Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion
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Welshonse Could End Rookie Season With IMCA Modified Championship At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...With one race remaining on the schedule for the IMCA Modifieds, the track championship is still up for grabs. It probably comes as no surprise to find Mark Wauge leading the way in his bid for a seventh division championship. You may not be surprised to see two time Street Stock champion Duane Orsburn in the mix. However, it's doubtful anybody anticipated that James Welshonse would be nine points out of the lead going into the final race.
In fact, James wasn't even sure he would be racing an IMCA Modified this year. He sold his Sport Modified prior to the season. "We were looking at another Sport Modified, but I was also a bit concerned with car count in the division " said Welshonse. "The Modifieds had better driver support last season, and the deal for this car was just too good to pass up."
James has been competitive in several different divisions in his career. At Reno-Fernley Raceway in Nevada, he just missed winning a very competitive championship and settled for second. He came to Southern Oregon Speedway a few seasons ago in hopes of running the Street Stock class. "I was a bit disappointed when only two cars showed up, " he recalled. "I was used to the full fields we had in Nevada."
Fortunately, the program offered something he could get behind in the Mini Stock division. He improved from sixth in points in 2013 to fourth a year later. "I built a car, and we were pretty competitive, but then the car got destroyed at Yreka, " James explained. "It was a two race weekend. We won the first one, but got taken out the next night. That's when I decided to move up."
Welshonse got a good deal on a Sport Modified and split his time racing at Medford and Yreka last year. When he got a good offer from someone looking to buy the car during the off season, he made the sale. The opportunity to move up to a full IMCA Modified was too good to pass up. "These cars are a blast to drive, and I've already learned so much. I feel like we are pretty competitive already."
James has won two Trophy Dashes at Medford and another one in Yreka, where he lost a close race for a Main Event win. His real opportunity for a feature win came earlier this season at Southern Oregon Speedway. After winning the heat race and Trophy Dash, he led most of the Main Event ahead of Orsburn. Then, it slipped away from him when the yellow flag flew for Daniel Herrera's crash. "I could feel the handling on the car going away, " said Welshonse. "but I felt like I could still win the race. What we didn't need was that yellow flag. I tried, but I couldn't hold Duane off. It was disappointing, but we're still having fun."
After the Lon Skinner Memorial, he actually gained more points than either Mark Wauge or Duane Orsburn. He moved into second in the standings, just nine points behind Wauge and four ahead of Orsburn. Considering how hard he had to work coming from the C Main to the big 100 lap Main Event, it was a big accomplishment. "I figured we might have a shot at Rookie Of The Year, " James admitted. "If we can pull off the championship, that would be nice too. It's nice just to be in contention."
IMCA Modifieds are only part of this week's show. Mike Medel is poised to win his first IMCA Sport Modified track championship this week. The Open Stock Car class will reportedly see some new visitors this week, while Hornets and Super 4's round out a five division program. Gates open at 5:00 p.m. with the first race starting at 7:00 p.m. Adult tickets are $12 with Juniors and Seniors $6.00 and children 5 and under free. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Pit Stops
Mike Medel appeared to be headed for another respectable second place finish in IMCA Sport Modified points when point leader Jorddon Braatten got the offer to load his car with California IMCA State champion Fred Ryland and compete in the big IMCA Nationals event in Boone, Iowa. There was no way Braaten was passing that up. Having won the last two track championships, the decision has already been made by Braaten to move up to the IMCA Modifieds in 2017.
Medel and rookie David Marble both moved by Braaten after the two races on Lon Skinner Memorial weekend, though the weekend wasn't the best for either of them. Medel left little doubt after the points were tallied that he will be the likely champion as long as he takes a green flag in the Main Event this week. He also stands a good chance of repeating as Oregon State champion.
After gaining the point lead, Mike flew to Iowa to crew for his good friend's racing effort. Unfortunately for Bratten, an accident in the pits left him with a wrist injury and unable to compete. Medel caught a flight back in time to race in the non point event last week.
Despite heavy pressure from Marble and Dwarf Car ace Kalvin Morton, Medel won his first Main Event of the season. "David has done a good job all year and it's been fun racing with him, " said Medel. "The car was running pretty good, and it feels good to finally get a win here. Hopefully we can do it again."
While Morton will reportedly be one of the rookies in the class next year, A.J. Parker is a rookie this year. He nearly pulled off the surprise Trophy Dash win last week before settling for second behind Marble. Parker has a shot at third in the standings. "I'm hoping we can get it, " said A.J. "It would be nice, but it's been a good season either way. We've had fun, and we're coming back next year with a new car."
The Open Stock division comes back this week with Mike Linder holding a six point lead over Bob Dees. Linder has two feature wins so far this year. Both drivers have done some racing at Cottage Grove and Coos Bay this year as they work to spread the word of Late Models returning to Southern Oregon Speedway via the Open Stock class. Bob's son John Dees made his division debut last time.
The last race was won impressively by Coos Bay point leader Nathan Augustine. The original plans were for Augustine, Kristy Grout and others to come this week, but those plans have been effected by Coos Bay's addition of another point race for the Late Models this week. Late Model veteran Dustin Comer is planning to visit, and we've gotten word that two time Outlaw Pro Stock feature winner Miles Deubert is preparing for another visit to shake things down for the September 24th Pro Stock finale.
