If You Like Reading Our Articles
DCRR Racing Radio Racing Radio Show
Can Be Heard HERE
Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion
Can Be Heard HERE
Late Model Excitement Building Up
At Southern Oregon Speedway
$4,000 To Win Cottonwood Classic Coming On August 24th
Medford,
Oregon...There's a lot of excitement in the air at Southern Oregon
Speedway regarding the Late Model division. For years, Medford was a
hotbed of Late Model racing at the old Medford Raceway, but this style
of racing spent many years at Southern Oregon Speedway making only
special appearances. When KJE Enterprises and Mike McCann entered the
picture in 2016, that changed.
McCann
created the Open Stock division in 2016 as a way to find out what the
interest was. The rules were such that everything from exotic old school
Super Stocks to Street Stocks were welcome. Long time Speedway
competitor Bob Dees won the championship that year in a Late Model. What
McCann learned was that the interest centered around the Late Model
rules. In 2017, the track formerly began the Late Models, and interest
has continued to grow ever since, with Nathan Augustine and John Dees
being crowned champions.
In
the three years since this effort was restarted, fans have been
entertained by such hard chargers as two-time Southern Oregon Speedway
champion Dustin Knight, long time Stock Car and Sprint Car competitor
Mike Linder, hard chargers Darren Cofell and Trent Elliott, 2012 Coos
Bay champion Dave Foote, 2018 "Rookie Of The Year" Miles Deubert, David
Newquist and Garrett Dees.
For
this season, McCann has drafted a ten race schedule for the Late Models
with the first race happening on May 11th. Of note for the division is
the August 24th event, which is being called the Cottonwood Classic.
This will be the biggest Dirt Late Model race in the state of Oregon,
and word is that it will pay a minimum of $200 to start, if not more.
But the news gets better.
Late
Model advocate Cory Penefold will be coming on board at Southern Oregon
Speedway. Cory will be handling many different duties, including
publicity and racing commentary this season. His Moxie Media Racing
Promotions includes, among other things, high quality video footage of
racing action and an internet-based radio show that reaches a wide
audience. You can find Moxie Media Promotions on Facebook.
Penefold
grew up watching the races at several Oregon venues, but Willamette
Speedway remains special to him. He learned from one of the best
promoters in the game, the late Clair Arnold. Cory is enthusiastically
looking forward to helping grow not just the Late Model division but the
racing program in general at Southern Oregon Speedway, and he has some
big things in the works to be announced soon.
The
Cottonwood Classic will be the big date to shoot for, and drivers from
all over Oregon and California are already expressing an interest in
competing in this show. The Cottonwood Classic is also noteworthy for
being the biggest Late Model event in Southern Oregon Speedway history.
There is also the possibility of another special Late Model show on the
card during the year, which as of yet is to be announced. You can find
the full season schedule on the Southern Oregon Speedway website at www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Southern
Oregon Speedway prides itself on offering a little bit of something for
everybody, from entry-level 4 Cylinder divisions all the way to Late
Models and Sprint Cars, but also the IMCA sanctioned Modifieds and Sport
Modifieds and the popular Dwarf Cars. Late Models may have been
neglected in the Medford area for a while, but this has changed. Bigger
and better things are in store for this popular division.
More
big announcements will be made in the coming weeks. Stay tuned to the
Southern Oregon Speedway Facebook page or the website at www.southernoregonspeedway.com for more information.
IMCA Sport Modifieds Poised For Big Season
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...Perhaps the division that had people talking the most last season was the IMCA Sport Modifieds. A breakout season for the division saw car count increase into the 20s at times, and they also needed a B Main for the point season finale. The eighth season for the division figures to be the biggest one yet.
When management at the time dropped the Pro Stocks in favor of Sport Modifieds, big things were anticipated for this intermediate division. With divisions like the Sprint Cars and Late Models gathering steam at the speedway, drivers need a place where they can learn more and run at good speeds at a somewhat affordable price. The Sport Modifieds under the rule set sanctioned by IMCA certainly fit that bill.
The coming season for the IMCA Sport Modifieds will feature an eleven race schedule, kicking off with the May 4th season opener. Two highlights for the season will be the Roger Haudenshild Tribute race on June 1st, which generally runs for more money. Also, the R Charles Snyder Salute on Labor Day Weekend, which will pay $2,000 to the winner. Drivers are gearing up for an exciting and competitive season of racing on the 3/10 mile clay oval.
Reigning champion David Marble has purchased a Sprint Car that he plans to race for the season, but last word was that he still has the Sport Modified. It's likely that we'll see him in this class at least some, but the division will also have other past champions in the lineup. Two-time champion Dwayne Melvin has been active during this off season in Arizona, and we anticipate seeing him more often this season.
Another two-time champion, Mike Medel, announced at the banquet that he plans on running a full season at his home track. Mike hit the road last season in an effort to expand his setup knowledge on different racing surfaces, but he looks forward to coming back home again. He was a two-time winner during his last full season at the speedway, which won him his second straight championship. Mike is not making any bold predictions, but he clearly comes into the season as one of the drivers to beat.
Branden Wilson is coming off of a very impressive rookie season that saw him ranked second in the standings as well winning a thrilling late race battle with Jimmy Lipke for his first career win. In a bid to step up his game even more, Wilson has a new car and is hoping to make a run at the championship and more feature wins.
A feature victory was something that Willie McFall was unable to accomplish last season. Willie had an at times very frustrating year after scoring his best finish at the opener in second. If he can get his luck back on track again, he would certainly be a player in the championship battle this season.
Two drivers we've sometimes referred to as the Tony's are relative newcomer Tony Duste and Tony Bartell. Duste is the third-generation of his family in racing and turned in a solid performance last season in third in the standings. Though he looked fast at times, what he really lacked was the seat time that he gained last year. It will be interesting to see what he can do this year. Bartell has been a competitor in other divisions at the speedway, and last season he enjoyed Top 5 status. He would have to be considered somebody to keep an eye on in the quest for victory this season.
Two drivers who could become championship threats are second-generation competitor Braxton Possinger and Justin McCreadie. Possinger and teammate McCreadie both took their show on the road and missed several races last year, and yet both had feature wins in Medford. If either of these drivers commits to the full season, they also have to be taken seriously in the battle for the championship.
Rich McCoy is a driver who knows how to get it done in a point race. He is a past Mini Stock champion and a multi-time Modified feature winner at the speedway, and he elected not to compete for points in Yreka last season after leading things five races into the season. McCoy finished as high as second twice in Medford last year, and he is definitely a threat to not only win Main Events but the championship as well.
2016 Yreka champion Jimmy Lipke may not be a championship point racer, but he's certainly a threat to win any time he's there. He had a pair of second place feature finishes in visits last season. Of course, the biggest threat of them all for the championship would be two-time champion Jorddon Braaten, who took his show on the road last season and won championships at both Cottage Grove and Willamette as well as the State. We've heard nothing to suggest, however, that Jorddon will be more than an occasional visitor.
Top 10 ranked 2018 competitors Billy Richey and Danny Rule are two other drivers to watch this season. It was pretty much a rookie season for both drivers last year, but they did have their moments. Both will be hoping to get their first wins this season. Danny's brother Michael Rule joined during the season and had his moments as well last year. Matt Sanders was another driver who took his show on the road last season, but he was a feature winner here and will certainly be a threat anytime he's in town.
There is a great list of competitors on the IMCA Sport Modified roster that includes such hard chargers as past Mini Stock champion Toby Judd, AJ Parker, Austin Petrey, Lloyd Speer, Jesse Merriman, Jon Rouden, Isaac Sanders, Steve Lysinger, Bob Thomas, Brian Knorr and Jacob Hoppes. There are other names anticipated this year as the IMCA Sport Modified roster continues to grow faster than any of the other divisions at the speedway.
