Talking About Racing In The State Of Jefferson
Welcome
to the newest blog in The DCRR Racing Media family. I've been
interested in the idea of a State of Jefferson for a while. We get into
politics when I talk about why, but I think it boils down to
representation of the people. There's a reason why the northern counties
in California and even some of the Southern counties in Oregon have a
growing interest in forming what at this time would be the 51st State of
Jefferson. Right now there's talk about other new states being created
in this country, and that could ultimately lead to the State of
Jefferson finally coming into existence.
We
know about incorporating politics into the title of our racing media
identity. The original meaning of the DC in DCRR was Delta County. At
the same time the movement was gathering momentum to rename West
Pittsburg, California to Bay Point, people "over the hill" on the east
side of Contra Costa County were talking about creating a new county
called Delta County. This is because East Contra Costa County was
growing so rapidly and people felt their needs weren't being met by the
current political infrastructure. Delta County never happened, but the
State of Jefferson could happen eventually.
In
2016, we created a new racing blog called Jefferson Racing News, which
was created to cover the racing scene from Douglas County all the way
down to Placer County. Depending on the sources, all of these counties
have had people expressing an interest in the State of Jefferson, and we
liked the idea of doing a blog for racing that covered what could be
the 51st state. As our media effort grows, we are looking to rebrand the
other blog, depending on what happens in the next year. As nothing has
been decided yet, we'll just leave it there for now.
This
didn't change our desire to have a blog covering racing in the State of
Jefferson. This time around, we decided to go with more of a Jefferson
State look with our logo and put state in the title. Hence, Jefferson
State Racing News is what we went with. We're not necessarily committing
to a regular weekly media effort. Currently, our DCRR Racing News blog
handles the weekly stuff, and this blog would serve more for special
racing articles that are catering more towards the proposed 51st state.
What's
interesting is not all state capitals have race tracks, but the state
capital for Jefferson is Yreka. Siskiyou Golden Speedway has been around
for at least 60 years. In fact, they even have a smaller track there at
the fairgrounds location for Outlaw Karts. This is the training ground
for the next generation of racers who will go on to compete at the
bigger track. Siskiyou Golden Speedway is an IMCA sanctioned track.
They've run IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sport Modifieds, but currently the
former division doesn't have a date on the schedule. The Sport Modifieds
have become the headliners.
It's interesting
to look at what an IMCA sanctioned State point race might look like in
the 51st State of Jefferson. If you go all the way down south, you have
Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico. Butte County is a part of Jefferson, as
well as Glenn County, which includes Orland Raceway. Orland isn't a
track with IMCA sanctioning, although they do have the occasional visit
from the Sport Modifieds. Yuba County is included in some people's
versions of the State of Jefferson, and they have Marysville Raceway.
The track has a thriving IMCA Sport Modified division
In
the center of the State of Jefferson, not only do you have Yreka, but
you have American Valley Speedway in Quincy and Diamond Mountain
Speedway in Susanville. They represent Plumas and Lassen counties,
respectively. Both tracks feature the IMCA Modifieds and Sport
Modifieds. In Southern Oregon, there is Southern Oregon Speedway,
located in White City in Jackson County. They also feature IMCA
Modifieds and IMCA Sport Modifieds.
Depending
on the map you go by, Douglas County, which features Douglas County
Speedway in Roseburg and Coos County, which features Coos Bay Speedway
in Coos Bay, also are located in Jefferson State. Roseburg's track is
unsanctioned, and Coos Bay is a NASCAR track. They do run Modifieds and
Sport Modifieds there, although they are currently unsanctioned.
Undoubtedly,
the biggest IMCA Sport Modified name residing within Jefferson is
Jorddon Braaten. When he shows up at Southern Oregon Speedway or
Siskiyou Golden Speedway, he's immediately the driver to beat in Sport
Modified competition. Likewise, the Sanders brothers, Matt and Isaac,
are fast when they go to those two tracks. From further down south, you
have Brian Cooper and brother Todd Cooper, who compete at both
Marysville and Chico. Occasionally, you see them in Yreka, but you're
more apt to see Yuba City's Jimmy Ford make the trip there and the
Medford track. From Susanville and Quincy, Craig Nieman and Richard
Longacre offer tough competition.
The IMCA
Modified division could certainly use more places to race. At one time,
they were thriving at Yreka. Last year they had anywhere from a
half-dozen to 12 cars on average, but management felt they needed a
break. Chico also featured a Modified class for years, but it too was
disbanded a few years back. They feature Sprint Cars as does Marysville
Raceway. They have a pretty good circuit going between the Quincy and
Susanville tracks, and Southern Oregon Speedway remains committed to the
division.
They don't get much better than Mark
Wauge, a seven-time Medford champion. Mark has run Late Models for the
past couple of years but is returning to his Modified roots. Two-time
Yreka and Medford champion Albert Gill likes supporting both the Medford
and Yreka tracks, as does multi-time Yreka champion Nick Trenchard.
Ryan McDaniel was displaced when Chico stopped running the class, but he
is the reigning Susanville champion. He likes to travel wherever he can
and is always a factor. In the Susanville and Quincy area, Chris Nieman
and Chase Nieman are both champions who travel between the two tracks.
Riley Simmons is another driver who offers tough competition. The State
of Jefferson would surely have an interesting IMCA point battle.
Some
of the tracks in the region don't get a bunch of attention. This
includes the newest member of the racing community, Mountain Valley
Raceway. This track is located in Trinity County at the fairgrounds in
Hayfork. This is their 10th Anniversary season. A little over a decade
ago, Clyde Cordell had a dream to do something with the dormant race
track, and Stock Car racing was what he had in mind. It took a couple of
years to make it happen, but it did. Sadly, Clyde passed away before he
could see his vision become reality.
In
Clyde's honor, the biggest race of the year happens during the Trinity
County Fair. It's the Clyde Cordell Memorial race. When you win this
race, not only are you competing for increased prize money, you also get
your name added to the perpetual trophy. Everybody wants that honor.
Last year, Freddie Leeper got the win. Since the names are all listed on
the trophy, at least you know that bit of Hayfork racing history. The
track does things a little bit differently and isn't as organized as
some tracks. Much of its history is either lost or not easily available
to view, and that's a shame. DCRR Racing Media has attempted to document
as much as we can.
Currently, Josh Smith is
the promoter there. A couple of years ago, they got the attention of
Bakersfield area racing enthusiast Jerm Smith, who had helped promote
special events and had a hand in keeping Rocky Hill Speedway in
Porterville going for a few years. He liked what he saw in Hayfork and
relocated there. He was hoping to help them take the track to the next
level. Sadly, he passed away last year. Josh Smith is a proud resident
of Hayfork and one of the original drivers when the track opened a
decade ago. He's counted as a two-time Hobby Stock champion.
