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Third Annual R Charles Snyder Salute
At Southern Oregon Speedway This Weekend
White City, Oregon...This Saturday and Sunday night marks the biggest IMCA Modified and Sport Modified event in the state of Oregon. The Third Annual R Charles Snyder Salute will happen at Southern Oregon Speedway. The event honoring the long time voice of Southern Oregon Racing will see the IMCA Modified and IMCA Sport Modified divisions competing for their biggest purse of the year. The Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars will compete on both nights as well, and the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks will join the action on Sunday.
Snyder got his first opportunity to announce at the old Medford Raceway when the regular announcer didn't show up. Snyder was only there to observe how motorsports announcers do their job, and he ended up getting called into action. Little did he know that that night would spark his love of Motorsports. He went on to announce at the old Medford track and Southern Oregon Speedway for years. Snyder was also a popular local Radio DJ for 40 years. He passed away in 2015.
In 2017, speedway management held the first race in Snyder's honor and dedicated the scoring tower in his memory. His son Travis, an active member in the Medford community at large, was there for the dedication and has been a proud supporter of his father's race. Last season saw the pits fill up with over 90 IMCA Modifieds and Sport Modifieds combined, making it the most successful race the speedway has seen in over a decade.
The prize money will get the attention of some of the top drivers on the West Coast once again. On the IMCA Modified side of things, drivers will be racing for $5,000 to win, $2,500 for second and $1,500 for third among the purse that will give them a minimum of $200 just to start the feature. The special Saturday Invitational Feature will also pay $1,000 to win. The IMCA Sport Modifieds don't often get a huge purse, but Sunday's show will pay them $2,000 to win, $1,000 for second and $700 for third among a purse that pays $150 to start. The Saturday Invitational will now pay $500 to win.
All eyes tend to be on Bobby Hogge IV of Salinas, California when he comes to the speedway. He's won several big Labor Day events through the years and won last year's R Charles Snyder Salute ahead of Manteca, California's Darrell Hughes II and Bricen James. James didn't even show up for the opening night of the event, which meant he had to come from the back of the pack after coming through the B Main to get that third place finish. Hogge can relate to playing catch up as a spin early in the race in 2017 put him at the back. He managed to get up to third as Troy Foulger got the win ahead of local star Mark Wauge.
If you perform will enough in your first heat race, you make it into the Invitational Feature. Though that race doesn't have any bearing on Sunday's show, the $1,000 to win money is attractive enough to get the attention of the competitors. Last season, Hogge was denied the victory as local star CJ Putnam won a race long duel aboard the Don Roemer owned car. Hogge did win the Invitational Race the year before.
Hogge and Hughes are both anticipated for the show. Hogge has won a plethora of championships, but two of his career highlights include NASCAR Regional championships. Hughes was the Merced Speedway champion last season. Another champion planning to make the show is this year's IMCA Wild West Speedweek title winner, Kellen Chadwick. These three drivers certainly present a formidable challenge when it comes to racing for the big prize, but the local stars are anticipated as well.
This is an IMCA sanctioned event, and Sunday's feature race will be paying points as well as money. Zack Fettinger has led the standings for much of the season, but his lead was cut to 12 points at the last race by 2017 champion Jesse Bailey. It was the second win of the year for Bailey, and both drivers need to perform well to set themselves up for a shot at the track title on Championship Night on September 14th.
Rookie Jimmy Lipke picked up $1,200 for his won in the John Arnberg Memorial race in Yreka last week. He outran Fettinger for the victory, and he'll be hoping for good things this weekend. Other area stars to watch for include Justin Foux, Duane Orsburn, Ray Kniffen Jr, Jeremy Richey, Andy Freeman and Nick Trenchard. Trenchard isn't in the point chase this year, but he has won some of the biggest races in the area in recent years.
The IMCA Sport Modifieds are really the fastest growing division in Oregon and on the West Coast. As the IMCA Modified division has been around on the West Coast for 25 years now, there's an abundance of older cars that have had new life breathed into them as drivers have made Sport Modifieds out of them. Over the last few seasons, the driver who has emerged as Oregon's biggest star is Jorddon Braaten. Braaten is the reigning Oregon State champion and current leader in that race as well as at Southern Oregon Speedway. The R Charles Snyder Salute is one of those events that the team circles on their calendar each year.
Jorddon turned in a rather dominant performance in winning the inaugural race in 2017. He was chased across the line by Yuba City, California competitor Alan Furuta and 2017 Oregon State champion Jayson Nelson. Jorddon came into last season as the driver to beat, but he was surprised by Brentwood, California competitor Guy Ahlwardt, who drove a flawless race in scoring the victory as Braaten settled for second ahead of Daniel Ray. Last season's 50 plus car count for the Sport Modifieds was the biggest gathering for this division in the history of the class in Oregon.
Braaten and his two closest rivals in track points, Isaac Sanders and Matt Sanders, are anticipated for the show. Cottage Grove Speedway point leader David Schmidt has thrown his hat into the ring for this race along with his closest point rival, Doug Coffman. Travis Pruitt is another top driver from the Cottage Grove area planning on coming down to compete against Medford area stars. Drivers coming in from California include such competitors as Yreka championship contenders Ethan Killingsworth, Ryder Boswell and Colt Boswell, reigning Yreka champion Trevor Tiffee, Turlock, California racers Chase Thomas and brother Tanner Thomas, Marysville, California racer Mike Merritt, Yuba City, California drivers Jimmy Ford and Jason Ferguson and Antioch, California champion Mark Garner.
Southern Oregon Speedway will be well represented by several top notch local competitors, including two-time champion Mike Medel and Branden Wilson, who currently ranks in the Top 5 in the standings. Two-time champion Dwayne Melvin is also anticipated along with hard charger Rich McCoy, Joby Shields, Steve Lysinger, Jantzen Knips and the return of Merissa Henson. Henson has picked up a pair of victories in Yreka this year driving for Donny Bottoms.
For the IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sport Modifieds alone, the weekend will be worth the price of admission, but they are not coming alone. The Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars will be bringing plenty of speed and excitement with them. This season has seen an entertaining battle at the front of the pack between three-time reigning champion Josh King, two-time champion Brock Peters and perennial title contender Camden Robustelli. This battle will continue for two nights of racing as they are joined by such hard chargers as Chad Cardoza, Ryan Smith, Jesse Lorentz, Mason Lewman and ageless veteran Fred Hay
On Sunday, the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks make their third and final appearance of the season. Dr. Scott Lenz won a thrilling battle with 2016 champion Steve Borror the last time they were in town in July. Lenz is the two-time reigning champion and current point leader over another fast competitor, Scott Flowers. Third ranked James Flowers, longtime Pro Stock competitor John David Duffie, two-time champion Ken Irving, Matt Harlow and Bryan Hammond are some of the other stars anticipated when the Pro Stocks compete on Sunday night.
The R Charles Snyder Salute is one event that you don't want to miss. In addition to remembering a man who meant so much to not just the racing community but the community in general, there will be some exciting and competitive racing on both nights.
Gates will open on both nights at 5pm with the first race starting at 7pm. Saturday General Admission Adults 13+ are $15 with Seniors 62+, Veterans and Juniors 7-12 are $10. Children 6 and under are free. On Sunday, General Admission Adults 13+ are $20 with Seniors 62+, Veterans and Juniors 7-12 $15. Children 6 and under are free. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Elliott Wins Cottonwood Classic
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...August 24...Trent Elliott won the 30 lap Cottonwood Classic Late Model Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. The big money event paid Elliott $4,000 for the victory. He is the current point leader and had three feature wins going into the night. At times, Elliott was pressured by Rob Mayea, who ended up scoring a $2,000 second place finish. Bobby Hogge IV made a last lap pass on Joey Tanner to collect an $1,000 third place finish. Hogge was piloting the Darren Coffell car.
The 24 car field included some of the top drivers from Oregon and California. They ran four 10 lap races, and the Top 3 finishers automatically qualified for the big money race. The Top 2 drivers were entered into the eight lap Scramble. Rob Mayea won the first heat after taking the lead from Antioch Speedway point leader Richard Papenhausen, who settled for second ahead of local star Miles Deubert. Willamette Speedway reigning champion and current point leader Joey Tanner won the second heat ahead of BJ Donofrio and Deven Brown. It was Thomas Hunziker collecting the win in the third heat ahead of Willamette Speedway title contender Doug Elkins and Richard Wallace. Elliott gave a sign of things to come when he held off Justin Duty to win the final heat as Bobby Hogge IV finished third.
The Top 2 finishers from the heat races redrew for their lineup order in the eight lap Scramble. This race would set the lineup for the first four rows of the Main Event, and it was Elliott scoring the win ahead of Mayea and Duty. The remainder of the Main Event field was determined by the Top 4 finishers of the 12 lap B Main. Steve Moore had the lead from the outset and scored the victory ahead of local star Mark Wauge, Paul Culp and Kellen Chadwick, who was driving the Chris Biggs owned car. Chadwick held off a last ditch attempt by Eric Massey to get the final transfer position.
Having earned the pole position by winning the Scramble, Elliott set himself up as the driver to beat in the Main Event. Elliott charged into lead at their waving of the green flag ahead of Duty and Mayea. A yellow flag waved on lap three for a Brown spin in Turn 3. Donofrio spun in Turn 2 on the restart attempt, and Elliott led the next restart ahead of Duty and Mayea. Mayea began pressuring Duty and took the second position from him on lap seven. Brown spun in Turn 2 for a lap 12 yellow flag. At that point, Elliott led Mayea, Duty, Tanner and Hogge on the restart. Hogge had started 12th and was working the outside groove. Elliott and Mayea pulled away from the pack just a bit as Duty and Tanner were also having a spirited duel for second. The lead duo caught slower traffic on lap 21 just as Mayea was trying to make a move around Elliott. Culp pitted on lap 22, and a yellow flag waved on lap 23 for debris on the track. Brown also retired from the race. Elliott led Mayea and Tanner on the restart. Tanner begin to pressure Mayea briefly for the second position, but Mayea stood his ground as Elliott begin to build a good lead. As Mayea pulled away from Tanner just a bit, Hogge moved in to challenge Tanner for the third position. Hogge made a backstrech pass on Tanner on the final lap to claim third, and Elliott scored the impressive victory ahead of Mayea, Hogge, Tanner, Duty, Hunziker, Elkins, Wauge, Papenhausen and Moore.
