Friday, June 30, 2017

Southern Oregon Speedway, Coos Bay Speedway, Siskiyou Speedway Previews, Pit Stops


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Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion 
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Late Models, Sprint Cars Headline Six Division Show 
At Southern Oregon Speedway


White City, Oregon...Saturday night marks the beginning of July, and Southern Oregon Speedway has an exciting six division program to kick off the month.  The track's two fastest divisions will be represented with the Late Models and Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars.  Also competing will be the Mini Stocks, Pro Stocks, JOAT Labs Hornets and OTRO Hardtops.  It's going to be an action packed night of racing.

The Late Models brought the excitement last time as Dustin Knight and Nathan Augustine had a battle that brought the crowd on their feet on the final lap.  Knight made a dramatic last turn pass on Augustine and left the track that night with a Main Event victory.  Knight may very well have the fastest car on the track, but his speed presented a further challenge to him in the season opener.  "The car is so hooked up that I sometimes have a hard time judging how fast I come up on slower cars, " said Dustin, who lost that first race to Augustine in traffic.  "I just misjudged where they would be, and he got me."

Augustine and Knight are the early stars of the season, and both are champions.  Knight indicated that the Rapp Racing Team may field another Late Model before season's end with IMCA Sport Mod star Rich McCoy behind the wheel.  Mike Linder returned in the most race and battled reigning champion Bob Dees for a third place finish.  These two are anticipated this week along with Kristy Grout, Garrett Dees, Dave Foote and Don Garrett Jr.

The Kendall Oil Winged Sprints begin a busy month with three races scheduled.  We've now had three different winners this year with Jake Waddell, point leader Kyler Barraza and Bailey Hibbard.  The 16 year old Hibbard impressed with his win ahead of father David Hibbard last time out.  The youth movement is in effect this year as second ranked Merrisa Henson and Enrique Jaime are both still in their teens, and word is that we will see another young racer this week.

After his 500 Open Kart win last week, Tanner Holmes indicated that he hopes to make his Sprint Car debut this week.  Tanner has been burning up the Outlaw Kart circuit since he was very young, and he has won many championships along the way.  He's won two 250 Kart championships at Southern Oregon, and he won the highly competitive Red Bluff Winter Series for the 250's this past offseason.  Tanner will be a welcome addition to the roster.

Motor problems have plagued Mini Stock point leader David Steele and 2013 champion Steve Goetz in recent weeks.  Steele's most recent two trips to Yreka ended after the Trophy Dash, and he merely took a green flag in the most recent Medford race in an effort to get points.  Had he not done that, he would have surrendered the point lead to Dillen Lausen.  As it is, it's a close three car battle between Steele, Lausen and Kristopher Mix.  Lausen and Mix have both finished as high as second as they pursue their first wins.

Gary Anderson was back in the winner's circle last time out as he finally got his carburetor and fuel issues sorted out.  Since 2014, only five drivers have won Main Events in this class.  Anderson and Steele are the only two regular competitors from that group still competing this year, though we may see reigning champion Bob Burkett this week.  This leaves a group of drivers scrambling for their first wins, led by Andrew Hall, Patrick Stringer-Stine and Michael Johnson.  The 15 year old Johnson seems poised to win if he can do a better job of getting through Turn 2 this week.

After two starts this year, Coos Bay's Josh Kralicek is the Pro Stock point leader.  Josh impressed with his Trophy Dash win last time out.  Kralicek and opening night winner Derrel Nelson Jr. are leading the championship charge, but two time champion Ken Irving gained ground with his third place finish last time out.  Tom Hackworth, Dan Randall and Miles Deubert are other drivers to watch for this week.

Between JOAT Labs building the cages and the Hedges Racing Team fielding four cars, the Hornets class is the fastest growing class at the track.  The division is a nice stepping stone for new drivers to enter the world of dirt track racing.  Several new cars are being built, and a field of ten or more cars is anticipated this week.  The flying Joby Shields and David Coggins are the two feature winners so far, and drivers who will be leading the charge to be the next new winner include reigning champion Jason Stoutenburg, Tim Hedges, Jenna Hedges and Ashton Hedges.

The old Time Racers of Oregon Hardtops are back for their third appearance this week, and Mark Minter leads the charge with two wins in two starts.  Stock Car veteran Bruce Wilkerson took the wheel of the Vic & Louise Bridges Sedan last time out and battled Jamie Britton for a second place finish.  Joining these three should be the two Trophy Dash winners so far, Jimmy Del Castille and Brian Crouch, as well as Dusty Trotter, Bill Trotter and Dean Cast.

Saturday's lineup should provide plenty of excitement for the fans to enjoy.  Gates open at 5:00 PM with the Trophy Dashes lining up at 7:00 PM.  General Admission is $12.00, Seniors, Juniors and Military are $6.00 and children 5 and under are free.  For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Pit Stops

IMCA Modified Speedweek came to Southern Oregon Speedway at the same time as the 105 degree weather last Saturday night.  There were 19 competitors coming in from various places along with eight racers from the Medford area.  This was a little under half the total of locals anticipated, causing the drop from last year's car count.  A couple of drivers commented that they didn't think they could compete against the hard chargers coming in from various places.  When you have drivers like Collen Winebarger, John Campos, Ethan Dotson, Randy Brown, Danny Lauer and three time series champion Jesse Williamson among the field, it can be a little intimidating.

Albert Gill, Mark Wauge, Nick Trenchard, Preston Jones and James Welshonse made the Main Event.  Welshonse has been off to a rough start after his "Rookie Of The Year" season, but he punched his ticket into the Main Event after an impressive heat race win in front of Dotson.  Wauge was also a heat race winner.   Welshonse did take a lead lap checkered flag in 13th.  Wauge, meanwhile, was in the thick of the battle.  The seven time track champion was as high as second before settling for fourth in front of Trenchard.  After winning a night earlier in Yreka, Trenchard had to win the B Main ahead of Jones to get into the show.

It's not surprising to see that Wauge excelled in the big show and had a strong points night.  He moved to within a couple of points of Jesse Bailey for second in the track's standings.  After three straight third place finishes, Bailey wasn't there.  Meanwhile, point leader Gill continues to challenge himself, and he was on the move and running as high as sixth in the Main Event.  Unfortunately, Albert got caught up in a late tangle and had to settle for a disappointing 12th place finish.  He still leads the way in the standings, and he will be tough to beat as he battles for his first win of the season on July 22nd.

Danny Lauer is a multi time IMCA Modified champion of Santa Maria Speedway.  The Lauer family has been racing there for years, including Bill Lauer in a Late Model in the 1980's and 1990's.  Danny grabbed the Main Event lead early on, but Bakersfield Speedway point leader Dotson was right behind him.  Dotson actually bailed on the point lead at his home track to compete in the series.  Unfortunately, a flat tire derailed his bid for a win.  Oregon State point leader John Campos took up the chase and finished a close second to the happy Lauer.  The man making a strong statement early in the series is Winebarger, who finished third.

As of this writing, Winebarger leads the series after five races.  Trenchard, Lauer, Dotson, Campos and Williamson made it five different winners in the first five races, and the consistent Winebarger leads Dotson in the series championship battle.  They close the series with three straight races at Willamette Speedway, and an up to the moment update finds Dotson winning the Thursday night show to become the first two time winner this year.  With Williamson also having a good night, the points will get that much closer between Winebarger, Dotson and Williamson.

The IMCA Sport Modifieds brought 18 competitors for what would be Round #2 of their own six race Speedweek Series.  That series was put together by PSM Series director Steve Kerstulovich.  After winning at Yreka, Jorddon Braaten went flag to flag in the Main Event at his home track.  Jorddon also won the Trophy Dash and his heat race.  The Main Event went non stop, which isn't seen often in this class.  However, the reigning Oregon State champion Braaten won with California State champion Brian Cooper nipping at his heels in traffic.  Braaten's night took a turn for the worse in post race tech with a disqualification.  Braaten had already taken himself out of the the track point battle as he missed the previous race to attend his sister's wedding, but this ended his bid for a Speedweek title.  All sorts of negative comments and accusations have been levied at the Braaten team, but anybody who knows them knows that they are all about supporting the sport and their home track.  They are respected among their fellow competitors.

The Cooper team may have things in hand now.  Brian Cooper emerged with the win after Medford and won impressively at Sunset Speedway on Wednesday.  At the moment, the podium in Speedweek points is occupied by Brian, brother Todd Cooper and Jimmy Ford, who is piloting the Marty Burdine car.  These three teams have come from Yuba City, California to support the Oregon Sport Mod effort.  Of course, when it comes to Sport Mod support, you know Mike Medel will be there, and Justin McCreadie, Braxton Possinger and Oregon State point leader Jayson Nelson have also backed the Speedweek Series.  Sponsorship has led to a point fund for the Top 5 drivers and Top 3 trophies.  It will only grow from there.  Getting back to Nelson, what is interesting to note is that he has taken an interest in running for Oregon State points in a bid to end the Braaten-Medel reign.  Willamette and their decision to add two sanctioned races to a Monster Truck show on short notice contributed to Nelson taking the State point lead as both Medel and Braaten were in Yreka for a big race.

In the track point race, Medel's effort was derailed when he ended up last in the Main Event.  However, Willie McFall didn't capitalize on that too much after he ended up 11th.  Meanwhile, Rich McCoy is hitting his stride.  He followed up on his second place finish in the previous race by finishing third Saturday night, and he is closing in fast on Medel and McFall as a result.  McCoy hasn't done much racing for points since winning his Mini Stock championship, but he's certainly won his share of races.  After a bad start left him crashed out of the season opener in hot laps, McCoy is steadily on the move up the point ladder.

It's also noteworthy that two time division champion Dwayne Melvin has now made three straight races and has been looking good so far.  Melvin held off Jimmy Ford for a fourth place finish last week.  Like McCoy, you could be seeing Melvin in the winner's circle some time soon.  David Marble has had a tough start to his season.  The 2016 "Rookie Of The Year" totaled a car in Cottage Grove and followed that up with a crash in the Crack The Whip Challenge on June 3rd.  David wasn't planning to race last week.  After arriving late and missing his heat race, he took a checkered flag in tenth.  Not too bad considering his late start. 

We finally saw the welcome return of Dwarf Car ace Kalvin Morton last week.  Morton was making his first Sport Mod start of the year in the #18 car.  He's still dialing the bugs out of it, but he finished the race in 14th, right behind Jesse Merriman and just ahead of Tony Bartell.  You can expect that as Morton gets his car dialed in, he will be a threat at the front of the pack.  Last year was certainly a year of excitement for Morton in Dwarf Cars. He won several races on the circuit before finishing third in points.  He also won his first Sport Mod feature in Yreka.  He's still pretty much a rookie in this division.

Dwarf Car drivers had a lot on the line when SODCA returned for their third appearance of the season.  Dwarf Car supporter Jim Nelson offered up $1000 to win and $50 for each lap led.  At the moment, the three biggest stars in the field are Brock Peters, Camden Robustelli and Cody Peters.  B. Peters and Robustelli have each won twice.  Though C. Peters hasn't won yet, he's been finishing strong and most observers agree that his win could happen at any time.  Robustelli has made the commitment to race for points again after back to back runnerup seasons.  He really wants this championship, and for 16 laps, he led the way last week.  Working lap 17, Robustelli suddenly lost power as a sure victory slipped away.

Luck plays a part in racing.  When you're on a roll, things have a way of working out.  B. Peters won his heat race and the A Dash, and he was riding along in second when misfortune struck Robustelli.  Brock led the final four tours of the Jim Rogers prepared oval and collected the big prize.  Moments after talking the checkered flag, his car lost power.  Son Cody was there for another second place finish.  We've yet to see a SODCA point sheet, but these three drivers will likely be ranked at the top as the group heads for a two day WSDCA Regional event in Coos Bay this weekend.

