Jefferson Racing News Pit Stops

DCRR Racing Radio Show

A new edition of The DCRR Racing Radio Show looks at Southern Oregon Speedway, among other tracks.

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Jefferson Racing News Pit Stops

There is no shortage of enthusiasm in The Northwest when it comes to racing.  Despite the rainy weather, car shows and other gatherings continue to happen.  In fact, there was recently a car show in Roseburg with several beautiful looking cars on display.  They just had one in Yreka, and there's another one coming up at McDonald's in Yreka on April 2nd.

McDonald's in Yreka is a special place as far as racing is concerned. While this writer is not a big fan of fast food, it's hard not to support a place that supports racing.  McDonald's in Yreka has been the title sponsor of the Mini Stock divisions for several years and will continue to sponsor the divisions this year as well.  We appreciate them for that.

At the most recent car show, McDonald's Mini Stock competitors, Heather Ryan and Ryder Boswell, were there representing the speedway, among other drivers in various classes.  Boswell lost a close battle with Mike Whitaker for second last year, by just eight points.  He lost the 2013 championship battle to Colter Boswell, who won the IMCA sanctioned Sport Mod title last season, a fact that we missed due to lack of availability of the IMCA points on the track website.

C. Boswell was second in the SCMA Sport Mod point battle by just 14 points to Doug Franklin.  This meant that the track had two Sport Mod champions in 2015, which was fitting since both C. Boswell and Franklin drive like champions. 

Back to Ryder Boswell, he and Mike Whitaker might have the 2016 McDonald's Mini Stock championship in their sights, but they will have to be on their game.  If the #67 of David Steele is back for more, he will be tough to beat.  He won last season's title by over 100 points and only lost the 2014 crown by five points.   It must be pointed out that Whitaker was the driver to do beat him, so we know he is capable.  Steele has been fast on the circuit and has made his presence known at neighboring Southern Oregon Speedway as well.

The Mini Stocks are a popular class in Yreka and have been part of the show for several years. There are a few ladies out there running wheel to wheel with the guys, and one of them is Marilyn Yawnick.  Marilyn finished fourth last season and has been Top 5 ranked in three of the last four seasons.  Leslie Cobb had her moments last year, and that was good enough to keep her in front of J.D. Leahy in the race for fifth in the standings.  Tyler Frost was ranked seventh in the standings, and Terry Kendrick was a late season feature winner.  That's a pretty good accomplishment when you consider how often Steele was winning last year.

However, it's a new season and that means new opportunity. What's nice is people have an opportunity to go to the Yreka McDonald's on April 2nd, grab a bite to eat and meet some of the stars of Siskiyou Motor Speedway as well.  The car show will take place from 10 AM to 1 P:M and then the drivers are heading to the race track to make some laps at the open practice. We're not sure what IMCA Modified drivers may come, but we were pleased when the original schedule for 2016 was revised to bring the Modified race date total up to nine.

Given the close proximity of Yreka to Southern Oregon Speedway, drivers in the IMCA Modified class tend to travel back and forth.  Nick Trenchard, who won the SCMA championship for IMCA Modifieds at Yreka last season, and he is a past winner of the prestigious Lon Skinner Memorial race.  Dwayne Osburn, who finished second in the SCMA points, has two Street Stock championships at the track north of Yreka.  You never know who will show up to race in this class, and many of the big names show up from time to time.  Roger Lorenzini himself is a big name in the area, and he finished third in the SCMA point battle for the IMCA Modifieds last season. 

The IMCA Sport Mods had a good showing at the car show with Trevor Tiffee coming home with the "Best In Show" Hardware.  Doug Franklin and Garrett Hamilton, who ranked fourth in the SCMA point race for IMCA Sport Mods, were also at the car show.  Both will be fast this year, and we know we can expect stiff competition from Colter Boswell, Cory Biggs and Randy Wright this year, among others.  There was a Jimmy Lipke sighting on social media as last year's fifth ranked driver on the SCMA point list was showing off the car he purchased through Ryland Racing.

Since Susie Dunn has passed along the information, we can give you the official IMCA point standings now.

IMCA Sport Mod

Colter Boswell    419
Doug Franklin    412
Corfy Biggs    379
Garrett Hamilton 367
Jorddon Braaten    279
Kyle Pitkin    251
James Lipke    231
Randy Wright    225
Chad Wormington 224
Greg Foster    201

IMCA Sport Mod

Nick Trenchard    314
Duane Orsburn    280
Roger Lorenzini    247
Todd Whipple    184
Mark Wauge    183
Josh Cullen    175
Montge Bishoff    161
Kurt Lorenzini    139
James Berry    136   
Zach Fettinger    121   

NW Modified Cup And NW Sport Mod Challenge Grow Bigger

After the recent car show in Yreka, Doug Franklin and Garrett Hamilton joined the ranks of the drivers trying to win some of the prize money being put up for the Northwest Sport Mod Challenge.  Steve Kerstulovich added this class on the heels of the success of the Northwest Modified Cup, and he has already gained IMCA Oregon champion Mike Medel and Southern Oregon Speedway titlist Jorddon Braaten.

The Four tracks represented in the Sport Mod portion of this Series at the moment are Sourthern Oregon Speedway, Cottage Grove Speedway, Sunset Speedway and Siskiyou Motor Speedway in Yreka.  The Yreka track has also stepped in to sponsor $100 towards this series, and word is that a prominent track promoter will be stepping up to put a little into the championship purses of both the Modified and Sport Mod Series.  Signups are still being taken for another 12 days as of this writing (Monday, March 21).

Both division's efforts are still growing, but the Modified Cup is a bit more established as the drivers raced for $2,600 in prize money and $6,000 in contingency awards last season.  This year, more prizes are already being obtained, the purse has nearly doubled and the Top 10 drivers will get a piece of the pie, up from five last year.  The championship looks rather attractive and includes a $1500 paycheck, a championship jacket, a new wrap for the race car, a 100 minute JetStream Aqua Massage and a nice trophy.

Kerstulovich was in Albany, Oregon last Saturday for the Heritage Mall Car Show Presented By JetStream Aqua Massage.  It was an opportunity to get a few more racers signed up for 2016 and make NW Modified Cup apparel available as well.  It was a good day for the series, and Kerstulvich is pleased that over 40 Modified drivers have signed up.  Hopefully, the numbers will grow in both series as this is a win-win situation for the drivers and the sport.  The bigger this becomes, the bigger it will be for the racers and fans.

The Modified series is a bit bigger with nine tracks involved from Washington, Oregon and the Yreka race track.  The entry list is already reading like a who's who of Northwest IMCA Modified Superstars.  Southern Oregon Speedway champion Albert Gill, Yreka champion Nick Trenchard, Willamette champion Collen Winbarger, NW Speedweek champion Jesse Williamson and Sunset Speedway champion Mark Carrell are all signed up.

As we already mentioned in a previous article, the best part about this series is that racers need only pay a $25 signup fee ($20 of which immediately goes back into the series and $5 of which goes into administrative fees).  The rest is handled by Kerstulovich,who grabs all of the results from the various tracks, calculates the points and keeps track of the whole thing.  The racers are then competing for a piece of the point fund and contingency awards pie. 

The potential is there for this to grow, and it has already grown by leaps and bounds since it started.  It's not hard to envision this eventually encompassing the West Coast if the sponsorship and driver support call for it.  As it is, it's the biggest series going for Modifieds in Oregon and Washington, and it will grow in the Sport Mods as well.  There are many great sponsors making this all happen, and you can find out more about the NW Modified Cup/Sport Mod Challenge by, checking out the official website at http://wizard1056.wix.com/nw-modified-cup.

Parades And Fund Raisers In Roseburg

The St. Patrick's Day Parade event went well for the racers representing the Douglas County Fairgrounds Speedway.  Some gorgeous cars were on display.  This was an opportunity for the kids to get their pictures taken with the racers by the cars and get in the cars.  It's events like these that help form a tight bond between the race track and the community.   Racing works best when you have a good relationship with the community.

The new website for Douglas County Speedway at http://douglascountyspeedway.com has gone live.   The Pacific Racing Association is the community organized group that promotes the fast 4/10 mile paved oval.  Racing season opens with a playday on April 23rd and the opener a week later on the 30th.  The season's final point race is September 17th with a date set aside for a week later in case of a rainout.

There are lots of special nights on the schedule with community outreach in mind.  The final race on September 17th is billed as Family Fun Night with a bike giveaway for the kids, who will get in free that night.  If that's not enough, there's also a destruction derby that night.  Other highlights include Mother's night on May 7th where moms get in free, Armed Forces Night on May 21st where all active duty and military veterans get in for a $1 with ID, the Benefit Race on June 23rd where any driver donating half their winnings gets double points and the big West Coast Modified Shootout/K&N Series NASCAR race on August 27th.

Among the divisions on the card this year are the always exciting Late Models, where Brandon Ash is the defending champion after holding off Allen Cress in points last year.  Close Mini Stock racing seems to be a theme at the tracks in the area, and Roseburg's division is no different.  Last year, Tony Shoptaw won the championship by just two points over the tied Dale Roth and Dan Colton.  The Modifieds are a competitive division as Phil Pipgrass beat Herman Pulyer last year in another good championship battle.  The Street Stocks are still alive and well, and Matt Klass enters the season as the defending champion. There is also the PRA Hardtops.

The PRA just did another community event, The Third Annual Roy Harvey Bowling Fundraiser, last Saturday.  Things were said to have gone well.

Pear Blossom Parade Means Racing Season 

Just Around The Corner At Southern Oregon Speedway

Down the road a little bit in Medford, the Pear Blossom Parade is happening on April 9th, and some racers representing Southern Oregon Speedway will be taking part in it.  There is lots of excitement in the air as the popular 3/10 mile clay oval in White City begins its 21st season of racing with Mike McCann as promoter.

