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Hall Of Fame Night This Saturday
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...After last weekend's unusual wet weather forced the cancellation of racing, Southern Oregon Speedway has another special night planned for this Saturday night. It's the Third Annual Southern Oregon Racing Hall Of Fame event. There will be six new members inducted into the Hall of Fame. There will also be some great racing on the Jim Rodgers prepared 3/10 mile clay oval, featuring IMCA Modifieds, Late Models, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks and JOAT Labs Hornets.
Given the storied history of Southern Oregon racing, including such tracks as the Medford Raceway, Cascade Raceway in White City and the Ashland track, coming up with a list of people deserving of being inducted into the Hall of Fame is not too difficult. The challenging part is limiting who goes in each year. This new tradition has been established to ensure that the history of racing in Southern Oregon is not only preserved, but honored as well.
On Saturday night, six of the all-time greats will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. This list will include Markey James, Jim Walker Sr, Jay McCleary, Sam Dykes, Dave Shinn and Freddy Higginbotham. All six of these honorees have made envaluable contributions to racing throughout their storied careers.
Walker was a two-time champion at the old White City track who won races at both that venue and the Medford Raceway. James, who's father was racing legend Cecil James, bears the distinction of winning Main Events in every decade from the 1960s until he retired in the early 2000s. McCleary was a two-time Street Stock champion who won many races at various venues throughout his career.
In an era when Hall of Famers Ben Neel and Harold Hardesty were winning everything, Dykes was the 1968 champion and won races in the 1960s and 1970s. Shinn won the inaugural POSSE Super Stock championship, which pitted some of the best drivers from Oregon and California against each other in great competition. The man flagging some of the biggest races from the 1960s and throughout the 1980s was Freddy Higginbotham, and he became one of the most respected officials at Medford Racway.
After the rude interruption of the rain last week, point leader Zach Fettinger will be out to see if he can get his second-straight IMCA Modified win of the season. During the past three seasons, it's been rare to see any driver win more than one race, but Fettinger scored three victories last season as well. He holds a 25 point advantage over 2017 champion Jesse Bailey. Bailey will be looking for his second win of the season, and some of the stars to watch for this week include three-time reigning champion Albert Gill, rookies Justin Foux and Jimmy Lipke, Ray Kniffen Jr and Duane Orsburn.
Following his third feature triumph of the season last time out, Trent Elliott is pulling away from the pack in the Late Model championship battle. Saturday night will be a good tune-up opportunity for Elliott as he has eyes on the $4,000 prize being offered in the August 24th Cottonwood Classic. With a pair of third place finishes, Dave Everson now holds second in the standings ahead of one-time winner Darren Coffell and Dave Foote. These drivers could be there this week, and others to watch for include Mark Wauge, Bob Dees, Miles Deubert and Chris Biggs.
Jorddon Braaten is on a pace to write his name in the book as a three-time IMCA Sport Modified champion. Braaten has a pair of victories and a 10 point advantage over one-time winner Matt Sanders. Matt's brother, Isaac Sanders, is 20 points out of the lead and also has a win to his credit. Two-time champion Mike Medel will be out to see if he can get his first win of the season. He currently ranks fourth in the standings ahead of last season's top rookie, Branden Wilson. Other stars to watch for this week include Joby Shields, Brian Knorr, Steve Lysinger, previous winner Braxton Possinger and Billy Richey.
Reigning Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks champion David Steele leads the charge with four feature victories and a 15 point lead over Ashtin Hedges. Hedges has been very consistent and also has a feature win and two Trophy Dash victories to his credit. While they battle for the championship, 2017 champ Kristopher Mix and Hunter Magnan have a close battle going for third in the standings. Magnan has a win this year, and Mix is still looking for his first. Other racers to watch for include top rookie Dylan Irving, 2013 champion Steve Goetz, Brandyn Wonsyld and Mike McLeod.
Rounding out of exciting program will be the JOAT Labs Hornets. The wins have been divided amongst four-time winner Dylan Sauer and two-time winner Tim Hedges. Sauer leads Hedges by nine points in the hotly contested chase, while Tim's wife Jenna Hedges has a close battle going with rookie Quinton Tritchler for third in the standings. Those two drivers are still looking for their first wins as they've been running very strong this season. Other racers to watch for include rookie Shawn Nelson, Lacey Sauer, Chris Boynton, Zach Nelson and Ryan Nelson.
Fans looking for a little bit more racing action can go to the Little Southern Oregon Speedway track on Friday for championship night. We will be crowning champions in the various divisions. Jayme DeBenedetti continues to lead the Beginners Box Stock chase, while Trevor Grimes is leading the 250 Kart standings. With Flat Track Bikes, Trikes and Quads also on the schedule, it should be an exciting program. Gates open at 5 pm on Friday with the first race starting at 7. $10 gets you pit access and a bleacher seat.
On Saturday night, the gates will open at 5 with the first race starting at 7. Also, the Hall of Fame induction ceremony is will take place approximately after the heat races have concluded. General Admission Adult tickets 13+ are $13, Seniors 62+, Veterans and Juniors 7 to 12 are $7 and children 6 and under are free. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Iron Giant Street Stocks Headline Siskiyou Golden Speedway Program Saturday Night
Yreka, CA...After nearly a month off for the annual Siskiyou County Fair, racing returns to Siskiyou Golden Speedway this Saturday night. Promoter Kevin Barba has two big events lined up in succession, and it starts with the Iron Giant Street Stock Series race this Saturday night. Joining them will be the IMCA Sport Modifieds and the Mini Stocks.