The Late Models wrap up their championship season on September 7th with a program that will also include the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks and Valley Store All Late Model Lites. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Race Results
Late Models
Heat 1-Rob Mayea, Richard Papenhausen, Miles Deubert, Steve Moore, Paul Culp, Kelly Justason.Heat 2-Joey Tanner, BJ Donofrio, Deven Brown, Mark Wauge, Eric Massey, Cliff Massey.
Heat 3-Thomas Hunziker, Doug Elkins, Richard Wallace, Dennis Souza, Dana Bowers, Greg Arnold.
Heat 4-Trent Elliott, Justin Duty, Bobby Hogge IV, Kellen Chadwick, Jesse Roberts, Paul Guglielmoni.
Scramble-Trent Elliott, Rob Mayea, Justin Duty, Thomas Hunziker, Joey Tanner, Doug Elkins, BJ Donofrio, Richard Papenhausen.
B Main-Steve Moore, Mark Wauge, Paul Culp, Kellen Chadwick, Eric Massey, Jesse Roberts, Paul Guglielmoni, Dana Bowers, Dennis Souza, Cliff Massey, Kelly Justason, Greg Arnold.
Main Event-Trent Elliott, Rob Mayea, Bobby Hogge IV, Joey Tanner, Justin Duty, Thomas Hunziker, Doug Elkins, Mark Wauge, Richard Papenhausen, Steve Moore, BJ Donofrio, Richard Wallace, Deven Brown, Paul Culp, Kellen Chadwick, Miles Deubert.
Wheeler Takes Care Of Family Business
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...August 24...Jake Wheeler won the 25 lap Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Wheeler recently got a ride in the Ron Osbourne owned Sprinter, and the 2016 champion turned in a rather dominant performance in scoring the victory. Incoming point leader Mike Wheeler, the uncle of Jake, has won three features this season but missed the race due to a planned vacation in Hawaii. Jake's impressive run kept the family in the winner's circle once again.
There were a dozen Sprint Car competitors for the show, which meant they would run two eight lap heat races. Past champion TJ Winningham impressed by holding off Wheeler to win the first heat. Thanks to Wheeler Racing, last season's top rookie Blaine Cory had a motor to use for the week. Cory took advantage of the opportunity by holding off reigning champion David Hibbard to win the second heat. The Top 3 finishers in each heat race ran the eight lap Scramble to determine the first three rows of the feature race, and Wheeler scored the win ahead of Winningham and David Hibbard as Anissa Curtice spun from third on the final lap. Orland Raceway Wingless Spec Sprint star RJ Baker was making his first Winged Sprint start, but motor problems sidelined him after heat race competition.
In the Main Event, the night went from bad to worse for Curtice as she spun in the first turn, collecting Aaron Miller. The night was over for both competitors. There were no other yellow flags in the rapidly run event. Wheeler led David Hibbard and Winningham on the complete restart. Johnny Burke charged past Winningham for the third position on the backstretch on lap two. However, Winningham came roaring back on the inside in Turn 4 to reclaim third on lap seven. Wheeler held by a straightaway advantage of over David Hibbard by the ninth lap as Winningham and Burke continued an intense battle for third. Winningham staked his claim on third and quickly reeled in Hibbard, taking the second position from him on lap 11. Wheeler drove a flawless race and was never threatened as he brought it home to an impressive victory. Winningham ended up with a season best second place finish ahead of David Hibbard, Burke, Bailey Hibbard, Charlie Thompson, Enrique Jaime, David Marble and Cory.
The Mike Wheeler point lead was cut in half by Bailey Hibbard, and there are still two events left to decide the title. The Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars return on September 7th along with the Late Models, Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks and Valley Store All Late Model Lites. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Race Results
Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars
Heat 1-TJ Winningham, Jake Wheeler, Anissa Curtice, Charlie Thompson, Bailey Hibbard, David Marble.Heat 2-Blaine Corey, David Hibbard, Johnny Burke, Aaron Miller, Enrique Jaime, RJ Baker.
Scramble-Jake Wheeler, TJ Winningham, David Hibbard, Johnny Burke, Blaine Corey, Anissa Curtice.
Main Event-Jake Wheeler, TJ Winningham, David Hibbard, Johnny Burke, Bailey Hibbard, Charlie Thompson, Enrique Jaime, David Marble, Blaine Corey, Anissa Curtice, Aaron Miller. RJ Baker DNS.
Steele Charges To Sixth Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks Win
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...August 24...David Steele won 20 lap Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stock Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. This was the sixth feature win for the current point leader and reigning champion, and he will be nearly impossible to beat for the title if he is able to start the season finale. Ashtin Hedges drove another good race to score his fifth second place finish.
The Mini Stocks ran a pair of eight lap heat races, and Hedges won the first heat ahead of Michael McLeod. 2017 champion Kristopher Mix led the second heat race early before being passed by eventual winner Steele and ending up second.
Hedges and Steele shared the front row of the Main Event, and Hedges charged into the lead ahead of Steele and McLeod. Hedges and Steele started to pull away just a little bit, and Mix moved to the inside of McLeod and grabbed third from him in Turn 2 of the fourth lap. A yellow flag waved for Andrew Hall in turn 2 on lap five. Hedges continued to lead on the restart, but a high pass in Turn 4 of the seventh lap gained Steele the lead. A yellow flag flew for Hall on lap seven. Steele led Hedges and Mix on the restart, and the leaders ran not too far apart. One final yellow flag waved on lap 15, but Steele resumed command on the restart. Steele took the checkered flag about half-straightaway ahead of Hedges as Mix was a season best third, followed by Steve Goetz, McLeod, Hall, Dylan Irving, Brandyn Wonsyld and Hunter Magnan.
The Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks will have their season finale on September 7th. Also competing that night will be the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, Late Models and Valley Store All Late Model Lites. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Race Results
Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks
Heat 1-Ashtin Hedges, Michael McLeod, Andrew Hall, Hunter Magnan, Brandyn Wonsyld.Heat 2-David Steele, Kristopher Mix, Dylan Irving, Steve Goetz.
Main Event-David Steele, Ashtin Hedges, Kristopher Mix, Steve Goetz, Michael McLeod, Andrew Hall, Dylan Irving, Brandyn Wonsyld, Hunter Magnan.
Arnold Rolls To Fourth Late Model Lites Win
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...August 24...Greg Arnold won the 15 lap Valley Store All Late Model Lites Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. This was the fourth win of the season for the current point later. Arnold had a Late Model motor in his regular car, and Lee Doty let Arnold drive his fast #7 car for the occasion in order to keep his point effort going.
Arnold kicked off his night by winning a close battle with Krista Hadley to claim eight lap heat race honors. With a pole position start for the Main Event, Arnold charged into the lead ahead of Krista Hadley and reigning champion Charlie Eaton. Hadley got out of shape in Turn 4 on lap three as Eaton charged by for second, and a yellow flag waved after four laps when Eric Aos and Terry Hadley got together in Turn 2. Both drivers were eliminated in the incident. Arnold continued to lead Eaton and Hadley on the restart. They ran that way until Eaton had problems on the 12th lap, allowing Krista Hadley to charge by for second. Arnold was the happy winner ahead of Krista Hadley, Charlie Eaton, Terry Hadley and Eric Aos.
The Late Models Lites will run their season finale on September 7th. Also competing that night will be the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, Late Models and Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Race Results
Valley Store All Late Model Lites
Heat-Greg Arnold, Krista Handley, Charlie Eaton, Eric Aos, Terry Hadley, Jim Cunningham.Main Event-Greg Arnold, Krista Hadley, Charlie Eaton, Terry Hadley, Eric Aos, Jim Cunningham DNS.
Minter Wins Second Straight OTRO Hardtop Main Event
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...August 24...Mark Minter won the 20 lap OTRO Hardtop Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. This was the second-straight win for Minter, and he's the third different winner for the group this season.
Minter battled Brian Weberg II early in the eight lap heat race before scoring the victory ahead of Dan Fouts. Weberg suffered a mechanical problem in the heat race to end his night. Minter started back in the third row of the Main Event but had the lead before a lap was completed as Fouts ran second. The yellow flag waved for Matt Butler spinning in Turn 2. Fouts suffered a mechanical failure and headed for the pits. Minter led Dean Cast and Eric DeRamus on the restart, but Jimmy Del Castille moved the Bill Trotter car into third a lap later. The lead three ran is that order until Cast had problems and brought out a yellow flag on lap eight. Minter led the restart, and Cast got around Del Castille for second. Cast got out of shape in Turn 4 on lap 13, allowing Del Castille and Butler to move into second and third. Del Castille headed for the pits on lap 16, handing second to Butler. Minter was approaching Butler to put him a lap down when the checkered flag waved on his victory. Butler was a lead lap second, followed by Cast, DeRamus, Del Castille and Fouts.
This was the final appearance of the season for the OTRO Hardtops at Southern Oregon Speedway. www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Race Results
OTRO Hardtops
Heat-Mark Minter, Dan Fouts, Brian Weberg II, Dean Cast, Jimmy Del Castille, Matt Butler, Eric DeRamus. Main Event-Mark Minter, Matt Butler, Dean Cast, Eric DeRamus, Jimmy Del Castille, Dan Fouts, Bryan Weberg II DNS.
Sauer Wins Hornets Championship With Sixth Victory
White City, Oregon... August 24...Dylan Sauer won the 20 lap JOAT Labs Hornets Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. This was his sixth win of the season, and it clinched him the championship as his closest rival, Tim Hedges, was eliminated in a heat race crash.
The eight lap heat race was a brutal, high contact affair. Early in the race, newcomer Zachary Tener and Chris Boynton got together on the front stretch, resulting in Tener hitting the front wall and then making contact with Dylan Sauer. Tener was out for the night with severe front end damage. Later in the race, championship contender Tim Hedges made an inside move on Dave Sauer in Turns 1 and 2 and there was contact. The two drivers ran a full contact lap around the speedway with Sauer putting Hedges into the front wall for a red flag. Hedges would join Tener on the sidelines for the rest of the evening as there was too much damage to repair. Because Tim Hedges was unable to start the Main Event, it cost him second in the standings to his wife, Jenna hedges. Dylan Sauer survived the heavy attrition to win the heat race ahead of Boynton.
The Main Event would go non-stop as Dylan Sauer led Boynton and Jenna Hedges at the start. They ran in that order until Jenna Hedges slipped past Boynton for the second position on lap 11. Dylan Sauer didn't pull too far ahead of Hedges and Boynton, but he still went on to the victory as they finished in that order. Top rookie Quinton Tritchler finished fourth ahead of Dave Sauer.