There is much to be done to get things ready for the coming season, and McCann is busy putting things into place.  The good news is the rules will stay the same for the divisions that have been there.  No changes are coming other than what IMCA has made with the Modified and Sport Modified rules.  Mini Stocks, Hornets, Pro Stocks and Dwarf Cars are steady as she goes with the rules

The Super 4 drivers are trying to reestablish their rules and won't be too ridged with the rules as long as things are in the spirit.  Sprint Cars are open enough to allow a wide variety of engines to compete as the class gets rebuilt.  The 6 cylinder Hardtop division will pretty much be what is allowed in Roseburg, but on dirt.  The Open Stock class is being started to give Street Stocks and Late Models a place to race while McCann figures out what to do next.  Enough interest could lead to the two classes becoming separate entities.

The drivers wanted IMCA to remain as the sanctioning body, and that is the case.  The concern was that they wanted to run what other tracks were running.  A schedule of nine Modified and 13 Sport Modified dates was booked this year, ensuring that the track champions will be recognized by IMCA and also that the drivers can be a part of the Northwest Modified Cup and Sport Mod Challenge Series.

A newspaper feature back in 2014 mentioned that Jorddon Bratten had an eye toward moving up to the IMCA Modifieds.  At that point, he was already a Street Stock champion.  He won the Sport Mod title that year and repeated a year later.  At this time, Bratten, who is one of the more popular racers at the track, will be trying for three Sport Modified titles in a row.  Jorddon pretty much dominated at Southern Oregon Speedway and Yreka last year, but he didn't win the IMCA State championship because the two tracks are in different states.

To say that Mike Medel is not a true champion is a misstatement.  Mike did not make it easy on Bratten as he was just ten points behind him at the speedway.  Medel, who proudly staked his claim to the Oregon IMCA State championship, was also very competitive in his visits to Cottage Grove Speedway and Sunset Speedway in Banks. Glenn Severson had a nice maiden season in Sport Mods last year with a third in the standings, and he should come back even stronger this year.  Randy Fernandes improved on his Top 10 status of 2014 with a fourth place season last year.  You also have to consider two time champion Dwayne Melvin entering the Sport Mod's fifth season.  New cars are anticipated this season.

The big question is who will be coming back in Modifieds this year?  There are some key names on the roster that he we haven't seen enough of in the past couple seasons.  Even after missing races, six time champion Mark Wauge was still second in the standings and won some big races between Southern Oregon Speedway and Yreka.  If he comes back more often, things could get very interesting.  The same can be said for hard chargers liked Jon DeBenedetti, Brian Poppa and Travis Peery.  All are past champions, and all are very talented racers.  Can you imagine a season with all four of these leadfoots racing full time?  Add in a car from the Duste team, and it would get even better.

Getting more cars to show up regularly as they did in the past will be the key.  There are plenty of good racers out there, and even guys liked Tim and Jesse Bailey are not to be ignored.  Both have run up front with Tim Bailey finishing third in points last season and Jesse finishing second the year before.  Speedway veterans like Zach Fettinger and Monte Bischoff, Brett Provost, Jeremy Ohlde, Eric Mobbs, Andy Freeman and Brian Bowman are all important ingredients to the success of the class.  All of them are primed and ready for their big moment on the race track.

And, of course, you cannot possibly ignore Albert Gill.  Gill is coming off of back to back championships and going for a third one.  He was a past Top 5 Pro Stock racer before that.  And there is one thing to consider.  As good as Albert is now, we haven't even seen his full potential.  The best may well be yet to come for Gill.  Hopefully, this will come with bigger car counts, and indications are that bigger car counts will indeed be the case this year.

SODCA Dwarf Cars and the Valley Boys Auto Pro Stocks have been moving right along with strong car counts and good races whenever they come to town.  Southern Oregon Speedway will see lots of them this season, just as Yreka gets some visits from both.  In the case of the Pro Stocks, young Jeffrey Hudson overtook Scott Flowers for the championship with a great effort in the season finale.   James Flowers was third, and, of course, Ken Irving was Top 5 again as the two time champion was tied with John Cobb for fourth.  2013 champion Dave Everson was busy winning the final race at the speedway.  Indications are that the class will remain strong and competitive this season.

As for Dwarf Cars, Josh King is the man on a roll with back to back championships, but nobody is making it easy for him.  Ryan Smith came within 17 points of beating him in 2014, while Camden Robustelli finished just 24 points back last year.  King knows that if he slips up a little, somebody might overtake him.  With other hard chargers like Fred Hay, Kalvin Morton, Brock Peters, Rob Gergel, Travis Gergel, Jesse Merriman and Kaycee Sheeler in the group, among others, the Dwarf Car class is more competitive than ever.

We're still waiting to see who will be a part of the Super 4 Mini Stock class, but indications are that drivers will be coming from all over the state to try and restart what had been an 11 year tradition.  It's assumed that the Top 3 finishers from last year's one appearance, Lee Doty, John Barger and Charlie Eaton, will be among the competitors.  We'll be keeping an eye on this situation in the days ahead.

The Mini Stocks have a different situation, David Marble, Gary Anderson and Bob Burkett have ranked Top 3 for the past two seasons and pretty much dominated the action.  Burkett has been a  front runner for several seasons, Anderson is the 2014 champion and Marble won it last year.  The question is, will there be a breakout star this year to loosen the grip of the big three?  As the fourth and fifth place drivers last season, Eric Hanson and Mike Cloud are the likely candidates, but what about second year racer Kris Mix, Andrew Hall or Randy Simmons?  It will be interesting to see where this division goes.  The good news is the car count was hitting double digits and on the rise when the 2015 season came to a close.

Hornets are the other question mark.  Car count has struggled, and that has left people wondering about the future of the class.  However, the new promoter wants to build this class up.  Last year, there were multiple nights when six cars showed up.  Drew Fielder was the star of the class and champion, but Mikey Johnson, Neal Coaty and Jason Peeble had their moments.  There were ten different drivers who had cars last season, and one goal this year is to see the class have at least ten cars show up for a race.  The potential is there for this to happen.  The other nice thing about the Hornets is that they will help make new stars at Southern Oregon Speedway.  Of course, the web site for the track is www.sospeedway.com to find out about the latest happenings.  The new site will be going live soon.

Kniffen Coming Back To Sprint Cars 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

There has been much buzz in the air since new Southern Oregon Speedway promoter Mike McCann announced his intentions to start up a Winged Sprint Car Class.  With ten dates booked, it certainly caught the eye of many racers.  A half dozen competitors, including 2010 champion Chadd Noland, Cottage Grove Speedway Sprint Car champion Patrick Dills, Pro Stock champion Jeffrey Hudson, Orland Sprint Car champion Bill Hopper, SODCA Dwarf Car point runner up Camden Robustelli and Top 5 Yreka IMCA Modified racer Todd Whipple, have declared intentions to come race on the fast 3/10th mile banked clay oval this season.

Well, those six will be joined by Wayne Kniffen.  Kniffen just announced his intentions to come back in his #84 Sprint Car.  The Kniffen family has been a fixture at Southern Oregon Speedway since it opened with Wayne's father, Ray Kniffen, and brother, Ray Kniffen Jr,. competing at the track through the years.  In fact, Ray Jr. still runs an IMCA Modified.

Wayne has competed in a few different divisions at the track, going back to the early 2000's in a Mini Stock.  He went from 25th to 19th and then 8th in his third and final season in that class.  He was also the 1999 Mini Stock B Main Champion.  Since then, he's competed in IMCA Modifieds with two Top 20 seasons to show for that and the 2007 B Main Championship.

That wasn't enough to satisfy Wayne's need for speed, which meant he decided to run the Winged Sprint Car division that the track had at the time.  He was ranked 9th in points in 2004.  Wayne has competed here and there with the Sprint Car, but he's decided to return to the speedway this season.  "R & W Racing is looking forward to racing at the new and improved Southern Oregon Speedway this season, " he declared.

Kniffen brings several years of racing experience with him, and he should equate himself very well with the rest of the competition.  The fact is, there is a lot of excitement surrounding the return of the Winged Sprint Car division to the track,  More drivers will be expressing an intent to be a part of the growing division, and there is a big announcement set to be made very soon.  For more information, check the official track website at www.sospeedway.com.

Hayfork, Orland And Other Odds And Ends

It's been quiet in Hayfork as they prepare for the fifth season of racing at the Trinity County Fairgrounds.  Again, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks, Hornets and Enduros will be on the card.  The track hovers around the ten car mark with Hobby Stocks and is in the process of establishing a Mini Stock and Hornets class.  Getting any kind of results from the track seems to be a chore, but there is some social media chatter to work with.

The early July race last year saw Bill Kasper win the Hobby Stock race and J.D. Huffman the Enduro.  The big race they put on at the end of the year is the Clyde Cordell Memorial race.  From the pictures, it looked like they had around ten Hobby Stocks for that season ending race last year and four or five Mini Stocks.  We are having a difficult time tracking down the winner.

This season has 11 dates booked starting with the May 7th event and ending on October 8th, which is probably the Clyde Cordell Memorial again,.  One of the early Hobby Stock stars when the track opened, Josh Davis, has built a beautiful car for the Outlaw Pro Stock class that he is pushing for.  Orland racers are looking for a new home track, and Jim Davis and William Fogle have both expressed interest in racing there some.  Davis has won there in the past.

Orland is sad story as it appears as if the track is done.  Fair officials are pushing for a sports complex and soccer, and part of that project was said to begin this year.  The track could have run the schedule that promoter Adam Zachary had booked, but he decided to pull the plug rather than to give it a go.  His off season decisions, such as dropping Wingless Sprints and merging Mini Stocks and Mini Trucks, did not go over well with the racers, and he never booked an awards banquet for last season.  Word was that Zachary has left the state and gotten married.

