Southern Oregon Speedway News: Outlaw Karts, Open Stocks, Sprint Cars, Mini Stocks

Outlaw Kart Racing To Continue 

At Southern Oregon Speedway Kart Track

White City, Oregon...There were some concerns from the racing community in the Medford area that the Outlaw Kart track at Southern Oregon Speedway might not even have any races this year.  Those worries were unfounded.  There will be a season under new Promoter Mike McCann.  The fact is, McCann has a history of promoting Kart and Micro Sprint racing at several venues through the years.  The season will be eight races spanning from May through August as the struggling program is being revitalized.

The Kart track was built back in 1998 by Ron Shubin, who promoted some big events during his ten year run as promoter.  The whole idea behind this track is two fold.  It's a way to promote the family atmosphere in racing and it also helps grow the sport as new drivers get their feet in the door at this track and graduate to the bigger track.  The roster of Kart graduates is impressive and includes such hard chargers as Camden Robustelli, Chadd Noland, Seth Nunes and C.J. Putnam.

No big changes are being made to the rules as the classes from last year will return, including Beginner and Intermediate Box Stocks, 125's, 250's 500's and a Micro Sprint class that will include the 600's and any 500's or 250's drivers wanting to give the one-eighth mile dirt track a whirl.   The race dates are May 13 and 20, June 3 and 24, July 8 and 29 and August 19 and 26.  They are all Friday night races, and the second race of each month is set to be for an increased purse.

Children of all ages, and the young at heart, compete in these classes.  The youngsters in the Beginner Box Stock class can be quite entertaining.  Who knows?  One of them could grow up the next Camden Robustelli, Nick DeCarlo or Kellen Chadwick, all of whom were champions at a young age.  Last season, the two Beginner champions were Drake Beard and Trent Florey.  Florey won after a battle with Tristan Lorents.

The Beginners graduate into the Intermediate 5HP class, and the champion last season was Trevor Grimes over Brenden Bartlett.  From there, there are a few more divisions with a bit more horse power.  The 125's championship last year went to Wyatt Pinchney, and it was Tanner Holmes holding off Dillon Lausen for the 250's championship.  Jason Benton battled Bartley Foster for the 500's championship.

The Micro class is a new addition that allows just a bit more power with the 600's and allows the drivers in the 250's and 500's to run with them if they want to.  At several Kart tracks, the 600's have been the top class, but it's just getting started here.  The idea is to build up a show that can rival the shows held in the glory days of the Outlaw Kart track not too many years ago.

The Outlaw Kart track is sort of a field of dreams for aspiring racers to get in at a young age.  It's a way to teach the younger generation mechanical skills and sportsmanship.  It also brings families closer together.  This track has helped make the racing community in Southern Oregon that much stronger.

The good news is also the fact that the track will be open for playday on April 24th.  It will be the perfect opportunity for the racers to get much needed seat time and work the bugs out of their race cars.  The track will open for cars from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM and pit access is just $10.  Fans wishing to spectate at the Kart or big track that day get in free into the grandstands.  For further information, check the website at www.southernoregonspeedway.com

Open Stock Class Announced For Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...When Mike McCann held the Southern Oregon Speedway driver's meeting in Medford back in February, something interesting happened.  He was approached by drivers in two divisions that had no races on the schedule, the Late Models and the Street Stocks.  There were said to be at least a half dozen drivers in each class who wanted to come race.

The schedule was already filling up, but McCann proposed an idea that seemed to be accepted by the drivers who were there at the meeting.  What if we ran the cars in both divisions together to build a car count and see where we end up at season's end?  The drivers were receptive to the idea, and McCann drafted a very simple set of rules, which are available on the track's website.  The result was the Open Stock class where there are few restrictions when it comes to motor, chassis, body, suspension, wheels or tires.

In fact, divers can run side boards, hearkening back to the old POSSE Super Stock days.  It's about  putting on a show and putting cars out on the race track.  Fans will see a division in which the cars may take on a more unique personality, the way it was back in the old days.  That is to say the cars won't look the same in style the way some other classes do.  The drivers will get a chance to put their cars on the track and show what interest remains in Street Socks and Late Models in the area.

When Southern Oregon Speedway opened in 1996, the old Medford Street Stock division was not included, which surprised a few people at the time.  Late Models were generally invited a couple times a year as part of the tour going around Oregon.  However, there was a time when the track did try to establish its own Late Model and Street Stock divisions .

Flashing back to 2008, there was a close Late Model battle between veteran Roger Lorenzini and Chris Salyer that ended in a tie.  Long time California Late Model racer Skipper Klimcheck was a close third ahead of Jeremy Richey and Dane Smith.  A year later, current IMCA Modified competitor Andy Freeman topped the field with Trent Elliot and Smith two points back in second.  Richey bested Monte Bischoff and Salyer in the third and final year.

So, who is interested in running a Late Model?  Stock Car veteran Steve Lemley has already thrown his hat into the ring.  Beyond that is just speculation.  Rumor has it that Klimcheck still has a car, and we have to wonder who else might dig their cars out of mothballs for an opportunity to compete on the fast three-tenths mile clay oval.  Could this be the start of a Late Model division in the future?

The Street Stock division is an enigma.  The reality is that this division is still very popular, and yet not much was done to establish a class until the beginning of the decade.  The two biggest stars of the class were Dwayne Osburn and Jorddon Braaten.  Osburn won the first two championships with Braaten in second both years before winning the 2013 championship.  That was a season that saw the class have 12 different cars in the standings.

It seemed like the division almost took hold, but numbers dipped slightly with ten different cars in 2014. Miles Deubert won that championship ahead of Mini Stock graduate Tyler Lockwood.  So, who still has a car that they want to race?  We do know that Braaten has become the big Sport Mod star in the area as a two tine champion, and Osburn nearly won a Modified championship in Yreka last year.  We also know there are drivers waiting for an opportunity to return.

Now is the time for the forgotten Street Stock and Late Model drivers to step forward and show that they want to race at Southern Oregon Speedway now and in the future.  Dates lined up include May 21, June 4, June 18, July 30, August 20 and September 17.  That's six dates to build something that can continue to grow in the future.  Who is ready to step up and help get this started?  We'll find out in a little over a month.  For more information on this and other things happening at the track, check the official website at www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Past Late Model Champions

2008 Roger Lorenzini
Chris Salyer tie
2009  Andy Freeman
2010  Jeremy Richey

Street Stocks Champions

2011  Duane Osburn
2012  Duane Osburn
2013  Jorddon Braaten
2014  Miles Dubert

A New Era in Sprint Car Racing Begins 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

There's a hint of newness in the air at Southern Oregon Speedway. It isn't just that Mike McCann has become the new promoter of the twenty year old racing facility. It isn't even because the Pennzoil Winged Sprint Cars, presented by Hays Oil, are once again a regular division at the track.