The Super 4's division continues to gather momentum, and the drivers are hoping to end things on a strong note this week and next week. With three Top 3 finishes and a Trophy Dash win, John Barger is clinging to a two point lead over Lee Doty.
If not for the fact that he scratched from the Main Event at the season opener, Doty would be leading the standings now. He came back in the next race and hit the wall in his heat race. His night might have ended there if not for the help he had from his fellow competitors getting the car back together for the Main Event. With three dash wins and three feature wins, Doty is very much the driver to beat.
Of more importance to these competitors is the fact that they are reestablishing a division at the track that was popular and very competitive for years. After John Barger's 2013 championship run, the class was dropped. Already nine different drivers have competed this year, and Doty is working to get others out there before season's end.
Doty's teammate, Bill Spencer, has been running on backup power as he holds a three point lead over Dan Prewitt in the race for third. "Other than the blown motor we had, I've been having a lot of fun racing here this season, " said Spencer, who has one third place finish so far. "It's great to be able to race here again."
The Hornets have struggled to gain traction at the speedway this season. Car count average is up, but it was hoped that there would be more of them out there. Though rumors have circulated to the contrary, Hornets will be back in 2017. This is good news to Tim Hedges, who just used a second place finish to take the point lead going into this week. "We're planning to build a couple more cars next year, " Hedges revealed. "I'm having fun here, and it's affordable enough for us to build a couple more cars and help get things going."
Two time winner Derrel Nelson Jr. had a disappointing night at the back of the pack last week, which cost him the lead to Hedges. However, the team will be back next year. In fact, Darrel is also planning to put together a second car. They may all be chasing Joby Shields, who won his third Main Event last week. Shields is not in the championship battle due to missing a race, but he is a threat to win any race in which he starts.
In fact, James wasn't even sure he would be racing an IMCA Modified this year. He sold his Sport Modified prior to the season. "We were looking at another Sport Modified, but I was also a bit concerned with car count in the division " said Welshonse. "The Modifieds had better driver support last season, and the deal for this car was just too good to pass up."
James has been competitive in several different divisions in his career. At Reno-Fernley Raceway in Nevada, he just missed winning a very competitive championship and settled for second. He came to Southern Oregon Speedway a few seasons ago in hopes of running the Street Stock class. "I was a bit disappointed when only two cars showed up, " he recalled. "I was used to the full fields we had in Nevada."
Fortunately, the program offered something he could get behind in the Mini Stock division. He improved from sixth in points in 2013 to fourth a year later. "I built a car, and we were pretty competitive, but then the car got destroyed at Yreka, " James explained. "It was a two race weekend. We won the first one, but got taken out the next night. That's when I decided to move up."
Welshonse got a good deal on a Sport Modified and split his time racing at Medford and Yreka last year. When he got a good offer from someone looking to buy the car during the off season, he made the sale. The opportunity to move up to a full IMCA Modified was too good to pass up. "These cars are a blast to drive, and I've already learned so much. I feel like we are pretty competitive already."
James has won two Trophy Dashes at Medford and another one in Yreka, where he lost a close race for a Main Event win. His real opportunity for a feature win came earlier this season at Southern Oregon Speedway. After winning the heat race and Trophy Dash, he led most of the Main Event ahead of Orsburn. Then, it slipped away from him when the yellow flag flew for Daniel Herrera's crash. "I could feel the handling on the car going away, " said Welshonse. "but I felt like I could still win the race. What we didn't need was that yellow flag. I tried, but I couldn't hold Duane off. It was disappointing, but we're still having fun."
After the Lon Skinner Memorial, he actually gained more points than either Mark Wauge or Duane Orsburn. He moved into second in the standings, just nine points behind Wauge and four ahead of Orsburn. Considering how hard he had to work coming from the C Main to the big 100 lap Main Event, it was a big accomplishment. "I figured we might have a shot at Rookie Of The Year, " James admitted. "If we can pull off the championship, that would be nice too. It's nice just to be in contention."
IMCA Modifieds are only part of this week's show. Mike Medel is poised to win his first IMCA Sport Modified track championship this week. The Open Stock Car class will reportedly see some new visitors this week, while Hornets and Super 4's round out a five division program. Gates open at 5:00 p.m. with the first race starting at 7:00 p.m. Adult tickets are $12 with Juniors and Seniors $6.00 and children 5 and under free. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Pit Stops
Mike Medel appeared to be headed for another respectable second place finish in IMCA Sport Modified points when point leader Jorddon Braatten got the offer to load his car with California IMCA State champion Fred Ryland and compete in the big IMCA Nationals event in Boone, Iowa. There was no way Braaten was passing that up. Having won the last two track championships, the decision has already been made by Braaten to move up to the IMCA Modifieds in 2017.
Medel and rookie David Marble both moved by Braaten after the two races on Lon Skinner Memorial weekend, though the weekend wasn't the best for either of them. Medel left little doubt after the points were tallied that he will be the likely champion as long as he takes a green flag in the Main Event this week. He also stands a good chance of repeating as Oregon State champion.