Rains put a damper on the big Memorial Day weekend event that had been planned at the speedway. The Street Stock invasion was one of those races, and there was also the John Arnberg Memorial IMCA Modified show. Barba has scheduled that race for August 24th. They will run the 38 lap IMCA Modified race that night in memory of the past Yreka and Medford Raceway champion. The IMCA Modifieds will pay $1,038 to win that night, and the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks and Jefferson State Jalopies will make this an exciting show for the fans.
The fans haven't had too much of an opportunity to watch Street Stock racing in Yreka over the past 5 or 6 years, but the Iron Giant Street Stock Series is the biggest thing going for the division on the West Coast. Series organizers James Whitehouse and Chris Sine put together a schedule that sees the group competing at over 10 different tracks between Yreka and Yakima, Washington. Prior to rain ending the program prematurely in May, there were 16 Street Stock drivers ready to do battle. Because of the threat of rain, some of the teams didn't make the trip to Yreka, but the conditions should be much better this time. That means there may be even more Street Stocks this Saturday.
The group will run a 50 lap Main Event, paying $1,000 to win. They've had shows at Cottage Grove, St Helens, Roseburg and Madras, and four different drivers have taken the honors. Wins have gone to David Cronk, Brian Crock, Greg McDonald and Chase Berkeley. However, Chris West has been the most consistent with three second place finishes in four starts. He holds a 20 point lead over McDonald after four races.
Third place currently belongs to Erik Jarnport, only 19 points behind McDonald. Josh Sheller and Jesse Yankee make up the balance of the Top 5. These five hard chargers are anticipated this week, and some of the other stars to watch for include Bernie Lujan, Sean Cronk, Mikee Lang and Sine. Coos Bay point leader Steve Dubisar and past Coos Bay champion Daniel Land are two others to watch for as the fans will be treated to some full fendered Stock Car excitement on Saturday night.
The IMCA Sport Modified race figures to be a battle that will go down to the wire this season. Following his second win of the season last time out, Ethan Killingsworth pulled to within three points of past champion Colt Boswell. Boswell managed to get a fourth place finish, but brother Ryder Boswell was a disappointed ninth and slipped five points behind him in a close, three-car battle. Both Boswell brothers are still looking for their first wins of the season.
One of the drivers who figures into the battle for victory anytime she's there is Merissa Henson. Henson did pick up a Trophy Dash win last time out, and she chased Killingsworth across the line for a second place finish. She has two victories to her credit as does another Medford based racer, Rich McCoy. Henson is driving for past Yreka champion Donny Bottoms. Reigning champion Trevor Tiffee is back and finished third last time out. Several local drivers have been returning in recent races, and some of the people to watch for this week include Dennis Jorgensen, Donovan Rodgers, Doug Franklin and fourth-ranked Randy Wright.
The latest Mini Stock point list has not been made available, but it is sure to see two of the young guns of the class, Zak McMurry and Darek Alford, running at the front. McMurry has notched a pair of victories. Though Alford is still looking for his first win, he has two seconds and two thirds. Both drivers have been looking at other divisions. McMurry ran a Dwarf Car at Coos Bay not long ago and picked up a pair of preliminary wins. Alford has made a couple of starts in a Pro Stock.
Though the young guns are looking to take over, two-time champion Mike Whitaker is still very much in the hunt. Whitaker has a pair of second place finishes. Some of the other drivers to watch for this week include three-time feature winner Terry Kendrick, Terry Alford, Mike Kendrick and three-time reining champion Marilyn Yawnick.
For fans looking for a little bit more racing action, they can check out the future stars of the big track at the little track on Friday night. You can go to the Yreka Outlaw Kart Facebook page for more information. As for this Saturday night, there will be plenty of excitement when the Street Stocks come to town. This is the only appearance scheduled for the class, and it's one you won't want to miss. For further information, go to www.siskiyougoldenspeedway.com.
NASCAR Late Models Return To
Coos Bay Speedway Saturday Night
Coos Bay, Oregon...After a one week break in the NASCAR Whelen All American Series action, the show continues this Saturday night. It's Ken Ware Chevrolet night at the races, and there's a full lineup of divisions competing. The America's Mattress Super Late Models are back along with the Sportsman Late Models, Street Stocks, Mini Outlaws, Hornets and Junior Stingers.
We have 10 races in the record books in the Super Late Model battle, and Preston Luckman holds a 24 point advantage over reigning champion Brody Montgomery. Luckman has not missed a Top 5 finish yet and has three wins to his credit. Though Montgomery has one less Top 5 effort, he has four victories, including the most recent race. The championship battle has been between these two since the season got started.
Following his third place finish last time out, Wayne Butler strengthened his hold on third in the standings by 50 points ahead of two-time division point runner-up Thor Kristensen. Kristensen is only four points ahead of 2015 champion Tony McIntyre. These five drivers are anticipated this week along with Chris Kristensen, Richard Wallace, Deven Brown and Mike Taylor.
After the mechanical issues that took Mike Taylor out of the big Sportsman/Pro Stock shootout race, Braden Fugate now has a 66 point lead in the championship chase. Fugate suffered a rare defeat last time as he finished second to Pro Stock point leader Scott Lenz. He has won eight of the 10 races this season with Taylor taking the other victory. Some of the racers to watch for this week include Garrett Smith, Tom Williams and Jared Simmons.
With an Iron Giant Street Stock race happening elsewhere, it's hard to say who might show up for the Street Stock race. Steve Dubisar can miss several races and would likely still win the championship. He has eight wins in his 10 starts. Mini Outlaw star Sam Talon is only four points ahead of reigning champion Ken Fox in a closer battle for second. Leroy Rockwell and rookie Peyton Reigard are dead locked for fourth. It will be interesting to see who shows for this race.
