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Sprint Cars, Modifieds Headline Six Division Show
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...Things are happening at Southern Oregon Speedway this season, and people are talking about it. Last week's Monster Truck Show was attended by the biggest crowd seen at the speedway in years despite the rains. More people are coming out to see what's happening this season. The fans will have another great show this week as the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars are back along with the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks, Vally-Stor All Late Model Lites and OTRO Hardtops.
David Hibbard is off to a good start this season with a win and a second and has taken the early Sprint Car point lead. The Hibbard family had a nice showing at the most recent race as David's son Bailey won the Main Event and his father Calvin picked up his first ever heat race victory. David and Bailey present the biggest challenge for the competition. To get a win, you have to go through them.
However, Jeffrey Hudson is off to a good start with a pair of fourth place feature finishes. Jeffrey has been racing for years, starting at the Outlaw Kart track, and he won the 2015 Outlaw Pro Stock championship. He was Sprint Car Rookie Of The Year at Southern Oregon Speedway in 2016 as he won the final Main Event of the year. He's poised to get another win this week.
Word has it that there will be a few visitors coming in from Cottage Grove, and they will be facing stiff competition from the young drivers at Southern Oregon Speedway, including Merissa Henson, Enrique Jaime, Blaine Cory, Camden Robustelli and Tanner Homes. The Sprint Cars are sure to put on a great show.
After his big victory in the Roger Haudenshild Tribute Race, Nick Trenchard is the early season point leader in the IMCA Modifieds. Trenchard and seven-time champion Mark Wauge are the winners so far, but it appears as if Albert Gill is poised to be the next winner. The two-time champion finished a strong second last time out ahead of Dave Duste Jr. "Cowboy" Duane Orsburn has been looking good so far this year, and other drivers to watch for this week include reigning champion Jesse Bailey, Preston Jones, Bo Shields, Brett Provost and Zach Fettinger.
David Marble appears to be on a quest to win the IMCA Sport Modified championship this year. The 2015 Mini Stock champion won the season opener and leads the standings with reigning champion Mike Medel and Willie McFall in close pursuit. These three come in as the drivers to beat this week, but they can expect good competition from the likes of Danny Rule, Brandon Wilson, Tony Duste and Jesse Merriman.
To get a feature win in the Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks, you generally have to go through David Steele. Steele leads the standings with Hunter Magnan and reigning champion Kristopher Mix not too far behind. The competition level will rise this week with the return of 2013 champion Steve Goetz. Goetz had a hard crash a few weeks ago and has reclipped the front end his car. Other drivers to watch for include 2014 champion Gary Anderson, Garrett Frederiksen and rookie Michael McCleod.
The Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites are back this week. Eric Aos and point leader Charlie Eaton count themselves among the feature winners so far this year. Greg Arnold seems close to getting his first feature win since returning, and teen leadfoot Dusty Aos will be another driver to watch.
Those classic 1940s Coupe and Sedan bodied Hardtops of the Old Time Racers of Oregon will be back for their second appearance. Dusty Trotter picked up his first win on the dirt last time as he is fielding a new car. Coos Bay Speedway Street Stock champion Justin Crossman has the former Dusty Trotter car. He won a heat race with it last time. Joining these two in competition will be Dusty's father, Bill Trotter, Mark Minter, Jamie Britton and Jay Smith.
Saturday night will be filled with excitement from start to finish. Gates open at 5 p.m. with the first race scheduled to start at 7 p.m. General Admission is $12, Seniors, Veterans and Juniors 6 to 12 are $6 and children 5 and under are free. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Outlaw Pro Stocks Return To Siskiyou Motor Speedway
Yreka, CA...After a crowd pleasing IMCA Sport Modified Main Event last week, won by Matt Sanders, the action will be heating up even more this Saturday night at Siskiyou Motor Speedway. In addition to the IMCA Sport Modifieds and the Mini Stocks, the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks will be back for their third appearance of the season along with the first race for the Outlaw Open Comp class.
The Pro Stocks have actually lost a pair of races this year due to rains that hit the track after hot laps. Their last race was the Roger Haudenshild Tribute race in Medford, won by reigning series champion Dr. Scott Lenz. The three races for the group have been won by three different competitors as Mike Learn won the Billy Geyer Memorial Race and Steve Borror won the season opener.
Numbers are up this year as there were 18 drivers ready to go at the most recent rained out Yreka race and there were 17 competitors recently in Medford. Everybody was anticipating a battle between 2016 champion Borror and Lens, and they haven't been disappointed so far. Borror holds a two point advantage over Lenz as perennial championship contender Scott Flowers holds down third. Flowers is one of those drivers people expect to get a win at any time, but son James Flowers should not be counted out either. Other drivers to watch for this week include Matt Harlow, Bryan Hammond, Jeff Haudenshild, Johnny Cobb and Ginny Flowers.