After gaining the point lead, Mike flew to Iowa to crew for his good friend's racing effort. Unfortunately for Bratten, an accident in the pits left him with a wrist injury and unable to compete. Medel caught a flight back in time to race in the non point event last week.
Despite heavy pressure from Marble and Dwarf Car ace Kalvin Morton, Medel won his first Main Event of the season. "David has done a good job all year and it's been fun racing with him, " said Medel. "The car was running pretty good, and it feels good to finally get a win here. Hopefully we can do it again."
While Morton will reportedly be one of the rookies in the class next year, A.J. Parker is a rookie this year. He nearly pulled off the surprise Trophy Dash win last week before settling for second behind Marble. Parker has a shot at third in the standings. "I'm hoping we can get it, " said A.J. "It would be nice, but it's been a good season either way. We've had fun, and we're coming back next year with a new car."
The Open Stock division comes back this week with Mike Linder holding a six point lead over Bob Dees. Linder has two feature wins so far this year. Both drivers have done some racing at Cottage Grove and Coos Bay this year as they work to spread the word of Late Models returning to Southern Oregon Speedway via the Open Stock class. Bob's son John Dees made his division debut last time.
The last race was won impressively by Coos Bay point leader Nathan Augustine. The original plans were for Augustine, Kristy Grout and others to come this week, but those plans have been effected by Coos Bay's addition of another point race for the Late Models this week. Late Model veteran Dustin Comer is planning to visit, and we've gotten word that two time Outlaw Pro Stock feature winner Miles Deubert is preparing for another visit to shake things down for the September 24th Pro Stock finale.
The Super 4's division continues to gather momentum, and the drivers are hoping to end things on a strong note this week and next week. With three Top 3 finishes and a Trophy Dash win, John Barger is clinging to a two point lead over Lee Doty.
If not for the fact that he scratched from the Main Event at the season opener, Doty would be leading the standings now. He came back in the next race and hit the wall in his heat race. His night might have ended there if not for the help he had from his fellow competitors getting the car back together for the Main Event. With three dash wins and three feature wins, Doty is very much the driver to beat.
Of more importance to these competitors is the fact that they are reestablishing a division at the track that was popular and very competitive for years. After John Barger's 2013 championship run, the class was dropped. Already nine different drivers have competed this year, and Doty is working to get others out there before season's end.
Doty's teammate, Bill Spencer, has been running on backup power as he holds a three point lead over Dan Prewitt in the race for third. "Other than the blown motor we had, I've been having a lot of fun racing here this season, " said Spencer, who has one third place finish so far. "It's great to be able to race here again."
The Hornets have struggled to gain traction at the speedway this season. Car count average is up, but it was hoped that there would be more of them out there. Though rumors have circulated to the contrary, Hornets will be back in 2017. This is good news to Tim Hedges, who just used a second place finish to take the point lead going into this week. "We're planning to build a couple more cars next year, " Hedges revealed. "I'm having fun here, and it's affordable enough for us to build a couple more cars and help get things going."
Two time winner Derrel Nelson Jr. had a disappointing night at the back of the pack last week, which cost him the lead to Hedges. However, the team will be back next year. In fact, Darrel is also planning to put together a second car. They may all be chasing Joby Shields, who won his third Main Event last week. Shields is not in the championship battle due to missing a race, but he is a threat to win any race in which he starts.
Southern Oregon Speedway Points
IMCA Modified
1m Mark Wauge 203
2g James Welshonse 194
0 Duane Orsburn 190
89c Albert Gill 180
54n Nick Trenchard 150
IMCA Sport Mod
30m Mike Medel 336
4m David Marble 322
84 Jorddon Braaten 304
76 A.J. Parker 278
4y Jimmy Lipke 250
Open Stock
22 Mike Linder 105
6 Bob Dees 99
24 Nathan Augustine 39
3d Miles Deubert 29
88 Jeffrey Hudson 28
Super 4's
7b John Barger 146
7 Lee Doty 144
99 Bill Spencer 122
5 Charlie Eaton 119
29 Dan Prewitt 97
Hornets
14 Tim Hedges 165
8g Derrel Nelson Jr. 160
67 John Hoult 155
555 Joby Shields 142
2h Heather Menzel 76
IMCA Modified
1m Mark Wauge 203
2g James Welshonse 194
0 Duane Orsburn 190
89c Albert Gill 180
54n Nick Trenchard 150
IMCA Sport Mod
30m Mike Medel 336
4m David Marble 322
84 Jorddon Braaten 304
76 A.J. Parker 278
4y Jimmy Lipke 250
Open Stock
22 Mike Linder 105
6 Bob Dees 99
24 Nathan Augustine 39
3d Miles Deubert 29
88 Jeffrey Hudson 28
Super 4's
7b John Barger 146
7 Lee Doty 144
99 Bill Spencer 122
5 Charlie Eaton 119
29 Dan Prewitt 97
Hornets
14 Tim Hedges 165
8g Derrel Nelson Jr. 160
67 John Hoult 155
555 Joby Shields 142
2h Heather Menzel 76
