined Southern Oregon Speedway in canceling that night due to excessive heat. As the season went on, the crew was able to keep things going on schedule, and the racers in all divisions did a good job of putting on an entertaining show for the fans. Progress was made at Southern Oregon Speedway.
Though there is much work to do to build the program up where it needs to be, there is reason to be optimistic. Car counts were okay in some classes and could be better in others. One of the nice things about Southern Oregon Speedway is the fact that there is a training ground for the next generation of racers. It's the one-eighth mile Outlaw Kart track that has been around since 1998.
Through the years, some big events have been held on that little track. Racers like Kyle Larsen and Rico Abreu even competed there. If there was any doubt about the potential of this track, the Vern Wheeler Sr. Memorial race should end those doubts. Some 60 Kart racers competed that night, and the bleachers were packed with fans. It was by far the highlight of the season at that track.
There's been some question about management's commitment to the tack, but McCann's record of promoting Kart racing for decades speaks for itself. Through the years, McCann has even built tracks specifically for Kart racing. The biggest challenge this year in all of this was the fact that documents weren't signed making McCann the official promoter until March of this year, giving him just two months and still some bad weather to get ready. Naturally, the big track became the priority.
What was learned at the outset was that much like the big track, the smaller track's car count has been in decline in recent years from earlier glory years. The fact that Bob Fredrickson and his crew were able to make the last couple of seasons happen at all with those challenges was a credit to their dedication. This season was about finding out what was left and building things back up from there. The immediate goal was to get Karts back on the track again.
Working for the track was the decent car counts in Box Stocks and 250's. Unfortunately, the 500's are down as drivers have more money tied up in their Karts and therefore want bigger payouts. The 125's have pretty much died out, and there currently is no 600 Micro class. This is what McCann had to work with, and Kart count hovered near the 30 car mark at the other races.
There was frustration expressed by Kart racers when three of the eight races were lost to rainouts and one to excessive heat. None of those races were rescheduled, leading to some people questioning the commitment management had to Kart racing. This should not be the case. Valuable information was gained this year that will be applied to next season. It will lead to a better program. However, thdis will only work with the support of the racers.
One of the most encouraging signs for the future was the double digit car counts the Beginner Box Stock division had in its final two races. You need new drivers getting into Kart racing, or you have no future 250 and 500 racers. A couple of these Beginners have clearly demonstrated their ability well enough to move up to Box Stocks. The Beginner Box Stocks alone is reason to be optimistic. Now is the time to seize on this opportunity to build a stronger Outlaw Kart show.
The thing about a Beginner class is you have a little boy or little girl who is still learning virtually everything about racing. Even when to get on it and when not to is a challenge. When do you start racing and when do you slow down? If any class got a bit hectic this season and on the verge of out of control, this was the one. It's understood when you consider these kids were being told what to do by several people, and sometimes the information they received conflicted with what others were saying.
Playdays will hopefully happen in 2017. Only one was scheduled and then rained out this year. Hopefully, there will be two or three scheduled next year as you can count on rain ruining at least one of them. Both tracks will be going, but a playday could be the perfect opportunity for rookie orientation for these youngsters. Putting the right person in charge of this and having the kids sitting in the bleachers and learning before getting on the track could be just the thing. Use a black board and on track instruction as well.
The advantage to this is these children are smart. Give them a chance to learn the basics, and they will show you what they can do. If the Beginners class comes into 2017 as strong as it looks like it could be, having a Beginners Box Stock official/instructor all season long may not be a bad thing. Teach them early, and you will have some young racers who will make you proud in the years ahead.
We watched the "farm system" at work when one Box Stock racer jumped into a 250 Kart by season's end. Another one split time between both classes, and another one has clearly demonstrated that they are ready to move up as well. The 250's held steady in count at about ten, and the racing in that division was pretty good. The fact is, Beginners, Box Stock and 250 Karts are all doing okay and are showing great potential to do better.
This still leaves the top of the program. The 500 Karts are technically the headliners, but other than the Vern Wheeler Sr. Memorial, support was lacking. It's more expensive to run one of these Karts. There is interest in having 600 Micros, but can a car count be produced here? There are plenty of 500's in the area, so this is the area of focus. Get the drivers back to the track. You work with the building blocks that are there. One might push for 600's or the new Mini Late Model class, but you are basically starting a class from scratch in this case. Car count is needed now, and the 500's are out there.
Numbers would suggest that hitting the ten Kart mark in the lower three divisions is likely, but it will take some work to get the 500 Karts to that level. You need that faster division as an enticement to get fans to spectate. Indicators are that the Outlaw Kart program will grow next year, and they will have a better schedule. Management made an effort to avoid booking over Cottage Grove dates, but it was later realized that Cottage Grove is not really a factor at Medford. Yreka is more of a factor, but they prefer to run their Kart programs before the big track races on Saturday. The Medford Kart racing happens on Friday.
Can a working relationship be cultivated between Southern Oregon Speedway and Siskiyou Motor Speedway? Ideally, that would be nice, but there are challenges in making that happen. Traditionally, Yreka has been that option for the disgruntled Medford racer. The philosophy of promoting is different. Medford has a promoter running the track as a business. Yreka has an association running the track and is simply interested in keeping the gates open, not maintaining a business. As long as bills get paid, it's all good in Yreka. Also, both tracks run Saturday nights. If one of them were to go Friday night racing, a working relationship would not only be more possible, it would be an imperative.