Moments after the Robustelli misfortune, Top 5 contenders Ryan Smith and Rob Gergel tangled for a yellow flag.  Both drivers were able to restart at the back, but it was Chad Cardoza finishing third.  The rapidly improving Randy Slater had fourth until Gergel's last turn pass gained him the position.  We talk about the possibility of C. Peters getting his first win, but we might have to keep an eye on Slater.  Modified racer Steve Walker made made his first Dwarf Car start and finished a lead lap seventh.  This division keeps getting more competitive, and you can bet there will be some more different winners in the weeks ahead.

Outlaw Karts were back on the track Friday night as their season finally opened.  Though car count wasn't quite up to where it might have been hoped, there were enough competitors to put on a show for the fans.  The best news of the night may have been the eight Beginners Box Stock drivers competing.  These youngsters are the future of the track, and they also had their most competitive race of the last year and a half.

Jacob James was fifth in points last year and third the year before.  He was a feature winner last season, and he had an exciting night last week.  After winning his heat race, he had a brush with the front wall in his next heat.  He took a checkered flag in that race and came back for another Main Event win.  Jacob is leaving little doubt that he will be ready when the time comes to move up to Box Stocks.  A pair of Cottage Grove competitors, Keegan Bounds and Steven Bounds, battled newcomer Uriah Sanders for second in the Main Event.  K. Bounds won his two heat races and managed to hold off his two closest rivals for a strong second place finish.  S. Bounds settled for third with Sanders a lead lap fourth.

Carson Crisp won his first heat race at the track, and he followed that up with a fifth in the Main Event.  The race didn't go so well for Malachi Johnson, who blew his motor in the Main Event.  Silas Holden and Shailene Horn both took checkered flags in the Main Event and did a good job.  Horn was second in points last season and a Main Event winner.

The Box Stock turnout was a bit light, and it appears as if reigning champion Trevor Grimes is ready to move on to the challenge of racing a 250 Kart.  Trevor has long since shown his ability in this class, and he dominated the action in winning both heat races and the Main Event.  Keaton Augustine and Sophia Bauer battled for second all night and each had a second in a heat race.  Augustine held Bauer off for the second place Main Event finish.

Bodee Weiser may be the reigning 250 Kart champion, but it was brother Braden Weiser getting off to a good start in winning the second heat.  Carley Holmes gave a preview of things to come with a heat race win of her own.  The 2014 Box Stock champion, C. Holmes got the Main Event lead early on and drove a flawless race in collecting her first win in this division at her home track.  Braden Weiser had one of his best finishes in this class in second, followed by brother Bodee, who was back behind the wheel of the "General Lee" #01 car.  Grimes took a checkered flag in fourth, while past Beginners Box Stock champion Cadyn Smith DNF'ed in fifth.  Cadyn wasn't running his number or colors in his newly purchased car, but the goal was to get him out there for the first time as he has also just moved up to this division.

Tanner Holmes is on the brink of his Sprint Car debut on the bigger track, but he brought out his 500 Open Kart to shake off the cob webs.  It had been a about a month since his last race.  Tanner is a two time 250 Kart champion at the track and won the Red Bluff Winter Series for that class this year.  Once he got the lead, he led to the checkered flag as Kevin Hilgendorf and past champion Stephanie Crisp rounded out the finishing order.

Car count was down just a bit, but the racing conditions were good once the track was brought in.  On July 7th, Kart racing returns, and it should be another good show with more Karts in action.


Dwarf Cars Set To Invade Coos Bay Speedway, 
Modified Gambler Thrills Crowd

Coos Bay, CA...It's an exciting time for Coos Bay Speedway.  Promoter Drake Nelson has given the fans some NASCAR excitement this year.  A big Dwarf Car double header is on tap for this Friday and Saturday night and Sprint Car Speedweek is on the horizon on July 11th.  That's just three days after the thrilling Eve Of Destruction.  Joining Dwarf Cars this Friday and Saturday will be the NASCAR Sportsman Late Models, Street Stocks, Mini Outlaws, Hornets and Humboldt Motorsports Side By Sides.  On Tuesday night, Nelson rolled the dice and gambled on a special $1,500 to win Modified show on the off night of Speedweek.

The results of the Modified Gambler were a mixed bag.  Car count was a little less than hoped, but the racing had the crowd on their feet at the end.  The lead duo of Justin Duty and Collen Winebarger were glued to the bottom of the track and battling fiercely for the lead through heavy traffic.  As they raced past the white flag, Duty left the door open enough for Winebarger to drive by for the lead.  In Turn 2, contact from Duty sent Winebarger sideways and into the infield.  Duty sped to the $1,500 checkered flag as Winebarger settled for a $600 second.  "Sir" Lawrence O'Connor was a lead lap third, followed by Ryan Baker, Tyler Smith, Joey Price, Preston Luckman, Kevin Williamson, Jayson Nelson and Danny Lauer.  Price, Duty, Lauer and Winebarger were 12 lap heat race winners, while Winebarger also won the five lap Trophy Dash.

In an exciting 25 lap Hornets Main Event, Bradon Fugate wrapped up a clean sweep with the Main Event victory.  Reigning champion Jeremiah Reiber had just gained the lead on lap eight, only to surrender it to Fugate's inside Turn 3 pass a lap later.  Fugate had Reiber and Tom Williams following closely from there to the checkered flag.  A rare DNF for point leader Ryan Siewell offered "Hurricane" Hannah Robison the chance to gain some ground in the standings as she finished fourth, followed by Jeff Thurman, Sam Taylor, Toby McIntyre, April Warmack, Patrick Nagel and Siewell.  Fugate also won the five lap Trophy Dash and his 12 lap heat race as Siewell won the other heat. 

Ken Fox grabbed another 25 lap Mini Outlaws Main Event victory.  In fact, it was a clean sweep of five lap Trophy Dash and 12 lap heat race.  The point race broke wide open as Rob Lauver blew a motor at Cottage Grove and missed this race, while Dan Daniels was a Main Event scratch.  This opened the door for Sam Talon to stretch his point lead.  Talon ran in the back early on before making his move to a distant second behind the flying Fox.  Alyssa Johnson, Wayne Butler and Jason Kallam rounded out the finish.

The track is excited to be hosting the WSDCA Dwarf Car Regionals, which will feature competitors from SODCA and NWDCA along with some racers from the NCDCA and SBDCA groups in California and others as well.  The most recent show at Coos Bay had a car count well into the 20's, and projections are that it could reach into the 50's and will likely at least be in the 40's.  NCDCA generally supports these events heavily, and the group has the strongest car count anywhere on the West Coast with stars such as Ryan "Ice Chip" Winter, Buddy Olschowka and Shawn Jones among their ranks.  SODCA is sure to have heavy support from stars like Brock Peters, Camden Robustelli, Cody Peters, Rob Gergel, Chad Cardoza and "Fast" Freddie Hay.  For Dwarf Cars alone, it will be a great show.

The Dwarf Cars won't be alone as the Sportsman Late Models lead the NASCAR classes into the weekend.  Brody Montgomery is like the Energizer Bunny.  He keeps on winning and winning.  Making those wins even more impressive is the fact that two time reigning champion Wayne Butler keeps chasing him in second.  In fact, Montgomery still only has a four point lead in the $1,000 championship battle, despite the fact that he also leads Butler in the win column, 6-2.   He has to be wondering what he has to do to shake him off his tail.  One time winner Dyllan Siewell is also still in the hunt, 30 points back in third.  These three competitors should be joined by such hard chargers as Charlie Withers, Jeff Krossman and Troy Chamberlain.

The Street Stocks seem to be gathering a little momentum.  They produced six cars, and five time winner and runaway point leader Justin Krossman is finding the competition to be just a bit tougher.  Third ranked Jeff Thurman won the most recent race to join three time winner Steve Dubisar in the win column.  Reigning champion Daniel Land ran strong last time and could be due for a victory.  Other racers to watch for include Ken Fox, Dustin Hitner and Josh Bearedin.

It was clarified this week that five time winner Rob Lauver has been the only driver of the fast #52 VW Beetle.  Unfortunately, that car was missing last Saturday and blew a motor on Monday at Cottage Grove.  With Lauver out of the picture and Dan Daniels scratched from Tuesday's feature, three time winner Sam Talon now holds a commanding lead in the Mini Outlaws championship battle.  Daniels leads Lauver by six points and Ken Fox by 16 in a much closer battle for second.  Fox won Tuesday and actually won a Main Event on double Main Event night that's not showing up on the stats as a win.  He's also a double division racer as one of the Street Stock competitors.  Other divers to watch this week include hard charger Jason Kallam, Alyssa Johnson, John Henry and Jamie Daniels.

Ryan Siewell has been on a such a roll this year as a six time Hornets feature winner that he could absorb a DNF on Tuesday night.  Siewell's misfortune allowed Hannah Robison to gain a little ground, but she's still trailing Siewell by 58 points.  Only four points behind her in third is Sam Taylor.  Both Taylor and Robison have looked good this year and seem poised for a feature win.  Reigning champion Jeremiah Reiber's back to back bad nights earlier this year have him trailing Robison by 36 points in the battle for second.  These four competitors are anticipated this weekend along with one time winner Tom Williams, Jeremy Beard, April Warmack and Patrick Nagel.  Warmack looked good in preliminaries last Saturday, but a blown motor left her team scrambling to get a motor for her on Tuesday.

The Friday-Saturday Dwarf Car Regionals, combined with some NASCAR Stock Car racing, should be another great night of racing.  For further information, go to www.coosbayspeedway.us


 Fourth Of July Racing And Fireworks At Siskiyou Speedway

Yreka, CA...We're in the midst of an exciting stretch of racing at Siskiyou Motor Speedway.  Fresh off of the successful Speedweek event, racing returns on July 4th with a full lineup of IMCA Sport Modifieds, McDonald's Mini Stocks, Outlaw Pro Stocks, SODCA Dwarf Cars and IMCA Modifieds.  The Tuesday night race also includes a big fireworks show.  These same five divisions are also scheduled for Saturday, July 15th.  In between that, there's the Sprint Car Speedweek race scheduled for Monday, July 10th,  IMCA Sport Modifieds will support that show as well.  July will be a great month of racing in Yreka, and you shouldn't forget the youngsters competing this Friday night on the Outlaw Kart track.

The IMCA Sport Modifieds have been the stars of the show this year, and that shouldn't change for the July 4th race.  With two wins each, Justin Foux leads young D.J. Bottoms in the IMCA point race.  Foux got off to a slightly better start, and that's been the difference so far.  We're already ten races into the season.  The six feature winners so far also includes two time winners Jorddon Braaten and Justin McCreadie as well as Keith Brown Jr. and Cory Biggs. Braaten is coming off of a win in the Sport Mod portion of the recent Speedweek event.

Still searching for his first feature win of the season is Colton Cheffey.  Cheffey has two seconds and two dash wins, but his season has been marred by some mechanical issues and a crash as well.  Cheffey is in a close battle with Randy Wright and Biggs for third in points.  Colton has been fast this year, and he could strike for a feature win at any time.  Other drivers to watch this week include, reigning champion Jimmy Lipke, Colter Boswell, Ryder Boswell and Justin McCreadie.

They may have to put a bounty on the #7 truck of Ethan Killingsworth.  Last time out, he won his third straight McDonald's Mini Stock Main Event of the season.  Killingsworth is still trying to recover from bad luck at the Mike Caveye Memorial Race, but he's on the move.  At the top of the point list is reigning champion Marilyn Yawnick.  Marilyn has been very consistent this season with three seconds and three thirds, but she's still in search of her first feature win.  Two other Top 5 competitors, Mike Whitaker and Terry Kendrick, have each won a Main Event this season, while Mike Frost is still looking for his first win.

