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Seven Division Program Set For Saturday
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...After the excitement of the Malicious Monster Truck Tour last weekend, racing gets back in gear this Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. The 1/3 mile clay oval will see a seven division program, led by the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks, JOAT Labs Hornets and the OTRO Hardtops. Fans looking for more racing will be able to go to the little Southern Oregon Speedway track on Friday night to see the Motorcycles and the Outlaw Karts.
It's been a month since we saw the Sprint Cars in action, and it was long-time racer and past champion TJ Winningham having a crowd-pleasing battle with rising young star Tanner Holmes. Winningham is one of the drivers who hopes to make a challenge for the championship this season, and the second place finish he earned that night will certainly help. Another driver in the hunt for the championship and a victory this week is Outlaw Kart star Mike Wheeler. Wheeler earned a Top 5 finish in the opener and is only six points behind Tanner Holmes in the championship chase. 2009 champion Charlie Thompson will also be a factor in the battle this week, and other drivers to watch for include Enrique Jaime, Aaron Miller, Jared Hood and David Marble.
The Late Models are causing a sensation at the speedway after two races. There have been nearly 20 competitors to turn laps at the speedway so far this year with several drivers still set to debut. With a pair of Top 5 finishes, Trent Elliott holds an 18 point lead over Dave Everson. Elliot is still looking for his first win, and Everson had his best finish yet in fifth last time out. He leads last season's top rookie, Miles Deubert, by just one point in the battle. IMCA Modified star Mark Wauge looked impressive in his division debut two weeks ago. He finished a strong third. If that's any indication, he will be in the hunt for victory this week and in the weeks ahead. Other drivers to watch for include Dave Foote, Tony Bartell and Jason Schultz.
The IMCA Modifieds have a close battle happening in the point race. With a win in the season opener and a fifth last time out, Jeffrey Hudson holds a slim one point advantage over the tied Zach Fettinger and Justin Foux. Foux has a pair of Top 5 finishes, while Fettinger impressed with his last turn pass of Nick Trenchard to finish second last time out. All four of these drivers are a threat to win, and others to watch for include Preston Jones, Ray Kniffen Jr, three-time reigning champion Albert Gill and Jesse Bailey.
Not to be outdone, the IMCA Sport Modifieds are providing big car counts so far this year. Last time out, it was two-time champion Jordan Braaten scoring a very impressive win. In doing so, Braaten now holds a two point advantage over Justin McCreadie, who has a pair of Top 5 finishes so far. Season-opening winner Matt Sanders is only seven points out of the lead and another threat to win this week. Rookie Wyatt Westfall has been looking good this year and is only 10 points out of the lead. Other stars in the field to watch for this week include two-time Late Model Lites champion Brian Johnsen, Branden Wilson, Jantzen Knips and Willie McFall.
Last time the Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks were in action, it was Ashtin Hedges holding off reigning champion David Steele for his first career win. Despite that, Steele holds a five point lead over young Hedges. 2017 champion Kristopher Mix is only nine points behind Hedges in third as he hopes to return to the winner's circle this week. Michael McLeod, Dylan Irving, Hunter Magnan and 2013 champion Steve Goetz are others to watch for this week.
Not to be outdone by his son, Tim Hedges finds himself leading the JOAT Labs Hornets point race after two events, despite still searching for his first feature win. Tim has done well enough in the preliminary events to hold a slim one point lead over two-time feature winner Dylan Sauer in another close battle. Rookie Quinton Tritchler is looking good in third in the standings as he leads Derrel Nelson Jr, Jenna Hedges, Chris Boynton and Lacey Sauer by just two points. The beauty of the Hornets division is you never know who can win from week-to-week.
The OTRO Hardtops round out an exciting program with their beautiful old Coups and Sedans. Mark Minter and Bill Trotter were multi-time winners last season, and they lead the group into their season opener. Some of the competitors to watch for this week include Dusty Trotter, Dean Cast, Matt Butler, Justin Krossman, Jay Smith and Chris Mehrer.
If this exciting seven-division lineup doesn't do enough for you, the little track on Friday night will offer plenty of racing for you to enjoy. In addition to all of the various Outlaw Kart divisions, Motorcycles, Quads and Trikes will be competing in a show that will offer non-stop action from start to finish. Gates will open at the little track at 5 p.m. with the first race starting at 7. It is a $10 admission that gets you access to the pits and a bleacher seat.
On Saturday night at the big track, the gates open at 5 p.m. with the first race starting at 7. General Admission is $13 with Seniors, Veterans and Juniors 7 to 12 $7. Children 6 and under are free. For further information, go to that's the way you go www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
McCoy, Wilkinson Win At Siskiyou Golden Speedway
Yreka, CA...June 8...Rich McCoy won the 25 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event Saturday night at Siskiyou Golden Speedway. McCoy is the fifth different winner in six races as only Matt Sanders has more than one win. As it turns out, it was the Sanders family chasing McCoy in the Main event. McCoy had the pole position and didn't waste time getting into the lead. Isaac Sanders and Matt Sanders raced from the fourth row to challenge McCoy. Isaac Sanders got up to second, but all he could do was chase McCoy across the finish line. Matt Sanders finished third ahead of Ryder Boswell, incoming point leader Ethan Killingsworth, Colt Boswell, Merissa Hanson, Randy Wright, Gary Foster and Chad Wormington. McCoy and Matt Sanders won their respective eight lap heat races, and Killingsworth picked up his second-straight four lap Trophy Dash win.
Kassidy Wilkinson won his first 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. The win was particularly impressive in that he had to hold off reigning Medford champion David Steele, who finished second. After winning last week's Main Event, Zak McMurry finished third, followed by Mike Whitaker, Ashtin Hedges, Michael Kendrick, Marilyn Yawnick, Darek Alford, Terry Alford and Terry Kendrick. Terry Kendrick won the four lap Trophy Dash, preventing what could have been a sweep for Wilkinson, who won an eight lap heat race. Steele was the other heat race winner.
Wilkinson was going for his second straight Jefferson State Jalopies 20 lap Main Event win, but his effort was thwarted by JJ Smith. Wilkinson won both the eighth lap heat race and four lap Trophy Dash, but the best he could do was third in the Main Event. JJ Smith finally dialed the gremlins out of his car and held off Marilyn Yawnick for the victory. Karl Bernstein finished fourth.
Racing resumes next Saturday night with Dads And Grads Night. The IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks will be back along with the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks. There will also be a full slate of Outlaw Kart racing on the little track on Friday night. For further information, go to www.siskiyougoldenspeedway.com.
Burke, Cunial, Smith Win At The Yreka Outlaw Kart Track
Yreka, CA...June 7...Johnny Burke won the 20 lap 500 Open Main Event Friday night at the Yreka Outlaw Kart Track at the fairgrounds. Burke had a front row starting position. However, he still had to hold off double heat race winner Tanner Holmes to score the victory. Holmes finished second, followed by point leader Kindon Peacock, Brionna Fuller, Josh Steinhoff, Carley Holmes and Destiny Smith. Carley Holmes and Burke were the other eight lap heat race winners.
Point leader Cale Cunial turned in a dominant performance in winning his second 20 lap 250 Kart Main Event. Cunial picked up a pair of eight lap heat race wins and started on the pole for the Main Event. He went on to win the race ahead of Nicolas Perrin, Jacob James, Taylor Fuller, Drew Berry and Logan McKnight.
Hayfork's Chayce Smith won the 20 lap Sealed Box Stock Main Event. Smith and point leader Carson Henson won eight lap heat races and shared the front row for the Main Event. Smith charged out to the lead when the green flag waved and set a rapid pace. Despite a yellow flag later in the race, Smith still kept his rhythm and collected the win ahead of Henson, Keegan Bounds, Grant Proctor, Austin Bartholomew and Shailene Horn.
Brandon Steinhoff won the Open Box Stock 15 lap Main Event as well as both eight lap heat races. Steinhoff picked up the win in the Main Event, followed by Malachi Johnson, Hunter Colson and point leader Hunter Granger.
Steve Rambo held off Ed Grubb and Larry Fuller to win the 20 lap UAS Speedway Kart Main Event. However, Lori Fuller forced him to settle for second in the 4 Cycle Main Event.
This Friday night will offer a full slate of Kart racing on the little track. For further information, look up the Yreka Outlaw Kart page on Facebook.
Pro Stocks Return To Siskiyou Golden Speedway
Saturday Night
Yreka, CA...There's plenty of excitement in the air at Siskiyou Golden Speedway. Promoter Kevin Barba recently announced that the Iron Giant Street Stock Series is scheduled to return for their big "Chew On This Jerky" 50 lap race on August 17th. The IMCA Wild West Speedweek Series opener will happen on June 21st in Yreka. Barba is also working on a makeup date for the previously rained out John Arnberg Memorial event for the IMCA Modifieds.
In the meantime, a great lineup of racing is on tap for this Saturday night. The Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks will be back for another visit. Also competing will be the IMCA Sport Modifieds and the Mini Stocks. The track will also remember Rod Barba, a past track maintenance man and the father of the current promoter. There will also be a bike giveaway and bike races for the kids. People who want to check out more racing can also head to the Yreka Outlaw Kart track on Friday to watch the future stars of the big track in action.
The Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stock drivers are still trying to find an answer to the big question. Who can beat two-time reigning series champion Dr Scott Lenz. Lenz has managed to win every Main Event for the group so far this year, including the Billy Geyer Memorial race back in May and the Roger Haudenshild Tribute race in Medford two weeks ago.
In Medford two weeks ago, Scott Flowers surprised Lenz by passing him during the race to lead several laps. Lenz still got by for the win, but the second place finish earned by Flowers put him back into second in the standings, 25 points behind Lenz. Scott is also enjoying a battle with his son James Flowers for second, which he leads by two points. John David Duffie looked good in Medford before a flat tire sent him pitward while running second. He could be a threat to win this weekend, and other drivers to watch for include Bryan Hammond, Matt Harlow, Ginny Flowers and Ken LaPlant.
The IMCA Sport Modifieds remain as unpredictable as ever so far this year. Only Matt Sanders has visited the winner's circle more than once in the six races held so far. Sanders was trying for three wins last week, but the best he could do was a third place finish behind Rich McCoy and Isaac Sanders. Isaac, Ethan Killingsworth and Jason Ferguson are the other drivers on the winner's list so far. As has been the case in recent years, there are so many good drivers in the field that you never know who might win from week to week.
We do know that the IMCA Sport Modified championship battle is heating up. Killingsworth continues to lead Colt Boswell by five points and Ryder Boswell by seven in the closest race at the track. Ryder Boswell finished the best of the three last time out in fourth, but both he and his brother are looking for their first wins of the season. Other drivers hoping to get it to the winner's circle this Saturday include Randy Wright, Gary Foster, Merissa Henson and Donovan Rodgers.
The Mini Stock division seems to have gotten very interesting in recent weeks as new drivers have been getting the glory. Two weeks ago, Zak McMurry scored his first career feature win ahead of Kassidy Wilkinson. Last week, it was Wilkinson picking up an impressive win with 2015 champion David Steele in close pursuit. There have been four different winners in five events with Steele claiming two victories and Terry Kendrick the other winner.
The current standings reflect the close battle as Terry Kendrick holds a 10 point lead over McMurry and a 19 point advantage ahead of Mike Whitaker. McMurry did well in finishing third last week ahead of Whitaker. These three drivers will be leading the charge, but other drivers to watch for include three-time reigning champion Marilyn Yawnick, Mike Kendrick, Darek Alford and Terry Alford.
Saturday's lineup should be another entertaining show from start to finish. There's lots of good things happening at the speedway these days, and it's certainly worth checking out. For further information, go to www.siskiyougoldenspeedway.com.
Majdic Wins At Silver Dollar Speedway
Chico, CA...June 7...Chase Majdic scored the 30 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event victory On Butte County Sheriff's Search And Rescue Night Friday at Silver Dollar Speedway. The event was presented by Heather Cooper of Keller Williams Realtors, and Majdic slipped past Justyn Cox to take the lead on a lap 21 restart. This win came almost a year to the date from when he scored his first career Silver Dollar Speedway win.
Coming off of his big win in the Marvin Smith Memorial race at Cottage Grove a week earlier, Cox had a front row start and raced into the lead ahead of DJ Freitas. Multi-time champion Sean Becker took the second position on a lap three restart and held it in pursuit of Cox during three yellow flag periods. Majdic charged past Becker for second on lap 18 and made his presence known at the front. Following a lap 20 caution flag, Majdic charged past Cox to take the lead on the restart. Majdic would lead the final 10 laps for the well-earned victory. Cox settled for second, followed by Brad Bumgarner, Blake Carrick, Petaluma point leader John Clark, Angelo Cornet, Caden Sarale, Marysville point leader Michael Ing, Jake Haulot and Wyatt Brown.
There were 20 cars for the show, and Kalib Henry was the quickest qualifier with a 12.558 lap, beating the 12.772 of Kyle Offill. There were two heat races, and Cox won the first eight lapper ahead of Bumgarner. Freitas outran Carrick to win the second heat, and Henry was the eight lap Trophy Dash winner in front of Majdic.
Brent Lawrence won the 20 lap Street Stock Main Event in a thrilling finish. Two-time division champion Phil Marino set the pace at the start ahead of Lawrence and Matt Micheli. Marino and Lawrence quickly built a straightaway advantage as Kyle Allen settled into third on lap five. The lead two cars had a half-lap lead over the battle for third when Ryan Cherezian took the position on lap 15. As they raced to the white flag, Lawrence made his move around Marino to take the lead. Lawrence went on to victory, followed by Marino, Cherezian, Ken Micheli, Allen, Gary Newman, Richard Workman and Matt Micheli. Eight lap heat race wins were earned by Workman and Matt Micheli, while the four lap Trophy Dash victory went to Matt Micheli.
Kyle Allen won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. This was the fourth win of the season for the current point leader aboard the Michael Allen owned the car. Jeremiah Creedon set the early pace ahead of Jim Brookshire. Travis Moore took the second position from Brookshire on lap six before a yellow flag waved. Moore slipped past Creedon to take the lead on the restart, and Allen gained second from Creedon on lap 10. Allen pressured Moore until taking the lead on lap 12, and Moore's run came to an end for a lap 17 yellow flag. Allen led the restart and the remaining three laps for the win, followed by Creedon, Shannon Collins, James West, Mel Byers, Brookshire, Toby Merrifield, Zach Lindgren, Moore and Maurice Merrill. Moore and Alan won their respective eight lap heat races, and four lap Trophy Dash honors went to Allen, making this another clean sweep for him.
Ken Retzloff won the 12 lap California Hardtop Main Event. Retzloff picked up a win earlier this year at Placerville. There were five competitors, and Retzloff came from fifth to take the lead from recent Orland winner Ron Ruiz. Retzloff won ahead of Ruiz, while Ken Clifford battled Joe Hopp to finish third. Mario Romano finished fifth.
Next Friday night is the David Tarter Memorial race. The event is presented by O'Reilly Auto Parts and features the Winged 360 Sprint Cars, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Street Stocks. For further information, go to www.silverdollarspeedway.com.
Ing, Peckham, Compton Win Marysville Raceway Main Events
Marysville, CA...June 8...Michael Ing won the 25 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Marysville Raceway. Ing is the current point leader, and this was his fourth win of the season aboard the David Inge owned entry. Michael Ing had a front row start and would lead the entire distance. When the checkered flag fell, he had a straightaway advantage over race long second place runner Korey Lovell. Heath Hall held third all the way until the last lap, when he suffered his misfortune to end a good run. Bobby Butler finished third, followed by Alec Justeson, Heath Hall, Adam Brenton, Brandon Dozier, Bradley Dillard, Mike Monahan and Jimmy Steward. Ing also set the fast time of 12.754, beating the 12.945 of Butler. There were a pair of eight lap heat races with Justeson holding off Ing in a good race for the first heat race victory. Hall outran Butler to win the other heat.
Andrew Peckham turned in a dominant performance of his own to win his second 20 lap Pepsi IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. Peckham started in the second row and took the lead from Jeremy Phillips on the third lap. He proceeded to lead the rest of the way to win by about a straightaway. Mike Merritt ran second for most of the race before being passed by 11th starter Jimmy Ford on lap 18. Ford continues to collect second place finishes. Following Peckham and Ford at the finish line were Merritt, Scott Savell, Todd Cooper, Alan Furuta, Timothy Allerdings, Thomas Reynolds, Jason Ferguson and Mike Smith. Peckham won his eight lap heat race ahead of Jeremy Phillips, while the second heat race victory went to Jason Ferguson ahead of Jim Waller.
Matt Micheli won the 15 lap Super Stock Main Event. Richard Vander Ploeg led a lap before being passed by Micheli. Micheli built his advantage to over half a lap ahead of Vander Ploeg at the checkered flag. Brent Lawrence and multi-time champion George Magenheimer completed the finishing order. Micheli also won the eight lap heat race.
Next Saturday night, the Winged 360 Sprint Cars return along with the Pepsi IMCA Sport Modifieds, Crate Sprints and Super Stocks. It's a special Father's Day event where fathers get in for $9 admission. For further information, go to www.marysvilleraceway.com.
Family, Fun And Racing Make A Great Night
At Mountain Valley Raceway
Hayfork, CA...June 8...The third event of the season at Mountain Valley Raceway wasn't just about the cars on the track. It was also about giving the kids a fun and exciting night that they could always cherish. The Kids Night/Bikes Racing event included free admission and giveaways for the younger fans. On top of that, each kid also got a free hot dog and a drink.
One of the reasons the track at the Trinity County Fairgrounds exists is to give families another place to go for some entertainment on a Saturday night. The program was adjusted as heat races and Trophy Dashes were combined to make more time for the kids. At one point, kids in three age groups were able to bike race on the front straightaway. The winners received awards. There were plenty of prizes being given away to the kids when the free raffle drawing took place. This included giving away a boys and girls bike for kids in three different age groups.
At one point, past Hobby Stock champion Josh Smith put his son Chayce in his Box Stock Outlaw Kart on the big track to give the fans an exhibition. Smith is hoping that there can be a place eventually for the young racers to go racing in Hayfork. He and his son travel up and down the road and had recently picked up another Main Event victory at the Yreka Outlaw Kart Track on Friday.
There was a Smith picking up the win in the Hobby Stock Main Event on Saturday, but unfortunately it wasn't Josh. He returned to action along with Josh Michaels and a few others to attempt to snap the winning streak of Russ Newman. Tressen Smith has been starring in the B Modified division this year with two feature wins going into the night. He added another one in that class. Tressen wasn't done there. He started the night with a Hobby Stock heat race win and then battled Newman and the others to win the hobby Stock Main Event.
