yrekaspeedway Archives

Sanders wins $15,000 IMCA Western SportMod Nationals at Yreka

By Ben Deatherage YREKA, Calif. (July 13, 2024) – Matt Sanders would be the first driver to the stripe of the 40-lap finale for the $15,000 to win Finley Farms Western SportMod Nationals at Yreka Speedway on Saturday, July 13. The Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds assembled some of the country’s best Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod pilots to the 1/4-mile clay over the weekend. When the main event began, Friday night prelim winner Joe Docekal led the opening stanza after a brief battle with Ethan Killingsworth. Docekal tried to pull away from the runner-up as Tyler Bannister settled into third. After eight laps were completed, things slowed down due to a chain reaction crash on the front stretch. When the green returned, Docekal had his hands full with Bannister overtaking Killingworth shortly followed by a claymaker toward Docekal for the lead in turn three. Docekal countered with a bit better run off the bottom of the fourth corner, retaining the position. Sanders came to call on the ninth circuit with a move under Killingsworth to procure [Read More]

Night two Western SportMod Nationals checkers fly for Docekal

By Ben Deatherage YREKA, Calif. (July 12, 2024) – The Finley Farms Western SportMod Nationals returned to racing with scorching temperatures outside and action on the track at Yreka Speedway on Friday night. The Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods were in attendance for the second of three nights of action, and the top eight finishers of the main event were locked into Saturday’s grand finale. Derek Murphy and Tate Loftis from Bakersfield engaged in a fierce battle for the early lead, with Murphy narrowly leading the opening lap. Loftis stuck to Murphy’s tail, maintaining his position on the inside line while Murphy ruled the top of the track. Loftis got the necessary run on Murphy to take the lead on the seventh circuit. Shortly after the overtake, the new trailblazer started pulling away from the new runner-up as Joe Docekal occupied third. Docekal made a successful pass on lap 16 for second. The Dysart, Iowa driver quickly closed in on Loftis and challenged for the race lead. His sweeping move inside Loftis on the 20th trip [Read More]

Points paces opening night of Western SportMod Nationals

By Ben Deatherage YREKA, Calif. (July 11, 2024) – Thursday was the inaugural Western SportMod Nationals opening leg at Yreka Speedway for one of the country’s biggest paying Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod races. Over 50 entries from across the country journeyed to the Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds ¼-mile clay oval. Buddy Kniss took an early lead at the start of the feature. The race heated up a few laps in as Ethan Killingsworth moved unsuccessfully to overtake the second-running Trevor Points. The tension was broken when a caution was raised after six circuits. Points launched a challenge for the lead against Kniss as the race resumed. The two engaged in a fierce battle, with Points eventually seizing the top spot, on lap nine. Meanwhile, a race for third unfolded between Killingsworth and Jeffrey Hudson, who eventually secured the position. On lap 11, Killingsworth rebounded beautifully with a brilliant double overtake past Hudson and Kniss to become the new runner-up. The field was slowed down for the final time when the yellow flag reemerged on the 13th [Read More]

Trenchard, Killingsworth are fastest on Friday at Yreka

By Ben Deatherage YREKA, Calif. (July 5, 2024) – Yreka Speedway set the stage for an electrifying start to the month of July on Friday with the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods in action. Nick Trenchard would win the Modified main at Yreka for the third time this season while hometown hotshoe Ethan Killingsworth notched his ninth Northern SportMod victory, and fourth of 2024 at Yreka. The Modified main event started with a three-wide battle between Mark Wauge, Trenchard and Jacob Mallet Jr. Trenchard beat both on the backstretch and was the pacesetter. Mallet stayed in Trenchard’s tire tracks but things slowed down with two down for a caution. On the restart, Trenchard was good, while Wauge, in third, felt a little bit of pressure from Monte Bischoff. As the race stayed green, Mallet was close to Trenchard but could not find a way around. As the laps clicked away, Trenchard had just enough of an advantage to have some breathing room and continued to operate smoothly on the [Read More]