The unpredictability is one of the things that makes this division so exciting to watch. You never know who might win from week to week, and there are several drivers in the field capable of getting the job done. The IMCA Sport Modifieds will certainly be a highlight on the program on any night in which they are booked. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
2018 Southern Oregon Speedway IMCA Modified Schedule
April 13 Playday
April 27 Playday
May 4
June 1 - Roger Haudenshild Tribute
June 15
June 22 - Wild West Speedweek
July 20
August 10
August 17 - Hall Of Fame Night
August 31 - R Charles Snyder Salute
September 1 - R Charles Snyder Salute
September 14
2018 IMCA Sport Modified Points
4m David Marble 295
12w Branden Wilson 280
23 Tony Duste 269
7m Willie McFall 261
27 Tony Bartell 256
4y Jimmy Lipke 199
30 Mike Medel 193
74 Danny Rule 186
14 Billy Richey 184
25p Braxton Possinger 182
Past IMCA Sport Modified Champions
2012 Dwayne Melvin
2013 Dwayne Melvin
2014 Jorddon Braaten
2015 Jorddon Braaten
2016 Mike Medel
2017 Mike Medel
2018 David Marble
IMCA Sport Modified All Time Win List
Jorddon Braaten 28
Rob Fitzsimmons 8
Dwayne Melvin 6
Bob Nelsen 5
Mike Medel 5
Rich McCoy 3
Fred Ryland 2
Brad Alfrey 2
Matt Duste 2
Tyler Rodgers 2
David Marble 1
Braxton Possinger 1
Justin McCreadie 1
Branden Wilson 1
Matt Sanders 1
Guy Ahlwardt 1
Doug Coffman 1
Glen Severson 1
Brian Cooper 1
Todd Cooper 1
Howard Law 1
Justin Holt 1
Dave Duste Sr. 1
Jimmy Ford 1
Mark Wauge 1
Donald Bandfield 1
Bobbio's Pizza Returns As Title Sponsor For Mini Stocks
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...Since the opening of Southern Oregon Speedway back in 1996 only two divisions have crowned a champion each season at the 3/10 mile clay oval. The Mini Stock division is one of them. Mini Stocks have served as a launching pad to other divisions for competitors such as past champions Rich McCoy and Mike Johnson.
The Mini Stocks division has proven to be one of the more exciting shows at the speedway with cars that are closely competitive. As the speedway hasn't really cultivated a Street Stock division the way many other tracks on the West Coast have, the Mini Stocks have stepped in to be a Street Stock division of sorts for the fans to enjoy. The great tradition of Mini Stock racing at Southern Oregon Speedway enters its 24th season.
More exciting news finds the Mini Stocks again being sponsored by Bobbio's Pizza. Some of the best pizza you're going to find in Medford, White City and Central Point is at Bobbio's Pizza. They are also the official pizza of Southern Oregon Speedway as we proudly serve it up to our great racing fans. On the track, the battle for the championship figures to heat up even more as some of the newer drivers on the roster showed much improvement last season. Eleven races have been scheduled for the season, with the opener set for May 4th.
At the top of the ladder you will find David Steele. David has won more Mini Stock Main Events in the history of the speedway than any other driver, but it wasn't until last year when he finally notched his first championship at the speedway. He turned in a very dominant performance with nine wins and two second place finishes among his 11 starts and in doing so was never really threatened for the top position. David reported at the recent banquet that he wasn't necessarily planning to chase points this season. However, he will remain the driver to beat in the point race until he misses an event or two, and he will be perhaps the toughest driver to beat on any occasion in which he competes.
If there had been an award for most improved driver last season, it surely would have gone to Hunter Magnan. The 2017 "Rookie Of The Year" stepped up his game to become more competitive last year. Though a win wasn't in the cards, he had three second place finishes and three thirds to easily secure second in the standings. Having won two Trophy Dashes, however, Hunter sets his sights on his first career feature victory this season. He also could be a serious threat for the championship.
Steve Goetz has already won a Mini Stock championship back in 2013. Though you're not likely to hear him talk about points, he is planning on running the full season again this year. Much like Magnan, Steve went winless last year but had three seconds and three thirds among his best efforts along with a pair of Trophy Dash wins. He was a feature winner the year before and plans to get back into the winner's circle at least once this season.
About everything that could go wrong seemed to happen to 2017 champion Kristopher Mix last season. However, he was one of only three drivers to win a Main Event, making a late pass on Steele to get the job done. Though bad luck dropped him back to fourth in the final standings, Mix proved that he could win a Main Event. This season, he'll be hoping to make multiple visits to the winner's circle and put himself back into title contention.
Another driver to keep an eye on is 2014 champion Gary Anderson. Gary had a rough go of it last season, but he did finish as high as second once and was a Trophy Dash winner. If you know Gary's competitive nature, you know that this isn't good enough. He has won several Main Events in his career at the speedway, and he will be looking to return to his winning ways in the coming season.
Three driver's poised for breakout seasons are Garrett Fredrickson, Mike McLeod and Ashtin Hedges. Fredrickson competed for points for the first time last season and finished fifth in the standings, even making his first Trophy Dashes. He'll be running one more season in this class before moving up the Sport Modifieds. McLeod topped the rookie"s list last season and improved with each start. If not for the late start he had, Hedges might have been the top rookie. He started the season in the Hornet Class before moving on to Mini Stocks, where he had several Top 5 finishes. Hedges may be the driver of these three to really keep an eye on this season.
Two drivers who will be rookies in the field this season are Dylan Irving and Scott Yergis. Yergjs made a pair of starts last season in the former Patrick Stringer-Stine car but will still keep his rookie status. Irving was a feature winner and Top 5 ranked Hornet driver last season, and the second-generation competitor is definitely ready for the move up. He may be the driver to beat in the rookie race.
There are other cars out there that we didn't see last season that could return, not to mention some visits from drivers based out of the Yreka area. The Mini Stocks always put on a good show, and with the competition level rising, it should be a great season of racing for the class. For more information on the Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks and other things, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
2018 Southern Oregon Speedway Schedule
Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks
April 13 - Playday
April 27 - Playday
May 4
May 11
May 18
June 15
June 29
July 6
July 13
August 10
August 17 - Hall Of Fame Night
August 24
September 7
2018 Southern Oregon Speedway
Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stock Points
67 David Steele 412
33m Hunter Magnan 337
55 Steve Goetz 283
89m Kristopher Mix 263
45g Garrett Fredrickson 204
3 Michael McLeod 191
14t Ashtin Hedges 179
0 Gary Anderson 171
4m David Marble 65
11 Marilyn Yawnick 39
Mini Stock Champions
1996 Brian Barns
1997 Scott Holt
1998 Rich McCoy
1999 Tracy Bradley
2000 Tracy Bradley
2001 Tom Lanigan
2002 Mike Johnson
2003 David Bishop
2004 David Bishop
2005 Tony Christopher
2006 Milton Carter
2007 Jim Pope
2008 John Derby
2009 John Derby
2010 John Derby
2011 John Derby
2012 Toby Judd
2013 Steve Goetz
2014 Gary Anderson
2015 David Marble
2016 Bob Burkett
2017 Kristopher Mix
2018 David Steele
All Time Mini Stock Main Event Winners*
David Steele 29
Jim Hill 26
Jim Pope 24
Bob Burkett 22
Toby Judd 20
David Marble 19
Patrick Lanigan 17
John Derby 15
Milt Carter 15
Bryan Barns 12
Mike Johnson 12
Gary Anderson 11
Joe Dirt 9
Tracy Bradley 8
Steve Goetz 7
Dave Bishop 7
Monty Stratton 6
Tyler Lockwood 5
Mike Goldstrand 5
Travis Holt 4
Curt Ballard 4
Tom Lanigan 4
Rich McCoy 4
Mike Chastain 4
Larry Williams 4
Clarence Cole 3
Eric Bray 3
Chuck Flynn 2
Jared Larsen 2
Tom Williams 2
Rocky Bass 2
Pat Akins 2
Scott Holt 2
Jim Narramore 2
Travis Fisher 2
Kristopher Mix 1
Jerry Apland 1
Jason Watkins 1
Jared Morril 1
Randy Fernandes 1
Josh Bratton 1
Chris Biggs 1
Don Borror 1
Justin Holt 1
Jack Clement 1
Paul Haslow 1
Andy Haas 1
Joe Guider 1
Michael Goldstrand 1
James Welshonse 1
Michael Johnson 1
David Mullane 1
Tony Christopher 1
Eddie Farley 1
Joe Forsma 1
Mike Higbee 1
Jim Gilbert 1
Bob Thomas 1
Jerry Apland 1
Dean Combs 1
Brian Peterson 1
Andy Stiffler 1
OTRO Hardtops Return To Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...The Old Time Racers of Oregon Hardtops carry the banner as the longest-running Hardtop association on the West Coast. The group was founded back in the 1980s by Harold Minter, among others. These days, Harold's grandson, Mark Minter, is the president of the group, and the drivers of OTRO continue to present these beautiful race cars to a whole new generation of fans.
Through the years, these Hardtop racers have competed on just about every track in Oregon and some in Northern California as well. Whether it be a pavement racing surface or dirt, these guys are not afraid to mix it up and put on a show for the fans. They take old Dodge, Ford and Chevy Coups and Sedans, put a six-cylinder motor under the hood and run on slick tires, presenting an equal playing field for the drivers.