When the Mini Outlaws have raced this year, the wins have gone to the two-time reigning champion Sam Talon. Talon has nine victories in nine starts and a commanding lead over Jason Kellam. Kellam and Dan Daniels each have five Top 5 finishes, and Kellam holds just a 12 point advantage over Daniels in a close race for second. These three could be there for this race, and others to watch for include Jason Berrier and Rob Lauver.
Hannah Robison continues to lead the Hornet point race. She increased her lead just a little bit with a division leading sixth feature win in the special race on Monday. Hannah has only failed to get a Top 5 finish once in her 10 starts. Steven Parker holds second in the standings, but he continues to look for his first win of the season. Top 5 ranked Ray Marshall and Tyler Tullos are both feature winners this year, and Tullos has two wins to his credit. Gabrielle Boles has finished as high as second and seems to be on the verge of her first win. She is also a Top 5 ranked driver. Others to watch for this week include Dusty Shingleton, Kris Parker, Peyton Reigard and Alyssa Johnson.
Griff Smith may have won seven of the nine Junior Stinger races, but he still has just a 16 point lead over one-time winner Alex Butler in the championship race. Last time out, the division had seven competitors as new drivers continue to join the Hornet division that is specifically designed for kids 11-14 years old. James Shingleton is the only other driver with a feature win and holds third in the standings. Others to watch for include Drake Vincent, Tegan Montgomery and Emory Johnson.
Ken Ware Chevrolet night will be exciting with the full compliment of NASCAR racing that is planned. Big shows are on the immediate agenda as August 24th will offer the Iron Giant Street Stock Battle at the Beach event and August 31st will be the annual Wingless Sprint Series Ironman race. For further information, go to www.coosbayspeedway.us.
Holmes, Brown Win Week Of Speed Opener
At Coos Bay Speedway
Coos Bay, Oregon...August 12...Tanner Holmes won the ISCS Winged Sprint Car 25 lap Main Event Monday night at Coos Bay Speedway. This was the first round of the six race Week of Speed Series for the Interstate Sprint Cars. Ashley Johnson had the pole for the race and immediately sprinted into the lead ahead of Tyrell Mead. Holmes came from the third row to battle with Mead during the first 10 laps as they changed position several times. Mead regained second for the moment on lap 10 as Johnson continued to lead the way. Holmes slipped past Mead for second on lap 21 and made his winning pass on Johnson on the final lap. Holmes went on to the victory with Johnson and Mead not far behind in second and third. Jake Wheeler finished fourth, followed by Kinzer Cox, Emily Williams, Bill Rude, Cottage Grove point leader Shane Forte, Steven Snawder and Enrique Jaime.
There were 24 competitors, and they ran four eight lap heat races with Melissa Solesbee, Jake Wheeler, Brett McGhie and Tyler Driever collecting the wins. Cox won the 12 lap B Main by nearly a straightaway ahead of Vern Scevers and Snawder.
Nevada racer Darren Brown won the 25 lap Dwarf Car Main Event. This was the first round of the six race Week of Speed Series. With the Dwarf Car Nationals having just taken place in Cottage Grove, several competitors from out of state stuck around to give the week long series a chance. Antioch Speedway point leader Scott Dahlgren raced into the lead at the start ahead of Hunt Wingless Spec Sprint point leader Shawn Jones. Jones slipped past Dahlgren for the lead on lap eight. Ryan Winter briefly took second on lap 11, only to surrender the position to Brown on lap 12. Brown started back in the eighth row, and he made his winning move around Jones on lap 16. Jones saw his run come to an end on lap 20 as Winter took up pursuit of Brown. However, Brown managed to hold off Winter over the remaining laps for the victory. Past NorCal and Antioch champion Danny Wagner finished third, followed by Jonathan Henry,
Dahlgren, Michael "Spanky" Greenert, Brandon Whiley, Shane Youngren, Jessica Swanson and Anthony Pope.
The Dwarf Cars produced an impressive 35 car field for this race, and eight lap heat race wins were earned by Winter, Wagner, Youngren, Jones and Josh Rogers. They ran a pair of 12 at B Mains, and Nevada racer Glen Sciarani won the first race in a good battle with Tim Fitzpatrick down the stretch. Scott Dorie finished third. It was Brown winning the other B Main by over a straightaway ahead of Chris Kres and Gary Wegener.
Hannah Robison won the 20 lap Hornets Main Event. This was the sixth win of the season for Robison, who also won the eight lap heat race. Gabrielle Boles had the pole and led the opening lap before reigning champion Tyler Tullos raced by. Tullos held the lead until the eighth lap as Boles was able to regain first. Tullos surrendered second to Robison on lap nine. He regained the position two laps later, only to see his race come to an end on lap 13. Robison regained second and begin to pressure Boles before making her winning pass on lap 19. Robison was the happy winner ahead of Boles. William Hitner was a distant third, followed by Cara Brooks, Tullos, Jason McIntyre, Steven Parker and Sebastian Freedle.
Another night of NASCAR Whelen All American Series racing will happen this Saturday. It's Ken Ware Chevrolet night at the races, and the America's Mattress Super Late Models will be competing along with the Sportsman Late Models, Street Stocks, Mini Outlaws, Hornets and Junior Stingers. For further information, go to www.coosbayspeedway.us.
