Fettinger, Possinger, Cox, Elliott, King Win At Southern Oregon Speedway

Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion

Can Be Heard HERE

Fettinger Increases Point Lead With Victory 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...July 20...Zach Fettinger won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Fettinger is the current point leader, and he became the fifth different winner in as many races. Fettenger had to overtake early leader Dave Duste Jr, who was making his second appearance of the season.

It was also a clean sweep performance for Fettinger as he picked up wins in both the four lap Trophy Dash and the his eight lap heat race. Jesse Bailey won a good battle with Jeremy Richey to pick up the second heat race victory. Reigning champion Albert Gill had motor issues and scratched from the Main Event.

Duste had a front-row start for the Main Event and charged into the early lead in front of Duane Orsburn. Despite starting at the back of the pack, Fettinger made a big move in Turn 4 to gain fourth on lap two, and a yellow flag flew for David Satterfield in Turn 2. Duste continued to lead Orsburn on the restart as an inside pass in Turn 4 gained Fettinger third from Justin Foux. Fettinger made a similar move on Orsburn on lap five to take over second, and Foux followed with an inside pass in Turn 4 on lap six to take third. Duste continued to set the pace through a pair of yellow flags, but Fettinger was able to make the inside pass in Turn 4 of the 13th lap to gain the lead. Bailey was in a battle with Jimmy Lipke and Orsburn for the fourth position, but Orsburn spun on lap 15. Bailey gained fourth on lap 17. Fettinger set a good pace up front, but Duste followed him on the bottom groove not too far behind in second. Behind this 1-2 finish, Foux finished third, followed by Bailey, Andy Freeman, Orsburn, Ray Kniffen Jr, Satterfield, Lipke and Richey.

The IMCA Modifieds will return on August 10th along with the IMCA Sport Modifieds. They will be part of the $2,000 to win Ironhead Nationals event for the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars. Also competing will be the Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks and the JOAT Labs Hornets. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Race Results

IMCA Modifieds

Heat 1-Zach Fettinger, Ray Kniffen Jr, Justin Foux, Jimmy Lipke, David Satterfield, Andy Freeman.

Heat 2-Jesse Bailey, Jeremy Richey, Duane Orsburn, Dave Duste Jr.

Trophy Dash-Zach Fettinger, Ray Kniffen Jr, Jesse Bailey.

Main Event-Zach Fettinger, Dave Duste Jr, Justin Foux, Jessie Bailey, Cody Peters, Duane Orsburn, Ray Kniffen Jr, David Satterfield, Jimmy Lipke, Jeremy Richey, Albert Gill DNS.

Possinger Scores IMCA Sport Modified Win 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...July 20...Braxton Possinger won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Possenger led the race from the second lap, but he had to endure eight restarts along the way to victory.

Jantzen Knips kicked things off with a four lap Trophy Dash win. There were four eight lap heat races, and wins were earned by Isaac Sanders, Possinger, Donald Bandfield and point leader Jorddon Braaten. Lloyd Speer scratched after motor issues in his heat race.

Possinger started in the second row with Isaac Sanders lined up in the fifth row. Joby Shields led the opening lap before Possinger raced into the lead with Billy Richey following into second. Chris Silva spun for a lap three yellow flag, and Mike Medel slipped past Richey for second on the restart. However, an inside pass in Turn 4 of the fifth lap put Isaac Sanders into second. Possinger had already started to pull away to a good lead when a yellow flag flew once again on lap five. Possinger continued to lead Sanders and Medel on the restart. A Turn 4 pass on lap eight gained Branden Wilson the third position, but sixth row starter Braaten had already found his way into fourth. Braaten made an inside pass in Turn 4 on lap nine to take third. Despite two more yellow flags during the final 10 laps, Possinger continued to lead the way, leaving the Sanders brothers and Braaten to shoot it out for second. Matt Sanders briefly got by Isaac Sanders for second on lap 15, but both Isaac Sanders and Braaten went by on the inside on lap 18 to regain second and third. Nobody was stopping Possinger as he scored the well-earned victory ahead of Isaac Sanders, Braaten, Matt Sanders, Wilson, Shields, Medel, Matt Ruf, Michael Rule and Wyatt Westfall.

The IMCA Sport Modifieds will be back in action on August 10th along with the IMCA Modifieds. They will be part of the $2,000 to an Ironhead Nationals event for the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars. Also competing will be the Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks and the JOAT Labs Hornets. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Race Results
IMCA Sport Modifieds
Heat 1-Isaac Sanders, Branden Wilson, Steve Lysinger, Chris Silva, Lloyd Speer, Joby Shields.

Heat 2-Braxton Possinger, Mike Medel, Wyatt Westfall, Matt Ruf, Michael Rule.

Heat 3-Donald Bandfield, Matt Sanders, Willie McFall, Austin Petray.

Heat 4-Jorddon Braaten, Jentzen Knips, Billy Richey, Brian Knorr, Zach Nelson.

Trophy Dash-Jantzen Knips, Matt Sanders, Jorddon Braaten, Isaac Sanders.

Main Event-Braxton Possinger, Isaac Sanders, Jorddon Braaten, Matt Sanders, Branden Wilson, Joby Shields, Mike Medel, Matt Ruff, Michael Rule, Wyatt Westfall, Billy Richey, Zach Nelson, Jantzen Knips, Willie McFall, Chris Silva, Brian Knorr, Steve Lysinger, Donald Bandfield, Austin Petray, Lloyd Speer DNS.

Cox Makes Surprise Visit For Sprint Car Victory 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...July 20...Kinzer Cox won the 25 lap Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Cox is one of the top competitors at Cottage Grove Speedway, and he was making a surprise visit. He had to hold off a late surge from point leader Mike Wheeler to collect the $1,000 victory.

There were 15 competitors in the field, and Cox held off rookie Johnny Burke to pick up the first eight lap heat race victory. Tanner Holmes outran Bailey Hibbard to win the second heat, and reigning champion David Hibbard finished ahead of Jared Hood to win the third heat. The Top 2 finishers in each heat ran a six lap Scramble to determine the first three rows of the Main Event. David Hibbard continued his momentum by winning that race ahead of Cox and Burke.

Cox led the opening lap of the Main Event before a yellow flag waved for Hood. Cox continued to lead David Hibbard and Charlie Thompson on the restart. Aaron Miller did a complete 360 in Turn 2 and kept going, but the yellow flag waved on lap three. Cox continued to lead David Hibbard and Holmes on the restart, but Holmes made an inside pass down the backstretch on lap six to take second from David Hibbard. Following another yellow flag for Hood, Cox continued to lead Holmes and David Hibbard as Wheeler was battling closely with Thompson for the fourth position. Wheeler finally settled the matter by gaining fourth on lap 11, and he set his sights on David Hibbard. Wheeler slipped past Hibbard for third on lap 19 as Cox was working slower traffic in the lead. Wheeler quickly caught Holmes and passed him for second on lap 21. Wheeler swiftly closed in on Cox, but slower traffic in Turn 2 impeded his momentum on lap 23. On the final lap, Wheeler dove into Turns 3 and 4 in a final attempt to make a bid for the lead. However, Cox would prevail at the checkered flag. Wheeler settled for second, followed by Holmes, Jake Wheeler, Bailey Hibbard, Thompson, Anissa Curtice, Burke, Enrique Jaime and TJ Winningham.

August 3rd is the Third Annual Cascade Wingless 360 Sprint Car Challenge Race, presented by Herz Precision Parts. That show pays $3,500 to win for the Sprint Cars.  Also competing will be the Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars, Valley Store All Late Model Lites and the OTRO Hardtops. The Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars return for the $2,000 to win Ironhead Nationals on August 10th. Joining them will be the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks and JOAT Labs Hornets. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Race Results

Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars

Heat 1-Kinzer Cox, Johnny Burke, TJ Winningham, Mike Wheeler, Richard Smith.

Heat 2-Tanner Holmes, Bailey Hibbard, Charlie Thompson, David Marble.

Heat 3-David Hibbard, Jared Hood, Anissa Curtis, Enrique Jaime, Aaron Miller.

Scramble-David Hibbard, Kinzer Cox, Johnny Burke, Jared Hood, Bailey Hibbard, Tanner Holmes.

Main Event-Kinzer Cox, Mike Wheeler, Tanner Holmes, Jake Wheeler, Bailey Hibbard, Charlie Thompson, Anissa Curtice, Johnny Burke, Enrique Jaime, TJ Winningham, David Marble, David Hibbard, Aaron Miller, Richard Smith, Jared Hood.

Elliott Increases Late Model Point Lead With Clean Sweep 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...July 20...Trent won The 25 lap Late Model Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Elliott led from the outset and scored his second win of the season. The win paid $1,000 with an increase from the Northwest Trucking Academy, and it also capped a clean sweep performance for the current point leader.

Elliott started things off by winning the four lap Trophy Dash and continued by holding off Dave Everson to win his eight lap heat race. Darren Coffell out dueled 2016 champion Bob Dees to win the second heat. Motor issues sidelined Mark Wauge after hot laps.

Elliott motored ahead at the start of the Main Event, followed by Coffell and Everson. Eric Massey spun in Turn 2 for a lap two caution flag, and Elliott resumed command on the restart. Elliott was working slower traffic by lap eight, and Clint Massey spun for a lap 12 yellow flag. As Elliott continued to lead Coffell and Everson on the restart, a battle developed for fourth between 2017 champion Nathan Augustine, Dees and Late Model Lites point leader Greg Arnold. Arnold took the fifth position from Dees on lap 15. An inside pass in Turn 4 of the 18th lap gained Arnold fourth from Augustine, but he had a mechanical issue send him to the pits on lap 21. Elliott set a rapid pace and was never seriously challenged by second place finisher Coffell. Everson matched his season-best effort in third, followed by Augustine, Dees, Eric Massey, Dave Foote, Miles Deubert, Arnold and Cliff Massey.

The Late Models will be back on August 3rd. This is also the Third Annual Cascade Wingless 360 Sprint Car Challenge Race, presented by Herz Precision Parts. That show pays $3,500 to win for the Sprint Cars.  Also competing will be the Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars, Valley Store All Late Model Lites and the OTRO Hardtops. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Race Results

Late Models

Heat1-Trent Elliott, Dave Everson, Nathan Augustine, Dustin Knight.

Heat 2-Darren Coffell, Bob Dees, Greg Arnold, Dave Foote, Miles Deubert, Eric Massey.

Trophy Dash-Trent Elliott, Dave Everson, Darren Coffell, Eric Massey.

Main Event-Trent Elliott, Darren Coffell, Dave Everson, Nathan Augustine, Bob Dees, Eric Massey, Dave Foote, Miles Deubert, Greg Arnold, Cliff Massey, Dustin Knight, Mark Wauge DNS.

King Lucky In SODCA Dwarf Car Sweep 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...July 20...Josh King won the 20 lap SODCA Dwarf Car Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. King had a bit of luck on his side when mechanical issues ended Brock Peters' run at the front of the pack. King led the rest of the way to cap a clean sweep performance.

