southernoregonspeedway Archives

Debenedetti Navigates Traffic for SportMod Season-Opening Win at Southern Oregon

By Jason Allen WHITE CITY, Ore. (May 2, 2026) — Fresh off a heat race victory earlier in the night, Vinny Debenedetti led the Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMods to green in the 2026 season-opening main event at Southern Oregon Speedway. The field completed just one lap before trouble erupted on lap two. Logan McKnight and Ryder Boswell tangled on the front stretch while battling for position, collecting Cory Biggs in turn one. McKnight suffered heavy damage, and all three drivers were done for the night. On the restart, more issues followed as John Wilson spun exiting turn two, collecting Blake Peery and Connor Franklin. Peery and Wilson became locked together and had to be separated by the safety crew, ending the night for both. Another caution came on lap six when Lyle Yaeger spun. When racing resumed, Debenedetti took control and began to distance himself during a long green-flag run. Lapped traffic became a factor with 10 laps remaining as Jorddon Braaten closed in. After several laps working the bottom, the 17-year-old from Rogue River [Read More]

Braaksma Banks $10,000 Legends of Dirt Modified Shootout at Southern Oregon

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (Aug. 16, 2025) — Ethan Braaksma, of Newton, Iowa, rose to the occasion Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway, outdueling Bricen James to win the 40-lap $10,000-to-win Friesen Performance IMCA Modified Legends of Dirt Shootout, the biggest payday in Oregon this year. The event drew a massive field of 52 entries for the weekend. Two-time reigning IMCA Wild West Speedweek champion Bricen James jumped to the early lead in the Schram Motorsports no. 13, holding command through a pair of cautions on laps seven and ten. That opened the door for two-time reigning Dakota Classic Modified Tour and 2025 IMCA TV Winter Nationals champion Braaksma, who powered the Curtis and Tiffany Town-owned no. 24 to the front with a move out of turn two. The race reached its halfway point with Braaksma in control, though multiple cautions kept the field tight. When the green waved for the final time on lap 22, the race’s intensity ramped up, and heavy lapped traffic entered the picture on lap 31. James closed back [Read More]

$10,000-To-Win Legends of Dirt Modified Shootout Headlines at Southern Oregon Speedway

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (Aug. 5, 2025) — Southern Oregon Speedway will roar to life on August 15–16 with the Legends of Dirt Modified Shootout, a marquee event for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds that boasts a $10,000 top prize and an additional $10,000 in contingencies up for grabs. The weekend combines some of the track’s most storied traditions — the R. Charles Snyder Salute and the Rayburn Classic — into a single blockbuster program. This is the highest-paying IMCA Modified race in the state of Oregon and ranks among the richest events in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region. In addition to the five-figure payday, a special one-of-a-kind gift will be presented to the winner in victory lane. On Friday, the field will be split into two groups. Group A will contest heat races 1 through 3, while Group B runs heats 4 through 6. Qualifying — determined by pill draw — will set the heat race lineups, and results from those heats will shape the night’s feature lineups. The top seven finishers in [Read More]

Feature

Southern Oregon Speedway to Host Inaugural $10,000 to Win Legends of Dirt Modified Shootout

By Joby Shields WHITE CITY, Ore. (July 14, 2025) — Southern Oregon Speedway is proud to announce the inaugural Legends of Dirt Modified Shootout, scheduled for August 15–16. A special Test & Tune session will kick off the weekend on Thursday, August 14. The highly anticipated event will feature the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, with Saturday’s finale paying a staggering $10,000 to win and $500 to start. This inaugural shootout is more than just a race—it’s a tribute honoring the memory of R. Charles Snyder, Bruce Rayburn, and all the people who helped build the soul of Southern Oregon Speedway. From longtime fans to first-time visitors, the event promises to rekindle the energy and excitement that defined the glory days of Pacific Northwest Modified racing. Racers will be greeted with more than just a strong purse. Contingency awards are stacked across both days of competition. From hard charger bonuses and tough luck prizes to fuel cells, headers, tools, tires, and gift cards, participants will have plenty of ways to earn. Even the fans and pit crews will [Read More]

James Claims First Southern Oregon Score in IMCA Wild West Speedweek Opener

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (Jun. 14, 2025) — Ryan Peery set the early pace from the pole in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Southern Oregon Speedway, driving the Morgan Creswell-owned No. 5K as part of the opening leg of the 2025 IMCA Wild West Speedweek. Eston Whisler took command on lap six but suffered mechanical issues that ended his night, giving the lead back to the 2022 Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod track champion, Peery. That allowed 2022 Speedweek and 2019 Shaw Race Cars Western Region champion Bricen James to begin applying pressure. Driving the Schram Motorsports no. 13, James made several attempts to pass on the bottom but was interrupted by three cautions. On lap 22, he finally completed the pass and took control. James, from Albany, started eighth and never looked back, claiming his first career Speedweek win at Southern Oregon Speedway, 12th overall series win, third Shaw Race Cars Western Region victory of the year, and first at SOS in 2025. Two-time defending champion Collen Winebarger rallied from 10th to [Read More]