Young Wins Clyde Cordell Memorial Race
At Mountain Valley Raceway
Hayfork, CA...August 10...Saturday night was a special time at Mountain Valley Raceway. With the backdrop of the Trinity County Fair, the track held the Eighth Annual Clyde Cordell Memorial race. This race has become the signature event for the speedway as it pays tribute to the man who had the vision to bring racing to Hayfork. Sadly, Clyde passed away before he got to see all the excitement and happiness the race track brings to the community.
Judy Cordell, the widow of Clyde, was on hand to once again present the perpetual trophy to the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event winner. In this case, the win went to Brian Young.
The Hobby Stock race only had one yellow flag slow down and featured plenty of side-by-side action. From the fourth row, past champion Josh Smith rapidly worked his way to the front and had to lead by the fourth lap. Smith began to pull away as Young moved ahead of a four-car battle for second. Though Young was gaining just a little bit on Smith, it looked like the race was Smith's to win.
Unfortunately, unlucky lap #13 saw Smith suffer rear and issues and spin in the fourth turn. Young had the lead for the restart and pulled away just a little bit over a close second place battle. While Young was the happy winner, Tressen Smith won a good race with Russ Newman for second. Josh Michaels settled for fourth.
Ricky Berry had another stellar evening. Barry outran a competitive field of Mini Stock racers for his second straight 20 lap Main Event victory. Past champion Jack Turner finished second ahead of Wade Smith. Berry also bested a field of 10 competitors to win the the wild and crazy Enduro race that ended the evening.
Tressen Smith continued his winning ways with another 20 lap B Modified Main Event win ahead of Joe Short and Patrick Solometo.
Mountain Valley Raceway will return for more fun and excitement on August 24th. The program will include the Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks, B Modifieds and the Enduro Cars. For further information, go to the Mountain Valley Raceway Facebook page.
Simmons, Nieman Win At Diamond Mountain Speedway
Susanville, CA...August 10...Riley Simmons won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Diamond Mountain Speedway. This was the fourth win in a row and sixth of the season for Simmons, who has finished no worse than third in his eight visits. Chris Olexiewicz finished second ahead of point leader Chris Neiman. Scott Foreman was fourth, followed by Matt Murphy, Nevin Kennemore, Wade Kennemore, Larry McCracken, Rob Robles and Mitch Murphy. After 11 races, Neiman has a 13 point lead over Wade Kennemore, 404-391. McCracken is third with 359 points.
Craig Neiman won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. It was his second-straight win and fourth of the season. Point leader Richard Longacre finished second, followed by Rusty McMillan, Bill Pearson, Jimmy Ray Huffman, Jeff Tuttle, Shayna Neiman, Colton Chew, Wade Kennemore and Colby Russell. Longacre has a 25 point lead over Shayna Neiman after 11 races, 408-383. Craig Neiman is two points out of second with 381 points.
Richard Italiano won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. This was only his second visit of the season, and there were a season high 20 competitors in the field. Past Orland and Chico champion Jeremy Langenderfer made his first visit of the season and finished second, followed by Royce Goetz, Randy Boyd, Steve Buhr, David Dias, Jacob Dias, Tom Haxall, Fred Kresge and Skeeter Bethel. Despite a disappointing 17th place finish, Jacob Hutson holds a commanding lead over Doug Weeks in the championship race, 391-324. Buhr is five points out of second with 319 points after 11 races.
Tom Davis won the 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. This was his second straight win, and he has won all four of his visits. Davis is the point leader at Orland Raceway. Point leader Larry Whitebird picked up his sixth second place finish of the season. Whitebird does have a win and has only finished out of the Top 5 twice in 11 starts. Suzi Schmitt finished third, followed by Wyatt Spalding, Johnny Moya, Anthony Hovland, Billy Gibson, Juanita Lamattina, Nick Vidovich and Bion Barr. Whitebird has a commanding lead over Gibson in the point standings, 417-349. Johnny Moya is holding third in the standings with 296 points, 10 points ahead of Barr.
Racing resumes on Friday, August 23rd with IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.dmspeedway.com.