An impressive 25 Dwarf Cars signed in to race, and they needed four eight lap heat races. King won the first heat race ahead of Ryan Smith, while Chad Cardoza outran Jesse Lorenz to win the next heat. Cody Peters went flag-to-flag to beat Steve Walker in the third heat, and Camden Robustelli was unstoppable in winning the fourth heat ahead of Paul Haslow. The Top 2 finishers in each heat race ran the six lap A Dash, won by King ahead of Cody Peters. The third and fourth place heat race finishers ran the six lap B Dash, and Mason Lewman made a last lap pass on Kalvin Morton to win that race.

King led the pack to the Main Event green flag, and Robustelli slipped past Lewman for second on lap two. King continued to lead Robustelli on a lap six restart, but Cody Peters moved past Robustelli for second on lap nine. Chad Cardoza ran close in this battle as Brock Peters had to work his way up from the last starting position. Problems on the backstretch on lap 13 ended a Top 5 run for Morton. King led Robustelli on the restart as Brock Peters slipped past his son Cody Peters and Cardoza to take over third.  An intense, three-car battle developed for the lead with Robustelli making an outside pass in Turn 4 on lap 16 to gain the spot. However, an inside move in Turn 4 a lap later put Brock Peters into lead. King also managed to get around Robustelli. Mechanical issues developed in the Peters car right after a yellow flag waved for Ashleigh Strain and Bud Lorentz in Turn 2 on lap 18. With Peters heading to the pits, King had the lead. Cardoza briefly took second from Robustelli, but when the checkered flag waved, King was a happy winner ahead of Robustelli, Cardoza, Cody Peters, Smith, Steve Walker, Fred Hay, Strain, Lewman and Michael Johnson.

The Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars will be back on August 3rd as part of the big Cascade Wingless 360 Sprint Car Challenge Race, presented by Herz President Parts. The Sprint Cars will be racing for $3,500 to win that night. Also competing will be the Late Models, Valley Store All Late Model Lites and OTRO Hardtops. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com or www.sodca.net.

Race Results

Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars

Heat 1-Josh King, Ryan Smith, Michael Johnson, Don Gifford, Shane Hines.

Heat 2-Chad Cardoza, Jesse Lorenz, Mason Lewman, Fred Hay, Trevor Davis.

Heat 3-Cody Peters, Steve Walker, Kalvin Morton, Mitch Sheeler, #20, Shawn Coats.

Heat 4-Camden Robustelli, Paul Haslow, Bud Lorenz, Sean Trujillo, Dane Halbert, Dan Penland.

A Dash-Josh King, Cody Peters, Chad Cardoza, Camden Robustelli, Steve Walker, Ryan Smith, Jesse Lorenz, Paul Haslow.

B Dash-Mason Lewman, Kalvin Morton, Fred Hay, Michael Johnson, Mitch Sheeler, Don Gifford, Bud Lorentz, Sean Trujillo.

Main Event-Josh King, Camden Robustelli, Chad Cardoza, Cody Peters, Ryan Smith, Steve Walker, Fred Hay, Ashleigh Strain, Mason Lewman, Michael Johnson, Bud Lorenz, Shane Hines, Shawn Coats, Paul Haslow, Dan Penland, Brock Peters, Jesse Lorenz, Don Gifford, #20, Trevor Davis, Sean Trujillo, Kalvin Morton, Mitch Sheeler, Dane Halbert.

Cox Snaps Wheeler Win Streak At Southern Oregon Speedway

Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion

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Cox Snaps Wheeler Win Streak At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...July 20...Kinzer Cox made a surprise visit to Southern Oregon Speedway and won the 25 lap Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Car Main Event Saturday night.  The Cottage Grove Speedway star led all the way to snap a three race win streak for point leader Mike Wheeler.  Cox was trailed early by David Hibbard before Tanner Holmes gained second on lap six.  Wheeler, meanwhile, started midway back in the 15 car field and managed to take third from Hibbard on lap 18.  Wheeler overtook Holmes for second on lap 21 and set his sights on Cox.  Trouble with slower car on lap 23 slowed Wheeler's momentum.  Wheeler still made a last lap bid to take the lead in the final turn, but Cox prevailed at the checkered flag.  Holmes settled for third ahead of Jake Wheeler and Bailey Hibbard

Zach Fettinger won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event.  This was the first win of the season for the point leader, and he had to come from the back to do it.  Dave Duste Jr led at the start, and Fettinger made a strong move on the inside in Turn 4 to gain fourth on lap two.  A lap later, Fettinger was in third, and he slipped past Duane Orsburn in Turn 4 on lap five for second.  An inside move in Turn 4 of the 13th lap put Fettinger into the lead.  Fettinger and Duste ran strong on the bottom groove for a 1-2 finish.  Justin Foux finished third followed by Jesse Bailey and Andy Freeman.

Point leader Trent Elliott won the 25 lap Late Model Main Event.  It was his second win of the season and capped a clean sweep as he won the Trophy Dash and his heat race.  Elliott led from the start with Darren Coffell in pursuit.  It only took eight laps before Elliott was working slower traffic.   There were three yellow flags, but Elliott motored ahead on each restart and brought it home to a well earned victory.  Coffell settled for second ahead of Dave Everson, Nathan Augustine and Bob Dees.

Braxton Possinger won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event.  Possinger led from the start through several yellow flag periods.  Issac Sanders ran second most of the race and withstood late pressure from point leader Jorddon Braaten.  Possinger won ahead of Isaac Sanders, Braaten, Matt Sanders and Branden Wilson.

Josh King won his second 20 lap Southern Oregon Dwarf Car Main Event.  King sprinted into the lead from the start.  However, the battle got close by lap 15.  A lap later, Camden Robustelli raced by on the outside in Turn 4 to briefly gain the lead.  However, Brock Peters made a low pass in Turn 4 on lap 17 to take the lead.  During a lap 18 caution period, Peters suffered a mechanical issue to end his race.  King suddenly found himself leading again, and he led the rest of the way to win ahead of Robustelli, Chad Cardoza, Cody Peters and Ryan Smith.

After a week off, racing returns on August 3rd with the Annual Herz Precision Parts Wingless 360 Sprint Car Challenge.  This will be a $3,500 to win race.  Also competing will be the Late Models, SODCA Dwarf Cars, Valley Store All Late Model Lites and OTRO Hardtops.  For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Unofficial Race Results

Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars

Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Tanner Holmes, Kinzer Cox, David Hibbard.  Scramble (6 Laps)-David Hibbard.  Main Event (25 Laps)-Kinzer Cox, Mike Wheeler, Tanner Holmes, Jake Wheeler, Bailey Hibbard.

Late Models

Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Trent Elliott, Darren Coffell.  Trophy Dash (4 Laps)-Trent Elliott.  Main Event (25 Laps)-Trent Elliott, Darren Coffell, Dave Everson, Nathan Augustine, Bob Dees.

IMCA Modifieds

Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Jesse Bailey, Zach Fettinger.   Trophy Dash (4 Laps)-Zach Fettinger.   Main Event (25 Laps)-Zach Fettiger, Dave Duste Jr, Justin Foux, Jesse Bailey, Andy Freeman.

IMCA Sport Modifieds

Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Isaac Sanders, Braxton Possinger, Donald Bandfield, Jorddon Braaten.    Trophy Dash (4 Laps)-Jantzen Knips.  Main Event (20 Laps)-Braxton Possinger, Isaac Sanders, Jorddon Braaten, Matt Sanders, Branden Wilson.

SODCA Dwarf Cars

Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Josh King, Chad Cardoza, Cody Peters, Camden Robustelli.  A Dash (6 Laps)-Josh King.  B Dash (6 Laps)-Mason Lewman.  Main Event (20 Laps)-Josh King, Camden Robustelli, Chad Cardoza, Cody Peters, Ryan Smith.

Hanakahi, Taylor, Ranney Bring Excitement To Little Southern Oregon Speedway

Hanakahi, Taylor, Ranney Bring Excitement 

To Little Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...July 19...Alex Hanakahi won the 12 lap Open Bike Main Event Friday night at Little Southern Oregon Speedway. The Open Bike Main Event saw a red flag when Trevor Taylor crashed in Turn 3. He needed medical assistance for a possible rib injury. Taylor had won the 250cc and 450cc Bike Main Events.

After the first attempt to start the Open Bike Main Event was called back, Taylor had to start last on the eight bike grid. Taylor quickly charged into third behind Hanakahi and Mya Maffei. Taylor went low exiting Turn 4 and gained the second position from Maffey on lap five. As they worked the sixth lap, Taylor attempted to get underneath Hanakahi as they entered Turn 3. However, Taylor crashed, which resulted in a red flag. He was taken to the hospital to check for possible rib injuries. The report from his family was that he was doing okay.

Hanakahi resumed his rapid pace on the restart and repelled Maffei's determined efforts for the remainder of the race to score the victory. Brooke Lozano made a late move around Theo Lount to grab third as Lount and Zach Burkdoll made up the remainder of the Top 5.

Trevor Taylor had been on a roll up until the Open Bike Main Event. Taylor led all the way to win his fourth 12 lap 250cc Bike Main Event with Maffei a close second and Lount finishing third.

Taylor also won his third 12 lap 450cc Bike Main Event. Maya Maffei led that race for three laps, Hanakahi was running in second when he crashed in Turn 1. There was a red flag, but he was okay and restarted at the back of the pack. Maffei's bike failed to start on the ensuing restart, and Taylor took the lead from there all the way to the checkered flag. Lozano, Hanakahi, Lount and Maffei made up the the balance of the Top 5.

Caleb Ranney won his first ever Beginners Box Stock Main Event. Ranney had a perfect evening as he won both of his heat races. The 15 lap Main Event ran rapidly with no slow downs, and Ranney led Isaac Grimes from the start. By the sixth lap, Ranney had lapped the third place driver, and he won by a half-lap ahead of Grimes. Point leader Jayme DeBenedetti finished third, followed by Bhaltaire Edwards, Saige King and Talia Colley.

Point leader Trevor Grimes won his fourth 20 lap 250 Kart Main Event. Grimes and reigning champion Vinny DeBenedetti had a good battle all night as they exchanged the lead in both heat races, which were eventually won by Grimes. DeBenedetti led the Main Event for the first ten laps before Grimes made his winning move. Grimes went on to victory, followed by DeBenedetti, Cadyn Smith and Jacob James.

Brody Taylor won the 12 lap Small Bike Main Event. Heat winner Jeremiah Pruitt led the race for three laps before being passed by Brody Taylor. Taylor led the rest of the way to win ahead of Pruitt, Jax Taylor and 6 year old Aydan Egan.

Ben Herbert put on a show by winning both the Big Trike and Little Trike 12 lap Main Events. The Little Trike Main Event saw Herbert and Daniel Ward exchange the lead a few times. Ward led the first three laps of this race-long, side-by-side battle. Working the outside, Herbert went around for the lead on lap four, but Ward regained the lead on lap six. They exchanged the lead yet again, but it was Ward who received the white flag first. Herbert made an outside pass to take the lead entering Turn 1 and grabbed the victory ahead of Ward and MiKayla Burson. Mike Burson Sr took a tumble on the back straightaway to end his night early.