The IMCA Sport Modified division is a wide-open battle as six drivers have won the six races so far. Matt Sanders figured he would be in line for some wins when he got his new car this year, and he was impressive in winning a crowd pleasing battle last week with Braxton Possinger. The driver looking strong early on through multiple yellow flags was championship hopeful Ryder Boswell. Unfortunately, Boswell had a flat tire on lap seven and fell back. Meanwhile, point leader Trevor Tiffee maintained his advantage with a seventh place feature finish.
Tiffee won the race before, but Boswell is still looking for his first feature victory at the speedway since his time in the Mini Stock division. Young Ethan Killingsworth finally made his first appearance last time, but mechanical issues sidelined him early. As he dials his car in, you can bet that he will be further up in the pack battling for wins. Other drivers to watch for this week include DJ Bottoms, Randy Wright, Doug Franklin and 2016 champion Jimmy Lipke.
Marilyn Yawnick is in the hunt for her unprecedented third straight Mini Stock championship. She didn't hurt her cause when she won her second feature of the season last week. 2014 champion Mike Whitaker had dash and heat race wins before his third place feature finish, while 2005 champion Terry Kendrick finished second. This means the championship battle is still close.
Though Yawnick, Kendrick and Whitaker may be the top drivers in the field, there is a group of hungry drivers looking to add their names to the winner's list. Dennis Jorgensen was a feature winner two years ago and hopes to get back there again this season. You also have Mike Frost, Jason Frost, Darek Alford, Zac McMurray, Heather Ryan and Tiffany Cobb to contend with. It should be another great show this week.
The Outlaw Open Comp division was added to give drivers who are concerned that their cars don't meet certain rules specifications a chance to go racing. Their two previous races were both rained out, but weather looks good for the coming weekend. It will be interesting to see who comes to race.
It's a great lineup of racing this Saturday night. With the Pro Stocks back in action, fans will be treated to one heck of a show. If that's not enough, there will be a race on Friday night at the Outlaw Kart track. For further information, go to www.siskiyoumotorspeedway.com.
Herz Precision Parts Wingless Sprint Car Challenge Comes To Southern Oregon Speedway August 25th
White City, Oregon...After the success of the inaugural race last season, the Herz Precision Parts Cascade Wingless 360 Sprint Car Challenge is back at Southern Oregon Speedway. The event is scheduled for August 25th. Mark Herz will once again sponsor the big show.
This is a Wingless 360 Sprint Car race, and last season saw 22 competitors from throughout Oregon and California come to race. It paid $3,000 to win last year and will pay $3,500 this time around.
It was Geoff Ensign putting on a driving clinic in scoring the big win last year. Geoff drives for Ted Finkenbinder, and Ted always brings a good car to any race he enters. Cody Fendley was a $1,500 second last year as Kyle Miller was a $1,000 third. Last year's race paid all Main Event starters $250 minimum.
Ensign and Finkenbinder are anticipated again this year. Young gun Ariel Biggs has announced that she will be competing. Two time Orland champion Bill Hopper, Lance Hallmark, Lindsey Barney, Kevin Pendergrass and Mark Herz are others who have expressed interest.
It's sure to be a show you won't want to miss. The race will have a good purse from top to bottom. More details with be forthcoming soon. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars Back
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...The Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars return for their third event of the season Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. In the third season of the Sprint Car revival, car count is up. There were a dozen racers at each of the first two races, but car count is expected to be bigger this week.
At the top of the point list, you'll find David Hibbard leading son Bailey Hubbard. The duo has each won a race so far this year, and it was Bailey outrunning his father to get the most recent win. That night was special for the family. Prior to Bailey earning a Main Event pole with his win in the six lap Scramble, David's 61 year old father Calvin got his first ever heat race win. Calvin won that race ahead of David and Bailey.
A close third in the standings is second generation racer Jeffrey Hudson. Hudson is a past champion on the Outlaw Kart circuit, and he won the 2015 Outlaw Pro Stock championship. He was 15 years old at the time. Sprint Car racing was always the goal for Hudson, and he joined the division in 2016. He earned top rookie honors and won the point season finale.
Hopes were high last season, but Hudson blew a motor in the season opener. He returned to the Pro Stocks while a new motor was being built for the Sprinter. He won several Main Events en route to second in the standings.
He's back and looking good in the Spring Car this season. Jeffrey had a pair of fourth place finishes. Last time out, he enjoyed a good battle with Merissa Henson as Henson settled for fifth. Henson was an impressive second in the standings last season as the top rookie in the field. This season, she has set her sights on her first win.