Marysvillle Raceway Unofficial Race Results August 10, 2019
Winged 360 Sprints
Michael Ing
Bobby Butler
Colby Wiesz
Heath Hall
Korey Lovell
Alec Justeson
Steel Powell
Billy Wallace
Mike Monahan
Jimmy Steward
Wyatt Brown
Kenny Wanderstadt
Pat Harvey Jr
Caden Sarale
Kyle Standley
Pepsi IMCA Sport Modifieds
Todd Cooper
Scott Savell
Shawn Smith
Timothy Allerdings
Alan Furuta
Jim Waller
Raymond Benkowski
Jason Ferguson
Greg Barnes
Damian Merritt
Eric Phillips
David Larabee
Chris Lewis
Mike Merritt
Thomas Reynolds
Phillip Shelby
Bryce Campbell
Justin Funkhouser DQ
Hobby Stocks
Devin Ryan
Jesse Van Roekel
Zach Lindgren
Mike Stoeckle
David Allen
Shannon Collins
Willie Horn Jr
Rick Lloyd
Danny Lavonte
Jose Hernadez
William Merritt
David Caluya DQ
Super Stocks
Tyler Lightfoot
George Magenheimer
Brent Lawrence
Matt Micheli
Leroy Perry
Richard Vander Ploeg DQ
Placerville Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 10, 2019
Thompson Auto Group Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Main Event
Kalib Henry
Justyn Cox
Sean Becker
Andy Gregg
Andy Forsberg
Justin Sanders
Bobby McMahan
Chase Majdic
Mike Benson
Bubba DeCaires
CJ Humphries
Stephen Ingraham
Michael Sellers
Jimmy Trulli
Jarrett Soares
Blake Carrick
Mike Cook
Jodie Robinson
Justin Johnson
Shane Hopkins
B Main
Jimmy Trulli
Justin Johnson
Shane Hopkins
Blake Carrick
Mike Cook
Jared Van Bebber
Josh Bates
Chris Masters
Hunt Wingless Spec Sprints
Shawn Jones
Terry Schank Jr
Cody Fendley
Matt Stewart
Jarrett Soares
Boy Moniz
Cody Spencer
Adam Christian
Scott Chapeta
Trevor Schmitt
Alan Miranda
Jake Morgan
Tim Sherman Jr
Josh Young
Jimmy Christian
Ryon Siverling
Scott Clough
AJ Alderman
Jay's Mobile Welding Pure Stocks
Dan Jinkerson
Nick Baldwin
Scott Grunert
Jason Leonard
Kevin Jinkerson
Dave Silva
Kevin Wirth
Dennis Armstrong
Chris Hanson
Randy Sargent
John Ewing
Jesse Bryant
Mini Trucks
Chris Curtis
Howard Miller
Ryan Murphy
Aaron Rumpley
Mike Miller
Russ Murphy
Tom Stanwood
John Littlejohn
Kevin Trimblay
Austin Struthers
Coos Bay Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 10, 2019
ISCS Winged Sprints
Tanner Holmes
Ashley Johnson
Tyrell Mead
Jake Wheeler
Kinzer Cox
Emily Williams
Bill Rude
Shane Forte
Steven Snawder
Enrique Jaime
Eric Turner
Cooper Desbiens
Tyler Driever
Mike Wheeler
Raquel Ivie
Brett McGhie
Melissa Solesbee
Tyler Thompson
Anthony Pope
Vern Scevers
B Main
Kinzer Cox
Vern Scevers
Steven Snawder
Eric Turner
Trent Estes
Austin Sauce
Brent Rich
Morgan Burks
Dwarf Cars
A Main
Darren Brown
Ryan Winter
Danny Wagner
Jonathan Henry
Scott Dahlgreen
Mike Grenert
Brandon Whiley
Shane Youngren
Jessica Swanson
Anthony Pope
JaKe VanOrtwick
Chris Kress
Tim Fitzpatrick
Justin Demars
Glenn Sciarani
Shawn Jones
Chad Cardoza
Josh Rogers
Jimmy Brinster
John Chrisman
B Main
Glenn Sciarani
Tim Fitzpatrick
Scott Dorie
Gord Kraus
Teegan Fisher
Kyle Frelich
Jason Robustelli
Ashleigh Strain
Casey Warren
B Main #2
Darren Brown
Chris Kress
Gary Wegener
Dennis Leibig
Dave Brune
Jake Grabow
Sam Wren
Brian Lee
Fred Hay
Hornets
Hannah Robison
Gabrielle Boles
William Hitner
Cara Brooks
Tyler Tullus
Justin McIntyre
Steven Parker
Sebastion Freedle
Lakeport Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 10, 2019
NCRA Modifieds
Results are not official
1 #77 Jeremy Nowlin
2 #57 Eric Johnson
3 #08 Chris Salmina
4 #89 Kevin Coburn
5 #27 Ian Elliott
6 #37 Robert Schmidt
7 #21 Darrin Sullivan
8 #22 Anthony Esberg
9 #42 Rick Avila
10 #2k Thomas Esburg / Snider
Bombers
Results are not official
1 #79 Forest kueker
2 #13 Donovan Cox
3 #6k Lauren Snider
4 #29 Evan Smith
5 #65 Rick Jelton
6 #8 Seth Chew
7 #75x Amber Portlock
8 #51 Trevor Abella
9 #15 Mike Sullivan
10 #63 Davey Jones
Pro 4 Modifieds
Results are not official
1 #14 John Barker
2 #87 Chris Straka
3 #8 Andy Leuzinger
4 #29 Mike Peterson Jr
5 #75 Ron Portlock
6 #91 Doug Rivera
Mountain Valley Raceway Unofficial Race Resullts August 10, 2019
Clyde Cordell Memorial
Mini Stocks:
1st - Ricky Berry of Hayfork
2nd - Jack Turner of Hayfork
3rd - Wade Smith of Hayfork
Hobby Stocks:
1st - Brian Young of Hayfork
2nd - Tressen Smith of Yuba City
3rd - Russ Newman of Hayfork
B Modifieds:
1st - Tressen Smith of Yuba City
2nd - Joe Short of Weaverville
3rd - Patrick Solometo Jr
Enduros:
1st - Ricky Berry
The Editor's Viewpoint
We are heading down the stretch run. Within the next month, some of the tracks that we cover on the blogs will start wrapping up their seasons. We had six racing weekends left to go at the Medford track when the weather took a weird turn last week. It's not often you see rain forecast in August, but Oregon has unique weather. Mike made the determination that the forecast was bad enough to cancel the weekend, and that was that.
On one hand, I'm disappointed for the drivers. They don't get enough racing in up here as it is, compared to California tracks. On the other hand, if conditions aren't right, a promoter has to do what they have to do for business. You open a track to give the racers a place to race, but you're also doing business. If the conditions aren't right for you to have a successful night, sometimes you just have to make the call that gives you the best chance to keep things going. You can't make everybody happy with a decision like this, but it is what it is.
