southernoregonspeedway Archives

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]

Kniss Captures $3,069 SportMod Smackdown Crown at Southern Oregon

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (May 30, 2026) — Oakley, California’s Buddy Kniss held off a furious late-race challenge to win the 40-lap, $3,069-to-win Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod Smackdown feature at Southern Oregon Speedway, earning his first victory of the 2026 season and his first career triumph in the prestigious event. Kniss jumped to the early lead and remained at the point through a lap one caution. As the race settled into a lengthy green-flag run, the battle for the lead intensified when Cory Biggs, driving the Ethan Killingsworth-owned No. 7M, mounted a charge. Biggs took over the lead on lap 15, but Kniss answered one lap later to reclaim the top spot as the leaders entered lapped traffic. While Kniss maintained command, a fierce battle for second developed between Biggs, Bo Crebs, and Isaac Sanders. Crebs, who won Friday night’s preliminary feature in the Jerry Movrich-owned No. 168, emerged as a serious contender after cautions on laps 24 and 25 tightened the field. Biggs used the bottom groove to reel in Kniss during [Read More]

Trenchard Charges from 10th for Southern Oregon Modified Triumph

By Jason Allen WHITE CITY, Ore. (May 16, 2026) — Brett Provost and Albert Gill Jr. led the field to green in the $1,000-to-win Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified feature Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Gill jumped out to the early lead and paced the opening five laps before Ethan Killingsworth took over the top spot with a slider in turn two. A caution one lap later for debris slowed the field, but Killingsworth quickly rebuilt his advantage on the restart. Behind him, an intense three-wide battle for second unfolded between Matt Sanders, Nick Trenchard, and Ryan Peery. Trenchard eventually worked past Sanders and Peery to move into the runner-up position. Killingsworth held a commanding lead until Hudson Shoemaker spun on the backstretch exiting turn two, bringing out another caution with 10 laps remaining. On the restart, Killingsworth drifted into the loose cushion in turn two, opening the door for Trenchard and Sanders to capitalize. Trenchard took over the lead while Sanders and Killingsworth traded sliders over the next several circuits. Out front, Trenchard pulled away [Read More]

Biggs Survives Wild Southern Oregon SportMod Main for $1,000 Victory

By Jason Allen WHITE CITY, Ore. (May 9, 2026) — In front of a standing-room-only crowd, Cory Biggs overcame adversity before and during Saturday night’s Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern SportMod feature at Southern Oregon Speedway, charging from 10th to win the $1,000-to-win main event. Because of the massive standing room only turnout, Southern Oregon Speedway officials boosted the purses for both the IMCA SportMods and Karl Kustoms IMCA Modifieds. After getting his car destroyed the previous week, the Yreka, California driver climbed behind the wheel of Ethan Killingsworth’s No. 7M machine and spent the entire week helping prepare the car for competition. Isaac Sanders led the opening two laps before Jorddon Braaten took command on lap three. Earlier in the race, Mike Medel went for a violent ride after getting pinched entering turn three and launching off the edge of the racing surface with one lap completed. Multiple cautions slowed the pace throughout the feature, including another yellow on lap nine just as Vinny DeBenedetti began reeling in Braaten. DeBenedetti later looped his machine with 12 [Read More]

Southern Oregon Speedway Set for Second Annual SportMod Smackdown May 29-30

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 [Read More]

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]