The last three times Enrique Jaime started his heat race at his home track he has won. Jaime opened the season by finished third in a good battle with Tanner Holmes. He was hoping to make a run at a victory last time out, but mechanical issues sent him to the pits early. He is definitely a threat to win this season.
Past Outlaw Kart champion Blaine Cory is leading the rookies this season in the Randy Rodgers owned entry. Another newcomer this season is Micro Sprint racer Theron Smith. Aaron Miller is a past winner at the Speedway who hopes to make it to the Winner's Circle again soon. Dwarf Car star Camden Robustelli, Todd Whipple, 500 Kart star Mike Wheeler and Steve Thompson are also anticipated this week.
Word is that past champion Charlie Thompson is about ready to debut. Past Cottage Grove champion Hedge Carter and son Colby are coming and could be joined by a few other Grove competitors.
It promises to be a great night of racing for the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
California Hardtops Return To Stockton 99 Speedway
Stockton,
CA...The California Hardtop Association is looking forward to coming
back to the quarter-mile paved oval at Stockton 99 speedway. Stockton is
the only paved oval on the schedule for the group this season, and they
had five dates booked there this year. Unfortunately, their most
recently scheduled event had to be cancelled.
The
Hardtops were competing at Merced Speedway, and things didn't go so
well for the group as an early crash left three of the cars unable to
continue and in need of repair. Rather than have a disappointing
showing, Club President John Philbert made the decision to call Stockton
Speedway and cancel the race. Things are looking good for this Saturday
night.
Last
time out, it was Ron Ruiz scoring the feature victory. Ruiz has done
well so far this year with a third place finish at both Placerville
events and a win at the Merced race. He is establishing himself as the
driver to beat on the tour this year.
However,
Bay Area Hardtop competitor Ken Retzloff gave everybody a good run when
he won the Tom Tilford Tribute race for the Hardtops at the most recent
Placerville event. To get that win, Ken had to beat the previous
Placerville winner, Dave Reed. The competition is getting tougher. To
show you how tough, Jason Armstrong won quite a bit last season, and he
has yet to win this year. In fact, he only has one podium finish so far.
That
podium finish came at the last Stockton race when Armstrong tried to
reel in the flying Ruiz and settled for second. Ruiz ran a patient race
at the beginning as Jason's father Dennis Armstrong battled Kim Clifford
for the lead for the first few laps. Once Ron made the pass, he took
off into another time zone for the victory. It was pavement only racer
Dave Stewart collecting the third place finish after Roger MacShain
pitted from third.
Joe
Shenefield has seen some respectable results this season, and this
includes his third place finish behind Ruiz and MacShain at Merced and
the fourth place finish he had at Stockton ahead of Ken Clifford and
Dennis Armstrong.
For
Saturday night, they're anticipating a half a dozen to eight racers in
the field. Ken Clifford has the "Acme Rocket" repaired and ready to go.
He'll be ready for another battle with Dennis Armstrong as the two have
enjoyed some good side by racing so far this season. Shenefield will be
out to see if he can improve a few more positions on the podium, and Tom
Grady will be back after finishing fourth at the recent Placerville
race. Others are anticipated, and that could include Larry Wells if he
is able to resolve his carburetor issues in time.
Stockton
enjoys having the Hardtops on the program, and they generally put on a
good show for the fans. Saturday night should be no exception.
Grimes, Fuller, Hirschbock Johnson Share Southern Oregon Speedway Outlaw Kart Spotlight
White City, Oregon...June 8...Under threatening skies, the Southern Oregon Speedway Outlaw Kart show went on as planned Friday night at Little Southern Oregon Speedway. With rain forecast to hit at anytime in the evening, the decision was made to run just one set of heat races for the classes and get into Main Events with not much intermission. As it turned out, the rain would fall just five minutes after the final checkered flag waved.
Reigning champion Trevor Grimes continued his strong start as he won both his eight lap heat race and 15 lap Main Event in the 250 Kart division. Grimes had the lead at the start of the Main Event and stretched his advantage to a straightaway by the waving of Tom Hood's checkered flag. Brionna Fuller ran a solid second and Taylor Fuller and Vinny DeBenedetti battled fiercely for third. Fuller made the pass midway through the race to grab third as DeBenedetti rounded out the order.
After picking up a win in the eight lap UAS Speedway Kart heat race, Larry Fuller requested a last starting spot in the 12 lap Main Event. 2016 Yreka champion Ed Grubb paced the field for the first three laps. A fierce five kart battle ensued at the front of the pack, and season opener winner Jeremy Brown made an outside pass on the backstretch on lap four to take the lead from Grubb. Larry Fuller followed closely into second. As the leaders worked the backstretch on lap six, contact sent Brown spinning into the infield. The race continued, and Larry Fuller slowed on the back stretch a lap later, allowing Johnny Hoult to make the move into the lead. Hoult led until Larry Fuller made an inside pass on the back stretch on lap 11 to regain first. Larry Fuller went on to take the checkered flag in victory, followed by Hoult, Brionna Fuller, Grubb, Lori Fuller and Brown.
