southernoregonspeedway Archives

Southern Oregon Speedway roars back to life

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (May 29) – The last time the clay was shredded at Southern Oregon Speedway was on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019. Since then, the facility had laid dormant and quiet as a tomb. But that all changed as a new era of racing began on Saturday, May 29, as the White City clay oval roared back to life and IMCA feature wins belonged to Craig Cassell and Jorddon Braaten. Craig Cassell made the tow all the way from Albany well worth it as he mastered the IMCA Modified field for his first win at SOS. Nick Trenchard was second followed by Albert Gill in third. The rest of the top five was made up of Zach Fettinger and Jesse Bailey, in fourth and fifth, respectively. The Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods witnessed as a familiar face graced victory lane. Jorddon Braaten got the job done in the main event. He now has four wins on the current campaign and two in the KMJ Performance Oregon State competition. Matt Sanders was the [Read More]

New promotional team sets the bar high at Southern Oregon

WHITE CITY, Ore. – The bar will be set high at Southern Oregon Speedway. Idle for all of 2020, the 3/8-mile dirt oval at White City re-opens with a new promotional team in place and both IMCA Modifieds and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods on race night programs. Just seven weeks will separate Travis Hoppes and the Southern Oregon Motorsports team from being having been selected to operate the track to opening night on May 29. IMCA Modifieds and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods will run on select Friday and regular Saturday race programs through Sept. 18. “We want this to be the number one facility on the West Coast,” Hoppes said, in the midst of extensive facility-wide improvements. “We want to make everything here look good and we want to show our drivers and fans that we care.” Built as a 3/8-mile oval, the track has been extended and reshaped to its original configuration. Renovations, largely focused on safety, include additional lighting, replacement of concrete walls and upgrading of catch fences. Pitside grandstands have been moved [Read More]

Bailey impresses at Southern Oregon

By Don Martin II WHITE CITY, Ore. (Aug. 17) – Jesse Bailey scored an impressive win in the 25-lap IMCA Modified feature Saturday at Southern Oregon Speedway. Bailey made an impressive outside groove effort that gained him the lead late in the race. Not even in the top five with 10 laps left, Bailey began working the higher line before a lap 20 yellow flag bunched the field. On the restart, Bailey was making his a bid to move into second as another yellow flag flew. Andy Freeman led Bailey and Jeremy Richey on the ensuing restart. Bailey made a high pass in turn four of the 24th lap to finally get the lead and eventual victory. Jorddon Braaten won the 20-lap Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod feature from the 10th starting spot. He’d also won his heat race and the trophy dash earlier in the evening. Hall Of Fame Night saw Markey James, Jim Walker Sr., Jay McCleary, Sam Dykes, Dave Shinn and Freddy Higginbotham inducted into the Southern Oregon Racing Hall of Fame during intermission. [Read More]

Southern Oregon win to Winebarger on night two of Wild West Modified Shootout

By Ben Deatherage WHITE CITY, Ore. (June 22) – Another defending race winner was first to the checkers, on night two of the Wild West IMCA Modified Shootout Collen Winebarger topped Saturday’s main event at Southern Oregon Speedway, gaining a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot berth with the $1,000 victory, his series second in a row at White City. Kellen Chadwick took full advantage of his pole starting spot, taking the lead early and remaining there much of the race. Chadwick cruised until the culminating laps when he was briefly barricaded by traffic. Winebarger managed to cut down Chadwick’s lead and for the first time in the feature put significant pressure on the leader. The two battled briefly until lap 33 when Winebarger edged out in front. Winebarger went on to win the main event, his career fourth Wild West Shootout triumph. Chadwick, Jesse Williamson and Zach Fettinger were next across the stripe, while Jerry Flippo posted a fifth in his series first career feature start. Nick Trenchard had repeated his winning ways on opening [Read More]

Hogge, Braaten are IMCA winners at Southern Oregon’s Haudenshild Tribute

By Don Martin II WHITE CITY, Ore. (June 1) – Another visit to Southern Oregon Speedway resulted in another IMCA Modified victory for Bobby Hogge IV. Hogge won the seventh annual Roger Haudenshild Tribute race for the IMCA Modifieds Saturday at White City. The California speedster piloted his backup car to the Modified checkers and drove a Paul Guglielmoni-owned late model to the winner’s circle as well. “This is a track that can be challenging because of its unique characteristics. You’ve got to pay attention there as a driver,” said Hogge, who’d won the R. Charles Snyder Salute at Southern Oregon last September and was already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. “It was definitely a good night for us. We went home happy campers.” Hogge had drawn the pole with Crack The Whip winner Nick Trenchard starting eighth and trophy dash winner Zach Fettinger lined up in 11th. When the green flag waved, Hogge immediately moved into the lead ahead of rookie Justin Foux and Albert Gill. Two-time defending race winner Trenchard was [Read More]

