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Winebarger Wins Speedweek Race
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...June 22...Collen Winebarger scored a thrilling victory in the 35 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. This was the second round of the eight-race IMCA Modified Wild West Speedweek Tour, and it was also the second consecutive $1,000 win in this race at this track for Winebarger. He made a late pass on race long leader Kellen Chadwick to steal the victory.
With 39 competitors signed in, the drivers were divided into four heats and would run two sets of heat races to determine points. The Top 8 point earners would go into a redraw to determine the first four rows of the Main Event. Track point leader Zach Fettinger gave an indication of the exciting racing to come when he made a last turn pass on Carl Berendsen II to win the very first heat race. Other Round A heat race winners were Travis Peery, Jesse Williamson and Jerry Flippo. Nick Trenchard, Ryan Lauer, Winebarger and Chadwick won the next round of heat races.
The Top 8 point earners from the heat races were Fettinger, Albert Gill, Peery, Ryan Lauer, Winebarger, Chadwick, Flippo and Williamson. Chadwick drew the pole for the Main Event with Winebarger lined up in the second row outside. With the first four rows set, two 15 lap B Mains and a 12 lap Last Chance Qualifier were run to determine the remainder of the 20 car Main Event lineup.
Jeffrey Hudson went flag-to-flag to win the first B Main. John Campos took over second on a lap 11 restart and would finish there ahead of Berendsen, Gray Ferrando and Mark Carrell. Coming off of his Yreka win a night earlier earlier, Nick Trenchard had to run the second B Main. He took the lead from Danny Lauer on the fifth lap and led the remaining laps for the win. California State champion Shane DeVolder finished second, followed by Danny Lauer, Lipke and Lawrence O'Connor. Only two spots were up for grabs in the Main Event via the Last Chance Qualifier race. Matthew Drager led Jesse Bailey for the entire distance to score the 1-2 finish. Jeffrey Faulkner, Dave Dusty Jr and Jerry Schram rounded out the Top 5.
The Main Event was destined to go with just one yellow flag slow down. Chadwick motored into the lead at the waving of the green flag ahead of Williamson and Winebarger. Winebarger made an inside pass in Turn 4 of the fourth lap to take second from Williamson, and Chadwick already held about a straightaway advantage. The yellow flag flew for Bailey on the backstretch on lap nine. Chadwick continued to set a blistering pace on the restart as Williamson slipped past Winebarger for second. Winebarger made a low pass on Williamson in Turn 4 a lap later to regain second. The side-by-side battle continued for two more laps as the duo exchanged the position, but Winebarger made the inside pass in Turn 4 of the 13th lap to settle the matter of second place. By then, Chadwick had pulled away from the pack yet again and held about a straightaway advantage. Winebarger begin to real in Chadwick when the leader caught slower traffic on lap 21. Winebarger moved in behind Chadwick by lap 28 and the battle was on. The two drivers crossed start-finish line on lap 33 in a dead heat, but Winebarger moved ahead on the inside as they exited Turn 2 a lap later. Winebarger went on to an impressive victory, followed by Chadwick, Williamson, Fettinger, Flippo, Hudson, Fernando, Campos, Drager and DeVolder.
The next IMCA Modified race at Southern Oregon Speedway will be Willamette Valley Bank night on July 20th. The IMCA Sport Modifieds will also be part of the show. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Race Results
IMCA Modifieds
Heat 1A-Zach Fettinger, Carl Berendsen II, Nick Trenchard, Grey Ferrando, John Campos, Albert Gill, Derek Young, Duane Orsburn, Mark Carrell, Jim Whisler.Heat 1B-Travis Peery, Jimmy Lipke, Ryan Lauer, Jake Pike, Justin Faux, Jesse Bailey, Jantzen Knips, Steve Borror, Andy Freeman, Matthew Drager.
Heat 1C-Jesse Willamson, Jeffery Hudson, Jeremy Ohlde, Collen Winebarger, Jeff Faulkner, Lawrence O'Conner, Mike George, Jerry Schram, Ray Kniffen Jr, David Satterfield.
Heat 1D-Jerry Flippo, Kellen Chadwick, Shane DeVolder, Danny Lauer, Paul Rea, Eston Whisler, Dave Duste Jr, Galen Hainline, Bo Sheilds.
Heat 2A-Nick Trenchard, Albert Gill, John Campos, Duane Orsburn, Zach Fettinger, Derek Young, Grey Ferrando, Carl Berendsen II, Mark Carrell, Jim Whisler.
heat 2B-Ryan Lauer, Travis Peery, Jesse Bailey, Matthew Drager, Jake Pike, Steve Borror, Jantzen Knips, Jimmy Lipke, Justin Faux, Andy Freeman.
Heat 2C-Collen Winebarger, Jeff Faulkner, Jeffery Hudson, Jesse Willamson, Jeremy Ohlde, Jerry Schram, Mike George, Ray Kniffen Jr, Lawrence O'Conner, David Satterfield.
Heat 2D-Kellen Chadwick, Danny Lauer, Jerry Flippo, Shane DeVolder, Galen Hainline, Paul Rea, Eston Whisler, Dave Duste Jr, Bo Sheilds.
B Main 1-Jeffrey Hudson, John Campos, Carl Berendsen, Grey Ferrando, Mark Carrell, Matthew Drager, Dave Duste Jr, Derick Young, Jantzen Knips, Eston Whisler, Jeff Faulkner, Mike George, Steve Borror, David Satterfield, Jimmy Whisler, Jake Pike.
B Main 2-Nick Trenchard, Shane DeVolder, Danny Lauer, Jimmy Lipke, Lawrence O’Connor, Jesse Bailey, Duane Orsburn, Justin Foux, Paul Rea, Jerry Schram, Galen Hainline, Jeremy Ohlde, Ray Kniffen Jr, Bo Shields, Andy Freeman.
Last Chance Qualifier-Matthew Drager, Jesse Bailey, Jeff Faulkner, Paul Rea, Jerry Schram, Derick Young, Jeremy Ohlde, Jantzen Knips, Andy Freeman, Galen Hainline, Duane Orsburn, Dave Duste Jr, Jake Pike, Justin Faux, Mike George, Steve Borror DNS, Eston Whisler DNS, Ray Kniffen Jr DNS, Bo Shields DNS, Jimmy Whisler DNS.
A Main-1. Collen Winebarger, Kellen Chadwick, Jesse Williamson, Zach Fettinger, Jerry Flippo, Jeffrey Hudson, Grey Ferrando, John Campos, Matthew Drager, Shane DeVolder, Nick Trenchard, Jimmy Lipke, Carl Berendsen II, Mark Carrell, Jesse Bailey, Lawrence O’Connor, Travis Peery, Albert Gill, Danny Lauer, Ryan Lauer.
Sanders Wins IMCA Sport Modified Race
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...June 22...Isaac Sanders won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. He took the lead from Branden Wilson early in the event and then held off his brother Matt Sanders for the victory. Isaac becomes the third different winner in four races.
There were 23 Sport Modifieds on hand for the show, but after tech, Jantzen Knips was bumped up to the IMCA Modified class and Yreka racer Randy Wright had mechanical issues prior to the heat races. There were three eight lap heat races, and wins went to Branden Wilson, point leader Jorddon Braaten and Yreka star Ryder Boswell.
Brian Knorr and Wilson had the front row for the race with Isaac Sanders starting back in seventh. Turn 2 proved to be tricky as three separate restarts were caused due two yellow flags for Ryder Boswell, Chad Wormington and Chris Silva. Knorr led the opening lap over Wilson and Isaac Sanders before another yellow flag waved for a tangle between Willie McFall, Joby Shields and Danny Rule. Silva received a black flag for two yellow flags after spinning in Turn 2 on the next restart. Wilson raced past Knorr for the lead when the action resumed, and Isaac Sanders quickly settled into second ahead of Mike Medel. Sanders took the lead from Wilson just as Johnsen moved past Medel for third on lap 5. However, Johnson surrendered third to Matt Sanders on lap seven. Matt Sanders made a low pass in Turn 4 of the 10th lap to take second from Wilson. A lap later, Wilson spun into the Turn 4 infield as the race continued. Braaten started back in ninth and was third at that point. The yellow flag waved on lap 14 when Ryder Boswell lost a wheel. Isaac Sanders continued to lead with Matt Sanders, Braaten and Brent Curran running nose to tail behind him. Isaac Sanders hit all of his marks and brought it home to a satisfying win. Matt Sanders settled for second, followed by Braaten, Curran, Johnson, Medel, Knorr, Donald Bandfield, Colt Boswell and Billy Richey.
The IMCA Sport Modifieds will return to action along with the IMCA Modifieds on Willamette Valley Bank Night on July 20th. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Race Results
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Heat 1-Branden Wilson, Ethan Killingsworth, Donald Bandfield, Isaac Sanders, Brent Curran, Danny Rule, Jesse Skidmore, Chad Wormington.Heat 2-Ryder Boswell, Mike Medel, Matt Sanders, Colt Boswell, Billy Richey, Willie McFall.
Heat 3-Jorddon Braaten, Brian Knorr, Steve Lysinger, Brian Johnsen, Joby Shields, Michael Rule, Chris Silva.
Main Event-Isaac Sanders, Matt Sanders, Jorddon Braaten, Brent Curran, Brian Johnsen, Mike Medel, Brian Knorr, Donald Bandfield, Colt Boswell, Billy Richey, Steve Lysinger, Danny Rule, Chad Wormington, Jesse Skidmore, Ryder Boswell, Branden Wilson, Joby Shields, Ethan Killingsworth, Willie McFall, Chris Silva, Michael Rule.
King Scores Dwarf Car Victory At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...June 22...Josh King picked up the win in the 20 lap Southern Oregon Dwarf Car Main Event Saturday night Southern Oregon Speedway. The three-time reigning champion led most of the way and held off two-time champion Brock Peters for the win.
There were 21 Dwarf Car competitors on hand for this show, and Peters, Camden Robustelli and King won their respective eight lap heat races. Peters outran King to win the six lap A Dash, and ageless veteran Fred Hay held off Cody Peters to win the six lap B Dash.
Looking for his second Southern Oregon Speedway win of the season, Camden Robustelli led the opening lap, but he spun in Turn 2 for a yellow flag. Robustelli restarted at the rear of the pack as King led Peters and Chad Cardoza on the restart. A lap four yellow flag waved for rookie Trevor Davis in Turn 1 of the fourth lap. King maintained his advantage on the restart as Cardoza took second from Peters. A high pass in Turn 1 of the 10th lap gained Peters second, and he set his sights on King. Ryan Smith took third from Cardoza on lap 12. The resurgent Robustelli also got by Cardoza for the fourth position. Despite the pressure from Peters, King drove a great race and scored the well earned victory. Smith settled for third, followed by Robustelli, Hay, Cody Peters, Jesse
The Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars will return on July 20th as part of Willamette Valley Bank Night. Their next series race will be at Coos Bay Speedway this Saturday night. For further information, go to www.sodca.net or www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Race Results
SODCA Dwarf Cars
Heat 1-Brock Peters, Chad Cardoza, Fred Hay, Jesse Lorentz, Mark Nielson, Ryan Smith, Trevor Davis.Heat 2-Camden Robustelli, Mason Lewman, Paul Haslow, Kaycee Sheeler, Ashleigh Strain, Joe Sanders, Sean Trujillo DNS.
Heat 3-Josh King, Steve Walker, Cody Peters, Michael Johnson, Dan Penland, Reggie Ayers DNS.
A Dash-Brock Peters, Josh King, Camden Robuste.li, Chad Cardoza, Steve Walker, Mason Lewman.
B Dash-Fred Hay, Cody Peters, Jesse Lorentz, Michael Johnson, Paul Haslow,Kaycee Sheeler.
Main Event-Josh King, Brock Peters, Ryan Smith, Camden Robustelli, Fred Hay, Cody Peters, Jesse Lorentz, Chad Cardoza, Mason Lewman, Kaycee Sheeler, Paul Haslow, Mark Nielson, Ashleigh Strain, Dan Penland, Joe Sanders, Michael Johnson, Trevor Davis, Steve Walker, Sean Trujillo, Reggie Ayers DNS.
Sprint Cars Return To Southern Oregon Speedway
Saturday Night
White City, Oregon...The Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars return to Southern Oregon Speedway this Saturday night. They've had two races with exciting conclusions so far this year. Also on the card will be the Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks, JOAT Labs Hornets, the Valley Store All Late Model Lites and OTRO Hardtops.
Family is an important part of the racing community. This is seen in the pits among the various teams in all divisions, and it's seen in the grandstands where parents bring their children to enjoy a night at the races. One prominent family in the Sprint Car class is the Wheeler family. It was two weeks ago when Mike Wheeler became the latest member of his family to win a Sprint Car race at the speedway.
Mike's father, Vern Wheeler Sr, raced Stock Cars and Sprint Cars throughout his career. He has been memorialized in recent years in an Outlaw Kart race that has happened at both the little Southern Oregon Speedway track and the Roseburg indoor track. Vern's other son, Vern Wheeler Jr, has won several Main Events at Southern Oregon Speedway in his career. When the current Sprint Car effort was rebooted in 2016, Vern won the first two races before retiring and turning over the wheel to son Jake Wheeler.
Jake Wheeler went on to win the championship that year and has won Main Events here and at other race tracks in the seasons that followed. Having pretty much won everything there is to win in Outlaw Kart racing throughout a very successful career, Jake's uncle Mike Wheeler decided to turn his attention to the Winged Sprint Car effort and has seen some impressive results so far.
Mike led all but the final lap of last season's finale, when he was passed by rising young star Tanner Holmes in the final turn. However, Mike learned a valuable lesson about using the outside groove when necessary. It served him well as he passed both Bailey Hibbard and another Outlaw Kart graduate, Blaine Cory, in winning the most recent race. In fact, Mike has the lead over TJ Winningham in the championship battle. Mike isn't the last member of his family who has gone racing. Son Mikey Jr is racing Box Stock Karts and is already a feature winner like his father.
Wheeler will be going for his second win in a row, but he knows the competition will be tough. The Father and son team of David Hibbard and Bailey Hibbard will be there to present a challenge. Past division champions TJ Winningham and Charlie Thompson have been fast so far this season, and new competitors such as David Marble, Anissa Curtice and Jared Hood also make the field that much more competitive.
David Steele has been racing Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks for over a decade and is the all-time winner and current champion in the class. However, he's been getting a serious challenge from young Ashtin Hedges. Hedges has a feature win this season and is only a few points behind Steele in the title chase. These two drivers have been at the head of the pack, but 2017 champion Kristopher Mix, Hunter Magnan, Michael McLeod and Andrew Hall are among the drivers to watch in the battle for victory this week.
The victories have all belonged to Dylan Sauer so far in the JOAT Labs Hornets class. He has won all three Main Events as the husband-wife team of Tim Hedges and Jenna Hedges have taken turns finishing second to him. In keeping with the family theme, Jenna and Tim are the parents of Ashtin. It's a close point battle at the top between Sauer and Tim Hedges so far. However, Derrel Nelson Jr, rookie Quinton Tritchler, Chris Boynton and reigning champion Bree Tritchler are among those to watch this week in the quest to evict Sauer from the winner's circle.