After winning his heat just ahead of Ryan Hirschbock, Jacob James set the early pace In the Box Stock 15 lap feature. Taylor Fuller made a low pass in Turn 3 of the fourth lap to gain the lead, and Hirschbock made an inside pass in Turn 4 of the same lap to take second from James. The battle for third saw contact in Turn 2 of the fifth lap, and James spun and was hit by Brandon Steinhoff on the back stretch, ending the race for both of them. Fuller led the pack on the restart, but he got just a bit sideways, allowing Hirschbock, Keaton Augustine and Kiley Grimes to race into the Top 3 positions. Hirschbock had some pressure from Augustine, but he was not about to let his first victory slip away as he happily took the checkered flag in first. Augustine settled for second, and Fuller made a Turn 4 pass on lap 13 to take third from Grimes, who settled for fourth ahead of Tyler Steinhoff.
The Beginners Box Stock division continues to bring new drivers to the track, and they ran two eight lap heat races. Uriah Sanders won his 8 lap heat race ahead of Carson Henson, and Malachi Johnson made a pass on Shailene Horn during the second heat race to claim that victory.
Reigning champion Johnson shared the front row for the 15 lap Main Event with Sanders, and Johnson was destined to get the victory. However, it didn't come easy. Caleb Ranney was a Main Event scratch, and Johnson charged into the early lead ahead of Sanders and Horn. A lap four caution flag flew when Isaac Grimes spun in the second turn. Some of the young drivers are just making their first laps and going at their own pace as they get used to things. It just so happened that Johnson and Sanders caught three of them as they went down the front stretch on the seventh lap. Sanders went low and made the pass for the lead in Turn 1. Once Johnson got around the traffic, he put his kart back up on the high side and regained the lead in Turn 3 of the eighth lap. Horn made a front stretch pass on Sanders on lap 10 to take over second and quickly closed in on Johnson. However, Johnson was not to be denied as he sped to the victory. Horn picked up her second straight runner-up finish ahead of Sanders, Henson and Jayme DeBenedetti.
All of the young drivers did a great job of running on the track, even when sprinkles during the Main Events made things a little bit slick. They will be back for their third event of the season on Friday, June 22nd. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Pit Stops
With the Malicious Monster Truck Insanity Tour at Southern Oregon Speedway last week, the regular divisions had a night off. As it turned out, even the Dwarf Cars that were scheduled that night weren't able to race due to the rains that hit the speedway from Friday night into Saturday morning. Nobody in Oregon was lucky enough to get any racing in.
Reigning Late Model champion and current point leader Nathan Augustine finds himself searching for another chassis after his car took so much damage in the Main Event crash at the Roger Haudenshild Tribute Race that it's been deemed unfixable. There was word that Nathan might be renting a race car for the June 30th race while making preparations. It seems the team isn't going to let this stop them from trying to repeat as champions.
They will be seeing some good competition from Miles Deubert, and past Coos Bay Speedway champion Dave Foote reminded everybody that he's still out there when he won the Main Event that night. Thus far, the three races have been won by three different drivers, and Deubert and Augustine are the other two.
Deubert was happy just being able to finally go Late Model racing. People probably weren't expecting him to win the season opener after his dismal heat race performance, but that's exactly what he did. Even he was surprised by the outcome. The next race was a reminder that it's not going to be easy. Miles had steering issues in his heat race and fixed things up just good enough to get him through the Main Event, where he finished sixth. His second place finish behind Foote moved him much closer to Augustine in the championship battle.
Foote has been enjoying his trips from Coos Bay to race at Southern Oregon Speedway. He finds the track conditions to his liking and has been dialing things in with each start. Last season, it seemed like he had a perennial third place car, but he has already won a heat race and a Main Event this season. Dave seems to be regaining his championship form, which is going to make this battle all the more interesting.
For the IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sport Modifieds, the week off gave the drivers an opportunity to get tuned up for this Saturday night's races and the big Speedweek event on June 23rd. After his impressive performances in winning both his heat race and the $2,000 prize in the Roger Haudenshild Tribute Race, Nick Trenchard might be the driver to beat, but he knows the caliber of competition that will be coming on June 23rd. It won't be easy. Though he couldn't quite pull it off at last year's race, he did get a win in Yreka the night before.