The idea that a season could have happened and maybe the track could be saved after that has spurned a few efforts to save things.  Micro Sprint racer Jackie Whitson had reportedly looked into it and moved om.  There was a rumored effort from long time Speedway supporters Dan Webster and John Kirkpatrick to save the place, but no word has emerged regarding any kind of deal.  The clock is ticking, and it doesn't look good.  With no Mini Stocks at Chico or Marysville, the Orland drivers in Mini Trucks and Mini Stocks face a long tow to go racing.  Perhaps an 11th hour move can save the track?  

Outlaw Pro Stocks, SODCA Dwarf Cars And Hornets To Race At Southern Oregon Speedway

Outlaw Pro Stocks, SODCA Dwarf Cars A Part Of 

Southern Oregon Speedway In 2016

Since the gates opened for racing at Southern Oregon Speedway back in 1996, Pro Stocks and Dwarf Cars have been a part of the racing program on the fast three-tenths mile clay oval.  As the track enters the 2016 season, the Valley Boys Auto Sales Outlaw Pro Stocks and the SODCA Dwarf Cars will remain an important part of the schedule at the speedway.

When it comes to past super stars of the Pro Stock division, it doesn't get any better than Medford racing legend Jim Walker Jr. and Frank Word III  Word won an incredible eight championships in a nine year span.  In fact, he was so dominant that past division champion Brian Poppa, who had also won a Modified title at the speedway, had to come back to the Pro Stocks to snap Word's title winning streak at four.  Word went on to win four more after that to reach his total of eight.

In the modern area, the Valley Boys Auto Sales Outlaw Pro Stocks Association is in their fifth season, and they are coming off of a season that featured an incredible three car battle between Scott Flowers and second generation sensation Jeffrey Hudson.  Flowers seemed to have it within his grasp, but it slipped away on the final night as the talented teen Hudson claimed the championship hardware.  Scott Flowers settled for second while James Flowers grabbed the final podium position in third.

Two hard chargers of the division that we hope to be seeing out on the track this year along with 2015's top trio are veterans Dave Everson and Ken Irving.  Everson wrapped up the 2015 campaign last year with an impressive win at Southern Oregon Speedway, and he was also the champion in 2013.  Irving hasn't been outside the Top 5 since the association was founded.  He was fourth last year and second to Everson in 2013.  However, the highlight for the crafty veteran was his 2012 and 2014 championships.

Sometimes referred to as Limited Late Models at other tracks, the Pro Stocks feature some close Stock Car racing on a budget more reasonable than the Late Models that have met on rough times due to the cost of the cars.  Generally, the class brings no less than 12 cars to the track, and they hit the 20's at times last year.  The car count and the quality of racer within the ranks makes the Outlaw Pro Stocks very popular with the fans.

John Cobb is anticipated this season.  In his initial campaign with the group last season, he finished in a tie with Irving for fourth.  Steve Borror was another racer who tasted victory last season, and the Top 10 ranked competitor should be competing this year along with other notables, such as Scott Bennett, Matt Harlow, Rocky Nash and Dave Quick.

As with the Pro Stocks, the SODCA Dwarf Cars do make occasional visits to Yreka and other places, but they call Southern Oregon Speedway their home track.  The Dwarf Cars have had some amazing competitors through the years, and it's hard to get much better than past champions like Jon DeBeneditti and Gary Fitzsimmons.  DeBeneditti has gone on to be a star of IMCA Modified racing, but there are some incredible racers within the Dwarf Car ranks.

And one reason for these competitors to want to be there is because of the Annual West Coast Dwarf Car Nationals event that SODCA hosts at Southern Oregon Speedway on August 4-6.  The very best drivers on the West Coast flock to White City to be a part of this gathering.  The locals have to be on their game as the already high talent level gets taken up another notch.

In 2014, Josh King won a grueling battle with Ryan Smith for the SODCA championship. It came down to the final week with King winning by just 17 points.  In his bid to repeat, he found the competition just as tough when young Camden Robustelli shadowed him all through the season.  King did repeat.  Robustelli was a close second on the heels of his fourth place season of 2014.  One of Camden's bug moments came two years earlier with a big win in the National event at Santa Maria.  This year, he'll also be racing a Sprint Car.

Smith had third for a while last year before falling back to sixth.  Third ended up in the hands of  another talented racer named Fred Hay.  Hay was a feature winner on the circuit last year and ranked fifth a year earlier.  He could be the driver to make a bid to thwart King's effort for three in a row, which hasn't been done since DeBenedotti did it in the late 1990's. Calvin Morton is another driver coming off of back to back Top 5 seasons, and he could step it up a notch this year.

Brock Peters was fifth last season and should be another driver to watch in the hunt.  There's another rising young star in the group named Kaycee Sheeler.  Sheeler improved from tenth to eighth last season and was a threat to win a feature on a few occasions.  She just may do it this season.  Others to watch for include Rob Gergle, Travis Gergle and Jesse Merriman.

Dwarf Car and Pro Stock racing is alive and well in Southern Oregon, and both classes continue to produce great car counts.  Often times, the SODCA Dwarf Cars had the high count at the track last year.  It all comes out on the race track where the racing in both divisions is exciting.  That should continue to be the case.  For further information on the goings on at Southern Oregon Speedway, check the official www.sospeedway.com website.

Pro Stock Champions

1996  Scott Lenz
1997  Jim Walker Jr.
1998  Jim Walker Jr.
1999  Brian Poppa
2000  Brad Alfrey
2001  Jim Walker Jr.
2002  Frank Word III
2003  Frank Word III
2004  Frank Word III
2005  Frank Word III
2006  Brian Poppa
2007  Frank Word III
2008  Frank Word III
2009  Frank Word III
2010  Frank Word III
2011  Dustin Knight
2013  Dave Everson
2012  Ken Irving
2013  Dave Everson
2014  Ken Irving
2015  Jeffrey Hudson

Dwarf Car Champions

1998  Jon DeBenedetti
1999  Jon DeBenedetti
2000  Jon DeBenedetti
2001  Gary Fitzsimmons
2002  Gary Fitzsimmons
2003  Dan Van Acker
2004  Crash Jackson
2005  Jerry Apland
2006  Tom Palazollo
2007  Jim Harsha
2008  Kelly Gutches
2009  Greg Denton
2010  Kelly Gutches
2011  R.J. McGahuey
2012  R.J. McGahuey
2013  C.J. Puttnam
2014  John King
2015  Josh King

Hornets To Swarm Southern Oregon Speedway In 2016

In auto racing, you have to start some place, and the easiest place to start at Southern Oregon Speedway is the Hornet division.  This season, it will be the third classification of Four Cylinder Stock Car racing at the speedway.  The Hornets, sometimes referred to as Four Bangers at other race tracks, began at the three-tenth mile clay oval track in 2014.

The concept of the entry level division is nothing new.  Decades ago, many tracks only ran one class of race car and could pack the pits with cars.  Hardtops, Midgets and Super Modifieds ruled the speedways.  Eventually, the early Model Stock Car was born as a second, entry level division at many tracks, and it evolved into the Late Model through the years as Street Stocks and then Hobby Stocks became the favorite entry level class of speedways everywhere.

Over the past decade or two, more race tracks started to see what others saw in Mini Stock racing.  Southern Oregon Speedway opened its gates in 1996 and included a Mini Stock division as part of the program.  They continue to be a part of the program 21 years later.  Heading into the 2014 season, it was decided that an even cheaper, "bare bones" Mini Stock class was needed, and that was the Hornet class.

A line in the original rule book that sums up the philosophy of the Hornet division reads, "Cars must remain Factory Stock. These are intended to be cars that we race, not race cars."

These are Four Cylinder vehicles.  Cars are to be no more than 104 wheel base.  Trucks to be no bigger than 108 wheel base.  They must be stock frame, body, engine and suspension to the make and model of the vehicle.  No alterations, modifications or additions allowed.  This is a class designed for the novice to get into racing and learn a little without breaking the bank to do it.  

During that first season, about a half dozen cars were built and competed at various times.  Robert Jones, Dale Tarp and Tyler Womack divided the wins amongst themselves.  Womack was a winner late in the season.  Tarp grabbed three wins, and the dominant Jones had six victories.  Not surprisingly, Jones left with the championship hardware.

It seemed like last season saw the division sort of fly in under the radar, but there were actually ten different cars to compete and six car fields were reached on multiple occasion after a slow start.  Drew Fielder won three times, but the points were at least a little closer as second place Mikey Johnson came on strong at the end.  There were more winners as Lon Fox, Jason Peeble and Brian Dickens each got a win of their own.

Promoter Mike McCann is hoping to see this division have a breakout year with more drivers joining the competition.  To meet that end, a more relaxed schedule of six race dates was created to make it easier for more racers to support the races.  It also allows the track to rotate other Mini Stock classes to give all of the racers a chance to recover and prepare for the next race.

The first race is scheduled for May 14 with other dates booked on June 4, June 18, July 30, August 20 and September 17. Optimism is high for a good season for this division and more new cars on the race track.  For further information on this division and other happenings at Southern Oregon Speedway, check the official website at www.sospeedway.com.

Hornets 2015
Drew Fielder    281 (3)
Mikey Johnson    202
Neal Coaty    159
Jason Peeble    113 (1)
Garrett Fredrickson 94
Lon Fox        66 (1)
Brian Dickens    59 (1)
Bob Burkett    56
Heathen Menze1    53
Devin Weiser    52

Hornets 2014
Robbie Jones 418 (6)
Dale Tarp 294 (3)
Tyler Womack 267 (1)
Dale Tarp 114
Elizabeth Shaylor 58
Tanton Swaim 58
Arien Heath 54
Robbie Jones 53
Alan Danielson 52

Hornet Schedule 
May 14
June 4
June 18
July  30
August 20
September 17

Southern Oregon Speedway Retains IMCA Sanctioning For Modifieds

Southern Oregon Speedway Retains 

IMCA Sanctioning For Modifieds

When Mike McCann took over as promoter at Southern Oregon Speedway, he looked over all of the divisions to make plans for this season.  In looking at the Modified and Sport Modifieds, he learned one thing early on from the competitors.  They wanted to keep the IMCA sanctioning.  The oldest sanctioning body for auto racing in the United States, IMCA provides these classes with a good set of rules. The drivers know what they are getting when they show up to compete at an IMCA sanctioned race track.