In the Big Trike Main Event, Garrett Stookey led the race for nine laps before Herbert went charging around on the outside as they entered Turn 1. Herbert won the race ahead of Stookey and Sam DeSimone. Point leader Keaton Augustine won both heat races in the Box Stock Main Event ahead of Albert Gill Jr.

All of the Outlaw Kart, Flat Track Bike, Trike and Quad classes will return on August 9th. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Southern Oregon Speedway Brings The Speed This Saturday Night, Plus Pit Stops

Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion

Can Be Heard HERE

Southern Oregon Speedway Brings The Speed 

This Saturday Night

White City, Oregon...Saturday at Southern Oregon Speedway is Willamette Valley Bank night. It's also a night that will showcase the track's fastest divisions on the Jim Rodgers prepared m 3/10 mile clay oval. The Late Models are back this week along with the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars. It will be night of fast racing action. If you're looking for more, Friday night at the Little Southern Oregon Speedway will offer a full slate of Kart racing along with Flat Track Bikes, Quads and Three Wheelers.

The Late Model division at Southern Oregon Speedway has everybody talking. Last time out, the division again had a big 16 car field with some top-notch talent. Darren Coffell picked up a win in rather dominant fashion, joining Bobby Hogge IV, Preston Luckman and point leader Trent Elliott as feature winners this season. Coffell missed the season opener, but he has rapidly climbed his way up to second in the standings. However, he trails the consistent Elliott by 33 points in the battle. Elliott made sure he didn't lose too many points to Coffell as he finished second last time out after winning both his heat race and the Trophy Dash.

Coffell and Elliott bring their a-game every time they're in town, meaning everybody else needs to step things up just a little bit. Past Outlaw Pro Stock champion Dave Everson looked very impressive last time when he out-dueled Coffell to win his heat race and then finished third in the Main Event. This has enabled Everson to move into third in the standings, 12 points ahead of Dave Foote and 19 in front of Miles Deubert.

There's plenty of opportunity for drivers to move up the point ladder. Mark Wauge had his sights set on second in the standings and looked very impressive in leading his heat race last time out before a broken rear end put an end to his night. Wauge does have a pair of third place finishes this year and would have to be considered a threat to win this week. Other drivers to watch for include 2016 champion Bob Dees, the rapidly improving Eric Massey, Chris Biggs and Jason Schultz.

The Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars are being led by Mike Wheeler after four races. Wheeler has won the last three Main Events and is looking very difficult to beat so far. He has stretched his point lead to 30 over Enrique Jaime. Jaime finished fourth last time out and a season-best third the race before, but the young asphalt Kart champion is still searching for his first win. With Bailey Hibbard and Charlie Thompson trailing him by less than 10 points in the standings, Jaime may need a win to hold them off. Hibbard look very impressive in finishing second to Wheeler last time and seems on the cusp of getting his first win of the season.

Rookie Anissa Curtice scored a crowd-pleasing heat race victory last time out, and she held off Wheeler to do it. The 17 year old is making the trip from Eureka, California to come race at Southern Oregon Speedway. Like several of the other drivers in the field, she moved up from the Outlaw Kart ranks. There are some good drivers in the field, and others to watch for this week include TJ Winningham, David Marble and reigning champion David Hibbard. Plus, you never know when rising young star Tanner Holmes may show up.

We haven't seen the IMCA Modifieds since June, but point leader Zach Fettinger made a big statement that night as he made the big Speedweek show and finished in the Top 5. The effort gave Fettinger a 22 point advantage over 2017 champion Jesse Bailey and a 24 point lead over the tied three-time reigning champion Albert Gill and Justin Foux. Though all four drivers have had some Top 5 success this year, only Bailey has managed to win a Main Event. Gill has finished as high as second, but he is looking to end a winless streak that goes back to 2017. He may need to get that win to really make a move in the standings.

The IMCA Modifieds have proven to be very popular at the speedway as the cars are fast and they have some of the best racing you'll see. Jeffrey Hudson made everybody take notice when he won the season opener, but a crash at the Speedweek race in Willamette has forced the Don Roemer team to get a new car. They will be back soon, and other racers to watch for this week include impressive rookie Jimmy Lipke, Preston Jones, Ray Kniffen Jr and Nick Trenchard. There have been four different winners in the four races held so far.

In the IMCA Sport Modified division, Jorddon Braaten holds a nine point advantage over Matt Sanders in another good battle. Sanders is coming off of a win at Willamette Speedway last week. However, it's his brother Isaac Sanders who won the most recent race at Southern Oregon Speedway. As a result, Isaac is only 12 points behind Matt in close race for second. These three drivers certainly lead the charge in the race for victory, but there are some top notch racers looking to get the win this week.

Two-time champion Mike Medel is still looking for his first win of the season and hasn't had a podium finish yet. This could be his week as he has steadily gotten faster with each start. Other drivers to watch this week include Branden Wilson, the rapidly improving Steve Lysinger, Wyatt Westfall, Willie McFall and Jesse Skidmore.

The Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars round out what's sure to be an exciting program. The three races held so far this year have seen wins scored by Camden Robustelli, two-time champion Brock Peters and three-time reigning champion Josh King. Robustelli picked up the win in the most recent association race at Coos Bay. We haven't seen a point list from the group recently, but it's likely that these three drivers rank high. Other drivers who could be a threat for victory include Chad Cardoza, Fred Hay, Ryan Smith, Jesse Lorentz and Cody Peters.

For fans of Kart and Motorcycle racing, Friday should be a good show at the little track. Trevor Taylor has competed in multiple classes in the Flat Track Bikes, and he's won several races already. He may come into the night as the rider to beat, but Mya Maffei and Theo Lount are two riders who are likely to give him some good competition this week. Younger brother Brody Taylor has looked good with three-straight wins in the Small Bike class.

The Three Wheelers have been entertaining this year with Mike Burson Sr, Ryan Comstock and Garrett Stookey among the stars, but it's the young competitors of the Beginners Box Stock Kart class who are really putting on a show. Jayme DeBenedetti now has three wins this season as she leads Isaac Grimes in the standings, but Caleb Ranney may be the biggest threat to beat DeBenedetti after back-to-back second-place finishes.

Meanwhile, Isaac's older brother Trevor Grimes leads the 250 Karts on the strength of three wins in his four starts. Jacob James, Vinny DeBenedetti and Cadyn Smith are among those hoping to evict Grimes from the winner's circle this week.  

On Friday night, the gates at the little track open at 5 with the first race starting at 7. Admission is $10 and gets you pit access and a bleacher seat.

On Saturday night, gates open at 5 with Trophy Dashes starting at 7. General Admission Adults are $13 with Seniors 62+, Veterans and Juniors 7 to 12 $7 each. Children 6 and under are free. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Pit Stops

Southern Oregon Speedway had one of those special nights for the family last Saturday night. It was Pepsi Kids Bike night. Claudia Linker rounded up some amazing sponsors who donated a total of 36 bikes to give away to the kids. This had track announcer Cory Penfold busy during intermission making the night that much better for several kids.

The Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stock Association got a rare opportunity to headline a show at Southern Oregon Speedway. This was also their second of three scheduled appearances. Though they're not at the track as often as they'd like to be, the three times in which they are included happen to be three big shows for them. This one was special because they were headlining, and it brought out several past champions to do battle. When you add in the Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks, JOAT Labs Hornets, Valley Store All Late Model Lites and OTRO Hardtops, you've got a fun night that attracted well over 50 competitors.

There's just so much going on at Southern Oregon Speedway these days. More people are coming out to check out the show and more racers are coming out to be a part of it all. What's interesting is that the roster lineup at the speedway has grown so much that all five of the divisions present last week will not be a part of the Willamette Valley Bank Night scheduled for this week. This will be a week where they bring the speed, led by the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars.

The coming show has been previewed elsewhere, but there's been quite a bit of buzz surrounding the Late Model division. We are now four races into the season, and the last two races have produced 16 car fields. Everybody is wanting to get involved in this division as it seems to have taken on a life of its own this year. Part of the buzz centers around the $4,000 to win Cottonwood Classic, which happens on August 24th. There were rumors of a second show happening. Though that show may not happen this year, it's possible it will be a part of things next year.

People are wondering what the purse is, and though we haven't seen official numbers yet, we believe that the start money for the event will be a minimum of $200. That information will come out very soon. We know the win money is $4,000, and second place could be in the area of $1,500 to $2,000. Once we get that information, we will pass it along as there are many eager drivers from north and south of Southern Oregon Speedway who want to be a part of that show.

Two drivers who have become a part of the regular show this year and have made it that much more interesting are Trent Elliott and Darren Coffell. Both drivers account for a win each, while Bobby Hogge IV and Coos Bay point leader Preston Luckman are the other winners so far. There are some drivers on the cusp of victory, and a few of those may actually surprise you. After notching a third place finish last time out and beating Coffell to win their heat race, seeing Dave Everson get a win won't surprise anybody.

Likewise, Mark Wauge, who has scored a pair of third place finishes this year, won't be a surprise in the winner's circle. Mark has won 50 Main Events at Southern Oregon Speedway, and he has a Late Model victory in his sights. Perhaps the only thing that stopped him last time out was a broken rear end, which ended his night prematurely as he led his heat race.

The biggest surprise in the field could be Eric Massey. Massey sped to a Top 5 finish last time out. He has a new car this year from the shops of Rapp Racing, and he is quite a bit faster. Massey was among the Top 10 in the standings last year, although he never quite got that car to run the way he'd hoped. The team still fields that car with Cliff Massey behind the wheel. We're still anxiously awaiting the return of Dustin Knight. When Rapp Racing went to pick up the car for Massey, they also picked up a car for Knight. However, they've been so busy at the shop, that Knight's return has been delayed. It could happen at any time, and the past Modified and Pro Stock champion is sure to be fast.

Something's going on with the Late Model division. There seems to be quite a bit of excitement surrounding the class right now. This has been a division that promoter Mike McCann has believed in from the start, and some would say it's been long overdue for the track to really make an effort to establish this division. There are still a few cars in production that we could see soon.

However, it's because of the efforts of people like 2016 champion Bob Dees and Mike Linder, who was the runner-up that season, 2017 champion Nathan Augustine, 2018 champion John Dees, Garrett Dees, Don Garrett, Dave Foote and Miles Deubert that this division has steadily gained momentum each season. These are the racers who believed enough in this class in the beginning to get involved in getting it established.

The Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Car division has seen a slight dip in car count this year, but there's been some good racing at the front of the pack. It's Mike Wheeler leading the way on the strength of three-straight victories. Having his brother Vern Wheeler Jr on the crew has certainly been a positive. The Wheeler family also has a presence in the Winged 360 Sprint Car effort at Cottage Grove Speedway, where Vern's son Jake is competing for a championship. Having somebody like Vern on the crew to impart his knowledge has certainly helped Mike, but Mike has always proven himself to be a good wheelman in the Outlaw Kart ranks.

At some point, you would think that Wheeler has to get beat. Even David Hibbard and Kyler Barraza, as dominant as they were during their championship runs, got beat. Bailey Hibbard has picked up five wins at Southern Oregon Speedway since 2016 and his father David has won more. Young Tanner Holmes is always a threat when he comes to town, and he won the season opener. They seem to be the most likely candidates to win, but it just could be that we'll finally get another brand new winner in the class.