"Cowboy" Duane Orsburn seems to be dialing things in this season. The two time Street Stock champion looked impressive for most of the Haudenshild race as he ran second in a good battle with Albert Gill. Unfortunately, a last lap spin dropped him back to seventh, but he's still very much in title contention. The thing about Speedweek is it's not only a one week championship series, there will be points counted at Southern Oregon Speedway. With the competition that is coming, just making the Main Event will be a challenge that will matter in the track title chase.
Duane has been taking his car just about everywhere he can this season and putting more laps on it. He has been down to Antioch and Petaluma, California, the latter track at which he finished fourth in the Main Event. Duane is hoping to get his second Southern Oregon Speedway IMCA Modified feature win, and he's looking good enough to do it lately.
Another driver looking good is Dave Duste Jr. Seems that he, his father and brother have all won Main Events in the IMCA Modifieds through the years, and all three have ranked as high as second in the standings at the track. We haven't seen Dave for a few seasons, but the third place finish that he picked up last time along with a Trophy Dash win shows that he still knows the fast way around the track.
Likewise, Albert Gill has been his usual fast self this season. The two-time IMCA Modified champion at both Medford and Yreka has a pair of heat race wins and a strong second place finish to show for it, but Albert comes to win. The possibility of a win in the big Speedweek race is very enticing to Gill. It would certainly be one of the biggest wins he's ever recorded. However, he's expected to be one of the drivers competing for the victory this week as well.
When you look at the winner's list during the past few seasons, you'll find quite a few drivers have taken their turns in the Winner's Circle in IMCA Modified competition. One of those winners last season was Zach Fettinger, who was getting his first win ever. He certainly looked good at the Haudenshild Race with his fourth place finish ahead of another driver who is destined for victory, Preston Jones. The competition level was so tough that reigning champion Jesse Bailey had to settle for sixth, but he also finds himself as one of the drivers within nine points of Trenchard for the point lead.
The most recent race also served as a reminder to seven time champion Mark Wauge that things won't be easy this year. Mark won the season opener and then impressed with the win in the John Arnberg Memorial in Yreka. Unfortunately, Mark blew a motor in his heat race last time out to end his night prematurely. He'll be hoping to come back strong the next time he's at the track. Will we see him this week? Or does he wait for Speedweek?
The IMCA Sport Modifieds seem to be gathering momentum at Southern Oregon Speedway, and that means bigger fields. A few of the area drivers are choosing to take trips elsewhere for the money as not only are they a part of the IMCA State race, but they are also part of the Pacific Sport Modified Series, which will pay a nice point fund at season's end.
Despite all of that, longtime Southern Oregon Speedway racer Mike Medel continues to show his support for his home track. Medel is looking for his first win of the season, but he did well in getting a third in the Haudenhild Race while season opener winner David Marble finished fifth. There are only three points separating leader Marble from Medel, while last year's point runner up, Willie McFall, is six points out. It's not really a surprise to see these three drivers contending, but you know somebody else will be stepping up.
An intriguing possibility could be third generation racer Tony Duste. Tony only had a handful of starts last season, and this is essentially his first full year at the speedway. He surprised McFall by passing him and taking a Trophy Dash win earlier in the evening, but his Main Event ended in disappointment. Still, you can see the #23 car is set up nicely, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Tony grab a feature victory.
Two other drivers who are new to the field are Danny Rule and Brandon Wilson, who are locked in a good battle with Duste for fourth in the standings. Rule picked up a Top 5 finish in the season opener. He too ran some races last year, but this is essentially his first full season. There are so many new drivers in the field that it's going to be interesting watching the Sport Modifieds compete at each race at Southern Oregon Speedway. The likelihood of seeing some drivers getting their first ever wins is pretty good.
The Mini Stock division has taken a bit of a beating this season. Cameron Hall was driving the popular Pinto Wagon and doing a pretty good job of it when he spun at the second event. 2013 champion Steve Goetz was coming out of Turn 2 with the sun in his eyes and didn't see Hall in time to react. He ended up t-boning Hall. Neither driver was injured, but the Pinto Wagon had to be retired due to chassis damage. Goetz had to reclip his car, but he reported last week that he'll be ready to go for this race.
Likewise, it's anticipated that Gary Anderson will be ready to race this week. The 2014 champion had motor issues at the season opener, but he has put something together again. He took it for a shakedown run in Yreka a few weeks ago and crossed the finish line in third. When they get to the track, they're still going to have to deal with David Steele. Steele has won two Main Events already to lead the points, but it wasn't Steele winning the most recent race.
Kristopher Mix picked up the honors, and he had to pass Steele to do so. This was the first ever win for Mix, who is a third-generation Medford area racer. The picture in the Winner's Circle was filled with many family and friends, all celebrating the occasion. Mix is hoping to repeat as champion, but he finds himself battling Hunter Magnan for second, not far behind Steele at the moment.