A few Oregon tracks have started doing what they call Fast Fridays. They are running programs with two or three of their regular divisions on Friday at a reduced ticket price. It sounds good, but I'm not really sure how well it works from a business standpoint. Then again, if you know that some of the races you have scheduled are going to get claimed by rain, you do what you can within the window you have to run races. If a race is going to happen on a Saturday night, chances are you will be able to get Friday in as well, so I see why they might have two-race weekends a couple of times a month.
What I find very interesting and a little on the crazy side is that Cottage Grove has taken it up a notch. That is to say, they have weekends where they might be running Sprint Cars and Modifieds on Friday, and they are still charging $5 for a ticket. The Interstate Sprint Car Series opener was a $5 ticket price with IMCA Modifieds in support. Personally, if I was the one running the track, I would not do that. I understand giving the fans a break, but if you are trying to run a series that has an air of being a little bit bigger than your regular show, you don't give it away at a price like that. I don't think you would come to a King of the West Series or Sprint Car Challenge Tour race on some Friday night in California, and just because it is Friday night, they would let you in for a $5 ticket. Why? Purses aren't cheap and bills have to be paid.
I know I start to sound like a promoter, which is something I will probably never get the opportunity to be, but I've just grown to understand the realities of running a racing operation these days. I have watched several tracks struggle, so I understand that if you're not taking in more money than you're putting out, eventually the gates will close. You do want to try to give people a break once in a while, but there are ways to do that. I do like the idea of the Friday night race in Oregon, only because I don't think we even scheduled 20 races at the Medford track this year. To me, it's not enough of a racing season.
Bear in mind, car count was so abysmal when we got here that there was a night when three divisions were booked and produced an 18 car field in 2015. You do that too many times and it's a recipe for the gates closing for good. One of the strategies I see is to book divisions fewer times in the hopes that the drivers can make all of the races, or at least ways only miss one or two. To me, the happy medium in Medford seems to be about a dozen races per division, give or take a race. This brings me back to my idea that maybe a couple of Friday night shows could be booked during the course of the year.
The problem you have is that fans only have so much money to spend, so you might have that challenge of getting them to pay for two nights a week of racing. That's why Cottage Grove has the $5 Friday deal going. In Medford, the only way I could see trying the reduced ticket price would be if you weren't running divisions any higher on the level than a Pro Stock or IMCA Sport Modified. Therefore, I might consider a couple of Fridays where either Pro Stocks or Sport Modifieds were headlining and you might have Mini Stocks, Hornets, Late Model Lites, Hardtops or Dwarf Cars that night. Any combination of two or three classes.
That's just my opinion, and when I say that, I'm not speaking for management. I am speaking as a long time racing observer with those thoughts. I pitch ideas, and a few of them have actually happened. If Mike thinks that they are ideas that are good for business, he might try them, but there have been plenty of times when either it wasn't the right time or place or it wasn't deemed an idea that would work for the track.
On a weekend that has been known to have low attendance in July, I suggested the possibility of having the Pro Stock division come in as the headliners. The attendance wasn't expected to be good, and the only other alternative was to just keep the gates closed that night. My suggestion was taken this year, and the night turned out to go pretty well, all things considered.
I personally advocate for more Pro Stock races at the track next year, nights when the IMCA Sport Modifieds are running and the IMCA Modifieds are not, or vice versa, the possibility of a Mini Stock race where they get to run for a little bit more money, one new special Memorial race or something of that nature, the season opener to be booked on the second to last Saturday of April or even before that, even if it might get rained out, the season ending on the last week of September and the idea that Mike has been bouncing around in his head. He thinks that it might be possible to run four divisions in 2020 instead of five.
Now, understand this is me pitching ideas, and even the last point I make about going to four divisions is something that hasn't been officially announced. Mike did say that the long range goal, as car count grows, is to run fewer divisions. The bottom line is a promoter needs so many divisions to get so many cars in the pits. This is why at times you'll see five or six divisions on the schedule at certain tracks. Back in the day, one or two divisions got you there, but that's not the day we live in now. Mike has created whole new divisions on the roster since he got here, which allows more of a rotation of divisions in the hopes of building bigger car counts in all divisions. So, the Hope is that some divisions get stronger and you can run fewer divisions on any given night.
Doing the math, the track has 10 different divisions in the rotation, and personally I'd like to see the creation of a Hobby Stock/Street Stock or IMCA Stock Car class. Truthfully, this division should have been on the roster when we got here, but John Skinner never saw fit to have it. Someone said the Pro Stocks evolved from Street Stocks, and if that's the case, it happened at the old Medford race track. There were never Street Stocks when this track opened. In fact, there was a discussion in the late 1990s about dividing the class into Pro Stocks and Street Stocks. The idea never went anywhere. Other than a brief flirtation with the division in the early part of this decade, nothing has ever happened.
I like keeping a rotation, and I like the idea of four divisions per week. I would prefer that we opened our program with Trophy Dashes and actually had ceremonies for the winners after the last Dash is run. I personally would advocate eliminating Scramble races in favor of Trophy Dashes, so that every division is a part of that. If you run Dashes and have a ceremony, it helps the program become more entertaining. Run your heat races, have your 10 minute intermission, get back to the Main Events and it's okay if your show ends at 9:30 or so. People don't mind getting out after a 2 1/2 hour or three hour program, rather than having it drag on and on. A happy fan is a fan who is more willing to come back on a regular basis.
Now, if you cut back to four divisions and you're not completely eliminating divisions, there is less room for everybody if you only have an 18 race schedule. Therefore, I advocate for the earlier start and the later finish with the possibility of a couple of Fridays thrown in there. Rain will eliminate some races during the season. The policy we go by is there are not going to necessarily be any rain makeups. If the race is rained out, it's done. Give them a schedule that they know and don't change it around on them. Mike likes to be consistent with what he does, and I agree with that philosophy.
