By Ben Deatherage
WHITE CITY, Ore. (May 12, 2026) — Southern Oregon Speedway is preparing for one of the biggest Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod events of the season with the second annual SportMod Smackdown, scheduled for May 29-30.
Presented by Gage It Construction, the two-night special will showcase IMCA Northern SportMods racing for a massive $3,069-to-win and $500-to-start finale on Saturday night, while Friday’s qualifying program pays a standard $500-to-win purse.
Thursday, May 28 will feature a Test and Tune session beginning at 5:00 p.m. to help teams prepare for the weekend’s action.
Friday, May 29 will feature a complete qualifying program with pill draw at the gate and dual heat races. The first set of heats will line up straight up, while the second set will be fully inverted. Passing and finishing points will determine lineups for a pair of 20-car qualifier mains, with the top nine from each advancing into Saturday’s Smackdown feature.
Saturday’s format will include alphabet soup mains leading into the B Main, where six more drivers will transfer into the 21-car feature field. One promoter’s provisional will start 21st. A coin flip will determine whether the top eight redraw through a qualifier shootout or if kids on the front stretch will draw the starting spots.
Saturday’s Smackdown feature purse pays $3,069 to win, $1,500 for second, $1,000 for third, $900 for fourth, $850 for fifth, $800 for sixth, $750 for seventh, $700 for eighth, $650 for ninth, and $600 for tenth. All feature starters will earn a minimum of $500. Drivers competing in the B Main but failing to transfer will receive $100 tow money.
Entry fee for the event is $180, while pit passes are $40.
Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds and Northern SportMods will both be in action on Friday and Saturday. Both nights for the IMCA Modifieds will serve as Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational qualifiers and will award track, Oregon State, DeVilbiss Racing Chassis Western Region, and national points. Saturday’s Northern SportMod finale will pay track, Oregon State, and national points.
Southern Oregon Speedway has undergone several major upgrades during the offseason. Improvements include a brand-new state-of-the-art sound system, additional family seating on the grassy knoll behind turn four where fans can spread out blankets and watch the races, and the introduction of free admission for kids throughout the season. The new promotions have proven to be a huge success, helping produce standing-room-only crowds while introducing hundreds of new fans to dirt track racing.
As part of the SportMod Smackdown weekend, kids ages 15 and under will be admitted free both nights, while all law enforcement members will also receive free admission throughout the event.
For more information, visit southernoregonmotorsports.com or follow Southern Oregon Speedway on Facebook.