For
many racers, including Josh, it's about family. He still races
occasionally, but it's more about his son Chayce Smith competing in
Outlaw Karts these days. Josh and his boy travel all over to compete,
but he's also a bit concerned that his hometown dirt track continues.
Therefore, he threw his hat in the ring to promote this year. One of the
things he did was cut a smaller Outlaw Kart track in the infield. It
needs work. However, Josh knows the value of getting kids involved in
the sport. They had a Kart track there before, and if he has his way,
they will have one that is even better than the one they originally had.
In
Hayfork, they feature Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks. When the drivers
show up in force, both classes can get double-digit counts. Even if
there's only a half-dozen cars in each class, they still go out there
and race. You can rest assured that a win is still a win and it matters
to them. They are also in the process of developing a Sport Modified
class. They are currently unsanctioned, but they would like to build it
to a level worthy of sanctioning one day. They like the idea of bringing
anything there that drivers want to race. This would include Sprint
Cars, Dwarf Cars or just about anything. If you're willing to go racing
in Hayfork, they can make a place for you.
One
of the neat things about the Trinity County Fairgrounds track is the
scenery. You're actually pitting among the trees like you're out in the
woods. The setting is perfect for one of the track's staple divisions,
Enduro cars. This division features just about any make or model of car
you can imagine. They've even had vans out on the track. It's a
combination of a Destruction Derby and a race. The object is still to
make as many laps as you can, but there is contact. When you get to the
last car on the track, you have your winner.
Frequently,
this division brings the biggest number of competitors. This is
probably because it's the most affordable way into the sport. Smith is
trying to figure out a way to promote it even bigger and better and may
have a championship season for the class this year.
Before
the race, the track gets watered down, they line the drivers up from a
standing start and turn them loose. Last weekend was a practice day, and
Smith had the inspiration of putting up $500 in a winner take all
Enduro battle. Driving for Chayce Smith Motorsports, Bennett Gooch took a
turn behind the wheel of one of these cars and outlasted the other six
competitors for the win.
Bennett was out there
to give the track a little bit of coverage through his YouTube show.
They've had media attention from outside the area in the past as they
try to get more exposure. After getting the win and posing with his
unique winner's trophy, Bennett promptly handed the $500 check over to
young Chayce Smith to put into his Outlaw Kart program. There's no doubt
that we'll see Chayce Smith on the big track one day. Actually, he has
driven his Outlaw Kart around that track, but we are talking Hobby
Stocks or maybe even a Modified by then.
If
there is one thing the track needs to work on, it is putting out
information on who is competing and full race results. They've had lots
of photos through the years, but depending on the year, you may see
something or nothing at all as far as race results are concerned. This
might have something to do with the fact that they don't have a big crew
doing the job. They have enough people to keep the gates open and keep
the show going, but Josh Smith is hoping to change that by hiring people
to do other jobs.
Hayfork has the potential
to host a big special event that attracts people from throughout the
State of Jefferson and beyond. It needs planning, good sponsorship and
media exposure. In the meantime, they'll keep doing their thing on any
given Saturday night. The season will get started on May 15th with Hobby
Stocks, Mini Stocks, Modifieds and Enduro cars
One
of the better known tracks in the State of Jefferson is Shasta Speedway
in Anderson, California. When things were really going well for the
place, they were NASCAR sanctioned and would have huge events that
attracted racers from throughout the Western States. In recent years,
the track has fallen on hard times. They do race a little bit each year,
but much like Hayfork, you don't hear a lot about who is winning, how
many cars are there or any of that.
Promoter
Dave Twyman stepped in to keep the gates from closing a few years ago
and has had his struggles. At times, events have to get canceled whether
it's because of the heat or some other reason. However, the show still
goes on there. Family is certainly a theme in motorsports, and what they
like to do in Shasta is have the drivers line up on the front
straightaway during intermission and let the kids meet their heroes. You
can find pictures on the Shasta Speedway Facebook page. The regular
divisions there include Bombers, Hornets and Legend Cars, but they like
to bring touring groups such as the BCRA Midgets, NCMA Sprint Cars and
the bigger INEX Legends of the Pacific races.
A
few weeks ago, they had one of the traveling groups come in and
headline the show. It was the North State Modified Series. Based in the
51st State of Jefferson, this division is booked for multiple visits,
and they delivered an impressive 16 car field on this occasion. Kyle
Tellstrom was tough to beat last year during the pandemic season. He
picked up where he left off in the most recent race by getting the win
ahead of Scott Winters, Ian Elliott, Keith Bloom and PJ Pedroncelli. The
North State Modified Series has a Facebook page and a website, so you
can get all of the information on what they do.
Sadly,
Shasta Speedway only has a Facebook page and no website. Though they
use the MyLaps electronic scoring system, it's not often they put the
finishes up for people to see. At the most recent event, they delivered
about a dozen Legend cars and a half-dozen bombers. We haven't gotten
any information on the Hornet division, and we couldn't tell you who got
the Bomber win as that information hasn't made its way through any
source we have. However, Carlee Austin picked up the win in the Legend
Cars race.
Some will say Shasta has the best
pavement track in the State of Jefferson, but others will dispute that.
In Mendocino County, they have Ukiah Speedway, and up in Douglas County,
Oregon, there's Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg. That track also
hosts an ARCA West Series event every year. Some will include Lake
County in the State of Jefferson, and they have a rather nice pavement
track as well. This year, David Furia of Furia Motorsports took over the
duties of promoting Lakeport Speedway, which had been run by the NCRA
for over 50 years.
Furia has been developing a
nice program at Ukiah Speedway, featuring the Limited Modifieds,
Bombers, Jammers, Jalopies and 4 Cylinder Modifieds. The same classes go
to Lakeport along with visits from the Legends Cars and Bandoleros. At
this time, there are no North State Modified Series races on the
schedule at either track, but Furia has been known for putting up money
and running Open Modified races with success. They had a modest but
successful opening at Lakeport last week with the Modifieds being won by
Sierra Furia and the Bombers being won by Charley Tour.
The
Bombers have the North State Bomber Series, which Furia was
instrumental in creating. In addition to Lakeport and Ukiah, they also
have a date at Shasta. Over in Humboldt County in Eureka is Redwood
Acres Raceway. There are also included in the 51st State of Jefferson.