The current relationship between OTRO and Southern Oregon Speedway began in 2016 when Promoter Mike McCann reached out to then OTRO president Vic Bridges in the hopes of getting the group to come do some racing on the dirt. Bridges met with the racers and it was decided to give Southern Oregon Speedway a try. There have been nearly 20 races for the Hardtops at Southern Oregon Speedway since that time.
The Minter family race car wasn't quite ready to go in 2016, but Mark was making repairs and getting it ready for 2017. However, he was also given the opportunity to wheel the Bill Trotter car that year and won the race. In fact, Mark is the only driver in the group to have won a race in each of the three seasons at Southern Oregon Speedway. It's important to note that OTRO does not compete for points, just trophies and good times. It is believed that this ensures more driver respect for each other on the race track and a better show for the fans.
The Trotter family has been very supportive of OTRO in recent years. In fact, Bill Trotter fields two cars at most races, the second being the popular pickup truck. The truck was driven by Chris Mehrer at the first 2016 race, and Chris promptly won the Trophy Dash before putting the car into the wall in his heat race. Chris now has his own car and was the most recent Trophy Dash winner as he continues to dial the bugs out of that car.
But getting back to Bill Trotter, not only does he run competitively at most races with several wins and Top 3 finishes to his credit, he does it with flair. If you've watched his orange race car when the sun went down, you would notice the lights underneath on either side. Bill wasn't the only Trotter to win last season as son Dusty Trotter was a feature winner as well. Dusty fielded a new car last year after selling his old car to Coos Bay racer Justin Krossman.
Longtime Roseburg area racer Dean Cast made most of the races last season. Cast is a past champion racing on the pavement at Roseburg, and he finished as high as second twice last season. Another driver with second place finishes on two occasions to go with his two Dash wins was Jay Smith. With Smith wheeling the Trotter pickup truck, that vehicle had its best results in its three years at Southern Oregon Speedway.
Matt Butler made his division debut last season. Matt is the husband of Kelly Minter, who is the daughter of group founder Harold Minter. Matt had a lot of fun and looks forward to racing again this year. We've also heard through the Minter team that the car once driven by Teddy Deramus will be back at some point this season with Ted's son behind the wheel.
The Hardtop racers are excited about coming to Southern Oregon Speedway six times this season, starting with the first race on May 25th. Other dates include June 15th, June 29th, July 13th, August 3rd and August 24th. Watching these cars go around the speedway gives us a glimpse of the way things were in the early days of racing in Oregon and at other speedways across the United States. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
2018 Southern Oregon Speedway OTRO Hardtop Schedule
April 13 - Playday
April 27 - Playday
May 25
June 15
June 29
July 13
August 3
August 24
New Era Set To Begin At Siskiyou Golden Speedway
Yreka, CA...On March 1st, Promoter Kevin Barba took the keys to Siskiyou Golden Speedway for the first time. He is charged with the task of turning around a racing program that has been in decline in recent seasons. Back in January, Kevin met with his racers at a local pizza parlor to outline some of his plans for 2019 and beyond. On March 1st, those plans began as he and his crew started doing work on the facility.
Time is of the essence. On March 23rd and 24th, the Sportsman Expo will take place at The Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds, and Kevin is hoping that several racers will enter their cars in the show to give the fans a glimpse of some of the fast machines that will be doing battle on the oval this year. There will also be playdays scheduled, weather permitting, after the Expo on March 24th. Further playdays are scheduled for March 30th and April 6th.
The season will finally kick off on April 13th with IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks, Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks and IMCA Modifieds. It begins a season that is tentatively scheduled to continue all the way through October 28th with the Halloween special. Barba and his crew have plans to fix up the oval a little bit this year with an eye towards doing more to make it faster, more competitive and safer in the years to come.
Some of the big events the fans have come to expect from the speedway we'll continue this year. On Saturday May 25th, the annual Bo Hittson Memorial race for IMCA Sport Modifieds will happen. The next night, the annual John Arnberg Memorial will take place for IMCA Modifieds along with a highly anticipated visit from the Iron Giant Street Stock Series out of Oregon.
Kevin doesn't just want these Memorial races to come and go without honoring the memories of the ones these events were named after. The Bo Hittson Memorial is actually the oldest race on the schedule. Bo was a racer and a police officer who was killed in the line of duty back in the 1970s. This race was held for the Street Stocks in the past before being handed over to the Sport Modifieds in recent years.
John Arnberg was one of the the local heroes of racing. Not only was he a champion in Yreka, he was also a champion at neighboring Medford Speedway in the 1980s. In the early 2000s, John died in a tragic boating accident, and this big Modified race has been held ever since to honor his memory.
The speedway will also hold a race in memory of Rod Restad, who was the promoter of the speedway in the early 2000s and helped provide much needed stability to the speedway. When he passed away, this race was added to the schedule in his honor. Joining the IMCA Modified 50 lap race on September 21st will be the IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks.
The Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks will be making several visits to the speedway, and this includes their signature race, the Billy Geyer Memorial. This will be the fifth annual race for Billy, a longtime Pro Stock competitor who passed away prior to the 2015 season. Another big race that Mini Stock drivers look forward to is the Mike Cavaye Memorial Mini Stock Blowout, set for May 18th. Mike had competed in both Mini Stocks and Street Stocks in the past.
Kevin and his crew will be putting their touches on several aspects of the speedway to make it more fan-friendly. There will be Fan Appreciation Night, Driver Appreciation Night, Little League Night, Ladies Night, Dad's Night, fan giveaways and several new ideas geared towards making a night at Siskiyou Golden Speedway more fun for the fans.
Another goal is to begin to build up car count once again. Perhaps the division with the most potential to put the numbers back into the teens again is the IMCA Sport Modified class. In recent years, there have been several teen racers who have gotten involved. Many of these drivers are in fact second-generation competitors. The Boswell family has been supportive of Siskiyou Speedway for several years with Pastor Brad Boswell racing in Mini Stocks and other classes. Brad's two sons, 2015 champion Colt Boswell and Ryder Boswell, have been good supporters of the show. In fact, Ryder had his best season last year in second.
It was Trevor Tiffee, a longtime friend of Ryder, who won last season's championship. He has a new car that he's preparing to debut this year in the hopes of stepping up his racing program a little bit. Though Trevor was a feature winner like Boswell last season, he would like to visit the winner's circle more often this year.
The IMCA Sport Modified division is filled with such notable competitors as 2016 champion Jimmy Lipke, Garrett Hamilton, Doug Franklin, the consistent Randy Wright, Gary Foster and rising young star Ethan Killingsworth. 2017 champion DJ Bottoms has elected to step aside from racing for a while, and car owner Donny Bottoms has made the move to put 2017 Medford Sprint Car point runner-up Merissa Henson behind the wheel. There are some drivers who we didn't see much of last season, including hard-charger Colton Cheffey and Jack Walden III, that the speedway is hoping to see back in action this year.
The Mini Stock division continues to offer some very close championship racing between three of its biggest stars, Marilyn Yawnick, Mike Whitaker and Terry Kendrick. Yawnick has been on a roll. After spending several seasons paying her dues in the pack, Marilyn has rattled off three straight championship seasons, including a close battle with teammate Whitaker last season. Whitaker is a two-time champion. Kendrick has been a factor in several divisions through the years and like Yawnick has been a big booster of Mini Stock racing at the speedway in recent years. He is also a champion in multiple divisions.
The young guns of the Mini Stock division are giving it hope. This includes last year's top rookie Zac McMurray and Darek Alford. Alford did something that drivers have a difficult time doing. He managed to beat the Big 3 for a feature win. Alford appears to be poised to make a run at the championship. One driver who you know will be tough to beat any time he's in town is 2015 champion David Steele. Steele won the Medford championship last year but has indicated that you may see him more often in Yreka this season. Drivers like Mike Frost, Jason Frost, Aaron Jorgensen and Leslie Cobb are others to keep an eye on.
The Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks will be having most of their races at Siskiyou Golden Speedway this year. These fast, crowd-pleasing Stock Cars put on a good show and are usually bring at least a dozen cars anytime they are on the schedule. Two-time reigning champion Dr Scott Lenz enters the season as the driver to beat, while 2016 champion Steve Borror is hoping to put an end to Lenz's reign at the top.
The Flowers family continues to offer strong support, bringing as many as four cars to the speedway. Arlen Garrison is an important piece to that puzzle as Scott Flowers gets to race with wife Ginny Flowers, daughter Julia Flowers and son James Flowers. Scott and James both seem poised to get feature victories this year. Other stars of the Pro Stocks include such front runners as Johnny Cobb, Matt Harlow, Jeff Haudenshild, John David Duffie, Bryan Hammond and Roy Bain.
