Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion
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Sprint Cars, Modifieds Headline Six Division Show
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...Things are happening at Southern Oregon Speedway this season, and people are talking about it. Last week's Monster Truck Show was attended by the biggest crowd seen at the speedway in years despite the rains. More people are coming out to see what's happening this season. The fans will have another great show this week as the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars are back along with the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks, Vally-Stor All Late Model Lites and OTRO Hardtops.
David Hibbard is off to a good start this season with a win and a second and has taken the early Sprint Car point lead. The Hibbard family had a nice showing at the most recent race as David's son Bailey won the Main Event and his father Calvin picked up his first ever heat race victory. David and Bailey present the biggest challenge for the competition. To get a win, you have to go through them.
However, Jeffrey Hudson is off to a good start with a pair of fourth place feature finishes. Jeffrey has been racing for years, starting at the Outlaw Kart track, and he won the 2015 Outlaw Pro Stock championship. He was Sprint Car Rookie Of The Year at Southern Oregon Speedway in 2016 as he won the final Main Event of the year. He's poised to get another win this week.
Word has it that there will be a few visitors coming in from Cottage Grove, and they will be facing stiff competition from the young drivers at Southern Oregon Speedway, including Merissa Henson, Enrique Jaime, Blaine Cory, Camden Robustelli and Tanner Homes. The Sprint Cars are sure to put on a great show.
After his big victory in the Roger Haudenshild Tribute Race, Nick Trenchard is the early season point leader in the IMCA Modifieds. Trenchard and seven-time champion Mark Wauge are the winners so far, but it appears as if Albert Gill is poised to be the next winner. The two-time champion finished a strong second last time out ahead of Dave Duste Jr. "Cowboy" Duane Orsburn has been looking good so far this year, and other drivers to watch for this week include reigning champion Jesse Bailey, Preston Jones, Bo Shields, Brett Provost and Zach Fettinger.
David Marble appears to be on a quest to win the IMCA Sport Modified championship this year. The 2015 Mini Stock champion won the season opener and leads the standings with reigning champion Mike Medel and Willie McFall in close pursuit. These three come in as the drivers to beat this week, but they can expect good competition from the likes of Danny Rule, Brandon Wilson, Tony Duste and Jesse Merriman.
To get a feature win in the Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks, you generally have to go through David Steele. Steele leads the standings with Hunter Magnan and reigning champion Kristopher Mix not too far behind. The competition level will rise this week with the return of 2013 champion Steve Goetz. Goetz had a hard crash a few weeks ago and has reclipped the front end his car. Other drivers to watch for include 2014 champion Gary Anderson, Garrett Frederiksen and rookie Michael McCleod.
The Valley Stor-All Late Model Lites are back this week. Eric Aos and point leader Charlie Eaton count themselves among the feature winners so far this year. Greg Arnold seems close to getting his first feature win since returning, and teen leadfoot Dusty Aos will be another driver to watch.
Those classic 1940s Coupe and Sedan bodied Hardtops of the Old Time Racers of Oregon will be back for their second appearance. Dusty Trotter picked up his first win on the dirt last time as he is fielding a new car. Coos Bay Speedway Street Stock champion Justin Crossman has the former Dusty Trotter car. He won a heat race with it last time. Joining these two in competition will be Dusty's father, Bill Trotter, Mark Minter, Jamie Britton and Jay Smith.
Saturday night will be filled with excitement from start to finish. Gates open at 5 p.m. with the first race scheduled to start at 7 p.m. General Admission is $12, Seniors, Veterans and Juniors 6 to 12 are $6 and children 5 and under are free. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Herz Precision Parts Wingless Sprint Car Challenge Comes To Southern Oregon Speedway August 25th
White City, Oregon...After the success of the inaugural race last season, the Herz Precision Parts Cascade Wingless 360 Sprint Car Challenge is back at Southern Oregon Speedway. The event is scheduled for August 25th. Mark Herz will once again sponsor the big show.
This is a Wingless 360 Sprint Car race, and last season saw 22 competitors from throughout Oregon and California come to race. It paid $3,000 to win last year and will pay $3,500 this time around.
It was Geoff Ensign putting on a driving clinic in scoring the big win last year. Geoff drives for Ted Finkenbinder, and Ted always brings a good car to any race he enters. Cody Fendley was a $1,500 second last year as Kyle Miller was a $1,000 third. Last year's race paid all Main Event starters $250 minimum.
