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Busy Weekend Planned At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...On the heels of last week's Four Cylinder Frenzy event, Southern Oregon Speedway has an amazing lineup of racing on tap for this weekend. In addition to a big Outlaw Kart program on the little track on Friday night and Saturday afternoon, the Iron Giant Street Stocks are coming to town for the first round of their big eight race tour of various Oregon tracks. Joining the Street Stocks on the big speedway will be the Late Models, Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars, Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites and Mini Stocks.
The Iron Giant Street Stock Series, which is the brainchild of James Whitehouse and Chris Sine, brings together some of the best Street Stock racers from Oregon to run eight races at eight different tracks. Southern Oregon Speedway gets the season opener once again. Last season, it was Donald Schott winning the 50 lap race for the $1,000 first prize. Once again, the drivers will be running for $1,000 and a nice $500 runner-up prize.
Kyle Yaeck comes into this event as the driver to beat. He has won some of the biggest Street Stock races in the state over the past few seasons and is the reigning tour champion. Kyle finished second in last season's race and was perhaps the most interesting driver to watch on the track. Eric Jarnport won a good battle for second in the final standings ahead of Whitehouse last season as Sine and James Yankee rounded out the Top 5. Reports are that a field of 15-20 competitors are anticipated as drivers are itching to get a chance to race on the Jim Rodgers prepared 3/10 mile clay oval.
Not to be ignored in the mix is the exciting Late Model division. When 2014 Street Stock champion Miles Deubert had an opportunity to acquire the 2017 Madras Late Model championship car from Kyle Coen, he jumped at the chance. Running a little bit late on Saturday night, he made it in time to run his heat race. That race didn't go very well, but adjustments made leading up to the feature resulted in Deubert earning an impressive win ahead of reigning champion Nathan Augustine. John Dees and Mike Linder were looking good as well, and both drivers will be looking to win the Trophy Dash when the program starts this week. Other competitors to watch for include Bob Dees, Garrett Dees, Dave Foote and Don Garrett Jr.
David Steele has won the last eight Mini Stock Main Events in which he has started. This includes a five race win streak at Southern Oregon Speedway. Steele swept the event last week. Reigning champion Kristopher Mix had to settle for second, and he'll be looking to knock Steele out of the Winner's Circle this week. The rapidly improving Hunter Magnan, Michael McCloud, Garrett Fredrickson and 2013 champion Steve Goetz will be among the others to watch this week.
Eric Aos looked impressive in winning the Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites Main Event last week. He had smooth sailing ahead in winning by a wide margin. Championship hopeful Charlie Eaton struggled with motor problems early on, but he rebounded with a second place finish by making a last lap pass on Dusty Aos. Other drivers to watch for this week include Greg Arnold, Danny Prewitt and 2016 champion Lee Doty. Arnold is running #39 this year in memory of his friend and former Pro Stock racer Tim Law, who lost his battle with Cancer during the off-season.
The Southern Oregon Dwarf Car competitors have run a pair of races this season. It was Camden Robustelli getting it done with back-to-back Yreka wins. He is the early point leader, but he knows the competition will be tough. Some of the best Oregon racers converged on Cottage Grove last week, and SODCA championship hopeful Kalvin Morton held off two-time club champion Brock Peters to get the win. These two will be out to snap the Robustelli two race win streak, and other drivers to watch for this week include two-time champion Josh King, Ryan Smith, Chad Cardoza, Fred Hay, Randy Slater and Joe Sanders.
If you're looking for more racing, the little track will roar into action on Friday night with a two-day event that concludes on Saturday morning. The KT100s are coming in from Northern Oregon and Washington with a field of 20-plus competitors anticipated. The 206 Karts are also coming down. There will be big money on the line. The track will also run its various Cage Kart classes, and word is that we will be seeing several of the youngest drivers competing in the Beginners class. The Saturday portion of the show will also include the UAS Speedway Karts. The Main Events will run on Saturday based on the finishes from the preliminary races on Friday night. KT100s will also run a preliminary feature on Friday.
On the big track, gates open on Saturday at 5 p.m. with the Trophy Dashes scheduled to fire off at 7 p.m. General Admission is $12 with Seniors, Veterans and Juniors (6-12) $6. Children 5 and under are free. For the Kart program on Friday night and Saturday morning, General Admission is $10 and includes pit access. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Siskiyou Speedway Has Armed Forces Night
At The Races Saturday Night
Yreka, CA...After a week off, Siskiyou Speedway roars back into action with Armed Forces Night at the races. This is an event that offers a $1 ticket to any active or former military personnel with an ID. Fans will be treated to Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks and the first race for the Outlaw Open Comp division.
When last we left the speedway, the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks were providing a crowd-pleasing battle between Nevada Pro Stock competitor Mike Learn and reigning Outlaw Pro Stock champion Scott Lenz. Though Lenz was the leader at the halfway point of the race, he eventually lost the battle for the win to the flying Learn. Another driver looking good in the big show was Scott Flowers, who brought his car home to a third place finish.
2016 champion Steve Borror won the season opener to take an early lead in the point race, but his Billy Geyer Memorial Race performance was less than stellar. Steve still figures to be the man to beat this Saturday night. Another driver looking good in the Geyer Race was Matt Harlow, who finished fourth. It should be a great night of racing, and other Pro Stock drivers to watch this week include James Flowers, John David Duffie, Scott Bennett, Johnny Cobb and Dean Hackworth.
In three IMCA Sport Modified events, we have three different winners with Jorddon Braatten, Justin Foux and reigning champion DJ Bottoms taking their turns in the Winner's Circle. Bottoms made his season debut last time out and entertained the fans with a good battle with Trevor Tiffee for the lead during the first half of the race. Bottoms has much ground to make up as the consistent Rich McCoy is the point leader with three consecutive Top 3 finishes.
Tiffee and second-generation racer Ryder Boswell are both very much in the championship hunt this season. Both drivers will be looking for their first career win in this class. Boswell is a past Mini Stock feature winner. Other drivers to watch for this week include Jimmy Lipke, Garrett Hamilton, Isaac Sanders and Matt Sanders. We're still anticipating the debut of Mini Stock star Ethan Killingsworth, among others.