The Modifieds will run a nine race schedule, which also allows the drivers to visit neighboring tracks and vise versa.  It is hoped that car count will continued to grow.  The Sport Mod drivers get 13 races, which also makes the minimum dates required to be a part of Steve Kerstulovich's NW Sport Modified Challenge Series.  The Series was added after two successful years of the NW Modified Cup, which  Southern Oregon Speedway drivers also get the opportunity to be a part of.

There have been some very talented Modified drivers who have passed through the gates of this race track throughout its 20 year history, and it could be that Albert Gill is the lesser known champion of those drivers.  Gill has sort of flown in under the radar, but he's done so as the two time defending champion.  Gill climbed up through the ranks of the track's Pro Stock division, where he was also a Top 5 driver on multiple occasions.

One of the drivers voicing his desire for IMCA sanctioning was the talented Mark Wauge.  Really, it doesn't matter if the class is sanctioned, unsanctioned or even running wings.  Over one-quarter of the times (6 of the 20 seasons), Mark has left the track as the champion.  He's also won the prestigious Lon Skinner Memorial race once among his numerous feature victories, and he's certainly among the favorites to do it again this year.

The Bailey Team, Jesse Bailey and Tim Bailey, should not be counted out this season.  Tim finished a strong third in the standings last year ahead of Jesse, who has had a string of Top 5 point seasons.  In fact, Jesse was second to Gill in the 2014 point battle.  Not to be forgotten in the mix, as if he could be, was last season's fourth place point runner, Brian Poppa.  Like Gill, Poppa came up through the Pro Stocks, but Poppa actually won a championship there before doing it again in Modifieds.  Brian's impressive credentials includes three wins in the Lon Skinner Memorial race.

The fact is, there are several good racers at Southern Oregon Speedway, making this the place to be for IMCA Modified racing on any night this class is on the schedule.  Two other past champions, Travis Peery and Jon DeBenedetti, were among the competitors last season and are factors when they show up.  Add in other names, such as Zach Fettinger, Brett Provost, Eric Mobbs, Jeremy Ohlde and Monte Bischoff, and you have a competitive Modified division.

The IMCA Sport Modifieds are heading into their fifth season, and perhaps the biggest star in the division at any of the tracks in the area is Jorddon Braaten.  Jorddon backed up his 2014 title with another championship romp last year.  He is also a past Street Stock champion, but last year was an amazing season that saw him win many times at both Southern Oregon Speedway and neighboring Yreka.  Braaten may be hard to beat this year in the track championship battle as well as the NW Sport Modified Challenge.

Two names to keep an eye on are Mike Medel and Dwayne Melvin.  Medel finished second in points last year while also winning the Oregon State IMCA championship.  Melvin had a Top 5 season as well, but he also won the first two Sport Mod titles at the track.  Bob Nelson is another driver to watch.  He was sixth last season following his third place effort a year earlier.  Coming off of a strong third place season of his own last year, ahead of Randy Fernandes, Glen Severson could also be a factor in the championship chase.

The Sport Mod division continues to grow and is poised for its best season yet.  The Modified division has the talent to put on a show to rival any of the tracks in the area.  Put them both together, and under the IMCA banner, and you have a recipe for good things to happen on the fast three-tenths mile clay oval.  Who will come out a winner this year?  The best way to find out is to come see a show.  For more information on these divisions and Southern Oregon Speedway in general, check out the official track web page at www.sospeedway.com.

Modified Champions

1996  Tom Glover
1997  Dennis Silva
1998  Tom Glover
1999  Don Estermado
2000  Mark Wauge
2001  Jay Hinton Jr.
2002  Jon DeBenedetti
2003  Jeremy Richey
2004  Brad Alfrey
2005  Mark Wauge
2006  Brian Poppa
2007  Mark Wauge
2008  Justin Holt
2009  Mark Wauge
2010  Travis Peery
2011  Mark Wauge
2012  Mark Wauge
2013  Dustin Knight
2014  Albert Gill
2015  Albert Gill

Sport Mod Champions

2012  Dwayne Melvin
2013  Dwayne Melvin
2014  Jorddon Braaten
2015  Jorddon Braaten

Two Champions Join The Sprint Car Revival At Southern Oregon Speedway

Two Champions Join The Sprint Car Revival 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

When Mike McCann announced that he was starting a Sprint Car class shortly after taking over the reigns of Southern Oregon Speedway, people began to talk.  There are several Sprint Car drivers in the area who would like to have a home track to race at, and the fast three-tenth mile dirt oval was home to a Sprint Car division for over a decade.  In recent years, Sprint Car racing was mostly booked for the traveling groups that would stop by.

The ten race schedule booked for the coming season will change all of that, and we have roughly ten drivers who have expressed interest in being a part of it.  Two of the latest names come with championship credentials.  Patrick Dills won the Extreme Sprint Car Championship last year at Cottage Grove Speedway on the strength of three feature wins.  He also finished a strong third in the 360 Sprint Car class.

The Sprint Cars haven't had a championship season at Southern Oregon Speedway since 2010.  In an effort to get the cars out there, McCann has made it an open class that will allow the winged and injected 410 and 360 Sprint Cars to race with the carbureted Sprint Cars.  The idea is to get cars back out to the track, though its not likely that the 410 Sprint Cars will appear regularly.

When last the division did have a point season, Chadd Noland won the championship.  Noland has thrown his hat into the ring to be a part of the coming season.  Noland and Dills will be fast, and they join others, including Dwarf Car ace Camden Robustelli, Orland Sprint Car champion Bill Hopper, Jeffery Hudson and Todd Whipple, on the growing roster.  Robustelli and Hudson are two of the rising young stars on the scene, and Hudson is coming off of an impressive Pro Stock championship effort.

There have been some amazing racers who have competed in this division at Southern Oregon Speedway through the years, including multi time champions Dan Menne, Bill Nutter and Randy Rodgers.  The new era means new stars will have their chance to shine, but it could also mean that Noland or Dills could add more championship hardware to their mantles.

The gates will open for the 21st season of racing at Southern Oregon Speedway on April 30th.  When they do, the Sprint Cars will be a part of the show.  It's a night that begins a new era for the track and the popular division.  For more information, check out the official Southern Oregon Speedway web page at www.sospeedway.com.

Three Styles Of Mini Stocks to compete At Southern Oregon Speedway

Three Styles Of Mini Stocks to compete 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

When Southern Oregon Speedway opened up back in 1996, one of the regular divisions of the time was the Mini Stock class. Fast forward to the 21st season, and you'll see that the Mini Stocks are still a part of the program. However, you'll see something else.

The entry level Hornet division will be back for its third season, but that's not all. The Super 4's will also be a part of the coming season. This souped up Mini Stock division had been a part of the program for over a decade, but they have been missing for the past few seasons.

Last season, a few of the Super 4 drivers approached track management about returning and were given a date. It was Lee Doty who picked up the win ahead of past champion John Barger and Charlie Eaton that night.  The event sparked the interest of other drivers to return to the track. A field of 8-12 of these cars is expected when this division gets its first race on May 14th.

If you've been following the Mini Stock division closely over the last couple of years, the three names that will jump out at you are David Marble, Gary Anderson and Bob Burkett. These three drivers have been ranked in the top 3 in the standings these last two seasons and have carved up a majority of the main event victories amongst themselves.

Marble picked up the championship last season, but that honor fell to Gary Anderson the year before. Still yet to win the championship, Burkett has been among the front runners in this division for the past several seasons.

Not to be forgotten in the mix are Eric Hanson and Mike Cloud, who finished fourth and fifth, respectively, last season. Cloud had ranked 6th the year before, and both of these drivers could be factors this season.

The Mini Stock car count had started to rise as the season headed down the stretch last year. Optimism is high that this momentum will continue this season. Word is that several cars are being prepared.

Two years ago, the speedway launched the Hornet division as a way to get new drivers out there. About 10 cars are known to be built at this time, and the record shows that Robert Jones and Drew Fielder are the past two champions. Neil Coaty was another front runner last year, and other competitors included Mikey Johnson and Garrett Frederickson.

Mini Stocks begin their busy season when the track opens its gates for the first time on April 30th. The Super 4 and Hornet divisions have their first race on May 14th. For further information on the happenings at Southern Oregon Speedway, check out the official website at www.sospeedway.com.

Mini Stock Champions

1996  Brian Barns
1997  Scott Holt
1998  Rich McCoy
1999  Tracy Bradley
2000  Tracy Bradley
2001  Tom Lanigan
2002  Mike Johnson
2003  David Bishop
2004  David Bishop
2005  Tony Christopher
2006  Milton Carter
2007  Jim Pope
2008  John Derby
2009  John Derby
2010  John Derby
2011  John Derby
2012  Toby Judd
2013  Steve Goetz
2014  Gary Anderson
2015  David Marble

 Hornet Champions

2014  Robert Jones
2015  Drew Fielder

Super 4 Mini Stock Champions

2003  Brian Barns
2004  Brian Barns
2005  Reggie DeVore
2006  Joe Guider
2007  Jacob Cole
2008  Brian Johnsen
2009  Parker "Hollywood" Jones
2010  Brian Johnsen
2011  Joe Guider
2012  Jamie Guider Newberg
2013  John Barger

Siskiyou Motor Speedway Well Represented At Sportsman's Expo

Siskiyou Motor Speedway Well Represented 

At Sportsman's Expo

The Sportsman's Expo took place in Yreka this past weekend.  It was a chance for the racers of Siskiyou Motor Speedway to display their cars, interact with the fans and distribute the 2016 schedule and information.  Despite the rainy weather, about a dozen competitors came out to support the event.