Ensign and Finkenbinder are anticipated again this year. Young gun Ariel Biggs has announced that she will be competing. Two time Orland champion Bill Hopper, Lance Hallmark, Lindsey Barney, Kevin Pendergrass and Mark Herz are others who have expressed interest.
It's sure to be a show you won't want to miss. The race will have a good purse from top to bottom. More details with be forthcoming soon. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Grimes, Fuller, Hirschbock Johnson Share Southern Oregon Speedway Outlaw Kart Spotlight
White City, Oregon...June 8...Under threatening skies, the Southern Oregon Speedway Outlaw Kart show went on as planned Friday night at Little Southern Oregon Speedway. With rain forecast to hit at anytime in the evening, the decision was made to run just one set of heat races for the classes and get into Main Events with not much intermission. As it turned out, the rain would fall just five minutes after the final checkered flag waved.
Reigning champion Trevor Grimes continued his strong start as he won both his eight lap heat race and 15 lap Main Event in the 250 Kart division. Grimes had the lead at the start of the Main Event and stretched his advantage to a straightaway by the waving of Tom Hood's checkered flag. Brionna Fuller ran a solid second and Taylor Fuller and Vinny DeBenedetti battled fiercely for third. Fuller made the pass midway through the race to grab third as DeBenedetti rounded out the order.
After picking up a win in the eight lap UAS Speedway Kart heat race, Larry Fuller requested a last starting spot in the 12 lap Main Event. 2016 Yreka champion Ed Grubb paced the field for the first three laps. A fierce five kart battle ensued at the front of the pack, and season opener winner Jeremy Brown made an outside pass on the backstretch on lap four to take the lead from Grubb. Larry Fuller followed closely into second. As the leaders worked the backstretch on lap six, contact sent Brown spinning into the infield. The race continued, and Larry Fuller slowed on the back stretch a lap later, allowing Johnny Hoult to make the move into the lead. Hoult led until Larry Fuller made an inside pass on the back stretch on lap 11 to regain first. Larry Fuller went on to take the checkered flag in victory, followed by Hoult, Brionna Fuller, Grubb, Lori Fuller and Brown.
After winning his heat just ahead of Ryan Hirschbock, Jacob James set the early pace In the Box Stock 15 lap feature. Taylor Fuller made a low pass in Turn 3 of the fourth lap to gain the lead, and Hirschbock made an inside pass in Turn 4 of the same lap to take second from James. The battle for third saw contact in Turn 2 of the fifth lap, and James spun and was hit by Brandon Steinhoff on the back stretch, ending the race for both of them. Fuller led the pack on the restart, but he got just a bit sideways, allowing Hirschbock, Keaton Augustine and Kiley Grimes to race into the Top 3 positions. Hirschbock had some pressure from Augustine, but he was not about to let his first victory slip away as he happily took the checkered flag in first. Augustine settled for second, and Fuller made a Turn 4 pass on lap 13 to take third from Grimes, who settled for fourth ahead of Tyler Steinhoff.
The Beginners Box Stock division continues to bring new drivers to the track, and they ran two eight lap heat races. Uriah Sanders won his 8 lap heat race ahead of Carson Henson, and Malachi Johnson made a pass on Shailene Horn during the second heat race to claim that victory.
Reigning champion Johnson shared the front row for the 15 lap Main Event with Sanders, and Johnson was destined to get the victory. However, it didn't come easy. Caleb Ranney was a Main Event scratch, and Johnson charged into the early lead ahead of Sanders and Horn. A lap four caution flag flew when Isaac Grimes spun in the second turn. Some of the young drivers are just making their first laps and going at their own pace as they get used to things. It just so happened that Johnson and Sanders caught three of them as they went down the front stretch on the seventh lap. Sanders went low and made the pass for the lead in Turn 1. Once Johnson got around the traffic, he put his kart back up on the high side and regained the lead in Turn 3 of the eighth lap. Horn made a front stretch pass on Sanders on lap 10 to take over second and quickly closed in on Johnson. However, Johnson was not to be denied as he sped to the victory. Horn picked up her second straight runner-up finish ahead of Sanders, Henson and Jayme DeBenedetti.