Speaking of the Mini Stock division, the three drivers you would expect to be at the front of the championship battle are not disappointing. Last time out, two-time reigning champion Marilyn Yawnick picked up the victory ahead of hard charger Terry Kendrick. Kendrick is a past champion and was on a pace for a clean sweep before being bested by Yawnick in the feature. These two drivers and 2014 champion "Magic" Mike Whitaker are very much in the hunt.
After his second Top 5 feature finish, Mike Frost is hanging tough in the battle as well. Unlike the three other three contenders, Mike is still looking for his first feature win. The division also has a couple of teen competitors in the field as Darrick Alford and Zac McMurray were making good laps in the most recent event. Other drivers to watch for this week include Dennis Jorgensen and Jason Frost.
Rounding out the field will be the Outlaw Open Comp division. We're not sure who will be competing in this race, but the relaxed rule set opens the field for many potential cars that don't meet rules requirements in other classes to come and compete.
There is also some news from the Outlaw Kart track. This Friday's scheduled race has been cancelled to enable racers to go compete in the big event in Medford. Furthermore, scheduling has been adjusted for the rest of the season to avoid conflicts with the Medford track. Wins in the most recent Main Events at the Kart track went to Mike Wheeler Jr (Beginner's Sealed), Chayce Smith (Beginners Open), Taylor Fuller (Box Stock), Carley Holmes (250cc), Tanner Holmes (500 Open) and Brionna Fuller (Speedway).
It should be a great night of racing, and this is the final tune-up before the big John Arnberg/Bo Hittson/Mike Caveye Memorial event on Memorial Day Weekend. Siskiyou Speedway will be the place to be on Saturday night. For further information, go to www.siskiyoumotorspeedway.com.
NASCAR Racing Returns To Coos Bay Speedway
Saturday night
Coos Bay, Oregon...The Whelen All American Series is back at the dirt oval at Coos Bay Speedway this Saturday night. In addition to that, there will be bike and Hot Wheel giveaways to some lucky kids. Featured divisions include the Super Late Models, Winged Sprint Cars, Sportsman Late Models, Street Stocks, Mini Outlaws and Hornets.
Last season, Brody Montgomery was a force in the Sportsman Late Model division. While he was winning that championship, Montgomery also started competing in the Super Late Model division. This year, the young charger has set his sights on the Super Late Model championship. After three events, he has two Main Event victories. This has put him 16 points ahead of the steady Chris Ray. We also have a good battle going on for third between Thor Kristensen and Richard Wallace. Kristensen is leading that race by just eight points. We saw the season debut of Kristy Grout last time out as well as two-time Sportsman Late Model champion Wayne Butler.
For the Sprint Car division, this is also the opening weekend for the Interstate Sprint Car Series, and word is that we will be seeing some competitors from Cottage Grove for this race. Actually, a Cottage Grove competitor won the first race this season as young gun Ian Bandy outran Steven Snawder that night. The most recent win went to reigning champion Lawrence Van Hoof. However, a look at the point sheet finds rookie Kayla Green leading Brett Hulsey by four points. Green and Hulsey are the only drivers with two Top 5 finishes. Mike Crawford is only 12 tallies out of the lead, and other local competitors to watch for this week include past champion Dave May and Donovan Prather.
Wayne Butler is a two-time Sportsman Late Model champion, but he's not the one leading the points so far this season. Despite winning two Main Events, a bad night has left Butler 46 points behind Dyllan Siewell in the championship chase. Siewell is also a Main Event winner this season. Patrick Nagel made his debut in the most recent event but was done after the heat races. Charlie Withers and longtime speedway competitor Tom Williams are other drivers to watch for this week.
Ken Fox couldn't buy a win last season despite having a Top 3 point effort. He opened this season with a Main Event win. A two division racer last season, Fox has been focused on his Street Stock ride, and he is the only driver with three Top 5 finishes in three starts. His other two finishes ended in second place. The battle is behind him as he holds a 62 point lead over Troy Chamberlain, who is one of the other Main Event winners this season. Chamberlain leads David Smith by two points and Jeff Thurman by six tallies. 2016 champion Daniel Land is the other feature winner.
Though two-time reigning Mini Outlaw champion Sam Talon is a two-time feature winner, he still chases one time winner John Henry in the point battle. Due to a non start, Talon trails Henry by 44 points. The battle should continue between these two this week, and other racers to watch for include Dan Daniels, Jason Kellum and Carl Johnson. Still yet to race this season is the potent VW Beetle of Rob Lauver.
In the Hornet division, "Hurricane" Hannah Robison finally broke through to get her first career feature victory last time out. Robison was third in the standings last season and figured to be one of the drivers to beat this year. Despite two bad nights this season, she is fourth in the standings, 20 behind the consistent David Pellum. Rookie Kylea Krossman is only 12 points out of lead, while "Lady Venom" April Warmack is 16 points back in third. Braden Fugate is the third different winner this season, and other racers to watch this week include Tyler Tullos, Chris Parker and Andrew Grisham.
There's a lot of fan friendly things happening at Coos Bay Speedway on any given week. Promoter Drake Nelson and his crew endeavor to make Saturday night at the races fun for everybody. This week should be no different. For further information, go to www.coosbayspeedway.us.
California Hardtops To Compete On Tilford Tribute Night
At Placerville Speedway
Placerville, CA..The California Hardtop Association has been invited to be a part of the big Stock Car themed night at Placerville Speedway this Saturday night. It's the Annual Donnie Tilford Tribute race. Through the years, Donnie Tilford won many races at the speedway and is shown as the all-time win leader on the track's Pure Stock/ Super Stock win list with 71 victories. Tilford died peacefully in his sleep from heart complications back in 2014, and speedway management created this event as a marquee program for the Stock Car divisions that Tilford and his family have enjoyed so much through the years.