Race Results
JOAT Labs Hornets
Heat-Dylan Sauer, Chris Boynton, Quinton Tritchler, Jenna Hedges, Tim Hedges, Dave Sauer, Zachary Tener.Main Event-Dylan Sauer, Jenna Hedges, Chris Boynton, Quinton Tritchler, Dave Sauer, Tim Hedges DNS, Zachary Tener DNS.
Wingless Sprint Series Iron Man Race
At Coos Bay Speedway Saturday Night
Coos Bay, Oregon...Coos Bay Speedway Promoter Drake Nelson continues to offer the fans a nice variety of great racing and special events at the dirt track. This Saturday night will be no exception. It's the Third Annual Iron Man race for the Wingless Sprint Series. Joining them will be the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Sportsman Late Models, Street Stocks, Mini Outlaws, Hornets and Junior Stingers.
Last season, it was Lindsay Barney scoring an impressive victory in the special Wingless Sprint race. The year before that, current point leader and multi time champion Rob Lindsey grabbed the glory. This will be the Third Annual Iron Man race, offering a $1,500 prize to the winner. However, The Wingless Sprint Cars have made one appearance in each of the past five years, with a new winner emerging in each visit. It was Colin Baker winning in 2014, Jonathan Jorgenson grabbing the glory in 2015 and Lance Hallmark winning in 2016.
the Wingless Series has been very competitive this season. There are seven races in the books, and only Lindsey has picked up a pair of wins. The other victories have gone to Barney, Kyle Miller, Jorgenson, Hallmark and Shawn Rice. Not surprisingly, Lindsay holds command in the championship chase by 96 points ahead of Hallmark. Hallmark even has a comfortable advantage over Barney as he leads by 57 points. Barney had to miss a race after blowing a motor, and she leads Gene Cannon by just 18 points in a closer race for third. They are anticipating anywhere from 16 to 20 competitors for the show, and among the other racers to watch for include Tim Kennedy, Tim Aberding, Chad Lindsey and Tony Offutt.
Braden Fugate has simply hit his stride in the Sportsman Late Model battle. Fugate holds a 72 point lead over one-time winner Mike Taylor and appears to be headed for the championship. Fugate added the 10th win to his totals last time out. At this point, it's a question of who can step up to beat him for the Main Event glory. Darren Smith, Tom Williams and Jared Simmons are three anticipated this week, and you never know when reigning champion Dyllan Siewell may show up to make a run at the win.
Having dominated the Street Stocks at Coos Bay this year, Steve Dubisar very much relished the opportunity to take on the state's best competitors in the Iron Giant race last week. A bad heat race left him behind and forced him to earn a second in the B Main to get his feature start. Dubisar charged from the back to a respectable third place finish. He leads the division with eight wins in the 13 races held so far, and a division championship seems no longer in doubt.
Reigning champion Ken Fox got a late start this year, but he's picked up four Top 5 finishes in six starts to grab a 50 point lead over Sam Talon in the race for third. Talon leads the rookies in the class. Other competitors to watch for include Leroy Rockwell, Charlie Withers and Jeff Krossman.
Talon leads the battle in the Mini Outlaw division as he has won 10 of 11 races. However, the fast VW Beetle, driven by Rob Lauver, has been running pretty well lately. Lauver got a victory two races ago and is capable of making things interesting for Talon again this week. Others to watch for include second-ranked Jason Kellam, who leads Dan Daniels by just 12 point in that battle, Jason Berrier and Kelly Rhealyn.
Hannah Robison continues to put more distance between herself and second place in the Hornet championship chase. Robison notched her seventh win of the season last week, giving her an 80 point lead over Steven Parker. Reigning champion Tyler Tullos is only four points behind Parker in the race for second. Tullos also has three victories, and he leads the consistent Gabrielle Boles by 18 points. Gabrielle picked up her ninth Top 5 finish last time out. Others to watch for this week include Ray Marshall, Jesse McIntyre, Kris Parker and Dusty Shingleton.
The ranks of the Junior Stinger division for competitors 11-14 years old continues to grow. They use the Hornet race cars, and Griff Smith is pretty much dominating the scene with nine wins in 11 starts. Smith appears to be heading for the championship as only one-time winner Alex Butler is near him, 34 points behind. James Shingleton is the only other driver to grab a feature win this year. Some of the drivers hoping to add their names to the winner's list this week include Drake Vincent, Teagan Montgomery, Emery Johnson, Heather Burton and Kelsee Workman.
The Wingless Sprint Car Series puts on a good show wherever they go. Fans get to see the Winged variety of Sprint Cars more often at Coos Bay, but this is their only chance to see them without the wings, competing for a bigger purse. With the other Whelen All American Series divisions running in support, this should be a good show. For further information, go to www.coosbayspeedway.us.
McDonald Wins Iron Giant Series Race, Luckman Wins
Late Models At Coos Bay Speedway
Coos Bay, Oregon...August 24...Kelly McDonald won the Iron Giant Street Stock Series 50 lap Main Event Saturday night at Coos Bay Speedway. This was the second win of the season in the series for McDonald. He had a front row start and jumped into the lead when the green flag flew. However, it wasn't that easy for McDonald. Fourth row starter David Cronk rapidly worked his way to the front and was second by lap seven. Cronk slipped past McDonald for the lead on lap 26 and held the position for four laps.
An intense battle developed between the two as the lead changed hands multiple times during the next few laps. By lap 34, McDonald had the lead that he would take all the way to the checkered flag. Cronk lost second to Justin Evans on lap 40, but he ran closely behind. On the final lap, David Cronk raced by Evans to finish second. Seventh row starter and track point leader Steve Dubisar also got by to finish third. Evans settled for fourth, followed by Kevin Roberts, Sean Cronk, Erik Jarnport, Bernie Lujan, Jeff Cluff and Larree McDonald.
Dubisar found himself in the 10 lap B Main. He would finish in second in that race behind race-long leader Chase Berkeley. Jesse Yankee finished third. They ran four eight lap heat races, and wins were earned by McDonald, David Cronk, Evans and Daniel Land. They're were 30 competitors for this race.
Preston Luckman won the 30 lap America's Mattress Super Late Model Main Event. This was the fifth win of the season for Luckman, who continues to lead the championship race. Reigning champion Brody Montgomery had the pole and led four laps before briefly being passed by Luckman. Montgomery regained the lead on lap six with Luckman in close pursuit. On the final lap, Luckman made a thrilling pass and emerged with the victory. Montgomery settled for second, followed by Chase Hitner, Wayne Butler, Steve Fuller, Trina Post, Dave Foote, Toby McIntyre, Chris Ray and Rob Williams. The eight lap heat race wins went to Montgomery and Toby McIntyre.
Braden Fugate won the 20 lap Sportsman Late Model Main Event. This was the 10th win of the season for Fugate as he gets closer to the division championship. Mike Taylor had the pole and led the first eight laps before Fugate went racing by for the lead. Taylor remained reasonably close to Fugate, who led the rest of the way for the victory. Jared Simmons finished third ahead of Garrett Smith. Fugate won the eight lap heat race.
Hannah Robison won the 25 lap Hornet Main Event. This was the seventh win of the season for Robison, who is the point leader. Robison had the pole for the race and led the entire distance. Gabrielle Boles ran second throughout the first half of the race before Jesse McIntyre took over the position on lap 12. McIntyre would finish there as reigning champion Tyler Tullos came from ninth to finish third, followed by Boles, Leroy Rockwell, George Wheeler, Charity Hinkle, Dusty Shingleton, Steven Parker and Kris Parker. The two eight lap heat races were won by Robison and Tullos.
Sam Talon won his 10th 20 lap Mini Outlaw Main Event of the season. Talon got the win ahead of previous winner Rob Lauver and Kelly Rhaelyn. Lauver was the eight lap heat race winner.
Griff Smith won the 15 lap Jr Stinger Main Event. Smith is the reigning champion and current point leader, and this was his ninth win of the season. Smith had the pole and set a rapid pace in scoring the impressive victory. Heather Burton ran second for 11 laps before sixth starter Drake Vincent moved by to gain the position. Alex Butler finish third, followed by Burton, Teagan Montgomery, Kelsee Workman and Emery Johnson. Eight lap heat race wins went to Burton and Smith.
Racing resumes this Saturday with the annual Wingless Sprint Car Series Ironman race. Also competing will be the Sportsman Late Models, Street Stocks, Mini Outlaws, Hornets and Junior Stingers. For further information, go to www.coosbayspeedway.us.
Lipke Wins John Arnberg Memorial At Siskiyou Speedway
Yreka, CA...August 24...Jimmy Lipke won the 38 lap John Arnberg Memorial IMCA Modified race Saturday night at Siskiyou Golden Speedway. Lipke is the 2016 IMCA Sport Modified champion. He moved up to the IMCA Modifieds this season and is currently competing for a Top 5 position at Southern Oregon Speedway. This was his first career win in this division, and it paid $1,238.
Past IMCA Modified champion Travis Peery made a surprise visit for this show and scored one of the heat race wins earlier in the evening. Peery drew the pole for the Main Event, but he would retire before the conclusion of the race. Lipke and Medford point leader Zach Fettinger started in the third row and would battle for the win in the big race, but Lipke would prevail at the checkered flag. Fettinger settled for second, followed by Duane Orsburn, Keith Foux, Ray Kniffen Jr, Peery and Steve Borror. Albert Gill was a Main Event scratch. Orsburn picked up his second four lap Trophy Dash win of the season, and Kniffen was the other eight lap heat race winner.
Ethan Killingsworth scored the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event win. This was the third win of the season for Killingsworth, who is making a strong bid for the championship. It was nearly a perfect evening for Killingsworth as he won his eight lap heat race, but Merissa Henson forced him to settle for second in the four lap Trophy Dash. Coming off of his best effort in second at Medford a week earlier, Austin Petray paid Yreka a visit and ran ahead of Henson to finish second once again. Championship contender Ryder Boswell came from the sixth row to finish fourth, followed by Dennis Jorgensen, Colt Boswell, Mitch Hanson, Brant Phillipe, Jesse Merriman and Brionna Fuller. Randy Wright won the other eight lap heat race.
Mike Whitaker won the 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event. After scoring three second place finishes this season, this was the first win of the year for the two-time division champion as he remains a contender in this year's title chase. Whitaker started in the second row and battled front row starters Darek Alford and Terry Kendrick. However, Whitaker was able to hold off the duo for the well earned victory. Alford settled for his third runner-up finish of the season, followed by Terry Kendrick, Zak McMurry, Marilyn Yawnick, Terry Alford and Michael Kendrick. Darek Alfred was the four lap Trophy Dash winner, and Whitaker scored the win in the eight lap heat race.