This included 2015 Yreka Sport Mod champion Doug Franklin, who defended his 2014 championship, but only after a close battle with past Mini Stock champion Colter Boswell.  One of the drivers gunning for Franklin this year is Trevor Tiffee.  Tiffee's beautiful black and teal #19 Rayburn Race Car/Coco's Sushi sponsored entry already got him his first victory of the year.  He won the "Best Of Show" trophy. 

Not only is Trevor going for track championship honors this season, he's also signed up to make a run at the new Northwest Sport Mod Challenge title.  As a past Yreka Sport Mod point runner up, he should not be counted out.

Garrett Hamilton had his pretty yellow and purple #83 Cheffey Machine sponsored Sport Mod on display.  Garrett was a feature winner last season on his way to a fourth place ranking.  Young up and comer D.J. Bottoms had his black #1 Dave Smith Insurance/Round Table Pizza sponsored Sport Mod on display.  D.J. made a good effort last season, and he'll be back to try to step it up a notch this season.

There were also McDonald's Mini Stocks on display, owned by Heather Ryan and Ryder Boswell.  Boswell's truck served him well last year as he won multiple features.  The 2013 point runner up just barely lost a close battle with Mike Whitaker as he settled for a still respectable third place ranking last season.

There's excitement in the air at the Siskiyou Fairgrounds as they are adding a one-eighth mile Go-Kart dirt track to the facility.  The scheduling and rules information was available at the Expo.  The track is seen as a way to bring younger competitors into the sport, and Go Karts on display at this event included the entries of Jim Berry, Kyle Morris and Drew Berry.  The first race at the smaller track is scheduled for April 16.

The season opener for Siskiyou Motor Speedway is slated for April 9th.  The track's regular IMCA  Modified, IMCA Sport Mod and McDonald's Mini Stock divisions will be joined by the Outlaw Pro Stock Association.  Lots of great things are planned for this year.  For more information, check out the track's official website at www.siskiyoumotorspeedway.com.

Sprint Car Racing Returns To Southern Oregon Speedway

Sprint Car Racing Returns To Southern Oregon Speedway

When Mike McCann began his tenure as promoter of Southern Oregon Speedway, he had studied every aspect of the track to plan what needed to be done.  One of the glaring absences at the track has been a Sprint Car program.  For several seasons, the track had a winged Sprint Car division as part of the program, and many champions have been crowned through the years.

In recent seasons, however, the division has been relegated to visiting status despite the fact that there are some drivers in the area who would love to run their Sprint Cars there.  They will get that chance this season as one of McCann's first announcements as the new promoter was to create a ten race schedule for the division.

The rules are open to allow drivers from the Sportsman Sprints, 360 Sprints and the 410 Sprints to come out and race.  The goal is to build and establish a strong Sprint Car presence at the 21 year old racing facility.  Where it goes from here will depend on the drivers, but McCann is anticipating good things for the division.

The ten race schedule includes dates on the April 30 season opener, May 7 and 21, June 4 and 25, July 30, August 20 and 27 and the September 24 season finale.  The tenth date is actually part of the prestigious Sprint Car Speed Week on July 9.  This means plenty of Sprint Car racing excitement for the fans throughout the season.

As the drivers take a look at the schedule and make plans, there are already four drivers who have made a commitment to race at Southern Oregon Speedway this year.  They are rising young star Camden Robustelli, Pro Stock star Jeffrey Hudson, Sprint Car veteran Bill Hopper and Todd Whipple.

Robustelli made his mark as a Go Kart champion on the smaller tracks before moving up the the Dwarf Car ranks.  Not surprisingly, he became one of the front runners there and notched a few big wins along the way before making his Sprint Car debut last season at Southern  Oregon Speedway.  He is looking forward to making more Sprint Car starts this season.

Hopper has an extensive background in open wheel racing, but his recent accomplishments are back to back championships in the wingless class at Orland Raceway.  Hopper managed to win a nail biter with Tony Richards last season by having a better finish in the season finale.

Speaking of battles to the end, young Jeffrey Hudson also won a battle that went to the season finale in winning last year's Outlaw Pro Stock championship.  Hudson will be making his first starts in a Sprint Car this season, but this kid has shown that he has the talent to wheel a race car to the front of the pack.

Whipple has made a handful of Sprint Car starts at Yreka and Southern Oregon Speedway in recent years, and he's looking forward to more seat time this year.  These are just the drivers who have made plans to do some Sprint Car racing, but more drivers are coming as Southern Oregon Speedway sets out to reestablish a division this season.  For further information, check out the official website at www.sospeedway.com.

Past Southern Oregon Speedway
Sprint Car Champions

1996  Dan Menne
1997  Bill Nutter
2001  Chad Bauer
2002  Todd Zeitler
2003  Dan Menne
2004  T.J. Winningham
2005  Dan Menne
2006  Bill Nutter
2007  Randy Rodgers
2008  Randy Rodgers
2009  Charlie Thompson
2010  Chadd Noland

2016 North West Modified Cup, New Sport Mod Challenge Announced

North West Modified Cup Grows Bigger in 2016,

New Sport Mod Challenge Announced

What do you do when you have a successful launch of an independent series awarding the top drivers in the Modified division in two states?  Well, if you're Steve Kerstulovich, you take it up a notch and make it bigger.  Kerstulovich grew up in the sport and had an idea to help the cause a little more.  He would take the statistics from the Modified divisions throughout Washington, Oregon and Yreka, California and make a championship series.

The point counting concept is similar to IMCA, the organization that sanctions the division at most of the tracks involved.  Main Events pay 20 points to win with a one point per position drop on back.  This makes it easy to keep track and helps keep the point battle close.  How close?  The Modifieds actually had a tie for the championship between Mark Carrell and Colin Winebarger last season.

This series is billed as the North West Modified Cup.  Last year saw the Top 5 drivers earn trophies that were sponsored by Jeff Hanson, and the drivers split $2400 in prize money.  In addition to Carrell and Winebarger, the other front runners were Jesse Williamson (third), Lawrence O'Connor (fourth) and Mark Wauge (fifth)  This year, the Kerstulovich promoted effort has nearly doubled the prize money at $4100, and it will be awarded to the Top 10 drivers in points, thanks to some amazing sponsors.

Hanson of Hanson Automotive Machine has returned to sponsor the Top 5 driver's trophies.  Some of the many great sponsors making this possible include Hoppes Motorsports, Mark's Auto Body, Driving Force Graphics, JetStream Aqua Massage, Wizard Motorsports, Colville Printing and more.

Prize money includes $1500 to the champion, $750 to second and $500 to third, and there are contingency prizes for several positions as well.  For instance, the champion will receive a championship jacket sponsored by Wizard Motorsports, a 100 minute massage by JetStream Massage and a Modified wrap by Driving Force Graphics.

The schedule is pretty simple.  Run your race track's schedule, and race elsewhere when you can.  The Northwest Modified Cup will gather the finishes and keep track of points.  Drivers wishing to complete for the awards need only do one thing, pay a $25 membership, $20 of which goes back into the series and $5 to administrative expenses.  Though all drivers will receive points, only members will earn the awards and prize money.

Already, over 30 drivers from the nine competing tracks have signed up for a shot at the increased prize money offered in this season's Northwest Modified Cup.  Drivers signed up include last year's co-champions Winebarger and Carrell, Wauge, O'Connor and other hard chargers such as Yreka champion Nick Trenchard, Monte Bischoff, Jeremy Shank, Shaun Mayea, Shane Mills and B.J. Wild.  More drivers are expected to sign on to the growing new promotional effort in the days ahead.

Tracks included in the Northwest Modified Cup this year include Willamette Speedway, River City Speedway, Sunset Speedway, Cottage Grove Speedway, Southern Oregon Speedway, Madras Speedway, Skagit Speedway, Grays Harbor Speedway and Siskiyou Motor Speedway.

Kerstulovich could easily just focus on the Modified effort, which has several sponsors helping make it bigger, but he wanted to add more.  Hence, the Northwest Sport Mod Challenge was created.  A $1000 point fund has already been secured for a payout of $500, $350 and $150 to the Top 3 drivers at four tracks, including Siskiyou Motor Speedway, Southern Oregon Speedway, Cottage Grove Speedway and Sunset Speedway.  The new Sport Mod series was made possible thanks to the initial sponsorship of Frisbie Motorsports and Quality Auto Repair.

Late word is that Siskiyou Motor Speedway has chipped in another $100 to the point fund, and negotiations are ongoing for contingency prizes for the Sport Mods.  Word was that there could be an announcement on this front soon.

A two time winner and point runner up at Sunset Speedway in Banks last season, Michael Melton has gotten on board this effort and is joined by Chris Frisbie, Trevor Tiffee and Jayson Nelson.  IMCA Oregon State champion Mike Medel has also just joined. We also just got word that Kurt Lorenzini is joining the Sport Mod ranks for this series.  The Lorenzini family has been a part of the sport for a number of years, and Kurt is the latest generation to get the bug to go racing. As with the Modifieds, the Sport Mods have a $25 season membership fee.  It's also an opportunity to be a part of a new promotional effort that can help grow the sport and is a chance for the racers to win more money.

Kerstulovich is giving the racers an opportunity to compete against the best drivers in the Northwest to crown an overall champion in the region.  This will only get bigger as the racers get on board and help make it happen.  For further information, check the official NW Modified Cup and NW Sport Mod Challenge web page at http://wizard1056.wix.com/nw-modified-cup.