The California Hardtop racers enjoy competing at Placerville Speedway and being a part of such a prestigious event. A field of anywhere from 8 to 12 racers is anticipated for the coming event. In their last Placerville visit in April, the group fielded 13 cars with 12 of them taking the checkered flag. At the front of the pack, it was Dave Reed getting the win that night ahead of Ken Retzloff and Ron Ruiz.
Presently, Ruiz is on a bit of a roll with two straight victories. On the pavement of Stockton 99 Speedway, Ruiz won by a wide margin ahead of Jason Armstrong and Dave Stewart. Roger MacShain had been running third before pitting, but he returned to the Merced race and picked up a second place finish behind the flying Ruiz. It was Joe Shenefield cruising to a third place finish that night.
The Merced visit wasn't very pretty for the group. The race track had been watered prior to them getting on the track, and there was some confusion between officials and drivers about whether they were ready to go racing or pack the track in for a couple more laps. Leading the pack on the pole, Ken Clifford had given them a thumbs down, but the green flag waved next time by. A couple laps later, disaster struck when Reed spun into Turn 1 and Clifford hit him hard, doing severe damage to the front end of the Clifford mount. Jason Armstrong was also done after the incident.
Dave Mackey, who had a second place finish behind Ken Retzloff recently in Antioch, led for a few laps before pitting to give the lead to Ruiz. After assessing the damage to the race cars, the California Hardtop Association decided to cancel the visit that was scheduled for Stockton 99 Speedway last week. They wanted to produce a good field of cars for their next event, and there was concern that there wouldn't be enough cars for the show.
Already, there have been 16 different drivers to compete in the first four Hardtop races this year. A strong turnout is anticipated for Placerville Speedway this week, and other drivers to watch for include Rhett Lange, Dennis Armstrong, Larry Wells, Tom Grady and Jason Clifford. This Saturday's Tilford Tribute Race is already shaping up to be a great Stock Car program. With these beautiful California Hardtops on the card, it will be that much better.
Pit Stops
Southern Oregon Speedway will be saying goodbye to perhaps the most charismatic race car at the track. The blue #007 Pinto Wagon is being retired. For the past couple of seasons, Andrew Hall has done a heck of a job wheeling that car around the race track. He's won heat races and a Trophy Dash with it and came within one position of winning the Main Event on multiple occasions. He was third in the standings in 2016.
This season, Cameron Hall was making his racing debut in that car. It can be challenging being a rookie and racing as it is, but driving that car makes it even more challenging. It is fast, but it can get away from you in the turns quite easily. Cameron found that out the hard way in a heat race last Saturday night. It was going well enough when he passed David Steele for the second position.
However, Cameron got a bit sideways coming out of Turn 2, and the car came around on him. A little bit further back, Steve Goetz with coming up on him and didn't see him in time. With no place else to go, Goetz T-boned Hall, ending the night for both drivers. The driver's side door caved in on Hall, but fortunately he was okay. Andrew Hall is already looking for a replacement car to get back out to the track, though there is no ETA on when that might happen.
For Goetz, he went into the night feeling pretty good about the way the car was running. He's had two starts this season, a second in Yreka and the second at Southern Oregon Speedway. He had hopes of beating teammate David Steele in the Main Event, but sadly, it was not to be. While Steve loaded up and headed home, Steele was doing what he does best, winning races. He won the Trophy Dash, heat race and Main Event as he continues to work on building up his point lead. All told, Steele has won the last eight Main Events in which he has started, including the last five races at Southern Oregon Speedway.
Hunter Magnan, meanwhile, is getting used to the power of the car that he bought late last season. He knew he needed something better if he wanted to have a chance to win, and this purchase has turned out to be a good one. With a fourth place finish in the opener, Hunter was aiming higher in the latest Main Event. However, he's still learning the handle on the car and spun on multiple occasions. After his last spin in the Main Event, Hunter decided to get going rather than wait for the yellow flag that might have been followed by a black flag. He reeled in Michael McCloud and made the pass for third.
It was another second place finish for Kristopher Mix. This was the second time in the last 2 years for Mix to get a second, but he's hungry for the win. With Steele looking as fast as he is, Mix knows that he's going to have to start winning some races if he hopes to keep up in the championship chase. He may also be the driver with the best hope of beating Steele for the championship. From the looks of things, it may be easier said than done.
About 15 years ago there was a driver in the #39 car named Tim Law. Law competed in the Pro Stock division for a few seasons. Though he wasn't one of the front-runners in the Main Event, he was a regular competitor and a friend to 2002 Super Truck champion Greg Arnold. Sadly, Law lost his battle with Cancer during the offseason, and Arnold has decided to pay tribute to him by changing his number and running a similar color to Law on his Late Model Lite. Though Greg started his night off with a second in the heat race, mechanical issues dropped him out of the Valley Stor-All Late Model Litres Main Event early.
One of the drivers hoping that this will be his year for the championship is Charlie Eaton. He has been one of the more consistent racers over the past two seasons, but a Main Event victory has thus far eluded him. His night didn't start off very well as he was having motor issues in hot laps and into the heat race. Come Main Event time, he was having a nice little battle for second with Arnold and second-year racer Dusty Aos. As Arnold fell out, Aos was still hanging on to second until Eaton made a last lap pass to grab the spot.
Since Dusty didn't have his car ready in time, he was able to drive the #99 car that has been driven by Bill Spencer during the past couple of seasons. The #3 car should be ready shortly. It was the #66 car of Eric Aos who was the class of the field. Eric turned in a dominant performance in winning the Main Event by a wide margin after winning the heat race earlier.
There were some drivers missing that we will hopefully see soon. Arnold reports that this is a new car that he bought from the Willamette area and that his older car should be out with a new driver this season. Likewise, 2014 champion John Barger plans to return, and we should be seeing 2016 champion Lee Doty as well. Hopefully, we'll see a few more cars in the pits this Saturday night.
The Ferrando family has been the driving force in keeping the Pro 4 West Modified division going for many years. The division has its roots running at several outdoor venues throughout Oregon, and they even competed at Southern Oregon Speedway back in its first season in 1996. Not surprisingly, a Ferrando won that race. In this case, it was Co Ferrando.