All of the young drivers did a great job of running on the track, even when sprinkles during the Main Events made things a little bit slick. They will be back for their third event of the season on Friday, June 22nd. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars Back
At Southern Oregon Speedway
White City, Oregon...The Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars return for their third event of the season Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. In the third season of the Sprint Car revival, car count is up. There were a dozen racers at each of the first two races, but car count is expected to be bigger this week.
At the top of the point list, you'll find David Hibbard leading son Bailey Hubbard. The duo has each won a race so far this year, and it was Bailey outrunning his father to get the most recent win. That night was special for the family. Prior to Bailey earning a Main Event pole with his win in the six lap Scramble, David's 61 year old father Calvin got his first ever heat race win. Calvin won that race ahead of David and Bailey.
A close third in the standings is second generation racer Jeffrey Hudson. Hudson is a past champion on the Outlaw Kart circuit, and he won the 2015 Outlaw Pro Stock championship. He was 15 years old at the time. Sprint Car racing was always the goal for Hudson, and he joined the division in 2016. He earned top rookie honors and won the point season finale.
Hopes were high last season, but Hudson blew a motor in the season opener. He returned to the Pro Stocks while a new motor was being built for the Sprinter. He won several Main Events en route to second in the standings.
He's back and looking good in the Spring Car this season. Jeffrey had a pair of fourth place finishes. Last time out, he enjoyed a good battle with Merissa Henson as Henson settled for fifth. Henson was an impressive second in the standings last season as the top rookie in the field. This season, she has set her sights on her first win.
The last three times Enrique Jaime started his heat race at his home track he has won. Jaime opened the season by finished third in a good battle with Tanner Holmes. He was hoping to make a run at a victory last time out, but mechanical issues sent him to the pits early. He is definitely a threat to win this season.
Past Outlaw Kart champion Blaine Cory is leading the rookies this season in the Randy Rodgers owned entry. Another newcomer this season is Micro Sprint racer Theron Smith. Aaron Miller is a past winner at the Speedway who hopes to make it to the Winner's Circle again soon. Dwarf Car star Camden Robustelli, Todd Whipple, 500 Kart star Mike Wheeler and Steve Thompson are also anticipated this week.
Word is that past champion Charlie Thompson is about ready to debut. Past Cottage Grove champion Hedge Carter and son Colby are coming and could be joined by a few other Grove competitors.
It promises to be a great night of racing for the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.
Pit Stops
The Roger Haudenshild Tribute race has become one of the big marquee events of Southern Oregon Speedway. It has turned into one of those kitchen sink type of events. Everything is thrown in there but the kitchen sink. Thanks to the Haudenshild family and Dusty's Transmission, the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks got to race for a little bit of extra money.
With $1,600 on the line for the winner of the IMCA Sport Modified class, 23 competitors checked in through the gates. There were even a few surprises. The money brought 2015 California IMCA State champion Fred Ryland and 2016 California State champion Brian Cooper to the show. Fred was there along with his wife Patti Ryland, and Jimmy Ford found some space in the Cooper hauler to make the show. 2016 Yreka champion Jimmy Lipke and rising Northern California star Justin Foux were also there. The competition level was high with the money on the line.
Rumor had it that Justin McCreadie and teammate Braxton Possinger we're going to be elsewhere. McCreadie is the current Oregon State point leader. The interesting thing to note is that Justin went ahead and signed up for the Crack The Whip Race. Last year, this race didn't go well for either he or season opener winner David Marble as they crashed before the race officially got started.
What is remarkable is watching the interest rise in the IMCA Sport Modified class. We seem to be approaching a time where on a regular night, we might need a B Main. The 23 car field was very close to that cut off point. The field has seen a few newcomers including Brian Knorr, Steve's Lysinger, Brandon Wilson, John Rowden and Jacob Hoppes. Jacob was making his debut, though he still has some bugs to work out in his car.
The Ryland's were intent on bringing the money home. We've talked a lot about Fred Ryland in the racing community, and with the accolades he has achieved in his career, who can blame anybody for talking about him? However, wife Patti Ryland has had some good numbers through the years. She is a past Four Banger champion at Antioch, winning the honors twice, a Top 3 Hobby Stock competitor and also a Top 5 IMCA Modified racer at Antioch. She has won Main Events in each class, and she set the early pace in Saturday's Main Event. Unfortunately, she looped it and settled for a still respectable ninth place finish.