Michael Colson won the 20 lap Jefferson State Jalopy Main Event. This was the third-straight win for Colson. Colson held off Trophy Dash winner JJ Smith for the win with Marilyn Yawnick finishing third ahead of Karl Bernstein. Colson was the eight lap heat race winner.
The speedway will be dark for Labor Day weekend and also the following week, which is the big IMCA Nationals event in Boone, Iowa. Racing resumes on September 14th with IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks and Jefferson State Jalopies on the card. This will also be Ladies Night. Women over 18 years old will get in for free. For further information, go to www.siskiyougoldenspeedway.com.
Becker Wraps Up Championship Season With Victory
At Silver Dollar Speedway
Chico, CA...August 23...Sean Becker won the 30 lap Winged 360 Sprint Car Main Event Friday night at Silver Dollar Speedway. This was Pepsi Big Trophy Championship Night and it was also the fourth win of the season for Becker aboard the Dan Menne owned Sprint Car. It wraps up the sixth championship season for Becker at the speedway.
Chase Majdic was the early leader ahead of Brad Bumgarner and Chelsea Blevins. They ran in that order through one yellow flag on lap three, but Becker was able to grab the third position from Blevins on lap 10. Following a lap 11 yellow flag, Becker charged past Bumgarner for the second position and set his sites on Majdic. Another yellow flag on lap 15 opened the door for Becker. On the restart, Becker took the lead. Kalib Henry slipped past Majdic for the second position on lap 23 and took up pursuit of Becker. A final yellow flag on lap 26 was the last opportunity to catch Becker, but he charged ahead of the pack again on the next restart and pulled away to an impressive victory. Henry settled for second, followed by Andy Gregg, Bumgarner, Andy Forsberg, Kyle Offill, Blake Carrick, Angel Cornet, Tyler Brown and Wyatt Brown.
Henry set the quickest time of the night with a 12.848 effort, beating the 12.924 of Offill. Bumgarner won the first heat ahead of Blevins, and Majdic outran Mike Monahan to win the second heat.
Tyler Rodgers won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event and he maintained his Top 3 status in the point standings as well. Phil Marino set the early pace ahead of Merced Speedway star Bubba Nelson. Marino led through a lap five yellow flag, but Nelson put the moves on him for the lead on lap 10. Rodgers slipped past Marino for second on lap 13, moments before a yellow flag waved. Nelson continued to lead Rodgers and Philip Shelby on the restart, but both Rogers and Shelby got by on lap 15 for the Top 2 positions. Rodgers led the rest of the way for the victory with Shelby second ahead of Nelson, Andrew Peckham, Marino, new champion Matt Micheli, Chuck Weir, Scott Savell, Timothy Allerdings and Greg Barnes. Marino and Thursday winner Todd Cooper won their respective eight lap heat races.
Richard Brace Jr won the 20 lap Street Stock Main Event. Brace is a competitor in the Sprint Car division, and this was his first Street Stock Main Event win. New champion Matt Micheli set the early pace ahead of Brent Lawrence. Brace quickly settled into third, and the Top 5 run of Gary Newman came to an end on a lap five yellow flag. Brace took over second on the restart and began a battle with Micheli. Corey Hall was running in the third position, and Brace took the lead from Micheli on lap 16. Brace went on to victory, and Hall made a last lap pass on Micheli for second. Past champion Phil Marino finished fourth, followed by Petaluma star Steve Studebaker, Ken Micheli, Michael Helwig, Merced regular Michael Shearer, Fritz Zanker and Lawrence. The eight lap heat race wins went to Hall and Brace.
Zack Lindgren won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. This was his first win of the season. Enduro and Sport Modified star Phil Indihar set the early pace ahead of Lindgren and Orland point leader Keith Ross. Ross briefly took the lead on lap eight, only to be passed by Lindgren a lap later. New champion Kyle Allen didn't make an appearance in the Top 5 until the second half of the race. Allen moved into third on lap 15 and took second a lap later. Lindgren had a good lead that he was able to use to his advantage. Though Allen closed in on Lindgren, it was Lindgren taking the checkered flag in first. Ross settled for third, followed by Shannon Collins, Indihar, Paul Stephens, James West, Jeremiah Creedon, Jacob Johnson and William Merritt. Eight lap heat race wins went to Ross and Maurice Merrill.
The annual Gold Cup event will be coming to Silver Dollar Speedway on September 4th through the 7th. The Wednesday portion of the show includes the $2,500 to win Platinum Cup for the Winged 360 Sprint Cars. A night later, it's the $4,500 to win second night of the Winged 360 Sprint Car Platinum Cup event. On Friday, the World of Outlaws Gold Cup event will be on the card with Dwarf Cars running in support. The World of Outlaws are back to close the event on Saturday along with the Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.silverdollarspeedway.com.
California Hardtops Head To Marysville
Marysville, CA...The California Hardtop Association is anxious to get back on the track again after a month off. This Saturday night will be their opportunity as they head to Marysville Raceway. The drivers all look forward to putting their old time race cars on the track whenever they have an opportunity.
This season, the group has focused primarily on the dirt racing surfaces at Placerville, Orland and Chico. There have been 16 different drivers who have made appearances with the group so far this year, but the Iron Men of the group are Ron Ruiz, Joe Hopp and Ken Clifford. All three drivers have been able to make every race so far. For Hopp, it's been his most active season yet. While all three drivers have earned podium feature finishes during the season, Ruiz is the only one of the trio who has scored a victory. Winners in the group include Ken Retzloff and Dave Mackey this year as well.
Their final appearance at Placerville Speedway last time brought 11 cars. The tight quarter-mile bull ring has become a favorite for all of the drivers involved, and they've brought a double digit turn out to each of their three appearances there. On the most recent occasion, the group welcomed another first time winner as Roger MacShain held off the field that included hard chargers such as Dennis Armstrong and son Jason Armstrong, both of whom are feature winners at Placerville in the past. The well run race only had one yellow flag, but all of the competitors were able to drive their cars on the trailer afterwards.
In addition to both Armstrong's, Clifford, MacShain, Ruiz and Hopp, other drivers who were in Placerville included Jason Clifford, Larry Wells, Tom Grady and Joe Shenefield. The Hardtops are a fan favorite with their various styles of race cars from the 1930s in 1940s. These race cars are unique, and the drivers take care of them with pride in their appearances. They also do their best to put on a good show for the fans.
At press time, we haven't heard who will be headed to Marysville, though this year has seen Ken Clifford, Joe Hopp and Ron Ruiz first in line for every race. A field of anywhere from a half-dozen to a dozen competitors are anticipated. The California Hardtops will be at Orland Raceway on September 28th. They will also be welcomed at the 17th Annual Chet Thomson Memorial race at Antioch Speedway on September 21st. For further information, go to the California Hardtop Association Facebook page.
Knight Wins North State Modified Race
At Douglas County Speedway
Roseburg, Oregon...August 24...Darrin Knight won the 75 lap North State Modified Main Event Saturday night at Douglas County Speedway. Knight took a checkered flag about half a straightaway ahead of Kyle Tellstrom at the checkered flag. There were 17 drivers on hand for the occasion, and Knight led at the halfway point ahead of Tellstrom, Scott Winters, Cameron Austin and Randy Houston. Not much would change in the order from there as Knight collected the victory ahead of Tellstrom, Winters, Houston, Austin, Keith Bloom, Ian Elliot, Richie Potts, Rich Cobb and Andrew Koens.
Winters had the quickest lap in time trials with a 15.713 effort, beating the 15.728 of Tellstrom. Elliott won the six lap Dash for Cash ahead of Austin. Winters continues to lead the point standings by just one tally ahead of Austin in a close battle. Knight is 46 points ahead of Darrin Sullivan in the race for third.
Harlon Cox won the 25 lap PRA Hardtop Main Event. This was fourth win in five starts for Cox, but because of his absence from the third race of the season, he still trails Kyran Greene by 13 points in the championship chase. Cox scored his victory with Greene and longtime Hardtop competitor Mike Batman within 2 seconds of him at the checkered flag. 2016 champion Greg Hickman was a solid fourth, followed by Donnie Fain, Darryl Haugh and Brian Lenihan. Greene won a near photo finish with Cox for the eight lap heat race victory, and Greene also won a close battle with Cox to earn four lap Trophy Dash honors.
Burnie Bryant won the PRA Hornets Main Event. This was the third win of the season for Bryant. Bryant gained very little ground in the championship battle with consistent point leader Ron Dickenson collecting a third place finish. With Bryant leading by about a straightaway, the battle was for second, and Ron Johnson outran Dickenson for the runner-up finish. Zachary Asumendi was the final lead lap finisher in fourth. Bart Pulse finished fifth, followed by Ryan Dickenson, Dylan Grichard, Leon Jackson, Tyler Organ, and Cherish Wilson.
The Hornets had a time trial opportunity, and Burnie Bryant set the fastest time of 19.754, beating the 19.776 of second ranked Michael Kennerly. Heat race wins went to Richard Dickenson and Chris Lemon. The four lap A Dash went to Bryant, and it was Tyler Organ winning the eight lap B Dash. With Rich Dickinson leading Kennerly by well over 100 points, the battle is for second. Kennerly holds a six point advantage over Johnson, while Bryant is 24 points out of second.
The Northwest Pro 4 Alliance Kitty Potter Race For The Cure is next on the schedule on September 7th. It's also Family Fun Night and Addcox Heating Center Bicycle Giveaway Night. In addition to the Pro 4s, the PRA Hardtops, Sport Modifieds and Hornets will be competing. The night is being presented by Oregon Health Insurance and Addcox Heating Center. For further information, go to www.douglascountyspeedway.com.
Nieman Family Tops Both Modified Races
At Diamond Mountain Speedway
Susanville, CA...August 23...Chris Nieman won the 20 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Damond Mountain Speedway. Though Nieman has been leading the standings for much of the season, this was his first win. He increased his lead slightly ahead of Wade Kennemore, 444-426 as he wrapped up his championship season. Chris Olexiewicz took the checkered flag in second, followed by Scott Foreman with his best finish of the season in third. Matt Murphy finished fourth, followed by Nevin Kennemore, Wade Kennemore, Mitch Murphy, Yreka John Arnberg Memorial winner Jimmy Lipke, Dave Sciarroni and Boyd Murchison.
Craig Nieman won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. This was his third-straight triumph and fourth of the season as he ended the season tied with Shayna Nieman for second in the standings, 26 points behind new champion Richard Longacre. Longacre finished second in the Main Event as Shayna Nieman was third. Rusty McMillan was a solid fourth, followed by Kelly Kennemore, Jimmy Ray Hoffmon, Colton Chew, Jeff Tuttle and Ray Talavera Jr.
