southernoregonspeedway Archives

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]

Sanders brushes away foes in Sherwin Williams Night feature

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (Aug. 3, 2024) – Matt Sanders chose the perfect palette for winning the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature on Sherwin Williams Night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Ty Williams reached the point at the start of the feature but saw misfortune strike as he got sideways with three laps complete and got collected by another car. That gave the lead to Ryder Boswell. Ryan Peery started to challenge but Boswell held him back. Peery again came to call on lap eight and got the lead, but the caution came out before the lap could be officially counted. On the restart, Peery went on the offensive but got sideways in turn four and came to a halt, resulting in another stoppage. Sanders then emerged as the new threat. He made a sweeping maneuver around the outside of Boswell in the fourth turn of the ninth circuit to become the new trailblazer, followed by Trevor Points progressing to second. The ninth-place starter had no issues while at the head of the [Read More]

Bigfoot finale checkers fly for Sanders

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (June 29, 2024) – Always consistent at Southern Oregon Speedway, Matt Sanders sped to his first Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature win at White City this season on night two of the Bigfoot Weekend presented by Toyota. The Brookings hotshoe brought three top five’s and had finished no worse than sixth in four previous Southern Oregon starts during the current campaign, drew the ninth starting spot on Saturday and got the win ahead of Jorddon Braaten. Jeffrey Hudson led on the first trip past the finish line before a caution came out with two laps complete. On the restart, Andy Freeman moved up to third just before the yellow flag returned for the second stoppage of the main event. When things got underway again, Braaten took over third while Ethan Killingsworth was all over Freeman for fourth. Shields and Braaten battled for the runner-up position before Shields had to bow out early due to mechanical issues on lap seven. Sanders continued an impressive run, obtaining third on lap [Read More]

Friday Bigfoot checkers fly for Peery at Southern Oregon

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (June 28, 2024) – Twelve days after his first win this season at Southern Oregon Speedway, Ryan Peery raced his way back to victory lane at White City with another Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod triumph. Peery, winner of the IMCA Wild West Speedweek show on June 16, topped Friday’s opening night Bigfoot Weekend main event ahead of Ethan Killingsworth, Matt Sanders and Jorddon Braaten. Scott Chavez had taken an early lead, only to be challenged and passed by Peery with two laps down. Braaten quickly got into second a few laps later. Seven laps into the main event, Braaten began pressuring Peery for the lead. Jeffrey Hudson and Killingsworth battled for third, with Killingsworth eventually winning out. Braaten put up a brilliant crossover pass on Peery while exiting turn four on the eighth circuit but the race was far from over as Peery made a strong comeback. The competition heated up when a caution halted the race. On the restart, Peery made a swift move to slip underneath [Read More]

Morris hustles to IMCA Wild West Speedweek win at Southern Oregon

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (June 16, 2024) – The driver nicknamed TM3 was the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified winner on night two of Wild West Speedweek. Bakersfield, Calif., ace Troy Morris III motored all the way from 14th in winning Sunday’s main event and $1,000 at Southern Oregon Speedway. Already eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, his dominating victory came over Mark Wauge, Katelynn Robertson, Ian Whisler and Kevin Williamson. The race was a thriller from the start, with Whisler and Wauge fighting up front and Robertson and Tim Balding slugging it out for third behind them. Morris made the most of the top line following a lap restart to crack the top five. He made it around Balding on lap seven for fourth and dispatched Robertson on the ninth circuit for third. Wauge came under fire from Morris before a lap 10 caution erased Whisler’s big lead. Morris kept his faith on the high side on the twelve times around the 3/8-mile clay oval to pick up the runner-up spot [Read More]