The Nelson family has gotten the opportunity to race together this year. Brothers Zach and Ryan Nelson are enjoying their opportunity to race with their father Derrel. Younger brother Gabe is a part of the safety crew at the speedway and hopes to get a chance to race in the future. Zach may be the first member of the family to move up to the IMCA Sport Modified division as he has a car in the works.
Reigning champion Charlie Eaton won the season opener for The Valley Store All Late Model Lites. Chief rival Greg Arnold hopes to make a challenge on him this week. Jim Cunningham is a newcomer to the class with hopes of getting the win this week. Ross Payant and the father-son duo of Eric and Dusty Aos are other drivers to watch in what should be a spirited battle for victory.
A solid turn out of 10 OTRO Hardtop competitors were on hand two weeks ago for their race, which was won by Dean Cast. Mark Minter is the only driver to win features with the group in each of the three seasons prior to this one. He seemed to be headed for a win last time when mechanical issues sent him to the pits. He'll be out to get the win this week. The Minter family is at the heart of the association, which was founded in the 1980s in part by his grandfather, the late Harold Minter. All of Harold's sons drove the pink #33 car at one time or another through the years, and Mark is the latest driver.
Continuing the family theme, father Bill Trotter and son Dusty Trotter have fielded multiple cars in the class. Both Bill and Dusty have won races. In fact, they could win again this week. Other drivers to watch for include Jay Smith, Chris Mehrer and Eric DeRamus.
It will be a good night for some racing this Saturday night. This five-division lineup offers a little something for everybody. Gates will open at 5 p.m. with the first race at 7 pm. General Admission will be $13 with Seniors, Veterans and Juniors 7 to 12 $7. Children 6 and under are free. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Third Annual Cascade Wingless Sprint Car Challenge
Comes To Southern Oregon Speedway August 3rd
White City, Oregon...Southern Oregon Speedway will be hosting the biggest Wingless 360 Sprint Car race in Oregon once again. It's the Third Annual Cascade Wingless 360 Sprint Car Challenge race, presented by Herz Precision Parts. The race will pay $3,500 to win, the second place finisher will receive $1,500, third is $1,000 and it's a minimum of $250 to start the Main Event.
Mike McCann of KJE Enterprises is in his fourth season as promoter of the 3/10 mile clay oval track. McCann has been known as a Sprint Car promoter throughout his decorated career, having started the Sprint Car racing programs currently happening at Cottage Grove Speedway and Marysville Raceway in California back when he promoted the two establishments. He is also the founder of the Oregon Double Shot Series that had a good run in the late 1990s and into the next decade.
McCann felt very strongly that the Medford area track would be perfect for a big Wingless 360 Sprint Car race which will run rules very similar to the ones used by the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars. When Mark Herz came on board with Herz Precision Parts as the title sponsor, the race was first held in August of 2017. Some fast competitors came from California and Oregon that year, but when the checkered flag waved, it was "The Human Highlight Reel" Geoff Ensign grabbing the rich victory. Cody Fendley enjoyed one of his best ever runs in an injected Sprint Car as he held off past Wingless champion Kyle Miller to place second.
Last season, Ensign saw a strong early challenge from past Antioch and Petaluma Winged Sprint Car champion Shawn Arriaga, but Arriaga's run ended when he contacted the front wall and flipped. Much like Ensign, Arriaga is anticipated again this year. Local standout Jeffrey Hudson took the wings off of his Sprint Car and promptly held off Wingless Sprint Series title contender Lindsay Barney for the $1,500 second prize. Though he has been running an IMCA Modified this season, Hudson has said that he intends to run the big Wingless show.
The format will call for qualifying individually on the clock. There's a $100 prize for the fast timer, and the Top 2 qualifiers can bypass the heat races and head straight to the Scramble. The Top 2 heat race finishers will make it into the Scramble, which will determine the first few rows of the 30 lap Main Event.
They don't get the opportunity to run very many big Wingless 360 Sprint Car races in Oregon, so there are teams who circle their calendar every year and make plans to show up. This year's race will happen on August 3rd. It will also be Hays Oil Night at the races. Hays Oil, which brings the Sunoco Racing Fuel to the speedway each week, has been a big supporter of Sprint Car racing at Southern Oregon Speedway through the years.
A field of at least 15 to 20 competitors is anticipated for the big event. Entry for car and driver is $80, while pit passes for the crew are $30. Pit sign in is at 4:00 pm. Camping is allowed in the pits, though there are no hookups. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com. Downloadable flier available at http://www.southernoregonspeedway.com/cascade.pdf.
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Siskiyou Golden Speedway Prepares For July Excitement
Yreka, CA...Fans of Siskiyou Speedway were buzzing after the IMCA Wild West Speedweek event Last Friday Night. Nearly 40 competitors came to do battle, giving the fans the exciting Modified racing they have been craving, and two-time track champion Nick Trenchard emerged with the victory for the third straight year. The IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks rounded out what had to have been the best night of racing so far this year.
Promoter Kevin Barba made the announcement on Sunday that the track will be dark this Saturday night as preparations are made for the Thursday, July 4th event. Fans will get an opportunity to watch IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks that night. In addition to that, there will be a fireworks show, a band playing live music and an opportunity for people to bring their remote control cars to the track and have some fun.
On July 8th, the Western Sprint Tour Speedweek will kick off in Yreka. The special show will also include the IMCA Sport Modifieds and the Mini Stocks. The week off gives the racers an opportunity to prepare for two races in a short time period. However, fans needing their racing fix this weekend can head on over to the little track at the fairgrounds for a full slate of Outlaw Kart racing on Friday night.
Rich McCoy has found Yreka racing to be to his liking. Interesting enough, after an event about a month ago, the past Medford Mini Stock champion swore that he wasn't coming back to the speedway. Not only did he return, but he returned with an impressive feature victory. He backed that up with another win on Friday, making him a two-time winner along with Matt Sanders. McCoy and Sanders would definitely have to be considered odds on favorites to win the next time they're in town, which could be on the 4th.
The championship was rocked last Friday after third place finisher Ethan Killingsworth failed the post-race technical inspection. The young racer took it in stride, made repairs to his race car and went to Medford the next night. Unfortunately, it didn't go much better, but he'll be ready for the show.
When the standings are released on Friday, it's likely to show Colt Boswell leading his brother Ryder Boswell by a slim margin. Colt is not only a past Modified champion, he's also a past Mini Stock title winner at the speedway. Ryder finished second last season. Both brothers are looking for their first wins of the season when racing resumes.
There are a few drivers chomping at the bit to get there first wins of the season. This would include Randy Wright, who has won two Trophy Dashes so far, but he has only managed to finish as high as second in the feature. Gary Foster and Chad Wormington are others hoping to get a victory. Worthington had been a regular competitor at the speedway in recent seasons, but he took last year off after selling his car to the Sanders team. Merissa Henson scored a popular win two weeks ago. Much like one-time feature winner Isaac Sanders, she will be a threat to win again when she returns.
The Mini Stocks continue to offer some great racing for the fans. While Terry Kendrick is a two-time winner and was recently shown as the point leader, he's finding the competition to be tough this year. Last season's Rookie of the Year, Zak McMurry, grabbed another victory last Friday. His second win of the season came with two-time champion "Magic" Mike Whitaker in pursuit. Whitaker is still looking for his first win of the season.
The Mini Stock division has become so competitive that most of the drivers in the field have a legitimate shot at victory. The Alford Racing Team is hoping to break into the winner's circle. Both Terry Alford and Darek Alford have earned Top 3 finishes. Darek won a feature in his rookie season last year. There's also three-time reigning champion Marilyn Yawnick and Michael Kendrick to contend with. Though it seemed a bit more predictable last year, you never really know who might win on any given night.
The 4th of July show promises to be a fun evening to spend with the family at the track. Not only do you get to see some racing, but live music and a fireworks display will make it a must-see event. The upcoming Sprint Car Speedweek show on July 8th is just the beginning of the good things coming on the schedule. For further information on that and other news from the track, go to www.siskiyougoldenspeedway.com.
Dwarf Cars And Lucky Rides For The Kids Saturday
At Coos Bay Speedway
Coos Bay, Oregon...This Saturday night, the Dwarf Cars are invading Coos Bay Speedway. In this case, it's the Southern Oregon Dwarf Car Association and the Northwest Dwarf Cars joining forces. The NASCAR Whelen All American Series program will also include the America's Mattress Super Late Models, Sportsman Late Models, Street Stock, Mini Outlaws, Hornets and Junior Stingers. If all of that's not enough, there will also be Lucky Rides for the kids.
While it is true that the Northwest Dwarf Cars are the new kids on the block in Dwarf Car racing in Oregon, they have gathered some momentum in recent years. They were able to host a Regional event with support from the Southern Oregon group two years ago. This year, they're hosting a Nationals race at Cottage Grove. The events have gone so well at Coos Bay that the rival groups will be competing this Saturday night.
The Northwest group has such standouts as multi-time champion Ryan Martinez, Jake Van Ortwick, James Brinster, Jake Tupper and Josh Rogers. From the Southern Oregon group, it doesn't get much better than three-time champion Josh King, two-time champion Brock Peters and Camden Robustelli, but others such as Chad Cardoza, Fred Hay and Joe Sanders are also anticipated. The car count should swell into the high 20s and possibly even into the 30s for this event.
Brody Montgomery may have thought he'd have a good shot at repeating as the America's Mattress Super Late Model champion and pocketing the NASCAR paycheck, but the lure of the bigger money championship fund brought 2018 Cottage Grove champion Preston Luckman back to his home track again. Luckman and Montgomery are having a nip-and-tuck battle. Montgomery won his second feature in his new car last weekend, and Luckman has one win his credit. Luckman leads Montgomery by just six points.
Montgomery's old car is going to good use as two time Sportsman Late Model champion Wayne Butler is just 22 points out of lead with three Top 5 finishes. Butler is looking for his first win in this class. Other drivers hoping to get a taste of victory include Thor Kristensen, 2015 champion Toby McIntyre, Deven Brown, Chris Kristensen and Richard Wallace.
Braden Fugate continues to roll in the Sportsman Late Model division, and he has racked up four wins in four starts. However, he hasn't managed to shake Mike Taylor just yet. Taylor has finished second in all four events and trails Fugate by just eight points. Tom Williams is currently a solid third in the field, and other drivers to watch for this week include Josh Kralicek, Garrett Smith and Ryan Baker.
The Street Stock car count took a hit last week as several of the racers headed to Cottage Grove Speedway for an Iron Giant Street Stock Series race. It was Jeff Krossman leaving with the winner's hardware last week. Current point leader Steve Dubisar has picked up three wins in four starts and is beginning to pull away from David Smith despite the fact that Smith won a race two events ago. Peyton Reigard has looked good in his rookie season and is only 12 points behind Smith in the standings. Others to watch for this week include Leroy Rockwell, Sam Talon and reigning champion Ken Fox.
Talon has been the dominant force in the Mini Outlaws. The two-time reigning champion leads the standings this year on the strength of four wins in his four starts. Jason Kellam missed a race last weekend, but he still holds second by just four points over Dan Daniels and eight ahead of Bob Oliver. Rob Lauver finally got his fast VW Beetle to start and won both preliminary events last Saturday. Unfortunately, mechanical issues dropped him out of the Main Event
"Hurricane" Hannah Robison was contained last weekend in Hornets competition. Peyton Reigard returned to the class last Saturday and snapped the three-race win streak for Robison. Because Robison missed Sunday's event and it was a point race, Steven Parker has moved into a tie with her for the lead. Parker has yet to win, but he has a pair of Top 5 efforts. Ray Marshall won the Sunday event to move into third in the standings, 32 points behind the leaders and 12 ahead of Jesse McIntyre. William Hitler could be a threat to win this Saturday, and other drivers to watch for include Kris Parker, Taylor Tullos, Gabrielle Boles and past Mini Outlaw competitors Alyssa Johnson and John Henry.
A Junior Stingers point list was recently released, and it's no surprise to find Griff Smith leading the standings on the strength of a pair of wins in three races. However, Smith only has a two-point advantage over James Shingleton and a four-point lead over Alex Butler. Butler is the other driver with a win this year. The Junior Stinger division is a class designed for 11 to 14 year olds, who get behind the wheel of Hornet race cars.
It's a great night of racing lined up at the speedway this Saturday. There's a full slate of NASCAR sanctioned action in addition to the fast and furious Dwarf Cars. Add in the Lucky Rides for the kids, and this will be a night you won't want to miss. For further information, go to www.coosbayspeedway.us.
Trenchard Wins Third Straight Yreka
IMCA Modified Speedweek Race
Yreka, CA...June 21...Nick Trenchard opened the IMCA Modified Wild West Speedweek Series with a 30 lap Main Event victory Friday night at Siskiyou Golden Speedway. Trenchard wheeled the Biehn Racing Modified to his third-straight Yreka Speedweek victory. This was the opening race of the eight-race series that will conclude on June 29th at Willamette.
Multi-time Santa Maria Speedway Modified champion Danny Lauer jumped into the early lead and soon found his way into slower traffic. Trenchard managed to gain second and caught Lauer in heavy traffic by the midway point of the race. The two drivers enjoyed a good battle before Trenchard gained the lead for good on lap 25. Trenchard went on to a satisfying win with Lauer settling for second. Jerry Schram finished third, followed by Matthew Drager, four-time Speedweek champion Jesse Williamson, Colin Winebarger, Duane Orsburn, Mark Carrell, Kellen Chadwick and Jeffrey Faulkner.
There were 31 IMCA Modifieds in competition, and they ran two sets of ten lap heat races, which earned them points to determine who made it into the show and who had to run B Mains and the Last Chance Qualifier. The first set of heat race wins were earned by Orsburn, Trenchard, Jeffrey Hudson and reigning State champion Shane DeVolder. Lawrence O'Connor, Chadwick, Travis Peery And Carrell were the winners of the second round of heats. Carrell won the first 15 lap B Main ahead of Jimmy Lipke and Jake Pike. It was Winebarger outrunning Chadwick to win the second B Main as Eston Whistler finished third. Paul Rea won the 10 lap Last Chance Qualifier ahead of Medford champion Albert Gill and Ryan Lauer.
Rich McCoy won his second 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. McCoy shared the front row with Scott Savell and raced into the early lead. Antioch Speedway star Brent Curran and point leader Ethan Killingsworth charged from the fourth row to battle Isaac Sanders for second. Both drivers got by Sanders, but McCoy would score the victory ahead of Curran. Killingsworth took a checkered flag in third, but his point effort took a hit as he was disqualified in post-race tech, giving Isaac Sanders third ahead of Matt Sanders, Sean Hulsey, Colt Boswell, Ryder Boswell, Randy Wright, Chad Wormington and Savell. McCoy and Curran won eight lap heat races, and Matt Sanders picked up the four lap Trophy Dash.
