Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion
Can Be Heard HERE
R. Charles Snyder Salute
Comes To Southern Oregon Speedway This September
White City, Oregon...For many years at Southern Oregon Speedway and going back to the old Medford Speedway, there was a familiar voice coming through the speakers. He was considered the voice of Medford racing. He was also the voice you heard on the radio. He's R. Charles Snyder. When he died in 2015, the community mourned. Promoter Mike McCann reached out to the Snyder family about the possibility of honoring Charles with a special race, and they were not only in favor of the idea, but touched that the race was even being considered. However, there was never any doubt.
On Labor Day Weekend, September 2-3, Southern Oregon Speedway will proudly present The R. Charles Snyder Salute. It's more than just a big race for the competitors. It's a weekend to pay tribute to one of the more beloved members of the racing family and the Medford community in general. Snyder died at the age of 61, and people were shocked and saddened by the news when it broke.
Charles was one of the most popular DJ's on the radio and a musician. He was also a big James Bond fan who at one time boasted the third largest collection of Bond memorabilia in the world. A curiosity about how racing announcers called the action for the fans led him to Medford Speedway back in 1976. He was just there to listen and take notes. Little did he know that the regular announcer would not show up. Charles was called upon to do the honors that night, and a love of auto racing grew from there. He announced at the old track from then until it closed in 1989.
Snyder was brought in to announce when Southern Oregon Speedway opened in 1996, and he called the action for many years. Bryce Burtner is the current announcer. He learned by working with him, and he was delighted to hear the news that the track would be honoring his racing mentor. "I was in awe of him when I started going to the races, " said Burtner, who is also a DJ. "He was the best. He was the voice of racing in Medford. I think it's great that we will have this special weekend at the track in his honor, and I look forward to being a part of it."
Details are still being worked out on racing format and purse. The divisions originally scheduled for the weekend, the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and SODCA Dwarf Cars, will all be there. The track may include other divisions, but the details concerning all of that will be announced soon. However, there is one detail that McCann wanted to announce now.
Charles spent his race nights up in the Race Tower. He hadn't announced there or a few years prior to his passing, but one of the microphones still has his name on it. In honor of him, the tower that houses the announcers, scorers, media and special guests of the speedway will be dedicated to Snyder. It will be called The R. Charles Snyder Memorial Race Tower. The dedication will take place during the weekend of the race with his friends and family present.
Management wants this race to become a new tradition for the racers and fans to enjoy. The community has been buzzing with the rumors of this race for the last few weeks, and now it is official. The First Annual R. Charles Snyder Salute will happen on September 2-3 at Southern Oregon Speedway. More details will be released in the weeks ahead. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com
Cascade Sprint Car Challenge Coming To
Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...Wingless 360 Sprint Car racing is coming to Southern Oregon Speedway on August 26th. The banked, three-tenth mile clay oval has had its share of big Sprint Car races since it opened in 1996, but there haven't been too many wingless races. In fact, it's been about a decade since the last one. Promoter Mike McCann wants to change all of that, and he had an idea for a big race.
Big promoting ideas are nothing new for McCann, who's been promoting races for over three decades and is a past recipient of the RPM Promoter Of The Year award. McCann had a hand in establishing the Wingless Sprint Car presence in Oregon as the founder of the Oregon Double Shot Series. After talking with Mark Herz of Herz Precision Parts, the race a sponsor. The Cascade Sprint Car Challenge, presented by Herz Precision Parts, will pay $3,000 to the winner.
There's a difference in driving styles from winged to wingless Sprint Car racing. Wingless racing challenges drivers in a whole different way, and some racers are reluctant to take the wing off and go racing. There's more finesse involved, and the racing tends to be much closer. In Oregon, there are some drivers who enjoy the best of both worlds. Racers like Kyle Miler and Cooper Desbiens have raced both styles and are winners in both.
The scheduling of this big race comes during an off week for the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series and the North West Wingless Tour, two groups with cars that would fit in with the rules for this Wingless 360 Sprint Car race. A shot at the big $3,000 prize is sure to entice some top notch talent to Southern Oregon. This is also an event that McCann hopes to include annually on the schedule. Fans will be in for a treat with the close racing action Wingless Sprint Cars provide.
Further details will be forthcoming in the days ahead. For further information, you can go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com or the official Southern Oregon Speedway Facebook page. Or, you can e-mail the track at contact@southernoregonspeedway.com.
