coosbayspeedway Archives

Ferrando Capitalizes Late for Coos Bay Speedweek Triumph

By Ben Deatherage COOS BAY, Ore. (June 17, 2026) — Grey Ferrando used lapped traffic to his advantage late in the Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature to score his third Wild West Speedweek victory of the week during the fifth round of the 2026 IMCA Wild West Speedweek and the first of two nights at Coos Bay Speedway. Two-time defending Wild West Speedweek champion Bricen James paced the opening laps aboard the Schram Motorsports No. 13 before Matt Sanders, winner of the previous two IMCA Northern SportMod Speedweek championships, worked his way into contention. Sanders executed a move to the inside of turn four on lap four to take command and appeared poised to drive away. Cautions on laps seven and 11 kept the field tightly grouped, however, allowing James and Ferrando to remain within striking distance. While Sanders maintained the lead through the middle stages of the race, James and Ferrando engaged in a spirited battle for second. The trio remained closely packed as lapped traffic entered the equation on lap 24. Attempting to navigate [Read More]

IMCA Wild West Speedweek Set to Storm Oregon Border to Border June 13–20

By Jeremy Means VINTON, Iowa (June 9, 2026) — From the Columbia River on the Oregon–Washington border to the doorstep of California, the 2026 IMCA Wild West Speedweek will push drivers through eight consecutive nights of racing June 13–20. The tour opens at Sunset Speedway Park in Banks and heads south, testing teams across bullrings and bigger layouts before champions are crowned in the finale in Southern Oregon. Three Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing divisions—Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, and Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods—will be in action each night. Sunset Speedway Park opens the tour on Saturday, June 13, returning to its role as the “Banks Bullring.” Located just outside the Portland metro area, the quarter-mile oval sets the tone for the week with tight racing after weather impacted last year’s finale. Round two shifts to a new venue, River City Speedway in St. Helens, on Sunday, June 14. Situated near the Columbia River along the Oregon–Washington border, the tight and technical quarter-mile will host its first IMCA-sanctioned event, adding a fresh [Read More]

James Makes It Three in a Row with IMCA Wild West Speedweek Win at Coos Bay

By Ben Deatherage COOS BAY, Ore. (Jun. 16, 2025) — Bricen James continued his dominance in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds with his third straight IMCA Wild West Speedweek win and third career Speedweek victory at Coos Bay Speedway. The Albany, native started ninth and took the lead with five laps to go to collect his 14th career Speedweek series win and fifth triumph of the season in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region. Seventeen-year-old Ian Whisler set the early tone by taking control at the drop of the green. He built a solid advantage and encountered lapped traffic on lap 21 but managed to hold steady. As the laps wound down, 2022 Speedweek and 2019 Shaw Race Car Western Region champion James began reeling him in. James made his move on lap 30 and never looked back, pulling away to win the caution-free 35-lap contest. Whisler settled for second, while Washington’s Zane Miner completed the podium in third. Wild Goes Back-to-Back in Coos Bay Stock Cars B.J. Wild captured his second straight Sunoco IMCA Stock [Read More]

James Doubles Up in Speedweek With Coos Bay Modified Win

By Ben Deatherage COOS BAY, Ore. (June 15, 2025) — 2022 IMCA Wild West Speedweek champion and 2019 Shaw Race Cars Western Region titleholder Bricen James made it two-for-two in 2025 Speedweek competition with a dominant win in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds at Coos Bay Speedway. Piloting the Schram Motorsports no. 13, the Albany, Ore. native jumped to the lead at the drop of the green and never looked back. A pair of cautions on lap five were the only interruptions in the 35-lap feature. James was strong on the restart and began stretching his lead until reaching lapped traffic by lap 17. Despite the heavy traffic, James made all the right moves to keep his lead safe and sailed to victory. The win was his second career Speedweek triumph at Coos Bay, his 13th career Speedweek win overall—tying him with Collen Winebarger for second on the all-time list—and his fourth Shaw Race Cars Western Region win of 2025. California’s Ethan Killingsworth earned runner-up honors while 2023 Skagit Speedway track champion Geoff Morris rounded out [Read More]