Magnan wasn't content to run at the back of the pack and make his laps after his rookie season. He picked up another car for this season and has been very competitive. He will be out there to see if he can get his first career win this week. The field will see a few more cars, such as Top 5 ranked Garrett Fredrickson and Michael McLeod, and hopefully other drivers will come out of the woodwork as the season progresses. For all intents and purposes, the Mini Stock division serves as the Hobby Stock division at the track, a good upper level entry class.
The Valley-Stor All Late Model Lites division has also had a slow start. There are few drivers missing in action that were anticipated this year, including 2016 champion Lee Doty. Doty didn't have his car ready in time, and our last report was that he had it up in Portland being worked on. He will be a welcome addition when he gets there. 2017 champion Bob Burkett is said to be spending time with family during a particularly rough time for the family. We certainly wish Bob and his family the best and hope to see him back at the speedway soon.
As Dusty Aos still doesn't have his car ready, he's been driving the old Bill Spencer mount during the first two races. Hopefully the #3 car will be ready and somebody else can take their turn behind the wheel of the #99 car. Danny Prewitt is another driver that will hopefully return soon. The two Aos's, Greg Arnold and point leader Charlie Eaton have been putting on a show for the fans so far, but they definitely are hoping to see a few other cars on the track this week.
The strongest of the four cylinder divisions remains the JOAT Labs Hornets. Just a few years ago, this division may have been on the schedule, but it was an afterthought. Track management has made every effort to build this division up, and things have been looking good this year. Several young teen competitors have helped grow this class, and it's also worth noting that two families have thrown their weight behind things.
What's nice about the Ashland High School effort being led by teacher RC Britt is that these young racers are learning about working on race cars and keeping them maintained. They don't just get behind the wheel, they get their hands dirty learning about cars. Thus far, John Ferreira and Ethan Doty have done a good job of campaigning the two team cars, and Britt is to be commended for teaching a new generation about automobiles.
The Hedges family and the Nelson family are showing good support to the Hornet Class. Tim Hedges has a Mini Stock that we hope to see back at the track soon, maybe even this week, but he also has four Hornets. He wasn't quite sure about debuting his new car last time out, but he brought it anyway. The big motivating factor for that was his intent in helping David Miller stay on the track as Miller's own car had issues. That meant that with son Ashton and wife Jenna Hedges out there, the team brought four cars.
Derrel Nelson Jr and son Zach Nelson are showing good support to the division so far, but Derrel has had anything but good luck in his first three starts. Zach finds himself tied for fourth with Ashtin Hedges, who has been the breakout star of the season. Ashtin won impressively at the second event and probably would have won the next race if not for mechanical issues rearing their ugly head with five laps to go.
Tim Hedges hasn't had a spectacular start, but he's out there taking his points and doing what needs to be done in a championship season. The two drivers in front of him, Brandon Wonsyld and Jason Stoutenburgh, have been battling for position all year. Young Brandon leads the reigning champion Stoutenburgh by just one point. Both are feature winners, and Jason won the most recent race with the departure of the younger Hedges car.
It's a good site to see so many of these Hornets coming to the speedway. To keep racing going, you need to have something out there for the newer drivers to move into, and this division fits the bill quite nicely. Hornets will be a part of the Wild West Speedweek race at Southern Oregon Speedway on June 23rd.
It's always nice to see you the Old Time Racers of Oregon Hardtops at Southern Oregon Speedway. When President Vic Bridges passed away during the offseason, Mark Minter stepped up to take the reins and keep OTRO going. The group has been around since the 1980s, and Minter's grandfather, Harold Minter, built one of the original cars in the group. Mark drives that car, which sports a pretty pink paint job. Mark recently acquired another car that could see action this year.
In fact, the roster now reaches into the teens, and one of the contributing factors to that is the Trotter family. Dusty Trotter put together a new car, which he drove to victory at the first Medford race. Dusty's old car got the win in the heat race last time. After winning the Street Stock championship at Coos Bay Speedway last year, Justin Krossman has taken the wheel of Dusty's old car this year. So far, he's enjoying the change of pace.
Dusty's father, Bill Trotter, fields two cars as well. There is the unique old pickup truck, being driven by Jay Smith this season. Smith has achieved better results than anybody else since the group began running at the Medford track. He won the Trophy Dash last time out and finished a very close second in the Main Event. Bill Trotter continues to wheel the orange #46 Coupe.
There are several racers in the group, including Jamie Britton, who won the Cottage Grove race. Jamie races both dirt and pavement as he has been supporting the Roseburg effort. 2016 Roseburg champion Greg Hickman will reportedly make a visit to the Southern Oregon Speedway. Some beautiful cars are a part of this group, including the #40 car of Dean Cast and the #66 of Jimmy Del Castille. The Hardtops return this Saturday night.