Some of the names people are familiar with, such as Nutter, Menne and Rogers, may not be a part of the Sprint Car class this year. Some of the names people may be more familiar with in Oregon Sprint Car racing these days may only be occasional visitors at best.

However, this new era of Winged Sprint Car racing at Southern Oregon Speedway will introduce some new Sprint Car stars to the fans. Regular fans at the speedway already know how good of a race car driver young Jeffrey Hudson is. He may get it from his father, Jeff Hudson, who has been a star of Pro Stock Racing for many years in Oregon.

Coming up from the ranks of the Go Karts, Jeffrey got behind the wheel of an Outlaw Pro Stock at the age of 14. Racing with the likes of longtime veterans like Dave Everson and Ken Irving, Jeffrey won the championship in his first year last year. Even more impressive was the fact that despite the pressure of the season finale and having to overtake the point leader, Jeffrey made his best move and won that championship on the final night.

People are already talking about the youngster Hudson, and they're saying he's the real deal. This year, he's ready for his next challenge and wheeling a Winged Sprint Car. Last Saturday night, he made his first laps in the division in practice at Yreka.

Hudson won't be the only "Young Gun" in the Winged Sprint Car class. He will be joined by Dwarf Car sensation Camden Robustelli. Robustelli has been rising fast in the Dwarf Car ranks after winning Kart championships before that. After his fourth place ranking in Dwarf Cars and a big win in the National event at Santa Maria back in 2014, Camden came within a whisker of winning the Southern Oregon Dwarf Car Association Championship before settling for a very close second last year.

The youngster has already gotten some seat time in the Sprint Car with a couple of select starts last season. However, that was just a tune up. The team will be putting more attention into the Sprint Car effort this year. It could just be that the first championship of the Sprint Car revival could be won by one of these two young drivers.

Todd Whipple had been running IMCA Modifieds in recent seasons and was a top five driver at Yreka last year. Periodically, Todd has made select starts in Sprint Car events.  The 10 race schedule at Southern Oregon Speedway may offer Todd the opportunity to get much more seat time and progress as a Sprint Car driver.

At every race track, you have the low buck racer who helps make up the field. You won't find a more dedicated low buck racer at Southern Oregon Speedway then Wayne Kniffen. Through the years, Wayne has ranked top 10 in Mini Stocks and top 20 in IMCA Modifieds. With the bigger car counts back in those days, he struggled to make the Main Events.  However, he managed to win two B Main championships in the Modified and Mini Stock classes. He also ran a few races one season and was Top 10 ranked in a Sprint Car. Wayne is looking forward to coming back to Southern Oregon Speedway and giving it a go.

The new era could make stars out of these four racers, but there are already some drivers with Sprint Cup championships under their belts who will be part of the field. This includes 2010 Southern Oregon Speedway Sprint Car champion Chadd Noland, two time Orland Wingless Sprint Car champion Bill Hopper and 2015 Cottage Grove Sprint Car Champion Patrick Dills.
Several other drivers are rumored to be a part of the division this year, and we're waiting to hear confirmation on who may also join the field.

It could very well be that some drivers won't declare their intent to race regularly at the speedway until opening day. One driver getting some attention is Garen Linder, who recently went down to California and picked up a top five finish at Chico Silver Dollar Speedway. The popular Linder would be a welcome addition to the roster.

One thing is for sure, the Pennzoil Winged Sprint Car class will be a regular division at Southern Oregon Speedway this year and in the years to come. For further information on this division and the other classes at the speedway, check out the official website at www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Mini Stock Drivers Prepare For Coming Season 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...With less than a month left to go, there are several drivers chomping at the bit to put their cars on the racetrack. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the Mini Stock division, where several Southern Oregon Speedway competitors were seen on a racetrack making some practice laps.

The track was neighboring Siskiyou Motor Speedway in Yreka, and a little over a half dozen racers were there. For the last two seasons at Southern Oregon Speedway, there were three names you needed to know when it came to championship contenders. Those three drivers were longtime division competitor Bob Burkett, 2014 Champion Gary Anderson and 2015 Champion David Marble, who has an IMCA Sport Modified this season..

Eric Hanson and Mike Cloud were next on the point list last season, ranking fourth and fifth respectively. Both racers are hungry to see the Winner's Circle this year, and they could very well be drivers to beat in the championship battle this year.  The duo came to Yreka on Saturday and were part of the car show at McDonald's in Yreka before heading to the track for practice.

Two of last season's Top 10 competitors were also seen in Yreka. Seventh ranked Kris Mix and 10th ranked Marissa Henson were there to put their cars though the paces. Mix was so excited to get some practice laps that his car was primered and didn't even have a paint job yet. He could feel the top 5 within his grasp last season, and he's anxious to make it this year and perhaps see the Winner's Circle a time or two. Henson had her beautiful #17 car out there making laps as she tries to improve on last season's 10th place ranking.

Henson also ran the 250's on the smaller track last season and brought it home to a third place ranking behind Dylan Lausen. Lausen will be a rookie in Mini Stocks this year and was making laps in Yreka. Last season, Lausen ran a Hornet a time or two and ranked second in 250's on the 1/8 mile dirt oval next to the big track. He will be joined in this year's rookie class by another driver making his first Mini Stock laps in Yreka, Devin Weiser. Like Lausen, Weiser raced briefly in the Hornet Class last season.

There is excitement in the air as the Mini Stock division prepares for its 21st season of racing at Southern Oregon Speedway. Several racers are hoping to make their presence known in the battle this year, and these drivers were hoping to get a head start and be ready when the gates open in a few weeks for the first race on April 30th. For more information about the happenings at Southern Oregon Speedway, check out the official webpage at www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Jefferson Racing News Pit Stops

DCRR Racing Radio Show

A new edition of The DCRR Racing Radio Show looks at Southern Oregon Speedway, among other tracks.

I can't embed it here like I can on The DCRR Blog, so view it HERE

Jefferson Racing News Pit Stops

There is no shortage of enthusiasm in The Northwest when it comes to racing.  Despite the rainy weather, car shows and other gatherings continue to happen.  In fact, there was recently a car show in Roseburg with several beautiful looking cars on display.  They just had one in Yreka, and there's another one coming up at McDonald's in Yreka on April 2nd.

McDonald's in Yreka is a special place as far as racing is concerned. While this writer is not a big fan of fast food, it's hard not to support a place that supports racing.  McDonald's in Yreka has been the title sponsor of the Mini Stock divisions for several years and will continue to sponsor the divisions this year as well.  We appreciate them for that.

At the most recent car show, McDonald's Mini Stock competitors, Heather Ryan and Ryder Boswell, were there representing the speedway, among other drivers in various classes.  Boswell lost a close battle with Mike Whitaker for second last year, by just eight points.  He lost the 2013 championship battle to Colter Boswell, who won the IMCA sanctioned Sport Mod title last season, a fact that we missed due to lack of availability of the IMCA points on the track website.