The Mini Stocks provided some great competition with two different winners for the night. Larry Richardson had a Trophy Dash win earlier this year, but this time he bested the field to win his first Main Event of the season. The heat race victory went to Joey Young. The night closed with the wild and exciting Enduro division, won for the second time this season by Bryan Gummerus.
Fun times, family and good racing is what this race track is all about. They will return to action for another exciting show on June 22nd. For further information, go to the Mountain Valley Raceway Facebook page.
Pit Stops
Southern Oregon Speedway is about ready to get very active over the next two weekends. Not only is the big track going to be offering a seven division lineup this Saturday and hosting the second leg of the IMCA Modified Wild West Speedweek Tour a week later, the little track will be hosting a full complement of Outlaw Karts and Motorcycles this Friday and next Friday. For fans wanting to get their racing fix, this is your chance.
One of the interesting things about Saturday's show is what's on the schedule. The big track will be hosting seven divisions. You might say they're throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. Part of the card will include the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, Late Models and IMCA Modifieds, which are the fastest three divisions on the roster. One of the things that makes this a unique situation at Southern Oregon Speedway is the fact that the roster has changed so much during the past five years.
In 2015, the speedway had IMCA Modifieds, but Late Models and Winged Sprint Cars were only special occasion divisions. Though the track has had Sprint Car championship seasons in the past, it had gotten away from that after the 2010 season and generally hosted events that were earning points for different series. The Late Model division, other than for a brief three-year period, never attempted to have any sort of championship effort.
When Mike McCann came in with KJE Enterprises to attempt to turn the declining program around, he knew that the roster had to offer more for the fans than what was being scheduled at the time. 2016 saw McCann try an interesting tactic. He added championship seasons for Winged Sprint Cars and Stock Cars, but he did so with open rulesets. Not knowing exactly where the interest would lie, McCann thought he would put it out there with open rules and see what way the two divisions would go.
The Open Stock class was rather interesting. Drivers could bring Hobby Stocks or Street Stocks to come compete, and drivers could go as exotic as the old POSSE Super Stocks. Anything in between was also welcome. McCann thought that it was possible a Street Stock division could be sparked from this, but not one Street Stock driver made a case for their ruleset by supporting any of the shows that year. It turned out to be that, thanks to racers like 2016 champion Bob Dees, Mike Linder, Dustin Knight and John Dees, the Open Stock division became the Late Model division.
The Sprint Car class had the same sort of dynamic. A driver wanting to compete in a Winged 410 Sprint Car could have theoretically done so, which had drivers with 360 Sprint Cars reluctant to support. No Winged 410 Sprint Car drivers came, and a handful of Winged 360 drivers got the show started. Word had come from further up in Oregon by a certain Sprint Car guru that it would be in the racers' best interest not to support with their Winged 360 Sprint Cars, and that threatened to cause the division to fail before it really got started.
A McCann trademark, however, has been a Sprint Car division being a part of his program. For instance, the Sprint Car divisions people currently enjoy at Cottage Grove Speedway and Marysville, California Raceway were both implemented by McCann during his time as promoter there. He was committed to giving the fans Sprint Car racing, and the solution presented itself when limited ruleset advocate David Hibbard proposed giving that a chance. The numbers during the past two seasons speak for themselves. Fans want to see cars on the race track, and the current Winged Sprint Car division is delivering.
The fact is, Southern Oregon Speedway has a nice growing Sprint Car and Late Model effort, and that means the fans get a nice variety. It also means that while one of these divisions is off, the other division is entertaining the crowd. Nights off help make for bigger car counts, and that has been the case for the IMCA Modified division. The division has sort of suffered from fatigue, meaning that other than the big special races, car count would often dip below 10 cars in the recent years prior to McCann taking over.
Because Southern Oregon Speedway opened its gates in 1996 by featuring the IMCA Modifieds, fans have come to expect this style of racing, and they enjoy watching them race hard on the Jim Rodgers prepared 3/10 mile clay oval. In some respects, Southern Oregon Speedway has three headline divisions with the IMCA Modifieds, Late Models and Sprint Cars. Southern Oregon Speedway is also in a better position here in 2019 than it was in 2015. Though it's not where we would like to see it, it's further along in getting us where we want to be
While all of this is going on, the IMCA Sport Modifieds have been gathering momentum. it was felt when this division was added to the roster back in 2012 that it could become the next big thing. Lots of old Modified chassis were sitting around being unused. It's taken a few years to get the kind of numbers that we'd like to see, but by about midway through last year, it was obvious that the IMCA Sport Modifieds were delivering the kind of car counts and racing that was hoped for when the class was added to the roster.
The beautiful thing about Southern Oregon Speedway is there is a nice variety of classes. It goes from the fastest division at the speedway, Sprint Cars, to the entry-level class, Hornets. The Hornets division was introduced to the speedway in 2013, and numbers were almost nonexistent. Though there were enough cars to attempt to have a championship season a year later, things didn't begin to pick up for this class until McCann made a more serious commitment to establish this division. The bottom line is, Southern Oregon Speedway needs new racers. The easiest point for a newcomer to enter into the racing world is through the JOAT Labs Hornets.
The Hornets division has been performing pretty well so far this year with double-digit car counts. Numbers started off well last year, but car fatigue set in as the season wore on and the numbers dropped just a little bit. The numbers have been down a little bit in the slightly quicker Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stock division, but the show continues. It is hoped that some of the drivers who have been parked in recent weeks will return to action and bolster those numbers. Mini Stocks have been a staple class at the speedway since it opened in 1996. Only this division and the IMCA Modifieds have crowned a champion in each year since the track opened.
All six of these divisions and the nostalgic OTRO Hardtops are on the schedule for Saturday night. For fans wanting a racing fix, this is the night to get it. It will be non-stop racing from the moment the Trophy Dashes roll onto the track at 7 until the final checkered flag falls on the last feature later in the evening. You don't often get a chance to watch Sprint Cars, Late Models and IMCA Modifieds on the same bill for the regular gate admission price, but this is one of those times you can.
The thing that should give Sprint Car racing fans hope is the fact that many of the drivers who make up the roster are younger competitors under the age of 25. Anissa Curtice comes to us from Eureka, California after logging many laps in Outlaw Kart racing at Red Bluff and other venues. That's another theme as young competitors such as Bailey Hibbard, Enrique Jaime and Tanner Holmes have also moved up from Karts. Word is that we will be seeing the debut of Johnny Burke soon.
The ruleset for the Sprint Car class actually keeps the cars pretty competitive. Reigning champion David Hibbard may be fast, but fellow champions Charlie Thompson and TJ Winningham as well as Mike Wheeler and David Marble are keeping pace. As this division gains traction, the drivers are getting faster and the competition is getting that much tougher. This show just keeps getting better, and the future is looking bright for Sprint Car racing in Southern Oregon.
Late Model fans had been clamoring for this division to be restarted in Southern Oregon. At the old Posse Grounds Speedway, Late Models were king and had a strong car count. The third year of the current run of Late Models, fourth counting Open Stock, is seeing the numbers increase. What's also interesting is that some of the drivers who have been fixtures at the speedway, such as Nathan Augustine, John Dees and Bob Dees, might not be seen as often this year, but other new drivers are still increasing the count.
Trent Elliott has shown a remarkable level of commitment to Late Model racing in Southern Oregon. He certainly makes the longest trip from Northern Oregon. It would be much easier for Elliott to race closer to home, but he's finding the racing conditions at the Medford track to be to his liking. In each of the two previous years, he was a feature winner in his lone appearances, and that was enough to get the team interested in trying to race regularly this year. He picked up a second place finish in the opener, but he's going to be racing hard in an effort to pick up the win this week. It's also possible we'll see Darren Coffell again this week. Coffell ran a strong second at the most recent race and was a feature winner a year earlier.
With that kind of competition coming from up North, the locals know they need to step up their game. Last season's top rookie Miles Deubert was so concerned that he actually purchased a newer car. He is still dialing things in, but he proved last year with his two wins that he can strike for a victory at any time. As Elliott leads the standings, Deubert is in a closer race with Dave Everson and Dave Foote for second.
Everson has won several Pro Stock Main Events in his career and was also the 2013 Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stock champion. He hadn't been racing for the past couple of seasons, but he found the Late Model division to be too tempting to pass up. Last season, it was about figuring things out with the car and dialing out the bugs. This year, he's already looking very competitive, and the fifth place finish that he earned the last time out would indicate that you can't count him out in the race for a win this season.
We've watched Mark Wauge win many Main Events in IMCA Modifieds through the years as well as seven championships. Wauge probably would have been in the hunt for an eighth title this year, but he has been watching the Late Model division with interest. When he found the deal he was looking for, Wauge didn't hesitate to trade his Modified in for the Late Model he now runs.
However, there are differences in set up and driving techniques involved with an IMCA Modified versus a Late Model. How would Mark do behind the wheel of a Late Model for the first time? The answer is, he would do quite well. When you've got drivers like Bobby Hogge IV and Darren Coffell in the field, and you are new to the class, that's almost like having two strikes against you. Of course, it was those two drivers battling for the win, but Wauge watched it all unfold in front of him. Had the breaks gone his way, he could very well have been the winner instead of the very close third that he finished.