The speedway has a half-dozen IMCA Modified races booked, including the June 21st Speedweek race, the John Arnberg and Rod Restad races and three early season appearances. Because they have four races booked, IMCA will honor a champion regardless of whether the speedway acknowledges this at the banquet. Although, Barba has indicated his support for this class.
Albert Gill out of Medford has won two championships in Yreka out of the last five years and has won three titles out of the last five at Medford. He finished second in the standings last year to Ryan McDaniel. Gill is likely to visit the speedway, but the track is hoping to get the locals fired up, including such stars as John Toolanen, Kyle Casson and Stan Gunderson. Booked on nights in which Medford is not racing, you're likely to see some drivers visiting Yreka. Some might be wondering if this division can be saved, but there are fans of the class that are hopeful.
Another thing has happened in Yreka at the shops of Karl Bernstein and JJ Smith. Using truck frames, they have created the Jalopy class. Karl and JJ have four cars ready and hope to have a fifth one available for the first visit this year. A Jalopy is almost a big version of a Dwarf Car, for lack of a better term. It is designed to be economical with hopes of seeing the division take hold and grow in the years ahead.
Speaking of Dwarf Cars, the Southern Oregon Dwarf Car Association will come to town on three different occasions, making this their most visits to the speedway since 2016. Fans have enjoyed the Dwarf Cars for years as they get around the speedway quicker than most anything else currently running at the speedway. Such stars as Brock Peters, Kalvin Morton, Camden Robustelli and Fred Hay make this a show to see.
The speedway will also get a visit from the Western Sprint Tour Speedweek Series as the opening date on July 13th. The Winged 360 Sprint Cars always put on a good show when they're in town and are a popular attraction for the fans. Another fast division coming to town twice will be the BCRA/POWRi Midgets. BCRA was founded back in the 1930s and continues to be the longest running California-based open-wheel series going today. They will come to town on June 29th and September 28th. One of the stars the fans are hoping to see is Maria Cofer. Cofer was the BCRA Dirt Series champion last year and Overall champion the year before. She also gave a good accounting of herself at this year's Chili Bowl.
Kevin Barba has been active in the sport for many years, and one of his loves is the Pro 4 Modified Tour. He competed in this pavement based series that runs a tracks such as Lakeport, Ukiah and Roseville. Kevin has a couple of cars at his disposal and is trying to figure out if he can find a way to launch this class in Yreka. These would be Modifieds with 4 cylinder motors, which could be popular with Mini Stock drivers looking to move up. It has run at tracks such as Orland and Stockton Delta Speedway on the dirt in the past, and Barba has been looking in the Orland area for cars that are currently available. Though nothing has been announced, don't be surprised if something happens in the future.
The racing at Siskiyou Golden Speedway is going to be exciting and entertaining. Barba is implementing plans that he hopes will attract more cars on any given race night. Though it will be a work-in-progress, fans and racers can expect to see improvements over recent years with the goal of making things better in the years to come. Racing season is just around the corner. As the snow melts, the race track will be whipped into shape. For further information, go to www.siskiyougoldenspeedway.com.
Siskiyou Golden Speedway-2019 Tentative Schedule
3/1/2019 Contract Starts
3/16/2019 Tentative Test and Tune
3/23/2019 Sportsmen's Expo
3/24/2019 Sportsmen's Expo - Test And Tune
3/30/2019 Test and Tune
4/6/2019 Test and Tune
4/13/2019 Season Opener - Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Pro Stocks, IMCA Modifieds
4/20/2019 Little League Night-Easter Egg Hunt- Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Outlaw Pro Stocks, IMCA Modifieds, Bike Raffle-2 bikes
4/27/2019 SODCA Dwarf Cars, Outlaw Pro Stocks, IMCA Modifieds
5/4/2019 Billy Geyer Memorial - Mom's Night - Outlaw Pro Stocks Tri State Challenge, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks
5/11/2019 No Racing
5/18/2019 Mike Caveye Memorial Shop Local Night - Outlaw Pro Stocks- IMCA Sports Modifieds, Mini Stock Lap 32 Main Event
5/25/2019 Bo Hittson Memorial - IMCA Sport Modified 32 Lap Main Event - IMCA Modifieds
5/26/2019 John Arnberg Memorial Iron Giant Street Stocks- IMCA Modified 38 Lap Main Events -IMCA Sport Modifieds
6/1/2019 IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks, Jalopies
6/8/2019 Can Food Drive Night ($2 off with 3 cans) Outlaw Pro Stocks, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks,
6/15/2019 Dads Night- Bike Raffle And Bike Races - Outlaw Pro Stocks- IMCA Sports Modifieds, Mini Stocks
6/21/2019 Wild West Modified Speed Week- IMCA Modifieds - IMCA Sport Modifieds
6/29/2019 Fan Appreciation Night - BCRA Midgets, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks
7/4/2019 FIREWORKS - Live Band (Good Ole Boyz) - IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks, Remote Control Cars & Trucks (Bring Yours)
7/8/2019 Western Sprint Tour Speedweek - 360 Winged Sprint Cars - Dwarf Cars
7/13/2019 Rod Barba Memorial/Armed Forces Night - Relay for Life (with Reg #tag they get in free) - SODCA Drawf cars IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks - Jalopies
7/20/2019 Loggers night (Tug-o-War) - Kids Rides - Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Modifieds - Outlaw Pro Stocks
7/27/2019 Gambler 500 Event
8/3/2019 Fair NO RACING
8/10/2019 Fair NO RACING
8/17/2019 Tentative Back To School/Driver's Appreciation Night - Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Modifieds- Outlaw Pro Stocks
8/24/2019 Alternate Driver Appreciation/Back to school Night - Mini Stocks
8/31/2019 Tentative
9/7/2019 NO Racing - Yreka Little League Fundraiser (Support them 530-598-1987 Comedy Night)
9/14/2019 Ladies Night (18 and over free) IMCA Sports Modifieds, Mini Stocks, Jalopies
9/21/2019 Rod Restad Memorial - IMCA Modifieds 50 Lap Main Event - IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks
9/28/2019 BCRA Midgets
10/5/2019 ?
10/12/2019 Couples Night - TBD - Tentative
10/19/2019 Outlaw Pro Stocks - IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks - IMCA Modifieds
10/26/2019 Costume Contest/Trick or Treat with drivers- Ford Focus Midgets - IMCA Sport Modifieds - Tentative
Subject To Change
Forsberg Wins Toller Memorial, Johnson, Brown
Other Marysville Winners
Marysville, CA...March 9...Andy Forsberg swept the action in the Civil War Winged 360 Sprint Car Series opener Saturday night at Marysville Raceway. Forsberg won both heat races, the Trophy Dash and the 20 lap Main Event to collect the $2,500 first prize being offered in the big race. Forsberg is the reigning champion at both Chico and Placerville and a ten time Civil War Series titleist.
After his victory in the six lap Trophy Dash, Forsberg had the pole for the Main Event and charged into the lead from the start. Forsberg had a straightaway lead by the halfway point and lapped fourth place Justin Henry by lap 16. It was Forsberg taking the checkered flag a half-lap ahead of Koen Shaw and final lead lap finisher Blake Carrick. Henry and Pat Harvey Jr completed the Top 5. Forsberg beat Carrick to win both eight lap heat races, using a last-lap pass to get the win in the second heat.
Darren Johnson opened the Crate Sprint season with a win in the 15 lap Main Event. It was Brett Youngman moving over from Spec Sprints this season and winning the eight lap heat race ahead of Cameron Haney Jr. Jaylon Deas was a scratch in the Misty Castleberry owned entry to leave six feature starters. Johnson raced into the lead at the start ahead of Haney and Youngman. Yellow flags slowed the pace on lap eight and nine, the second being caused by Haney. Youngman took up pursuit of Johnson on the lap ten restart. However, Johnson was not to be denied as he scored the victory ahead of Youngman, Mike Sayre, Kiely Ricardo, Haney and Mike Ballantine, all on the lead lap.
Keith Brown Jr won an exciting late-race battle with fellow Antioch area competitor Guy Ahlwardt to win the 20 lap Pepsi IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Brown set the pace at the start in front of Ahlwardt and 2017 champion Philip Shelby. A lap two caution flag flew for Richard Vander Ploeg in Turn 1, and Brown continued to set the pace ahead of Ahlwardt. Another yellow flag waved on lap five for Mike Smith in Turn 4, and Smith retired from the event. A caution flag waved to lap later for Shayna Nieman in Turn 4.