Enrique Jaime has been on the roster since 2017, and he appears to be on the cusp of his first victory. He has a third place finish and won the Scramble two races ago. Another young competitor, 17 year old Anissa Curtice, was a heat race winner last time out after a good battle with Mike Wheeler. These two could be the prime candidates to become first-time winners in this week's event, but you can't count out past champions Charlie Thompson or TJ Winningham in their quest to return to the winner's circle. The racing at the front of the pack should be good this week.

It's interesting to note that we are four races into the IMCA Modified season and only 2017 champion Jesse Bailey of the Top 4 competitors is a feature winner so far this year. Leader Zach Fettinger, three-time reigning champion Albert Gill and rookie Justin Foux are searching for that win. The drivers made it through the challenging Speedweek race, which does tend to affect the local point battle. Fettinger made sure he didn't suffer. Last year he didn't even show up for the race, and this time out he got a Top 5 finish to increase his point lead. As good as he's been looking, it's only a matter of time before he gets a win. The IMCA Modifieds seem to be that clutch division that delivers good Main Events week in and week out.

Getting back to last Saturday show, the spotlight was shining brightly on the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks. With the exception of Dave Everson, every driver who can call themselves a Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stock Association champion was accounted for. This included two-time reigning champion and current point leader Dr Scott Lenz, 2016 title winner Steve Borror, 2015 champ Jeffrey Hudson and two-time champion Ken Irving. Irving had a constant presence in the Top 5, though he never quite made it into the lead battle.

The lead battle saw plenty of Lenz, Borror and Hudson, who found himself having to come from the back of the pack a couple of times. Borror gave Lenz the biggest challenge that he's probably seen all year and had his car glued to the bottom of the track. It's only because Lenz found the traction he needed on the outside when it counted that he notched his seventh win of the season. The big winners on the night were the fans as they saw another great show by the Pro Stocks.

Dan Randall might not have been expecting to get a win during the course of the night. He's one of those competitors who is just happy to enjoy a night at the track when he can, and the format ended up putting him in the B Main. It's been awhile since the group has had one of those races, and Randall did pretty much what Borror did. He kept his car running smooth and consistent on the bottom groove. Ryan Smith was giving it a great effort on the outside, but he was unable to make the pass and would surrender second to Bryan Hammond on the final lap. However, Randall managed to go flag the flag for his first ever victory. The icing on the cake came afterwards as the track presented him with a B Main Event winner's trophy.

The Flowers team always gives a good accounting of themselves. Saturday was no exception as James Flowers won both his heat race and the Trophy Dash. He led some of the early laps in the Main Event before his motor expired on him. Seems only a matter of time before James wins a Main Event. His father, Scott Flowers, was running along in the Top 10 for most of the race, but good things kind of came his way as he found himself in third in the final laps. Scott Flowers is consistent and knows how to play the point game as he currently ranks second. It's been awhile since he's won a Main Event, but you know he can strike at any time.

Matt Harlow is another one of those competitors who has his moments, but unfortunately Saturday wasn't one of them. It was a disastrous night for the Top 5 point competitor from the word go. After a bad heat race, he was scheduled to run the B Main, but he dropped out on the pace lap. This was not the kind of night that Matt and car owner Maurie Skaggs were hoping for, but they'll go back to the drawing board for next time.

Unanimously, the Pro Stock drivers want to be a part of the program at Southern Oregon Speedway whenever possible, and the track is open to the possibilities next season. The fans do enjoy having a taste of Pro Stock racing as part of the program. They'll be back on September 1st to be a part of the show that pays tribute to a man who was known to have been a supporter of their class, R Charles Snyder.

The Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks seem to be gathering some momentum. Car count sort of took a hit last year and didn't start off so strong this year, but racers appear to be coming back. There's even a few teams looking to get involved. When they get there, they know that the black #67 car will be somebody to beat to get the glory. Reigning champion David Steele reported that after his recent win in Yreka, he has won 75 career Main Events. Over 30 of them have occurred in Medford.

Ashtin Hedges is doing everything he can to hang with Steele, and even though Steele has been coming out ahead lately, Hedges has been the one chasing him across the line. The point race is still close, but Ashtin knows he'll need to get his second win soon if he wants to make this thing a little bit closer. Steele had another clean sweep effort with wins in the Main Event, Trophy Dash and heat race. He trailed Hedges for a few early laps in the Main before taking over.

He has a ritual that he goes through before every race, which sees him walking the race track as usually the first or second guy to get there. This also enables him to make an assessment of how the track is looking and help the track if there's things he sees that he can remove from the surface. David knows that one of the things that leads to victory is knowing the racing surface and how to set your car up. Though he is good with a motor, he knows it takes more than that to get the win.

Hunter Magnan is rapidly rising up the point list. After his latest third place finish, he now counts himself among the Top 5 point competitors. If not for a disastrous start with motor issues, he would probably be in the battle with Steele and Hedges. As it is, he is closing in on third-ranked Kristopher Mix. This could be a battle that goes all the way down to the end.

Mix headed down to Yreka for the 4th of July and left with the Trophy Dash winner's hardware and second in the Main Event. Buoyed by that success and hoping to erase the bad taste of a disappointing night at Southern Oregon Speedway two days later, he headed back for the July 8th race in Yreka. He was in the thick of the battle in the Main Event, but he got into a crash that left him with some serious front end damage. Fortunately, the team was able to get that straightened out, but there was still a question. How would the car work?

Mix was closing in on fifth in the later stages of the Main Event. After rolling his car the week before, top rookie Dylan Irving was hopeful of holding on to his Top 5 spot, but Mix had other ideas. Mix charged into the final turn very hard, and there was a little bit of contact between the two drivers. They both kept it going, and Mix scored a much-needed fifth place finish. Knowing how fast Magnan has been, Mix knows that he needs to step up his game a little bit more. He still has hopes of getting a feature win this year, and Saturday showed that the car still has a little bit of get-up-and-go in it.

It was steady as she goes for Steve Goetz. Though he doesn't quite have everything the way it needs to be, Goetz is still able to run with the leaders. On this occasion, he rebounded from the previous week's non finish with a fourth place effort. It's been a couple of seasons since Steve has grabbed a feature victory, and he too will be somebody to keep an eye on. The fact is, there are some good drivers in the Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stock division.

Likewise, the drivers are getting a bit faster in the JOAT Labs Hornets class. Dylan Sauer served notice to the others when he kicked off the season with four consecutive wins. This has given him the point lead, but he hasn't been able to shake the presence of 2016 champion Tim Hedges. These two drivers seem to be the fastest, but rookie Quinton Tritchler is also in the hunt. As Quinton has gathered momentum in the last couple of races, he's also closing in on Jenna Hedges for third in the standings and very much mixing it up in the battle for victory.

It was Tritchler and his son, Chris Boynton, winning the heat races on Saturday, which put them at the front of the pack. Tritchler got a good start and raced into lead, but Tim Hedges and Dylan Sauer were right there with him. Even as a rookie in the field, Tritchler is not intimidated by the competition, and he looked good early on. It was when Sauer was making his run on the outside to try to get the lead when Hedges sneaked by on the inside and took over. Tritchler settled for a second place finish, but everybody in the field knows he's a threat to win now.

Hedges was driving his car hard, and there were a couple of times when it looked like it could get away from him in the turns. Knowing how fast Sauer has been this year, Tim is not holding anything back. The battle between those two drivers is another one that could go down to the end of the season. Even though Dylan didn't get the win, he won the Trophy Dash and didn't lose too much ground as he continues to lead the points over Hedges.

With Tim Hedges running as hard as he is, we might tend to forget that his wife Jenna Hedges is out there running strong as well. She had another solid night with a fourth place feature finish as she continues to hold on to third in the standings. Chris Boynton continues to maintain fifth in the standings after his latest fifth place finish and heat race win, but he knows he can get even better results out of his car. Last season he was a two-time feature winner, and it's only a matter of time before he makes a real strong run at the victory.

A win is something Ryan Nelson has in his sights. Last time out, the second-generation racer picked up a fifth place finish. He was in the hunt to do it again this time, but he had to settle for sixth. The Nelson team continues to field two cars as brother Zach Nelson piloted their father Derrel Nelson Jr's car. Derrel is helping Zach situate his own car, so there is a possibility of seeing the father and his two sons back on the track together at some point before the season is over.

The Valley Store All Late Model Lites saw the return of the division's all-time Main Event win leader, Terry Hadley, and his wife Krista Hadley. They were a welcome sight, and they helped increase the field to eight cars. We continue to hear rumblings of other cars that we might see soon, but the drivers that did show up gave the fans some exciting racing by some of the fastest cars on the track on Saturday night.

When you see Lee Doty bring his #7 car to the track for Ross Payant to drive, you might think this is the guy that's going to win. Payant didn't dissuade those thoughts when he won the Trophy Dash ahead of Greg Arnold. Arnold didn't like finishing second all that much, so he corrected the situation by holding off Payant to win both the heat race and Main Event.

Payant isn't in the championship battle this year, though he could still finish third in the standings. However, reigning champion Charlie Eaton is in the point chase. Both Arnold and Eaton are feature winners this season, but it seems like the two are alternating when they have really good nights. Eaton found himself trying to get around Krista Hadley for the third spot, but she didn't budge as she made her season debut with a podium finish. The Hadley team plans to have both of their cars there for the remainder of the season, and Terry Hadley has indicated that there could be a third car out from the team soon.

Getting back to Eaton, as he was only able to take third in the Main Event, Arnold used his second feature win of the season to regain the point lead. It's been about 17 years since Greg last won his championship in the Super Truck division, and it looks like he's intent on adding another championship trophy to his mantle. The thing is, this Arnold-Eaton battle will probably go down to the final checkered flag, and it's anybody's guess who will prevail.

Some people make the mistake of thinking that the Old Time Racers of Oregon Hardtops aren't actually out there racing. A few of the newer drivers do you tend to tiptoe around the track as they run on slick tires and don't want to crash. Chris Mehrer, who was absent from the most recent race, found that out the hard way when the group ran their first race at the track in 2016. After winning the Trophy Dash that night, he got on it a little too hard in the heat race and put the Bill Trotter truck into the front wall. Newcomers generally take it easy and get a feel for the track.

One driver is new to the group, but he is by no means a newcomer. Darryl Haugh has raced Midgets and Micro Sprints through the years, but he's been absent for about 15 years. He donned his old fire suit and was ready to go racing again in the former Dusty Trotter car. He won the Trophy Dash and his heat race that night, but his Main Event didn't go quite as well. Last week was a bit different. It was in the heat race that saw Darryl leading Dean Cast when there was a bit of contact that resulted in a Haugh spin. Cast hit the brakes, but he didn't stop soon enough.

Later on, Cast saw his Main Event win streak snapped at two in a row as he settled for second. Haugh managed to get up to third, but he didn't have much of a chance of mixing it up with the leader in the non-stop event. He's definitely one of the drivers in the field who is not afraid to race these cars. However, there was a moment that occurred in the pits that was reminiscent of something you might see in the movie Days of Thunder. OTRO officials have made the call to suspend Haugh for the rest of the season. Though he was not involved in the situation, it was a member from his crew and Cast.