C. Boswell was second in the SCMA Sport Mod point battle by just 14 points to Doug Franklin.  This meant that the track had two Sport Mod champions in 2015, which was fitting since both C. Boswell and Franklin drive like champions. 

Back to Ryder Boswell, he and Mike Whitaker might have the 2016 McDonald's Mini Stock championship in their sights, but they will have to be on their game.  If the #67 of David Steele is back for more, he will be tough to beat.  He won last season's title by over 100 points and only lost the 2014 crown by five points.   It must be pointed out that Whitaker was the driver to do beat him, so we know he is capable.  Steele has been fast on the circuit and has made his presence known at neighboring Southern Oregon Speedway as well.

The Mini Stocks are a popular class in Yreka and have been part of the show for several years. There are a few ladies out there running wheel to wheel with the guys, and one of them is Marilyn Yawnick.  Marilyn finished fourth last season and has been Top 5 ranked in three of the last four seasons.  Leslie Cobb had her moments last year, and that was good enough to keep her in front of J.D. Leahy in the race for fifth in the standings.  Tyler Frost was ranked seventh in the standings, and Terry Kendrick was a late season feature winner.  That's a pretty good accomplishment when you consider how often Steele was winning last year.

However, it's a new season and that means new opportunity. What's nice is people have an opportunity to go to the Yreka McDonald's on April 2nd, grab a bite to eat and meet some of the stars of Siskiyou Motor Speedway as well.  The car show will take place from 10 AM to 1 P:M and then the drivers are heading to the race track to make some laps at the open practice. We're not sure what IMCA Modified drivers may come, but we were pleased when the original schedule for 2016 was revised to bring the Modified race date total up to nine.

Given the close proximity of Yreka to Southern Oregon Speedway, drivers in the IMCA Modified class tend to travel back and forth.  Nick Trenchard, who won the SCMA championship for IMCA Modifieds at Yreka last season, and he is a past winner of the prestigious Lon Skinner Memorial race.  Dwayne Osburn, who finished second in the SCMA points, has two Street Stock championships at the track north of Yreka.  You never know who will show up to race in this class, and many of the big names show up from time to time.  Roger Lorenzini himself is a big name in the area, and he finished third in the SCMA point battle for the IMCA Modifieds last season. 

The IMCA Sport Mods had a good showing at the car show with Trevor Tiffee coming home with the "Best In Show" Hardware.  Doug Franklin and Garrett Hamilton, who ranked fourth in the SCMA point race for IMCA Sport Mods, were also at the car show.  Both will be fast this year, and we know we can expect stiff competition from Colter Boswell, Cory Biggs and Randy Wright this year, among others.  There was a Jimmy Lipke sighting on social media as last year's fifth ranked driver on the SCMA point list was showing off the car he purchased through Ryland Racing.

Since Susie Dunn has passed along the information, we can give you the official IMCA point standings now.

IMCA Sport Mod

Colter Boswell    419
Doug Franklin    412
Corfy Biggs    379
Garrett Hamilton 367
Jorddon Braaten    279
Kyle Pitkin    251
James Lipke    231
Randy Wright    225
Chad Wormington 224
Greg Foster    201

IMCA Sport Mod

Nick Trenchard    314
Duane Orsburn    280
Roger Lorenzini    247
Todd Whipple    184
Mark Wauge    183
Josh Cullen    175
Montge Bishoff    161
Kurt Lorenzini    139
James Berry    136   
Zach Fettinger    121   

NW Modified Cup And NW Sport Mod Challenge Grow Bigger

After the recent car show in Yreka, Doug Franklin and Garrett Hamilton joined the ranks of the drivers trying to win some of the prize money being put up for the Northwest Sport Mod Challenge.  Steve Kerstulovich added this class on the heels of the success of the Northwest Modified Cup, and he has already gained IMCA Oregon champion Mike Medel and Southern Oregon Speedway titlist Jorddon Braaten.

The Four tracks represented in the Sport Mod portion of this Series at the moment are Sourthern Oregon Speedway, Cottage Grove Speedway, Sunset Speedway and Siskiyou Motor Speedway in Yreka.  The Yreka track has also stepped in to sponsor $100 towards this series, and word is that a prominent track promoter will be stepping up to put a little into the championship purses of both the Modified and Sport Mod Series.  Signups are still being taken for another 12 days as of this writing (Monday, March 21).

Both division's efforts are still growing, but the Modified Cup is a bit more established as the drivers raced for $2,600 in prize money and $6,000 in contingency awards last season.  This year, more prizes are already being obtained, the purse has nearly doubled and the Top 10 drivers will get a piece of the pie, up from five last year.  The championship looks rather attractive and includes a $1500 paycheck, a championship jacket, a new wrap for the race car, a 100 minute JetStream Aqua Massage and a nice trophy.

Kerstulovich was in Albany, Oregon last Saturday for the Heritage Mall Car Show Presented By JetStream Aqua Massage.  It was an opportunity to get a few more racers signed up for 2016 and make NW Modified Cup apparel available as well.  It was a good day for the series, and Kerstulvich is pleased that over 40 Modified drivers have signed up.  Hopefully, the numbers will grow in both series as this is a win-win situation for the drivers and the sport.  The bigger this becomes, the bigger it will be for the racers and fans.

The Modified series is a bit bigger with nine tracks involved from Washington, Oregon and the Yreka race track.  The entry list is already reading like a who's who of Northwest IMCA Modified Superstars.  Southern Oregon Speedway champion Albert Gill, Yreka champion Nick Trenchard, Willamette champion Collen Winbarger, NW Speedweek champion Jesse Williamson and Sunset Speedway champion Mark Carrell are all signed up.

As we already mentioned in a previous article, the best part about this series is that racers need only pay a $25 signup fee ($20 of which immediately goes back into the series and $5 of which goes into administrative fees).  The rest is handled by Kerstulovich,who grabs all of the results from the various tracks, calculates the points and keeps track of the whole thing.  The racers are then competing for a piece of the point fund and contingency awards pie. 

The potential is there for this to grow, and it has already grown by leaps and bounds since it started.  It's not hard to envision this eventually encompassing the West Coast if the sponsorship and driver support call for it.  As it is, it's the biggest series going for Modifieds in Oregon and Washington, and it will grow in the Sport Mods as well.  There are many great sponsors making this all happen, and you can find out more about the NW Modified Cup/Sport Mod Challenge by, checking out the official website at http://wizard1056.wix.com/nw-modified-cup.

Parades And Fund Raisers In Roseburg

The St. Patrick's Day Parade event went well for the racers representing the Douglas County Fairgrounds Speedway.  Some gorgeous cars were on display.  This was an opportunity for the kids to get their pictures taken with the racers by the cars and get in the cars.  It's events like these that help form a tight bond between the race track and the community.   Racing works best when you have a good relationship with the community.