It's kind of surprising to hear Jimmy Ford talk about how nervous he is before the Main Event. Jimmy has had a fast car all year and has settled for second a couple of times when things got a little bit rough between he and the driver running for the win. Jimmy is generally a smooth racer who likes to get his car to the finish line wherever that might be. Through the years, he's driven just about everything, including Street Stocks, Late Models and Mini Stocks. He's also a two-time Marysville Mini Stock champion.
Ford has won races at Medford in the past and he was hoping this would be his night. Patti's husband Fred Ryland was in pursuit behind Ford and reigning champion Mike Medel. Fast Freddy made a pair of inside passes in Turn 2 on laps nine and ten and emerged with the lead. Once he got it, he wasn't about to let the $1,600 first prize escape him. Ford settled for yet another second place finish, but his car is in one piece too.
We're two races into the IMCA Sport Modified championship chase, and finding Mike Medel's name near the top of the list is no surprise. Medel enjoyed a good weekend as he finished second at Willamette the night before and third at his home track. Willie McFall is also in the championship hunt, but the guy leading things is 2015 Mini Stock champion David Marble. Mable did well in the very competitive field as he finished fifth. It's one point at a time in the IMCA system with only Main Event points counting, so every position you can finish higher in the Main Event will make a difference. It's a little early yet to be saying that one of these three drivers will win the championship, but all three are off to a good start.
Getting back to Justin McCreadie, after winning the Crack The Whip Race, Justin finished ahead of Marble for the fourth place feature finish. This will keep him ahead in the standings in the IMCA State championship battle despite the fact that Jorddon Braaten was up north picking up a pair of feature victories himself. McCreadie had finished third at Willamette. What is interesting is the not so well kept secret of the Pacific Sport Mod Challenge Series and the nice little cash prizes available for the top drivers at season's end. Braaten has pocketed the winner's share for the past two seasons, but he finds himself trailing McCreadie so far this year. It's still close between the two, and anything can happen.
While we talked about the big three in the Sport Modified point race so far, there are still a couple of drivers hoping to make a challenge. Tied for fourth after the big weekend were Danny Rule and Brandon Wilson. Rule didn't have a very good night, but Wilson finished seventh behind Foux. Foux had picked up a heat race win earlier in the evening. Behind Wilson In eighth was Jon Rowden. Jon had purchased the car from Glen Severson back in 2016 and he was making his first start with his new colors.
There was a lot of talk about who would win the big money with $2,000 on the line for the IMCA Modifieds. Mark Wauge's name immediately comes up as he has won this race before. Also, Mark picked up a nice paycheck in Yreka the previous week in the John Arnberg Memorial. The bounty hunter of the group, Nick Trenchard, was also in Yreka finishing third. Trenchard was the two-time reigning champion of this race. He served a little notice to everybody that he was intent on bagging the big bucks when he won his heat race and then picked up $200 for his victory in the Crack The Whip Race.
The news wasn't so good for Wauge. He had a front row start for his heat race, and his motor gave up on him as they were taking the green flag. Not the kind of luck he was looking for, and he was forced to sit on the sidelines and watch Trenchard put on a driving clinic in winning his third Haudenshild Tribute race. Trenchard was so fast that nobody even got close to him. In recent seasons, Nick has had a knack for winning the big-money races on the West Coast, and from what we can see, he'll be a threat in the upcoming big races as well.
While first place was not a battle, it was still interesting watching Trenchard maneuver his way through slower traffic in the rapidly run Main Event. The battle was for second, and it may still surprise some people that Cowboy Duane Orsburn was in that battle. The two time Street Stock champion is getting the car that he bought last year dialed in gradually, and he was giving two-time track champion Albert Gill everything he could handle. Gill knew he had a good car after winning another heat race.
He may not have been expecting Orsburn to make the pass, but Orsburn got around him and held second for numerous laps before Gill finally made the pass on lap 22. Gill is once again in a championship battle at Southern Oregon Speedway as he did a great job in finishing second. For Orsburn, the battle for third got intense between he and Trophy Dash winner Dave Duste Jr. Seeing Duste back at the track is a welcome sight, and he seemed to have his car coming on strong in the waning laps of the race as he made a charge up a few positions to get third. Trying to get third back, Orsburn spun and finished further back in seventh.