Ferrando banks $5,000 at Yreka’s Biehn Memorial

By Ben Deatherage YREKA, Calif. (June 14, 2024) – A threat to win wherever he tows, Grey Ferrando’s latest Friesen Performance IMCA Modified victory was good for $5,000 when Yreka Speedway hosted the inaugural Rich and Nicky Biehn Memorial Friday night. From Stayton, Ore., and newly eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, led from the end of lap seven to the checkers in the headline race at the event dedicated to honoring the legacy of two beloved racing enthusiasts and car owners. Kellen Chadwick initially took the lead and had a moment where he could have some breathing room as Ferrando was occupied with keeping back Collen Winebarger and Tyler Blankenship. Ferrando kept both in check, then went back on the offensive and poured more pressure on Chadwick. Ferrando overtook Chadwick at the wire as the seventh circuit was scored and led the rest of the distance in the caution-free main event to score his first win of the season at Yreka and his fourth victory in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region. [Read More]

James, Ryland start IMCA Wild West Speedweek with wins at Yreka

By Ben Deatherage YREKA, Calif. (June 15, 2024) – Prospectors came to Yreka to strike in rich in the Gold Rush of the 1850s. Bricen James and Fred Ryland both struck gold of their own Saturday night at Yreka Speedway with feature wins on opening night of the IMCA Wild West Speedweek. James’ won the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature and $1,000 while two-car star Ryland ruled both IMCA Sunoco Stock Car and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main events. When the green flag came out for the Modifieds, Collen Winebarger beat the field to the line for the opening lap. The Corbett, Ore., chauffeur and 2021 Speedweek champion tried to get a big lead, but Tyler Blankenship kept it close for the first few laps. Winebarger got into a good rhythm and began to pull away from the rest of the pack, but before he could get too far ahead, the yellow flag came out with six laps down. Winebarger was masterclass on the restart as Blankenship and James, the 2022 Speedweek champion, battled [Read More]

Killingsworth, Allerdings score Saturday wins at Yreka

By Ben Deatherage YREKA, Calif. (May 18, 2024) – Yreka Speedway capped off its doubleheader weekend with Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods filling the Saturday night card and put on some incredible racing. The Northern SportMods witnessed a nail-biting main event. Gabriel Chavez engaged in a fierce battle for the lead with Austin Petray and hometown hero Bo Crebs right from the start before Petray and Crebs tangled and were forced to retire early. Back to green, Chavez was under heavy fire from Steven Sanders, who beat him at the line in a mad dash for first place to pace the field for the second circuit. The pass, however, was negated due to another caution. On the subsequent restart, Sanders maneuvered around Chavez to take the lead on the officially completed second lap. Sanders then attempted to distance himself from the rest of the pack but was eventually overtaken by Ryan Peery on lap five. The Yreka standout was looking to sweep the weekend had to hit the pause button due to [Read More]

Trenchard, Peery are first on Friday night at Yreka

By Ben Deatherage YREKA, Calif. (May 17, 2024) – After nearly a month off of racing, Yreka Speedway roared back to life on Friday with a race program that attracted drivers from California, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified main event began with a wild start as a car at the front of the field got sideways in turns three and four. Nick Trenchard used some evasive maneuvers to get around the spinning ride then settled into the front spot. The race stayed green before another caution came out on the ninth circuit. Before the main event’s second and final stoppage, a wild three-car tussle for second place position ensued between Mallet, Arizona traveler Timothy Allerdings and Monte Bischoff. The Klamath Falls, Ore. phenom Trenchard was lights out fast and had no issues with open track conditions or lapped traffic on his way to his second victory of the 2024 season and 20th career triumph at Yreka. Allerdings fended off all contenders to grab second, with the veteran Bischoff ending up third. [Read More]

Former track champion Peery primed to promote Yreka Speedway

YREKA, Calif. (Feb. 16, 2024) – The last laps Travis Peery turned at Yreka Speedway took him to a track championship. The laps he’ll turn this year will be getting the big quarter-mile clay oval ready for Saturday night race programs featuring Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. “The track was closed and did not open in 2023 and that was tough. I can see the lights from my shop,” said Peery, Modified champion at Yreka in 2020. “A lot of people in the community missed having racing here. I’m a race guy and I wanted to bring it back.” Located on the Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds and just 22 miles from the Oregon state line, Yreka will host seven dates for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds and 13 for Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods. Specials on the calendar are the $5,000 to win Rich and Nicky Biehn Memorial for Modifieds on June 14, which also features SportMods and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars; the Wild West Speedweek date June 15 for Modifieds, SportMods [Read More]