Tom Haxall won the 20 lap Hobby Stock Main Event. This was only his third appearance of the season. Doug Weeks drove to his fourth second place finish of the season, but he gained little ground on point leader Jacob Hutson, who wrapped up his championship season with a third place finish. Hutson beat Weeks, 429-363. Dave Flournoy scored a fourth place finish, followed by Rick Higby, Darren Ballentine, David Woods, Fred Kresge, Connor McMillan and Steve Buhr. Buhr finished third in the standings, 13 points behind second ranked Weeks.
Nick Boucher won the 15 lap Mini Stock Main Event. This was his second win of the season. Point leader Larry Whitebird collected his division leading seventh runner-up finish. Suzi Schmitt finished third, followed by Johnny Moya, Anthony Hovland, Bion Barr and Billy Gibson. Whitebird beat Gibson to win the championship, 456-383.
With championship point racing having concluded, the final event of the season is the big open show, presented by Steve's Pump And Well Drilling on September 6th and 7th. The program offers two full days of racing and will see the track's four regular divisions all competing for an increased purse, which will be based on car count. The more cars in action, the bigger the purse. For further information, go to www.dmspeedway.com.
Pit Stops
You can look around at Southern Oregon Speedway and see a bit of change in the air. Four years ago, there wasn't such optimism surrounding the place. Car counts were dwindling, and it seemed at the time that the only classes experiencing an up turn were the touring Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars and Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks. Something needed to change after the previous run of about 5 years, and that change finally came in the form of Mike McCann of KJE Enterprises.
You can see the difference. Things are improving. Much work has been put in to making a better program, and much work still needs to be done. Though we can be optimistic, we continue to be committed to making things even better than they are now. One of the positives of Southern Oregon Speedway right now are the special races on the schedule. In August, two of the newest additions produced plenty of great action and excitement for the fans.
We witnessed one of the most exciting Wingless 360 Sprint Car races the state of Oregon has seen as Geoff Ensign won a battle with Jake Wheeler for the $3,500 prize. Fans were actually talking about looking forward to the next installment of the Herz Precision Parts Cascade Wingless Sprint Car Challenge next year. We had a very moving Hall of Fame night in which six legends of Southern Oregon Racing where inducted into the Hall of Fame, and the night was capped by one of the most exciting IMCA Modified Main Events of the season, won by Jesse Bailey with a late pass on Andy Freeman.
Late Model racing is something Medford area racing fans have been starving for in recent years, and McCann has been developing a class with some very talented racers. He upped the ante with the addition of the $4,000 to win Cottonwood Classic last week. The speedway has hosted big Late Model shows in the past, but it's been about seven years or so since the last one. It was a good race, and Trent Elliott went home $4,000 richer. The 24 competitors who came to race put on a good show, and this is just the beginning.
While speedway management continues to look for other potential big events and schedule adjustments to make things even better, two shows that have been on the schedule in recent years continue to deliver. The IMCA Wild West Speedweek show in June and the Roger Haudenshild Tribute race earlier that month. The latter race sort of floated around on the schedule, and McCann made it a point to help build this race up to a level befitting of a man of Roger's status within the racing community. It was Bobby Hogge IV leaving town with the money once again in both the Modified and Late Model portions of the show. Bobby will have his eyes on another prize this weekend.
Labor Day has traditionally had a big weekend event at Southern Oregon Speedway since the gates opened in 1996. Race track founder John Skinner created the signature event, named after his father Lon Skinner. An effort was made to revitalize that particular weekend and restore some of the excitement. It was also an opportunity for the speedway to honor a man who announced many races here and at the old Medford Posse Grounds, long time radio DJ R Charles Snyder. The R Charles Snyder Salute began in 2017, and last season saw over 90 IMCA Modified and Sport Modified competitors come to race for the big prize money being offered.
It's more than that as over 100 competitors were in the pits for this event on both dates, topping out at over 130 cars on the Sunday portion of the event. A full pit area like this hasn't been seen in over a decade, giving a clear indication that things are on the up turn at Southern Oregon Speedway. One of the things McCann has strived to do is give the fans more cars and more racing, and this has necessitated the need to have maybe one or two more divisions than might usually be needed.
However, car counts have grown to a point where the promoter is looking at the possibility of reducing the total divisions needed on any given race night. Because there are as many cars as there are, it puts Trophy Dash presentations off of the schedule to keep the show moving, and an adjustment of one or two less divisions could make a return of the presentations possible. All things are being considered. The continued goal is to make this track a place at which drivers want to compete and a place where fans want to come to spectate.
In the meantime, the speedway is excited to present the R Charles Snyder Salute on Saturday and Sunday. Some of the best IMCA Modified and IMCA Sport Modified racers will be here to race for big prizes. It's $5,000 to win once again for the Modifieds, and that is still the top prize on the West Coast for this class. Even the IMCA Sport Modifieds will pay $2,000 to win, which is also the highest on the West Coast. With some Dwarf Car racing thrown in for both nights and a return of the popular Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks on Sunday, this is the event fans circle on their calendar.
We are in the stretch run as championships are being decided. Last weekend, the Late Models didn't compete for points, but the money alone was a season maker for winner Trent Elliott. He has four wins at the speedway and left the track on Saturday $4000 richer. Elliott has clinched the championship, leaving a close battle between local star Dave Everson and Darren Coffell for second when they return for their finale on September 7th. Both drivers were not competing last weekend, but Coffell watched as Bobby Hogge IV drove his #46 car to a $1000 third.
The money will bring the talent. In addition to the highly decorated champion that is Hogge, current Antioch Speedway Late Model point leader and two-time champion Richard Papenhausen made it and had a Top 10 feature finish. 2013 Cottage Grove champion Paul Culp was there as well, though he fell out before the Main Event was over.
Willamette Speedway has about the hardiest bunch of drivers you'll find in Oregon. These guys aren't afraid to take on the best that any track has to offer. As witnessed, current point leader Joey Tanner second ranked Doug Elkins and third ranked Thomas Hunziker all made it to Medford. Only eight points separate reigning Willamette champion Tanner from Hunziker in a hotly contested battle that will continue at their home track this weekend. Hunziker and Elkins finished sixth and seventh respectively behind Justin Duty.
The thing about Tanner is he seems to win just about everywhere he goes, though the Medford win hasn't been something he's pursued so much. He's won at Cottage Grove, Coos Bay and most recently Madras to go along with his seven triumphs at his home track this season. However, the $1,000 third place prize slipped away on the last lap as Hogge went by. Rob Mayea has racked up an impressive list of championship credentials, which includes the 2014-16 titles at Willamette. He gave it a valiant effort in the Cottonwood Classic before settling for a still nice $2,000 second place finish.
Local stars Mark Wauge and Miles Deubert can be proud that they made the show. Wauge also took a checkered flag in the Top 10 in the Main Event as he seems to have his motor problems solved. Late Models are a new thing to the seven-time IMCA Modified champion, and as he gets more comfortable, you better believe he will be a threat to win. Deubert, a two-time winner last year, is still continuing to get used to his car this year and trying different things to get faster. Making the big show was indeed progress for him.
Unfortunately, Eric Massey missed the feature, but it wasn't through lack of effort. Massey attempted a last lap pass on Kellen Chadwick in the B Main, but he came up just short. Chadwick was piloting the Chris Biggs owned car and did make it into the show, though he fell out of the race before the finish. While they didn't do as well as they might have liked, it was still good to see local racers Cliff Massey, Greg Arnold and Kelly Justason back in action. Massey and Justason are two names that go back to the old Medford Raceway, and it's been a while since they've been behind the wheel. Arnold was pulling double duty.
As Greg Arnold had his Late Model motor in his Late Model Lites ride, it was Lee Doty coming to the rescue for his Late Model Lites championship effort. Doty and Ross Payant have been teaming up this year, but Payant stepped aside so that Arnold could earn points in his battle with reigning champion Charlie Eaton for the title. The #7 car is a good ride, and Arnold did Doty proud by winning both the heat race and Main Event with Krista Hadley trailing him.
Hadley has been doing an admirable job behind the wheel of her #16 car, while husband Terry, the division's all time win leader, has struggled a bit this year. Eaton took a third place finish. Though Charlie may have a shot at the title, it looks like it will be Arnold's to lose. Greg will be focused on making sure he takes the green flag in the Main Event on September 7th and doing what he needs to do to get the job done.
In the Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stock division, David Steele continues to take steps towards the championship. Young Ashtin Hedges has done everything he can do. With the experience factor that Steele carries into the show, it's hard to beat him when he's hitting on all cylinders. Steele was a heat race and Main Event winner, but he knew Hedges was there. Hedges, who also won his heat race, led the early Main Event laps before being passed by Steele. Though Hedges kept the point loss to a minimum, Steele is in a similar situation to Arnold. If he doesn't stumble, he could leave on September 7th with his second-straight championship. Steele has won six Main Events this season, while Hedges will be doing everything he can to collect his second win next time.
There's a lot going on in the life of 2017 champion Kristopher Mix, a proud father of two boys. Work keeps him so busy that usually somebody else will bring his car the track, and he shows up in time to hot lap later. Mix was looking to make another championship run, but some bad luck early on left him in third. With Hunter Magnan not far behind him, Mix needed to step up. He did just that last week with a second in his heat race and season best third in the Main Event. He faces another situation where if he doesn't stumble in the finale, the third place trophy should be his. Furthermore, Mix will be doing some IMCA Sport Modified racing next year as his father Keith reports that they have a car in the works.
The Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Car division continues to be led by Mike Wheeler, and Wheeler wasn't even at the track last week. He and his family had a planned vacation for Hawaii, and as he was leading by 40 points, there was no concern about losing his lead despite being absent. There was also no concern about the Wheeler family being absent from the Winners Circle as 2016 champion Jake Wheeler did a fabulous job of leading all the way in a non-stop race for the victory. With Vern Wheeler Jr being very active in helping both his son Jake and his brother Mike, it's no wonder why the Wheelers seem to be fast on race day.
The door was open for somebody to make a big gain on Wheeler, and it's a shame that past champion TJ Winningham missed a race this year. He looked quite impressive in making a move past reigning champion David Hibbard in getting a season best second place finish, but Wheeler was too far ahead for the old veteran to make any kind of move on him. A note of praise should go to past Outlaw Kart champion Johnny Burke on a strong performance that netted him a fourth place finish. He gained more ground on rookie leader Anissa Curtice, but one has to wonder if he has enough time to catch her after his late start.