They have been fortunate enough to get North State Modified Series
Events and also have one of these Bomber Series races. On any regular
night, they feature Late Models, Bombers, Mini Stocks, Roadrunners and
Legend Cars, and those five divisions will be opening the season this
Saturday night. They have a limited schedule this year, but the show
continues on. They were one of the few tracks last year that crowned
champions despite being negatively affected by the pandemic.
Southern
Oregon Speedway has undergone a management change, and the facility is
undergoing renovations under the new promotional team of Southern Oregon
Motorsports. This is covered elsewhere in this blog post, but the
Medford area has a long and storied tradition of racing that goes back
into the 1950s. In fact, they've had several different race tracks
during that time, some of which only ran for a couple of years. The most
notable and successful among them was the Medford Raceway at The Posse
Grounds. It ran throughout the 1950s until May 22nd of 1989. The decade
of the 80s ended with the closure of that track.
It
took seven years, but John Skinner was able to build the current
Southern Oregon Speedway track in White City, Oregon. This year is
actually the 25th Anniversary season. After Skinner departed, Promoter
Mike McCann introduced Late Models and Limited Sprints to the program
and brought back the Late Model Lites. He also made an effort to finally
get some promotion behind the Hornet class. These four divisions will
be on the roster this year at various times along with IMCA Modifieds,
IMCA Sport Modifieds, Pro Stocks and Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars. The
scheduled opener is on May 29th and will feature the IMCA Modifieds,
IMCA Sport Modifieds, Late Models and Hornets.
The
Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars and Outlaw Pro Stocks also race at Siskiyou
Golden Speedway in Yreka. The track sort of counts on the traveling
groups that come in. Currently, the only locally based divisions they
have are the IMCA Sport Modifieds, Mini Stocks and a fledgling division
known as the Jefferson State Jalopies. Yes, division creators JJ Smith
and Karl Bernstein took inspiration from the 51st State of Jefferson
when naming this division. In fact, the #1x car is their Jefferson State
Tribute Car, driven by Marilyn Yawnick to the championship in 2019.
Yawnick
has been an instrumental player in helping keep the show going,
especially in the later years of the track's promotion through the
Siskiyou County Motorsports Association. What's left of the SCMA is now
building an RC track in Montague, California, and Kevin Barba has come
in to keep the dirt track going. They've had a couple of events this
year and had over 40 cars compete a couple of weeks ago. There are some
shows that should be big in the coming weeks, including Saturday's IMCA
Sport Modified, Outlaw Pro Stock, Southern Oregon Dwarf Car and Mini
Stock event. On Memorial Day weekend, they have the Outlaw Pro Stocks
joining forces with the Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series for the
Billy Geyer Memorial race. May 29th and 30th will surely be occasions to
mark on your calendar.
Jeff Olschowka entered
the picture at Diamond Mountain Speedway in Susanville in a similar
fashion to Barba. The program was in danger of closing at the Lassen
County Fairgrounds, but he came in, made some improvements and had his
first year during the pandemic. Furthemore, he was able to have fan
attendance for most of those races. There weren't very many tracks that
could bolster that claim. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby
Stocks and Mini Stocks are at the heart of what they do in Susanville,
and there is frequently a better than average purse attached to the
program. At various times, you're going to see Pro Stocks, Sprint Cars
and Dwarf Cars there as well.
We're just doing
an introductory column here, but we could certainly talk about other
tracks in the State of Jefferson. Some of those tracks have been
included in our race review articles on our DCRR Racing News blog this
year. We will close with Cedarville and the story of Alturas Speedway.
Cedarville Speedway is located at the Modoc County Fairgrounds. As with
some of the other tracks in the central Jefferson area, you don't hear
much about what they do outside of the area. Cedarville has a nice Stock
Car history, but much of that is probably lost unless it's archived in
the pages of the local newspaper there.
The
last good run they had was about 20 years ago when a local Street Stock
organization was keeping it alive. There's been rumors that the group
was trying to reorganize to do something, but it may have been put on
hold when the pandemic hit. Also about 20 years ago, there were the
occasional Late Model Tour races that went over with some success. There
are some good racers who have competed there in the past, not the least
of which was Gordon Russell Sr. His son, Gordon Russell Jr, has
competed in the Pro Stocks in recent years and was a part of the old
Nevada Pro Stock group.
Gordon introduced the
Gordon Russell Sr Memorial race as a way to pay tribute to his father,
but he got the inspiration to bring this race to Cedarville. The idea
was not just to remember his father, but all of the people who helped
make Cedarville Speedway the special place that it was. Like all of the
others who competed there, Gordon has fond memories of the old days.
They were able to hold races from 2017 -2019 (Won by Shawn Natenstedt,
Jay Sears and Scott Lenz), and they attracted nice fields of Pro Stock
drivers for the big money. Even the Hobby Stocks generated good support
for an increased purse.
Things seemed to be
going well, and Gordon was on his way to planning the 2020 installment
of the race. Unfortunately, the pandemic shut down the Modoc County
Fairgrounds. This special race, which had attracted nice crowds, was not
going to happen. Currently the race is circled on the calendar for June
12th. It would be a Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series event with
Hobby Stocks in support. The Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series
features racers from throughout California, Nevada and even Oregon and
would surely put on a good show.
We like seeing
people trying to promote auto racing in the 51st State of Jefferson or
anywhere, for that matter. Cedarville has been long overdue to get the
race track going again, and even Gordon felt like the Pro Stock race he
was promoting could be a catalyst to create a more regular show there in
the future. If and when he's able to put the Gordon Russell Sr race
back on the track and we get back to some sort of normalcy, maybe things
will proceed and more racing will happen there in the future.
What's
interesting is the Cedarville track wasn't the only the track in the
area. If you look at the satellite maps, you can still see the outline
of an old dirt track in Alturas that is off of the Highway 115. This is
because the Alturas Speedway was built around 1958 and ran on and off
through 1980. They ran a Stock Car program, and Gordon's father was one
of the competitors. You can still find some articles on those races in
the pages of the old Racing Wheels Newspaper. It does beg the question.
This track has just been sitting in the weeds for 40 years. Nothing has
been built in the area and the location doesn't seem to have a neighbor
problem. Therefore, could racing be brought back to Alturas Speedway
again?
We don't know if and when the 51st State
of Jefferson will become a reality. As the political landscape has
shifted, we are hearing of other new states possibly being created in
the near future. The movement to create a State of Jefferson is well
over a century old, and the idea hasn't gone away. Some will say that
the State of Jefferson is a state of mind, and they may be right.