Zak McMurry won the 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. This was his second win of the season. McMurry also took advantage of a front row starting position. Mike Whitaker started back in sixth and would be the one chasing McMurry across the finish line for a second place finish. Medford regular Michael McLeod finished third, followed by Michael Kendrick, reigning champion Marilyn Yawnick, Darek Alford, Terry Kendrick and Terry Alford. Terry Alford won the eight lap heat race ahead of last starter McMurry, and Terry Kendrick picked up four lap Trophy Dash honors.
For further information, go to www.siskiyougoldenspeedway.com.
Fuller, Taylor, Herbert, DeBenedetti Win
At Little Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...June 21...Taylor Fuller won his first 20 lap 250 Kart Main Event Friday night at Little Southern Oregon Speedway. The program had over 50 competitors across several different Kart and Motorcycle classes. Once again, Trevor Taylor won three different Flat Track Bike features, and Ben Herbert was also a double winner in Quads and Big Trikes.
After both Trevor Grimes and reigning champion Vinny DeBenedetti were heat race winners, it was Taylor Fuller setting the pace at the start of the 250 Kart Main Event. A yellow flag flew on lap nine after Grimes and DeBenedetti bumped wheels with Grimes spinning. Fuller continued to lead DeBenedetti and Cadyn Smith, and they ran in that order until DeBenedetti pitted unexpectedly off the back stretch on lap 18. Fuller brought it home to an impressive victory ahead of Smith. Jacob James made a bid to take second from Smith in the last turn, only to lose third to a Grimes inside pass in the process. James settled for fourth ahead of Emma Rodgers and DeBenedetti.
Trevor Taylor won the Open, 450cc and 250cc Flat Track Bike Main Events. Taylor took the lead at the start of the Open Bike feature ahead of Theo Lount and Mya Maffei. Maffei took second from Lount with a backstretch pass on lap four and closed in quickly on Taylor. She made a few attempts to get by on the outside, but Taylor would prevail at the checkered flag. Maffei settled for second ahead of Lount.
Taylor also led all the way to win the 450cc Bike feature with Lount finishing second. Taylor won the 250 Bike race with Maffei running close all the way to the checkered flag. Lount finished third in that race.
Though Trevor Taylor won the Open Bike heat race, Lount won the 450 Bike heat and Maffei won the 250 Bike heat. Brody Taylor won the Small Bike heat race and then outran Jax Taylor to win that division's Main Event.
Ben Herbert won the 12 lap Big Trike Main Event. Herbert trailed Ryan Comstock for a few laps before making the move into the lead. The two ran closely for a while before Herbert went on to Victory ahead of Comstock. Garrett Stookey battled Mike Burson Sr to finish third as Robert Hicks finished fifth. Herbert also won the heat race. Cassidy Craviotto broke an axle and took a tamble off the back stretch in that race. Herbert went flag-to-flag to win the 12 lap Quad feature ahead of Mike Burson Sr and Robert Hicks. Burson made a last-lap pass on Herbert to win the heat race.
Garrett Stookey won the 12 lap Small Trike Main Event. Michael Burson Jr led a pair of laps before being overtaken by Stookey. Ryan Comstock quickly moved into second and began a battle with Stookey that lasted for the duration of the race. Stookey would prevail ahead of Comstock, Andrew Wheaton, Michael Burson Jr, Joel Redfield, Elias Wheaton and Mikayla Burson. Redfield and Comstock were the heat race winners.
Jayme DeBenedetti won the 12 lap Beginners Box Stock Main Event. Double heat race winner Isaac Grimes raced into the early Main Event lead ahead of DeBenedetti. After a lap two yellow flag for Talia Colley, DeBenedetti assumed the lead from Grimes. DeBenedetti led through a pair of yellow flags. Caleb Ranney made an inside pass in Turn 2 on lap 11 to get second from Grimes, and DeBenedetti won ahead of Ranney, Grimes, Colley, Saige King and Edwards.
Keaton Augustine went flag-to-flag to win the 15 lap Box Stock Main Event. Augustine won both heat races for a clean sweep. Yreka point leader Hunter Granger was an early second before being passed by Malachi Johnson on lap four. Johnson finished second ahead of Kiley Grimes and Granger.
Larry Fuller won the UAS Speedway Kart 12 lap Main Event. Fuller led the entire distance for the impressive win. Ed Grubb finished second, followed by Kenny Boardman, Brianna Fuller, Lori Fuller and Steve Rambo. Heat race wins went to Larry Fuller and Grubb.
The next race at Little Southern Oregon Speedway will happen on July 5th. All of the divisions featured tonight will be part of the show. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Winebarger, Montgomery Win At Coos Bay Speedway
Coos Bay, Oregon...Jun 22 -23...Collen Winebarger won the 35 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Sunday afternoon at Coos Speedway. This was the third round of the eight race Wild West Speedweek Series, and it was also the second win in a row for Winebarger, who won the night before at Southern Oregon Speedway. Winebarger had the pole for the Main Event and charged into the lead from the moment the green flag flew. There were no yellow flags, and he rapidly pulled away from the rest of the pack to win by half-lap at the checkered flag. Kellen Chadwick was second from the start while Bricen James gained third on lap eight. As they worked slower traffic, James closed in on Chadwick, and Travis Peery closed in on the duo as well. Peery made a late move around James for third, but he ran out of time before he could challenge Chadwick. At the checkered flag, Winebarger won ahead of Chadwick, Peery, James, Gray Ferrando, Jerry Schram, Danny Lauer and reigning series champion John Campos.
They ran a pair of 15 lap B Mains with Lauer winning the first one ahead of Matthew Drager and Jake Pike. It was Campos winning the second B Main in front of Shane DeVolder and Jimmy Lipke. 15 year old Eston Whistler won the 12 lap Last Chance Qualifier ahead of Canadian Lawrence O'Connor and Ryan Baker.
Reigning America's Mattress NASCAR Super Late Model champion Brody Montgomery won his second 25 lap Main Event on Saturday night. Montgomery and point leader Preston Luckman started on the second row with Wayne Butler on the pole. It was these three drivers at the front of the pack at the start, but Montgomery and Luckman were soon in a battle for the lead. Montgomery would prevail at the checkered flag, but Luckman maintained the point lead after a second place finish. Butler settled for third, followed by Chase Hitner, Chris Kristensen and Richard Wallace. Butler won the five lap Trophy Dash, while Luckman and Montgomery were the eight lap heat race winners.
Braden Fugate won his fourth-straight Sportsman Late Model Main Event on Saturday. Fugate had the pole for the race with 5 lap Trophy Dash winner Ryan Baker lined up next to him. It was this duo fighting at the front of the pack, but Fugate picked up the win. Baker settled for second ahead of eight lap heat race winner Mike Taylor, Tom Williams and Garrett Smith.
Mini Outlaw point leader Sam Talon won his third Main Event on Saturday and followed that up with his fourth 20 lap feature victory on Sunday afternoon. On Saturday, Rob Lauver drove his VW Beetle to wins in both the five lap Trophy Dash and eight lap heat race. Unfortunately, Lauver had problems and ended up last in the Main Event. Talon won that race ahead of Jason Kellam and Dan Daniels. On Sunday, Talon swept the Main Event, heat race and Trophy Dash.
Peyton Reigard returned to the Hornets division and snapped the three-race win streak of Hannah Robison with his victory in the 20 lap Main Event on Saturday. Reigard drew the outside front row starting spot for the race and was quickly leading ahead of Steven Parker. Again, Robison found herself starting back in 11th and steadily worked her way up to the front. However, she could only muster a third place finish behind Reigard and Steven Parker. Alyssa Johnson finished fourth, followed by Jessie McIntyre, Austin Morrow, Dustin Shingleton, Andy Austin, Ray Marshall and John Henry. Reigard and Robison won the eight lap heat races, and Alyssa Johnson picked up five lap Trophy Dash honors.
On Sunday, the Hornets ran a non point event, and it was Ray Marshall winning an exciting 20 lap Main Event. April Warmack returned to action and led early. On lap five, Stephen Parker made an inside pass in Turn 2 to take over. Marshall finally moved up to second on lap 15 and set his sights on Parker. Marshall made an outside pass on the backstretch on lap 18 as they lapped a slower car and would take the lead. Marshall led the final two laps to win over Steven Parker, Jesse McIntyre, Warmack, William Hitner, Andy Austin and Charity Hinkle.
Donovan Prather picked up his first 25 lap Winged Sprint Car Main Event win on Saturday. Austin Sause was going for a clean sweep after winning the five lap Trophy Dash and eight lap heat race. Sause had the pole, but unfortunately would not finish the race. Prather picked up the win ahead of Ricky Hulsey, Kyle Oaks and Brett Hulsey.
Jeff Krossman picked up wins in both the Street Stock 20 lap Main Event and the five lap Trophy Dash. Leroy Rockwell won the eight lap heat race.
This Saturday night, the Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars will be making an appearance at the speedway as part of Kids Lucky Rides Night at the races. NASCAR Whelen All American Series action will include the America's Mattress Super Late Models, Sportsman Late Models, Street Stocks, Mini Outlaws and Hornets. For further information, go to www.coosbayspeedway.us.
Wiesner, Watson, Dickenson Win At Douglas County Speedway
Roseburg, Oregon...June 22... Fans were treated to a special visit by the North American Big Rigs Saturday night at Douglas County Speedway. Ten of these gargantuan vehicles took to the oval track to put on a show. When the checkered flag waved on the Main Event, it was Cole Wiesner picking up the win ahead of Lonnie Grezch, Glen Creed, Ashley Creed, Brady Riplinger, Jason Riplinger, Ron Singer, Gino Howe, Jaeger Behrdahl and Dylan Swanstrom. Howe and Wiesner won their respective 12 lap heat races. Howe won the six lap A Dash, while Jason Riplinger picked up the win in the six lap B Dash.
Riley Watson won the 35 lap PRA B Modified Main Event. The new division continues to gather momentum with 10 competitors in the field on this occasion. Watson scored his win ahead of reigning Street Stock champion Jeff Solberg. Caleb Watson was a solid third. Point leader Tom Ford won a battle with John Harvey to finish fourth as Brad Watson, Pete Tyree, Jamie Britton, Blake Harvey and Tom Durant completed the finishing order. Caleb Watson and Brad Watson won their respective eight lap heat races, and the four lap Trophy Dash win was earned by Tyree.
Point leader Rich Dickenson won his third 30 lap Hornets Main Event. Dickenson won by over half a lap, leaving the battle for second. Ron Johnson held off Michael Kennedy for the runner-up finish. Paul Corbett finished fourth, followed by Bart Pulse, Dylan Grichar, Valerie West, Cherish Wilson, Ryan Dickenson and Sara Hickman. Eight lap heat race wins went to Cherish Wilson and Richard Dickenson. The four lap Trophy Dash win went to Pulse.
Next on the PRA schedule will be July 12th Annual Graffiti/Can-Am Challenge Race. The PRA Hardtops will be taking on several competitors from Canada. Also in action will be the Hornets, B Modifieds, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks and Tuff Trucks. The event will be presented by Umpqua Community College and Johnny's Drive-In. For further information, go to www.douglascountyspeedway.com.
McCracken, Nieman, Gordon Win
Diamond Mountain Speedway Features
Susanville, CA...June 8...Larry McCracken won the 20 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Diamond Mountain Speedway. This was his first win of the season, and he used it to move into a tie with Chris Nieman for the point lead. Dave Sciarroni set the early pace in front of Nevin Kennemore. The lead duo pulled away from the pack as Joe Wood settled into third. McCracken came from deep in the pack to take fourth from Steve Boucher on lap 14. An outside pass on the front stretch on lap 15 gained McCracken third from Wood. A yellow flag fell soon after that. On the lap 16 restart, Nevin Kennemore got together with Sciarroni on the front straightaway, resulting in a yellow flag and putting McCracken into the lead. McCracken proceeded to lead the restart and the remaining circuits for the win. Boucer brought it home in second, followed by Ron Brown, Wood, Nevin Kennemore, Galen Hainline, Tyler Patski, Sciarroni, Matt Murphy and Wade Kennemore. Before finishing a disappointed 11th in the Main Event, Chris Nieman won the first eight lap heat race ahead of Brown. Wade Kennemore outran Mitch Murphy to win the other heat, and Nieman won the four lap Dash For Cash ahead of Brown.
Craig Nieman won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. This was his second when of the season, which moved him into a tie with Richard Longacre for the point lead. Colton Chew led early ahead of Craig Nieman, but Nieman made an inside pass in Turn 4 of the third lap to gain the lead. Longacre settled into third on lap six, and a yellow flag flew moments later. Craig Nieman led Longacre on the restart. The race hit a time limit at 12 laps with the waving of the fifth yellow flag, and Craig Neiman won ahead of Longacre, Jimmy Ray Huffman, reigning champion Jason Emmot, Nathan Howard, Joe Marlow, Chew, Ryan Svensson, Shayna Nieman and Ray Talavera Jr. Emmett won an eight lap heat race ahead of Chew, and Huffman won the other heat ahead of Svensson. Chew won the four lap Dash For Cash ahead of Emmot.
Steve Gordon won the 15 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. This was the third win of the season for Gordon. Colton Lawson set the early pace. Point leader Jacob Hutson took second on lap six, but he surrendered the position to Doug Weeks on lap seven. On a lap nine restart, Gordon made a backstretch pass on Weeks to take second, and he used an inside pass in Turn 2 a lap later to gain the lead. Gordon led the remaining five circuits to score the victory with Lawson settling for second. Hutson finished third, followed by Weeks, David Woods, Darren Ballentine, Connor McMillan and Steve Buhr. Eight lap heat race wins went to Lawson and Buhr, and Connor McMillan won the four lap Dash For Cash.
Nick Boucher made his season debut with a 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event victory. Boucher gained the lead on the second lap with multi-time champion Larry Whitebird quickly settling into second. Whitebird made an inside pass in Turn 4 of the eighth lap to get the lead, but the yellow flag negated the pass. Boucher would lead Whitebird the rest of the way for the impressive win. Eric Moya settled for third, followed by Billy Gibson, Randy Black and Susie Schmitt. Moya and Schmitt won their respective eight lap heat races, and Boucher won a rough and tumble four lap Dash For Cash.
The next race at Diamond Mountain Speedway will be on June 28th and will feature the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.dmspeedway.com.
Pit Stops
It really is an amazing thing. It seems like though there isn't a lot of fanfare, everybody knows when the IMCA Modified Wild West Speedweek Tour is about to begin. Some time between late December and early January, a schedule is released highlighting the dates for the year. Then, there's almost silence at that point. About a week and a half to two weeks before it's set to go, Ben Deatherage begins his publicity blitz, and then it happens.
There's not a lot of talk between those two time periods. There are no real big announcements of drivers who are coming out this year. No real discussions at all. At least ways, it doesn't come from the Tour itself. You might see racers announce that they are going to be supporting the Tour via their own social media pages, but you don't see much from the Tour itself.
Perhaps that's a testament to how big this has become since it launched in 2011. The drivers already know the drill. The format is set, the purse is set and they know what the Tour point fund pays in the end. You either show up and run it, or you don't. One way of looking at it is there is a built-in roster of racers who will support it. You know that you're going to generally get somewhere between 35 and 45 racers. On the other hand, one can't help but wonder how much bigger it could be if there was more energy put into it.