This is not necessarily a cheap program, due to the volume of higher paying divisions on the roster. Our Limited Sprint division pays better than any other in the state and we have one of the highest paying Late Model classes as well. The Modifieds are on par with everybody else, and if you happen to have two or even three of those divisions running on the same night, it's going to hit you right in the pocket book. So, if you actually have more race date opportunities, it means you can cut back on having too many of these divisions on the same bill. If we have a window of, let's just say 26 races, rather than 18, you now can easily shuffle divisions around, increase their total dates slightly and run fever divisions on race night.
There are certain nights when the bottom line is you're not going to get the fans that you might hope or for whatever reason the dates just don't pencil in very well. These could be the nights when the mid card classes get headline status. Therefore, maybe not only do we have a Pro Stock headliner night, perhaps we have the IMCA Sport Modifieds headlining. Perhaps we do give the fans some Friday activity with these divisions showcased? It's all something to think about. What is actually going to happen, I couldn't say? Mike will stay the course, make a few adjustments that he thinks are winners and come back at it again in 2020.
It's feels like our season has been just a little bit shorter, and yet the events that we've held have been a bit more successful. Car count seems to be up as well as attendance, and there's still a positive buzz. There are certainly some things that need to be handled a little bit better, but in our fourth year of running this deal, progress continues to be made over what we took over in 2016. In other words, I firmly believe that we're making things better than what they were when we got here. The fans see a nice variety, there's been a little bit more consistency to the program and we've even added a bit to the schedule that wasn't there before.
I am very pleased that the R Charles Snyder Salute is on the schedule, and the community has embraced this race wholeheartedly. I had no idea when this date would actually be booked when I proposed it in 2016, but the Labor Day weekend seems to be the perfect fit. The track has had a history of big show's on that weekend, and this continues the trend. The fact that we honor somebody who was so beloved within the community has probably helped the weekend along further than it had been in recent years.
The other proposal I made was to create the Southern Oregon Racing Hall of Fame. I've been a big advocate of honoring the heritage and history of any race track, which includes acknowledging some of the greats who raced or worked behind the scenes. I recall at Antioch Speedway making the pitch to management back in the 1990s that we needed to start doing it there. The track's sister track, Watsonville Speedway, had begun doing just that. So, I felt it was time. When management changed, I thought I had my opening and made a major push in 1999. Unfortunately, the timing still wasn't right, but I never gave up on the idea.
Although Southern Oregon Racing history is not one that I was super familiar with, I knew it meant a great deal to the people who lived it. Even though Southern Oregon Speedway was just 20 years old when we got here, there were a few different tracks that kept the racing thing happening in Southern Oregon going back into the 1940s and before that. It was a no brainer, in my opinion, to make this happen.
I pitched this idea to Mike, and much like the other big race idea, he was receptive. It was just a matter of timing and when to make it happen. The first year was about establishing consistency, and the second year was the time to implement this idea and others. Truthfully, I'm not sure why John Skinner never pushed for something like this in all of his time at the speedway. He had been around long enough to know that it would have been a good idea.
I have endeavored to learn the history up here, and my research has helped me come up with a somewhat complete list of winners for the entire run of Southern Oregon Speedway, which is included on the website. I've been patching together some of the old Medford, White City and Ashland track history, but there's a lot of work to do. Given my limited ability to get around and the fact that I'm out in the boonies, I'm unable to really do the research I would like. I can't just get to the Medford library, which is where there's a treasure trove of history. I don't think anybody's really endeavored to organize the history of Medford Raceway, and I believe it needs to be done. This may be a job for the next person, I don't know. I've done what I can via my searches online and my own Racing Wheels Magazine collection.
The first two Hall of Fame ceremonies were successful, and when our announcer had other plans, I was the one who handled the MC duties last year. I was a bit nervous as I'm still, in my mind at q least, an outsider coming in and telling these people what their history is. I have tried to show it the utmost respect, and I think that comes across. The ceremony went well, and I've been told by Mike that I will be doing the MC duties again this year. I'm okay with that. Though Curt and Denny Deatherage had created display boards with clippings and photos, I have been working on a couple additions for this year.
Curt passed away last September, and he and his brother were historians of Oregon racing. They not only knew the history and created Cottage Grove Speedway Historical Night over a decade ago, they were entertaining the idea of doing more of that sort of thing for other tracks. I saw the formula they used since they brought it to Southern Oregon Speedway and helped us get our Southern Oregon Racing Hall of Fame off the ground. Seems like a good idea to me, and that gave me the idea for how to get it started in Antioch.
Of course, I've probably told this story enough, but I will be going to Antioch in October to MC the second Hall of Fame induction ceremony. My hope in Antioch is to create a committee by which it won't be entirely up to me to make this thing happen every year. This is the community's Hall of Fame. Mike and I have endeavored do get a committee off the ground to keep the same thing happening in Southern Oregon. You hope that it all means enough to the people who have been chosen to keep it going that they continue the tradition.
I suppose it's a romantic notion, but I believe that the old racing history matters. I believe it inspires the next generation of racers when they watch the current crop of stars. They go racing and inspire the next generation. Families come together at the speedway for an evening of racing. They tell stories about the days before, and really it is part of the overall community of the town it's situated within. I do think that in some of these cases, when you do a Historical Night or a Hall of Fame at that track, you can work with the town to show that this thing has been around here for a long time too. In the case of Antioch Speedway, this is the 59th consecutive championship season. The tradition continues.