Brown again bolted into the lead on the restart, followed by Ahlwardt and 2016 IMCA State champion Brian Cooper. A final caution flag on lap 11 was Ahlwardt's opportunity to challenge Brown. The two ran closely, and Ahlwardt made a move into the lead on lap 16. Unfortunately, they were setting a rapid pace and got into slower traffic, enabling Brown to make a move to regain the lead on lap 19. Brown went on to victory, followed by Ahlwardt, Brian Cooper, Jimmy Ford, Todd Cooper, Mike Merritt, Scott Savell, Jason Ferguson, Thomas Reynolds and final lead lap finisher Vander Ploeg.
The IMCA Sport Modifieds had 18 competitors that were divided into three eight lap qualifying heat races. Ahlwardt used a last lap pass on Shelby to win the first heat. Todd Cooper outran Brown to win the second heat with Brian Cooper scoring the victory in the final heat ahead of Savell.
Racing returns to Marysville with a regular point event next week. The Winged 360 Sprint Cars will be competing along with the Crate Sprints, Super Stocks and Pepsi IMCA Sport Modifieds. For further information, go to www.marysvilleraceway.com.
Will Late Models Produce A Bigger Car Count
At Coos Bay Speedway This Year?
Coos Bay, Oregon...They're just about ready to have the Pony Village Mall Car Show in Coos Bay, which is the weekend where several racers from Coos Bay Speedway put their cars on display inside the mall. It's a good way for the fans to see the cars up close and for the speedway to put the word out on what they will be offering for the fans in the coming season.
Promoter Drake Nelson is continuing the tradition started by Chuck Prather when it comes to doing many fan-friendly things. Given the situation in regards to car count, they have to do what they can to generate interest, and Nelson has done a good job. One of his big risks was bringing in the NASCAR Whelen All American Series sanctioning prior to the 2017 season.
What Nelson was hoping would happen is an influx in car count that would help generate more fan interest in the Speedway. NASCAR was bringing in some good point fund money to the top competitors, and this includes what amounts to a $5,500 championship for the Super Late Model division. This is because in addition to the $3,500 prize for the track championship, the Coos Bay drivers get all of the NASCAR State money as the only sanctioned track in Oregon.
This makes the Coos Bay championship the most lucrative for the Late Model division in the state of Oregon. Brody Montgomery, for instance, pocketed $5,500 for his efforts last year. Mike George picked up $6,000 the year before as he was also technically a rookie and grabbed that bonus money as well. Oregon still has a somewhat healthy Late Model effort. By comparison to only Antioch Speedway having a Late Model championship in California, Oregon has championship seasons for Late Models at Coos Bay, Southern Oregon Speedway, Cottage Grove Speedway, Willamette Speedway, Sunset Speedway and Madras Speedway.
Coos Bay is the only track paying out such a lucrative championship point fund. There are also two big-money races on the schedule, starting with the Tidal Wave Weekend on July 20th and 21st and the Prather Family Lucas Oil Open Show on October 5th. But as of yet, local racers have not gotten on board and embraced this NASCAR thing as was probably hoped. The Late Models by all rights could be averaging double-digits, and yet half a dozen cars per race seems to be the norm.
Take a look at the champion's list in recent years. In addition to Montgomery and Mike George, Nathan Augustine, Toby McIntyre and Trina post are the more recent title winners. Augustine bolted to Southern Oregon Speedway after his championship season. McIntyre has competed less and less since he won the title and we haven't seen Post since 2017.
Rather than compete for the Coos Bay championship, Preston Luckman headed to Cottage Grove Speedway and won the title there last season. 2012 champion Dave Foote was Top 5 ranked at Southern Oregon Speedway with a pair of feature wins last season. Both drivers hail from Coos Bay. You also have other drivers, including 2011 champion Kelly McIntyre, Tom Parry, Bill Hitner, Chuck Bracelin and Jared Bemetz, who haven't raced much at Coos Bay lately.
This has made it a challenge. If Nelson is being honest, he would have to express at least a little bit of disappointment in the turnout of cars. With NASCAR, you have benefits from the brand. You hope that the point find being offered to your top divisions will encourage more drivers to show up, but there are fans who come to the races that are influenced in that decision by the fact that the track is NASCAR sanctioned. This effect was much stronger 20 years ago than now, but it still has an impact today.
It seems unlikely that another track in Oregon will follow the Coos Bay example and join NASCAR. In California, there hasn't been a dirt track in NASCAR since Watsonville was part of the family in 2004. However, with the return of Roseville to the NASCAR fold, the state has four sanctioned tracks, including Kern County, Orange Show and Irwindale Speedways. This means they divide the state money among those tracks, while Coos Bay gets it all to themselves until another track makes the move.
Montgomery is one of the young stars of Coos Bay Speedway. He was a front runner in Hornets before winning the Sportsman Late Model championship in 2017. His 2018 Super Late Model championship was never in doubt as he turned in a rather dominant performance. Thor Kristensen started just a bit late, but his consistency led to his second runner-up season in the last three years.
Chris Ray and Richard Wallace have been pretty good supporters of the effort. Ray finished third in the standings last season. Roseburg Modified star Tom Elam ended up with the car piloted by George to the 2017 championship after George won a Main Event with it early in the season. Elam was also a feature winner and finished fifth in the standings. You also have Kristy Grout returning to the fold for about half a season last year, and she would rank sixth. She was Top 3 in the standings in 2016.
Two Sportsman Late Model drivers converted their cars over to run with the Super Late Models last year. Wayne Butler managed to finish fourth in the standings, while Deven Brown finished further down in seventh. Butler ran both divisions throughout the season. This was done to help enhance the car count and give the fans more of a show. Butler is a two-time champion in Sportsman Late Models who finished second in the past two point races.
The track is also taking criticism for adjusting the purse when it doesn't hit the minimum six cars on a steady basis. Otherwise, drivers get a minimum of $100 to start the Main Event and $500 to win. Those numbers can go up if car count hits 18. It puts the promoter in a difficult position when they're struggling to get cars and the money isn't coming in through the gates. It's more frustrating knowing that the area has over a dozen Late Models in various states of repair, and enticing six of them to show up on any given night can be a challenge.
Through it all, however, Nelson works very hard to give the racers incentive to come out and race. This season, America's Mattress has come on board as the title sponsor for the Super Late Models. They've got a nice schedule and a point fund at the end of it all. It isn't just the Super Late Models that get to compete for point fund money. Sportsman Late Models, Street Stocks and Hornets will have prize money as well, and all divisions race for purse money every week.
About the only thing you can do is open the gates and keep the show going. Young Brody Montgomery is giving the fans a local hero to cheer for. There are rumors of a couple of front runners planning to come out there to compete with Montgomery this year, which would be a welcome sight. Kristensen has done a good job of it, and fans will be watching for him to see if he can get a feature victory. Will this be the year that McIntyre comes back and makes a championship run? Will there be a big name to emerge and give it a shot?
The fact is, as long as the gates continue to open, there's a chance for some really good things to happen. Coos Bay Speedway will be doing it on Saturday nights this year under the NASCAR Whelen All American Series banner. The show will go on, and there are lots of nice attractions at the speedway in addition to the Super Late Model division. For further information, go to www.coosbayspeedway.us.