Meanwhile, 2015 champion David Steele has encountered motor problems in his last two visits to the speedway.  The 2015 champion won the first two races and is competing for the Medford championship.  However, he enjoys racing in Yreka and should be back to see if he has his motor problems sorted out.  Other drivers to watch for this week include Amber Waldon, Mike Colson, Garrett Fredrickson and Guy Morris.

If there is a driver that needs a bounty placed on him, it's Outlaw Pro Stock point leader Dr. Scott Lenz.  Lenz is dominating the group with wins in all five point races so far.  Jeffrey Hudson or a Flowers family member has taken turns chasing the good doctor.  2015 champion Hudson has driven the Scott Bennett car to three seconds and a win in the special Billy Geyer Memorial race, which was for big money but not points.  Second ranked Scott Flowers and son James Flowers each have one second.  The steady Johnny Cobb currently ranks third and has one third place finish as his season best so far.  These hard chargers are anticipated this week along with Julia Flowers, Matt Harlow, Brian Hammond, Roy Bain and Jeff Haudenshild.

The SODCA Dwarf Cars are back for their second of three scheduled Yreka races.  Last time out, it was two time champion Josh King winning the season opener in April.  Since then, the two big stars of the group have been reigning champion Brock Peters and Camden Robustelli.  Both have two feature wins, and Peters won the $1,000 prize in Medford last week.  Chasing Brock in his two wins has been his son Cody Peters, who is knocking on the door to his first victory.  Joining these hard chargers this week should be tough competitors like Randy Slater, Chad Cardoza, Rob Gergel and Fred Hay.

The IMCA Modified point battle is now officially a race following the Speedweek show.  That was the fourth officially completed point race this year.  It's likely that the Rod Restad Memorial in late September will be another big show, but it's a little questionable as to what races might happen between now and then.  Who will show up?  With three wins in four starts, 2015 champion Nick Trenchard holds a 20 point lead over reigning champion Albert Gill and Kyle Casson.  If the Restad race is the only other point race that happens this year, Trenchard will be tough to beat.  If more races happen, it's very possible that he won't be at some of those races.  The July 4th race could attract some competitors, but who is the question.  It's possible that Gill, James Welshonse, past champion Lenny Toolanen and Duane Orsburn would be willing to race.  However, we'll have to wait and see who shows up on race day.

This Friday, the Outlaw Karts hold their third race of the season.  "Crash" Bob Fredrickson has come on board as head official, which is a post he held previously in Medford.  Kart count is improving as more new drivers join the excitement, and this is a trend that is expected to continue.  The 500 Open Karts and Speedway Karts are at the top of the ladder, but the 250 Karts, Box Stocks and Beginners Box Stocks also put on a great show.

On Tuesday, the Fourth Of July show will be entertaining from start to finish.  With a top notch fireworks display and five divisions on the schedule, this will be a night the whole family can enjoy.  For further information, go to www.siskiyoumotorspeedway.com.

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Lauer Wins Southern Oregon Speedweek Race, George Wins At Coos Bay, Cedarville, Yreka, More


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Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion 
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 Lauer Wins IMCA Modified Speedweek Race 
At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...June 24...Danny Lauer led most of the way in winning the 35 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway.  Lauer is a multi time Santa Maria Speedway champion, and this was his first Speedweek win.  The win paid him $1000, and John Campos was a $600 second.

The 28 car IMCA Modified field was divided into eight qualifying heat races, and each driver ran two eight lap heat races.  Heat race points and passing points in the heat races determined the Top 16 qualifiers with the Top 8 entered into a redraw for the first four rows of the Main Event.  There were no repeat heat winners as Ryan Gaylord, Danny Lauer, Ethan Dotson, Mark Wauge, Grey Ferrando, Randy Brown, James Welshonse and John Campos each grabbed a victory.  Friday night Yreka winner Nick Trenchard won the 12 lap B Main ahead of Preston Jones and Steven Sturdevant.

Bakersfield star Ethan Dotson led the first five laps of the Main Event before a low move in Turn 4 of the sixth lap gained Lauer the lead.  Wauge settled into third.  A lap 15 caution flag flew when R. Gaylord spun in Turn 2 and brother Tripp Gaylord slowed.  Lauer continued to lead Dotson on the restart as Campos battled Wauge for third.  Dotson started to slow with a flat tire and stalled in Turn 3 for a lap 18 caution flag.  Lauer continued to set the pace on the restart with Campos and Winebarger racing past Wauge for second and third.  Campos was running close behind Lauer and looking for the way by when a tangle between Albert Gill, Jesse Williamson and Wade Taylor forced a lap 31 caution flag.  Lauer maintained the lead on the restart and brougt it home to a satisfying victory.  Campos rebounded from a tech disqualification a night earlier in Yreka to finish second.  Winebarger was third, followed by Wauge, Trenchard, Bricen James, Ferrando, Williamson, Brown and Taylor.

Race Results
IMCA Modifieds
Heat 1a-Ryan Gaylord, Larry McCracken, Preston Jones, Steven Strudevant, Grey Ferrando.  Heat 2a-Danny Lauer, Collen Winebarger, Wade Taylor, Bricen James, Randy Brown.  Heat 3a-Ethan Dotson, Jesse Willamson, Chris Nieman, Chase Nieman, James Welshonse.  Heat 4a-Mark Wauge, John Campos, Albert Gill, Kevin Williamson, Brian Thompson.  Heat 1b-Grey Ferrando, Larry McCracken, Ryan Gaylord, Steven Strudevant, Kevin Hewitt.  Heat 2b-Randy Brown, Bricen James, Danny Lauer, Collen Winebarger, Wade Taylor.  Heat 3b-James Welshonse, Ethan Dotson, Chase Nieman, Chris Nieman, Jesse Willamson.  Heat 4b-John Campos, Nick Trenchard, Albert Gill, Mark Wauge, Brian Thompson.  B Main-Nick Trenchard, Preston Jones, Steven Strudevant, Tripp Gaylord, Kevin Williamson.  Main Event-Danny Lauer, John Campos, Collen Winebarger, Mark Wauge, Nick Trenchard, Bricen James, Grey Ferrando, Jesse Williamson, Randy Brown, Wade Taylor, Chase Nieman, Albert Gill, James Welshonse, Ethan Dotson, Preston Jones, Tripp Gaylord, Chris Nieman, Steven Strudevant, Larry McCracken, Ryan Gaylord.


Braaten DQ Hands Cooper Southern Oregon Speedway 
IMCA Sport Modified Win

White City, Oregon...June 24...Brian Cooper emerged with the victory in the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event following the tech disqualification of Jorddon Braaten.  This was Round #2 of the PSM IMCA Sport Mod Speedweek Series, and Braaten's DQ effectively took him out of the hunt for that championship.  Cooper ran a great race and was  a close second at the checkered flag.  He is the series point leader after two races.

B. Cooper and Rich McCoy won eight lap heat races.  Braaten won his heat race and the four lap Trophy Dash.  Braaten had the pole for the Main Event and led all 20 laps of the non stop event.  The race got interesting during the final five laps as the leaders caught traffic, but Braaten made all the right moves in taking the checkered flag first.  After post race tech inspection left Braaten disqualified, B. Cooper was awarded the victory.  McCoy was third up until Todd Cooper passed him in traffic on lap 19.  T. Cooper ended up second with the Braaten DQ as McCoy, two time champion Duane Melvin, Jimmy Ford, Randy Wright, Braxton Possinger, Justin McCreadie, Buddy McHargue and late arrival David Marble rounded out the Top 10 in the 18 car field.

Race Results
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Heat 1-Jorddon Braaten, Jimmy Ford, Randy Wright, Buddy McHargue, Justin McCreadie.  Heat 2-Rich McCoy, Mike Medel, Todd Cooper, Willie McFall, Braxton Possinger.  Heat 3-Brian Cooper, Dwayne Melvin, Tony Bartell, Jayson Nelson, Jesse Merriman.  Dash-Jorddon Braaten, Brian Cooper, Dwayne Melvin, Rich McCoy, Jimmy Ford.  Main Event-Brian Cooper, Todd Cooper, Rich McCoy, Dwayne Melvin, Jimmy Ford, Randy Wright, Braxton Possinger, Justin McCreadie, Buddy McHargue, David Marble, Willie McFall, Jayson Nelson, Jesse Merriman, Kalvin Morton, Tony Bartell, Donnie Fain, Mike Medel, Jorddon Braaten (DNS).


Peters Wins Again At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...June 24...Reigning SODCA Dwarf Car champion Brock Peters took advantage of the late race misfortune of the leader to win his second Main Event of the season Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway.  Camden Robustelli led the first 16 laps before his car lost power on lap 16.  B. Peters took the lead from there and gained the $1,000 victory.  Jim Nelson put up the extra money for the big payday, and the leader of each lap also won an additional $50.  After taking the checkered flag, B. Peters lost power.

The night started with the Peters family winning eight lap heat races as Brock and son Cody scored wins.  Brock held off Cody to win the six lap A Dash, and the B Dash win went to Ryan Smith over Randy Slater.  Robustelli raced into the lead at the start of the Main Event ahead of Chad Cardoza and C. Peters.  The yellow flag flew on lap five for Josh King in Turn 4.  Robustelli continued to lead Cardoza and C. Peters on the restart.  C. Peters made a back stretch pass on Cardoza for second on lap eight, and B. Peters made an outside pass on the front stretch a lap later for third.  A low move in Turn 1 of the 14th lap gained B. Peters second from C. Peters.  Robustelli appeared headed for victory before losing power on lap 16.  A lap later, Rob Gergel and Smith tangled in Turn 2 for a caution flag  B. Peters led the restart and brought it home to a satisfying victory from there.  C. Peters was a strong second, followed by Cardoza.  Gergel made a last turn pass to grab fourth from Slater as Smith, Steve Walker, Robustelli, King and Mark Nielson rounded out the Top 10.

Race Results
SODCA Dwarf Cars
Heat 1-Brock Peters, Rob Gergel, Josh King, Randy Slater, Steve Walker.  Heat 2-Cody Peters, Camden Robustelli, Chad Cardoza, Ryan Smith, Mason Lewman.  A Dash-Brock Peters, Cody Peters, Camden Robustelli, Rob Gergel, Chad Cardoza.  B Dash-Ryan Smith, Randy Slater, Fred Hay, Jesse Lorentz, Steve Walker.  Main Event-Brock Peters, Cody Peters, Chad Cardoza, Rob Gergel, Randy Slater, Ryan Smith, Steve Walker, Camden Robustelli, Josh King, Mark Nielsen, Mason Lewman, Jesse Lorentz, Joe Sanders, Fred Hay, Kaycee Sheeler.




George, Montgomery, Thurman Win 
Coos Bay Speedway Main Events

Coos Bay, Oregon...June 24...Point leader Mike George won the 25 lap NASCAR Whelen All American Series Super Late Model Main Event Saturday night at Coos Bay Speedway.  It was the sixth win of the season for George.  He won the feature by a straightaway ahead of his closest point rival Toby McIntyre.  Jared Bemetz was the only other driver to stay on the lead lap, not too far behind McIntyre in third.  Medford competitor John Dees finished fourth, while Sportsman point leader Brody Montgomery made his first start in fifth.  Thor Kristensen and Bob Dees were a lap down in sixth and seventh as 2014 champion Trina Post, Chris Ray and Gristy Grout completed the Top 10.  McIntyre's 16.028 lap beat the 16.209 of George for the fastest qualifying lap.  Bemetz won the five lap Trophy Dash, while George and McIntyre were eight lap heat race winners.