Wauge was pleased with the finish. Through his illustrious Modified career, you wouldn't hear him celebrate too much about finishing third in a race, but he was proud of his effort. The fact is, he should be. Wanting more seat time, he headed up north to Willamette during the off week and promptly finished third once again. Mark is not content to just be somebody in the pack. He races to win, and he's got a Main Event victory in his sights.
The IMCA Modified division does not suffer for lack of competition. There are some really good drivers in the field battling it out. It's starting to take on a different look with two newcomers in a field, Jeffrey Hudson and Justin Foux. Hudson has already amassed some impressive credentials on the big track, including second place rankings and Rookie Of The Year honors in the Sprint Cars and the 2015 Pro Stock title. Don Romer knew very well that Jeffrey could drive a race car when he put him behind the wheel of his fast number #83r car.
The season opener gave people a glimpse of the changing look in this class as Hudson and Foux both had their time at the front of the pack. Hudson would end up winning, and Foux still finished third. After another Top 5 effort, Foux is holding onto second the standings in a tie with Zach Fettinger. These two drivers make things very interesting with returning stars such as Nick Trenchard, reigning champion Albert Gill, 2017 title winner Jesse Bailey and Fettinger in the group.
Trenchard is wheeling a new car this year, and he is still getting it dialed in. He looked a little bit better in the Haudenshild race, an event that he's won three times. However, it wasn't quite where he needed it to be. He held second in the later stages of the race until Fettinger surprised him by making a last turn pass for the win. Fettinger seemed to get quicker in the waning laps as his car came to him. He was also a Trophy Dash winner and used this race to remind everybody that he will still be a factor in the battle.
Gill, meanwhile, has had a rough go of it. He's as fast as ever, but mechanical issues have derailed him just a little bit. Gill is also anxious to return to the winner's circle, a place he hasn't been since 2017. If we've learned anything about the three-time champion, you can't count him out. It could be that this week will be his week to shine.
The talent level in the IMCA Sport Modified pool is so deep that it's no exaggeration to say that any one of a dozen drivers could get a feature win on any given week. All it requires is the right brake to go their way. In a moment, it can get away from you. Mike Medel knows that story. A flat tire kept him from being competitive in the season opener, and he was involved in an early front straightaway crash in the most recent race. Medel is as fast as anybody in the field, but the breaks haven't gone his way. He's been around long enough to know that it can go your way on any given week, and he'll be a threat to win on Saturday.
The youth movement is also in effect in the IMCA Sport Modifieds with Braxton Possinger and Justin McCreadie in the mix. McCreadie has looked very impressive in two races, and he's in the hunt for the championship. It's tough to be on the losing end of a photo finish for the win, but McCreadie still looked strong in the season opener. His fourth place finish last time out keeps him in the hunt in the championship chase, and it also serves to remind everybody that he is still a serious threat to win.
After missing the opener, Possinger nearly missed the Main Event at the Roger Haudensild race. He found himself stuck in the B Main, but he dodged the wrecks and made all the right moves to pick up a fifth place finish. Much like McCreadie, Possinger was a feature winner last season. This second-generation racer will surely be a threat to win when he gets back on the track.
We still don't know where Jorddon Braaten might head from week to week. Will he run for the points at Southern Oregon Speedway? That's the mystery. About the only thing the racers and the fans know is that when they see that #84 car out on the track, they know that it can be driven to the winner's circle. Jorddon has now amassed over 100 feature wins in his racing career. As good as he's done, the best is yet to come.
Three drivers doing well in the early goings of the standings are division newcomers Wyatt Westfall, Jantzen Knips and Brian Johnsen. Westfall is a rookie this season with a pair of Top 10 finishes already. Knips was one of last season's Top 5 IMCA Modified racers, but he decided to detune his car and run with the Sport Mods this year. He's been doing pretty well so far as he tries to zero in on a feature victory.
Johnsen has most recently driven Pro Stocks but is a two-time Late Model Lites champion. Since he sold his Pro Stock, he's done what several Pro Stock racers have done in recent years, joined the Sport Modified division. Given how competitive he's been in the past, seeing him win a feature won't be a surprise.
Motor issues have hurt the car count in the Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stock division this season. Last season's championship runner-up, Hunter Magnan, was at the opener, but he came into the night with motor problems. He enlisted the help of David Steele to try to get everything situated, but unfortunately he was still unable to start the Main Event and missed the next race. He still managed to get further along than Steve Goetz. Goetz was at the Yreka opener in April and blew a motor there, resulting in him missing the first two races.
Having two hard chargers such as this duo absent from the field has affected the show. Goetz is the 2013 champion. After missing a couple of seasons, he returned in 2017 and was a feature winner during the season. The win eluded him last year, though he did finish as high as second. He's hoping his engine woes will be resolved and he can return to his winning ways once again. For Magnan, he had multiple runner-up feature finishes last season, and he seems to be on the cusp of getting his first career victory. Hopefully, he'll have his motor issues resolved and be able to race this week.
Despite the car count, Steele and Ashtin Hedges put on a great battle at the front of the pack last time out. Steele watched as Hedges charged past him late in the race to get his first career win. These two drivers figure to be the favorites to win this week, but 2017 champion Kristopher Mix is hoping to have something to say about that. He did win a heat race that night and was only one of two different drivers to actually beat Steele for a future win the year before.
The competition remains close in the JOAT Labs Hornets division, but so far Dylan Sauer has been just a little bit faster than everybody else. Sauer has won both features this season, and he's left the rest of the competition scratching their heads. Tim Hedges and wife Jenna Hedges both have new cars this year, and the hope of both of them was that they would be winners this season. Tim did get a win out of his car last year, but the motor gave up on him later in the season and forced him to retire that particular car. His new car has definitely been fast and he leads the points thanks to his strong preliminary efforts. However, Tim is hopeful that this will be his week to get the win.
Jenna Hedges is one of three talented ladies out there running competitively. Reigning champion Bree Tritchler blew a motor in the season opener, but she came back strong last time out as she finished fourth in the Main Event ahead of Jenna. These two drivers could be in line for a victory this week. Lacey Sauer, meanwhile, is only two races into her rookie season, but she's been doing well. The first step towards getting a win is getting it to the finish line, and she has done that in both Main Events.
It's been a couple of years since Derrel Nelson Jr got a win, and he's hoping to get better results than his most recent start. Things didn't seem to be running quite up to snuff for the #8g car that night, but he did have a Top 5 finish at the opener. Quentin Tritchler, meanwhile, is another of the rookies in the field this year. He's driving his daughter Bree's championship car and took it to a third place finish last time out. The one thing about the Hornets division is that most of the drivers in the field could win on any given week. It makes for an exciting race.
Over 30 years after the Old Time Racers of Oregon Hardtop Association was founded, and the group is still carrying on. A rift in the organization might have done it in, but the Minter and Trotter families have remained committed to this effort. The late Harold Minter was one of the founding fathers of the group, and the car he built back in the 1980s is still being wheeled by his grandson, Mark Minter. Mark presides over the group these days, and it was the late Vic Bridges who negotiated with Mike McCann to get the group race dates starting in 2016.
The Trotter family brings several cars to the show. Bill Trotter fields his car and a truck, which was wheeled very impressively by Jay Smith last season. Jay picked up a pair of Trophy Dash wins and second place finishes, making him the best driver to pilot that truck since the group started racing at Southern Oregon Speedway. He also showed that the truck is capable of competing for wins. Meanwhile, Bill's son Dusty joined his father as a feature winner last year. Dusty's old car is being wheeled by Justin Krossman, who was a Trophy Dash winner last season.
Dean Cast has competed in other divisions at Roseburg in the past, and he jumped at the opportunity to go Hardtop racing when he was able to purchase the #40 car a few years back. Cast is another driver with the potential of getting a win this week. Newcomers and relative newcomers such as Matt Butler and Chris Mehrer are helping this division grow. Rumor has it that the Harlon Cox Hardtop has been purchased in a trade with one of the Sport Modified competitors in Medford, though the name has yet to be revealed.
The OTRO Hardtops are not racing for championship points or big prizes. They do race, but they do so respectfully. Nobody's getting rich doing this. They are having fun and giving people a glimpse of a style of racing from days gone by. They take a lot of pride in these race cars, as they should. They are some of the nicest looking cars on the track. Southern Oregon Speedway is the track that proudly showcases this group for most of their race dates.
Little Southern Oregon Speedway needed a shot in the arm. The Outlaw Kart program it's still the centerpiece of the show, but management has been looking at ways to stimulate the numbers. It had been hoped when KJE Enterprises took over the facility prior to 2016 that a 600 Micro division might get started, but that never really materialized. The track even offered the local Lawnmower competitors from Eagle Point an opportunity to go racing, but nobody really got on the bandwagon.
Over the past couple of years, however, Mike McCann has been looking at Flat Track Motorcycle racing. Because KJE Enterprises put in the MX track during the offseason, the Motorcycle culture in the area has a place to ride. They've been having practice events, and the inaugural one had over 100 riders. Naturally, there is some interest among the group of riders in doing oval track racing. The Motorcycles, Quads and Trikes were put on the schedule this year, but there was some question as to whether anybody would even show up.