However, it's a state of mind that can help bring the 51st State of
Jefferson into reality. Much like the other 50 states in the union, the
people of the State of Jefferson like to go auto racing.
Diamond Mountain Speedway Season
Is Just Getting Revved Up
Susanville,
CA...Diamond Mountain Speedway has put four races into the books, and
it has been very exciting so far. In his second season as promoter, long
time racer Jeff Olschowka is still offering the fans a nice variety of
divisions. The core four classes on the roster continue to be the IMCA
Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks. The track
has also seen visits from the Battleborn Sprint Cars of Nevada and the
Northern Nevada Dwarf Cars.
With a bit of
increased prize money on the line for the IMCA Modifieds to kick things
off on April 2nd and 3rd, the car count increased to 28 cars. This meant
they would need a B Main on both nights. Shawn Natenstedt started on
the front row for the opener and held off point leader Riley Simmons to
get the victory. Past champion Chris Nieman, Mitch Murphy and Tyson
Blood made up the balance of the Top 5 that night. Nevin Kennemore had
to win the B Main ahead of reigning champion Ryan McDaniel and Albert
Gill just to get into the show. It was Wade Kennemore, Natenstedt,
Simmons and Gene Kay winning the heat races.
A
night later, Simmons took it up a notch, but he had to work to earn the
feature win. He started back in the seventh row and worked his way to
the front of the pack before winning ahead of Gill, Chris Nieman, Blood
and Jimmy Lipke. Nevin Kennemore again had to win the B Main to get into
the show with Simmons and Wade Kennemore following in second and third.
Jason Pestka, McDaniel, Gill and Kay were the heat race winners.
A
dozen drivers turned out for the third event on April 10th, and
McDaniel found the Winner's Circle ahead of Simmons, Chris Nieman, Nevin
Kennemore and Wade Kennemore. Mark Skender and Matt Murphy got the heat
race wins. The most recent race on April 17th found Simmons turning the
tables on McDaniel and holding him off for the victory as Chris Nieman,
Zach Fettinger and Nevin Kennemore rounded out the Top 5 in the 17 car
field. Simmons, Scott Foreman and McDaniel were the heat race winners.
After four races, Simmons leads Chris Nieman by six points, McDaniel by
13 and Nevin Kennemore by 22.
The IMCA Sport
Modifieds continue to show progress with an increasing car count, and 19
drivers came to race at the April 2nd opener. Past Marysville champion
Phillip Shelby started on the second row and held off Tyler Rodgers to
get the win. Past champion Richard Longacre, Colton Chew and Jimmy Ray
Huffmon rounded out the Top 5 that night. Longacre, Rodgers and past
champion Jason Emmot picked up the heat race wins. A night later, Grass
Valley visitor Andrew Peckham started on the front row and held off
Longacre for the win. Chew, Shelby and Huffmon made up the balance of
the Top 5. Shelby and Chew won the heat races.
They
delivered a field of 14 cars for the April 10th race, and reigning
champion Craig Nieman won from the pole. Huffmon came from the last row
to finish second ahead of Emmot, Shayna Nieman and Joe Pearson. Craig
Nieman and Longacre won the heat races. The most recent race saw 14
competitors once again. Chew came from the sixth row to score an
impressive victory over polesitter Andy Welch. Marysville visitor Jimmy
Ford, Longacre and Pearson rounded out the Top 5. Heat wins went to
Dennis Crook, Welch and Emmot. After four races, Chew leads Longacre by
five points, Shayna Nieman by 11 and Pearson by 12.
The
track pays better than most when it comes to the Hobby Stock division
and attracts a good field of racers. For the April 2nd opener, they had
18 cars. Oregon's Jeff Marson started on the front row and won that race
with reigning champion Randy Boyd of Nevada coming from the sixth row
to finish second ahead of fifth row starter Nick Boucher, Jesse Yankee
and Aaron Flournoy. Flournoy, Marson and Boucher won their respective
eight lap heat races. The next race saw Nevada racer Royce Goetz
charging from the fourth row to take the lead from Randy Boyd and
collect the $400 paycheck. Boyd settled for second ahead of Marson,
Robert Warf and Yankee. Marson, Royce Goetz and Carl Barlow grabbed the
heat race wins.
There were 13 competitors for
the April 10th race, and Royce Goetz and Jacob Dias came from the third
row for the 1-2 finish. Barlow, Dan Dieter and Douglas Weeks rounded out
the Top 5. Flournoy and Rocky Goetz picked up the heat race wins.
Management decided to offer $1,000 to the winner on April 17th and
attracted a strong field of 18 competitors. Royce Goetz grabbed the big
prize by battling front row starter Dias for the win. Rocky Goetz
finished third ahead of Flournoy and Barlow. They ran two sets of eight
lap heat races, and the wins went to Dieter, Royce Goetz, Dias and Boyd.
Deiter and Dias won both of their heat races. Dias leads Dieter by
three points in a close championship battle as Boyd is nine points back,
and Flournoy is 12 points out of the lead in fourth.
The
Mini Stocks produced a 10 car field for their April 2nd opener, and
reigning champion Kate Robertson came from the last row to win ahead of
Suzie Schmitt, Johnny Moya, Robert Feller and Andy Hast. Robertson and
Tony Quinonez won the heat races. A night later, Robertson wrapped up
the double win weekend by holding off fifth row starter and multi-time
Orland champion Tom Davis for the win. Quinonez, Moya and Feller rounded
out the Top 5. Davis and Anthony Esquaville won the heat races.
Robertson
continued to roll on April 10th. She bested the 10 car field from her
pole position start. Boucher came from the fifth road to finish second
ahead of Davis, Feller and Bob Kelly. Robertson and Davis picked up the
heat race wins. The most recent race on April 17th saw Schmitt snap the
Robertson win streak. Quinonez finished second ahead of Matt Canada,
Moya and Joe Marlow. Robertson and Davis picked up the eight lap heat
races, but Davis was disqualified in the Main Event. Robertson leads the
standings after four races by eight points ahead of Moya. Feller is
nine points out of the lead in third and four ahead of Schmitt.
On
the big opening weekend of April 2nd and 3rd, there were over 100 cars
in the pits. This was assisted by an appearance of the Battleborn Sprint
Cars and the Dwarf Cars. The Sprint Car race on the 2nd saw Orry
Stevens come from the third row to win ahead of Bruce Ferrier, Nick
Purdy, Josh Bolt and Larry Tachovsky. Ferrier and Stevens got the heat
race wins. They gained a car at 10 competitors a night later, and
Ferrier started on the front row to claim the victory ahead of Grasen
Tenora, Stevens, Purdy and Bolt. Purdy and Tenora picked up the heat
race wins.