Coos Bay Late Model Winners Since 2010
September 8, 2018: Brody Montgomery
August 25, 2018: Brody Montgomery
August 18, 2018: Josh Sim
August 4, 2018: Brody Montgomery
July 28, 2018: Tom Elam
July 22, 2018: Joey Tanner
July 21, 2018: Joey Tanner
July 7, 2018: Brody Montgomery
June 30, 2018: Brody Montgomery
June 23, 2018: Joey Tanner
June 2, 2018: Brody Montgomery
May 26, 2018: Brody Montgomery
May 5, 2018: Brody Montgomery
April 21, 2018: Brody Montgomery
April 14, 2018: Mike George
October 7, 2017: Rob Mayea
September 9, 2017: Mike George
August 26, 2017: Mike George
August 19, 2019: Mike George
July 29, 2017: Trent Elliott
July 22, 2017: Mike George
June 24, 2017: Mike George
June 17, 2017: Mike George
June 3, 2017: Mike George
May 20, 2017: Mike George
May 6, 2017: Mike George
April 29, 2017: Toby McIntyre
April 15, 2017: Trent Elliott
April 1, 2017: Mike George
September 24, 2016: Toby McIntyre
September 17, 2016: Toby McIntyre
August 20, 2016: Joey Tanner
August 6, 2016: Kelly McIntyre
June 4, 2016: Nathan Augustine
May 28, 2016: David Schmidt
May 14, 2016: Josh Sim
May 7, 2016: Nathan Augustine
October 3, 2015: Collen Winebarger
October 2, 2015: Rob Mayea
September 26, 2015: Chuck Bracelin
September 12, 2015: Josh Sim
September 5, 2015: David Schmidt
August 22, 2015: David Schmidt
August 15, 2015: Preston Luckman
August 1, 2015: Toby McIntyre
July 18, 2015: Chuck Bracelin
June 30, 2015: Preston Luckman
June 27, 2015: Bill Hitner
June 20, 2015: Preston Luckman
June 6, 2015: Tom Perry
May 30, 2015: Justin Doty
May 16, 2015: Toby McIntyre
May 9, 2015: Nathan Augustine
May 2, 2015: Toby McIntyre
October 4, 2014: Joey Tanner
September 27, 2014: Mike George
September 13, 2014: Mike George
August 9, 2014: Tom Lawson
August 2, 2014: Preston Luckman
July 19, 2014: Jared Bemetz
June 7, 2014: Trina Post
May 31, 2014: Toby McIntyre
May 14, 2014: Preston Luckman
May 3, 2014: Toby McIntyre
October 5, 2013: Mike George
September 7, 2013: Toby McIntyre
September 7, 2013: Kyler Barraza
August 31, 2013: Kyler Barraza
August 10, 2013: Trent Elliott
August 3, 2013: Mike George
July 20, 2013: Toby McIntyre
July 20, 2013: Mike George
June 22, 2013: Mike George
June 8, 2013: Tom Lawson
May 18, 2013: Mike George
May 4, 2013: Mike George
October 6, 2012: Jon DeBenedetti
September 22, 2012: Rob Williams
September 15, 2012: Mike George
September 8, 2012: Kelly McIntyre
September 2, 2012: Blaine Taylor
September 1, 2012: Blaine Taylor
August 25, 2012: Mike George
August 18, 2012: Dave Foote
August 4, 2012: Dave Foote
July 21, 2012: Dave Foote
July 17, 2012: Mike George
July 14, 2012: Rick Trupp
July 7, 2012: Rick Trupp
June 9, 2012: Tom Lawson
May 19, 2012: Toby McIntyre
May 12, 2012: Rocky Trupp
May 5, 2012: Kelly McIntyre
April 28, 2012: Mike George
September 24, 2011: Tom Lawson
September 17, 2011: Toby McIntyre
September 4, 2011: Loren McIntyre
August 27, 2011: Randy Martin
August 20, 2011: Trevor Glaser
August 6, 2011: Kelly McIntyre
July 23, 2011: Toby McIntyre
July 16, 2011: Chuck Bracelin
July 16, 2011: Mike George
July 12, 2011: Mike George
July 9, 2011: Kelly McIntyre
July 2, 2011: Blaine Taylor
June 19, 2011: Mike George
June 18, 2011: Mike George
June 11, 2011: Blaine Taylor
June 4, 2011: Eric Luckman
May 21, 2011: Rocky Trupp
April 30, 2011: Eric Luckman
April 30, 2011: Eric Luckman
October 2, 2010: Trevor Glaser
September 11, 2010: Rocky Trupp
September 11, 2010: Chuck Bracelin
September 5, 2010: Kelly McIntyre
September 4, 2010: Billy Workman
August 28, 2010: Mike George
August 21, 2010: Mike George
August 7, 2010: Tom Lawson
July 17, 2010: Kelly McIntyre
July 10, 2010: Billy Workman
July 3, 2010: Kelly McIntyre
June 19, 2010: Paul Culp
June 5, 2010: Kelly McIntyre
May 29, 2010: Dave Foote
April 24, 2010: Kelly McIntyre
Past Coos Bay Speedway Late Model Champions
2011 Kelly McIntyre
2012 Dave Foote
2013 Mike George
2014 Trina Post
2015 Toby McIntyre
2016 Nathan Augustine
2017 Mike George
2018 Brody Montgomery
Schedule Released For Outlaw Kart Season
At Little Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...After a bit of delay, the 2019 schedule for Little Southern Oregon Speedway has been released. The Outlaw Kart program has been featured on the little 1/8 mile clay oval track for the past 21 years as a training grounds for the future stars of the big speedway.
However, in recent seasons, the count has declined to a point where the program itself has been at risk. Core divisions have continued to be the 500 Open Karts, 250 Karts, Box Stocks and Beginners Box Stocks. Speedway Karts were added as a way to get the numbers up last season, and management has considered many other options to get the count up.
Lawn Mowers have been invited, though drivers in the mower divisions seemed less than enthusiastic about competing at the little track. 600 Micros have been considered, though enough cars aren't out there to get it started. Management has discussed many other special attractions to get the interest up.
However, something new is going to be attempted. Joining the five classes this year will be the Flat Track Motorcycles. Southern Oregon Speedway promoter Mike McCann has been working to put a program together and feed the need of Motorcycle enthusiasts in Southern Oregon who in recent years haven't had much to see on the oval tracks. The result is the new division being added to all eight events this year.
Details are still being put together and will be forthcoming in the days ahead. The Box Stock and Beginners Box Stock divisions are the strongest classes at the moment, and the 250's are still holding on. Beyond that, the trend seems to be for drivers to bypass the 500 Open class and move into the Sprint Car division on the bigger track. It's known that there are several 500 Open Karts in the area, but getting them to show up on any given Friday night has been a challenge.
The drivers in all classes, including the Speedway Karts, will have an opportunity to race at the opener on May 10th, followed by a May 17th show. In June, races on the 14th and 21st are scheduled. In July, Kart racing returns on the 5th and 19th. In the final month of the season, August 9th and 16th will be the dates. The speedway attempted to run September shows last year, but interest waned to the point where the final race was scrapped. It is felt that racing from May through August is the best opportunity for the track. Furthermore, there will be playdays on April 13th and 27th, weather permitting.
The decline in numbers in the Kart program can be seen at other venues in Oregon and Northern California, but McCann still felt strongly enough about keeping this show alive that he put together a schedule this year. The families who have been supportive of the Outlaw Karts in recent seasons have done so enthusiastically. It is hoped that the influx of younger drivers into the Box Stock ranks will begin to move into the 250's, and we've begun to see that.
For instance, last season saw both Vinny DeBenedetti and Taylor Fuller compete in their first full seasons in the 250s. Incoming champion Trevor Grimes seemed to be the driver to beat going into the season, and DeBenedetti turned out to be a pleasant surprise as the big challenger for the crown. Grimes opened the season with back to back Main Event wins, but DeBenedetti won the next two races to insert himself into the championship conversation.
After a Grimes victory, he saw his luck turn sour with a blown motor in a heat race at the next event. Grimes missed a race, putting DeBenedetti into a position to win the championship merely by starting the finale, which was won by Grimes. Four-time winner Grimes settled for second in the final standings.
Taylor Fuller gave it a good run and looked like a contender to win the final race of the season before bad luck put an end to that. He finished as high as second once with three third place finishes to secure third in the final standings. Brenden Bartlett was subbing for Brionna Fuller, who had to sit out a few races with a broken arm.
Bartlett and Yreka star Cale Cunial were the other Main Event winners during the season. Cadyn Smith finished as high as third once to secure fourth in the final standings. Other season-best efforts included one second place each for 2016 champion Bodee Weiser and Cole Cunial. Grimes had a pair of seconds to go with his four wins, and DeBenedetti had a pair of thirds. Braden Weiser also had a third place finish.
Another close battle was had in the Box Stock division between Keaton Augustine and Ryan Hirschbock. Taylor Fuller and Jacob James also ran in close contention during the first half of the season, but Fuller moved up to focus on his 250 effort and James ended up missing some races. Fuller did win the season opener in impressive fashion. Fuller remained In contention until moving up, but one third and three fourths were among his best finishes after the win.
Herschbock inserted himself into the championship conversation by winning the second event. He also won the last two races of the season and had two seconds and two thirds. However, Augustine got on a roll. After back-to-back second-place finishes to start his season, Keaton won three in a row and finished second in the final three races. It was close in the end, but Augustine prevailed over Hirschbock for the championship.
James charged to a win and two seconds and a third among his best finishes to lay claim to third in the standings ahead of Fuller. The steady Kiley Grimes ranked fifth. Grimes was making her move up from the Beginners division and finished as high as fourth once and fifth twice. Other season best efforts included one third for Mason King and a fifth for Malachi Johnson. Johnson ended up returning to the Beginners class to finish out the season, but he's returning for the full season in Box Stocks this year.