It was only three days before the season was set to start when several riders in the three disciplines committed to coming to the little track to race. With their support, the numbers in the pits swelled to roughly 50, which is the second highest total in the pits for a show at Little Southern Oregon Speedway since McCann took over. It was rather interesting watching the show. It wasn't just the Motorcycles, but the Trikes that got some attention.
There were just five competitors who showed up in a group, but the Trikes were flying around the 1/8 mile dirt oval. Garrett Stookey and Ryan Comstock seemed to be the fastest, but Comstock was just a little bit quicker as he wrote his name into the record books as the first ever winner. However, the other interesting occurrence was happening in the Motorcycles where Pro Rider Bobby Ingle became the first winner of a Motorcycle race on the little track. Ingle is the oldest rider in the field at 69 years old. There was the possibility of another old veteran coming out and running this Friday night, and chatter suggests that there will be more riders this time around.
As this aspect of the program is just being established, it's not really known who might show up and run this Friday night, but representation is anticipated in Motorcycles, Quads and Trikes once again. If things continue to progress, big things can happen for Motorcycle racing at Southern Oregon Speedway.
The Karts are still a staple of the little track. It was 21 years ago when racing begin there, and it has continually turned out some great racers who have gone on to compete in different classes on the big track. As the 500 Open Class continues to struggle to get enough cars to have a show, the 250s have sort of taken over the top status. Management has put the call out to deliver a minimum of four driver's in the 500 Open class to race for the standard purse. If the racers want to see other things happen for the class in the future, support now will go a long ways towards making things happen.
Last season, reigning champion Vinny DeBenedetti and 2017 title winner Trevor Grimes had a good battle for the 250 Kart title. Ultimately, motor issues derailed Grimes' effort to repeat, though he won four Main Events during the season. DeBenedetti shined brightly on two occasions where he led the pack in victory. These two drivers figure to continue their battle this year, but the division also saw the addition of Box Stock graduate Jacob James.
James has won Main Events in both the Box Stock and Beginners Box classes, and his first start in a heat race resulted in victory, preventing Grimes from scoring a clean sweep on the evening. The James family has been a staple of Southern Oregon racing going back to the 1950s with Cecil James, continuing on with Markey James, Bret James and now Young Jacob. Racing is in his blood. Also joining the class last time out was Box Stock graduate Emma Rodgers. We saw her a few years ago as one of the Top 5 competitors in that class, and she is excited about the move up and the challenge it presents her.
The Fuller family continues to support this effort with several UAS Speedway Karts and Four Cycle Karts in addition to the Cage Karts being run by Taylor Fuller and his older sister Brionna. Taylor continues to race in the 250 Kart class, but he also made his very first laps in the 500 Open class last time out. He did well as he took a checkered flag behind his sister in the Main Event. Another driver who has recently graduated to the 500 Open class is Brenden Bartlett. Bartlett had some mechanical issues keep him from finishing the feature. If these three 500's show up on Friday and are joined by just one more competitor, they can compete for purse money in addition to a trophy and points.
Keaton Augustine was a bit disappointed to show up to race at the opener and see that a couple of his top rivals from the year before, Ryan Hirschbock and Jacob James, were not there in the class with him. Past Beginners Box Stock champion Malachi Johnson has joined the class, and Kiley Grimes is still a part of the show. Augustine does have Mikey Wheeler Jr to contend with, and though he's just getting started in the class, Wheeler will likely be a factor in the weeks ahead.
After demonstrating how well he can handle his Kart, Albert Gill Jr will be graduated into the Box Stock division for the next show and could provide Keaton some stiff competition. It's hoped that there will be a few more Box Stock competitors this time around.
The Beginner's class has a few drivers who are still getting up to speed, and it's likely that we will see another Novice race this week. Urijah Boardman, Talia Colley and Saige King are currently trying to get up to speed and would be a part of the Novice class this week. Word has it that Caleb Ranney may be in the field this week as well. Bhaltaire Edwards won the first Novice race last time out and seems to be on the cusp of graduating into the Beginners class.
With Gill moving into the Box Stock division, the Beginners class should be very interesting. Jaymie DeBenedetti seems poised to make a run at the championship in a battle with Novice graduate Isaac Sanders and Hunter Granger. It's a pretty good matchup between these three drivers right now. It's anticipated that the group of Beginners should see an increase in count for the show this Friday.
The Flat Kart racers round out what is a very interesting show. When it comes to the UAS Speedway Karts, these drivers are getting around the 1/8 mile oval about as fast as a 500 Open Kart, and they do it with an open cockpit. Steve Rambo has been doing double division duty as he also brings a Four Cycle. Lori Fuller is the reigning UAS Speedway Kart champion, but she's more at home running in the Four Cycle class, where she lost a close battle with her daughter Brionna in the season opener. Brionna also has a ride in the UAS Speedway Kart class, but mechanical issues sidelined her at the opener.
We've seen the appearance of decorated 500 Open Kart champion Mike Wheeler, and he won the UAS Speedway Kart feature in impressive fashion at the opener. Larry Fuller and past Yreka champion Ed Grubb continue to support the Speedway Karts, and the Fuller's will usually have a couple of extra Karts on hand for different drivers who show up to run them. Last time out, Nathan Augustine had a ride in one of those Karts, but his night ended after a heat race.
Outlaw Kart and Motorcycle racing on a Friday night is a relaxed atmosphere. There's some good racing happening on the track, but it's certainly not a high-pressure situation. The kids are out there having fun and giving it their best, win, lose or draw. It's all about fun and family at Little Southern Oregon Speedway. Hopes are high that we could see the biggest turnout of vehicles for this show in the promotional run of KJE Enterprises the track.
Siskiyou Golden Speedway had another opportunity to showcase the new Jefferson State Jalopy division last weekend. At a time when people are talking about the car count in Yreka and what to do about it, JJ Smith and Karl Bernstein aren't just talking. Over the last couple of years, these two have been trying to do something about it as they began building the new Jefferson State Jalopy division out of their shop.
Once they had four running cars, they were able to secure their first dates last season. Promoter Kevin Barba has already given them two complete programs and is very supportive of the new division. Bernstein and Smith are still working hard at getting the fifth car together, but what makes things challenging is the little issues that seem to crop up with the cars they have. On the eve of the previous race, they discovered a blown head gasket in the third car. They were able to get that fixed and have another four car show that night before the rains washed the show away.
Kassidy Wilkinson might have been hoping for a second straight victory and three-time Mini Stock champion Marilyn Yawnick might have been hoping to get a win of her own, but the glory on this occasion went to JJ Smith. It was certainly nice to see that not only did the hard work pay off in terms of having enough cars to put on a show, but Smith got to enjoy some time behind the wheel leading the pack. These cars are so equal that getting a second-straight win when the division returns may not be so easy.
Karl Bernstein was a Stock Car racer at Yreka a few years back, but the Jalopy division has offered him an opportunity to get back behind the wheel again. Thanks to the efforts of Bernstein and Smith, Yreka race fans now get to see a whole new division as it begins. They will return to racing action on August 24th, and they intend to have all four cars ready to go again. However, there's always the possibility that they can be added before that date if Barba is looking to bring them out there and the cars are ready. Given enough time, Jalopy #5 will also make its debut at some point this season.
The August 24th race date mentioned above is actually tentatively being rescheduled as the John Arnberg Memorial IMCA Modified race. This show would also include the IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks. In addition to making the announcement that the Street Stock Iron Giant race will be happening on August 17th along with Mini Stocks and IMCA Sport Modifieds, the schedule now shows a July 20th event that will be the Jerry Casson Memorial Loggers Night. IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks will be joined by the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks.
Barba did find it a little bit challenging putting his schedule together in light of the fact that the decision to award him the track ran a little bit later than he might have liked. The main thing was to get the gates open on schedule, which did happen in April. As Kevin has figured things out, he's adjusted the schedule on the fly. The July 20th event is important because Jerry Casson was a longtime racer at the track and certainly one of the more beloved members of the community.
The bigger challenge was trying to find just the right date to reschedule the 38 lap John Arnberg Memorial race. It was intended to run on Sunday, Memorial Day Weekend. Of course, the rain put an end to that. There were a couple of dates that looked very attractive, and the August 24th date has the bonus of no races for the IMCA Modifieds or Sport Modifieds at neighboring Southern Oregon Speedway. It is hoped that drivers from there will come support this show, as is usually the case.
Diamond Mountain Speedway in Susanville, which is known to send cars to Yreka for big shows on occasion, it's running that Friday, while American Valley Speedway in Quincy isn't running that weekend. In the Bay Area, Petaluma Speedway has a show for the IMCA Modifieds. The bigger challenge could be the fact that Cottage Grove Speedway has an IMCA Nationals event booked for that weekend, which will be a two-day show. Scheduling can be challenging when trying to factor in what's going on other tracks. According to the website, the date will be on the 24th.
Honoring Arnberg is important, and one of the other reasons this date is important is because, coupled with the Speedweek and Rod Restad Memorial race events, this gives Yreka four dates in the IMCA window, meaning it is an official championship season in the eyes of the sanctioning body. Therefore, Yreka will continue the tradition of crowning a champion in this class which goes back nearly 30 years. This is important as it keeps Yreka in the IMCA Modified discussion as Barba plans for the future beyond this year.