A half-dozen competitors showed up
for the Dwarf Cars on the 2nd, and Joe Frock followed up the heat race
win with a Main Event triumph. He started in the third row and won ahead
of Chris Cristiano, Glenn Sciarani, Dillon Kintz and Justin Schilling.
Frock picked up heat race and Main Event wins a night later. He again
came from the third row to win the feature race ahead of Cristiano,
Sciarani, Dillon Kintz and Nathan Howard.
Much
like last season, the car count continues to be solid at the Susanville
track. They return to action with another doubleheader weekend on May
7th and 8th that will feature the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds,
Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.dmspeedway.com or look for the Diamond Mountain Speedway Facebook page.
Southern Oregon Speedway Releases Schedule
For Its 25th Anniversary Season
Medford,
Oregon...April 15...After some worry within the racing community in the
Medford area about the future of the track, they got the good news a
week ago. A group of people, led by Travis Hoppes, formed a racing
association with intent of saving Southern Oregon Speedway. They got the
keys to the gates on April 8th and quickly started the cleanup process
needed to begin to get the track ready for what will be it's 25th
Anniversary season.
Believe it or not, it was
25 years ago when John Skinner completed construction of the facility
and opened its gates for racing. The racing enthusiasts in the area
hadn't had weekly racing since the closure of Medford Raceway in 1989,
and they were delighted that it returned in 1996. Skinner guided the
place through 20 years as the promoter, and during the first 10 of those
years, the track had a program that rivaled any place on the West
Coast.
On April 12th, speedway management
released their tentative schedule. They asked the racing community a
week earlier who wanted to race, and what divisions they represented.
They were met with overwhelmingly positive response from people across
multiple divisions who wanted to support the track. As it turns out, all
of the divisions featured in 2019 will get a shot to go racing on the
3/10 mile clay oval at least a time or two this year.
The
track will continue with its IMCA sanctioning, making it the ninth
season that it has had its Modified and Sport Modified divisions under
the banner of the oldest sanctioning body in the United States. The Late
Model and Limited Sprint divisions, which had been founded and built up
over the previous five years, both return, along with another division
revived in the last five years, the Late Model Lites. Also making the
schedule this year for some races are the Pro Stocks, Mini Stocks,
Hornets and the Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars.
The
new staff is trying to assemble all of the needed parts to make it
possible to open as planned on Memorial Day weekend, May 29th. The event
has been billed as a "soft opening" and will feature the IMCA
Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Late Models and the Hornets. Management
will be rotating all of these divisions, as has been done in the
previous five years. In this way, they are hoping to get a similar
result, meaning stronger car counts on the nights a particular division
is booked. Rather than racing every week, many drivers use weeks off to
do other things or repair their equipment. This is all about providing
the fans the best racing experience on whatever nights they choose to
spectate.
On May 5th, the Limited Sprints make
their return along with a visit from the Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars,
IMCA Sport Modifieds, Pro Stocks and Hornets. One of the track"s
signature events returns the following week. It will be the Eighth
Annual Roger Haudenshild Tribute race, which will feature the IMCA
Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Late Models and Hornets. Mini Stock
fans will get their first glimpse of the class on June 26th, joined by
the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds and the Pro Stocks.
The
track had its first big Late Model show in years back in 2019, and the
new management has revived an old classic event, the Battle of the
Borders. This two-day extravaganza happens on July 2nd and 3rd and will
feature Late Models on both nights. The Late Model Lites will be there
on both nights, with the Pro Stocks competing on July 3rd. The Side by
Sides are a new attraction that the track will have on multiple
occasions, including July 2nd. In fact, they are doing a Father's Day
extravaganza for the class on June 19th.
On
July 23rd and 24th, the Lon Skinner Memorial returns to the schedule.
The 22nd running of this event will feature the IMCA Modifieds and Sport
Modifieds on both nights. The Friday show will also include Limited
Sprints, while the Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars compete on Saturday. On
August 14th, the track will host the Rocky Nash Memorial, featuring the
Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series. Joining them will be the Limited
Sprints, Late Model Lites and Mini Stocks.
A
highlight on the schedule will take place on Labor Day weekend,
September 3rd and 4th. It will be the fourth running of the R Charles
Snyder Salute. The IMCA Modifieds will headline on both nights with the
IMCA Sport Modifieds joining them along with the Limited Sprints and
Side by Sides on Friday night. The Saturday show will also include the
Late Models, Late Model Lites and Pro Stocks, making this yet another
big event to circle on your calendar.
September
11th will be the first Championship Night, featuring the Late Models,
Limited Sprints, Late Model Lites and Mini Stocks. The second
Championship Night happens on September 18th and will feature the IMCA
Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Pro Stocks and Hornets. Wingless
Sprints have been penciled in for September 25th along with the Side by
Sides and a special backwards race. The track leaves room for the
possibility of some activity in October that is to be determined, and as
always, the schedule is subject to some adjustments that may be needed.
There
will be lots of activity happening as the new promotional team will
also be ushering in a new era of MX racing at the track that was created
within the last few years under the previous management. Also, the
Outlaw Kart track has been given its most ambitious schedule in years,
which features the usual classes on May 21st and has a schedule that
goes all the way into October. More details will be forthcoming.
Thanks
to the pandemic situation, the 2020 season never happened. Without fans
being allowed, the previous management didn't see a way to make it
viable, and this caused them to ultimately walk away after a four year
run. They left in place some good building block divisions that the new
team will try to build upon.
For those keeping
score, the last champions were crowned in 2019. They include Mike
Wheeler (Limited Sprints), Trent Elliott (Late Models), Zach Fettinger
(IMCA Modifieds), Jorddon Braaten (IMCA Sport Modifieds), Greg Arnold
(Late Model Lites), Josh King (Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars), David Steele
(Mini Stocks) and Dylan Sauer (Hornets).
Upon
announcing that they were taking over the track, Hoppes defined the
tasks assigned to the other board members in the interest of providing a
good racing experience for fans and racers alike. The team includes
Southern Oregon Racing Hall of Famer Dane Smith, Jon DeBenedetti, Brian
Bowman, Albert Gill, James Anderson and Travis Snyder.
Work
has already begun in making preparations for the coming season. There's
much to be done to make sure the Outlaw Karts can get their season
started on May 21st and the big track will be operational on May 29th.
However, the team is confident that everything will be ready to go. You
can keep up to date by following the Southern Oregon Speedway Facebook
page. A new web page will be forthcoming, and you can find out that
information when it's available by going to the aforementioned Facebook
page.