You look at a track like Mountain Valley Raceway in Hayfork. No, you can't really have a discussion of Hall of Fame just yet. This is only the eighth season of racing, but already many happy memories have been made there. This past weekend, they held the Clyde Cordell Memorial race for the eighth time, and his widow was there to present the perpetual award. While I'm a bit disappointed that a few teams from out of town didn't come support, it looked like the locals made an effort to bring their cars and put on a show for the fans. This matters.
A frustration I have is that in eight seasons, there's not more of an effort to be organized in getting results and information out to the public. While I certainly understand the first couple of years, when you're just trying to keep the gates open, there should be more information available in the eighth year of the track. I looked around to find the list of winners of Clyde's race as this is the eighth annual race. This is the signature race of the Hayfork track. This is the race that you want to win more so than the regular show. It seems to me there should be a better effort made to keep records of all of this stuff.
I'm in the midst of my Sunday media effort, and actually everything is written and needs to be prepared to send off to the media outlets. When it comes to the Hayfork track and the track in Orland, I still have to play a bit of a scavenger hunt. The information isn't out there and as easy to access as it should be. Given the websites that exist to make it easier to put results out there and the fact that many tracks are on electronic scoring, it shouldn't be a struggle in 2019 to get results from any race track. And yet, these two and a couple other tracks are a challenge. This is not said in a way to put these tracks down, but rather to remind them that your results and point listings are a way to market yourself to the fans, who will then come out and support your product.
Race tracks are having their big events, and Petaluma Speedway has the Johnny Soares Classic this weekend. I'm very happy to see this race, which honors the Hall of Fame promoter. It also makes me smile that the division I had a hand in creating, Wingless Spec Sprints, gets the honor of running the 50 lap Main Event once again.
To me, it was people like John, Bob Barkhimer and Bert Moreland who created the circuit that meant the most to me as a young fan. It's a shame that they don't have a race at Watsonville honoring Bert or Barkhimer, and both legendary promoters are sort of fading into obscurity. I guess this is what happens with time.
My own media effort may fade into obscurity next year. If I'm still involved in this sport, I will continue to write in some fashion, but it's going to take on a whole new look. I've decided I'm tired of the Sunday night early Monday morning stress that I've been putting up with, voluntarily for no money. It won't continue as I think I'd like to relax and write at my own pace. The blogs will be the first and foremost place to find what I write about for most tracks.
I may or may not pick a couple of tracks to continue helping, and they would certainly be tracks lower on the budget scale. Otherwise, if there are tracks that want to see me continue, they need to consider helping me out a little bit via information being made available and the possibility of compensation. I can't complain about any of that this year as nobody asked me to do any of this. I volunteered.
I'm proud that the racing media effort I've been doing has continued to grow each year during the five years that I've been back in the sport. It wasn't planned that way, but none the less I'm proud of it. I've certainly gained more experience and firsthand knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes these past five years than I ever could have imagined. It was never my goal to have any involvement in the sport during this time, and yet I am honored to have been able to help things along in whatever way I've been able to. The time will come when I scale back on all of that unless the energy put forth helps me out a little bit more. At least ways, I think I've done a decent job of proving what can be done.
There was this date on the schedule up here that said to be announced on September 21st. It appears as it it's going to quietly disappear from the schedule as the season wraps up on September 14th. I can reveal what the thought was behind that particular date. Something being considered was a big Late Model and Street Stock race, kind of like the old school shows at the old Medford Raceway. Nothing was ever really announced, because it was just a thought process. I asked Mike a few times if anything was going to happen with that date, and he has insisted that September 14th wraps up the 2019 season. Therefore, in the next few days I hope to be able to secure my train tickets and leave for Antioch on September 18th.
Being back in Antioch will be fun as I see my old friends and am back in familiar surroundings. I'm going to do what I can for the track during that time, and if they need me to jump in, all they have to do is ask. I will handle the Hall of Fame MC duties on October 5th too, and I have an idea in the back my mind of something I may attempt. Because I don't want to verbally commit to something that I may not actually do, I'm just going to leave that cryptic comment as it is. However, it will become obvious what I've been thinking if I do it.
The trip allows me to witness the Chet Thomson Memorial Hardtop race, which is something I'm looking forward to. It allows me to pay respects to Donna Soares on her Memorial race night and witness what should be a huge Modified show on the 11th and 12th of October. I'm doing what I can to get that information, but I have spoken with John.
Yes, it's going to be $12,000 to win for the Modifieds, and no, it's not immediately dropping down to $1,000 or less for second. The purse will be good, there's some good sponsorship behind this and John is very excited about it. I'm just trying to convey that we need to get the information out there before the early September time frame he spoke of. As soon as I get that information, I will put it out there.
I never make any grand announcements on what my future is, not just in racing but in life. I don't know. I make a commitment one year at a time when it comes to racing, and what happens next year happens next year. People might ask me what my intentions are in going back to Antioch, and I have many thoughts in my mind about that. However, I'll just say what my expectations are. I intend to have fun, see old friends, try to relax a little bit and do what I can to help a race track that has meant much to me through the years. Whatever happens beyond that, I cannot say. It will be what it is, and I go in with no expectations.
You will get the best effort from me each week when it comes to the media effort, and I'm certainly going to do my best these next five weekends coming up in Medford. I've made some good friends and I do care a great deal about the people and the racers here. I've always just wanted to help make things better than they were when I got here, and I think I've managed to accomplish that so far. However, the job isn't done. I take it one year at a time, and we have five weekends left to make sure we get this season done right. What happens next year will happen next year.
On that note, I'll end this column. Until next time...