The IMCA Sport Modifieds continue to be the headliner. The speedway is hoping to reinvigorate the car count. Two years ago, local support was strong enough that they were able to increase the purse a little bit on occasion. However, car count slumped a little bit last year. Thanks to some support from the Sanders Team, Rich McCoy and a few other visiting drivers, the division has been able to maintain double digit car count in all but one of their six races held so far.
We did see the return of Chad Wormington, who has made two of the last three races. Unfortunately for Chad, he ended up last in the most recent race. Chad missed last year as he sold his car to the Sanders Team, but he is certainly a welcome return to the fold. Last week also marked the division debut of Merissa Henson. Henson has competed in Sprint Cars and Mini Stocks at Medford in recent years, but last week was her first opportunity to pilot the Donny Bottoms owned car. She grabbed a checkered flag in seventh.
Reigning champion Trevor Tiffee keeps dropping hints that his return could be soon. Two-time Trophy Dash winner Randy Wright and Gary Foster have been at most of the races this year, and Colt Boswell, Ryder Boswell and Ethan Killingsworth have made them all. Less than 10 points are separating leader Killingsworth from the Boswell brothers in a close battle. It's likely that these three young guns will be fighting it out until the final checkered flag this season.
In an effort to get that much more competitive behind-the-wheel, both Killingsworth and Ryder Boswell have made trips out of town. Boswell made a race at Cottage Grove earlier this year. Like Killingsworth, he was at the most recent race in Medford. Killingsworth has also made the trek to Susanville. One of the ways you get better and make yourself that much more competitive for when the hard chargers from out of town come to try and take the money is by competing elsewhere when scheduling allows. It's all about the seat time.
Last time out, Ryder Boswell managed to hold off Killingsworth to finish fourth in the Main Event. Killingsworth is a one-time winner this year. Colt Boswell has a season-high second, while Ryder has finished as high as third. The competitive nature of this division is such that there have been been five different winners in six races so far. This has been the trend in this division over the past couple of seasons with several different drivers visiting the winner's circle each year.
It's a scramble at the top of the Mini Stock point sheet this year. There's been a change in this class. It seems like during the past few seasons, the wins get divided between three-time reigning champion Marilyn Yawnick, two-time champion Mike Whitaker and multiple division champion Terry Kendrick, while Medford and Yreka champion David Steele comes to town and periodically gets wins. Steele does have two wins this year, while Kendrick has one victory as well.
However, the past two races have seen two new drivers emerge with their first career victories. Kassidy Wilkinson nearly pulled off a double win at the Bo Hittson Memorial. After winning the Jefferson State Jalopy race, Wilkinson was going for the Mini Stock win. It was Zak McMurry who left with the trophy that night, and McMurry was hoping to have a repeat performance last week. David Steele made the trip and had his eyes on the prize, but it was Wilkinson bringing it home to victory. To get that win, however, Wilkinson had to hold off Steele.
It makes the Yreka Mini Stock division that much more interesting to watch when you see these drivers racing so hard and new drivers getting their first taste of victory. It's also quite a battle at the top of the point list. While Terry Kendrick is hoping to reclaim the championship, it's way too soon to count your points. Consistency will be the thing that gets it done in the end. Mike Kendrick, Darek Alford and Terry Alford could just get the win themselves. Terry Alford has finished as high as third this year. Darek Alfred was leading the standings until a post-race tech disqualification at the Bo Hittson race knocked him from that position.
It seems kids bike racing has become something more tracks are doing these days. Yreka has had this tradition for the past few years, and this Saturday marks its return. The kids will get a chance to race their bikes on the track and there will also be a bike giveaway. Mountain Valley Raceway in Hayfork did a similar thing last week, but they seemed do to it up to a pretty big level.
Each kid that showed up at the race track not only got free admission, they were given a voucher for a hot dog and a drink and a ticket for a raffle drawing later that night. The kids that brought bikes and helmets were able to race against kids in their age groups, and bikes were also being given away as part of the raffle prizes. It went over very well with the kids. The new association running the track is pulling out all the stops they can think of to get people to come out and check out the show.
It's certainly been a challenge in Hayfork. Clyde Cordell had a dream some ten years ago to bring car racing to that big track. It took a couple of years from the time that plan was hatched to the moment the first race actually happened. Sadly, Clyde passed away before he could see the results, but the biggest race the track has every year is during the Trinity County Fair. This is a race that's named after Clyde, and everybody tries to make it.
Because officials wanted to make sure there was plenty of time for the kids to race their bikes and do all the drawings, Trophy Dashes were combined with the heat races to move the program along faster. There were roughly 20 drivers spread across the four divisions. The track continues to feature Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks, while also trying to build a B Modified class. The show closes each week with the running of the wild and exciting Enduro race.
When you're building a racing program, you try to put whatever you can on the track that will get you cars. The Enduro show uses cars, SUVs, station wagons and whatever you can get to go around that track. After the track is wet, the drivers are unleashed. It's become very competitive. Though the cars aren't zooming around the track, just negotiating the melee on a wet track is challenging enough. When you pick up a win in an Enduro at Hayfork, you've certainly earned it. Bryan Gummerus won again as he battled the likes of JD Hudman, William Young and others for that honor.
The Hobby Stock and Mini Stock classes fielded about a half a dozen cars each, and it was Pinto power getting the job done in the Mini Stock class. It's interesting to know that most of the people running Fords these days are running Mustangs, and it's not every track that has very many Pintos in the field. The Pinto of Larry Richardson won the feature, while Joey Young claimed Trophy Dash honors.
Russ Newman has been one of the staunchest supporters of Hobby Stock racing in Hayfork in recent years, and he had a two-race win streak going. This caught the attention of past track champion Josh Smith and brother Tressen Smith. Josh had motor problems force him to load up early, but Tressen rose to the occasion in his biggest night yet. He picked up feature wins in both the B Modified and Hobby Stock classes and also won the Trophy Dashes.
it almost seems like a national magazine article written about Hayfork a couple of years ago made light of what happens at that track and that town. The racers take a lot of pride in their home track. They are the ones establishing a tradition that they hope will continue for years to come. They are hoping to make this a place that families can come to have a good time, and they know it's up to them to put on a show that makes the fans want to come back. There are some good things that can happen at Mountain Valley Raceway in the future. However, it doesn't happen overnight. It happens by making each show go off as scheduled and doing the best that they can.
Don't let the 1/5 mile size of the dirt oval at Orland Raceway fool you. Don't let the fact that they are in the shadow of the better-known Silver Dollar Speedway let you think that they aren't having some good racing at the Glenn County Fairgrounds based facility. The fact is, there has been a really nice racing tradition that has happened at Orland Raceway for many years. The current incarnation of the speedway started in the late 1980s, but there was also oval track racing in Orland in the 1970s.
In fact, one could lobby Promoter Rich Hood to consider the possibility that a Hall of Fame could be established in 2020. The fact is, there have been some good drivers that have come through those gates through the years, and it's likely that you'll have a very good discussion amongst longtime observers as to who should get those honors. You could induct two or three people a year on a special night. One of the things a Hall of Fame night shows is that there is a great tradition and history at that race track.
It would be hard to argue against the induction of the late Ken Lewis. He was a multi-time Mini Stock champion and certainly one of the best. John Camper of the Pure Stock division wears the old Ken Lewis fire suit. The discussion would certainly go on from there, and there are quite a few drivers who would deserve that honor. One of the drivers who raced with Ken Lewis back in those days and won some of those battles was Wes Smock.
Smock at times has looked unbeatable in his Orland visits. Last Saturday night, as the track ran the Fourth Annual Thomas Schmitke Race For A Cure event, Smock got the lead and was never really threatened as he won his second feature in his last three starts. The battle behind him, however, was quite lively. Reigning champion Paul Stephens ended up with that position ahead of point leader Phil Spencer and Keith Ross. All of these cars had a few battle scars, but they still made it to the checkered flag.
At times, the Pure Stock drivers leave the speedway a little bit frustrated after the rough-and-tumble battle they had on the track, but they always come back. They put on one heck of a show for the fans each time they race. This has been one of the staple classes at the speedway for the past several years.
However, the division that seems to be having some sort of revival is the Wingless Spec Sprint class. Ralph Jacobo and his son Josh were the chief instigators in establishing this division, and the Jacobo team still has a presence as Josh Jacobo and Cassie Amore are both racing. Josh has won multiple championships in this class, while Amore is making her first laps this year. She has been involved in the safety crew for the past several years. Getting her time behind the wheel is a dream come true.
At times, past Chico and Orland champion Tony Richards has looked like Superman out there as he flies around the track unchallenged by the competition. Last Saturday, Superman came crashing back to Earth. While chasing leader Bobby Douglas, he spun by himself on the front straightaway. He recovered without a yellow flag and finished fourth, but he didn't manage to gain any ground on point leader Denny McNary, who took a checkered in third behind RJ Baker. Second was the best finish of the year for Baker, who lost the championship battle by just one point to Tanner Thomson last season.
Jeremy Langenderfer has had a dream come true season this year. He's finally gotten the opportunity to run Sprint Cars, which is really something he never thought he'd get to do. He won his first Spec Sprint heat and led a lap of the Main Event before having to make a pit stop. Langenderfer was a busy man on Saturday as he also piloted his championship-winning Pure Stock and a Mini Stock. The Pure Stock effort ended in disappointment, but he finished second in the Mini Stock Main Event.