Southern Oregon Speedway Tentative 2021 Schedule
May 29th - Grand Opening soft start - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Late Models, Hornets
June 5th - Limited Sprints, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars, Hornets, Pro Stocks
June 6th - Test and Tune
June 12th - Roger Haudenshild Tribute - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Late Models, Hornets
June 19th - First Annual Father's Day Side by Side Extravaganza
June 26th - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Pro Stocks, Mini Stocks
July 2nd - Battle of the Borders, Late Models, Late Model Lites, Hornets
July 3rd - Battle of the Borders, Late Models, Late Model Lites, Side by Sides
July 10th - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Pro Stocks, Hornets
July 11th - Test and Tune
July 17th - Jackson County Fair
July 23rd -21st Annual Lon Skinner Memorial - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Limited Sprints
July 24th - 22nd Annual Lon Skinner Memorial - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars
July 28th - Test and Tune
July 31st - Late Models, Pro Stocks, Late Model Lites, Mini Stocks
August 1st - Test and Tune
August 7th - Special Event TBA
August 14th - Rocky Nash Memorial - Tri State Pro Stock Challenge, Limited Sprints, Late Model Lites, Mini Stocks
August 15th - Test in Tune
August 21st - Limited Sprints, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Hornets
August 28th - Limited Sprints, Late Models, Pro Stocks, Mini Stocks
September 3rd - R Charles Snyder Salute - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Limited Sprints, Side by Sides
September 4th - R Charles Snyder Salute - IMCA Modifieds, Late Models, Pro Stocks, Late Model Lites
September 8th - Test and Tune
September 11th - Championship Night 1 - Limited Sprints, Late Models, Late Model Lites, Mini Stocks
September 18th - Championship Night 2 - IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Pro Stocks, Hornets
September 25th - Wingless Sprints, Backwards Race, Side by Sides
Fall Season TBA
Side by Side Racing
Tuff Trucks
??Mud Drags??
Outlaw Pro Stock Association Returns For 10th Season
Klamath
Falls, Oregon...In the Southern Oregon and Northern California area,
Outlaw Pro Stock racing has been a staple class. You can trace its
origins in the Medford area to the Sportsman division that branched off
from the Street Stocks at Medford Speedway, and the Pro Stocks were an
integral part of the rosters offered when Southern Oregon Speedway
opened in 1996. In fact, it wasn't uncommon to see them deliver fields
of 30 or more cars and have the best supported division of the night
back in those days.
Siskiyou Golden Speedway
was able to feature the class through the years as well. When the
Medford track closed, several of the Sportsman racers ended up in Yreka
supporting what was a really healthy division at the time. In the early
2000s, a group of Pro Stock racers, led by the Flowers family, were
ardent supporters of Worden Speedway. The track is actually not far from
where current Outlaw Pro Stock President Scott Flowers lives, but it's
been dormant for over 15 years now.
As happens
with divisions of all kinds, they see a decline in numbers over time.
Race tracks sometimes make tough decisions to drop certain classes from
their lineup. This is what occurred in 2012 when Southern Oregon
Speedway management at the time decided that they would go ahead and
drop the Pro Stocks as they added the IMCA Sport Modifieds. This caused a
fracture in the lineup as a few of the drivers went ahead and joined
the new Sport Modified class. That left the rest of the Medford and
Klamath Falls racers fighting to keep Pro Stock racing alive.
At
the time, two of the important figures in Medford fighting for the
cause were former President Arlen Heath and Maurie Skaggs. The
association running Siskiyou Golden Speedway at the time offered the Pro
Stocks a lifeline by booking them for several races, and the Outlaw Pro
Stock Association was officially born that year. Though the door wasn't
open for them to go back as a group to the Medford track in 2012,
drivers did support a race or two. By remaining united, the Outlaw Pro
Stock Association eventually did get included on the 2013 schedule at
Southern Oregon Speedway and have had at least some dates there every
year since.
By sticking to their guns and
keeping the rules sensible and affordable, a remarkable thing happened
with the association. By 2015, they offered some of the strongest car
counts at the Medford track as the numbers even went into the 20s. The
division in decline just a few years earlier was now growing and in
demand. The fact is, fendered Stock Car racing such as the Pro Stocks
offer has always produced some exciting racing, and people want to see
it.
The champion honor roll for the group is a
who's who of some of the best drivers you'll find in the area. Ken
Irving is a long time supporter of Pro Stock racing and won the 2012 and
2014 titles. Dave Everson could be very difficult to beat at Medford
and has since moved on to Super Late Models. However, he won the 2013
championship before moving on. In 2015, a rising young star named
Jeffrey Hudson, son of long time Pro Stock supporter Jeff Hudson, became
the youngest champion in the group's history at 15 years old. Hudson is
currently competing for the IMCA Modified championship in Cottage Grove
and was a Southern Oregon Speedway Sprint Car Rookie of the Year before
that.
Another long time supporter of Pro Stock
racing, Steve Borror, decided to run for points in 2016 and proved
rather dominant in claiming the honors that year. Speaking of dominant,
Dr Scott Lenz decided to throw his hat in the ring in 2017. A past
champion at Southern Oregon Speedway who started his career at the old
Medford track, Lenz was also difficult to beat en route to championship
seasons in 2017 and 2018. He might have won it again in 2019, but the
steady Scott Flowers finally broke through to win a championship. He
repeated that accomplishment last year, while also being crowned Yreka
track champion for the second-straight year.
Flowers
and his family have been about as big of supporters as you'll find for
racing. They have multiple cars and have in years past supported Street
Stock/Enduro racing as well. Though the competitive fire burns and
winning is the goal, Scott is happy to enjoy a good night at the track.
In 2019, he finally notched his first career win. In general, you'll
find him finishing in the Top 5 unless mechanical issues sideline him.
He won a race last season, but it wasn't as easy to win. In fact, the
competition level was so high that they produced seven different winners
in the eight races held in Yreka.
Despite it
being a pandemic year and tracks struggling to get open, there were only
less than 10 cars once in the eight Yreka races, and that was a
nine-car field. They were otherwise always in double digits with a high
of 14 cars, while also delivering a field of over 20 competitors in
head-to-head competition with the NASCAR Sportsman Late Models in Coos
Bay on one occasion. This all added up to some of the best racing on the
program on any night the Outlaw Pro Stocks were part of the deal.