The new website for Douglas County Speedway at http://douglascountyspeedway.com has gone live.   The Pacific Racing Association is the community organized group that promotes the fast 4/10 mile paved oval.  Racing season opens with a playday on April 23rd and the opener a week later on the 30th.  The season's final point race is September 17th with a date set aside for a week later in case of a rainout.

There are lots of special nights on the schedule with community outreach in mind.  The final race on September 17th is billed as Family Fun Night with a bike giveaway for the kids, who will get in free that night.  If that's not enough, there's also a destruction derby that night.  Other highlights include Mother's night on May 7th where moms get in free, Armed Forces Night on May 21st where all active duty and military veterans get in for a $1 with ID, the Benefit Race on June 23rd where any driver donating half their winnings gets double points and the big West Coast Modified Shootout/K&N Series NASCAR race on August 27th.

Among the divisions on the card this year are the always exciting Late Models, where Brandon Ash is the defending champion after holding off Allen Cress in points last year.  Close Mini Stock racing seems to be a theme at the tracks in the area, and Roseburg's division is no different.  Last year, Tony Shoptaw won the championship by just two points over the tied Dale Roth and Dan Colton.  The Modifieds are a competitive division as Phil Pipgrass beat Herman Pulyer last year in another good championship battle.  The Street Stocks are still alive and well, and Matt Klass enters the season as the defending champion. There is also the PRA Hardtops.

The PRA just did another community event, The Third Annual Roy Harvey Bowling Fundraiser, last Saturday.  Things were said to have gone well.

Pear Blossom Parade Means Racing Season 

Just Around The Corner At Southern Oregon Speedway

Down the road a little bit in Medford, the Pear Blossom Parade is happening on April 9th, and some racers representing Southern Oregon Speedway will be taking part in it.  There is lots of excitement in the air as the popular 3/10 mile clay oval in White City begins its 21st season of racing with Mike McCann as promoter.

There is much to be done to get things ready for the coming season, and McCann is busy putting things into place.  The good news is the rules will stay the same for the divisions that have been there.  No changes are coming other than what IMCA has made with the Modified and Sport Modified rules.  Mini Stocks, Hornets, Pro Stocks and Dwarf Cars are steady as she goes with the rules

The Super 4 drivers are trying to reestablish their rules and won't be too ridged with the rules as long as things are in the spirit.  Sprint Cars are open enough to allow a wide variety of engines to compete as the class gets rebuilt.  The 6 cylinder Hardtop division will pretty much be what is allowed in Roseburg, but on dirt.  The Open Stock class is being started to give Street Stocks and Late Models a place to race while McCann figures out what to do next.  Enough interest could lead to the two classes becoming separate entities.

The drivers wanted IMCA to remain as the sanctioning body, and that is the case.  The concern was that they wanted to run what other tracks were running.  A schedule of nine Modified and 13 Sport Modified dates was booked this year, ensuring that the track champions will be recognized by IMCA and also that the drivers can be a part of the Northwest Modified Cup and Sport Mod Challenge Series.

A newspaper feature back in 2014 mentioned that Jorddon Bratten had an eye toward moving up to the IMCA Modifieds.  At that point, he was already a Street Stock champion.  He won the Sport Mod title that year and repeated a year later.  At this time, Bratten, who is one of the more popular racers at the track, will be trying for three Sport Modified titles in a row.  Jorddon pretty much dominated at Southern Oregon Speedway and Yreka last year, but he didn't win the IMCA State championship because the two tracks are in different states.

To say that Mike Medel is not a true champion is a misstatement.  Mike did not make it easy on Bratten as he was just ten points behind him at the speedway.  Medel, who proudly staked his claim to the Oregon IMCA State championship, was also very competitive in his visits to Cottage Grove Speedway and Sunset Speedway in Banks. Glenn Severson had a nice maiden season in Sport Mods last year with a third in the standings, and he should come back even stronger this year.  Randy Fernandes improved on his Top 10 status of 2014 with a fourth place season last year.  You also have to consider two time champion Dwayne Melvin entering the Sport Mod's fifth season.  New cars are anticipated this season.

The big question is who will be coming back in Modifieds this year?  There are some key names on the roster that he we haven't seen enough of in the past couple seasons.  Even after missing races, six time champion Mark Wauge was still second in the standings and won some big races between Southern Oregon Speedway and Yreka.  If he comes back more often, things could get very interesting.  The same can be said for hard chargers liked Jon DeBenedetti, Brian Poppa and Travis Peery.  All are past champions, and all are very talented racers.  Can you imagine a season with all four of these leadfoots racing full time?  Add in a car from the Duste team, and it would get even better.

Getting more cars to show up regularly as they did in the past will be the key.  There are plenty of good racers out there, and even guys liked Tim and Jesse Bailey are not to be ignored.  Both have run up front with Tim Bailey finishing third in points last season and Jesse finishing second the year before.  Speedway veterans like Zach Fettinger and Monte Bischoff, Brett Provost, Jeremy Ohlde, Eric Mobbs, Andy Freeman and Brian Bowman are all important ingredients to the success of the class.  All of them are primed and ready for their big moment on the race track.

And, of course, you cannot possibly ignore Albert Gill.  Gill is coming off of back to back championships and going for a third one.  He was a past Top 5 Pro Stock racer before that.  And there is one thing to consider.  As good as Albert is now, we haven't even seen his full potential.  The best may well be yet to come for Gill.  Hopefully, this will come with bigger car counts, and indications are that bigger car counts will indeed be the case this year.

SODCA Dwarf Cars and the Valley Boys Auto Pro Stocks have been moving right along with strong car counts and good races whenever they come to town.  Southern Oregon Speedway will see lots of them this season, just as Yreka gets some visits from both.  In the case of the Pro Stocks, young Jeffrey Hudson overtook Scott Flowers for the championship with a great effort in the season finale.   James Flowers was third, and, of course, Ken Irving was Top 5 again as the two time champion was tied with John Cobb for fourth.  2013 champion Dave Everson was busy winning the final race at the speedway.  Indications are that the class will remain strong and competitive this season.

As for Dwarf Cars, Josh King is the man on a roll with back to back championships, but nobody is making it easy for him.  Ryan Smith came within 17 points of beating him in 2014, while Camden Robustelli finished just 24 points back last year.  King knows that if he slips up a little, somebody might overtake him.  With other hard chargers like Fred Hay, Kalvin Morton, Brock Peters, Rob Gergel, Travis Gergel, Jesse Merriman and Kaycee Sheeler in the group, among others, the Dwarf Car class is more competitive than ever.