Last season, the group made one appearance, but a tow vehicle breakdown kept family patriarch Papa Tom Ferrando out of the action. The 80 year old competitor did make it this time, but all was not right with his car. He spent several laps in the Main Event trying to diagnose the problem before pitting. Papa Tom is the 2017 Salem indoors champion.
Salem indoors is where this division has raced mainly in recent years, and the Ferrando family has won the last four championships. The year, it was Thomas Ferrando laying claim to the title, and he drove to a third place finish on Saturday night. Tobey Ferrando, who won the Southern Oregon Speedway appearance last season, won the championship in 2016. However, it wasn't a Ferrrando getting any of the glory on Saturday night.
Rick Wagner was debuting a new Pinto for this race, allowing Chris Tofte to drive the #03 car that Rick had been racing indoors this season. Barry Lampert was driving a fast Pinto as well. Prior to the races, Barry remarked that he had been running with another group when he was invited to come run with the Pro West Modifieds during the most recent Salem Indoor season. He jumped at the chance, and he has enjoyed every minute of it. Barry did win the heat race and led several laps of the Main Event.
The Main Event was a bit of an adventure for Wagner, who spun a couple of times early in the race before gathering momentum. Wagner ran with Lampert for several lap before making the winning pass and bringing it home to the victory. These Pro 4 West Modifieds run bigger tires and are running laps quicker than the track's regular Mini Stock division. Though this is their lone appearance at Southern Oregon Speedway this year, they are hoping to get more outdoor races in the future and will likely be back for a visit again next season.
Chances are, if you were talking about a member of the Hedges family winning a JOAT Labs Hornets Main Event in the early goings of the season, you were talking about 2016 champion Tim Hedges or his 2017 "Rookie Of The Year" award winning wife Jenna Hedges. However, son Ashtin Hedges had a bold proclamation prior to the season opener. He said he was going to win. He held off his father to win his heat race that night, but he wasn't done just yet.
Last week, Ashtin was at it again. This time, he held off reigning champion Jason Stoutenburgh to win his second heat race. This put Ashtin on the front row of the Main Event next to his mother Jenna, who was also a heat race winner. When the green flag waved, Ashtin wasn't waiting to see his mother pull up next to him. He charged into the lead. Soon, Stoutenburgh was there making the challenge, and season-opening winner Brandon Wonsyld wasn't far behind. However, Ashton was not phased in the least. He has a new car this season, and he led every lap to pick up his first career victory.
Wonsyld, who is teammates with second generation competitor Dylan Irving, is off to a strong start. After beating Stoutenburgh in the opener, Wonsyld made a late move around him to stake his claim on second in the Main Event. Brandon is now the point leader, but Stoutenburgh is a very close second. Though you have to believe Jason is due for a win, there are some fast drivers in this field. Most of the 14 competitors on hand in the most recent race are capable of winning on any given week.
You're still going to find members of the Hedges and Nelson family right in the middle of things. Jenna Hedges recovered from a disappointing season opener for a fourth place finish, while Tim Hedges ended up fifth. Tim kept the Mini Stock at home as he makes repairs for his second start in that class, and he's also preparing a new Hornet. He speaks of retiring the #4t car when his new Hornet is ready. However, last season, Gabe Nelson finally made his first start in that car. One has to wonder if the #4t car might have a little bit more life left in it with the young teen behind the wheel.
We got word that one of Gabe's older brothers, Ryan Nelson, should be ready for his debut when the division returns on June 2nd. Meanwhile, Zach Nelson is still looking good out there as he drove to a seventh place finish last week. This follows up the fourth place finish he had in the opener despite a brush with the front wall as he battled third place finisher Dylan Irving to the end. That's still much better than their father, Derrel Nelson Jr. Derrel figures to be a factor in the race for wins, but he needs to keep the air in his tires. While running along in the Top 5 yet again, he had to make a pit stop with another flat tire. He ended up a lead lap 11th.
Ashland High was represented by two cars once again. The popular PT Cruiser was back again, this time piloted by John Ferreira. John was making his first start and brought it home to a tenth place finish. Meanwhile, Ethan Doty finished further up in the eighth spot. It's great to see that we have a high school auto shop class wanting to be involved in the wonderful sport of racing. It's also great to see that we have at least a few teens who want to be involved in racing. Chris Boynton looked a little bit better in his second start as he took a checkered flag in sixth, while teammate Bree Tritchler took a checkered flag in ninth.
There was plenty of excitement in the air with the Late Model division. When 2014 Street Stock champion Miles Deubert showed up late, it's likely that nobody was expecting much from him so soon. Miles, who won a pair of Pro Stock Main Events at the track in 2016, jumped at the chance to buy the 2017 Madras Late Model championship car of Kyle Coen. After a disappointing heat race, he started back in the fourth row in the Main Event. Again, nobody was expecting much from Miles at that point.
However, the second generation racer has a few tricks up his sleeve when it comes to setting up a race car. He had already figured things out well enough and was creeping his way through the pack when early leader John Dees looped it in Turn 3. Miles was 3rd at that point and quickly moved into second. The thing was, reigning champion Nathan Augustine was in the lead. One might have expected that Augustine had the race won at that point. That's a false assumption. Deubert was reeling him in until he finally caught him and passed him on lap 20. In only his first start in a full Late Model, Deubert is a Main Event winner.
Heat races were won by longtime competitor Mike Linder and John Dees. Linder ran in the Top 3 for most of the race, but Dees was making up for his early spin as he worked his way up to Linder. A late pass resulted in Dees grabbing the third place finish. However, fourth is good enough to put Linder in the Trophy Dash this week.
The Main Event didn't end so well for Bob Dees, who pitted from a Top 5 spot late in the race, handing the fifth position to Garrett Dees. Eric Massey was making his first start in the class and unfortunately fell out very early and was soon joined in the pits by Don Garrett Jr.
Lots of rumors are flying around about racers in this class. Chris Biggs sold his car prior to the season, but he has another car he should be debuting real soon. We're also hearing of two past champions coming out in Late Models, though at this point we'll keep mum on the names until we hear more information. In either case, Late Models will be part of the show this weekend.