2016 Schedule Signals A New Beginning For Southern Oregon Speedway

2016 Schedule Signals A New Beginning 

For Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, OR...February 17...The 2016 schedule for Southern Oregon Speedway ushers in a new begging for the 20 year old racing facility.  New promoter Mike McCann released the schedule for the three-eighth mile dirt oval track last Wednesday as he held a meeting with over 150 racers and racing enthusiasts in attendance.  At the meeting, McCann introduced himself, discussed some of his plans for this season and the future and then fielded questions.  McCann's reputation as a racer's promoter is well known.  He has over 30 years of experience and is a winner of the RPM Monthly "Promoter Of The Year" award.

The new schedule will continue to offer all of the things that the fans have come to expect from Southern Oregon Speedway and even more.  The prestigious Lon Skinner Memorial Race, won by Californian Bobby Hogge IV last season, will be back with a $5000 first prize, and this big IMCA Modified event will take place on September 2-3.  IMCA Sport Mods and SODCA Dwarf Cars are also part of that weekend's action.

The IMCA Modifieds have nine dates this season, and the Roger Haudenschild Tribute race on May 28th.  Furthermore, the track will continue to take part in the IMCA Wild West Shoot Out with a date scheduled on June 11.

There was concern among the competitors that there would be no IMCA sanctioning in 2016, but McCann put those rumors to rest by signing with IMCA for another year for Modifieds and Sport Mods as well.   This will assure that racers from other area tracks will be legal to compete at Southern Oregon Speedway and vise versa.  It also keeps both divisions involved in the Oregon State IMCA point race.

Furthermore, Southern Oregon Speedway will also have a 13 race schedule for Sport Mods that will ensure that the track regulars can be competitive in the new series created by Steve Kerstulovich that pits the drivers at various Oregon  tracks and Yreka against each other.

The SODCA Dwarf Cars will remain a part of the speedway with 11 race dates scheduled.  This includes the prestigious SODCA Dwarf Car Nationals Event that attracts some of the best drivers from Oregon and out of the state.  This event is scheduled from August 4-6.

Of course, the track will have the popular Mini Stock division on the schedule with 13 dates booked.  Also back will be the entry level Hornet division with six dates and the quicker Super 4 division with eight dates.  The Super 4's were a regular part of the show a few years ago, and the racers are excited to be back this year.

The always exciting Outlaw Pro Stock Association will make eight appearances this year, and that's not all.  Sprint Cars are back at Southern Oregon Speedway!  McCann has made a commitment to establishing the crowd pleasing division as part of the program with ten races, which will give the fans a healthy dose of high horse power open wheel racing.  This includes a race during the prestigious Sprint Car Speedweek Series on July 9.

For fans of the cars of yesterday, the OTRO Hardtops will be doing some dirt track racing this season with five dates being booked.  Look for a few more surprises to be thrown in during the 23 race season.

It all adds up to plenty of great racing at Southern Oregon Speedway on Saturday nights.  After the April 24 playday, the season kicks off with an April 30 event, which will be headlined by Sprint Cars, Pro Stocks, Mini Stocks and Dwarf Cars.  Further details can be found on the track's official web site, www.sospeedway.com.

A Brief Recap Of The 2015 Season At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...When last we left Southern Oregon Speedway, Albert Gill successfully defended his 2014 IMCA Modified track championship.  Gill won one Main Event along with four seconds and two thirds last season, but he claimed the championship by a wide margin over past champion Mark Wauge.  Wauge led the Main Event winner's list with three victories in the competitive field that saw 11 different winners during the season.

Wauge held off Tim Bailey by just four points to claim second in the standings, while one time winners Jesse Bailey and Brian Poppa rounded out the Top 5 in points.  The big feature wins of 2015 went to Wauge (Firecracker 50), Bobby Hogge IV ($5000 to win Lon Skinner Memorial) and Jesse Williamson (Speedweek race).  Kellen Chadwick won the preliminary feature at the Lon Skinner Memorial event.  Yreka and past Lon Skinner Memorial winner Nick Trenchard won two times, while other feature winners last season included Scott Lenz, Jon DeBenedetti and Andy Freeman.

In recent years, Jorddon Braaten has established himself as one of the stars of the speedway.  The defending IMCA Sport Mod champion racked up eight feature wins and one second, and yet he only beat Oregon IMCA State champion Mike Medel by ten points in a close battle.  Two of Braaten's wins occurred on the biggest stage of the season, the Lon Skinner Memorial.

Bob Nelson, Glenn Seversen and Matt Duste each managed to pick up a feature win.  Seversen would rank third in the final standings ahead of Randy Fernandes and Dwayne Melvin.  Nelson led the division in second place finishes with four, but he fell just short of Melvin for fifth in the standings as Melvin had two seconds and one third.

Three drivers really shined the brightest in Mini Stock competition last season, led by the champion David Marble.  Marble scored four feature wins, three seconds and two thirds.  His closest point rival, Bob Burkett, also had four feature wins as well as three seconds and three thirds.

Meanwhile, third ranked Gary Anderson impressed with his three wins, three seconds and four thirds.  Eric Hanson's high finish was a second, which helped him hold off Mike Cloud for fourth in the standings.  Yreka champion David Steele made two visits and brought home a second and a third.

The SODCA Dwarf Cars held ten of their events at the speedway, and Josh King made the most of it with six wins and two seconds to hold off young up and comer Camden Robustelli to win the club's championship.  Robustelli had two seconds and two thirds.

Ryan Smith, Chad Cardoza and Brock Peters rounded out the Top 5 in points.  Smith and Cardoza both had feature wins.  Smith also had a pair of thirds, while Cardoza had two seconds and a third.  C.J. Puttnam and Fred Hay had feature wins.  Hay also won the veteran's feature in the Dwarf Car Nationals event, while Matt Sargent won the Pro feature and Joey Dale won the Sportsman feature at the big event.

The Outlaw Pro Stock Association ran a few different tracks, and eight of their races were at Southern Oregon Speedway. Young Jeffrey Hudson only had one win in eight visits, but he had five seconds, including the second place finish he had in the finale that moved him past Scott Flowers into the championship.  S. Flowers had a second and a third at the speedway to hold onto second ahead of James Flowers in the point race.  Steve Borror had three feature wins, while Dave Everson was a two time winner and Dave Quick and Rocky Nash each had one win.

The Sprint Cars will have a championship season this year.  Last year, there were four races.  Colby Copeland won the June Northwest Speedweek race ahead of Roger Crockett and Kyle Hirst.  Hirst came back later in the season and won that race ahead of Jared Peterson and Trey Starks.  Seth Nunes won the first Sprint Car race of the season ahead of Vern Wheeler Jr. and Kyler Barazza, and Crockett won the next race ahead of Peterson and Starks, meaning there were four different winners in four races.

Racing against competitors such as Mikey Johnson, Neal Coaty, Brian Dickens and Lon Fox, Drew Fielder won the Hornets championship.  The Super 4's made their lone appearance late last season with Lee Doty winning ahead of John Barger and Charlie Eaton.

2016 Southern Oregon Speedway Schedule

Sunday April 24 - Test & Tune - 3PM-7PM

Saturday April 30  - Sprint Cars, Pro Stocks, Dwarf Cars, Mini Stocks

Saturday May 7 - Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, Mini Stocks

Saturday May 14 - Ladies Night - IMCA Sport Mods, Pro Stocks, Super 4's, Hornets, OTRO Hardtops

Saturday May 21 - Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, Mini Stocks, Open Stock

Saturday May 28 - Roger Haudenshild Tribute - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mod, Dwarf Cars, Super 4's

Saturday June 4 - Sponsor Appreciation Night - Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, Mini Stocks, Hornets, OTRO Hardtops, Open Stock

Saturday June 11 - Wild West IMCA Speedweek - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, Pro Stocks

Saturday June 18 - Father's Night - IMCA Sport Mods, Dwarf Cars, Mini Stocks, Hornets, Open Stock

Saturday June 25 - Military Appreciation Night - Sprint Cars, IMCA Sport Mods, Mini Stocks, Super Mini 4's, OTRO Hardtops

Monday July 4 - Pro Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, Dwarf Cars

Saturday July 9 - Sprint Car Speedweek - Sprint Cars, Dwarf Cars, Mini Stocks

Saturday July 16 - Family Night - IMCA Modifieds, Dwarf Cars, Mini Stocks, Super 4's, OTRO Hardtops

Saturday July 23 - Jackson County Fair - No Races

Saturday July 30 - Sprint Cars, Pro Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, Mini Stocks, Hornets, Open Stock

Thursday August 4 - SODCA Dwarf Car Nationals - Registration/Practice

Friday August 5 - SODCA Dwarf Car Nationals - Preliminary Night

Saturday August 6 - SODCA Dwarf Car Nationals - Finals - With OTRO Hardtops

Saturday August 13 - Pro Stocks, Dwarf Cars, Mini Stocks, Super 4 Mini Stocks

Saturday August 20 - Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, Mini Stocks, Hornets, Open Stock

Saturday August 27 - Sprint Cars, Pro Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, Super 4's, OTRO Hardtops

Friday September 2 - Lon Skinner Memorial - Registration/Practice

Saturday September 3 - Lon Skinner Memorial - Preliminary ' IMCA Modifieds with IMCA Sport Mods, Dwarf Cars

Sunday September 4 - Lon Skinner Memorial - Finals - $5000 to win IMCA Modifieds with IMCA Sport Mods, Dwarf Cars

Saturday September 10 - Dwarf Cars, IMCA Sport Mods, Mini Stocks

Saturday September 17 - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, Super 4's, Hornets, Open Stock

Saturday September 24 - Championship Night - Sprint Cars, Pro Stocks, Mini Stocks, Super 4's
Schedule Subject To Change

Our weekly program schedule runs as follows:
4:00pm Pit Gate Opens
5:00pm Grandstands Open
5:45pm Practice Starts
7:00pm Racing Starts

Race times are approximate and are subject to change. Please check here for weather and schedule updates

Siskiyou Motor Speedway Prepares For Exciting 2016 Season

Siskiyou Motor Speedway Prepares For Exciting 2016 Season

Yreka, CA...February 16...Siskiyou Motor Speedway fans are looking forward to another exciting season of racing action, and the roar of the engines will be heard again in April.  On April 2, there will be a playday.  On April 9, the three regular divisions, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and McDonald's Mini Stocks, will be joined by the Outlaw Pro Stock Association as the season opens for action.  The Modifieds will pay $1000 to win.  The SODCA Dwarf Cars join Modifieds, Sport Mods and Mini Stocks for their first appearance a week later.