2025 IMCA Wild West Speedweek Set for Seven Races in Eight Nights Across Oregon

By Ben Deatherage VINTON, Iowa (May 22, 2025) — The best of the West will once again converge in the Pacific Northwest as the 2025 edition of IMCA Wild West Speedweek returns for a thrilling stretch of racing from June 14 through June 21, featuring seven races at six tracks over eight nights, all within the borders of Oregon for the first time in several years. The tour opens Saturday, June 14 at Southern Oregon Speedway, then heads northwest to Coos Bay Speedway for a two-night stay on June 15 and 16. The action continues Tuesday, June 17 at the Douglas County Dirt Track, followed by a midweek break on Wednesday, June 18, for a Pit Party at Cottage Grove Speedway. The engines fire back up on Thursday, June 19, at Cottage Grove, then roll into Willamette Speedway on Friday, June 20, before the grand finale at Sunset Speedway Park on Saturday, June 21. This year’s tour features Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars, and Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods. Speedweek has been sanctioned [Read More]

Winebarger, Sanders, Berkeley top Wild West features at Coos Bay

By Ben Deatherage COOS BAY, Ore. (June 17, 2024) – Tour career win number 12 for Collen Winebarger came on night three of IMCA Wild West Speedweek at Coos Bay Speedway. Winebarger completed his drive from fifth staring to the front on the 25th circuit, then outran Bricen James for the $1,000 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified checkers and qualifying eligibility for the upcoming Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Timothy Allerdings was a strong third. Lawrence O’Conner and Tyler Blankenship completed the top five. Perfect coastal weather greeted Speedweek competitors for the Monday night show. The Modified main began with 2022 tour champion James motoring ahead of Chance Hyser for the lead at the line. The two battled for a few more laps before James secured the position. Winebarger passed Hyser for second following a lap six restart. A twist to the plot was thrown in the mix after a caution with 20 laps to go in the form of a melee for fifth between Kellen Chadwick, Tim Balding and Tyler Blankenship. Blankenship kept the other two [Read More]

Night two of IMCA Wild West Shootout sees James, Roberts, Pearce hit Coos Bay paydirt

by Ben Deatherage COOS BAY, Ore. (June 20, 2022) – Round two of the 2022 IMCA Wild West Shootout fired off on Monday and Coos Bay Speedway was once again the track to host the action. The same three Speedway Motors IMCA Weekly Racing divisions were in attendance from the previous evening. They included the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. Despite several cautions, the IMCA Modified main event was a barnburner. The 35-lap race started with Collen Winebarger beating out Grey Ferrando for the point. Winebarger was passed at the line on lap two but stayed near Ferrando and kept the pressure up. Grey would feel some heat from both Winebarger and Jesse Williamson. Williamson would get around the both of them on lap nine and become the new leader. A long green-flag run developed, which allowed Winebarger to track down Williamson and overtake him on the nineteenth circuit. The two would have a heated battle in which both of them, unfortunately, got tangled together on [Read More]

Wild West Shootout takes IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Northern SportMods to Oregon, Washington venues

WHITE CITY, Ore. (June 10, 2022) – Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds return to the top of the marquee for the June 17-25 Wild West Shootout. One thousand dollar top checks and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility go to Modified feature winners June 17 at Southern Oregon Speedway in White City; June 18 and June 21 at Cottage Grove Speedway; June 19 and 20 at Coos Bay Speedway; June 23 at Willamette Speedway in Lebanon; and June 24 at Sunset Speedway in Banks. The June 25 finale doubles as the Modified Clash at Grays Harbor Raceway and pays $2,000 to win. Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods run for $400 to win each of those dates while IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars run for $400 each night June 17-23 and for $1,000 to win and B & B Racing Chassis All-Star qualifying eligibility in their finale at Sunset. All eight race programs will be broadcast by IMCA.TV and information about the Wild West Shootout will be updated on Facebook. Pit gates open at 1 p.m. with hot [Read More]

Coos Bay checkers give Winebarger consecutive Wild West Shootout wins

By Ben Deatherage COOS BAY, Ore. (June 23) – Collen Winebarger became the first repeat winner in the Wild West IMCA Modified Shootout, with a flag-to-flag run in front of the Sunday Gambler field at Coos Bay Speedway. The $1,000 win followed Winebarger’s Saturday victory at Southern Oregon Speedway, which had put him on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. And like the opening night show Friday at Yreka, the feature ran caution-free. Winebarger took the lead at the drop of the green flag, got up on the wheel and outpaced the rest of the field. He worked traffic late in the race, putting 12 of the 20 starters down at least a lap. Winebarger earned his fifth career Wild West Shootout main event win and first at Coos Bay. He is also the first driver since Kellen Chadwick in 2016 to win consecutive races. Chadwick was second for the second straight night, while Travis Peery of North Dakota crossed the wire in third. Bricen James scored a fourth-place result in his first appearance of [Read More]