Of course, the big news that's been reported elsewhere here is that the Street Stocks are coming back to Southern Oregon Speedway this Saturday night. It's Disorder On The Southern Border II for The Iron Giant Street Stock Series. Chris Sine and James Winehouse have put together a rather impressive tour of eight events at as many race tracks. Southern Oregon Speedway once again kicks this thing off with a 50 lap race that will pay $1,000 to win. The series culminates at Willamette Speedway in September with the Big Iron Giant Race.
Reports are that we will see a bigger car count than last season as a field of 15 to 20 competitors is anticipated. Kyle Yaeck will head the field as the reigning champion. He's won several big events during the past two seasons and was an entertaining second in last year's Southern Oregon visit behind winner Donald Schott. Though the field wasn't big last year, most of the drivers ran closely at the front of the pack.
They left Southern Oregon Speedway with high marks for the track, which is causing other drivers who were in "wait-and-see mode" to talk about racing this time. Eric Jarnport managed to hold off Whitehouse by just six points to finish second last season as Sine and Jessie Yankee were also in the Top 5 in the standings.
We've heard rumors that both David Cronk and Brian Cronk will be coming. Brian Cronk actually confirmed that he has a ride in Jody Tanner's #36 car as his car isn't quite ready yet. Brian won the Street Stock portion of the Clair Cup at Willamette last season. David Cronk won the Battle At The Beach Iron Giant Series race at Coos Bay last season.
One of the last drivers to go down with the ship when Southern Oregon Speedway last had a regular Street Stock division is Garrett Dees. He ran the class during the last two seasons at his home track and then competed at some of the other tracks up north after that. In fact, Garrett was practicing earlier this year with his Street Stock at Sunset Speedway.
As was the case last year around this time, local Street Stock enthusiasts are speculating about what could be at their home track. The question is, who still has cars sitting around waiting to be driven? If you're looking to make a statement, Saturday night is the night to do it.
Meanwhile, little Southern Oregon Speedway will get its opportunity to shine this weekend as well. It's been a few years since a 2 day program was held on the smaller track, but thanks to sponsorship from Speed City in Medford, this is exactly what will happen. The KT100 class from up north will be competing for a big money race, and the 206s are coming down with them. The track's regular Outlaw Kart program as well as UAS Speedway Karts are also part of this program that will run preliminaries for most divisions on Friday night and Main Events on Saturday morning. The KT100s will get a preliminary feature on Friday.
Once again, the biggest buzz for the Cage Kart program is being generated by the Beginners Box Stock class. Several youngsters are just getting started, including the son of one of the biggest names In Kart racing in the area in recent years, Mike Wheeler Jr. Little Mike has won the last two Main Events in Yreka. Another driver anticipated this week is reigning Yreka Indoor champion Carson Henson. Of course, the reigning champion in the class is Malachi Johnson, who won the final three Main Events last season. Among the names we are hearing are Jamie DeBenedetti, Jacob James and 2016 champion Kiley Grimes. There is reportedly another Grimes sibling making a debut this season.
In the Box stock class, Three-time champion Trevor Grimes is expected to be moving up completely to the 250 class, leaving a new battle for championship glory. Keaton Augustine was a one-time winner last season who might be considered the driver to beat. However, reigning Yreka champion Tayler Fuller may have something to say about that. Sophia Bauer is among the other racers anticipated for the opener.
Mike Weiser reports that his boys, 2016 champion Bodee Weiser and Braden Weiser, will be there for the opener to do battle with Grimes and Vinny DeBenedetti. Another driver to watch will be reigning Yreka Indoor champion Cadyn Smith. We're unsure of the status of there-time 2017 feature winner Carley Holmes, but we know she'll be fast if she's there. Carley won the most recent race at Yreka
There is much uncertainty regarding the 500 Open class. It's known that there are 12 to 16 Karts in the area, but getting them to come race is another matter. If Tanner Holmes doesn't have a big race somewhere else, it's possible we'll see him. Kenny Boardman Is another possibility as is Mike Wheeler. Others who could be there include Jeffrey Hudson, Wyatt Pinckney and 2016 champion Johnny Burke. All will be answered on race day.
The Fuller family brings several Speedway Karts to the race track, and three of them are usually driven by Lori Fuller, Larry Fuller and Brionna Fuller. Brionna also drives a 250 Kart. Steve Rambo enthusiastically supports the Speedway Kart effort, often times with a second Kart driven by Johnny Hoult. These are some of the drivers to watch for this weekend.
While the Kart program gets started this weekend and looks to be a go for the first May race In 3 years, Coos Bay Speedway Is ready for a NASCAR Whelen All American Series race. We've noticed the effort of Drake Nelson to promote that track, and we give him high marks. Chuck Prather did much to establish some good things at Coos Bay, and Drake continues those efforts and has added several nice touches. It's all about family atmosphere, and Nelson has coordinated a bike giveaway for the kids this weekend.
Promoting racing in Coos Bay can be a challenge since, as some long-time promoters have observed, half of your base is in the ocean, but it's not impossible to make it work. Nelson has managed to make Coos Bay Speedway a place race fans in the area want to be by offering a nice variety of different types of race cars. Fans get a little taste of everything on any given race night, and it's NASCAR sanctioned. The drivers who support racing there compete for some nice point fund money at the end of the season.
We spoke in another column of the point battles at Coos Bay Speedway, but of interest is the Interstate Sprint Car Series happening this Saturday. The first race for the series is on Friday night at Cottage Grove. The Series looked to be dead when Southern Oregon Speedway found it in their best interest to remove themselves from being affiliated with the Crockett Motorsports promoted effort.
Brian Crockett decided not to let it go and rounded up enough sponsorship to make each Interstate Sprint Car Series win worth $1,000 and a minimum of $150 to start. The pressure will be on the Cottage Grove competitors to go to the different race tracks. It's not expected that many Medford area racers will come, nor are many Coos Bay racers anticipated at the other tracks. So just what is this series going to be about? You know you will get a car count at Cottage Grove. Last weekend, there were 25 cars for the race, including five from Southern Oregon.