What's amazing is the caliber of talent in the field. Despite the fact that other big races up north and down south kept visitation to a minimum, you had the aforementioned racers in the field as well as reigning champion Jesse Bailey, track superstar John DeBenedetti, CJ Putnam and James Welshonse. Any one of those drivers is capable of bringing home a victory. Bailey brought it home to a respectable sixth behind Preston Jones. Jones had won his heat race earlier in the evening. It's not a matter of if but when Jones will get his first win in this class. DeBenedetti was wheeling the #222 car for Brian Bowman and finished eighth. Putnam finished 10th in a car that the team just got this season.
The Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stock drivers were chomping at the bit to get back to Southern Oregon Speedway. There were a few drivers expressing an interest in just racing at the track, and some of the loudest voices came from area racers Dean Hackworth and Dan Randall. Hackworth was a staunch supporter of Pro Stock racing last season at the track and finished second in points as the top rookie in the field. This year, the Hackworth team has four cars. Three of them were at the speedway, though they were dialing some bugs out of them. Dean never made it onto the track for the Main Event. Randall, meanwhile, just missed the Top 10 behind rookie Brian R Hammond.
The field has gained some really good drivers in the last couple of years. It would take a whole column to talk about the accomplishments of Dr. Scott Lenz. His championship pedigree goes back to the old Medford Raceway at the Posse Grounds. Scott also won this race last season and came into the night as perhaps the driver to beat. Not to be forgotten in the mix is 2016 champion Steve Borror. Steve won this race in 2016 as well as an impressive drive from last to win the Crack The Whip Race that night.
The Crack The Whip Race this year and the two $200 prize that came with it, went to John David Duffie. John has won many Main Events at Southern Oregon Speedway through the years and battled with legendary racers Jimmy Walker and Frank Ward III to get some of those wins. These drivers enjoy coming to Southern Oregon Speedway anytime they can, and they certainly put on a good show.
Borror won the first race of the year with the group in Yreka and was leading when he unfortunately spun. That put the lead in the hands of Lenz. Once he got it, there wasn't anybody on the track that was going to prevent him from picking up the $1,200 paycheck for the victory. Lenz also hosted a party in the pits for the racers afterwards and is certainly viewed as a true sportsman in the group.
You didn't just have the previous two champions in the field. 2015 champion Jeffrey Hudson was there as well. Car owner Scott Bennett has had Jeffrey driving for him during the past year, and the kid looked very impressive in closing out the season with a pair of victories. He got close this time, settling for second and holding off Borror, who finished third.
Longtime Pro Stock competitor and club president Scott Flowers was engaged in a good battle for that third position for most of the race. Johnny Cobb and Jeff Haudenshild were in it as well. Cobb managed to take a checkered flag ahead of Flowers, who would finish fifth. When we talk about drivers who are due to get a win on the tour, the name Scott Flowers appears at the top of the list. However, there is a good group of racers in this field, and you're going to get a good show every time the Pro Stocks are in town.
The Late Model division has been gaining new drivers this year, and Brian Bowman finally brought his car out as did Jason Schultz. We heard about Schultz purchasing one of the cars from Rapp Racing last season and also that Jason had raced previously in Big Block Modifieds back east. Originally, word was that long time competitor Rich McCoy was going to give the car its shakedown run, but it was Jason behind the wheel figuring things out on this night.
Further up in the field, Brian Bowman was battling heat race and Trophy Dash winner Miles Deubert and reigning champion Nathan Augustine for second. Deubert spoke earlier about some of the challenges he's had this year. Steering issues at the previous race left him having to rig something up to get him to the finish line. He finished sixth that night.
What perhaps none of these drivers were expecting was the man at the front of the pack, Dave Foote. Foote has been making quite a bit of progress with his car this year. Last year, he seemed to be stuck in third place. This time, he led all the way to become the third feature winner of the season. Augustine was on a mission to take over the lead, but he got in a tangle with a slower car, leaving Nathan's car with extensive damage. The good news is the absence of Bob Dees, John Dees and Mike Linder meant the only driver making a move closer to the lead was Deubert, who finished second. It's definitely close up front now
Bowman meanwhile, made some good laps and finished a respectable third at the checkered flag. Also making the next Trophy Dash in fourth was Don Garrett Jr. Word is that Augustine is looking to rent a ride for a week while he is working on putting another car together.