You have to shuffle back to fifth place to find the driver making the gain on Wheeler in the championship chase. That was Bailey Hibbard. Hibbard didn't have the kind of night he may have hoped for, but he nonetheless cut the Wheeler lead in half. Charlie Thompson and Enrique Jaime are still very much in the hunt as well. Mike Wheeler certainly looked good the last time we saw him, but if he stumbles in the least in these last two races, the title he thought was his could still slip away away. It may be the most intriguing battle we watch as the season comes to a close.
The OTRO Hardtops race for the fun of it, and there might have been a big smile on the face of Mark Minter in the Minter family #33 car. Mark won a heat race battle with Brian Weberg II and led all the way for the feature victory. After some really bad luck in the first part of the season, Minter closed with back-to-back victories. It's no surprise to see him winning as he has won a Main Event with the group in each of the four seasons they have been here, but the surprise happened in second.
That would be Matt Butler, who has just made his laps at the back of the pack, tried to stay out of trouble and get to the checkered flag. On this occasion, he made all 20 laps and earned his best finish yet with the group in second. The Hardtops produced better fields this year as more people have joined the OTRO which bodes well for the future. This was their last appearance of the season. It's because of the Trotter family, who had Dan Fouts and Jimmy Del Castille driving their vehicles last week, Eric DeRamus, Weberg and others that this group that was founded back in the 1980s still continues.
The Hornet battle is over. By now, everybody has heard that the division has been dropped from the remainder of the schedule, which only included the September 7th finale. Things got just a little bit too heated in the pits, and management felt they needed to make the decision they made, which also included dropping them from the 2020 schedule, as of now, and also not including them in any plans for the awards banquet. This is not the sort of news people like to hear, and it is certainly not the sort of news that we like to report. However, management made the decision based on what went down and other factors.
Rather than dwell on negativity, we look at Dylan Sauer and an impressive year that saw him score six of the eight feature victories that were up for grabs. At times, he was unstoppable, and after he took the point lead from 2016 champion Tim Hedges early in the season, he managed to hold on all the way to the end. Had the September finale not been removed from the schedule, Sauer was already in a position to claim the championship, leaving the Hedges family and rookie Quinton Tritchler to mix it up for second.
Because of the rough and tumble action in the heat race, Tim Hedges and his crew were very busy. Not only did did he have to repair damage to his #14t car, his wife Jenna lost the right front wheel on her #27g car at the end of the heat race. Tim spent more time working on Jenna's car to get it running, and only too late discovered that his own car would not start. This meant that as a Main Event scratch, he was in a position to lose second in the standings, and with her season best second place finish, Jenna made the move. For the second time in her three seasons, she will finish second, dropping Tim to another third place season. Fourth ranked Quinton Tritchler will be the top rookie in the field.
The Hornet division has served to bring more new drivers into the fold, and management had made a bigger commitment to build this class up, further enhanced by the sponsorship of JOAT Labs. Last season, the division graduated top Mini Stock rookie Dylan Irving and teammate Brandyn Wonsyld up in classes, and 2018 champion Bree Tritchler has a Dwarf Car for a move up. There is word that Dylan Sauer may be moving up to the Dwarf Car class next year as well. There's also the impressive performance of Ashtin Hedges in the Mini Stocks. He won two Hornet Main Events last year before moving up in classes later in the season.
What the future will hold for this particular division will be something to speculate on at another time. These past four years have certainly provided plenty of entertainment and excitement, and that is something this writer will choose to remember.
The John Arnberg Memorial race took place at Siskiyou Golden Speedway. It might not have been the most ideal time to make this happen with another big show happening at Cottage Grove, but the window was open to have a race paying $1,238 to win and at the same time honoring the past Yreka and Medford Raceway champion. Kevin Barba secured the money to make this show a reality, and eight drivers came to town to put on a show. The fans were treated to some pretty good racing.
Three area drivers you are likely to see at Yreka whenever they have an opportunity to drive their IMCA Modifieds there are Jimmy Lipke, Justin Foux and Duane Orsburn. Not surprisingly, they were three of the eight competitors on Saturday. Lipke is the 2016 IMCA Sport Modified champion there, and he's also one of the Top 5 competitors at Southern Oregon Speedway. Likewise, Justin Foux was in Yreka, but he put his father Keith Foux behind the wheel. It might have been a foregone conclusion that Travis Peery, a past champion himself, or Medford point leader Zack Fettinger would get the win. However, it was Lipke leading the charge with Fettinger settling for a $500 second. Orsburn got a third and also won his second Trophy Dash of the season.
The calls are getting louder from Modified competitors to include them more on the schedule, and what Barba may be thinking is open to speculation. He already knows that Medford has the established program, but he also should be aware that Medford doesn't run the division every week. If he knew he had group of 8 or 10 racers that would come regardless, Barba could book the class whenever he felt necessary.
In absence of that, he kind of has to take a look at the surroundings and pick and choose his moments. He let the racers know that he plans to keep the track open through October, and he also put a call out to other divisions that the door is open for them to be included should they want that. Travis Peery already made his voice clear in saying that he would like to see the Modified division there for every race in October.
The IMCA Sport Modified division delivered 14 competitors, which included some visitors from the Medford track, including Chris Silva and Austin Petray. Petray was coming off of a second place finish at his home track and earned that again in Yreka. This is a strong indication that the driver who was one of the crew for IMCA Modified frontrunner Monte Bischoff is getting closer to that win. It was Ethan Killingsworth winning for the third time, and with Ryder Boswell finishing fifth, Killingsworth should be leading a close championship battle with Boswell when the standings are released. The Killingsworth team has certainly been fast from the moment he debuted midway through last season, and Boswell will have his work cut out for him.
Merissa Henson continues to impress in the Donny Bottoms car, further showing why he chose her to be his driver. It's not just the fact that she can get the car up front, but Henson is also very good with the fans and one of the nicer people you'll want to meet. She is also a high school graduate as she looks towards college. Merissa is being joined by another young lady in the field as Yreka 500 Open Kart point leader Brionna Fuller made her first start. She got a 10th place finish, which isn't bad as she gets used to a new type of car. Young Fuller has demonstrated her willingness to drive anything her parents put her in, and she's definitely a hard charger.
Looking over at the Mini Stock division, we're anxiously awaiting who the new point leader is. With his disqualification two races ago, it's not likely that Zak McMurry is leading, but whether it is the consistent Darek Alford or two-time champion Mike Whitaker, we couldn't say. Whitaker made a good case for himself as he drove to his first win of the season last week. Teammate Marilyn Yawnick has been committed to helping Mike make a run at the title, and when his car hasn't been ready a couple of times this year, she's let him drive the car that she's wheeled to three championships. Marilyn is just having fun this year and not taking the point race seriously.
it was Darek Alford chasing Whitaker across the line for his third runner-up finish of the season. He also has a pair of thirds. We won't speculate as to whether it is young Darek or Whitaker leading the standings, but we will assume that it's close. Furthermore, McMurry and Mike Kendrick aren't likely to be far behind. Even if Terry Kendrick isn't close in the battle, with four wins to his credit, he will be a threat to win when racing resumes on September 14th.
Yawnick has also had the honor of piloting one of the JJ Smith and Karl Bernstein prepared Jefferson State Jalopies. Michael Colson was the driver taking the glory last week as the four competitors put on another show for the fans, but Yawnick finished second. They have a fifth car in production, but at this point, we're not sure if we'll get a look at that car before the season is up. Maintaining all four cars has been work in itself for Smith and Bernstein, who are two of the drivers as well.
Coos Bay Speedway continues to offer the fans different things, in addition to NASCAR Whelen All American Series racing. When Drake Nelson decided to bring in NASCAR sanctioning, there was a reason behind it. He believed that over time, racers would want to be involved in racing for NASCAR point fund monies, and the America's Mattress Super Late Model division has certainly been responsive. Coos Bay is developing a Late Model program that rivals some of the other Oregon tracks as they've been maintaining a car count in the low double digits.
It's difficult for the other local competitors to break through to the winner's circle with two hard chargers such as Preston Luckman and reigning champion Brody Montgomery on the scene. Usually one of these drivers is winning with the other one in second. Though Montgomery gave it a great effort, Luckman was able to make the late move to secure his fifth win of the season as he added a couple more points to his slowly increasing lead. Though there is time for Montgomery to make some sort of move, overtaking Luckman may become a difficult task. However, you can expect young Brody to give it his best when the division returns in September.
With Luckman and Montgomery in the field, usually the other battle is for third. Wayne Butler and 2015 champion Toby McIntyre seem to be the two leading candidates for that finish. But neither they nor two-time division runner-up Thor Kristensen were able to get it on this occasion. Chase Hitner made a rare start and held off Butler to finish in the third position. We keep wondering whether one of these other local stars will be able to evict Luckman and Montgomery from the winner's circle with a win of their own before this season comes to a conclusion.
The Sportsman Late Model division could certainly use a little bit more support as it seems like they've been stuck at four cars. There are probably 8 or 10 cars in the area, but getting them all to show up has been another challenge. Even if they did, beating Braden Fugate might be easier said than done. Fugate has won most of the races, interrupted only by a visit by Dr Scott Lenz of the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks and a win for Fugate's closest rival, Mike Taylor. These Sportsman Late Models run this weekend, but whether you might see a new winner in the field this week remains to be seen. If it's not Taylor, perhaps it would take reigning champion Dyllan Siewell, who has only run a few races.
Everybody knows that Steve Dubisar is fast and will likely be the Street Stock champion this year. However, how fast is he was the big question when the Iron Giant Street Stocks rolled into town and filled the pits with 30 cars. Dubisar didn't even do well enough in his heat race to make the Main Event. He required a second place finish in the B Main for him to get into the show. However, he still managed to work has way to a third place finish, giving him 12 Top 5 finishes in his 12 starts. Dubisar might even be able to miss the rest of the races this season and still win the championship, though you're likely to see him battling for another win this week. The question is, can stars like reigning champion Ken Fox, rookie Sam Talon, Charlie Withers or Leroy Rockwell beat him this week? The last regular show they had was a win for past champion Josh Bearden
The Hornet division has had a strong presence at Coos Bay in recent years, which certainly helps fill out the program nicely. The entry level cars are easier to come by and maintain. These days, not only do you have the regular Hornet class, but you also have the Junior Stingers division for competitors 11 to 14 years old. That class is now in it's second season and should be graduating some drivers into the Hornets class in the future. As Griff Smith continues to march towards the Junior Stinger championship again and has won most of the shows, he seems the most likely candidate. Furthermore, Smith ended up with a third place finish in his Hornets start earlier this year.