We're still waiting to see who will be a part of the Super 4 Mini Stock class, but indications are that drivers will be coming from all over the state to try and restart what had been an 11 year tradition.  It's assumed that the Top 3 finishers from last year's one appearance, Lee Doty, John Barger and Charlie Eaton, will be among the competitors.  We'll be keeping an eye on this situation in the days ahead.

The Mini Stocks have a different situation, David Marble, Gary Anderson and Bob Burkett have ranked Top 3 for the past two seasons and pretty much dominated the action.  Burkett has been a  front runner for several seasons, Anderson is the 2014 champion and Marble won it last year.  The question is, will there be a breakout star this year to loosen the grip of the big three?  As the fourth and fifth place drivers last season, Eric Hanson and Mike Cloud are the likely candidates, but what about second year racer Kris Mix, Andrew Hall or Randy Simmons?  It will be interesting to see where this division goes.  The good news is the car count was hitting double digits and on the rise when the 2015 season came to a close.

Hornets are the other question mark.  Car count has struggled, and that has left people wondering about the future of the class.  However, the new promoter wants to build this class up.  Last year, there were multiple nights when six cars showed up.  Drew Fielder was the star of the class and champion, but Mikey Johnson, Neal Coaty and Jason Peeble had their moments.  There were ten different drivers who had cars last season, and one goal this year is to see the class have at least ten cars show up for a race.  The potential is there for this to happen.  The other nice thing about the Hornets is that they will help make new stars at Southern Oregon Speedway.  Of course, the web site for the track is www.sospeedway.com to find out about the latest happenings.  The new site will be going live soon.

Kniffen Coming Back To Sprint Cars 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

There has been much buzz in the air since new Southern Oregon Speedway promoter Mike McCann announced his intentions to start up a Winged Sprint Car Class.  With ten dates booked, it certainly caught the eye of many racers.  A half dozen competitors, including 2010 champion Chadd Noland, Cottage Grove Speedway Sprint Car champion Patrick Dills, Pro Stock champion Jeffrey Hudson, Orland Sprint Car champion Bill Hopper, SODCA Dwarf Car point runner up Camden Robustelli and Top 5 Yreka IMCA Modified racer Todd Whipple, have declared intentions to come race on the fast 3/10th mile banked clay oval this season.

Well, those six will be joined by Wayne Kniffen.  Kniffen just announced his intentions to come back in his #84 Sprint Car.  The Kniffen family has been a fixture at Southern Oregon Speedway since it opened with Wayne's father, Ray Kniffen, and brother, Ray Kniffen Jr,. competing at the track through the years.  In fact, Ray Jr. still runs an IMCA Modified.

Wayne has competed in a few different divisions at the track, going back to the early 2000's in a Mini Stock.  He went from 25th to 19th and then 8th in his third and final season in that class.  He was also the 1999 Mini Stock B Main Champion.  Since then, he's competed in IMCA Modifieds with two Top 20 seasons to show for that and the 2007 B Main Championship.

That wasn't enough to satisfy Wayne's need for speed, which meant he decided to run the Winged Sprint Car division that the track had at the time.  He was ranked 9th in points in 2004.  Wayne has competed here and there with the Sprint Car, but he's decided to return to the speedway this season.  "R & W Racing is looking forward to racing at the new and improved Southern Oregon Speedway this season, " he declared.

Kniffen brings several years of racing experience with him, and he should equate himself very well with the rest of the competition.  The fact is, there is a lot of excitement surrounding the return of the Winged Sprint Car division to the track,  More drivers will be expressing an intent to be a part of the growing division, and there is a big announcement set to be made very soon.  For more information, check the official track website at www.sospeedway.com.

Hayfork, Orland And Other Odds And Ends

It's been quiet in Hayfork as they prepare for the fifth season of racing at the Trinity County Fairgrounds.  Again, Hobby Stocks, Mini Stocks, Hornets and Enduros will be on the card.  The track hovers around the ten car mark with Hobby Stocks and is in the process of establishing a Mini Stock and Hornets class.  Getting any kind of results from the track seems to be a chore, but there is some social media chatter to work with.

The early July race last year saw Bill Kasper win the Hobby Stock race and J.D. Huffman the Enduro.  The big race they put on at the end of the year is the Clyde Cordell Memorial race.  From the pictures, it looked like they had around ten Hobby Stocks for that season ending race last year and four or five Mini Stocks.  We are having a difficult time tracking down the winner.

This season has 11 dates booked starting with the May 7th event and ending on October 8th, which is probably the Clyde Cordell Memorial again,.  One of the early Hobby Stock stars when the track opened, Josh Davis, has built a beautiful car for the Outlaw Pro Stock class that he is pushing for.  Orland racers are looking for a new home track, and Jim Davis and William Fogle have both expressed interest in racing there some.  Davis has won there in the past.

Orland is sad story as it appears as if the track is done.  Fair officials are pushing for a sports complex and soccer, and part of that project was said to begin this year.  The track could have run the schedule that promoter Adam Zachary had booked, but he decided to pull the plug rather than to give it a go.  His off season decisions, such as dropping Wingless Sprints and merging Mini Stocks and Mini Trucks, did not go over well with the racers, and he never booked an awards banquet for last season.  Word was that Zachary has left the state and gotten married.

The idea that a season could have happened and maybe the track could be saved after that has spurned a few efforts to save things.  Micro Sprint racer Jackie Whitson had reportedly looked into it and moved om.  There was a rumored effort from long time Speedway supporters Dan Webster and John Kirkpatrick to save the place, but no word has emerged regarding any kind of deal.  The clock is ticking, and it doesn't look good.  With no Mini Stocks at Chico or Marysville, the Orland drivers in Mini Trucks and Mini Stocks face a long tow to go racing.  Perhaps an 11th hour move can save the track?  

Outlaw Pro Stocks, SODCA Dwarf Cars And Hornets To Race At Southern Oregon Speedway

Outlaw Pro Stocks, SODCA Dwarf Cars A Part Of 

Southern Oregon Speedway In 2016

Since the gates opened for racing at Southern Oregon Speedway back in 1996, Pro Stocks and Dwarf Cars have been a part of the racing program on the fast three-tenths mile clay oval.  As the track enters the 2016 season, the Valley Boys Auto Sales Outlaw Pro Stocks and the SODCA Dwarf Cars will remain an important part of the schedule at the speedway.

When it comes to past super stars of the Pro Stock division, it doesn't get any better than Medford racing legend Jim Walker Jr. and Frank Word III  Word won an incredible eight championships in a nine year span.  In fact, he was so dominant that past division champion Brian Poppa, who had also won a Modified title at the speedway, had to come back to the Pro Stocks to snap Word's title winning streak at four.  Word went on to win four more after that to reach his total of eight.