It's talked about a lot how important it is to get the next generation of racers into the sport. Demographics show that the audience is getting older and the younger generation is losing interest in cars and working on them. Ashland High School has an auto shop class, and their teacher has gotten his students involved in building and racing two cars. On Saturday night, both John Ferreira and Ethan Doty were behind the wheel again. Ferreira is driving the popular PT Cruiser.
There are a few teens out there in the field, including Dylan Irving, who just turned 15, teammate Brandon Wonsyld and Ashtin Hedges. Hedges has been looking very good out there lately and won his third straight heat race. The Main Event appeared to belong to him before his car lost power on the backstretch on lap 15. This one had to be a heartbreaker to lose in such fashion, but Jason Stoutenburgh was rewarded for his perseverance.
The reigning champion got a Trophy Dash win, but he lost power leading the heat race, won by 2016 champion Tim Hedges, just ahead of Chris Boynton. This also put Jason last on the grid. By the time Ashtin had his mechanical issues, Stoutenburgh was the leader. Once again, he would see Brandon Wonsyld in his rear-view mirror. Wonsyld brought out a lap two yellow flag to put him at the back, but he charged his way to a second place finish. The battle at the top of the point ladder is between these two, and Brandon still leads by just one point.
A bad Main Event finish earlier this season has Tim Hedges playing catch up with the lead duo. Luck was on his side when he got his heat race win, and he found himself in a battle on the last lap for third between himself and Zach Nelson. Nelson had steering issues and was just lucky to get it to the finish line, settling for fourth behind Hedges. The Hedges team fielded four cars. Tim didn't think his #14t car was quite ready, but he went ahead and brought it out and allowed David Miller to wheel the #4t car as Miller's car was down for the count. David brought it home to a sixth place finish behind Brea Tritchler. For Brea, this was her second Top 5 finish of the season.
It is great to see the JOAT Labs Hornets division responding so well this year in the car count department. Just a few years ago, this division might have been on the schedule, but it was an afterthought. Now, cars are being built and more drivers are coming out all the time. You have to start somewhere in racing before you can get to the upper classes, and this is a good place to start. The fact that there are so many young drivers in the field is also encouraging.
Southern Oregon Dwarf Car racers are racing hard for the victory, and it's anything but easy to get it done. In five association races, there have been four different winners. Just Camden Robustelli has done it more than once as he won the two races in Yreka to get the season started. Guy Tow and Josh King are the other winners. One driver who's been struggling just to get a Top 5 finish was Brock Peters. Brock ended up sixth in the previous race after winning the A Dash.
The team went back to the drawing board, and the result was Brock picking up an impressive victory. You knew it was just a matter of time. However, the guy likely to be leading the standings when the point sheet is finally released is Robustelli. That is, when you adjust for the throwaway rules. Camden did miss a race, but his two wins the second place finish he earned on this occasion will certainly help him. Robustelli had a great battle of Kalvin Morton down the stretch before making a last turn pass to get the second place finish. Morton was probably a little bit disappointed, but this was one of his best results of the year next to his big win in Cottage Grove. Much like we've been saying about Brock Peters, you're not likely to keep Morton out of the Winner's Circle for long.
Two other drivers you're probably going to see at the top of the point list are Ryan Smith and Chad Cardoza. Both had finished as high as second in championship points, and both are due for a championship. Ryan Smith won the A Dash to get his night started, but he lost what was a really good battle with Cardoza for fourth in the feature, settling for fifth.
Josh King found himself driving the #14 car as the #109 car still wasn't quite ready yet. This is a car that has been wheeled by past SODCA champion CJ Putnam. Two time champion King collected the sixth place finish ahead of Brett James, who was wheeling the #4us car for Jerry Hauck. The James family has been associated with Medford racing for decades, going back to when his Brett's grandfather, Cecil James, was the original promoter at the old Posse Grounds Speedway in the 1950s. And of course, his father Markey James is a legend in the racing community as well.
Jesse Lorenz finally got his Mod Lite to run a little bit better for an eighth place finish. The team was thrashing on that car all night to get it right, and he finished ahead of Kaycee Sheeler and a Top 10 finish for rookie Ashleigh Strain. Strain led the newcomers of the class as Dan Halbert finished behind her in 11th and Michael Johnson ended up 13th. Johnson admits that he's still getting used to the car after having raced Mini Stocks in previous seasons, but the kid has a knack for driving. He'll get this down.