The Sport Mods and Mini Stocks are the two classes doing the most racing with 17 races each, the IMCA Modifieds have nine dates, the Pro Stocks are visiting seven times and SODCA Dwarf Cars six times.  The track also has several special things planned throughout the season, including Mud Bogs, Ladies Races, Mechanic's Races, Kid's Bike races, Kids Ride-A-Longs and more.  All totaled, there are 22 races scheduled for what is sure to be an action packed season.

Noteworthy dates include the Memorial Day Weekend event of the John Arnberg 38 lap Memorial Race for IMCA Modifieds, Bo Hittson Memorial for IMCA Sport Mods and Mike Caveye Memorial for Mini Stocks.  The two day event is May 28-29.  The Wild West Modified Tour kicks off on Sunday, June 12th.  A month later, the Northwest Sprint Car Tour comes to town on Friday, July 8th.  There's also the two day Billy Geyer Memorial race for the Pro Stocks on July 23-24  The season wraps up with the Annual Rod Restad Memorial, headlined by IMCA Modifieds on September 24th.

The track is also pleased to have its Sport Mod division be included in the special series created by Steve Kerstulovich that pits the drivers at various Oregon tracks and Yreka against each other.  The track itself is also having a special three race series for Sport Mods, Pro Stocks and Mini Stocks, dubbed The Patriot Series.  Those dates are May 21, July 3 and September 10.  The May 21 date will include a special $1 admittance for all military personnel, and the July 3 race will be a 40 lapper for the Sport Mods.

One thing that sets the Patriot Series apart from most series is that all three divisions will earn points in an overall format, and the winner of the points will take all of the prize money, whatever division that driver happens to be competing in.  The track is also encouraging drivers to run patriotic themes on their cars for the series and will award points for that, making this one of the more unique series out there.

The 2016 season of racing at Siskiyou Motor Speedway offers something for everybody and is some of the best entertainment you can find for your family in the area.  So, come on out and see for yourself.  For further information, check out www.siskiyoumotorspeedway.com.

2015 - A Brief Review

The track's SCMA association crowned Doug Franklin the Sport Mod champion.  Only members of the SCMA gained track points in any division, and Franklin beat past Mini Stock champion Colter Boswsell by just 14 points.  Franklin had one win, three seconds and a third, while Boswell had two seconds and a third in what was a good battle.

Cody Biggs picked up one win, one second and one third and finished third in the standings ahead of Garrett Hamilton.  Hamilton missed some races, but he grabbed two wins a second and a third among his best finishes.  Jimmy Lipke ranked fifth in the standings.  Southern Oregon Speedway champion Jorddon Braaten was not there all the time, but he dominated when he was there with seven wins, two seconds and a third.  One of his wins was the Bo Hittson Memorial race.

Long time modified racer Lenny Toolanen started racing again during the season and won two Main Events along with two seconds and one third.  Other feature winners included Keith Foux, Doug Foster, Donny Bottoms and IMCA State champion Fred Ryland.  Greg Severensen was notable in his three second place finishes.

The dominant force in McDonald's Mini Stocks was champion David Steele.  Steele left little doubt who was the champion as he sped to five feature wins, eight seconds and one third.  Steele won the championship by over 100 points ahead of Mike Whitacker.  Whitacker had three seconds and two thirds to just beat Ryder Boswell by eight points in a closer battle for second.  Boswell, meanwhile, had three wins, three seconds and three thirds for a solid 2015 effort.

Marylin Yawnick held down forth in the points on the strength of three third place finishes, while Leslie Cobb's two seconds and a third helped gain her fifth in the standings.  Others on the winner's list included Terry Kendrick (five times), Chris Jorgensen (three times), Garrett Hamilton and James Welshonse.  Southern Oregon Speedway champion David Marble came to town and went home with two victories of his own at the June 6 double header.  Steele won the Mike Caveye Memorial.

Nick Trenchard had an impressive season that included five wins, a second and a third as he beat Duane Osbourne for the Modified track championship by over 50 points.  Osbourne had a second and finished ahead of long time racer Roger Lorenzini, who had a second and three thirds, in the point standings.  Josh Cullen and James Berry rounded out the Top 5 in points as Cullen picked up a win along the way.

Other winners included past champions Travis Peery and Mark Wauge, each with two.  Peery won the Wild West Series feature, while Wauge won the John Arnberg Memorial.  Jake Holland pocketed $3,000 for his win in the season ending Rod Restad Memorial race.  Zach Fettinger and Riley Simmons were the other winners.

The SODCA Dwarf Cars made four visits to Yreka, and that didn't hurt Josh King's championship effort as he won two features and had one second.  Brock Peters and past champion Fred Hay were the other winners as Hay also had two second place finishes to King's one.

There were four different Outlaw Pro Stock winners, including champion Jeffrey Hudson.  Other winners included Petaluma visitor Mike Learn, Billy Geyer Memorial preliminary winner Brian Johnson and Bill Geyer Memorial winner Dave Everson.  There were also two Sprint Car races with Colby Copeland winning the Northwest Sprint Car Speedweek race and Kyle Hirst winning the other Sprint Car event.

SIKIYOU MOTOR SPEEDWAY2016 RACING SCHEDULE

Subject to Change

March:

    Saturday 12th – Sportsman’s Expo Car Show
    Sunday 13th – Sportsman’s Expo Exhibition

April:

    Saturday 2nd – Test & Tune
    Saturday 9th – Season Opener! – Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, Pro Stocks, IMCA Modifiedd $1000 to win

    Saturday 16th – Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, Dwarf Cars – Ball toss by Dwarf Cars
    Friday 22nd – Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Modifieds, Dwarf Cars – Ball toss by Mini Stocks and Kid’s Ride-A-Long
    Saturday 30th – Canned Food Drive – $2 off Entry with Canned Food Donation – Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, Powder Puffs, Mud Bogs

May:

    Saturday 14th – Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Modifieds, Mud Bogs, Pitman Races – Ball toss by IMCA Sport Mods and Kid’s Race
    Saturday 21st – Armed Forces Day – $1 entry for all Military Personnel – Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, Dwarf Cars, Pro Stocks – Race #1 of Patriot Series
    Saturday 28th – Memorial Weekend Qualifying (Non Track points all classes) – Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Modifieds
    Sunday 29th – Memorial Weekend Championships (Non track points all classes) – Mini Stocks Mike Caveye Memorial, IMCA Sport Mods Bo Hittson Memorial, IMCA Modified John Arnberg Memorial 38 lap Main Event

June:

    Saturday 4th – Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, Pro Stocks – Ball toss by Pro Stocks
    Sunday 12th – Wild West Modified Tour (w/supporting class)
    Thursday 16th – Test & Tune
    Saturday 18th – Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Modifieds, Mud Bogs – Kid’s Ride-A-Long
    Saturday 25th – Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, Powder Puffs – Kid’s Race

July:

    Sunday 3rd – Firecracker Challenge – Mini Stock, Pro Stocks, Dwarf Cars, IMCA Sport Mods – Race #2 of Patriot Series. 40 Lap IMCA Sport Mod Main Event
    Friday 8th – Northwest Sprint Car Tour (w/supporting class)
    Thursday 14th – Test & Tune
    Saturday 16th – Christmas in July – Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, Pitman Races, Mud Bogs – Kid’s Ride-A-Long
    Friday 22nd – Billy Geyer Memorial Qualifying – Pro Stocks, Dwarf Cars
    Saturday 23rd – Billy Geyer Memorial Championship – Pro Stocks, Dwarf Cars

August:

    Thursday 25th – Test & Tune
    Saturday 27th – Fan Appreciation Night – Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, Pro Stocks, IMCA Modifieds, Powder Puffs

September:

    Saturday 3rd – Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, Pitman Races, Mud Bogs
    Saturday 10th – Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, Pro Stocks, IMCA Modifieds – (Non-Sanctioned IMCA) Patriot Series Finale
    Thursday 15th – Test & Tune
    Saturday 17th – Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, TBA
    Saturday 24th – Rod Restad Memorial Season Finale – Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, IMCA Modifieds – Kid’s Bike Race

New to 2016 – Patriot Series!

    Open to any driver in Mini Stock, IMCA Sport Mod, Pro Stock
    $30 buy-in by first series race
    Patriot Series points are separate from track points
    Points accrue from standard races – No special race
    Points are not class specific – One winner in series
    Points winner collects entire pot – Winner Take All
    Competition and decoration points awarded regardless of race finish

Patriot Series Points Awarded as Follows:

    Compete in Series Race – 10 points
    Heat Race Win – 5 points
    Trophy Dash Win – 5 points
    Main Event Win – 10 points
    Patriotic Decoration on Car – 15 points

Things I'm Looking Forward To At Southern Oregon Speedway

Things I'm Looking Forward To 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

Once I arrive in Oregon, it's going to be time to focus on my new gig. It's going to be a completely new experience for me, and I'm going to be meeting new people. I really don't know anybody out there. I don't know much of the history, and I have to learn a lot. I leave behind familiar and comfortable surroundings and many people that I consider my friends.