The OTRO takes a different approach from other Hardtop groups. Whereas the Hardtop groups in Bakersfield and Roseburg compete for points, the OTRO runs what you might call an exhibition style race. They do not compete for points or championships. They race, but they try to race respectfully without putting the race cars at too much risk. They do mix it up at times at the front of the pack, but drivers like Bill Trotter, Dean Cast and Mark Minter are generally used to running with each other and know each other's driving styles. There is a bit of respect among the drivers who have raced with each other.

Dan Fouts was the driver of the hour as he got behind the wheel of the Dusty Trotter #26 car. Fouts had no problem picking up wins in the Trophy Dash and his heat race, and he stayed out to lead flag to flag in the next heat race, though he wasn't officially part of that particular event. He was never really threatened in the Main Event as he won.

The tradition that has gone on with the OTRO for a few years now sees them giving the newer drivers who are getting up to speed an opportunity to race for a Trophy Dash win, while the more established drivers wait for their time in the Main Event and heat race. Bryan Weberg II drives the yellow #18 Coup, and he did pick up a pair of second place finishes in his heat race and the Trophy Dash before finishing fourth ahead of Bill Trotter in the Main Event.

Lenz, Steele, Hedges, Arnold, Fouts Share Southern Oregon Speedway Spotlight

Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion

Can Be Heard HERE

Lenz Wins Outlaw Pro Stock Main Event 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...July 13... Taking the lead from Steve Borror the 23rd lap, point leader Dr Scott Lenz won the 25 lap Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stock Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Lenz was celebrating his birthday, and he has won seven Main Events on the circuit this year as the current point leader. Lenz is also the two-time reigning champion, while Borror is the 2016 title winner.

There were 20 Pro Stocks in action this week, and they ran four eight lap heat races. Wins went to Lenz, John David Duffie, James Flowers and Steve Borror. Flowers also won the four lap Trophy Dash. The format called for the Top 3 finishers in each heat race to make it into the Main Event with the remainder running a 12 lap B Main. Perhaps as an indication of the good racing that was still to come in the feature, Dan Randall won an exciting three-car battle with Bryan Hammond and Ryan Smith to score what would be his first win ever in the class.

As the previous winner, Lenz started back in the sixth row, and James Flowers set the early pace ahead of 2015 champion Jeffrey Hudson, who was piloting the Scott Bennett owned car. Borror was an early third, and a yellow flag waved on lap three for Joe Benton in Turn 2. Flowers continued to set the pace with Borror and two-time champion Ken Irving settled into second and third. Jeff Haudenshild slipped past Irving for third on lap five before a yellow flag waved for Smith in Turn 4. Flowers continued to lead on the restart, but Borror was giving him some serious pressure. Borror moved to the inside down the back straightaway and raced by Flowers for the lead. By then, Lenz had moved all the way into fourth, and a yellow flag waved on lap eight for Chris Ellis in Turn 4. The first restart attempt saw Flowers blow a motor and come to a rest in Turn 2. Borror led Haudenshild and Lenz on the next restart. Lenz made a move around Haudenshild down the backstretch for second on lap 11. A high pass in Turn 2 of the 12th lap gained Lenz the lead, but Borror stayed with the inside grove. On the 14th lap, Borror went low in Turn 4 and regained the lead. Hudson was making this a close three-car battle of champions for the lead, and they caught slower traffic on lap 17. Lenz again made an outside pass on the backstretch to briefly take the lead, but Borror had the lead again just before a lap 18 yellow flag flew for Smith in Turn 2. The restart saw Hudson nearly spin in Turn 4, collecting Haudenshild as Hudson managed to gather it back up. Haudenshild's car was on the track in Turn 4 for the lap 19 yellow flag, and Hudson was charged with the yellow flag. Borror led Lenz on the restart as championship contender Scott Flowers found himself in third. The lead duo again pulled away from the rest of the pack, and an outside move on the front stretch as they raced to the line to complete the 23rd lap gained Lenz the lead. Borror continued to run strong on the inside, but Lenz managed to hold him off for the impressive victory. Scott Flowers settled for third, and Jeffrey Hudson managed to work his way back up to fourth, followed by Irving, John David Duffie, Colby Hammond, Bryan Hammond, Smith and Ellis.

The Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks will return on the second night of the R Charles Snyder Salute on September 1st. The big show also includes the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com or go to the Outlaw Pro Stock Facebook page.

Race Results

Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks

Heat 1-Scott Lenz, Jeffrey Hudson, Jeff Haudenshild, Dan Randall, Bryan Hammond.

Heat 2-John David Duffie, Rick Lukens, Colby Hammond, Arlen Garrison, Chuck Hipps.

Heat 3-James Flowers, Ken Irving, Joe Benton, Ginny Flowers, Ryan Smith.

Heat 4-Steve Borror, Scott Flowers, Chris Ellis, Dean Hackworth, Matt Harlow.

Trophy Dash-James Flowers, Scott Lenz, Scott Flowers, Jeff Haudenshild.

B Main-Dan Randall, Bryan Hammond, Ryan Smith, Arlen Garrison, Ginny Flowers, Dean Hackworth, Matt Harlow DNS, Chuck Hipps DNS.

Main Event-Scott Lenz, Steve Borror, Scott Flowers, Jeffrey Hudson, Ken Irving, John David Duffie, Colby Hammond, Bryan Hammond, Ryan Smith, Chris Ellis, Arlen Garrison, Rick Lukens, Jeff Haudenshild, Dan Randall, James Flowers, Joe Benton.

Steele Grabs Fourth Mini Stock Win In Clean Sweep Fashion At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...July 13...Grabbing the lead from Ashtin Hedges early on, David Steele went on to win the 20 lap Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stock Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Steele is the reigning champion and current point leader, and this was his fourth win of the season. It was also his 76th career victory on the circuit and it capped a clean sweep of heat race and Trophy Dash.

The return of Garrett Fredrickson made it 10 Mini Stocks for the show, but Fredrickson had mechanical issues early in the evening. Steele started things off with the four lap Trophy Dash win, and he also picked up his eight lap heat race. Championship contender Ashtin Hedges was the other heat winner.

With his pole position, Hedges charged into the early lead ahead of Steele and Steve Goetz. There was immediately a close battle between the lead duo, and Steele made an inside pass in Turn 3 of the sixth lap to gain the lead. The lead two competitors had a straightaway advantage over Goetz, who was being pressured by Hunter Magnan. A low pass in Turn 4 of the 10th lap gained Magnan the third position as the leaders caught slower traffic. The yellow flag waved on lap 11 for a Michael McLeod spin. McLeod retired from the race, and the restart saw Kristopher Mix spin in Turn 2. Steele led Hedges and Magnan on the restart as Goetz continued to have a solid hold on fourth. Steele would lead the rest of the way for the impressive victory with Hedges a strong second ahead of Magnan and Goetz. The battle was for fifth as Mix made an aggressive inside pass in the final turn to take the position away from Dylan Irving. Andrew Hall finished seventh, followed by Brandyn Wonsyld and McLeod.

The Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks will be back in action on August 10th as part of the Ironhead Nationals race for the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and JOAT Labs Hornets will make this an entertaining show. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Race Results

Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks

Heat 1-Ashtin Hedges, Steve Goetz, Mike McLeod, Dylan Irving.

Heat 2-David Steele, Hunter Magnan, Kristopher Mix, Andrew Hall, Brandyn Wonsyld.

Trophy Dash-David Steele, Mike McLeod, Hunter Magnan, Ashtin Hedges.

Main Event-David Steele, Ashtin Hedges, Hunter Magnan, Steve Goetz, Kristopher Mix, Dylan Irving, Andrew Hall, Brandon Wonsyld, Mike McLeod, Garrett Fredrickson DNS.

Hedges Wins Second Straight Hornets Main Event 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon... July 13...Tim Hedges won the 20 lap JOAT Labs Hornets Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. This was the second straight win for 2016 champion Hedges as he keeps the standings close between himself and leader Dylan Sauer in the point race.

Dylan Sauer won the four lap Trophy Dash. Quinton Tritchler gave a preview of the early Main Event battle by holding off Tim Hedges to win their eight lap heat race. Chris Boynton outran Dylan Sauer to win the other heat, and Lacey Sauer retired early with motor woes.

Quinton Tritchler led the opening lap of the Main Event ahead of Tim Hedges, and a yellow flag waved for Dave Sauer and Jenna Hedges in Turn 1. Tritchler continued to lead the restart as Dylan Sauer went around the outside of Tim Hedges to gain second. The three ran closely. As Sauer worked to get around the outside of Tritchler, Hedges went low in Turn 4 of the sixth lap to gain the lead. A yellow flag waved after six laps for Zach Nelson. Tim Hedges continued to lead Quinton Tritchler and Dylan Sauer on the restart. Other than a couple of moments where Tim Hedges got a little bit sideways in the turns, he was not threatened from there in posting the victory. Quentin Tritchler settled for second, followed by Dylan Sauer, Jenna Hedges, Chris Boynton, Ryan Nelson, Dave Sauer, Zach Nelson and Shawn Nelson.

The JOAT Labs Hornets will be back as part of the Ironhead Nationals Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Car race on August 10th. Also competing will be the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Race Results

JOAT Labs Hornets

Heat 1-Quinton Tritchler, Tim Hedges, Zach Nelson, Dave Sauer, Lacey Sauer.

Heat 2-Chris Boynton, Dylan Sauer, Jenna Hedges, Shawn Nelson, Ryan Nelson.

Trophy Dash-Dylan Sauer, Quinton Tritchler, Jenna Hedges, Tim Hedges.

Main Event-Tim Hedges, Quentin Tritchler, Dylan Sauer, Jenna Hedges, Chris Boynton, Ryan Nelson, Dave Sauer, Zach Nelson, Shawn Nelson, Lacey Sauer DNS.

Arnold Grabs Late Model Lites Point Lead With Second Win At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...July 13...Greg Arnold won the 20 lap Valley Store All Late Model Lites Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. This was the second win of the season for Arnold, and he used it to take the point lead from Charlie Eaton in a close championship battle.

Previous feature winner Ross Payant drove the Lee Doty car to a four lap Trophy Dash win ahead of Arnold. That was the only time Arnold finished second the whole night. Arnold won the eight lap heat race ahead of Payant. Jim Cunningham suffered mechanical issues early and retired for the night.

Arnold raced into the lead at the start of the Main Event ahead of Payant and Krista Hadley. The only yellow flag of the race flew on lap five for a Dusty Aos spin on the backstretch. Arnold continued to lead Payant and Krista Hadley. Eaton was challenging Hadley for the third position when he made contact with her on lap nine and fell back just a little bit. By the 13th lap, Arnold carried a straightaway advantage over Payant, and he went on to an impressive victory. Payant settled for second, followed by Krista Hadley, Eaton, Terry Hadley, Dusty Aos and Eric Aos.

The Valley Store All Late Model Lites return on August 3rd as part of the Cascade Wingless 360 Sprint Car Challenge Race, presented by Herz Precision Parts. The Late Models will be there that night along with the Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars and OTRO Hardtops. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Race Results

Valley Store All Late Model Lites

Heat-Greg Arnold, Ross Payant, Charlie Eaton, Krista Hadley, Terry Hadley, Eric Aos, Dusty Aos.