At Southern Oregon Speedway, there are usually two storylines at play. Obviously, the Tour regulars are vying to get good finishes and get off to a good start as they compete for a championship. You know they are going to be fast, and many of them are going to claim starting spots in the 20 car Main Event. This is what affects the other ongoing storyline. Not only is there a Tour championship at stake, the local track point race is also hanging in the balance.
For the real heavy hitters of the group, one might look at the Speedweek race and the upcoming R Charles Snyder Salute as two opportunities to make up ground in the local point race, should they miss two other races during the year to run big events elsewhere. When the locals are struggling to make it into these two big events, you can make up many of the points that you lose from skipping two of the races. It also kind of puts the local racers in a lesser light. It's as if it's already a foregone conclusion that they aren't making it into these two big shows.
Jesse Williamson is coming to town. Colin Winebarger, John Campos, Kellen Chadwick. All of these drivers are fast, and it's quite remarkable to think that Winebarger is the only one of these four who's never won a Speedweek title. From further down in California, multi-time Santa Maria Speedway champion Danny Lauer is coming, and there's always a question of who else might show up. This year, Bakersfield racer Jerry Flippo made this trip. Shane DeVolder came up. This young gun is the reigning State of California champion. Gray Fernando, Mark Carroll, Matthew Drager, Lawrence O'Connor. It's understood that the competition level will be high.
The Speedweek Tour is the real deal, and it's a hot ticket for Modified fans. Some fans will try to make most or all of the dates. In this case, it's eight races in nine days. It kicks off at Siskiyou Golden Speedway on Friday, heads to Southern Oregon Speedway the next day. Coos Bay gets the Sunday date, and then it's off to everybody's favorite track, it seems, Cottage Grove Speedway. After two dates there, they hit Sunset Speedway, and then it's off to the Thursday party. An off-day to fix the cars. The big finale is two events at Willamette Speedway. If you're not there in person, you're tuning in via Speed Shift TV to catch every night of the drama. Either way, people want to see how it's going to go.
It's with this backdrop that the Southern Oregon Speedway stars nervously pull into the pits. In fact, a few competitors opted to just skip the show entirely. If you're one of those drivers hoping to win a championship, you can't skip it. You need to show up and do the best that you can. This year, Zach Fettinger decided that he must show up if he intends to make a serious championship bid. He skipped the show last year, and that may have been the difference between first and second in points. 2017 champion Jesse Bailey showed up. Not that it's much of a surprise, but three-time reigning champion Albert Gill showed up as well. Ray Kniffen Jr, Duane Orsburn and Dave Duste Jr were there to give it a go, along with rookies Justin Foux and Jimmy Lipke. Of the last five names, all but Kniffen have been making the effort to run the whole Tour as this is being written on a Thursday morning.
It's possible that people still haven't grasped how much faster Fettinger is these days. It shouldn't be a surprise. He was a three-time winner last season, and even if he hasn't won yet this year, he has still been one of the most impressive racers in the field. As if perhaps to serve notice to everybody, including himself, Zach made an impressive last lap pass on two-time Antioch Speedway champion Carl Berendsen II in the final turn of the very first heat race to score the victory.
Bottom line, you weren't keeping Fettinger out of the show. As announcer Ben Deatheridge made his way down to the front straightaway for the ceremonial pill draw for the Top 8 point earners from the heat races, both Fettinger and Gill were there to draw numbers. It was a fine showing for two of the top championship contenders. Neither of them would be watching the Main Event. They would be racing. It was a little bit more dramatic for Bailey, who had to earn a second place finish in the Last Chance Qualifier to start last on the grid.
What's interesting is that Fettinger didn't just start the race, he finished fourth and increased his point lead in the process. If he gets tripped up in his bid to win his first career championship it's not happening at Speedweek this time. He might breathe a sigh of relief that he managed to do so well, but Zach also knows that it's time to get back to work. The next race for the IMCA Modifieds at Southern Oregon Speedway is July 20th for Willamette Valley Bank Night, and he intends to be ready for it. Neither Gill nor Bailey earned a finish finish to brag about, but the 15th that Bailey earned and the 18th for Gill were still better than failing to make the transfer. It was still a moral victory for the two.
The battle that has taken place from the start through Thursday as this is being written is between 2016 Speedweek champion Chadwick and Winebarger. Both started at Yreka with Top 10 finishes, and Chadwick proceeded to dominate most of the Southern Oregon Speedway race. At times he held straightaway advantages over second place, but traffic seemed to be his undoing. Whether it was hesitation or just difficulty getting around the group of cars in front of him, Chadwick was slowed just enough for Winebarger to close in on him. Winebarger made a thrilling pass late in the race to get the win, forcing Chadwick to settle for second.
An obviously dejected Chadwick said things that might have resonated in people's minds a couple of days later. When they went to Coos Bay, Winebarger dominated the show in victory with Chadwick once again finishing second. From a point standpoint, Chadwick was doing what he needed to do to make another Speedweek championship bid, but Winebarger was off to his best start yet. When they went to Cottage Grove, Winebarger again led the way with Chadwick in second. There was another traffic scenario, but this time there was contact between second place Chadwick and Winebarger, resulting in a Winebarger spin. This enabled Chadwick to take the win and the point lead.
Chadwick was visibly unhappy with himself in the post race interview, saying that this wasn't the way he wanted to win. For Winebarger, he would brush it off and come back to Cottage Grove the next night with a victory, just ahead of Chadwick. Chadwick still held the point advantage heading into Sunset Speedway, but the rain would postpone the show.
The freak shower drenched the race track, resulting in a couple of hours of intense wheel packing. Drivers sat in the staging area a couple of minutes before 11 that night, anticipating the start of the Main Event. The checkered flag waved at that point, due to curfew. This particular Main Event will have to wait until after Friday's race at Willamette Speedway. This is where the series sits as of this writing.
Four-time Tour champion Jesse Williamson was behind the wheel of one of the Jerry Schram cars for this occasion and was the one grabbing the third place finish at Southern Oregon Speedway ahead of Fettinger. Bakersfield Speedway regular Jerry Flippo also collected a Top 5 finish. It's what highlights one of the cool things about Speedweek. Four of the Top 5 finishers were racers you don't normally see at the Medford area 3/10 mile clay oval.
Jeffrey Hudson picked up a sixth place finish. He was another racer who would be competing throughout the entire Speedweek Tour. Hudson missed the previous race at Southern Oregon Speedway to compete in the two-day show at Cottage Grove, forcing him to surrender the point lead. Word is that he was hoping he could make a run for points, but as he pilots the car for Don Roemer, he will be racing where the car owner chooses to race. You still know that this talented young man will be in the hunt for wins whenever he's behind the wheel.
Hudson had a frustrating moment prior to the pill draw. He seemed to have a good heat race effort, which included a second place finish in the first heat race and a third in the second heat. He was initially listed as one of the Top 8 racers, but as he made it to the infield, he was informed that he was ninth, and Williamson was one of the eight instead. This put Hudson into the first 15 lap B Main, which he won ahead of defending Tour champion Campos and Berendsen. It was still a good night, but Hudson had to be wondering what could have been if he'd have made the pill draw and been fortunate enough to get a low number.
The back half of the Top 10 was still stacked with talent. Behind Hudson in seventh was reigning Willamette Speedway champion Gray Ferrando. Ferrando is currently running second in a close battle with reigning Oregon State champion Bricen James at his home track this year. Finishing eighth at the checkered flag was Campos, followed by Drager and DeVolder. Drager was forced to win the Last Chance Qualifier to get into the show.
DeVolder has been a fascinating racer to watch as he's rapidly risen through the ranks in California. He's the son of past Petaluma Speedway Street Stock champion Dean DeVolder, and Dean got Shane into an IMCA Sport Modified. Shane ran a mixture of sanctioned and unsanctioned races in 2016 and was among the Top 5 at Antioch Speedway. A year later, he won the California State IMCA Sport Modified championship, and last year he surprised some people by winning the IMCA Modified State championship along with the All Star Series Modified title. Having racked up so many accomplishments so quickly, Shane decided it was time to tackle Speedweek.
The IMCA Sport Modifieds were running in support of Speedweek, and there's been quite a bit of chatter among the drivers in the group. They want to be a part of Speedweek at every show. A half-hearted attempt was made to include them in 2017, but unfortunately every track was not included on the schedule. The importance of the inclusion of all of the tracks cannot be understated. There are drivers from California who are very keen on running the Tour, but the exclusion of Cottage Grove on the 2017 attempt to have a Sport Modified Speedweek resulted in lukewarm response at best. It was deemed to be a failure, but the powers-that-be didn't take into account how much of an impact the lack of Cottage Grove had on those numbers. Speak to any of the drivers who wanted to go and didn't that year, and they'll tell you that the lack of those dates was the determining factor in their decision not to race.
It's also important to note that Southern Oregon Speedway has included the IMCA Sport Modifieds for the past four years now in this big event. Prior to Promoter Mike McCann coming to town, the Sport Modifieds were not part of this particular show. Something is happening with the Sport Modified division, and it's a good thing. When the division exploded on the scene in California in 2011, it seemed like just about every track got on board with this class. Oregon is just a few years behind them in those regards, but the same thing is starting to happen here now.
23 competitors showed up to race on the bigger stage in front of the Speedweek crowd. However, Super Dave again showed up to lead the technical inspection of the race cars once again. Every racer knows that he's going to go over each car with a magnifying glass, and if there's something he doesn't like, you'll have the IMCA rule book thrown at you. Racers are prepared for that, and in fact, many racers were looking forward to it. One driver who bore the brunt of the inspection this year was Jantzen Knips.
Knips had earned a Top 5 ranking at Southern Oregon Speedway last season in the IMCA Modified division. Seeing how well the IMCA Sport Modified division has been growing and thinking that he might be better off detuning his race car to compete in that class, Knips made the move. He had been off to a good start after three events and could be considered one of the legitimate championship contenders. After Saturday's pre-race technical inspection, it was decided that Knips would not be allowed to run with the Sport Modifieds. This left the second-year competitor scrambling to get a membership form that would enable him to race with the IMCA Modifieds that night instead.
Still in the field for the fourth event of the season was two-time champion Jorddon Braaten. Braaten himself didn't have fond memories of a previous time in which he ran a Speedweek race at Southern Oregon Speedway. It seemed he had a good night with another victory, but he was on the other end of the Super Dave magnifying glass.
Though there are critics who have attempted to throw that in Jorddon's face, he's won several races and a few championships since then and made it through tech every time. He was hungry to get another win and make another statement in tech this time. Unfortunately, he couldn't make it any further from his ninth starting position than third, but that forced him to head to tech, which he again passed with flying colors.
The Main Event had a bumpy start with no less than three restarts. It seemed like they couldn't get it going. When they finally got a lap in the books, another yellow flag waved. This would lead to a little bit of controversy a few laps into the race. Championship hopeful Branden Wilson managed to lead some laps before being overtaken by eventual winner Isaac Sanders. At one point, however, Wilson spun into the infield behind one of the big tires. Officials determined that he was safely out of the way and allowed the race to continue, causing an uproar with some of the safety crew. As they rushed one of the safety vehicles towards Wilson, he fired up his car and drove into the infield.
On the track, Isaac Sanders was giving a good demonstration of why Matt isn't the only Sanders people should take seriously as a threat to win. Isaac, like his brother, has won at Yreka this year. When Matt got into second, Isaac did an excellent job of holding him off for the victory. The Sanders brothers are both very much in championship contention as Braaten leads the way. There's been some speculation as to whether Jorddon really wants to win the championship here after spending a few seasons avoiding the point race in Medford, but the others will have a difficult time bumping him from the lead if he is there every week. The one thing Jorddon isn't is overconfident. He may be fast, but he knows that you take it one race at a time when competing for points.
Californian Brent Curran had an opportunity to make a visit. He's one of those racers very interested in competing in a Speedweek that includes all of the tracks for this class in the future. In fact, Curran made the trip up last year and not only ran Yreka and Medford, he headed to Coos Bay on Sunday and competed with the local Sportsman Late Model class there. After a second place finish in Yreka on Friday, his Medford visit saw him coming from the back of the pack to a fourth place finish. It was another good showing for the second-generation racer, who has four wins and is locked in a close battle with Tommy Fraser for the Antioch title. It's possible that we could see both Fraser and Curran for the R Charles Snyder Salute later this year.
Mike Medel has gotten a little bit of assistance with chassis set-up, and it seems his #30 car has been handling much better lately. He enjoyed a really good battle with Brian Johnsen for the fifth spot before settling for sixth. As his car has come around, Mike has steadily climbed up the point ladder and is fourth in the standings after Saturday. There's still enough time left in the season that some shake-ups could occur. What's still interesting about the IMCA Sport Modified race is that you can see the field is getting faster and more competitive.
In the first few years, it seemed like a few racers have held a little bit of an edge over the rest of the competition, but when you see 21 cars starting the Main Event, you know that at least half of those racers have a legitimate shot at victory. We've seen some improvement out of both Steve Lysinger and Brian Knorr this year. Both drivers have had Top 10 Main Event success as they get better in their second seasons behind the wheel. Knorr took a checkered flag in seventh behind Medel and just ahead of Donald Bandfield. Though Bandfield hasn't competed for a couple of seasons, he looks far from rusty so far. He earned his eighth place finish ahead of Yreka point leader Colt Boswell and Billy Richey.
Sport Modifieds at Southern Oregon Speedway are becoming quite a show. We've seen three different winners in four races, lots of passing and close racing at the front and even a photo finish victory for Matt Sanders at the season opener. We are just four races into the season, and there's plenty of racing left to go. Like the IMCA Modifieds, the IMCA Sport Modifieds will be a part of the big Willamette Valley Bank Night on July 20th. The inclusion of Late Models, Southern Oregon Dwarf and Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars will make that show one that people won't want to miss.
Like the Sport Modifieds, the Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars are producing big numbers. Again, the 21 year old group delivered 21 competitors to the field. Josh King seems to be in a winning mode once again. Everywhere he goes, the three-time reigning champion is winning. He headed up to Willamette Speedway and grabbed the victory the week before. He adds that to his winner's trophies collected at Winnemucca, Nevada and Yreka so far this year, but he wanted to get the trophy at his home track.
Actually, King was in a racy mood on Friday and brought his Dwarf Car to the little Southern Oregon Speedway track. The Teddy Bear Racing team provided trophies for all of the Beginners Box Stock racers who showed, and Josh put his Dwarf Car on the track after all of the other competitors had done their practice laps. He didn't get up to full speed, but it was interesting watching him go somewhat fast through the turns. King has had his Dwarf Car at the little track before. He and Ryan Smith both made practice laps on that track about 6 or 7 years ago. Could Dwarf Cars invade the little track some day?