In the modern area, the Valley Boys Auto Sales Outlaw Pro Stocks Association is in their fifth season, and they are coming off of a season that featured an incredible three car battle between Scott Flowers and second generation sensation Jeffrey Hudson.  Flowers seemed to have it within his grasp, but it slipped away on the final night as the talented teen Hudson claimed the championship hardware.  Scott Flowers settled for second while James Flowers grabbed the final podium position in third.

Two hard chargers of the division that we hope to be seeing out on the track this year along with 2015's top trio are veterans Dave Everson and Ken Irving.  Everson wrapped up the 2015 campaign last year with an impressive win at Southern Oregon Speedway, and he was also the champion in 2013.  Irving hasn't been outside the Top 5 since the association was founded.  He was fourth last year and second to Everson in 2013.  However, the highlight for the crafty veteran was his 2012 and 2014 championships.

Sometimes referred to as Limited Late Models at other tracks, the Pro Stocks feature some close Stock Car racing on a budget more reasonable than the Late Models that have met on rough times due to the cost of the cars.  Generally, the class brings no less than 12 cars to the track, and they hit the 20's at times last year.  The car count and the quality of racer within the ranks makes the Outlaw Pro Stocks very popular with the fans.

John Cobb is anticipated this season.  In his initial campaign with the group last season, he finished in a tie with Irving for fourth.  Steve Borror was another racer who tasted victory last season, and the Top 10 ranked competitor should be competing this year along with other notables, such as Scott Bennett, Matt Harlow, Rocky Nash and Dave Quick.

As with the Pro Stocks, the SODCA Dwarf Cars do make occasional visits to Yreka and other places, but they call Southern Oregon Speedway their home track.  The Dwarf Cars have had some amazing competitors through the years, and it's hard to get much better than past champions like Jon DeBeneditti and Gary Fitzsimmons.  DeBeneditti has gone on to be a star of IMCA Modified racing, but there are some incredible racers within the Dwarf Car ranks.

And one reason for these competitors to want to be there is because of the Annual West Coast Dwarf Car Nationals event that SODCA hosts at Southern Oregon Speedway on August 4-6.  The very best drivers on the West Coast flock to White City to be a part of this gathering.  The locals have to be on their game as the already high talent level gets taken up another notch.

In 2014, Josh King won a grueling battle with Ryan Smith for the SODCA championship. It came down to the final week with King winning by just 17 points.  In his bid to repeat, he found the competition just as tough when young Camden Robustelli shadowed him all through the season.  King did repeat.  Robustelli was a close second on the heels of his fourth place season of 2014.  One of Camden's bug moments came two years earlier with a big win in the National event at Santa Maria.  This year, he'll also be racing a Sprint Car.

Smith had third for a while last year before falling back to sixth.  Third ended up in the hands of  another talented racer named Fred Hay.  Hay was a feature winner on the circuit last year and ranked fifth a year earlier.  He could be the driver to make a bid to thwart King's effort for three in a row, which hasn't been done since DeBenedotti did it in the late 1990's. Calvin Morton is another driver coming off of back to back Top 5 seasons, and he could step it up a notch this year.

Brock Peters was fifth last season and should be another driver to watch in the hunt.  There's another rising young star in the group named Kaycee Sheeler.  Sheeler improved from tenth to eighth last season and was a threat to win a feature on a few occasions.  She just may do it this season.  Others to watch for include Rob Gergle, Travis Gergle and Jesse Merriman.

Dwarf Car and Pro Stock racing is alive and well in Southern Oregon, and both classes continue to produce great car counts.  Often times, the SODCA Dwarf Cars had the high count at the track last year.  It all comes out on the race track where the racing in both divisions is exciting.  That should continue to be the case.  For further information on the goings on at Southern Oregon Speedway, check the official www.sospeedway.com website.

Pro Stock Champions

1996  Scott Lenz
1997  Jim Walker Jr.
1998  Jim Walker Jr.
1999  Brian Poppa
2000  Brad Alfrey
2001  Jim Walker Jr.
2002  Frank Word III
2003  Frank Word III
2004  Frank Word III
2005  Frank Word III
2006  Brian Poppa
2007  Frank Word III
2008  Frank Word III
2009  Frank Word III
2010  Frank Word III
2011  Dustin Knight
2013  Dave Everson
2012  Ken Irving
2013  Dave Everson
2014  Ken Irving
2015  Jeffrey Hudson

Dwarf Car Champions

1998  Jon DeBenedetti
1999  Jon DeBenedetti
2000  Jon DeBenedetti
2001  Gary Fitzsimmons
2002  Gary Fitzsimmons
2003  Dan Van Acker
2004  Crash Jackson
2005  Jerry Apland
2006  Tom Palazollo
2007  Jim Harsha
2008  Kelly Gutches
2009  Greg Denton
2010  Kelly Gutches
2011  R.J. McGahuey
2012  R.J. McGahuey
2013  C.J. Puttnam
2014  John King
2015  Josh King

Hornets To Swarm Southern Oregon Speedway In 2016

In auto racing, you have to start some place, and the easiest place to start at Southern Oregon Speedway is the Hornet division.  This season, it will be the third classification of Four Cylinder Stock Car racing at the speedway.  The Hornets, sometimes referred to as Four Bangers at other race tracks, began at the three-tenth mile clay oval track in 2014.

The concept of the entry level division is nothing new.  Decades ago, many tracks only ran one class of race car and could pack the pits with cars.  Hardtops, Midgets and Super Modifieds ruled the speedways.  Eventually, the early Model Stock Car was born as a second, entry level division at many tracks, and it evolved into the Late Model through the years as Street Stocks and then Hobby Stocks became the favorite entry level class of speedways everywhere.

Over the past decade or two, more race tracks started to see what others saw in Mini Stock racing.  Southern Oregon Speedway opened its gates in 1996 and included a Mini Stock division as part of the program.  They continue to be a part of the program 21 years later.  Heading into the 2014 season, it was decided that an even cheaper, "bare bones" Mini Stock class was needed, and that was the Hornet class.

A line in the original rule book that sums up the philosophy of the Hornet division reads, "Cars must remain Factory Stock. These are intended to be cars that we race, not race cars."

These are Four Cylinder vehicles.  Cars are to be no more than 104 wheel base.  Trucks to be no bigger than 108 wheel base.  They must be stock frame, body, engine and suspension to the make and model of the vehicle.  No alterations, modifications or additions allowed.  This is a class designed for the novice to get into racing and learn a little without breaking the bank to do it.  

During that first season, about a half dozen cars were built and competed at various times.  Robert Jones, Dale Tarp and Tyler Womack divided the wins amongst themselves.  Womack was a winner late in the season.  Tarp grabbed three wins, and the dominant Jones had six victories.  Not surprisingly, Jones left with the championship hardware.