In
the end, Scott Flowers won the championship by 42 points. Flowers only
missed the Top 5 in one of the eight races held, and his finishes
included four seconds in addition to the win. With that kind of
consistency, it's difficult to beat him for the championship. Matt
Harlow gave it a good run in second, and it was somewhat of a milestone
year for him as well. Harlow recorded his first ever win with the group
and was in the championship hunt all the way to the end. His win came at
the season opener. Colby Hammond nearly get the win that night before
settling for a career best second.
A look at
the list of winners finds that rookie Darek Alford drove the former
Scott Lenz car to his first win as well. Johnny Cobb, who has been
competing with the group since it started, got his first win, and Jeff
Haudenshild recorded only his second triumph with the group. From Chico
Silver Dollar Speedway, two-time track champion Phil Marino was also a
winner. The Tri State Pro Stock Challenge Series joined the Outlaws at
the Coos Bay event and one of their regulars, Jesse Gonzalez, got that
win. Scott Flowers and Johnny Cobb finished third and fourth that night,
respectively.
As usual, Scott's son James
Flowers did well in points, but it was a difficult season for him with
mechanical issues taking him out of the action at times. His season best
third place finish helped him in finishing third, one point ahead of
Hammond and two points in front of Cobb. Alford ended up topping the
rookie board and finishing three points out of fifth in the end.
Haudenshild, Denny Burtenhouse Jr, Scott Bennett and Steve Borror
rounded out the Top 10. Borror didn't run for points, but he bears
distinction as the only driver with two feature wins. He won the final
two events of the season in Yreka.
The fact is,
just about anybody in this group can win on any given night. Rick
Lukins came the closest to winning without taking the checkered flag in
first. Like Hammond, he had a season best second place finish. Hammond
had one second place finish as well as one third with the group. Scott
Bennett didn't race every week, but he managed to grab one third place
finish as did Ken LaPlant. All of these hard chargers will be out to get
into the winner's circle when the season begins.
The
Outlaw Pro Stock Association doesn't have the schedule on their website
yet, and this may be due to the fact that they are negotiating for
dates in Medford as that track has finally released a schedule. Pro
Stocks appear on the schedule several times there, but the association
will likely select some races as they've already booked several races in
Yreka and don't like to run two weeks in a row when it can be avoided.
It's very possible that the Rocky Nash Memorial Tri State Pro Stock race
in Medford on August 14th and the R Charles Snyder Salute on September
4th will be included. They have been supporting the Roger Haudenshild
Tribute race in Medford, but the June 12th date doesn't include them. As
has happened in the past, the Haudenshild family may designate another
date to honor Roger with Pro Stock racing, though that hasn't been
announced.
They return to Coos Bay Speedway in
another head-to-head battle with the NASCAR Sportsman Late Models on
July 24th. Otherwise, they will kick things off in Yreka on May 1st, and
the Yreka schedule also includes May 15th, Memorial Day, May 29th and
30th, June 19th, July 10th, August 28th, September 11th and September
25th. The Memorial Day weekend event will be a Tri State Pro Stock
Challenge race, but the association has indicated they will throw full
support behind this race. It is anticipated that the field will grow
well into the 20s for the doubleheader weekend.
There's
been a bit of a resurgence in Pro Stock racing, and one thing that
shouldn't be lost in the discussion is the importance the Outlaw Pro
Stock Association has played in this resurgence. If those drivers back
in 2012 had given up on the cause, the effort would have gone away
completely. Some of the other things happening now probably wouldn't
have. The association remains budget minded in their rules, and they
have a good group of drivers from the Klamath Falls, Medford and Yreka
areas giving them good support. May 1st will see them kick things off at
Yreka. You can find more information by going to the Outlaw Pro Stock
Association Facebook page.
2021 Schedule
May 1 Yreka
May 15 Yreka
May 29-30 Billy Geyer Yreka
June 19 Yreka
July 10 Yreka
July 24 Coos Bay
August 14 Medford
August 28 Yreka
September 4 Medford
September 11 Yreka
September 25 Yreka
Schedule subject to updates
May 1 Yreka
May 15 Yreka
May 29-30 Billy Geyer Yreka
June 19 Yreka
July 10 Yreka
July 24 Coos Bay
August 14 Medford
August 28 Yreka
September 4 Medford
September 11 Yreka
September 25 Yreka
Schedule subject to updates
2020 SEASON POINTS STANDINGS
1st: Scott Flowers 552
2nd: Matt Harlow 510
3rd: James Flowers 476
4th: Colby Hammond 475
5th: Johnny Cobb 474
6th: Derek Alford 471
7th: Jeff Haudenshield 367
8th: Denny Burtenhouse 300
9th: Scott Bennett 268
10th: Steve Borror 245
11th: Ricky Lukins 223
12th: Arlen Garrison 169
13th: Ginny Flowers 161
14th: Pablo Duran 146
Outlaw Pro Stock Champions
2012 Ken Irving
2013 Dave Everson
2014 Ken Irving
2015 Jeffrey Hudson
2016 Steve Borror
2017 Scott Lenz
2018 Scott Lenz
2019 Scott Flowers
2020 Scott Flowers
2012 Ken Irving
2013 Dave Everson
2014 Ken Irving
2015 Jeffrey Hudson
2016 Steve Borror
2017 Scott Lenz
2018 Scott Lenz
2019 Scott Flowers
2020 Scott Flowers
Is Another Stock Car Division In The Future
At Southern Oregon Speedway?
Medford,
Oregon...We like to engage in speculation from time to time.
Oftentimes, we can read the trends happening in the sport, see something
coming and are able to predict it. In this case, there is a trend
happening in the sport, but the main goal at Southern Oregon Speedway
right now is to just get the gates open. With Southern Oregon
Motorsports and Travis Hoppes promoting this deal, they are currently
making big improvements to the facility.
When
it comes to scheduling in 2021, they had to look around at everybody
else's schedules. They tried not to book on top of anything big, and
that left them just making the best of things. One thing Hoppes did do
was include every division that was a part of the program in 2019 on
this year's schedule. This also included the Pro Stock division, which
has only had one championship season at the track since the division was
dropped from the regular rotation prior to the 2012 season.
It's
known that there are anywhere from a dozen to 15 Pro Stocks in the
area, though who will actually bring their cars to the track is
anybody's guess. This was attempted in 2017 to lackluster support, but
things may be different now. The Pro Stocks are having a bit of a
resurgence, and management felt the time was right to reinstate this
division and apparently will have another go at keeping championship
points. It's not really a bad thing to give these guys an opportunity.
You only truly fail by not trying.
The Pro
Stocks were a staple class at the Medford track when it opened in 1996.