Braaten Banks $6,069 in SportMod Smackdown Win at Southern Oregon

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (May 31, 2025) — Central Point’s Jorddon Braaten showcased his prowess by leading all 69 laps of the rebranded SportMod Smackdown at Southern Oregon Speedway, securing a commanding victory and a $6,069 prize in one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier IMCA SportMod events. Formerly known as the Dwayne Melvin Clash, the 69-lap feature attracted top competitors, with Braaten — a four-time Oregon State and Southern Oregon Speedway track champion — asserting dominance from the outset. The race’s first half was marked by intermittent cautions, but as the event passed lap 31, Braaten encountered lapped traffic. Navigating through it masterfully, he extended his advantage and began to check out from the field. In the second half, 2022 Oregon State and 2021 track champion Matt Sanders tried to mount a high-side charge, but Braaten’s low-line rhythm and ability to work traffic kept him firmly in control. Around lap 50, Braaten sliced through another wave of traffic to create a sizable lead that he never surrendered. The race for second came down to the [Read More]

Killingsworth Stuns in Modified Debut at Southern Oregon Opener

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (Apr. 19, 2025) – Ethan Killingsworth turned heads Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway, winning his Friesen Performance IMCA Modified debut in commanding fashion. The defending Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod track champion took the lead early and never looked back, capturing the $2,000 top prize in the 25-lap main event. Kevin Pendergrass led early before a lap one caution bunched up the field. Killingsworth then executed a textbook move to the front and dominated the top groove of the 3/8-mile oval. Eston Whisler battled with Pendergrass for second before pulling away to attempt a challenge on Killingsworth. A caution with 11 to go set up a restart, but the Yreka, California chauffeur remained smooth and composed up top, pulling away in the final laps for his first career Shaw Race Cars Western Region victory. Whisler finished second, while his 17-year-old brother Ian Whisler completed the podium. Braaten Bags First SportMod Win of 2025 in Dominant Run Four-time Oregon State champion Jorddon Braaten was untouchable in the 25-lap Karl Chevrolet [Read More]

Patterson prevails in photo finish at Southern Oregon

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (Sept. 21, 2024) – The 2024 season championship at Southern Oregon Speedway came down to the last lap in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. Carter Patterson beat title contender Ray Kniffen Jr. to the checkered flag by 0.043 seconds. The 17-year-old Lebanon driver now has two wins this season in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region. Albert Gill started the main event off as the leader. Setting a quick pace, he unfortunately experienced issues that forced him to pull in the infield on lap eight. That transformed a three-car race for second into a contest for the lead, with Patterson picking up the position. The race for the runner-up spot ended up being a battle for the championship between Kniffen and Kenny Boardman Jr. Kniffen would secure second with six to go and reeled in the leader with a couple of circuits left to cover. Patterson and Kniffen would go side-by-side in the final two laps, with neither driver letting the other gain the upper hand. The defending [Read More]

First for Oregon as Braaten wins IMCA 100th

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. (Aug. 16, 2024) – It was an accomplishment that Jorddon Braaten would have preferred to have celebrated sooner, but the timing was perfect, anyway. Braaten became the first Oregon driver in any IMCA division to reach the 100 career win mark, topping the Friesen Performance Northern SportMod feature during the Dwayne Melvin Clash program at Southern Oregon Speedway Friday night. “I don’t think I could have picked a better night for this, other than Super Nationals,” he said after the $3,069 checkers flew. “It’s a bit of relief. After being at 99 I was wondering when I was going to get the 100th. There’s been a bit of a monkey on my back the last few months.” Win number 100 came from eighth starting with Braaten lined up against the heavy hitters from the Pacific Northwest in a 40-lapper at White City that ended green, white, checkered. “It was cool. Kind of everything went through my mind at the same time because I knew it was all together,” he said. “It was [Read More]

James caps Southern Oregon special with $5,500 IMCA Modified checkers

WHITE CITY, Ore. (Aug. 16, 2024) – It didn’t matter where Bricen James ran Friday night, he was fast. The Albany ace became a double winner at Southern Oregon Speedway’s Dwayne Melvin Clash/Bruce Rayburn Classic show, taking the $2,000 Silver Bullet I-5 Late Model Series victory and then beating Nick Trenchard to the stripe by six hundredths of a second for the $5,500 Friesen Performance IMCA Modified top prize. The Modified 40-lapper ran caution-free and the frontrunners ran in traffic more than half that distance. Also the Rayburn winner in 2022, James matched his career-best payday with his 10th victory in the division this season. “This was one of the best race tracks we’ve been on all year. It was fast on the bottom and it was fast on the top and slick all the way between,” said James, who worked his way to the front from eighth starting. “It seemed like the race went really quick.” He picked off a couple cars right at the start, then ran with Grey Ferrando for much of [Read More]