Tom Davis is putting such a whooping on the Mini Stock field these days that it may be discouraging some of the competition from even showing up. Davis led from the get-go last week as he picked up yet another victory and increased his lead even more. Langenderfer wasn't that far behind him, but he wasn't able to make a challenge. Two-time champion John Kirkpatrick took a checkered flag in third last week.
We know that this has been a difficult year for Barbara Crain, but it's good to see her racing the red #23 car. Barbara didn't have the best finish, but she initially announced plans to sell the car and retire. Her late husband, another potential Hall of Fame candidate "Rollin" Olin Crain, passed away earlier this year. They were a team and oftentimes in recent years, Olin would be pitting on her car and his truck rather than driving.
The truck division is taking on a new look, but past champion Dan Webster is still there leading the pack. He's missed races, which has taken him temporarily out of the championship battle. However, Dan has three wins to his credit. He led one-time winner Zack Webster across the line at the most recent race. Zack had been leading the points until rolling his truck off of Turn 2 a few races ago and then missing the next race. He's still in the hunt in a championship battle that's being led by James Woodell over Kalvin Kvalvik.
Orland has the longest running Mini Truck show in California as it goes back to the 1990s. There were nine of them on this occasion. Placerville Speedway, meanwhile, has introduced a Mini Truck division of their own in the last couple of years and had 11 last week. It's interesting to note that past Antioch Speedway Truck champion Pete Paulsen still has two very competitive trucks up for sale. Anybody buying those vehicles would certainly be contenders.
Marysville Raceway Unofficial Race Results June 8, 2019
360 Sprints
Michael Ing
Korey Lovell
Bobby Butler
Alec Justeson
Heath Hall
Adam Brenton
Brandon Dozier
Brad Dillard
Mike Monahan
Jimmy Steward
Wyatt Brown
Pat Harvey Jr.
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Andrew Peckham
Jimmy Ford
Mike Merritt
Scott Savell
Todd Cooper
Alan Furuta
Timothy Allerdings
Thomas Reynolds
Jason Ferguson
Mike Smith
Jeremy Phillips
Jim Waller
Hobby Stocks
Brian Compton
Gus Welty
Shannon Collins
Eric Phillips
Jose Hernadez
David Caluya
Jesse Van Roekel
Mike Stoeckle
Robert Warf
Toby Merrifield
William Merritt
Jared Powers
Devin Ryan
Jeremiah Creedon
James West
David Allen
Chris "Taco" Golden
Chris Van Roekel
Danny Lavonte
Willie Horn Jr.
Super Stocks
Matt Micheli
Richard Vander Ploeg
Brent Lawrence
George Magenheimer
Silver Dollar Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 7, 2019
Butte County Sheriff's Search And Rescue Night
Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Chase Majdic
Justyn Cox
Brad Bumgarner
Blake Carrick
John Clark
Angelo Cornet
Caden Sarale
Michael Ing
Jake Haulot
Wyatt Brown
Jeremy Wilson
Steel Powell
Casey McClain
Kyle Offill
Chelsea Blevins
Alex Fowler
Sean Becker
Andy Forsberg
D.J. Freitas
Kalib Henry
Street Stocks
Brent Lawrence
Phil Marino
Ryan Cherezian
Ken Micheli
Kyle Allen
Gary Newman
Richard Workman
Matt Micheli
Hobby Stocks
Kyle Allen
Jeremiah Creedon
Shannon Collins
James West
Mel Byers
Jim Brookshire
Toby Merrifield
Zach Lindgren
Travis Moore
Maurice Merrill
California Hardtops
Ken Retzloff
Ron Ruiz
Ken Clifford
Joe Hopp
Mario Romano
Placerville Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 8, 2019
Thompson's Auto Group Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Andy Forsberg
Justin Sanders
Bobby McMahan
Kalib Henry
Mike Benson
Jimmy Trulli
Jodie Robinson
Bubba DeCaires
Blake Carrick
Cody Lamar
Shane Hopkins
Justin Johnson
Jake Morgan
Chris Masters
Jarrett Soares
Mike Cook
Ryan Robinson
Colby Wiesz
Tony Gualda
Jay's Mobile Welding Pure Stocks
Kevin Jinkerson
Nick Baldwin
Scott Grunert
Jason Palmer
Mel Byers
Jesse Bryant
John Ewing
Clarence Holbrook
Stephanie Hanson
Aaron Taylor
NorCal Dwarf Cars
Ryan Winter
Ben Wiesz
Mike Grenert
Josh Wiesz
Kevin Bender
Tim Fitzpatrick
Shawn Whitney
Mike Reeder
Ryan Plexico
Jeromy Blackshire
Justin Winter
Jeff Fitch
Wade Ehrlich
Tom Vantuyl
Sam Wren
Dan Zuger
Katelin Eccles
Mini Trucks
Chris Curtis
Mike Miller
John Littlejohn
Russ Murphy
Aaron Rupley
Ryan Murphy
Ted Ahart
Thomas Jensen
Chris Schaaf
Sam MacFadyen
Tom Stanwood
NCRA Lakeport Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 8, 2019
NCRA Modifieds
Darrin Knight
Eric Johnson
Darrin Sullivan
Richard Knight
Ian Elliott
Bryan Denton
Chris Salmina
Michael Knight
Tavo Bell Bombers
Darrin Sullivan
Lauren Snider
Dustin Kuhl
Kyle Medina
Bob Mook
Josh Morrison
Rick Jelton
Trevor Abella
Davey Jones
John McCullough
NCI 4 Modifieds
Chris Straka
Andy Leuzinger
Mike Peterson
Wade Eldredge
Legends
Cody Winchel
Kylie Daniels
Bandoleros
Trey Daniels
Landon Snider
Jammers
Raymond Taylor Jr
Riley Sullivan
Dennis Anderson
Siskiyou Speedway Unofficial Race Results June 8, 2019
Jefferson State Jalopies
JJ Smith
Marilyn Yawnick
Kassidy Wilkinson
Karl Bernstein
Mini Stocks
Kassidy Wilkinson
David Steele
Zak McMurry
Mike Whitaker
Ashtin Hedges
Michael Kendrick
Marilyn Yawnick
Darek Alford
Terry Alford
Terry Kendrick
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Rich McCoy
Issac Sanders
Matt Sanders
Ryder Boswell
Ethan Killingsworth
Colt Boswell
Merissa Henson
Randy Wright
Gary Foster
Chad Wormington
The Editor's Viewpoint
I wasn't really planning on writing this particular column, and if you're reading this it means that I decided to edit it and run it. I've got another column to edit, so throwing this in at the last minute is not the smartest move to make. Me explaining the situation makes it longer, so let me just get to it.
Southern Oregon Speedway is running a seven division program this Saturday. What's interesting is that the program that's being offered wasn't possible in 2015. That is to say that Promoter Mike McCann has added a Sprint Car and Late Model division to the lineup, and the track didn't have either class in 2015. To show you how far this once-proud race track had fallen, there was a night in 2015 when only 18 cars showed up between IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks.
So, when Mike took over, he knew he was going to have to make adjustments to the program. He knew that he simply couldn't run those three divisions every week on a 20 race schedule and expect a car count. Drivers were getting pretty tired. And even though he cut those divisions back to about 10 to a dozen races per season and heard some drivers complain about that, it's worked out for the best. In 2019, racers need weeks off to repair their equipment and do things with their families. That is a fact.
The other fact is, fans want to see cars. If they're not seeing cars, they're not going to give you money to go through the gates and watch your show. Therefore, Mike knew he had to come up with other divisions and get car count numbers up quick. It's been a process that over the last three years has seen the Sprint Car division and the Late Model division both gain cars. It's not where it needs to be exactly, but it has certainly come a long ways. When you have fast divisions like the Sprint Cars, Modifieds and Late Models, you can rotate them, give one or two of those divisions a week off and still give the fans a fast division to enjoy on any given week. It makes sense on paper, and it makes sense in application.
As it so happens, Saturday night is a rare occasion in which IMCA Modifieds, Late Models and Sprint Cars are all going to compete. They are three of the seven divisions being offered, meaning the fans should be treated to a show that could have 70 or more cars in the pits between the different groups. It's all about giving the fans a show. Even with this lineup, will the fans show up? That's always the question you have to ask. It's not a guarantee that the fans are going to show up, and there can always be a night when one of these divisions underperforms as well.
The beautiful thing about the Southern Oregon Speedway lineup is there are nine different divisions that get rotated on any given week. Normally, you're not seeing seven divisions run, but Mike decided to throw everything but the kitchen sink into this one. Fans wanting to go check out a race at Southern Oregon Speedway might want to pick Saturday night. You get a nice taste of just about every division the track has to offer.
While Southern Oregon Speedway has seen an increase in cars and an upturn in the program during the past few years, Siskiyou Golden Speedway has certainly hit on hard times. The program has been neglected. Sure, the gates have been open and the races have continued, but fans have increasingly come out to watch low car counts, and that's left the situation where fans sometimes don't want to spend the money to come watch. Yes, divisions might be advertised, but how many cars are going to come?
This is probably one of the factors that led to the fairgrounds leadership's decision to seek out a promoter for this year. Normally, promoters haven't been knocking on the door to run this place, so the Siskiyou County Motorsports Association has kept the gates open for the past several years. I am quick to give them credit, because some show is better than no show at all, but I do believe they should have been making more of an effort during the past five years to add more to their lineup. They let the IMCA Modified division dwindle down to the point where it almost doesn't exist, and they haven't gotten on the bandwagon of many tracks, which is to say they haven't added a Hornet division. This probably should have happened long ago.