Brody Montgomery maintained his Sportsman Late Model point lead with his sixth 25 lap Main Event victory.  In what has been a trend lately, Montgomery's win came with two time reigning champion Wayne Butler and Dyllan Siewell not far behind him in second and third.  Justin Krossman was the final lead lap finisher as Devan Brown and Charlie Withers rounded out the finishing order.  Montgomery's fast time of 17.107 beat the 17.176 lap of Wayne Butker to set the fast time.  Montgomery led Butler for the 1-2 finish in their heat race, but Butler outran Montgomery to win the five lap Trophy Dash.

Jeff Thurman followed up his five lap Trophy Dash and eight lap heat race wins with his first 25 lap Street Stock Main Event triumph.  Point leader Justin Krossman was a close second to Thurman in the Main Event as the only two drivers to finish on the lead lap.  Reigning champion Daniel Land finished third ahead of Ken Fox and Chuck Bearedin.  Dustin Hitner was a Main Event scratch.  Land set fast time of 17.987 to beat the 18.052 of Fox.

Point leader Sam Talon won his third 25 lap Mini Outlaws Main Event.  Talon beat John Henry by about a straightaway as Jason Kallam beat Alyssa Johnson in a good battle for third.  Dan Daniels finished fifth.  Johnson's 18.297 beat the 18.598 of Talon for fast time.  Henry just beat Kallam back to the line to win the five lap Trophy Dash, while Talon beat Kallam to win the eight lap heat race.

Ryan Siewell maintained his Hornets point lead with his sixth 25 lap feature victory.  Jeremiah Reiber settled for second with Bruce McMaster a season best third.  Heat race winner Sam Taylor finished fourth, followed by Jeremy Beard, Hannah Robison, Tom Williams, Matt Butler, Patrick Nagel and April Warmack.  Warmack was a double winner in the five lap Trophy Dash and eight lap heat race, but her Main Event ended five laps from the finish.

Tuesday night, the speedway is hosting a $1,500 to win IMCA type Modified race with Mini Outlaws and Hornets also on the card.  On Friday and Saturday, a double header weekend will include a WSDCA Dwarf Car Regionals event along with NASCAR Sportsman Late Models, Street Stocks, Mini Outlaws, Hornets and Side By Sides.  For further information, go to www.coosbayspeedway.us.


Natenstedt Wins Gordon Russell Sr. Memorial Race 
At Cedarville Speedway

Cedarville, CA...June 24...Shawn Natenstedt won the Gordon Russell Sr. Memorial Race Saturday night at Cedarville Speedway.  The Nevada Pro Stock Association held the race to pay tribute to Russell and other greats of the past at the Modoc County Fairgrounds track.  The win was worth $1,500 for the NPSA point leader Natenstedt, who worked his way up through the pack after earlier winning his ten lap heat race and the six lap Fast Dash.  Oregon Outlaw Pro Stock stars James Flowers and Johnny Cobb ran at the front of the Main Event early on.  Robert Mull moved up to battle Flowers, but Flowers saw his run up front end on a restart when he was spun sideways and t-boned in Turn 4.  Heat race winner Jeff Olschowka led some laps as Natenstedt had worked his way into second.  Natenstedt gained the lead down the stretch as B Dash winner Mike McMordie and Donny Richardson were second and third.  Richardson led Scott Flowers past McMordie late, but Natenstedt would leave Cedarville with the big victory.  Natenstedt won ahead of Richardson, S. Flowers, McMordie, heat winner James Gozaalez, Eddie Stidham, Rocky Boice, Jay Sears, heat winner Travis White and Gary Nevers.  Sears won the 15 lap B Main ahead of Richardson and S. Flowers.

Randy Boyd won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event.  The $1,000 to win race was made up of several drivers from Nevada.  Boyd led most of the way for the big victory.  David Ausano held off Rocky Goetz in a close battle for second.  Susanville competitor Shayna Robinson was the final lead lap finisher in fourth as Curtis Leslie, James Bonderer, A Dash and heat winner Mark Hain, Chris Neal, B Dash winner Michael Bartlett and Alex Kniestedt completed the Top 10.  Cody Morris won his ten lap heat race.


Trenchard Opens Speedweek With Siskiyou Speedway Win

Yreka, CA...June 23...Nick Trenchard kicked off 2017 IMCA Modified Speedweek with a 30 lap Main Event victory Friday night at Siskiyou Motor Speedway.  This was also Trenchard's third win in four starts at the track as the 2015 champion took a big step towards this year's track title.  Trenchard was the class of the field all night long as he won both of his ten lap heat races to earn his starting spot in the $1,000 to win Main Event.  The format calls for two heat races for each driver with finishing and passing points calculated to determine the Top 8 Main Event qualifiers.  Kyle Casson, reigning Antioch Speedway champion Carl Berendsen II, young Colorado super star Ryan Scott Gaylord, reigning Susanville champion Chris Nieman, John Campos, and 3 time Speedweek champion Jesse Williamson also won heat races.

Reigning Speedweek champion Kellen Chadwick was a heat race winner, and he was the driver challenging Trenchard in the waning Main Event laps.  However, Chadwick's night took a turn for the worse when he rolled his car off the end of the back stretch.  Fortunately, he wasn't injured.  Trenchard has seemingly mastered Yreka this year as he brought it home to victory ahead of a strong second place effort for Campos.  Unfortunately, Campos was disqualified in post race tech.  Bakersfield's Ethan Dotson was elevated from third to second, followed by reigning Merced Speedway champion Randy Brown, J. Williamson, Bricen James, Yreka season opening winner Grey Ferrando, Collin Winebarger, Tripp Gaylord, Chase Nieman and Chris Nieman.  Ferrando won the first 15 lap B Main ahead of Wade Taylor and Steve Sturdevant.  James won the second B Main ahead of Chris Nieman and Brian Thompson.

Jorddon Braaten won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event.  The reigning Oregon State champion had a pole position start, but he still had to contend with reigning California State champion Brian Cooper, who started on the third row.  Cooper held off Braaten to win his eight lap heat race, but it was Braaten winning his second Yreka Main Event of the year ahead of Cooper.  Chowchilla long tow Tim Elias won his heat race before finishing third in the Main Event.  Unfortunately, he was disqualified in post race tech.  Reigning Medford champion Mike Medel was elevated to third ahead of reigning Yreka champion Jimmy Lipke, point leader Justin Foux, Jimmy Ford, Trevor Tiffee, Todd Cooper, Colter Boswell and D.J. Bottoms.  Lipke won his four lap Trophy Dash, and T. Cooper was the other heat race winner.

Siskiyou Speedway will be dark this Saturday night, but they return on July 4th with the Fireworks Spectacular.  In addition to a huge fireworks show, the fans will be treated to a great night of IMCA Modified, IMCA Sport Modified, McDonald's Mini Stock, Outlaw Pro Stock and SODCA Dwarf Car racing.  For further information, go to www.siskiyoumotorspeedway.com.





Holmes Brother-Sister Duo Wins Outlaw Kart Features 
At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...June 23...Tanner Holmes won the 25 lap 500 Open Kart Main Event Friday night at the Southern Oregon Speedway Outlaw Kart Track. Holmes won both of his heat races and led all the way for the Main Event win. Kevin Hilgendorf recovered from a mechanical issue to finish second ahead of Stephanie Crisp.

Carley Holmes won the 25 lap 250 Kart Main Event. Holmes and Braden Weiser won heat races and shared the front row of the feature. Holmes led most of the way. Braden Weiser gave it a good effort late in the race, but Holmes kept him behind her for the victory. Reigning champion Bodee Weiser finished third ahead of Trevor Grimes in his division debut and Cadyn Smith.

Reigning Box Stock champion Trevor Grimes won his two heat races and led all the way for the Main Event victory. Keaton Augustine won his race long battle with Sophia Bauer for second.

Jacob James had an eventful evening. After winning his first Beginner Box Stock heat race, he hit the wall in his second heat race. However, James raced into the Main Event lead early on and scored the win.  Uriah Sanders got off to a slow start in his heat races, but he steadily moved up to battle the Bounds brothers, Keegan and Steven, for second in the Main Event.  The close battle ended with K. Bounds finishing second, just ahead of S. Bounds and Sanders.  K. Bounds won both of his heat races, while Carson Crisp won his heat race and finished fifth in the Main Event.

Outlaw Kart racing returns to the small track on July 7th. The official website is www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Race Results
500 Open Karts
Heat 1-Tanner Holmes, Kevin Hilgendorf, Stephanie Crisp.  Heat 2-Tanner Holmes, Stephanie Crisp, Kevin Hilgendorf.  Main Event-Tanner Holmes, Kevin Hilgendorf, Stephanie Crisp. 

250 Karts
Heat 1-Carley Holmes, Braden Weiser, Bodee Weiser, Cadyn Smith.   Heat 2-Braden Weiser, Bodee Weiser, Carley Holmes, Cadyn Smith.  Main Event-Carley Holmes, Braden Weiser, Bodee Weiser, Trevor Grimes, Cadyn Smith.

Box Stock
Heat 1-Trevor Grimes, Keaton Augustine, Sophia Bauer.  Heat 2-Trevor Grimes, Sophia Bauer, Keaton Augustine.  Main Event-Trevor Grimes, Keaton Augustine, Sophia Bauer.

Beginner Box Stock
Heat 1-Keegan Bounds, Shailene Horn, Malachi Johnson, Silas Holden.  Heat 2-Jacob James, Steven Bounds, Carson Crisp, Uriah Sanders.  Heat 3-Keegan Bounds, Malachi Johnson, Shailene  Horn, Silas Holden.  Heat 4-Carson Crisp, Uriah Sanders, Steven Bounds, Jacob James.  Main Event-Jacob James, Keegan Bounds, Steven Bounds, Uriah Sanders, Carson Crisp, Shailene Horn, Silas Holden, Malachi Johnson.


All American Speedway Roseville, CA June 24, 2017



Daren Ricks Campbell's Article Can Be Viewed HERE

NSCS Modified
Eric Price Jr.
Michael Mitchell
Jason Philpot
Kristopher Lee Price
Darrin Knight
Charlie Collins
Eric Johnson
Dave Campbell
Richie Potts
Rich Cobb
Darrin Sullivan
Sierra Furia
Austin Wentworth
Cody Thompson
Steven Owen
Jake Andreotti
Sal Lopez
Dustin DeRosier
Adrianna Strugnel
Simi Tour

Bomber
Chris Paulson
Daryl Fitzgerald
Tony Latimer
Tim Walters
Nathan Hickok
Travis Henry
Wayne Hickok
David Caluya
Blake Disomma
Erick Ray

Street Stock
Andrew Peeler
Kenny Jastrumske
Earl Lee
Dan Farrington
Mark Gardiner

Pro 4 Modifieds
Marty Lewis
Mike Peterson
Sammy Nuno
Bud Anderson


Lakeport Speedway Race Results June 24, 2017
Bombers

Mike Sullivan
Raymond Taylor Sr.
Corey James
Josh Morrison
Brian White
Bobby Gilbert

Jammers (Jr/Pro)
Dave Rogers
Raymond Taylor Jr
Dennis Anderson
Tiona Tucker
Michelle Odell
Christian Sanchez

Limited Modifieds
Erick Ray
Donovan Cox
Jackson Long
Ian Elliott
Bradley Brackett
TJ Buzzard

Legends
Jaden Fisher
Derek Crayford
Colby Furia
Kylie Daniels
James Stillman
Aiden Daniels

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Trenchard Wins At Yreka, Holmes Wiins In Southern Oregon Karts, Cedarville, Orland, More


 DCRR  Racing Radio Show
Can Be Heard HERE

Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion 
Can Be Heard HERE




Trenchard Opens Speedweek With Siskiyou Speedway Win

Yreka, CA...June 23...Nick Trenchard kicked off 2017 IMCA Modified Speedweek with a 30 lap Main Event victory Friday night at Siskiyou Motor Speedway.  This was also Trenchard's third win in four starts at the track as the 2015 champion took a big step towards this year's track title.  Trenchard was the class of the field all night long as he won both of his ten lap heat races to earn his starting spot in the $1,000 to win Main Event.  The format calls for two heat races for each driver with finishing and passing points calculated to determine the Top 8 Main Event qualifiers.  Kyle Casson, reigning Antioch Speedway champion Carl Berendsen II, young Colorado super star Ryan Scott Gaylord, reigning Susanville champion Chris Nieman, John Campos, and 3 time Speedweek champion Jesse Williamson also won heat races.