The real test won't be the Fast Friday race at Cottage Grove. The real test will be how many racers tow to Coos Bay. You'll likely find 6 to 10 track regulars at Coos Bay. Looking to give his fans something to see, Drake Nelson jumped at the chance to get three dates, which included a Speedweek race in August. If the show reaches 15 or 16 cars, you won't likely see much disappointment from Nelson. Are there a half a dozen or so competitors from Cottage Grove willing to go to Coos Bay? That's very possible. It could make the Sprint Car show there worth the trip this Saturday night.
If there's a disappointment In the Coos Bay situation it might be the less-than-stellar support offered to the NASCAR Super Late Model division. Considering Mike George won $6,000 for his 2017 championship, you might have expected car count to at least hit double digits this year. It hasn't happened yet, and George has picked Cottage Grove over Coos Bay on multiple occasions this year. Coos Bay is still getting five or six cars. If the locals got behind the effort, there could still be 10 cars racing for the NASCAR prize. It's not by lack of effort by Nelson that the cars haven't supported certain divisions. He's done everything he can.
In one final note, we got information on the big Memorial Day Weekend race at Yreka. The only question that wasn't answered was whether both nights will count for points. They did last season, and that would certainly help the track have an official IMCA Modified point race this year. It is the John Arnberg Memorial Race, meaning you will likely see some IMCA Modified driver support for this event. Last season, both nights were won by Nick Trenchard. If he wins the Arneberg Memorial this year, he will pocket $1,038. Second place will get $750 and third will pocket $500 among the money that's on the line. The Bo Hittson Memorial has been a part of the program for several years and was once a Street Stock race before being passed to the IMCA Sport Modifieds. Jorddon Braaten won the money last season. If he wins it again, it's worth $750, while second is worth $500 and third is worth $300. Sunday is the bigger money day, while Saturday is a regular money day. Even the Mini Stocks get more money with $202 going to the winner of the Mike Cavaye Memorial on Sunday. It will be Yreka's night to shine.
The Editor's Viewpoint
We've been running this column over on the DCRR blog for the past few weeks, but this time we have some Jefferson area observations to make. It's interesting to note that the Interstate Sprint Car Series is happening this weekend. The opener is at Cottage Grove Speedway on Friday night and the second event will be on Saturday night at Coos Bay Speedway. There's some interesting stories to tell about this whole deal.
Actually, I find it very interesting that this effort is here to make something bigger out of the Limited Sprint movement, and the opener is on a Friday night at Cottage Grove Speedway with a $5 ticket price. Generally speaking, you don't practically give away marquee events. In this particular case, the IMCA Modifieds are the co-headliners. Limited Sprints delivered 25 cars at Cottage Grove at the most recent race, so fans would be foolish not to pay $5 to come watch that race if they can.
I do understand from a promotional standpoint that you do certain things like this to get fans to come out. Cottage Grove is notorious for offering little perks here and there throughout the season. On one level, when you look at it from a fan's point of view, it's a good thing. From a promoter's point of view, you're practically giving away the shop. Look at it this way. How often do you go to a restaurant and get a half price deal on a really nice meal? How often do you go to the movies and get a special half price discount on an evening at the movies? And I'm not talking about matinee here.
Personally, I think that it is good for a race track to do one or two of these types of things during the year, but you can go overboard. Cottage Grove has a strong base of fans, and it's not really necessary to give away the shop, as it were. They're coming anyway. And, I think it devalues a program a little bit when you're giving away a supposedly big series opener for such a small ticket price.
I can relate an anecdote from Chowchilla Speedway when I was there in the beginning back in 2000. Tom Sagmiller, who promoted the track back then, had a $5 ticket price. The reason behind that was because Chowchilla had no racing tradition to speak of, so having tickets at half price compared to some of the other tracks in the area was his gimmick. While you might get 50 to 100 curious fans to see how things were for $10, more fans took a chance at $5. Now, the neighboring promoters threw a fit because he was giving away the shop.
I can see the merit in trying to get people to come out as you build up your fan base, but Tom encountered a problem. Local racing legend and big event promoter George Steitz stepped in with some big marquee events, but the fans were going to pay more than $5 to get in. And what happened was the local fans started throwing a fit. Why is it so much? Well, you see, you're getting over 100 cars at the big season ending event where you might get 40 to 50 on a regular night. What do you expect?
I'll probably offend some people with this comment, but from a promoter's standpoint, racing is a business. Yes, you get into it because you love the sport and think you can make a difference, but it is a business. If overall you're spending more money than you're taking in and you don't have a mountain of money to back you up, you will go out of business. Bottom line. Racers are generally going to look at it from their point of view from the car in the garage. The promoter has to look at an entirely different and bigger picture. So, a discount here or there for a special night isn't a bad idea, but there are limitations. I would never get into the business with expectations that I had to discount so many nights. If you're a racing fan, you'll find a way to go to the races. If we book too many races for people to support, I might look at scaling back my schedule, but I need to take in money to pay the bills too. So, leaving money on the table in the form of discounts for the fans too many times is going to hurt my bottom line. If we run a racing program that people enjoy, they will pay to watch it. If not, we're in the wrong business anyway
I say that in all due respect to Heather. She has a pretty hefty price tag to pay to rent that track, and she's trying to get money in every way possible. Cottage Grove is one of the crown jewels of the West Coast dirt track scene. It is a track that deservedly is held above as the standard when people talk about who's doing it right. Heather didn't create that. It was created a long time ago, and I might suggest that current Southern Oregon Speedway promoter Mike McCann had a lot to do with that. The fact that Cottage Grove Speedway has become the mecca, as it were, of Sprint Car racing in Oregon is due to the fact that Mike established the Sprint Car program there in the late 1980s. People tend to forget all the he's done and look at him as a sometimes crotchety old man. You know the type that might sit on his front porch and yell at a kid retrieving their football from his grass. "Hey you, get off of my lawn."
