Wheeler, Weiser, Grimes Win Outlaw Kart Races
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...June 24...The Southern Oregon Speedway Outlaw Kart track hosted another exciting event of racing on the one-eighth mile clay oval. There was plenty of great racing with four divisions on the card. In the 250 Outlaw Kart division, Bodee Weiser grabbed the lead from Braden Cory with a low pass in Turn 2 on lap 18 and won the 25 lap Main Event. Double heat winner Brenden Bartlett rebounded from an early spin to finish second. Trevor Grimes backed up his win in the Box Stock season opener by winning both of his heats and the 20 lap Main Event. Mike Wheeler dominated the 500 Outlaw Karts 20 lap Main Event for the impressive victory by leading every lap. Shailene Horn battled Kiley Grimes to win the Beginners Box Stock 20 lap Main Event.
The ten 250 Karts on hand ran two sets of heat races. Ashley Strain made her season debut with an impressive drive to victory ahead of Wyatt Pinchney in the first heat, while Brenden Bartlett held off Braden Cory to win the second heat. In the next set of heats, Bodee Weiser gave an indication of things to come with his heat race win ahead of Tyler Lefler. However, Barlett showed that the road to victory would go through him as he won his second heat with Cory again chasing him across the line in second. The third heat race saw a rollover incident as Pinchney spun entering Turn 3. Strain made contact and rolled on her side. Strain was able to continue, but Pinchney was not as fortunate.
Pinchney was a Main Event scratch for the 250 Karts, and the 125 of Reece Slyter continues to run with the group as he is the only one of his division showing up so far. After finishing second to Brenden Bartlett in both of his heat races, Braden Cory surprised him by racing into the lead at the start. Making a bid to overtake Cory for the lead, Bartlett and Cory made contact with Bartlett spinning out of Turn 4 for lap two yellow flag. Cory continued to lead the restart ahead of Strain and Bodee Weiser. A low move in the second turn of the tenth lap gained Wesier second from Strain. A Tyler Lefler spin in Turn 2 forced a lap 11 caution flag. Cory continued to lead Bodee Wesier on the restart, and the hard charging Bartlett had already moved back to third. Bodee Weiser was pressuring Cory hard for the lead with Bartlett all over him. A low pass in turn 2 as they worked lap 14 gained Wesier the lead, but Lefler spun for a caution flag to negate the pass as there is no racing to the yellow. Cory led Bodee Weiser and Bartlett on the restart as the close race up front continued. Weiser again made a low pass in Turn 2 of the 18th lap to take the lead. Bartlett made a similar move around Cory on lap 19 for second with Braden Weiser making the inside pass in Turn 2 to claim third on lap 21. One little mistake could have cost Bodee Wesier the lead as Bartlett ran right behind him. However, Bodee Weiser made no mistakes as he brought it home to victory ahead of Bartlett, Braden Wesier, Enrique Jaime, Cory and Reece Slyer, all on the lead lap.
The Box Stocks ran two heat races with reigning champion Trevor Grimes winning the first eight lapper ahead of Isabella Jaime. The lineup was inverted for the second heat, but Grimes took the lead from Loveah Price on lap four in that race and held her off for the victory. Grimes had the pole for the Main Event and charged into the lead at the green flag ahead of Emma Rodgers and Jaime. After scratching from the second heat, Devin Felix had to start back in seventh, but he was in fourth on the opening lap. The only yellow flag flew on lap seven as Jaime spun from third into the infield. Grimes held command on the restart and slowly pulled away from Rodgers. The lead for Grimes was a straightaway as he grabbed the checkered flag ahead of Rodgers. Rodgers drove a great race in second as Felix settled for third in front of Price, Sophia Bauer, Jaime and Ryan Hirschbock. All seven starters took the checkered flag.
Mike Wheeler brought his 500 Kart to the speedway and was blistering the track with his speed. Wheeler won the first heat ahead of Stephanie Crisp and the second heat ahead of 250 Kart graduate Brody Sim. Late arrival Keon Hilgendorf made it a four car Main Event, and Wheeler charged into the lead at the start. Hilgendorf went pitside with mechanical issues on lap five. Sim's second place run came to an end when his car lost power in Turn 1 for a lap 17 caution flag. Wheeler was poised to lap the field when the yellow flag flew, and he would win in dominant fashion. Crisp slowed at the finish with motor problems and was still scored second ahead of Sim and Hilgendorf.
The Beginners Box Stocks or "Pee Wees" are a class for 5 to 8 year olds to get started, and it can be intimidating for these young boys and girls to make their first starts in racing. An unidentified driver in the #18k Kart and Chase Bane decided that they were not ready this time. Fourth generation racer Carl Holt made his first start, but he blew a motor in the first heat race. Shailene Horn won both heat races ahead of Kiley Grimes. Horn spun for a yellow in the second heat before coming back to win. Roger Whipple made good laps in both races in his first start. Grimes set the pace for two laps in the Main Event before Horn made a pass on the inside down the front stretch for the lead. Horn led the rest of the way with Grimes a lead lap second. Whipple took a checkered flag in third.
The Outlaw Karts are back for another race on July 8th. There is also the Vern Wheeler Sr. Memorial Race coming up on July 29th. Details will be forthcoming. For further information, check out www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Kart Results June 24
500 Karts
Heat 1 (8 Laps)-Mike Wheeler. Heat 2 (8 Laps)-Wheeler. Main Event (20 Laps)-Wheeler, Stephanie Crisp, Brody Sim, Keon Hilgendorf.
250 Karts
Heat 1 (8 Laps)-Ashley Strain. Heat 2 (8 Laps)-Brendon Bartlett. Heat 3 (8 Laps)-Bodee Weiser. Heat 4 (8 Laps)-Bartlett. Main Event (25 Laps)-Bodee Weiser, Bartlett, Braden Weiser, Enrique Jaime, Braden Corey, Reece Slyter, Tyler Lefler, Strain, Colby Bergquist, Wyatt Pinchney (DNS).
Box Stock
Heat 1 (8 Laps)-Trevor Grimes. Heat 2-(8 Laps)-Grimes. Main Event (20 Laps)-Grimes, Emma Rodgers, Devin Felix, Loveah Price, Sophia Bauer, Isabella Jaime.
Beginners Box Stock
Heat 1 (8 Laps)-Shailene Horn. Heat 2 (8 Laps)-Horn. Main Event (12 Laps)-Horn, Kiley Grimes, Roger Whipple. Carl Holt (DNS).