Trophy Dash-Ross Payant, Greg Arnold, Charlie Eaton, Dusty Aos.

Main Event-Greg Arnold, Ross Payant, Krista Hadley, Charlie Eaton, Terry Hadley, Dusty Aos, Eric Aos, Jim Cunningham DNS.

Fouts Wins OTRO Hardtop Race 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...July 13...Dan Fouts won the 20 lap OTRO Hardtop Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Fouts was piloting the Dusty Trotter owned Hardtop, and he snapped the two-race win streak of Dean Cast. It was also a clean sweep performance for Fouts.

Fouts started his night off by outrunning Brian Weberg II to win the four lap Trophy Dash and then held off Weberg to win their eight lap heat race. After some contact between Cast and Darryl Haugh in the second turn resulted in a Haugh spin, Cast won the second heat ahead of Bill Trotter. Eric DeRamus was a Main Event scratch.

Fouts took the lead from the start of the non-stop Main Event. A low pass in Turn 4 of the second lap gained Cast the second position from Weberg. A backstretch pass on lap six enabled Haugh to take the third position from Weberg. Fouts set a rapid pace at the front of the pack, and Cast was never able to catch him to make any sort of challenge. Fouts brought it home a happy winner ahead of Cast, Haugh, Weberg, Bill Trotter, Matt Butler and Jay Smith.

The OTRO Hardtops return as part of the Cascade Wingless 360 Sprint Car Challenge Race, presented by Herz Precision Parts. Also competing that night will be the Late Models, Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars and Valley Store All Late Model Lites. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Race Results

OTRO Hardtops

Heat 1-Dan Fouts, Bryan Weberg II, Matt Butler, Eric DeRamus.

Heat 2-Dean Cast, Bill Trotter, Darryl Haugh, Jay Smith.

Trophy Dash-Dan Fouts, Bryan Weberg II, Matt Butler, Eric DeRamus.

Main Event-Dan Fouts, Dean Cast, Darryl Haugh, Bryan Weberg II, Bill Trotter, Matt Butler, Jay Smith, Eric DeRamus DNS.

Scott Lenz Celebrates Birthday With Win At Southern Oregon Speedway

Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion

Can Be Heard HERE

Scott Lenz Celebrates Birthday With Win 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...July 13...Dr Scott Lenz won the 25 lap Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stock Main Event Friday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. He was also celebrating his birthday, and this was his seventh win on the circuit this season. The night included nearly 40 bike giveaways for the kids, who got in for free admission.

Trophy Dash winner James Flowers led the first six laps before Steve Borror raced by on the backstretch to take over. Sixth row starter Lenz made a high pass in Turn 2 on lap 12 to take the lead from Borror, but Borror made an inside pass in Turn 4 to regain the lead on lap 14. A yellow flag waved on lap 18 for a Turn 4 crash involving third place contenders Jeffrey Hudson and Jeff Haudenshild. Borror was receiving lots of pressure from Lenz when racing resumed. As they went down the front stretch on lap 23, Lentz went by Borror on the outside to gain the lead. Lenz held off Borror for the final to lap for the win. Scott Flowers, Hudson and Ken Irving completed the Top 5.

Greg Arnold won his second 20 lap Valley Store All late Model Lites Main Event. Arnold charged ahead of previous winner Ross Payant at the start. Only one yellow flag slowed the pace on lap five. However, Arnold maintained his advantage over Payant all the way to the checkered flag. Krista Hadley finished third ahead of point leader Charlie Eaton and Terry Hadley.

Point leader David Steele won his fourth 20 lap Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stock Main Event. Ashtin Hedges led the first five laps before Steele drove by on the inside in Turn 3 on lap six to take the lead. Steele led the rest of the way with Hedges settling for second ahead of Hunter Magnan, Steve Goetz and Kristopher Mix.

Tim Hedges won his second straight JOAT Labs Hornets Main Event. He made an inside pass in Turn 4 on lap six to take the lead from Quinton Tritchler. Hedges led Tritchler the rest of the way and won by a comfortable margin. Point leader Dylan Sauer finished third ahead of Jenna Hedges and Chris Boynton.

Dan Fouts won the 20 lap OTRO Hardtop Main Event, capping a clean sweep as he also won his heat and the Trophy Dash. Fouts led from the start with previous winner Dean Cast taking second from Bryan Weberg II on lap three. However, Fouts would pull away to a good advantage by the end of the race. Cast settled for second ahead of Darryl Haugh, Weberg and Bill Trotter.

Racing continues next week with Willamette Valley Bank Night at the races. The IMCA Modifieds will be back along with the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars, Late Models, IMCA Sport Modifieds and SODCA Dwarf Cars. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Unofficial Race Results

Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks

Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Scott Lenz, John David Duffie, James Flowers, Steve Borror. Trophy Dash (4 Laps)-James Flowers. B Main (12 Laps)-Dan Randall, Bryan Hammond, Ryan Smith. Main Event (25 Laps)-Scott Lenz, Steve Borror, Scott Flowers, Jeffrey Hudson, Ken Irving.

Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks

Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Ashtin Hedges, David Steele. Trophy Dash (4 Laps)-David Steele. Main Event (20 Laps)-David Steele, Ashtin Hedges, Hunter Magnan, Steve Goetz, Kristopher Mix.

JOAT Labs Hornets

Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Quinton Tritchler, Chris Boynton. Trophy Dash (4 Laps)-Dylan Sauer. Main Event (20 Laps)-Tim Hedges, Quinton Tritchler, Dylan Sauer, Jenna Hedges, Chris Boynton.

OTRO Hardtops

Heat Winners (8 Laps)-Dan Fouts, Dean Cast. Trophy Dash (4 Laps)-Dan Fouts. Main Event (20 Laps)-Dan Fouts, Dean Cast, Darryl Haugh, Bryan Weberg II, Bill Trotter.

Valley Store All Late Model Lites

Heat Winner (8 Laps)-Greg Arnold. Trophy Dash (4 Laps)-Ross Payant. Main Event (20 Laps)-Greg Arnold, Ross Payant, Krista Hadley, Charlie Eaton, Terry Hadley.

R Charles Snyder Salute Returns August 31st - September 1st At Southern Oregon Speedway

R Charles Snyder Salute Returns August 31st - September 1st At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...The biggest IMCA Modified and IMCA Sport Modified event in Oregon returns this year on Labor Day Weekend. It's the Third Annual R Charles Snyder Saute, and it will once again pay $5,000 to the winner of the IMCA Modified Main Event on Sunday, while the IMCA Sport Modified winner will receive $2,000 on Sunday.

The event was started in 2017 to pay tribute to long time Medford Area Radio DJ and Southern Oregon Racing announcer R Charles Snyder. Snyder was beloved among the community for not only being a great DJ and supporter of racing, but also for his efforts to help raise money for local causes and for promoting various concerts through the years. When he passed away in 2015, the community mourned the loss.

Charles announced at Southern Oregon Speedway for several seasons. He also announced in Yreka and had his first opportunities to announce at the old Medford Speedway in the late 1970s. He merely came to the old Posse Grounds track to find out how racing announcers did it. Little did he know that he would end up announcing that night when the announcer didn't show up. It sparked a love of motorsports that continued right up until his passing in 2015.

Some of the best racers on the West Coast make the trek to Medford on Labor Day Weekend to make a run for the money. It makes for some of the best competition you'll find anywhere. The format is set to encourage drivers to support both days of competition with further incentive in the form of an Invitational Main Event at the end of the Saturday qualifying show.

Drivers will run a similar format to that of the popular IMCA Wild West Speedweek Tour. They draw for their lineup. The posted lineup for the first set of heat races will be reversed for the second set, and finishing and passing points will help determine the top 16 qualifiers. Those racers will be locked into the big show on Sunday, with the Top 8 point earners redrawing for their lineup position at the front of the 50 lap Modified and 30 lap Sport Modified races. The last starting spots will be determined by finishes in the Mains.

The finish of the first set of heat races will lock the drivers into the Invitational Feature on Saturday night. This will be determined by total heat races with the Top 3 to 5 finishers in each heat making the start. The IMCA Modified Invitational will be a 25 lap affair that pays $1,000 to win, $700 for second and $500 for third with everybody getting at least $100 for the start. The IMCA Sport Modified Invitational Feature will pay a standard Main Event purse of $300 to win, $200 for second and $50 minimum to start.

The money gets bigger on Sunday. All IMCA Modified Main Event starters will receive a minimum of $200, and everybody who started the B Main and didn't transfer receives at least $125. The winner of the big show will cash a $5,000 paycheck with second place good for $2,500, third $1,500 and fourth $1,000. The IMCA Sport Modified division seldom gets an opportunity to race for $2,000 to win anywhere, but that will be the prize on Sunday. Second receives a cool $1,000 with third getting $700. All Main Event starters receive at least $150.

The Race Director for the weekend will be Bob Valencia. Valencia served in that capacity last year in what turned out to be a smoothly run affair. He also does the Speedweek Tour each year.

When the race was started in 2017, there was a classic battle at the front of the pack between the Bowers Racing Modified of Troy Foulger and Bobby Hogge IV. Hogge is known as a bounty hunter as he frequently turns up at the biggest paying events on the West Coast. He won the $1,000 Invitational Feature, but it was Foulger pocketing the big $5,000 prize in his win ahead of seven-time Southern Oregon Speedway champion Mark Wauge. Hogge spun at the start of the race and still managed to charge back to a respectable third place finish. You don't keep Hogge down for long, and he returned last year to claim the big prize money in his win ahead of reigning Merced Speedway champion Darrell Hughes II and Willamette Speedway champion Bricen James. CJ Putnam won the $1,000 Invitational the night before.

One of the most challenging drivers to beat at Southern Oregon Speedway when he's on his game is Jorddon Braaten. He's won over 100 Main Events in his career on the circuit. The two-time Southern Oregon Speedway IMCA Sport Modified champion won the inaugural R Charles Snyder Salute for his division, adding the Invitational win as well. His win in the big show came ahead of Alan Furuta and 2017 Oregon State champion Jayson Nelson. Last season, Braaten made a run to the front of the pack, but he was thwarted by current California State point leader Guy Ahlwardt, who claimed the big $2,000 victory. Daniel Ray ended up third. It was Tyler Rodgers winning the Invitational.

The money will be good, and it's sure to attract some top competitors once again in both divisions. Camping at the speedway will be available for free with no hookups. Entry fee will be $100 for car and driver for the IMCA Modifieds and $80 for car and driver in the IMCA Sport Modifieds. Pit passes will be available for $40 each day. Flier information with more details can be found at www.southernoregonspeedway.com/RCharles19.pdf and the official track web page is www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Outlaw Pro Stocks, Bike Giveaways At Southern Oregon Speedway, Pit Stops, More

Southern Oregon Speedway Racing Discussion

Can Be Heard HERE

Outlaw Pro Stocks, Bike Giveaways 

At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...It's been an exciting season at Southern Oregon Speedway so far, and this Saturday night promises to continue that trend. It's Pepsi Kids Bike Night at the speedway. Thanks to several donations from various businesses and individuals, the speedway will be doing bike giveaways for the kids. In addition to that, all kids 12 and under will get in to watch the show for free. Competing divisions will include the Calculated Comfort Outlaw Pro Stocks, Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks, JOAT Labs Hornets, Valley Store All Late Model Lites and OTRO Hardtops.