Hudson, Sanders win IMCA openers at Southern Oregon

By Don Martin II WHITE CITY, Ore. (May 4) – Jeffrey Hudson and Matt Sanders opened the 2019 season with IMCA feature wins Saturday at Southern Oregon Speedway. Hudson, the 2018 sprint car runner-up, landed a full-time ride in an IMCA Modified for this season. He took the lead from rookie Justin Foux early on and held off the rapidly approaching Mark Wauge for the win. The last 16 laps went without a yellow flag and Hudson had a good lead, but Wauge slowly began to chip away at the advantage. The laps ran out, however, before Wauge could get close enough to attempt a pass. Sanders beat race long leader Justin McCreadie back to the line in a photo finish to win the 20 lap Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod main, contested by 21 drivers. McCreadie led Sanders on a lap 16 restart as Jorddon Braaten raced past Rich McCoy for third. Sanders got a run on McCreadie on the final lap, they exited the fourth turn side by side and it was too close [Read More]

Jones wins first IMCA Modified feature at Southern Oregon

By Don Martin II WHITE CITY, Ore. (Sept. 22) – Holding off late pressure from C.J. Putnam, Preston Jones scored the victory in the 25-lap IMCA Modified main event Saturday at Southern Oregon Speedway. This was the first career win in the division for Jones. Jones passed Jentzen Knips for the lead and was pulling away before a lap 15 caution. After a lap 17 yellow, Putnam made a serious bid to take the lead on the restart and grabbed the spot with an inside pass exiting the fourth turn. The lead was short-lived, however, as Jones beat him back to the line to lead the 19th lap. The front two cars ran closely as Zack Fettinger had settled into the third position. A multi-car tangle brought out the final yellow flag on lap 21. Jones led the restart with Putnam giving him all the pressure he could handle. Putnam attempted to get by several times in the remaining four laps, but Jones held him off for the hard-earned victory. Fettinger finished third. Leading all [Read More]

Snyder Salute set for Sept. 1-2 at Southern Oregon Speedway

By Don Martin II WHITE CITY, Ore. – It’s time once again for the second annual R. Charles Snyder Salute for IMCA Modifieds at Southern Oregon Speedway. The two-race weekend will again feature the IMCA Modifieds with a $5,000 to win, Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot-qualifying prize being offered on Sunday, Sept. 2. Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars will compete Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 1 and 2. The format calls for two sets of heat races for both Modified and SportMod divisions on Saturday that will score finishing points and passing points to determine the drivers who make the main event on Sunday and who will end up in ‘B’ and ‘C’ features. The top eight point runners in the heat races will redraw for their main event starting positions. As an added bonus, Saturday will also have an invitational event for both classes that will offer prize money. The top 3-5 finishers in the first set of heat races will automatically make it into that race. This format was chosen [Read More]

Trenchard scores at Southern Oregon Speedway

By Don Martin II WHITE CITY, Ore. (Aug. 18) – Taking the lead from Jantzen Knips on the fourth lap, Nick Trenchard went on to win his second IMCA Modified main event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. It had been a last-minute decision for Trenchard to go racing. He’d won the $2,000 prize in the Roger Haudenshild Tribute race earlier this year and has positioned himself as one of the favorites to win the $5,000 R. Charles Snyder Salute on Labor Day Weekend. Knips raced into the early lead ahead of Duane Orsburn. Dave Duste Jr. led Trenchard around Orsburn on the second lap and a high pass on the fourth lap gained Trenchard the lead. Moments later, Knips spun for a caution flag. Trenchard pulled away after a couple later restarts and won ahead of Albert Gill and Zach Fettinger. Matt Sanders became the seventh different Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod winner in as many events this season at White City, holding off a late challenge from Rich McCoy.

Fettinger wins again at Southern Oregon

By Don Martin II WHITE CITY, Ore. (July 21) – Racing into the lead from the start, Zach Fettinger scored his third IMCA Modified main event win of the season Saturday at Southern Oregon Speedway. In the process, Fettinger became the first driver to win more than two features in one season in the division since 2015. After taking the lead from Jimmy Lipke following a lap four restart, Tyler Rodgers went on to win the 20 Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod feature. He is the sixth different winner in six races. This was the first appearance at White City by the Chico, Calif., visitor.