Reigning Speedweek champion Kellen Chadwick was a heat race winner, and he was the driver challenging Trenchard in the waning Main Event laps.  However, Chadwick's night took a turn for the worse when he rolled his car off the end of the back stretch.  Fortunately, he wasn't injured.  Trenchard has seemingly mastered Yreka this year as he brought it home to victory ahead of a strong second place effort for Campos.  Unfortunately, Campos was disqualified in post race tech.  Bakersfield's Ethan Dotson was elevated from third to second, followed by reigning Merced Speedway champion Randy Brown, J. Williamson, Bricen James, Yreka season opening winner Grey Ferrando, Collin Winebarger, Tripp Gaylord, Chase Nieman and Chris Nieman.  Ferrando won the first 15 lap B Main ahead of Wade Taylor and Steve Sturdevant.  James won the second B Main ahead of Chris Nieman and Brian Thompson.

Jorddon Braaten won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event.  The reigning Oregon State champion had a pole position start, but he still had to contend with reigning California State champion Brian Cooper, who started on the third row.  Cooper held off Braaten to win his eight lap heat race, but it was Braaten winning his second Yreka Main Event of the year ahead of Cooper.  Chowchilla long tow Tim Elias won his heat race before finishing third in the Main Event.  Unfortunately, he was disqualified in post race tech.  Reigning Medford champion Mike Medel was elevated to third ahead of reigning Yreka champion Jimmy Lipke, point leader Justin Foux, Jimmy Ford, Trevor Tiffee, Todd Cooper, Colter Boswell and D.J. Bottoms.  Lipke won his four lap Trophy Dash, and T. Cooper was the other heat race winner.

Siskiyou Speedway will be dark this Saturday night, but they return on July 4th with the Fireworks Spectacular.  In addition to a huge fireworks show, the fans will be treated to a great night of IMCA Modified, IMCA Sport Modified, McDonald's Mini Stock, Outlaw Pro Stock and SODCA Dwarf Car racing.  For further information, go to www.siskiyoumotorspeedway.com.



Holmes Brother-Sister Duo Wins Outlaw Kart Features 
At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...June 23...Tanner Holmes won the 25 lap 500 Open Kart Main Event Friday night at the Southern Oregon Speedway Outlaw Kart Track. Holmes won both of his heat races and led all the way for the Main Event win. Kevin Hilgendorf recovered from a mechanical issue to finish second ahead of Stephanie Crisp.

Carley Holmes won the 25 lap 250 Kart Main Event. Holmes and Braden Weiser won heat races and shared the front row of the feature. Holmes led most of the way. Braden Weiser gave it a good effort late in the race, but Holmes kept him behind her for the victory. Reigning champion Bodee Weiser finished third ahead of Trevor Grimes in his division debut and Cadyn Smith.

Reigning Box Stock champion Trevor Grimes won his two heat races and led all the way for the Main Event victory. Keaton Augustine won his race long battle with Sophia Bauer for second.

Jacob James had an eventful evening. After winning his first Beginner Box Stock heat race, he hit the wall in his second heat race. However, James raced into the Main Event lead early on and scored the win, just ahead of brothers Keegan and Steven Bounds. K. Bounds won both of his heat races, while Carson Crisp won his heat race and finished fifth in the Main Event.

Outlaw Kart racing returns to the small track on July 7th, and tonight is a big IMCA Modified Speedweek race on the big track. IMCA Sport Modifieds and SODCA Dwarf Cars are also competing. The official website is www.southernoregonspeedway.com.


Gordon Russell Sr. Memorial Tonight At Cedarville Speedway
Hayfork Speedway News

Cedarville Speedway may seem like an afterthought to people who don't know.  What?  There's a race track in Cedarville.   There is indeed.  It's located at the Modoc County Fairgrounds.  They ran a Stock Car program there for several years.   There were Street Stocks and Bombers, but there were also IMCA type Modifieds and the occasional Late Model race as well.  The track ran enough through the years that there were championships, rivalries, friendships, exciting finishes and memorable moments.  It was the home track for many good racers.

One of those racers was the late Gordon Russell Sr.  Gordon had his moments, and certainly a proud moment was racing with his son, Gordon Russell Jr.  Gordon Jr. is member of the Nevada Pro Stock Association, which has made California trips to American Valley Speedway.  Gordon Jr. wanted to make racing happen again in Cedarville, so he and other NPSA members went to the fairgrounds to take a look at what was possible.   The race he had in mind was a memorial for his father.  By October of last year, they knew it was going to happen, and the June 24th date was picked.

However, Gordon wanted this race to be about more than his father.  It was for all the great racers who are no longer with us, such as Mike Atkins, Alfred Belding, Paul Del Rosa, Doug Tyler and Roland Baldwin.  It's for those who are still around who remember the glory days. 

The association will be out in force with such hard chargers as Shane Natenstedt, Donny Richardson and Malen Gonzalez.  At the most recent race in Quincy, Natenstedt won ahead of Jay Sears, Mike Learn Jr. and Travis White  It was his third sraight win.  Other stars to watch for tonight include Russell Jr., Gary Nevers and long time Stock Car and IMCA Modified star Robert Miller.  The neighboring Oregon Outlaw Pro Stock Assoociation was invited, and a few of their stars will be in action, including Scott Flowers and son James Flowers, Johnny Cobb and John Bowers.  Word is that drivers from further down south in California will be there as well.  Hobby Stocks are on the card as a support division.

Not only will Saturday be a special night in Cedarville, the hope is that this will become an annual event there.  In fact, there are some dreamers hoping that this could be the spark that leads to a more active race track in Cedarville in the future.  You never know, but Saturday night will be a good show.

Hayfork Speedway had it's second event on June 17th, and over 20 cars and Quads were in competition.  Nearly a dozen Hobby Stocks competed, and it was Russ "The Newmanator" Newman holding off Pro Stock champion Tressan Smith and Josh  Michaels for the Hobby Stock win.  Newman added a Trophy Dash win to his accomplishments for the night.  Andy Blackburn was a Main Event and Trophy Dash winner in Mini Stocks with Drew Brown second in the main.  Tim Kasper picked up the win in the wild Enduro class, while Timmy Tremayne returned and won the Quads feature ahead of Matt Yoder.  Next up for the Trinity County Fairgrounds track will be the Fireworks Show on July 8th with all of the divisions competing again.


Hainline, Howard, Davis Win At Diamond Mountain Speedway

Susanvile, CA...June 16...Galen Hainline won the 15 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Friday night at Diamond Mountain Speedway.  Hainline became the fourth different winner in four races in the competitive division.  Hainline and Steve Boucher won heat races, while Chris Nieman won the Trophy Dash.  Boucher's night ended in preliminaries.  Neven Kennemore paced the first three Main Event laps ahead of Hainline before a yellow flag waved.  Hainline raced past Kennemore for the lead on the restart as Nieman settled into third.  Nieman put the moves on Kennemore for second on lap 14 with long time Stock Car and Modified competitor Scott Foreman following him into third.  However, Hainline brought it home to victory ahead of Nieman, Foreman, Kennemore, Matt Murphy, Larry McCracken, Joe Blackwell, David Sciarroni, Tyler Patzke and Jeff Chew.

The May 26th IMCA Modified results found McCracken winning the feature ahead of the Murphy boys, Mitch and Matt. Jeff Olschowka finished fourth ahead of Nieman, Patzke, Steve Bejeck and Boucher.  Chris Nieman and Neven Kennemore were Main Event scratches.  On May 13th, the Nieman brothers ran at the front of the pack as Chris won ahead of Chase.  N. Kennemore was third ahead of Bill Pearson, McCracken, Bejeck, Patske and Mitch Murphy.  W. Kennemore and Hainline were feature scratches.

Craig Nieman won the 15 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event.  Jason Emmott led the first three laps of the race before Nieman made his pass for the lead.  Nieman led the rest of the way to win ahead of Emmott and Bob Feller.  Nieman won the May 26th race ahead of Feller and Emmott, and the finishing order was the same on May 13th.

Nathan Howard won the 15 lap Strictly Stock Main Event.  Howard led the entire distance for the impressive victory.  Reigning champion Richard Longacre and Jim Erle occupied second and third, respectively, from start to finish as Shayna Robertson, Joe Marlow, Steve Cain, Colby Russell, Larry Foster, Mini Stock graduate Ray Talavara Sr. and Ian Upton completed the finishing order.

Longacre won the May 26th Main Event as he is already off to a good start in his bid to repeat as champion.  Steve Cain was a strong second ahead of Robertson, Rick Higby, Foster and Marlow.  Marlow etched his name into the record books as the May 13th feature winner with Longacre chasing him in second.  Cain settled for third ahead of Foster, Mike Nichols, Howard and Upton.  Robertson was a Main Event scratch.

Tom Davis won the 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event.  The Orland Raceway point leader has been racing in Susanville this year as scheduling allows.  Davis swept his heat and the dash as Matt Canada won the other heat.  Cody Kennemore set the early Main Event pace ahead of Davis, but Davis raced past C. Kennemore for the lead on lap three.  Reigning champion Larry Whitebird settled into third.  Davis set a rapid pace and went on to victory ahead of C. Kennemore, Whitebird, Kate Robertson, Colby Chase, Raymond Talavara, Billy Gibson, Gabrielle Lewis, Wade Kennemore and Ryan Belli.

C. Kennemore collected the May 26th Main Event win with Whitebird in pursuit.  Robertson, R. Belli, Wyatt Spaulding, Caleb Eckells, Davis, Ray Talavara Jr., David Wilson and 2015 champion Kyle Belli rounded out the Top 10.  On May 13th, Davis was the class of the field as he won the feature ahead of R. Belli and Colton Larson.  Whitebird was fourth, followed by C. Kennemore, Robertson, Tyler Cheek, Wilson, Bryan Gray and Ray Talavara Jr.

Racing returns on July 1st with all four divisions on the card.  The busy week continues for all four classes with races on July 4th and July 8th.


Double Points Night At Orland Raceway Saturday Night

Orland, CA... There's nothing like a double points night to shake up a championship battle.  This Saturday night (July 1), Orland Raceway will be holding the first of two such events for the season.  Competing on the one-fifth mile dirt oval track at the Glenn County Fairgrounds this week will be Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks, Mini Trucks, Micro Sprints and Wingless Gas Sprints.

Last time out, it was business as usual for Pure Stock point leader Jeremy Langenderfer.  He won his third straight Main Event as Keith Ross, Brad Ray and Shannon Collins grabbed Top 4 finishes in the ten car field.  After four events, Langenderfer's point lead over Ross is still just ten points.  Reigning champion Steve Martin is 33 points out of the lead in third, and the double point night is just what he needs to move up higher in the standings.  The Pure Stocks have had strong support this season.  Fifth ranked Amanda Koop, Earl Adams and John Camper are other drivers to watch for this week.