Kevin Barba faces the daunting task of not only getting fans to come back out and watch again but getting racers to come back out there and race again. He knew that the track only had two regular in-house divisions, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks. Technically, they crowned an IMCA Modified champion last year as they did run four races, but the division has not been a regular feature at the speedway for the past few years. This means they rely on visiting groups like the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks and Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars. So, Kevin's going to have to look into the possibility of adding divisions, seeing if he can revive the IMCA Modifieds and taking what he can get. He has added the Jefferson State Jalopies on two occasions, but right now they only have four cars as they all come from the shops of JJ Smith and Karl Bernstein.
Can this program live? In my opinion yes, but the challenge he faces right now is there's not a lot of money behind him. So, if he takes too many big risks and fails, he's not going to have the money to operate the place. The association ran things close to the vest. They didn't take big risks, and they generally maintained the status quo. Their undoing was when a dishonest board member actually left with several thousand dollars of money from the treasury, nearly killing the association and nearly shutting the track down prior to the 2018 season.
Barba is to be forgiven if everything hasn't been perfect. He's done his best. He has had to face some bad weather this year that has hurt him, and obviously the crash at the opening race through the grandstands fence that resulted in canceling half the show didn't help. But, he's taking his lumps and has come back enthusiastically each week. This weekend's offering will be IMCA Sport Modifieds, Pro Stocks and Mini Stocks. Next week, the track is hosting the opening Wild West Speedweek IMCA Modified race which will be supported by the IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks.
Kevin is also lining up races that have special meaning. Jerry Casson passed away prior to the year. He was a respected and beloved member of the community, so Kevin has added a race on July 20th in his memory, which will feature IMCA Sport Modifieds, Pro Stocks and Mini Stocks. The rained out John Arnberg Memorial race will happen on August 24th. In addition to the big money IMCA Modified show that night, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks and Jefferson State Jalopies will make this an attractive program. The week before, August 17th, the Iron Giant Street Stock Series will make up their rainout with IMCA Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks running in support.
Kevin has been left scrambling and adjusting his schedule on the fly this year as he's learned. He's been involved in the sport for the past several years, but this is his first turn at the helm of a Speedway. All in all, he's done okay, but he still faces the problem of dwindling car counts. Therefore, he's still charged with trying to figure out what it's going to take to get people back out there with their race cars again. Bottom line is fans want to watch a show. More cars makes for a better show, and it makes fans more willing to open up their wallets and spend money. This Saturday's show should give them their money's worth.
This is a crucial time for the speedway because we are coming up on Speedweek for both the IMCA Modifieds and the Winged 360 Sprint Cars, the Jerry Casson Memorial race will be happening, and this all happens in the span of about a month leading into the fair break. So, it's hoped that there's going to be a couple of solid nights in there as Kevin learns and assesses what's working so he can apply it to a second year as promoter.
I'm sure he's well aware of the fact that he needs a third in-house division and probably a fourth. And right now, rescheduling the John Arnberg Memorial race isn't just important for the fact that it honors the past champion, but also because it gives them the fourth race that makes this an IMCA sanctioned championship and keeps that division's consecutive championship season run intact. The desire seems to be there to keep this division in the lineup, and the Jalopies seem like they have a place for some dates as well.
it still comes down to the fact that more in-house divisions are needed to keep this thing going. When the Mini Stock division wasn't on the Memorial Day Weekend schedule and then was added to both dates at the last minute, there were drivers complaining because they carry such a heavy load. The bottom line is the track can't really afford to give the Mini Stocks or IMCA Sport Modifieds many nights off during the year, because both classes are needed due to the lack of other divisions in the rotation. So, that's the challenge. Needing to increase the car count and the attendance goes hand-in-hand. You can't really have one without the other.
Still waiting in the wings is the Siskiyou County Motorsports Association. They didn't just disband because they don't have Siskiyou Golden Speedway to promote anymore. Quite the contrary. They've kept the association alive and are working to try and repay debts and figure out other ways in which they can promote racing. Recently, they announced that they are looking at property and possibly building a race track. In this case, they're considering Lawnmower racing as a possibility.
At first glance, this looks like a very silly idea, but in parts of the country, Lawnmower racing is quite popular. The question is, could such a thing work in this location? There was a group called the State of Jefferson Mower Association that had intentions of building a track somewhere in the area, but so far nothing has come to fruition. Does that group even exist, and if so, would they compete at a proposed Siskiyou County Motorsports Association promoted track?
There's lots of questions here, but right now it's safe to say that it's in the exploratory stages. They just put it out there that they were looking at possibilities and wondering how many people might support a Lawnmower racing track. A track of that size could still stage some interesting motorsports events. There's Flat Track Motorcycle racing as a possibility as it's starting to gain a foothold in Medford. There's the intriguing possibility of doing something with Hornet four cylinder cars on a small track, which actually happens at a few different venues on the West Coast on occasion.
What will ultimately happen is anybody's guess, but the association is looking for ways to stay relevant and in the game in light of the fact that they no longer promote either the big track or the little track at the Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds. If there's a will there's a way. We'll have to wait and see if anything comes to pass from this, but the desire appears to be to keep the association alive for the immediate future. If you're going to have a Motorsports Association, it stands to reason that you need to do something that actually promotes Motorsports. If you can't do it at the established location, you find other places and other ways in which you can.
I've been thinking about the idea of a race track Hall of Fame. When I came up to Medford, though I wasn't really well versed in the history, I knew that a Hall of Fame needed to be established for Southern Oregon racers. I was aware of some of the big names, but I knew there were people who knew more of them. Immediately upon my arrival, I was in Mike's ear about not only a Hall of Fame but the race that became the R Charles Snyder Salute. Things that have a tie to the heritage of a race track matter. Southern Oregon Speedway will have its third Hall of Fame night on August 17th.
I went down to California and my old stomping grounds in Antioch to establish the Antioch Speedway Hall of Fame in 2018. I pretty much used the model that was created by Curt and Denny Deatheridge in establishing the Cottage Grove Speedway Historical Night where they induct people into that track's Hall of Fame. Ten people were inducted at Antioch last year, and it's my intention to continue that tradition this year. Ultimately, I'd like to have a committee created and put things in place to make sure that the Hall of Fame at Antioch Speedway continues long after I step away from the game.
I've looked over at Orland Raceway, where I think Rich Hood has done a really good job. He's established some really nice programs on their card, including the Thomas Schmitke Race For A Cure Cancer fundraising event that they just had this last week. They raised some $800 to fight Cancer. They do the kids bike giveaway and bike racing night that Barbara Crain is very involved with. Fan Appreciation Night is a big deal where the cars are on display behind the main grandstand before the races, there's food and the fans get to meet their favorite drivers and get pictures and autographs. This kind of stuff matters.
I'm well aware that Orland Raceway as we know it now has been around since the 1980s. There was actually racing on an oval track in Orland going back to the 1970s, and with that kind of history, I have to wonder if Rich might consider a Hall of Fame there. I'm reminded of one of the best drivers of the last 25 years that was there, multi-time Mini Stock champion Ken Lewis. One of the racers in the Hobby Stock division, John Camper, wears the old fire suit that Ken wore. Watching Wes Smock return and race Hobby Stocks made me think about Lewis, because Smock and Lewis ran wheel-to-wheel in the Mini Stocks back in the day. It was quite a rivalry.
So you ask, does Orland have enough of a history to have a Hall of Fame? I say, yes. There were people behind the scenes that made a difference down there. There were great racers on the track, not the least of which is Ken Lewis. They can do it. It also shows more of a tie with the community and the fact that the race track actually has a history. It shows that the history does matter. So, perhaps this is something that could be considered.
Community does matter. The history of a race track does matter. It shows what has been there in the past. It ties the present to the past as you look to the future. The community stuff matters and so do the things that you do to interact with the fans. Yreka is doing kid's bike racing and bike give aways this Saturday night, which brings out the families. Isn't family what racing is all about?
In Hayfork, they've been working to establish this race track for the past decade. It's tough trying to build a car count where there was no car count prior to that track opening in 2011. They're doing all right, and they also understand that they need fans. So they had kids night this past week that not only gave the kids a free entrance, they got a free hot dog and drink and a free ticket for the drawings for the giveaways later in the evening. Any kid that brought a helmet and a bike got to race on the big track.
These are the things that you do when you're trying to promote the sport and make it bigger and better. You do what you have to do to keep those gates open and keep the fans entertained and wanting to come back. It's not a slam dunk that we can keep a race track open these days. The economy has changed, people's habits have changed and tracks are closing all across the country. So, we should be thankful for the promoters who invest their own money to keep the gates open, rather than pointing a finger at them and calling them every name in the book when the night doesn't go exactly the way you want.
Packed grandstands of 1500 to 2,000 might have been the norm once upon a time, but these days you struggle to get 500 or 600 fans and 40 to 50 cars in the pits at most venues. We laugh at that and say that's a shallow comparison to what it used to be, but those numbers are still keeping things afloat. It only gets better when we work harder to make it happen.
Maybe somewhere in these ramblings I've made sense? I don't know. It's very early in the morning right now and I need to go to bed. If I'm not too stressed out, I'll edit this and put it out there for people to read and consider. Otherwise, that's all for now. Until next time...