I think the first thing I want to do when I get up there is walk on that race track. I want to get a lay of the land, walk the grandstands, just walk all the way around the facilities. This is going to be my home track for at least 10 years if all goes well. It is my goal to help Mike McCann make this place successful.

When I say this, I think it's important for me to acknowledge John Skinner. John kept this thing going for 20 years. Without him, none of this may have been possible. For all that he's done to keep the sport going in the Medford area, he has nothing but my respect.

Mike tells me that I'll be announcing the Quarter Midget track. I'll be honest with you, I've never really even watched a race on a track like this. I had the opportunity to go to Delta Speedway in Stockton a few times, but they were running Mini Stocks and Dwarf Cars and Mini Sprints there at the time. I'm not even sure how well I'll do my job there, but I'll give it my best.

We are charged with trying to reestablish the program there, and it's important to get a program going on the small track. There are a lot of kids that run cars on tracks like this across the country. They are the racers of the future on the bigger tracks. Basically, we are building new stars of racing, some of which who will end up going to the bigger track next door.

I never really worked with kids. Now, Gary Jacob used to go to tracks like this whenever he could, and the families really respected him. Gary saw what tracks like this meant to the racing community. I will continue to employ my strategy of every driver being important on that race track. I will try to do my best to encourage these youngsters to do their best, but also to stay focused on the things that matter in life, such as staying in school and getting that education. I am the cautionary example when it comes to that.

I do enjoy announcing, and one day I want to be on the microphone on the bigger track. Mike has his reasons for going the way he is, and I wish Bryce luck in announcing. If I can do anything to help him do his job better, I will. We have to work together as a team to help make Southern Oregon Speedway fly. There is a lot of work to do to make this thing as big as I believe it can be.

I know Mike has a lot of faith in the staff that he is putting together, and he believes just as I do that this track has some great years ahead of it. Mike has a history of doing good things for the sport of auto racing, especially in the state of Oregon. I believe that this is going to be his best effort yet. I'm sure Mike is going to throw a bunch of little things at me, and I need to be ready to do the best I can with all of them.

We are establishing some stuff up at Southern and Speedway. On the top of that list is the Sprint Car division. This is a big challenge, and Mike believes as I do that we can have a good program out there. My concern is that there have been people trying to undermine what we are doing. Basically, there are certain people who believe they are bigger than the sport in this division.

Obviously, you need stars that the fans can come out there and identify with. But, if there are certain stars that don't want to participate for whatever reason, then we will make new stars of the racers that we do have. I have watched drivers who weren't really that fast when they started, but with seat time and a lot of laps, they got much better. I have no doubt that we are going to have some great stars in the Sprint Car division in short time.

Southern Oregon Speedway could be the home of Late Model racing. Mike has been in negotiations with some of the drivers, and if I have any say about it, we're going to make this thing fly. I absolutely love Late Model racing. I know this isn't a slam dunk, but I know we can do it here. We're going to do it.

I've always felt that with divisions like Late Models and Sprint Cars you have to give a little more TLC to them. This means a little bit of extra hype going to the division to let everybody know what's going on. The more the fans know about the racers who are there, the more they're going to be coming out to watch the races. The more the racers know about what's going on there, the more likely they are to bring their cars out there. If we make it special, everybody's going to want to be a part of it.

Probably on the top three of my all time favorite divisions is Street Stock racing. The Street Stocks seem to be kind of dying out at Southern Oregon Speedway in the last few years, but there are remnants of this division looking for a place to race. I feel like this type of racing is important, because this track barely has the Street Stock division and doesn't have a Hobby Stock class. I think we need to build something here, so I'm going to assess the situation and do what I can to help.

The redheaded stepchild of racing seems to be Mini Stock racing. Some people don't understand it, and some people don't think that these cars are really race cars. In my time watching this division through the years, going back to Baylands and Petaluma, I have seen many great racers come through the Mini Stock ranks and go on the other divisions. Mini Stock racing is very important to the continuation of this race track.

There are already some big names in the Mini Stock division up there, not the least of which are defending champion David Marble and previous champion Gary Anderson. They brought one of the more solid car counts out there as last season came to a close, and I believe we can get this class bigger. As with the two Modified classes, this is a class that shares drivers with neighboring Yreka in Northern California. This is one of the reasons I will probably be ghost writing stories for Yreka, because it will be relevant to the people as drivers come from Southern Oregon to race there and vice versa.

In recent years, the track has been trying to get a new Hornet division started. This division is similar to the Four Banger class that ran in Antioch for several years. It is the entry level division for the average fan to get into the sport at a reasonable cost. Though this division raced last year, I don't have a lot of information on who raced. It seems this division wasn't important enough for people to write about, but that is going to change when I get there. These drivers matter. This division matters.

The Super 4 Mini Stock division bolted from Medford to go race the pavement at Roseburg, but there are several drivers looking to come back this year. These are the souped up Mini Stock cars, and it reminds me of the souped up class at Baylands and more recently the class that was out at Chowchilla Speedway. I've heard 6-10 cars will be showing up there, and it will be interesting to see what this division can do.

Of course, Medford has the IMCA Modifieds and Sport Modified divisions. I believe both of these divisions can do better than what the car count has been in recent years. We also have one of the crown jewels in Modified racing, the prestigious Lon Skinner Memorial Race, which attracts some of the top drivers from the West Coast of the United States. For instance, Bobby Hogge IV won that race and the $5,000 prize last season.

I'm familiar with some of the names in this division, including Mark Wauge, John DeBenediti, Nick Trenchard and Albert Gill, the two-time defending champion. We have some good racers in that Modified division, but we need to get some more cars out there. They're out there, and I want to help make them know that they are important and they are wanted at this race track.

Two of the stars of the Sport Mod division came out and raced at Southern Oregon Speedway. There is defending Oregon State IMCA champion Mike Medal and defending track champion Jorddon Braaten. Jorddon was an absolute beast last year and won many races both at Southern Oregon Speedway and Siskiyou Motor Speedway in Yreka. I guess he is our equivalent to Fred Ryland. But there are other drivers in this division, and I look forward to meeting them all and helping keep the show hyped.

Another thing that has caught my eye is the Northwest Modified Cup and the new Northwest Sport Mod Challenge. A man by the name of Steve Kerstulovich is promoting these deals, and he's doing a lot to get money and contingency prizes in both of these point races. He awarded the top 5 drivers last year in the Modified Cup with money and contingency prizes and nice trophies.

Steve added the Sport Mods this year, and he already has $1,000 in prize money for these guys. What he doesn't have is any good hype and his web page needs work. So, with the experience that I have with the old DCRR State point race, I'm going to see if there's anything I can do to help him make this thing bigger and better. I like what he's trying to do with this stuff, and he's done some good things so far.

We also play host to touring groups, the Outlaw Pro Stocks and the Southern Oregon Dwarf Car Association. The Pro Stocks are sort of like the Limited Late Models out in Antioch, and we get anywhere from 12 to 20 cars showing up on any given night. Pro Stocks are a popular form of racing, and they are vital to the continuation of this race track.

Dwarf Cars are maybe the brother of the redheaded stepchild. They don't get a lot of respect, and yet week in and week out they provide some of the best races at the tracks on which they compete. There are some talented racers in this division, which generally gets from 16 to 20 cars for any given race.

Southern Oregon Speedway is fortunate because we get a Dwarf Car National event. The West Coast Dwarf Car Association deal, originally put together by Frank Munroe and the leaders of various groups, brings some of the best drivers throughout the West Coast of the United States to Medford one weekend every year. This is a fun event with lots of great racing and some good times after the races are over. As with the Skinner race, this is an event at which I will be looking forward to seeing my old friends from California who will be visiting.

Because this is Mike McCann promoting the race track, you've got to know that there's going to be Hardtops there. Mike has spoken with some of the drivers from the Old Time Racing Association that races on the pavement of Roseburg. About a half dozen or so guys want to do the some dirt track racing, and I'm looking forward to seeing this happen.

One of the things that we want to try to establish here is some stability to this place. For various reasons, races got cancelled and things happened in the last few years that kind of hurt the show overall. Some driver confidence was lost in this race track, and it's our goal to reestablish that. The message will be that we intend to race as scheduled and every race car out there matters.

I've heard a few things could be thrown at me, including doing the souvenir programs, the webpage, calculating points, putting out the press releases, announcing at the smaller track, possibly announcing a couple of shows on the bigger track and whatever else Mike thinks that I can handle. It is my intention to go up there with renewed focus and get the job done.

We have goals in mind, and I believe that we can get it done, but belief and talk won't get the job done. We have to get in there on the ground floor and get to work. So, when I arrive in Oregon and set up my workstation, I will begin working on my articles and whatever else I need to do with the computer.

I'm definitely being taken out of my comfort zone, as this has been my home area here in Northern California. I have lived here my whole life and have never had a desire to move. I know everybody here, and I can walk in to the race track that I've gone to for years and people know who I am. So the challenge for me in going to Southern Oregon Speedway is to reestablish myself and let them know that I'm a person who cares about the sport, and I want to get in there and make a difference.

I've asked myself a few times why it is that Mike McCann actually wants me to be up there when there are other people qualified to do this thing. Just as I've had respect for all the good things that Mike has done through the years, Mike has been reading my writing through the years and has respect for what I've done. It is his belief that I can do it. So, I need to get in there and show him that his faith in me is justified.

So at this point in time, I sort of feel like I need to figure out where my head is and renew my focus, but I don't really have the time for me and my personal issues. However, I know that when I get in the moment and get focused, my instincts take over and I will do what I've done for all these years. I won't have time to play around. I need to get in there and be focused on what I've got to do, and that's going take a total investment of myself. I think I'm up to the challenge. I look forward to getting up to Southern Oregon Speedway and getting started.