Tom Davis won his third straight Mini Stock Main Event last time as Sean Perry and reigning champion John Kirkpatrick chased him in the Top 3.  Despite his winning, Davis still leads Perry by just three points in the closest battle at the track.  Kirkpatrick is still only 20 points out of the lead.  Top 5 ranked Barbara Crain sat out the most recent race as her new car wasn't quite ready.  She should have it ready this week as other stars to watch for include Dustin Hills, Jason Libbee and Donnie Fortney.

In Mini Trucks, double division racer Ross continues to lead after his latest feature win.  Ross was chased by Olin Crain, reigning champion Dan Webster and William Fogle in the Top 4 last time out.  The standings are still close as Ross leads Webster by 15 points and Fogle by 23.  The most recent race was the first appearance of the season for Crain, who should be back this week along with 2013 champion Ross Vige, Nate Scaggs and Zachary Baker.

In Micro 250's, Jackie Whitson won his fourth straight race last time out.  He led a Top 5 that included Russell Hensley, Troy Weiss, James Barnes and Michael McCarthy.  It's a two car battle at the top of the point list with Whitson leading Barnes by 27 points.  Barnes is slowly falling back and is in need of a good night.  Other drivers to watch for this week include past champion Jess Garland, Ronnie Heyer and Jared Carter.

The 600 Micros and Wingless Gas Sprints round out the program this week.  Last time out, multi time champion Josh Jacobo won the Wingless Gas Sprint Main Event as John Irwin, Gregory Gabhardt and Audry Webb enjoyed Top 4 finishes.

Saturday's double point program should offer plenty of excitement for the fans.  Gates open at 5 PM with the first race to start at 7 PM.  General Admission is $8 with Juniors and Seniors $5 and Children 6 and under free.  For further information, go to www.orlandraceway.org.


Golobic Wins Pombo-Sargent Classic
Hogge wins IMCA Modifieds At Ocean Speedway

Watsonville, CA...June 23...Shane Golobic won the Pombo-Sargent Classic for the King Of The West 410 Sprint Cars, presented by NARC, Friday night at Ocean Speedway.  Golobic is a two time champion in the track's regular Sprint Car show, and he recently won the Indiana Midget Week championship.  Coming off of his recent win in the series race at Petaluma Speedway, Chase Johnson and championship contender Bud Kaeding shared the front row of the 30 lap feature with Golobic starting third.  Johnson settled into the early lead as Kaeding washed up high.  Golobic quickly charged into second and started pressuring Johnson for the lead.  Golobic led lap eight with Johnson pacing the next lap.  On lap 10, Golobic moved back into the lead.  Cory Eliason took up pursuit of Golobic, but he surrendered that position to track point leader Justin Sanders down the stretch.  Golobic's win made him the seventh winner on this year's tour as Sanders settled for second.  Eliason stayed in the championship hunt in third, followed by Bud Kaeding, Kyle Hirst, Jamie Veal, D.J. Netto, Michael Kofoid, Gio Scelzi and Nathan Rolfe.  Johnson, Eliason and Netto won ten lap heat races, and Kaeding out-dueled Johnson for the six lap Trophy Dash win.

Bobby Hogge IV won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event.  Hogge isn't chasing points this year, but he returned to remind everybody who the reigning champion is.  Past champion Jim Pettit II and Todd Hermosillo had front row starting spots, but it was title contenders Nick DeCarlo and Alex Wilson battling for the lead as Hogge worked his way up from the third row.  Hogge passed both of them for the lead and eventual victory.  DeCarlo was a strong second ahead of A. Wilson, Brian Cass, Clay Daly, Danny Wagner, Raymond Keldsen Jr., Kyle Bryan, Hermosillo and Pettit.  There were 14 competitors, and Hogge and Cass won eight lap heat races.

Cameron Diatte won the 20 lap SBDCA Dwarf Car Main Event.  Diatte, Mark Biscardi and Gene "Punky" Pires were the trio of past champions starting in the first three positions, and they took the checkered flag in order.  Ryan Amlen finished fourth, followed by Tafton Chandler, Bill Belfield, Dan Zuger and Ryan Diatte.  Pires also won the eight lap heat race, and two time Antioch champion Danny Wagner suffered mechanical issues in hot laps and was a Main Event scratch.

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Southern Oregon Speedway, Siskiyou Speedway and Coos Bay Speedway Previews



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IMCA Modified Wild West Speedweek 
Comes To Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...Back in 2011, the IMCA Modified Wild West Speedweek Series was created.  It was basically the Modified division's answer to the Sprint Car Speedweek that had been around for several seasons.  The first champion was Medford star Brian Poppa.  Poppa had long built up a reputation as one of the most competitive drivers Southern Oregon Speedway had to offer.  He won many races, including some of the biggest races at the track.  In 2006, Brian won the Modified and Pro Stock championships in the same year.  In 2011, he was stuck in the B Main at the Medford Speedweek race.  This was not an issue for him as he won that race and the Main Event.

In the six seasons that followed, Willamette Speedway star Jesse Williamson won three Speedweek titles, while California stars Alex Stanford and reigning champion Kellen Chadwick won the other two.  Those two are at the top of the list of Californians that will support the week long series.  All Speedweek races pay $1,000 to win, and there's point fund money on the line as well.

This year is the most grueling Speedweek yet.  After opening at Siskiyou Motor Speedway in Yreka on Friday, they head to Southern Oregon Speedway on Saturday.  The next two nights are at Cottage Grove Speedway.  Following that, there is a one night break on Tuesday in which Coos Bay Speedway has offered a $1,500 to win non point race that may attract a few drivers.  On Wednesday, it's Sunset Speedway and Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be at Willamette Speedway.

A field of roughly 40 competitors from throughout the west coast is anticipated for this event, led by Chadwick, Williamson and Stanford.  Between just these three drivers, they have eared 18 total Speedweek victories.  Chadwick earned all four of his last season.  While these three might be the top contenders for the Speedweek championship, they will have to compete with other top notch competitors like Collen Winebarger, Rob Ireland, Grey Ferrando, Danny Lauer and Mark Carrell.

Southern Oregon Speedway has its own track championship, and it's going to be a battle just to make it into the Main Event this week.  The IMCA point update following the most recent race has yet to be released, but Albert Gill and Jesse Bailey appear to be tied.  Gill earned his second straight runnnerup finish last week, while Bailey drove to his third straight Top 3 finish.  With six Top 3 finishes in the last 12 races at the track, Bailey has been the model of consistency.  First and foremost, the goal for these two drivers is to make the Main Event this Saturday, and then they will set out to defend the local honor against an all star field of invaders.  Other regulars to watch for include Monte Bischoff, Mark Wauge, Nick Trenchard, Jeremy Ohlde, James Anderson, Scott Crumm and James Welshonse.

Thanks to the efforts of Pacific Sport Modified Series organizer Steve Kerstulovich, the IMCA Sport Modifieds are getting to run at six of the eight Speedweek events as a support class.  They will also crown a series champion.  Point leader and recent winner Mike Medel is hoping that champion will be him.  Medel had his hands full battling Rich McCoy last week, but he got the job done.  McCoy is hoping this will be his week to win, but all of the competitors can expect the return of reigning Oregon State champion Jorddon Braaten.  Braaten missed last week due to a wedding.

Because of the efforts to create a Sport Mod Speedweek, more visiting drivers are anticipated.  At the top of that list will be Yreka point leader Justin Foux and two time Yreka winner Justin McCreedie.  Reigning California State champion Brian Cooper recently announced his plans to come race.  Brian's brother Todd will be here along with Jimmy Ford and Keith Brown Jr.  Todd won the Haudenshild Tribute race last season for this division.  The invaders can also anticipate some close competition from local stars like Willie McFall, Jesse Merriman, Dwayne Melvin and A.J. Parker.

The SODCA Dwarf Cars are already seeing a good battle in points between recent winners Brock Peters and Camden Robustelli.  Peters is the reigning champion and Robustelli is coming off of back to back runnerup seasons.  They may be the favorites to win this week, but you can expect good competition from two time champion Josh King, Cody Peters, Chad Cardoza, Rob Gergel and Fred Hay.

For a little extra excitement, the Outlaw Kart track will open on Friday night.  The Speedway Karts have been added to the program along with Beginners Box Stocks, Box Stocks, 250 Intermediates and 500 Open Karts.  Our list of 2016  champions in those four classes last year were Kiley Grimes, Trevor Grimes, Bodee Weiser and Johnny Burke.  The first three are anticipated this Friday along with other rising young stars such as Malachi Johnson, Shailene Horn, Roger Whipple, Natalie Richard, Vinny DeBenedetti, Braden Weiser, Brenden Bartlett, Wyatt Pinckney and Reece Slyter.  It is sure to be a fun night of racing as the format calls for two sets of heat races and then Main Events in all classes.

Saturday's big show will be one you won't want to miss.  The IMCA Modifieds alone will be a great show, and IMCA Sport Modifieds and SODCA Dwarf Cars are the icing on the cake.  Gates open at 5 PM with the first race at 7 PM.  General Admission is $15 and Seniors, Juniors and Military are $10 and Children 5 and under are free.  For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.



Speedweek Series Kicks Off 
 At Siskiyou Motor Speedway On Friday

Yreka, CA...The seventh annual IMCA Modified Speedweek Series kicks off this Friday night at Siskiyou Motor Speedway.  This year, the series will run eight races in nine days, starting in Yreka, going to Medford, Oregon the next night, Cottage Grove, Oregon for two nights, a night off, a race in Banks, Oregon and three at Lebanon, Oregon.  It's a challenge for the racers.  Can they be fast and consistent for the whole week?  Can they keep their cars together and win some races?  Who will be the champion?

The champions list includes Jesse Williamson three times and Brian Poppa, Alex Stanford and Kellen Chadwick each once.  There have been four different winners in the last four Speedweek races in Yreka, including Alex Stanford (2012), Mark Wauge (2013), Travis Peery (2015) and Kellen Chadwick last year.  It was Chadwick's first of four Speedweek wins and it set him on his series championship winning path.  Chadwick is a past Antioch Speedway champion, and his win came ahead of Imperial, California's Lance Mari, Lebanon, Oregon's Collin Winebarger, Nipomo, California's Danny Lauer and Medford, Oregon's Brian Poppa.  What's interesting is that all five of these drivers have won championships at their respective home tracks.

Speedweek brings out the best of the best for some great competition as the drivers test their ability to race on different tracks with different racing conditions.  How well can they adapt to each racing surface and make the key adjustments that will pay off at the finish line?  Some area stars who should be in town to defend the local honor include recent John Arnberg Memorial winner Nick Trenchard, Kyle Casson, two time reigning champion Albert Gill, past champion Lenny Toolanen and Mark Wauge.

This race will make four point races that have been held in Yreka, making it an officially sanctioned IMCA track championship.  Currently, Trenchard leads Casson by just two points and Gill by ten.  Toolanen finds himself 20 points out of the lead.  While there may be questions as to how many cars will be racing on a regular night, expectations are that there will be well over 30 competitors for this year's race, which was also the case last year.  It will be a race IMCA Modified fans will not want to miss.

IMCA Sport Modifieds are also on the schedule.  Thanks to the efforts of Steve Kerstulovich, there will be a Speedweek championship for this class as well.  Only Cottage Grove's races will not include the division.  Kerstulovich is promoting the Pacific Sport Mod Series again this year, which includes Yreka.  Once again, the top drivers will receive prize money.  Last year, this included champion Jorddon Braaten and Top 5 competitors Jimmy Lipke, Garrett Hamilton and Mike Medel.  All four drivers should be competing this Friday, and there's word of some California stars coming from down south, including 2016 State champion Brian Cooper, Todd Cooper, Keith Brown Jr. and Jimmy Ford.