In fact, they frequently delivered the biggest car counts back in those
days. When Promoter John Skinner opened the gates, he picked the IMCA
Modifieds, Pro Stocks and a new Mini Stock class to build the program
around. They added Sprint Cars and other things to the mix, but they
were in a very good position. They were frequently attracting over 100
cars in the pits with the combined divisions. It was the land of milk
and honey at the time.
At the old Medford
Raceway, they had Stock Cars and Street Stocks, but an offshoot of the
Street Stock division was the Sportsman class. These three divisions
continued until the track closed in 1989. The Street Stocks were
somewhat brushed aside or forced to compete with the Sportsman division
as many drivers were forced to go to Yreka to get their racing fix.
Therefore, when Skinner opened the gates in 1996 at Southern Oregon
Speedway, Street Stocks were not included. He didn't think they were
needed, and he wasn't necessarily wrong in that assessment.
Despite
the fact that many tracks on the West Coast in 1996 still had a
thriving Street Stock division, the drivers with Street Stocks who were
determined to race in Medford could upgrade a little bit and compete
with the Pro Stock class. Contrary to rumor, the track didn't have an
official Street Stock division as such, but those drivers were welcome.
In fact, there was some discussion around 1999 of creating a Street
Stock division so that those drivers could be competitive in their own
class. The idea was eventually abandoned.
Again,
when you get the kind of numbers they had at the time, nobody's
necessarily complaining. However, you know how the old saying goes. What
goes up, must come down. The numbers at the track began to decline
after a stellar 10-year run. By the time 2010 came around, management
was open to different ideas. This included taking a hard look at the
Street Stock class. By that point, Cottage Grove, Willamette, Sunset and
Coos Bay had Street Stocks, and these cars didn't evolve much from what
they were in the 1990s, contrary to the direction the division took in
California. What they call Hobby Stocks is closer to what Oregon calls
Street Stocks.
It first materialized as a
Enduro class in 2010. These were cars that were pretty much Street
Stocks, and the division got a little bit more structure in 2011. For
four years, they kept points in Medford, and this is the division that
launched the racing careers of Duane Orsburn, Jorddon Braaten and Miles
Deubert. In fact, these three drivers won the championships with Orsburn
doing it twice. Another notable driver to get his start in this class
was Garrett Dees, who now competes with the Late Models.
The
numbers started to peak in 2012, and they were able to get it up to
double digit car counts. Unfortunately, management couldn't resist
tinkering with the rules. Drivers had what they had, and some of the
drivers just walked away at that point. By 2014, when Deubert won the
title, the division was a shadow of its former self. Though the cars
were still in the area, management gave up on the effort prior to the
2015 season. At the time, John Skinner was just trying to complete his
20 year run in the hopes that he could get reimbursed some of his
investment in building the place as per the initial contract. He was
about to get an unpleasant surprise, but that's another story.
The
Street Stocks did make a return in a bigger way after that. Two big
Iron Giant Street Stock Series races were booked, and one of them had
over 20 cars. Fans got a taste of the excitement that these fendered
Stock Cars can offer. Management was keen on booking two Street Stock
races in 2020. They had one scheduled, but the pandemic saw to it that
the gates never opened at Southern Oregon Speedway. By 2015, the Street
Stock division at Yreka also faded away. At various times, management
talked about doing something again, but nothing ever came to fruition.
Fast
forward to 2021. Street Stocks are still delivering strong numbers at
Cottage Grove and maintaining their presence at Coos Bay. They have been
renamed American Classics at Sunset Speedway and will continue to be
there along with Willamette Speedway. There are people in Medford who
have voiced an interest in this class. Recently, Ryan Nelson talked
about having a car. The Nelson family supports Mini Stocks, Hornets and
Sport Modifieds, but they like the idea of having a Street Stock
division as a step between Sport Modifieds and Mini Stocks.
Two
California Street Stock drivers, Jesse Skidmore and Shannon Collins,
both have moved up to Oregon in the last few years. Collins still
competes in the class they call Hobby Stocks in California. Skidmore
ended up getting a Sport Modified. In both cases, the drivers voiced an
interest in supporting something in Medford if it were added. Right now,
all that's going on is the occasional conversation with the racers, and
the track is doing what they have to do with the classes that have
already been established. However, there is that nagging question.
Could
a Street Stock division be added to the Southern Oregon Speedway lineup
in the future? Pro Stocks have been reinstated, and the track will be
looking to see how those numbers evolve. They have a pretty big lineup
of divisions and have released the intended payouts, but there's
something to consider. This is a new management, and we've just been
through the pandemic that shut everything down. We still don't know what
the numbers are going to be in all of these classes. Things can change
in the next few years, and the door may be open for Street Stock racing.
Even
some of the Mini Stock competitors, such as two-time Medford and
two-time Yreka champion David Steele, have expressed an interest in
running a Street Stock, but nothing suitable has been created. Many of
the drivers who have competed in the Mini Stocks don't necessarily like
the move up to the IMCA Sport Modifieds, and that makes a Street Stock
division attractive. Recently, Yreka management has put out feelers
again, but this may be a case of following the leader. Yreka would be
more apt to make such a move if Medford made it first.
Some
people might say that the Street Stock division's time has passed, but
they would also advocate for a fendered Stock Car division. While the
Street Stocks have a good presence in Oregon, the IMCA Stock Car
division has emerged on the West Coast. Willamette and Sunset Speedways
will offer the division this year, and Sunset has gone as far as to book
a 100 lap race on July 4th that will pay $5,000 to win. The division is
also growing in California as Hanford and Bakersfield have been joined
by Antioch and Merced this year. Things are happening.
One
of the attractive things about the IMCA Stock Cars is the very
sanctioning body they bring. You'll find that many Oregon racers are
more apt to support racing if there is a sanctioning behind it, at least
when it comes to Modifieds and Sport Modifieds. It seems inevitable
that Willamette and Sunset will be joined by Cottage Grove in IMCA Stock
Car racing within the next few years, and that could lead to Southern
Oregon Speedway doing it. It could very well be that the IMCA Stock Cars
will eventually find a home at Southern Oregon Speedway after
management assesses how things go in the next couple of years.
It's
about offering variety to the fans. The desire in Medford is to keep
the IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Sport Modifieds going strong, because
Modified racing has been a staple class since the gates opened there.
However, fendered Stock Car racing has been there right alongside the
Modifieds, and they also have a fan base. The addition of the Pro Stocks
for so many races this year shows that management knows that fans are
interested, but the Stock Car discussion will also continue as Street
Stock and IMCA Stock Car advocates make their voices heard. It will be
interesting to see where this leads in the future.