All fun aside, Saturday meant it was time to get down to some serious racing, and King knew he had to be on his game to beat Brock Peters. Peters already has a win at Southern Oregon Speedway and is looking to win his third series championship. Both drivers began the night with heat race wins, joined by the other Southern Oregon Speedway feature winner of this season, Camden Robustelli. It was Peters winning the A Dash. Robustelli was in the catbird seat as he led the opening lap of the Main Event, only to spin. While Camden played catch up, it wasn't long before King and Peters were again battling at the head of the pack. It was King who would prevail on this occasion.
Robustelli wasn't playing around. After his his earlier issues, he rapidly worked his way to the front of the pack. He made a move around B Dash winner Fred Hay to get the fourth position. Hey has been off to a good start this year and would take the checkered flag in fifth on this night. People are talking about the elder statesman of the group and speculating that if he continues to run this well, he might be winning a Main Event soon. Robustelli's bid for a podium was thwarted by Ryan Smith. Smith had everybody talking last time when he barrel rolled about seven times in Turns 1 and 2, rejoined the race and finished the sixth that night. This time, there were no such mishaps as he took the checkered flag in third.
Little Southern Oregon Speedway matched its biggest total of competitors in the pits in the Mike McCann reign as promoter. There were 54 total entries in the event last Friday night. This included competitors in the 250 Karts, Box Stocks, Beginners Box Stocks and UAS Speedway Karts. However, there was also an abundance of Trikes, Quads and Flat Track Bikes. Fans who came to watch this event definitely got their money's worth.
The 250 Kart division was very competitive. Three different drivers took checkered flags during the night. Current point leader and 2017 champion Trevor Grimes won the first heat race and reigning champion Vinny DeBenedetti won the next heat. However, the Main Event glory went to young Taylor Fuller. Fuller has now won Main Events in Beginners, Box Stocks and 250 Karts at the speedway.
DeBenedetti has been struggling just a little bit in the early goings of the season, but his heat race triumph gave indication that things were coming around. Furthermore, he ran second in the Main Event for most of the distance before mechanical issues sent him to the pits with just a few laps remaining. This opened the door for past Beginners Box Stock champion Cadyn Smith to grab his best finish yet in this class with a second. Jacob James, who is in a close battle with Grimes for the point lead, made an attempt to get around the outside of Smith in the final turn, and that opened the door for Grimes to steal third at the checkered flag. It was a nice battle between those three, but Fuller had checked out on the field.
At this point, Keaton Augustine has the Box Stock division well in hand. Keaton rolled to a clean sweep and his third-straight feature win. Rumors are circulating that Keaton could be moving up to the Junior Street Stock division that competes at Madras at some point in the near future. Malachi Johnson, the 2017 Beginners Box champion, returned after a week's absence and grabbed his best finish in this class in second, followed by Kiley Grimes. Hunter Granger was back, though his feature didn't go so well. Because Granger is locked in a point battle that he's leading in Yreka, it's likely that we may only see him one more time due to the fact that Yreka has booked on top of three of the remaining four races at the little track.
It's quite a remarkable thing to watch the youngest drivers get more confidence. While some of the kids will get on the gas the moment they get their first green flag, others are a bit more tentative and will run the low groove at a very safe speed. Jayme DeBenedetti has apparently overcome any fears she may have had in the past. DeBenedetti is putting her foot to the floor, and it is showing as she again rolled to the Beginners feature victory. In doing so, she maintains her point lead over Isaac Grimes.
Last season, we watched Isaac in the Novice Box Stock class, in which he ranked second. He had a good start to his night this time with a pair of heat race victories, but second place slipped away from him in the feature in the waning laps as he settled for third. The driver beating him is one of those racers who has definitely shown much improvement. Caleb Ranney was one of those young racers we saw get a bit nervous about racing when he first joined the class. At times he was not willing to get into his Kart last year. However, Caleb is getting more confident. He ran in the Top 3 for much of the Main Event and even made a late move around Grimes for his best effort in second.
Teddy Bear Racing, which is the Bret James and Josh King team, donated trophies so that all of the youngsters in the Beginners class would not leave empty-handed. These kids all did a good job, and Talia Colley, Saige King and Bhaltair Edwards would finish fourth through sixth in the Main Event. Colley and King were two others running very tentative speeds when they made their debut at the season opener, and both are gaining more confidence.
The old man of UAS Speedway Karts, Larry Fuller, was back in prime form as the division returned after missing the previous race. Fuller's start at the season opener didn't go so well, but he was fast and led from start to finish in winning Friday's Main Event. Ed Grubb, who is a past Yreka champion, also ran a good race in second, followed by Kenny Boardman. Boardman and Grubb had a good battle for second, which looked like it would go to Boardman.
Steve Rambo was having a heck of a time as he ended up parking his own Kart with mechanical issues. He jumped behind the wheel of the Kart that Sean Fuller was going to drive, but again, Rambo had problems and was out of the Main Event early as six competitors took the green flag, including Lori Fuller and daughter Brionna Fuller.
The Trikes, or Three Wheelers, might be viewed as the redheaded stepchild of the Quad and Flat Track Bike world. It doesn't seem like they get much of an opportunity to run at other places, but these drivers are fast, race very competitively and have lots of fun. On this occasion several racers showed up from Rainier, Washington, and we discovered last Friday night that there are actually Big Trike and Little Trike divisions.
Some of the competitors, such as Ryan Comstock, Garrett Stookey and Michael Burson Sr, ran both classes. Burson and Big Trike competitor Ben Herbert also ran the Quads, making them very busy. It looked as if the night would end before it started for Cassidy Craviotto. After what was about to happen, he may have wished it had. Craviotto had mechanical issues in practice, but Eric Melvin graciously let Craviotto ride his Big Three Wheeler.
In the heat race, Craviotto was in the midst of a good battle for third. These riders aren't afraid to go side by side, deep into the turns, and Craviotto was running a good pace. What he didn't count on, however, was a broken axle, which resulted in him flipping off the back straightaway. He was shaken up in the experience, but fortunately he was okay. The one thing about these riders is they are tough and pretty much fearless. They have a lot of fun at what they do.
Stookey and Comstock had put on a really good battle in the Trikes at the season opener, won by Comstock. The two had so much fun that they knew they would bring both of their Trikes for this occasion. However, Comstock's attempt to win another Main Event was thwarted by Ben Herbert, who was just a little bit faster in the Big Trike class. Stookey would settle for third as Herbert made the move around Comstock for the win.
Herbert wasn't content just to win in Big Trikes, however. He also held off Mike Burson Sr and Robert Hicks in winning the Quad race. Though Burson Sr finished fourth in the Big Trikes, Mike Burson Jr got in on the action along with McKayla Burson in the Little Trikes class. Burson Jr led some laps early on, but Stookey and Comstock continued their night long battle. In this case, it was Stookey getting the job done with an impressive victory. Andrew Wheaton denied Butson Jr the final podium spot as he finished third ahead of Burson.
What one can say about these Three Wheelers and the Quads is that you have to be there to see the action. This type of racing hasn't really been seen at Little Southern Oregon Speedway, but it's breathing new life into the Friday night program. The racers want to be there, and they are wanted there as well. People may not know about Trike racing, but it's certainly something to see. Hopefully, these competitors will continue to come back in force when racing resumes on July 5th as they are most welcome.
The Flat Track Bikes might have been impacted just a little bit by the fact that there was a big MX event happening in Klamath Falls. However, there were enough riders willing to come to the little track to put on a good show. There have been three events for the riders at the little track, and they are getting more comfortable and even a little bit faster out there. They will need to get a little bit faster to bump Trevor Taylor off of the top of the podium. Though Taylor wasn't winning all of the preliminaries, he did take the wins in the feature events.
Taylor brings a bike for the 250cc class and another one that he rides in the 450cc and Open classes. For the 250cc class, Taylor picked up the win with my Mya Maffei and Theo Lount in pursuit. Lount was the one chasing Taylor in the 450cc class. Maffei, however, upped her game a little bit more in the Open class as she finished a close second to Taylor with Theo Lount in third. Trevor's younger brothers, Brody Taylor and Jax Taylor, grabbed the 1-2 finish in the Small Bike class. Jax checks in at 7 years old as he makes his first laps on the bike.
What can be said is that there hasn't been a lot of oval track bike racing in the Medford area in recent years, although it has a history in the area. The opening of the MX track at Southern Oregon Speedway has served notice that bikes are more welcome at the facility. The bike program, which also includes the Quads and the Trikes, has much potential to grow and prosper, and as has been proven already, with more competitors, these races will be more exciting to watch and certainly worth the price of admission.
Down at Siskiyou Golden Speedway, Promoter Kevin Barba was pulling out all the stops in anticipation of the IMCA Wild West Speedweek Series. Fans want their IMCA Modified class, and they are practically begging for Kevin to find a way to keep the class alive. The inclusion of Yreka on the Speedweek Tour is a godsend to the track, and there are enough competitors from the area who showed up for the Friday event that if they came out for other races in Yreka, the division could still have a good enough car count to give the fans a show.
Longtime observers would point out that there are two factors in rebuilding the IMCA Modified class in Yreka to levels from the past. First of all, schedule the dates so as not to conflict with neighboring Medford. As Medford is not running the class every week, this wouldn't be too difficult to accomplish. Secondly, you'll need to pay a purse in accordance to what Medford and other tracks are paying, which means sliding scales are not going to help the class grow. When the racers know what they're getting at the pay window, they're more inclined to show up.
One of those racers who enjoys racing in Yreka is Nick Trenchard. Nick has enjoyed plenty of success at the speedway in years past. He's a two-time Yreka champion, but one of his crowning achievements is his success in the Speedweek opener. Nick was carrying a two-race win streak into this event, and he didn't disappoint. The Klamath Falls based racer drove the Biehn Racing Modified to an impressive victory in the non-stop 35 lap race to extend his streak to three years in a row. On this occasion, he held off multi-time Santa Maria Speedway champion Danny Lauer to get the job done.
Series and race track Promoter Jerry Schram enjoyed one of his best Speedweek efforts as he took the checkered flag in third ahead of Matthew Drager and Jesse Williamson. Drager has been very busy doing quite a bit of passing as the Speedweek Series has gone on through Southern Oregon Speedway, Coos Bay, Cottage Grove and Sunset Speedway and is in line to win the bonus money being offered to the racer who makes the most passes during the entire tour.
Superman looked mortal in the Yreka race. Collen Winebarger did get a Top 10 finish, but he was sixth ahead of Duane Orsburn, Mark Carrell, Kellen Chadwick and Jeffrey Faulkner. Winebarger had to earn his starting spot by outrunning Chadwick to win the second B Main as 15 year old Eston Whistler ended up third. The Winebarger and Chadwick battle was just beginning, and it's turning into one of the historic Speedweek battles of its nine year run as the series has gone on.
Notable area competitors included 2016 IMCA Sport Modified champion Jimmy Lipke finishing second in the first B Main behind Carrell, earning him a feature start. Past track champion Travis Peery also made it out of that race into the feature with a fourth place effort. Two-time Yreka champion Albert Gill was second in the Last Chance Qualifier, meaning he started last on the grid in the feature. Unfortunately, three other racers who would potentially be Yreka supporters in a regular sort of track effort, Dave Duste Jr, David Satterfield and Steve Borror, were unable to make it out of the Last Chance Qualifier.
One of the trademarks of the IMCA Speedweek Tour is the fact that the man they call Super Dave would be running the tech at all events. IMCA Modifieds are gone over with a fine-tooth comb, but because the Sport Modified division is also sanctioned, that means that Dave puts that class through its paces as well. This is something the racers have been craving. They look forward to the tech and want to pass the inspection or see people who don't pass get disqualified.
As we've gone along this season, the three drivers who have emerged as championship contenders in Yreka are Ethan Killingsworth, Ryder Boswell and Colt Boswell. One thing these three young competitors share in common is the fact that their cars are worked on in the same complex. The Boswell brothers and Killingsworth have said that the title will be won by somebody from that building. Killingsworth seemed to have another solid effort as he took a checkered flag in third behind the second win for Rich McCoy and Antioch Speedway star Brent Curran.
There was just one problem, however. Killingsworth failed the post-race technical inspection. This resulted in a loss of points for the night, and it automatically elevated Colt Boswell into the point lead ahead of brother Ryder as Colt finished just ahead of Ryder in the Main Event in sixth. Killingsworth took the disqualification in stride. He made the necessary adjustments and went to Medford to race again. Though he lost some ground, the lead that the Boswell brothers have over him is not insurmountable. This battle will continue, likely until the final checkered flag waves on the season.
The Sanders brothers are not racing regularly in Yreka for points, which may have the other drivers breathing a sigh of relief. Matt Sanders has been very fast this season with a pair of wins, including his Bo Hittson Memorial race. Isaac Sanders has a win to his credit as well and won last weekend in Medford. On Friday night, it was Isaac finishing third ahead of Matt, meaning Isaac got the better of his brother on both nights. Having moved nearer to Yreka, Sean Hulsey is racing more often there, but because he has missed a couple of races, he has bowed out of the championship chase.
We haven't seen a point list for the Mini Stock division officially released by the speedway, but information has been passed along to us by three-time Mini Stock champion Marilyn Yawnick as of a couple of weeks ago. It showed past Mini Stock and Stock Car champion Terry Kendrick as the leader. However, it's still too close for comfort with two-time champion Mike Whitaker, second-year competitor Zak McMurry, Michael Kendrick and Yawnick all In contention.
People might have been talking a little bit more last season about Darek Alford as both he and McMurry joined the class at the same time. Alford was the one winning a Trophy Dash and a Main Event. However, McMurry has stepped things up a little bit this season. On Friday night, the young competitor held off Whitaker to pick up his second feature victory of the season. It's quite refreshing to watch a Mini Stock race in Yreka and know that there are several drivers in this field who can get a win. Medford star Michael McLeod would grab the third place finish ahead of Michael Kendrick and Yawnick.
In addition to being added to the IMCA Modified Speedweek program, the Mini Stocks were also added to the July 8th Winged 360 Sprint Car Speedweek event, which means the drivers are going to be very busy in July. To that end, Barba announced that the event scheduled for this Saturday night has been canceled. This was to be the weekend that the Bay Cities Racing Association came up north, but that will not occur, at least this time.
The week off also enables all of the racers to get their vehicles ready for the big Fourth of July weekend. It's a special, family-friendly, occasion in which there will be a fireworks display for the fans to enjoy and the Good Old Boyz Band will be playing live music. There will also be an opportunity for people to bring remote-controlled cars onto the track and have some fun. There's no word as to whether the Jefferson State Jalopies might be included on the 4th, but you never know if that will be a pleasant surprise you see when you buy your ticket to watch the show in Yreka.
Barba continues to work to make things special, and to that end, there is a race memorializing past Yreka racer and beloved member of the community, Jerry Casson. This will be the event that the track goes into its Fair break with on July 20th. The night is being billed as O'Reilly Auto Parts Night and Loggers Night, which will include a tug o war. Kids will also be given rides in the race cars, and the divisions included on the agenda will be the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks.