Beating Hannah Robison is certainly a challenge as she's hit her stride this season. She had a front row start last week and used it to get her seventh win of the season. It's almost a certainty, unless she has mechanical issues or skips a race, that Robison is headed for the championship. Tyler Tullos, who is the reigning champion, is still battling for second. Also in that hunt is Steven Parker, who holds the spot for the moment, and the consistent Gabrielle Boles. We're watching Boles with interest as she has multiple second place finishes this year and seems to be on the verge of her first victory. Maybe that could happen this week?
Mountain Valley Raceway in Hayfork didn't get results into our hands this week, but the show went on. We know that Porterville area promoter Jerm Smith is relocating to Hayfork and plans to do his part to help spur some interest in growing this program, which will be entering it's ninth season next year. The Mini Stock and Hobby Stock divisions are staples at the track, and they always put on an entertaining Enduro show to end the night. They are trying to get the B Modified division off the ground as it enters it's third season next year. However, there's been speculation that maybe going with an IMCA sanctioning will help make that happen.
Last week was also the Trinity Sisters Pet Rescue night at the speedway. The speedway tries to do different things to work within the community and be a part of things, and they raised $462 in funds for the effort. Management has promised to match that, meaning that they will be giving over $900 to the cause.
We can tell you that the Hobby Stock feature win went to Brian Young for the second straight week. It appears as if Ricky Berry won the Mini Stock Trophy Dash, but we don't have a report on who won the Main Event in that class. Young also won the Hobby Stock Trophy Dash. Kyle Thurman won the Enduro race. Emma Hudman won the special Kart Trophy Dash and Chayce Smith won the Kart Main Event. They ran the Karts on the bigger track, but there's been a push to get a Kart track built there once again. We're hoping that as a way to grow the program, which certainly has much potential, putting out more information on who is there and how well they finished will be on the agenda as well. Certainly, that goes hand in hand with growing the car count at any race track
We close with a brief mention that after the Pepsi Championship night was in the books at Silver Dollar Speedway, it was Sean Becker in the Sprint Cars, Matt Micheli in the IMCA Modifieds and Street Stocks and Kyle Allen in the Hobby Stocks winning their respective championships. They've still got the big Gold Cup weekend coming up next week, which is a must for any hardcore Sprint Car fan. Racing will take place from September 4th thru September 7th, and a view of the www.silverdollarspeedway.com website will help get that information straight.
Marysville Raceway could easily slip through the cracks, and we want to let the racers know that there's some stuff they might want to be a part of. Management has created the Peach Tree Nationals for the IMCA Sport Modifieds as a way to give them a big money show, and the event takes place on September 13th and 14th. The Friday portion of the program, which also includes the Hobby Stock point finale, will pay $749 to win. On Saturday, a night that will also be the point finale for the Crate Sprints, they will be paying $1,249 for the IMCA Sport Modifieds. Dwarf Car fans should take notice that on September 20th and 21st it's time for the biggest Dwarf Car Nationals event of them all. This has been a tradition going back to the 1990s at Marysville.
October will be a big month at Marysville with the Gold Fever Taxi Cab Open for all forms of Stock Car racing on the 19th. Then, it's Gold Fever H&H Trenching Sprint Car Spooktacular night on October 26th, which will include the 360 Sprint Cars, Wingless Spec Sprints, Crate Sprints and the IMCA Sport Modifieds. The Mel Hall Memorial Civil War Sprint Car race that was planned earlier this year was rained out. November 9th is the attempted makeup date. In addition to the Winged 360 Sprint Cars, there's also a Hunt Series Wingless Spec Sprint race as they close the books on the championship for the two groups. You can go to the www.marysvilleraceway.com for further information.
Siskiyou Golden Speedway Unofficial race Results August 24, 2019
John Arnberg Memorial
IMCA Modifieds
James Lipke
Zach Fettinger
Duane Orsburn
Keith Foux
Ray Kniffen Jr
Travis Peery
Steve Borror
Albert Gill DNS
Jefferson State Jalopies
michael calson
JJ Smith
Marilyn Yawnick
Karl Bernstein
Mini Stocks
Mike Whitaker
Darek Alford
Terry Kendrick
Zak McMurry
Marilyn Yawnick
Terry Alford
Michael Kendrick
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Ethan Killingsworth
Austin Petray
Merissa Henson
Ryder Boswell
Dennis Jorgensen
Colt Boswell
Mitch Henson
Brant Phillipe
Jesse Merriman
Brionna Fuller
Chris Silva
Jartzen Knips
Brian Hubert DQ
Randy Wright DQ
Marysville Raceway Unofficial Race Results August 24, 2019
Winged 360 Sprints
Andy Forsberg
Caden Sarale
Korey Lovell
Michael Ing
Bobby Butler
Peter Paulson
Raquel Hall
Billy Wallace
Brad Dillard
Jimmy Steward
Robert Stice
Mike Monahan
Pat Harvey Jr
Kyle Standley
Alec Justeson
Pepsi IMCA Sport Modifieds
Todd Cooper
Andrew Peckham
Jason Ferguson
Damian Merritt
Timothy Allerdings
Mike Merritt
Chris Lewis
Luke Kaper
Michael Helwig
Alan Furuta
Scott Savell
Greg Barnes
Bryce Campbell
Raymond Benkowski
Phillip Shelby
Jim Waller
Crate Sprints
Darren Johnson
Nick Larson
Brett Youngman
Jeff Macedo
Kiely Ricardo
Cameron Haney Jr
Chad Thompson
Mike Sayre
Mike Ballantine
Hobby Stocks
Jesse Van Roekel
Shannon Collins
Zach Lindgren
Mike Stoeckle
David Caluya
William Merritt
George Magenheimer
Danny Labonte
Sebastian Davis
Jose Hernadez
Robert Warf
Willie Horn Jr
Kyle Cheney
Chris Van Roekel DQ
Coos Bay Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 24, 2019
NASCAR Whelen All American Series Racing
Iron Giant Street Stocks Battle At The Beach
Main Event
Kelly McDonald
David Cronk
Steve Dubisar
Justin Evans
Kevin Roberts
Sean Cronk
Erik Jarnport
Bernie Lujan
Jeff Cluff
Laree McDonald
Doug Scott
Wayne Clink
Kyle Yeack
Toby McIntyre
Richard Clink
Chase Berkley
Tom Yeak
Keith Marson
Daniel Land
Kevin Scofield
Charlie Withers
Chris West
B Main
Chase Berkley
Steve Dubisar
Jesse Yankee
Jeff Cluff
Chris West
Wayne Clink
Doug Scott
Richard Clink
Laree McDonald
Tom Yeak
Charlie Withers
Sam Talon
Jeff Marson
Josh Bearden
Chris Sine
Ken Fox
Terry King
Josh Sheller
America's Mattresses Super Late Models
Preston Luckman
Brody Montgomery
Chase Hitner
Wayne Butler
Steve Fuller
Trina Post
Dave Foote
Toby McIntyre
Chris Ray
Rob Williams
Thor Kristensen
Sportsman Late Models
Braden Fugate
Mike Taylor
Jared Simmons
Garret Smith
Hornets
Hannah Robison
Jesse McIntyre
Tyler Tullos
Gabrielle Boles
Leroy Rockwell
george wheeler
Charity Hinkel
Dusty Shingleton
Steven Parker
Kris Parker
dean taylor
Mini Outlaws
Sam Talon
Rob Lauver
Kelly Rhealyn
Jr Stingers
Griff Smith
drake vincent
Alex Butler
Heather Burton
Teagan Montgomery
kelsee workmann
emery johnson
Silver Dollar Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 23, 2019
Pepsi Big Trophy Night
Sean Becker
Kalib Henry
Andy Gregg
Brad Bumgarner
Andy Forsberg
Kyle Offill
Blake Carrick
Angelo Cornet
Tyler Brown
Wyatt Brown
Matt DeMartini
Mike Monahan
Alex Fowler
Ben Worth
Chase Majdic
Chelsea Blevins
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Tyler Rodgers
Phillip Shelby
Bubba Nelson
Andrew Peckham
Phill Marino
Matt Micheli
Chuck Weir
Scott Savell
Timothy Allerdings
Greg Barnes
Mike Merritt
Eric Phillips
Todd Cooper
Brian Cooper
Street Stocks
Richard Brace Jr.
Corey Hall
Matt Micheli
Phil Marino
Steve Studebaker
Ken Micheli
Michael Helwig
Michael Shearer
Fritz Zanker
Brent Lawrence
Gary Newman
Hobby Stocks
Zach Lindgren
Kyle Allen
Keith Ross
Shannon Collins
Phil Indihar
Paul Stevens
James West
Jeremiah Creedon
Jacob Johnson
William Merritt
Maurice Merrill
John Williams
Toby Merrifield
Paul Newman
Danny Labonte
Silver Dollar Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 22, 2019
NARC/King Of The West Fujitsu Sprint Cars
Main Event
Tim Kaeding
Mitchell Faccinto
Andy Forsberg
Bud Kaeding
Colby Copeland
Nathan Rolfe
D.J. Netto
Dominic Scelzi
Kyle Larson
Rico Abreu
Jonathan Allard
Geoff Ensign
Ryan Bernal
Sean Watts
Heath Hall
Chelsea Blevins
Michael Ing
Gary Paulson
Shane Golobic
Stephen Ingraham
Cole Macedo
Willie Croft
Sean Becker
B Main
Dominic Scelzi
Rico Abreu
Cole Macedo
Chase Johnson
Gary Paulson
Blake Carrick
Jason Statler
Jenna Frazier
Travis Moore
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Todd Cooper
Andrew Peckham
Phillip Shelby
Guy Ahlwardt
Matt Micheli
Kevin Johnson
Phill Marino
Scott Savell
Mike Merritt
Jimmy Ford
Mike Ficklin
Shawn Smith
Justin Funkhouser
Timothy Allerdings
Tanner Thomas
Tyler Rodgers
Mike Helwig
Brian Cooper
Placerville Speedway Unofficial Race Results August 21, 2019
Gold Country Showdown
NARC/King Of The West Fujitsu Winged Sprint Cars
A Main
Kyle Larson
Shane Golobic
Tim Kaeding
Andy Forsberg
Rico Abreu
Colby Copeland
Mitchell Faccinto
Chase Johnson
Sean Becker
Dominic Scelzi
Willie Croft
Bud Kaeding
D.J. Netto
Ryan Bernal
Stephen Ingram
Kenny Allen
Shane Hopkins
Brad Sweet
Andy Gregg
Geoff Ensign
Nathan Rolfe
Blake Carrick
Cole Macedo
Jonathan Allard
B Main
Andy Gregg
Willie Croft
Ryan Bernal
Shane Hopkins
Jason Statler
Sean Watts
Gary Paulson
Michael Sellers
Jenna Frazier
Matt Demartini
BCRA/POWRi Midgets
Kyle Larson
Cory Elliott
Michael Faccinto
Jake Swanson
Shane Golobic
Robby Josett
Colton Rodman
Dillion Ito
Marvin Mitchell
Maria Cofer
Robert Dalby
Robert Carson
Chase Johnson
JR Williams
Beau Lemire
The Editor's Viewpoint
I probably shouldn't be adding this column to the post, but since the post isn't going up this evening anyway, I might as well do something. It's the stretch run of the season, and I've been feeling it for the last couple of months. While I feel I have accomplished quite a bit personally with the media effort and in my efforts to help continue the turnaround being made at Southern Oregon Speedway, I am definitely tired and looking for the break that is coming.