Anyway, this wasn't the main point I wanted to make. The Interstate Sprint Car Series probably would have been dead. It had a couple of years where it mattered a little bit, but it was a dead entity. What has happened in Oregon is the Sprint Car scene has slowly died on the vine due to two particular leaders who have done nothing to really help things. There's one on the non-wing side that I won't get into here and the other on the winged side that some people proclaim to be some sort of guru. I won't dispute his racing record in California, but I think he does more harm than good to the movement. I'll leave the rest of that opinion for another time.
Southern Oregon Speedway has been working to establish a Sprint Car program, and what was done in the very beginning when Mike McCann took over as promoter in 2016 was to run an open set of rules and see who would come. However, the guru of the Sprint Car scene advised others not to run for the purse that he was offering because it would hurt the cause in his opinion. Nevermind the fact that if the locals would support this class and it grew, their purse would go up as the crowd went up. Too much me, me, me attitude. Forget the track, it's about me and the parts and things that I sell. That guy doesn't even come to Southern Oregon Speedway, but he was able to manipulate opinions. It's an interesting and disgusting story that I'll save for some other time.
David Hibbard is a good Sprint Car supporter who has run Cottage Grove for several years. He also recognized that the limited rules package would help grow the class in Medford. He urged McCann to consider a rule change in that direction in 2017 and then put his money where his mouth is. But David is also a big dreamer like myself. He saw the growth in the class last season and thought that a big series between the tracks in Oregon would be a good thing. In theory, it will be eventually.
My concern with the whole thing was Southern Oregon Speedway was coming off of one good year. One good year. Another year or two is needed to see if that one year is a trend or just an isolated situation. Cottage Grove was only doing slightly better numbers and could probably benefit from another year or two of building the class up. So, even if a series might be a good idea, I question whether the time was now. Sprint Cars are an integral part to helping build up the fan base in the racing program in general at Southern Oregon Speedway. Every division matters, but the Sprint Cars are certainly something the fans will come to see due to their speed.
David wanted to start the series, and he was fixated on the idea that a name brand was needed. Therefore, he got it in his head that purchasing the Interstate Sprint Car Series brand name would help in his goal to create a series for the Sprint Cars under the limited rules package. The idea of a Speedweek and all of that was then floated. Brian Crockett is the one who owns that brand name, and unfortunately, communication was not what it should have been. What David succeeded in doing was getting Brian to think that he had value with that series name and to second-guess selling to David, though a verbal agreement was made. Finally understanding what was going on, Hibbard walked away from the Interstate Sprint Car Series. This left the question as to whether Southern Oregon Speedway would participate in the series or the Speedweek, and management opted to go in another direction.
Where Southern Oregon Speedway came out with something positive in the whole situation was the Ironhead Nationals event on August 11th. The winner will take home $2,000, making it the biggest Sprint Car race under the limited rules package the track has ever had. Now, I've heard people ask why the track doesn't have any full on 360 Sprint Car races, but it can be boiled down to this. Car count isn't big enough to justify the purse this class demands. You want a 360 Sprint Car race, remove your wing and run the August 25th Herz Precision Parts Wingless Sprint Car Challenge Race. It pays $3,500 to win. The idea of removing a wing intimidates some of the people in Oregon, but it was a good show last year and should be again this year.
Without Southern Oregon Speedway on the schedule, it was decided to move ahead with Cottage Grove and Coos Bay Speedway as two of the primary ISCS tracks. Will enough drivers from Cottage Grove tow? That's the question. The Speedweek portion of the program will have cars coming from the Sportsman Sprints in Washington. Just how many of those drivers are willing to come to Oregon, we'll have to see. From Oregon, their base of cars is now Cottage Grove and the few cars that are at Coos Bay or are willing to tow from the Medford area when Southern Oregon Speedway isn't racing. I doubt you'll see Coos Bay drivers going anywhere other than Coos Bay, so that means who from Cottage Grove wants to run a series that is on shaky ground?
Promoter Drake Nelson is counting on getting a little bit more out of his Sprint Car show on these three dates, the first of which is Saturday night. It's not that he even expects to see a 20 car show, though I know he would be ecstatic for such an occurrence. He has six to eight cars that will probably be there regardless, and if another half a dozen or more cars come, I think that he and the fans of Coos Bay will be happy.
The important thing to remember in all of this is that the Sprint Car situation in Oregon is suffering. It has seen better days, and it can have better days again. The limited rules package is important to the revival. I have had conversations with people in the 360 Sprint Car camp who would like to see more dates at Southern Oregon Speedway. I understand that. I also understand that as the limited rules package gets cars in that classification, drivers will be looking to open it up just a little bit more. Winged 360 Sprint Cars can gain from that. However, a change is needed in the leadership of the Winged 360 movement for this thing to really and truly thrive. Even the 360 Sprint Car Speedweek is a shadow of its former self. Because of that, I understand why somebody would want to try and do it with Limited Sprints, but the division isn't quite there yet, in my opinion.
Speedweek Is a pretty cool idea, I get that. In California, the Northern Auto Racing Club 410 Sprint Cars had one heck of a Speedweek for years. And that's what inspired Oregon to start its own Speedweek that was successful in the early years. Right now, the IMCA Modified Wild West Speedweek is the big draw, but even it is in danger of falling off as numbers were down slightly last year. The big problem is promoters have to run races during the week, and the crowd inevitably falls off as people have to work. It makes it difficult for promoters to book it when they can't get the money coming through the gates. I still feel that given a couple of years to grow, the Limited Sprint Speedweek idea might not be a bad thing. Or, you can make Sprint Car Speedweek a Winged 360 and Limited Sprint deal.
The idea I heard floated that I found very interesting was a Late Model Speedweek. Oregon actually has a better Late Model situation than California. I find that remarkable. I also like that the state of Oregon has a true Street Stock division compared to California, where the class has evolved into Pro Stocks and Super Stocks. I'll get to that point in a moment. But a Late Model Speedweek, could it work? In my opinion, yes it could. The key is what Oregon promotional guru, Jerry Schram would go for. Willamette has been known as the Late Model capital of Oregon for years. It starts from there. Then, you have Sunset, Madras, Cottage Grove, Coos Bay and Southern Oregon Speedways. Every one of those tracks has a Late Model division. This could happen if the promoters had a mind to do it, and it could be a draw. Booked properly, you'll even get drivers to come in from California as there's nothing going on there at the moment and they're just sort of taking what they can get. But, this is just speculation on my behalf.