Becoming a promoter at a race track for the first time doesn't really come with a handbook. Promoters kind of learn on the job what works at their particular venue. Barba has had a challenge putting a schedule together that has seen him make adjustments on the fly as he's learned more. When racing returns on August 17th after the Fair break, he has a big show planned for the fans. It's the rain rescheduled Iron Giant Street Stock Series visit, which will also include the IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks. It's probably a good idea to keep an eye on the track's Facebook page and web page to see what adjustments might get made, but most of the time, you can figure that the IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks will be part of whatever is scheduled on that particular night.
Coos Bay Speedway has been included on the IMCA Modified Speedweek Tour for the past couple of years. Somewhere along the way, the track lost the date. When Drake Nelson took over as promoter of the speedway in 2017, he wanted a seat at the table. With the IMCA Speedweek Series going around him, he booked the special Modified Midweek Gambler event as a way to take advantage of the fact that the Modified racers were competing that week. Though he didn't get a big field that night, he got enough cars to put on a show. He also got the attention of Promoter Jerry Schram, who returned Coos Bay to the schedule with a Sunday afternoon event last year.
The battle this year seems to be between Kellen Chadwick and Collen Winebarger, but there was no battle between the two on Sunday. Once Winebarger got the lead, he flew around the track like Superman, way ahead of everybody. He took the checkered flag about a half-lap in front of Chadwick, Travis Peery, Bricen James and Grey Ferrando.
It's kind of interesting to see that Coos Bay Speedway is not one of those tracks that has either an IMCA Modified or IMCA Sport Modified class of their own. Though other Oregon tracks, including Willamette, Sunset, Cottage Grove, Madras, St Helens and Medford, do have Modifieds, Coos Bay does not. There has been talk through the years about doing something with the class, but Coos Bay has hitched their wagon to the NASCAR train.
Still, one would have to wonder about the possibility of Coos Bay considering a handful of races with IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modified or both. Booked strategically on nights in which other tracks were not running the class, one would have to wonder if they could get some support. At four races, it becomes an officially recognized championship in the eyes of IMCA. Would there be room for four races in Coos Bay in the future for either class? It seems like the IMCA Sport Modified division is exploding these days, and that might be the opportunity for Coos Bay to get in on the action.
With the money being offered by NASCAR for the championship, the Super Late Model division got just a little bit more interesting this year. Brody Montgomery might have emerged as the odds-on favorite having won the Super Late Model title last year and the Sportsman Late Model title the year before, but it was 2018 Cottage Grove champion Preston Luckman joining up this year to make sure it was a battle. The two drivers are enjoying a close race with less than 10 points separating leader Luckman from Montgomery. Luckman has a win, but Montgomery won his second race last time out. Could he be hitting his stride?
Montgomery purchased a new car this year because he wanted to be more competitive at Coos Bay and also wanted to try his luck more often outside of his home track when opportunities presented themselves. He certainly looked good in a visit to Medford earlier this year in which he finished third. His old car didn't just go to the scrap heap, however. That car went to two-time Sportsman Late Model champion Wayne Butler, who had been changing his old car over between the Sportsman and Super Late Models during the past two seasons.
This season, Butler is focusing primarily on the Super Late Model division and is still very much in the championship chase following his latest third place finish. The Super Late Models have some good competitors that have been racing with them this season, including two-time division runner-up Thor Kristensen, 2015 champion Toby McIntyre and longtime competitor Tom Elam. The race that's on everybody's minds is on the schedule for July 20th and 20st. We haven't heard how much money will be up for grabs, but it will be an increased purse. It's the Third Annual Tidal Wave 50 weekend.
Braden Fugate could be the next driver in line to eventually make a move up to the Super Late Model class. Much like Montgomery, he's on that trajectory. Montgomery started out as one of the top drivers in the Hornet division, and Fugate was a multi-time Hornet feature winner before making his first start in Sportsman Late Models last year. In fact, he got his first win last season. Fugate has been a force this season as he has racked up four feature wins, but with four second place finishes, Mike Taylor is not far behind. Taylor will need to pick up a win soon if he is to slow the momentum of Fugate. The unfortunate part is that the Sportsman Late Model division is off to a sluggish start with the departure of Butler and the absence of reigning champion Dyllan Seiwell.
It was probably ill-advised for Coos Bay to attempt to run a Street Stock race last Saturday night. The reality was, Cottage Grove Speedway was hosting the second Iron Giant Street Stock race, an event that will come to Coos Bay Speedway with the Battle At The Beach on August 24th. Two drivers did show up, which included the winner, Jeff Krossman, and Leroy Rockwell. 2016 Coos Bay champion Daniel Land got an eighth in the Big Iron Giant race at Cottage Grove. Current Coos Bay point leader Steve Dubisar did make it into the Main Event, but he was last in the 20 car field.
Sam Talon didn't have any issues in winning a pair of Main Events as he continues his quest for a third-straight Mini Outlaw championship. However, the man who could potentially be his biggest threat for feature victories, Rob Lauver, had preliminary success before retiring early in the Main Event last Saturday. Lauver is notable in driving a fast VW Beetle to numerous feature wins through the years.
Hornet point leader Hannah Robison has been off to an impressive start as she won the first three feature races of the season. Her lead was rapidly growing. Last Saturday, however, Peyton Reigard returned to the Hornets and snapped that win streak. Reigard had a golden opportunity to pick up some points in the Street Stocks with Dubisar in Cottage Grove, but rather than go after the cheap points, he dusted off the Hornet and grabbed some glory there. Robison has been starting deep in the pack every week, and she did make a charge that netted her third behind Reigard and Steven Parker.
Parker had a satisfying weekend in terms of points. On Sunday, it looked like he might snatch his first feature win, but Ray Marshall had other ideas as he made a late move to get the win. However, Parker's second place finish did move him into a tie with Robison for the lead as Robison elected not to race on Sunday.
It looks like Mountain Valley Raceway had another decent turnout for their growing racing program in Hayfork. Results weren't readily available at press time, but it looks like they had at least a half-dozen Hobby Stocks and roughly 10 Mini Stocks. There were also a few different faces in the winner's circle, which included a Mini Stock Trophy Dash win for William Young with Young also backing that up with a win in the Main Event.
One of the interesting occurrences happened in the B Modified division where Tressen Smith was outgunned by Patrick Solometo in both the Trophy Dash and Main Event. Russ Newman was trying to get back into the winner's circle in Hobby Stock competition, and he got the job done with a Main Event win. Hard-charging Burl Richardson was back and claiming the Trophy Dash. Not to be forgotten is the wild and crazy Enduro division, which saw somebody else get to the winner's circle. In this case, it was Jeff Drake.
It was nice to see a respectable turnout in Hayfork, despite the fact that they were running on a weekend in which Orland also had their Four Cylinder classes in action. Because the Hobby Stocks were not running in Orland, Orland championship contender Keith Ross made the trip to Hayfork to give it a go. This is the second-straight week in which there was a nice turnout of cars, and it's looking like the current management team is taking steps to put this show on the map. There is reason to be optimistic if you're a racing fan in Hayfork.
The Orland Raceway program continued on, but much like Hayfork, we weren't given enough information to be able to do an adequate article highlighting the weekend's accomplishments. Orland Raceway had their Wingless Spec Sprints, and it looks like they had another solid turnout. Mini Stocks, Mini Trucks and both Micro divisions were also part of the program. Christina Meeds continues to do her excellent job of documenting the show through photography.
We can tell you that through her pictures, it looks like Mike McCarthy picked up the 250 Micro feature win, while Colby Grieg grabbed another victory in the 600 Micro division. Tony Richards won another Wingless Spec Sprint feature as he continues to set his sights on point leader Denny McNary. Zack Webster had his best showing since rolling his truck off of Turn 2. He won his second Main Event of the season. The Mini Stock triumph went to point leader Tom Davis once again. We'll be looking for any kind of results or information, and it's likely that if we get enough, we'll do some sort of article highlighting more of what happened there last Saturday.
In conclusion, we know that Cedarville Speedway will be the place to be for the Pro Stock competitors this Saturday night. It's time for the Third Annual Gordon Russell Sr Memorial race. For many years, the Modoc County Fairgrounds located track featured a Stock Car program, and Russell was one of many stars who competed there. In recent years, the racing program has sort of faded away, but as somebody who watched his dad race there and even ran with him, Gordon Russell Jr didn't want to see that happen. He approached the people in Cedarville in 2016, and this resulted in the first Gordon Russell Sr Memorial race in June a year later.
What Gordon Jr has said is though the race is named after his dad, it's really a show that pays respects to everybody who made the track special through the years who is no longer with us. The first prize will again be $1,500 for the Pro Stock winner, but the supporting Hobby Stock division will see a nice $1,000 prize going to the winner. Plus, they have some really nice, big trophies for the racers. Drivers will be paying cash getting in and will receive cash on the way out. We've heard word of a Hobby Stock Association that had initially booked dates for each month going from July through October, but we've received no follow-up information to let us know the status of this.
The Nevada Outlaw Pro Stock Association is the group sanctioning this event, but it's also a big Tri State Pro Stock Challenge race. Several Oregon Pro Stock racers and others coming from California are expected, and it should lead to another big field of racers. A check of the history books will find Shawn Natenstedt was the winner of the first race in 2017, followed by Donny Richardson. Oregon star Scott Flowers grabbed the final podium spot as Mike McMordie and James Gonzalez rounding out the Top 5. The Gonzalez family has been strong supporters of Late Model racing for many years, including other family members such as Malen Gonzalez, Esubio Gonzalez and Jesse Gonzalez.
The Pro Stock racers returned last year with another huge field of competitors. This time around, it was Jay Sears grabbing the glory in a good race with current Susanville Promoter and Quincy IMCA Modified point leader Jeff Olschowka. Oregon Pro Stock champion Scott Lenz, Robbie Grace and Late Model veteran Bill Pearson completed the Top 5 on that occasion. There are so many good racers expected that the Pro Stock show alone is worth the price of admission. However, Pro Stocks aren't all you're going to get.
The Hobby Stock division has been a part of this event from the start. Randy Boyd won the very first race by a decent margin ahead of David Ausano. Ausano won a close battle with Rocky Goetz for second as Shayna Robinson and Curtis Leslie completed the Top 5 in that event.
Last season, a few more competitors came with their Hobby Stocks, and Goetz grabbed the glory that Time in a very close battle with Boyd and Susanville star Jimmy Ray Huffman. Adam Gilmour and Shane Boyd made up the remainder of the Top 5.
In closing, the Gordon Russell Sr race is a special event. Not only are they remembering a good man, but they're bringing racing back to Cedarville. As this is the second round of the five-race Tri State Challenge Series, it's sure to be well supported by some top-notch Pro Stock racers. They won't get much of a break before their next series event, which takes place at the Stockton Dirt Track on July 13th.
Siskiyou Golden Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 22, 2019
Mini Stocks
Zak McMurry
Mike Whitaker
Michael McLeod
Michael Kendrick
Marilyn Yawnick
Darek Alford
Terry Kendrick
Terry Alford
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Rich McCoy
Brent Curran
Issac Sanders
Matt Sanders
Sean Hulsey
Colt Boswell
Ryder Boswell
Randy Wright
Chad Wormington
Scott Savell
Jeremy Phillips
Ethan Killingsworth
IMCA Modifieds
A Main
1. Nick Trenchard
2. Danny Lauer
3. Jerry Schram
4. Matthew Drager
5. Jesse Williamson
6. Collen Winebarger
7. Duane Orsburn
8. Mark Carrell
9. Kellen Chadwick
10. Jeff Faulkner
11. Grey Ferrando
12. Jeffrey Hudson
13. Travis Peery
14. Jake Pike
15. John Campos
16. Jimmy Lipke
17. Carl Berendsen
18. Eston Whisler
19. Albert Gill
20. Paul Rea
B Main 1
1. Mark Carrell
2. Jimmy Lipke
3. Jake Pike
4. Travis Peery
5. John Campos
6. Justin Foux
7. Lawrence O’Connor
8. Ryan Lauer
9. Galen Hainline
10. Steve Borror
11. Tom Elam
Jerry Flippo DNS
B Main 2
1. Collen Winebarger
2. Kellen Chadwick
3. Eston Whisler
4. Grey Ferrando
5. Carl Berendsen II
6. Albert Gill
7. Paul Rea
8. Mike George
9. Dave Duste Jr
10. David Satterfield
11. Shane Devolder
Last Chance Qualifier
1. Paul Rea
2. Albert Gill
3. Ryan Lauer
4. Lawrence O’Connor
5. Shane Devolder
6. Mike George
7. Galen Hainline
8. Dave Duste Jr
9. Jerry Flippo
10. David Satterfield
11. Steve Borrer
12. Tom Elam
Coos Bay Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 22, 2019
Winged Sprints
Donovan Prather
Ricky Hulsey
Kyle Oaks
Brett Hulsey
Austin Sause
America's Mattress Super Late Models
Brody Montgomery
Preston Luckman
Wayne Butler
Chase Hitner
Chris Kristensen
Richard Wallace
Sportsman Late Models
Braden Fugate
Ryan Baker
Mike Taylor
Tom Williams
garret smith
Street Stocks
Jeff Krossman
Leroy Rockwell
Mini Outlaws
Sam Talon
Jason Kellam
Dan Daniels
Rob Lauver
Hornets
Payton Reigard
Steven Parker
Hannah Robison
Alyssa Johnson
Jesse McIntyre
austim morrow
Dusty Shingleton
Andy Austin
Ray Marshall
John Henry
Shasta Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 22, 2019
North State Modified
Results are not official
1 #15a Jason Philpot
2 #9 Randy Houston
3 #7c Cameron Austin
4 #24 Robbie Knittel
5 #16 Rich Cobb
6 #20 Darrin Knight
7 #27b Keith Bloom
8 #69 Charlie Collins
9 #21 Darrin Sullivan
10 #01 Terry Deal
11 #57s Stuart Campbell
12 #42o Rick Avila
13 #02 Sal Lopez
14 #47 Herman Pulyer
Upstate Bombers
Results are not official
1 #15 Mikey Lovell
2 #64 Simi Tour
3 #40 Charley Tour
4 #5 Jeff French
5 #44 Jim Redd
6 #58 Donnie Hyman
7 #8 David Dillinger
8 #21 Mark Felch
9 #01X Brenton Smith
10 #12 Jerry Green
11 #69X Charlie Collins
12 #86 Peter Smith
13 #8X Bo Robertson
14 #30 James Sutton
15 #44J James Johns
16 #88X Sam Brown
Main Event
Results are not official
1 #3 Buddy Cox
2 #08 Brian Kiamiski
3 #17 Trevor Harrison
4 #14 Brent Harrison
5 #23 Brandon Winters
6 #5 Brad Harrison
7 #18 Joe Brattoli
Redwood Acres Raceway Unofficial Race Results June 22, 2019
Late Models
Main Event 1
David Miller
Marty Walsh
Keith Nelson
Scott Baker
Luke Hall
Ken Hallis
Brian Crawford
Kenny Demello
Dennis Delbiaggio
David Henderson
Main Event 2
David Miller
Marty Walsh
David Henderson
Keith Nelson
Dennis Delbiaggio
Kenny Demello
Ken Hallis
Scott Baker
Brian Crawford
Luke Hall
Mini Stocks
Gary Klientobe
Brian Murrell Sr
Nick Ford
Garrett Gilliam
Eric O'Ferrall
Brett Murrell
Trevor Eacret
Timothy Abeyta
Brian Murrell Jr
Rick Estes
Allison McCarty
Road Runners
Tim Ratzlaff
Nick Ford
Jordan Paiment
Bryan Brant
Jr Brandt
Ronny Crump
Steve Paiment
Bob Ratzlaff
Jeremiah Martin
Legends
Cody Wichel
Tyler Peach
Brent Mack
Leonard Ward
James Nichols
Mckinsey Uselton
Scott Taylor
Brad Henderson
Bandoleros
David Miller
Marty Walsh
Keith Nelson
Scott Baker
Luke Hall
Ken Hallis
Brian Crawford
Kenny Demello
Dennis Delbiaggio
David Henderson
Placerville Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 22, 2019
Mt Democrat Kids Bike Night
Thompson's Auto Group Winged 360 Sprints
Main Event
Shane Hopkins
Andy Forsberg
Steven Tiner
Jodie Robinson
Stephen Ingraham
Bobby McMahan
Mike Benson
Jimmy Trulli
Bubba DeCaires
Tanner Carrick
Jesse Love
Kalib Henry
Colby Johnson
Ryan Robinson
Billy Butler
Bobby Butler
Casey McClain
Cody Lamar
Tony Gualda
CJ Humphries
B Main
Tanner Carrick
Jodie Robinson
CJ Humphries
Billy Butler
Justin Johnson
Blake Carrick
Chris Masters
Brad Dillard
Hunter Stanley
Billy Wallace
Jake Haulot
Mike Cook
Jay's Mobile Welding Pure Stocks
Dan Jinkerson
Nick Baldwin
Ryan Peter
Kevin Jinkerson
Jason Palmer
Mel Byers
Stephanie Hanson
Jesse Bryant
Scott Grunert
Jarred Beddow
Limited Late Models
Matt Davis
Jay Norton
Tyler Lightfoot
Ray Trimble
Dan Brown Jr
Michael Helton
Mini Trucks
Mike Miller
Chris Curtis
Ryan Murphy
Sam MacFadyen
John Littlejohn
Tom Stanwood
Brian Trembley
Russ Murphy
The Editor's Viewpoint
I'm not sure if this is going to be added to what has already been written or if I'm creating a whole new column for this. It's early in the morning on a Wednesday, and I'm getting ready to go to bed. Work hasn't been too stressful, but somehow I managed to stay unfocused on Tuesday and didn't get as much done as I had hoped.