When Southern Oregon Speedway opened back in 1996 one of the original divisions on the roster was the Pro Stock division. In 2012, a few of the competitors, including Arlen Heath of Calculated Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning, formed the Outlaw Pro Stock Association to allow the group to travel to other venues. Heath is a staunch supporter of Pro Stock racing and has been the title sponsor for the group for the past few seasons.

Leading the charge of the Pro Stocks is the man who has won the past two championships, Dr Scott Lenz. Lenz has won well were over 100 Main Events in his impressive career, which dates back to the old Medford Raceway track. He was a champion there and in the early years of Southern Oregon Speedway. Beating him has not been an easy task, and he's already won some big races this year as he leads the standings once again.

The last time we saw the Pro Stocks at Southern Oregon Speedway in early June, Scott Flowers offered Lenz a strong challenge. Flowers is a long time supporter of the group and a fixture in the Top 3 in the standings. He passed Lenz to lead several laps before Lenz overtook him and forced him to settle for second. The Flowers family sometimes competes in as many as four cars on race night with Scott's son James Flowers, wife Ginny Flowers and daughter Julia Flowers also competing. Arlen Garrison, who sometimes drives one of the cars, helps make this possible.

The association is now in their eighth season, and a good turnout of competitors is anticipated this week, including such notables as longtime Pro Stock front-runner John David Duffie, Matt Harlow, Bryan Hammond, Jeff Haudenshild, Dean Hackworth, Kenneth LaPlant Jr and Colby Hammond. At press time, there was the possibility of 2015 champion Jeffrey Hudson getting behind the wheel of one of the cars, and two-time series champion Ken Irving is anticipated as well.

As the car count has increased, the racing in the Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stocks has gotten much more intense. Reigning champion and division all time winner David Steele isn't finding the road to victory as easy this year. Though he did win his third race of the season last week, his closest championship rival, Ashtin Hedges, finished a strong second after winning    a heat race earlier in the evening. It's still very close between these two drivers as Hedges will be looking for his second win.

Another driver looking for his second victory this week will be Hunter Magnan, who finished third in the previous race. Other hard chargers to cheer for this week include 2017 champion Kristopher Mix, 2013 champion Steve Goetz, 2014 champion Gary Anderson, Michael McLeod, Andrew Hall and rookies Dylan Irving and Brandyn Wonsyld.

Last week, the fans saw something they hadn't seen all season. Somebody finally beat Dylan Sauer to win a JOAT Labs Hornets Main Event. Sauer has been practically unbeatable, but 2016 champion Tim Hedges accomplished that goal last week. Hedges had blown a motor in the previous race, but his new power plant helped get him wins in all three races in which he started. Hedges is still second to Sauer in a close championship battle. Tim's wife, Jenna Hedges, picked up another third place finish to stay in the title hunt. Other drivers to watch for this week include rookie Quinton Tritchler, Zach Nelson, Ryan Nelson, Chris Boynton and Shawn Nelson.

There's something going on with the Old Time Racers of Oregon Hardtop Association. Car count numbers have gone up just a little bit, and the racing has become more interesting as a result. The drivers race their old time Coupe and Sedan race cars on the track with slick tires and v6 power plants and put on a show for the fans. The first two races have resulted in victory for Dean Cast, while perennial front-runner Mark Minter brushed the back wall last time out to end his race early. Minter is the only driver in the group to have won a Main Event with this group in each of the previous three seasons at Southern Oregon Speedway. He'll be out to make that four this week, and other drivers to watch for our include Bill Trotter, Jay Smith, Chris Mehrer, Matt Butler, Eric DeRamus and Darryl Haugh, who recently came out of a 15 year retirement to join the group.

The Valley Store All Late Model Lites will probably be the fastest race cars on the track, and the three wins so far have gone to three different competitors. Point leader Charlie Eaton, championship rival Greg Arnold and Ross Payant are the winners so far and likely lead the charge this week. Others to watch for include Dusty Aos, Eric Aos and Jim Cunningham.

With kids getting in free and having the possibility of winning a free bike, this will be at night for families to come and enjoy some great racing. Gates open at 5 p.m. with the first race at 7 pm. General Admission Adults are $13 and Seniors 62+ and Veterans are $7. Children 12 and under are free this week. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Ensign Prepares For Cascade Wingless Sprint Car Challenge Title Defense At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...Geoff Ensign and Ted Finkenbinder have announced their intention to make a run at a third-straight Cascade Wingless Sprint Car Challenge victory at Southern Oregon Speedway on August 3rd. The event, which is being presented by Herz Precision Parts, will be offering a $3,500 to win prize, and that's already prompted several drivers to make the commitment to come compete on the 3/10th mile clay oval once again.

Throughout his impressive career, Ensign has claimed victories in both Winged and Wingless Sprint Car racing. He won the Winged 360 Sprint Car championships at Petaluma and Watsonville in 2017 and was a winner in Wingless Sprint racing at the Turkey Night Classic in Ventura as well. This year, Ensign has been competing with the NARC/King of the West Series and is a Top 5 point contender so far.

When it comes to Wingless racing, the combination of Ensign and Finkenbinder has proven to be very impressive. They've won several races together, including the first two Cascade Wingless Sprint Car shows at Southern Oregon Speedway. Finkenbinder is well known for maintaining top-notch race cars, and he will also be inducted into the Calistoga Speedway Hall of Fame this September.

Joining Ensign on the trip will be Shayna Sylvia. Sylvia has achieved some impressive credentials of her own. In 2018, she won the Petaluma Speedway PitsStopUSA.com Wingless Spec Sprint championship, and she's won several Main Events at her home track. This will be her first trip to the White City racing facility.

The two drivers who have finished second in the most recent races, Cody Fendley and Jeffrey Hudson, are planning to compete again this year. It was Fendley collecting a $1,500 second place finish back in 2017. Though he took most of last season off, he plans to return and is a Main Event winner with the Wingless Spec Sprint class at Petaluma already this season. Hudson, who ranked second in the track's Winged Sprint Car class in 2016 and 2018, did a good job in picking up the $1,500 second last year. Though he's been running an IMCA Modified for Don Roemer this season, he's looking forward to the Wingless race.

Shawn Arriaga has achieved quite a bit of success running Winged Sprint cars through the years. Racing is in his family's blood as his grandfather was a Hardtop racer at the old Vallejo Speedway and his mother and father both competed in Sprint Cars throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Shawn has won championships at both Petaluma Speedway and Antioch Speedway. He appeared to be headed for a second place finish at last year's Cascade Sprint Car race when he hit the front wall and rolled. Still, Arriaga had fun, and he's looking forward to this show.

Joining him on the trip up will be second generation racer Ricky Brophy. Brophy has raced in both Wingless and Winged Sprint Cars through the years. He crewed for Arriaga last year at the big show, but he's excited about coming up and competing for the first time. The team will be giving away shirts to some of the fans this year as well.

Also confirmed for this race are Jeremy Wilson and Kevin Pendergrass. In 2017, Wilson came close to a Top 5 finish before settling for sixth. Pendergrass would end up ninth in the 20 car field. These are just some of the Stars anticipated for the big Show on August 3rd. more are rumored to be committing, including such Oregon standouts as Lindsay Barney, past Wingless Sprint champion Tim Alberding and Lance Hallmark. Barney finished third in the big show last year is a perennial title contender with the Oregon Wingless Sprint group.

A field of at least 15 to 20 competitors is anticipated for the big event. Entry for car and driver is $80, while pit passes for the crew are $30. Pit sign in is at 4:00 pm. Camping is allowed in the pits, though there are no hookups. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.  Downloadable flier available at http://www.southernoregonspeedway.com/cascade.pdf.


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Pit Stops

Fourth of July weekend saw several tracks offering up special events for the fans. At Southern Oregon Speedway, there was a five division program that was billed as Veterans Night at the races. All active and retired military personnel were invited to enjoy the races for free. Track announcer Cory Penfold offered a moving tribute to those who have served this country proudly and have made it possible for us to continue to enjoy a night at the races.

The Late Model division is gaining a foothold at Southern Oregon Speedway. For the second straight week, there were 16 competitors for the program, and everybody's talking about the $4,000 to win Cottonwood classic that's on the schedule for August 24th. Things are happening. Because the Medford area Late Model effort is just developing, racers like Trent Elliott and Darren Coffel, who have been active at other venues in Oregon in more recent years, seem to carry just a bit more of an advantage over the locals.

However, the locals are certainly getting quicker. The best example of that was seven-time IMCA Modified champion Mark Wauge. Wauge looked every bit as fast as the Top 2 point competitors, but while leading his heat race, he suffered a night ending mechanical issue with the rear end of his car. That left Mark wondering what could have been for the night as he watched from the sidelines.

Another local area leadfoot looking impressive was past Pro Stock champion Dave Everson. We've noted the steady improvement of Everson this year, but he certainly took it up a notch by outrunning Coffell to win his heat race. Everson would even lead some of the early Main Event laps before Coffell went racing by. At that point, nobody was going to touch Coffell as he sped to the win and strengthened his status as the second-ranked driver in the standings.

Everson, meanwhile, was determined to hold onto second. Making that a challenge with the fact that point leader Trent Elliott was equally determined to make the pass. Elliott looked very impressive in winning both his heat race and the Trophy Dash, but the Main Event win was just out of his grasp. Everson presented a big enough challenge for Elliott, and it wasn't until a slight bobble with two laps to go that Elliott seized the opportunity to grab the second-place finish. This was perhaps the battle of the race.

For Everson, it's another clear indication that his #40 car is getting dialed in. We've witnessed him winning his share of Pro Stock Main Events through the years, and seeing him get a Late Model win won't be a surprise. As it was, his third place finish was his best effort to date. it came ahead of Cottage Grove championship contender Paul Culp, who finished fourth. Culp has a pair of wins at his home track and figured he'd come test the waters at Southern Oregon Speedway for a possible return in August.

Rich McCoy has been having some success in his IMCA Sport Modified at Siskiyou Speedway this year. He's already picked up a pair of wins there. He showed up on Saturday to turn some wrenches for Jason Schultz in the #33 Late Model. Schultz got his car from the Rapp Racing shop last year, and he's been getting it dialed in week by week. Jason had high hopes of a good night, but a twisted ankle prior to the races put at end to that. He wanted to race, but he realized there was no way it would happen.

McCoy was in the right place at the right time when Wauge headed for the pits as he picked up the heat race victory. He was in the mix in the battle for a Top 5 position with the rapidly improving Eric Massey and two-time Petaluma Speedway champion Paul Guglielmoni. Massey is another racer who got a car through Rapp Racing, and he had his best performance yet as he ended up with a fifth place finish.

After hitting the wall in his heat race and doing a little bit of damage, Guglielmoni was just happy to get out of the place with a sixth place finish, but he looks forward to returning in August. Behind him in seventh was McCoy. Not a bad effort for the past Southern Oregon Speedway Mini Stock champion and winner of several Modified races through the years, especially considering he had no idea he would be driving the car until just before the show was going to start.