August has been a good month for Southern Oregon Speedway, despite the fact that some unseasonal rain hit us and eliminated the August 10th Ironhead Nationals Winged Sprint Car show. This was to be a $2,000 to win event. There had been a to be announced night listed for September 21st. I can reveal that the thought process initially, when this date was put on the schedule, was that we might entertain running another big Late Model show with Street Stocks in support. However, the idea was abandoned pretty early on in the season, though that date stayed there on the schedule as TBA for all to ponder.
I can also reveal that not long after the Sprint Car race was rained out, one of the racers approached management with an offer to help out on purse if the race would be put on the schedule for September 21st. It was entertained for about a day, with the possibility of IMCA Sport Modifieds and Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars being included on the bill as well. However, management felt that the race season needed to come to a close with the final checkered flag on September 14th.
My game plan that I have been working on going back to late June was that once the final race was held at Southern Speedway, I would catch a train sometime during the week afterward and head down to Antioch Speedway in California. The reason being is I am overseeing the Second Annual Hall of Fame night. The early departure, since the Hall of Fame night isn't until October 5th, was the opportunity to check out the Chet Thomson Memorial Hardtop race at Antioch on September 21st. I love these vintage race cars, and this is one of the bigger events for the class in California.
I didn't just commit to Southern Oregon Speedway 99%. I have committed 100%, though it feels like 110% at times as I'm feeling so worn out. When Mike told me of the offer from the Sprint Car person, I said that I would cancel my plans to leave when I had planned. He didn't like that, and I assured him that this didn't mean I wasn't going down to California, but rather that I would delay it. If there's a race at Southern Oregon Speedway, I am NOT planning to miss it. I would be ready for a race on the 21st, a race on the the 28th and if it came down to it, October 5th as well. However, with championship night on September 14th, the Southern Oregon Speedway season comes to a close.
We have the big show coming up this weekend. Saturday and Sunday is the Third Annual R Charles Snyder Salute. I am very proud of the fact that we have created this race to honor the man who announced for so many years and was on the radio for over 40. The community has certainly embraced this race, and that was no more evident than with over 130 cars in the pits for the day of the event last year. I think we've done several good things to help establish momentum and rebuild the program here, and this race is one of the crowning achievements. I look forward to some good racing. I'm aware that I will probably be very busy both nights but I am looking forward to seeing some faces in the pits that I haven't seen in awhile. There are certainly some important conversations I'm hoping to have at some point during the weekend.
Siskiyou Golden Speedway had a really nice opportunity to step in with a race this weekend, had they wanted it. I spoke to people in the old association that ran the track last year about the possibility that they could have a race on Friday night and catch some of the IMCA Modified and Sport Modified stars before the big Medford event. Medford used to have a practice day on Friday for the Labor Day show, but Promoter Mike McCann is against the idea on the grounds that it negatively effects the racing surface for the two nights of racing. I feel that as long as Medford continues the trend of no practice on Friday night, an opportunity would be there for Yreka. Perhaps in 2020?
One thing Promoter Kevin Barba did say was that he has not deviated from his plans to race throughout October in Yreka. Some people might say that's a crazy idea. I personally think it might start getting cooler on race night in October, but the way the weather has been in recent years, there's almost certain to be sunny enough skies to allow some racing. We've certainly heard that from the Medford crowd in recent years, because you still get good weather. You never know when there's a thunderstorm that will sweep through at any point during the year in this area, but weather doesn't completely turn on us until November. It's not even a big risk for Kevin to attempt to schedule races. Worst case scenario is something gets rained out and you try again next week. The best scenario is people get to see some racing during a time of the year in which they don't normally get that opportunity.
The bottom line still comes down to paying the bills and learning exactly what needs to be done to make Yreka a better race track. I imagine Kevin has learned quite a bit from his crash course as a first year promoter that he can apply towards the future. I've outlined my thoughts on things to be done, which includes having other divisions on the roster to give the fans a fuller show. While I have wondered what Kevin might be thinking, the fact that he has made an open invitation in October for any division wanting to run to come on down should be prof that he's open to all possibilities in 2020. I know there are IMCA Modified drivers looking, such as Travis Peery. Travis mentioned that he would be willing to race every weekend through October. It was mentioned on the track Facebook page that a field of at least 8 to 10 cars gets a full purse.
One of the areas I think the track can help themselves in is to make it clear to the people what the purse is in the event that their minimum car count is reached. I'm not even sure what are they paying their IMCA Sport Modified and Mini Stock classes as it is. When it comes to divisions having a possibility of having an impromptu race, what sort of purse are they running for? That is to say, if you bring us x amount of cars, this is what you are getting. This is certainly something that could be made clear to the IMCA Modifieds. It is my belief that they have a show to cultivate in the future. It's up to them to lay the ground work, but the fact that they had eight competitors for the John Arnberg Memorial race in less than ideal scheduling circumstances shows that there are people who want to run this class there. I have a feeling the offseason is going to be very interesting in Yreka.
I've got to admit I'm sad about the decision Southern Oregon Speedway made to remove the Hornets division from remainder of the schedule and drop them from consideration in 2020. This might seem like one of those opportunities for the track down south to pounce on something, but I'm not sure who is willing to travel and what's really left of the division. Though the division brought a dozen cars on more than one occasion this year, they've been struggling. On the other hand, I've been saying for quite some time now that Yreka could probably help themselves by adding this class, even if the Medford cars were not available. And if they are available, let's just say they should really explore this possibility. Get two or three locals building cars and two or three Medford cars coming to town, and at least you've got the beginnings of a show. Fans see these cars and eventually more cars are built. That's how it works.
The decision wasn't in my hands, nor should it have been. I don't know what I would have done, but I have suspicion I might have done it differently. Even if it meant the season finale in Medford only had three or four cars, you could still send a message by evicting a few racers from the program in the finale and keeping the show going. This isn't even a case where I disagree with Mike's call, because I understand his thinking was there's been an ongoing problem and he was tired of dealing with it. People were overall positive in their reactions towards this decision, although a few people said it was harsh. I totally understand.
It hurts me personally to see this as I identified that the Hornet division needed attention when I arrived here in 2016. It had been languishing in some sort of limbo for its first two seasons, and I set about doing everything I could from a media and promotional standpoint to help stimulate the interest. Mike upped the ante for the class as well. It helped that you had a couple of good families out there that were willing to build multiple cars to get things going, but over time it degenerated into a clique type of situation.
I have strong opinions on the subject, but I feel like if I express them here it's not helping the situation. There are people I have a good deal of respect for, even though I know that at times they can be a handful to deal with. Best I can say is that this might be the subject for a chapter in my upcoming book.
Obviously, Street Stock enthusiasts seized on this announcement to push again for this division to be added in Medford. Personally, whether the Hornets were there or not, I've been advocating for this all along. Oregon has a thriving Street Stock show, but I also feel that you could look at the Hobby Stock rules at places like Chico, Orland and Antioch and do something of that nature. I've heard Mike bounce back and forth on the idea, so I know he's at least interested. One of the competitors from Orland Raceway has moved up to Roseburg and is sure to start the talk. Also, JOAT Labs founder Miles Deubert has gone on record as being in favor of doing something like this. What will come of it, I couldn't say. I will say Southern Oregon Speedway never really pushed this class the way they should have through the years.
One of the things I wanted to talk about in the other Viewpoint column on the sister blog was the Bay Cities Racing Association and their partnership with POWRi. I believe this was made for them to strengthen their car count, but I have seen no gain so far. Furthermore, POWRi and USAC have a bit of a rivalry going in the Midwest, and that means that the occasional races where the BCRA and USAC run together have gone out the window. USAC is starting to take over venues that were BCRA territory. I'm very close to calling this teaming of California's oldest seasoning body with POWRi a failure.
It is my contention that the way to remedy the BCRA car count problem is very simple. They seem to want to book race dates at every different track they can get every year, and I think that's something that needs to stop. I also favor them abandoning pavement racing in favor of dirt. I recognize that because there are a couple of boosters within the group who want pavement, you're not likely to see it happen. However, one only needs to look at certain dirt track races the BCRA has held this year to see that the support is more behind dirt than pavement. If BCRA were to get back to that way of thinking, car count would grow and they might become more welcome at certain venues. BCRA doesn't need POWRi, it needs sensible booking.
There's an effort to establish a new Midget presence in California with the Western Midget Racing group, featured in Ventura and Watsonville. They already have a car count that's almost equal to your average BCRA show at 6 or 7 cars. I will point out that this group isn't new, but rather they've taken a different variation on the Focus Midget effort that has been withering on the vine in California for the past few years. However, it is their attempt to stimulate interest in a form racing that has had a presence in California going back to the 1940s.
If BCRA were to focus on Placerville, Petaluma, Watsonville, Merced and any other area dirt track, not booking a schedule of more than a dozen or so races, I think you'd see an increase in car count and a willingness of promoters to book them as result. It may not reach those glory days that BCRA had a few decades ago, but it would still be an attractive program. These cars get around at a rapid pace and are very entertaining to watch when there's enough of them.
I'd like to see the return of the London Bash Hall of Fame picnic again in 2020. I recognize that the Hall of Fame is rather crowded with BCRA, and you're getting to the point where you almost have to induct the ticket taker as you're running out of people. This is kind of an important point to make, but that night sees a lot of old timers returning for the picnic just to see old familiar faces again. If the BCRA feels like the Hall of Fame has run its course, and I hope that's not the case, then perhaps some sort of BCRA reunion might be the next way to go. BCRA has a long and glorious heritage that should be honored.
Anyway, I think I've about covered it and need to wrap things up. Until next time...