The Beginners class was the biggest at the speedway, and because of the discrepancy in speed between drivers with just a little bit more seat time than the newer drivers, a Novice class was started in an effort to give those newcomers a chance to learn at their own speed. Johnson carried the advantage as the incoming champion, but Shailene Horn and Carson Henson were in the hunt early on. Horn would miss races due to the fire in the Yreka area, but Henson stayed in the battle.
After Hayfork visitor Chayce Smith earned the first of his two victories in the opener, Johnson rattled off three wins in a row. This put him in the lead, but he elected to miss a race to make his first start in the Box Stock ranks. That race was won by Crescent City visitor Austin Bartholomew, but Johnson returned to win the next race. However, Henson was now in the hunt. The reigning indoor Yreka champion, Hanson had a second and three thirds among his best efforts, but he managed to lock up the championship with his first win in the season finale. Johnson settled for second.
Third in the final rundown went to Jayme DeBenedetti, who had one fourth and two fifths among her best efforts and was also a heat race winner at the opener. Other season best finishes included two second-place finishes for Horn and three second place finishes for Mike Wheeler Jr. Uriah Sanders was also an early-season contender with a second and a third before dropping out of contention. Grant Proctor, Bartholomew and Albert Gill Jr each had third place finishes.
DeBenedetti ended up being entered in the Novice race for the finale as her father wanted her to gain some confidence and get her to be a little bit more aggressive. She won that race ahead of Bhaltaire Edwards and Isaac Grimes. Edwards won two races with Gill also getting a win. Grimes had two second place finishes and Caleb Ranney, who was the youngest driver in the field, also had a second place finish. Edwards was awarded the championship ahead of Grimes and Ranney.
The Speedway Karts show was an interesting battle. The two-day season opener saw a special appearance of the 206's, and Phil Pfau won that $1,000 prize. Some of those competitors also ran in the Speedway Kart race the next day, won by Jeremy Brown over Daniel Kravitz and Steve Rambo. Rambo took a casual approach to running for points, but his three wins and second and third In addition to his season opening performance had him leading going into the finale. Inexplicably, Rambo chose to miss that race, opening the door for Lori Fuller. Lori had won the Main Event earlier in the season in a Four Cycle Kart that was not even competitive with the Speedways Karts after attrition took everybody else out of the race. She ended the season with a victory to beat Rambo for the championship. Lori also had two third place finishes among her best efforts.
Larry Fuller won one Main Event and had a third place finish to settle for third in the standings. Not being comfortable with track conditions, Larry skipped the last two races of the season, which would have made the difference in a possible championship run. Ron Bolles won the Main Event in his first of two appearances. Ken Gaines finished a very close second to Lori Fuller as his best effort in the finale. Season-best second place finishes were also turned in by Johnny Hoult, Sean Fuller and Ed Grubb. Grubb did it twice. Brionna Fuller had a pair of third place finishes, the second of which came while her arm was still in a cast.
Because of car count issues, you never knew if there was going to be a 500 Open race. The record shows that there were four different winners in the four races that happened. On one occasion, Reece Slyter was the only driver to appear and ran with the 250s, but his night ended in a nasty heat race flip on the front straightaway. Mike Wheeler won the $500 prize in the season-opener ahead of Kenny Boardman. Yreka star Josh Steinhoff, 2016 champion Johnny Burke and Boardman were the other winners. With his win in the finale, Boardman earned the championship. Bailey Sucich finished second in the finale, and Kyle Romacotti and Brenden Bartlett both finished as high as second once. Dillen Lausen, Slyter and Merissa Henson finished as high as third.
This season, the Outlaw Kart program will go on with eight scheduled races. There is much optimism in the Box Stock and Beginners Box Stock classes with all of the new drivers helping make those classes bigger. The opportunity is there for the drivers in all classes to support the show and help the program grow stronger. The further addition of the Flat Track Motorcycles will give the fans more excitement on any given Friday night. For further information, go to http://www.southernoregonspeedway.com/OutlawKarts.html.
2019 Little Southern Oregon Speedway Schedule
April 13 - Playday
April 27 - Playday
May 10 - Beginners, Box Stock, 250 Karts, 500 Karts, Speedway Karts, Flat Track Motorcycles
May 17 - Beginners, Box Stock, 250 Karts, 500 Karts, Speedway Karts, Flat Track Motorcycles
June 14 - Beginners, Box Stock, 250 Karts, 500 Karts, Speedway Karts, Flat Track Motorcycles
June 21 - Beginners, Box Stock, 250 Karts, 500 Karts, Speedway Karts, Flat Track Motorcycles
July 5 - Beginners, Box Stock, 250 Karts, 500 Karts, Speedway Karts, Flat Track Motorcycles
July 19 - Beginners, Box Stock, 250 Karts, 500 Karts, Speedway Karts, Flat Track Motorcycles
August 9 - Beginners, Box Stock, 250 Karts, 500 Karts, Speedway Karts, Flat Track Motorcycles
August 16 - Beginners, Box Stock, 250 Karts, 500 Karts, Speedway Karts, Flat Track Motorcycles
Little Southern Oregon Speedway 2018 Points
Beginner
Carson Henson 259
Malachi Johnson 251
Jayme DeBenedetti 198
Uriah Sanders 183
Mike Wheeler Jr. 139
Box Stock
Keaton Augustine 288
Ryan Hirschbock 280
Jacob James 197
Taylor Fuller 155
Kiley Grimes 121
250's
Vinny DeBenedetti 250
Trevor Grimes 225
Taylor Fuller 216
Cadyn Smith 75
Brenden Bartlett 67
500's
Kenny Boardman 69
Reece Slyter 67
Merissa Henson 57
Josh Steinhoff 46
Johnny Burke 46
UAS Speedway Kart
Lori Fuller 212
Steve Rambo 202
Larry Fuller 176
Ed Grubb 155
Johnny Hoult 94
Novice Box Stocks
Bhaltair Edwards
Isaac Grimes
Caleb Ranney
Valley Store All Returns As Late Model Lites Sponsor
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...Southern Oregon Speedway has three divisions of 4 Cylinder racing on the 3/10 mile clay oval. At the upper echelon is the Late Model Lites division. These days, the drivers are running on older Late Model chassis with 4 Cylinder motors that allow a little bit more than you'll find in the Mini Stocks or Hornets classes. This also makes the division one of the faster classes at the speedway and at times very entertaining.
For the third straight year, Lee Doty and Valley Store All Self Storage in Medford has returned as the title sponsor of the division. Doty played an intrical role in bringing this division back to the speedway after a two-season hiatus. In 2015, Doty led a group of drivers back to the track for a special race at the end of the season. When Mike McCann and KJE Enterprises stepped forward as the new track promoter, Doty and McCann struck a deal to bring the division back to the lineup.
Doty responded with an impressive season that resulted in the 2016 championship. That season was followed up by a year that did see him win a Main Event, but he also suffered some difficult luck that had him finishing out of the running. Last season, Doty was a Main Event winner and won three Trophy Dashes before finishing fifth in the standings. Unfortunately, Doty has decided to step back and play the role of car owner. He has picked one of the top Stock Car drivers of the 1980's, Ross Payant, to wheel his #7 car.
The Late Model Lites will run an eight race schedule, starting their season on May 11th. The other dates include, May 25th, June 29th, July 6th, July 13th, August 3rd, August 24th and September 7th.
Leading the charge this season will be reigning champion Charlie Eaton. Eaton has been a model of consistency with more Top 3 finishes in the Main Event since 2016 than any other driver in the field. After back-to-back Top 3 seasons, he rode the wave to the championship with a division-leading three Main Event wins last year. Charlie is looking forward to coming back and taking on the competition.
Though he was not the top contender in points to Eaton last season, division veteran Eric Aos may be the top contender. Aos had miserable luck to kick off last season, but he matched Eaton with three feature wins. This resulted in a solid third-place ranking ahead of son Dusty. Young Dusty Aos started his season pretty well, but he ended things with disastrous luck. However, he gave a glimpse of what he can do at the end of the 2017 season when he won his first Main Event.
Greg Arnold is no stranger to championship contention. He won the 2002 Truck championship at the speedway and followed that up the next year by ranking third in Late Model Lites points. That was his best ranking until last season when he finished second and was a Main Event winner. When things held together, Greg was in contention for more victories last season, and that should be the case again this year.
