Friday And Saturday Night Racing On Tap For Southern Oregon Speedway

Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion
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Friday And Saturday Night Racing On Tap For 
Southern Oregon Speedway

Rain came in and washed away the racing activities at Southern Oregon Speedway last week. However, the 3/10 mile clay oval and the 1/8 mile Outlaw Kart oval track will both come to life again this week. Outlaw Kart racing will happen on Friday night, while a four division show is set to go on Saturday night on the big track.

For nearly 20 years, the Kart track has been a training ground for some of the best drivers at the speedway. Drivers from as young as five years old to the young at heart will be racing in the six different classifications of cars this week. The program on Friday is set to start at 7 p.m. with the gates opening at 5 p.m.  General ticket pricing is $5.00 with children 5 and under free.

On tap for the big track on Saturday night will be Pennzoil Winged Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, Mini Stocks and our first look at the Open Stock division. The Open Stock division brings together Late Models and Street Stocks and all classifications in between under an open set of rules. The intent is to establish a Stock Car presence once again at the speedway.

The Sprint Car division returns this week, and Vern Wheeler Jr will be going for three wins in a row. The experience factor plays heavily in Vern's favor, but his son Jake Wheeler has been impressive with his two second place finishes. Jake is a past champion at the Outlaw Kart track.

Young Drivers Camden Robustelli and Jeffrey Hudson continue to improve with each start. Robustelli has earned a start in the Trophy Dash this week along with low budget racer Wayne Kniffen. Can either of these drivers hold back the charge of the Wheeler's to pick up that trophy?

Veteran Mark Wauge has won six championships in his IMCA Modified career at the speedway. After winning the season opener, he doesn't seem to have lost a step. Wauge will be out for two in a row, but he can expect competition from hard chargers like Matt Duste, two time defending champion Albert Gill, Jesse Bailey and Duane Orsburn, among others.

It seems at the moment that the speed advantage in the Mini Stock division belongs to veteran Bob Burkett and 2014 champion Gary Anderson. Each driver has one Main Event win so far and finished second in the other one. There are several drivers on the cusp of victory in the Mini Stock division.

Drivers to keep an eye on include third ranked Marissa Henson, the fast Pinto Wagon of Andrew Hall and Kristopher Mix. Considering the fact that Mix had to put a car together under short notice after crashing his car in a practice session at another track, he's doing quite well.

We're not quite sure who is coming to the Open Stock opener, but we've heard that drivers with Late Models and Street Stocks will be among the field. With Sprint Cars and IMCA Modifieds on the card, along with the always exciting Mini Stocks, it is sure to be a good show.

Gates open at 5 p.m. with the first race to start at 7 p.m. sharp. Adult tickets are $12, Juniors and Seniors are $6, and children 5 and under are free.

Pit Stops

Preparations are being made for the annual Roger Haudenschild Tribute race on May 28th.  Increased purses are being offered for IMCA Modifieds and Sport Modifieds as well as the other classes.  An all star field is anticipated for the IMCA classes with the money on the line.  For the record, Mark Wauge is the defending champion of the IMCA Modified race.  The Southern Oregon  Dwarf Cars and Super 4's will make this a well balanced program that you won't want to miss. 

Last week, Mini Stock rookie Devin Weiser was set to make a run in his Hornet car when the rainout happened. Weiser is one of three drivers currently competing for the Mini Stock "Rookie of the Year" championship at Southern Oregon Speedway. His most recent start at his home track resulted in a sixth place finish. Since the rain prevented him from bringing out his Hornet, he took his Mini Stock down to Yreka and got his best finish yet in fifth. Can he grab his first top five finish at his home track this week?

Making the long trip from the Sacramento area to compete in his Sprint Car this week will be Bill Hopper. Coming off of back to back Wingless Sprint Car championships at Orland Raceway, Hopper's first visit to the speedway was rather forgettable. After blowing a tire on the way up, Bill was unable to get his race car to start all night. He missed the most recent race, but after visiting Placerville Speedway and making some good laps, he plans to be back this week. Bill had a penchant for notching runner up finishes at Orland in his two year title run, but can he take it up a notch and get a victory this week?

As all the divisions have gotten their first races in, they are now ready for Trophy Dashes. The IMCA Modifieds, Mini Stocks and Winged Sprint Cars get to run Trophy Dashes this week. These four lap contests will be the first races on the track at 7 p.m.sharp. The lineup is based on the top four finishers of the previous Main Event in the respective divisions.