It seemed like last season saw the division sort of fly in under the radar, but there were actually ten different cars to compete and six car fields were reached on multiple occasion after a slow start.  Drew Fielder won three times, but the points were at least a little closer as second place Mikey Johnson came on strong at the end.  There were more winners as Lon Fox, Jason Peeble and Brian Dickens each got a win of their own.

Promoter Mike McCann is hoping to see this division have a breakout year with more drivers joining the competition.  To meet that end, a more relaxed schedule of six race dates was created to make it easier for more racers to support the races.  It also allows the track to rotate other Mini Stock classes to give all of the racers a chance to recover and prepare for the next race.

The first race is scheduled for May 14 with other dates booked on June 4, June 18, July 30, August 20 and September 17. Optimism is high for a good season for this division and more new cars on the race track.  For further information on this division and other happenings at Southern Oregon Speedway, check the official website at www.sospeedway.com.

Hornets 2015
Drew Fielder    281 (3)
Mikey Johnson    202
Neal Coaty    159
Jason Peeble    113 (1)
Garrett Fredrickson 94
Lon Fox        66 (1)
Brian Dickens    59 (1)
Bob Burkett    56
Heathen Menze1    53
Devin Weiser    52

Hornets 2014
Robbie Jones 418 (6)
Dale Tarp 294 (3)
Tyler Womack 267 (1)
Dale Tarp 114
Elizabeth Shaylor 58
Tanton Swaim 58
Arien Heath 54
Robbie Jones 53
Alan Danielson 52

Hornet Schedule 
May 14
June 4
June 18
July  30
August 20
September 17

Southern Oregon Speedway Retains IMCA Sanctioning For Modifieds

Southern Oregon Speedway Retains 

IMCA Sanctioning For Modifieds

When Mike McCann took over as promoter at Southern Oregon Speedway, he looked over all of the divisions to make plans for this season.  In looking at the Modified and Sport Modifieds, he learned one thing early on from the competitors.  They wanted to keep the IMCA sanctioning.  The oldest sanctioning body for auto racing in the United States, IMCA provides these classes with a good set of rules. The drivers know what they are getting when they show up to compete at an IMCA sanctioned race track.

The Modifieds will run a nine race schedule, which also allows the drivers to visit neighboring tracks and vise versa.  It is hoped that car count will continued to grow.  The Sport Mod drivers get 13 races, which also makes the minimum dates required to be a part of Steve Kerstulovich's NW Sport Modified Challenge Series.  The Series was added after two successful years of the NW Modified Cup, which  Southern Oregon Speedway drivers also get the opportunity to be a part of.

There have been some very talented Modified drivers who have passed through the gates of this race track throughout its 20 year history, and it could be that Albert Gill is the lesser known champion of those drivers.  Gill has sort of flown in under the radar, but he's done so as the two time defending champion.  Gill climbed up through the ranks of the track's Pro Stock division, where he was also a Top 5 driver on multiple occasions.

One of the drivers voicing his desire for IMCA sanctioning was the talented Mark Wauge.  Really, it doesn't matter if the class is sanctioned, unsanctioned or even running wings.  Over one-quarter of the times (6 of the 20 seasons), Mark has left the track as the champion.  He's also won the prestigious Lon Skinner Memorial race once among his numerous feature victories, and he's certainly among the favorites to do it again this year.

The Bailey Team, Jesse Bailey and Tim Bailey, should not be counted out this season.  Tim finished a strong third in the standings last year ahead of Jesse, who has had a string of Top 5 point seasons.  In fact, Jesse was second to Gill in the 2014 point battle.  Not to be forgotten in the mix, as if he could be, was last season's fourth place point runner, Brian Poppa.  Like Gill, Poppa came up through the Pro Stocks, but Poppa actually won a championship there before doing it again in Modifieds.  Brian's impressive credentials includes three wins in the Lon Skinner Memorial race.

The fact is, there are several good racers at Southern Oregon Speedway, making this the place to be for IMCA Modified racing on any night this class is on the schedule.  Two other past champions, Travis Peery and Jon DeBenedetti, were among the competitors last season and are factors when they show up.  Add in other names, such as Zach Fettinger, Brett Provost, Eric Mobbs, Jeremy Ohlde and Monte Bischoff, and you have a competitive Modified division.

The IMCA Sport Modifieds are heading into their fifth season, and perhaps the biggest star in the division at any of the tracks in the area is Jorddon Braaten.  Jorddon backed up his 2014 title with another championship romp last year.  He is also a past Street Stock champion, but last year was an amazing season that saw him win many times at both Southern Oregon Speedway and neighboring Yreka.  Braaten may be hard to beat this year in the track championship battle as well as the NW Sport Modified Challenge.

Two names to keep an eye on are Mike Medel and Dwayne Melvin.  Medel finished second in points last year while also winning the Oregon State IMCA championship.  Melvin had a Top 5 season as well, but he also won the first two Sport Mod titles at the track.  Bob Nelson is another driver to watch.  He was sixth last season following his third place effort a year earlier.  Coming off of a strong third place season of his own last year, ahead of Randy Fernandes, Glen Severson could also be a factor in the championship chase.

The Sport Mod division continues to grow and is poised for its best season yet.  The Modified division has the talent to put on a show to rival any of the tracks in the area.  Put them both together, and under the IMCA banner, and you have a recipe for good things to happen on the fast three-tenths mile clay oval.  Who will come out a winner this year?  The best way to find out is to come see a show.  For more information on these divisions and Southern Oregon Speedway in general, check out the official track web page at www.sospeedway.com.

Modified Champions

1996  Tom Glover
1997  Dennis Silva
1998  Tom Glover
1999  Don Estermado
2000  Mark Wauge
2001  Jay Hinton Jr.
2002  Jon DeBenedetti
2003  Jeremy Richey
2004  Brad Alfrey
2005  Mark Wauge
2006  Brian Poppa
2007  Mark Wauge
2008  Justin Holt
2009  Mark Wauge
2010  Travis Peery
2011  Mark Wauge
2012  Mark Wauge
2013  Dustin Knight
2014  Albert Gill
2015  Albert Gill

Sport Mod Champions

2012  Dwayne Melvin
2013  Dwayne Melvin
2014  Jorddon Braaten
2015  Jorddon Braaten

Two Champions Join The Sprint Car Revival At Southern Oregon Speedway

Two Champions Join The Sprint Car Revival 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

When Mike McCann announced that he was starting a Sprint Car class shortly after taking over the reigns of Southern Oregon Speedway, people began to talk.  There are several Sprint Car drivers in the area who would like to have a home track to race at, and the fast three-tenth mile dirt oval was home to a Sprint Car division for over a decade.  In recent years, Sprint Car racing was mostly booked for the traveling groups that would stop by.

The ten race schedule booked for the coming season will change all of that, and we have roughly ten drivers who have expressed interest in being a part of it.  Two of the latest names come with championship credentials.  Patrick Dills won the Extreme Sprint Car Championship last year at Cottage Grove Speedway on the strength of three feature wins.  He also finished a strong third in the 360 Sprint Car class.