When they get here, two time winners Justin Foux, D.J. Bottoms and Justin McGreedie will be there to give them a good battle.  Foux is currently leading the point race ahead of Bottoms and Colton Cheffey.  Bottoms won his second straight race last week, and this was after he spun out earlier in the race.  Cheffey has struggled at times this season as he looks for his first win of the year.  He has finished as high as second twice.  Other local stars to watch for this week include Cory Biggs, Randy Wright, Colter Boswell, Ryder Boswell and Jack Walldon III.

The track will be dark this Saturday and next Saturday to allow its Modified racers to support Speedweek, but the July 4th Firecracker Challenge and Fireworks Spectacular will be a big night with IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, McDonald's Mini Stocks, Outlaw Pro Stocks and SODCA Dwarf Cars all on the card.  In the meantime, this Friday's IMCA Wild West Speedweek opener should be exciting.  With lots of IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sport Modifieds competing, you won't want to miss this race.  For further information, go to www.siskiyoumotorspeedway.com.


Pit Stops

A six division program entertained the crowd last Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway.  This was an event that included lots of speed, including the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars.  An interesting trend this year finds that there have been three different teams to have won Main Events after three races.  Plus, car count has improved over the first three races last season when it was four for each race.  We've seen 11, seven and eight cars so far, and wins have been earned by Jake Waddell, Kyler Barraza and Bailey Hibbard.

Hibbard may be kicking himself after his error after the first race saw him head to his pit rather than the scales.  The disqualification that night has likely kept him out of the point lead despite his second place finish and last week's victory.  Bailey has gone from the kid with self doubt about whether he should be racing a Sprint Car to a more confident competitor, and his time competing at Southern Oregon Speedway has made all the difference.  He now has two wins and a second to show for it.

Last week, the 16 year old hard charger surprised Kyler Barraza by beating him in the Scramble to grab the Min Event pole.  Though Barraza got the jump on him at the start of the Main Event, young Hibbard used a lap four restart to grab the lead.  He led a Hibbard family 1-2 finish as his father David Hibbard made a late move for the second place finish.  Bailey is a past 250 Kart champion at Cottage Grove, and it's way too early to count him out in this battle.  Likewise, his father is still in the hunt.  David is the 2014 Cottage Grove Limited Sprint champion.

Barraza has clearly staked his claim as the driver to beat in the division so far.  Though he fell back to third last week at the checkered flag, he's the only driver with all Top 3 finishes.  The last two times he has competed for championships, he ended the season as the Southern Oregon Sprint Tour champion.  Barraza will be gunning for more Main Event glory when the division returns for three races in July (The 1st, 8th and 22nd).

Merissa Henson continues to impress with her ability to drive a Sprint Car.  Some might have been wondering how she would adapt to the switch from a Top 5 Mini Stock competitor to a Sprint Car rookie.  If you've seen her in 250 and 500 Open Karts, you knew that wouldn't be a problem.  Henson grabbed a fifth place finish last week behind two time Cottage Grove champion Patrick Dills.  She now has two lead lap Main Event finishes.  Her second place heat race and Trophy Dash finishes last week helped keep her in second in the standings as the top rookie in the field.

Late Model car count doubled to eight cars, and we still haven't seen all of the drivers who intend to compete this year.  Dustin Knight commented before the races that Rapp Racing will field another car later this season with Rich McCoy behind the wheel.  Through the years, McCoy has racked up several Modified feature wins in addition to his Mini Stock title.  Knight is also a champion in both Pro Stocks and Modifieds, and he's set his sights on the Late Model title. 

Knight let a win get away from him at the opener when he misjudged where to go in traffic, opening the door for championship rival Nathan Augustine to race by.  Dustin remarked that as hooked up as his #77 car is, it's sometimes difficult to judge how fast he's coming up on slower traffic, and that's what got him in the opener.  In the recent Main Event, he seemed to be getting the job done when his car lost power in Turn 2 halfway through the race.  This gave the lead to Augustine.

After winning the Coos Bay championship last year, Nathan has decided to run for points in Medford this year.  The schedule makes it easier on him than elsewhere as there aren't as many dates.  Augustine's car took a little damage in his recent visits to Madras and Cottage Grove, but his heat and dash wins showed that things were still okay.  When Knight had his misfortune, Nathan gained the lead, and it looked like a win was a forgone conclusion.  Unfortunately, he slowed his pace just a bit, figuring he had a big enough lead.  He was also lapping a slower car.

What he hadn't counted on was Knight had his foot to the floor on a mission to regain the lead.  Knight was using every inch of the race track he could find for the extra traction, and even a brush with the front wall as they took the white flag wasn't going to slow him down.  Knight made a controversial slide job pass in the final turn, barely brushing the nose of Augsutine's car.  The move got the biggest reaction of the crowd as they were on their feet cheering.  Knight was a happy winner and Augustine was a bit displeased by the way he lost the lead.  The points should still reflect Augustine as the leader, but this is sure to be a battle that will go down to the wire.

The Dees family was back with the beautiful cars of reigning champion Bob Dees and his rookie son Garrett Dees.  Also returning was Mike Linder and Don Garrett Jr., who was piloting the former Augustine car.  Linder had a beautiful new blue body on his car.  Garrett and Linder have been racing together for years, and the two are pretty much founding members of the Limited Sprint effort nearly 25 years ago.  All was not right with Garrett's car, which still didn't have a number on the new yellow body, and he retired early in the race.  Linder was enjoying a good battle with Kristy Grout and B. Dees before ending a respectable season debut with a third place finish.

Grout could only chase Dees, but she still finished a lead lap fifth after a second in the Trophy Dash.  In fact, Kristy even led the dash early.  The good news in all of this is that the six drivers who finished could still drive their cars up on the trailer.  Next time, we hope to see the season debuts of John Dees and Steve Lemley.  Dave Foote was a bit disappointed that he missed the Main Event.  He was having starter issues.  The Coos Bay resident was unable to find the push truck he needed to at least attempt to get a Main Event start.

Motor issues seem to be effecting some of the top Mini Stock competitors this year.  There were carburetor and fuel issues slowing down 2013 champion Steve Goetz and 2014 champion Gary Anderson in the first two races, and neither one looked like their usual selves on the track.  Goetz was asked by teammate and motor man David Steele to come to the Yreka race a week earlier to see if he had things sorted out.  The adjustments hadn't solved the problem, so they had a list of a few things to try on the #55 car last week.

Meanwhile, Steele himself had encountered motor issues during the two weeks leading up to this race.  He competed in Yreka, but motor issues prompted him to scratch from the Main Event rather than risk any more damage.  Last week, David had more problems with the motor, but he decided to sacrifice the motor to get a Main Event start for his points.  Last place points were still better than non starting points.  Goetz managed a seventh place finish after running third for several laps.  It looks as if there will be some more work to be done.

For Anderson, there was a clear indication that the #0 car was back in running order after he won his heat race.  Come Main Event time, Gary was surprised when the much improved Kristopher Mix shot into the early lead.  Mix had already finished third in a Main Event here and recently had a career best second in Yreka.  In fact, Mix is very much in the championship hunt this season.  Anderson made his winning move on lap eight and led the rest of the way for the win.  Mix was a close second, and Dillen Lausen grabbed another podium finish in third.  The point battle up front between Steele, Lausen and Mix is close, and Anderson just reasserted himself into that contest with his impressive performance.

Speaking of impressive, you have to give it to young Michael Johnson.  The second generation racer is piloting the former Merissa Henson car, and he has shown much improvement.  Johnson's Achilles heel last week seemed to be Turn 2, where he spun in both his heat race and the Main Event.  Johnson started to make a move that possibly could have resulted in a first career win.  He was running an outside line that nobody else seemed interested in, and he grabbed second from Mix.  Unfortunately, he spun late.  He managed to make a late pass on Patrick Stringer-Stine for fifth as reigning champion Bob Burkett returned for a fourth place finish.  Stringer-Stine was none too pleased about the crash that left his chassis damaged last time.  He feels as if his car is much more competitive now, and that hampered his efforts to get a win.  His repairs at least allowed him to get a respectable lead lap finish in sixth last week.

The OTRO Hardtops were back to entertain the crowd, and they brought their best field yet with eight cars.  This included the season debuts of Dean Cast and Jimmy Del Castille.  Del Castille won his first Trophy Dash to start the night, and Jamie Britton made his second dirt start with a heat race win.  We also saw Nathan Augustine in the Dusty Trotter owned #26 car.  Augustine had to change motors during the week to get the car ready, and he didn't have much luck in the Main Event.  D. Trotter is working on a second car, which could see the track this year.

Mark Minter was a heat race winner, and he and Britton ran at the front of the Main Event.  Minter spent the offseason making much needed repairs and getting the motor together for the Minter Family #33 car, and he's been fast so far.  He ran second behind Britton for several laps before the two made contact in Turn 2 as they battled for the lead on lap 11.  Minter hit the brakes, and both gathered it back up.  However, Minter still made the pass for the lead and eventual victory.  Vic & Louise Bridges had Bruce Wilkerson behind the wheel of their #63 Sedan.  Wilkerson is a past Street Stock racer at Marysvile, CA Raceway.  He would make a late pass on Britton for the second place finish as Britton settled for third.  Hardtops return to Southern Oregon Speedway on July 1st.

The IMCA Sport Modified point race was rocked by the absence of two time champion Jorddon Braaten.  Jorddon was attending his sister's wedding.  Mike Medel had finished second to Braaten in the first two races, and it might have been easy to assume a win would be a piece of cake for the reigning track champion.  If you assumed that, you were wrong.  Medel is driving the first new car he's had since starting racing at the track back in the 1990's, and winning more races this year is a goal.  He got things started with a Trophy Dash win.  The Main Event would be far from a slam dunk.

As Medel came up from the fourth row, Jesse Merriman sped into the lead.  Rich McCoy is still trying to make up for the hot lap crash in the opener that ended his night early, and he quickly moved into second in this race.  His bid to challenge Merriman for the lead resulted in a spin.  Medel benefited from a yellow flag a couple of laps later.   He followed Merriman for a lap before making his pass, only to find McCoy closely following him in second.  Medel was not giving up the bottom groove that McCoy was trying to take.  After some serious pressure for a few laps, Medel prevailed at the checkered flag.  McCoy was a close second, and you have to believe a feature win is just around the corner for the #95 car.

Merriman settled for third, but he has to be happy with the way his car ran in this race.  The former Dwarf Car star is making a good transition to the Sport Modified class.  Two time champion Dwayne Melvin has come back for a pair of races to challenge the hooked up race track.  Though not a big fan of tacky racing surfaces, he did get a win in the season finale last year.  This time around, he outdueled second ranked Willie McFall to get a fourth place finish.  This puts him into the next Trophy Dash.  When it comes to potential winners, you certainly can not count out either Melvin or McFall.

The IMCA Modified division was headed for a post Haudenshild Race dip again as several competitors were absent.  However, the addition of Brian Bowman, Ryan Baker, Max Augustine and California visitors Derek Nance and Tim Cecil kept the count in double digits.  Nance is a long time Merced Speedway competitor in both Late Models and IMCA Modifieds, but it's been a while since he's won a feature.  Cecil comes from a racing family.  His grandfather is Watsonville Hall Of Famer Jerry Cecil and his father is Street Stock legend Mike Cecil.  Mike lost his battle with Cancer 20 years ago, and that track has held a race in his honor ever since.  When Nance and Cecil arrived in Yreka, they were informed that the better car count for this class would be in Medford.  They quickly headed north.