The bottom line about Oregon racing is you have the Holy Grail of Cottage Grove. You have a pretty good program at Willamette Speedway. Look around at every other track and you're going to see fluctuating numbers. A few tracks are getting by a little bit better than others, and other tracks you wonder how they're still going. Oregon only has nine outdoor oval tracks operating during the spring and summer months. Be thankful for what you have. We'd all like every track to be like Cottage Grove when it comes to car count, but there are more tracks like Sunset Speedway and River City Speedway than you think.
Back to the Street Stock subject. As the Road To The Iron Giant leads through Southern Oregon Speedway for the big Street Stock Disorder On The Southern Border Race, I can't help but lament the fact that the track doesn't have a regular Street Stock show. It was never truly cultivated. True, there was a run from 2010 to 2014, but the promoter's insistence on tweaking the rules upset the racers and killed the car count. Before that, you could go to Medford Raceway to find a Street Stock show. I just don't understand why Street Stocks were not included in 1996. The Pro Stocks they had aren't what they are today, but they certainly weren't Street Stocks either.
I keep thinking that if a half a dozen or so of the locals who surely still have cars came out and supported this race and showed an interest in racing again, a few dates could be sprinkled throughout the rest of this year and the class could be added next year. But, this is a fantasy. We do have one local coming out and racing, but you have to have enough cars to make it worth the effort to run. So, I'm very much looking forward to this race, but I know it's just a one shot deal. With any luck, it goes well this year and we get another date next year.
That leaves the idea of the IMCA Stock Car class. I'm not enamoured with the IMCA sanction. I do respect them for making the effort that they do, but I'm hardly their #1 fan. I lean towards NASCAR if you need to sanction, such as Coos Bay is doing, or just doing it in-house. But, I also understand the racers swear by this thing. I wouldn't make the decision to remove sanctioning because I know the racers like their steady set of rules and all of that. But, I'd be holding my nose and doing it.
I have to admit I really like the look of the IMCA Stock Car. They run this class without Camaros or Firebirds, which are cars that I do like. But, these cars have a unique look and they have a nice little group of cars between Hanford and Bakersfield in California. There were 15 cars at Hanford last week. Willamette has added the class this year, though they have a thriving Street Stock division and maybe didn't need to do this. I still wonder if Jerry is sending the Street Stock racers a message with this class. Who knows?
Here's the thing. If you look at Southern Oregon Speedway and neighbouring Siskiyou Motor Speedway, they don't have the Street Stock or Hobby Stock class. So, IMCA Stock Cars are not intruding here. The time might be right. It may be that Siskiyou Speedway would have to be the track to take the first step as Southern Oregon Speedway has a roster of eight regular divisions along with the monthly visits of the OTRO Hardtops. I think they could still fit IMCA Stock Cars in there, but there is something else that Southern Oregon Speedway could and should be looking at.
With Siskiyou Motor Speedway, it's obvious that they need to be thinking about another division of reliable local competitors that they could draw from. Hornets are the division that jumps out at me, though they have a Mini Stock class there. Hornets would be the easiest class to start, and they could even go the IMCA Sport Compact route if they wanted to. Not that that would be needed, as I don't think it is, but again you have people who swear by the sanctioning. An IMCA Stock Car class could work if you give it a chance to grow. They also have the Jefferson Racing Association Jalopies that could be brought out there as another thing to put on the race track.
Southern Oregon Speedway has a division staring them right in the face that could be on the roster. That would be Pro Stocks. When the track opened in 1996, Pro Stocks were on the roster. I will not get into the things that led to the formation of the Outlaw Pro Stock Association in 2012 other than to say I endorse it as something that was needed at the time. This will make for some interesting writing for the book I'm working on for possible offseason release.
Southern Oregon Speedway and the Pro Stock Association leadership got off on the wrong foot in 2016, and the situation was never truly repaired. I stepped in to do everything I could to try and salvage something during the off-season, but I realized that those efforts were futile. The Pro Stock drivers want to have a say in things, and the association is very important to them. They're not really willing to back off on that, and given the fact that some of the racers even go back to the failed Street Stock movement of not too many years ago, I sort of understand why they are clinging to this association. They're doing what they think is right.
The Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stock Association is running about every other week at Siskiyou Speedway and has put together a good schedule for this year. Southern Oregon Speedway will see them on June 2nd and in early September. Southern Oregon Speedway management attempted to start a Pro Stock class in house last year, but in absence of any significant support from the association drivers on their off nights, the thing fizzled out. They were offered a good purse, and in fact, the Top 10 drivers in points received trophies at the awards banquet. Management felt like they treated the Pro Stock drivers right and didn't get any return on their investment.
The disappointment in this matter was the Medford area racers. I won't necessarily put this at the feet of either the association or the Klamath Falls based contingent. But I will question why Medford area racers didn't come in bigger numbers. This was the biggest challenge I had in trying to convince management to give this division of shot this year beyond the two dates. Where were the cars when the dates were booked last year?
There is a known roster somewhere in the 10 to 12 range of Medford area cars, and there was no expectation of everyone showing up all at once for any of those races. However, it was reasonable to think that six to eight cars would come, and that would have been acceptable to get things going. When that didn't happen, management started looking at the other divisions and seeing if they could fill a schedule based mainly on them.
The biggest disappointment in all of this is that when the association comes to town, they're delivering 12 to 16 cars. They are one of the strongest classes on any given race night at Southern Oregon Speedway. So when you look at what division would need to be added to the roster, you have one there that doesn't have enough dates. I understand why this happened, but the fact remains. It's there, and it would deliver if given the chance.
On that note, I'll end what is already a column that went on for far too long. Until next time...