It's been a rather interesting, if not stressful, time for me these past few weeks. I witnessed some things and heard some things that I might be tempted to comment on right now. However, I'm not going to say much. Things will probably be written in the book that I hope to release by next year. I just know that I will continue to work hard on my end to do what I can with the projects that I am a part of. I'm very proud of the media effort I've been engaged in for these past few years and the work that I've done to help Southern Oregon Speedway.
When I think about walking away from the Medford area track, the one thing that always holds me back is the fact that I've made friends here. I feel like those who have been around since 2016 have been a part of something special. We've taken a track that was on the downturn and began climbing back up the hill. We are establishing momentum, and I know that I played a role in some respects in helping make that happen. When I hear the track being attacked, I take it personally. I have to resist the temptation to really lash out.
The problem with taking things personally when you are acting in an official capacity for a race track is that it's not wise to lose your cool. It's not wise to say things in anger. It's not wise to fly off the handle with a response instead of considering your words and giving a measured response. When you take it personally, and if somebody hurt you, the natural response is to dish it back out to them, even going so far as to try to hurt them twice as bad as they hurt you. What good does that do?
I don't want to let go of things here because we've worked hard and we're seeing the results. We're also seeing the mistakes that we make and where we blew it. There continues to be room for improvement. Despite the issues we may have, however, you can't deny what's happening at Southern Oregon Speedway. So, I feel very much a part of whatever it is that's happening here. I feel like I've helped with the good, and I guess sometimes I wonder what will happen if I walk away.
I've used the phrase "link in the chain" before. You walk into a situation where people got it to the point it is when you got there. They made their difference and moved on. All you can do is the best you can to help things along while you're there. The hope is that it's still going to continue long after you're gone, and you played a role in helping get it to the next point. A link in the chain.
I never really wanted to be here. That's not a personal shot at anybody. There are so many good people here, and there are many good memories that we've shared. But I just have to be honest and say that as I sat in the home I was about to lose in 2015, the very last thing on my mind was leaving the Bay Area to move to Oregon. There are many times when I'm home sick. So, to keep from thinking about what I've lost, I find myself diving into all of this to try and make a difference. I think I have. The funny thing was, as I thought in the back of my mind about how I was going to get home again, I became attached to all of this. Letting go is not an easy proposition. I like the people I am around at the track.
Nothing lasts forever. Things change. I've learned that the hard way. You can get comfortable in your situation and not want to do anything to mess it up. It really doesn't matter. Life is going to shove you off of your comfortable spot eventually, so you have to be ready. I suppose what I'm saying right now is I'm appreciating everything more while I'm involved. Whether this goes on for another year, five years or if it ends at the end of the season, I know that I'll look back with fondness and probably be nostalgic through hindsight.
I've been given an opportunity to pick up a microphone and announce again, but I'm in a position right now where I must decline. The unfortunate part is while I might like to feed my own ego and indulge in an aspect of racing that I enjoy, it's not going to help Southern Oregon Speedway for me to do it. I can't afford to be away from the track. I feel at this time that my presence is needed, so I've had to decline the offer. It's unfortunate, because it's my old home track that is asking, and I dearly want to help them too. I have found them a solution, although this has not been put into place as I'm writing this.
Announcing is a passion. I have written about this in my book. As a kid, I can remember announcing Hot Wheel races on my coffee table. Now, I didn't just run the cars around a pretend track a couple laps and get bored. I would run a 25 lap Main Event, eight lap heat races, time trials, I would keep statistics and I would announce them as if they were real. I was a weird kid, what can I say? Kids playing football on the field? I would announce that. There's always been that part of me that was interested in this sort of thing, though it took years before I finally got to do it.
Last Saturday, I witnessed somebody who I believe is one of the top announcers in the game. Ben Deatherage generally announces the Speedweek races. He's been writing for several tracks for years. He's one of those people a promoter can hire that can announce and write articles and help put the word out. In fact, at the time I was offered the PR gig at Southern Oregon Speedway, Mike had been in negotiations with Ben to bring him in as the announcer.
I can relate my thoughts. I like to know what I'm getting into, and in the midst of my research, I realized that Ben could do what it was Mike wanted me to do. He could write articles, he could do a competent job with the webpage and I felt like he eliminated the need to bring me in. I was kind of reluctant to come up here as it was, but knowing that Mike was going to bring in an announcer who could write, I just didn't see the point. I accepted, but it turned out that Ben wouldn't be coming to Southern Oregon Speedway on a regular basis.
Ben doesn't just do his homework when it comes to racing. I've come to learn that he is a history buff. He loves to learn about battles in history and great figures of history and that sort of thing, and you're liable to hear him bring something up when he's announcing a race that people might not know. Almost like you're in school learning a lesson. While Ben can take it in that direction, but don't let that fool you. He studies up on each racer, and he can tell you something interesting about all of them.
This is the way I always believed you should be as an announcer. The fans can already see what the cars are doing on the track. However, they may not know things about those racers, and that's where a good announcer comes in. You need to tell them some facts about those drivers. A little bit of background, who's sponsoring them and that sort of thing. Ben is a student of the game, but it doesn't surprise me. Given the fact that his father and uncle started this Cottage Grove Speedway Historical Night and have been inducting people into the Hall of Fame there, I think I know where he gets it from.
I've just believe that a good announcer can make a race that much more enjoyable. You're already watching what's happening on the track and being entertained by that. A bad announcer will ruin the experience. A bland announcer adds nothing and takes nothing away. A good announcer makes a good race that much more entertaining. When you go to a race at which Ben is announcing, I think you're getting a much better experience.
Ben would be somebody that I would call upon in the event that I decided to begin publishing a printed magazine again. He's writing regularly for three of the tracks in Oregon, and he does other special columns. A printed magazine is something I go back and forth on. Can I do it? Do people want to see something like that? Is it worth the time and effort that would be required to do it properly?
I think I've proven I can do it. I put hours into my media effort, and articles are already getting printed. However, they're not in racing publications that I know of, but rather newspapers in the areas of the certain race tracks that I cover. It adds to the stress level as I have deadlines looming over my head every weekend. I feel more of the pressure, and it's getting harder for me to continue this pace. But yes, I know I could do it. I just don't know that I'd be motivated to at this stage in my life.
The question of whether people are interested in it is yes and no. I don't think enough people would be interested in such a thing that they would open their wallets and subscribe to it. When we're talking about the work required to do it properly, people start thinking about compensation. I'm already putting hours into my blog effort, and I can assure you that financial compensation is not occurring. There would be a little bit more time required to do a magazine. Given the fact that I don't think enough interest would be out there, I'm not sure it's possible.
The real problem is we've become an instant gratification society. Back in the days when racing publication such as the one I did or Racing Wheels existed, people didn't have the internet. They literally subscribed to magazines and waited for them to come to their mailbox on Friday. That was the first time they learned about what was happening through the stories written by the different writers. Now, you can get on some web pages moments after a race is done and read the statistics. Some tracks don't even bother with writers, just the statistics that they put up. People are okay with that as they're not as worried about color anymore. Or, somebody has a camera in the stands and broadcasts live on Facebook.
What I've come to realize is I'm a relic. It's not changing for the better, but it is getting worse. I don't do myself any favors, because the internet has done one thing. Writers need to be more succinct and to the point. Don't waste a lot of words telling people what you need them to know. Heck, I'm doing that now. This column goes on and on every week, and I honestly don't know how many people read the whole thing. Maybe I've just writing this for my own amusement? I don't know.
I was doing a non racing-related blog in the two or three years leading up to my return to the sport. At that point, I understood that I needed to write columns that didn't go much longer than six paragraphs. Make your point, make it in as few words as possible, but give people something to consider. I did okay with that, but my inclination is to make a six, no more than 12 paragraph article. Get to the point and don't go on and on. You really can't do that in 2019 and expect people to read. In fact, it would be easier on myself if I wrote briefer articles, but fewer racers would actually get coverage that way.
I don't think people like to spend a great deal of time at certain sites when they read. Get in, get your information and move on to the next thing. They say the internet has affected our attention span. Has it? I think so. I just don't think racing media as I know it and believe it should be exists anymore. I'm trying to make it exist, but I think that in the immediate years after Gary Jacob passed away, that style of racing media began to go away with him. That's not to say there aren't articles being written for certain race tracks all across the country. It's just that people aren't looking for that the way they were when magazines like Racing Wheels and The DCRR existed.
It makes me sad. Periodically, I'll have that thought. Can a racing magazine be brought back again? I will romanticize the idea. it could be done, and here's how. Thoughts like that. Heck, not only are people less willing to subscribe to printed publications anymore, but even the views on my blogs are down. People aren't reading as much as they were. I probably put too much into a post and should consider going back to posting one article at a time or something like that. My blog posts have become a digital version of my magazine, in a way. There's that much content in each post.
I've ultimately realized that it's not worth the effort to do a printed publication. Short of the possibility of a small amount of money coming my way each time I publish a magazine, I don't know that I could be swayed to bring Racing Wheels back, as has been offered, or even my own magazine. In fact, I don't plan to continue the racing media effort next year the way it's being done now. It's just become too much work, so I just want to finish up this year as best I can.
One of the things that cutting back on the workload will afford me is more time to finish my racing book and maybe even plan other books. It wouldn't be that I'd stop posting on the blogs entirely. The columns that I have created, Pit Stops and the Editor's Viewpoint, would probably still continue, and I might still choose two or three tracks to continue to do reviews for after every race. I haven't completely thought this out other than the fact that I can't continue this pace anymore.
It's a heck of a thing getting older. When I was younger, I attacked this whole process with vigor. If it had to be done, I obsessed over it. I took lack of sleep during a 48 hour time period. I got it done, because I had to get it in the mail at a certain time. There was no choice. I soon learned that I could even mail it a day earlier if I worked harder and beat all of the other publications. I did that regularly. I had the energy, the drive and the passion.
I find that I don't have the energy anymore. I don't even know that I have the drive, although at times the focus takes over and I'm getting it done. It's just something within you. I did none of the racing media for over a decade other than the year that I ghost-wrote for Antioch and Orland in 2010. But, when I jumped back into it again, it was amazing how easily everything came back to me. You train yourself on the ways of doing things, and it becomes second nature. I didn't learn any of this by going to school but rather by being on the job.
The passion? Sometimes. When I am engaged in a conversation with somebody who gets it, the ideas start flowing. We could do this, or we could do that. If this track would do this, it would be so much better. And here's what I think could happen. A lot of times, I can see things coming before they get there. Maybe it's my Virgo mind, but I've learned to analyze things six ways to Sunday, and that helped with my writing.
The little trick that has helped me get through these past few years is that I've thrown myself into my work. Actually, that's always been the way I pursued racing. Everything else is secondary, which has been a great detriment to my life. It's led to me not dealing with personal issues and never really being in any relationships, because I put racing first. It may have helped to get me good at what I do and opened doors for me, but many other aspects of my life have suffered.
My friend Don told me in a conversation yesterday that I should take a week off because I'm not getting paid anyways. What I told him was that part of what makes me feel good about what I do is that I don't miss anything. When you come to the Jefferson or DCRR blogs to see specific tracks that I cover regularly, you're going to be see reports from every race. You can go back a month and see the report I filed from that particular track. If I skip a week, I blew it. If I don't have everything, I might as well stop at that point. That's the way my mind works. I guess you could call that passion or obsessive compulsiveness. Either way.
I play it all out in my mind. Writing is a passion. It's something I will always do. Racing is going to get articles by me, no matter if I'm engaged on a regular basis or not. If I'm writing about other things, there will be times when I write a blog post about something that happened in racing. But I do want to write about other things. The problem is that after so much demand of my time from racing, when I do get a free day to do other things, all I can manage to do is stare at a computer screen as the hours go by. The next day, it's time to start over again.
I don't know that there's anything left that I've got to prove. I think I've helped a race track that was struggling. I have helped a few tracks during my time. I've helped create a Hall of Fame at two tracks, which is something important to me. I had a long run with a racing publication and have posted hundreds of blog posts covering racing. I will never have the money to do the other thing I was kind of interested in doing, which is promote. I would almost say I've carried the unofficial title of Assistant Promoter up here, though that title was never really given to me. It just feels like it almost suits me based on what I've done.
There is the idea of a small track being created and being a part of that. I still feel like a 1/5 mile oval or something even smaller has potential. I've spoken about this sort of thing before. Arena Racing is what I've called it, for lack of a better term. In Salinas they call it a Agra Racing. At Alameda at the Fair they have the little arena Figure 8. I believe there's something there that could be entertaining. Just some drivers in Hornet Mini Stocks in tight confines with contact racing, entertaining the fans.