The Late Model division at Southern Oregon Speedway has people talking, and there is much anticipation for the release of the flier that will give more details on the August 24th Cottonwood Classic. The Winged Sprint Cars will be running the Ironhead Nationals event on August 10th, which is slated to pay $2,000 to win. This is a week after Southern Oregon Speedway hosts the biggest Wingless 360 Sprint Car race in the state, the Cascade Wingless Sprint Car Challenge. It's thanks to  sponsorship from Herz Precision Parts that this race came into being three years ago.

Meanwhile, the Kendall Oil Winged Sprint Cars were back for their fourth event of the season. As far as car count is concerned, it wasn't their strongest showing of the year. Two of the competitors headed up north to be a part of the three-race series happening there. Blaine Cory discovered a motor problem during the week that would take him out of the running. A motor problem also got reigning champion David Hibbard after hot laps, forcing him to scratch for the rest of the show.

It's suddenly looking like it's Mike Wheeler's year to shine. However, the Outlaw 500 Kart star is taking nothing for granted. With his brother, long time Sprint Car racer Vern Wheeler Jr, as his crew chief, the #1w car is looking faster than anybody these days. Still, Mike knows that he has to drive it to the victory. A heat race reminded him that he hasn't won anything just yet.

It was the second heat of the night, and Eureka, California based rookie Anissa Curtice showed everybody just how much she is improving. Anissa has spent the past several seasons racing Outlaw Karts, and she's been enjoying the move up to Sprint Cars. With Wheeler giving here all kinds of pressure, Curtice scored a very popular first heat race win in the class.

Wheeler again finished second in the Scramble, which was won by Bailey Hibbard. Bailey has had a mixed bag of results so far this year, but Saturday was a reminder that he is somebody to be taken seriously in the battle. After all, he has won five Main Events at the speedway in the past three years, and he's hungry to get his sixth. To do that, the younger Hibbard knew that he had to beat Wheeler. With his outside front row start in the Main Event, however, Wheeler bolted into the lead at the waving of the green flag.

Though the car count wasn't big, the racing at the front of the pack between these two drivers was close. They even caught slower traffic, which might have made things interesting had it not been for the lone yellow flag slowing the pace. Wheeler took charge from there, and though Hibbard wasn't far behind him, he was in no position to stop Wheeler from his third consecutive feature triumph. Wheeler managed to increase his point advantage even more over Enrique Jaime, who was able to get a fourth place finish behind a career-best third for Curtice.

Charlie Thompson, who is a past champion and somebody who is still in title contention this year, managed to win a heat race to start his night, but he pitted during the one yellow flag period in the Main Event from his third place position. The division will be back on July 20th, and hopefully some of the teams will have their mechanical issues sorted out as they come back for their fifth event of the season in what is surely a stacked program.

The Bobbio's Pizza Mini Stock division is getting more interesting by the week. There's also word of a potential new team joining the class in the weeks ahead. Leading the pack these days is still the man with over 30 career feature wins at the speedway, David Steele. However, he has two young guns chasing him. There's Ashtin Hedges not too many points behind him, and 2018 runner up Hunter Magnan is trying to make up for a bad start.

Saturday night was just one of those nights where you weren't going to stop Steele. He had a good week, which started with his fourth of July victory in Yreka. As with Yreka, the feature win at Southern Oregon Speedway would be David's third win, giving him six total so far this season. He wasn't seriously threatened, but it was heat race winner Hedges taking the second place finish and keeping the point damage to a minimum. Steele won everything he was in, making it a clean sweep, while Magnan made more point progress with his third place effort.

Incoming third-ranked competitor Kristopher Mix was coming off of a night to brag about in Yreka. He looked good in winning the Trophy Dash and ending up second in the Main Event after the original second place finisher was disqualified for not going to tech. He was thinking that Saturday might be his night, but like 2013 Mini Stock champion Steve Goetz, Mix headed to the pits with a flat tire during the first half of the race. There is a rumor of the possibility of Mix making a move up in divisions in 2020, though it doesn't mean he would not be running Mini Stocks. The guy chasing Mix for third in the standings didn't fare that much better. Rookie Dylan Irving started his Main Event by rolling off of the back straightaway. The damage wasn't so bad, and he still managed to finish the race.

The best battle on the track seemed to be between the Pinto of Andrew Hall and Michael McLeod. Hall held fourth for much of the race, which would be good enough to put him in the Trophy Dash for the next event. McLeod, however, was tenacious and made a last turn pass to grab the position. With his fifth place finish, Hall looked better in his effort than he has all year. He's definitely somebody not afraid to get on the pedal, so once he's got the handling sorted, he'll be somebody to watch.

Tim Hedges is always somebody to watch in the JOAT Labs Hornets. The 2016 champion was licking his wounds after blowing a motor while running third at the previous race. He came back very strong on this occasion as he won both his heat race and the Trophy Dash. Dylan Sauer, meanwhile, had indication that this might not be his night when he received a black flag while leading the other heat. Sauer had neglected to put his window net up, drawing the attention of officials due to the safety concern. This would put him 11th on the grid in the Main Event.

With Hedges lining up on the front row, getting past him would be a tall order. Sauer has been very fast this year, and it wasn't too many laps before he found his way up to third. Impressive rookie Quinton Tritchler was holding second, but Sauer found his way past him. This left only Tim Hedges in his path. The leaders caught slower traffic, and one of the cars pulled down into Hedges' path, possibly in an attempt to get out of the way of Sauer as the race was close. Hedges ended up in the infield, but he quickly corrected his course and had the lead by the time they exited the second turn.

Hedges has been fast from the start of the season, but Sauer has been that much quicker. The clean sweep effort was particularly gratifying as he cut some of the points off of the advantage Sauer carried into the night. Tim's wife, Jenna Hedges, did another good job of getting her car back to the line for a third place finish, while Tritchler maintained his top rookie status in fourth.

Ryan Nelson had a solid effort in fifth. This was certainly much needed after the way his season had gone to this point. He managed to hold off heat race winner Chris Boynton for the fifth place finish, while brother Zach Nelson took a checkered flag in seventh. Zach has been having problems getting his own car to run up to speed, and it was his father Darrel Nelson Jr who suggested he drive his #8g car while they figure out what to do with the #26 car. Zach was particularly grateful and said that he wouldn't even be racing if it wasn't for his father.

The Valley Store All Late Model Lites haven't brought a huge car count to the track this year, but one thing you can say is the racing has been unpredictable. In three events, there have been three different winners. It was reigning champion and current point leader Charlie Eaton winning the opener, while championship contender Greg Arnold won the second event. The second event was the inauspicious return to the sport of long-time Stock Car competitor to Ross Payant.

Prior to the season, 2016 champion Lee Doty made the decision to retire, but he didn't want to give up on the division. As the owner of multiple cars, he thought of somebody who could wheel his fast #7 car to victory. Payant was his choice, given his success in the past. However, a crash in the Trophy Dash at the second event put Ross on the trailer for the rest of the night. This time around, he showed what he was capable of by holding off Eaton to win the heat race and then doing the same in the feature to become the third different winner of the season. Arnold kept the point situation close with a third place finish.

It's known that Eric Aos is capable of getting a win. He won last year, and he's won in the past. Unfortunately for Eric, mechanical issues earlier in the evening forced him to put his car on the trailer before the Main Event ever started. Likewise, Jim Cunningham, who finally had his car ready, was a scratch after the heat race. Cunningham made his first start in the class in a Lee Doty owned car last season. This was the car wheeled by Bill Spencer during the first two seasons. Pete Bowne drove that car once this year.

The Little Southern Oregon Speedway track had a race on Friday night. It's possible that the timing could have been off on this event. The track has been having a race on the second week of July for the past couple of years, but it was moved up to Fourth of July weekend for this year. It is possible that some of the teams that might have come in from the various divisions scheduled to compete had other plans such as camping and family getaways. In any case, the show went on.

One family that did come in to support the show was the Taylor family. The Taylor family has been competing in all four different classes of Flat Track Bikes, which includes the Small Bikes, 250cc, 450cc and Open Bikes. They've also left with most of the hardware for the past two events. The Small Bike win once again went to Brody Taylor, giving him three wins in a row. On this occasion, he had Jeremiah Pruitt chasing him across the finish line while younger brother Jax finished third. Jax is the youngest competitor in the bikes at seven years old.

Trevor Taylor might have thought it was business as usual when he picked up his third consecutive 250cc Bike win ahead Theo Lount. However, he was about to meet his match in the 450cc and Open Bike classes. Brenden Weller was making his first appearance on the 1/8 mile dirt oval, and these two riders had some great side-by-side laps all night, starting in the heat races. The two Main Events went in similar fashion. They started out with Trevor Taylor leading the first four laps before Weller made his way past him. Weller went on to pick up the wins, making it three different riders in the four Open Bike events to claim the victory. Could there be another new winner when the Bikes return on July 19th?

Mya Maffei could certainly be one of the potential winners. She has done a good job in her previous two starts. She happened to be in Montana for an event this past weekend, causing her to miss this race. The Quads were not represented on this occasion, but there were some Trikes. Again, Mike Burson Sr supported the show. He has been at all four events held so far and has been having fun. Last time out, he got his daughter MiKayla and son Mike Jr involved. MiKayla returned to run the Small Trike class against her father. Mike has been known to do wheelies at the end of events, but in this case, he did a wheelie at the start-finish line and stalled, giving his daughter a big head start. He wasn't quite able to overtake her as she picked up the win. However, he returned to win the Big Trike race ahead of first-time visitors Brent Hagen and Kristian Smart.

The Kart division that took center stage on this occasion was clearly the Beginners Box Stock class. Jayme DeBenedetti is the point leader and is showing no signs of slowing down. She scored a clean sweep of the two heat races and the Main Event, but the Main Event wasn't as easy as that. Caleb Ranney would probably have to be considered the most improved driver in the field. When the Main Event green flag waved, Caleb got on the gas and was not too far behind DeBenedetti as she closed in on the slower Karts. When they worked traffic, it got closer, but a yellow flag bunched up the field. DeBenedetti continued to lead and picked up the win, but Ranney stayed with her on the lead lap for another second place finish. As that little boy gets more seat time, he's gaining more confidence and having more fun.

All five of the young competitors who raced did a good job. Isaac Grimes managed to finish third as he maintains second in the standings. It was Talia Colley and Saige King completing the finishing order, and all drivers took the checkered flag.

The 250 Kart division saw the point battle broken wide open. The reason for his retirement from second with two laps to go last time out was a blown motor in the Vinny DeBenedetti Kart. DeBenedetti was unable to get another motor in time to compete. Second-ranked Jacob James was only nine points behind Trevor Grimes coming into this event, but he suffered mechanical issues early on and scratched for the evening. This opened the door for 2017 champion and current point leader Grimes to pick up his third win of the season and stretch his lead over James as Cadyn Smith took over third in the standings with his third-straight podium finish in third. It was Emma Rodgers having her best finish yet in the class in second.

The holiday season probably did have an impact on the turnout, and it's hoped that the numbers increase next time around. There are only three events remaining on the schedule. The next event is July 19th.