The night started of looking like it would belong to Albert Gill.  The two time champion won both the Trophy Dash and his heat race.  Gill showed no signs of slowing down as he raced into the lead early in the Main Event.  Even a yellow flag that allowed Nance to restart right behind him didn't look like it would stop Gill.  Gill was running strong, but when he came up on two slower cars fighting for position, it proved to be his undoing.  Nance ducked underneath all of them down the back stretch and emerged with the lead.  Nance would bring it home to a satisfying victory, while Cecil finished fifth behind Baker..  Nance and Cecil will be back later this season.

Gill settled for his second straight runnerup finish, which still made it a good point effort.  Behind Gill in third was Jesse Bailey.  Bailey's third place finish was his sixth Top 3 finish in the last 12 races.  However, he hasn't won since the 2015 season opener, and he's looking to change that soon.  At the moment, the battle is between Gill and Bailey for the point lead.

On Friday night, the Outlaw Kart track opens for its first race of the season.  In addition to the 500 Open Karts, 250 Intermediates, Box Stocks and Beginners Box Stocks, there will also be Speedway Karts.  Count in the mid 30's is anticipated, and it could reach into the 40's as well.

So far this season, we've noticed that 500 Open Karts in the area who have competed include rookies Reece Slyter and Wyatt Pinckney as well as Jeffrey Hudson and Kenny Boardman.  We're not sure who might show up.  Kevin Hilgendorff recently relocated to Medford, and Johnny Burke is the reigning champion.  Other Karts who have supported recent races and could be there include 2013 runnerup Jantzen Knips, past champion Stephanie Krisp, Brody Sim and Merissa Henson. 

The 250 Karts figure to be represented by two of the top stars in the area, reigning champion Bodee Weiser and brother Braden Weiser.  Top 5 2016 competitor Brenden Bartlett had his moments last season, and he should be fast.  Teammate Devin Felix made the move up to the 250's late last season.  There are some fast competitors in this division who could be there this week, including Colby Bergquist, Ashleigh Strain, Braden Cory and 2016 Yreka Box Stock champion Brionna Fuller.  With third ranked 2016 competitor Enrique Jaime in a Sprint Car, we could see his sister Isabella in that Kart this week or in the weeks ahead.

Trevor Grimes is the two time reigning Box Stock champion.  He won three times last year and is clearly the driver to beat.  However, 2016 Yreka Beginners Box Stock champion Taylor Fuller is moving up this year for his next challenge.  Past Top 5 competitor Vinny DeBenedetti is making his return after a year off.  We also have Natalie Richard coming off of her second straight Roseburg Indoors championship and 2016 runnerup Emma Rodgers.  Other hard chargers to watch for include Ryan Hirschbock, Loveah Crice and Natalie Hudson.

Kiley Grimes is the reigning Beginners Box Stock champion.  More importantly, she is looking for her first feature win.  Second ranked 2016 competitor Shailene Horn and fourth ranked Jacob James were both feature winners last season who may be tough to beat.  We also have to keep an eye on Malachi Johnson.  This youngster looked like he'd been racing for a while when he made his first start midway through last season.  The Whipple brothers, Thomas and Roger, Adrian Richard and Nicholas Davis Jr. are other drivers to watch for.

The Fuller family are big boosters of the Speedway Kart class.  Larry Fuller finished second in points in Yreka last year ahead of teammate Nick Davis, Lori Fuller and Sean Fuller.  Young Brionna Fuller has gotten the chance to race in Yreka this year.  There's also Rambo Motorsports, and Steve Rambo and Johnny Hoult have both competed in the class.  Rambo won the most recent race in Yreka.  We're still learning the names on the roster, but we've heard a field of a half a dozen or so Speedway Karts could be present for their maiden run on the Medford Kart track.

Speaking of Yreka, our efforts to get results from the Outlaw Kart track have yielded no results after two races.  We've heard a field of 30 Karts were competing last week, and Kart booster "Crash" Bob Fredrickson has taken over the Race Director duties at the Kart track.  Bob was also throwing flags last week as the flag man on the bigger track. The Outlaw Pro Stock Association gave the fans a little more excitement than they expected after Ginny Flowers took out a section of fence early in their Main Event.  The Flowers family was out in force as Ginny's daughter Julia, son James and husband Scott were all competing.

However, none of the Flowers family or anybody else out there was a match for Dr. Scott Lenz.  Once Lenz got the lead, he could not be stopped as he sped to his fourth Yreka win and fifth on the circuit.  The drivers might have been getting tired of being beat by 2016 champion Steve Borror last year, but you might just hear them calling for him to return as a threat to Lenz.  Jeffrey Hudson has given it a good effort in the Scott Bennett owned #15 car.  The 2015 champion has three second place finishes and a big victory in the Billy Geyer Memorial Race.  Hudson also won the Lucas Oil Trophy Dash last week to make it a good night.

It wasn't really a bad night for second ranked S. Flowers.  Scott managed to stay on the lead lap in third and also won his heat race.  It won't gain him much in points, but it will help him hold onto second in the standings, a position he has held for four years now.  Brian Hammond and Matt Harlow both grabbed checkered flags in fourth and fifth, while Julia Flowers took a checkered in sixth.  Julia is usually very good about getting the #20 car to the finish line in one piece.  Harlow put his car on its lid at Yreka two visits ago, so he was just happy to keep the car on four wheels this time.

Last year, the IMCA Sport Modified buzz was about the break out season second generation racer Colton Cheffey was having.  Cheffey has struggled this season with a few problems, though he's finished as high as second twice.  However, D.J. Bottoms has emerged as the next breakout star.  The second generation racer spun last week, but he still blazed a trail back to the front of the pack for his second straight win.  Bottoms now holds second in points ahead of Cheffey.  He's not giving up on catching fellow two time winner Justin Foux, who leads by over 30 points.  The challenge with the IMCA point system is you only gain one point per position in the Main Event and there are no heat or dash points.  Foux was a close second, meaning D.J. didn't gain much, but the win was still a big reason to celebrate.

Past SCMA Sport Modified champion Doug Franklin returned after being away for a couple of races and won a good battle with Ryder Boswell for third.  The Boswell brothers were both very fast in the Mini Stocks, and seeing them out there more often in Sport Modifieds is bad news for the competition.  Colter is the 2015 IMCA Sport Modified champion.  Randy Wright, who got his first career win on Speedweek night last season, won his heat race and finished seventh behind Garrett Hamilton and Donovan Rodgers.  Wright is currently fifth in points.

The McDonald's Mini Stock point race is going to tighten up quickly despite the fact that reigning champion Marilyn Yawnick has managed to start every race this year.  Ethan Killingsworth missed one race this year, but he's won four times, including three in a row.  Yawnick won the Trophy Dash last week.  Though she has three seconds and three thirds, she's still searching for her first feature win. 

Terry Kendrick is another driver trying to bounce back from two bad weeks.  He did win a close battle with Yawnick for second last week, and he has one win.  With Top 5 finishes last week, Mike Whitaker and Mike Frost should hold onto Top 5 point positions.  However, the track is hoping for an increase in car count in this class when racing resumes for them on July 4th.  They did see a visit from relative newcomer Garrett Fredrickson last week.  Unfortunately, mechanical issues ended his night early.


Coos Bay Speedway Has Four Races In Eight Days

Coos Bay, Oregon...Coos Bay Speedway will be giving the fans plenty of racing to enjoy over the next week.  It starts this Saturday night with Ladies Night.  Ladies get in free to watch a NASCAR Whelen All American Series program that will feature Super Late Models, Sportsman Late Models, Street Stocks, Mini Outlaws, Hornets and Humboldt Motorsports Side By Sides.  On June 30th and July 1st, the Super Late Models will be off, the other five divisions will compete and the WSDCA Dwarf Car Regionals will headline both nights.  For this Dwarf Car event, several competitors are anticipated from Oregon, California and possibly Nevada.

If that's not enough, Promoter Drake Nelson has rolled the dice, which is appropriate in this instance.  He announced last week that on Tuesday, June 27th, the track is holding the Modified Midweek Gambler race.  The pay for the IMCA type Modifieds will be $1,500 to win and $150 to start.  Nelson had hoped to be included in IMCA Wild West Speedweek, but Coos Bay was unfortunately passed over this year.  Since it's an off night for the eight race Speedweek Series, Nelson added this date for any Modified or Sport Modified drivers wishing to come race.  The Top 3 Sport Modified finishers have been offered a $100 bonus.  Some of the top teams may come to Coos Bay for a shot at the money.  Also competing that night will be Mini Outlaws and Hornets.

Five seemed to be the magic number last week for a few of the winners.  In Super Late Models, this included Mike George.  The point leader won his fifth Main Event with championship rival Toby McIntyre chasing him across the line in second.  George now leads 2015 champion McIntyre by 22 points in the $6,000 championship battle.  McIntyre is hoping to grab his third win Saturday as the division takes a break until July 22nd.  The steady Chris Ray is holding onto third in points, 64 points behind George.  After setting fast time last week, late season starter Thor Kristensen moved to within 42 points of Jered Bemetz for fourth in points.  Kristensen was second in last season's standings.  Other drivers to watch for this week include Trina Post and Loren McIntyre.

Brody Montgomery also captured his fifth Main Event win in Sportsman Late Models last week.  Despite all of the winning Brody has been doing this year, the consistent Wayne Butler is stalking him closely in the championship battle.  Butler finished second ahead of Dyllan Siewell last week.  Butler is a two time winner this year and a two time defending champion, and he is only two points behind Montgomery in the hotly contested battle.  Siewell is 20 points out of the lead with one win this season.   Charlie Withers is 56 points back in fourth, and he should be back this week to try to at least grab a podium finish.  Other drivers to watch for this week include Jeff Krossman, Troy Chamberlain and Steve Dubisar.

Dubisar ran Sportsman Late Models and Street Stocks last week, and he is on a roll in Street Stocks lately. He added his third victory last week, and Justin Krossman may be relieved that Dubsiar had such a late start.  As it is, Krossman is a five time winner and leads Ken Fox by 86 points in a not so close battle.  Jeff Thurman and reigning champion Daniel Land, who sit third and fourth in points at the moment, are also anticipated this week along with Dustin Hitner.

We're looking for some confirmation on the #52 VW Beetle of Rob Lauver, who appears to be listed twice on the Mini Outlaws point sheet with Robert credited as the winner of two of the five feature wins for the car.  The car is clearly the class of the field and has earned more ponts than any of the other cars so far.  However, 2015 champion and two time winner Sam Talon is listed as 46 points ahead of Dan Daniels and 58 points ahead of one time winner Ken Fox.  Rob Lauver is credited as 102 points out of the lead, but Robert Lauver is shown with 120 points.  If this is the same driver, Lauver is the point leader.  Either way, the Lauver car should be there this week along with Alyssa Johnson, Jamie Daniels and Jason Kallam.  Kallam had his best finish of the season last week in second.

Ryan Siewell seems to be in control of the Hornets point lead after his fifth win last week, but the division is entering a busy four race week.  "Hurricame" Hannah Robision moved back into second in points after her most recent Top 5 finish.  She is now 60 points behind Siewell and four ahead of Sam Taylor.  Reigning champion and two time winner Jeremiah Reiber is within 48 points of the battle for second after his rough start.  Jeremy Beard, one time winner Tom Williams, Matt Butler, Robert Vandre and April Warmack are other drivers to watch for this week.

Saturday's NASCAR Whelen All American Series event should be a good show for the fans, and if the Modified racers are willing to make the gamble on Tuesday, this will also be an entertaining mid week show.  For further information, go to www.coosbayspeedway.us.