The Sprint Cars haven't had a championship season at Southern Oregon Speedway since 2010.  In an effort to get the cars out there, McCann has made it an open class that will allow the winged and injected 410 and 360 Sprint Cars to race with the carbureted Sprint Cars.  The idea is to get cars back out to the track, though its not likely that the 410 Sprint Cars will appear regularly.

When last the division did have a point season, Chadd Noland won the championship.  Noland has thrown his hat into the ring to be a part of the coming season.  Noland and Dills will be fast, and they join others, including Dwarf Car ace Camden Robustelli, Orland Sprint Car champion Bill Hopper, Jeffery Hudson and Todd Whipple, on the growing roster.  Robustelli and Hudson are two of the rising young stars on the scene, and Hudson is coming off of an impressive Pro Stock championship effort.

There have been some amazing racers who have competed in this division at Southern Oregon Speedway through the years, including multi time champions Dan Menne, Bill Nutter and Randy Rodgers.  The new era means new stars will have their chance to shine, but it could also mean that Noland or Dills could add more championship hardware to their mantles.

The gates will open for the 21st season of racing at Southern Oregon Speedway on April 30th.  When they do, the Sprint Cars will be a part of the show.  It's a night that begins a new era for the track and the popular division.  For more information, check out the official Southern Oregon Speedway web page at www.sospeedway.com.

Three Styles Of Mini Stocks to compete At Southern Oregon Speedway

Three Styles Of Mini Stocks to compete 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

When Southern Oregon Speedway opened up back in 1996, one of the regular divisions of the time was the Mini Stock class. Fast forward to the 21st season, and you'll see that the Mini Stocks are still a part of the program. However, you'll see something else.

The entry level Hornet division will be back for its third season, but that's not all. The Super 4's will also be a part of the coming season. This souped up Mini Stock division had been a part of the program for over a decade, but they have been missing for the past few seasons.

Last season, a few of the Super 4 drivers approached track management about returning and were given a date. It was Lee Doty who picked up the win ahead of past champion John Barger and Charlie Eaton that night.  The event sparked the interest of other drivers to return to the track. A field of 8-12 of these cars is expected when this division gets its first race on May 14th.

If you've been following the Mini Stock division closely over the last couple of years, the three names that will jump out at you are David Marble, Gary Anderson and Bob Burkett. These three drivers have been ranked in the top 3 in the standings these last two seasons and have carved up a majority of the main event victories amongst themselves.

Marble picked up the championship last season, but that honor fell to Gary Anderson the year before. Still yet to win the championship, Burkett has been among the front runners in this division for the past several seasons.

Not to be forgotten in the mix are Eric Hanson and Mike Cloud, who finished fourth and fifth, respectively, last season. Cloud had ranked 6th the year before, and both of these drivers could be factors this season.

The Mini Stock car count had started to rise as the season headed down the stretch last year. Optimism is high that this momentum will continue this season. Word is that several cars are being prepared.

Two years ago, the speedway launched the Hornet division as a way to get new drivers out there. About 10 cars are known to be built at this time, and the record shows that Robert Jones and Drew Fielder are the past two champions. Neil Coaty was another front runner last year, and other competitors included Mikey Johnson and Garrett Frederickson.

Mini Stocks begin their busy season when the track opens its gates for the first time on April 30th. The Super 4 and Hornet divisions have their first race on May 14th. For further information on the happenings at Southern Oregon Speedway, check out the official website at www.sospeedway.com.

Mini Stock Champions

1996  Brian Barns
1997  Scott Holt
1998  Rich McCoy
1999  Tracy Bradley
2000  Tracy Bradley
2001  Tom Lanigan
2002  Mike Johnson
2003  David Bishop
2004  David Bishop
2005  Tony Christopher
2006  Milton Carter
2007  Jim Pope
2008  John Derby
2009  John Derby
2010  John Derby
2011  John Derby
2012  Toby Judd
2013  Steve Goetz
2014  Gary Anderson
2015  David Marble

 Hornet Champions

2014  Robert Jones
2015  Drew Fielder

Super 4 Mini Stock Champions

2003  Brian Barns
2004  Brian Barns
2005  Reggie DeVore
2006  Joe Guider
2007  Jacob Cole
2008  Brian Johnsen
2009  Parker "Hollywood" Jones
2010  Brian Johnsen
2011  Joe Guider
2012  Jamie Guider Newberg
2013  John Barger

Siskiyou Motor Speedway Well Represented At Sportsman's Expo

Siskiyou Motor Speedway Well Represented 

At Sportsman's Expo

The Sportsman's Expo took place in Yreka this past weekend.  It was a chance for the racers of Siskiyou Motor Speedway to display their cars, interact with the fans and distribute the 2016 schedule and information.  Despite the rainy weather, about a dozen competitors came out to support the event.

This included 2015 Yreka Sport Mod champion Doug Franklin, who defended his 2014 championship, but only after a close battle with past Mini Stock champion Colter Boswell.  One of the drivers gunning for Franklin this year is Trevor Tiffee.  Tiffee's beautiful black and teal #19 Rayburn Race Car/Coco's Sushi sponsored entry already got him his first victory of the year.  He won the "Best Of Show" trophy. 

Not only is Trevor going for track championship honors this season, he's also signed up to make a run at the new Northwest Sport Mod Challenge title.  As a past Yreka Sport Mod point runner up, he should not be counted out.

Garrett Hamilton had his pretty yellow and purple #83 Cheffey Machine sponsored Sport Mod on display.  Garrett was a feature winner last season on his way to a fourth place ranking.  Young up and comer D.J. Bottoms had his black #1 Dave Smith Insurance/Round Table Pizza sponsored Sport Mod on display.  D.J. made a good effort last season, and he'll be back to try to step it up a notch this season.

There were also McDonald's Mini Stocks on display, owned by Heather Ryan and Ryder Boswell.  Boswell's truck served him well last year as he won multiple features.  The 2013 point runner up just barely lost a close battle with Mike Whitaker as he settled for a still respectable third place ranking last season.

There's excitement in the air at the Siskiyou Fairgrounds as they are adding a one-eighth mile Go-Kart dirt track to the facility.  The scheduling and rules information was available at the Expo.  The track is seen as a way to bring younger competitors into the sport, and Go Karts on display at this event included the entries of Jim Berry, Kyle Morris and Drew Berry.  The first race at the smaller track is scheduled for April 16.

The season opener for Siskiyou Motor Speedway is slated for April 9th.  The track's regular IMCA  Modified, IMCA Sport Mod and McDonald's Mini Stock divisions will be joined by the Outlaw Pro Stock Association.  Lots of great things are planned for this year.  For more information, check out the track's official website at www.siskiyoumotorspeedway.com.