There is also the potential for back and forth visitation. The IMCA Sport Modified racers have demonstrated a willingness to travel. The Yreka IMCA Modified effort didn't really exist unless it was a special show or Medford drivers came to race. There was more Medford Mini Stock support at Yreka than Yreka at Medford. If you get into a "what's in it for me" philosophy, Medford has no reason to make any overtures in this area. The cars are in Medford. Unless you are looking at the long term potential gain, it may be difficult for Medford to sit down at the table.
Ten divisions competed at Southern Oreon Speedway in 2016. We'll jump right into the big topic, IMCA sanctioning. Some racers swear by it. Is it really worth it, and is it really gaining cars at Medford? If you truly look at the numbers, you can make a case both ways. Car count clearly was not up in 2016, but there were plenty of drivers supporting the show who were enticed by whatever the lure of IMCA was to them. Rumors have circulated that IMCA will be dropped in Medford. Those rumors are false. It will be back in both Modified divisions.
The hope is that car count will be up in both classes in 2017. The known roster of Modifieds is into the 30's, though some racers stayed home all season last year. The IMCA Sport Modifieds were up slightly in their fifth season, though not where it probably should be. However, it had a loyal base of support from the racers who did support it. Medford racers held the top two spots in the Oregon State point race and a Medford driver won the North West Sport Mod Challenge championship.
A strong Modified presence is important to the 2017 program. There is word of new drivers in both classes, and optimism is high. The challenge in the Modified class will be getting support for dates that are booked, knowing that if they throw a few extra dollars at the purse up north some racers may head up there in hopes of winning. Some big names may not support all of the races but this is the perfect opportunity for new stars to emerge. The show will go on.
Four cylinder fans have to be pleased by one of the strongest Mini Stock seasons the track has had in recent years. Several newcomers bolstered the ranks. Though the experienced drivers dominated the win column, the newer drivers are poised to have break out seasons in 2017. Another point of excitement was the return of the Super 4 division. The last two events hit the ten car mark, and more cars are on the way.
Hornets have been a challenge to establish. Management gave the division a purse this season. The bad news is car count still never popped. The good news is car count matched the division's record high twice, and more cars are being built for the 2017 season. Hornets are the most affordable avenue for new competitors to go racing at the big track.
Dwarf Cars and Pro Stocks were both on the schedule often last season, and this will continue to be the case in 2017. Both divisions have been an important part of racing at the track for years. Without Pro Stocks, there is no established V8 Stock Car class, and it is a presence that is needed in the area. Numbers might have been down slightly in both classes, but they continued to produce the biggest car counts at the track.
This leaves Open Stocks and Sprint Cars, the two "new" classes on the roster. Both divisions had an open nature to their rules, and this was on purpose. Management wanted to know who was there that wanted to race. The biggest hold up in the Sprint Car class came from the full 360 Sprint crowd over the issue of purse money not being high enough. Nobody wanted to look at the declining state of Sprint Car racing in Oregon and the attendance numbers at the track and realize that they might need to make a sacrifice in order to do something good for the sport and the division.
Management's strategy might have been a miscalculation, but it was the best way to go at the time the decision was made. McCann, who has a history of building Sprint Car programs everywhere he has gone, bet on the full 360 Sprint Car drivers supporting and never booked on top of a date at Cottage Grove. The Limited Sprint dates were booked over regularly. What the data shows is that even with a double digit Winged 360 Sprint Car count in the area, most of the drivers won't support unless they get everything they want. They will park and race a couple times a year, if that. Limited Sprint Car drivers, on the other hand, want to race in Medford and demonstrated that well when they hastily booked a late season race and produced a ten car field. Have the racers spoken? Sprint Cars will be in Medford next year, but there is also a desire to make sure the divers who did support this season will have a fair chance to be a part of it if they want to be.
Open Stock Cars basically were Late Models with a pair of Pro Stocks. The hope was that some of the parked Street Stocks in the area would be a part of it. No Street Stocks came. The Open Stock name proved to confuse racers who did not understand that Late Models were legal in this division. What was learned from the Open Stock division was that the interest was clearly in Late Models. The track had tried to do this class within the last ten years, and though there were some good moments, it faded away. Management has a desire to have Late Models again, and the two six car Main Events that ended the season show that there are racers who want a Medford presence as well.
Nobody is going to tell you that Late Models and Sprint Cars had huge success this year, but nobody expected it. This was a year to get the cars back on the track and see what was there. What will be the next move in growing a presence in both classes? Actually, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic when you consider the young racers moving to Sprint Cars next season, and some rather interesting names are looking at Late Models in 2017. So, what does the future look like for these two classes in 2017? It's hard to put a number on it, but it looks good.
What 2016 was about, first and foremost, was reestablishing the racing program at Southern Oregon Speedway. It is a work in progress, and there was no illusion that this was going to be a banner year with record numbers. This was a year to reengergize the base and begin the rebuilding process. In that sense, it was a success, but there is still work to be done. However, the commitment is there. It's going to happen. Next year will be a better season, and even if things won't be perfect, people will like what they see.