The driver who sits atop the All Time Main Event winner's list in this division is Terry Hadley. Word is that Hadley will be making a return this season. Hadley has ranked as high as second in division points three times. With him will be his wife Krista Hadley, and she has been Top 5 ranked on multiple occasions. She is also a past Main Event winner at the speedway. Because of a busy schedule, the Hadley team only competed one time last season.
Another driver rumored to be a part of this year's roster is Bob Wescott. The Wescott name may be familiar to fans of this division as Bob has won at just about every track in the state of Oregon and has a reputation of bringing the fastest car to the show. He won a Main Event at Southern Oregon Speedway two years ago and has won a couple of big races for this class at the track through the years.
Before the division took a two-year hiatus from the speedway, John Barger was the 2013 champion. Barger finished second in the standings back in 2016 and was a feature winner. He's been absent from the roster for the past couple of seasons, but he is rumored to be returning this year. He will certainly make things more exciting anytime he's at the speedway.
Another driver said to be a part of the roster this season will be Danny Prewitt. Prewitt had the worst luck of any driver in the field in 2017 after being a feature winner the year before. His car was destroyed by the end of the 2017 season, but he made two appearances in the former Bill Spencer car and finished third both times last year.
The Late Model Lites offer a nice attraction for the speedway with their unique looking bodies that are a throwback to the days of the POSSE Super Stock Tour with their sideboards and big tires. The Late Model Lites make good time around the speedway and will add to an already exciting program anytime they are in action. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
2019 Southern Oregon Speedway
Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites Schedule
April 13 - Playday
April 27 - Playday
May 11
May 25
June 29
July 6
July 13
August 3
August 24
September 7
2018 Southern Oregon Speedway
Valley Store All Late Model Lites
5 Charlie Eaton 273
39 Greg Arnold 216
66 Eric Aos 190
3 Dusty Aos 181
7 Lee Doty 132
43 Bob Burkett93
99 Danny Prewitt 63
99 Jim Cunningham 251
8 Terry Hadley 24
16 Krista Hadley 24
Past Late Model Lites Champions
2003 Brian Barns
2004 Brian Barns
2005 Reggie DeVore
2006 Joe Guider
2007 Jacob Cole
2008 Brian Johnsen
2009 Parker "Hollywood" Jones
2010 Brian Johnsen
2011 Joe Guider
2012 Jamie Guider Newberg
2013 John Barger
2016 Lee Doty
2017 Bob Burkett
2018 Charlie Eaton
All Time Late Model Lites Main Event Winners*
Terry Hadley 26
Brian Johnsen 22
Bryan Barns 12
Parker Jones 10
Steve Thompson 8
John Barger 7
Rick Rapp 7
Lee Doty 7
Joe Guider 5
A.J. Salyer 5
Tony Christopher 5
Reggie DeVore 5
Pat Akins 5
Jamie Newberg 5
Bob Westcott 5
Eric Aos 4
Preston Jones 3
Charlie Eaton 3
Skipper Klimcheck 2
Tyler Jensen 2
Dan Estremado 2
Chris Salyer 2
Randy Hansen 2
Greg Arnold 2
Danny Prewitt 1
Nick Camus 1
Tony Bartell 1
Krista Hadley 1
Belinda Duste 1
Jake Cole 1
Vicki Macormic 1
Bob Burkett 1
Dusty Aos 1
Patrick Lanigan 1
All Time Super Trucks Main Event Win List*
Lindsey Bryant 11
John Wayne Cahill 11
Patrick Lanigan 8
Harvey Foster 5
Roger Lee Jr. 5
Bryan Barns 5
Brian Merriman 4
Greg Arnold 3
Travis Holt 3
Shawn Gillespie 2
Terry Townsend 1
Buck Hornbaker 1
JOAT Labs Returns As Hornets Sponsor
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...Every track needs an entry-level division. This is the gateway division for new drivers to get into the wonderful world of auto racing. For Southern Oregon Speedway, this is the Hornets division. These are front wheel drive, stock 4 Cylinder cars. There have been five championship seasons so far for the class with last season being the strongest year yet.
For this year, the Hornets will once again be sponsored by JOAT Labs. JOAT Labs has built several of the cages for the cars in this division and has played an important part in helping the class grow. The division will offer up an 11 race championship season. The opener is set for May 4th, and other dates include May 11th, May 18th, June 15th, June 29th, July 6th, July 13th, August 10th, August 17th August 24th and September 7th.
Leading the charge this year is second-year competitor Bree Tritchler. Tritchler surprised everybody last year by picking up five second places and a win to notch not only top rookie honors but the championship as well. The hottest driver in the field last year may have been Brandyn Wonsyld, who also had five second place finishes and four wins to go along with it. Wonsyld missed a pair of races last season or likely would have won the championship. At press time, we haven't heard if Wonsyld will be competing in this division for another season.
This is because Wonsyld's teammate, second-generation competitive Dylan Irving, will be running a Mini Stock this year. Another Top 10 Hornets competitor, Ashtin Hedges, is also running full time in the Mini Stocks this season. This was exactly the intent of this division when it was added to the roster. Michael Johnson and Joby Shields are other notable drivers who have gotten their starts in racing at Southern Oregon Speedway in this division in the past.
One of the biggest boosters of the Hornets division since it really got some momentum going is 2016 champion Tim Hedges. It seems as if the road to the championship goes through Hedges as he finished third the next year and second last season and was a Main Event winner both years. Hedges intends to field multiple cars again, including one that will be driven by his wife Jenna Hedges. Jenna ranked second as the top rookie in the points back in 2017.
Another family that has been very supportive of Hornets racing since 2016 is the Nelson family. Derrel Nelson Jr ranked second in points in 2016 and was top five a year later. Bad luck last season saw him run a limited schedule. Son Zach Nelson ran several races, but the Top 10 competitor had his share of bad luck as well. Both should be in the field some this year, and we may also see Ryan Nelson make his return behind the wheel.
Second-year competitors Chris Boynton and Dylan Sauer are both anticipated for the coming season. Boynton was fourth in points last year and a two-time feature winner. Sauer started mid-season but came on strong with a pair of Top 3 finishes to move him into the Top 10 in the standings. He will be one of the drivers to watch in the race to get a feature win. Another driver to watch is newcomer Jenia Silva in the former Jenna Hedges car. Also not to be forgotten are the Ashland High School cars that were driven by John Ferreira and Ethan Doty last season.
There are other drivers to watch for in the coming season, and the status of 2017 champion Jason Stoutenburgh is unknown at press time. Word it is that more cars are being built as the class is expected to continue to grow. The affordability and a limited rules package makes this an exciting show to watch anytime the Hornets are there. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
2019 Southern Oregon Speedway
JOAT Labs Hornets Schedule
April 13 - Playday
April 27 - Playday
May 4
May 11
May 18
June 15
June 29
July 6
July 13
August 10
August 17
August 24
September 7
2018 Southern Oregon Speedway
JOAT Labs Hornets
17 Bree Tritchler 352
14t Tim Hedges 330
7 Brandyn Wonsyld 329
28 Chris Boynton 298
11 Dylan Irving 295
27j Jenna Hedges 231
7s Dylan Sauer 170
54d Ashtin Hedges 163
26 Zach Nelson 150
007 Jason Stoutenburgh 139
Hornet Champions
2014 Robert Jones
2015 Drew Fielder
2016 Tim Hedges
2017 Jason Stoutenburgh
2018 Bree Tritchler
Past Hornet Main Event Winners
Robbie Jones 8
Joby Shields 5
Jason Stoutenburgh 5
Brandyn Wonsyld 4
Drew Fielder 3
Dale Tarp 3
Tim Hedges 3
Derrel Nelson Jr. 2
Chris Boynton 2
Ashtin Hedges 2
Dylan Irving 1
Bree Tritchler 1
Tanton Swaim 1
Lon Fox 1
Brian Dickens 1
Jason Peeble 1
David Coggins 1
Marysville Raceway Race Results March 9, 2019
Civil War Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Andy Forsberg
Koen Shaw
Blake Carrick
Justin Henry
Pat Harvey Jr
Crate Sprints
Darren Johnson
Brett Youngman
Mike Sayre
Kiely Ricardo
Cameron Haney Jr
Mike Ballantine
Pepsi IMCA Sport Mods
Keith Brown Jr
Guy Ahlwardt
Brian Cooper
Jimmy Ford
Todd Cooper
Mike Merritt
Scott Savell
Jason Ferguson
Thomas Reynolds
Richard Vander Ploeg
Jimmy Ray Huffmon
Shayna Nieman
Phillip Shelby
Mike Smith