We got a look at the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stock division recently, and they delivered 17 cars to Southern Oregon Speedway. Unfortunately, a deal wasn't able to be reached to get them to the track more often, so Medford fans will have to wait until the R Charles Snyder Salute to see them again in September. Otherwise, you'll be going down to Siskiyou Motor Speedway, where a majority of the Pro Stock dates will be, including this Saturday night.
It's interesting to note that the Hackworth team has four cars. Dean Hackworth commented prior to the recent Medford race that he would like to see more Pro Stock races. When the track tried to do something in house last season, Dean supported every race and ended up second in the standings with Rookie Of The Year honors. Unfortunately, mechanical issues kept him out of the latest show.
What's also interesting to note is that John David Duffie has been making appearances this year and won both his heat race and the Crack The Whip race in Medford. He's fast any time he's there as is two-time Late Model Lites champion Brian Johnsen. After going down to Santa Maria to race and earning a pair of Top 10 finishes, Johnsen sat out the Haudenshild Race. However, Dr. Scott Lenz and Steve Borror came to race.
When you're looking for speed In the Pro Stock division, you need look no further than Lenz and Borror. If things are holding together, these two are running at the front of the pack. Borror spun from the lead at the recent race, and that gave Lenz the opening he needed. Lenz led the rest of the way to win his second Haudenshild Tribute Race. Borror settled for a disappointed third behind 2015 champion Jeffrey Hudson. When scheduling permits it, Hudson will probably see more seat time driving for Scott Bennett, but he's also racing a Kendell Oil Winged Sprint Car At Southern Oregon Speedway.
The Flowers family continues to field four cars thanks in part to Arlen Garrison. Scott Flowers is usually In contention for a championship, though he's got many second place rankings to show for it. He's won his share of Main Events through the years, but there's been a bit of a drought in recent seasons. Scott would love to turn that around in Yreka this week, but son James will be out to get a win this week as well.
It's a good group of racers in the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stock ranks, and this includes several newcomers. Last season, Bryan Hammond won top rookie honors. To make things just a bit more confusing, there is now a Brian R Hammond In the field. He drives the #7 car, while the aforementioned Bryan drives the #55 car. There is also a Ryan Smith in one of the Hackworth cars, not to be confused with the Ryan Smith who is one of the stars in the Southern Oregon Dwarf Car Association. Saturday in Yreka should be a good show.
Last Saturday night in Yreka was a good show. For starters, track officials decided to pay $500 to win the IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. They get that purse when they reach 13 cars, but it was decided to go ahead and advertise the purse regardless of car count. Because all of the Oregon tracks were rained out, they gained a pair of drivers who normally would have been at Cottage Grove as well as visitors from Southern Oregon Speedway.
The Sanders team hails from Brookings, Oregon. Matt Sanders purchased a new car this year In the hopes of being more competitive. Isaac Sanders was there, but Steven Sanders didn't quite have things together. Ryder Boswell Is hoping to win the championship this year, and he is battling with Trevor Tiffee for the honors. Tiffee won the previous race, which made him the fifth different winner so far.
Boswell looked impressive in the early stages of the race, but the yellow flags kept flying. On a lap 7 restart, he had his problems with a flat tire. Matt Sanders was there to take the lead. What came after that was an entertaining battle between Sanders and Braxton Possinger for the lead. Sanders had the preferred high line around the track, but Possinger kept making moves on the inside. It went down to the checkered flag with Sanders claiming the win.
While Sanders became the sixth different winner in six races, not much changed between Boswell and Tiffee in the championship battle. Both drivers finished further back in the Top 10. Because the track has struggled a bit in car count, It's likely to be these two drivers battling all season long for the championship.
Last season, Ethan Killingsworth came within one race of winning the Mini Stock championship. He lost it in heartbreaking fashion when he was eliminated in a front stretch crash early in the season finale. Ironically, that was what it was going to take to cost him the honors. Had he even finished in the middle of the pack, it would have been enough. Having proven that he can handle a Mini Stock well, Killingsworth now has an IMCA Sport Modified. He made his debut last weekend. Though he had mechanical issues, he will be a driver to watch in the weeks ahead as he has what it takes to become one of the stars of this division.
Hopefully, more of the regulars from recent seasons will begin to appear more often. We finally saw the debut of last year's third ranked driver, Randy Wright, three weeks ago. With reigning champion DJ Bottoms, Colton Chaffey, Jack Walden III and Garrett Hamilton getting back out there, this would be a very entertaining show.
The track had more incentive for the Trophy Dash winners when Donny Bottoms of Bottoms Racing offered $100 bills to the IMCA Sport Modified and Mini Stock Trophy Dash winners. Cottage Grove regular Daniel Ray picked up the IMCA Sport Modified Dash, while 2014 champion "Magic" Mike Whitaker did the honors in the Mini Stocks. The Jefferson State Racing Association Jalopies also got in on the action with a $50 bill to their winner. In this case, it was Josh Bernstein besting the four car field.