I know that Sprint Car enthusiasts or Late Model enthusiasts or people of that nature will look down on this, but this concept isn't for them either. It's also not designed to replace anything in the sport. It's just a new way of helping keep the sport going. There's an abundance of these Hornet cars these days as technology has gone in that direction. The thing is, there are a lot of people who fantasize about being race car drivers who don't have a lot of knowledge or deep pockets.
The type of people I'm talking about aren't those who are going to go get an IMCA Modified or a Sprint Car. They're the type of people who might get a Hornet or might have enough basic knowledge to put that sort of car together. They're not looking to go places in the sport, just looking to do something for fun 6 to 12 weekends out of the year. Putting them in a car in tight confines where the cars aren't going too fast and maybe less of a chance of getting hurt could be just the thing.
People want action and they want to be entertained. A little arena-style race can provide that. A little oval and 8 could work, in my opinion. Giving the fans a couple of hours of entertainment every time you open the gates. You could, theoretically, not just have the oval and the 8 but a Hornet Destruction Derby. Like I said, a different form of entertainment. It's kind of interesting that this conversation popped up again on one of my friend's social media pages.
The Alameda Figure 8 has attracted a group of racers from Porterville, and they don't mind making the trek up north for the three-day event every year. There were other people in the Merced area who were interested in seeing if other Fairs would promote similar arena events. The Figure 8 in Alameda isn't the headliner, but rather a part of the Destruction Derby that happens afterwards. It's still a form of entertainment for the fans. So, the Merced contingent has wondered if there are other Fairs that could do that.
My opinion is, yes. There are several Fairs that don't have race tracks but do have Derbies. Places like Los Banos, Mariposa, Angels Camp, San Jose, even a couple of different rodeo arenas could do it. You could easily come up with six to eight different venues to do every year. If you were to get 6 to 10 drivers willing to come do this, you've got a show. It doesn't take that many cars, and it will entertain the fans. Just look at the video footage from Alameda and study the reaction of the fans.
I look at a Fair Tour as an idea, but I also look at creating a specific venue designed for this type of racing, which has led me to the curious proposal put forth by the Siskiyou County Motorsports Association. This was the group that promoted the big and little tracks at the fairgrounds in Yreka. As they are no longer affiliated with either, the association is looking for other ways to stay active in the sport. Somebody proposed a Lawnmower racing track, and it's gotten as far as being announced as being considered on their Facebook page.
I've always thought of Lawnmower racing as being just a little bit silly, but there are people who take it very seriously. I know that Wamic, Oregon has a track right next to the road that is still thriving. In Oakridge, Oregon they got money from the town to build a Lawnmower track. It only lasted for a couple of years before it closed. It was a shame, because the town was behind that deal. The venue would not be classified as 1/5 mile, from what I could see. Maybe 1/8, although there was clearly room to expand it.
In the 1990s, Delta Speedway had a very interesting program. The Stockton track had 1200cc Mini Sprints and other Mini Sprint and Modified Midget classes. However, they also added a Mini Stock class. On the surface, it seems like a crazy idea, because the track was thought to be too small. However, the racers bought in, and they bought in big time. They would get 25 to 30 competitors at its height, meaning there was a full program just with the Mini Stocks. Racers who ran on the pavement at the 99 Speedway would build Mini Stocks just to go play on Friday night.
The bottom line is Stockton Delta Speedway worked as a Mini Stock track. Then, they added all of the Kart divisions and eventually the Kart racers bitched and complained about the Mini Stocks doing damage to their precious track. As you might expect, the Mini Stocks faded away. It didn't help that the next promoter came in there and created a couple of other different variations of the Four Cylinder classes, thereby dividing a big car count into six cars here, 10 cars there, 18 cars here, rather than 25 to 30 cars in one class. It didn't look as impressive when taken that way.
The idea that you could build a Lawnmower track to go racing isn't a bad idea. I understand why the association would do this. They want to stay in the game. I haven't heard any of the particulars. Where is this property? What is it zoned for? How much room do they have? How much money do they have in the budget? There are plenty of questions to ask. You're talking, most likely, about an intimate space. However, intimate spaces have a way of being big if you can get the people to come.
That is to say, if you get a place that can seat four to six hundred people, and you're filling those bleachers up 75 to 85%, it's going to look like a packed house. Imagine 500 fans at a little arena track cheering on a Figure 8 or oval as the drivers run closely and trade paint. They're not going to worry that this isn't a quarter-mile or three-eighth mile oval with Sprint Cars. Racing is racing. If it's presented right, the people will come.
So, I don't really think it's a far reach to go from Lawnmower racing to a basic Hornet racing deal at a small venue. There are more venues than just the Alameda and Salinas tracks that have done this, and it seems to be gaining more interest from what I can see. In that kind of space, one could even consider the possibility of running Motorcycles, Quads and even Karts. I know that if the association were to do this, you might have a couple of people crying foul. How dare they when Siskiyou Golden Speedway is already there?
However, Siskiyou Golden Speedway is a track that is going to host big IMCA Modified races, a 360 Winged Sprint Car Speedweek race and other events. A proposed Lawnmower track isn't going to get something like that. Hornets will be the biggest cars running on that track, if it got that far. Hornets are not a division presently on the roster at Siskiyou Golden Speedway. And even if they were added, so what? The Hornets at that track would just be one of the support classes. Hornets on this small venue would be the Main Event.
I guess I'm just curious to see this idea come to fruition. Maybe it's just the dreamer in me. I've even considered the possibility that an arena track would be just the thing to bring outdoor racing back to Chowchilla. I suppose part of that thought process was something that John Soares said to me on the way home from the last race that he promoted there in 2015.
Chowchilla Speedway has always been an iffy proposition. It can be argued that this track never should have come into existence. Sure, the property was there, but they were only 16 miles down the road from a track that at the time had been in existence for almost 50 years, Merced Speedway. Chowchilla had racing, but it had been years. There were TQ Midget races in recent years, but a lot of people didn't know that. They weren't even aware of the racing that happened decades earlier. There wasn't a racing tradition in Chowchilla.
The reason the track ever came into being was because of the negative reaction of the racers who felt wronged by the management at Merced Speedway. They didn't want to tow down the road two hours to go racing, but they felt they couldn't race at their home track and get a fair deal. So, because Chowchilla became an option 16 miles down the road, and because there were people who had enough money to get it built, it happened.
The issue in Chowchilla was there wasn't really enough money to go around. The fact that Tom Sagmiller and everybody were able to get it open and keep it open was impressive. The fact that they were able to hold some big blowout events, thanks to George Steitz, was also impressive. Just think. In 1999, there was no racing in Chowchilla. One year later, they had a race that had over 200 competitors from all over the West Coast.
But, there were many weeks in which they struggled to have enough cars to put on a good show. Tom lasted for 7 and 1/2 seasons before the guy at Merced got his revenge and did a back door deal to have Tom removed. But then again, part of that happened because there wasn't a lot of money there and Tom struggled to pay the bills, often time getting caught up by the time the year was done. They'd get paid, but it might take the whole year. What was the alternative? Nothing coming in at all.
The promoters came and went after Tom, and a couple of them had pie-in-the-sky dreams. When John came in and took the track in 2015, we should be honest about this. It was more an insurance policy for him than a desire to build racing in Chowchilla. In other words, there were a few disgruntled people in Merced. He didn't want them thinking they could go to Chowchilla and open on Saturday nights against Merced, which he was promoting at the time. So, he came in with a big check and made a 10 race deal in 2015 and could have done the same thing a year later. Because John decided to wash his hands of the valley and sold Merced to Ed Parker, Chowchilla was no longer needed.
What happened next at Chowchilla is what killed it. You had a guy in Joe Diaz who overbooked it. I always thought Joe was the guy who could come in and rescue the track. I base that on the idea that he was the promoter of the successful Chowchilla Barn Burner Series that ran under the roof during the winter. Here's the thing about that. What was the competition? The racers wanted to race, and Chowchilla was the only place to go. Of course it was going to be successful.
Quite frankly, I think Joe pulled the 2017 schedule out of his posterior. The guy thought he could run a Sprint Car program one week and IMCA Modifieds the next. Every week, something was going to happen. He was doing it on Sundays, and unless you're going to put a thousand people in the stands every week, where are you going to get the money to pay Sprint Cars or IMCA Modifieds? The money wasn't there, and it didn't take many weeks before Joe was done and the track was killed.
That brings me back to what John said to Jim Robins and myself on our way back from the last race. We didn't have a huge night, to be honest with you. I think there were 10 Hobby Stocks, six Mini Stocks and four Dwarf Cars, but there wasn't a big purse. If we're lucky, there were 150 people in the stands. What John said was that this was the kind of program the track should run. No Modifieds. Maybe Sport Modifieds, but nothing bigger than that. The reason being, you're not getting enough people in the stands to pay a big purse to the racers. The Mini Stocks don't run for much, and neither do the Hobby Stocks.
Locals could get both classes, because that's what they had the budget to do. When Tom really got the Hobby Stock class going, bucking the Merced trend and allowing Camaros and Firebirds, it took about a year before there were a dozen people out of Chowchilla with cars. So, there's some truth to the fact that there is not a lot of money, but locals could get behind the lower classes. John was right. Had he returned in 2016, I think you would have seen more programs with lower divisions.
Even Kenny Shepherd was looking at that when he struck the Modified division from his schedule the last year that he promoted the place. It was John Prentice who thought he could run Sprint Cars and Late Models there, and he was sadly mistaken. He got about halfway through his one season.
So, bringing it back to the arena style track, and seeing that Chowchilla Speedway as we know it has been torn down, one could consider building an arena size track directly in front of the grandstands. You're not talking about a big space here, and you can make it an oval and an 8. You could run a Hornet type class. It could become something that they did maybe 8 or 10 times out of the year to see what interest could be grown.
You might not get a bunch of people. It might only be something that sold 100 tickets. If you went back to the Tom Sagmiller school of the discounted tickets, you could maybe get more people to come. Tom was smart enough when he opened Chowchilla that he didn't use the $9 or $10 ticket that other places were doing. Rather, everybody got in for $5 a piece. Where he might have only had a hundred or two hundred people in the stands at full price, the $5 ticket allowed him to get 300 or 400 people. More people means more chance for word of mouth, and that translated to more people. The numbers grew even more the next year. Tom was right.
I don't know that racing would ever come back to Chowchilla, but this arena idea would be something to look at. You already know that there are Hornet racers in Merced that are interested, and others would build cars just to do this. The potential would be there. You could make it an oval and 8 type of program and go so far as to qualify them on the clock, run heat races and Main Events. Make it family-friendly where the racers and fans have a meet and greet on the track before a race. Dress it up a little bit. Or, Chowchilla could just have one race on the Fair circuit that I mentioned above.
It may ultimately be silliness on my part to even entertain this idea. I don't know, but I'm just throwing ideas out there. Racing will go on as it always has. I do see the arena style race being something that could come in under the radar in places with a "not in my backyard" mentality. Some of the positives include the fact that these are not loud cars, and even people who were against racing might come to an event and see it as harmless, good fun.
I have spoken about Reno Fontana and what he's been doing in Chandler, Indiana on the other blog. He made a back door deal with Harold Baker in December that was designed to get away from the property being seized at auction in order to pay back debts. I don't know how Harold Baker let it get to that point, but he did. Fontana offered the solution. Sell it to me for $10 and I'll take care of you. Right out the gate, there were people questioning the legality of the sale as legal proceedings had already been put in motion.
Reno was able to come in literally moments before the auction was to take place in March and put a stop to it. He made legal challenges that needed to be seen in court. Reno has been proven to have almost no money. In fact, one of his tactics to keep this thing moving was to declare bankruptcy. How the guy could conduct business when he had no money and declared bankruptcy is beyond me. How could he be declaring bankruptcy at a race track that he had just purchased? This was all stuff that had to be discussed in court. Reno seems to be getting minor victories each time.
While this was going on, he actually opened up the gates to the place he called Movieland Speedpark, despite the fact that there is no sign out front calling the place that. This whole process has divided the community as people have turned against each other. People simply wanting a race track to race at have supported Reno, despite all of his ridiculous promises and the baggage that comes with him. Hey, they would say, at least the gates are open and we've had races.
While the gates have opened and they've had races, there have been no meaningful improvements to the place, and it's obviously being run on a shoestring budget and not really being run properly at all. For Reno, however, it's a victory. People said he would never open the place, and he has. People have questioned whether he legally owns the place, and yet he's claimed ownership and played the role of promoter.
There are rumblings that he has lost the court cases and it's only a matter of time now before it goes back up to auction. There are people happy to see that happen, but there is still an uncertain future for the place. If it gets bought at auction, there's no guarantee that the person buying it will want it to be a race track. They may look at the property and want to build houses, stores or something else. They may not want race tracks there anymore, and that would put an end to a tradition that goes back decades.
I've really just been amazed that a guy of Reno's questionable background would get as far as he has. He's an Elvis impersonator who's been caught using the name of Elvis to bilk people out of money. He's done other questionable dealings as well. Reno Fontana is in fact not his real name. Yet, when the television media has interviewed him on multiple occasions in Chandler, nobody's questioned him about his background at all. They've taken him at face value as the guy who owns the place and intends to promote races. Whatever happened to journalism?
Really, this would make for a fascinating movie. I'm picturing a good old boy character with barely two pennies to rub together finding a way to come into a race track and run it. His ownership is in question, and yet he has a line of BS to get away with it. It would almost be a comedy. The Reno character would be played sort of for laughs. Almost an anti-hero, but maybe the lines are blurred about whether he's a good guy or a bad guy and whether he did the right thing or not. What's the end of the story?
Guy comes into a place talking about how he's going to buy it one day. Through questionable tactics, he appears to get the ownership, but it's shady. He's promising things that he'll never deliver, and the community starts arguing amongst themselves over the fact that it's never going to happen. It seems like he'll never even open the gates. A lot of talk happens for over a year before the questionable back door deal that sees him supposedly buying the place. Then, he stops the auction at the 11th hour. Then, the gates open and he has races. Was that a victory? They said he couldn't and then he did it.
I picture a guy at a bar telling a story. This is how the movie starts. He's quoting Bible verses, because at certain times, Reno likes to point out that he's a man of God. Then he goes into the story about the time he was a promoter. Then you see some of the various things play out. It's got a beginning, the dream. It's got a middle, BSing his way into owning a race track. It's got an end, the gates opening and then ultimately him losing everything. There's a story in there somewhere. Somehow, I think Reno would get a kick out of that.
But if and when he ultimately loses the track, it's not a laughing matter to the people in Chandler. They have to pick up the pieces. They have to figure out whether there will ever be a dirt oval track again. They have to figure out if the drag strip will be suitable for use again. They have to hope that they get somebody in there at auction who wants racing. And even if that happens, there's lots of work to be done. Nope, they're not laughing. Reno's not a hero to them, but somebody who delayed the process of much-needed improvements for well over a year. Still, it's an interesting story.
At any rate, I've run my mouth long enough. Whether I could add more or not, it's time to shut up. Until next time...