Whitaker carried the momentum into the Main Event with heat race and Trophy Dash wins, but it was two time reigning Mini Stock champion Marilyn Yawnick becoming a two-time winner as she held off 2005 champion Terry Kendrick. You would expect these three drivers to be in the hunt for the championship, and they're not disappointing. We've yet to see a point sheet, but it won't be a surprise to see Yawnick leading with the other two in close pursuit.
The Mini Stock division has seen a pair of newcomers this year in Zac McMurray and Darek Alford, the latter of which was missing from the most recent race. Tiffany Cobb, who is the wife of Pro Stock competitor Johnny Cobb, made her second start last time out. Dennis Jorgensen is certainly somebody who could be in line for a feature win and he has won in the past. Mike Frost Is another driver who's looked good this year when he's been there, and you also have Jason Frost and Heather Ryan on the roster. The Mini Stock division keeps plugging along.
The track went ahead and had a demo for the Outlaw Kart drivers. In this case, it was Box Stock competitors. What might be something to consider in an effort to give the fans a little bit more entertainment on race night would be if they could construct a Kart track n the infield. Perhaps not a full program, but a chosen division on any given Saturday night? It may be that the Box Stock or Beginners Box Stock divisions would be the top choices given the fact that they generally have the bigger car counts.
In any event, Siskiyou Motor Speedway has some big shows ahead. After this Saturday's show, which will include the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks, The Wild West IMCA Modified Speedweek Series kicks off On Friday, June 22nd, in Yreka. There's also the big July 4th event coming up. The track keeps plugging away after the scare they had during the off-season. About the biggest detriment they've had this year are the two rainouts where car count looked good and they had to cancel the show after hot laps on both occasions.
Drake Nelson is offering Coos Bay Speedway fans a visit from the Malicious Monster Truck Insanity Tour this Saturday night. They put on an entertaining show at Southern Oregon Speedway the week before despite the fact that the grounds were a little wet due to the rains. It's definitely worth checking this show out if you've never seen a Monster Truck show live.
Coming up on June 23rd will be The Prowler Charters Trophy Sponsor Ladies Night event. Winged Sprint Cars will be back for their third point race as California transplant Kayla Green battles Brett Hulsey and Mike Crawford for the championship. Green and Hulsey have two Top 5 finishes, but Ian Bandy and reigning champion Lawrence Van Hoof are your two winners so far. Green only leads Hulsey by four points, and she'll be out to see if she can get a win this time.
Nelson offered a $100 bounty to the driver who could beat point leader Brody Montgomery while Montgomery was still racing in the Super Late Model Main Event. They got no surprise visitors from out of town, but six competitors did show up. Unfortunately, attrition took a heavy toll as four of those drivers were done before the Main Event ever started. Montgomery won ahead of Kristy Grout. The bounty still stands. Will somebody come in and take the money this time? Because Chris Ray and Richard Wallace had problems, 2016 point runner-up Thor Kristensen made a substantial gain in the standings. He is now four points ahead of Wallace for third and 40 points behind Ray for second. The track is offering $3,000 for the champion, but even second and third place will make good money through the NASCAR Whelen All American Series.
The most dominant driver at the track right now is Mini Outlaw point leader Sam Talon. Sam has won five of the six Main Events and might have won of the other had it not been for mechanical issues forcing him to scratch from the Main Event. He holds a commanding lead in the standings while one-time winner John Henry is just 16 tallies ahead of Carl Johnson in the race for second. When enough of these cars show up, the Mini Outlaw race is actually pretty entertaining.
Thus far, there have been five different winners in six Hornet races, but Tyler Tullos now holds a 42 point lead over April Warmack in the championship battle. Tullos won the most recent race. Warmack was a Main Event scratch, which has put her in the position of playing catch-up. Warmack also finds herself in a close battle for second as David Pellum is six points behind her and one time winner Hannah Robison and rookie Kylea Krossman are eight points back in a tie for fourth.The division has been dominated in recent years, so the wide-open nature of the week-to-week battle makes the Hornets a fun race to watch.
Nelson has some big things on the horizon, and one of them is the Sunday race on June 24th. Last season, Drake made the controversial decision to run an IMCA type Modified race during Speedweek. He was unable to secure a date, and he decided to take advantage of the fact that IMCA Modified Speedweek had a night off. They didn't get a big field, but the race still turned out to be very entertaining. This year, they landed the third race on the Tour. The track's Hornets, Street Stocks and Sportsman Late Model divisions will be on the card that night as well.
